“if human rights violators realize that the entire world is watching them....” p.6
“So where does all the information that you give us through answering Facebook polls actually go?”p8
Best Selling Author Sarah Vowell Makes a Visit to ASP Every year ASP students, parents, and faculty are lucky enough to hear world famous authors discuss their acclaimed literature, background, writing techniques, and more. In past years we have had the opportunity to listen to best-selling writers like Amy Tan, Robert Haas, Dr. Azar Nafisi, and Alexander McCall Smith. This past February, Sarah Vowell visited ASP and discussed her life, literature, and ever-growing affinity for United States History. Vowell was born in Muskogee, Oklahoma and live there until she moved to Bozeman, Montana at the age of 11. Where she grew up “was not too rich in history” according to Vowell; therefore her childhood surroundings were not what ignited her passion for history. In fact, she
Lily Rivkin
originally aspired to be a journalist—she wrote about movies and music and the impact they had on the viewer; nothing involving actual people because she hated to pry her subjects for information. What she truly loved about being a journalist was conducting background research for the topic: scoured libraries and reading all the books, printed speeches, and articles she could get
her hands on. It was through this passion of research and reading that she discovered there was a lack of history involving the Trail of Tears: an event where her Cherokee ancestors were forced off their lands by the Indian Removal Act of 1830 and lead by US soldiers to Indian Territory in a brutal matter. She and her twin sister then decided to embark on a project.
Contents:
World Events p.2-3 Media p.4-5 Movements p.6
They began meticulously researching the event and after months of dedication finished a documentary on the topic. She fell in love with the process of investigating history. Vowell claims the project also showed her that “she was better at getting info from the dead than the living”. Her affinity for research and discovery compels her to refer to herself as “a historybuff ”— spending her vacations doing walking tours, vacationing in Salem, Massachusetts where witchcraft trials occurred in the 1600s, and imagining history wherever she travels. “The more history I learn, the more my world fills with stones” stated Vowell who then went on to give the example of coffee. When drinking coffee, it ignites historical thoughts: the continued on page 11
Language p.7 School p. 8-10 Games p.11
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World Events
Rutgers University Suicide: Hate Crime or Immature Mistake? Anna Bradley-Webb
In September 2010, two boys became freshman roommates at Rutgers University. They had been randomly assigned to live together, and while they were cordial to each other, they never attempted to form a friendship. One was social, confident, made friends quickly and enjoyed computer programming. The other was quiet, more reserved and less sure of himself. Both boys have now become symbols of the gay rights movement—one a victim and the other the alleged perpetrator. About three weeks into the first semester of their freshman year, Tyler Clementi asked his roommate Dharun Ravi for privacy in their room one evening. Ravi agreed, although he suspected that Clementi was gay and that he had requested the room so that he could entertain a male guest. When Ravi returned to his room after an ultimate Frisbee practice to drop off his backpack, he noticed that Clementi’s guest was indeed male, and appeared to be about ten years older than the students. He says that he felt uneasy in the guest’s presence, and that he was afraid the man might steal his valuables. Ravi uses this fear for his belongings as the justification for what he did. Ravi programmed his
iChat to automatically accept calls, and pointed his webcam at Clementi’s bed. He then used Twitter to inform his friends of what he had done and to encourage them to video call him during the time Clementi had specified. Ravi went to his friend Molly Wei’s room during this time, and the two used her computer to video chat Ravi’s account. They were connected by video chat for about twenty seconds. When they realized that what they were seeing was the two men kissing they disconnected, and, according to their testimonies, felt shocked and guilty. That evening, Mr. Ravi tweeted again. “Roommate asked for the room until midnight. I went into molly’s room and turned on my webcam. I saw him making out with a dude. Yay.” Mr. Clementi did not follow his roommate’s Twitter account, and did not see this message until two days later. Two days later, Clementi again asked Ravi if he could use the room. This time, Ravi not only planned to watch the encounter, but invited his Twitter followers to do so as well. “I dare you to chat me between the hours of 9:30 and midnight. Yes, it’s happening again,” he tweeted. Ravi tested the position of the camera and the connection and verbally encouraged his hall
mates to video call his computer to see Clementi with his guest. He instant messaged one of his friends that “people are having a viewing party” to watch his roommate’s private sexual encounter. That evening the guest, known to the public only as M.B., noticed the camera pointed towards the two men as they lay together on Clementi’s bed, and Clementi unplugged the computer. It is unclear, however, whether or not Ravi was able to observe the men a second time. The next day, Mr. Clementi emailed his school’s housing office to request a new roommate, stating he was “extremely uncomfortable sharing a room with someone who would act in this wildly inappropriate manner.” He expressed his concerns to a friend, however, that he was afraid he would “probably end up with someone worse than him.” That day he took a bus to New York City and used his phone to post one sentence on Facebook: “Jumping off the gw bridge sorry.” He ended his life on September 21st, 2010, fifteen minutes before his phone received a lengthy apology and explanation from Dharun Ravi. He was the fifth teenager to commit suicide because of his sexual orientation that year. Was this a targeted attack on a gay teenager, or was it simply an incident of an eighteen-yearold boy acting out? Mr. Ravi has been charged with fifteen counts including invasion of privacy, harassment, and most severely, bias intimidation. If convicted, he could spend up to ten years in prison. This case has become extremely emotionally-laden and the outcome holds many implications for the gay community. The media
World Events has made Ravi into a poster-boy for harassment and bigotry against homosexuals, and the jury must wade through the emotional baggage and grief associated with the tragedy to condemn or acquit Mr. Ravi of the charges against him. In a Middlesex, New Jersey trial that has lasted nearly two weeks, the jury has seen testimony from nearly thirty other Rutgers students, Mr. Clementi’s lover, and university officials involved in the case. They have seen the visible pain and grief of the members of Mr. Clementi’s immediate family, most of whom have been present every day of the proceedings. Both sides of the case have made an impassioned plea to the jury. Mr. Steven Altman, the defense attorney, argues that Dharun Ravi is indeed a teenage boy susceptible to moments of teenage stupidity but that he is not a criminal. He argues that Ravi was never hateful towards Clementi; , and never spoke against gays or harassed his roommate for being gay. Ravi suspected that Clementi was homosexual, Altman argues, and it did not make him uncomfortable or cause him to treat Clementi any differently. He maintains that when Ravi saw his roommate’s guest, an older man who, according to Ravi, looked “sketchy”, “scruffy”, and “homeless”, he was concerned for the well-being of his valuables and set up the camera to watch his things. The defense asserts that Ravi cooperated with university officials and the police in the investigation, and that his accusations of tampering evidence and hindering investigations have little substance. They are not arguing, thus, that Ravi’s actions were morally justifiable or that Clementi’s death was not a national tragedy; they are arguing that Ravi did not commit a crime
or act in a way that makes him guilty of any legal offenses. Ms. Julie McClure, the prosecutor, argues that Ravi intimidated Clementi by exposing both his sexual orientation and his intimacy with another man to other students and that this is a form of bias intimidation, a serious offence. She asserts that he invaded the privacy that Clementi had specifically requested, and that by inviting others to watch the encounter he harassed his roommate. Among the key pieces of prosecution evidence is a text that Ravi sent to a friend saying that he was setting up the webcam a second time. “Keep the gays away,” he wrote. Ravi’s team counters that this was solely a joke, and that he harbored no secret homophobia, whereas the state team maintains that this shows that the incident was a targeted attack. In her closing arguments on Tuesday, Ms. McClure gave a heart-wrenching description of Clementi after seeing his roommate’s tweet. “You don’t think that he was intimidated by learning that information? Fearful, embarrassed that he had been exposed?” she asked the jury. “He was targeted because of his sexual orientation. M.B. was targeted because he was his guest.” This case is important because it brought to light what so many gay teenagers feel: ostracized, targeted, and fearful of exposure. Tyler Clementi’s death caused outrage among gay rights groups. Shortly after the death, President Obama posted a video condemning bullying and calling for a stop to intimidation. It also sparked attention from celebrities including Lady Gaga and the openly gay Ellen DeGeneres. Ms. DeGeneres called for immediate national action on this issue, telling the au-
3 dience of her talk show that the nation had an obligation towards these young adults. “There are messages everywhere that validate this kind of bullying and taunting and we have to make it stop,” she said. “We can’t let intolerance and ignorance take another kid’s life.” Clementi’s death also caused New Jersey legislators to introduce more stringent anti-bullying laws and Rutgers University to vote to allow opposite-sex roommates. This incident also led to the viral internet “It Gets Better Project,” in which public figures and gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender adults record video messages directed towards LGBT youth to give them hope that the future will be brighter. Mr. Ravi’s ultimate conviction or acquittal is not the most important issue that has arisen from this tragedy. Whether or not Dharun Ravi committed a crime against Tyler Clementi, it is clear that Clementi felt targeted and ostracized because of who he was to an extent that he felt that continuing to live was hopeless. Tyler Clementi’s death proved, beyond any reasonable doubt, that in a world as progressive and enlightened as ours, a great hurdle remains yet to be overcome. Note: People at risk for suicide often do not ask for help. Suicide warning signs include drastic changes in personality, talking or writing about death or suicide, being angry or impulsive, seeming hopeless or losing interest in things previously enjoyed, and changes in sleeping or eating habits. Any of these signs should be taken very seriously. If you are having suicidal thoughts or think that someone you know may be at any risk of suicide, let someone know immediately.
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Media
Controversy and the Media: A Look into Recent Events in Afghanistan the Media’s Portrayal of the Situation Chandler Sterling
“Never think that war, no matter how necessary, nor how justified, is not a crime.” —Ernest Hemingway These are the words of Ernest Hemingway, ambulance driver in WWI Italy and celebrated writer. World War I may have been almost a century ago and the world may have since undergone massive changes, yet the overarching sentiments surrounding the evils of war remain unchanged. In the United States, the war in Afghanistan has recently become not only the most modern war in our history, but also the second longest; stretching ten years. Prolific controversy has also surrounded this war, from the origins of the invasion itself to the question of the continued American military’s presence. In recent weeks, this controversy has been compounded with atrocities including a Sargent’s killing of 16 civilians nine of which were children, a video depicting soldiers urinating on corpses, and the debatably inadvertent burning of several Qurans. Although both the US government and NATO have
condemned all of these incidences, many continue to question the appropriateness and validity of how these issues have been depicted by the media. On March 12th when the news of the Sargent’s killings was first released, the New York Times headlines read, “U.S. Sargent is Said to Kill 16 Civilians.” Indeed, the presence of something as vague as “is said” makes us question the validity of the story--despite its confirmed existence. So, what must we conclude from this? Should we enter into an abyss of interminable scepticism and pessimism? Or can we simultaneously accept and question what we are told in order to reach some sort of trust-scepticism equilibrium? Despite the fact that the attack was the work of a single soldier, many commentators point out that the sergeant’s singularity may not be important. This massacre of civilians can be viewed as yet another building block in the tower of mistrust that only seems to be growing between these two nations. The Sergeant himself, recently identified as Robert Bales, was returned to the USA and currently
Media rests in confinement in Kansas. He has been officially accused of murder and other crimes with a life sentence that could be shortened to ten years. This combined with the Quran burning and the video of soldiers urinating on bodies are only three of the many atrocities that have occurred in Afghanistan over the course of the war, and like all other significant incidences, their portrayal in the media is just as complex as the intricacies of war that surround them. The media and news industry of today is more of a Darwinian business than an informative service. In 1983, fifty companies owned 90% of American media— now a days that number is down to six. This has a profound effect on what we hear and are told. Luminaries such as Noam Chomsky have suggested that just as anticommunism was used as somewhat of a societal control mechanism in America during the Cold War, the War on Terror is the same. The business of the media would make it necessary to retain governmental and corporate favour, as without it a news source would loose access to information, and subsequently loose readership, then advertising, and eventually fail. These ideas are prevalent in the reportage of the most recent issues in Afghanistan. Headlines from respected news sources such as CNN, the New York Times, etc. rarely read “U.S. Soldier Massacres 16 civilians including 9 children” and often include qualifiers similar to “is said to have killed” -- as mentioned earlier. Furthermore, these articles were often accompanied by headlines such as “New Fears Over the Taliban.” Indeed, the vast majority of articles I read in research for this article framed the issue in the context of the dangers imposed upon the USA; highlighting
how this will “endanger the lives of American troops” and ignite the “wrath of the Taliban.” Furthermore, the death of nine children included in the massacre was almost never in the headlines, but rather buried away somewhere in the article. Also included was that the village where the massacre took place used to be a Taliban stronghold “before earlier US intervention”. This is not to say that we should neglect the potential repercussions of recent events in Afghanistan. However, it does seem questionable how few articles were written about the fact that these were people with families who, as civilians, were not connected to the war yet who still lost everything. Walter Lippmann, an early 20th century journalist and editor wrote “We must remember that in time of war what is said on the enemy’s side of the front is always propaganda, and what is said on our side of the front is truth and righteousness, the cause of humanity and a crusade for peace.” These words, like those of Hemingway, still hold true today despite their age. The fact of the matter is that with the Internet and other technological developments, information is not only infinitely easier to access, but also easier to manipulate. The power of the controversy of the war in Afghanistan cannot be underestimated. Indeed, the whole idea of controversy is that there are many sides and opinions on a subject, and that at any given moment one may hold the upper hand. Thus, we must think critically regarding this and all issues. We must assess our sources, and seek truth. We must consider perspective, and evaluate accordingly. Then, maybe, we will be able to really understand an issue and come to the truth behind it.
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6
Movements
Light the Candles Nora Stai
Empathy. Action. Awareness. Am- imprisoned, tortured or executed nesty. because of his opinions or religion are unacceptable to his governA global movement of more ment. The newspaper reader feels than 3 million supporters, mem- a sickening sense of impotence. Yet bers and activists, Amnesty In- if these feelings of disgust could be ternational is one of the world’s united into common action, somemost prominent organizations. thing effective could be done.” Thus Defending human rights by mo- Benenson wrote the “Appeal for bilizing public pressure and re- Amnesty, 1961”, the goal of which vealing instances of disregard for was to mobilize public opinion in our unalienable rights, Amnesty defense of prisoners of conscience. International not only serves a Reprinted by numerous internaweapon in the war against inhu- tional newspapers, it was decided manity, but also as hope for pris- that the appeal would become the oners of conscience. At ASP we do foundation of a permanent organinot merely contribute to Amnesty zation. On September 30th 1962 International by signing petitions- this organization was officially crewe spread awareness of pertinent ated- and named “Amnesty Interglobal issues and raise money so national.” One of Amnesty´s most imthat Amnesty can investigate and reveal previously unheard-of hu- portant tools when attempting to free prisoners of conscience is meman rights violations. Founded in 1961 by Peter Ben- dia awareness. As Vice President of enson, Amnesty International Amnesty International at ASP, Miquickly began to serve as an or- chael Carden so accurately stated, ganization protecting the articles “Amnesty truly embodies the noof the Universal Declaration of tion of while a man is strong, men Human Rights. Peter Benenson are stronger. Through the power of proclaimed that the idea of creat- our voices, we can- and do- make a ing Amnesty International arose difference. I am proud to be a part whilst on the subway in London. of such a movement.” Spreading Reading an article on two Portu- awareness arguably plays as great guese students sentenced to im- role in determining the outcome prisonment for “drinking a toast of a cause as petitioning does. We to liberty,” Benson realized that, “If must prove to the world, most imyou open your newspaper on any portantly the human rights violaday of the week, you´ll find a story tors, that to us- to the world: every from somewhere of someone being life matters. History has proven
that if human rights violators realize that the entire world is watching them, they are more likely to end their oppression. Using a present day example, throughout the last couple weeks our emails and Facebook accounts have been bombarded with messages concerning the Invisible Children Project, in which the goal is to make Joseph Kony, a human rights violator, famous in order for the continuation of the plan to arrest Kony. Those in charge of the project of arresting Kony will continue their plans only if they believe that the population as a whole legitimately cares. As terrible as this may sound, it is the way our world works- and thus it is a truth we must all face. Ergo, it is imperative to spread awareness of global issues: Professor Luiz Basilio Rossi, a Brazilian arrested for political reasons, believed that Amnesty International´s work in spreading awareness of his predicament was a crucial factor in determining the outcome of his situation: “When I realized that my case had become public, I knew that they could no longer kill me. Consequently, the pressure on me decreased and the conditions improved.” Although ASP is a fairly small school, through informing our friends and family we are spreading the word, and are consequently potentially saving lives just by showing that we care. Anthony Ghosn, president of
Language Amnesty International at ASP, acknowledges the decisive role mobilization and media plays: “What makes Amnesty such a distinctive club is its ability to mobilize support amidst our own community. We’re able to inform our own friends and have them make real change at the same time.” In the belief that petitions have little influence on human rights violators, many wonder whether Amnesty International is completely effective as an organization. Yet, Amnesty’s achievements are numerous- not only in the number of lives changed, but also in the dis-
semination of hope for prisoners of conscience. In a recent interview, Sanar Yurdatapan, former prisoner of conscience in Turkey, expressed her gratitude towards Amnesty International: “Your little letters and cards are like bombs when they drop into the offices of ministers and government officials. When the cards and letters arrived into our barracks they were like rays of sunshine. We need the sunshine...” (amnesty.org). Those who suffer from human rights violations not only wish to be freed- but they also wish for hope. Although we are young and have very little influ-
7 ence, we have the power to spread hope: In a prisoner´s eyes, each signature is of importance- bringing light and hope to a previously dark world. In a few years time we will look back and marvel over our petitions whilst shaking our heads in disbelief over how ambitious we were. We will never be more hopeful and empathetic than we are now. But somewhere deep in our hearts, we will feel freedom stir in us again, and we will realize that it is never too late make a difference. Sign the petition. Change a life. Light the candles.
Editorial: Are they dead or just misunderstood? Lidia Lagioia
“Dead languages”—a term used to define an old language that is no longer taught, difficult to learn, and just not worth the effort. But, as we concentrate more on economics and sciences in an attempt to succeed in this modern world, we must not forget the advantages and disadvantages as to why people would want to learn any “dead language”. Some of the work ethics required to learn Latin or Greek: concentration, attention to detail, logical thought, and dedication. These languages are also the foundations of every language we speak today, and learning the foundations will in-arguably help you understand better the intricacies of French, Italian, English, Spanish, Portuguese, etc--Latin and Greek act as a stepping stone to other global tongues. They provide us with a pristine understanding of etymology; which, by the way, are very useful in the SAT’s or any English class. In English we may study
books that have been bestsellers, but in Latin or Greek we would learn about the literature that created the pillars of society. Poets, playwrights and philosophers like Plato, Socrates, Homer, Aristotle, Pythagoras, Sophocles and Cicero were the men who have provided inspiration for innovation throughout the world. Democracy from Athens, Law from the courts of Rome, Geometry from Euclid’s elements, the list could continue for centuries. This is a testament to how these “dead languages” are responsible for the variety of our
classical heritage today and how relevant the classical world remains. These languages offer the student not only to speak the tongue of ancient philosophers, but be enriched with the culture of that specific time period and broaden our knowledge of modern languages as we know it. If you are faced with the option, consider the advantages of choosing Latin or Greek over others. And consider the fact that these languages may not be just dead, but simply not understood.
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School
Cultivating Initiative and Tomorrow’s Decision Makers: ASP’s StuCo Sara Venkatraman
It is common knowledge to most of the ASP population that the Upper School Student Council strives to accurately represent its constituency to the school’s higher administration and unite the student body into a closelyknit community. It has developed several new initiatives and events throughout the school year, ranging from the Club Cup to ASP Talks, while continuing to develop its consistent objective of increasing transparency between itself and the students. From the perspective of a student who is not a member of the Student Council, it is very easy to superficially view the Student Council as a group that simply plans enjoyable events for the students it represents. An examination of what goes on behind the scenes in the meetings in the Library Quiet Room on Wednesday afternoons, however, is a revelation of how we actually work to serve you. So where does all the information that you give us through answering Facebook polls or sug-
STUDENT COUNCIL PRESENTS
CLUB CUP
CLUB VERSUS CLUB
FEBRUARY 22ND 3:45-5:00PM CHARITY CLUB VERSUS CLUB TALENT SHOW
gestions that you give your grade representatives in person actually go? Every month, the three representatives of your grade write a report that is a compilation of all the statistics gleaned from Facebook and other social media that month, in-person suggestions, comments, concerns, and new ideas you propose. Those reports serve as the backbone of our meetings, which constitute of long yet highly fruitful deliberations during which we develop strategies to respond to the needs and concerns of you as students at ASP. So ultimately, any idea or suggestion you have will always reach the Student Council, and this is the result of work done over the past few years to maximize transparency. Whenever we have an upcoming event to prepare for, we split into our three committees, those being Public Relations, Events Planning, and Internal Works. Convening outside of our meetings if necessary, each committee works to ensure that the details of each event that we plan or each initiative we under-
take have been covered. Outside of Student Council meetings we plan presentations, solicit Nikhil’s artistic talent for posters, write announcements in ASPire’s Student Life section, and update our bulletin board regularly to keep you informed of what we’re doing or what is to come. The officers frequently meet with faculty members, administration members, and the guidance committee to present our initiatives and receive advice.
School
The meetings on Wednesdays after school therefore represent only a portion of the work the Student Council does to improve the Upper School community, and we certainly hope that our efforts thus far have manifested themselves in the form of your satisfaction. While we have achieved considerable success in strengthening our student council over the years to the point where it has become one of the most integral student-run organizations at ASP, we do not limit our work and our accomplishments solely to the ASP community. We also work to foster partnerships with the student councils of other schools so as to not only improve ours with their assistance, but to also establish a internationally lasting group of
student leadership organizations dedicated to improving the operation of their respective institutions. Our first step towards this goal was the recent International Schools Student Council Conference (ISSCC) held on March 1618, which aimed to bring together representatives and officers from several other school student governments in Europe to share ideas on the best practices for a student council. We drafted a common set of values, a common constitution, and all gained a better sense of the best ways to represent you as students in terms of communication, organization, and the planning of events. Ideas ranging from regularly holding open student council meetings that students can attend to holding a joint talent show with
9 NHS were all brought forth by the various schools attending, and will certainly provide us with a lot of food for thought both now and later. What this conference represents for us as a student council is a stepping stone towards what we hope will become a much larger and much more influential initiative. Just like PAMUN began more than 11 years ago as a small conference of less than a hundred people in ASP’s own classrooms, we hope that the ISSCC is something that can grow to become an international forum for student governments all over Europe and maybe even beyond. It is our genuine and commonly-shared drive to empower the generation of tomorrow’s decision makers in student government with the meaningful discussion of the most efficient structure and management of this organization that defines our abilities as a student council. We will never cease to attempt to further improve our leverage in the affairs of ASP’s administration, nor do we mean to discontinue our efforts to achieve a balance between fulfilling all our promises and bringing new things to the table.
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School
Editorial: Do Test Grades reflect a student learning? Tamara Ezzat
Do grades really matter? Most students that get a test back look at their results rather than look at their mistakes—which could aid them in doing better in the future. Grades may help students know how they are doing, but, in reality, they simply distract students from the actual learning process. 70 percent of students study and memorize everything they need to know for tests and promptly forget most of the information 2-3 weeks later*. Test grades do not necessarily reflect the students learning and the learning environment can seriously affect grades. You spend the entire weekend studying for a test that is to be taken Monday. You know the subject so well you could be the professor, but on Monday morning: your girlfriend breaks up with you. Your mind is obviously wandering somewhere else while you are taking the test; you’re not 100 percent concentrated. Your environment has a lot to do with learning and
testing. 5-10 percent of students in high schools have Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder*. These students cannot spend an entire test focusing and as a result, these students could be loud and distracting. Your grades may reflect this distraction rather than your actual potential. If a student wants to go to a good university or get a successful job leaving high school, excellent grades are essential. For the most part, high grades do invite opportunities for students, but bad grades do not necessarily mean that it is the end of all possibilities for any student. A student may have received an A, which is a good result, but did the student earn it? Most learn to get an “A” rather than focusing on learning the material for the sake of learning—thus forgetting most of the information. Since when is school about getting good grades? Isn’t it about attaining as much knowledge as possible to enable and enlighten us? A major issue with grades
is that they are a main source of adolescent pressure. Your parents expect good grades as well as your teachers and colleges your applying to; these aspects of your life all contribute to building grade pressure. Your future prospects hinge on how good your grades are—it feels to us that our success is dependant on the letter or percentage we receive on tests. A student under a lot of pressure may study all night causing them to feel drowsy during a test. Another common pressure induced situation is forgetting everything you studied once sitting down to take the exam. The danger of this academic pressure is that it may even compel the most honest students to cheat. If a student gets an A they obviously know their subjects, but what if that student cheated because they felt pressured to get an A? Getting the answers from a source other than you knowledge and receiving a high mark does not reflect a student’s knowledge. In conclusion, test grades do not reflect a students learning because the learning environment may influence the student’s grade. Most students study for grades rather than knowledge and this pressure to receive perfect scores hinders their learning—there are various causes to bad grades other than the student lacking knowledge on the tested subject. Thus, exam grades do not provide an accurate conclusion as to whether or not a student has been studying and learning. *Survey conducted in 2010 by American High Schools
Games
11
Puzzles
websudoku.com
Solution:
continued from front wars fought over the beans, the imperialism involved with nations that were rich in the substance, and the various other historical implications of the drink. She also claimed that no-matter where she goes, history surrounds her. Vowell claimed that when she “walks down the streets of New York City, a whole movie plays” due to the cities rich history, and that she hopes “we enjoy and take advantage of the rich history of Paris”. Vowell had an incredible stage persona when talking to us students; manipulating her discussion to fit our lives. She told the crowd ASP high-schoolers that we could use history as a way to ease the stress in our lives. “It could be worse is my philosophy”, stated Vowell, “you could be in a confed-
erate prison. You could be swinging from the gallows in Salem.” She put our teenage problems in a witty perspective: nothing we’re going through can be as terrible as previous historical events like massacre and murder. She concluded allowing her sardonic persona to shine through stating “ask yourself what you’ve done—are there any skulls? If not, you’re okay”. The history buff concluded her discussion with the question asked by an ASP student: why study American History? Without hesitating, Vowell claimed it was because the United States possesses “400 years of jam-packed history”. The idea that the United States is a nation that is, and was founded by, a melting pot of cultures fascinates her: it is these various cultures and ideas blended together that create
America. When these various values infused into our eclectic society are contradicted, disputes and wars are ignited. The United States’ unique culture made up by several philosophies is what makes US history unlike any other in the world. Our ASP community is extremely fortunate to have had to opportunity to hear Sarah Vowell speak. She has appeared on the Daily Show with Jon Stewart, the Late Show with David Letterman, Late Night with Conan O’Brien, and now she has made an unforgettable appearance at the American School of Paris. Her witty humor and charm brightened our morning and made all of us re-think our perspective of American history. Now all of us must wait in anticipation to see who next year’s speaker will be!
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Students
Student Life Section Student Council
The Student Life section is a new feature written by the Student Council. It is designed to keep the student body up-to-date on upcoming events, club news, and to increase transparency between the Student Council and the rest of the student body. Clubs can submit information for this section to any of the Student Council officers. For all information concerning clubs, you can also contact Ms. Lowe, Service Learning Coordinator, at mjlowe@asparis.fr .
Student Council Updates:
Model United Nations: Eighteen students travelled to Brussels this weekend to attend the twenty-fifth annual Harvard Model Congress Europe. This conference is organized and led by a group of Harvard students and is an authentic simulation of the American Congress, presidential cabinet, domestic programs and international programs. Domestic models include the House and the Senate, the National Security Council and the District and Supreme Courts. The international programs include the United Nations Security Council, the World Trade Organization, and the Group of Eight. The students took on the roles of congressmen, senators, or advocates and wrote and debated issues relevant to the United States such as food safety, early Kids Home Club: childhood education, and gun use regulation. The Kids Home Club would like to thank eve ASP’s delegation was highly successful, and ry participant of its annual Fashion Show and everyeight students won best delegate awards in their reone who supported its cause by attending. spective committees. The Supreme Court team, comprised of Alexi Bennink, Brian Carden and Clara Steiner, were named Best Team for their exceptional representation of the cases at hand. The District Court teams, Alexandra Goffard, Fiona Bell and Chandler Sterling and Nora Stai, Mallika Bhandari and Emile Kacrorowski were also met with great success in their cases. Another highlight of the weekend was reuniting with Sietse Goffard, an ASP alumnus, who was among the Harvard staff members. On April 4th, the Student Council will be hosting the last part of the Tri-Ball Tournament! This event will take place on April 4th, and it will be like the Football v. Football competition that took place last year. The grade of the winning teams will get Grade-on-Grade Competition points, which may bring your grade closer to winning the grade prizes of the GOGC! Be sure to look out for more information—we will be presenting this in PAC in the near future. Moreover, we hope to host an outdoor coffeehouse in the next few months. We will keep the student body updated with plans for this event
Club Announcements
India Club: The India Club will be raffling off two roundtrip tickets to any KLM destination in the world! Buy a ticket for 10 Euros in the Cube during both lunches. The raffle will start on Monday, March 26th and will end on Thursday, April 12th. Good luck! Photo sources:
http://bernardgordillo.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/ Sarah-Vowell.jpg http://shop.prosperitycandle.com/product_images/uploaded_ images/amnestyintl.logo.2.jpg http://www.metroweekly.com/news/last_word/2010/10/02/ dharunTwitter.jpg http://nicholsoncartoons.com.au/wp-content/ uploads/2011/02/2006-07-20-Hate-in-media-in-War-550.jpg http://farm1.static.flickr.com/70/227505138_6336873163.jpg http://www.youreducationmatters.com/images/taking%20 test.jpg
Article sources:
Editors: Lily Rivkin and Rebecca Slade Layout Editor: Nikhil Pai Assistant Editor: Cassidy Howard
For questions and comments concerning ASPIRE, please contact our faculty advisor, Mr. Brazeau, at bbrazeau@asparis.fr .