the eye Singapore American High School
December 13 2006 2006/vol. 26 no. 4
Senior Bradley Kobylarz during his Peace Interlude performance.
Duo junior Justin Hill and senior Anup Suresh
Crowds thin, 200 shirts unsold
Peace Concert: Rest In Peace? by Nicole Schmitz
Lead singer during his performance
Students look on as the band Female sets up at the concert’s peak hour. Photos by Michelle Schmitz.
Officers, sponsors
Despite raising $10,000 and hosting an audience of 600, the Nov. 17 Peace Concert, “Shatter the Silence,” may not be held next year. Peace Initiative sponsor, Dr.. Roopa Dewan, is considering options such as a “Battle of the Bands” or inviting celebrity judges to judge the bands in an “American-Singapore Idol” to keep the school and music linked to the local music scene. “If the Peace Concert takes so much effort and doesn’t produce results, maybe we should completely rethink what we’re about,” Dr. Dewan said. Two hundred unsold T-shirts tumbled from overflowing bins in Dr. Dewan’s room as Peace Initiative students and sponsors met up on Nov. 24 to discuss the possible obstacles that kept “Shatter” from being a
success. “We always review [the concert] every year to see what things went well and what we may have to change,” Peace Initiative sponsor Anne Marie Russell said. Peace Concert began as a way to raise money for buying stamps for students’ letters asking governments to release Prisoners of Conscience. Over 1,000 people crowded into the King’s Road gym to listen to local bands at the first Peace Concert in 1994, when the Singapore music scene was almost non-existent. The student-run, student-led project raises money for 11 charities that educate and empower children in Ethiopia, India, Vietnam, and the Philippines. New organizations are added and old groups are maintained every year. Themes from previous concerts have been “Respect” and “The Power of One.” Peace Initiative made between $8,000 to $10,000 in profit at last year’s concert, “The Power of One.”
The $10,000 profit from “Shatter” was not from selling T-shirts and tickets, but from money left over from corporate sponsorship. Dewan said that the excellent organizational skills and the quality of the music for both bands and interludes made the concert successful. “Maybe because the music was so good, our expectation was that the concert would be a huge draw,” Dewan said. However, the high expectations fell short. “We couldn’t understand it,” Dr.. Dewan said. “We had the best music ever. and we didn’t have the crowds. We kept the best for the last, thinking that the crowds would stay.” Russell was disappointed that the crowd did not stay for Peace Concert’s last band, Say Whale. “Say Whale was fantastic, but they didn’t have a good [sized] audience to appreciate them,” Russell said. Senior Miguel Menez attended
the Peace Concert for the first time. “I was expecting more people to go,” he said. Peace Initiative Treasurer Ester Lukman was involved in picking the bands that performed in the concert. “It is amazing that students manage to pull it off every year,” she said. Despite the small crowd, Rose Nassir, lead singer of the band, The Breakfast Club, enjoyed the energy of the crowd. “I don’t know how to judge a performance,” she said. “But judging by the audience’s reaction, they enjoyed it as well.” A dearth of advertising, Morning Show video advertisements and the new school schedule were cited as some of the obstacles to a successful concert. “Nobody sees [the videos],” Dewan said. The club, which used to have sub-committees and thrice-daily meetings, now only meets once a week.
by Arunima Kochhar The eight seniors graduating early this year will miss some of the best moments of senior year – interim semester, prom, and senior skip day. Graduation will take place on Dec. 15 in the High School Drama Theater. Senior Jonathan Duncan chose to graduate early because the university calendar in Australia starts in early January. “If I didn’t graduate early, I would have to wait nine months before starting university,” Duncan said. Senior Megan Warshawsky said that since she and her family would
have had to move in the middle of second semester, she found it easier to leave now. Senior Andrea Rodrigues felt differently. “I didn’t choose to graduate early,” Rodrigues said. “Actually, my parents made that decision for me because my dad is moving back to his job in Mexico.” Senior Brandi Bell will miss some of the second-semester activities. “Even though I believe it is better to graduate early, I am really disappointed to be missing out on interim,” she said. Bell plans on getting a job and
relaxing before she attends the University of Virginia in August of next year. “After I graduate, I intend to get a job in Virginia,” Bell said. “I’m also going to do some traveling, and finally relax. I’m looking forward to new experiences in the ‘working world’ and finally just being able to do what I want.” Rodrigues will also begin working and plans to further her education. “I’m planning on getting a job because of the experience and to start saving money of my own,” Rodrigues said. “I also want to spend a month in Florence, Italy, studying
fine arts before going to college in September.” Kana Nagashima said she was excited for the chance to experience the world outside of Singapore. “I’m really excited to go back to Japan,” Nagashima said. “College there will be fun and it is time for me to start there.” For most, graduating early will be bittersweet. “I’m going to miss all the fun, traditional things like prom and the big ceremony. I’m also really sad about missing interim,” Warshawsky said. “But I am glad I’ll get some real world experience before college.”
re-evaluate event after low turnout
If a concert is held next year, suggestions include lowering T-shirt production from 500 to 300 and starting the bands at a later time. Peace Initiative Vice President Daksha Rajagopalan thought it went well, but was disappointed by the Tshirt sales. “It’s a pity that we didn’t sell too many T-shirts,” she said. Sponsors and students talked about bringing back old traditions and speculated about having an open mike, where students could give an impromptu performance in the hour before sunset. “It used to be the entire hour of people doing speeches, hence the ‘Hour of Peace,’” she said. Dr.. Dewan sees the “failure” as a chance to return to the club’s former grass roots, activist past. “The focus is now the Peace Concert, not so much awareness,” she said. “We are really a human rights club. We’ll continue with other stuff. We’ll put our energy somewhere else.”
Early grads miss out on second-semester seniority
Permit # MICA (P) 234/10/2005
The Graduates Michael Bantog Brandi Bell Jon Duncan Kristopher Keiser Shita Kusumawati Kana Nagashima Andrea Rodrigues Megan Warshawsky
2 news
December 14, 2006
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the Eye
College app essay prompts seek student creativity
By Megan Anderson “If you are a function, what are you? In which quadrants do you lie? Are x and y enough for you, or do you warrant some love from the zaxis? Be sure to include your domain, range, derivative, and asymptotes, should any apply. Your possibilities are positively and negatively unbounded.” This is not a question from a math test. In fact, it is an essay question on the college admissions website for the University of Chicago. The university is among the handful of universities have created a selection of ‘uncommon’ essay questions to test their applicants’ creative ability. The college application essay is the most demanding part of the college application process. Many students have thought of unique and intriguing topics to write their essays on. There are the standard common application questions that many schools accept. College admissions
officers read thousands of these essays until they all blend into a drone of words. The challenge is to choose an essay topic that will stand out among the hundreds of others. “The essay is how you distinguish yourself from other well qualified applicants,” high school counselor Beth Kramer said. Many colleges require only the common application which includes an essay, while others require applicants to answer college specific questions, explaining why they want to study at their respective school. Additionally, they require a response to a short answer question or an essay on the topic of the applicants’ choice—or both. Senior Mallika Rao likes choosing her own topic for the essay because it lets her be more creative with her response. “I think the colleges kind of test your individuality and ability to be creative when they ask you to write
Counseling Office Secretary Linda Lajim sorts through seniors’ college applications before sending them off. Photo by Cat Ward
on a topic of your choice,” Rao said. “That’s your chance to prove that you’re not just another fish in the sea.” Some students fail to understand the purpose of the essay and use it as a means to repeat what the college already knows. These students restate the academic accomplishments that their transcripts already show. “Many students try to use the essay to reiterate what they have done,” Kramer said. “What the college wants is to learn who the student is.” One SAS student discussed a guitar that he made. Another student wrote about why she chose her email address, which was the title of a book that reflected her personality. A summer spent with Grandpa working on projects around their summer house was another student’s topic choice. These students used simple subject matters as a means of expressing their personalities,
precisely what colleges seek. “The students who do essays well are those that are able to make their personalities come across through their writing,” Kramer said. High school students are not the only ones inventing quirky ideas for essay topics. Many colleges have also created unconventional essay questions for their applicants to respond to. The University of Chicago’s website boasts that it has “long been renowned for its provocative essay questions.” The University emails last year’s freshmen and ask them for essay topics. Chicago receives several hundred responses, many of which the website describes as, “eloquent, intriguing, or downright wacky.” A visit to the admissions website for the University of Chicago proves that “wacky” might even be an understatement. Some of the questions include, “How do you feel about Wednesday? If you could
balance on a tightrope, over what landscape would you walk? If you are a function, what are you?” The University of Virginia asks, “What is your favorite word and why?” Northwestern asks, “What fictional character would you choose as your college roommate and why? If you could pose for a formal oil portrait in the style of Hans Holbein’s ‘The Ambassadors’, what possessions would surround you and why?” Application essasys provide colleges information about an aspect of students that is not sufficiently shown through transcripts and SAT scores: their personalities. Transcripts do not reveal who students really are, under the grades, service hours and test scores. “[The essays] may be really hard and annoying to write, but all the time and stress is worth the impact a good essay will have on those poor people reading all the essays,” senior Tiffanie Wu said.
AIDS to be third largest cause of death in next 25 years
Students from Ikamva Youth perform an interpretive dance. Photo by Cat Ward
By Amber Bang Students marked the 18th World AIDS Day with red T-shirts on Dec. 1. The World Health Organization estimates 120 million people will die from AIDS in the next 25 years. AIDS will join heart disease and stroke as the top three causes of death. AIDS, a disease that has swept the world and left millions dead over the decades, continues to kill in the tens of thousands each year, especially in those countries that cannot afford medical care or awareness programs to arrest its spread. Many of these countries are in Africa, where, despite help from developed nations, corrupt governments and poor distribution methods prevent assistance from reaching those in need. The conditions of many living in South Africa were brought to Singapore on Thursday, Nov 31, when a group of South African youth came to visit SAS to inform students going to South Africa for Interim Semester about the issues occurring in their country. The group of African students were volunteers from Ikamva Youth, an Non-Governmental Organization
(NGO) founded by two researchers who were concerned about the wellbeing of South African adolescents in their township. Olga Ganta, an 11th grader who represents the Nyanga township branch of Ikamva, was one of the volunteers who came to Singapore. “Ikamva helps disadvantaged youths to realize their potential,” Ganta said. “I joined Ikamva because I wanted to change my lifestyle.” The co-founders of the organization did not plan to begin an NGO, but wanted to simply bring other South Africans together who were concerned about problems affecting their people. Ikamva is based at three different Cape Town libraries in the townships of Makhaza, Khayelitsha, and Nyanga. “We go as a group to get tested [for HIV] every two weeks,” Joy Olivier, the co-founder and director of Ikamva Youth, said. “It is voluntary, and we advise them to keep their results confidential because there is a lot of discrimination against HIV positive people. In my township, four out of ten people are HIV positive.” Ikamva is also beginning an online help group for people who
test positive for AIDS. AIDS/HIV is not only an issue in Africa and developing countries. Singapore has a rising number of cases, recording 286 new HIV cases by the end of October this year. Thailand also suffers greatly from AIDS, with an approximate number of 21,000 people dead from HIV/AIDS at the end of 2005. In Thailand, an estimated 50,000 new cases will be reported every year for the next five years according to unaids.org. Medical care in the United States has managed to slow the rate of increase, and the number of HIV/AIDS cases actually decreased from 1993 to the late 90’s. Since then, however, the number of cases has started to slowly increase again. In 2004 there were 42,514 new diagnoses of AIDS in the United States. AIDS typically has a high ratio of infected men to women. In Singapore, 94 percent of new HIV positive cases were men. However, most transmission is still due to heterosexual contact. In a special Sunday section of the Straits Times, a personal account was shared by a 60-year-old Singaporean
woman who discovered she was HIV positive. She had contracted the disease from her husband who had been in sexual contact with prostitutes. Her two grown children living with her at the time moved out and do not have contact with her. Her married daughter visits her occasionally, but the daughter’s husband does not permit her to enter her mother’s flat; instead they talk in a public area of the building. This story is a mild anecdote of the discrimination that HIV-positive people suffer in addition to living with the disease.
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CORECTIONS In the last issue of the Eye, we omitted Miracle Anderson’s last name and referred to her only as Miracle XXXX. We also spelled Rachel Witt’s name incorrectly in the staff editorial. We wrote that Shelley DeFord was the vice-chairwoman of the Board when she is actually the chairwoman. The swimming photo in the sports section was taken by Chi Chi Lin and not by Brian Riady. Tiffanie Wu’s name was mispelled in the rugby story. The Eye staff apologizes.
the Eye
staff editorial
Pullouts distract,distract disrupt Pullouts disrupt,
According to the student handbok, tardiness is an infraction warranting penalties ranging from conferences to out-of-school suspensions. Tardiness can show apathy for the class and insult the teacher. If being tardy shows disrespect for the teacher, then surely, being pulled out of class for so-called “urgent” reasons such as dress code violation shows disrespect as well. The office pulls students from class about 10-20 times a day. It is an inconvenience for teachers whose lessons are interrupted and students who are distracted. Students look up from their work, or naps, whisper to others about possibilities as to why the perpetrator had to go to the office. Teachers generally do not send the student straight down, but wait until he or she has finished any tests, quizzes, or in-class essays. Some teachers may not resent the disruption, but the bottom line is that a disturbance is created. Such a strange line of reasoning, what constitutes critical and what unimportant: dress code is deemed vital with instructions to report to the office immediately whereas collecting something can wait until
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after class. Infractions are not stated on the slip, probably because if a student knew they were caught for a dress code violation, they would change. The office called one student out of class because she had harsh words with Deputy Principal Doug Niehart a few days before. Another student was called out of class to the office because he forgot to pay ten dollars for a new student ID card. Because of the ambiguity of those ubiquitous slips, neither students nor teacher are aware of why the student is being pulled from class. A family emergency differs greatly from wearing faded navy bottoms; a teacher would allow a student to go with sympathy rather than aggravation if it were the former. If the office doesn’t want to provide a reason, fine. It boils down to one question: is it really necessary to call students out of class because of their dress? They will still be out of dress code, have an attitude problem and be in debt after class. If we can wait until break to go to the bathroom, pulling people out of class can wait until break, too.
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.sgc
Editors-in-chief Denise Hotta-Moung, Editors-in-chief: Hot Cat Ward News editor: Sam Lloyd, Rhoda Severino Op/Ed editor: Amanda Tsao, Vicky Cheng Features editor: Jeff Hamilton, Nicole Schmitz Eye In Focus editor: Katrina DeVaney A&E editor: Arunima Kochhar, Kathy Bordwell Sports editor: Barbara Lodwick, Megan Anderson Photo/Layout editor: Rohin Dewan Reporters: Megan Anderson, Alex Boothe, Kathy Bordwell,Vicky Cheng, Katrina DeVaney, Rohin Dewan, Jeff Hamilton, Denise Hotta-Moung, Arunima Kochhar, Michelle Lee, Sam Lloyd, Barbara Lodwick, Enja Reyes, Nicole Schmitz, Rhoda Severino, Ravi Shanmugam, Amanda Tsao, Cat Ward Adviser: Mark Clemens Assistant advisers: Judy Agusti and Sridevi Lakshmanam
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@sas. edu.sg. At the authorʼs 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.
TSAOISM By Amanda Tsao
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December 14, 2006
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It’s time to start caring Environmental degradation is caused by water, air and land pollution. Global warming is caused by the burning of fossil fuels. Species are endangered by human activities such as marine pollution, deforestation and industrialization. The number of species becoming extinct since the Industrial Revolution has no precedent in biological history, and if the rate continues then the number of species becoming extinct in the next decade could be in the millions. It is an inconvenient truth. On Dec. 1, 200 SAVE club members and students, faculty and parents attended the 6:45 p.m. showing of Al Gore’s global warming lecture, Cat “An Inconvenient Truth,” at Great World City. With the recent release of the film in Singapore and the elephant in the room – global warming - that the film illustrates, students should evaluate the job that our school is doing in fighting important environmental problems such as global warming. Sure, in the high school 50 can recycling bins line the hallways, and in almost every classroom there is a paper recycling box. These are initiatives of SAVE Club members – environmentalists extraordinaire. But it’s not enough that just SAVE Club members help protect the world we live in. Everybody at SAS – each student, teacher, administrator and staff member – should care about the environment. Mr. Hoe contributes by charging twenty cents for plastic take-away containers. This extra charge covers the actual cost of the containers, but Mr. Hoe could charge more for the take-away containers to further discourage their use. Money in excess of the actual cost could be donated to an environmental cause. Students and teachers might be motivated to use “recyclable,” washable dishes. While their hearts might not be into saving the environment, their pocketbooks might be.
“It’s
This would be a step forward, but the Caf still sells Styrofoam cups for coffee - Styrofoam is the kind of cup that is most hazardous to the environment as it can take up to 100 years to decompose – and plastic cups for fountain drinks. In Singapore, plastic, although collected for recycling, is not actually recycled. There is evidence that the plastic collected in the recycling bins in Singapore, for example on Orchard Road, is not sent to recycling centers around Singapore, but to incineration centers. Absentminded athletes go through Ward plastic water bottles every day, tossing at least one away daily, oblivious to the waste that they are causing. An alternative for this is for athletes or teams to buy Nalgeneesque bottles that they can reuse throughout their high school careers without throwing away any plastic bottles whatsoever. Teachers at SAS should follow the example of Dr. Dale Smith and use weather stripping on their classroom doors to prevent the air-con from escaping. It cost him only $40. If the school were to apply weather stripping to all of the doors as a summer work project, the benefits would undoubtedly outweigh the costs. Teachers should use only one of the doors that goes into their classroom as it would be more efficient. Another easy way that teachers could help fight environmental problems is to turn off their lights whenever they leave the room, even if they’re just going to buy lunch. Some students might be moved by the plight of the endangered whale shark if there was an explanation on the large plywood animal covering the high school office windows. It wouldn’t be surprising if new students thought that the whale shark was the SAS mascot.
How You Look at It.”
We live in a country that is still aware of the importance of protecting the environment, even as its infrastructure and economic power are growing. The Botanic Gardens has over 3000 species of orchids alone, and, per the land area of Singapore, the biodiversity that exists is remarkable, considering that it is a city-state. Yet it seems like SAS is out of touch with the environment. Now that’s a pity. It’s a pity that we don’t know more about the value of biodiversity. It’s a pity that students don’t appreciate the opportunity SAS gives them to take courses like APES (AP Environmental Science), that raise students awareness over issues like pollution, global warming, oil and deforestation. It’s a pity that more students don’t do the three essential R’s: reduce, reuse and recycle. It’s also an opportunity. There is always something more that can be done; instead of throwing a Coke can in the garbage, walk the extra ten meters to the nearest can recycling bin. Eat Mr. Hoe’s food on a plate if you are going to eat in the cafeteria. It’s an easy way to save plastic. The plastic lids of Juice Zone smoothies have little practical use, unless students are planning on running around the school with smoothie in hand. Why the plasticwrapped straws at Subway are necessary is a mystery as they are an unreasonable waste of plastic. Paper has been recycled at SAS for over 25 years. SAVE Club bringing the can recycling program to SAS in 2000 was a first step, and the establishment of Eco-Ed, through which elementary students can learn about the value of the environment, was another step, but it seems as if we have slacked off since then. It’s time to start caring again. It’s time to start caring and it’s time to start living up to our ideal of treating the environment with respect. It’s time to grow beyond our institutional hubris and realize that recycling paper and aluminum cans is not enough when we could be doing so much more - not just recycling, but conserving. It’s time.
4 arts
December 14, 2006
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the Eye
Early start, jazz increase art show attendance
McFadzen’s students draw their favorite pieces.
Junior Amanda Cain’s five independent study pieces explore personal struggles.
Senior Gabby Loscalzo’s seasonal ceramic.
Art teacher Kelly McFadzen’s intermediate school students examine student artwork. All photos by Rohin Dewan
AP art student Ellen Lee’s work.
by Michelle Lee A buffet table filled with food and a foyer booming with a medley of festive blues set the scene for the first art show of the year. The SAS Jazz Ensemble, directed by Brian Hill, opened the Dec. 1 show with a brassy rendition of ‘Winter Wonderland.’ In previous years, the art show was a more formal, evening event accompanied by the SAS String Ensemble. This year, art teacher Barbara Harvey and photography teacher Paul Griffin thought a more accessible time-slot and a backdrop of jazz music would increase student
turnout. “This year we had a very successful turnout, and more students were able to enjoy the hard work of their peers,” Harvey said. Over 200 pieces of art were displayed on two floors in the heart of the high school building throughout the week of Dec 4., showcasing ceramics, papier mache, and photography, and oil, watercolor and acrylic paintings. AP Art students Isabella Amstrup and Amanda Cain’s work was was among that showcased in the art show.
anything at all,” Cain said. “It’s a message that is not right to hide because sometimes the results can be fatal.” The black and white photography, all produced by beginning photography students, included personal images and urban landscapes. The digital photography included photo mosaics and partially colorized black and whites. The showcase was seen as an excellent representation of the hard work put in by SAS art students. “It was a great celebration, like a party,” Griffin said.
Amstrup’s theme of ‘street life’ was portrayed in three of her four displayed works, which depicted views of global poverty and the daily lives of middle and upper class people. Amstrup was pleased with the turnout. “A lot of people agree that it was the most successful show yet,” Amstrup said “Art is made to be seen by other people, so it was good to have it displayed in such a positive way.” Independent study student Amanda Cain’s work sparked interest and thought in a powerful
way, the response that she had hoped to receive. Her work captured the stark vulnerability of depression. “[The pieces] were about selfharm and I wanted to create awareness through my art because there is a lot that is unknown and unsaid,” Cain said. “Because people don’t know, they judge; they make kids feel like social outcasts.” Such a powerful form of expression is sure to spark controversy, but Cain does not feel exposed. “I’d rather people know and see the reality of it than not know
‘So You Think You Can Dance’ finalists lend moves to SAS dancers
Season one finalist Ryan Conferido teaches a group of SAS dancers a routine. Photo by Rohin Dewan
by Cat Ward Two of the finalists from the U.S. reality show “So You Think You Can Dance” taught dance workshops for SAS dancers Dec. 8-9. Melody Lacayanga and Ryan Conferido worked with high and middle school students in 13 sessions over the two days. Sessions were limited to 20 dancers. Lacayanga trained formally for years before competing in the reality, while Conferido had none before competing. Students said that the Lacayanga sessions were more technical than those of Conferido who was “more chill.” Each workshop emphasized a different style of dance. Junior Ester Lukman participated in the ballet, jazz, contemporary and hiphop workshops. “It was absolutely amazing,” Lukman said. In the days following their SAS workshops, Lacayanga and Conferido taught similar workshops at other Singapore schools. “So You Think Can Dance,” was the number-one rated summer television show in the U.S.
the Eye
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December 14, 2006
arts 5
Winter Collage spreads festive spirit
by Sam Lloyd The problem of too many students and too little space was eased this year by holding assemblies for the whole school in the newly spacious gym. But what if the gym is not a suitable venue for the assembly, as was the case with Winter Collage, an annual performance of seasonal music by the music classes of SAS? According to music teacher Stephen Bonnette, Winter Collage narrowly evaded this problem due to the more than 300 students performing which, when subtracted from the school population, allowed the entire student audience to fit in to the auditorium for the assembly on Dec. 8. Those planning the performance originally thought the space would leave 50 to 75 students standing outside and brought up the possibility of multiple assemblies. “It was an idea that was on the table, but we didn’t think it was a viable option,” music teacher Brian Hill said. Bonnette said that the idea was not practical because some students might not perform as much. “We want to give everyone a fair chance to be on stage,” he said. They had also considered holding the concert in the gym, but as they were “trying to use the physical space” of the performance area, such as placing performers on the second floor and violinists in the aisles, this would have detracted from the effect of the concert. “We’re stuck between a rock and a hard place,” Bonnette said of fitting students into the auditorium. “This year it was difficult. Next year it might be impossible.” While there are other music performances interspersed throughout the year, Winter Collage is the only one that draws upon students from all music classes in a single concert, as well as the only one that is given assembly time, an hour of it, that all students attend. There
Strings teacher Stephen Bonnette conducts the Eagle Symphony during their Dec. 8 Winter Collage assembly performance.
Singers vocalist Sean McCabe performing a solo in the Gospel Hallelujah Chorus.
Wind ensemble’s clarinet section performing a piece. Photos by Cat Ward and Megan Anderson.
was also a two-hour-long concert at 7 p.m. the same day. This year’s concert drew on music of all kinds, from the Polar Express’s “Hot Chocolate” to Baroque to the solemn “Ha Shalom,” chosen by the music teachers.
Though predominantly Christmas themed, the concert includes some more generic seasonal music, a detail which prompted the change from “Christmas Collage” to “Winter Collage” two years ago. Some students who attended
the assembly were displeased with the music choice or, in the words of a few, “bored” or “tired” of too familiar traditional selections. “The music loses people’s attention,” said one musician who preferred to remain anonymous.
“They need to pick music that’s entertaining instead of technically challenging.” “I liked how all the people were there, singers and strings and all those groups,” sophomore Ellen Lee said, “It was nice, but the music was a little boring sometimes. Some was inspiring, happy stuff, but I’d heard it so many times before.” The musical pieces “Sleigh Ride” and “Hallelujah from Handel’s Messiah: A Soulful Celebration” have been performed in earlier years at Winter Collage. However, there are reasons for their repetition. “We play this song every year for Mimi Molchan,” Hill explained before the evening performance of “Sleigh Ride,” “She does so much for the school; we’ll play it every year she’s here.” According to violinist Marissa Leow, the yearly performance of “Messiah” has been a tradition, though “A Soulful Celebration,” an upbeat, jazz-Gospel version, replaced the traditional one this year. Leow said she liked the music choice for its variety. In addition, she said, the concert went “a lot smoother this year than normal.” Tri-M co-president, senior Azhani Amiruddin agreed, “Things were very well organized.” One of the few hitches, she mentioned, was the injury of horn player Michael Jeong, who was slated to play a solo with the Jazz Ensemble. “It’s a really fun program to put up,” Bonnette said, “The students enjoy playing for their peers.” Jimmy Tan was one of a group of visually handicapped from the Singapore Association of the Visually Handicapped (SAVH) who visited for the performance on the invitation of SAVE Club. “The atmosphere was very good,” he said, “it was a very good trip for Christmas.”
Hooked on Hart: writer praises villians and imagination by Denise Hotta-Moung During a game of “What If?” played at scriptwriter James V. Hart’s dinner table, his six year old son asked “What if Peter Pan grew up?” The question was the first time Hart had thought of Peter Pan growing up and prompted him to start writing the script for the movie “Hook.” “Before I had kids, I could never have thought of ‘Hook’,” he said. “The whole movie came from the mind of a six year old.” On Dec. 6, 50 students came into contact with Hart, who spoke about writing for movies. He spoke about the making of “Hook” and the importance of villians, in particular, Captain Hook. “Villains to me, make the story,” he said. Hart tried hard to make Captain Hook frightening in the film. After all, Hart said, this was a man who
stole children’s souls. In 2005, Hart published his first novel, “Capt. Hook,” which follows Hook through his adolescent years. The book attempts to explain why Captain Hook turned out the way he did. Hart connected with his audience by asking them about their dreams and what superpowers they had or would want. After receiving various responses from the students, he went on to discuss the ‘power of imagination.’ “There’s nothing that works without the imagination first,” he said. “Without imagination, movies don’t exist. Without imagination, DVDs don’t exist. Without imagination, we don’t go to the moon.” He encouraged students to express their ideas. “Don’t ever let anyone tell you your ideas aren’t important,” he
said. “Your ideas at this age are more important than you think.” For two years, Hart worked with astronomer Carl Sagan on the production of “Contact” which is based on Sagan’s novel. Hart said that he had the least involvement in “Contact,” but that it was the most rewarding. “It was one of the first scifi stories that had no ugly aliens or spaceships,” Hart said. “It made people realize there is intelligence.” Hart said that Sagan used to say that if human beings really did come into contact with other beings, all of the wars would stop. “[Carl] would say that we would realize we are not that significant. It would change the way we treat each other,” Hart said. Writing the script for “Contact” required Hart, who said he was always weak in mathematics, to
understand the science of the story. “Carl made it easy to understand,” he said. Sagan did not live to see the final product. He died seven months before the film’s release. Hart’s other projects are diverse in their genres. His writing credits include the drama “Tuck Everlasting,” action film “Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life” and the family adventure film “Muppet Treasure Island.” He said he likes fantasy-type stories because it gives him more freedom as a writer. Hart said that it is not difficult to find films that he wants to write for, as there are “many good stories out there.” He said his son refers to bad film stories as ‘toys.’ Hart has two films coming out next year, “August Rush” starring Robin Williams and “The Last Mimzy.”
James V. Hart discusses the movies that he has written with a student. Photo by Mary Gruman.
6 sports
December 14, 2006
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the Eye
Eagles face tough opponents in HK by Denise Hotta-Moung Led by junior David Small’s 71 points, the Varsity Boys Basketball team placed third at the 37th annual Hong Kong tournament held over Thanksgiving break. The tournament involved only one other IASAS school, the International School in Bangkok (ISB). “[This tournament] shows what we have to work on,” senior cocaptain Colin Lee said. “We play teams that are better than the teams at IASAS.” The Eagles began their tournament with a 59-49 win over the Kadena Panthers. Later that day, the Eagles won 54-52 against the St. Mary’s Titans. With ten seconds left on the clock, the game was tied. Lee dribbled up the court before passing to Small who made the winning shot. The Eagle boys next faced Faith Academy, one of the strongest teams at the tournament. The game resulted in a 47-55 loss, the Eagles’ first loss of the tournament. The boys bounced back in their next game with a 46-43 win over fellow IASAS competitors, ISB. With the win, the boys advanced to the semi-finals but lost to the Hong Kong International School (HKIS) 74-49. “We had an unlucky game in the semifinal against HKIS,” Lee said. “They came out on fire.” Small, who was named alltournament, played exceptionally well in the consolation game against the Seoul Foreign School. The Eagles won 66-57 to claim third place. The Eagles were also lifted by junior Chris Hussey’s 59 points and eight assists.
Girls face tough fight
Varsity Girls Basketball cocaptain Cat Ward gave special thanks for the challenges the team faced
BASKETBALL GIRLS SAS-30 Kubasaki-32 SAS-26 Heep Yunn-46 SAS-35 Faith- 41
BOYS SAS-59 Kadena- 49 SAS-54 St.Mary’s-52 SAS-47 Faith- 55 SAS-46 ISB- 43 SAS-49 HKIS-74
RUGBY ROUND ROBIN SAS-12 OFS-0 SAS-22 TTS-0 SAS-12 UWC-0 SAS-22 AISS-0
FINALS SAS-5 UWC-29 Junior Megan Anderson passes to sophomore Sam Tierney as the team watches from the sidelines. Photo by Joseph Ward
during the tournament. “It made us realize that we can be so good,” Ward said. “We are so close to becoming amazing.” The Eagles were placed in the hardest pool, which included the Faith Vanguards, the Kubasaki Dragons and Heep Yunn. Senior Rachel Witt said it was positive to be assigned to a difficult pool. “We’re always going to be in a hard pool,” Witt said. “We take it as a compliment – a challenge.” The girls opened their tournament with a game against Kubasaki. After trailing by 1-9
at the beginning of the first quarter, the Eagles picked up their game and narrowed the gap to just two points. A low percentage shot and a few missed free throws determined the game’s outcome - a 30-32 loss for the Eagles. The biggest challenge was the girls’ next game against defending champions Heep Yunn. The Eagles fought hard, which took its toll on Ward who was near hyperventilation at the end of the game. The girls’ game in the second half was not as strong as it was in the first, resulting in a 26-46 loss.
“Today just wasn’t our day,” freshman Aisling Leow said, after their game. “I thought [Heep Yunn’s outside shooting] was amazing, but we probably could have crushed them down low.” Two players on each team were fouled out during game three against Faith. The girls’ team had trouble scoring, losing to Faith 3541. Junior all-tournament co-captain Barbara Lodwick said that it was the first game that the whole team came together. “We were all working together towards a common goal, which was
to win. We went back to fundamental basketball and it worked,” Lodwick said. “Our shots just didn’t fall.” With a resilient attitude, the girls continued to play hard and won their last two games on Saturday. The last game against HKIS was a battle for fifth place. The game went into overtime and the Eagles prevailed with a 41-31 win. The tournament gave the team a chance to evaluate their abilities. “We come out ready to play and we play as a team,” senior Rachel Witt said. “We’re so close to coming through.”
Rugby boys battle long-time rivals for trophy by Jeff Hamilton Bragging rights and the first annual Athletic Conference of Singapore International Schools trophy were up for grabs as rugby teams from Singapore’s top international schools gathered on the grounds of the Australian International School to battle. Among them stood the Eagle boys in blue and red. The tournament brought together United World College, Overseas Family School, Tanglin Trust School, Australian International School and the Singapore Eagles in what co-captain David McNicol described as a “jam-packed half-day tournament.” The Eagles played four 20-minute games throughout the day, followed by a 24-minute final. Poor weather conditions prior to the event meant that for most of the team, this was an important opportunity to cement their place on the starting lineup. For coach Cam McNicol, the tournament was vital in choosing his pre-IASAS 15, especially since
it gave newcomers to the team a chance to prove themselves. “It served its purpose as a preIASAS selection test,” he said. “Some newer players performed well.” The highlight victory of the day followed two wins, one over OFS and one over Tanglin Trust. The Eagles had a chance for redemption against UWC who had beaten the Eagles on two separate occasions earlier in the season. Prior to the game, shouts of “34: nothing” could be heard coming from the UWC huddle as a reminder of a hard-fought victory over SAS earlier in the season. For the Eagles it stoked the fire that had been burning since the Eagles went out in the semi-finals to UWC in the U17s National Tournament. “The shouts coming from the UWC huddle before the game and remarks from previous games gave us three-fourths the motivation needed to beat them in the group stage,” senior JJ Subaiah said.
Tries from seniors Gonzalo Carral and Peter Vaz gave the Eagles a convincing 12-0 win over UWC. A victory over the Australian International School capped off a blemish-free SAS defensive record in the group round-robin stage, but the Eagle boys were clearly running out of energy. “We played really well in the round-robin stages,” senior Adam Schwarz said. “Four games took a lot out of us though.” With the mid-day equatorial sun beating down on the field, players from UWC and SAS met again in the finals to play what can only be described as 24 of the hardest minutes of the 2006-2007 season to date. An early try from UWC followed up by several more tries put victory out of reach by the time the ref blew for half time. The game was not a complete washout for the Eagles, though. Sheer grit and determination from the forward pack put Vaz in for another try, making the final score 29-5
Senior Adam Anderson pushing through UWC players. Photo by Chris Hamilton
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December 14, 2006
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