Our LJ Aspire students have been continuing to shine over the past few weeks! We currently have 80 students training for different competitions, including the West Australian Debating League, the Ethics Olympiad, and the Future Problem Solving competition.

Future Problem Solving Competition

Over 70 of our Year 7-11 students are currently training for the Future Problem Solving Australia competition which will be held in early Term 3. For this competition, students work in teams of 3-4 students to identify problems of the future and invent solutions using new and innovative technologies, such as artificial intelligence, 4D printing, and programmable matter. This year’s topic is Antarctica so the students have been working hard to develop a robust understanding of life in Antarctica, environmental challenges, and the impacts of tourism.

To facilitate their knowledge, the students have been working to design research stations of the future. The Year 8 students worked in their teams to design their stations. The Year 9-10 students worked independently on their creations and created some incredibly impressive masterpieces.

Ethics Olympiad Case Writing Competition

Last year, a group of Year 9 and 10 students entered the Ethics Olympiad Case Writing Competition. This international competition, which is a branch of the Ethics Olympiad competition, asks students to write their own ethical dilemmas and discussion questions to be used as stimulus material for high school and university students all over the world.

Our students wrote a number of excellent cases and we have just heard word that five of our cases received honourable mentions from the judges. The students could choose to work alone or in a pair and selected their own topics. The students who received honourable mentions are:

Caitlin and Chloe (Bali 9 and the ethics of the death penalty)

Chantal and Tayte (Mean Girls and representations of bullying in the media)

Daisy (gender roles in relationships)

Summer and Emma (the possibilities of plant sentience)

Lachlan (modernisation of piano classics)

An extract from Lachlan’s work is below.

Case scenario

Meet Isabella, a 22-year-old gifted pianist from Australia, whose musical journey leads her to the prestigious International Chopin Piano Competition (ICPC). In October 2025, Isabella takes the stage at Warsaw aiming to fill her performances with raw passion. Her renditions challenge the norms of the competition and reveal her unique insights and perspectives on Chopin's compositions. Despite Isabella’s technical brilliance and mastery, her unconventional interpretation raises eyebrows for departing from tradition. The judges quickly disqualify Isabella for her approach to Chopin’s music, thus highlighting the conflict between a musician’s artistic integrity and the competition's conservatism.

In the realm of classical music competitions, a notable concern revolves around the balance between genuine artistic expression and conformity to tradition. Performers like Isabella often grapple with pressure to adhere to the established expectations of artists, potentially restricting them from exploring creative boundaries. In the words of Italian piano virtuoso Roberto Prosseda i, ‘[I] quit the competition game because [I] found that too much of it can stifle one’s personal style. Juries generally want a “standard” performance.’ Some critics say that classical music competitions might discourage diverse, interesting musical voices.

Discussion Questions

1. Is it ethically justifiable for the judges of classical music competitions to focus on conformity over innovative interpretations?
2. Do classical music competitions enhance musicians' understanding and expression of their art, or do they limit their appreciation of musical knowledge?
3. How do you think Isabella’s involvement in the ICPC will inevitably shape her artistic development?