Winter 2010 issue 90
The Spotlight
INDEPENDENT STUDENT MAGAZINE VIENNA INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL VISSPOTLIGHT@GMAIL.COM
THIS YEAR
WILL BE
LEGEN
For us, 2010 – although it is just yet another year that will most probably come and go as fast as the others did – seems somehow special. We are no longer in the ‘noughties’ but in the ‘tens’ and there’s a new ring to saying the date out loud now. That’s got to mean something, no?
“
We have survived Y2K, bird flu, SARS, 06/06/06, swine flu... we can surely live through some Mayan prophecy.
”
Whatever your opinion about new year and New Year’s resolutions, this issue is loosely based on the coming year and predictions for the future ahead of us. Although we are now frighteningly close to 2012, have faith! We have survived Y2K, bird flu, SARS, 06/06/06, swine flu...we can surely live through some Mayan prophecy.
Layout Editor Vicky Jin
Faculty Advisor Ms. Unger
We hope the new year will also bring in a wave of articles, so get inspired in 2010 and we will be waiting for your submissions at visspotlight@gmail.com Your Spotlight team
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THE SPOTLIGHT || winter 2010
ng ang Te Yang Y n a rm Ben No mah Su a r y a Y kornik Ursa S almin-Pui Ch Suyin en n Kille zda e r u a L g iu Z tas Modes Griesmayr h Hanna en old Max G ndmann a s Cery B Isaksson n a t a n Jo rty r Hega Eleano iaw S Andrea ic iv D ip il F one Oved L opes L e t r a Du mith S i im M Sumah u k Kwa in Vicky J
Cover art by Filip Divic G11
Con
It’s the first Spotlight issue of the decade and we’d like to begin by wishing you all a happy and successful new year.
t
Dear Readers,
Text Editors Mimi Smith Suyin Chalmin-Pui
is l s r o t tribu
Editorial
Impressum
DARY
contents issue 90 wINTER 2010 VIS RELATED 2 Editorial 4 Student Council letter 5 25 Years of VIS photos 6 Volleyball photos 7 Rugby photos 8 Grade 8 climate articles
MISC 10 10 Never Never judge judge 11 How to 11 How to skip skip work work 12 Predicted 12 Predicted news news headlines headlines in in 2010 2010 13 It is for you an Anonymous letter 13 Anonymous letter 14 The future 14 The future 15 15 Important Important dates dates in Jan and Feb
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT 16 Open circle - a theatre review 17 A collection of poetry 20 Curious riddles 21 Crossword 22 Horoscopes
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VIS RELATED
Happy
2010
VIS
We hope you all had an enjoyable holiday! Now that we’re back, there are a number of things to think about.
6A won the intramurals for football, with 6D in second place. Now that this has been concluded, we shall be starting with G8 football and G6 dodge-ball. It’s difficult to fit in intramurals for each grade and sport, so if you’d like to request intramurals, please make sure that everybody turns up!
organising a Valentine’s Party for our G6 to G9s. Let us know if you have any special requests! And for all of you, after an unfortunately long selection process, we’re now finally at the delivery stage of our bid for new couches. Please treat them appropriately as it was a lot of trouble getting them. It will be impossible to get more cool things like that if the new couches are damaged too!
We’d like to thank everybody who has been participating in our events - we’ve managed to raise some money through them too. We’re hoping to pool some of it together to throw an especially awesome event at the end of the year so we need your ideas for that! The most popular idea that we’re pursuing at the moment is a formal-style endof-year ball.
For our basketball players, we’re trying to start the tradition of an annual tournament – with a proper trophy.
For our basketball players, we’re trying to start the tradition of an annual tournament – with a proper trophy. Additionally, we are planning on organising a big race once the weather gets warmer. At the moment we’re not sure if this will work out, but we are considering for the race to be in co-operation with AIS and DIS. So dust your running shoes and get into your training outfits! Work away all those Christmas cookies you’ve eaten and get fit for The Race! Party-people, with February coming up, we’re working on
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We’d also like to take this opportunity to thank all of the very special members of staff and administration who have been supporting us generously – in assisting with the organization of events, supervising them, advising us, and generally making an essential contribution. Thank you so much from all of us! We wish you all a successful 2010! Your Student Council studentcouncil@visstudent.com
VIS RELATED
25 years VIS Photos by the VIS camera team
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VIS RELATED
volleyball &rugby Photos by the VIS camera team
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VIS RELATED
grade 8 thoughts
on climate change As a whole, there are lots of natural causes contributing to global warming. Of course, humans emit more greenhouse gases with all the latest technology we use, but nature is not completely innocent. Since the earth’s beginning, the overall temperature has been fluctuating quite a bit, which means nature is a part of it. The ice ages and the medieval warm period all happened early in history, when humans were not contributing to climate change
Lauren Killeen, 8D
Although many scientists and politicians have agreed that Global warming is caused by an increase of CO2 in the earth’s atmosphere. But is it really so? As we know, CO2 is only a small percentage of the atmosphere (0.038%) and the biggest proportion of it is water vapor, which is totally natural. And that bit of CO2 cannot do anything to our climate.
Modestas Ziugzda 8D
The time between 1500 and 1850 was said to be a little ice age, which is very unusual. The cause for this is predicted to be a loss of solar activity, internal variety of the climate system constitutes and anthropogenic influences. One of the difficulties of identifying these causes was the lack of consensus on what is a ‘normal’ climate, if one exists.
Hannah Griesmayr, 8D South America and Africa appear as if they were once attached. Around 200 million years ago they were. This continental drift had a large effect on climate change. It changed features of landmass, their location and the location of water. The drift continues today. Volcanoes also have a big impact on climate change. When a volcano erupts, it releases sulphur dioxide (SO2), dust, ash and water vapour into the atmosphere. The large release of sulphur dioxide gas could reach another level of the atmosphere called the stratosphere.
Andre Siaw 8D winter 2010|| THE SPOTLIGHT
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VIS RELATED
The warming of the Earth is occurring, but is not being caused by CO2. It is being caused by the sun, the sun spots to be precise. The more sunspots that appear on the sun, the more heat it gives off. This therefore heats up the earth, and because water vapour is the biggest greenhouse gas, the atmosphere thickens, because more water evaporates. Cerys Bandmann 8D
The temperature has risen during the last 100 years but this has already happened a few thousands years ago. That is just the way earth tries to balance the temperature. After an ice age, it warms up. It was also recorded that the temperature is rising ahead of the rise of CO2. Because the temperature is rising, which means it is getting slowly warmer and warmer, we have recorded the hottest years in the last 10 years. Max Golden 8D Â
The climate conference in Copenhagen this year was about trying to find a sustainable agreement for the industry, the economy and most importantly, the environment. Since the USA said they would decrease their greenhouse gas emissions, China has become a greater scapegoat. China then proposed a deal to the rest of the world. China wants the western countries to decrease their emissions by 40%, which would not be sustainable for the economy. The final deal was that China would work together with the USA to decrease the emissions. Jonatan Isaksson 8D
You may think that we humans are the only reason for global warming. We are the main reason, but not the sole reason. Greenhouse gases play a main role in the heating up of our planet and many greenhouse gases aren’t even caused by us. The main natural greenhouse gas is water vapor. Water vapor makes up the greatest part of greenhouse gases and is commonly known as clouds or rain. Eleanor Hegarty 8D
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VIS RELATED
SNEAK PREVIEW Predicted News Headlines in 2010 at VIS Mr. Harker wins the Jackpot, goes crazy-er and fails all his students who turn up late to class. Mrs. Clarke joins the show ‘Germanys Next Top Model’. Madame Hacini publishes the play “Oooh, Un Rhinoceros”. Tsunami hits Japanese school – Mr. Crocker finally uses surfboard. Increase of CAA and CAS hours for VIS students.
Filip Divic G11
End of school year, and temperatures still -20˚C Polar bears deny climate change. Have a nice vacation. – bye bye Mr Walbran. New director talks about tightening censorship policy. --------------------------------------------------------------VIS relaxes censorship policy. Students regain control over Spotlight magazine. Real Director changes primary education with focus on “how to flush the toilet”. Student council elections postponed due to October revolution. Will be taking place next month.
Ciju Puthuppally says a ‘bad word’.
Elections: This year, it’s an all girls team running for the positions. Amongst them, Mariah Powell, new to the school.
Spotlight magazine released more frequently! Student journalists working over-time.
Mariah Powel – a controversial campaign. Main banner holds photograph of her wearing only a towel.
Michael Jackson “rises from the dead” (“thrilleeeeer, thriller night, and no one’s gonna save you from the bea…”). Obama awarded another Nobel prize. And another one. Mr Walbran Moonwalks around the gym in record time! New school director’s record. Chuck Norris dies. Homosexual marriages legal in VIS. Chuck Norris dies again! Obama: quadruple Nobel prize laureate.
Mariah Powel shocks VIS. If she wins, she will remove the towel. Chuck Norris dies AGAIN – and this time we got an interview. Student found studying! 26˚C in November, Polar bears go on strike and change position regarding climate change. What will you do with your two remaining years? (headline of the Spotlight issue due to be released on November 12th 2010) Student farts during theatre performance, audience applauds because it thinks the fart was part of the play. Interview with Mrs MacInnes: “The play shouldn’t be called ‘Silent night’”.
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VIS RELATED
Warning: Read at your own risk. Also, please note that the views stated in this article are solely for entertainment purposes, rather than those actually held by the author.
‘Never Judge A Book By It’s Cover’ If you are not so smart, you will think, “Oh, no, not another book review!” If you are normal, you will think, “This article might1 be about proverbs2”
author next time I see him for doing so?” And if you are a really scrutinizing person, you will notice that I wrote ‘too’ instead of ‘to’ when referring to the educational system.
But if you are smart, then you will understand the title If you are a kid at school, you will think “Large block and not judge the content of this article based on the of text that looks like an essay à Run!” If so, I admire fact that it is a ‘large block of text that looks like an you for that3. essay’. If you are a person whose only thoughts as they read the title are “Oh, no, he spelled ‘it’s’ wrong4, this is about possession, so it should by ‘its’! What has our educational system come too?” you might now be thinking, “Well, he was aware of the that he made a mistake, so why did he not correct it? Did he realize it later and try to make it look as though he did it on purpose? Is he toying with my mind? Should I hit the ������������������������������������������������������������������������ At this point, please take note of the fact that the verb ‘might’ indicates possibility, rather than a proven fact, which means you will have to keep reading if you want to know whether this was a truth or not. 2 If you do not know the word ‘proverb’, then no, this does not apply to you. Especially the part about you being normal. 3 However, you might run into some trouble when writing essays yourself. My advice to you is not to deal with the problem. This method seems to have worked fine for Global Warming so far. 4 Yes, at the title. If you did not see that before, then this does not apply to you. Yes, I’m talking to you! Now stop snooping around my article!
Lastly, if you are resilient to large blocks of text, then you will have noticed that I have managed to write a whole page based on a single sentence. Congratulations. (Flip to page 16 to get your foldout diploma. Just joking, you do not get a reward for surviving this block of text; after all, if you where5 rewarded for this, then life might just as well be fair, right?) Duarte Lopes 10B
5 Ah, see how I did that again? You were expecting no more grammatical mistakes, but there it was! It should be ‘were’, not ‘where’. Don’t get mad at me, I’m just saying.
About the Author: Duarte is an unaccomplished student with possible temper tantrums and childish behaviour. He likes to walk on the beach and do things the long way. How so? He should have written New Year’s resolutions for the Spotlight, but did he? No, because that would not be creative. Instead, he decided to, according to what was stated in the ‘Spotlight E-mail’, “Be creative and think outside the box”, and in some way, actually obey to what was being asked of him.
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Miscellaneous
Hw to
skp wok and make it seem much l o n g e r than it really is
Make very large titles and very small print beneath them so that people take ages trying to figure out what you wrote and then think it was either a very long or very good document since they spent so much time on it. On top of this, it will seem even longer with the huge titles.
There are several ways to skip work. One of the most primitive examples is not to do or to only partially do the wo Also abuse the use of paragraphs to waste space and make it longer.
And1 remember to add lots of footnotes2 to make the document3 longer and4 take longer to read. Always try to repeat yourself but don’t do it to obviously; just mention the same thing a few times in other sentences
Plus, don’t forget to add a few ‘don’t forget’s now and then.
Try to explain something many times in as many different ways as possible.
Another tip is to twist the situation to one’s advantage. In other words, write an essay on how to skip work and use the essay as an example.
Additionally, try to vary the connectors so that it looks like you aren’t repeating yourself but you must repeat yourself as much as possible for this to work.
But the most common and one of the least planned is to simply come up with a reason as to why you could not complete the wo
Dragging out the content may be done by adding huge copied examples in small print as well Blaa Blaa Blaa Blaa Blaa Blaa Blaa Blaa Blaa Blaa Blaa Blaa Blaa Blaa Blaa Blaa Blaa Blaa Blaa Blaa Blaa Blaa Blaa Blaa Blaa Blaa Blaa Blaa Blaa Blaa Blaa Blaa Blaa Blaa Blaa Blaa Blaa Blaa Blaa Blaa Blaa Blaa Blaa Blaa Blaa Blaa Blaa Blaa Blaa Blaa Blaa Blaa Blaa Blaa Blaa Blaa Blaa Blaa Blaa Blaa Blaa Blaa Blaa Blaa Blaa Blaa Blaa Blaa
(Sorry about that line up there, the computer crashed.) One of the best and most effective methods to skip work is to come up with a reason as to why you should not do the work in the first place. To make this point clearer, let’s say I were doing an oral exam backed by a PowerPoint slideshow about being environmentally friendly. I might say: “It is more environmentally friendly for me not to give you this presentation”. On second thoughts, it is best I stop this example to prove my point. Yet another way to skip wrok is to leave sbelling mistaks because it pelps the ritghing in some pway e.g.g giving an example.
Finally, just end abruptly and leave the reader to figure out what you meant by that.
Ben Norman 1 A Grammatical conjunction, a part of speech that connects two words, phrases, or clauses 2 What you’re reading 3 Document is the practical construct for describing matter in different forms that retain information for a reasonable period of time wherein it can be perceived by a sentient observing entity. 4 (See 1)
Notes: include notes to take up as much space as possible if you haven’t got much writing. Try to end on a full page by any means necessary.
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Miscellaneous
Decade in
Technology
2010 began the start of a new year and the start of a new decade. Looking back in time, it’s hard to believe how far we’ve come in technology in just a decade. You probably can’t even remember what the world was like without iPods, without Facebook, without Windows XP and without amazing 3D graphics.
2001 Apple iPod: The birth of the iPod. What started as a bulky portable music player, with clunky controls and ugly design, has now evolved into the sleek, lightweight iPod Touch, iPod Nano, iPod shuffle and iPhone. Segway: A two-wheeling transportation device was created and was intended to infiltrate society and revolutionize transportation. As we know this didn’t happen, but Segways are still pretty awesome. Windows XP: XP was launched in October 2001. Over time it proved itself and became one of Microsoft’s most successful products, and has been most people’s preferred operating system.
2002 Wi-Fi: Yes Wi-Fi happened. Email Spam: Even though Spam had been around since 1994, it wasn’t until 2002 that the average user started receiving an annoying amount of it.
ton. It is now the biggest Social Networking website on the net.
2005 Xbox 360: Started off the current generation of video game consoles, with HD graphics. YouTube: Who knew that there was a market for people who wanted to waste all day watching videos of people embarrassing themselves.
2006 HD DVD vs. Blu-Ray: We all know what happened here. Blu-Ray took over. Nintendo Wii : Nintendo proved that lousy graphics were irrelevant as long as you made up for it with waggle controls.
2007 Windows Vista: Enough Said.
2003
Amazon Kindle: Amazon made it possible to read on the road, without the burden of carrying heavy books around.
MySpace: The biggest Social Networking site until Facebook happened. At its peak it had about 110 million users active every month.
Apple iPhone: No one really expected this to take off, but now with 57 million phones sold in just 2 years; the iPhone has become more than just a fad.
2004
2008
Blogs: Blogging started off as a form of online diary in 2004, and then things exploded. Blog sites sprouted all over the internet, with Google’s blog site leading the way. Now there are over 112,000,000 blogs and the number keeps growing every day.
Bill Gates retires: The end of a career for the man responsible for the rise of the personal computer.
Firefox: Arguably the best browser out there, Firefox was Internet Explorer’s first big competitor and now Firefox owns around 25% of the market. Facebook: The site that killed MySpace and gave us the “Like” but-
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2009 Windows 7: Microsoft releases another OS in order to appease all the Vista haters.
KWAKU SUMAH
Miscellaneous
Dearest readers, we found this article pinned to Ms. Unger’s (the Spotlight faculty adviser) classroom door. Signed Oved Lone and accompanied by various publishing and layout conditions, this message is definitely curious. We do not know what is going on nor who this anonymous writer is, but Oved has, in his note to us, suggested that there will be more articles to follow. We publish this with the hope of one day finding out the motive – or maybe there is a single intended recipient – of this elusive stranger.
It is for you, Oved Lone
In the mean time, enjoy the intrigue! Your Spotlight team
11.10.2009
Sometimes life is about the little things that make it special. Distant figures on a cold afternoon, standing on a sheet of pebbles. Clad in dark jackets, with the wind blowing in their faces. Her hair suspended around her reddish nose and cool skin. Were I closer I would hear them, their lips like the babble of a little forest stream, the sound as clear and pleasant as it is on lazy summer noons. Were I closer I would see their faces, earnest and trusting. Sometimes their eyes would meet. No tension in their eyes, only a projection of their soul, free. He would embrace her and were I closer I would see the sadness drop from her chest as he holds her in his hands, as she warms her hands under his arms. were I closer I would see the ease in their movements; as their breath condenses, as little puffs of life that they expel, warm and unusual to the frost around them. Were I closer I would see his face. His eyes, which have learnt to dissipate their armour as she grips his shoulder. Were I closer I would see the inexplicable bond glinting in the sun, a warm tan to the pale frosty air. Were I closer I would smell the confidence she has in him, feel the slow pulse that shakes his chest like a gong, paced and saturating. Were I closer I would see them entwine as she skips with the wind whirling around them. Were I closer I would hear her laugh, and were I closer I would smile Signed ‘Oved Lone’ winter 2010|| THE SPOTLIGHT
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Miscellaneous
The Future To My Prior Self Read this carefully for it may be the last thing you read. I do not have much time to write, as I have to use the primitive means of a simple letter to communicate with you, the neural link having not yet been invented in your time. I have written to you with some warnings for the future. There will soon be a deadly disease pandemic that will wipe out most of the human race. The only survivors will be those that make up 0.00001% of the immune population, in which you will most likely not be part of. Unfortunately, no vaccine was ever created as once contracted, the disease has a 100% mortality rate and resists all attempts to contain it. Only the immune survived, meaning that there was no reason to try to make a vaccine anyway. Therefore, the only way I can ensure your survival is to take you out of the time stream by putting you in static. Though a huge number of the human race was destroyed, the disease might have been what saved the human race after all; the Earth’s natural resources were quickly running out and it probably would have soon reached the tipping point, the point where the Earth would no longer be able to recuperate. To make matters worse, the Earth soon became over populated once again and as the Earth neared the limits of its now weakened capabilities, the United Government1 announced that it would start the process of decimation. They killed one in ten of the population! Luckily, this 1 Founded after World War VI
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is no longer in force and now only the weak are killed so the strong prevail. Make sure that you are strong! One final thing, the Earth’s population has now split into two main opposing groups: those of the Technology and those not of the Technology. Those of the Technology think altruistically and all of their actions are done for the greater good. However, those who have foolishly decided to go against the Technology think selfishly, only for themselves and according to their own morals and consciences. The division between the groups started with small differences like refusing to use the portals2 by saying that the soul would not actually find the new body but just float off into the other, but soon the divide grew larger, especially with the reintroduction of the killing of the weaklings. They did not see that by doing so we save the strong, and up until a few years ago, they were waging war on us with their crude Bombs and Bullets. This is important: avoid the drones and survive with the Technology.
Yours sincerely, since you are part of me.
Ben Norman 2 Portals read and scan your molecules and then send the data obtained to another portal which recreates you from the person who last used the portal. At the same time, it destroys your body and stores the molecules for the next person to use that portal to recreate their body.
Miscellaneous
important dates
IN
{
January & February
Get our your planners and mark these important dates! January 26 - Bubble Wrap Appreciation Day January 27 - National Toilet Day January 28 - National Compliment Day January 29 - National Puzzle Day January 30 - Fun At Work Day January 31 - Inspire Your Heart with Art Day February 1 - Robinson Crusoe Day February 2 - Home-Baked California Kiwi Fruit Day February 3 - Dump Your Significant Jerk Day February 4 - National Girls & Women in Sports Day February 5 - Weatherman’s (Weatherperson’s) Day February 6 - Wear Red Day February 7 - Love Your Robot Day February 8 - Laugh and Get Rich Day February 8 - Man Day February 9 - Toothache Day February 10 - Umbrella Day February 11 - White T-Shirt Day February 12 - Home-Baked Pancake Day February 13 - Get A Different Name Day February 13 - Blame Someone Else Day February 14 - Romance & Remembrance Day (aka Valentine’s day) February 15 - National Sea Monkey Day February 16 - National Almond Day
vicky jin 11E winter 2010|| THE SPOTLIGHT
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arts and entertainment
something to think about
2012 - The End of the World 2012, Two thousand and Twelve, Twenty-Twelve or Two-Zero-One-Two; whatever you want to call it, 2012 is the year we’re all going to die. Literally… Well there’s a 50/50 chance that we’re going to die, the other 50 percent being that we’re going to live. That isn’t very surprising as, theoretically speaking of course, you could die tomorrow. However, there is a big commotion over 2012. The End of the World has become ‘mainstream’. There are 6 main reasons as to why the end could end in 2012. I’ll list them from most mainstream to obscure. 1. The Mayan calendar Mainstream Meter: ‘Keyboard Cat/Lolcats’ (They made a movie out of this, I mean, seriously?) This is of course, the most mainstream of predictions. Based on the Mayan Calendar, this prediction warns us of the end of a ‘great cycle’ (thirteen b’ak’tuns (periods of 144,000 days each)). Why people think that this means 2012 is going to be the end of the world baffles me, as the Mayans predicted another ‘great cycle’ to follow this ending one. 2. The Bible says so Mainstream Meter: ‘Rickroll/Annoying Memes’ (Movies have been made from the Bible, but not related to 2012 specifically.) The Bible has prophesied the end of the world for a long time, and anyone who’s watched a few movies, has probably seen that stereotypical black guy with a sign stating ‘Repent, for the End of the World is Near’. Well believe it or not, they derived that from the Bible. Bible interpreters believe that the date for Armageddon (the final battle between good and evil) has been set for 2012. Other religious works also attest to that, such as the Chinese Book of Changes and Hindu teachings 3. Super volcano Mainstream Meter: ‘Over 900/10’ (There is a movie out there that shows this happening, ask your Geography teachers to show it to you.) As we all know, Yellowstone National Park in the US is famous for its thermal springs and geysers. This is because it’s right on top of the world’s biggest volcano. The Yellowstone volcano erupts every 650,000 years or so, and by that pattern, we should have had a massive explosion many years back. This massive explosion will fill the atmosphere with ash, thereby blocking the sun and causing the earth to delve into a frozen winter that could last for… oh, just about 15,000 years. Geologists have set 2012 for the likely date for this explosion. 4. Sun storms Mainstream Meter: Leeroy/Jenkins (Appeared briefly in 2012 as a reason for the end of the world) Solar experts believe that the earth is going to emit more radiation energy. Yes, that’s pretty much it. 5. The Atom Smasher (Large Hadron Collider) Mainstream Meter: ‘All your base are belong to us/8-bit Memes’ Scientists in Europe have been building the world’s largest par-
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ticle accelerator. Basically, it’s a 27 km tunnel designed to smash atoms together to find out what makes the universe work, and how we could create massive amounts of energy. Scientists predict all manner of deadly results, including mini black holes. So when this machine is started up for its first serious experiment in 2012, the world could be crushed into a super-dense blob the size of a Tennis blob. Yay for Science! 6. Maths and Physics Mainstream Meter: ‘Numa Numa Guy/Dumb YouTube videos’ Who knew that Maths and Physics would ultimately cause mankind’s downfall? Physicists at Berkeley University determined that the Earth is getting ready for a major catastrophic event. If they’re right, we’ll be dead in 2012. They also claim that their prediction is 99% correct. Now, let’s see what is predicted to happen in 2012:
January: The first Winter Youth Olympics held in Innsbruck ‘433 Eros’, the second largest Near Earth Object on record, will pass Earth. February: Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II, a celebration of her 60th anniversary. March: The Beatles’ album ‘Please Please Me’ will fall out of copyright. April: United States will let go of control of the military of the Republic of Korea after 50 years. May: Annual Solar Eclipse.
June: Last solar transit of Venus this century. UEFA Euro 2012 in Poland and Ukraine. July: 2012 World Rowing Championships held in Bulgaria. 2012 Summer Olympics in London. August: 2012 Summer Paralympics. November: US Presidential Elections. Solar Eclipse. December: Winter Solstice and Summer Solstice. End of Mayan calendar. Expiration of the Kyoto Protocol
So, are you ready for the end of the world? I, for one, am not going to enjoy it. Not because I’m going to die or anything, but because I’ll have that sinking feeling when I realize that I’ve spent all my life in school, learning things that I’ll never need again. One thing I did forget to mention is the Bible’s prophesy of the anti-Christ. If this is the end of the world, it may just be the start of a new type of world, in which the anti-Christ would rule over. Isn’t that funny how it coincides perfectly with the United States’ presidential election? The next US president could be the next anti-Christ, but then again all this is speculation, and just a little something to think about.
Kwaku Sumah
arts and entertainment
RIDDLES 1 How can you throw a ball as hard as you can and have it come back to you, even if it doesn’t bounce off anything? There is nothing attached to it, and no one else catches or throws it back to you.
2 An Arab sheikh tells his two sons to race their camels to a distant city to see who will inherit his fortune. The one whose camel is slower wins. After wandering aimlessly for days, the brothers ask a wise man for guidance. Upon receiving the advice, they jump on the camels and race to the city as fast as they can. What did the wise man say to them?
3 Recently, Snow White’s seven dwarfs met up with three of their friends and went to the cinema to see Bambi. From the clues below, can you determine the order in which they stood in the ticket queue? Grumpy was in front of Dopey. Stumpy was behind Sneezy and Doc. Doc was in front of Droopy and Happy. Sleepy was behind Stumpy, Smelly and Happy. Happy was in front of Sleepy, Smelly and Bashful. Bashful was behind Smelly, Droopy and Sleepy. Sneezy was in front of Dopey. Smelly was in front of Grumpy, Stumpy and Sneezy. Dopey was in front of Droopy. Sleepy was in front of Grumpy and Bashful. Dopey was behind Sneezy, Doc and Sleepy. Stumpy was in front of Dopey. Smelly was behind Doc.
1. Throw it up in the air 2. Switch Camels 3. Doc Happy Smelly Sneezy Stumpy Sleepy Grumpy Dopey Droopy Bashful
Riddle Answers
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arts and entertainment
Strings "Hamlet had the correct idea Death is not something to fear, But is ‘the cure’. The dead are wretched, For they rest whilst all my long life stretched Like a taut string kneeling before the Atropos blade. ‘Cut! Cut! Let me fade!’ Plato was dead wrong, Ignorance be bliss, To know what not, to think not Be bliss. I’d rather that be then kiss embrace The string bound Clotho fingers. As life be the holy Devil spawn, Here! We anti-voluntary life." This the fool adds, the fool festers, hope loss. But in the beginning of our end ask not why? But, be wise and ask how? But be wise and ask, what? For by this you measure may, Your string, And not cursed Lachesis. That string is not a set of objectives, It is a set of journeys, linked, Like a perennial, seemingly, winding road that to naught leads, Do not fret, It leads to oblivion as a test, for The way in which follow you, Is more greater than just to follow. Again, It is not why the time appears, but how and what the time I have to do, That is the significant part, And let your string be yours, Not halted by Aisa claws, or by your dead father's wraith.
Poetry The Lady’s Father Had he not resembled/ My father as he slept, I had done’t. They say that with large tasks it oftentimes (and this deed shan’t be matched for magnitude) Is one step back for every one in front. But now, I fear, one step towards his bed Means hundreds, thousands, tens of millions back (who knows how many weary ways I’ve trod) To a time when all the castles in this life Change not a thing, nor reverse the look of scorn; Of disappointment on a battled face. That hand, unfurled, laid weightless on the sheet, Is reaching out to touch my locks of hairTo question why they are so fine, so long. That eyelid, fluttering at unseen sights Hides tears of bitterness that still, his rides Will be of solitude. That crown that hangs To one side; he’d have coveted such a thing, If just in order to bemoan the fates Which give him none to pass the pride unto. Look! He stirs, and my very heart does quakeI asked to be unsexed; it is not done. My first sin, it remains the greatest one.
Mimi Smith G10
For your time string if it be yours, For your string time! If it be your own! Is a hundred, million, trillion times more unimaginably Divine, than is usually shown.
Matthew Clarke 12F Photo by Ursa Skonik
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arts and entertainment
more poetry Writers Block A greater foe I have never faced for this one blocks by mind What is it I hear you ask why the blank paper at my side
Ben Norman
Saline Water Basalt waters carry your cargoes of salt. Foam at the mouth and growl out your thoughts. Water to waste and waste to water, Rage and rage and raging wrath.
To That Love I toast to a love That was created long ago In the sands of time When the Earth was still new It has known of its existence. I toast to a love That lasted for a lifetime Would never fade, nor be forgotten As long as the world —And life, go on. I toast to a love That knows no depth Is always there So deep, yet so shallow Has no borders, genuinely free. I toast to a love That will always be Yet never possible, obtainable That will last—forever more Till it’s a memory, bittersweet.
Yangyang Teng 12C
Yayra Sumah 12A
London How many people have sat on this bench, Looked out on the river, that great flow of brown And thought: this is mine, This is home? How many people have not understood how they managed to stay away For so long? How many people have tried to explain the beauty Of a skyline so grey With a sky to match? How many people have seen thousands of strangers Passing them by, And have somehow never started feeling They all look the same? How many people have smiled to themselves When they realise they can’t tell Which way the water is moving, Then again when they realise They don’t care? How many people have wondered how many people, And realised that it must be millions? Wondered why that doesn’t make it, Any of it, Less special? How many people have sat on this bench, I wonder, As the river and the strangers pass by in equally uncertain directions, And how many of them have loved this city like I do?
Mimi Smith 10A
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arts and entertainment
Open Circle A theatre review Memory is a funny thing, and it can often be a frustrating one as well. Sometimes, you spend all day trying to remember a particular fact, only to wake up at three the next morning with that piece of information strolling casually to the front of your brain. And sometimes, somehow, despite the pink-highlightered note in your homework diary, you manage to forget that maths exam you were supposed to be revising for. But what about the things we do remember? When we think of our strongest memories, can we explain why we still recall them in such detail? How do we feel about them years afterwards, and what effect can sharing them have? These are examples of the questions that were raised during the performance of “Open Circle” which we attended last week. The piece was described as “autobiographical improvisation” and consisted of eight actors facing inwards on a circle of chairs, with the audience seated around the edge. One at a time, the actors began to talk about episodes from their childhoods, starting with their very earliest memories and gradually progressing through the years. Many of the stories were funny, a few were painfully sad, most were in some way familiar and every single one was completely, almost startlingly honest. This was one of the things that struck me most, because although I think most of us do not intend to deceive other people, I am aware that there are plenty of things that I would not be ready to share openly. I was impressed by the amount of trust that was present among the actors, and also between the actors and the audience. For some of the stories, the actor would simply speak as they sat, but more often he or she would pick a few of the others to play the parts of other people in the memory, and
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they would act it out. Because there were only 8 actors, one could be an uncle in one story and a boyfriend in the next, which definitely added a new level to the performance. It demonstrated that a person can appear in different people’s lives in completely contrasting contexts and roles, and be seen from infinite perspectives. The fact that each actor shared his or her own experiences as well as appearing in other scenes made the spectator realise that everyone you encounter, not just those who you might consider to be the “main characters” have stories to tell, some of which overlap and some of which are totally separate. Another interesting aspect of the play was the use of language. All of the performers were students from Lithuania, and the piece we saw was done partly in Lithuanian and partly in English. This didn’t make understanding a problem at all, because the visual portrayal and verbal description of events was very clear. In fact, I think it was quite effective to have two languages, because it made the memories seem realistically distant and sometimes even alien. I would be interested to know if speaking in a foreign language made it any easier to be so brutally honest, or whether the actors felt it was less genuine if it was not in their original words. All in all, it was an enjoyable and very thought-provoking performance, and also impressive for making quite a physically simple idea so varied and exciting. In drama class earlier in the day, my group had been arguing over how to arrange the scenery for our current project, so it was refreshing to see how much can be achieved with 8 people and a circle of chairs!
Mimi Smith G10
arts and entertainment
Crossword
DOWN
ACROSS
2. Dog, often groomed with fluffy ears, legs and tail. 3. According to Aristotle, strong, wild winds are trapped under the ground and their struggle to escape result in this natural disaster. 6. Largest diamond in the world
†
7. Nobel Prize in Literature, his first novel is studied in grade 9 in VIS 8. ‘The green heart of Austria’
10. Kharishma works at the Secondary ______.
5. Map created by Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs. 8.
22 +12 + 2
11. 2007 Blockbuster movie involving a war between Autobots and Decepticons 12. Swedish, Arabic, Bengali, Flemish, Esperanto 13. The King of Pop’s middle name 14. The first director of VIS
ANSWERS
9. ‘Vitamin’ D is in fact a ________, not a vitamin.
4. City, home to the Kremlin and St. Basil’s Catherdral
1. Lion 2. Poodle 3. Earthquake 4. Moscow 5. Marauder 6. Cullinan 7. Golding 8. Styria 9. Hormone 10. Office 11. Transformers 12. Languages 13. Joseph 14. Pezet
1. Panthera leo
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arts and entertainment
HOROSCOPES
Aquarius - (Jan 21 - feb 19)
You will learn something new this year (other than in the academic areas of course). You will learn about yourself, about your identity and about your interactions with other people. You’ll also learn some valuable life lessons so keep your eyes and mind open.
Pisces (Feb 20- Mar 20) There is an exciting year ahead for you. Although there may be some tough times, you’ll look back to 2010 in fifty years or so and think: “That was one hell of a year!” Have fun!
Aries (Mar 21 - Apr 20) This will definitely be a year to remember. There will be some magical moments and some times where you will wish the world could just freeze in place forever and ever for you to savour the moment (Sorry, no can do!). Of course, you’ll also have some regrets but try no to think of them too much and you’ll be fine.
Taurus (Apr 21 - May 21) The status quo may be especially important this year so don’t try to wiggle out of it. Each thing has its place and you should abide by these unwritten rules. Also, it may seem trivial but be sure to respect your elders. There might be a pleasant surprise waiting for you towards the end of the year.
Gemini (May 22 - Jun 21) Things change, people change. It’s completely normal. You may meet new friends, have different interests or distance yourself from your current peer group… Although it may seem rather daunting now, you’ll be surprised how much you can adapt to such changes. Here’s a little proverb for the road: The more things change, the more they are the same.
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Cancer (Jun 22 - Jul 22)
You will have to work hard for this year to be fruitful; both in terms of school work and relationships with people. But don’t despair, you will work hard and your efforts will be rewarded. Keep all of this in mind before you decide to give up something half way.
Leo (July 23 -Aug 21) Do something new this year. Look for inspiration in places you wouldn’t have thought to look in before. Don’t be scared to follow your impulses. Keep a diary to jot down your newfound thrills and excitements (Remember to stay safe though).
Virgo (Aug 22 - Sep) You will have lots of new responsibilities this year – hey it’s what happens when you get older! Make sure that you stay on top of things and be serious about your commitments. You will definitely have that wonderful sense of achievement when you do manage to keep them.
Libra (Sep 24 - Oct 23) Let’s be frank, 2010 will not be the best year yet. You’ll back on it and find lots of things that you would like to change: regrets, certain events you could have done without. On the other hand, it’s just a year, a date, and there’s many more to come so keep smiling and hold your head up high.
Scorpio (Oct 24 - Nov 22 Don’t do anything drastic this year. Be careful when you make decisions this year. Look at the problem from various points of view, weigh out all the pros and cons, ask your
arts and entertainment friends and family for advice. Really think it out before you act, especially if you’re the one who’s going to have to deal with the consequences.
Sagittarius (Nov 23 - Dec 22) Your year will be jam-packed with things to do: parties, concerts, exams, sleepovers, homework, travels, even boring cocktail parties and various other things you must attend to. Using an agenda will prove to be extremely useful for planning your time and writing down all your little re-
minders and it will be much easier to visualise when you can have some free time!
Capricorn (Dec 23 - Jan 20) This year seems to be an appropriate time to catch up on all schoolwork you’ve been pushing forward and hopefully start afresh in most subjects. Of course, you can’t just ignore last semester’s grades but try not to think of the past. Live in the present. Aim for that 7 and you will make it!
Photos by Evgeny Rezunenko G11
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The Spotlight
spring 2010
issue 91 coming soon
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THE SPOTLIGHT || winter 2010