It was 2008 when Australian Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, issued an apology to the indigenous people of Australia for mistreatment towards them, particularly to the ‘Stolen Generation’. With deeply rooted racism in Australia, was an apology enough, or does the Australian government need to do more to compensate for the mistreatment of indigenous Australians?
There are many famous Greek and Roman myths and stories: The Odyssey, The Iliad, all the myths involving Zeus’ infinitely creative methods of seducing beautiful young boys and girls, Apollo turning people into plants (I’m convinced Apollo single-handedly created half the flora on earth – I challenge you to find a lover who he hasn’t turned into a plant at some point).
But there are also a few less well-known stories, and understandably so. These are the “blooper” myths: the stories of people who didn’t quite manage to be a hero or just fell over at the wrong moment.
Unpopular opinion—we don’t need to celebrate every milestone involving women as a ‘feminist achievement’. Especially when that “milestone” is a pop star and her fabulously rich companions riding a rocket for eleven minutes. Katy Perry’s much-hyped space excursion with her “girl gang”—featuring Lauren Sanchez, Gayle King, and aerospace engineer-turned-entrepreneur Aisha Bowe—has been labelled by some as a landmark for women in space. But let’s call this what it really is: a commercial for space tourism, dressed up as ‘Girl Power’.
With the summer term underway and our fantastic new Student Leadership Team settling into their official roles, I’m thrilled to share that Unconquered Peaks will be kicking off our weekly SLT interviews! It’s a fun tradition to help you get to know the amazing teams that make up this year’s SLT and I can’t think of a better way to start than by introducing our wonderful new Head Girl, Dilly Quinn!
In Biden’s poignant farewell address, he notably warned the nation, “An oligarchy is taking shape in America of extreme wealth, power, and influence.” Just five days later, the presence of billionaires at Trump’s inauguration—including four of the five richest men in the world—sent shockwaves through the American political landscape. The implications of this event were clear, the intersection of wealth and politics had become indisputable. However, at what point should the influence of billionaires be recognised as a matter of significant concern and to what extent does this dynamic between wealth and power reflect the historical fabric of the United States?
