The High 85

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THE HIGH EDITION 85 | NOVEMBER 8, 2019

THANK YOU

FOR YOUR SERVICE? EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Suhasini Mehra DEPUTY EDITOR

Khwaish Vohra

RACISM

YEARBOOK

WOKE JOKE

Not a black and white issue

It’s not easy being green

Some things are not funny


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EDITOR’S LETTER

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t’s not every issue I am called to a meeting with one of our writers, two principals, and the director, to discuss and debate an article set to be published in less than four hours. That, though, is what happened in this month’s edition of The High. Miracles have been worked this night. I would urge you to read the article in question, found on the next page, regardless of your opinions on the subject -- because the subject is an important one, and it deserves your attention. Among the less volatile, though no less controversial, pieces in this issue, flip to pages 4 and 5, for Khwaish’s discussion of mental health in homeroom, Austin’s exploration of American gun control, and Lucy’s exceptionally sarcastic response to last issue’s rebuke of Year 12. Meanwhile, Jade and Elif

Suhasini Mehra

expose the yearbook committee, Olivia tangles with Instagram tourists, and I examine the relationship between woke culture and comedy. On a more positive note, Lina bestows the gift of stress relief upon us all (shoutout to Y13, hang in there guys), while Ellie gives us a new show to watch with all the free time we obviously have. And, of course, Chloe speaks out against the casual racism that is the norm at our school. They are all worth at least one read, I think, before this paper is relegated to the recycling bin and forgotten for the weekend. Happy November, guys, It’s almost Christmas break. We’re gonna make it. Probably.

EDITORS Poppy Harrison - Opinion Ellie Parsons - Opinion Elif Civelekoglu - School News Joseph Nobs - School News Jade Tan - Graphics; Arts & Culture Tanvi Anand - Arts & Culture Athan Massouras - World News Rohan Reagan - Layout Alyssa Wei - Pizza cutting

TABLE OF CONTENTS Racism Gun Laws Letter to Y13 Mental health Social media overuse Yearbook The Debate: Cambodia Instagram tourism

03 04 04 05 06 07 08-09 08

Stress Euphoria Woke Culture Religion Horoscopes Puff the Porcupine Word Search

10-11 12 13 14 15 16 16


3

THAT IS RACIST Chloe Uzowkwu is tired of your slurs “Can I have the N-word pass?” “She isn’t black, why does she care?” “They’re becoming more of a n***a every day.” “It wasn’t like they said it directly to anyone, it doesn’t matter.” “N****r.” “It’s an all white school anyways, it doesn’t matter.” I have been at this school for nine years and I have grown tired of the constant casual racism that anyone at this school who isn’t white faces. In case anyone needed a quick reminder: “Racism- prejudice, discrimination, or antagonism directed against someone of a different race based on the belief that one’s own race is superior/the belief that all members of each race possess characteristics, abilities, or qualities specific to that race, especially so as to distinguish it as inferior or superior to another race or races.” Now, this word is extremely strong. You may think I’m throwing it around too loosely. But feel free to compare the definition above to the claims I make and then come back and complain. I’m so done with people asking me, “Can I have the N-word pass?” Every day, I hear at least five racist comments and jokes that are defended by “I’m kidding, it’s just a joke!” It’s quite frankly disgusting and unacceptable. Let’s not forget the number of times I have actually heard people say the word and once they see me go, “oops, I forgot.” Oh, even better! “It’s a song, it’s fine, don’t be so dramatic.” One more. “I got the pass from him so it’s fine.” I hate having to go home every day and wonder, would I be plagued by these comments if my skin color was just slightly different. These things do not arise only around black students in the ISL community. Other minorities in the school have experienced similar incidents or even worse. An Asian student in Year 13 gave some examples of their experiences: “Why are you in maths studies if you’re Asian?” “Are you gonna eat that dog?” An Indian student: “Do you smell like curry?” An Egyptian student: “I bet your dad is the leader of ISIS and that’s why he left.” “Tell ISIS to stop.” Some of these comments seem tame and look harmless whereas some of them are simply hard to read. And so many of these are told as jokes that aren’t intending to harm the person in question. But each and every one of these comments is built off of characteristics and qualities specific to a race. Thus, each of these comments is racist (check the definition above again if you don’t believe me).

Over these nine years, I have noticed a trend of all of these things being said by white boys. I can barely name a time where any girl or anyone of color has said anything racist to me, at least directly. And I am not here to point the finger at only the students at ISL. All talk about racism at this school is generally curriculum-based. It is mentioned in Humanities through the Apartheid and Civil Rights units, in English through reading Of Mice and Men. Racism has rarely (bordering on never) been a fixed discussion in homeroom and it is rarely discussed in assemblies. I get why; people don’t want to be lectured, there is a very low minority population in the staff, et cetera. But we’re here doing social and emotional learning, where they repeat the same things every single year when there are more important things to discuss? There are ways to make this community more accepting and more tolerant. Firstly, through discussions. Discussions in homerooms, among friends, among teachers and among family. Although it is hard, call people out. I myself have sat by and laughed as people make yet another joke about Africans or Indians or Chinese people or Black people. I am not completely innocent. It is so much easier to sit by and laugh than it is to call people out. But it is the right thing to do. As a quote from Elie Wiesel says, “The opposite of love is not hate, it’s indifference.’’ It is sitting around, hearing something awful and not saying anything when you know it’s wrong. Also, it’s being mindful of the way one does call someone out. Calling someone “racist” is powerful and it is a word that gets thrown around far too often. It gives them a label, it makes them out to be a terrible person. There is a massive difference between telling someone “you’re racist” and “what you said was racist”, and it can make all the difference. This article is not made to target any individuals. Even though many of them walk away with zero repercussions, that is not at all the point. My aim is to show the scale of racism at our school and it takes form as jokes, derogatory words, nicknames, posts on Instagram, memes on group chats and “harmless comments”. The point of this article is to spark conversation. Originally, I was doubtful to write this article, because of the backlash it will undoubtedly receive. But it is essential for someone to speak up and tell people that you don’t get to decide whether what you’re saying is offensive to others. I get to decide what I find offensive. It is incredibly important to respect other people’s boundaries and never question why those boundaries exist. By the way, I can take a joke. Just not these ones anymore.


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TRIGGER HAPPY

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arlier this year, the Food and Drug Administration, with the support of the Trump administration, has announced a plan to remove flavored vaping products since the use of vapes among 5 million minors has caused numerous cases of respiratory diseases and even deaths. After this, many from the left have been quick to criticize the Trump administration for acting on vaping in a matter of weeks but not acting on gun laws for years. Why is it that despite years of protests from activists, the government has barely acted on gun reformation? Many people simply blame the president of taking bribes from the NRA, or simply trying to appeal to his supporters, and some have even framed it as a racial issue. Although the reasons above may be true, there are plenty more reasons to it than just that. It is a constitutional amendment. “A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed,” reads the second amendment, one of the main arguments used by those that strongly oppose gun control. The amendment is part of the 27 amendments that are part of the US constitution, and is one of the original 10 written by the found-

ing fathers of the country. The interpretation of this amendment by many gun rights activists is that the people have to have the right to bear arms. In the US, for a law to be passed, it must first start as a bill approved by the House of Representatives, then approved by the senate, and lastly approved by the president. And for the past decade, the Republican party has largely dominated these three institutions, which is why guns are so hard to place. However, now it may change. In the past, because most voting districts are rural, Republican districts, the House has been dominated by republicans, but in the previous election, the Democrats have a majority in the House, as a result, we may be able to see changes in gun laws in the future. Banning “assault weapons” is not the answer. Currently, the solution being proposed by many Democrats is to ban “assault weapons,” which are basically weapons that resemble or are military weapons that are automatic or semi-automatic. Notable weapons that will be banned are: AKs, ARs, MACs and UZIs. These weapons are generally large in size, use larger caliber rounds and appear to be intimidating. However, these weapons are not the main cause of violence and mass shootings

Austin Yang in the US. The majority of them are pistols that will not be banned by this ban. And an even larger percentage of homicides are committed using pistols. Furthermore, the banning of guns will only lead to an increased supply of illegal guns. For example, the largest flow of illegal firearms are for New York City and Los Angeles, two cities with some of the most gang violence and crime rates. A solution? Right now, a person can buy a weapon at a gun show or store easily by getting a weak background check from a very outdated FBI database in a few seconds. In the database, it only tries to prevent past criminals from getting weapons but does nothing to prevent future criminals. We should implement stricter background checks at gun stores, gun shows and private deals. We should increase the punishment for illegal gun smuggling and illegal gun sales. We should have a licensing system that not only prevents past criminals from obtaining guns, but also those with signs of being a criminal by conducting mental health checkups, interviews with their coworkers, family etc. This way we can make sure the people that want or need guns can get them and guns don’t end up in the wrong person’s hand.

13 REASONS WHY NOT

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s a year 12 myself, I would like to speak on their behalf. We will of course, not repeat your mistake and make a generalization. We are aware that many of you had nothing to do with this article, and acknowledge that some have better things to do than write petty articles because no one came to your party. So this article isn’t addressed to ALL the year 13s, only the ones who seem so bothered by this pressing issue. We would like to start by thanking all of the Year 13’s for being such an exemplary grade for the rest of the school! We would also like to thank you for being so welcoming and warm to us year 12’s! The undeniable effort you make to

always smile and say hi to us in the hallways is truly uplifting. I mean, who in their right mind wouldn’t want to spend their Friday afternoon getting to know you?! We must also address the lack of publicity. Many of us had no idea it was happening, and that was due to the year 13’s insufficiency of advertising for which you cannot blame us. Secondly, you talk about being “a true representation of the school’s values” and that you “should be role models” to us. We would like some clarification on these points… How does writing a petty article, the purpose of which is to essentially bash students who are younger than you, in any way make you role models?

Lucy Payne

Now, as a response to your complaint about an outrageous 10.- entry to a party! Firstly, the location of the party is a refuge that the organizers rented out, put down a deposit for, and have to pay for. The DP mixer was in school, which is a free location. Furthermore, no one is forcing you to come. As polite individuals, you all have an invite which you may choose to accept or not. What’s more, and this is the good part, we won’t hold an immature grudge against you, should you choose not to attend!! Yours sincerely, The pathetic year below!


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THERE’S NO PLACE LIKE HOMEROOM

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n the past 2 years, ISL has implemented a new system into homeroom, one that any ISL student has heard of - Social and Emotional Learning. SEL, as it is more popularly known, is an initiative by the school to try and help talk about issues that concern our well being. Currently, in Year 12, the SEL program has been focussing on mental health. Since mental health is such a broad term, the program is specifically focused on talking about the stigma surrounding mental health and what it feels like to have a mental illness. Mental health, or rather, being mentally ‘unhealthy’ has always had a certain stigma attached to it. From it being regarded as the mark of the devil in the past to it being decreed as moral punishment from God, patients with a mental illness have been misconstrued and misunderstood for a large part of history. While we are beginning to understand more about these illnesses and realize that they are a shared reality for people, the stigma surrounding mental health has not completely subsided. According to a study with respondents from 27 countries, two-thirds of people with a mental illness reported anticipating discrimination while applying for a job. Clearly, there still is a stigma that exists, and mental health is still a sensitive topic for people to discuss. Therefore, it may seem self-evident that tackling a topic as deeply rooted and dense as the stigma surrounding mental health during the mere 20 minutes of homeroom is not prudential. The school, however, argues the contrary. As Ms. Vivian explains, “Allowing the conversation to occur, to de-stigmatize the whole notion of mental health is necessary.” Research tends to agree with Ms. Vivian, as depicted by countless studies, one of the most effective ways to fight the stigma is to create a dialogue. This makes sense, while we are not reluctant to talk about a physical injury we have sustained, we are generally more reluctant to talk about a mental injury due to the social stigma that exists around mental health. However, if we talk about mental health more openly and willingly, we can begin to chip away at the stigma that does exist. In an ideal world, this conversation would end with the previous assertion. However, we are living in a far from an ideal world and the reality is that creating a dialogue around mental health can be challenging as it includes discussing potentially triggering topics. When asked about how the school would handle a scenario with a student being uncomfortable talking about a triggering topic, Ms. Vivian responded, “In psychology, we know what topics can be potentially triggering and we have made homeroom teachers aware of these topics so that they can inform students in advance about when these topics are coming up. If a student feels uncomfortable with a topic, they can then talk to their homeroom teacher individually. In some cases opting out would be the

Khwaish Vohra goes mental

obvious option, but in some cases choosing not to be part of the dialogue is what is allowing it to become a bigger issue, which is when it is important to have a conversation with the year level leader and me or Mr. Johnston.” Another criticism of SEL and perhaps the most potent one is that it is not effective, and at times repetitive. “I think it is important that we talk about mental health, but it shouldn’t be the only focus for weeks on in end because it becomes overwhelming and you start to see everything in a negative light,” says Monica in Year 12. Of course, the main reason why SEL takes weeks to cover a single topic is because of the time constraints levied upon homeroom. 20 minutes is not enough time to delve into a topic like mental health and have a well-rounded discussion, as a student in Year 12 expressed, “There are so many more mental illnesses than just depression and anxiety which we don’t talk about. Those two are important but there are other illnesses that exist and need to be recognized.” According to Ms. Vivian, the best use of homeroom within the current model is when the discussions within those 20 minutes are related to what is being discussed in well-being, “homeroom allows you to explore the issues in a different angle or frame of mind from well-being which is extremely valuable.” Perhaps the best way to tackle this problem is to have one long homeroom session as opposed to multiple, shorter sessions. That way the conversations that we have are more dynamic and involved than they currently are. While the SEL program still has a long way to go, it is important to remember that it has only been implemented for the past 2 years. The topics it tries to cover like mental health and consent are vital, especially in our world today, where it is increasingly important to be informed about the realities of such topics.

Illustration by Manon Libine


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SO-CALLED SOCIAL

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he digital landscape has put increased pressure on teenagers today, and we feel it. There are so many social media channels: Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, Pinterest, you name it. Social media has become so ingrained in our daily life that we don’t even realize how much time we spend scrolling through digital feeds, photos, and walls. Between 2013 and 2016, the world’s social media usage went up by 18 percent. Social media is addictive, that is clear from the sharp increase year after year in how much time we spend on it. But along with the cute cat photos, amusing hashtags, likes, and favorites, we’re seeing a new form of anxiety emerge. You’ve probably come across the term FOMO (fear of missing out). It’s a common feeling that emerges from our social media usage. But it’s not just FOMO that’s got us anxious. Instead of just trying to keep up with our close friends and neighbors, we have a whole world of friends and contacts whose lives seemingly play out immediately before us. We have more digital “neighbors” than we can handle. A new study shows that the kinds of comparisons we make to others online are making us more depressed than those we make offline. The problem is that we only see a tiny snapshot of people’s lives online, the highlight reel. So, while social media walls may make it look like everyone is winning at life except you, the fact is that most of those people’s lives never make it online. Not only do we do most of our socializing online, but social media has now become a primary source of news for many people. Also, before we used to spend our evenings in darkness, but now we’re surrounded by artificial lighting all day and night. Research has found that this can inhibit the body’s production of the hormone melatonin, which facilitates sleep. Blue light, which is emitted by smartphone and laptop screens, is said to be the worst culprit. In other words, if you lie on the pillow at night checking Facebook and Twitter, you’re headed for restless slumber. So, how to avoid the psychological pitfalls of social media? FIrst, set a limit for the time spent on social sites each day. If you spend two hours each day on social media, try cutting that time in half. You may be surprised to find that even when you set a limit that’s as seemingly drastic as halving the time you usually spend online, you won’t notice the difference. We tend to fall easily into mindless browsing mode with endless-

Neha Chakraborty goes off the grid ly refreshing content on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc. There’s no getting to the “end” of the updates. The more time you spend on these platforms, the more these companies make on ad revenue, so their goal is to get you to spend as much time as possible scrolling. Second, change the way you use social media. Try limiting your social media usage to just reaching out to have a real conversation with a friend online. Use social media as a platform for adding to your real-life relationships, or facilitating real-world meetups (like planning events). Social media can also be a great way to access mental health resources, which in turn can have a positive effect on your wellbeing. Every time you end up on a social platform, ask yourself: What am I doing here? What is the purpose of this social media visit? 3. Establish news sources outside your social feeds. It’s common today for many people to get their news from social feeds. Having one source for our social interactions and news online may seem convenient, but it means that we can get distracted from our attempts to stay informed. When you separate your news sources from your social feeds, you reduce the likelihood of getting sucked into the abyss of social browsing. Next time you want to check the top news stories of the day, head straight to the website of your favorite newspaper or online publication. Or tune into a news broadcast on TV. So do you spend a lot of time thinking about social media or planning to use social media? Do you feel urges to use social media more and more? Do you often try to reduce your use of social media without success? Do you become restless or troubled if you are unable to use social media? If the answer to all 4 of these questions is “yes”, then you may have or be developing an addiction to using social media. However, if you answered “yes” to a few of these questions, it is more likely that you a habitual social media user and that you should reduce the amount of time spent on social media. Illustration by: Sophia Ahmed


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SPIDERMAN: HOMECOMING

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earbooks are an integral part of school. They signify to the freshly returned students that the new school year has begun. It is the best way to remember the previous year, all while cringing or laughing at pictures. It is a trip down memory lane, all packed up in a heavy hardcover book. In many years when we will have graduated, the occasional skim of a yearbook freshens up these memories. Overall, the yearbook is something we are all fond of, especially when nostalgia hits. But what if your first reaction upon seeing a yearbook isn’t the best? This is what happened when the 20182019 yearbooks were distributed. Students couldn’t believe their eyes, and this was for a good reason. Shortly put, people were not satisfied with the yearbook. The further they delved into it, the more criticisms they had. But what exactly made this yearbook so notorious? Firstly, the colour palette of the yearbook’s design was a heavily debated topic amongst the school community. Visually, the overall color scheme seemed to clash with itself, creating a confusing and jarring cover design - it’s as if only a few colors wasn’t enough. Moreover, the use of the x-ray like filter on the pictures displayed in a polka-dot pattern (including a photograph of students in lycra Spider-Men suits that had people lost for words) made it harder to distinguish them, which contributed to the rather chaotic appearance of the whole cover. Secondly, the photos themselves raised questions of academic dishonesty as photos featured in the “Current Events” section were taken directly from the internet. Not to mention, these images were of low quality and unsourced (i.e. the photo used to represent the #MeToo Movement in the section). Speaking of, the striped background on certain pages were also found to be blurry, although whether it was an aesthetic

decision is uncertain. Even more so, not all of the respective photographers whose pictures were published in the yearbook were fully recognized, as only one parent was credited for their work. This is ironic, considering how much emphasis ISL puts on students to cite work that isn’t their own. Finally, the organization of the yearbook was a concern as well, especially with the individual photos. Because of the current system used to format the portraits (using the codes that coincide with each portrait and Excel), the classes bleed into another without a clear distinction between each one. This system also prevented the addition of class photos, a change different from preceding copies of the yearbook and something most parents highlighted. Taking into account the school’s recent expansion of students, minor issues like these and many more may persist. Although minor, these issues can impact the overall satisfaction of the student body and parents with the yearbook. However, the most prevalent question on everyone’s minds - why can’t we receive our yearbooks at the end of the year? Previous ISL student Maddie vanDooren, who was involved in the yearbook committee, agrees: “The fact that students don’t receive their books in the same year that they finish school is very poor, because that is the whole purpose of yearbooks; so you can get your book signed on the last few days of school.” In regards to how much say students actually had in the decision making process, she commented further, “I wasn’t a fan of the theme but I said that from the start and [another student and I] tried to change the theme to a nicer one but there were too many restrictions on what we could and couldn’t do. I just feel like I had no purpose in the club because I was never told to do anything.” There is a possibility that

Elif Civelekoglu and Jade Tan the fault is not just with the school, but also the publishing company of the yearbooks as they are “strict on guidelines for improving our yearbook any further.” As Aristotle once said, “Criticism is something we can avoid easily by saying nothing, doing nothing, and being nothing.” It is only natural that the yearbook received criticism. Yet, it is acting on criticisms that will help to improve the yearbook for better. It may also be time to consider the root for some of these issues lie directly with the students having no voice in decisions made regarding the yearbook - which is odd, given the concept of a yearbook was primarily intended for the students. On top of that, we should be open to change. Open to adapting to newer ways. Open to allowing the student body to express the kind of yearbook they want and what should be included in it (which could be solved with a simple survey). There is even the potential for a school tradition: to host a design competition where students can submit their own designs and their peers will vote on their favourite, that chosen design decorating the yearbook for the year. Here’s hoping for a better cover next year. Illustration by Sherry Chen


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Alyssa Wei and Skye Erickson

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he year 11 Cambodia trip is famous in the ISL community. Each year during October break, students embark on a trip to the Kingdom of Cambodia. They spend months preparing and fundraising for the trip and the teachers involved work to make sure the students get the most out of the experience. From personal experience, the trip was truly a trip of a lifetime. There was never a boring moment, both for ISL students and the locals that we worked with. There is a fine balance between community service and cultural immersion. It is understandable the trip may seem “too short” or “not impactful enough”. More than half of the students who actually went wanted to stay for longer. There is also an unspoken belief that the trip prioritizes the ISL students who benefit more from the trip. During the trip, the first few days were spent constructing a house for a family of 7 who live in poverty. Their house (smaller than one school bathroom)

THE DEBATE: was in unlivable conditions. There was little that they could do because they also lacked the money and materials needed to either hire builders or build the shelter themselves. A priority was to build a bigger and sturdier house for this family, which was met. ISL students, with professional help with INDAGO and HUSK staff, completed the house in a few days. At the end of the process, it was astonishing that an entire house for a family of 7 was built by 20 teenagers. In fact, a visit was paid to the family that was helped in the previous year. The transformation was inspiring and eye-opening. They started out as a family of 3, with 1 working parent and a baby on the way. Currently, they are working their way out of poverty through a small business started by the mother, who has a 7 month old baby. It’s truly heartwarming to see how much they have progressed since 12 months ago. It provided more evidence that our contributions to the communi-

#OVERCROWDED

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nstagram has always been a great place to discover new travel destinations. Plenty of users use the geotagging feature on their travel photos to show where their latest adventures have taken them. While this may seem like a great way to share #instaworthy locations, we might be doing more harm than good. The process is simple. A well known Instagrammer travels to a beautiful, secluded destination, snaps a picture, tags the location, and shares it for thousands of people to see. Other people then aspire to visit and photograph this exotic location themselves, which in the worst case scenario ends up with people swarming to previously quiet and undisturbed areas, disturbing wildlife and people living there. A great example of this is Horseshoe Bend in Grand Canyon National Park. It has become very famous due to social media in the past nine years: there’s

even a picture of it in the North Campus’s IT office. More than two million people pay a visit every year, compared to the mere thousands that made the trek just ten years ago. What used to be a secluded nature destination is now home to a crowd of influencers and tourists arriving in the masses, clad in sandals and skirts, ready to embark on the 1.5 mile hike to the lookout. Park Rangers were forced to install handrails and trash cans and make parking lots and paths to accommodate the flood of tourists all looking to take what are pretty much the same photos. A look at the hashtag #horseshoebend reveals over half a million posts, which continue to inspire people’s bucket lists, and it doesn’t look like this will be slowing down anytime soon. Horseshoe Bend isn’t even the worst of it. Owners of a sunflower farm in Ontario, Canada opened their farm for people to photograph the 1.4 million

ty made a difference even if they were small. The students also spent the first 4 days teaching English to 3 separate classes. The purpose of this was so the students would be able to understand different English accents and interact with different people. This will greatly benefit them in the future, possibly pursuing careers in tourism to make a living for themselves and family. Many children in Cambodia do not have opportunities that extend beyond work in construction or the rice fields. Through the support of HUSK and volunteers, these children will have more open doors to a variety of career choices and opportunities that will help them move out of poverty. At the end of the day, service learning should be a win-win experience. Service and helping others is something that should not promise rewards but the entire trip becomes even more extraordinary when both sides grow and evolve through each other.

Olivia Kurali sunflowers on their field for a small charge. A few of the photos went viral and within a day over seven thousand cars had come to flood their 300 car capacity parking lot. Flowers were littered and trampled as people trudged through the field with just one goal: capture the perfect photo. The owners ended up calling police and permanently shutting down the attraction before the day even ended in order to recover from the stampede. Instagram might be a great place to find attractions when planning trips, but it has also turned great secluded sites into tourist mayhems. Horseshoe Bend and the Ontario sunflower farm are just two places in an ever-expanding list of locations damaged by social media. With travelling becoming more and more accessible and the internet an ever-present factor in our lives, it doesn’t look like an easy solution is just around the corner.


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CAMBODIA

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hey arrived with tanned faces, mehendi-patterned hands, and legs adorned in flowy elephant pants that were on the verge of falling off. They were the jet lagged Year 11’s who had just come back from the Cambodia service trip. The Cambodia trip is a long-running ISL tradition. Following months of planning, the students packed their bags to toil away in the Cambodian heat. Or that’s what it seems, according to their Instagram pictures at least. The trip isn’t inherently bad. However, it’s more of a learning experience for the privileged private school kids who drop over a grand to go there. Everything has been a carefully curated experience by an organization that specializes in “Inspirational School Trips”. Service learning has become an industry. For many students, the trip was a massive reality check. It allowed them to experience what poverty looks like as they hop on the chartered bus into various Cambodian villages. Ashamed of their privilege, they were almost brought to tears by the poverty they

witnessed. That is, until it was bedtime, where they returned to their four-star hotel with a pool. Teenagers tasked to build a house for free, even with professional supervision, is nowhere near as good as skilled labourers earning a living wage. It would be beneficial if the fundraisers focused on raising money to donate to families in order to hire skilled labourers. Same goes with teaching English at a school for one day. It’s not about teaching Cambodian students basic English phrases, that’s the job of teachers at the school. A belief being pushed was that teaching them English allowed them to get accustomed to different accents so they can work in the tourism industry. However, it only serves as a chance for ISL students to interact with Cambodian students and come to the conclusion they are no different from us. One of the main sentiments thrown around was that the service they did benefit the community. It’s not actually the service itself that benefits the Cambodians involved, but the rather

Tanvi Anand exorbitant amounts of money they spend over there at local Cambodian businesses. The trip could be more effective if micro financing schemes take place to support such businesses. The length of the trip itself is also an issue: it’s around a week but only over half of the days are for service. This leaves the rest for “cultural immersion”, where students can visit attractions such as Angkor Wat and the numerous night markets. Fundraising endeavours aside, service is meant to be done continually to form lasting connections as opposed to something in the span of a few days. The nature of the trip also makes us forget that poverty is prevalent in Switzerland. It’s not necessary to organize a trip to somewhere far away when we can just work directly with local organizations providing support for those who need it. Having said this, the Cambodia trip isn’t a bad idea. It just requires detailed thinking into the core purpose of this service experience.


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DO YOU MANAGE STRESS...

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o matter the subject, struggling to deal with the heavy workload is a real problem, and a lot of stress is experienced because of it. Academic pressure, home life, and other things can contribute to an unhealthy environment where we struggle to stay afloat. With this, there is a growing need for a specialised kind of stress advice for students to benefit from academically as well as mentally, because we all know that taking a day off to focus on yourself in the IB is quite unrealistic. So here are a few realistic tips you can implement in your daily routine to survive the IBDP workload, in a healthy way:

Set realistic goals and establish your priorities

Establishing your priorities is the key to effective learning. Know which subjects are your strong points, and schedule your time to work more on subjects that aren’t. Set realistic goals; work to meet your nearest deadlines and don’t attempt to finish a huge project in one day. Assign work for each day of the week if needed, and work in smaller chunks, while revising subject content. Priorities may also include what aspect of the curriculum you would want to focus on, such as CAS, or figuring out what aspect of your life you should prioritise according to your needs. For example, if you are a student that is doing their best in curriculum, but does not have healthy sleeping habits, prioritise sleep to create a balance between the two. This approach will help you long term in getting rid of unhealthy habits that stunt your learning and contribute to stress.

Do everything to avoid situations of extreme stress

This might be obvious, but this advice is largely disregarded among students. Getting yourself into a state of constant stress or burnout is easy, considering the endless pile of IB coursework. If you notice that because of constant stress you’re feeling exhausted, have no energy and feel disillusioned, you may be experiencing symptoms of burnout. Avoid cramming; instead, spread your study time out and take advantage of various learning techniques available online to study the same amount of content in a shorter time period. But the most effective way of getting out of burnout is motivating yourself enough so that working does not feel like a chore and you develop a passion for the subject. How can you do that? Read below…

Develop a passion for your subjects

If you keep focusing on the negative aspects of a situation, you will feel burdened. Instead, focus on developing a passion for the subject in a way that is interesting for you outside of school. That way you will be more motivated to learn the subject in school. Intrinsic motivation – the idea that learning is naturally satisfying – is associated with lower levels of academic burnout and with higher academic achieve-

ment. Let go of the things that are too nerve-wracking, learn simple concepts at first to understand the basics better, then develop into more complex details with time as your interest grows. If you’re stuck on a concept you don’t understand, get a new perspective, try and interpret information visually and try to find patterns. Research outside of class and expand on the topics you learn and try to think ahead of the problem. In the end, after finding what you’re supposed to do, you build and teach yourself internally to be able to do it faster and faster. On of the best tips is looking at educational YouTube videos. You can watch or do something everyday, like during the commute to school, while eating, or during short breaks. When you watch these videos, you are able to minimise the stress and treat it more as entertainment than as serious studying. Don’t create a working mood, since more often than not, it will demotivate you because you believe that you should be working hard.

Take control of your time

It is a common fact that time management is crucial in maximising your efficiency in learning. In order to do this, watch some time management and memorisation videos on the internet for help. Actively retrieve the material you are learning using flashcards or practice tests, rather than passively rereading information, and revise content until you are able to explain it. Do a couple minutes of active learning in your free time and take breaks. IB is all about efficiency, and if you can minimise the time in which you can complete a task, you’ll have more time to focus on things you enjoy outside of school.

Use these free sources to help you study (wooo) •

General: Smartprep, KhanAcademy, Kognity, Revision Village, HKEXCEL Education Centre, ThinkIB.

All sciences: Studynova (youtube and website), Bozeman Science.

Physics: Chris Doner, ibphysics.org, ib-physics.net.

Chemistry: Tyler DeWitt, Richard Thornley, MSJChem, Andrew Weng (youtube and website), RadioChemistry.

Biology: Alex Lee, Stephanie Castle, Biologyforlife, BioNinja, PMC.

Compsci: ib.compscihub.net, ibcomputerscience.org, teachcomputing.net.

Math: Threeblueonebrown, MajorPrep, patrickJMT, IBvodcasting, IBMathandPhysics.

Humanities: Econplusdal, AbsoluteHistory, Business Insider, Dobbiecast History, VisualPolitik EN, ActiveHistory, IBEconomics, IBgeographypods.

Find more resources here: IBresources, r/IBO(reddit and discord server), smartibapp.com, eliteib.co.uk/resource/.

Tutoring: kakatutoring.com


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...OR DOES STRESS MANAGE YOU? In regards to stress during the DP, Ms Caggiari can elaborate more on why people feel stressed academically, how to reduce stress, and offer insight into different perspectives - students, as well as teachers. How often do you hear students struggling with stress or time management? Pretty often. There are certain periods of the year when we see a peak in stress levels and certain years that come with a little bit more stress.There are two situations in which stress comes up: One is when there’s an actual reality in front of you, in terms of academic work, and another when the student apprehends a possibility of something stressful happening in the future, and this idea adds to that stress. I find the second type being way more prevalent than the actual “doing” stress. Perhaps that is because its a stress you can’t do much about, because it’s so projected into the future. Do you think stress management is an integral topic that should be addressed in the IB program? Absolutely. There has been a lot of research looking at different programs around the world and the stress levels that they cause, as well as on how mindfulness affects stress levels, specifically in the IB diploma,and they found that practicing stress relief exercises, like mindfulness exercises, breathing exercises, or talking about stuff related to stress in the IB helps reduce it and improve well-being of the students. In places where students just bottle it up and have no outlet for it, have no one to talk to in terms of stress, their levels go high to the point that it affects their academic performance, as well as their wellbeing. Have you noticed any patterns in ISL students that might contribute to unhealthy academic habits? What we found often happens is students that have been used to minimum

levels of work, or those that did not have much difficulty academically speaking over the years, get to the DP and it is a much bigger change in terms of the effort needed to excel in your subjects. You can definitely balance other parts of your life, I don’t think you have to become a slave to work only, but what students often find is that when they’ve had a background of being accustomed to inefficient work habits, that can be a real cause of a heightened level of stress, because they haven’t built the resilience required for IBDP, and when they get to DP and they have that first impact, that is a moment when the surprise can be quite shocking and cause an increase in levels of stress, because those habits can’t keep up. I think they key is, understanding that you will be able to handle what’s exactly in front of you when it’s time to deal with it. The problem that happens often times is that the students look too far ahead. It’s hard to look at a huge task, for example the Extended Essay and to not see a massive mountain to climb, but if you can narrow it down to the immediate chunks that you can deal with, then the stress is much more manageable. If you’re constantly looking at the big picture, that type of stress ends up being the problem. If we can get students to look at the immediate thing they need to deal with and realise that they are fully ready to deal with it, then we will see their stress levels reduced and time management improve. It’s a lot to do with appraisal, and how we look at the situation. In your opinion, what are some of the most effective ways to deal with stress in the IB? I would say getting to know yourself, although an incredibly long journey, is particularly important when we are dealing with difficult moments. If you are a person that knows, for example, that you need quiet space, and you give yourself that space to bring your brain and hormones to a peaceful place, that

Lina Vilenska is an IB student moment of pause can really benefit you. You cannot exactly pinpoint all of the things that stress you out, it’s usually a lot of things together and it builds up. And then what ends up happening is, you have a distinct moment when you feel unwell or anxious about something and miss a night’s sleep, and then it builds and makes it harder to deal with all the other things you have going on. What we all really need are moments in our week when we can just shut everything out and give ourselves a moment to relax. If we can get young students to identify what they love and need in terms of stress reduction and practice those things, we will see that these protective factors will avoid any kind of escalation of really high levels of stress in the future. With that, knowing who to turn to for help and when can be really helpful, and as adults around students, using positive language and building on the positive stuff like, ‘‘Well done on finishing this assignment,’’ and ‘‘Awesome, you’re doing great’’ is very helpful. Do you advise students to talk to teachers about their academic stress? Yes. I think teachers care deeply for their students. Do we always recognise and realise what’s going on - no, so I think making teachers aware of how you are being impacted emotionally by the workload that has been given to you is a very important piece of the puzzle. Although the DP is a set program, there’s a lot we can do to support students. But unless we are having that communication it’s hard for us to know what and with who. If you feel like you are struggling with stress, there is always help available to you, whether it’s talking to Ms Caggiari (vcaggiari@isl.ch), classmates or individually looking at some stress-reducing techniques.


12

EUPHORIA Ellie Parsons worships Zendaya

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een dramas leave something to be desired. The most popular (Riverdale, 13 Reasons Why) are no strangers to criticism. Both attempt to draw attention to the trauma of being a teenager, but such attempts are often so far from reality it alienates the audience, and in some cases, harms them. 13RW is notorious for its continued romanticization of mental illnesses and Riverdale’s illegal relationship between Archie and Miss Grundy had no room for discussing the dangers. When Zendaya took the stage leading the cast of Euphoria—a show revolving around a 17 year old drug addict Rue—I was pessimistic. Often the attempts of entertainment draw away attention from topics these shows seek to tackle, and characters are reduced down to their mental illness or sexuality. Euphoria surprised me in many ways— its cinematography, soundtrack, relationships—but its character development puts it ahead of its fellow teen dramas, boasting an understanding of adolescence that rivals some of the greatest coming of age stories. What pulled me into Euphoria was it’s rumored incredible cinematography. Unlike a lazy tinted yellow when Hannah was alive, tinted blue when she was dead, Euphoria is triumphant at creating its own aesthetic. Criticisms of Euphoria’s cinematography include how it glamorizes the turmoil the characters face—leading impressionable teenagers to romanticize drugs and addiction. For me, the cinematography is exactly what it needs to be—ethereal. Stained in harsh purples and blues, every frame feels dream-like. The otherworldly lighting is reflective of a high level of autonomy our generation has and how it can feel like we are acting with a lot more maturity than we actually have. Our generation demands performance and social media is the answer to this: perform everything, all the time, and to everyone. The cinematography not only indicates to the viewer the character’s perception of the world, it provides them with a perfect stage to perform on. Each episode revolves around one character; one main performance. Character development—or rather, lack thereof—is one of teen dramas’ greatest shortcomings. Euphoria’s characters are three dimensional, believable, and are given the time needed to blossom. This is very important when the characters are experiencing mental health issues. One of the biggest flaws of 13RW was the character Hannah Baker; she was defined by her mental illness and eventual suicide. The response her character got was critical; the reasons and events that caused her to spiral into such a depressive state, were handled so poorly that the creators failed to make Hannah believable. Characters in Euphoria suffer from some form of anxiety or mental health issue—but this does not define them.

Nate and Maddy’s toxic relationship is at the forefront of what makes Euphoria one of the better teen shows. Both Nate and Maddy are granted their own opening segment— the viewer has time to understand the characters. Nate and Maddy’s entrance scene in episode 6, and the response it evoked from me, exemplifies the effectiveness of Euphoria’s narrative technique within its opening segments. We know from Nate’s segment that he is aggressive, idealistic, and is suffering from childhood traumas. We know from Maddy’s segment that her parents go through every day with the absence of a single pleasantry exchanged. The viewer is exposed to their tragic dependency on each other; there is no glory to their dramatised entrance as a couple—despite the cheers from their peers and dream-like lighting. Euphoria teachers its viewers how to see toxic relationships for what they are. Dependency is one of the main themes in Euphoria. Rue’s toxic relationship lies in the likes of drugs. Some label Euphoria as yet another teen show that romanticizes addiction, flaunting the effects of drugs through its camerawork (Rue’s ceiling walk, in the first episode, for example). But it does not shy away from showing the costs of addiction. Seeing Rue’s sister find her unconscious after she overdosed in episode 1, Rue’s experience with fentanyl, or the pleading for drugs that ends in tears—none of this is glorified. Euphoria tackles mature themes with a purpose that isn’t just to shock. As young viewers may look at the drugs, the sex, the relationships and fear—or maybe even anticipate—what is to come, they should note that although many events that happen in Euphoria are not a completely honest depictions of adolescence. When asked about SKAM, one of the best teen drama shows of all time, leading actor Tarjei Sandvik replied, “[you] think [you] see what it’s like being young. SKAM shows what could happen, not necessarily what happens.” This sentiment should be kept in mind when watching Euphoria—for there is no glory to illnesses, abusive characteristics, or the shortcomings of these characters. Illustration by Jade Tan


13

IT’S NOT JUST A JOKE Suhasini Mehra does not pull punchlines

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few weeks ago, I went to see the new Joker film at my local cinema. It was an interesting movie, although I haven’t quite decided how to feel about it (you can expect that review coming soon), and Joaquin Phoenix was undeniably phenomenal in the role. As the movie neared its climax, a certain line stuck out to me and took root in my brain, refusing to leave me alone even after I left the cinema. It was a line said by the Joker himself, during his climactic, incendiary monologue on the talk show. He said, “You decide what’s right or wrong, the same way you decide what’s funny or not.” This line shook me out of the movie for a moment. The comment on comedy was a reference to a scene shortly prior, when the Joker had been told by a disapproving audience that his joke was not funny. In the midst of such a righteous and heartfelt speech on the way our society treats its most vulnerable, it struck me as odd that the movie would choose to bring the seemingly more trivial matter of comedy back to the forefront, if only for a moment. The reference sounded out of place, as though being made by someone other than the Joker. And then I realized who was really saying it. In an interview released shortly before the film came to theatres, director Todd Phillips explained his inspiration for the story: he spoke of the film as his reaction to today’s “Woke Culture” and its impact on comedy. Phillips complained that woke culture has pushed many comedians, himself included, away from comedy, for fear of offending and having to argue with “30 million people on Twitter”—a sentiment I have often heard echoed by students at this school. Joker, then, was a film intended to be utterly “irreverent”—as Phillips suggests all the best comedies are—without actually being a comedy. I read Phillips’ interview a few days before watching the movie, and, when that out-of-place line popped up in the climax, I thought, “Oh, there he is.”

Devising new material is hard. Devising new jokes that punch up or inwards instead of down or outwards is harder. I understand that. But, and consider this, if you can’t be funny without actively hurting people or making them uncomfortable, are you really all that funny? And, honestly, which person is more of a snowflake: the one saying that maybe jokes that actively disparage historically oppressed groups aren’t actually very funny, or the one receiving that feedback and swearing off comedy forever? And let’s look at Phillips’ definition of comedy: in his interview, he’s quite firm on his notion of comedy as “irreverent”, meaning lacking respect for people or things that are usually taken seriously. It’s unfathomable to me that people can read the words “usually taken seriously” and think that that uniquely applies to minorities and women. It is entirely possible to create irreverent materials without being unabashedly offensive, just as it is possible to create comedy that isn’t irreverent but is still funny. Look at comedians like John Mulaney, or shows like American Vandal—neither are offensive to anyone, yet both have found success in the field of comedy. If they can do it, so can you. I believe in you! Our culture is constantly evolving, always in a state of flux. This has happened before, and it will happen again. We’re in another transitory period, another uneasy seesaw as power dynamics struggle to shift. In the 1800’s, Confederate Americans were forced to adapt to life without slavery. In the 1900’s, Britsh citizens were forced to live without the benefits of over a hundred colonies. In 2020, you might have to live without jokes targeting minorities. Times, as times are wont to do, are changing. Change with them, or cry about it in silence, snowflake.

So, what do I think of Woke Culture and its Assasination of High Quality Humor? I think the joke our titular character was defending with that line—a joke whose punchline was simply, “Your son died in a car accident”—speaks for itself. Woke culture isn’t killing comedy. Woke culture is culling comedians who don’t have the skill and adaptability to update their jokes. Here’s a quick newsflash: times change. Fifteen years ago, airline food was a hot-button topic for comedy. Today, it’s an old bit, and comedians have accepted that and moved on to better jokes without much fuss. Why can’t the same be done for jokes that punch down? Is it because targeting minorities and playing on discomfort, shock value, and the thrill of human cruelty is easy money? I think it’s because targeting minorities and playing on discomfort, shock value, and the thrill of human cruelty is easy money.

Illustration by: Sharmila Joy


14

THOU SHALT READ THIS ARTICLE

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o, my dear friends, welcome, welcome. Let’s take a metaphorical seat and dive into the metaphorical burning trashcan which is this article. So, here is my big statement. GOD CREATED SOCIETY and I can prove it. Now, my dear atheists before you try to spray me with a mixture of scientific theorems, theological inconsistencies and your spinal cord, please read this article. Now, to understand where I’m coming from, we must travel all the way back to the prehistoric era. Lots of stuff was weird back then, but that’s not important. What is important is the fact that we- humans could not speak like we can now. However, we had the ability to communicate like most other animals; through basic sounds, gestures etc. Due to that, groups of humans did not grow above around 50 species. 50 is approximately the amount of people you actively interact with in your life right now. You understand what they are like and vice versa. When the group of humans grew above 50 after some time, disputes occurred and the group split in half. However, after some time, humans developed an upgrade – speech. Speech allowed us to communicate more complex ideas. Through speech, we became more cooperative. Our potential to learn skyrocketed. But most importantly, we learned to gossip. Gossiping - this looked down upon act - is actually one of the cornerstones of human interaction. Using gossip, we are able to know about each other even if we don’t interact that often. Our very nature pushes us to do it. Don’t conversations like “Did you hear what Crystal did to Chad?” give you fuzzy feelings? Through such conversations, you would have found out that because Crystal is so slender, she had beaten Chad in basketball and therefore could be a great potential friend. Through gossip we are able to identify who we trust, like and potentially mate with.

Through the magical powers of gossip, we were able to grow from groups of 50 species to 150-200 species, great. However, this is as far as gossip takes us. How did we grow to the multimillion-person society we live in now? The answer is very simple: GOD.

The common mentality before religion was me versus them The common mentality before religion was me versus them. Gossip made it possible for this mentality to support larger groups where religion occurred. God then changed the mentality from me versus them to us versus them. Suddenly there occurred a unifying factor: religion. If someone believed in the same god as you, you tended to trust them. This was due to common beliefs and rules. Religion, FYI, produced the first version of law and life advice. By believing a religion you signed up to not kill other members and prevent yourself from being killed as well. Thus, the belief in God is responsible for the creation of society. Due to the advantages of being in a group, we developed an innate psychological need to be part of one. Later groups started to unify under other things. We still can see those things now – country, state, region, color, favorite football team, IB math levels, etc. Can you notice a common trait? I can; all these unifying things are abstract. By that, I don’t mean to say that they are not real. I personally believe in God and Mother Russia definitely exists.

Daniel Friedmann bows to a higher power What I mean is that you can’t touch, talk, or destroy these things. Let’s take a look at an example – Microsoft. You can touch a Microsoft computer - or (god forbid) a Microsoft phone - but that’s not Microsoft itself. You can destroy the gadget or even the headquarters of Microsoft, but will you destroy “Microsoft”? You cannot see, touch or interact with Microsoft. You can sell it though - which brings me to the next topic. So, now we have learned that unifying concepts such as god are responsible for the integrity of society. Without them it would fall apart. Now, there is one such concept which is the most powerful of them all. A concept in which 99 percent of humanity believes in without question. A concept that if removed, would ruin the integrity of our society completely. This concept is MONEY. Everyone uses it, no matter the place, race, or gender: everyone believes in it. We study the people who have a lot of it. I mean that’s literally the only interesting and/ or admirable trait of the Kardashians. Money can even work miracles sometimes. You can buy anything with money - the question is, how much. Different currencies are like Catholicism and Protestantism – iterations of each other. Most of the money doesn’t even exist in the paper form anymore; we just believe in it. At the end of the day, the difference is rather small. At the end of the day our world stands on 4 huge elephants which we are imagining. Yet, if we stop believing in them, they will disappear and how the world would crumble.


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WRITTEN IN THE STARS Capricorn: December 22 - January 19 The past month might have been a struggle, but don’t worry, things will get better. You like to be on top of things, but make some time for yourself and your family. Remember to stay positive, always look at the bright side of things. There are some people you will soon meet that will change the way you see reality, so stay open to new experiences!

Aquarius: January 20 - February 18

This month you will find something new that grabs your attention. At first, you may find it unusual - but, as the month progresses, you will learn to like it. You’re starting to explore new things and you’ve started to hate the things you love, and love the things you hate.

Pisces: February 19 - March 20

This last month you have been feeling quite emotional. A lot has happened and you’re starting to feel overwhelmed, but don’t worry. Stop thinking about others for a minute and focus on yourself for a bit. Make sure that you sort out your own emotions before you can help others.

Aries: March 21 – April 19

Wow, the last month has gone by fast! You definitely challenged yourself with all the activities you take up and your determination and enthusiasm helps you stay on top of everything. You are a very social person, however you might feel lonely from time to time. Maybe it’s time to learn how to have fun alone as well and spend some more time with your family.

Taurus: April 20 – May 20

Breathe, ok just breathe, everything may not have gone your way this month but things will change soon. I

know you can’t handle it when things don’t go your way but once in a while it’s ok to do things you don’t like. Maybe you’ll see the beauty in something else if you just open your mind. Don’t be stubborn; not everything can always go your way!

Gemini: May 21 – June 20

You’ve probably been up to a lot this past month. You’ve been socialising, made new friends, maybe even gotten into some arguments. But it’s okay. Take your time to think about the choices you make. This month, you’ll have to make a major decision but don’t stress about it just take your time and ask the people around you to help you out, your friends are there for you just like you’re there for them.

Cancer: June 21 - July 22

Slow down there, give your friends some time. Just because you care about them doesn’t mean you’re always right about choosing their actions, so let them be for a bit. Even though they mean everything to you and you only want what’s best for them, give them a moment to be on their own. This month you should take some time for yourself because your friends won’t always be there for you.

Leo: July 23 - August 22

This month is going to be a great one for you! You’re going to be overwhelmed with compliments and you’ll start to feel better about something you never expected you would. You may be tired of always feeling like it’s your fault if something bad happens, but trust me, what’s coming is what is best for you, even if that isn’t what it seems like. Your friends will show you how much you mean to them just give it some time.

Carlijn van der Weijst and Kaia Grabowska Virgo: August 23 - September 22

I know you’ve been feeling a lot this month and you will continue to feel this way for the next one but it’ll be ok. Everyone around you will be happy to see you because they know you make their life better. The people around you will appreciate how loyal you are. Stop overthinking every little thing and just relax for a bit and have fun, you deserve it!

Libra: September 23 - October 22

You’ve been busy haven’t you? You’ve been trying to help everyone but yourself. Trust your friends and they’ll trust you. Give them some time for yourself and take care of your friends. I’m sure the people around you will listen to you problems just as much as you have listened to them.

Scorpio: October 23 - November 21

Get ready for next month, I’m warning you good things are going to come. Finally your persistence will pay off and something will finally go your way. Something that you’ve been waiting and trying for will happen but be careful, it may not be exactly the way you want it. Don’t let that bring you down though, because something good can always come out of something bad.

Sagittarius: November 22 - December 21

Woah, woah, woah! Next month you’ll be valued for your ability to see the big picture of things. Your energetic personality, will help you help others, and with your great sense of curiosity will you be able to find out a big secret that someone close to you has been hiding. Once you know this secret make sure to think about it in depth before thinking of solutions, remember you shouldn’t rush into things.


16

JINGLE PUFF

WORDSEARCH

Illustration: Zoé Poinssot Story: Sharmila Joy


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