April 2012 - Penguin Press by Penguin Press

The Penguin Press Issue VIII aas.point@gmail.com 07 April, 2012

Is He Dead?

- Alexander & Xenia Rakovshik

Current Events

Sports

Arts

Features

character doesn’t reappear in the remainder of the production. To the contrary, rather than stay on the sidelines, the artist disguises himself in drag, pretending to be his own grieving sister. As the artist makes busy informing the public of his own grim demise he must attempt to avoid all those who fall to his newfound feminine An aspiring artist, Jean- charm and restrain his Francois Millet, (Elliot own affections for his Roazen), stereotypi- lover. cally poverty-stricken and out of work, des- As the plot continues perately attempts to thicken, the artist and make a profit off of his his friends successwork, resorting to fak- fully cash in on his ing his own death for now priceless pieces purposes of publicity. of artwork. However, That isn’t to say that the barraged by lovers, adark Twain’s lesser known dark-comedy, “Is He Dead?”, provides an enlightening performance riddled with sexual innuendos, countless laughs and jaw-dropping plot twists that elicit squeals of delight from audience members of all ages.

mirers and a plethora of other miscellaneous misanthropes, the artist finds it increasingly difficult to resist revealing himself to his clamoring, grieving fans. Combining elements of burlesque, farce, and social satire, the comedy relies on such devices as cross-dressing, mistaken identifies, and romantic deceptions to tell the story, which races inquiries into the well explored themes of fame, greed, and the value of art. Despite the chortles, the tears and frisky behaviour, it should be noted that none of this would

have been possible without the hard work and dedication of Mr. Assimakopoulos – head of the high-school theatre department. At the end of the 2011-2012 academic year, Mr. A will be bidding farewell to the plush red seats of the Bolshoi Theatre and setting off on new horizons. For all its worth we’d like to thank you and wish you the best on your endeavors, in addition to the prospect of excellent coffee.

Spring Season Activities 2012 - Annie May

AS High School students get ready to bat, set, and smash because the CEESA Spring Season sports are finally here! Sign ups were a couple weeks ago and now tryouts are in full swing. Every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 3:45 to 5:45 students

demonstrate their skills to the coaches who take notes and try to choose the best of the best players. Not only does a participant of a CEESA sports team have to play well, but they also have to have good sportsmanship and attendance. This year AAS offers volleyball, softball,

tennis, and a new edition: spring season swimming. If sports are not your strong point you can participate in band, choir, or Helsinki MUN. After asking many students about CEESA, they all said that their favorite part of the experience was traveling with the team. This year, teams

are going to a variety of cities including Bucharest, Istanbul, Kiev, and Helsinki. AAS is actually hosting band, choir, and girls volleyball this year, so students that are not participating can come to support their friends. Taking part in CEESA is an enriching experience that has a lot of benefits. Students come back from tournaments with new friends not only in AAS, but from other schools as well. Students can try sports or activities that they had never participated in before, and possibly find something that they would like to pursue in the future. Volleyball has even created a JV team this year, so students trying the sport for the first time will have a chance

as well. A great activity that does not require any physical strength or musical talent is the Model United Nations. Students can learn about global conflicts and take part in a conference much like those that occur in the world today. Anyone can participate in CEESA and it is a great way to spend the last couple of months in the school year, so come out and join in the 2012 CEESA Spring Season!

IB Column - What I Wish I Had Done Over Spring Break - Kayla Fayh thing of break – I got to relax with my friends in Moscow and breathe… only to come back to school to get slammed by more IAs, more tests, and more new topics to cover before the end of the year.

Senior Art Exhibition - Sasha Parodi

of their work and abilities. It becomes immediately clear how much effort has been put into this event, the art bursting from the canvas and sculptures onto the walls and floors. As you walk through this hallway, each section is its own world, with its own unique beings of passion, atmosphere, music. It is incredible to see so much talent all together, in one place, grown into something

walked down a corridor of the work, tears, sweat and passion of the IB Art Seniors, now plummeting with their peers through their final stretch of the insane IB program. Two years’ worth of art is spread down this hallway, in its moment of glory, when all those countless hours

are finally pay off. The styles vary, each little corner, each setup, each work – a unique display of the artist’s character, a hint of the challenges they faced over this time span, a demonstration

more, something beautiful. The artist themselves are here and I manage to speak to some of them. They are all very excited to finally be showing their work to the community of AAS. “I had a lot of fun making it” – comments Elektra Sandarusi on one of her pieces. A number of artists commented on their strive to challenge themselves over the course of the two years, pointing out

various techniques or aspects of their work which had been a new step for them. “I’m quite happy with how my work has turned out. I was able to get in touch with the crazy and imaginative being inside of me.” – says Irina Sordiya.

pring break is a crazy week. Teachers begin crunching in material to ensure the final topics are covered, homework and tests start piling

up, and – worst of all – Spring Fever hits. The sun shines more often, the snow melts away slowly, and the prospects of summer just makes everyone’s

brains turn to dust. Unfortunately, students need to keep their brains together during this break. Last year, as a junior, I didn’t think any-

of break and the end of the school year, there are nine weeks. Nine. It doesn’t seem like much right now, but those weeks will fly by in the blink of an eye, and before you know it, you will be sitting through yet another closing cerAlthough relaxing is emony, listening to the definitely a necessity closing bell. – especially after doing almost a year of the So take this week to reIB – it probably would lax, prepare for exams, have been better if I had and get ready to sprint to spent less time watch- the end of the year. Eat, ing TV shows, talking sleep, see friends, but – to friends, and eating, most importantly –get a and more time review- little work done and be ing previous material, productive. You’ll feel preparing for school, better about yourself in and going over future the end (and everyone topics to prepare me else will wish they were for the weeks ahead. smart like you!). It might have seemed like a long time until Good luck in the next the end of the year last ten weeks, and have a year during break, but fabulous break! looking back, it really wasn’t. Between the end

High School Stockholm Syndrome Robert Doyle - IB Coordinator

Book Reviews - The Know-It-All, by A.J. Jacobs - Xenia Rakovshik

- Xenia Rakovshik

I was interested into going into education. Solely because after seeing the teachers I had had before I thought to myself, “I can do better than that.”

things done before hand in order to prepare for impending errors. That way we minimize the extent to which it impact students.

n his book The Know-It-All, Esquire and Entertainment Weekly writer, A.J. Jacobs, embarks on an epic quest involving random facts and existential angst, recounted with selfdeprecating humor. His mission, in short, is to become the smartest person in the world by reading the Encyclopaedia Britannica from a-ak to zywiec. However, the book is not solely restricted to Jacobs’ rather eccentric findings, but rather incorporates his newly found knowledge into the context of every aspect of his life- be it family, work, or social endeavors. As Jacobs’ makes his way through the metaphorical alphabetical jungle, he attempts to find his place in the

I’m studying now,” and switch universities after a year or so. But that’s only two a year, or four percent.

If you could change In what ways do stu- one thing about the Have you worked as dents interfere with this high school what would anything other than a process? it be and why? teacher? Not handing something Using a mixture of pen I worked as en electri- in, it slows down the and paper and eleccian for a couple years. I process quite a bit. tronic devices. Working always like to do hands with pen and paper and on things. I took night Do you enjoy being an later transcribing it onto school classes but I was English teacher or co- the computer. It would pretty adept at reading ordinator more? Why? make more sense in blueprints as well as terms of keeping focus. looking at something They’re two different and knowing the best things. The one thing If you could choose to way to go about fixing I miss about the class- be anyone for a day room is that you get to who would it be and it. spend a longer period why? Courtesy of Robert Doyle, Junior Yearbook of time with students, What prompted you to Photgraph so there’s a lot of jok- I’d want to be Genreturn to education? was a hairy fellow. Oh, ing. Here you do paper eral Eisenhower on the here did you at- and he had these big The clientele base is work. However I get to morning of D-Day. Just tend high school? transition glasses so as very different. In school talk to students about because you set out all he’d move towards the you are working with the goals they have in these plans but you nevIt was a Vancouver col- window and back his staff members who have life. They’re not neces- er know what’s going to lege, an all boy private glasses would change graduated from univer- sarily fun conversations go wrong. catholic school. We shades all the time. sity, whereas as an elec- but they’re meaningful. wore uniforms which trician I was managing were the basics: shirt, One of my other favou- a lot of ex-cons, people Do you find that a lot tie, slacks… and in rite classes was English, who might not show up kids focus on the “getthose days you could mostly because we had because they were ar- ting out of the house actually wear sneakers. a female teacher in an rested on the weekend. and high school” as You could get around all-boy catholic school. opposed to what they the uniform by wearing She would bring in all Did you make any actually want to do? chains, rings, and jean kinds of interesting sub- friends? jackets. jects for discussion in Last year I had a middle novel’s like the Hand- Yeah, I did. I don’t school student come up Did you wear a jean maid’s tale, or Romeo keep in touch with them and talk to me about jacket? and Juliet. Anything to though, they’re in pris- the IB program so that do with girls was pretty on now. he could plan out what Oh yeah. I loved it. exciting. he wanted to study in What do you find most university. He’s still What were your favou- How would your teach- frustrating about orga- at this school though I rite subjects? Was it be- ers describe you as a nizing the IB curricu- won’t give any names. cause of the teachers or student? lum. At least he’s planned despite the teachers? something out in adThey would say I was a With the IB it’s always vance. He might not Favourite subject would poor student, but then I the deadlines. When stick with it. by grade be history, although the happen to agree. I didn’t you’re collecting all ten you might go “oh teacher was not too ex- become a “good” stu- the material, you have I’m not sure I like this.” citing. Mr. Sponza – an dent until university. to get the teachers to We still have graduates Italian guy who wore mark it, do the paper who come back to AAS white undershirts that What did you want to work to hand it in, and and tell me, “Wow, I you could see through. do upon leaving high you always want to get really don’t like what He also had chains and school?

world amongst geniuses such as tortured artist Caravaggio, or those who qualify as complete oddities such as the Berserkers, savage Norse soldiers who went in to battle completely nude. Join him on his humble quest to become the smartest person in the world.

April Horoscope - Sophi Løge It may be a good time for you to step up and ask if they need your help. Pisces: You’ve got opinions -- who doesn’t? Keep them to yourself to risk alienating the people who’ve got your back.

agittarius: Your good spirits, great energy and awesome attitude mean that you can keep positive till the end of the school year! Capricorn: People are on your case about every last thing. Just roll

Aires: You feel the heat - even in Moscow - and with it and see if they you can feel yourself are willing to accept a pushing through to rain check or something something really great. less than what they Now is the time for you think they need. to burn the competition and make a real name Aquarius: You need for yourself! to deal with someone close -- someone who Taurus: Spell out what needs you more than it is you are planning they know how to say. to do over the next few

Virgo: You will be extremely active over the next week as you strive to complete the various tasks you started in reGemini: It’s time to get cent weeks. You know serious about somewhat you want and you thing you have been know how to get it! putting off for weeks, maybe even for months. Libra: Stop dreaming about what you would All you have to do is like to do and actually act. start doing it. The only Cancer: Never forget thing that is holding that your mind creates you back is the idea your reality. that you need to be perfect. Leo: There is nothing you cannot handle. Scorpio: You have There is nothing you every right to take your cannot do. This time of time in decision makyear makes you even ing: mistakes happen more dynamic and when people move too decisive than usual. Be fast. extraordinary. days and make sure everyone knows that you are serious about your ambitions.

Word Search - Politics CAMPAIGNS DEBATES ECONOMICS EDUCATION ELECTION FEDERAL FORUMS GOVERNMENT GREEN HEALTH LIBERAL MP NDP PARLIAMENT PC POLITICIANS POLLING PROMISES PROVINCIAL REFORM SEATS SIGNS TAXES VOTING

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