The Eye Oct. 19, 2009

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October 19, 2009 / Vol. 29 No. 1

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Visions of ruined cities, coral reefs, mountain trails, wild animals dance in heads of interim adventurers

Deputy Principal Doug Niehart draws numbers from hat to determine who queues first in an interim sign-up group. Over 1100 students chose from 56 interim semester choices in two frenzied days. Photo by Danielle Courtenay.

MICA (P) 211/10/2010

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Most trips full, but plenty of room left for late sign-ups

By Kathryn Tinker Students following their regular route to the caf in front of the Boosters Booth Oct. 7, ran into the last students queued for interim sign-ups, mostly freshmen mulling their limited choices.

By the time freshman Nicky Muller signed up, the pickings were slim. Muller could choose from only a few off-island trips including ones to Thailand, Bintan, Taiwan, Cambodia and Riau, Indonesia. He chose to try learn scuba diving in Phuket, Thailand.

At the end of the day, Riau Encounter at Telunas Beach still had 15 slots open. Usually popular for underclassmen, but also a site for the middle school’s Classroom Without Walls, the Indonesian trip may be suffering from overexposure.

“Last year, I went to Telunas and I thought it was pointless because every single 8th-grader went,” Muller said. “You do the exact same thing. I have been there three times, and it gets boring after a while,” Muller said.

Location, location, location and companionship drove sophomore Will Pazos’ decision.

“You want to go somewhere different, but with good people who you get along with,” Pazos said.

Math teacher David Rops observed that some students put more consideration in where their friends were going than the nature of the trip.

“Some sociology professor would be fascinated to watch this whole process because I don’t understand it,” Rops said. [Students even] choose to do something they didn’t want to do because their friends were going. That doesn’t make any sense to me.”

As long as there is a balance between where to go and who is going, math teacher Joe Lingle said he did not see a problem with signing up with friends.

“I think that it’s a big event for a lot of students to be going on a trip with their friends and that’s a really powerful event for them,” Lingle said. “For seniors, it may be

Freshmen eyes hearty leftovers: Tanay Venktaswran sifts through the interim handbook looking for trips still available at 1:45 p.m.

Locked in: Carter Peler signs up while Chinese teacher Yolante Pan registers another student for a an In-Singapore trip. Photos by Danielle Courtenay

the last opportunity they have to do something like this with a group of friends.”

While there are still slots open in and out of Singapore, Deputy Principal Doug Niehart anticipates most filling with students who did not sign-up at their designated times and new students joining SAS in second semester.

About 40 students did not sign up on Tuesday and Wednesday. Niehart said that about 20 are leaving school

and four are early graduates. He speculates that parents of some are delaying until their employers confirm continuing employment through next semester. Students leaving before next semester lose their thousand-dollar deposit.

Niehart contacted eight new, second semester students and signed them up for trips. He expects a total of 18 to 20 new students in January.

At press time, Niehart said there was a possibility that the Riau

Encounter trip to Telunas Beach, with only five signed up, would be cancelled and those five students moved to empty spots on other trips.

Niehart said that this was the smoothest year since admin moved to guarantee out-of-Singapore trips for all who wanted one.

“There were so many openings at the end for freshmen that there were no hard feelings, no panic,” he said.

“It ran very smoothly.”

SAVE, Boosters stand by SIGG bottles Report says no BPA leakage from liners

by Evan Petty When SAVE Club implemented a plan last year to ban Ice Mountain water bottles in the high school and replace them with aluminum SIGG bottles, they justified their actions with two main points: the conservation of energy and reduced exposure to the chemical Bisphenol A (BPA).

This August, SIGG said that bottles manufactured before Aug. 2008 contained trace amounts of BPA in the liner, which is a toxic chemical found in plastic water bottles. The impression of users was that SIGG bottles were BPAfree.

SIGG CEO Steve Wasik said that his company has never advertised their bottles as BPAfree and that they have known there was BPA in the liners.

Research done on BPA has suggested exposure leads to longterm health risks such as cancer, but independent studies conducted in Japan, the U.S. and Switzerland show the BPA in SIGG Bottles does not leach into the liquid in the bottle.

Steve Wasik, the CEO of SIGG Switzerland, published a letter on the SIGG website in September apologizing for the inconvenience but reassuring customers about the quality and safety of SIGG bottles.

“For over 100 years, SIGG has earned a reputation for quality products and service - and we did not take that for granted. From the day we made our announcement last month, we made a commitment consistent with SIGG values that we

A pre-August 2008 SIGG bottle, bottom, alongside a stainless steel Klean Kanteen bottle which uses no liner. SIGG bottles with copper-colored mouths are those using the liner found to contain traces of BPA. Photo by Danielle Courtenay.

would offer anyone who is concerned about BPA an opportunity to swap their old SIGGs for new SIGGs with the new EcoCare liner.” This liner is BPA-free.ww Both SAVE sponsors, Martha Began and Steve Early, said they were unaware of SIGG’s announcement.

Began said that extensive research prior to the promotion, along with SIGGS long-held reputation for quality design and production reassured Began, Early and then SAVE officers that theirs was the best choice.

“SAVE officers researched years ago in best faith the most healthy choice with the lowest ecological footprint available in Singapore at the time,” Began wrote in an email.

In that email, Began reiterated

the point that the bottles are still known to be completely safe, and the exchange was only offered for owners who wanted to be extra cautious.

Early agreed and thought that the switch to SIGG was still an improvement over the plastic water bottles sold in the cafeteria.

“There is far more BPA in plastic water bottles. The risk of using an aluminum canteen, like SIGG, is minimal to negligible,” Early said.

SIGG owners showed mixed emotions, but the majority placed the brunt of the blame on SIGG. “I think SIGG is at fault because they were the ones that didn’t give all the information from the very beginning,” junior Devansh Pasumarty said.

Began suggested that unhappy SIGG owners should make the exchange with the SIGG represntative in Singapore if they feel concern about presence of BPA in the liner.

The deadline for exchage is Oct. 31.

SAVE and the Boosters have decided not to participate in an exchange. They will continue to sell the pre-Aug. 2008 bottles.

“I have spoken to Booster Booth representative Kim Hamby regarding this issue, and we both agree for now, since there are no health risks with the SIGG bottles . . . made prior to Aug. 2008, neither Boosters nor SAVE will pull the SIGG bottles off the shelf,” Began wrote.

“SAVE officers wish to stress that public health and safety are their utmost concern, along with taking steps toward sustainability.” petty.eye@gmail.com

Rush to cyber-press. Web editors Caroline Hui and Jamie Ready topointers go: Chief web editors Jamie Lin and Caroline Hui Lim take from Digital Frontiers Oliver placing stories and checking links on Eye web page designed by Digital Frontiers President Oliver Kim. Photo by Melissa Huston.

The Eye follows newspaper trend in new web page home

By Caroline Hui Ann Arbor Michigan’s 174-yearold daily newspaper, the “Ann Arbor News,” ceased publication in July and reappeared as a web site called “Ann Arbor Online,” with a twice weekly print version. Ann Arbor is the largest city in the U.S. without a daily newspaper.

Internet advertising revenue in the U.K. surpassed print advertising revenue for the first time, and America’s biggest papers struggle to survive as they increase their online operations.

This month, The Eye follows suit with its first online presence.

“I’ve known for about three or four years that The Eye would have to go online,” Eye adviser Mark Clemens said. “It’s a pretty scary thing, but I’ve been reading about what newspapers are doing to survive, so I have a pretty good idea of what we need to do.”

The Web site and the print edition are produced in the same class, but Clemens said he may drop

one or two issues of the newspaper to accommodate the online version.

The Eye Online features stories from the print edition, as well as multimedia and photo galleries. It will be updated regularly to keep SAS up-to-date on school events.

“Some things aren’t covered in the newspaper because of the time lapse,” Clemens said. “Now they can be covered on the Web site.”

Digital Frontiers President Oliver Kim designed the Web site with the publishing platform WordPress.

“It was a bit of work to design the Web site to get everything working, but it wasn’t overly complicated,” Kim said. “[The toughest part] was deciding design choices to make it look like a newspaper while still being a Web site.”

Clemens does not know what kind of success the Web site will have.

“I hope we can be so topical and timely in what we do that people will want to go to the Web site to find out things,” he said.

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Oct. 19, 2008

H1N1 affects few students so far as vaccines readied

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Health officials warn that Northern Hemisphere winter means more cases

By Ann Lee with Kathryn Tinker A week after school started senior Caroline Hui woke up with a 103 degree fever. She tested positive for the H1N1 virus and stayed home.

Nobody else in Hui’s family was diagnosed with H1N1.

Alex Lim, class of ‘09, was in basic training with Singapore’s National Service when he came down with a high fever and experienced shortness of breath. The army sent him home.

While Hui described her symptoms as mild, like those of a common cold, Lim said he was in bed for a week and continued to experience dificulty breathing and constant chills and fever.

“I felt like I was going to die,” he said.

Hui spent a month of her summer living in a dorm with 80 other students attending a Northwestern University camp, but blames her flight home for contact with the virus.

Lim, who was living in close quarters with 14 other national servicemen, blames himself.

“I was very careless about my hygiene. I didn’t wash my hands after training. After I was infected, I realized that it’s incredibly contagious,” Lim said.

Current flu shots offer no protection from H1N1 virus Hui’s doctor, Dr. Paul E. Zakowich, said in a phone interview that because Singapore is an international transportation hub, there is a greater risk of students catching H1N1.

According to Dr. Zakowich, the flu vaccines locally available now do not protect against H1N1. Flu vaccines vary each year depending on what strains of influenza virus are prevalent for the upcoming season.

“I think that eventually they’ll probably combine the regular flu vaccine with the H1N1 vaccine. You wouldn’t need two shots.”

In a Time magazine article

death or complications from H1N1.

GSK announced in a Sept. 14 press release that the results from their first H1N1 vaccine demonstrated the vaccine can provide a strong immune response that exceeds the expectations defined by international licensing authorities for H1N1.

Small comparisons with SARS and avian flu

U.S. BEGINS VOLUNTARY H1N1 VACCINATION. A child is restrained as he receives a nasal spray during a vaccination clinic held

by Montgomery County Health and Human Service for the H1N1 virus on Oct. 9, 2009 at the Dennis Avenue County Health Center in Silver Spring, Maryland. Photo by Tim Sloan, AFP/Getty Images.

reporters Michael Scherer and Eben Harrell write that no one can predict for sure what flu deaths will look like, or how it will compare with the 250,000-500,000 who die around the world each year from seasonal flu.

The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that around one to three billion people, 15 to 45 percent of the world’s population, will catch H1N1.

“We know that influenza usually takes off in the winter months,” said Alan Hay, director of WHO’s World Influenza Center in London in the Time article.

Singapore’s geography doubles exposure, risk Dr. Sin Yew Wong, an infectious disease specialist at Gleneagles

Hospital, said in a phone interview Singapore, seasonal flu strains are that there was considerable anxiety pretty much taken over by H1N1.” around June According and July after to a New York Now that the WHO declared Times overview H1N1 a global of the H1N1 virus is inside pandemic on virus, nearly 90 the country, there June 11.

It percent of the is no point in a was the first flu cases that quarantine. designation had been tested

by WHO of nationally in June Dr. Sin Yew Wong a worldwide were H1N1, not pandemic in seasonal flu.

41 years. Dr. Wong said the anxiety According to a Singapore died down after people realized the Ministry of Health (MOH) flu was mild for most. press release on H1N1, the “Singapore is exposed to MOH has secured supplies from influenza strains from both the GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) for one Northern and Southern hemispheres million doses of the H1N1 vaccine. because we are near the equator,” Dr. The vaccines will be administered Wong said. “Both in the U.S. and first to those who are at higher risk of

“

”

Dr. Wong noted that while the Avian flu was deadlier, the numbers were small as were those of SARS. H1N1 is different because it is highly transmittable, but the fatality rate is lower.

“However, if there are several million cases, there are going to be considerable deaths,” Dr. Wong said.

He added that it is better to use available resources to care for patients rather than trying to contain it.

“H1N1 is commonly spread inside Singapore. The quarantine was to prevent it from coming into the country, but now that the virus is inside the country, there is no point in a quarantine,” Dr. Wong said.

Dr. Brent Mutsch, SAS superintendent of schools, emphasized social responsibility.

“If you’re sick, don’t come to school. Students may not want to miss school but don’t put others at risk,” he added.

Dr. Mutsch said that the administration is looking ahead, following closely what local schools are doing and the reports published by the Ministry of Health and Center for Disease Cotnrol, and WHO. Up to this point, there have been two confirmed cases of H1N1 in the high school division, according to high school nurse Shelly Donahue.

Hui was the first to catch it.

“I’m glad I got it in the first wave, rather than in one of the later stages.

It really felt like a common cold, and I got better quickly,” Hui said. alee.eye@gmail.com

‘Glow’ theme a hit for welcome back dance in new Riady Center balloon drop and free glow sticks.

by Natalie Muller Marshall said there was one drawback to the It was a welcome back like no other with the music pulsating and lights flashing from the darkened Riady popular glow theme, as one student broke a glow stick Performing Arts Center. While previous Back to School and stained the marble floor of the Riady Center. He paid for the damage.

Dances have been held in the Senior Kalie Riemer, enjoyed the Black Box or Theater Studio, dance for one reason—“there were this year’s Glow profited from more seniors than she expected.” the change of venue.

The dance was Marshall confirmed this saying that “We thought it would be an better than all the 280 people had bought tickets this year interesting idea to move it and other ones. compared to the 120 sold last year. see how it worked in the new While music from previous school space as it’s a lot bigger than Ruby Hohensee dances has usually been provided from the one we used last year,” said sophomore a set play list, this year, Glow enlisted Executive Council Secretary senior Luigi Puno to deejay.

Tika Marshall.

“I played popular songs by LMFAO Most students liked the or Infinity 2009. These were not necessarily songs I change.

“The dance was better than all the other ones because liked but ones that people enjoyed listening to,” Puno it was at the foyer and had a better atmosphere,” said remarked. “It was my first time as DJ, but I definitely sophomore, Ruby Hohensee. Hohensee, as did most did some mixing.”

Students seemed to like this and had a better time other students, liked the clear liquid handed out at the dance that, once applied, made her skin glow neon in dancing to the flow of Puno’s music. Puno will take his the dark. The “glow liquid” was the contribution of talent one step further by doing an Independent Study Executive Council Treasurer Kevin Kim who picked it course on deejaying next semester.

The next school dance, Winter Ball, takes place on up on his summer travels to Korea.

Other highlights of the dance included a white December 17th. muller.eye@gmail.com

“

Trying to set the night on fire. A slow shutter speed captures glowing dancers waving glow sticks at the welcome back dance. Shoulder to shoulder. Freshmen Rachel Fulton and Kelsey DeBerry among those at the largest welcome back dance in memory. Photo by Danielle Courtenay

”

Welcome:

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Returning veterans, ex-student among additions to teaching staff

Stories by Jamie Lim, Photos by Danielle Courtenay

Clay Burrell

Kristian Ganske

Lehing Tu

Sara Heerens

Sue Nesbitt

Tate Sonnack

Jennifer Hutchinson

Tomo Tanabe

Michael Stagg

Beth Kramer

“When you choose from the places that offer you a job, rarely do those two align. But in my case, Singapore was one of my top choices,” Clay Burrell said.

Burrell earned a certificate in English language teaching at the University of Cambridge. Previously, he taught at the Korea International School and worked as a writer and announcer for the Traffic Broadcasting System Radio in Seoul. Currently, Burrell teaches Western Civilization and History of China.

If SAS was a salad, Burrell said he would be Kalamata olives or feta cheese, “because they are Mediterranean: philosophical but sunny at the same time.”

“The first time I came to Singapore, I came for my sister,” math teacher Lehing Tu said.

Tu came to SAS from the Overseas Family School (OFS), but has taught in Munich, Germany. She received her B.E. from the University of Toronto.

“I’m enjoying it so far. Students and staff are really friendly, she said. “The Morning Shows and the break gigs are great.”

If SAS was a salad, Tu said she would be “dressing, because I like to get right into things, and add a lot of flavor to the classroom.”

“I’ve been in the region since 1992, so I’ve always known about SAS,” Sue Nesbitt said.

After receiving her B.A. at Carleton University in Ottawa, Nesbitt completed her masters in teaching at the State University of New York and received a masters in Education from the University of Ottawa. Nesbitt’s first overseas job was at the American International School in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Before Singapore, Nesbitt was a counselor in Dhaka, Bangalore and New Delhi. She is a counselor for 9th and 10th-graders.

“I love the green of Singapore. And I love my counseling team, she said. “I’m starting to get to know the students. Right now, I’m concentrating on my students.”

“Last year, I was brought in at the beginning of November for a maternity leave position. It was a challenge to teach someone else’s class, but this year this is my own class, and I love that,” English teacher Jennifer Hutchison said.

Hutchison received her B.E. at Queen’s University, Canada. She taught at schools in Canada and the U.A.E. Hutchison teaches 9th grade English.

“I’m a graduate of Hong Kong International School, and I loved being part of the international community, and I always knew I was going to do this as an adult,” she said.

The high school welcomed back two familiar faces this year. After a year away from Singapore, Michael Stagg and Beth Kramer returned to SAS. Kramer returns to her role as a counselor, while Stagg returns to his social studies position teaching U.S. History and Government and History of India.

“We missed it,” Kramer said. “It was great having some time to reflect, to help out with my mom, but there was something about the relationship and the school that we missed,” > > > > >

“We heard from friends that work at this school that it’s a really nice environment. We’ve worked internationally for ten years now, and to see blue skies is a first,” new math teacher Kristian Ganske said,.

Ganske received a masters from Buffalo State University. He began his teaching career as an EFL instructor in Yougdeungpo, Korea, and then returned to Alberta to teach. Ganske teaches algebra and geometry.

If SAS was a salad, Gankse said he would be a crouton: “a little different, a little on the outside of things since I haven’t been here long, but hopefully I’ll turn myself into the dressing, the part that brings everything together.”

“The first few weeks have been great; the transition has been easy. I love the well-roundedness of the school, of the kids,” guided learning teacher Sara Heerens said.

Heerens received her B.S. in child development from Colorado University before taking a masters in educationally handicapped from the University of Northern Colorado. Heerens has taught in Colorado and the Alameda High School in California.

If SAS was a salad, Heerens said she would be spinach, “because I’m a support person; I’m not a topping, but I’m not fluff. I’m in there with the basic ingredients.”

“SAS was where I spent the best years of my life.

I started in kindergarten and moved up to graduation,” he said. “I was working in L.A. and wanted to pursue something different.”

After graduating in 2003, Sonnack went on to study cinematography at the University of Southern California’s School of Cinematic Arts, where he received his B.A. in Cinematic Arts with an emphasis on production.

Sonnack returned to SAS this year to intern in the media lab, where he is currently advising the Islander yearbook staff. During his time at SAS, Sonnack was the editor-in-chief of the Islander, which won the Columbia GoldCrown his senior year.

“I found a good job here; It was hard to find one in Japan, and Singapore’s a lot closer to home than the U.S.,” new athletic trainer Tomo Tanabe said.

After receiving a Bachelor of Science at Ithaca College, Tanabe completed her Masters of Science in athletic training at Still University in Arizona. Before coming to SAS, Tanabe was an assistant athletic trainer at Brophy College Preparatory in Phoenix, Arizona.

“My favorite aspect about Singapore is the food, and my favorite thing about SAS is just being around all the kids,” Tanabe said.

If SAS was a salad, Tanabe would be “black pepper, because it’s subtle, but important.”

>>>>> “We decided we needed to be back in the workforce, then as we thought about it, we knew there was an opening here, and we thought, ‘where better to be?’ We’ve had such a nice welcome back,” she said.

If SAS was a salad, she said she would be feta cheese, because it is “flexible and mushy, yet distinctive in taste.”

Stagg on the other hand, would be rocket, although he said he is not very fond of salads. lim.eye@gmail.com

opinion & editorial

The Eye

An Eye Staff Editorial

Senior speeches notable for puns and innuendo, not wit or wisdom

Failing may be matter of honor Honesty and responsibility are two of the five cornerstones of SAS. These values are not only important during our high school years, but also in the years to come. It’s not that hard- don’t lie.

And, think of the consequences before acting. Too many students choose to opt for the short-term reward in exchange for a clean conscience.

In high school, honesty and responsibility are measured partially by academic integrity. Academic dishonesty is like stealing; we steal someone else’s effort by cheating.

Integrity is just a feel-good word at this school. The honor code slip we sign for teachers at the start of each year are just a piece of paper to many of us. It seems that because it’s a slip of paper, its value is nothing. But it’s not.

Teachers must share some of the blame. There is a fine line between trust and negligence. Students should not always be given the benefit of the doubt. Even slight concerns about academic dishonesty should be investigated. It’s better to be safe than sorry.

They should keep their eye on students, such as walking up and down the aisles and standing at the back of the room.

Cheating on small tests has the same weight as cheating on a final exam. There is no difference in magnitude for breaking the honor code. It’s like water in a jug; once the water is spillt, it’s impossible to put it back in.

Students skip classes on test days, although asking friends for answers is not going to help them do better on the test.

Students whisper answers to each other during Chinese class.

This is blatant cheating.

There are also the cases where students cheat on homework.

Don’t ask a friend to do your Webassign homework. Students should know the difference between collaborative learning and cheating—the former is a mutual communication and contribution among students, while the latter is one-sided.

Why do they cheat? Is it because of the ultimate fear that we’re not going to get into Harvard or Stanford?

The truth is, students are not going to be accepted or rejected based on one assignment. Colleges want students who have integrity; students who are honest and hard working. After a student gets caught, he or she shouldn’t blame it on the person who reported it. They deserve the ruined reputation and F on their transcript.

“I would prefer even to fail with honor than to win by cheating,” said Sophocles, one of the most influential writers in ancient Greece.

Campus ‘toons by Cindy Cherng

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Jamie Lim

Candidates “give ‘em what they want” in student council campaign speeches

Every year, student council speeches generally consist of the same standard material that receive the same standard response: grudging, lifeless applause.

This year, a few of the speeches had the audience’s undivided attention for their entire minute in front of the podium.

Anyone who’s ever tried telling people about how great they are, like every student council candidate fundamentally must do, knows that there’s only one way to do so without having people think of you as a joke: with a lot of jokes.

“From what I’ve seen, a lot of people have used humorous content to connect with people, and to make their speeches engaging,” Senior Council sponsor Will Norris said. “If it’s done in the right way, I think it can be part of an effective speech.”

But were this year’s “effective” speeches always appropriate?

The Senior Council speeches in particular this year raised eyebrows, along with a few controversies. A number of the speeches contained innuendo and vulgarity that came as a shock to the administrative bodies overseeing the speeches, but nonetheless had students roaring

Raise the roof: Sean Teng cracks a joke in front of the senior class. Many believe that the key to winning Student Council elections is to be funny. Photo by Danielle Courtenay

with laughter.

“A lot of people had this idea, which is not a crazy idea, that you have to use sexual innuendo to get people to laugh,” Senior Council vice-president Ishan Gupta said.

“And for a large part of our student body, they do laugh at sexual innuendo. That’s just simply how it works.”

But phrases like “Ho’s over bro’s” and references to inside jokes that only a few people understand hardly seem appropriate, or more

Clubs that don’t ‘club’ to often indulged by students, administrators Renee Hyde

Designer clubs find way on to resumes and college apps that misrepresent student achievement

If aliens were to visit SAS, they would conclude that humans believe that there isn’t a problem that can’t be solved with a bake sale. Bake sales have become SAS’s fundraising staple.

As college admissions become increasingly competitive, club officer positions are becoming more desirable for resumes.

Settling for credit as a ordinary member is no longer acceptable.

Instead, students are founding their own clubs - clubs that will recognize their unique leadership abilities.

Students may claim that bakes sales make a difference. Yet, no SAS student dreams of becoming the next

Betty Crocker.

The words “president” or “founder” or even “treasurer” offer an advantage in a little game called “Getting into College.” But too many students abandon their brainchild once it’s approved and recorded in their transcript.

With every new club, new officer positions are available. Founders have been known to bribe their friends into joining their club by offering them officer positions.

Although Service Council gives service clubs quartile evaluation sheets, this may not be enough.

Telling Service Council your ideas and future plans is easy to do. Putting

Oct. 19, 2008

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importantly, relevant.

Recently, it seems as though the student government speeches resemble a struggling comic practicing his or her routine rather than someone trying to get a message across to his or her peers. And for a position in student council, one of the most efficient yet time-consuming organizations on campus, a standup routine hardly seems fitting for an election speech.

The problem is that, to be frank, students don’t care as much as they should. Pertinent to not only student council, the best election speeches in the average high school student’s perspective are often the most entertaining, even if they aren’t the ones that best present the character of the candidate. Students don’t have a good understanding of what officers do, so they don’t care.

The only reason they attend the speeches is because, in one way or another, they have to.

Granted, humor can help a speech be engaging, and the administration’s definition of “appropriate” is at a much higher threshold than students’. But election speeches really shouldn’t even test thavt threshold. The focus should be on displaying their appropriate attributes, and not on pure entertainment. But how do you get three hundred high school students all sitting next to their friends to listen to what you have to say at 2:30pm on some idle Thursday? I don’t know, but definitely not by talking about how often you masturbate. jlim.eye@gmail.com

them in action is a whole different story.

There were 10 service clubs five years ago. There are now 42 service clubs at SAS. By increasing the number of clubs, Academically, we have spread too an Asian, thin the devotionasand creativity of our students. teachers expect me to be It’s not always earning moreabout studious, money. Club officers should particularly take mathSAS and clubs examples from inlarge sicence and SAVE such as Peace Initiative - Claire Chen who make an effort to educate the students and provide real services to students and clients.

New clubs can thrive as long as they serve a vital need whether it be service, hobbies or sports.

Maybe in the future, I can walk into the caf without it smelling of a bakery.

If bake sales are what we need to make the world a better place we’d better prepare ourselves for their byproduct - obesity and diabetes. hyde.eye@gmail.com

The Eye welcomes comments about our coverage from readers. Those letters should be no more than 300 words in length and should include the writer’s contacts - email address and phone number.

It is the Eye’s preference that letter writers allow the Eye to identify them, but, at the author’s request and with justification, names can be whithheld from publication. Phone numbers, email addresses and street addresses will not be reproduced with the letter.

The Eye reserves the right to edit for length and inappropriate language.

Send letters to eye.letters@gmail.com.

Singapore American High School 40 Woodlands Street 41 Republic of Singapore 738547 Phone: (65) 6363-3404 Fax: (65) 6363-6443 eye@sas.edu.sg

Print editors-in-chief: Melissa Huston, Ann Lee Web editors-in-chief: Caroline Hui, Jamie Lim News editors: Natalie Muller, Gretchen Connick Op-Ed editors: Sophia Cheng, Nihal Krishnan Features editors: Gretchen Connick, Lauren Felice, Aarti Sreenivas A&E editors: Stanton Yuwono, Anbita Siregar Sports editor: Evan Petty, Sasha Jassem Copy editors: Jamie Lim, Natalie Muller Photo editors: Kenny Evans (Web), Danielle Courtenay (Print) Layout editors: Kathryn Tinker, Renee Hyde Reporters: Eleanor Barz, Sophia Cheng, Gretchen Connick, Kenny Evans, Lauren Felice, Caroline Hui, Melissa Huston, Renee Hyde, Sasha Jassem, Nihal Krishnan, Ann Lee, Jamie Lim, Natalie Muller, Evan Petty, Danica Pizza, Anbita Siregar, Aarti Sreenivas, Kathryn Tinker, Stanton Yuwono Adviser: Mark Clemens

The 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 Eye via the Internet at eye.letters@ gmail.com. At the author’s request, names can be withheld from publication. Letters will be printed as completely as possible. The Eye reserves the right to edit letters for reasons of taste and space.

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The Eye

GETTING IN, GOING THERE

SENiOR STRESS

Seniors inundated with work, college apps

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by Gretchen Connick Early decision applicants meet Oct. 15 deadlines and tie themselves to that The tide is high for seniors, it is the best of times as they enter their final year of high school. The red polos, the self-appointed right to rule university because, if accepted, they must attend.

An early action application, due Nov. 1, does not obligate the student to the school, prowess on the field, the best spot in the caf.

Their loss of spirit points to the sophs was a devestating blow that can attend that university, but the advantage is the peace of mind in knowing one is in. be blamed on the pressure of college apps.

Ford said that students are realistic in their college choices as they are guided Naturally, the seniors are feeling some stress, counselor Dale Ford says college applications should not be another reason to stray wide through the process by their counselors. He said that counselors encourage students to apply to one or two universities that are difficult to gain admittance awake deep intot he night. “The students that talk about stress should stop talking and do to - or stretches - some that are within the students’ grasp and safety schools something about it,� he said, assuming the only ones that should be that they know they can get in to as a fallback.

Early applications, good grades and off the chart SAT or ACT scores greatly feeling pressure are the ones that procrastinate on writing their essays.

His advice is to stop worrying and start working. In other words, increase chances, but there is more to getting accepted than just academics.

Universities are looking for diversity in their student bodies. They enjoy the seniors need to put those fingers to the keyboard and start typing. Ford said that seniors cannot forget about their grades in school, especially bragging rights that they receive when they represent students from across since universities will be getting their first sememster grades, and those the globe. According to President John T. Casteen III of the University of Virginia, diversity is valued within colleges, as it brings about grades carry weight in admissions.

Students talk about how senioritis kicks in and the will to do richness and can be a learning experience for everyone.

While about 80 percent of the students that graduate well and work hard reaches an all time low. Some say that they are still motivated and they just want to end on a good note, without from SAS go on to attend U.S universities, more are beginning to apply elsewhere. Many students plan on regrets.

While trying to complete the essays by Dec. 1 prompts going back to America for college because they anxiety, there are students who finish them even sooner are American citizens. Most of the students so they can apply early to one, or even more, of their that are veering away from a U.S.-only top universities. By applying early action or early menu of colleges in America but not decision they are showing themselves to the all of them. Among some of the colleges earlier and increasing their chances areas that are drawing in SAS of getting accepted. Colleges are drawn graduates are Canada, the to early application students because U.K and Australia. these demonstrate a strong interest connick.eye@gmail.com to the school.

2010 Class Cap and Gown Survey Choices The senior class of 2010 recently voted in a class survey for tassel and gown colors. This year the graduating class will be accepting their diplomas in navy blue caps and gowns with silver tassels.

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Uniadversity features

Aarti Sreenivas “How I lost my virginity.” “ The first time I took drugs.”

“When I beat up my mother.”

These are actual college entrance essays students have written in the past according to counselor Frieda Dietrich., ones that fall easily into the “more than I wanted to know” genre.

Another group of students blow their achievements out of proportion in essays about his first track gold medal won despite a broken ankle. Or, the Nigerian child she brought happiness to, the massive student conference he led.

College admissions officers say that they are tired of reading both of these genres.

“Students have a tendency to portray the same old topics when colleges want to know what who the student really is,” counselor Beth

The Eye

Oct. 19, 2008

Seniors struggle to write application essays that define who they are while grappling with cliches, forced reflections

Kramer said.

Dietrich said admissions officers are looking for genuine expressions.

“Writing about spiritual topics or bombarding the essay with huge SAT words which dilute an individual’s diction is not what colleges look for,” she said.

To bypass this hurdle, some students simply pay for essays. A Google search on “college essays for sale” turns up 2,310,000 websites offering essay services.

Terrmpaperexample.com says, “We’ve provided custom written essays since 1998 for Finding the right words: Senior Heather Morris struggles to piece together the perfect thousands of students just like college essay. Many students turn to teachers, you.” counselors and friends for advice and help.

This site, just as convincing Photo by Danielle Courtenay as all the other 1 in a million sites, provides the same trite and commonplace essays which barely “The lack of quality in an essay does provides any guarantee of a student not hurt them.”

Ford said it was rare that an SAS to get into a college.

“These essay writing centers student turned to these sites.

An Aug. 17 article in the New are created for purely profit-making reasons,” conselor Dale Ford said. York Times profiled Suzzane

collegefacts:

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Rheault, an ex-Morgan Stanley what colleges typically look for. who quit her job to start her own “One of the best essays I have company, Aristotle Circle, which ever read is about a cookie which was provides essays for high school half black- half white and its relation students. She caters to students in to the student’s cultural experiences,” grades pre-K to 12. said college representative Lauren M o s t Seston from o n l i n e Rhodes College. c e n t e r s “Sometimes things such as The College follow this Board even that A r i s t o t l e silence itself can make a if writers “keep Circle model much more powerful essay” drifting toward of appealing events rather than - Dale Ford to as large characteristics, an audience make a second as possible. list of the things This lack of specialization most you’ve done, places you’ve been, often means they produce poor accomplishments you’re proud of; quality essays. use them for the activities section of Ford said that using an essay your application.” production line is highly risky.

“Follow the 60-40 split.

“Colleges can tell whether the English teacher Mark Guggisberg student has written the essay or recommends. “Sixty percent should somebody else has.” be what the moment was and 40 Although some college apps list percent should describe the moment. prompts for students, the process is And pick a specific and simple topic agonizing for most anyway. to talk about.” sreenvias.eye@gmail.com Capturing a moment in time or something extremely focused is

Top ten colleges students want to get into: Stanford, Harvard, Columbia, Princeton, New York University, Yale, UC Los Angeles, Massachusetts Instittue of Technology, USC, UC Berkeley

70% of college admissions officers receive Facebook or Myspace friend requests from applicants. 37% of students were most concerned that they won’t be able to attend their first choice college because they can’t afford it. 46% say they applied to 5 to 8 colleges. 85% of students said financial aid would be extremely necessary to pay for their college education. 1 of every 10 respondents said they would choose the school with the best academic reputation. 34% of students said that taking admission and placement tests was the toughest part of their application process.* *The Princeton Review “College Hopes & Worries Survey” 2009 Findings. Sample of 15,772 parents and seniors.

College Bait: Universities dangle superficial programs, promises to entice prospective students.

Lauren Felice

Students should take a closer look at curriculum and see what’s important to them before choosing to apply

Walking through a college fair is like a trip to the Newton hawkers. College representatives hawk their products by pushing their most enticing programs to the front. Colleges, like applicants, are packing their resumes for prospective students, with exotic courses and study abroad programs and an emphasis on diversity, “Everyone’s putting their best foot forward,” counseling head Dale Ford said.

One way colleges do this is by promoting the courses designed to intrigue students.

“That’s like in my ‘Japanese Pop Culture class,’” a Dartmouth College tour guide said. “Right now, we’re studying ‘Godzilla’.”

When asked what classes are popular at Villanova University, the visiting representative named the “American Slave Narrative.”

“Another one is ‘Life Skills Planning’. Kids really like that,” he added.

Villanova offers courses in over 105 subject areas.

Tufts University offers a course called “America and the National Pastime,” which uses baseball to teach urbanization, segregation, capitalism, crime and law. A course called “Studies in Urban Politics, Commerce and Law” would be a harder sell.

Study abroad programs are increasingly popular and fuel many college sales pitches. Visiting recruiters from Babson College, Boston, and Trinity University, San

Antonio, said that 40 and 50 percent of their students study abroad.

The prospect of studying abroad is an appealing recruiting point for students, but these programs are not representative of the norm. In 2007, USA Today reported that only 1.42 percent of all United States university students studied abroad.

College reps often boast high levels of diversity in ethnicity and nationality. “ W e have three to four percent international students, but we have 23 percent ethnic diversity,” the Villanova rep said.

In 2000, the University of Wisconsin Photoshopped an African American male into a scene of students at a football game in an appeal to minority applicants. While this instance is unusual, it demonstrates how anxious colleges are to show a diverse population.

“They are not misrepresenting themselves in any way. But it’s all [public relations] Every university wants the best and brightest,” Ford said.

These programs are appealing

facets of universities, but when students focus on these more glamorous aspects of the schools, they might be overlooking the real substance in a program.

Ford said that students have to make decisions about the type of school they want, aspects like continent, size, location, specialization, and type of students.

“It’s all about what’s important to you,” Ford said.

“Is study abroad important to you? Or is the colleges’ rates of getting students into med school?

Or how undergraduates can do research with professors?

It’s a very personal question.”

Ford advises that when visiting colleges, students pay attention to the feel of the school.

“There is no one size fits all.

Because everyone has a different lens through which they’re looking at colleges,” he said.

“They should focus not on what they hear, but on what they see. How does it feel? Do the students feel like people you can connect to?” felice.eye@gmail.com

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Sleep-deprived students:

by Sophia Cheng On a typical school day, junior Retika Majed stumbles out of bed at 6:30 in the morning after a mere five hours of sleep. She skips breakfast, catches the bus before 7 a.m. and is in class by 8 a.m. The early start often leaves her drowsy and exhausted for the rest of the day.

“I wake up at two in the morning, and I do homework till 6 a.m. So now, I feel jet-lagged without being overseas,” Majed said.

One of the consequences of sleep deprivation is poor concentration, according to studies done by the American Psychological Association (APA) in October 2001.

“You can be giving the most stimulating, interesting lectures to sleep-deprived kids early in the morning or right after lunch, when they’re at their sleepiest. The overwhelming drive to sleep replaces any chance of alertness, cognition, memory or understanding,” said Cornell University psychologist James. B Maas, Ph.D. one of the nation’s leading sleep experts in the article “Sleep Deprivation may be undermining teen health” by APA in October 2001.

The National Sleep Foundation

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The Eye

Research suggests that later school start times translate into improved grades, less depression

Too tired to care: Junior Natassia Siu catches up on sleep in the library while finishing homework. It is not uncommon to see students catching up on sleep in the library.

Photo by Danielle Courtenay

in Washington, D.C. proposes later the results of a study based on 7,000 start times for schools to solve the high-school students whose school district had switched their starting situation. time from 7:15 “It is only a.m. to 8:40 a long-range a.m. The study systematic I wake up and it’s two in revealed that study that shows the morning and I do students are not that changing to my homework till six. just sleeping later start times Retika Majed, junior more but also is beneficial getting better to students grades and and schools,” Pat Britz, program director for the experiencing less depression.

SAS students and faculty get National Sleep Foundation said.

In August, researchers at the four late start days in the year. Late University of Minnesota reported start days - when school starts at 10

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Family dinners a healthy choice Study finds that teenagers who eat dinner regularly with families less likely to drink, make bad choices

by Anbita Siregar “BRB dinner,” Carly Ragsdale writes to her friend on MSN. She walks to the table and finds her family seated and waiting for her.

She knows she is fortunate having the daily opportunity to connect with her family. She knows to eat her vegetables before her mom yells at her. Does she know that the family meals will affect her entire life?

Food for the heart and body: Senior Erika Farias and her family sit down together at dinnertime to “Family dinners share their day. Studies show that students who eat dinner regularly with their entire family eat healthier may help in three and help adolescent growth. Photo by Erika Farias areas: stability, individual growth, “Just the act of eating together is, Students are not the only ones and community,” author of journal on some level, very beneficial,” said affected by family dinners. Klein article “Family Dinners” Helen Shira Feldman, lead author of the believes parents also benefit from Altman Klein says. research and public health specialist family dinners. Parents learn how In the article, published in at the university’s School of Public to become active listeners. They the 2000 issue of “Childhood Health. also learn to empathize with their Education,” she says that dinner Researchers recorded the eating children’s dilemmas and work conversations develop speaking and habits of nearly 40,000 middle together to solve them. Family listening skills, which are the basis and high school students and their dinners are a way for parents to ask for achievement and friendship. families. The students who ate dinner about problems in school or open Six of the eight SAS students with their parents regularly ate more discussions about a family decision interviewed said everyone vegetables, fruit and calcium-rich or issue. contributed to dinner conversations. food. For parents wanting to improve High school counselor Trevor The most popular topic to discuss a child’s diet, studies show that the Sturgeon acknowledged the difficulty was what everyone did that day. best way to get your children to eat of SAS families in scheduling family “We pretty much go around and healthier is to put food on the table dinners when one or both parents talk about our day. Either that or we and eat it together. are often absent on business trips or talk about sports,” sophomore Owen The study, published in the dinners.

Sperling said of dinners with his Oct. 2007 issue of “The Journal of “It might be harder for SAS parents and two siblings.

Nutrition Education and Behavior,” families to schedule family dinners A University of Minnesota study found that students who ate family together but it doesn’t make it less found that family dinners result in a dinners frequently were less likely to important,” Sturgeon said. happier, healthier lifestyle. smoke and drink at an early age. siregar.eye@gmail.com

a.m. instead of 8 a.m. - are popular among students because it allows them to catch up with sleep.

“I love late start days because I get to sleep in and I’m not tired,” junior Nicholai DiBiagio said.

Some teachers like it because it benefits the students directly.

“If a late start day will result in an increase in student learning, then I am in favor of them,” math teacher Joe Lingle said.

“I think they are a good idea because they give students a chance to catch up with rest and work, a bit of a break from normal school routine,” counselor Trevor Sturgeon said.

While late start days are favored by both teachers and students, they did not like the idea of later startlate finish days – school starting two hours later and ending two hours later as well.

“No, I don’t like the idea at all, because if I have to stay in school for an hour longer in the afternoon, the day will feel much longer,” Frances Young says.

“I don’t like the idea. I don’t want to go home later than I already do, especially with sports. If we start later, that means that I’m going to

get home at 9 p.m.,” Dibiagio said.

“There is legitimate research that adolescents will do better in school and learn better if school starts later, but kids starting school later will end up out of sync with the rest of the world,” social studies teacher Jim Baker said.

While students blame sports, homework and rehearsals for their sleep deprivation, parents and teachers blame insufficient sleep on not just the competitive environment of SAS, but also inadequate time management.

“Students should focus on doing homework and stay away from distractions,” counselor Trevor Sturgeon said.

When it comes to drowsiness during school, it might not be the teenager’s fault.

“In many cases, it is not laziness, but a part of normal development, determined by the genes. Human circadian clocks are often geared to ‘owl-like’ behavior during adolescence.” says Leon Kreitzman in his article “Larks, Owls and Hummingbirds,” a May 13 article in the International Herald Tribune. cheng.eye@gmail.com

Students take first place and Canon SLR prizes in Young Photographers contest

by Danielle Courtenay Three SAS students walked away with first-prize at the 2009 Singapore Young Photographers Convention, beating out almost 280 other contestants for the award.

Senior Alexis Bell and juniors Javier Vesga and Hayley Haaland worked as a team alongside Chester Chin of Raffles Junior College to create the concept for the winning photo. Each received a brand-new Canon 1000D SLR. The contest theme, “Macabre”, was picked at random.

The four chose to explore various methods of suicide in their work, portraying a slit throat, a strangling and a hanging. According to the judges, what set them apart from the other competitors was the unity of their suicide series.

“When you looked at the four photographs the theme seemed to come out as if one person took them, but they were taken individually by the four kids.

It indicated to the judges that they worked well as a team,” photography teacher Paul Griffin said.

The three are unsure of whether or not they want to pursue photography as a career, but, for now, they have plans to see if they can put their skills as a team to work in the upcoming Canon Photo Marathon on Oct. 10 working as a team once again.

“If they work together like they did on this one, I think they have a really good chance. Of course, it’s going to be a bigger selection of students, so that’ll be more challenging,” Griffin said, “but I think they’re up for it.” courtenay.eye@gmail.com

Showcasing their talent: Senior Alexis Bell and juniors Javier Vesga and Hayley Haaland show present their prize winning photos.

Photos by Danielle Courtenay

features

The Eye

Cleaners undervalued:

by Eleanor Barz Five days a week Sara (not her real name) rises at 3 a.m., an hour before she begins her trip from Johor Baru to Singapore. She arrives at six in the morning and is among the first of the 67 cleaning ladies who work at SAS each day.

Almost all of the cleaning ladies live in Singapore. Most come on foot or on the MRT. Maimon Abdullah, a part time cleaning lady, rides her bicycle to school each day.

“Guess my age! Guess! I am 72.

But I still cycle. Otherwise I would have to take two buses,” she said.

A twenty minute ride in the sun might not be for everyone, but Abdullah says the heat does not bother her.

“After all I have done the Hajj two times in my life, and also the Umrah.”

Housekeepers ensure that the campus is hygienic and tidy. Daily tasks involve vacuuming and mopping floors, cleaning bathrooms and wiping tables.

The longest shift begins at 6 a.m. and lasts 12 hours, though most of the full-time cleaning staff work between 7 and 3 p.m. The part-time staff take over at 3 p.m. They clean the cafeteria, library and corridors, as well as tidy up the classrooms.

The housekeepers work in teams directed by a team manager, who assigns work and sees that it is completed.

Azizah is the leader of a team of 16 housekeepers. She said that each housekeeper cleans about 10 middle school and high school classrooms a

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Housekeepers invisible to students though source of clean environment in which students play, work, eat

The end of school doesn’t mean it’s the end of work: Rohaidah A. Karim sweeps up mess left behind from high school students during after hours.There are 67 cleaning ladies who pick up after SAS students daily. Photo by Kenny Evans.

day. A typical room takes between 15 and 20 minutes to clean. The middle school rooms take more time.

“There is more to pick up off the floor, more papers. The whiteboards need to be cleaned. There is just more to do so it takes longer,” Azizah said.

There are 43 other part-time workers at SAS. Each specializes in a particular area of the campus so that one housekeeper cleans the same rooms each day. This gives teachers the opportunity to get to know the housekeepers who clean their rooms.

Science teacher Steve Early said

Oct. 19, 2008

he greets the housekeepers who clean his corridor if he sees them around the school.

“I do make an effort to always say hello to them. If they are Malay I like to greet them in Bahasa,” Early said.

Teachers are asked to evaluate their housekeeper at the end of each semester. Cleaning ladies who receive good evaluations are congratulated for their hard work in ServiceMaster’s half-yearly publication, “We Serve.”

The housekeepers may get recognition from teachers, but

students have little to do with them.

“I don’t really know much about them” one sophomore girl said. “I guess I notice them, but I don’t talk to them.”

Senior Cindy Cherng said this attitude is common among students.

“Generally people ignore them.

Students are so absorbed in their school life that they don’t stop and think about the cleaners,” Cherng said.

To students, the housekeepers are invisible.

Students act as though the cleaning ladies aren’t there, even

while the tables they are eating at are being cleaned. Some look away, embarrassed. Others stare past them.

None greet the cleaners or attempt to make conversation. It is common for students to leave their rubbish on the tables rather than throw it away themselves.

“The tables are always very dirty and there are a lot of things for me to throw away” said one cleaning lady who cleans the tables outside the Booster Booth.

Cherng said this may be because so many students have grown up with maids and are accustomed to other people cleaning up after them.

“They are a part of SAS that’s invisible,” Early said.

Most housekeepers have to clean their own homes as well as work at school. Finding time to spend with family can be an issue for some.

“My family likes to go fishing, but it is hard to find the time. We are all so busy,” said Aziza, who has two children aged 10 and 15.

Azizah wakes up at 5 a.m. to prepare breakfast for them. During Ramadan, she said she rises at 4 a.m. so that the family can eat before sunrise.

“Ramadan is a lot of work,” she said Cleaners like Sara who work twelve hours a day have barely enough time for their themselves, let alone their families. Even so, most said they are content with their work.

“Sometimes it is hard but I am glad I work at SAS.” barz.eye@gmail.com

Copter Parents: college too big a decision to be left to students over their child. They are always

by Danica Pizzi A 2008 graduate of SAS available to intervene on behalf receives a 6:30 a.m. wake-up call of, or insinuate themselves into in his college dorm every weekday every aspect of their child’s social, morning to ensure that he gets to his emotional and academic lives.

Helicopter parents provide high 8 o’clock classes on time.

A Harvard professor hosts a school faculties and counselors, as visitor in his office to explain a well as college admissions officers, with humorous s t u d e n t ’s anecdotes to grade on share around a recent Duke University has water coolers. assignment. a wall of essays that But these same A student they assume have been professionals are is told to the first to agree “put (his) written by parents, and that helicopter roommate on all admissions officers parents are wellthe phone” have a gut feeling. i n t e n t i o n e d . so that the They simply caller can want to advocate weigh in on a Frivda Dietrich, counselor for their child. petty conflict S o m e between parents are the two unaware of when their actions cross roommates.

In each case the phone calls were the line between good parenting placed by the students’ mothers and hovering. If the proverbial who live thousands of miles away in apron strings are so spun up in the Singapore. The office visit was by a parent’s rotor that it is impossible mother living in Salt Lake City who for the child to “break away” or for flew to Boston to discuss her child’s the parent to “let go,” that line has been crossed. poor grade in biology.

In the college admissions Wikipedia defines a helicopter parent as one “who pays extremely process, for example, what is the close attention to his or her appropriate parental role? Should child’s experiences and problems, parents just sit back and let their particularly at educational senior handle everything, or should they work unobtrusively behind institutions.”

The phrase was coined because the scenes to support their child’s these parents, like helicopters, hover efforts? Helicopter parents might

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see themselves as the ones who should step in and run the whole show when so much is at stake. A few parents write their child’s essays or place calls to an admissions officer to discredit another student’s application.

When parents are in the driver’s seat, colleges do notice.

“Duke University has a wall where they place essays that are questionable as to who the writer really is and all admissions counselors have a gut feeling,” said SAS counselor Frieda Dietrich who advises juniors and seniors.

Dietrich said there are parents at SAS who do too much in the college admissions process. These parents simply do not allow their kids enough rein to fail, or succeed, on their own.

Lenore Skenazy, whose book, “Free-Range Kids: Giving Our Children The Freedom We Had Without Going Nuts With Worry,” urges parents to let go because “when a parent does everything for a kid, the kid ends up thinking he couldn’t possibly do it himself.”

To address the challenge of letting go, the SAS counseling office holds a two-hour parent meeting every year in the early fall entitled “Launching Your Senior.” Over fifty parents attended this year’s meeting held on Sept. 30. The goal of the meeting is to help parents understand how they can be helpful to their senior in the

next 10 months without imposing themselves too much. It’s important that students feel that they have

ownership of their plans for the future, and certainly, responsibility for the decisions they make.

“My parents are pretty involved. They support my decisions and tell me what they think I should do but, in the end, it is ultimately my decision,” Senior Roxy Hesh said.

At the other end of the

spectrum, when Ms. Dietrich asked one of her advisees what schools they planned to apply to this fall, the student replied, “I need to go ask my mom.” pizzi.eye@gmail.com

Illustration by Eleanor Barz

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Oct. 19, 2009

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IN PICTURES: JAZZ EXCHANGE

(1) Channelling Marsalis: Junior Devansh Pasumarty takes the lead during his trumpet solo. Each musician was given a solo opportunity for each of the songs.

(2)

(1) It don’t mean a thing if it ain’t got that swing: Sophomore Oliver Kim is reflected in Junior Nick Starr’s trombone as the group does rhythm exercises with band director Brian Hill.

(2) Easy livin’: Senior Akane Otani practices Herbie Hancock’s “Watermelon Man” in preparation for the evening performance at Jazz@Southbridge.

(3) Teach me tonight: A visiting delegate perfects her tone during the second wind instrument workshop.

(4) It’s delovely: Junior Avery Lim lugs her bass off the bus right before the musicians head into the club to play their sets.

(5) Kicking brass: Sophomore Oliver Kim and Junior Nick Starr join in the first brass workshop of the day.

(6) Lullaby of Birdland: Freshman Ryan Dunn plays a soulful saxophone solo as the rest of the band accompanies him.

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Yearbook Portraits: freshmen, sophomores and juniors under the lights

Freshman Tikah Scott flashes a smile for her first high school portrait.

Ken Hui realigns junior Christy Chiu for her yearbook portrait.

Junior Andrew Farrell with Hui in the foreground.

Hui counts shows students where their eyes belong before he snaps the picture.

Freshman Teresa Lo sits where Hui put her seconds before he snaps her photo.

PTA helper Kira Skill collects students’ hometowns for their yearbook entry.

Photos by Danielle Courtenay

arts & entertainment

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Oct. 19, 2008

Music addicts beware: hearing damage may occur

by Kenny Evans Whether you listen to rock, hip-hop, or classical music, extensive use of MP3 players lead to hearing loss.

The most common in ear buds blast music straight into your ear canal, causing permanent damage to your ear drum and fine hair cells (cilia) in the cochlea of the ear that transmit the sound impulses to your brain.

Even at low volume levels, long periods of use damage your hearing.

“In my time, we had the Walkman, which was basically a cassette player that had maybe one to one and a half hours of music, but MP3 players can have your entire music library along with hours and hours of music playback,” Dr. Ronald Brett, an Ear, Nose and Throat specialist said.

The recommended time to listen to an MP3 is no more than five hours of music a week at no more than half the volume.

“I always listen to music,” senior Kohei Yamashita said, “On bus rides to and from school, lunch, and sometimes during class. But I always listen to my music really loud. My music is usually above the

Please just stop the music: Students who listen to MP3s at too loud of levels can severely damage their ears.

Illustration by Kathryn Tinker

mid-volume mark.”

The damage done to your ears from loud music is called noise induced hearing loss.

“The onset of noise induced hearing loss is so gradual, that by the times you even realize you have hearing loss, it may be too late,” Dr. Brett said.

Early signs of hearing loss are a faint ringing sound similar to the buzz an old television set makes.

“This is called tinnitus. Tinnitus can be caused by foreign particles, infection, or in most cases, loud sounds that damage the cilia in the cochlea of the ear,” Dr. Brett said. “ The ringing comes from a forced impulse because of the damaged high frequency sensing hair cells.

When it gets to be a constant buzz, it can grow to be very disturbing.”

These cilia hair cells are irreplaceable and tinnitus caused by

noise-induced hearing loss, in most cases, is incurable.

A pediatrics survey conducted by study leader Dr. Ron Eavey of Vanderbilt U n ive r s i t y, posted on MTV in 2007, said that half of the 2,500 MTV respondents have symptoms of tinnitus and hearing loss and 32 percent considered hearing loss due to MP3 use a problem.

“You have to be very careful with MP3 use.

You don’t want to have a young body with old ears,” Dr. Eavey said.

Despite the threat, teenagers refuse to turn down the volume on MP3 players, turning up the chances of hearing loss.

“I’m not really worried about it now. No one really bothers with that stuff,” junior Abhishek Kothari said. evans.eye@gmail.com

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How loud is

LOUD? Breathing: 10 decibels

Spoken Conversation: 60 decibels

Busy Street: 70 decibels

Most MP3 players at average volume: 105 decibels An airplane taking off: 110 decibels

Fame: It’s not gonna live forever

FAME DIRECTOR: Kevin Tancharoen CAST: Kay Panaberk, Walter Perez, Naturi Naughton, Asher Book, Collins Pennie, Bebe Neuwirth, Paul Iacono, Charles S. Dutton, Kelsey Grammer RATING: G

Verdict:

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by Anbita Siregar High School Musical fans, get ready. Fame, directed by Kevin Tancharoen, is yet another badacting-meets-multiple-dancenumbers movie.

Based on the 1980 Oscarwinning film, Fame follows a group of budding artists and covers their four years in the New York City High School of Performing Arts.

They make new friends and fall in love while they juggle school and try making it in the Big Apple.

This new remake of Fame falls drastically short of expectations. The original Fame was nominated for six Oscars, won two, and starred critically acclaimed actors like Irene Cara and Eddie Barth. The remake stars overdramatic, B-list actors and rated only two or five stars in the New York Times review.

Like all inspirational, heartwrenching, Disney-esque movies, the director turns the high school into a G-rated utopia where sex, drugs and alcohol do not exist. While the edgier 1980 version addressed teenage pregnancy and coming out of the closet, only one poorly acted scene in the remake touches on teenagers experimenting with alcohol.

Instead of showing teenage angst and everyday high school problems, the characters’ main problem is whether to star in Sesame Street or drop out of high school. Tough choice there.

The lack of plot and overabundance of characters is also a letdown. The producers had a loose definition of “main character” in the

over-abundance of featured “stars.”

In this 107-minute film, none of the four alleged main characters get more than 15 minutes of fame, and the movie breezes over years in between events without an overarching story line.

One of the emotionally-straining scenes in the movie is the break-up scene between Marco and Jenny.

The actors did not - or could not - cry properly, and there was no feeling of sorrow or heartache.

Of course, because this is a happy family movie, the two lovers cannot get enough of each other and get back together, sealing the deal with make-up kisses.

From the cafeteria dance number to Asher Book’s performance, you would think “Fame” was the sequel to Disney Channel’s “Camp Rock,” but all movies have their highlights.

Fame has a few pleasant surprises.

Naturi Naughton gives a goosebumping performance singing “Out Here On my Own.” Kherington Payne, playing Alice Ellerton, dances flawlessly throughout the movie, especially in the “Black and Gold” number. Asher Book provides compelling acting as well as a soothing voice that, during his scenes, makes up for an otherwise bland and boring film.

Despite its best efforts, “Fame” will never reach “High School Musical” status. Fame does provide a moving experience for an audience under the age of 13. But unless you have to babysit your little sister for the night, “17 Again’” would be more worth your time. siregar.eye@gmail.com

Beyonce in Singapore

by Sasha Jassem On the third night of F1 Rocks, 9000 people competed to get a spot directly in front of the stage. As people pushed through the crowd spectators threw elbows and rude remarks at each other in anticipation of the concert. As the stage went black the crowd chanted, “BLACK EYED PEAS, BLACK EYED PEAS,” Out of the darkness suddenly instruments began to play as the stage lit up in a breathtaking array of lights as the band came onto stage singing their signature song “Lets Get It Started.” Around the stage the crowd was full of sea of hands waving in the air and screams of thousands of fans, a big change from their last visit in Singapore.

When the band finished their set on Saturday night, they left the stage despite cheers for an encore, one that the tight schedule did not allow.

“They were so bad, it was disappointing because I really liked their music,” Senior Christie Lee said.

During intermission between the Black Eyed Peas and Beyonce, spectators were encouraged to go to the food, drink and concert merchandise stands at the corners of Fort Canning. A bottle of water

was five dollars and a one-of-akind concert T-shirt was 40 dollars.

Abnormally long intermission and hours of standing on a hot night made it hard for spectators to regain their energy.

Beyonce, known for her unforgettable performances rose to her reputation at Fort Canning that night. From the moment she took the stage, her dancing and singing mesmerized spectators.

An artist is truly talented when you can close your eyes at their concert and hear the same quality song as the one you download it from iTunes.

A refreshing aspect of Beyonce’s performance was that she played songs from the days of Destiny’s Child to her newest hits such as “Halo, If I Were a Boy” and “Single Ladies (Put a Ring On It).”

Beyonce sang “Halo” for the late Michael Jackson as the finale. By the end of the song, almost every person in the audience had tears in their eyes.

“I couldn’t dance or scream when Beyonce was playing, because her dancing and performance were to amazing for words,” senior Brittany McConville said. jassem.eye@gmail.com

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Oct. 19, 2009

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sports & activities

The Eye

In demand: Senior Alvi Hasan serves refreshing snocones to thirsty spectators.

Homecoming kicked up a notch Breaking Through: Captain and junior Jenny Alberts fights with an ISKL defender for possession of the ball.The Lady Eagles were featured in this year’s homecoming main event. Photos by Jessica Nguyen-Phuong

by Melissa Huston As high school students lined the grass field edge cheering on their friends, waist-high children took turns racing each other down the track lanes while others picked up a game of football or soccer in the backfields. On September 4th SAS held its third annual Homecoming game where the entirewwschool was invited to come out to cheer on the two soccer games, participate in half-time competitions, hang out and otherwise take a break from the norm of school life. ww This year the main games saw both Varsity Soccer teams square off against 40-year rivals the International School of Kuala Lumpur. Throughout the week leading up to the Friday night games students and faculty dressed in cowboy outfits, superhero costumes and decked themselves out in red-white-and-blwue as part of tradition.

“The dress days were another way to interact outside the norm of school,” Executive Council cosponsor Eric Brunett said. “It was like a conversation starter between teachers and students early enough in the school year when ‘lunch seating’ and clicks weren’t established yet.”

The grade levels were pitted against each other in four different spirit-activities with class pride up for grabs. With the sophomore class coming out on top by the end of the week, class participants sumo wrestled, licked crackers off windows and forced on frozen clothes to win spirit points for their grade.

Freshman and new student Aidyn Bradford spent her very first week of SAS in the midst of the Homecoming swing.

“When I first got here it was crazy,” Bradford said. “Everyone was dressing up and participating or cheering during the spirit activities. It was really exciting, really different,

Smile: Senior Lauren Betts sticks her tounge out at the camera during the girls soccer game.

and cool to see people get into it.

All of it definitely felt like it was a school tradition.”

Creating a Tradition This was only SAS’s third Homecoming, yet most Frehsman and new students this year were under the impression that Homecoming has been an ongoing tradition in the high school. Even though Homecoming is relatively new, Student Council has made it a goal to continue improving and building on the event for future years.

“Student Council has the flexibility of creating a tradition,” Burnett said. “Although it seems odd to say ‘creating a tradition’ we have the rare opportunity to include all of our school’s culture in an event like Homecoming.”

One of the major changes from last year’s Homecoming was the sport of the main event. This year both the varsity soccer teams played on Friday night against IASAS

rivals the International School of Kuala Lumper. Unlike the year before Homecoming 2009 featured two main events: a girls game in the afternoon and a boys game under the stadium lights.

The Friday event allowed for SAS to showcase the talent of both gender teams. For many 4-year soccer players this was the biggest turnout of support ever.

“Last year was such a hit so this year we were excited to play for the home crowd,” senior co-captain Brittany Dawe said. “No one comes to watch our season games so it was the first time that we got to show the rest of the school what we can do.”

A total of 2082 tickets were sold for the Friday night games with about 1088 tickets being sold to the High School division.

Nothing is ever perfect Student Council admits that there were some hiccups.

Throughout the week for the

spirit dress days students were seen abusing the dress theme by wearing free dress and passing it off as a themed costume.

Student Council said that they have gone over how to choose more specific dress days and have discussed the need for a counting system for next year to keep students from getting away with just wearing free dress.

“Because we can’t put an unnecessary burden on the homebase teachers to tabulate, we need to create a system within the student council to count how many kids are in the themed dress each day,” Burnett said.

“Otherwise thematic dress for future Homecomings will either be revisited or taken away.”

Ultimately, this system would award spirit points to their class for someone who is in the themed dress and deduct spirit points for someone who is abusing it.

“A key component of Student Council is to reflect,” Burnett said.

“We’ve looked at what worked and what didn’t to make changes for next year.”

Besides dress days, many of the kinks throughout Homecoming week have been attributed to its early date and a lack of numbers.

Because it was scheduled to be during the soccer exchange, Homecoming came before Student Council elections, leaving all planning to Executive Council, their two sponsors – Burnett and Kent Knipmeyer – and the three already elected presidents. The 55 candidates running for Student Council elections were asked to help sell tickets and advertise the Homecoming events in their grades.

“It was a nice throwback to a time when people got together just for the sake of it,” Burnett said. huston.eye@gmail.com

Homecoming games showcase girls and boys soccer Varsity girls start strong, boys cannot seal the deal as Eagles perform in front of home crowd

by Evan Petty They say “the early bird gets the worm,” which was certainly the case for Eagles fans who attended the Homecoming games of 2009.

With about half of the stands empty for the much of the opening Homecoming game, the SAS Girls rewarded the fans who came out early with a 1-0 win over the International School of Kuala Lumpur (ISKL) Panthers.

Throughout the first half the Eagles had chances to strike first, but the combination of good goalkeeping and an inability to capitalize on opportunities kept the score 0-0 late in the first half. After missing from point-blank range in the 29th minute, sophomore Alicia Elms knocked in a header just before the first half expired, giving SAS something to show for their 45 minutes of dominance.

“To put that goal in at the end of the first half was much needed for the work that they did,” said head coach Don Adams.

The Lady Eagles rode the momentum of Elms’ goal into the second half and stymied the ISKL attack.

Adams attributed a strong Eagles

score in the 67th insurance goal to put the game out minute. of reach.

Instead of With an overcapacity crowd, the following soccer Eagles were likely playing in their courtesy and highest attended game of the entire kicking the ball season, which may have had a mixed out of bounds after effect on the team.

Daily’s injury, “The crowd definitely pumped ISKL continued us up, but at the same time we got play and scored, a little caught up in the atmosphere, grabbing a 1-0 and some of us were nervous,” junior lead.

Klevrin Sitohang said.

Facing an Whether the large crowd was unexpected late- a negative factor or not, Zitur Sprinting through: Sophomore Isabella Shaulis sprints down center field looking to pass.The Eagles put constant pressure on the game deficit, the appreciated the spirit shown by the ISKL defense and held strong on defense to preserve the 1-0 shutout win.

Eagles mixed student body.

There is no “I” in “Team”: The soccer team huddles around their three captians before kickoff. ISKL scored twice late in the second and matched in a “It really shows the strong half to get a 2-0 win in front of the SAS home crowd. The game was closely contested and was tighter than the final score suggested. desperate attempt community we have here. It was a to tie the game but great opportunity for the boys to get defense to the bigger crowd as the Homecoming games, the SAS Boys came up short as ISKL added a late to play in front of so many people.” were unable to send the fans home game progressed. petty.eye@gmail.com “Sometimes we have the tendency completely happy- falling 2-0 to to play down to the competition, but ISKL’s Varsity Boys.

Much like their female the girls really played better in the second half when the crowd got counterparts, the Eagles dominated GIRLS possession early in the game but bigger,” he said.

1. Thoomas Rees SAS 2-0 ISKL GIRLS After securing the victory, the were unable to put any numbers on 2. Daniel Bourgeois SAS 2-0 JIS Eagles top priority is getting healthy the scoreboard. After several close SAS vs. ISKL: 1-0 3. Peter Hunt SAS 3-0 ISKL 4.

Josh Choe heading into IASAS; a handful of calls, including Alex Amstrup’s SAS vs. JIS: 1-0 SAS 3-0 JIS 5.

Ted Chritton players have either been ill or injured shot that hit the post, SAS went into BOYS 1. Ruby Hohensee halftime frustrated with the 0-0 tie. during the abbreviated season.

BOYS SAS 2-0 JIS 2.

Brooke McManigal The game remained deadlocked Eagle Boys SAS vs. ISKL: 0-2 SAS 2-0 ISKL 3. Carley Kennedy at zero until ISKL was able to get Suffer 2-0 Loss to ISKL 4. Linda Kim SAS 3-1 JIS SAS vs. ISB: 2-0 In the nightcap of the two deep into the SAS defense and 5. Becky Kreutter SAS 3-1 ISKL

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