Magnus Alt philosophizes through senior year
Plato, Aristotle and Socrates are known as the greatest philosophers of all time. Although he is still developing his skills as a young philosopher, Magnus Alt, senior, enjoys engaging in lively discussions in International Baccalaureate [IB] Philosophy, learning about the divided line and the Tripartite soul.
Beyond philosophy, Alt has many diverse interests, including psychology, music such as David Bowie and Led Zeppelin and video essays. After a long day at school, complete with philosophy debates and psychology lectures, Alt unwinds by connecting with his friends across the world. “Normally when I get home, I chat with some of my online friends if they’re awake, because most of them are European,” Alt said.
Alt hopes that he will travel to Europe one day, specifically France. “I want to see Paris, the Louvre, sort of that general area […] also because it’s a beautiful country. I also do like some of their food,” Alt said. If Alt had the chance to try one French food, he would most like to try pain au chocolat. “[I would like] probably getting it from a French bakery. It would taste very interesting, I would say, and probably have a more authentic taste,” Alt said.
Alt also happens to be a fan of thrifting. “I kind of like [thrifting] whenever I have the cash available because it’s sometimes just fun to go through all the old vintage stuff that you can possibly find, and find something cool,” Alt said. Alt enjoys thrifting in various locations, but his favorite is a thrift store in Bass Lake. “If [my family] ever goes there, [we just] go see if there’s anything interesting there. I’m not really much of a clothing person and more of a cool item kind of person,” Alt said.
Beyond the aesthetic qualities of the items he thrifts, Alt enjoys watching video essays about aesthetics. “I kind of like stuff on aesthetics, especially stuff like Vaporwave, because I find that a very appealing aesthetic, along with the aesthetic of some subliminal spaces,” Alt said.
Among Alt’s expansive interests is his affinity for psychology. As an IB Psychology student, Alt spends part of his school day studying research methods, parts of the brain and psychological studies. Alt plans to pursue an undergraduate degree in psychology. Post-university, Alt envisions himself working for a video game company. “[I will] probably get a job somewhere at a video game company […] preferably VAL Software because I like them, and I’ve actually seen how their company works where it’s a very relaxed structure that I could probably work with,” Alt said.
As his senior year unfolds, Alt has learned many lessons beyond the classroom. Combining his niche interests and hard work, he has learned to be content with the present. “Struggling and stressing about the small details is probably going to do more harm than good. Sometimes all you need to really do is just follow the flow,” Alt said.
