The Penguin Press Issue IV aas.point@gmail.com 16th December, 2011
Один за всех и все за одного - Xenia Rakovshik
Activities
Current Events
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Arts
Ib Survival
Features
n Saturday December 10th, 2011, over 100,000 Russians gathered on Bolotnoya Ploshad to protest the fraudulence of the recent election, culminating in the greatest gathering of citizens since the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991. The burgeoning discontent masked by the apathetic demeanor of the general populace over the last twelve or so years, finally bubbled up to the surface after the announcement December 4th election results, which provided ample evidence to suggest the manipulation of electoral votes by the United Russian party. According to RIA Novisti, United Russia won 49.3 percent of the vote in December 4 parliamentary elections, with 99.99 percent of the ballots counted, despite being forecast less than 30 percent in exit polls in and verified
certificates produced by avoidable,” he told the Russian edition of Esballot counters. quire, in an interview That isn’t to say that the published this month. election is the primary “Simply because the cause of the dissen- majority of people unsion with Russia. Alek- derstand that the system sei Navalny, a popular is wrong. When you are blogger accredited with in the company of buhelping mobilize young reaucrats you hear them Russians over the past talking about who has year, has been emerg- stolen everything, why ing as one of the pivotal nothing works and how figures in major opposi- horrible everything is.” tion of the current Russian regime, presently Almost overnight, Naserving a fifteen-day valny’s anti-governprison sentence for sup- ment blog became a posedly resisting po- rousing call to action lice after the first of the for concerned Russians, three protests. A real es- identified as a promitate lawyer by training, nent force in the bringhe employs data — on ing together of so many his Web sites he docu- thousands of people. ments theft at state-run companies — and re- “They [citizens in dislentless, paint-stripping agreement with the contempt. His phrase government] had never “Party of Swindlers and gathered anywhere toThieves” has made its gether before,” wrote way into the vernacular Grigory Tumanov, a with breathtaking speed reporter for Gazeta.ru. and severely damaged “They just read Twitter, United Russia’s politi- and to them it was clear that in this situation you cal brand. have to go somewhere, “Revolution is un- do something, unite
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around someone, because it was intolerable. Let this be Navalny, with all his pluses and minuses.” Granted, Navalny’s role as the frontrunner of the anti-corruption movement is not exactly a scenario foreign in Russian social politics… Navalny is one of hundreds of thousands of Russians knowingly living in a corrupt country state, though he is one of few who has openly opposed the government and managed to stay relatively unscathed in the process. Government surveillance of media coverage pertaining to the state has undisputedly created an atmosphere of caution and fear for journalists and media outlets within Russia. On December 14th, media mogul and esteemed editor of newsmagazine Kommersant Vlast, was sacked after allowing Continued on page 2...
Один за всех и все за New Times Yevegeniya одного continued from Albats commented on page 1... the publication of an the resulting dismissal article that according to the New York Times, “included a photograph of a ballot scrawled with profanity directed against Prime Minister Vladimir V. Putin and accusations of largescale electoral fraud by the ruling party.” Editor and Chief of the
of the high-ranking media official stating that the key to survival for Russian journalists is simple, “Do not touch Putin.” However, United Russia’s control is slowly
dwindling down. Their previous argument for not allowing protests, being that such displays of dissatisfaction would ultimately result in violence, was proven to be false speculation by the peaceful protestors who congregated on Saturday annulling the paternalistic sentiment expressed by United Russia. Whether or not there will ever be “just” election is questionable, yet watching citizens
come together after years of corrupt government exploitation is certainly an uplifting and heartening sight.
respect should feel their solidarity with each other. It doesn’t matter where they are now: on squares, in kitchens or in detention centers. We “We are fed up. The feel our solidarity with time has come to break you and we know that free from our stupor. we will win. There is no other alternative. We are not sheep and we are not slaves. We have We are telling you: One a voice and we have for all and all for one!” the strength to fight. – Alexey Navalny All people with self-
HOSIC: Tackling Topics of Global Importance
- Elan Code
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igh school students from AAS traveled to Istanbul for CEESA’s Hands-On Student Involvement Conference (HOSIC) from November 24th to the 27th. Students from a large range international schools participated in the conference, including students from Prague, Vienna, Belgrade, Helsinki, Krakow, Budapest, and Bucharest. Students lead seminars regarding the global issues that arise from social media, including cyber bullying as well as how social networking websites affect people’s lives.
A student from AAS, Beezle Ozcel, reflects that HOSIC was a valuable experience overall, and that Mr. Smith was a very supportive coach. HOSIC allowed students to develop their presentation and communication
skills. It also provided them with the opportunity to improve on their teamwork. Students were given the flexibility to be creative in presenting their seminars. The opportunity to attend seminars about varying thought-pro-
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voking issues was insightful. New and beneficial skills were not the only thing that was gained from HOSIC, but friendships were formed as well. Overall, HOSIC is an excellent way to discuss issues of global importance while
also improving valuable life skills and forging bonds with fellow students.
Discovery Week - Decisions, Descisions... - Sasha Parodi
Although winter break is almost here, the excitement that can be felt in the high school hallways is about a different matter entirely: Discovery Week. Every year, grade 9-11 students go through the process of completing and handing in forms, making
tough decisions, and finally, going on an amazing week long trip in March. There are many fascinating choices, and it is not easy deciding on the final top three. An option could be skiing in Finland, biking in Barcelona, acting in London, and much,
the Moscow trip such as learning more about the city you live in, and of course, being able to sleep in your own bed. Sophomore Hadicha Muminov stayed in Moscow for the community service trip last year and said that “it was less stressful than going somewhere and i loved seeing smiles on the children’s faces when we participated in activities with them”. Basically, the final choices for discovery week depend on what you enjoy most. People who enjoy service but don’t want to stay in Moscow can go on the Habitat for Humanity trip and help much more. This year, a trip, along with Finland build homes for the less new trip was introduced and Barcelona. Of fortunate. Those who course, there is the that blew everyone enjoy hiking can spend away and immediately option of staying in a week in Cappadocia, Moscow for discovery Turkey exploring the became one of the top choices on many of the week, either for a more rocky territory. Just students’ lists: Beijing. history oriented week, make sure you hand or community service.. in your sheet on time, A week filled with a It may seem like the mix of sightseeing, or you’ll end up going least interesting choice, somewhere you didn’t relaxation, learning, but in actuality there and fun, Beijing is plan on! are many benefits of definitely the optimal
IB Support - Four Simple Steps to Writing the Extended Essay - Kayla Fahy
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ou’ve picked the subject you want your Extended Essay to be in. Now what? Well, there are several ways to write your EE, depending on the topic of it. Every subject requires different approaches, but there are some simple steps which are common throughout. Pick a topic you’re truly passionate about. For many of you, you already have the topic
of your Extended Essay, and some of you are already on the way to writing it! This could be the easiest step if you get a head start, but it can also be the one which stumps you the most. So just make sure you have somewhat of an idea of what you want to write about before anything else. Consult your advisor immediately after they are assigned so you can start writing right away.They are there to
help you. Take advantage of it! If you don’t talk to them, you’re only hurting yourself. So just make sure to talk to them so you are right on track.
ation. If you want to do an English EE, you will spend your time writing either a 4,000 word commentary or a compare and contrast essay. Make sure you read the criteria as Start writing. Differyou’re writing it so that ent subjects require you can write it how different writing styles. you’re supposed to. A science Extended Essay is just a long, Redraft, redraft, detailed, thorough lab redraft!You can never report, complete with redraft too much. So an introduction, hymake sure you do it! pothesis, variables, data Extended Essays can collection/processing, conclusion, and evalu- be the most dreadful of
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things you can do in the IB if you don’t work efficiently. However, they don’t have to be bad. Just follow the steps, stay on track, and organize your time wisely so you don’t have to cram in the writing right before the deadline, when you will have almost every other IB requirement due. Enjoy your IB writing!
Music Review - Talk That Talk By - Olia Kuranova
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One”. Despite the underlying unoriginality of the message, and the spelling, it brings by the sentimental memories of the summer that seems so far away by now. I admit, that’s a very Rihanna thing to do, considering her background; with the salsa samples and that touch of the 90s R&B beats and beach parties. Of course with our modern day music industry, one is bound to consider All in all, it wasn’t what is going to sell that great. It was like across music charts, so writing a mediocre there’s a contemporary essay with a fantastic touch of synth bass, to introduction – you please all the hardcore promise the reader a party animals out there. good argument and Rihanna goes a long then let them down way from her last two As a rule, November with some wayward albums with this song: brings you (apart from literary drivel you’ve much of the darkness of school work, stress, and come up in the span of her previous ballads is hope of holidays loom- 10 minutes. That’s what truly gone, leaving only ing over your daily life) you truly feel when you her exotic staccato, and fruitful findings, if you listen to Talk That Talk. lighthearted “my love will, in terms of album The album starts off is your love”. releases and record with an upbeat, sumsales. I feel it might be mery, drum-patterned The first single from a potential… “psycho- song titled “You Da this album is her cols it just me or is pop music really deteriorating? Perhaps to say ‘deteriorating’ is a bit too harsh, but I’m definitely on to something here. I’d say following the music charts was much more fun a few years back, and now it almost seems like a dreary routine thing that I have to do if I want to keep myself at least somewhat updated on the current situation. Or maybe it’s just IB HL English that’s making me see the true, banal, nature of most of today’s lyrics. Either way, there’s something very deadly spreading across mainstream pop.
logical” holiday season – that feeling when you’re reminiscing for summer, but you know there’s winter ahead and so you’re content with life because you feel surrounded by holidays. In any case, artists exploit it to their full potential. Knowing this, I ventured to seek out something new and spicy in the middle of November, and came across Rihanna’s new album, Talk That Talk.
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laboration with Calvin Harris on “We Found Love”, which was intensely interesting for the first few listens, and then you somewhat realize that it’s another song about nothing. Until the beat drops and you forget about it, and jam. Presumably, your reaction reflects the nature of the song and so it’s right to say that it’s pretty chaotic. Looking back at it right now, there’s nothing even remotely special about it, just the fact that it’s easy to dance to and has that little bit of positivity in it (this positivity will most likely be one of the main reasons the album doesn’t fail in the charts, to be quite honest.) One universal strategy to cover up a bad album: sample really famous artists! Rihanna’s choice was, apart from Calvin Harris of course, the one and only Jay-Z. Her
third single is named after the album, “Talk That Talk”, and features Jay-Z in a provocative, melismatic dance track. It’s not a complete failure, with a pretty dance-friendly beat and an edgy atmosphere, but once again what really makes the song is the featured artist. The rest of album follows with some desperado love songs, darker (but not as dark as previously), more provocative shorter tracks, and nothing at all out of the ordinary. So if I had a scale of five stars, I’d give it a three.
High School Stockholm Syndrome Rick Smith - Learning Reasources - Xenia Rakovshik was in a wheel chair. I thought she would like it if I tilted her back to do some wheelies around her house, so I went for it. She died a few months later. You probably feel bad for laughing at that first part, don’t you? If you could do any other job for a day at AAS what would you choose to do? I wouldn’t mind having Mr. McLeod’s job for a day. I hear he spends all of his time playing basketball and videogames.
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done differently hav- me. here did you at- ing the experience as a tend high school? teacher you have now, What did you want to become upon leaving as a student then? In a town called Land high school? O’ Lakes Florida. Fa- I would have taken the mous for Football and time to build relation- I wanted to open and farming. Really. I’m not ships with my teach- run my own summer proud of that. ers. Teachers rarely get camp. I never planned into teaching because on going to college. How would your teach- they love their subject ers describe you as a area. More often than How does being in the student? not, they get into teach- learning resources deing because they really partment help you unHigh School was re- like helping out young derstand students? ally hard for me. I had people and happen to be to work twice as hard in good at a particular sub- Learning Resources is sports and school to get ject too. I really wish I an amazing program. half of the results. Ironi- would have taken ad- AAS is lucky to have cally, teachers would vantage of that instead it. I get to know stusay I seemed careless. of constantly thinking dents perceptions of all and acting like they of their classes, and beWhat would you have were working against cause it’s a small class, I get to know the students really well too. This, of course, makes my job more rewarding and often, wildly entertaining.
not, its actually calming. However, I love riding my bike, and in the winter, it is set up on “rollers.” You may have to look up “bike on rollers” on Youtube to understand what I mean, but if you can imagine riding your bike on a moving treadmill, you’ll get an idea. For at least 30 minutes each day, I focus 100% of my energy and thoughts on not falling.
If you could change one thing about the AAS high school what would it be? If I could change one thing about the AAS high school, I would probably change grades to pass/fail only. Or, at the very least, I would make our grading system match the IB system. I would do away with A-F and implement 1-7.
Do you have any adIf it’s not a secret, vice for current high what’s your high score school students? on angry birds? Current high school stuLet’s just say I am dents should know that pretty awesome. My the A+ students were iPad says, “Welcome not born smart. They chubby.bunny” every work hard, get to know time I sign on to play. their teachers, stay afMy favorite bird is by ter school, organize and far the orange one that manage their time. They inflates. treat their brains like a What are some of your muscle and push themfavorite things to do to What’s one of the funselves to grow through blow off some steam? niest childhood stories hard work and mental you’ve bee told about exercise. I’m working on earning yourself? a Ph.D., and sometimes when I get into research, I once visited my hours will go by before 85-year-old great I realize it. Believe it or grandmother who
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End of 2011 - December Horoscopes By: Sophi Løge for you to step up and ask if they need your help.
everyone knows that you are serious about your ambitions.
Pisces: You’ve
Gemini: It’s time
got opinions -- who doesn’t? Keep them to yourself to risk alienating the people who’ve got your back.
Aires: You feel the
Sagittarius:
Your
good spirits, great energy and awesome attitude mean that you can keep positive till the end of the year!
Capricorn: People are on your case about every last thing. Just roll with it and see
if they are willing to accept a rain check or something less than what they think they need.
Aquarius: You need to deal with someone close -- someone who needs you more than they know how to say. It may be a good time
heat - even in December - and you can feel yourself pushing through to something really great. Now is the time for you to burn the competition and make a real name for yourself!
Taurus: Spell out
what it is you are planning to do over the next few days and make sure
Virgo: You will be
extremely active over the next week as you strive to complete the various tasks you started in recent weeks. You know what you want and you know how to get it!
to get serious about something you have been putting off for weeks, maybe even for months. All you have to Libra: Stop dreamdo is act. ing about what you would like to do and Cancer: Never forgetactually start doing it. that your mind creates The only thing that is your reality. holding you back is the idea that you need to be Leo: There is nothing perfect. you cannot handle. There is nothing you Scorpio: You have cannot do. This time of every right to take your year makes you even time in decision makmore dynamic and ing: mistakes happen decisive than usual. Be when people move too extraordinary. fast.
Word Search - Kristina Pham IB, International Baccalaureate, internal assessment, theory of knowledge, extended essay, creativity action service. life sucks and then you die
Sudoku Puzzle
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Concerts - Alisa Ruzavina
Student Lead Occupational Aid in Therapy SenPing Pong Club sory Integration.
Mondays and Wednes- Please contact Mrs.Snow via email kathsnow@ days at 3:45 on the mid- gmail.com for a great Service CAS opportunity dle school hallways! working with ES/MS students. Metis Program (biracial children who Open Service Opportunities face discrimination For more details, please see Mr.Assimakopoulos in school because of mr.assimakopoulos@gmail.com their dark skin tone) Organize a “game day” or similar activity. It can simply be a day for Strike a Pose, Show Some Spirit students to spend time Photobooth with the kids, play with The Student Council is sponsoring the Photo them, etc. Booth! It is located right under the Highschool staircase, just jump in and take some funny pictures with your friends. Photos are available for print.
Need to Advertise? This Space Could be Yours! Blastfest, 18th Dec, This Belgian band’s Milk Club perfomance is probably the best way to spend The biggest festival one of your winter days of this winter that in snowy Moscow; their will combine the gloomy, chaotic and performances of sometimes harsh sound upcoming Russian is known to cause an bands, like Tesla unusual escapist mood. Boy and Twyggys If you are a fan of with shows of the anything post-hardcore new experimental and post-metal, this gig bands from UK, like is definitely a jewel for S.C.U.M, Krakatoa you. and Itamar. And we are not even done. The biggest highlight of the night will be the awaited performance by the Britpop legends Suede in full cast.. And yes, they are even better than Oasis. To truly believe us, just watch a few Suede live videos. You wouldn’t want to miss the festival after that! Year Of No Light, 13th Jan, Plan B Club
Contact aas.point@ gmail.com for further information
Kuznetsky Most Soup Kitchen Organize a Christmas drive to provide toys and games for the children of the single mothers who attend the kitchen
Refugee Food Bag Program
We might have a volunteer doing a canned food drive for us. One option would be to help us pack the 100’s of cans/non-perishable food items into bags to distribute to the refugee populations we serve. Alternatively, if this volunteer decides against the drive, the students might think about organizing one themselves. Alternatively, they could organize a “metro pass madness” where students donate old metro passes that still have a few rides on them (and obviously have not expired). Many of our refugees travel from far distances (some as far as Serge Posod) and could use the extra help. Students could hand these out in person as well
Universitet Soup Kitchen Serve meals, design Christmas cards to be distributed to the pen- Maria’s Children sioners in person some- Anyone interested in volunteering on Saturdays, time near January 7 (Or- please contact Mrs.Schmitt at +7-963-650-6221. Volunteering times are from 3:30-6pm. You will be expected to work with challenged children on thodox Christmas) Art Projects - this is a GREAT CAS opportunity! Get involved! This activity takes place every Saturday - a great way to show commitment!
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