The Alleynian 708 2020

THE ALLEYNIAN 708 | OUT OF THE ORDINARY

OPINION, INTERVIEWS & FEATURES

COMBING THE LANDSCAPE

CARING FOR THE BALANCE

This year’s Lower School House Journalism competition challenged boys to write a journalistic piece inspired by a photograph.

Henry Ognev (Year 8) was this year’s winner, with this piece, which took as its inspiration the photograph below

In this excerpt from his ‘Life in Lockdown’ online talks, the Reverend Tim Buckler reflects on the challenge of looking after ourselves, and others, in times of uncertainty

THE PRESIDENTIAL COMB

O n Thursday evening, 26 January, a family of locals went hiking in northern Nevada. To their surprise they found a gigantic comb, which was later measured to be over half a kilometre. Some calculations suggest the weight of The Comb is equal to 198 elephants. Pressure has been mounting on the government, as environmental campaigners and frustrated local groups have begun to protest outside the White House over The Comb’s presence. ADC reporter Pinatus Factoral interviewed protesters who are fighting against the construction. One protester, Abby Hardfish, had this to say: ‘This is not right. It may be viewed by some as “art”, but I see it as a stain on the clean surface of nature in the area. I think this can also be dangerous to animals, stopping certain animals from getting to safety. It’s a disturbance to nature.’ Protestors are demanding that The Comb be taken down and for all nearby uninhabited land to be claimed as a nature reserve. Future building permits will be denied, and anyone who builds will be charged up to $100,000. President Donald Trump has declared the ‘TrumpComb’ a secret project designed to inspire youths to become artists. Mr President has a secret passion for all forms of modern art and conceptual sculpture. ‘Art is like a friend to me … I met Art when I was seven … he’s a great guy. I want to inspire every single one of our young Americans to meet Art too.’ Republican Jerric Canfield translates the President’s speech: ‘The world is a canvas, and we are the brushes, and the paint is the art in our world, on our canvas. No further questions.’ Donald Trump has publicly stated that he will not give in to the protestors’ demands and called them, ‘fake news … bad critics trying to get attention’. Donald Trump’s most recent speech was very controversial and has led to some doubts in Congress about his treatment

I watched as my two-year-old son watered a small patch of grass; he was in the garden, with a hose, and he just stood and watched. It fascinated me to observe his intrigued observation and his focus, but it also made me think: whilst it’s good to water, knowing when to stop – well, that’s vital. It’s often said that we should seek balance in all things. We see the beauty of this finely tuned balance all around us: we see it in created beauty, like music or art; we see it in the natural beauty of landscapes or astronomical bodies; we see it in the elegance of abstract ideas, such as the laws of mathematics or physics. They are all held in perfect, fragile, essential balance. We too are fragile, and we function most perfectly when the delicate balance is found. We won’t always live at the perfect point of balance, but we try hard to be on that journey because balance is so desperately important. We live in very uncertain times; we don’t know what tomorrow will bring. It’s unsettling. As we spend time away from our community, away from that with which we are familiar and comfortable, there are many variables that we can’t control. But what we can do is try our hardest to look after ourselves; to look after our own delicate balance and care for others, as they too seek this balance. For we are in body as we are in mind: fragile, yet remarkably beautiful. And that beauty finds its clearest expression as we care for the balance.

Image: Timur Safardiar (Year 11)

of the protesters. The President says that he will not apologise for his actions, going on to say: ‘My hair is some of the best hair in the world. Combs are vital. Combs can get you jobs, partners, and anything you need in life.’ Art critics across the USA are mostly against this sculpture. Many critics have claimed this is a waste of resources, and people have even said that instead of spending $2.5 million on The Comb, the President could have used it to build another hospital, which would benefit many people. Some protesters have been heard chanting ‘Homes not Combs’ and ‘Hee, hi, ho, The Comb must go’. As the protests rage on, a White House spokesman has declared that further expansion of The Comb is ‘very probable’. Tourists have been flocking to see The Comb, which is going viral across social media. The furore is not going to abate any time soon.

WE ARE IN BODY AS WE ARE IN MIND: FRAGILE, YET REMARKABLY BEAUTIFUL

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