theeye Singapore American High School
Dec. 14, 2004/Vol.24 no 4
No ID needed for boozing ZOUKOUT. Over 14,000 partygoers turned out at Sentosa on Dec. 4 for ZoukOut, a party organized by popular nightclub Zouk. There were no mandatory ID checks, although certain party-goers voluntarily showed their IDs to security guards. Several underaged SAS students entered the party, now in its fourth year, without being checked. Many students told their parents they were sleeping over at friend’s houses as an excuse to party through the night. Photo by Arslan Hannani.
Halloween party under fire
Teen drinking surprises parents Parents heard a little more than they expected when the topic of a recent Halloween party was brought up at a November PTA meeting. Story by Laura Inkamp and Jonna Threlkeld.
The party, hosted by several students from the high school and chaperoned by one of those studentsʼ parents and parentsʼ friends, had been held just days before, and many PTA moms at the meeting had allowed their teens to attend. Prior to the meeting, some parents were unaware of the sexual activity and binge drinking that was occurring when teens went out at night. About a week before the Oct. 30 party, flyers were handed out to students of all grades during breaks at the high school inviting them to the party as long as they paid the $25 underclassman entrance fee or the $20 upperclassman fee. “If I had known that they had to pay for the tickets, I wouldnʼt have let them go,” an SAS parent said. “I donʼt think parents should be allowing parties where they are serving alcohol to children
underage.” Some who attended the party went without permission or did not tell their parents that there would be alcohol at the party. “My parents knew I was going, but they didnʼt know Iʼd be consuming,” an SAS sophomore said. Concern spread among parents as rumors of what actually happened at the party leaked out at meetings and in conversations. While some parents had a negative reaction to the party, there were others who supported the parents who allowed it to be held at their home, reasoning it provided a safe alternative to clubs on a Saturday night. “I think itʼs the parents who need to choose whether the child attends [a party] or not. They need to know what their kids are doing,” an SAS mother said. “It was a Halloween
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party. It should be expected that thereʼd be drinking. If parents are so naïve and outraged that alcohol was served, they need to realize that their kids are going to grow up and be drinking in grown up situations.” The SAS mother who agreed to let her son host the party said that she only received three phone calls from parents regarding the event. One called before the party to check that there were chaperones; one called during the party about a studentʼs curfew, and a third call was received after the bash, thanking her for hosting it and letting the kids have a good time. Though she was not completely comfortable with the situation, the hosting parent said that she and her husband debated it for a long time. “I decided I would take the heat and allow the party because then I could be in control,” she said. UNDERAGED DRINKERS WELCOME. Chips Cafe and Pub is just one of the many bars and clubs that have become popular haunts for students seeking a wild night out. About a week ago, a bartender informed underaged patrons that they would need a fake ID to show him the next time they came. Photo by Laura Imkamp.
The parents, along with two other chaperones, were not hesitant to deal with kids who were too rowdy or had too much to drink. Those students were told to calm down or leave the party. At 11:30 p.m., the parents closed the bar and told the underclassmen to leave. They reopened it for the upperclassmen after the underclassmen left. Parents were upset about the treatment of underclassmen at the party and the overall fact that such young students were out drinking with the consent of an adult. Some wondered why students are driven to participate in these types of night lives. “Itʼs a possibility that some people think there are not as many options in terms of recreation in Singapore, but thatʼs just an excuse,” school psychologist Dr. David Putnam said. “Kids here have fatter wallets with more cash to spend, easier access to clubs, and unchaperoned parties when parents leave town.” SACAC counselor Shanti Mohan stresses that drinking habits and susceptibility to peer pressure are strongly influenced by family relationships. She said that the closer a family is and the more openly a child can discuss topics with their parents, the less likely that child is
Party, cont. on page 2
By Alex Lloyd Cigarette smoke mingles with the putrid smell of vomit as cockroaches scuttle across the dirty linoleum floor. Drunken students stumble, nearly falling, down the unmoving escalator. In the background, music plays and disco lights dance across the curtained glass walls of Chips Cafe and Pub. SAS students have flocked to this bar and the Cuscaden Cafe and Pub. “I come here because they don’t check I.D., and it’s easy to get drinks,” said one freshman, holding a drink of vodka in his hand. “I don’t come by myself though. I come with friends.” This practice is common. According to the bartender, SAS students frequent the bar on Friday and Saturday nights. “We get big, small, all kinds of kids here,” the bartender said. “I don’t know what ages they are.” He said that the students purchase “all kinds of drinks, like beer and shots.” “My mom would go psycho if she caught me drinking,” the freshman said, drink still in hand. “My dad really doesn’t care though. He’d probably even congratulate me if I came home drunk.” His friend, another freshman holding beer, agreed. “ My mom would kill me if I came home drunk, but my dad doesn’t really care.” He added that his parents probably don’t care whether he drinks or not, but just don’t want him to come home drunk. “My parents caught my sister drinking and they were so mad,” the first freshman continued. “She doesn’t drink anymore so I guess she learned her lesson.”
2 news
Dec. 14, 2004
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The Eye
Biotech class finds killer
By Michael Hu Criminal Forensics, a unit of the Biotechnology class, has spawned a class of its own that will be offered to students next year. “Last year a survey was completed by all the students who took Biotech, and the survey revealed that Criminal Forensics was the most popular area of our Biotech units, and that we should develop that area a bit more,” Biotech teacher Kim Melsom said. Senior Mattias Gyllborg, a student in Melsomʼs Biotechnology class, thinks that Criminal Forensics was the most interesting part of the Biotech curriculum because it was presented in a more interesting way than other units. The new Criminal Forensics class would go into greater detail on forensics, whereas Biotechnology only covers the main aspects of forensics, in addition to several other Biotechnology topics. The two are different enough in their areas of focus that, other than the DNA amplification unit, there would be no overlap at all between the two classes. With Criminal Forensics being
removed from the Biotechnology curriculum, it would make way for more topics to be covered in Biotechnology, such as Human Genetic Diseases, which would teach students how to detect HIV and colon cancer, as well as cell tissue culturing through lab activities. The Biotechnology class recently took part in the “Who Killed Mr. Chmelik?” activity, in which they applied techniques learned in class to solve a murder case. Melsom recruited Principal Paul Chmelik, Deputy Principal Dave Norcott, and Chmelikʼs secretary Boni to participate in the activity. “I simply had to take up a ʻdead positionʼ and look like I wasnʼt going anywhere,” Chmelik said. “I had to remember to lie down where the blood spatters were.” Hair, saliva and blood samples were taken from Chmelik and Norcott as evidence. Students eventually solved the case and identified Norcott as the murderer. The activity was very popular among the Biotechnology students. “I thought it was a great way
to learn the various crime scene techniques as well as learning how real criminal forensics works,” Gyllborg said. If he had the option of taking Criminal Forensics next year, Gyllborg says he would definitely take the class. “I think their reactions were quite positive. It was certainly the most discussed aspect of the course this year,” Melsom said. “I wouldnʼt be surprised if some of this yearʼs students take Criminal Forensics next year. It simply made science fun.” CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATION. Biotech students Kenny Soh, Jennifer Han, Jonathan Lee, Ambreen Momin, Pui Yan Chan, Mattias Gyllborg and Andrew Wong listen to teacher Kim Melsom as they begin their “Who Killed Mr. Chmelik?” activity. After being tipped off by Chmelik’s secratary Bonira Rahaman, the class investigated the murder and recovered DNA samples from Chmelik and the crime scene. They eventually determined that Deputy Principal Dave Norcott was the murderer. Photo by Brian Linton.
Seniors scramble for rec letters
By Doug Fagan Other than choosing what colleges gaps.” The counselor and teacher to apply to, one of the tougher recommendations help colleges decisions in the application process u nderstand is deciding which different aspects teachers to ask to of students that write college recs. cannot be seen Logging onto in a GPA or SAT the counseling score. website and “Colleges filling out the are looking for rec forms may examples of seem tedious, but how teachers they are helpful have observed to teachers and problem solving counselors when abilities [in they are trying students] and to make students their passion seem more for the subject,” appealing to counselor Frieda colleges. Dietrich said. “ T h e “The counselor forms help us pulls all the to remember STARTING EARLY. Freshman Jacob Massobriothings that are Cheung begins his college search early by pieces together. “ T h e relevant about visiting a Pepperdine University representative counselor rec the students,” at a college fair. Photo by Brian Linton. h i g h l i g h ts counselor Dale how the student has contributed Ford said. “The lengthy background information given helps fill in the to the school and attempts to fill
in gray areas in the application. A student could have a 3.2 GPA but be a stunning leader. The counselor makes that person come alive.” Counselors write about 40 recommendations per year, one for each student, but the amount teachers write varies from year to year. Physics teacher Robert Blankinship writes about 30 per year. “I donʼt refuse any students,” Blankinship said. “I have students ask that I donʼt think highly of as a student, but I think highly of as a person. There are always many positive things that you can find about a person.” Counselors are sometimes faced with the dilemma of having to write recs for students that they did not get to know very well over the course of their high school tenure. “We have to pull information out of them,” Dietrich said. “From September to November, we are talking to teachers and asking about their memories of the students. Teachers have really good memories of students.”
Party, from page 1 to use alcohol or see alcohol as a solution to their problems. Parents were surprised to hear about events that took place at the October party. “When parents hear about this, they donʼt know whatʼs going on,” an SAS parent said. ”A lot of parents have no clue what reality is for students here in Singapore,” An SAS upperclassman who did not drink that evening described the party: “It started out okay. A lot of people had drinks, but they were pretty responsible about it. Then the freshman started getting out of hand. They were falling all over the place and some got sick. They started to annoy everyone else at the party,” she said. Despite the age differences between underclassmen and upperclassmen, younger students have been finding their ways into bars and parties in Singapore for years. Putnam said that part of younger studentsʼ drive to drink comes from the studentsʼ need to fit into the social hierarchy in the school. He said that because the older
students drink, the younger ones think that joining in the partying will give them more status. Charging for alcohol or entrance to a party limits the access to alcohol for teenagers, and while it would seem these extra fees would hinder underclassman from going out, they simply make the idea more desirable. Parents who forbid their kids to drink often trigger the same effect. “My parents donʼt tell me not to drink because they know I will anyway,” an SAS sophomore said. Dr. Putnam said that cultural backgrounds are a factor in the way parents react to underage drinking. Europeans for example, tend be more relaxed when it comes to their child and alcohol, since legal drinking ages tend to be lower. For example, in Germany, the official drinking age is 16, whereas in the United States, the legal drinking age is 21. Because of this, Americans tend to be much more conservative when it comes to letting their kids consume alcohol. “If parents think their kids arenʼt drinking, theyʼve got their heads in the sand,” the parents hosting the party said.
Students ignore new local laws against illegal movie and music downloads By Alex Lloyd Falling music sales in Asia and pressure from Washington have spurred the Singaporean government to introduce new copyright laws that will include fines and even jail terms for copyright infringement. The laws go into effect next year. People caught illegally downloading or using software could face six months in jail and fines of up to $20,000 for a first offense. Punishments for continued offenses include three years in jail and a fine of $50,000. A July report by the Business Software Alliance said that 53 percent of software on computers
in Asia-Pacific was pirated. Music sales in Asia also fell 9.8 percent in 2003. Many SAS students download music illegally by using programs such as Kazaa. “I donʼt want to pay for the music,” sophomore Rick Crusemann said. “Itʼs so much cheaper to download and the companies donʼt really need the money.” Crusemann thought the laws would not be enforced. “The police have better things to do than track down kids who are downloading,” Crusemann said. Junior Mark Allen felt that the
laws would probably be enforced. “When you look at how the States handled it in universities with all the lawsuits and the people they caught, I think if they wanted to, the government could get a lot of people,” Allen said. Piracy rates are already dropping in Singapore, but knockoff CDs and movies are still a problem. “Everybody downloads here and everyone has pirated movies,” Allen said. “I think if they catch enough people they could scare people here out of doing it.”
FREE MUSIC AND MOVIE DOWNLOADS. Students use programs such as Kazaa and LimeWire to illegally download music and movies for free.While alternatives such as iTunes offer songs for download for 99 cents each, most students forego this service for free, but illegal, downloads.
The Eye
Alex Lloyd
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Had a tough week? Drink your cares away
Friday and Saturday nights are the best nights of the week. Why? Two words: alcohol and fun. There couldnʼt be anything better than getting drunk, incredibly drunk, to the point that the fantastic might happen—I could black out and not remember any of it. Awesome right? Itʼs what everyone looks forward to on the weekend: the big party, lots of drink, lots of people. Maybe I wonʼt remember what happened at the party the next day. But Iʼll remember that it was awesome, and thatʼs all that matters. When Iʼm old, and my mind is incapacitated by alcohol-induced dementia (what do I really need it for anyway?) Iʼll tell the nurses in the hospital how great the gap in my memory must have been. I mean, it must have been great, because all the parts that I can remember are boring. Iʼll tell the nurses how grateful
Early Start
they should all be for alcohol, because without it I wouldnʼt be there to pay their salaries. If they tell me Iʼm wrong, Iʼll tell them that theyʼre just a bunch of ingrates, and that they should all be living in the past with the prohibitionists (a fact I learned about one sober day in AP US History). But back to that big party. The greatest part about it was that the next day I had so many new friends. People saying “hi” that I had never seen before, and then the occasional slap (a bit confusing!). If I tally all the times something like this has happened, wow, I must be friends with nearly every student in the whole high school! (Except for the losers who donʼt drink.) If I live to the age of thirty (drinking and driving can be hard okay?) and have thirty plus kids (canʼt remember where they came from) Iʼll be teaching them how beneficial a beer is.
op / ed 3
Dec. 14, 2004
Good for the heart, so those science geeks tell me, and good for the beer belly Iʼve always dreamed of (by the way whatʼs cancer?). Especially good for my pregnant wife because it gives our kids unique looks and they end up thinking just like me. In fact, when you take into account all of the benefits of alcohol, why drink water? All we need is intravenously injected alcohol! No more boring, bland, tasteless water that I never really liked anyway and never really did anything for me; never got me drunk, never allowed me to have fun, never got me any friends, and never killed any of that useless gray matter that they tell me you donʼt use half of anyway. Being drunk is so great that I donʼt see the use in ever being sober. Besides, when am I ever going to have to think straight in real life?
by Fred Glander
staff editorial
Free speech rightfully exercised by students, teachers Recently, there has been a disagreement within the faculty about what political clubs should be allowed to show during school. Yet, they seem to be forgetting that political dissidents founded the United States. They seem to forget that the founding fathers fought for a country so people could speak out, for or against the political party in power. Clubs, like Democratic Studentʼs United and Save the Elephants are just using their right to free speech. Political clubs are an outlet for students to express their political opinions and at the same time encourage the student body to get involved in politics. Though high school is an impressionable time, clubs like these allow students to explore their stance on American politics, and through the examples of others, form their own opinions. Teachers play an important role in the development of their students. Using this past election as an indication, teachers can also influence studentsʼ opinions on politics. However, this should be a positive influence that students are subjected to. A teacherʼs political influence should motivate and encourage students to take a stance, form their own views, and take an active role in the world. As high school students, we may be easily manipulated by the media and swayed by peer
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“Vodka Martini bartender, shaken not stirred.”
Briefs
Eye and Islander earn publication awards
By Doug Fagan With a total score of 962 out of a possible 1000, the 20032004 Eye recieved a Gold Medal for from the Columbia Scholastic Press Association. The Columbia evaluator called the design phenomenal and the product “an outstanding paper and a great read.” The Eye received a First Class rating with three Marks of Distinction from the National Scholastic Press Association (NSPA) and an International First Place Award from Quill and Scroll News Media. The Quill and Scroll
evaluator said the paper “is a strong piece of high school journalism.” “[You have] solid coverage with topics that directly affect your school,” the NSPA critic said. “I am happy to see that you are not afraid to cover controversial subject matter.”
Committee talks about IB program By Michael Hu The Curriculum Committee of the Board of Governors met on November 18 to discuss the possibility of offering the IB Diploma program at SAS in the future. According to Director of Staff Development and Curriculum
Mark Boyer, the Committee will further continue its discussion on the IB, although no definitive decision has been made as yet. “There were some aspects of the IB program that were of interest to us, especially the Theory of Knowledge course,” Boyer said. “We have decided on nothing definitive or complete in terms of any particular direction we might take.” The Committee is currently gathering more data on the IB, including costs involved in offering the program. Boyer said that staff would be included in future discussions on the IB, although the Curriculum Committee first needs to gather more information before taking the discussions further.
pressure, yet we still have the ability to express and form our own opinions, which includes the right to speak out against the President if we do not agree with his policies. If we all conformed to a single viewpoint and there was never any conflict between opposing political parties, an intrinsic function of free speech would be lost. Part of what unites our school is the fact that we are all different and that we do have different political viewpoints, yet we are still able to come together to save the future of pep rallies, bring home six IASAS medals, and put on a musical and dance production within the same quarter. Mixing politics and school can be risky business, but it is worth the risk. It can have a positive influence on the entire student body by encouraging students to become aware of important world issues. With the support of their teachers, students should be encouraged to practice their right to free speech, but at the same time learn not to abuse this powerful tool. We should be allowed to speak out against the president, but also acknowledge his accomplishments. “The President is merely the most important among a large number of public servants. He should be supported or opposed exactly to the degree which is warranted by his good conduct or bad conduct,” President Teddy Roosevelt said.
Singapore American High School 40 Woodlands Street 41 Republic of Singapore 738547 Staff: (65) 6363-3404 x537 Adviser: (65) 6363-3404 x539 Fax: (65) 6363-6443 eye@sas.edu.sg
Editors-in-chief: Doug Fagan, Laura Imkamp News editor: Mike Hu Op/Ed editor: Phil Haslett Features editor: Ally Vaz A&E editor: Bridget Hanagan Sports editor: Alex Lloyd Reporters: Penn Bullock, Priyanka Dev, Doug Fagan, Bridget Hanagan, Phil Haslett, Kelsey Heiner, Ted Ho, Mike Hu, Laura Imkamp, Lon LeSueur, Alex Lloyd, Jonna Threlkeld, Ally Vaz Adviser: Mark Clemens Assistant adviser: Judy Agusti The Eagle Eye is the student newspaper of the Singapore American School. All opinions stated within these pages are those of their respective writers and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Singapore American School, its board of governors, PTA, faculty or administration. Comments and suggestions can be sent to the Eagle Eye via the Internet at eye@sas.edu.sg. At the authorʼs request, names can be withheld from publication. Letters will be printed as completely as possible. The Eagle Eye reserves the right to edit letters for reasons of taste and space.
IASAS
4 features
Dec. 14, 2004
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The Eye
Model United Nations French School At SAS By Kelsey Heiner Aside from debating and voting on resolutions or caucusing within their committees, some students attending Model United Nations have had to deal with other problems. English is their second language. Since all meetings and committees are conducted in English, it has been difficult for some students from the Lycee Francais de Singapour (French School) to fully contribute to the debates going on in their specific committees. “They all speak the language perfectly,” Lebanon delegate Delphine Berger said. “Iʼm scared to speak because I feel like I donʼt know how to use the grammar
correctly.” Both Berger and fellow delegate Madeline Woker were impressed with the English-speakers command of the formal language used in committee meetings and at the General Assembly. “The natural speakers are more spontaneous with their answers, and it takes me longer to respond to their arguments,” Woker said. Lycee Francais de Singapour is the only school of the 18 participating international schools that is not an English speaking school. Of the six delegates from the French School, only two are completely fluent in English.
“I lived in England for seven years, so the language change is not that big of a deal,” delegate Marie Capelle said. The six French school delegates were participating in MUN for the first time. “It was a great learning experience, and was very interesting. I would definitely do it again next year,” Berger said.
GENERAL ASSEMBLY: MUN delegates vote on passing resolutions debated in the committees in the first two days of the convention
IN DISCUSSION: Representatives of the Vatican pore over the bible for some breaktime inspiration
M.U.N. Briefs The good, the bad, the phallic By Phil Hasslet With all the silk neckties, shined alligator shoes, ultra-slim laptops and formal language like “Can the honorable delegate please explain,” IASAS MUN certainly is a serious event. The tension among delegates was sometimes reduced through some friendly note-passing. One delegate went a step further by entertaining his entire Human Trafficking committee. Brazil delegate Winston Kung from Taipei American School (TAS) earned his 15 minutes of fame during a Right to Statement, when he proposed the farming of Brazilian bananas. Kungʼs comments were phallic and sexually suggestive according to Elaine Tay from Brunei International
School (BIS). Delegates rose en masse in response to remarks they thought that, while humorous, were insulting and definitely out-of-line. MUN guidelines state that any delegate whose “personal or national integrity has been insulted” may stand for recognition from the chair, but may not talk. In this case, the latter of the procedures was breached, but due to the quantity of angry delegates, Committee Chairs did not take any action. The joker among a deck of proper folk, Kung eased the committeeʼs serious mood. “Everythingʼs gone smoothly,” said Tay, the Committee Chair.
Note sparks dismissal threats COMMITTEE OF HUMAN TRAFFICKING: Delegates gather to discuss alliances in support of resolutions
DEBATE IN SESSION: Delegates from the Climate Control Committee listen intently as the Chairs direct the committee meeting
By Phil Hasslet A delegate was removed from his committee after his remarks about terrorist identity sparked a feud with another delegate on Thursday. Bangkok Patana School (BPS) student Norrapat Shih, representing Turkey, told members of the Iraqi reconstruction committee that all terrorists came from Iraq and Iran. Iraq delegate Damon Porter, from the International School of Bangkok (ISB), rose to disagree with the statement. Shih usurped the CommitteeChairʼs role and ordered Porter to sit down. This resulted in his first warning. MUN Rules of Procedures states that the chairman of a session may issue warnings to delegates “for acts considered undiplomatic.” A first warning
warrants no penalty, a second warning results in the withdrawal of speaking or voting privileges for one resolution, and a third warning ends in the removal of the delegate from the room. Shih, after receiving his first warning, said to the CommitteeChairs, “Your honors, if you want to give me my second warning, then go ahead.” The Chairs then issued a second warning. Shihʼs third warning and dismissal spurred from a frivolous note attributed to Shih. He claims someone else wrote it. “Itʼs okay. I just went to the library and read Mein Kampf,” he said. Shih was allowed to return to his committee and participate on Friday.
The Eye
15 Minutes of Fame Andrew Hallam
By Ted Ho While other students head off to do tedious vocab exercises, the students of Andrew Hallamʼs English class prepare themselves for their vocab exams with games that involve popping air balloons and shouting out, “I am sexy.” There is no such thing as a typical day in Hallamʼs English class. In his 85-minute-classes, Hallam does his best to encourage his students to learn and participate in a more hands-on approach. “I know that high school can sometimes be boring for some students and I feel that it is my job to make school interesting for them,” Hallam said. To encourage his students to learn, he devised games to help students remember important words. Including, “I am sexy,” where students are split into two groups and a person on each team shares the same number as the person on the opposite team. Hallam will then say a number and the first person to yell, “I am sexy,” gets to answer his vocab questions earning a point for their team if they answer correctly. “It is impossible 85 minutes of my class without me calling on you or asking you to participate in some way,” Hallam said. Hallam said that in his classes the student is always the main focus. “I try to be unpredictable to prevent them from daydreaming,” Hallam said. Hallam does this by suddenly jumping on tables and doing upside down pushups in order to attract the attention of his students. “If there is a class that is impossible to fall asleep in, it would be Mr. Hallamʼs class,” Junior Karan Parikh said. Hallam, who has a
passion for running, biking and vocabulary words, often shares his experiences with his students to encourage them to participate in sports and in learning. “Mr Hallam has at least 50 different stories about his biking and running trips,” Junior Benjamin Spalter said. “There was this one time where he told us how he biked from the tip of Portugal to England and had to sleep in ditches and stay with people he didnʼt really know.” Hallam started the trip with only 200 Canadian dollars, and completed it within four weeks. Before coming to SAS as an English teacher, Hallam was a national-level bike rider during the 1980s, and had considered becoming a professional biker. He chose instead to pursue a career in English. “I decided to become an English teacher because English was one of my strongest subjects in High School and I really enjoy teaching the subject,” Hallam said. Hallam still keeps his fitness level up by working out in the gym and doing 80minute runs every week. “I donʼt believe in spending long periods of time in the gym. I believe in the intensity of the workout,” Hallam said. “There was only one time in class Iʼve seen Mr. Hallam tired out, and that was because he had just run up to the top of Mt. Kinabalu the day before and came back to Singapore at 2 a.m, Monday morning,” Spalter said. Hallam plans to teach for a few more years, but already has a good idea of his career path. “Iʼd like to be a personal trainer after teaching English,” Hallam said.
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Dec. 14, 2004
features 5
Paralympian talks about his art By Kelsey Heiner When Gregory Burns spoke to Barbara Harveyʼs studio art class, he chose to show the students a clip of him swimming in the ʻ96 Paralympics when he lost a close race in the finals to a Paralympian from China. “Weʼre not all meant to win all the time,” he said. “Itʼs all relative because weʼre all striving to be the best we can be.” When he was 10 months old, Burns contracted polio while living in Jerusalem and was paralyzed from the waist down. As a child, he attended “regular” school, which he said was very important to his development growing up. “I grew up just like a regular kid,” Burns said. Burns was determined even at a young age to prove himself. “There was no role model for people with disabilities when I was young,” he said. This led him to focus on who he was as an individual and what he wanted to accomplish. Burns stressed the importance of selfdiscovery, especially in high-school. “It is very important, and itʼs great to be able to experiment with different things in your life right now,” he said. Discovering who you are and what you want to do, he said is something that will take a long time
but it is better to focus on one thing that you love and excel in it, rather than be just average a lot of things. “When are you going to find that thing to master, the thing that makes you tick?” he asked the class. Burns is an avid surfer, scuba diver and rock climber. His main interests in school were sports and art ad he made careers out of both. Burnsʼ swimming career spans twenty-seven years. He has amassed seven medals in the Paralympics and holds nine world records. Burns credits his disability with making him more of an introspective person. He sees disabilities as more of a challenge rather than an obstacle. Accepting this challenge was a huge step for him. “It really isnʼt what you have or donʼt have,” he said, “It doesnʼt matter what you look like or what talents you have. What is most important is what we do with what we have and how you can maximize your talents.” Burns retired from professional swimming at 40 and devotes his full attention to painting. He now spends his time traveling, painting, and writing. “Art has been a huge part of my life ever since I was a kid,” he said. He started painting at age five encouraged by his parents and some key teachers who helped him to take his art more seriously. Starting with
Gossip Never Dies
BATTLE OF THE MIND. Artist Gregory Burns and art students watch a power point and talk about overcoming his disability and his present successes. Photo by Laura Imkamp
Whether in middle or high school, students will still try to find a way
WEB OF LIES Screen capture of a Xanga blog libelling four students from the highschool. The Web is now a “secure” base from which perpetrators can launch their gossip stories anonymously. Graphic by Laura Imkamp.
By Priyanka Dev Gossip used to be cruel words that decorated bathroom stalls. It would circulate around school along with weekend stories of parties and drinking—and that was it. Today, gossip has found a new home: Xanga, “The Weblog Community.” A Xanga blog created by an SAS high school student defames four girls in the high school. While the exact date of creation is unknown, the first posting was made Oct 27. Music, specifically the theme song of “George of the Jungle”, and enhanced graphics were later added. Racist and defamatory comments under pictures of the girls are peppered with misspelled words. The girls are compared to jungle animals and their characters attacked. Robin Hu, an executive vicepresident for Singapore Press Holdings, looked at a screenshot of the Xanga blog and said that, under Singapore law, it did constitute libel and defamation. He said that
realistic work, he moved towards abstract work. He has exhibited his work in over ten countries around the world. Traveling is also major part of Burnʼs life. Whether he is trekking in Nepal or touring Europe, he always has his painting supplies and a journal with him. He encouraged the art students, to paint on location. “I try to capture all of the energy Iʼve built up and try to press it into the canvas or paper. By painting on location, you can draw in a huge net of experience and then put it into your art,” Burns said. He urged them to paint something new. “Youʼre not a camera,” he told the class.
anonymous internet publications are difficult to prosecute. “It is not easy to find the person who committed the libel,” Hu said. Many students have visited the blog, curious to read what was written about the girls. “Whoever made the site has a lot of time,” Junior Dhruv Sahgal said. “They are pretty creative, but in the wrong way.” The four girls were not deeply offended. Some posted their own “eProps” in response to the creatorʼs posting. “I was laughing my head off,” one of the four girls said. “I couldnʼt believe that someone could have so much time and put so much effort into fabricating lies about my life.” With students turning to weblog communities like Xanga as a means of expressing themselves and spreading rumors, gossip has been revolutionized. Once a posting is made on Xanga and other weblog communities, hardly anyone can
prevent it from being seen. Insults remain permanently posted unless removed by the creator. “Xanga has become the electronic version of the rumor mill,” high school Deputy Principal Dave Norcott said. “When it is used to harass, intimidate, or degrade someone else, it is wrong.” Norcott, in accordance with an administrative decision, blocked school-wide access to the Xanga site early last year in an effort to avoid problems. Students, however, still have the ability to abuse Xanga from the privacy of their own homes. “We cannot police the internet,” Norcott said. “We will do everything in our power to maintain respect and ensure people are not being hurtful.” Other internet websites have seen similar abuse. Sites like RateMyTeachers.com, which allows students to rate teachers from different schools and submit comments, have seen an increasing trend of harsh insults being posted. Faculty members are often defamed and attacked on these websites for personal reasons. “It would bother me if my teaching was attacked or criticized, but students and how they perceive me as a person does not bother me,” English teacher Mark Guggisberg said. As internet use expands, so do the ways of gossiping. Student weblogs like Xanga serve not only as a means for students to connect with one another, but as demonstrated in the SAS community, as a means to gossip.
6 features
Dec. 14, 2004
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The Eye
Peer Pressure: the good and the bad By Bridget Hanagen and Ally Vaz Girls are at the most risk to the negative influences of peer pressure, according to a study conducted by the National Institute of Health. They are also more likely to drink alcohol as a direct result of peer pressure. “Girls tend to be more significantly effected by being rejected and because of that make it a goal to belong to a certain group of people; wanting to be popular becomes a direct part of their thinking,” high school psychologist Dr. Putnam said. Unlike in middle school, where there is a visible, structured hierarchy within the student body, the pressure to conform is less evident in the high school. When high school students were asked whether they feel affected by peer pressure, most people said it had no effect on them. Even though many people claim they are not affected by peer pressure, these same people all readily agree that it does exist in school.
“I think girls naturally feel that they have to fit in,” freshman Kat Cooper said, “I think itʼs the pressure from what they think high school is.” Cooper said that while she was in middle school, she would hear people talk about how they would be able to go drinking and clubbing when they got to high school. “People drink because of peer pressure, because they like it and they donʼt know how to have fun without it,” Cooper said. Peer pressure will always be an issue that teens must learn to deal with because it stems from a personʼs desire to fit in and belong to a certain group of people. To “belong,” people feel that they have to look and act a certain way or else the group will reject them, Dr. Putnam said. In high school especially, people are defined by who the hang out with. “There are so many different groups in this school that you try and fit into one, and I feel that sometimes I have to change to fit in with a
These Subtle, Influential Forces . . .
certain group of people,” senior Vikki Chuensukswadi said. However, for most people doing things to fit is not deliberate. “Itʼs natural to reflect on the people around you, which is what most students do in high school,” Dr. Putnam said. Others feel that peer pressure can be completely prevented by the group of people you hang out with. By being friends with people who are into to their own thing and are less judgemental, then there is less pressure to conform and act a certain way, senior Amanda Choumon said. Also, “if you have set morals, then you can stick to them in the face of pressure,” sophomore Carolyn Wit said. Whether you think peer pressure effects you or not, it is an important issue to understand because it is a “totally real” presence in high school, Dr. Putnam said. Girls especially, should be aware of the reasons why they act or dress a certain because many times, without even realizing it, itʼs what their friends are doing.
Even with pressure to club, drink and to look good in high school, there is positive peer pressure too. High school counselor Dale Ford said that many high school students are positively influenced when it comes to academics. “Peer pressure can also have positive connotations,” Ford said, “you donʼt come to school to do your homework and because you actually like the classes, you come because of your friends.” “Itʼs a competitive culture, whether itʼs sports or fine arts and especially grades,” senior Barnabas Lin said, “Weʼre competitive and that is what we are known for by all the other International schools.” Senior Elise Nilsson thinks there definitely is more peer pressure towards grades here because of the competition. “Everyone needs a little competition to motivate them,” Nilsson said, “but I also think it can get too extreme sometimes because you push yourself too hard.”
a picture drama by AllyBy Vaz Ally Vaz. Photos Photos by byAlly AllyVaz Vaz and and Erich Erich Bussing Bussing EW! THAT’S SO GROSS. GET SOMETHING ELSE.
HEY MATT WHAT ARE YOU GETTING?
In your own words... On why kids Drink
“To be part of the
group so they don’t do something to seperate themselves from their friends.” -Andrew Chin
“Most girls drink
because they think it would make them look cool.” -Freshman Girl
“For me it has al-
ways been a personal choice. For other people they may be influenced by their friends.” -Senior Girl
On whether peer pressure is a big factor in high school
“It depends on
whether you have a spine or not.”
- Jade Myers
COLD CUT TRIO WITH VINEGAR, PEPPERS AND ONIONS
“I don’t think there’s any pressure at all.”
- Cayley Coulbourn HEY I NEED TO INTERVIEW YOU FOR THE EYE. HAVE YOU EVER FELT PEER PRESSURE IN HIGH SCHOOL?
EXCUSE ME. I’VE CHANGED MY MIND. CAN I GET A PIZZA SUB INSTEAD?
On how peer pressure affects students
“It makes me more
NO, NOT AT ALL
conscious of the way I look, and as a result, I’ve become more obsessive about it.”
- Junior Girl
Students, watch your language By Penn Bullock Following an incident in which several expletives slipped into a broadcast of the Morning Show, Principal Paul Chmelik and department chairs proposed a policy on inappropriate language. The statement was introduced after a clip from the movie “Ferris Buellerʼs Day Off” was shown on the Morning Show. In the clip, the word “s- - t” was repeated three times. The incident was exacerbated by an on-air gaffe involving an announcerʼs ill-advised pun on the word “balls” two weeks later. The student was given a week of afterschool detention and was banned from the Morning Show for the rest of the semester. Chmelik and the chairs talked about inserting the statement into the
Student Handbook, but after several rounds of discussion it was decided that it would remain a private document. “The policy evolved through the discussion,” Chmelik said, “and through the course of it, they decided it wouldnʼt be published in the handbook.” Chmelik said the group had agreed that the document would merely serve as a “reminder” to the faculty and the administration that swearing is an issue. They also agreed that it would not be made available for “public consumption.” “Itʼs a heads-up saying that weʼre careful about videos that are shown on the Morning Show,” he said. Though heʼs received a few complaints from parents about inappropriate language, including
Use of profanity in movie clip on Morning Show moves department chairs to consider policy statement on inappropriate language
one about the alleged overuse of the word “hell” in the play “South Pacific,” Chmelik doesnʼt regard swearing in school as a major problem. “I donʼt think itʼs a really big deal,” he said. When the statement was put forward at a faculty meeting for consideration, many teachers expressed concern that it would lead to the censorship of controversial literature and subject matters, and a majority felt it was unnecessary. English teacher Anne-Marie Russell said that whether certain language is appropriate or not “depends on the context in which it is used.” She said that a distinction must be made between the kind of flippant, casual swearing that occurs
among students and occasionally leaks into classrooms, and the kind of “artistic” swearing that is found in literature and is often integral to the theme or story. “If [the language] were aggressive or violent, I would treat it very seriously,” she said, referring to profanity among students. English teacher Rick Silverman shared Russellʼs views. Silverman read the statement and said he was worried by its content. “It could be misinterpreted and used against teachers by parents or students,” he said. Silverman is against censorship but admonishes students against “cussing” in class. Regarding old classics like “Huckleberry Finn” and “Catcher in the Rye,” which have been banned
by some schools in the United States because of their allegedly racist overtones, Silverman believes that the “historical context” is key. “The racist epithets bother me but we need to talk about it,” he said. Silverman allows students to optout of reading books that they consider inappropriate, and said he would never impose questionable literature on a “captive audience” such as a classroom. But Silverman, like Russell, advocates a hand-off approach on the part of the administration, and believes that bad language is a matter that should be left up to teachers and students and dealt with on a class-by-class basis. “Give the teachers some credit for being professionals, and give the students some credit for understanding what the teacherʼs trying to do.”
The Eye
MUN delegates bolster Peace crowd
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Dec. 14, 2004
arts 7
By Kelsey Heiner Even with threatening rain clouds overhead, 800 students rocked out at this yearʼs Peace Concert 2004. The date for the event was pushed back from Halloween this year so that it would coincide with MUN. MUN participants were given tickets to the concert and 200 more people attended this yearʼs concert. The theme for this yearʼs concert was Respect. “We chose the theme Respect because it was a good way to encapsulate a lot of minor themes like respect between gender, race and religion,” said Peace Concert chairmen Pratyush Rastogi, “We could focus on all of those themes while raising awareness at school.” The concert raised 11,500 dollars that will be donated to eight different charities in six countries. Nine bands played at the concert, including SAS band Mistral which closed out the event. Local recording artists, Pug Jelly were one of the opening acts and really got the crowd going. “Iʼm a huge fan of Pug Jelly!” UWC student Sid Saikia said, “I canʼt believe theyʼre here playing at Peace Concert.” While Pug Jelly got the crowd on their feet and the concertʼs momentum rolling, some of the peace interludes between acts slowed up the pace of the concert. Many students chose to sit in the stands rather than jump in the mosh pit or stand near the stage. “I think the concert could use more energy, but itʼs still really fun with your friends,” said Lorie Hark, a student visiting from the German School. Many of the students attending were people participating in MUN or from other schools across Singapore. Having the peace concert during MUN gave the MUN participants a chance to meet each other. “I think Peace Concert is a good environment to meet people without their suits on. It is a more relaxed environment,” said MUN participant Colin Hanna from HKIS.
Photos from top: Violinist Joanna Tu and Mistral band members Nigel Wylie, Eric Williams and Riyohei Kiyohara perform for Peace Concert. Lead Guitarist from Carillon plays during one of the peace concert interludes. Seniors Jade Myers and Nina Rosche enjoy the music of Carillon performed by band members Richard Bates, Ethan Bates, and two UWC students. Eric Williams takea a break from the guitar for the last song of the set. Students pay close attention to Joanna Tu and Nigel Wylie Photos by Laura Imkamp.
8 sports
Dec. 14, 2004
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The Eye
IASAS Exchanges swimming **Top two times from each event Girls
Boys
400 IM Relay SAS A - 4:50.06 JIS A - 4:56.84
400 IM Relay SAS A - 4:29.24 JIS A - 4:32.42
200 Free Sara Tan - 2:15.78 Kate Parkinson - 2:20.60
200 Free David Round - 2:01.99 Will Koen - 2:14.22
100 Breast Natty Chalermpalanupap - 1:22.24 Courtney Taylor - 1:26.65
100 Breast Mark Fordney - 1:10.01 Jian Yee - 1:19.56
50 Fly Sara Tan - 31.67 Casey Deford - 33.37
50 Fly David Round - 28.41 Thomas Brisson - 29.09
SWIMMERS TAKE YOUR MARK: Jakarta swimmer, senior Dallas Jones and SAS swimmers Dennis Jow, Kristian Danorwayan and Alex Lloyd dive in for the start of the 400 meter IM. Photo by Laura Imkamp.
200 Back Whitney Taylor - 2:24.64* Natty Chalermpalanupap - 2:25.17
200 Back Dallas Jones - 2:28.38 Paul Ham - 2:32.49
Santa Claus brings new records
50 Free Courtney Taylor - 29.55 Rumiko Nagafuchi - 30.1
50 Free David Round - 25.47 Mark Fordney - 26.28
400 IM Kate Parkinson - 5:26.36 Casey Deford - 6:08.90
400 IM Ivor Mollema - 5:12.06 Dallas Jones - 5:16.80
100 Free Whitney Taylor - 1:02.27 Joanne Round - 1:06.95
100 Free Brad Bordwell - 59.72 Jonathan Busch - 1:00.02
200 Breast Kate Parkinson - 2:54.72 Sarina Hemungkorn - 2:56.72
200 Breast Mark Fordney - 2:36.15 Dennis Jow - 2:47.56
400 Free Courtney Taylor - 5:08.01 Rumiko Nagafuchi - 5:12.15
400 Free Kristian Danorwayan - 4:38.70 Will Koen - 4:46.10
By Priyanka Dev While many students were digging into turkey, mashed potatoes, and stuffing over Thanksgiving weekend, hundreds of swimmers were focused on the Santa Claus Swim Meet. Swim teams from Bangkok, Manila, Beijing, Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur, Taipei, Jakarta, and Singapore gathered to compete in this event at the SAS pool on Nov. 27 and 28. The Hong Kong Island Stingrays, after winning the meet in 2002 and 2003, walked away with their third consecutive first place prize. The team earned 501 points, leading in the overall point tally. The annual meet, hosted by SACAC and Singaporeʼs Fighting Fish, included swimmers of all grade levels competing in different age groups.
The High School Swim team combined with Fighting Fish to form Singaporeʼs team, with high school swimmers competing in the 100-meter, 200-meter, and 400-meter races. The Singapore squad followed behind Hong Kong in the point tally with 476 points, placing second. Junior Whitney Taylor was one of the highest-scoring swimmers, breaking three SAS school records in the 200-meter IM, 400-meter freestyle, and 200-meter freestyle events. Two of these records were 18year-old records set in 1986. “The meet was crazy, and hectic, but a lot of fun,” Taylor said. “At the same time, it was pretty competitive.”
The Santa Claus Swim Meet also arose as the first opportunity for this yearʼs high school team to race against other teams. “This was the first real race for the swimmers,” high school swim coach Jay Kumpel said. “The team is looking like they are strong, disciplined, and hard-working.” Kumpel added that this gave the team an idea of where they stood. He also said many of the newer, younger swimmers of the high school team performed surprisingly well. Many of the teamsʼ swimmers agreed that they are satisfied with the results of the Santa Claus meet. “Weʼve been working really hard so far this season,” Taylor said. “This meet showed us that it is just starting to pay off.”
Boys’ basketball comeback seals fifth Hong Kong win in as many trips By Phil Haslett The varsity boys and girls basketball teams traveled to Hong Kong International School for the 35th annual Holiday Basketball Tournament over Nov 25-27. The boys team steamrolled through the round robin portion of the tourney, winning all five games and beating all their foes by 13 points or more. The girls, on the other hand, went 2-3, narrowly losing each of their first two games by only one or two points. Yet the lady Eagles refused to roll over and die, as they defeated the tournament champions Kadena High School by 20 points in their final round robin game. The girls lost their 5th/6th place game to Ying Wa Girlsʼ School in a tough overtime defeat.
Sophomore Kelsey Heiner received all-tournament honors for her impressive defense. The boys varsity team played Kubasaki High School (from Okinawa, Japan) in the championship. The Dragons, who had lost to the Eagles by 15 in the round robin, jumped to an early 14-point lead at the half, thanks to amazing 3-point shooting by senior point guard Marcus Adams, an all-tournament recipient. Through three quarters, the Dragons still held a 14-point advantage, and SASʼ hopes seemed to diminish to just a sliver. But the Eagles outscored Kubasaki 24-6 in the final ten minutes, thanks to 13 points from senior co-captain Mark Westhuis.
Senior Josh Mobley delivered the final blow, putting the Eagles up 70-69 with less than one minute to go. Key steals and free throws from senior co-captain Brad Brunoehler and tournament MVP Westhuis sealed the deal. The Eagles finished their improbable 21-point comeback with a 73-69 victory. The victory is the 5th in the last six years for the boys team, with their absence from the tournament in 2001 accounting for the potential six straight victories. The boys and girls teams will travel to Manila in the final week of January to compete in the 2005 IASAS Basketball Championships. Both teams are reigning champions.
100 Back 100 Back Whitney Taylor - 1:08.20 Thomas Brisson - 1:07.10 Natty Chalermpalanupap - 1:09.06 Paul Ham - 1:09.36 200 IM Sara Tan - 2:30.12* Kate Parkinson - 2:38.27
200 IM Dallas Jones - 2:27.72 Dennis Jow - 2:29.46
100 Fly Whitney Taylor - 1:09.14 Sarina Hemungkorn - 1:15.28
100 Fly Mark Fordney - 1:04.39 Ivor Mollema - 1:06.76
400 Free Relay JIS A - 4:28.33 SAS A - 4:42.11
400 Free Relay JIS A - 3:54.95 *New School / IASAS record
rugby SAS A team vs ISB A team 7 0 SAS A team vs JIS A team 21 7 SAS A team vs ISKL A team 14 0
SAS B team vs ISB B team 17 7 SAS B team vs JIS B team 7 0 SAS B team vs ISKL B team 20 0