The High 78

THE HIGH 10

EDITION 78 | DECEMBER 14, 2018

TH

CHRISTMAS TOGETHER

Illustration by Jade Tan

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Hannah Besson DEPUTY EDITOR

Suhasini Mehra

DIVERSITY, TAKE 78

WINTER BALL

CHRISTMAS FUN

Did you get the memo yet?

Beef for main course

Recipes, puzzles and facts

2

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

M

erry Christmas! Happy Hanukkah! Have a great Yuletide season! And for everyone else, enjoy an unjustified three week break. To be fair, the last few weeks of term have a way of running you over, spitting on you, then leaving you to die, so you probably deserve a break, or at least whatever break time you can snatch in between projects, holiday homework, and exam prep.

In this issue we expose your expectations for this break (and the depressing reality). We give you ideas for yummy Christmas recipes you can use to procrastinate even more than you already will (at least it’ll be delicious). But, on a more serious note, we share with you a sincere story of the importance of appreciating the time you have with your loved ones.

On another note, we got to know one of the happiest people on Earth: Alex! Without whom many of you would have begun your days without a genuine smile as you walked into south campus and into hellish classes and deadlines.

And, of course, there’s a dash of salt in this issue on behalf of all high school students, about the increasing prices of Winter Ball tickets.

In the last few pages, enjoy fun-filled, christmas-themed games to fill out during homeroom and then get yelled out when you continue during classes :) You’re welcome.

Finally, and excitingly, this issue is a particularly special one for all of us here at The High. With the last issue of 2018, The High marks its 10th birthday! Technically speaking, we almost share our birthday with Jesus. To celebrate… please read.

Happy Holidays!

EDITORS Joseph Nobs Raquel Muzquiz Leonardo Engvig Artémis Faulk-Antonakis Ally Hatcher Vlad Saksin Eleanor Payne Poppy Harrison

Hannah Besson

TABLE OF CONTENTS The High @10 Lollipop Man Winter Ball/ S. Lucia Super Bugs Migrant Caravan Short Term Memory Being an Adult Diversity Insecurities Christmas Reality Motivation/Secret Santa Little Shop of Horrors Music Family/Time Xmas facts/Mad Libs Recipes Comic/Crossword

03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

3

A TEN-YEAR HIGH Rafael Ribas has run out of byline ideas

A

dream you dream alone is only a dream. A dream you dream together is reality”.

This quote by John Lennon was on the cover of a black-and-white booklet, six pages in total, that was handed around ISL’s only campus. It was December 2008; Obama had just been elected US President, Rihanna’s “Single Ladies” was at the top of the charts, and the first big snow blizzard of the year had fallen over Le Mont. The first issue of “The High” was born; it had taken three months of lunchtime meetings with a group of very keen Diploma students who had been talking about creating a paper for a while, until a teacher with the weirdest accent arrived from Spain to dream together with them.

ing for sheets to come off the printer to fold them by hand; Lizzie Ride trying to bribe people with pizza to stay for print night (a tradition that continues to this day); Lily Johnson spending hours with Ms Secker and Mr Ivett, talking about the only scoop that we could never report on; Johanna Olsson mixing encouragement with profanity in her exchanges with younger writers; Amara Sarao googling “how to write a funny article” when asked to change the tone of a piece; or Ruby Griffiths including a song in every email she sent to the entire team - a habit I imitated until I was told that nobody listened to them.

Somehow, this crazy idea of publishing a student-led newspaper that talked about “the high school, the high street and the high life” took hold, and more issues appeared; three in the first year, led by Anna Christiansen and Renée Hoskin. September 2009 brought the first encounter with the school leadership team, when an article about a field trip gone awry prompted Mr Ivett and Mr Foley to visit the newsroom to question some of the writing. It was the first time an editor was brought to tears, but also the first time we felt that our publication had an impact; Mr Ivett said explicitly that “this is absolutely the kind of thing a student newspaper should write about”. More than a hundred writers, editors and illustrators over the last decade have run with that idea, and tested the boundaries of student voice, journalistic responsibility, and staff patience.

There is much more to “The High” than the paper you get in your hands every month, and discard quickly when you see that someone already did the word search. The newsroom is a community, a band of brothers and sisters and non-binary siblings that come out of the woodwork every year and discover that there are others like them; or so unlike them that they want to spend more time with them. From the early days when it required the triple power of Brian Click, Mariana Ferreira and Danny Read to keep the group together, the team behind the news has expanded, morphed and coalesced.

Looking back, it was probably Murphy Mortier and Jocelyn Kwan who made us aware of our diversity and fostered this ethos of the newsroom as a safe space, where all hair colours are welcome and all jokes are allowed after 17:30.

The fact that the vast majority of our editors-in-chief have been female, and nearly half of them from minorities, is only a statistic, but one that should not be unusual in an international school.

Giving a full account of everything that happened over the last 78 issues would require a book, and would be meaningless to most current readers of “The High”. My personal collection of memories features Claire McDaniel and Eri Ichijo standing in front of a table wait-

As the faces in the room changed, so did the appearance of our publication.

Our masthead has changed at least six times, fixed sections have come and gone, planning tools have evolved.

Christine Geiger modernised our production process, with the introduction

of gridlines, stylesheets and master pages; Edward Fraser gave us a major face-lift two years ago, and created a space for our fantastic graphic artists to display their work on the cover page.

Every issue gets at least two full revisions before it goes to print, and even then sometimes we have to stop presses as we discover a massive error on Page 3.

Yes, we get things wrong. We print the wrong byline, misquote a source, cut a paragraph short. We cause upset and discomfort, and often only hear the negative feedback. I have had tense meetings with principals, heads of department, and primary teachers. Some stories have become part of the newsroom lore, such as the article with too many bold capital letters, or the infamous “nipplegate”. But we get better each time, we reflect as a team, we pass on our learning to the next generation. We are The High and we are proud. Our team is bigger than it has ever been, and the caring leadership that Hannah Besson provides, combined with Suhasini Mehra’s passion for good writing, make me confident that we will continue to grow, not just in numbers but in wisdom.

At the end of the day, the long print nights, the stressful deadlines, the jams on the photocopier, the arguments of the next morning, are only worth it because you make them worth it. The High has offered an outlet for genuine, passionate, reflective student voice for ten years. We will be back at it next month, and the month after, for as long as there are people who want to be a part of this story.

The dream became a reality, and we have no intention of waking up.

4

WHEN TOM MET ALEX

A

s much as we would like to say that we know almost everybody in our school community, that definitely isn’t the case for most of us. In this December issue, we took the time to meet and learn more about one of ISL’s hardest-working members, Alexander Favre, who is part of the Maintenance Department, working with the A-Team.

TS: To start off, tell me some basic info about yourself.

AF: I was born in Lausanne, but grew up in Yverdon-LesBains. My Dad is Swiss, however my Mum is from England.

I have some family in England, and I’ve gone many times to visit but have never lived there for extended periods of time.

At the age of 22, I went to Australia and lived there for 2 and a half years. I quickly stopped back here before heading South again, but this time to New Zealand. In 2014, I was once again back in Lausanne and found a job here at ISL in 2016. I felt really lucky to find this position, and it was in part because of my brother, as he used to be a basketball coach for the school. I applied for the job, and things went well for me. It’s been great so far.

Why did you spend time in the Southern Hemisphere and more specifically New Zealand and Australia?

I got work experience in New Zealand and Australia. I worked mainly as a carpenter back in the day, and the amount of work I had there prepared me very well for what I do now everyday here at ISL. What are your overall thoughts about ISL? Things you like most?

The positive atmosphere here is impressive in my opinion. I believe that in order for education to be successful, students need to be comfortable to learn and express themselves.

However, it’s also important to have this type of atmosphere for the staff and teachers around, that way everyone is on the same level in order to accomplish goals and targets.

You’ve been at ISL for two and a half years now, what have you taken away from your experience here?

Good colleagues is something which I will always remember about ISL no matter how long I end up staying here. In addition, I have a special attraction to the South Campus, I think it’s built in a very impressive way. From the road, it seems like it’s only a one-story, maybe two-story building but in reality it’s much bigger than that. I’ve had some people tell me that it’s a bit bland, that it could be more cheerful, but it doesn’t bother me… I like the gray walls, the working environment and the vibe it gives off.

Aspirations for the future? Both big and small goals, in or outside of school?

In school, I’m always looking to do things more efficiently.

There are constant demands from both teachers and stu-

Tom Secheyron crosses paths with everyone’s favourite dents so I have to respond to these, but I like to steer part of my focus towards bigger projects as well. In general, making the school environment as practical as possible is the main aim. Right now, one big project I’m working on is tidying up the bags in the North Campus foyer at lunch. That can be a mess sometimes, so fixing that is key. We might use the help of an outside company to assist us with that. I love being part of a bigger project such as this one, it keeps the job very interesting for me.

When you’re not caught up with work, what do you like to do?

In general, I would say I love playing lots of sports. First of all, I’m a big fan of cross country biking. Here in Switzerland, with the open spaces, forests, fields, it’s very easy for me to enjoy myself doing that. I sometimes do a little bit of downhill cross country biking, but I prefer to be quite careful with that, as it can easily get dangerous. If not biking, I do a little bit of running. Used to play a lot of ice hockey, but not so much at the moment. And other than that, just like a lot of people, I really enjoy a good meal with some of my friends back in Yverdon.

Every now and then, an intriguing movie will have me hooked as well. Right now however, my big focus is on some renovations which I am doing at my place. I feel as if that always takes up a lot of energy and time.

On a different note, I’m a big fan of adventures and traveling.

I think traveling opens your eyes in many different ways, and just allows you to see the world and how it works. Very, very enriching for anybody.

Do you have any places in the world that are on your bucket list, that you have to make sure you visit someday?

Yep, I’ve got a few. Maybe Iceland, despite the cold. I’ve seen pictures and it looks stunning. And then, I think I have to mention the Malaysian Islands as well; I’ve always been drawn to those islands and have heard great things about them. But in general, any place that is new usually attracts me.

5

WRECKING BALL

W

e all know what’s coming up.

Posters are splayed across the school, desks set up in the lobby, photos exchanged in anticipation of what everyone is going to wear. You got it, here comes Winter Ball 2019, featuring an all-new, original theme: New York New York. But, wait a moment, is it just me, or does this year’s ball seem a little forced, a little stretched, and a little under participated? It just goes to show the difference a 5 CHF price increase can make, or the fact that the cost for a ticket has been steadily increasing over the past couple of years. As Tindra Österling says, the “increase in the prices this year have made people question if it is really worth going.” 90 CHF seems a little steep for one night, especially as many students are expected to pay their entry fee, or at least pitch in with help from their parents. Not to mention the

additional costs, that sometimes people tend to just push to the side: the dresses that girls buy to look their best, the makeup carefully chosen and applied and the delicately (yet expensively) styled hair. It is understandable that the price would increase this year, as there is a new addition, and unknown factor that will be added to the mix this year in the form of the Caveau du Palace. While some students are thrilled by the new location, others believe that it will take away from the atmosphere of the evening. This sentiment is clearly reciprocated across the high school as there has been less than an eager rush to buy the tickets, so much so that tickets were opened for an extra day in the hope that more students will find the desire to attend the event.

But let’s not gloss over another important asset or hindrance to the evening,

LUCIA IN THE SKY

T

ipp Tapp Tipp Tapp.” Yesterday was the 13th of December.

Sankta Lucia. Is it just a bunch of Swedish Propaganda? Nope. It is one of the biggest Christmas celebrations in Swedish Culture. This candlelit procession is perhaps one of the most exotic-looking Swedish costumes, with blond, blue eyed, tall girls and boys clad in white full-length gowns singing songs together. On this day, two things can be certain. It’s Cold and it’s Dark.

To fight the dark, lights are needed and are brought by Lucia. This tradition can be traced back to Saint Lucia in Italy, where she was a young Christian girl who was killed for her faith. Today Sankta Lucia is a important tradition in Swedish Culture.

Maya Kumar, a Swede in Y12, says, “Lucia is important to me because it brings light in times of darkness. It is also a tradition I value, and people should be proud of the traditions of their own cultures because the outcome can be

incredible.”

Like other traditions at ISL, Sankta Lucia is an opportunity to help students be more culturally diverse and allows us to enhance our understanding of other cultures. As stated by Clara Schmidt in Y12, “I didn’t even know Sankta Lucia was a thing until I came to ISL.” There is a real beauty to be found in tradition - a beauty that may not propel us forward in the sense of quantifiable “progress” or change, but that does propel us forward as human beings in life wisdom, understanding and emotional intellect.

There is a lot of controversy surrounding the celebration of Sankta Lucia at ISL. One of which is why the school celebrates it when the Swedish Community isn’t even that large. In fact, many years ago the Swedish Community was significantly larger than today and took up a great proportion of ISL and it was of course only reasonable for the school to celebrate one of the Swedish traditions. This can raise an-

Poppy Harrison depending on your point of view: the ten people tables. These tables may be one of the biggest tests of friendship that the school provides to their students each year. Despite the claim “I really don’t care who I sit with”, let’s face it, that is a lie through and through.

Ultimately, there is no worse feeling than when your group of friends have organized a table and you realize with a settling sense of doom that you are the only who has not been included.

That alone could cause reason enough to avoid the entire evening. However, some people seem to be refusing to go to the event on principle, as if they think that they are just “too cool” to go to a school organized event. In the end though, it is their loss, because despite the price and the steadily changing theme, the atmosphere is always great, and it really is a night to remember.

Tindra Österling other question: Does the school value all traditions equally? ISL glorifies itself for representing over fifty nationalities, yet one could argue that not all cultures and nationalities are celebrated equally ISL. Despite the claims “Sankta Lucia is boring” and “No one understands it anyways,” Sankta Lucia is still appreciated and respected by the majority of the ISL community. Many won’t admit it but find themselves excited for it (and not only because of the free food). “I feel like a lot people claim to dread Sankta Lucia, but really they look forwards to the event as much as everyone else,” says Poppy Harrison in Y12. “It’s one of those things that you tell yourself you don’t want to sit through because that’s what everyone else is saying, but when it comes around, you find yourself looking forwards to it, and it’s become one of those traditions that you would be disappointed if you didn’t get.”

6

KILL IT WITH PHAGES

J

ust a few years ago, the concept of an uncontrollable infection would have indisputably been categorized as science fiction. However, the latest alarming scientific discoveries suggest that a ruthless war with ‘superbugs’ is actually right around the corner.

But what actually are superbugs? Are they supernatural spiders seeking to devour humans, like in sci-fi movies? Or are they mystifying creatures with noxious teeth who inhabit a distant planet in our universe? To answer that question, I would like to talk a little bit about antibiotics.

Antibiotics are the principal medication used to treat bacterial infections. They have marked a major medical advancement; the striking number of 200 million lives that the medication is accounted for having saved in the past decades does little but to support this claim. However, antibiotics have extensively lost their efficacy over time, because they have been immensely misused. As Dr. Blaskovich from the Whiplash Clinic has explained, “around two-thirds of antibiotics are inappropriately prescribed”. “There is a lot of misprescription of antibiotics when they aren’t really needed“, he concludes.

But why is this bad? Well, an overuse of antibiotics over a long-term period triggers mutations in the genes of some individual bacteria. This means that their DNA sequence changes, so they are able to resist to effects by certain antibiotics. So this is what superbugs actually are: mutated bacteria that do not respond to most antibiotics prescribed. What is most staggering about these antibiotic-resistant bacteria, though, is that they can easily spread from person to person.

The striking concern here is that doctors are gradually running out of effective antibiotics to prescribe in order to treat bacterial infections. Humans have relied on antibiotics for so long, that a world without the medication suddenly seems unimaginable.

Reportedly, 700,000 people died globally last year because of superbugs, of which 200,000 were newborn babies. And as if that’s not enough, experts predict that the number of annual deaths related to antibiotic-resistant bacteria could easily surpass that of cancer by 2050. To this level, we are talking about a worldwide epidemic that poses a menacing threat to human survival.

Until now, mostly natural methods have been applied to confront the problem. However, the murk of superbugs has brought yet another opportunity to implement Artificial Intelligence (AI).

And bacteriophages (‘phages’) are the solution. It has been known for over a century that these natural viruses are quite effective at killing bacteria. The phages infect an individual bacterium and copy their DNA onto its chromosomes in order to make copies of themselves. They then produce toxic chemicals to rupture the bacterial host from inside out, and therefore release the newly made phages to the outside.

Phages are found in nature anywhere near bacteria; deep in

Ion Martinis is super bugged the soil, within plants and in oceans, and are purified in labs to be made fit for treatment.

What has most attracted the attention of scientists to bacteriophages is their ability to kill not only normal bacteria but also superbugs. The way the phages kill bacteria makes it much harder for them to develop resistance than it is so with antibiotics. This is because phages actively destroy bacteria, whereas antibiotics target just one specific process of the cells. In addition, phages are naturally equipped to digest the biofilm: the thick outer layer that bacteria develop to protect themselves from antibiotics.

The application of phages to treat bacterial infections is a relatively old idea, though. It is notable that most countries have abandoned the medical use of bacteriophages for nearly a century, after antibiotics rendered it obsolete in the early 1900s. Upon their discovery, antibiotics were found to be greatly superior to phages; they required much less time to employ in a treatment, as they killed bacteria indiscriminately. In contrast, phages were specific to very few bacteria, so phage selection had to be done with care; doctors had to first identify the type of bacteria originating in the infection, and then search for an appropriate type of phage to administer.

This process occupied precious time, which many patients did not have at their disposal due to the severity of their infection.

One company has begun to use AI to tailor phage treatments for individual patients. Its ultimate objective has focused on automating and diminishing the lengthy process of phage selection, as the company’s CEO has justified: “when a patient is critically ill, every minute counts”. Accomplished researchers are currently developing an algorithm that uses sick patients’ lab tests to find phages that attack their specific type of bacteria. The system is being trained to analyze data from the genomes (the complete genetic material) of both bacteria and phages in order to find a match. Even more revolutionary though is that the system is based on a machine-learning algorithm. It progressively improves its performance by itself, as it constantly adds to a “Phage Bank” relevant information regarding bacteria-phage matches that have already been identified.

The founder envisions great potential for the AI application.

He plans it to be used in hospitals in combination with a dispensing system that could identify the most effective phage and distribute a vial to treat patients within minutes. So far, the company has successfully treated more than a dozen patients who were diagnosed with antibiotic-resistant bacteria in the US, and clinical trials await to begin by 2019.

So superbugs are after all a super-problem. The heavy burdens that the future of our children awaits, however, slowly vanish in light of groundbreaking approaches such as this most recent one by APT. An alternative to antibiotics, that intertwines natural viruses with innovative technology, could, after all, be what saves mankind.

7

HUMANS DON’T SWARM

I

s a rock really the same as a rifle?

Well, in the mind of the famous President of the United States, it is, Recently, the Central American Migrant Caravan has joined the list of many other controversial topics due to a series of tweets and statements made by Donald Trump.

In one of these statements, Trump said that troops (including the additional 5,800 he sent) at the border should respond to thrown rocks -referring to an incident between migrants and the Mexican military forces at the Mexico-Guatemala- as if they were rifles.

This command put Trump under fire, causing him to backtrack and ‘rephrase’ his statement, saying, ‘They do that with us, they’re going to be arrested.

There’s going to be a problem. I didn’t say shoot.’

However, to the relief of many, according to multiple news sources, officials have stated that doing so would go against Border Patrol and military policy if they were to shoot rock throwers -with the guidelines saying that deadly force may only be used when there is ‘a reasonable belief that the subject of such forces (who, in this case, as the rock throwers) poses an imminent danger of serious physical injury or death to the officer/agent or to another person.’

The migrants who make up this caravan are fleeing the Central American countries of Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador. Honduras is filled with violent crime and human right abuses, its murder rates being among the highest in the world. Journalists, environmental activists and members of the LGBTQ+ community are some of the most susceptible to harassment. Judiciary and police efforts have been rendered useless by corruption and abuse. In Guatemala, powerful criminal organizations are the cause of violence and extortion,

and there have been multiple human rights violations. Similarly to Honduras, there are high levels of impunity due to the intimidation of judges and prosecutors, and corruption within the justice system. El Salvador is rampant with inequality and insecurity with much of the population poor and extorted by gangs. There is a lot of drug-related crime and it is unsafe for civilians due to violence between gangs. Its judicial system has also been weakened by corruption, obstructionism, and impunity.

Children were exposed to tear gas, too.

These are the conditions that have forced the migrants to leave their countries and flee to the US, seeking asylum (despite warnings from officials saying anyone entering illegally will be arrested, prosecuted and deported).

Currently, there are 7,000 migrants at the US-Mexico border cities of Tijuana and Mexicali. The migrants in Tijuana are a part of the caravan, which departed from San Pedro Sula, a city in Honduras; and, while on their approximately 4,350 km long journey (spanning from the 13 October to the 13 November) to Tijuana, they were joined by migrants from Guatemala and El Salvador. A total of 10,000 migrants are expected to reach the border. Nonetheless, this is only temporary and the mayor of Tijuana has said that the city will not be able to provide the migrants with shelter for very long.

These migrants are not being welcomed opened armed, with both the American and Mexican government and military taking measures to drive them back.

Mark Besson is not on the fence For example, the American military has used tear gas –a powder heated and mixed with a solvent – which, when exposed to, causes eye and respiratory pain, skin irritation, bleeding, blindness and possibly death. Children, who are even more susceptible to both the short and long-term effects of tear gas due to their size and development, were exposed to it too. The use of tear gas against asylum-seeking migrants has sparked debate about whether or not it is a violation of their rights and therefore illegal.

According to Article 14 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (which America has signed), ‘Everyone has the right to seek and to enjoy in other countries asylum from persecution.’

This challenges the main focus of both Donald Trump’s presidency and campaign which has been to prevent migrants from entering through the Southern Border from gaining asylum.

However, according to Amnesty International, these restrictions would violate international law (even if the asylum seekers enter the country illegally).

Donald Trump has even gone as far as to call all the migrants druggies, drug dealers, rapists, killers, and criminals –despite studies showing that people native to America are more likely to be convicted than legal and illegal migrants.

Illustration by Ellie Parsons

8

LOSING ONE’S MIND

A

h, studying. Something that we students all have to do, but rarely actually get to until a week before a test. Or, for some of us, the night (or even sometimes the morning) before. It’s supposed to get us ready to transfer our outstanding knowledge on the topic to a test, breezing through the 1-6 questions and being able to give a clear answer to the 7-8 ones by recalling and applying our knowledge to the given situation. Before the test, it is all so clear: all the definitions and formulas are memorized, the effects that Ahas on B now has a special compartment in your brain, and the number of times you re-read your notes exceeds the number of books you’ve read in the past year. You finish the test, hand it in, and… proceed to throw your brain with all the knowledge in it inside a trash can.

I’m sure all of you reading this (except those with an annoyingly good memory) can relate to the final part.

Sure, you don’t actually forget all you have learned immediately after a test as though you threw it in your brain’s equivalent of the trash folder, yet I doubt that if you were to ask someone a question that they got right in a test 2 months ago, they would be able to give an answer as detailed as they once could. Or, you know, a correct one. The point stands that after each test, we rarely go back to what was covered unless the next unit is related to the previous one. So why does this happen?

Forgetting becomes more prominent as time passes. Since you have not had to remember what you once knew by heart for so long, it becomes harder to think of it. Take what you ate for dinner last night, for example. Unless it was an incredibly magnificent dinner, you are less likely to remember what you ate for dinner than you are to remember what you ate for breakfast this morning. If you are repeatedly exposed to a piece of information, you will be able to remember it more and more, until you

don’t even have to pause to think of what it is. It just comes to you. Let’s use songs as an example. Even those that you don’t like (to say the least) can and will get stuck in your head. Why do you think Gucci Gang got so popular? The words “Gucci” and “Gang” are the only words that are actually comprehensible, and those of us who have listened to it enough may remember some other repeated phrases.

That is why a majority of people learning a new language will find it harder to grasp the more basic topics rather than the more advanced ones. This is because the level A (which is the category representing ways of the initial ways of communication) is the most crucial part of learning a new language; everything else gets built on it. That is also why most people that are fluent or advanced in a language are often surprised when they learn what someone in a lower phase is struggling with, as they already know it by heart and it is therefore easy for them. Remember when you think someone is stupid for not getting something immediately that he or she just hasn’t had the chance to absorb it for as long as you have. The fact that there is so much memorization included in it also makes sure that most people who are learning a new language have a love/hate relationship with it.

To get to the science of it all (or just my oversimplified version) we have to look at the brain. Every time you are exposed to something new, your brain creates new neural connections in specific areas of the brain. Every time we have to recall the memory, the same connection is activated, thus making it stronger over time. If the connection is not repeated, it will get weaker.

That’s why you only remember snips of events that occurred in your early childhood: since you haven’t repeatedly done the exact same thing, you cannot recall it unless something happens to trigger your memory, causing

Elif Civelekoglu forgets to remember you to remember. So, if you apply this to school, if you don’t go over material for long enough, you won’t be able to remember it when you need to.

An anonymous student has also commented on how there is a general mindset of “we are no longer being assessed on it, we don’t need to know this” in ISL. They also commented that this is “a collective school issue” as not only is there such a mindset, but also, the material we learn is never looked over in as much depth later in the school year.

Finally, they added that there isn’t one singular cause to this, as it is a problem that has many causes that eventually led to it.

Forgetting becomes more prominent as time passes Ms Farden described some of the ways the school ensures students remember the material after the test, such as doing a reflection after everything is marked and moderated. This reflection consists of what the student believes they have done well and what they have to improve on. When asked about whether she has seen students being able to do something, only to not be able to do so later, she said yes. She commented on this being “a matter of how often people practice the skills”.

While she does recommend “students to practice numeracy skills more often so it is more automatic when needed” as it is important that they don’t lose these skills, she understands that with the workload that ISL students have, it becomes less of a priority.

9

EIGHTEEN OR A TEEN?

B

ecoming an adult” is generally a big deal in our culture. Turning eighteen is when you throw a huge party and then wake up the next day as a responsible, self-aware member of society. If it really happened that way we would be very lucky! But, unsurprisingly, there are no apparent major changes between the last days we are seventeen and the first days of being eighteen. Eighteen is only a number that, in most countries in the world, indicates the barrier between childhood and adulthood. But can that barrier be defined by only a number?

In the past, the world consisted of children and adults. However, at some point people noticed the stage of huge maturation and broad development, which seemed to be a stage in between being a child and being an adult. In the twentieth century, the term “teenager” started to appear. Being a teenager is a transition from childhood to adulthood and the day we become eighteen does not end this transition. But being eighteen is a sudden and big responsibility.

When children are little, parents take full care of them. While growing up, children become more and more independent, which is very often harder for parents than children. The realization that little Meggie is no longer little and now has a boyfriend may be challenging, but it is inevitable. If during high school you get a lot of freedom but still do not have to worry about paying bills, long-term health care and finding a job, being a teenager can be a breeze.

However, I often hear people complaining about not having enough independence and just wanting to finally be able to do “everything” they want. In both cases, becoming eighteen may be the realisation that being responsible and looking after yourself is much harder than it first seems to be. It may also be a stimulus to leave the bubble of comfort in which ISL students tend to live.

The way in which we perceive ourselves after becoming eighteen frequently de-

Kaia Grabowska is all grown up

pends on the approach of our parents.

A student from year 13 told me “my mom says she is not doing any of my doctors appointments anymore and I need to do it”. The expectations of parents regarding responsibility of their now eighteen year old children can be stressful and at the same time helpful.

It can make it easier to start looking after yourself. The support that parents give young adults is crucial, but unfortunately not many families discuss the “adult stuff” with their children. In fact, apparently less than 50% of children talk about their long-term health care and elderly care with their parents.

right to vote and still live with them.

However, everyone wonders if sixteen year olds are mature enough to vote, and if they would take it seriously. The truth is that everyone is different and some people wish they could vote earlier and some are just not ready yet. As mentioned before, after turning eighteen, kids get many more options. In the USA, people can legally purchase a gun when they are 18, but they can not drink alcohol or enter bars until they are 21. This may be seen controversial as it implies that drinking alcohol is a bigger responsibility than owning a gun.

Turning eighteen is the first time people get labelled as “adults”. Obviously, being an adult is a state of mind, not an age. As one student from year 11 told me, “It is reaching a certain level of maturity, and some people reach that level of maturity when they are 15 [whereas others] reach it when they are 21.” Many people feel anxious as there is a big emphasis on turning eighteen. After turning eighteen, both the expectations and the consequences of your actions seem to increase. We may disagree with the fact that there is a particular age that brings so many privileges and responsibilities with it.

There are discussions about if the right to vote should be lowered to 16, not 18, where it currently stands. It is said that this could be important for society as it might result in more young people being engaged in politics. Furthermore, it is stated that parents vote more often when they are trying to set an example for their children who just got the

18 may be a good age to start adulthood but some privileges could be given earlier, and introduced gradually. It is also important to talk about responsibilities that adults have. This subject is not often discussed and some people who turn eighteen do not know how to manage their money, bills, living alone and healthcare. Many do not know what being an adult means. A girl from year 13 told me that “being an adult is taking care of yourself.” However is it only taking care of yourself? That is probably what people need to learn from the beginning. We need to learn to trust and take care of ourselves. Afterwards we can think about building a family and start taking responsibility for others other than ourselves.

Illustration by Quentin Bachelot

I don’t know what being an adult means, but maybe there is no point in defining such things. It is more about how you feel, and everyone experiences ‘adulthood’ in a different way.

10

WHEN THE SCREEN

W

hen I was 4 years old, what I wanted more than anything in the world was to be white.

I wanted to be white because I was a 4-year-old girl and, like many 4-yearold girls, I wanted to be a Disney Princess. And, one day, I shared this dream with my best friend, Carlotta, an adventurous Italian girl with dark curls and porcelain skin. She frowned and told me, “But you can’t be a princess! Look!”

And she pointed at my arms: brown like dirt.

It was true. No matter my protests, my tears, the reassurances of my mother, I knew in my heart that it was true.

After all, I had never seen a film about a brown princess, and therefore they must simply not exist. The solution, to my 4-year-old self, was clear: for several years afterwards, I spent all of my free time indoors, trying to eliminate the melanin that was so offensive to princess-kind. It reached a point where my mother started making up horror stories about this sort of activity to scare me into going outside.

Obviously, I have since grown out of this belief. I have learned to ignore the stereotypes presented in the media of my race, because if I let them be my reality, I would hate my skin color just as I did when I was a child. Because if I let them be my reality, I would be the oppressed brown girl who needs to be saved by a white boy. My father would be the small-time shop owner who makes lame jokes, too busy dominating his family to extend his business. My cousin would be the creepy tech guy who pathetically hits on white women miles out of his league. And none of us would be anyone of significance; cogs in the stories of vastly more important characters.

Yet, somehow, in spite of this rejection of the media, I still find myself searching for validation in the shows I watch.

I look for characters that are like me,

and, when I find them, I feel disproportionately happy, and somehow relieved; hearing Hasan Minhaj speak Hindi in his comedy show ‘Homecoming King’ or reference Indianisms in ‘Patriot Act’ almost makes me cry. It feels as though I am 4 years old and brown princesses are real. It feels as though I exist. It sounds ridiculous, and perhaps it is, but it’s the truth. And it’s not just race, and it’s not just me.

The Scripts We Are Given One ISL student tells me that she felt “ugly” through her younger years because she was short and had dark hair and monolid eyes, while all of the protagonists of the Disney Channel-style shows she watched were tall and thin, with blonde curls and long lashes. A cliché example, perhaps, but a true one, and no less harmful for it. The student tells me, “The concept [of beauty] eventually became subconscious. Only when I reflect on it now does it become more obvious that the idea had been ingrained into my brain.”

Another student muses, “I used to think that I don’t get affected by the media, but I do.” Recently, she tells me, she has realized the effects the media can have on identity-shaping issues, explaining, “I never personally saw samesex couples. I didn’t realize that you could be gay or bisexual or anything like that… so, when I realized that I’m not straight, I didn’t really know what I was. I was just really confused.” On a brighter note, she adds, “To be honest, only after moving to ISL and finding friends who actually introduced me to the idea of being bisexual in real life, that’s when I was like, huh, that makes sense. I’ve been feeling this my entire life but I never saw it in the media.”

Still another student describes the character Sam from iCarly as being much more masculine than the other

girls on the show. “There’s this episode where she does a beauty pageant,” the student informs me, “and all the other girls are portrayed as dumb, except for Sam, and it’s because she has more masculine characteristics. Which really kind of annoyed me… because there were all these other girls saying these dumb things, and they were all blonde, of course.”

She continues, “I felt like I had to defend myself even though I didn’t associate with these people. I just felt like I already was put in the same category as them.” She contemplates the effect TV shows have on boys, as well, saying, “When one of the boys [on Big Time Rush] would get emotional, it was like a huge deal, and it seemed so much worse because boys don’t get emotional, right? Which is so untrue. [...] Boys should be able to show their emotions more. [...] I think society accepts girls to show their emotions more, but it’s kind of a condescending acceptance, like, you have the right to cry because you’re weak… we know you can’t handle it as well as he can.”

When I ask the student what effect all of this has had on her, she smiles and tells me, “When I was younger... I would sometimes go into that dumb role, because it was easy and people would find it funny. If I said something stupid by accident… and people laughed at me… or called me, like, ‘Oh my god, dumb blonde moment,’ I’d just kinda be like, ‘Yeah, whoopsie.’ I wouldn’t say anything because I felt like that’s just who I should be, almost, or that’s just my role. Which it isn’t, and it took me a while to get out of that. I’m really glad that I did.”

The stereotype has affected her in school, too. She explains, “I would just kind of take on that dumb role that everyone kind of expected of me, because a lot of people did. During group projects, obviously they’d go for stereotypes. So… I’d always be the dumb

11

DOES NOT REFLECT YOU Suhasini Mehra is the fairest of them all blonde. Always. Or the girl who couldn’t do anything. And I was like, ‘Can I be the fighter or the ninja?’ and they’d be like ‘No, you have to be, like, c’mon, you know? It’ll be funny if you’re the dumb one.’”

Breaking The Mold However, as I said before, it’s not all bad—positive representation does exist in storytelling, even if you have to do some looking to find it. My mother says that for people who feel different—be that because of body type, background, or anything else—diverse stories and media hold the power to transform, to rise above the slots society has dictated to us, to make the world recognize who we really are. Perhaps more than that, they give us a sort of validation: acknowledgement that we exist and that we hold a place in society equal to any other.

One student describes feeling empowered the first time she watched Mulan, because, for the first time in her life, “I had a visual example of a powerful, independent woman… who was also my ethnicity.” She describes feeling happy at seeing Asians represented and recognized as something beyond “the butt of the joke” in mainstream media.

“It’s really nice to be able to relate to things,” she says of Crazy Rich Asians, which is set primarily in Singapore.

“Other people can relate to American things.”

A male student agrees, adding, “When people are exposed to that kind of stuff from an early age, even from different cultures, they’ll take for granted that that’s what people in films look like.”

I would argue: not just what people in films look like, but what real people are supposed to look like. And, beyond that, what real people are supposed to act like.

Starting Them Young More and more studies are coming out on the effects of children’s films on youth identity—one need only plug in the keywords to find a range of articles and papers, from Henry Giroux for ‘Truthout’ to Madeleine Binkley for UCCS. Children learn from observation and imitation, and when their observations show people of their color, gender, sexuality, body type, or even personality being treated as background characters, good-for-nothings, comic relief, or worse—well, an argument could be made for life imitating art.

And even when children don’t imitate the behaviours they observe on the screen, it’s hard to deny that what they see leaves a lasting dent in their perception of identity. We know what is expected of us; we know the role we have been assigned.

In response to my survey question as to whether cartoons had influenced the student’s sense of self, I received this: “No we are a school w 90% of the pop being white, we all are rich and live in fucking switzerland, we were prolly ll always told we coukd be what we we want cus our oarents ahve money so this survey is a lil trivial.”

I agree with this student on one thing: we are well-off and we live in Switzerland. Indeed, we are more privileged than most, and, indeed, we have greater opportunity to achieve our dreams.

But my question was about our individual perceptions of identity—and being rich or living in Switzerland today have little bearing on that, compared with the formative influences of our childhood media consumption. Yes, our parents tell us we can be anything, just as my mother told my 4-year-old self that she could be brown and a princess. But, as I have said, children learn by seeing, not hearing. Ever heard the phrase, ‘do as I say, not as I do’? When

your parents tell you that you can be anything, but every single story you have ever encountered since birth tells you the opposite, who are you going to believe? Finally, I am concerned by the very first part of the response: No, this doesn’t matter, because 90% of ISL is white. Never mind that plenty of white students nonetheless exist outside of major societal norms—what’s more troubling is that this student apparently believes that if most people don’t experience a problem, the problem is not a problem. This mentality is disturbing, to say the least.

But, you know what? That isn’t the reason why diversity is important. Because increasing representation is not for the majority to learn how to respect the minority, and it’s not for the industries to show off how “woke” they are, because, newsflash, it’s not about them.

It’s about you and me as children opening a book and reading about people like us presented in a positive light. It’s about watching a movie and laughing with stitches in our sides because we can so relate to that. It’s about turning on the TV and knowing from childhood that yes, we exist, and yes, we matter, and yes, we’re okay the way we are.

It’s about acceptance. It’s about us.

Illustration by Artémis Faulk-Antonakis

12

INSTA-CURITY Khwaish Vohra #nofilter

Slowly, but surely, you pick away at every imperfection. Consciously trying to mold yourself into a person that gets everyone’s approval. A person who is flawless, whose life is free of imperfection and strife according to what other people think.

Today as teens, we live in a bubble of our own worlds, and often our access to the outside world is through media and pop culture, - our version of what the real world looks like is through the lens of these outlets. The issue arises when all the outlets available to us tell a single story. A story of perfect lives and constant achievements. Magazine covers all feature people who look alluring, exciting, and perfect without a hair out of place. We are constantly exposed by the media and fashion industry to a side of beauty that is in some ways unachievable. Slowly, the narrative we begin to form in our head is that in the real world, everybody is perfect, and somehow, we are not.

As humans, we have a survival instinct to be accepted by society. As cavemen, the fact was that if you were part of a larger group, your chances of survival instantly multiplied. And while we have evolved in many ways, we haven’t lost this aspect of our anatomy. We feel safer and happier when we fit-in. And, often, the way to fit in is by mimicking what everybody else is doing. So when we begin to believe that everybody has fit bodies, gorgeous hair, loud personalities and perfect skin, we think, ‘I need to be like that as well.’

And so, in pursuit of this normal life, we undergo ritual after ritual, plaster

our face with layers of makeup, diet to the extremes, and shop copiously - all in an effort to achieve the status we desire. Very quickly the tools we use to reach this level of normality become our crutches. We cannot imagine going a day without these items because they make us feel like we belong and are accepted. The idea of self-worth is ironic as we often base our self-worth on what we think everybody else thinks of us. Slowly, you come to the realization that perhaps we aren’t living for ourselves, but rather we are living for someone else.

While we struggle with the idea of not being enough, it seems that the media and society tell us to get there through means of materialistic things.

We are constantly on the lookout for the next miracle product that can resolve yet another insecurity stemmed deep within us. Yet the gratification we receive from these purchases is transient. It’s a vicious cycle, really; it seems that the more we focus on trying to fix ourselves, the more we find wrong within us. Research has shown that the more materialistic people are, the less happy they tend to be. The more we are exposed to images of a perfect life, the more we crave it, and the more dissatisfied we become with our own lives. And it seems logical that with the advent of social media anxiety and depression has been on the rise amongst teenagers since 2012.

It is almost unavoidable to be constantly bombarded with images of perfect lives whilst on any social media. Not only do we project a certain image to the world, one which we like to believe as the idea version of ourselves, but we also feed into the images that other people put out.

The more we feed into the images people and brands put out, the more entrapped we become within this consumerist culture. The only people who benefit from this culture are the peo-

ple who perpetuate the image to begin with- the fashion and make up industry. As a consequence, they become richer and we become unhappier

Perhaps we aren’t living for ourselves, but for someone else.

Nothing truly beautiful ever asks for attention. If our ability to survive today is dependent on our acceptance within society, the same as it was for our prehistoric ancestors, then it begs the question of whether or not we have really evolved. Think about the world outside the borders of your mirror - the world where people are starving, where inequality exists - the world where the bigger issues lie. Let’s be perfect with our imperfections. The moment we allow ourselves to accept our flaws is the moment when we learn to empathize with other people and their problems.

Like John Mayer said, ‘If you’re pretty, you’re pretty; but the only way to be beautiful is to be loving. Otherwise, it’s just “congratulations about your face.”

Illustration by Artémis Faulk-Antonakis

H

ave you ever stared at yourself in the mirror for minutes on end, obsessing over every little detail of your face, criticizing any and every flaw you see in the reflection staring back at you? Do you feel the need to constantly ask your friends whether they think you are pretty?

13

MERRY CHRYSLER Raquel Muzquiz lives in the presents

C

hristmas is such an amazing and truly magical time of year, or at least that’s what we would like it to be. Here are some things that we tell ourselves we will improve every year and never do (and honestly never will).

no, you know what that means: politics time! At this point,you’re back to the typical Christmas meal and you realise that this is what your Christmas will always look like; you can’t change it, only accept it.

To improve Christmas dinners, you tell yourself that you are going to have conversations where your grandma doesn’t tell you (for the millionth time) that she still doesn’t understand how someone as beautiful as you still hasn’t found a significant other. You tell yourself that you will make the effort to ask your cousins what they have been up to this year, and how school has been, and you convince yourself that you will help cook, set up and clean the table.

Towards New Year’s, we start to plan our resolutions for the upcoming year and we tick off all of the ones that were completed this year. Hopefully, you already have an idea of what you’ll write: what will make me a better person this year? You will begin by being more open about your feelings with your parents. You will tell them that you love them on an everyday basis (not only when you want them to unground you).

You will be nice to everyone at school, and you most definitely won’t talk behind anyone’s back.

Now, you’re there, at the annual Christmas dinner. You walk into the kitchen and you find that everything has already been cooked: better luck next year. Crossing your fingers that the table hasn’t been set up and you can at least achieve one of the things you told yourself you would do, you find a beautifully set up table and you feel like a failure (again). Saying this myself, I truly feel guilty, and I honestly hope that one day I’ll actually change this. But maybe this is my year, or yours.

You sit down and you’re ready to tell a few Christmas jokes. “Knock knock” you say, but no one responds. Before you can ask your family to continue the joke, your grandma interrupts you with the classic “You’re-so-funny-howare-you-still-single” routine that makes you have déjà vu from last year and the year before that.

However, don’t be discouraged; there’s still hope! You can talk to your family about how their year went! You begin by talking to your young cousin, who just responds with an ‘ok’ to everything, even if the question you’re asking is what he asked for for Christmas. Then you glance at the other end of the table and see your grandpa mumbling. Oh

Well, we all know how these end… After having had a whole year to actually achieve our New Year resolutions, we do two things: firstly, we try to complete them a few days before, because you know, better late than never, and then, once we realise we haven’t achieved them, we set them as our new goals for the upcoming year. It’s basically a never-ending cycle. So guys, for 2019, make sure that you don’t give up on being nice to everyone, appreciate what you have, don’t fight with your parents, and clean your room. But actually do them, for once.

I‘ll briefly mention the problem with Christmas presents, because we all know how that one goes: our aunt decides that it would be a great idea to

get you a ‘surprise’ present for Christmas this year (yay). That’s when you know you’re either getting socks, pyjamas, underwear or an ugly sweater you will never wear. Good luck pretending that you like it for the 4th Christmas in a row.

And finally, the best thing about the Christmas holidays: homework, or for the year 13s, a torturous time to study a year and a half’s worth of material for 6 subjects. Yes, we know that we should be organised, that we should revise every day if possible, that we should learn everything and not only parts of the syllabus... but, how can you resist watching the best movies ever made? Sadly, the problem with that is that once you watch one, you cannot stop, and before you know it you’ve watched at least 10 hours of TV in less than a day.

The problem with Christmas presents Of course, that means that all your revision will be left for the weekend before, and you’ll be up until 4 in the morning asking yourself why you did this to yourself yet again. Sadly, this will happen to you again next year, and you have no way of fixing it. Don’t worry, it’s Christmas’ fault, not yours.

Illustration by Eliana Frischer

14

CAS:CARROT AND STICK

W

hen a student suggested that a new peer counselling programme should be introduced as a CAS activity in order to motivate students to volunteer, it got me thinking about the reasons why stimulating students to engage in service is necessary. We often see service to others as something done by people out of benevolence, so at first glance, it seems counterintuitive that service is mandatory for all students and teachers in High School. One would assume, after all, that everyone should help those in need willingly, without having to be forced. However, looking at the ways that our parents and teachers raise us, it becomes clear why service has to be required in order for students to actually participate.

At the roots of these teaching methods are extrinsic rewards - those which are tangible and physically given to you.

Think about the reasons why you are motivated to work or engage in an ac-

tivity. At school, you are motivated to work hard in order to achieve a certain grade. This becomes more obvious in the IB, where your summative grades are crucial to your university applications, so you focus on academics.

The problem with education that relies heavily on external rewards is that incentive also disappears in the absence of these rewards. For example, if you are constantly praised for performing well at school, you are likely to stop working hard if you are no longer praised. Yet, whether you are praised or not, the academic work is still beneficial to you. Similarly, if service no longer becomes a requirement as you grow older, you won’t be motivated to volunteer and help others. You won’t be ticking another box, nor will you be receiving recognition from others.

This is where intrinsic rewards become important - they are intangible and often come from within the person. When you take care of a sick family member

SUCKY SANTA

D

ear Disclaimer, what is a good gift to get for Secret Santa? People always tell me I give horrible gifts. Please help!”

Everybody receives the occasional bad present during the festive winter celebratory period (Christmas), whether it’s a hygiene kit from grandma or a copy of a game you already have from your uncle - but ultimately, worth is in the eye of the beholder. However, anybody who has ever partaken in a Secret Santa event most definitely knows what a bad present looks like. Here are some of the worst Secret Santa gifts ISL students have received.

DISCLAIMER: All the gifts mentioned are real-life examples. I am neither creative nor traumatised enough to come up with some of these ideas on my own.

So, first of all, let’s rule out all the sex stuff. Giving your friend a fake willy may seem like a funny idea, but then he has to hide it in his locker for half a year until he can figure out what to do with

it. Similarly, thongs and lubricant are cheap laughs, but they’re cheap nonetheless. Surely a good present needs to be personal to the receiver, not just embarrassing.

Then you have the I’m-on-the-way-toschool-and-I’ve-just-remembered-it’sSecret-Santa-this-morning-so-I’ll-justput-this-drinking-straw-in-a-COOP-bag type of gift. These tend to hide sheer laziness or stinginess under the cover of irony. Used magazines are a typical example of this. Once in a Secret Santa exchange, one person got an orange, and another two bananas. Occasionally, some thoughtful gifts also fall into this category: a roll of toilet paper with a football pattern for someone who asked for something sporty.

In addition, there are the anonymously hilarious presents. These are the ones that are essentially disguised bullying of the receiver. Acne cream, Lynx Body Spray. If you’re feeling especially evil, here’s a good one: send a friend to ask your recipient if they’re allergic

Vlad Saksin

or give free English classes to young children, you may not receive any tangible rewards in return, but the feeling that you helped someone else or did something right is an intrinsic reward that will hopefully motivate you in the future. With individuals who dedicate their time to service, in whatever form that may take, often times they are motivated by the goal of personal growth or satisfaction from helping others.

So how can schools find a balance between motivating students with extrinsic and intrinsic rewards? The most important action on the school’s part is to offer students opportunities where they can experience the full potential and impact of volunteering. You cannot preach the benefits of service, because they have to be experienced personally to actually impact a student. In Ms C’s own words, “We hope that a seed is planted within the student, that can someday grow into a passion for service”.

The Disclaimer to anything. If they are, to gluten for example, buy them a loaf of ready-cut bread (2.40 CHF in your local Migros) and put it in a shoebox. Then spread a few crumbs and some flour (3.60 CHF a bag in your local Migros) around the interior of the box. And when they open it up on the last day of term, push the box up into their face. (That one was made up.)

The best of the worst are the ones that don’t fit into any of these categories.

Ones that are so pointless, that are funny on their own, and not because of their context or inappropriateness.

A ten-piece Christmas puzzle, for example, or a 10 CHF gift card that can only be spent in Europa Park. If you are looking for a good gag for a Secret Santa gift, focus on the really weird ones.

Because, ultimately, it’s all a celebration of materialism and mutually-enjoyed extravagance anyway.

So what’s a good present? I don’t know.

Merry Christmas.

15

LITTLE SHOP, BIG BUDGET

N

itrous oxide from Doctor Scrivellowas not necessary to burst out laughing in the auditorium during the show Little Shop of Horrors.

The show, directed and produced by Ms. Hannell, Ms. Griffiths, Ms. Hofmann, and Mr. Guillet was performed on Thursday, Friday and Sunday afternoon after many months of work and practice. The show had a cast composed of talented singers and actors from throughout the secondary school, with Marc Ribas Hernando playing the botanical genius Seymour, Brooke Bumbacco playing the naive Audrey, Rashid Baxter playing the clever Mr. Mushnik, Lucas Leach playing the sadistic dentist Orin Scrivello, and McKenna Quam voicing the carnivorous plant, Audrey II, while the challenging role of the Ronettes was taken over by Chloe Uzoukwu, Clara Schmidt and Sophie McArthur.

It’s quite obvious that Little Shop of Horrors was a total success when it came to selling tickets: all three shows were almost completely sold out. The outstanding attendance was certainly deserving; the cast has been working on this project for many months, with auditions being last year and the actors practicing from the beginning of summer vacation. Ms. Griffiths, one of the four directors, was very proud of the casting choice and of the students.

Within the audience were many ages, from parents to secondary and primary students. The plant was ‘funny,’ and the play was described as ‘very well made’ and ‘hilarious,’ as well as ‘cheesy in a good way’ by primary schoolers. These comments show just how fantastic and amazing the show was for the entire audience.

Furthermore, the stage and cast weren’t the only ones working hard. Parents from throughout the school participated, creating costumes and organizing props for many of the characters. Parents and teachers worked together to create an incredible and friendly environment during the intermission with lots of food and drinks provided. The Audrey II cupcakes that were made were remarkable, as well as delicious.

Added to that, the Venus flytraps that were being sold definitely caught the attention of many primary schoolers who begged their parents to buy one for them. Overall, this show really was a whole community creation: with 55 students, 22 teachers and four directors, as well as 15 parents all working together, the show had many groups involved.

However, there were, of course, just as any other show, a few improvements that could be made here and there. First off, students were slightly surprised when they were told that they would have to buy their tickets after scanning a QR code, many of them rushing to ask their friends, ‘How do you scan a QR code?’ Thankfully, the problem was quickly solved when an email was sent out to the entire secondary school with a link. Ms. Griffiths stated that the team chose to buy tickets online as ‘it would be easier to monitor ticket sales, and give more function to the promoting posters throughout the school than just advertising.’

Coline Coubat feeds the plants Just like any other show, there were a few minor technical issues with microphones not working sometimes and a few synchronization errors. However, the acting and live music being played outweighed these issues, and the outstanding cast was able to put up with these obstacles with an incredible amount of professionalism.

Another point that should be made is the fact that the set came with a hefty price. The decorations and background were specific to Little Shop of Horrors and incredible, allowing the audience to really believe that they were at Skid Row. However, was a price that was in the thousands really necessary for a school musical? The opinions vary, some saying that it was ‘definitely worth it’ and others stating that it ‘was impressive, but I don’t think it’s worth a school show.’ Several members of the cast have agreed with this point. However, the perspective of the cast and team must be taken into consideration as well: first off, they had to apply for the rights of the production before paying for the right to use the script and songs. Added to that, building the entire set with materials from the school and in Switzerland would have cost much more than what it already did so far. Both of these factors make a total of around 11,000 CHF, without counting costumes and makeup, according to Mr. Badham, head of Athletics and Activities. He has also revealed that this specific show did not end up meeting the break-even point, but that other shows in the past have made a profit, so they do make up for it.

Overall, the musical was a total success. The cast was very well chosen and had clearly practiced for many months.

The ideas to advertise the production was quite unique and included a great variety of the parts of the ISL community.

However, whether it was really necessary to rent an expensive set for a school production is up to you to decide.

Photograph by Roger Nobs

16

LISTEN, LISTEN, LISTEN

Tanvi Anand knew these before they were cool

Rock

Pop

Car Seat Headrest - Twin Fantasy (Face To Face) Car Seat Headrest makes anthems for introverts. His indie rock songs are so deeply personal, yet they are so relatable.

The instrumentals might be simple, and he certainly isn’t the best singer out there, but his lyrics are poignant and sharp.

His ‘stream of consciousness’ style of singing isn’t for everyone, as this album feels more like pages from a diary rather than easy listening songs. The sixth song on the album, Bodys, is a highlight. If you like indie rock with lyrics that hit too close to home, this one’s for you.

In a Poem Unlimited - U.S. Girls Under the moniker of U.S. Girls, Meghan Remy has released one of the best pop albums of recent years. Listening to these songs provokes two feelings: the strong desire to dance, and the desire to scream. This is exactly her intention: it is a record about female anger and how it is not taken seriously.

Like a cobra, this album bites back. On M.A.H., a standout track, we’re forced to dance to her rant over Barack Obama’s hurtful policies. Check this one out if you’re into ‘80s pop like Kate Bush and Madonna.

Human People - Butterflies Drink Turtle Tears Much like the album title, Human People are very straight to the point. The vocal duties are shared by both Hayley Livingston and Marisa Gershenhorn. The former sings very monotonously with sharp lyrics that are to the point, and the latter sings with a lot more emotion with lyrics that have heavy imagery. It’s a noticeable contrast, but it manages to work.

The twelve indie punk songs are sloppy and lo-fi, yet they are all charming in their own way. The first song on the album, Radiator Water, is a standout track. This album is a personal favourite of 2018, and it’s surprising how relatively unknown this band is (their most popular track only has 7500 streams on Spotify).

I’m All Ears - Let’s Eat Grandma Rosa Walton and Jenny Hollingworth of Let’s Eat Grandma are the weirdest pop artists out there in the best way possible. The unorthodox approach taken in making their progressive pop songs is what makes them stand out. Produced

by PC Music icon SOPHIE, the songs really have their own character with hooks to stick in your head for days. The best tune on this album is Hot Pink, which is about breaking gender stereotypes. It’s worth a listen for everybody.

Rap

Be The Cowboy - Mitski All 14 songs on Mitski’s Be The Cowboy are verified bops. It’s a rollercoaster ride of emotions, so buckle up. The songs are short, yet they pack a punch, much like the singer herself.

The depressing lyrics and the joyful instrumentation create quite the effect. Be The Cowboy is a perfect soundtrack to your 3 am depressive episodes, but it’s debatable as to whether it makes you feel better or worse. The best song on this album by far is also the most popular: Nobody is a danceable anthem about loneliness and feeling empty. This album has a very ‘80s vibe, especially with the use of synths and drum machines.

Noname - Room 25 You may not have heard of Chicago rapper Noname, but she does have some very famous collaborators such as Chance the Rapper and Mick Jenkins. Room 25 has some amazing jazz instrumentals, but Noname’s original and funny lyrics and flow really make this album stand out. With lyrical gems such as “Heaven’s only four-feet tall, I set my ringer to it” prove that this is a stand out record released this year. The album’s opener, Self, is a gem. Check this one out if you’re into artists like Slick Rick, A Tribe Called Quest, and Digable Planets.

Kids See Ghosts - s/t Kanye West and Kid Cudi did something with this one. Most likely Kanye’s best project of this year, he takes a more psychedelic approach with Kids See Ghosts. This album really brings out the best of the two artists, and it manages to cover a diverse range of genres with just 7 songs. This album really doesn’t have any filler to it, clocking in at just about 23 minutes. The best song on the album has to be 4th Dimension which has Ty Dolla $ign as a guest. If you like Kanye West’s other projects, it’s sure to be a treat.

Wild Card Here are some albums that don’t really fit into the other categories, but are notable nonetheless.

Mating Surfaces - Lithics Portland post-punk band Lithics aren’t your traditional band. It seems as though every instrument in the band is playing the wrong song. This makes it very dissonant and claustrophobic. Even the robotic, monotonous lyrics reluctantly mumbled by frontwoman Aubrey Hornor are quite far fetched, abstract, and seem like things Elon Musk would tweet at 5 am. However, this album just works. At first listen, this album is very harsh and full of sharp edges, and the 22 minute album length feels like an eternity. After repeated listens, this album opens up to you and it’s clear that it is something special. The album’s easiest track to get into, Glass of Water, gets even more rewarding with each listen.

17

ROCK AND TITANIC

D

ecember is the time when we reluctantly or happily plan for the holidays: we think about food, presents, more food and more expensive presents.

December used to be that time for my family. I wrote “used to be” as this year my family will become my Titanic. Not because of my relatives, not because of me, not because of economic reasons.

No, this year fate has decided for us. It has decided for us since February when we faced the most dreadful, inexplicable and unthinkable event: the loss of a child, a nephew and a grandson.

Fate has already put few obstacles in my way and I always overcame them; but this time, my family will be apart and torn apart for the first time for Christmas. How can we sit around a table, smile at each other, exchange presents and laugh as usual? How can we cook the most delicious fish or meat dishes? How can we raise our glass and cheer for happiness, health and pros-

perity? How can we meet up in the same house for the last 12 years and He will not be there? How can fate be so unfair?

My family has always been my rock: my refuge where I can cry, I can swear, I can moan, I can be spoilt, I can be honest and myself. However, this year, I dread to go and see them. How can I be so selfish? How can I say those words?

In French, one will say “avancer à reculons” and it is unthinkable to utter those words. My pain is there, hidden in the smile of a 12-year-old boy, or in his comments, or in his laugh (which is still coarse) or anywhere around me.

I am not writing this column in order for people to feel pity or sorry for me.

As my title says: family is your rock and can be your Titanic. Therefore, I hope, I beg the ISL community to put at the top of their wishing list: FAMILY!

W

The increased importance of time began after the Industrial Revolution, when people’s work started to be valued based on their wages and time started to become commodified. Of course, more accurate ways to measure time that weren’t dependent on the sky, such as clocks, helped. However, pre-industrialization, the notion of “wasting” or “spending” time, notably both words used and related to how you spend money, were somewhat nonsensical. Time was just something that passed, free from the pressures and expectations that time brings.

way you don’t like, don’t stay angry at them more than 5 minutes, because you don’t know what fate has for you, or what is coming around the corner.

When you see your family in a month time, just look at them, just smile at them, just put away any grief you have against them, HUG them, tell them how much you missed them and love them.

Just show them your eternal and inalienable love and appreciation.

Presents are not what is important, sharing love is and memories are. Take thousands of pictures when you are all together, as you will realize too late that you have not taken many of them lately.

A message from an angry, heartbroken and sad auntie and godmother.

Do not think they will always be there, don’t take them for granted, don’t raise your eyes when they act the

TICK TOCK e’re all a little obsessed with time, specifically the lack of it. It seems as though with exams, FOAs and IAs, time is the students’ greatest nuisance. In society as a whole, we put a lot of emphasis and value on time, but perhaps too much.

Nelly Apicella

As Benjamin Franklin once said, “Time is money”, and indeed it is. We’re encouraged and expected to spend our time wisely and efficiently; to waste time would be a great loss and is severely looked down upon.

It’s undeniable that time is a valuable currency.

As a result, I always try and spend my time wisely and so far in the DP I have really benefited from the collective worry about time that we all share and the structure and motivations that are

Ellie Parsons imposed by this. But the post-industrial revolution mindset that time must be spent well and productively can be damaging, because if I don’t spend it well, I waste it, and efficiency and productivity can quickly become synonymous for “good” and “healthy”. We only get a certain amount of time and can drop dead at any moment, so it’s undeniable that time is a valuable currency.

Treating time as though it is money adds a possibly unnecessary value to time and we end up not living it, but spending it. And I can’t help but sometimes wish that I lived in a time where it only mattered when the sun rose, and when it set.

18

CHRISTMÅS

BY IKEA

Artémis Faulk-Antonakis

1. Christmas comes from Scandinavians Yep, Scandinavians had a celebration called “Yule” that they had been celebrating for at least 2 millenaries. It was created to celebrate the Winter Solstice. To compete with their tradition, Christians set the birth date of their demi-god legendary entity, Jesus, that was originally set in Spring, on the last day of the celebration. Then, they straight out copied Yule and called it Christmas to try to convince the Scandinavians to convert them to their Christian mythology.

2. Christmas trees come from Scandinavians That’s right: the Scandies decorated evergreen trees with little statues of their gods, food and clothes and carved runes to entice the tree spirits to return for Spring.

3. Christmas logs come from Scandinavians Indeed, they had what was called a “Yulelog”, which was a log they carved with runes to ask gods to protect them from possible misfortune. Nowadays, we usually get cake or cheese logs instead.

4. Father Christmas comes from Scandinavians Santa was originally Odin, a god who was characterised by a long, white beard. During the Yule celebrations, someone was designated to dress up as him and joined the festivities.

And no, Santa is not dressed in red because of Coca-Cola.

He was depicted with different colors, following the artist, including red. The latter colour might have possibly been chosen to be the most popular because Christians were inspired by Saint-Nicolas, who was thought to wear red bishop clothes, but coke, as a huge company, probably made the idea of red more widespread.

5. The idea of reindeers pulling a chariot through the sky comes from Scandinavians Only, at the time, they were goats. But they still pulled the chariot of Thor (who was also celebrated during Yule) through the sky.

6. Giving gifts comes from Scandinavians They gave each other gifts and in addition to this, someone dressed as a goat (the yule goat, in honour of Thor) would also give and be given gifts.

7. The use of mistletoe comes from Scandinavians Yes, mistletoe originally represented hope for the end of Winter and resurrection and was popular during Yule.

8. Christmas ham comes from Scandinavians Wild boar ham was the meal of choice in Scandie-Land during this time of year.

9. The twelve days of Christmas come from Scandinavians We may not give this too much thought, but there’s a story behind it, too. It is actually because the Scandies’ Midwinter Fest that led to Yule lasted twelve days.

10. Christmas wreaths come from Scandinavians Indeed, they would make a wreath called the Sun Wheel and would set it on fire and roll it down a hill to encourage the return of the sun.

MAD LIBS BEFORE XMAS

T

Hannah Besson

was’ the ____ (noun) before Christmas, when all through the house Not a ____ (animal) was ____ (verb-ing), not even a mouse; The ____ (people or animals) were nestled all snug in their beds, While visions of ____ (plural noun) danced in their heads; And mamma in her ____ (piece of clothing), and I in my cap, Had just settled down for a long winter’s nap, When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter, I sprang from the ____ (piece of furniture) to see what was the matter, Away to the ____ (place in house) I flew like a flash, Tore open the ____ (plural noun) and threw up the sash.

Whe, what to my wondering ____ (body part) should appear, But a miniature ____ (noun) and eight tiny reindeer, With a ____ (adjective) old driver, so ____ (adjective) and quick, I knew in a moment it must be St. Nick.

More rapid than eagles his coursers they came, And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name; “Now ____ (name)! Now, ____ (name)! Now ____ (name) and ____ (name)! On ____ (name)! On ____ (name)! On ____ (name) and____ (name)! To the top of the ____ (location outside house)!

To the top of the wall!

Now ____ (verb)! ____ (verb)! Dash away all!

So up to the house top the ____ (plural animal) they flew, With the sleigh full of ____ (plural noun), and St. Nicholas too, As I drew in my ____ (body part), and was turning around, Down the chimney ____ (famous person) came with a bound.

He was dressed all in ____ (type of clothing), from his head to his foot, And his ____ (clothes) were all tarnished with ____ (noun) and soot; His eyes -- how they ____ (past tense verb)!

His ____ (body part) how merry! His ____ (plural body parts) were like roses, his ____ (body part) like a cherry! His ____ (adjective) ____ (body part) was drawn up like a bow.

And the beard of his____ (part of face) was as white as the snow; He had a ____ (adjective) ____ (body part) and a little round belly, That shook, when he laughed like a bowlful of jelly.

He was ____ (adjective) and ____ (adjective), a right jolly old elf, And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself; A ____ (type of gesture) of his ____ (body part) and a twist of his head, Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread; He ____ (verb) not a ____ (noun), but went straight to his work, And I went to bed.

19

CHRISTMAS RECIPES

I

’ve mentioned mince pies on multiple occasions since the Christmas season is upon us, and many of my non-English friends - as well as a couple of natives, I’m ashamed to say didn’t understand that mince pies are sweet and do not, in fact, contain any meat whatsoever. So, because of this, my chosen Christmas recipe is in fact mince pies, with a small history lesson on the side.

Mince pies were originally seen as “tartes of flesh” in a 17th century cookbook.

These pies were made by grinding up pork, hard-boiled eggs and cheese before mixing with spices and sugar (sounds more like a Scotch Egg to me).

Another recipe combined an entire mutton leg and three pounds of suet, mixed with salt, cloves, mace, currants, raisins, prunes, dates and orange peel - not for the faint of heart, unlike our modern-day version, which could be considered more like finger food. The transition from meat to sweet hap-

A

s we are awaiting the Friday assembly to finally tell us we can go home and enjoy the snowy Christmas holidays (except for you, Y13), here’s a lovely winter treat that will either fill you with love and happiness or be used as a distraction from exam preparation.

Say hello to Snickerdoodles - a snickerdoodle is a delicious type of cookie made with butter, sugar, and flour, and finally rolled in scrumptious cinnamon sugar. And if you continue reading, you will also find out a fun fact about the famous duet song, Baby It’s Cold Outside.

SNICKERDOODLES (Betty Crocker) Preparation: 10 mins Baking Time: 8 to 10 mins per sheet Makes about 4 dozens cookies Ingredients • 1 ½ cups sugar • ½ cup butter or margarine softened • ½ cup shortening • 2 eggs • 2 ¾ cups all-purpose or unbleached flour • 2 teaspoons cream of tartar • 1 teaspoon baking soda

Eleanor Payne

pened in Hannah Glasse’s Art of Cookery in the 18th century, and the nation hasn’t looked back since!

Ingredients: • 225g cold butter, diced • 250g plain flour • 100g caster sugar • 280g mincemeat (I use mincemeat from a jar, however it is very easy to make - BBC have a good recipe) • 1 small egg, beaten (optional) • Icing sugar, to dust Recipe: To make pastry, rub the butter into the flour, then mix in the sugar and a pinch of salt. Combine the pastry into a ball (don’t add any liquid) and knead it briefly. The dough will be fairly firm, like shortbread dough. You can also put everything in a magimix and wizz it all together, which is what I do, however both methods are equally as effective.

You can use the dough immediately, or chill for later.

Preheat oven to 200C/fan 180C. Line

18 holes of two 12-hole shallow cupcake tins (muffin tins are too deep), by pressing small walnut-sized balls of pastry into each hole. Spoon one teaspoon of mincemeat into each pie.

Take slightly smaller balls of pastry than before, pat them out between your hands to make round lids, big enough to cover the pies. Top the pies with these lids, pressing the edges gently together to seal - you don’t need to seal them with milk or egg as they will stick on their own. (Pies can be frozen for up to 1 month).

Brush the tops of the pies with the beaten egg. (I prefer not to do this step but it doesn’t make much difference, apart from the colour.)

Bake for 20 minutes until golden (or just turning golden at edges if no egg wash). Leave to cool in the tin for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack to cool.

To serve, lightly dust with icing sugar.

They will keep for 3 to 4 days in an airtight container, if they last that long!

• ¼ teaspoon salt • ¼ cup sugar • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon Steps Heat oven to 205°C (or 400ºF) In a large bowl, beat and mix 1 ½ cups sugar, the butter, shortening, and eggs (recommend using an electric mixer on medium speed or mix with a spoon).

Stir in the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt.

Shape dough into 3.2 cm balls (1 ¼ inches). Mix ¼ cup sugar with the cinnamon. Roll the balls in cinnamon-sugar mixture. Place balls 5cm (2 inches) apart on non-stick cookie sheet.

Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until set.

Leave to cool on tray for 5 minutes, and then transfer snickerdoodles to a wire rack (if you have one).

Now a fun fact while the cookies are baking in the oven, the famous Baby It’s Cold Outside song has been banned from several radio stations in the U.S because of its possible reference to date rape. The problematic lyric is when the man tries to make his date stay the night to avoid “hurting (his) pride”, to which the woman question-

ably replies, “What’s in this drink?”.

This caused shock and especially with everything that has happened with the #MeToo movement, the lyrics were seen as “manipulative and wrong”. But it’s probably significant to keep in mind that this song was written around the 1940s. For sure this sounds like the man roofied the woman in the song; however, back then, it was seen scandalous for women to stay the night with someone who wasn’t their husband. If you listen to the beginning and end of the song (basically the whole song), you can see that the woman does have a strong desire to stay with the man, challenging the social norms, and plus, there’s a strong blizzard outside. The sketchy line, “Say, what’s in this drink?”, was apparently a common phrase women would use to show their knowledge of a strong drink in their hand, to then blame their actions on it.

I really recommend reading this article from The Guardian titled, Don’t listen too hard to Christmas songs: their lyrics are always creepy by Katy Guest. I think the cookies are ready now.

Ally Hatcher

By Manon Libine

20

VAGUELY FESTIVE CROSSWORD ACROSS 1 type of lottery 7 to remember something 8 protagonist of the Wizard of Oz 9 you give and receive them at Christmas 10 Antarctic birds 11 frozen water 12 fraudulent action or object 14 they review the High’s articles publishing 17 7th century English monk and historian 20 US government agency that protects its interests 21 e.g. the Christmas holidays 22 seasonal street singers 23 lowest possible value 24 shard of ice 25 ‘tis the ______ to be jolly!

DOWN 1 he has a very shiny nose 2 brewed 3 east-west coordinates 4 more windy 5 cunning plans 6 what trees do in spring 9 in feedback, what went well 13 Jesus’ birthday 15 twice the radius 16 search for something unwanted 17 cookie 18 implement with more strength 19 frozen anthropomorphised sculpture