The Changing Rules of Trust

In November, global thought leader, author and visiting academic at the University of Oxford SaÏd Business School Ms Rachel Botsman visited Newington for the final lecture in the Centre for Ethics series for 2017.

Ms Botsman is known globally for her visionary thinking on how the power of collaboration and trust enabled by digital technologies will change the way we live, work, bank and consume.

Drawing on her recent book, Who Can You Trust?, Ms Botsman explored the notion of a “trust shift” which she explained as “a new world order where technology is re-writing the rules of every relationship”.

Recently there has been a paradigm shift away from institutional trust. Recent surveys have shown  trust in major institutions such as media, businesses, NGOs, government and religion is at an all-time low. Ms Botsman explained the notion that trust lies at the top of organisations is collapsing for three main reasons: lack of accountability, an inversion of influence and echo chambers and misinformation.

Narratives that suggest trust is in crisis amplify the cycle of distrust and are therefore not helpful. Ms Botsman sais there was plenty of trust in the global community; it’s just flowing in a different direction.

“The reason why we are feeling so much pain, change and disruption is because this trust that used to flow upward is now flowing sideways,” she said.

Ms Botsman suggested we are currently experiencing the third largest trust shift in human history.

She explained trust has had two other previous chapters – local trust and institutional trust. Local trust existed a long time ago when people lived in small communities and people traded directly, relying on person-to-person reputation. When people started to move to cities and went through the industrial revolution the trust that used to flow between people started to flow through institutions.

The third type of trust that is now emerging is called distributed trust.

Ms Botsman said: “Distributed trust flows directly between individuals but it can flow in ways and on a scale we never knew possible before because it’s not confined by physical proximity.”

Ms Botsman unpacked how trust works in a “distributed age” and explored the ethical considerations of distributed trust. The “distributed age” is changing the way trust is built, how trust is managed and how trust is lost and repaired.  

Ms Botsman spoke about the idea of trust between strangers and gave the example of AirBnB. Airbnb is not a marketplace built on money, but rather a business built on trust. More than two million people every night use Airbnb and take a “trust leap”.

“A trust leap is really important for the way a society progresses. As human beings, we take a risk to do something new or different from the way we have done it before. Human beings are wired to take trust leaps,” she said.  

“Technology is enabling us to leap faster and higher than ever before.”

So how do you build trust? According to Ms Botsman, trust is a bridge between the known and unknown. People do not want entirely new things; they want the familiar done differently. Therefore, if you are trying to build trust, you need to reduce the unknown.

Ms Botsman also touched on the idea of trust in technologies and fake news. Currently, two-thirds of Americans get their news from Facebook. People are outsourcing their decisions about what to trust to an algorithm.

According to Ms Bostman, we need to play an active role in our interactions with technology. We need to ask technology companies to design features that enable us to press pause. People are letting convenience trump trust.

Young People and the Law

Judge Greg Grogin (ON 1976) spoke at our final wellbeing series for the year on the topic ‘Young people and the Law’. 

Judge Grogin has served the College Council for more than 16 years and has been associated with the school for more than 50 years. As a former policeman, police prosecutor and barrister, Greg is well qualified to give advice on the law, and his message to parents was both clear and frightening.  

Now a District Court judge, Greg sees the impact when young people are charged with criminal offences that could have been avoided in many cases. Both they, and their parents, can be devastated.

Alcohol, drugs and driving offences were among the issues explored on the evening. 

The complexities of supplying alcohol to minors in private residences included the issue of ‘responsible supervision’ to keep boys safe. Supplying alcohol to boys who are under legal age without the expressed permission of other boys parents is a minefield legally, especially if the boys become intoxicated and end up breaking the law with a driving or affray offence.  

Drink spiking is an offence and parents were advised to tell their sons to drink only from bottles and cans they open themselves.

Moderation is a key to safety. 

Cases of affray, where boys ‘help out’ friends, never ends well. He reminded us there is no such thing as safety in numbers. Should a fight break out, the issue should be handed straight over to the establishment security. Physical involvement should be avoided at all times. 

Cautions and convictions handed down by the courts are sometimes unpredictable, but they both have significant consequences for the young men involved. They can limit visas to some countries and affect travel options significantly – especially if drugs are involved.

Judge Grogin warned of the dangers of describing drugs as ‘recreational’.  If they are Illegal, they are illegal for good reason. The courts do not make a distinction between ‘party’ or ‘recreational’ drugs and other drugs; they are simply illegal and a conviction will reflect that.  

Boys need to know their rights regarding the law but often they believe that they are beyond the law. Judge Grogin gave an example of a boy from another independent school who was arrested in a bar for being in possession of an illicit drug following a random police raid. Because he had more than one tablet, he was charged with supply, he was convicted, he served time in prison and is unlikely to obtain travel visas or gainful employment in the future. The example was real, not invented for effect, but real and devastating for the young man and his family. 

Advice to parents was clear: supervision and a good knowledge of the law regarding alcohol, drugs and driving are essential. 

He reminded us all of our responsibilities to our children. Love, care and good supervision keep young men out of the courts. Every day, young men are charged with offences that could have been avoided.  

The college is grateful to Judge Grogin for his expertise and his energetic and at times humorous presentation to us all.

Mr Bob Meakin
Deputy Head of Stanmore (Students)

Where in the World is Frank Sparrow?

Over two nights in late November, our year 7 and 8 boys took to the stage for the Junior Production of Where in the World is Frank Sparrow? by Angela Betzien.

A uniquely modern legend, the play reinvents the hero’s journey for the 21st century. The audience was propelled through the dangerous streets of Stab City and into a dark underworld of change and transformation.

The quirky, yet gritty, style of the play weaves stark urban reality with the mythic underworld of the dead. Against this grim backdrop the young hero, Frank Sparrow (Gus Morsley 8/PR), must face dangers and trials, overcome weakness, find romance and face death.

Congratulations to all of the boys involved both on stage and in the crew for presenting some very entertaining nights at the theatre!

Ms Tamara Smith
Head of Drama

A Derelict of the Air

Any death in war is tragic, but sometimes the circumstances are so extraordinary as to make a fascinating story. One such story concerns Lieutenant Lionel Sandy, an Old Newingtonian who died in an air combat over France just on a hundred years ago.

James Lionel Sandy entered Newington College in 1898, but it is not clear how long he stayed. He was working in his father’s business when he enlisted in August 1914. Serving in the Artillery, he was wounded at Gallipoli. After recovering in England, he volunteered for the Royal Flying Corps and was sent to Australia for training. At the end of 1916, he was posted as a pilot to an Australian squadron in France. On 17 December 1917, he and his observer, Sergeant Henry Hughes, took off in their RE8 biplane on an artillery observation mission over the German lines. What happened next was recounted three times in The Newington over the following years: in his obituary published in March 1918, and again in 1933 and 1937, since ‘the story is one that does not weary with repetition.’

Returning to his airfield, Sandy’s plane was attacked by six German Albatross scout planes. Instead of trying to escape, he and Hughes fought back and forced one of the German planes to land in the Australian lines, its pilot wounded: his Albatross is now in the Australian War Memorial. Sandy and Hughes continued the unequal contest until they were joined by two more RE8s, when the Germans drew off. At some point, however, they were hit: the German squadron’s leader flew close to their plane and saw that both Australians were dead, having both been hit, it was later discovered, by a single bullet. Their plane, however, was largely undamaged and it appeared to their comrades that they were alright. Observers on the ground saw the plane fly in increasing circles and eventually disappear over the horizon.

The plane was missing until it was found the following night, largely intact and with Sandy and Hughes strapped in their seats, in a field over forty miles away. After they died, as their Commanding Officer reported, ‘the machine had flown itself until the petrol supply ran out’. It had then glided and landed in a field at least an hour after the combat ended. As described in the 1933 account, ‘the plane was a derelict of the air’.

Sandy and Hughes were buried in the cemetery of a nearby military hospital. They were recommended for the Military Cross and the Distinguished Conduct Medal, but these were not approved. Lionel Sandy’s brother Harold, who came to Newington in 1901, was awarded the Military Cross in August 1918.

One of the brass memorial plaques in the Chapel Walkway, originally erected in the Prescott Hall, commemorates Lionel Sandy, while another plaque was dedicated at his father’s business in 1920 by his workmates. A less formal memorial was formed by photographs of his plane in Newington’s ‘No. 12 classroom’ in the 1930s.

David Roberts
College Archivist

Hands on History

Boys enrolled in the Year 9 ‘Hands on History’ elective spent the term learning about and building siege engines.

By definition, a siege engine is “a device that is designed to break or circumvent city walls and other fortifications in siege warfare”. The boys worked in teams to design their unique engines from scratch.

Last week, students put their semester’s work into practice, testing their designs on Johnson Oval.

Junior Theatresports Team Earns Top Prize

Photo courtesy of Impro Australia

On 19 November, Newington’s Junior Theatreports team competed in the Theatresports Schools Challenge presented by Impro Australia. The five-member team: Charlie Papps (8/MA) (8/MA), Sam Reucassel (8/ME), Jeremy Tran (7/ME), Nicholas Disher (7/ME) and Zach Zoud (8/ME) competed at the Actors Centre Australia and claimed the top prize in the Junior Division from a pool of more than 40 teams. The group proudly presented their trophy to the Headmaster at Assembly last week.

Congratulations, boys!

A Tongan Farewell

On Tuesday the 21 November, the Boarding House hosted Mrs & Mr Nosworthy and Mr & Mrs Stellmacher for a community dinner. Next year both Mrs Nosworthy and Mrs Stellmacher will be teaching at Tupou College for a year as part of a new teacher exchange program between Newington and Tupou. As a way of introducing the families to Tongan culture while also wishing them the best of luck on their adventure, the Boarding House hosted a dinner where the House’s Tongan students introduced Mrs Nosworthy and Mrs Stellmacher to Tongan traditions and everyday life at Tupou College.

The dinner itself was organised by the Boarding House’s junior students in Years 9 & 10, who under the watchful eye of Mr Lever put together a fantastic meal of Lamb wraps and Greek salad followed by some tremendous chocolate cake. After dinner members of Newington’s Tongan Choir gave a powerful rendition of Tupou’s traditional graduation song to wish Mrs Nosworthy and Mrs Stellmacher the best of luck in their exchange to Tupou.

The dinner was a great event for the entire Boarding House and hopefully the start to a new wonderful tradition of community events within the Boarding House.

We wish Mrs Nosworthy and Mrs Stellmacher along with their families the best of luck in their exchange to Tupou next year.

Finn Sleigh (11/PR)
Deputy Senior Boarding Prefect

Oasis Candle Bag Packing

On the 17th of November, 20 boys from Johnstone and Kelynack Houses assembled outside Centenary Hall with a quiet anticipation, excited for the day ahead at the Woolworth’s Yennora distribution centre where they would be packing candle bags to be sold at Woolworths Carols in the Domain to raise funds for Oasis, our House charity. The group was led by Mr Mountain and Mr Burgess who had experience with this activity before.

After a long drive to the warehouse, the boys were greeted in the carpark by two jovial Salvation Army volunteers who handed out fluoro vests and then escorted the boys into the warehouse. We assembled in a meeting room with other volunteers who had also come to pack candle bags. Everyone received a safety briefing from the operations manager of the centre and then we went down to the floor ready to start our work.

The boys were given a demo of how to pack the bags and then split into a few different groups, some would be packing the bags, others would restock the supplies and at the end of the line a couple would tie up the bags and pack them into crates for them to be trucked out to the event.

The packing started at a slow pace as everyone was finding their feet and trying to discover the most efficient way of packing but after about 15 minutes everyone seemed to be moving at a really good pace. This continued for about an hour and a half where the 40 strong group paused to take part in a few activities before getting back into it. These activities included guessing the combined value of the bag if it was sold at its retail value, compared to the bargain of $20 that it would be offered for at the Carols in the Domain, and a competition to see who could pack one of the bags in the shortest period of time. Newington claimed victory in both of these with Jasper Luck-Chee (10/JN) and Mr Mountain winning the two events and a bag for themselves.

We got back into the bag packing but time seemed to be going really fast as we pushed through the last thousand or so bags to finish the quota required for the event. This led to all of us having 40 minutes to go nuts in the incredible cafeteria that they had there, which had incredibly low prices and delicious food for all the boys to enjoy.

It was an extremely good day out for all the boys who got to experience the inner workings of a production line, while also doing their bit to help those who need it most. Hopefully, the next group of boys who take part in this service adventure will enjoy and take as much out of it as myself and others who went did.

 Max Hochuli (10/JN)

A Christmas Poem from Sister Bates

Major wounds to band aid cuts

sewing pants to supplying shirts,

Rugby knocks, concussion test,

hobbling on crutches, safe place to rest.

Ice packs for aching muscles,

helping to sort playground tussles.

Headaches, burns and man flues,

nausea, vomiting and the poos’!

Short of breath, asthma care,

reacting to peanut anaphylaxis …rare.

Tissues for tears, calm anxious fears,

side-line cheers, even splinters in rears!

Broken bones, a dislocation,

painful tummies needing palpation.

Bleeding noses, tape an ankle,

dressings, advice, parents thankful.

Sent to shave, pull glue from hair – we laugh,

educate and meet with staff,

Health and safety, attend a meeting,

data entries need completing

A sympathetic way, a listening ear

A smile and thanks for a wonderful year.

Sister Margaret Bates
School Nurse

‘Speak Truth to Power’: A Visit from Ean Higgins

Year 10 Journalism students have been fortunate to have a number guest lecturers visit their classes this term. Finn Tentij (10/LE) shares his reflections from a recent visit below.

Mr Ean Higgins, a senior journalist for The Australian newspaper, talked to our Year 10 Journalism class about the shift from print media to digital, as well as the changing nature of journalism itself.

Technology has been one of the most critical and ever-changing aspects of journalism. The fax machine, for example, revolutionised the way journalists wrote and meant they did not need to post or hand-deliver their stories. This meant reporters could write far more quickly about things further and further away.

An even more impactful change in technology in modern times is the rise of the internet and internet news websites. This has revolutionised the way journalism and to an even wider extent, politics, works.

Mr Higgins uses the words “active and moving” to describe nature of modern journalism.

“You have to be able to change tracks at any time,” he said.

However, with the rise of the internet and news websites, newspapers have been hit hard.

“There’s no money anymore…there used to be rivers of gold in advertising and I lived through that, but the internet basically killed that,” Mr Higgins explained.

 “Our revenues have shrunk enormously and we’ve lost a lot of people. There used to be 15 photographers and now there’s 3. The editorial floor has halved.”

This is one of the main reasons that only one newspaper – The Australian – has held on to the broadsheet format that they see can truly “topple governments”.

 Mr Higgins is proud of the prestige related to being part of Australia’s last broadsheet newspaper when other publications have switched to tabloid.

Despite the financial hardships for publications, there is a silver lining, as many news organisations both online and print are starting to make a profit once again.

Mr Higgins said: “The Australian broadsheet newspaper has started earning money for the first time in a very long time and online newspapers such as the Texas Tribune, have started to make a lot of money.”

The Christmas Celebration – A Time to Ponder and Treasure Life

It’s that time of year again; another year at Newington comes to a close, the anticipation of Christmas celebration builds and then we reset our focus to an exciting 2018. As we reflect back on 2017, what a year it has been; academic progress, musical brilliance, new heights on the theatrical stage, sporting success aplenty, tours to Tonga, America, UK, Europe, the Red Centre and throughout Australia. There’s never a time to grow tired of being thankful for the abundant opportunities that we are blessed to experience, thanks to the sacrifices made by others. Christmas is the time to ponder the value of life and consider the purpose and role we play within our community.

When Mary had given birth to Jesus, the Bible says in Luke 2:19 “Mary, treasured all these things and pondered them in her heart.” What exactly did she ponder? To consider the context, she had traveled from Nazareth to Bethlehem on a donkey while being nine months pregnant, before giving birth in a stable. Soon after, she was visited by an eclectic host of strangers that included angels, shepherds and visitors from the East referred to as Magi. Then shortly after giving birth to Jesus, Mary and Joseph were forced to seek refuge in Egypt to escape King Herod’s tyrannical quest to put the Messiah to death. There was much for Mary to ponder and treasure, particularly when we consider that theological scholars estimate that she was likely a teenager when she gave birth.

As we spend time pondering all that we value in life, despite recounting the personal woes we may have experienced, there is so much for each of us to treasure. Spending time with our loved ones must never be understated as precious; being genuinely thankful for the myriad of privileges should never be taken for granted; excelling at all opportunities that come our way is our prerogative; investing in building lifelong friendships is to be enjoyed; and striving to live out what we truly value includes discovering what’s possible.

I’d like to pay tribute to my counterpart, Reverend Peter Morphew as he retires after sixteen years of service here at Newington. Peter has served as Chaplain across all three Newington campuses, along with his trusted puppet friend ‘Francois’ who has been an engaging fixture at the Prep Chapel services. Peter’s sense of affection, humility, wisdom and encouragement, along with his inspirational chapel messages, have provided counsel and support for a generation of students, parents, fellow staff members and Newingtonians. Peter has been an incredible friend to me and an endless source of support and encouragement. He will be dearly missed by us all. We wish Peter much enjoyment in his retirement and do hope he drops by our campuses from time to time.

Finally, our ‘Newington and Community Christmas Carols Service’ will be held on Sunday, 17 December. Although this will be held during the holiday period, I do hope many of you can come as this will be a very special event and a time to celebrate together. Christmas nibbles will be served at 5 PM, with the Carols commencing at 5:30 PM. Please bring your family and friends.

Rev Geordie Barham
College Chaplain

Le Couteur Shows off its Musical Talent

On 20 November, the musicians of Le Couteur House performed several different pieces on a variety of instruments. The boys performed extremely well, and although the intended audience wasn’t available, the House enjoyed the concert immensely.

Eileen O’Connor Catholic College Lewisham, a school for physically and intellectually disabled children, was the intended audience. However, due to transport issues, they were unable to visit. In their place, the senior boys of Le Couteur and other Houses joined us in Prescott Hall to watch the boys perform.

Andrew Wang (10/LE) played Sarasota’s Introduction and Tarantella on the violin, and performed exceptionally well. Rohen Wong (11/LE), Newington’s premiere cellist, played Beethoven’s Sonata with a beautiful sense of emotion and feeling through the piece. David Yang (11/LE) played Meditation by Tais on violin, and did so with outstanding skill. Sebastian Wyatt (10/LE) played Merry Christmas Mr Lawrence, by Ryuichi Sakamato, a piano piece that was featured in the movie of the same title in 1983.

Sydney Churchward (ON 1941) attended the performance. Mr Churchward came to visit the home of his boyhood, and he said the Le Coutuer performance was the highlight of his visit.

The performance was a fantastic opportunity for the boys to witness their peers’ talents and strengths, and it made the day of an Old Boy. It was overall a thoroughly enjoyable concert.

Sebastian Wyatt (10/LE)

Sports Report

Basketball

Over the weekend, 40 Newington basketballers make their way to Melbourne for the National Basketball Championships. We wish Coach Nottage and the boys all the best for the tournament where they will play against schools from all over Australia.

Water Polo

Newington Water Polo teams (1sts and Development squad) will travel to Melbourne in the first week of the holidays to play in the Trans-Tasman Competition. The tournament will be hosted by Melbourne High School. We would like to wish all boys and coaches the very best for the week-long competition.

Rugby

Congratulations to Newington Rugby players Saul Lewis (11/MO), Kaeo Weekes (10/MA) and Tolu Koula (9/FL) who will represent NSW at the National Sevens Championships in Queensland this weekend.

All the very best for the Championships.

Congratulations to Bayley Kuenzle (ON 2016) who has been named for the Junior Wallabies (formerly U20s) Rugby Squad.

Newington Recognised for Service-learning Efforts

In the last issue of Black and White, we shared a story about a group of Newington College students who volunteered in the community for Graffiti Removal Day. More than 30 boys took part in the day cleaning, scraping, painting and restoring a large brick wall at Lewisham Nursing Home.

Last month, the group was recognised for their collective service learning efforts at the Graffiti Removal Day Volunteer Reception. Event organisers awarded Newington College with the “Best New Group” Award. Dylan Foster (11/ME) accepted the award on behalf of the group. He was thrilled for the opportunity to meet with NSW Attorney General, the Honourable Mark Speakman, and the Minister for Police and Minister for Emergency Services, the Honourable Troy Grant. Dylan noted a highlight of the evening was learning about their respective roles in government.

“I believe it is not only important to remove graffiti in our community, but also to educate young people against creating graffiti, especially in our own schools and community,” Dylan said. He hopes to see more area schools involved in Grafitti Removal Day in the years to come.