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Humanities Now! 2023

Humanities Now! is HSSLA's signature programme comprising talks, games and expert opinions on present day issues. We aim to converge diverse discussions on pertinent problems society faces in this day and age.

Main Theme - Kaleidoscope

A kaleidoscope is an object containing mirrors and pieces of coloured glass or paper, whose reflections produce changing patterns when the tube is rotated.

This is an apt metaphor for the world we live in — one of ever-changing patterns. The multitudinous patterns represent the diverse realities existing in unison, yet in separation, from one another. Ultimately, despite the myriad differing patterns, they are all beautiful and hold a unique allure of their own.

Humanities Now! 2023 aims to take a closer look to explore the different realities present in our world, uncovering the various truths within each reality, and from there piecing together the reality of our world.

Sub Themes

The Shape of Beauty

Why is something considered beautiful? Man's sense of the aesthetic has vastly changed throughout history and across geography. Beauty is itself subjective (as the adage goes, “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder”), and what we deem beautiful is not necessarily universal, but influenced by innate and external factors. This sub-theme aims to focus on the subjectivity of beauty and the varying factors that affect one’s perception of beauty.

The Shadow of Grandeur

Change is the only constant, or so the saying goes. The world is in a state of constant change towards advancement and economic growth. However, a common theme that has not changed since time immemorial is the exploitation of the vulnerable. This sub-theme focuses on the detriments of glamour, the consequences on those who have been trampled on for the world to reach its current state of modernisation.

Of Smoke and Mirrors

In today’s world, information presented to you may be warped and misconstrued by blending the believable with the absurd. The truth can be warped by those with agency and may simply represent the beliefs of the majority. This sub-theme explores the consequences of a reality that is clouded by an array of truths intertwined with falsehoods, and how it impacts the individual within this mire of information.

A Glimpse of Fantasia

Fairy tales exist to teach us life lessons and inculcate values. “Once upon a time” is often followed by “happily ever after”, painting a merry picture of all's-well-that-ends-well. Yet, these tales are often a mere fraction of the entire picture — a single piece existing within the reality of a much darker truth. This sub-theme aims to uncover the unexplored perspectives within stories hidden beneath the wonder of fairy tales.