Parenting in the 21st Century

Dear Students, Parents and Carers

Bringing up children is more difficult than it used to be! I doubt I will receive much disagreement with this proposition. Many of the old mores and authority structures are in decline in a hyper-individualistic society where young people have agency and a megaphone (called social media). They have opinions and a degree of wanderlust.

It is worth noting that adolescence is, in one sense, a creation of modernity. In Industrial England in the 18th century, children as young as five were at work in the mines and later the factories. Even in the later age of universal schooling, most were in paid employment full-time by the age of 14. Some historic accounts indicate young people may have reached puberty at about 18 years of age. Now they grow up (but in many ways don’t quite) very quickly, and appropriate to themselves a level of freedom (from parents) which couldn’t have been imagined in previous centuries. Why do they grow up so quickly? No-one knows. Suggestions include environmental and social factors, including the sexual saturation of much of contemporary society, which sparks hormonal activity early. This is by no means a derogatory commentary on young people. I think they are magnificent! The young people at Shore are particularly fabulous and, in upper grades, they are, in my experience, unusually mature for their age.

How may parents respond in a society that continues to evolve in terms of focal points and trigger issues?

Much commentary, particularly in the realms of psychology and leadership, as well as studies into parenting, tends to arrange parental responses into four quadrants which form a typology of parenting style. Over my long career as a Principal/Headmaster, I have observed the growth of quadrant one, “Permissive Parenting”. This style gives teenagers a great deal of scope. It represents interpersonal warmth but with a low level of demand or boundaries. Sometimes it is characterised by parents wanting to be their child’s friend rather than make unpopular decisions or provide leadership. Such parenting insists their children are always in the right, irrespective of what they may have done. Of course, I am stereotyping for the sake of simplicity. It is important to state that I have seen less of this kind of parenting at Shore than in previous headships. I am glad about that!

Perhaps the most problematic form of parenting can be found in quadrant two, which is “Laissez – Faire Parenting”, where the parents, in effect, cut the child loose and, due to factors such as lack of time or family turbulence, provide neither warmth nor boundaries. The lack of guidance and direction is usually very problematic. Children who endure this style of parenting are, in effect, brought up by the peer group, the media and especially social media. They tend to lack a compass or any form of anchor in their lives and often demonstrate aberrant behaviour.

The third quadrant is that of “Authoritarian Parenting”, which was commonplace some generations ago and still appears in residual form. Authoritarian parenting featured absolute, even tyrannical control with rigid boundaries and enforcement but little emotional warmth. Children who experience this type of parenting can be emotionally stunted. The child remains very dependent, often through fear, until they sever their connection with the home, which they will often do at the first possible opportunity.

The fourth quadrant is that of “Authoritative Parenting”, not to be confused with authoritarian. Authoritative parenting is high in its accountabilities and boundaries for young people but is emotionally warm, such that the parents are present in a deep sense for their children. This provides a framework of security and love where young people are effectively steered in order to enable normal development to adulthood, with a strong sense of ethics and purpose. Authoritative parenting has strong Biblical endorsement: “Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it.” (Proverbs 22:6)

It is not difficult to perceive that authoritative parenting achieves the best outcomes for young people. It provides wonderful stability. It expresses love, not just in emotional terms but in its intent to provide the best leadership for young people, even when decisions may be unpopular in the moment. It is clear that authoritative parenting is, by a large majority, evident in most Shore families. It can survive parental separation where both parties and even new partners maintain the same attitude.

In my 43 years thus far as a member of the Executive across eight schools, I have come to regard suffocating overprotection of children as, in effect, being quite similar to exposure, where children are left to fend for themselves. The former leaves young people unprepared to accept responsibility and navigate the adult world as they have failed to build the necessary skills; hence their arrival into adulthood represents a kind of exposure for them to be buffeted by the world.

You may wonder why I turn my mind to such matters in a Shore Weekly Record article. In fact, I am often asked for advice on parenting. This is not surprising given the substance of a Keynote Address at an Independent Heads of Schools Conference just a few years ago. The presenter was an Academic Psychologist from an Australian university. His key point was that, as people typically leave childbearing until much later than was the case in previous generations, many parents are in their late 40s or 50s before a child reaches their teen years, and unless they have been around young people, they simply don’t remember with any clarity their own childhood and, in the new social order, are uncertain how to proceed.

A second reason for this particular topic is my recent reading of a bestseller (at least in educational circles) co-authored by an American Professor of Psychology, Jonathan Haidt, The Coddling of the American Mind. While his book is mostly about American undergraduates, it appears salient to Australia and to those just a few years younger than his target group. What Haidt describes is an epidemic of adolescent depression and anxiety. Whose fault is this? Haidt, in essence, blames American parents. In terms of this article, he blames them for operating in the
quadrants other than authoritative parenting. He particularly holds them responsible for indulging young people in the use of iPhones or equivalent products without supervision, where they are subjected to the toxic cauldron of social media harassment, which leeches away their self-confidence and sense of identity and worth.

Parenting is difficult. It is perhaps the most difficult time in history to parent an adolescent. Nonetheless, parents at Shore, one hopes in partnership with the School, are producing magnificent young people who enter adulthood with confidence, skill and an ethical framework. This is not an accident and requires purposeful commitment over the decades of childhood and adolescence in one’s children. Although they will often push against the boundaries at the time (and some are what we call “boundary riders”), parents who remain committed and authoritative will usually reap a magnificent harvest of fabulous adults who will be in a splendid, decades-long relationship with their parents through their adult years. All going well, they may even pay for our incarceration in retirement villages in years to come!

Dr John Collier
Headmaster

Holtermann Columns

Term Dates 2023 – 2024

A Voice for Generations 

Over four years ago, 14 young men gathered and named their group, the Koori Club – the Shore First Nations students. 

They have met one or two lunchtimes every week, and even via Zoom during two lockdowns, to create, plan and execute their direction for a voice at Shore. The recent Reconciliation Week Assembly, Culture in Curriculum classes, rugby and football jerseys, water polo and basketball attire have been made by these young men in collaboration with the relevant Master
in Charge. 

Artworks in the Library proudly display the students’ country, totem, language, and cultural influences for all of Shore to share. 

We have been very fortunate to have Old Boy and Yalari Scholar, Braydon Mundy to assist the Koori Club in all of their endeavours, including the now famous Teachers vs Indigenous All Stars Touch Football game, pencilled in for Week 2 Term 3. 

Shore is an active school member of the AISNSW Waratah Project and is able to participate and utilise funds for the academic, cultural and capacity building of Indigenous and non-Indigenous students and staff at Shore. 

Top Image: Reconciliation Week jersey handover

Mrs C Camden        
Head of Counselling Services /
Indigenous Program Lead

American Tea

Save the Date: Friday 8 September

This year marks the 85th year of the iconic Shore American Tea event! Shore Parents’ Association volunteers are already hard at work planning this massive community event across both Shore campuses. Over the coming weeks, we will be requesting contributions for the various stalls (eg bake a cake for the Cake Stall, old crockery for Smashing China, bric-a-brac for Trash and Treasure, lollies and jars for Lucky Jars as well donations to the Silent Auction). We hope to see you there!

For all things American Tea, please stay updated via the American Tea Lampada page.

American Tea – Silent Auction

This year the Auction effort is being run by the Year 7 Silent Auction Team. It is the largest component of the Tea’s fundraising initiative, with all donations made by the Shore community and all profits going towards important school initiatives that benefit our boys and girls.

For more information and how to donate, please see the 2023 Silent Auction Info Package.

or email the Year 7 Silent Auction Team at AmericanTeaAuction@shore.nsw.edu.au

David Cambridge, Kristy Borganah and Candace Welch
2023 Year 7 Silent Auction Team

Chaplain’s Chat

We live in a world where there are many uncertainties. We have little or no control over so many things in our lives. Our birth and our upbringing were, in many ways, a product of our parents. We have control over our health only to a certain degree, we can’t control the weather, which is so vital for much of our food, and while we try to control the aging process, even this ultimately is out of our control! And this is before we start to live each day. There are uncertainties about how other people will speak and respond to us in our daily interactions. There are uncertainties about other events in our lives that we will face.  

As we read about the gospel accounts of Jesus’ life, we see many things about him. One of the amazing things is his control over all things. In Matthew 8, we read how Jesus calms the storm simply by speaking. Jesus has control even over nature. All these events point to the identity of Jesus and who he is, and later in the gospel accounts, Jesus will predict his death and resurrection. As the disciples at this point ask the question, “Who is this man?” we are left with the conclusion that Jesus is God’s son. Jesus is certainly in control of all things. So much so that we are encouraged to depend on him for our lives. Despite the uncertainties each and every day that we will face, we can trust in the one who is in control. 

Rev. Anthony Benn 
Chaplain 

Choral Evensong Service

6.00pm | Wednesday 19 July

School Chapel

All staff, parents, Old Boys and students are welcome.

Enquires: Rev. Anthony Benn 9956 1129 abenn@shore.nsw.edu.au

Parking will be available on-site with entry via Hunter Crescent.

Shore Prayer Group

Confirmation 2023

For Year 10 Boys and Above

If you wish to be confirmed in the Shore Chapel in 2023, please apply to Rev. Benn at abenn@shore.nsw.edu.au before Wednesday 21 June. 

The first meeting will be held on Thursday 20 July, at lunchtime in the Christian Studies Centre Room 21-3-4.

The Confirmation Service will be held on Sunday 27 August at 9.00am.

For all enquiries, please contact Rev. Benn at abenn@shore.nsw.edu.au

Holiday Workshops

Holiday Workshops will be offered from Thursday 22 June to Year 12 boys for the upcoming break. These have successfully provided boys with a structure that complements their individual study programmes.

Each three-hour Holiday Workshop session will cover important HSC topics in that subject. A mix of strategies will be used to maximise learning: revision lecture, structured tutorial and discussion. Workshops will generally be limited to a minimum of seven and a maximum of approximately 20 boys. A fee of $70 (including GST) will be charged per (three-hour) workshop, representing excellent value compared to externally run HSC lecture courses. Boys are encouraged strongly to make good use of the workshops and are expected to stay until the end of each workshop.

A selection form will be handed to each boy in Year 12 and is to be returned to Ms Ducrou, Executive Assistant to the Deputy Headmaster – Academic. Boys may choose as many sessions as they like. Every attempt will be made to accommodate all boys, but it might be necessary to restrict the number of boys in a particular workshop, depending upon demand. This will be done on a first-come, first-served basis.

Charges will be made to the next fee statement on a
no-refund basis.

A list of all workshops will be available through the school’s Lampada portal from Friday 2 June.

Boys will not be required to wear school uniforms.

Boys are not encouraged to drive to school for the workshops. However, if they do drive, they are not allowed to park on school property under any circumstances.

We hope each boy will participate in the workshops, which, according to boys in the Classes of 1999-2022, contributed well to their success at the HSC exams.

Mr I M Middleton
Assistant Director of Studies

Term 3 Progress Meetings

Notice to Year 8 and Year 10 Parents

Year 8 Progress Meetings:
4.00pm to 7.00pm Monday 24 July via Zoom

Year 10 Progress Meetings:
4.00pm to 7.00pm Monday 31 August via Zoom

· Full details will be emailed home.

· Boys are expected to attend.

· No Co-Curricular activities for students who have Progress Meetings.

Mr Stan Werakso
Staff Professional Co-ordinator

Career News

It was wonderful to see so many Year 10 parents attend the Morrisby Profiling session on Monday night. The profiling was undertaken by all Year 10 students last week and includes questions on aptitudes, personality and interests. It is an evidence-based tool that builds students’ self-awareness and how they may fit in this ever-changing world of work. The session was recorded and is available on the Careers Lampada page. 

Expressions of interest are being sought by Year 11 students to join the Student Careers Committee. This is a great opportunity to meet and discuss student opportunities, design events and support peers in their post-school pathways. Interested students should describe in 100-200 words why they wish to be involved and send to: vshirriff@shore.edu.au  

A reminder to Year 12 students that Early Entry programs are open for Macquarie University, UTS, University of Canberra, UNE, University of Newcastle and WSU. Further details are available in the Year 12 Notebook and on the Careers Lampada page. 

Last week, we were fortunate to welcome IE University to Shore, an internationally recognised university in Spain providing students with innovative, entrepreneurial practice-based education. One of the best ways to learn about the world is to be in a class of international students, and at IE University, there are over 130 nationalities on campus. Students can study a range of courses in Business, Economics, Design, Computer Science, Environmental Science and
much more. They also extend the traditional PPE degree (Philosophy, Politics, Economics) to PPPLE to include Law. 

We also welcomed Monash University, which provides the double degree experience not available at Melbourne University. While Monash offers undergraduate Medicine, they also have a unique pathway to postgraduate Medicine where only Monash students are able to enrol. The preferred pathway is through their B. Biomedical Science. Students looking at undergraduate Medicine will need to have studied Chemistry in Years 11 and 12 and have an ATAR of 98. 

Finally, the latest Careers News has been released, which has a wealth of events and opportunities for families to explore. It can be accessed on the Careers Lampada page.  

Ms V Shirriff 
Head of Careers Education 

Pastoral Care Update

The following information is a summary of an excellent professional reading I undertook recently from the University of Queensland titled The Brain. The focus of the reading was the development of the human brain across the life course, informed by the most contemporary research available. There was a wealth of important information, and I hope that as a parent or carer, you will find it useful and interesting. For educators and the Pastoral Care team, having this knowledge helps us to provide the best support for
the students in our care and select appropriate wellbeing interventions.  

Summary  

The development of brain structure and cognitive skills follows a hierarchical “bottom-up” sequence, where early brain development plays a vital role and can have long-lasting implications for psychiatric conditions. The construction of higher-level circuits relies on the foundation of lower-level circuits, creating complex neural networks. The brain is highly influenced by experiences, especially during early life, which significantly shapes an individual’s trajectory and long-term outcomes. As time progresses, the brain’s plasticity decreases, making it more challenging to induce changes later on. Therefore, addressing issues correctly early in life is biologically and economically efficient. Prevention and early intervention are strongly supported by scientific evidence, as more than 50 percent of adult mental health problems manifest before the age of 12. 

This understanding highlights the crucial importance of prevention and early intervention, emphasising the need for educators to play an active role. It serves as a valuable reminder of the challenges young people face in managing their behaviour and mental health. By creating supportive learning environments that cater to the specific needs of each developmental stage, educators can make a positive impact and remain motivated in the face of these challenges. Rather than being disheartened by alarming statistics, this knowledge empowers educators to contribute to the wellbeing of their students and promote positive outcomes. 

How the Brain is formed 

As the brain forms, there are significant biological changes, such as genetic and neuronal processes, that continue throughout the lifespan. There are key milestones in brain development as well as challenges that the brain may encounter, including infections, poor nourishment, and stress. Despite not fully understanding how these challenges precisely trigger psychiatric conditions like depression or schizophrenia, neuroscientists have developed theories, such as vulnerability models such as the diathesis-stress model, which highlights the interplay between genes and the environment in brain development and their role in the onset of these conditions. Psychologists have also emphasised the crucial role of protective factors in preventing such triggers. Our Pastoral Care team plays a key role in providing some of these protective factors to
support the optimal development and wellbeing of our students. 

The Maturing Brain: Sleep and Mental Health 

It is commonly known that our sleep needs decrease as we grow older. However, recent research has shed light on the primary factor behind this decrease: a reduction in the proportion of Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep. In newborns, REM sleep can account for up to 50 percent of their total sleep time, while in adults, it comprises only about ten percent. This variation is linked to the brain’s processing of new information, as newborns and young children are constantly exposed to novel and unprecedented events. Additionally, REM sleep is associated with increased dreaming, and therefore children tend to dream more frequently
than adults. 

Although the recommended amount of sleep remains unchanged, with guidelines suggesting ten to 11 hours of sleep per night for 11-year-olds, gradually reducing to approximately eight hours by the age of 25, it is important to understand the relationship between sleep patterns and mental health. 

Based on a survey of 9,000 individuals in the United States, it has been observed that the peak age of onset for mental illness is during early adolescence. While the exact biological reasons for this remain unknown, several common explanations have been proposed, including hormone production, synaptic remodelling, axon myelination, and changes in grey matter. Ongoing research is focused on investigating the process of neurotransmitter release during adolescence and its impact on the size and structure of neurons. This research aims to provide a deeper understanding of how these factors may contribute to the development of psychiatric conditions later in life. 

The Teenage Brain 

During adolescence, synaptic pruning plays a vital role in shaping the brain’s neural connections. This process reinforces and hardwires frequently used neural pathways, ensuring their efficiency. 

The brain consists of two primary types of tissue: grey matter and white matter. Grey matter comprises neuronal cell bodies, where the majority of information processing takes place. White matter, on the other hand, consists mostly of myelinated axons and serves as a pathway for signal transmission between different grey matter areas. 

In the past, biologists held the belief that the brain stopped growing and changing after a certain age. However, research conducted in the 1960s and 1970s challenged this notion, revealing that the brain is a dynamic organ that continuously evolves in response to the interplay between the environment and cognition. This ability of the brain to modify its neural structures to adapt is known as neuroplasticity. 

Neuroplasticity, the brain’s remarkable ability to change and reorganise itself, plays a pivotal role in shaping the developing brain. Neuroplasticity encompasses various processes that facilitate the brain’s adaptation to new experiences. Among these processes, two crucial mechanisms are dendritic branching and pruning. Dendritic branching, or dendritic arborisation, involves the growth and formation of new branches in neurons. This process increases the neural density and facilitates the establishment of new connections, enabling efficient information processing. 

Long-Term Potentiation (LTP), a process where synapses are strengthened, is closely tied to neuroplasticity. LTP suggests that repeated engagement in a specific task enhances synaptic connections, contributing to neuroplastic changes. Furthermore, LTP promotes dendritic branching, augmenting neural density and connectivity. 

Conversely, discontinued behaviour or a lack of synaptic potentiation may lead to neural pruning. Synaptic pruning is the elimination of excess neurons and synaptic connections, refining the brain’s neural circuitry. This process is particularly prominent during adolescence when the brain undergoes substantial restructuring. During adolescence, the brain undergoes significant changes in its structural composition. Teenagers experience a gradual loss of approximately one percent of grey matter each year until their mid-twenties. Simultaneously, the amount of white
matter, which consists of myelinated axons facilitating signal transmission, increases. However, this maturation process does not occur uniformly across all brain areas. 

Brain maturation follows a specific sequence, with motor and sensory areas maturing first, followed by areas involved in language and spatial orientation. Higher-order cognitive processes and executive functions, such as flexible thinking, reasoning, and self-control, develop later. The dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, responsible for planning, judgment, and decision-making, matures last. This delayed maturation of the prefrontal cortex partially explains the risky behaviour often observed in young people, along with their apparent lack of impulse control and emotional regulation. It also renders them more susceptible to stress and mental health problems. 

Psychiatric Conditions:
When the Brain Struggles to Cope 

In certain cases, exposure to toxins, pathogens, or other threats can disrupt brain development and contribute to the emergence of psychiatric conditions. Researchers propose that when the level of developmental threat surpasses a certain threshold, the developing brain’s adaptive mechanisms become overwhelmed, leading to the manifestation of psychiatric disorders. 

During prenatal development, if adaptation fails, it can result in childhood psychiatric conditions such as autism and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). In adolescence, the use of drugs or exposure to highly stressful life events, including psychological trauma, can act as “second hits” that trigger illnesses that were successfully avoided during pregnancy. 

Another possibility is that early events remain masked by the brain’s adaptive capacity but lose their resilience over time. These complexities highlight the need for further research to comprehensively understand the interplay between genetic and environmental risk factors and their impact on brain development. 

Future Research 

Precisely coordinating the intricate processes involved in building a functioning brain during development remains an enigma. Investigating why genetic and environmental risk factors have varying effects on individuals’ developmental outcomes is crucial. Understanding why exposure to the same environmental risk leads to autism in some individuals but not in others requires further exploration. Additionally, determining the factors that affect resilience to adverse environments, such as prenatal maternal smoking, is essential. By addressing these questions, we can gain insights into protective mechanisms and inform interventions that promote positive developmental outcomes. 

Source: The Brain: University of Queensland Brain Institute, Issue 6, September 2022.  

This reading can be purchased here https://qbi.uq.edu.au/the-brain-magazine  

Mr D Champion
Acting Deputy Head Pastoral Care

I N C E P T I O N

The Genius of Nolan’s Writing

J. Y. Gao

NOLAN’S SCI-FI REALISM HAS PERMEATED, FOR MORE THAN A DECADE, THE MAINSTREAM BLOCKBUSTER STAGE OF HOLLYWOOD. Yet, his highly complex concepts seem more suited for the niche stage of avant-garde independent filmmakers rather than the worldwide audience it has gained. How, then, do his films differ from that of the experimental auteur dabbling in dazzling intertextual references and philosophical concepts, and escape from the shallow meandering of all-for-money Hollywood sequels?

After his Batman Trilogy, which remains the pinnacle of the modern superhero movie in my opinion, Inception (2010), his most commercially successful film, has grossed over 892 million USD worldwide and was ranked 14th in IMDb’s top 250 films of all time. Inception’s premise is complex from an uninformed point of view: within the framework of dreams that have the capacity to be constructed, manipulated and layered on top of each other, Nolan wrestles with existential questions and the nature of the human subconscious. Unlike the one-sided, formulaic narratives of Marvel, Nolan’s conceptual depth expands the scope of his story onto the level of an epic; the story feels big, the constructed world space feels real, and there is a great sense of release at the end of it all. 

As a result, it seems as though it is his ability to leverage scope and broaden his authorial intent that makes Nolan’s films so integral. In Inception, Nolan’s narrative is expansive in space. His world of dreams becomes his leeway into this enormous undertaking as he occupies five disparate settings simultaneously over the course of the film’s main segment. In essence, and for those who haven’t watched the film, Cobb (DiCaprio) and his team, along with Fischer (C. Murphy), are on a ten-hour plane flight that serves as Nolan’s first layer of narrative. Quickly, the characters enter the second narrative layer (into Fischer’s dream) – rainy streets and busy car chases. The team then enter Nolan’s third narrative layer (a dream in a dream), the Hotel, after which they follow in the fourth narrative layer of snowy mountains and fortresses (a dream within a dream within a dream). Finally, the film’s climax brings the audience down into the fifth layer of the narrative, referred to as limbo, a beachy coastline that manifests Nolan’s depiction of the subconscious. 

Five layers of narrative mean five different settings: plane, car, hotel, mountains, and beach. During the film’s climax, the story was cut frequently between these layers, with the characters left in each layer facing distinct problems and experiencing rising tension. Yet, despite the spatial complexity, Nolan’s clear story-telling techniques and imaginative organisation allow the audience to navigate the plot easily. 

More impressively, Nolan’s construction of these settings is not linear, they are concentric. Each world exists in the mind of a character from the world ‘above’; in such a way, the worlds of Inception are vertically stacked on top of each other, and it is the ease at which the audience is able to grasp this concept that emphasises Nolan’s consistency and clarity. 

Indeed, Nolan’s ambitious scope doesn’t stop there. Since his second directorial project, Memento (2000), he has fiddled with the concept of time in almost all of his features; Inception is no exception. Of course, the simultaneity of the five disparate settings and distinct narrative worlds demonstrates Nolan’s ingenious manipulation of time, knowing when and for how long the story stays at any particular level; without hesitation, he constructs together the simultaneous events of each narrative without split screen and creates a fragmented story that is digestible and even palatable for the mainstream audience. 

Furthermore, Nolan also meddles with the experience of time and generates a sense of cosmic horror as he redraws the passing of time. Much like his later film Interstellar (2014), time dilation in his story means his characters experience time at different speeds. During the film’s initial exposition, Cobb explains the brain functions faster within a dream (twenty times faster), and so the ten-hour plane flight is roughly equivalent to a week in the first layer (car), 6 months in the second layer (hotel), and ten years in the third (snow). So from an objective point of view, each level above is travelling in slow motion, and Nolan is careful in allocating a calculated amount of screen time for each narrative layer. 

This is most prominent in the film’s climax, as the van from the first dream layer is intentionally driven off a bridge to act as the ‘kick’. Nolan is able to craft time so that 30 minutes of run-time (from 1hr 45min to 2hr 17min) felt like ten seconds had passed in the first layer, three minutes in the second layer, and an hour in the third. Including Cobb’s retrieval of one of the characters, having been lost in limbo for ten years, Nolan compresses four different lengths of time into a sequential, singular storyline. Albeit his frequent cutting between these times, the pace doesn’t seem confusing or frantic at all. The motivations are clear, the emotions are clear, and the audience is left mentally ‘full’, tired, but content. 

But of course, Nolan’s genius doesn’t stop there. The most ingenious aspect of the film is its thematic consistency. A trait shared by epic, large-scale, emotionally rewarding stories is the ability to start threads of ideas during the first half and resolve each and every one in the second half. This is evident in Inception. 

In the first half: 

• Questions are raised about the first scene. It is completely disjunct from the rest of the story in the first half. Where are they? What are they doing? What happened?
• During Ariadne’s (E. Page) training, Arthur (Gordon-Levitt) introduced her, and by extension the audience, to the idea of paradox within a dream. 
• Cobb’s motivations are made clear by his phone call to his children, and the theme of not seeing their faces is begun.
• The strained relationship between son and father is also introduced early on between Fischer and his father. 
• “There’s no room for tourists on a job like this,” is said by Eams (T. Hardy).
• “I’m an old man, filled with regret, waiting to die alone,” is said by Saito (Watanabe).
• The idea of inception is introduced to the audience.
• The totem is introduced, Cobb’s is the spinning top.

In the second half:

• The first scene is shown again near the end of the film 2 hrs 14 mins later, and forms part of the resolution.
• Arthur uses his stair trick paradox to get rid of one of his assailants in the second dream level.
• Cobb refuses to see the face of his children throughout the film, and we finally see their faces in the last scene.
• The relationship between Fischer and his father is restored.
• “There’s no room for tourists on a job like this,” is repeated by Saito in the third dream layer as he is about to die.
• “I’m an old man, filled with regret, waiting to die alone,” is said again by Saito in the third layer, and Cobb and Saito alternate each phrase of the quote in limbo in the resolution to remind themselves of who they are. 
• The idea of inception is not just relevant on a corporate scale, it was the cause of Cobb’s wife’s suicide. The inception of the idea that her ‘world may not be real’ was existential, and Cobb’s guilt in instigating that catalyses the traumatic memories that he stores.
• The film ends on the spinning top, Cobb’s totem.

Not only has Nolan been able to achieve conceptual complexity successfully, but he adds a layer of meaning and existential resonance that makes the story truly profound. Woven masterfully between the sophisticated science fiction of his multi-layered story are consistent, lasting themes and questions that exist on every layer and at all points in time. The immovable, unwavering themes that last within the cacophony of narrative details, characters and other aspects are Nolan’s way of showing them as the core aspects of humanity. No matter your time nor your place, guilt, love, and the question of reality will always remain, immovable and unwavering.

International Jurisprudence

It is a Myth

J. A. McCreery

THE WORLD COURT IS A MYTH. There is no universally accepted authority to enforce International ‘Law’ upon sovereign states. No matter how much the UN, NATO and other global forums cry out and wag their finger in disapproval, a strong state cannot be stopped without force or cunning diplomacy.

John Austin was an English legal theorist, who posited that international law is but a code of rule of conduct of moral force only, it is viewed as ‘not true law’. He further maintains that “customary rules become law only when judges use them to settle legal disputes and the sovereign to whom those judges are subordinate acquiesces in their doing so, for only then is obedience to the customary rule (implicitly) commanded, and so law.” 

Plainly, you need to be able to enforce a law for it to be in effect. 

You cannot arrest another nation’s monarch, prime minister, or council – to do so would raise a war. Even if you felt justified in doing so, do you truly have the right to resist the wishes of another nation? Is free governance and self-determination not the basis of the modern world?

Wars are different, they are a direct existential threat in defiance of any set of authority. Particularly in the modern day, these bouts are not ‘sanctioned’. For example, Russia and Ukraine, a big man on a small one. Yet the countries of the world simply gather in a circle, lending support to their retrospective ally, a fine choice for protecting personal ambition but all too reminiscent of a schoolyard scrap.

Where it becomes hazy is when either side becomes desperate.

“The laws of war, or international humanitarian law (IHL), is a set of rules which aim to maintain some humanity in armed conflicts, saving lives and reducing suffering. To do that, IHL regulates how wars are fought, balancing two aspects: weakening the enemy and limiting suffering. The rules of war are universal. The Geneva Conventions 1949 (which are the core element of IHL) have been ratified by all 196 states. Very few international treaties have this level of support.” International Committee of The Red Cross

The IHL essentially goes as follows: civilians can never be targeted, and every possible care must be taken to limit harm to things essential for their survival; torture is prohibited, as is any other ill-treatment of detainees, whatever their past, to maintain dignity and life; medical workers must always be allowed to do their job and the sick or wounded cared for; and any weaponry must be in accordance with the above laws, such as limitation on bioweaponary or nuclear attack.

So, is one simply to acquiesce when they are losing, to lose their nation in a fair arm wrestle. It is a code of great moral ambition, but the temptation to kick the other man under the table is too great when nationhood comes under threat – what else would you expect. It is incredibly effective to target all that is restricted and is near impossible to stop unless someone else wants to step in. 

Modern terrorism is a clear example of subversion. But even Korea,  Vietnam, or in the worst case, Hiroshima, are all in massive disregard to this movement. The US, perhaps one of the loudest advocates for international law, has defied it at every turn. And that is how international law works, the strong have their say, and the weak must hang on to the coattails of morality and humanism, which drag ever more in the mud of the contemporary world. 

A Wild Weekend

Around the Grounds of AAGPS Rugby Round Four

F. A. Loxton

AFTER LAST WEEK’S SHARE OF CLOSELY FOUGHT BATTLES, ROUND FOUR OF THE GPS COMPETITION WAS SET TO BE HUGELY TELLING, WITH THE SHORE FIRST XV FACING NEWINGTON, KINGS PLAYING SCOTS, AND RIVERVIEW PLAYING RIVALS JOEYS AT LEICHHARDT OVAL. Round four also saw the First XV teams showcasing Indigenous jerseys as the GPS community celebrated Reconciliation Week.

Looking to continue their promising form, competition leaders Kings faced Scots at Parramatta. Establishing an early lead through their talented backline, Kings became complacent, seeing Scots come back to make it 29-19. However, the side’s forwards stepped up once again to recover the score to 48-26 before inside centre Boston Fakanua was red-carded for tackling a player in the air. In the end, Kings won comfortably with a score of 58-26, although Fakanua will be crucial for their upcoming fixtures, so it will be interesting to see if the card is followed with a suspension.

In the most highly anticipated fixture of the round, Riverview relocated their home rivalry against Joeys to Leichhardt Oval. With many players from both sides playing in last year’s clash, both sides were as ready as ever to play in what will most probably be the biggest crowd a schoolboy team will experience all season. Matched evenly in the opening, Joeys claimed a 7-5 lead before Riverview struck to go into half-time up 12-7. The second half saw Riverview take control of the game, securing a 26-21 win. This sees Riverview second placed second behind Kings on the ladder and Joeys remaining winless after four rounds of fixtures.

TThe final match of the round saw Shore travel to Stanmore to face Newington, who were coming off a strong win over Joey’s at Hunters Hill. Making a strong start, Newington scored two early tries off strong backline moves, with winger Tom Farr-Jones and fullback Tallis McEwen making strong line breaks. This dominance continued through to the end of the first half with Newington leading Shore 28-0. The second half once again proved a challenge for the First XV although they struck with a try to Angus Molchanoff. And, in the closing minutes, Lapina Ita scored an impressive individual try to secure Newington the win at home. This leaves Newington still as dark horse contenders for the premiership and Shore with some work to do with some challenging upcoming fixtures.

Following round four of the competition, Kings look as dominant as ever going into a clash against Joeys, Riverview continue in winning form with a clash against Shore at Northbridge approaching, and Newington will look to maintain momentum as they face a struggling Scots side.

Football Report

T. W. Roberts

FOLLOWING A COMFORTABLE 3-0 WIN LAST WEEKEND AGAINST THE KINGS SCHOOL, THE SECONDS THE SECONDS TRAVELLED TO NEWINGTON TO TAKE ON A SIDE THAT HAD BEATEN THEIR OPPOSITION 4-0 THE WEEKEND BEFORE. In what was always going to be a tight contest, the team started slowly conceding early to a well-worked set piece by Newington. Shore created chances, however, and kept playing their football, but Newington held their 1-0 lead into half-time. Unfortunately, the team couldn’t handle Newington’s numerous attacks in the second half and went down 5-0 at full-time against a Newington side that will be challenging with Shore for the GPS Seconds premiership.

The same can be said about the Firsts. After dismantling The Kings School 5-1 last weekend, the Firsts came up against Newington, a team that had already won two pre-season trophies, including the AAGPS Plate Trophy, a couple of weeks beforehand. In a game that was expected to be physical and scrappy, the plan was to be patient when defending, keeping a compact shape, and hitting on the counter when we can. The main message before the game was to come out with energy and intensity and the team did so, by dominating the first twenty minutes of the game, creating a few chances. However, a half volley from outside the box off a corner gave Newington a 1-0 lead which they kept until half time. The Firsts started off the second half immediately on the back foot, conceding early and making the goal of a comeback even harder. Shore kept playing well but it wasn’t until a late third goal for Newington right on full time which put the game to bed. Final score, 3-0 to Newington.

Due to the upcoming long weekend, the squad gets a weekend off and plenty of time to train before our next match against St. Joseph’s College in two weekends time. 

War Crimes and Witness Testimonies

Ben Roberts-Smith Loses His Defamation Case

P. P. Zhang

THEY SAY THE BIGGER THEY ARE, THE HARDER THEY FALL. Ben Roberts-Smith’s fall has been like no other, and the full repercussions are yet to come. Previously, he was held in high regard, being celebrated as Australia’s most decorated living war hero, having received the Medal for Gallantry (MG) in 2006, the Victoria Cross (VC) in 2011 and a Commendation for Distinguished Service in 2012 for his service in Afghanistan and the general Australian Defence Force for 21 years. Former Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull called Roberts-Smith a “great Australian hero” and “someone that all Australians look up to”. But as of last Thursday, the ex-patrol officer lost his public defamation case against three newspapers – the Sydney Morning Herald, the Age and the Canberra Times. From 2018, the said newspapers published stories claiming that he had committed war crimes while serving in Afghanistan, as well as allegations of bullying within the Special Air Service Regiment (SAS) and domestic violence. The civil trial heard more than 100 days of evidence over the span of a year, including from 41 witnesses. Ultimately, Roberts-Smith has been named a murderer and war criminal who was responsible for the killing of four unarmed civilians in Afghanistan.

The allegations date back to 2009, when Roberts-Smith led a raid on compound Whiskey 108, a secret tunnel where he was responsible for the killing of an elderly man and another with a prosthetic leg, both of whom were hiding in the tunnel. However, the most infamous of the extensive allegations against the ex-soldier is the murder of a handcuffed man, Ali Jan, in the southern Afghani village of Darwan in 2012. Sources state that Roberts-Smith “walked forward and kicked the individual in the chest”, causing him to fall off a ten-meter-high cliff. Justice Anthony Besanko, the judge of the Supreme Court who dismissed the defamation claims, found on the balance of probabilities that the imputations established by the newspapers were true. Additionally, Roberts-Smith was also alleged to have punched a woman who he was having an affair with in Parliament House following an argument in 2018.  As well as bullying and threatening of fellow soldiers, including coercing them into the ‘appropriate’ way to execute detainees. 

After retiring from the full-time Army in 2013, Roberts-Smith became the General Manager of the Seven Network in Queensland in 2015, as well as holding the position of Chair of the National Australia Day Council between 2014 and 2017. In 2018, the three aforementioned newspapers launched a series of articles. The stories, rolled out from June 8, 2018, detailed the war crimes committed by an initially unnamed soldier in Afghanistan, before Ben Roberts-Smith’s name was revealed in August of the same year. And so Ben Roberts-Smith launched two defamation proceedings on August 17, 2018, claiming that the allegations had resulted in damages worth hundreds of thousands of dollars, in the form of lost speaking roles as a guest speaker, as well as stepping down as the General Manager of Seven Queensland. It will likely be his employer, billionaire Kerry Stokes who had been bankrolling Roberts-Smith, who will also fund the estimated $25 million legal costs for both parties in the trial. At the time of Roberts-Smith suing the news corporations, Stokes was also the chair of the Australian War Memorial. 

This raises another question: whether the War Memorial should continue to display his character, including his medals and uniform. The answer to this may seem obvious, but the displays are still a vital part of our war history, as well as providing a way to educate Australians about the understated codes of armed conflict, ultimately creating a paradox: the exhibition displays one of our greatest heroes who is simultaneously one of our greatest war criminals. Despite the findings of the court, Roberts-Smith still retains his Victoria Cross, the highest military honour awarded to an Australian soldier. Many are calling for this honour to be cancelled, which would be a first for an Australian VC recipient. In the entire British honours system, only eight of the 1,358 awarded since 1856 have been cancelled, however, often for lesser crimes such as stealing a cow. There is an argument to be made that Roberts-Smith received his VC for the notable Battle of Tizak in 2010, which was completely unrelated to the defamation trial, and therefore his war heroics still stand despite ‘disgracing’ his country. 

Amidst all the clamour, Ben Roberts-Smith has not actually been criminally charged, with the defamation trial being a purely civil case. The reason for this? There are a couple of factors, including the fact that war crimes trials are costly and extensive, and although there was “substantial truth” established in many of the imputations, unlike civil trials, criminal trials require proof beyond reasonable doubt. This essentially means it would be significantly harder to find the the ex- Special Air Service soldier guilty. Oliver Schulz is the only former SAS soldier in history to be charged with the war crime of murder. Despite all this, the Australian Defence Force must continue to support the push for a criminal trial, to maintain Australia’s position as a champion of justice and proper conduct in war. This, too, will no doubt be a difficult decision for our nation, which prides itself in our nationalistic courage, with much of this reflected through military service overseas. Compensation is also needed for the Afghani families affected, compensation that should have been paid two and a half years ago, following the findings of the Brereton Report, which raised the issue of Australian soldiers committing war crimes. 

Roberts-Smith and his lawyers have 42 days to consider their options, including a possible appeal, however, this would require finding a significant error of law in the trial, not to mention the extensive further legal funding. All in all, even if Roberts-Smith does choose to appeal, the damage to his reputation, the Defence Force, and the nation as a whole, has already been done. 

The Importance of Science Fiction

Sources Of Creativity In Our Modern World                                                                

E. O. Milne

IN NATIONS AROUND THE WORLD, THERE ARE WORKERS KNOWN AS FUTURISTS. Their one job is to look at the world before them and predict what is going to happen in the future, from there countries and their leaders will decide how to proceed.

The future is something so abstract and unpredictable, and as such it is far from easy to make predictions. But futurists are not the only people making observations and estimates. There are people out there making books and films, all exploring ideas about the future.

This form of creativity is known as science fiction, and much like fantasy, it is all ‘make believe’. There are no rules to science fiction besides the ones that say it must be science-based. This could mean the novel involves aliens or is on a planet much like Earth. Or it can mean that the book is set in the future of human civilization.

Now this is where the possibilities become endless because even though you can write about whatever you want as a sci-fi author you always take inspiration from the world around you and have ideas on what could become of the world. And you may believe that a person, such as a futurist, would be much better at suggesting what is to come of the world. And you are not wrong.

Futurists, over time, have predicted great things in the future, including technological advancement, economic status and more. But at the same time, there are many authors that have, in simple terms: predicted the future down to exact descriptions.

In the book Metropolis, written in 1925, author Thea von Harbou predicted a future where robots and artificial intelligence hold a prominent place. Now this was long before any ideas of the first animatronic body had even begun their production, and now it seems too real. As you walk through the School, half the resources evolve around robotic engineering and electricity-powered devices.

Another example is the novel A Brave New World, written in 1932. The author of this novel, Aldous Huxley, predicted the use of a pill that, once ingested, would cure all signs of depression. Now this form of prescription can be found on a daily basis. While the novel itself pictures a far more fearful use of prescription medicine, the basics are similar. 

This shows that in today’s day and age, as much as we need people to sit in offices and people to help the economy, as much as we need teachers and doctors to save and educate people, we need to the same degree, people of creativity. In particular, science fiction authors, because it is this form and genre of writing over time that allows society to grow and become more developed.

Books from decades ago are informing us of mistakes in fiction so that we will not make the same wrongdoings in reality. In Dune, written in 1965, it talks of a great war in the future between robots and humans. It warns us of the possibilities that may face us one day and suggests ways to avoid such things.

But to keep this form of entertainment alive and educate us about these ideas. We need to immerse ourselves more into the worlds of novels such as 1984, Dune and movies such as Interstellar and Inception because they give us ideas that broaden our senses. They tell us that these things that seem so unrealistic now may be lived one day by another person.

So, I think we all need to pick up one of these films or pieces of literature because they can teach us a lot about what the future might hold.

And what may slowly be dawning on us.

Danger in near ages.

Queensland Spirit

The Maroons Prevail in an Origin Classic

F. A. Loxton

AS IT ALWAYS SEEMS TO, THE GREATEST SPORTING CONTEST IN THE COUNTRY DELIVERED. The final quarter of the 2023 State of Origin game saw several tries and lead changes, a questionable sin bin, a prop outjumping a fullback under the highball, all combining to make the match a classic Origin fixture. And being a classic Origin, the Maroons somehow prevailed in what has been labelled “not a state,” but a “state of mind.”

With heroes throughout the Queensland side, from Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow, who scored a double at centre, to player of the match Reuben Cotter, who provided consistent go-forward at prop, Queensland proved far more determined under the wisdom of Billy Slater in just his second series as coach. In comparison, Brad Fittler selected the far better side on paper, but question marks remain with the side, and his coaching job considered the Blues have managed to lose two of the last three series as favourites. Further, Blues Captain James Tedesco continues to struggle at both the Club and now Origin level, missing several crucial tackles to allow the Maroons the chance to steal the game.

Whilst Latrell Mitchell’s return will likely help their backline struggles, the Blues await a trip to Brisbane one down, in what will prompt Brad Fittler to be more decisive with his selections.

Phil Gould broke down the result saying, “Queensland just played the perfect brand of Origin football. Hard-working forwards. Confident and creative halves. And speed… Queensland defended better when they had to. They attacked better when they had to.”

Looking at the stats, it is hard to believe NSW didn’t win, dominating both possession and territory. And, scoring just three tries, two of them scrappy breakaways, it is clear a mindset shift is needed in order to head into the clash at Suncorp. Generating further debate, Nathan Cleary’s game management was questionable, especially considering they played 12 men in the final minutes after a head-on-head collision saw Thomas Flegler sent off. More concerning, perhaps, is that Queensland had two centres playing on the wing, and both Ben Hunt and Reuben Cotter playing in the centres.

In a game that saw Tevita Pangai-Junior, Hudson Young and Nicho Hynes debut, Brad Fittler seemed apprehensive with his selections after Liam Martin dominated, resulting in Hudson Young only playing 31 minutes of the game. Nicho Hynes also only appeared when Tom Trbojevic was sent off for an HIA, and his defence at centre was flawed, which saw Cameron Munster set up Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow to take the lead. 

For now, many answers rest on the shoulders of Brad Fittler, with fans calling for captain James Tedesco and Nathan Cleary to be sacked. There have also been calls for Haumole Olakau’atu to replace Young at second row, who has been in career-best form for Manly.

For now, another challenge awaits the Blues, a must-win fixture at Suncorp Stadium, which will see a decider in Sydney if Queensland are to lose.

The Championship Begins

The latest in the US Collegiate Rowing

L. D. Banks

THE TIME HAS COME. Last Friday marked the beginning of the 2023 Intercollegiate Rowing Association (IRA) National Championships. The IRA’s are the first (and last) regatta where all the College level crews from across the US come together to race.

At such a pivotal moment in the season, this adds an extra level of suspense, as many of the highest-performing crews are yet to meet. This predicament most fittingly describes the crews of UC Berkley (Cal) and Washington University as they are both two strong programs that do not have a chance to row many of the Ivy crews in the lead-up to the Pac-12 Championship (Pac-12: an athletic association similar to the Ivy League, hence contact between the two collectives is limited prior to the IRA’s). 

The title-defending California crew have certainly had the form all season, being ranked by the IRCA (Intercollegiate Rowing Coaches Association) at number one for all seven votes of this season. Although, there have been some impressive results in the lead-up, such as the Yale Crew winning the Eastern Sprints (Ivy Championship + some extra crews) in a blistering time of 5:23.619, which is only 5 seconds off the world record for the men’s coxed eight (8+).

The Championship features a ‘seeding’ system, distributing crews based on the speed they have demonstrated in the lead up, allowing for a more fair progression from heat to semi to final. Seeding allows the faster crews a bit of a safety net, preventing them from being placed in the same heat and knocking each other out early on, whilst a slow crew progresses through an easier heat. However, this also adds suspense to the regatta, as ideally the fastest two crews will not meet until the final. This year, these two crews would be the Cal crew who have exhibited extreme dominance all season, going completely undefeated. Notably, Cal defeated the 2022 Henley-Winning Oxford Brookes crew from England who visited San Diego in April. Oxford Brookes, like California, is regarded as one of the fastest Collegiate level crews in the world and was expected to beat Cal. The second crew would be the impressive Yale crew, coached by the illustrious and unfortunately retiring Steve Gladstone. Steve has won more IRA’s than any other coach and the strength of the Yale program in the last decade has certainly been due to his guidance. Yale has also gone undefeated in the lead up to the championship, winning the Eastern Sprints and hence claiming the Ivy League title. This Yale crew also happens to be coxed by Shore old boy Harry Keenan.

At the time of the release of this article, the regatta will have concluded, but at the time of writing it, the semi-finals have taken place and the finals are in 8 hours. The heats progressed somewhat unsurprisingly. The first and second fastest finish of each heat progresses straight through to the A/B semi-finals, whilst the remainder of the crews are sent to one of four repechages, where the winner of each also progresses to the A/B semis. The winners of the four heats were Cal, Yale, Princeton and Washington respectively, with Brown, Northeastern, Harvard and Syracuse recording second places. The progression from the repechages was Dartmouth, Stanford, Cornell and Pennsylvania. In my opinion, these results were expected, with Cal recording the fastest qualifying time by over a second and rowing through the line looking very relaxed, they were certainly very impressive.

In the Varsity 4+ (also known as the ‘four-with’; short for four with coxswain), a less contested category, Cal demonstrated once again their dominance. The road to the final in the four is slightly different to the eights, as they complete time trials rather than heats. After having their semi-finals cancelled and lane draw shifted due to the wind conditions, this further confused the crews. Shortly after the start, it was dead level. Cal made their typical second 500m push working their way out to nearly a length of clear water at some points. Coming through the 500m Cal was looking strong, but as the crews approached the line, it appeared the Cal crew had burnt all their matches as the wheels were falling off quickly, and other crews were making up ground. However, their early lead posed too much of an advantage as the other crews ran out of water and Cal made their way over the line to claim the National Title in the Varsity 4+.

The semis posed an interesting contrast to the heats, with a strong headwind charging down Lake Mercer, the lane draws were altered to favour the inside lanes. The lane draw can be altered depending on the conditions, generally, the fastest qualifiers receive the favoured lane, which in still conditions is the central-most lane. This is because being in the centre grants the rowers and coxswain the advantage of seeing more of their opponents instead of being in an outside lane where it is difficult to catch a glimpse of crews four to five lanes away. However, depending on the intensity and direction of wind and also potentially tidal currents and general water movement depending on the location. On this particular day, the inside lanes gained an advantage from the large trees that coat the right (from the perspective of a rower) side of the course, providing some obstruction to the wind currents.

Although, a headwind affects the race due to more than the intuitive extra resistance. Rowing different conditions requires an adaptation to the ‘stroke’ a crew rows (or their specific style/technique). The best crews can adapt accordingly, but particularly at such a level, many crews focus on learning a stroke that is best suited for still or tailwind conditions. Such a stroke is very punchy and front end focused, an example of such a crew is the Yale crew, who row a very ‘front-loaded’ stroke at a slightly higher stroke rate. This technical difference is what I would attribute to Yale’s second place in the semi-final to Princeton, a team who has been slower than Yale this season. The Princeton crew exhibited much longer rowing, with a very powerful mid-drive and finish, overcoming the Yale crew’s leg-focused rowing. This was a surprising upset, as Princeton made a mad dash through the 2nd 500m working out to a length and ultimately clear water. This is a very impressive result and will have certainly given the Princeton crew a morale boost approaching the Grand Final.

In the second semi-final, Cal laid down the law. With strong starts from all crews, Cal rowed with their characteristic confidence, rowing cool, calm and hard, waiting to make their move through the 500m mark. Cal held off a fast Washington crew with ease, demonstrating their dominance whilst reserving energy for the big race. At such a late point in the season, it is safe to say that if Cal can row to their full potential in the Grand Final, they will take the title. However, rowing is a dynamic sport, and as shown by the Princeton crew in Semi-1, anything can happen in a race. The Yale crew will certainly be feeling aggressive coming off an ego-triggering defeat in the semi-final. The Princeton crew will be basking in their newfound fervour, after realising it is not so impossible to slay a giant. The Cal crew will be preparing just as they do, trying not to make any changes and just trust the process that has brought them so far before and can do so again. I will be back next week with an update on the result of the grand final.

Golf Competition – Saturday 3 June

Golf Scores

June Monthly Medal (Stroke) First Round Shore Strokeplay Championship 

The sixth round of the season was held at Northbridge on Saturday, and the fog lifted as the boys teed off in the June Monthly Medal. Tom Kennedy excelled, placing 3rd in A Grade and collecting $30 in prizes for his efforts. And Zach France narrowly missed out on a minor prize after a typically consistent round saw him take the lead after the first round of the Shore Strokeplay Championship. They will be joined in the second round by reigning champion Leon Li, who started nervously but finished well. With the three qualifiers all within a few shots, it promises to be a thriller.   

The rest of us, however, had to bear witness to some mostly atrocious golf that will need urgent attention if we are to ever play well again. The boys are looking forward to the long weekend, where they will hopefully get a chance to go back to the drawing board and, in doing so, allow themselves to put in some better performances in the coming weeks.  

Henry Collins
Captain of Golf 

Cross Country

Scots Invitational, Upjohn Park Rydalmere, 3 June 2023 

The boys returned to the heavily favoured Upjohn Park for a tough grind. We were happily welcomed to neatly laid out flags along the course and Athletics NSW banners around the course as the NSW State XC relays were set to be held later that evening. The boys were ready to rip up the course, trying to warm it up for the best in the state. 

The Junior boys toed the line first to hit out a quick 4km on a mistakenly difficult grass course. The “usual candidate” of Toby Ward keeps on getting better and better every week as he pushes into the top ten without his teammate Hugo Stewart alongside him. Toby finished well for a fantastic 8th place in the GPS. Fantastic run, Toby! Henry Johnstone and James Warren trotted along the 4km course with each other finishing one place off each other in the GPS (23rd and 24th, respectively). Archie Watson closed out the Shore team in 39th place to land the team 5th place in the GPS! 

With Fraser Pandit out, the intermediate boys needed to find an extra gear to move up the ladder. This gear was found by many boys of the team – Thomas Gray had an outstanding run, tearing through the field, resulting in 8th in the GPS. Daniel Becker and JJ Black also found the right gear as they moved up many spots into 14th and 20th place. Jimmy Thompson closed out the field in a solid run landing Shore in 5th place, two spots higher than their last two placings! Well done lads.  

The Senior Team waited on the start line with joy, knowing that they were about to hit out their seemingly favourite course. As the lads attempted to back up their relay win earlier in the season on this course, the contention for the premiership was on the line. After Jesse Cochrane led out the field for a fast start and Ryan Gilmour was caught in tight circumstances around the first bend, the field was spread out along the park. Lachy Brown and I led the field around for a lap resulting in a slight burnout from myself. However, Lachy remained strong, giving it to the best runners in the nation. Lachy stormed home for 2nd place with an incredible pace, setting up the team for a strong score. With a strong finish from me to finish in 4th place in the GPS, the race for the points was on for Ryan and James Bestic. However Ryan and James finished strong, behind the Scots boys being hunted. This did not matter in the end, as Shore landed themselves their first outright win of the tournament with a three-point gap on the field. This closed the deficit to just six points with three races remaining in the season. Lachy and I placed ourselves in a top-eight position, hopefully earning a spot on an open GPS team to race in the GPS vs CAS race next term.  

Machine of the Week: (selected by the coaches and Mr Spratt) Lachy Brown.  

Cam Burnett
Shore Cross Country Captain 2023 

Shore Swimming – NSW All Schools 

The Shore Swim Team consisting of Will Bestic, Sam Chan, Ethan Cook, Jonty Jagger, Ollie Kelly and Noah McLaren, recently competed at the NSW All Schools Swimming Championships held at the Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre. The boys were initially chosen to represent GPS at the CIS carnival in early May, and after outstanding performances at CIS, they were selected to represent CIS at the NSW All Schools. The boys showed great Shore spirit and worked together to achieve some fantastic results, which was pleasing to see. 

We started off with the 12-14 years 4 x 50m freestyle relay, where the team of Noah McLaren (25.86), Jonty Jagger (27.62), Ollie Kelly (26.64) and Will Bestic (25.66) put in a great effort to finish in 3rd place. Their time of 1:45.78 was a testament to their hard work and dedication, and they should be extremely proud of their achievement. 

Noah McLaren then had the individual 14 years 100m freestyle with a time of 56.23 for a 4th placing which was a great result and time for Noah.  

The 12-14 years 4 x 50m medley relay was another strong performance from the Shore boys. The team of Will Bestic (Back – 30.37), Sam Chan (Breast – 36.67), Jonty Jagger (Fly – 30.82), and Noah McLaren (Free – 25.22) finished in 3rd place, with all four boys putting in excellent swims.  

Ethan Cook was another standout performer, finishing in 3rd place in the 16 years 50m breaststroke in a time of 31.22. Ethan’s powerful swim saw him qualify for the National School Championships for the 50m breaststroke, which will be held in August. 

Finally, Will Bestic finished in 4th place in both the 14 years 100m backstroke in a best time of 1:04.44 and the 14 years 200m backstroke (2:20.42). Will showed great determination and resilience to achieve these excellent results. 

Overall, the boys showed great team spirit and put in a fantastic effort at the NSW All Schools Swimming Championships. The boys should be proud of their achievements and the dedication and commitment they have shown to represent at such a high level and go on to perform exceptionally well. 

Thomas O’Keefe
Acting Head of Swimming