The High 73

THE HIGH EDITION 73 | APRIL 20, 2018

G O O D B Y 13

Photograph by Diana Van Dooren

EDITORS-IN-CHIEF

Edward Fraser Amara Sarao

WACKY WEEK

CIRCLE TIME

ODD ONE OUT

The point of the points

Gather round, children

The demands of being different

2

LETTER FROM THE EDITORS

I

guess this is the end of an era. As we flee the nest and move on to exams, university, and the next chapter of our lives, we can’t help but reflect upon our numerous experiences from this wonderful newsroom. From the moment we put our names into place on the front page, all the way up until now, we’ve had to take on many roles. We have not only edited articles, but we’ve each taken on the roles of Good Cop and Bad Cop — balancing the challenge of ensuring everything was running smoothly and nurturing new writers. It was sometimes difficult to encourage the creation of good, journalistic content while also meeting deadlines. But that’s something with which every Editor-in-Chief at The High is more than familiar.

The High truly is the voice of the student body. Over this past year, our journalists have unearthed many key issues rooted deep within in our school community. We uncovered the effects of sexism in high school; our attitudes towards the LGBT community; the manner in which casual racist, sexist, and homophobic slurs can impact their victims; the fundamentals of the high-school caste system; and the reality of the gender spectrum. But this cannot be said enough: The High is so much more than simply a group of journalists and graphic artists — it is a community, a group of fun and quirky people, a home away from home.

For the final issue under our reign, we have welcomed all the seniors back for the final curtain call. With Anne-Marie gathering advice from all of our teachers, to Amelia interpreting this advice as your favourite Agony Aunt one last time, Ipek writes her closing piece on our “I don’t care” attitude, and Sophia saying her last thank yous to the people who have supported her the most.

As spring approaches and the cherry blossoms bloom, we depart on our journey and warmly pass on the baton to the incoming Editors. The memories we have created in our roles as Editorsin-Chief have been unforgettable.

EDWARD FRASER & AMARA SARAO Editors-in-Chief

EDITORS

Hannah Besson Suhasini Mehra Nikolay Zhurov Manon Libine Eleanor Payne

Jelle Banck Joseph Nobs Maddie Johns Pia Tiwari

TABLE OF CONTENTS Wacky Week Admissions Circle Time Being Different Gay Issues Scientists Catcalling IDK & IDC Democracy

03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11

Agony Cousin Y13 Advice Thrillers Originality Wolf Pack Art Exhibition Bye to Editors Editors’ Goodbye Wordsearch

12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

3

TACKY WEEK Joseph Nobs runs, buggy, runs

T

hree weeks ago, we were plunged into four days of chaos and lunacy, as tyrannosauruses, athletes and MYP coordinators paraded around the corridors of our school, marching in the name of fun and friendly competition. While there generally lay an air of mutual respect between the competing year groups, the competition of the Week occasionally spilt over. This competitiveness was particularly pronounced after the results were announced, and certain individuals amongst the Year 11s began declaring the whole thing “rigged in Year 13’s favour”. The judges of Wacky Week, meanwhile, deny any favouring of certain year groups over others. The word “rigged” implies a flawed system, so this article will serve as a comprehensive look into the system in place for awarding students marks during Wacky Week.

“There are four main things that are marked,” explains Mr Ribas, one of the Wacky Week coordinators. “There’s the morning theme, the games at lunch, the performance, and the scavenger hunt.” Let us take a look at each one of these in succession.

The morning theme, to begin with, is judged using the three criteria outlined in the official Wacky Week guidelines for teachers: participation, effort and “wacky factor”. Participation is scored out of 10, and relates to the percentage of people the judges estimate have participated in the theme each morning. Effort is slightly harder to quantify, though there are a number of things that judges are to look out for to help them make decisions. The inclusion of homemade props, the application of make-up, and the time taken to prepare the theme may help swing a judge’s opinion one way or another, and they award a mark accordingly out of 10. Finally, the wacky factor. Once again, this is harder to quantify, but the official guidelines state that teachers should look out for things like “a general attention (or lack of) to detail”, “sense of humour”, “sub-groups within

homerooms”, “recycling and ecological wackiness”, and “students not caring about points (per se)”. Points for wackiness are awarded out of 5. Moreover, the coordinators have a system for avoiding judge bias. “We try to make the judges go a different place every day, so it balances out,” says Mr Ribas.

This year, for example, both the Year 12s and 13s were visited by Mr Ribas, Mr McArthur and Mme Lapierre on different days.

The next main thing that judges award points for are the lunchtime games.

These are naturally more objective to judge, but the scoring system can be just as difficult to work out. Because the list of games changes every year it is difficult to look at all of them, but there are a couple that seem to make it into the repertoire every year regardless. In Run, Buggy, Run each of the fourteen groups (two for each year group) are awarded 1-14 points based on what place they came before being eliminated. This means that if the two groups in one year come 1st and 4th they will get 14 and 11 points. In the 11-legged race, meanwhile, each group is timed and placed on a leader board accordingly. The group with the fastest time is awarded 20 points, while the group with the second fastest is awarded 3 points less, and so on. You will notice that even if a year group came last place in both these games combined, they would still have 3 points total. If they came second last they would have 9 points. Even the lowest places get a few points. “We feel that the games are quite physical, and tend to reward older students,” explains Mr Ribas, “so the system is built off that.”

The judging for the Secret Theme performance and the scavenger hunt video are perhaps the easiest to explain, and, equally, the most subjective systems in place. Because it is ISL, they both rely on criteria. The four people judging the performance give up to 10 points in originality, entertainment and effort. Though there is not any clear way showing how these are defined, this means a maximum of 30 points per judge. The average of the four judges scores is then taken, rounded to the nearest full point, and awarded to the year group. The scavenger hunt video is awarded 0-2 points by the Student Council for each of the 10 clips completed, based on wackiness, creativity and effort. 5 additional bonus points can be awarded for overall wackiness, bringing the maximum total to 25 points.

Overall, the existing system is a good one, unlikely to award certain year groups more points than others. It awards points using fairly subjective criteria, and limits the amount of bias among individual judges to a minimum.

Any complaints of a “rigged” system seem quite unfounded. A better understanding of the structures in place during Wacky Week also makes it easier for a year group to do well within those structures, and hopefully people will be able to use some of the information provided here to help them win next year (cough, cough, Year 11).

If nothing else, perhaps this article has proven that a year group can feasibly win Wacky Week without spending a thousand francs on dinosaur costumes and foliage.

Illustration by Minnie Lowin

4

LET THE RIGHT ONES IN

H

ave you ever wondered how you, or someone that you know, got into ISL? Because I have.

I really wanted to know if the school board had specific criteria they followed when reviewing a student’s application. The question was put to Mr Foley, who is the secondary school principal, and it turns out the answer is no. Their decisions are made purely subjectively, and every single case is looked at individually. This can be good for some people, and bad for others.

However, it shows how invested the school is in the well-being of the students, and that they aren’t looking to create a body of “perfect students” to make ISL appear immaculate. Mr Foley said that “the balance of atmosphere, ethos and relationships is quite delicate at ISL,” and clearly he and the rest of the staff would not want to disrupt this through accepting the wrong person. It also shows that ISL is open to considering applications from students from a wide variety of educational backgrounds.

Student’s integration into the ISL environment is a key factor for the principals Inclusivity is another important issue when it comes to admissions. Mr Foley confirmed that ISL isn’t a fully inclusive school. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, however. There are certain cases where the school cannot accept

the student because it doesn’t have the facilities to provide for them. And that’s fair enough. Letting a student come to the school when their needs aren’t going to be properly met is detrimental to both the school and the student: the school would exhaust their resources on this one student, meaning that fewer resources would be left for everyone else, and at the same time the student wouldn’t be getting the care and attention they need.

From what I gathered while interviewing Mr Foley, the prospective student’s integration into the ISL environment is a key factor for the principals, when reviewing someone’s application or interviewing them. Nevertheless, it’s hard to know how the student in question will fare until you see them in the environment surrounded by their peers and teachers. Staff generally rely on their knowledge and professional judgement when making these decisions, and they can sometimes be wrong. One of the biggest questions they ask, and one which plays quite a big role in the decision process is: “Will the change of school enable them to integrate well and be successful at ISL?” For some people, changing schools will make no difference to how they act or how they deal with problems they might be having; whereas for others, changing schools might actually resolve some of their difficulties. Again, no one can truly know how the student will fit in to the school until they are in it, so in the end, it comes down to the teachers’ evaluation of their application, grades, recommendation letters, and interview if required.

Some students are admitted on a contract – this was the case for one of my friends. He thinks the reason was that, in his old school, he laughed too much with his friends, and this was mentioned in his recommendation letters.

It seems a pretty severe measure to take, and knowing him now, it was perhaps unnecessary in his case. Mr Foley

Eleanor Payne is on a list. said that sometimes after they see the student in the school environment, staff realise that a contract was unnecessary. However, the situation can also go the other way. Some students have been admitted who may, because of attitude issues or other factors, have benefitted from signing a contract before admission.

“We don’t do things in the school to make ourselves look better,” Mr Foley concluded. As much as we already believe it, it was nice to hear it from him. ISL has the best interests of its students at heart, and everything the staff do in the school is done to improve our experience here as students.

Enhancing its reputation is not one of ISL’s priorities in itself, but by acting in accordance with its values, it gains a good reputation anyway. Some other schools in the region will accept anyone as long as they have the money to pay the fees, but ISL isn’t like that. ISL, which is a non-profit school, does not accept every student that applies, and each student’s application is carefully assessed to make sure they are right for the school before they are accepted. And even if their application is not successful immediately, that doesn’t mean they won’t ever be admitted. It could just be a case of needing to see improvement in grades or attitude, for example.

ISL has the best interests of its students at heart

5

CIRCLE OF LIFE Suhasini Mehra talks round and round

S

ixth period. On the first floor of the North Campus, a group of students shuffles into a classroom. It soon becomes apparent that this is no ordinary class, but a Wellbeing session—a fact the students are quick to take advantage of as they rapidly reseat themselves, seating plan be damned. Some students are excited to find out today’s topic.

Others, skeptical, are already preparing for disappointment.

Some are simply tired and looking forward to a class period with no class. A few are a mix of the three.

Lately, I find myself approaching each new session with increasing apprehension. In theory, Wellbeing is a time for students to ask questions and discuss without fear of being judged by an adult authority figure. Ms Vivian, as it happens, agrees. Her vision of Wellbeing is a space where students can be themselves and share their opinions without judgement; a place to grow emotionally and gain a deeper understanding of themselves and their classmates. Simply, it is “a space that allows [students] to feel safe expressing their vulnerability.” Of course, Ms Vivian acknowledges that this vision of Wellbeing is a work in progress. She is well aware of the apprehensions of many students, and is adamant that she fully respects students who find the sessions useless. In fact, her respect for students comes out in her belief that teenagers can be more connected with themselves than adults are, as they have had “less time to add onto the the ways in which society pulls us away from ourselves.” Nonetheless, she wants to work together with the students to build towards a time when we may all be on the same page. “It’s a learning process from all sides,” she says. “I wouldn’t come in arrogantly, thinking I have all the answers.”

With that said, what do the students think? Are we in sync with the school, or have both sides missed the mark? As it happens, the majority of students do find Wellbeing valuable—albeit in need of improvement. Most students do feel that important subjects are often covered, and do feel that they are listened to. Many feel that they are able to express their emotions during this time, get to know their classmates better, relieve stress, and receive useful advice that has genuinely helped them. This is a victory for Ms Vivian. However, many students disagree, feeling that it’s impossible to have a mature conversation in a room full of teenagers, that it would be better to dedicate the time to one-on-one sessions.

As one student quite accurately puts it: “Put teenagers in an awkward position, and they are going to react by taking the piss out of everything.”

Both sides make valid points. Depending on the group, subject, or time, a session can be an insightful look into the collective psychology of ISL; or it can be a mess of awkward silences and bad jokes. How, then, can we ensure that all sessions are as productive as possible? There is one key aspect to consider. Subject can make or break a session. Last year’s ‘13 Reasons Why’ session, for instance, was generally unsuccessful as students had little interest in the topic or found

it irrelevant—many even felt insulted that the school would consider the show ‘dangerous’, viewing the session as an affront to the intelligence of the student body. The sex and relationships sessions, meanwhile, went off much better (albeit with the occasional awkward chuckle), because the majority of students cared about the subject and found it relevant for us to discuss at our age. So, how can the school choose subjects that the students will care about? The answer is simple: ask us. Ms Vivian agrees wholeheartedly with this, and has already, to some extent, started trying to involve students in the decision-making process. Only last month, she asked those of us in Year 11 to write down our own questions and concerns under the subject of Sex Ed. This is a good start; however, in order to make Wellbeing as beneficial as it could be, students need to be much more directly involved in the selection of all subjects, not just the sub-topics we cover after the school decides the umbrella subjects. To achieve this, regular surveys could be sent out to make sure the school is up to date on our concerns. Alternatively, the school could dedicate one Wellbeing session at the start of each term to considering what subjects we should to discuss in the coming months. Either way, students would be directly involved in the selection of subjects.

To help the school along, here are some of the subjects many students want to discuss. Sex Ed and relationships is a big one—when many students are just beginning to date semi-seriously, relationships can be confusing and scary, so, naturally, we would appreciate some guidance. And not just generic advice, either—students in the LGBT+ community have frequently expressed their dissatisfaction with the lack of guidance for non-heterosexual relationships, and yet nothing has changed for them. Beyond relationships, students want to know about life outside of school—taxes, budgeting, and mature problem solving in adult situations are all vital components of life that we rarely discuss. University talks, too, are important to all high school students. These are only a few of the subjects that have come up in the discussions I’ve had with fellow students; if the school would listen, Wellbeing sessions could become significantly more beneficial.

There are other aspects to Wellbeing that could be improved—how the sessions are conducted, for example, can often make quite a difference. For now, however, just this first step is enough. Hopefully, with time and greater understanding between school and students, Wellbeing can become, as Ms Vivian says, a place where we can learn to love ourselves no matter what.

Oh, one final thing before I close. A request from one concerned student: please, change the name back. As much as we disliked ‘Circle Time’, ‘Mindfulness and Wellbeing Class’ is so, so much worse.

6

APPLES AND ORANGES

N

owadays, and especially in the ISL community, it seems as though being different is not a good thing. Instead, it is something that many people consider weird. Walking around school, you’ll notice it’s difficult to find someone who doesn’t own a Mac, or a girl who doesn’t exclusively dress in black, grey or white.

It would be ideal to think that all of us buy things because we like them, or because of their amazing quality, but sadly, we tend to guide ourselves by what people around us have, because we feel that it is more convenient, or that it is a way for us to fit in better with everyone else. We like to think that we buy Macs because of their amazing speed and overall quality; instead, answers like “I bought my Mac because everyone else had it. I felt that if I had a Mac, no one would point me out, and I would fit in with everyone else” are common in the ISL community. We disregard what actually matters,the quality of the computer and how useful it is to work with, and give importance to minor things like its aesthetic, or other people’s thoughts. What we don’t realise is that having something different to other people isn’t such a big deal.

Continuing with the example of Macs, people who don’t own them feel that having a Windows laptop isn’t weird at all. Of course, it is less convenient at times when I need a charger and no one in my class uses the same charger as me. Other than that, it’s completely fine. I don’t feel excluded and I’m more comfortable using my own computer as I am already used to it and to how it works”. So, why do we give so much importance to a laptop that we only have to fit in? What is the big deal with buying one that isn’t from Apple?

However, sometimes it’s not as simple as having a different laptop to the majority, and when it comes to something that most people in High School find very important, partying, not being involved can make people feel very bad

about themselves. It seems as though attending a party is something very exclusive, and that only certain people in each year group can organise and attend them. Although it’s true that there are people who don’t particularly like to party, and therefore don’t really mind not getting invited, there is still a large majority of people who are eager to get invited to the most amazing parties, organised by the most exclusive people in the year. The same way it is a thrill to get an invitation, those who don’t get one normally feel quite excluded, and sometimes it is a matter of who organises what rather than the event itself.

Those on the outside of the “bubble” said they normally feel “lonely and, in a way, jealous” of those who do get to go. We talk about being different, but most of the time, being like most other people is a way of fitting in, so going to parties, even though you’re not very keen on going, is a normally a way to avoid getting picked on.

We are the ones who decide that “different” is a synonym for “weird” and “bad” Winter Ball has always been ISL’s most elegant tradition; an event which many people wait to attend for many months, to show off their amazing and elegant gowns. It is another event which is mostly influenced by who goes, and the reputation you have if you go. According to some people who attend, “Winter Ball is mostly about showing people that you can fit in with them, and not so much about enjoying yourself”.

Raquel Muzquiz wants to embrace differences So, what’s the point of going if you don’t even have fun, and only go because all of your friends go?

Although many of ISL’s High School students attend Winter Ball, there are still a large number of people who don’t.

Unsurprisingly, some of those who don’t attend Winter Ball feel “left out”, but others don’t really give much importance to the matter. “It’s not so important to me. I don’t get influenced by the fact that many people go, I prefer to spend my time and money on other things which I enjoy doing”, said one person.

So, why is it that we give so much emphasis on being part of certain things, but don’t really care about others? Is it that being different has become a bad thing, and not something that we are proud of?

Although it may seem stupid, we are the ones who choose the moment being different is bad. We are the ones who decide that not being invited to a cool and exclusive party is a big deal.

We are the ones who glance negatively at the one person, or few people in class who don’t own a Mac. We are the ones who make fun of the girls and guys who don’t dress in the same in the very simple way that most other people do. We are the ones who decide the circumstances that “different” is a synonym for “weird” and “bad”. We shouldn’t give so much importance to what others do, but focus on what we like and who we want to be. We should focus less on being clones of other people, because honestly, thank God, we were all born different.

7

I’M NOT THE ONLY ONE

L

He is so hot, but probably gay; He is gay, so I need his shopping advice; I need him to make me happy because I just broke up with my boyfriend and I think I have ‘depression’.

These are things that I have heard people say about gay people since forever.

At a first glance, these claims seem positive as they state that gay men are all attractive, know how to dress properly, and are great listeners. But honestly if those claims were all true, life would be quite easy and I would not be writing this article.

In a way these words were the finish line. I thought that in a way this would be the prize for coming out and that life would be easier.

However, those same stereotypes are the ones which define you and, therefore, limit you. Because, you are not a ten out of ten, your style is average and you don’t always have the time to listen to your friends’ (who consider you their gay best friend, not their actual best friend) breakup, crush or ‘serious’ problems at home.

Of course, the gays need to look perfect, they need to be social, they need to have perfectly fitting clothes, and be great listeners; or else they’re fake imposter gays.

Yes, those fake imposter gays exist; according to one friend’s parent, I’m not feminine enough to be gay. So I guess that I’m probably just lying to her so I can get closer to her so we can be together (duh, that’s the best way to attract women).

While on the topic of parents, another parent has also casually asked me what my sexual orientation was, before ever asking me where I lived, where I come from and how I became friends with their daughter...

Yes, you heard me. Someone coming from a high socioeconomic status has said and asked me that, in Switzerland, which is supposedly the country with the best living conditions in the world...

Therefore, what most “gays” do is not only aim to be good like everyone else, but perfect by trying to be the ideal

friend, family member, acquaintance and colleague to compensate for the fact that they are gay. Only to be left out by their colleagues, family and even friends for being “less” than everybody else; included when no one else is available, of course.

Despite tremendous advances in gay rights and human rights as a whole,for many people, whether it be a conscious or unconscious thing, gay men are tokens, not humans. They are your cute maltese or pomeranian, that teenage girls desire, want to, or even feel like they need to possess, only to grow tired of walking them everyday, and therefore discard.

When people first find out that you are gay, you immediately get friends: people who support you and tell you that they will help you. Only to then be discarded when something better comes up, something more interesting. Your friends are not there for you, they are there only to be able to say they have a gay best friend.

Also, whenever your friend has an issue, like not being included in a party, it seems like it’s the end of the world; your friend might as well end her life now, here, in front of you. Therefore, you decide to help her, think of the many times when you were not included in something, think of the hard times that you have gone through to try

Leonardo Morosini is not a stereotype and make her feel better.

After some months go by, something happens which makes you start to feel sad, so you talk about it to your “friends”, tell them how you are not okay, etc… However, this time you are met with a “don’t worry, everything is going to be fine” only to then be faced to a quick change in topic to talk about something obviously more important like judging another classmate’s haircut, or discussing which is a better investment: Hublot or Rolex?

Whenever you go out, you always go to straight bars and clubs. Which, yes, is normal as the majority of your friends are straight. The thing though, is that there is no compromise, there is no “we go to a gay club once every two months” . And, when confronted, your friends always say “next time” or tell you that you can meet gay people in a straight club, even though you have higher chances getting beaten up for being gay than finding another gay person. But you can’t really blame them, now can you?

As it’s easy for them to say this as after midnight, all your friends are hooking up with someone, apart from you, because you are gay. So you just leave the club without saying goodbye and without receiving a single “are you okay?”

Illustration by Manon Libine

8

DEAD SCIENTISTS SOCIETY

S

tephen Hawking, one of the greatest physicists of the last century, passed away last month. I found his passing as an opportunity to reflect on the lasting influence of three of the greatest scientific personalities, who died before we were born.

STEPHEN HAWKING His most major contribution in physics was in the field of black holes. He arrived to his theories by merging his understandings of different fields of physics and by using his pure imagination.

The two other scientists I talk about in this column were also naturally great science communicators. Although Hawking was not able to speak with his mouth, he always found ways to communicate with the world, just like them.

He suffered from a disease called amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, which paralyzed him through his life. Despite the difficulty, he managed to make what I see as one of his most important contributions to the world: he engaged children in science, writing a book series – George and the Universe. If you want to get closer to Stephen Hawking, I’d recommend you read his books (A brief history of time orGeorge and the Universe book series). As for those of you who want a quicker introduction to him, you can watch the movie “The Theory of Everything”.

CARL SAGAN Carl Sagan was an American astronomer and one of the most popular science communicators to this day. What were his successes as a scientist? He made discoveries about the composition of Venus, Mars, and the moons of Jupiter, and he also looked for extraterrestrial life. For his scientific work, Carl Sagan received the highest award of the National Academy of Sciences in the US. Until Carl Sagan, science communicators were not very popular. Sagan changed this. He hosted his own science show called “The Cosmos: A Personal Voyage”, which became the most watched television show on national television, and he also wrote best-selling non-fiction science books. What can Sagan teach us? Scientists have described Sagan’s approach to science as that of a little boy. He had a deep fascination and curiosity to explore the unknown universe and to share his understandings with the rest of the world.

Perhaps if we all approach science as a mystery to be solved like Sagan, we will get more excited by it. If you want to get to know Carl Sagan better, you could watch him teach a classroom of primary students about complex concepts of the universe (you can find the video on this link: http://bit.ly/CarlSaganTeachesClass).

Achilleas Martinis the science guyw

RICHARD FEYNMAN Richard Feynman was a great scientist and also a professor at Caltech for some part of his life. He reinvented quantum electrodynamics, and he also came up with the idea of Feynman diagrams for which he got the Nobel Prize. Feynman had a great mindset for understanding scientific concepts. He pushed himself to understand science to the deepest level: he always questioned whether he really understood a concept or a theory. I have watched many of his lectures and read some of his books. Feynman not only comes through as a great scientist, but also as an amazing teacher.

When he taught science, he transmitted an excitement and curiosity about it that no other scientist ever did. Many of his lectures were addressed to an audience who did not have a background in science. And although many of the concepts he taught were complex, he explained them in a simple, funny, and fascinating way. He could translate the most challenging topics to simple and exciting analogies that his whole audience could relate to. My favorite of Feynman’s talks is called Physics is Fun to Imagine (you can find it on this link http://bit.ly/physicsisfuntoimagine).

Similarly to Carl Sagan, he transmits a childish excitement in the physics concepts that he talks about. Bill Gates called Feynman, “The Greatest Teacher [he] never had”. I think Feynman is someone we can all learn from. Whether or not we become teachers, having more people curious like him in the future will make our world more exciting.

If you are interested in more science communicators, here is a list of names you could follow: Neil de Grasse Tyson, Bill Nye, Michio Kaku, Alan Alda, and Elizabeth Kolbert. To get to know exciting science & technology news, you could also follow me on Twitter at @ RealScientistCH or on Instagram at therealscientistofficial.

9

WHISTLES WHILE YOU WALK Catcalling: a loud, sexually suggestive call or comment directed at someone publicly (as on the street)

W

hen asked why people catcall, there is a consensus that it is a way for a male to show his appreciation for a female and the way she looks. The topic is controversial; is it really a bad thing? Is it not a compliment to be catcalled?

If it is a compliment, it should make a person feel good about themselves, not insecure, uncomfortable, disrespected or objectified. Yet these are the feelings that women feel being the object of someone’s attention.

The topic being controversial, I decided to ask our students what they felt. I received 59 responses with 39 females and 20 males. These are some of the responses I received from females.

“Men catcall, because it makes them feel macho, or it is how they impress each other.”

“Men think it makes them more masculine to catcall and reaffirms their position as the dominant sex. Men are taught that it is normal and okay to catcall a girl.”

Catcalling is not a rare occurrence for many people; it is a reality of being a woman out on the streets alone. While some people argue that in the larger context of issues, does this one really deserve 1000 words? I argue that it does matter, because catcalling is representative of a larger, more somber issue: it is representative of how our society raises men and women in an inherently unequal manner.

Let us leap back in time about 20 years ago. If you were a woman working in an office, it was ‘tolerable’ if someone groped you while you were working. You couldn’t say anything about it, because you risked losing your job. In 1998, a poll conducted in the United States showed that 53% of Americans said that people were too sensitive about sexual harassment in the workplace, that it really is not that big a deal.

Is this familiar sounding? It should be, after all 20 years later, a very similar narrative is present with catcalling today. In a video filmed by media company Gothamist, New Yorkers on the street answered the question, ‘Why Do Men Harass Women on the Street?’ There were responses that came from men of all ages and ethnicities, and most of them said, ‘If a women is walking down the street and I think she looks good, I’m going to comment on it however I want to.’ Comments like these came from males as young as 12 years old. Such occurrences show that the problem at hand today is more worrying.

Of course, everyone is entitled to their own opinion and has a freedom of speech, but a problem arises when the way in which you communicate your opinion becomes derogatory and disrespectful towards the recipient of your comment. It becomes a problem because as research indicates, street harassment significantly increases self-objectification,

Khwaish Vohra did not ask for your compliments

something that has proven to lead to depression and anxiety amongst victims. These comments may seem harmless to a bystander, but leave lasting impressions on the victims themselves. Many women who have experienced harassment have shared that it started when they hit puberty, or in other words obtained a ‘woman’s body.’ At that age, being harassed can leave you feeling insecure and fearful of being alone. We have all heard that during our teenage years, there is crucial development that is occurring within our brain; to feel unconfident can damage this vital process.

Throughout pop culture and movies, there have been many examples of women being catcalled in a rude manner, and it is tolerated. Women are taught that when they are catcalled, they should ignore it and move on; that way they protect themselves from an escalated scenario. Often, they are asked, ‘‘Did you provoke it somehow?’’ The problem with this mindset is that it promotes a rape culture. One where the women should change the way they act, dress and speak to people, to avoid unwanted attention. One where the men are the dominant and powerful gender and women are supposed to conform to this idea. A culture where young girls are taught that ‘boys will be boys’ and they should just let certain things slide, even if they are morally wrong.

Having said all of this, there is another perspective that I must take into account for this article to be credible. In the survey I sent, I also received a few responses where it seemed as if catcalling made some of the recipients feel good about themselves. One female respondent said, “It made me feel great as the person was trying to compliment me.” As I do not know the context and content of the catcall, I cannot comment on the person’s reaction to it. However, I can discuss what a respectful compliment looks like. When someone is respectful when commenting on your looks that is when it becomes a compliment. Simply yelling out, ‘hey baby’ or making loud, obnoxious noises does not qualify as ‘complimenting’ someone.

As internationally minded students, I believe that we have the power to bring about change in the world. We see the world through a global lens and, therefore, are able to think in this manner; as difficult as it is to remain sanguine in today’s world, I believe that we can make a difference. It all comes down to basic human decency and the golden rule we all learn as children, ‘treat others the way you want to be treated.’

Take a moment and reflect upon how you may unintentionally contribute to a society where it is okay to act the way these catcallers do. Challenge societal norms, ask yourself and others about whether or not something normal is really moral, because as history has shown time and again, we humans don’t get it right on our first try. It is up to us to continuously evolve as social beings, and gender inequality is one thing that is as archaic as cavemen themselves.

10

OUT OF SIGHT, IN YOUR MIND

N

owadays, it seems that almost every news headline we see is announcing some terrible event or another. Good news seems less and less popular, and we may even feel a little desensitised to news of violence, famine, sexual assault, or any other horrific event impacting our world. But now couldn’t be a worse time to stop paying attention to the world. As easy and seemingly calming as it would be to ignore these stories and focus on ourselves, we cannot turn away at a time like this.

While it is completely natural to care more about events that take place closer to home, we must make a conscious effort to keep up with things happening outside of our world. On top of the obvious ethical and moral reasons to care about these events, there are also many selfish reasons that justify reading about and discussing external matters. First of all, we have to know about the events that transpire beyond our borders for the simple reason that, if a similar string of events start occuring in our own system, we can make sure that we do not go down the wrong path. If we have no idea of similar occurrences in other countries, it becomes hard to predict the future - but history often repeats itself, and if we were all educated even a little on important foreign events and their effects, we could protect ourselves from bad decisions.

Furthermore, the world we live in today is the most globalised it has ever been. Virtually everything in our lives is sourced from different places around the world: not just the goods we consume, but the ideas and inventions that have been shared around the world which have made our lives easier.

Without globalisation, many of the luxuries we have access to would cease to exist in our lives: air travel, smartphones, and pretty much everything besides chocolate, watches, and banks. Things we love, such as travelling, music, sports, would become a lot more limited without globalisation. And for this selfish reason, if you don’t already, you have to care about global issues. Because if no one cares about the things happening beyond their own little world, we all lose in the end.

And if you still feel that it’s just not worth your energy, or that even if you wanted to help, you couldn’t actually do anything, think about how life would be in the shoes of those suffering the terrible things you read about. Most of the people living the stories we only read about in the news are simply in the position they are because of chance - there is not a single thing that determines that they deserve to live in the conditions they do. So, just as easily, we could have been in their places. We’re very lucky to be where we are today, and therefore we simply have to care about others who aren’t as fortunate as us – because if it were the other way round, we certainly would want the world to care for us, too.

Ipek Özkazanç does know and does care

The question of how much we should care, and what we should do cannot be answered easily. At this point, reading up on the news, voicing your opinion when relevant (and justified, of course), and simply caring about the world is enough. As long as we don’t let certain events and their morals be forgotten, we are already making a difference. Understanding the consequences of relevant events, and keeping them in mind is what ensures that, as a society, we can move towards a world in which everyone is better off.

Of course, no one is expected to drop everything and focus on doing something to help the people we read about on the news – we have to take care of ourselves, too. But simply being aware of what is happening around the world, and most importantly, understanding the consequences of these events and talking about them already makes a big difference.

And maybe, with all the bad headlines, you’re wondering if it is even possible to keep up with every major event, don’t worry. We can’t usually be aware of everything that is happening, let alone know the details of each major event. The main thing we all need to do is to understand that the things we hear or read about could very well one day affect us, too, — or even more likely already do without us knowing it.

Therefore we have to pay at least a little bit of attention to these events, not forget about them after a few days, and, if possible, do something to make a difference - however small.

Finally, in hopes of inspiring you a little, here is a short but very powerful poem by Martin Niemöller called “First they came…”. Yes — it is that poem you read in class more times than you can count on one hand, but bear with me: it says a lot about the world we live in today, despite having been written almost 70 years ago…

“First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out— Because I was not a Socialist.

Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out— Because I was not a Trade Unionist.

Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out— Because I was not a Jew. Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.”

— Martin Niemöller

11

DEMOCRAZY Edward Fraser is not pink

I

n one form or another, democracy is something that has been on all of our minds lately. With the unveiling of the many tactics used by Cambridge Analytica in helping win Donald Trump his presidency, the average person has been granted a deeper look into the multi-layered manipulation that underlies democracy.

Should you be in Year 13, you’ll also be well aware of one important fundamental of democracy: voting. Yes, compared with our previous years at ISL, we Year 13s are granted a certain amount of choice and responsibility. The dates and destination of our grad-trip, our secret theme, and even something like the colour of our graduation hoodies. These were all choices that we had to make as a collective of 70-odd students. The best way to solve the hyper-individuality and difference of opinion present in our year? “A vote.

It’s democracy. There’s no other way to do it,” says Frerik Smit, a prominent figure in school politics. Despite its great prospects, democracy seemed to be able to cause just as many problems as it solved. Sure, the simple fact that each of us had a say in these many important decisions naturally was a major benefit, but the clash caused by the many votes also was something that no one seemed to enjoy. Ironically in the case of the graduation hoodies, which are in place to unite the year group, “the choice of the hoodies’ colour actually polarised our year group more than ever before,” one Year 13 student commented.

That being said, there’s still a debate to be had whether the democratic voting process is actually better than its alternatives. On the other side of the spectrum lies totalitarianism, which is not a big fan of the public voting system.

Interestingly, where democracy’s polarisation can set its population against itself, totalitarianism instead sets its population against their government.

For democracy, there is no scapegoat

to blame for the clashing of opinions and ultimately the loss of the minority voters.

With the recent whistleblowing and subsequent uncovering of the many underhanded tactics employed by Cambridge Analytica, a political consulting firm specialising in data analysis, the world has been prompted to rethink the electoral process. With operations in the United States, the Indian Congress, Brazil, Mexico, Malaysia, Australia, Kenya… the list goes on.

The United States congress has subsequently launched a large-scale investigation into Cambridge Analytica and more recently Facebook, from whom Cambridge Analytica purchased much of the U.S. electorate’s personal data.

What prompted the uproar against these two companies, who are only at the surface of this issue, is the issue of privacy. We’ve seen privacy scandals in the past, especially in the United States following Edward Snowden’s whistleblowing on the NSA’s secret data collection and surveillance. Although the NSA’s data mining was for security and national defence purposes, the data to which Cambridge Analytica was privy was used to benefit individual political campaigns and corporations. On their website, Cambridge Analytica is proud to state that they “use data to change audience behaviour.” It is this secretive persuasion of the masses that Cambridge Analytica boasts to be so talented at which has caused recent strife with the democratic system.

But is this manipulation of the electorate not a normal and natural part of democracy? In the United States, the home of gerrymandering and the famed Electoral College, the foundations of democracy have been stretched and warped overtime into a seemingly new system altogether, a system that works for those who know its inner-workings. That is something entirely different when compared with the simplicity of the traditional democ-

racy whereby representatives are elected by and from the entire population.

Over the past years, the candidates running in our student council elections have also employed various tactics in order to win the popular vote. Some candidates simply run unopposed, but for the popular posts — posts like middle-school and StuCo President — the competition can be heavy. Frerik Smit, who ran for StuCo President in 2017, employed a number of his own strategies in his rise to being a prominent candidate in the StuCo elections. “I watched the StuCo elections in the past years. It’s never the best candidate that wins. It’s always the most memorable or the funniest one. So, I didn’t run for a cause — I ran to entertain people.”

Finding himself in an election which often favours charisma over strong ideas, Frerik decided to play the system while still trying to strike a balance between the two: “Politically, I usually like basing my campaign on an idea, but I altered [my campaign] to try and get people’s votes.” For those of you who have heard of Frerik’s campaign, you will probably be familiar with his boisterous activism, largely concerned with the shortage of paper towels that ISL students often are heard complaining about. However, candidates who run without specifically appealing to the general public’s wants — which often is simply a good show or the promise of a fun year ahead — often find themselves on the losing end of the election. Charismatic presidents are no strangers to the student council.

For the student council elections following, it is your responsibility to consider which candidate would be best for the school, and more importantly who will fight for your needs. After all, as one high school student comments, “[Charismatic presidents] can seem like a good idea come voting day, but rarely get important work done.”

12

VICE AND ADVICE

I

Amelia Lumme brings back the Agony Cousin

would like to preface this edition of Agony Cousin by saying that I am sorry that this is my final article, and that you’re welcome for all the amazing and essential advice I’ve given you in the past year or so. Year 13, this one is for you. What follows is advice from many of our teachers, but with a slight extension. I have interpreted and thoroughly enhanced the advice they want you to receive. To Year 13: Good luck!

And to everyone else, good luck finding better advice. Enjoy.

it would catch everyone’s attention?

Throw it away. Sun cream is IN. Substitute your usual attire for a thick coating of UV-light-absorbing goodness. Don’t rub it in though, obviously.

“Travel far and wide, meet as many people from as many walks of life as possible, take the road less travelled and remember anything is possible” Ms Foster

“If it scares you, won’t kill you or ruin your life — you should do it” Ms Foster

Hold on, I’m just going to make this my instagram bio I’ll be right back.

“Your first year at university will probably involve increasingly improbable combinations of ingredients as your cupboard runs bare: “ketchup rice” and “salt’n’pepper spaghetti” are only borne out of desperation. Get a sandwich instead” Mr Alexander A wonderful piece of advice. Sandwiches are amongst the best food inventions known to mankind — that is a fact. Therefore, it makes sense to put anything you decide to cook, including ketchup rice and salt’n’pepper spaghetti, in a sandwich, and you’ll have yourself a portable, hand-held snack. This will save you time in university or at work.

“Wear sunscreen.”

Mr o’Brien A bold suggestion. Something many people may simply not know is that sunscreen, or sun cream if you speak proper English, can be worn as clothing to ensure further protection from the sun. That new summery top you were going to wear because you were sure

“Keep yourself hydrated” Mr Kirby It is important to consume lots of water to stay healthy, but any drink will do. In university that will probably be alcohol.

Pinkies up!

Challenging yourself is an important component of growth. Academically, I like to challenge myself by pushing my limits, specifically on how last minute I can complete a project. Procrastinating until the night before something is certainly scares me, and it won’t kill me or ruin my life (for long). There is definitely an adrenaline rush that comes with writing a 1,200 word essay into the early hours of the morning, wouldn’t you say so? Thank you Ms Foster for this excellent advice, I encourage all of you to continue procrastinating long into your post high school academic life.

“Try to do the right thing, and be honest. Tell the truth. You’ll feel better about yourself and life is complicated enough without untruths.”

Ms Secker Okay Ms Secker, that’s some good advice but how do I know you’re telling the truth?

“Always stop, look and listen when crossing the road’ Mr McArthur Some sensible advice indeed. Obviously, this is primarily concerning pedestrians. However, I reckon it’ll also work as a driver. When driving, you have to be extremely cautious, so when you’re

crossing a busy junction, make sure to drive slowly and occasionally stop just to make sure you’re not too close to the car in front of you, or that you won’t run over a cat or something. I also interpreted this advice as being observant in a zen way. Being in the middle of a road is a vulnerable position, so take that time to appreciate the nature around you, the sounds and sights of course, and ponder on the insignificance of your very existence. Are you crossing the road... or is the road crossing you?

“Go travelling after university because it’s culturally enriching and character building” Mr Kirby Pretty much everyone dreams of traveling around the world, right? There’s always something in the way though... whether it be money, time, or even just struggling to find someone to go with.

If money is the issue, there is a simple solution. Saving up is crucial, so just don’t spend money on ANYTHING for however long you’re in university. Work double shifts to increase your salary.

This would normally take up time to do other things like eat meals, but since you won’t be spending money you won’t even have to to worry about that.

By the end of your time in university, you should have enough money to go wherever you want!

“Embrace invitations from others! In at least your first six months of university life, make it your mission to say YES” Ms Moran There’s so many ways to mess this one up, I’ll let you come up with your own ideas. What could possibly go wrong?

13

WORDS OF WISDOM Anne-Marie Rusu collects advice before leaving

I

guess this is it, isn’t it? After two years of deadlines, inconsistent sleep and our beloved TOK/CAS/Circle Time rotations, we’ve finally reached the end. It’s been one heck of a ride, and although it was sometimes really, really bumpy, I for one am glad I was able to go through it with all of the amazing people in our graduating class. These past years have been full of great moments, flashy pink hoodies, and 8-foot dinosaurs, but I think we’re all ready to jump head first into the next part of our lives, even if it does seem somewhat scary.

School so far has taken up around 7.7% of the days in our lifetime, and IB has taken up 1.2%. This seems extremely insignificant if you look at it this way, as I swear those Science IAs took more mental energy and time than anything I’ve ever had to do in my life. But what this really shows is how much more we can do with our time after high school, because even though this is the end of a major part of our lives, the real stuff is yet to come. I think we can all agree that we’ve made some pretty great friends and learned from some pretty wise teachers, and although it will be sad to leave everyone, they have made us the best people we can be, and given us the skills to set out and follow our dreams.

But before we say our final goodbyes, I’d like to leave you with some last memories from our friends and teachers to send us off on our future adventures: I’m wishing the best of luck to all of Year 13, and to my English class in particular: you have provided me with a number of unforgettable moments – as well as additional grey hairs.

I’m not sure I’ll rush to Sauvebelin any time soon to read Seamus Heaney in a swamp again. But I also won’t forget being surprised with cupcakes after IOCs (thank you, Chloe!) or some of the dramatic interpretations of texts that have seared my eyeballs (including the time that Lamin wore an impromptu wig made out of lined paper, or Alex’s scarily convincing method acting as Torvald).

- Mr. Alexander It has been an honour and a privilege to walk beside you on this stage of your journey, some of you from as far back as Year 7. We have learned together, laughed together, and even cried together – for we have shared more than our fair share of sadness along the way. And now, as our paths diverge, I stand and salute you from the bottom of my heart. I couldn’t be more proud of you. Step out with confidence and don’t look back. Only remember that we are here - should you ever need anything or just want to hear a friendly voice.

With all my love: go well.

- Mr. Ivett

Thank you, Year 13, for all the positivity and amazing memories. Best of luck for your final exams and keep smiling as your embark on the next chapter of your lives.

- Celia, Year 12 Best of luck to the amazing girls leaving the Varsity Volleyball team this year! Ipek, I have known you since the early years of primary and you are so smart and cute and sweet! I will miss you so so much!! Stef, I loved our conversations when we were benched, you’re hilarious and the team won’t be the same without you! And Laura, you were a great part of the team, have an amazing time at Uni! Love you girls! You will be missed!!

-Renske, Year 12 I wish you above all happiness for the future. I have taught some of you since year 7 and I will really miss you. The tragic event that happened in year 10 was a test for us all and I am still very proud of how you all pulled together during this time. Life’s learning is important, but also make time for laughter and the people you love! “Let your smile change the world but don’t let the world change your smile” - Ms. Hannell Dear Year 13, Wishing you all the best for the future. You have been an amazing Year Group. My stand out memory has to be the surf trip to Biarritz, it was so much fun.

Best wishes and please keep in touch.

- Mr Mac Dear Year 13, It has come to this. Can you believe that you are about to graduate from High School? It has not always been easy.

You have been overloaded, overwhelmed, overworked and at times completely over it. You have felt stressed, annoyed, frustrated and tired. However, now that it is nearly over I hope that you can look back with fond memories, and appreciate the fun moments, the solid friendships that you have made and the fact that you may even have learnt a thing or two in the process. I wish you the very best of luck in your exams. Looking forward to seeing all of your smiling faces at graduation.

Best wishes, Ms Foster PS: And guess what? You never need to be in homeroom ever again. I know many of you could not make it anyway because it started rather early at 8.25, but it was fun!

14

THESE FILMS ARE MENTAL

O

ver the years, the expression of the human condition has been the foundation of art across the world. We produce tangible products, be that movies or otherwise, in order to depict the particular reality that we perceive. In some cases, those products are hailed as international successes and timeless works of art, whereas in some cases, it just turned a bit stale.

Recently, the advocacy for the mental health community has grown immensely - with more and more research surfacing about various conditions of the human psyche. But, with the increase in awareness regarding the dispositions of the mind, there is an increase in the misuse and misrepresentation of psychological disorders and conditions.

Instead of focusing on the smaller appearances of the misuse of language, I decided to look at the problem on a larger scale. I will look at two different movies - Split and Fight Club. Warning, there are spoilers.

There has been a considerable amount of coverage on Split, but if you haven’t already heard the basics, let me fill you in. It’s a psychological thriller, in which a man with Multiple Personality Disorder kidnaps three girls. The actor, James McAvoy, does do a stunning job playing such an intense role - in which we see all the facets of Kevin Crumb.

Throughout the movie, there is a considerable amount of science bs about how his disorder could potentially allow him to change the physiology of his body, the reality of which is more than highly unlikely. The idea that disorders give you “”””superpowers”””” is just as destructive as the idea that having a mental disorder makes you a monster.

By the end of the movie, Kevin turns into a monster with superhuman abilities, and kills two of the girls he kidnaps and his psychiatrist. The only girl who survives does so because she has scars

on her body - indicative of abuse. He says he wouldn’t hurt her because “she is just like him”. Now, this is one of the many plot points I have a problem with.

Firstly, it implies that having a mental disability could potentially give you superpowers. Spoiler alert: it doesn’t.

Second of all, it implies that his “transformation” (if you can call it that) was the result of abuse of some sort. Everyone has a different emotional reaction to abuse, but none of them include turning into a monster. There is a lot of variation in each mental disorder, as no two cases are exactly the same. There is a similar amount of variation in the origination of these disorders, respective to each patient. The movie would have been better had it not used the label incorrectly and had it not had as bad an ending.

Fight Club is seen as a classic, and I can’t say I didn’t enjoy it. However, analysing it from a mental illness standpoint, it is hard to say that it paints an accurate picture of depression. The main characters suffers from insomnia due to his depression, and after weeks of sleepless nights starts hallucinating.

The twist is that neither he, nor the audience, is aware that he is hallucinating. The person he hallucinates is everything he wishes he was:: confident, attractive and motivated. This charac-

Sophia Scokalo is not thrilled ter, played by Brad Pitt, is an anarchist and is the one who starts the fight club as a way to release primal anger in a system which otherwise forces individuals to suppress it.

At the end of the movie it is revealed that the main character and his “friend” are the same person and that all the crimes have been committed by the protagonist. This twist is mindblowing and makes the whole movie; however, it portrays the depressed individual as an uncontrollable terrorist, and while he doesn’t kill anyone, he causes massive amounts of damage and rebels against the norms of society. This last point is especially emphasised considering that the protagonist’s alter ego is a hardcore anarchist.

Both of these movies use mental illness as a way to create their antagonist and in doing so help alinete a group which already struggles with isolation. While Fight Club simply portrays the protagonist as an anarchist terrorist, Split turns Kevin Crumb into a literal monster with superhuman powers who defies the boundaries of humanity.

Next time you call some chick psychotic, ask for the damn doctor’s note.

15

ORIGINALITY II: THE SEQUEL

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erriam Webster defines original as “a work composed firsthand.” In the world of painting a remake or rip off of a famous work of art isn’t worth nearly as much as the original. In Hollywood it seems that the opposite is true. The current trend in movie making is remakes and reboots. Everything from Duke Nukem to Ready Player One is coming to the silver screen. So what’s with all of the adaptations and sequels?

One thing to remember is that filmmaking at its core is an artform, but Hollywood is a business. When a producer puts their money behind a movie, they want to know that it will make a profit. Franchises are a safe investment because they already have a name. Most likely you know what Star Wars is, but people in 1977 didn’t. Star Wars: A New Hope was an original movie. It made a respectable $1.5 million during its opening weekend. Compare that with the $247.9 million that The Force Awakens made on its opening weekend. This is the power of a iconic franchise. This is why there are seven Fast and Furious movies and eight Saw movies. The king of franchise, though, is the Marvel cinematic universe. With 18 films, the series has collectively grossed over $14.7 billion at the global box office, making it the highest-grossing film franchise of all time. There is no sign of slowing down either: there are currently 14 films to be added to the franchise. This isn’t even taking into account their presence in television.

Franchises are the way to make the most money, but it’s hard to create a franchise as the first film is a risk and there is no guarantee that it will resonate with audiences. The safer bet is doing a sequel to a previous film.

Out of all of the sequels on metacritic, only 14 have an improved score compared to the original film. Even if it is mediocre, the sequel can be profitable. Consider The Terminator.

While the classic film made $78.3 million, its sequel Terminator 2 made over 6 times more at 523.7 million. While the original gained universal critical acclaim with a score of 83 on metacritic, the sequel gained some mixed reviews and ultimately a metacritic score 8 points lower than the original.

Even though sequels never have the quality or staying power of original films, they are monstrously profitable. This is an older phenomenon than franchises. The first ever sequel was made in 1916 and was called Fall of a Nation (sequel to Birth of a Nation made in 1915). Sequels are not necessarily a new invention — they have just been rising in popularity. With the number of blockbuster sequels that Hollywood released going from 22 in 2006 to 36 in 2016, franchises have gained greater potential for mass profit, but sequels require less effort with a similar degree of success. You might think that sequels are the laziest form of filmmaking, but the laziest is in fact the remake.

McKenna Quam copied and pasted this article

There are two categories of remake: the carbon copy and the “reimagining”. Tim Burton was the first to coin the term ‘reimagining’ when talking about reboots. An example is Tim Burton’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, as Burton’s version is only different from the 1971 classic stylistically. I don’t have an issue with this type of remake. They give the story a fresh perspective and I can enjoy new takes on classic stories, but sometimes Hollywood releases a remake that doesn’t change anything from the original movie. Movies like the live action version of The Jungle Book. That movie didn’t need to be made. Aside from the medium transfer (animation to live-action), nothing was done with the material.

Reboots are made because the pre-existing following makes the film’s marketing much easier. Also, there is a certain nostalgic hype that comes with the Disney live-action reboots.

Remember this from the old movie? Well now you can see it in live action! This brings up the question: why not watch the original? When I watched the live-action Beauty and the Beast film, it reminded me how revolutionary the first film was. The animated classic was the first ever animated film to be nominated for best picture (at The Oscars) in 1991. It will now be associated with its 2017 remake. Now when anyone suggests watching Beauty and the Beast, Cinderella, The Jungle Book, or Alice in Wonderland, I have to ask which one. A remake of a classic movie is like the less famous sibling of a movie star. They make money, but they will never be as classic or beloved as their counterparts. They’re just kinda there.

These films will keep being made if audiences keep seeing them. The general consumer needs to remember that film is a medium that can accomplish great things. There are films that help us reflect on the human condition and consider what we would do in that situation. Films can inspire and shed light on topics that are not usually discussed. Film can make you consider questions that make you feel uncomfortable. The last film to make me question my morals was Million Dollar Baby. At the end of the movie I had to ask myself “what does it mean to be alive?” and “if someone wants to die, should we let them?” That’s the power of film — and with great power comes great responsibility. Movies can be a way to examine humanity. They can hold our values to a magnifying glass. Instead, movies are becoming a way to escape reality. Franchises, sequels, and reboots create a new reality.

This reality isn’t concerned with exploring the human condition. It is concerned with money and merchandise. If we want films to do more, then we have to demand more. The solution is not to boycott franchises, but to support groundbreaking films when they come out in theaters. The mass market needs to prove that original films are profitable; we need to demand original films. This is the way to turn movies from a business back to an art.

16

WOLF PACKING Sophia Scokalo howls goodbye

T

he phrase “you don’t know what you have until it’s gone”, works both ways. Either you don’t know how amazing something is until you no longer have it, just as you don’t know how shit something is, until you find better. This sums up my secondary school experience pretty neatly.

Four years ago, when I was at my old school, if you would have asked me about my school, I would have said I hated it. The toxicity was something I had gotten so used to that I didn’t think twice about a life outside of that environment. I had become a product of my environment - where negativity grows and hate breeds. I learnt many lessons during my time there, most of which were not related to my classes. I came up with three basic rules of survival. Number one, don’t trust anybody. People will only ever disappoint you. Secondly, unhappiness is normal. The sooner you accept it, the easier life will be. The last rule was that hating yourself was okay, seeing as everyone else hates you too.

At the time, these “rules” were pretty easy to follow. Once you get used to that frame of mind, the thought of a life out of it is near impossible. Looking back on it now, the concepts seem foreign and obsolete. I came to ISL completely broken, with little idea of who I was and little motivation to do anything about the state I was in.

In truth, I did not want to go to ISL at all. Despite the fact that I hated that school, it was all I knew. I hated the idea of leaving and having to start the process all over again. The unpredictability of the future outweighed the potential outcome of change.

When I arrived at ISL, I was skeptical. People were being nice to me, and I wasn’t used to it. My buddy, who is also one of the chief editors of The High, was the one to show me around at first. Although my friend group has changed over the years, whenever I have needed her guidance or help, she has been diligent in providing it. After the first week, I remember thinking to myself, okay this facade has been up for a while now when are people going to start treating me the way my old friends did. I remember asking a friend something along the lines of “is this normal?” to which he replied with a confused look and a “yeah, it is. People here aren’t like that”. I thought that was weird, but I guess I was going to take his word for it.

Over the course of three years, life has thrown a lot of crap my way. My first year at ISL I ended up spending around two months out of school. I thought that I could never go back, having been forgotten, or too harshly judged. I was terrified to face people again. But, as the two months slowly passed, my friends came to visit me - to make me laugh, bring me

food, or just talk to me. The fact that they treated me like I was normal, despite the context, was incredible to me. It still is. The transition back to school was difficult, but the school did everything in their power to make it as smooth and simple as possible.

In my experience, the core of ISL is comprised of the individual care for each of its students. Help was always given when I needed it most. Whether that was in the form of a cup of tea from Ms. Secker or a long chat with Mr. Ribas.

I was lucky to find ISL when I did, because this school saved my life. I will never be able to truly verbalize how much this school means to me, and the people in it. So I decided to end this article with a couple of the most memorable, impactful quotes said to me by the staff here. They aren’t exactly verbatim, but in essence, they remain the same. We are so incredibly lucky to be surrounded by such a supportive environment. Because of how much my friends and teachers believed in me, I am so much stronger and ready to take whatever life throws my way.

Here are some of the quotes: Dr. Kim “There is always a way to get to where you want to go” Mr. Humphrey “Your life may go up and down, but the overall trend is upward” Mr. Darby “You always find a way to pull through” Mr. Ribas “Put yourself first” Mrs. Hannell “Sometimes we find relief in the art we make because it’s a relief to see how you feel on a page” Mr. Friend “One day, you’re gonna look back on this time in your life and say well, that was a bit shit but you’re going to be able to say you survived it.”

I guess you could say that ISL will always hold a special place in my heart, and reminiscing on the memories I have made here will always make me tear up a little. I know I’m not supposed to end my articles with “”””thank yous”””” but I can’t help it. Thank you to those of you who have been by my side supporting me through the times I needed it most. It has made all the difference.

Let me end with this: Sometimes, life is shit. But it does get better. I learnt that happiness is possible, as is trust and success. Though wolves can run on their own, the strength of a wolf increases tenfold when supported by their pack. ISL has been like family to me, once a wolf, always a wolf.

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A PAIN IN THE ART

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he end of term IB art exhibition showcased some of the best artworks our Year 13s have to offer, with a wide range of styles and mediums. The work was of a high quality and putting this together was no small feat (their paint-stained clothes and neglected social lives stand proof to that). The artists challenged society’s views on a whole host of topics featuring everything from a glammed up gorilla to the first orange president of the United States. Those of us on track to create our own exhibition in a year’s time were left seriously reconsidering our life choices with only one question plaguing our minds: is this Herculean effort really worth it?

When asked this question, every graduating art student I talked to responded with resounding yes. One person went so far as to name it “the best day of [her] life,” and she was not alone in her experience, as general opinion showed that art is “a very satisfying subject” which allows you to create “something you are truly happy with” (after numerous things with which you probably aren’t) and this feeling is one that “doesn’t really exist in other subjects”.

To what extent this is true depends on you, but one thing’s for sure: although the ride leading up to the exhibition is bumpy, the euphoria of standing in a room full of people who are there exclusively to see your work is an experience unique to art.

However, while being in the IB or MYP we are no strangers to inhumane workloads, and it’s common knowledge that the Visual Arts course is notorious for the work it requires outside of class.

And depending on your style of working, you may even end up creating “a majority of [your] artwork… out of class.” You will inevitably need to give up some of your free time and holidays if you don’t fancy falling behind, but between the stress of university applications and the final exams looming over your heads, you may well end up

Pia Tiwari watches paint dry jeopardizing your SATs with late nights spent poring over your artwork. And if you take example from the class of 2018, it’s not a stretch to skip entire school days to work; otherwise, it may not be humanly possible to meet the minimum number of pieces.

But the time art takes is not necessarily a bad thing since, for many, it is a place where “you can express who you truly are” and “just let your imagination flow”. And as many would agree, our friends and families form a big part of who we are, so going through the exacting process of creating this exhibition “made [their relationships] better” rather than worse. In fact, many found that their artistic journeys took them “deeper as a person” since art is typically more about the artist themselves than any outsider. But like everything else, art has its less enticing aspects too; take, for example, the comparative study since, in the IB, not even the art students are spared from writing essays (at least we have no exams)!

Maybe if everyone took art, the world would be rid of half its problems.

Indeed, many misconceptions prevail painting art as a ‘soft’ subject which is easy to score high in, but after that arises the age old question: when will I ever need this in real life?! The answer is quite simple really. Most of us will never need to know the derivative of the sine curve in our careers any more than we’ll need to know how to blend

an accurate skin tone, but the soft skills you learn in both cases are invaluable whether you go on to study Business and Law, or nursing, like some of this year’s art graduates. After all, if art doesn’t make you more open-minded and “understanding of what other people see,” what does? Maybe if everyone took art, the world would be rid of half its problems!

That said, art is not your free ticket to anywhere, really, and you only reap what you sow. You only learn something “if you invest that time and energy,” and if, god forbid, you took art as an easy subject, then “you’re not really going to get much out of it” apart from an unfortunate grade, perhaps. And to make matters worse, some would argue that grades, in a field as subjective as art, are nothing short of arbitrary: the IB’s many attempts at quantifying people’s artistic abilities only make “doing well in all components… a tough task.”

All of this leads to one conclusion: art is not for the fainthearted. There will be days where you disappear into the art room for hours, only to emerge at an ungodly hour slathered in paint but absolutely elated. You may have friends who don’t understand why you’re doing what you’re doing, but those who stay with you through all of this are the ones who are truly worth it. And maybe, somewhere along the road to becoming the next Rembrandt, you might discover yourself a little bit more. That said, if you are looking for an easy 7, you’re all out of luck.

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GOODBYE, GOOD COPS

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his is the story of a boy and a girl who had been friends for many years, and one day decided to take a plunge and work together towards a common goal, no matter the challenges ahead. This is a love story.

It is not, however, a romantic story. It is the tale of two talented young people who poured tons of dedication, commitment, skill, and - yes - love into this paper that you now hold in your hands. It is only fair to finally shine the spotlight on them for once.

When Amara Sarao joined the newsroom at the start of Year 12, we did not realise our luck at first. She started with some pieces on that narrow fringe between glamour magazine and stand-up comedy, but soon it became obvious that her writing voice was much stronger than her attempts at being funny. She started writing about white privilege, discrimination due to sexual orientation, and other serious issues, and we could not stop reading her articles. When she became editor in chief, she made sure that we would read everyone else’s articles too, although her selflessness meant that, in return, we got fewer gems with her name on the byline. Nevertheless, Amara’s most important legacy might be that all journalists know the difference between a hyphen (-), an en dash (–) and an em dash (—).

It is a sad sign of our times that the word “ambitious” has taken a negative connotation, especially when applied to women. Amara is ambitious in the best possible sense, striving for excellence not just in her own writing, but for the entire newspaper. She encourages and coaxes and nags and begs and chastises, until every single article is in place, every page has been edited at least twice, and every change has been recorded in our production spreadsheet. Her ambition almost made us lose her to the heady world of student politics, and we can only wonder what the Student Council would have been with Amara at the helm. Instead, we got her not-sogentle email reminders when deadlines approached, her sense of bewilderment at some of the less subtle jokes that fly around late on a Thursday evening, and her pride when a page she laid out was finished and all the lines fell exactly into place… … Unless, of course, her partner in crime said otherwise.

Because in our current setup, a page is not finished until Edward Fraser has vetted it. Those of you who have only read The High over the last two years would be astounded to see how different our layout was before Edward’s major redesign in 2016 - the biggest facelift we have had in ten years of printing. Edward thinks visually and has a picture of each page in his mind, which becomes reality with a few quick yet well-timed mouse clicks. But he is also willing to listen to other people’s ideas, and more importantly to share his

Rafael Ribas says farewell to the editors in chief knowledge and pass it on to the next generation of editors.

To solely highlight Edward’s graphic prowess, however, would be a gross understatement. One of the few people to be part of the team for his entire high school career, Edward has done all sorts of jobs, from creating the word search to writing the cover story, and has been part of print nights in at least three different rooms. Starting as a movie reviewer, with a series of bylines that should embarrass whoever had the nerve to write them, Edward soon found a knack for extremely well-researched pieces that delve deep into the key issues that affect our student body. He gets, at a very profound level, the importance of student journalism, and its role in getting your voices heard to make this a better school. On the flip side, as an editor, Edward is unbelievably caring and supportive – the good cop to Amara’s good-butstern cop. A natural team player, he took his role as deputy editor last year as a learning opportunity, staying on the sidelines and helping as required; and eventually embraced leadership when the opportunity arose. After four years of constant presence, it is incredibly difficult to imagine a newsroom without Edward.

Or, indeed, without any of the Year 13 students who have graced these pages over the years and are now ready to move on. The tenth graduating class of The High alumni is ready to march on. For those of us who stay behind, it is time to thank them for their work and their fun, for the articles and the pictures, for the food and the songs. And in particular, it is time to say to Amara and Edward that we have cherished their love; they are part of our story, even if their chapter now comes to an end. In the collective memory of our newsroom, they will live happily ever after.

Photograph by Eleanor Payne

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THAT’S ALL, FOLKS

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he High is a community full of quirky, free-spirited, and unique people. It has been my safe place at school, a place where I could fully express myself and never worry about what people thought, a place where we could openly discuss controversial topics sans judgement. The newsroom exposed me to other perspectives. I got to discover where I truly stood on certain topics, and learned to stand my ground and voice my opinion while respecting others for theirs. My role as an Editor-in-Chief allowed me to investigate issues of concern to our school community while maintaining the balance between community standards and free expression.

At first I was skeptical about joining The High, despite Mr Ribas and then Mr Kirby’s numerous attempts over the years to convince me otherwise. I feared it would take too much time from my studies. But once I started to discover my passion for English literature, I finally decided to check it out. Little

I

did I know that I would be welcomed so warmly and that this experience would only enhance my learning. I was always more of an essay-writer than a creative one, and loved to voice my perspectives verbally, but The High encouraged me to diversify my modes of expression — from writing satirical articles on Winter Ball and the effects of social media (and hence Googling “how to write a funny article” — Mr Ribas, you’ll never let me live that down!!), to opinion columns on ISL’s perception of the LGBT community.

There are a few people I have to thank for making my experience at The High so memorable. Mr Kirby, thank you for, firstly, helping me find my passion for English, and then pushing me to join The High to broaden my horizons. Mr Ribas, thank you for being someone I could always reach out to (and for letting me turn some of our meetings into free therapy sessions), for guiding me so soundly as I transitioned from a journalist to an Editor-in-Chief, and for

wanted to join The High from the moment I first noticed a copy of the paper sitting on the newsstand with speakers on either side of its masthead. It turns out that this newsstand was also right outside the newsroom that I’d walk into two years later.

It’s been a very long journey from when I started at The High four years ago. Back in Year 10, my obsession with film and television was the sole focus of my articles. My many movie reviews became a staple of my journalistic portfolio, — something that would bring me comfort. That’s also how I would describe our newsroom. It is a crazy, eclectic, wonderful mix of wildly different voices, ideas, backgrounds, and hairstyles. But where you might expect only discordance in such a diverse group like ours, there is harmony, a sort of symbiosis between each of our members. At The High, we all wear a number of different hats, and in doing so, we come to understand who we are. Despite my initial focus only on entertainment, Mr. Ribas challenged me to explore my interest in some of the more hard-hitting journalism as well. It was around this time that I was promoted to Deputy Editor under Ruby Griffiths’ editorship. Since then, I’ve written a few important pieces of which I’m very proud. It’s really gratifying knowing that the words we put down on paper can actually make an impact.

Over my four years at The High, a lot has changed. We started in a newsroom currently engulfed by what is now the north-campus fishbowl, then moved to what is now Mr. Eric’s room, and finally moved to where we are now in what

Amara Sarao constantly roasting me (especially on print nights after the 5:30 mark!). P.s. I hope you never use a pull-quote again!

To all the journalists and graphic artists, thank you for coming together to make one hell of a team. You may not know this, but on our first brainstorming session as the new Editors, we came prepared with an extensive plan, including multiple article ideas in case the room fell silent. But, to our surprise (and perhaps our inexperience), within seconds you were all bursting with ideas and we could barely keep up! And last but not least, Edward, for being the Good Cop to my Bad Cop, for being amazing to work alongside, for teaching me layout despite my endless questions: thank you. I cannot wait to be back for our reunion and for Thursday afternoons!

Despite the fact that I’ve only been at The High for 2 years, it quickly became my home. Monthly print nights beyond 11pm, ordering pizza and talking the night away, is where I learned to be comfortable in my own skin.

Edward Fraser we humbly call the Pac-Man room. With each new room, The High changed a little bit. Now, we have a dedicated room for layout, giving a whole new sense of elitism to the layout team who stay late for print night. When I say late — I mean late.

It’s a weird feeling: being at school past ten, eleven, or even twelve o’clock.

With that being said, these print nights are absolutely where the great memories I have from The High were made. Forgive me, for in this paragraph, there might be a lot you won’t understand, so bear with me. The square photo, the musical drop-ins, the angsty teenagers, the international FaceTimes, the Skype calls, the pizzas, then later the burgers — basically, there’s a lot more to The High than a simple school newspaper. We’ve also encountered a number of challenges at The High, but as frustrating as they were, they’ve made for some great memories. The ghost in the printer, the deleted folders, Nipplegate, the concerned readers, and much more that I can’t really put down in print…

One thing I love about The High is how it changes under each new editorship. When I joined, we had Johlsson and Geiger: the uncensored tyrant and Obsessive-Compulsive Designer; then came Murphy and JKwan: the two quirkiest editors this room has ever seen; Ruby, whom I have so many nicknames for I think it’s better left just at Ruby; and finally — Amara and me. I’ve loved to see how The High has evolved over my few years here, but I’m even more excited to see the changes that await The High — as is tradition for former Editors-in-Chief, I’ll be sure to drop by whenever I’m in town on a Thursday.

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WORD SEARCH: CLASS OF 2018