Taipei American School | 800 Zhongshan N. Rd., Section 6, Taipei, Taiwan | blueandgoldonline.org | VOLUME XXVIII, ISS. 01 | December 8, 2020
FEATURES
OPINIONS
JEDI & DEI: conversations initiated
The B&G talks to Interm HOS Dr. Dodge
Dear TAS boys: be careful with perms
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PAGE 12
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NEWS
Adulting 101: TAS prepares students for life after graduation
RIPPLE EFFECT: NAVIGATING CHANGE WITHIN TAS
ILLUSTRATION BY: PHOEBE CHEN
By Katherine Ma (‘24) “Adulting 101” is an annual teaching event which consists of a wide range of courses designed to help seniors transition into an independent lifestyle after high school. With a wide variety of classes available, students can choose to learn how to change tires, tie a tie, cook, do laundry and more. Keeping the mental health of seniors in mind, this program was created as an alternative to exams to ensure that they have time to relax while applying to colleges. “[The seniors] need a break because they were stressed out with their academic load,” Upper School Director of Academic and Personal Counseling Mr. Ryan Haynes said. “Especially with it being the end of the first semester, having to find colleges as well.” Recently, there have been conversations regarding including other students into the program, and incorporating some of the ideas in classes. Nevertheless, it is still in the talking stages, especially with expectations that parents are teaching and initiating similar conversations at home with their children. “We talk about school being a partnership,” Mr. Haynes said. “Many of these topics should be taught at home, especially in terms of doing laundry, ironing and preparing a meal.” Depending on the course, the classes range from 30 minutes to two hours. The event also includes two mandatory courses on consent and third culture identity that last for two hours each. Designed to spread awareness about critical topics for students going to colleges and universities in the United States, these mandatory courses provide insight into the difficulties and differences students may experience and witness outside of Taiwan. “I think that if we are truly helping to shape and prepare students for life beyond TAS, we need to be building on [the subjects taught during Adulting 101] every year from the time they step into upper school,” Upper School English Teacher Ms. Megan Frazier said. “It should not be until the very last moment that we try to cram all of this knowledge in.”
Travel restrictions tighten through second semester By Amber Wu (‘23) As the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic continues to force governments to restrict traveling for citizens worldwide, Taiwan has yet again tightened restrictions, and Taipei American School has made corresponding changes to both its travel regulations and campus access procedures through the start of the second semester. To prevent exposure to the virus, the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) has stated that starting from Dec. 1, anyone who enters Taiwan needs to have a negative COVID-19 test three days prior to their travel. As some TAS community members will be
traveling overseas over the upcoming winter break, the school updated travel regulations within the community with stricter measures on Nov. 11. The school will close the campus to all community members starting from Dec. 18, and tighter campus access procedures will take effect in January. Only students and school employees will be allowed on campus when the second semester begins. All other visitors will require an appointment that will only be offered for essential activities. Another update the school has made in concern of community members traveling overseas is requiring all off-island travelers to take COVID-19 tests following their quarantine to be able to return to the school.
Travelers would also need to self-monitor themselves for a week prior to returning to school by staying home and taking their temperature at least twice a day. Mr. Larry Kraut, the school’s chief operating officer, has expressed that the school will continue following the minimum government regulations but will continue having higher standards. “Government quarantine restrictions allow the person to stay in their family home when they have a separate bedroom and bathroom,” Mr. Kraut said. “From the school’s point of view, everybody in that home is also impacted by the quarantine and they cannot come to school.”
One concern the school has about traveling over the winter break is that students who traveled would need to make up all the academic work they would be missing during their two week quarantine. “If a student travels, comes back and is two weeks in quarantine when school is in session, they will lose school work,” Mr. Kraut said. “They will have whatever consequences as a result of [being in quarantine during school] because we want that to be a deterrent.” Annie Yang (‘23), a frequent traveler, planned against any overseas travel plans over the winter break. “I’m not really sure about traveling overseas since it would still be too dangerous to travel,” Annie said.
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the blue & gold december 8, 2020
TAS rookie team exceeds expectations in the Taiwan regional FRC competition
The drive team for TAS rookie team “Raid One” makes final preparations for their next match. [COURTESY OF TAS COMPUTER SCIENCE & ROBOTICS DEPARTMENT]
By Victoria Hsu (‘24) The 2020 Taiwan regionals took place on Nov. 5-8. The two TAS teams, “Raid Zero” (4253) and “Raid One” (8503), both received numerous awards. “Raid Zero”—a teaam which mostly consists of upperclassmen—was a finalist. “Raid One,” which was newly formed with a majority of sophomores and freshmen, also demonstrated an outstanding performance. They played in the semifinals and earned the Highest Rookie Seed Award. Most of the 2020 FIRST Robotics Competition regional tournaments were canceled due to COVID-19 coronavirus. Taiwan is the only country that was able
to host a FRC event in-person this year. Although the TAS teams have never won the world championships before, they have qualified for it multiple times. The organizers of Taiwan’s regional event decided to stream the competition on Twitch under the username ‘esunrobot.’ “What’s cool about this event is that the FRC community is huge with something like 9000 teams around the world, and they’re really passionate about it. So, everyone from around the world was going to be watching the livestream,” Director of the Tech Cube, Mr. Fagen said. The two-day livestream had more than 11,000 views with a majority from outside
of Taiwan. In a normal season, the TAS FRC team would consist of about 50 members, 20-24 of which are selected for a travel team to represent TAS at the tournaments. This year, only eight people per team were allowed to travel due to COVID-19 travel restrictions. The heads and their trainees of each essential section (electric, mechanic, logistics, software, statistics, design) are the travel team this year. TAS has decided to send two teams for a total of 16 people. To compete in FRC, the TAS FRC students originally travelled to Hawaii, Australia or Detroit to compete in regional
competitions. However, with permission from FIRST, the host organization of FRC, the government began hosting regional FRC competitions here in Taiwan. The TAS 2012 FRC team was the first team in Southeast Asia to compete in FRC. Since then, TAS has started over 28 teams in Taiwan, earning community outreach awards from FIRST. Formosa VEX took place on Dec. 5-6 in the Joie US Gymnasium. 2020 marks the 10th anniversary of the VEX competition. However, The Blue & Gold went to press before the VEX competition and was unable to update this article with specific results.
Annabelle Wu (‘22) participates in multiple triathlon events By Nicole Chang (‘21) Last year, Annabelle Wu (‘22), who was only 15 at the time, participated in her first triathlon. After having watched her family members and friends participate in the triathlon, “Challenge Taiwan,” in Taitung for the past three years, she finally decided to compete. Much to her surprise, Annabelle placed second in the women’s triathlon relay race in her age division. She completed the race with her mom, Mrs. Marjorie Tsai, and her sister, Charlotte Wu (‘24). “The whole race is a great memory for my family,” Mrs. Tsai said. “Especially [when I saw] Annabelle dash 850 meters to the transition tent [where] I waited [as] the cyclist. I knew she was trying her [hardest] to hand me the chip after [coming] out of the water.” Annabelle also sees her first triathlon competition as a success. “It was an accomplishment, and it felt really nice,” she said. “[Which is why] this year I invited my friends and asked them if they wanted to do the relay together.” In a standard triathlon competition, racers first swim 1.5 kilometers, then they bike for 40 kilometers and finish off by running 10 kilometers. However, in a relay triathlon race, three people each do one part of the race. Annabelle did the swimming portion while her friends Allison Sheng (‘22) and Lauren Hung (‘22) did the biking and
running portions of the race, respectively. During the competition on Nov. 15, Annabelle faced some difficulties. The hardest part for Annabelle was swimming back to the starting point. Since the swimming route was “like a loop,” she had to go out, turn around and swim back to the front of the lake after swimming half the distance. “I think it was hard because by that time most people were pretty tired so they started doing breast stroke, [and] pulling on other people’s legs. It kind of bothered me since I got kicked in the face a few times and many people tried to pull my legs to stay above water.” However, Anabelle kept going. “During the swim, I had a point where I wanted to give up, [and] what motivated me to continue was the fact that my friends were waiting for me at the other side ready to bike and run,” she said.
“It is more about feeling good about yourself then having fun.” Despite these hardships, the end of the race was rewarding. In a triathlon relay race, team members normally meet at the “Team Meeting Point” to dash the last 100
Annabelle Wu (‘22) participated in the “Challenge Taiwan” triathlon relay on Nov. 15. [ARIEL LEE/THE BLUE & GOLD]
meters of the competition together, which Annabelle and her friends were able to do during this triathlon. “The most memorable [part] was the very end where we ran and finished with the runner through the ribbon and finish line,” she said. “It really felt like an accomplishment.”
For those students that are considering taking part in a triathlon, she recommends not focusing on the results of the triathlon but the process itself. “Even though we all want good results, results do not really matter,” she said. “It is more about feeling good about yourself and having fun.”
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the blue & gold december 8, 2020
IASAS Film offers new online 48-hour-film competition due to COVID-19
Students participated in a 48-hour film challenge for this year’s IASAS Flim competition. [AMANDA DING/THE BLUE & GOLD]
By Amanda Ding (‘21) On Nov. 21-22, upper school delegates participated in the Interscholastic Association of Southeast Asian Schools (IASAS) Film Competition, where the format was changed to include a 48-hour film challenge due to the COVID-19 coronavirus. Originally, the competition was meant to be hosted by TAS and would have consisted of international delegates creating a film together and attending workshops. However, the pandemic has inhibited many of the meaningful activities that were previously scheduled. “I think traveling is the key component to this event, and it was extremely difficult to kind of try to recreate the goals of that experience without traveling,” Upper School Assistant Film Director Mr. Adrian Town said. “It is one of those things that where it is not really possible to do virtually, because it was really the collaboration of students meeting students from other schools who had this one common interest, which was film.”
Especially for senior student delegates, these changes to IASAS film were a continuing disappointment fter the cancellation of last year’s New York Film Festival trip. “We have to stay here and host IASAS online,” IASAS delegate Samuel Chang (‘21) said. “So I am definitely disappointed that I can’t travel my last year in high school.” For the 48-hour film challenge, students were given a prompt on Friday and had to conceptualize, film and edit a complete production by Sunday night. The prompt required the integration of the line: “It didn’t have to be like this” and a clock or watch. The premise was for students to utilize their skills in visual storytelling as no other dialogue was allowed. “It’s not necessarily an official format for IASAS film, but I think all of the film advisors from all these schools have been just drawn to the idea that the 48-hour challenge is a classic kind of template for film competitions,” Mr. Town said. Students were divided into two groups to
create the films. The first production, called “Burnin’ Love” is about a boy’s passionate daydream about his next meal. The other, “Scholar’s Mate,” is a Groundhog Day inspired film about reliving an intense chess match. Although this proved to be more demanding due to the intense concentration that was required, the overall experience was still rewarding. “I think it was good because we could all collaborate really well with each other, and we put a lot of effort into it,” Sabrina Hsu (‘21), another IASAS film delegate said. Another unique component of the IASAS exchange this year was a Zoom call workshop with Dr. Richard Raskins, a professor at Aarhus University in Denmark who is also a renowned short-film theorist. “We have always followed Richard Raskins’ kind of approach to short-film making, and it is a really concise and thorough way o f making short films,” Mr. Town said. “What was most beneficial [about this workshop] was that it relates to what we teach and can be this amazing lesson on short filmmaking.”
Additionally, film students created their own individual films under the prompt “The 10 Percent,” which were all included as submissions as part of the IASAS exchange. Each school was given a collective total of 12 minutes to present all their films, each at a maximum of three minutes. Historically, IASAS Film was always integrated as part of the “Art & Film” section of academics at TAS. But with the new introduction of film technology and development of filmmaking language, IASAS Film is being renewed as its own individual entity. What makes the exchange different from other IASAS programs at its core is the emphasis on collaboration rather than competition. “Filmmaking is already kind of a niche community, where everyone knows everyone else,” Mr. Town said. “So being able go to another school and see another community with the same kind of closeness creates a really interesting bond. It really is a celebration of film as a whole.”
TAS delegates attend the 2020 IASAS MUN conference online By Ariel Lee (‘23) The IASAS MUN team took to their laptops to join the 2020 IASAS MUN conference hosted by Jakarta International School last month from Nov. 19 to 21. The 12 delegates and their coach, Mr. Anthony Ives used Zoom to take part in the conference. The conference was originally going to be held at JIS; however, due to the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, they switched the conference to online. Such changes made communication between the delegates harder as they experienced multiple technological issues throughout the conference. “That kind of slows down debate and makes it a little harder to communicate with people,” Abigail Cho (‘22), one of the IASAS MUN delegates for the TAS team said. Luckily, the team was able to adapt to any technological issues as they practiced using Zoom during their preparation sessions. “I think my favorite part about this year’s team was how well they adapted to preparing for the IASAS MUN conference to be done over Zoom for the first time,” Mr. Ives the team coach said. Although the conference was not the first conference the delegates attended,
many of the delegates were still nervous for the high-level challenging conference. For example, prior to the conference, Abigail wanted to make sure everything ran smoothly for herself. “You also want to make sure that everything runs smoothly, and you’re not a burden to other people.” she said. One of the obstacles that the IASAS MUNers faced was meeting the requirements living up to expectations of being in an IASAS team. “I think the hardest part is just the expectations that your teachers or your teammates have of you because you’re in a IASAS team, and it’s just that external pressure,” Abigail said. “But again, I think in every conference, everyone works really hard.” The TAS MUN team practiced twice every week starting on Sept. 16. Because of the multiple practices, the team was able to bond together, which is a common goal of all MUN teams at TAS. The amount of time the team spent practicing also ensured strong results. “I think because we input so much time, we often get good results.” Abigail said. Although they have recieved awards in the past, the TAS team did not manage to take any awards home this year.
IASAS MUN delegates practice public speaking before the conference. [COURTESY OF
MEHEK BERRY/THE BLUE & GOLD]
Upcoming MUN Conferences •
STIMUN Conference - Kaohsiung, Taiwan - December 2020 (in-person)
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THIMUN Conference - The Hague, Netherlands - January 2021 (online)
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PASMUN Conference - Hsinchu, Taiwan - February 2021 (in-person)
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GECMUN Conference - Jeju Island, South Korea - March 2021 (online)
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NHSMUN Conference - New York, USA - March 2021 (online)
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TAIMUN Conference - Taichung, Taiwan - April 2021 (in-person)
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the blue & gold december 8, 2020
JEDI COMMITTEE MEMBERS
New schoolwide faculty committee strives to create a more inclusive TAS community
JEDI Organizers: Nathan Smith (Administrator, TAS Parent and US Teacher) Ryan Haynes (US Counselor and TAS Parent) Keva Bui (Alumnus, Class of 2012) Gwendolyn Harris (TAS Parent and Community Member) Lower School Representatives: Jennifer Fisher Brianna Pannell Maria Peters Ben Thompson Middle School Representatives: Aaron Sorenson Anisha Vinod Savanna Kuisle Chrisanne Roseleip Fossouo Upper School Representatives: Melanie Hamre Jaami Franklin Erika Soublet Chase Williams Cross-Divisional: Connie Ma: Alumni Office TK Edwards: 6-12 Jess Huang: KA-12 Resource Consultant: Richard Arnold Upper School Divisional Team: Anthony Ives Beth Clarke Brett Barrus Chase Williams Cheryl Lagerquist Darby Sinclair David Matlock Dave Montgomery Erika Soublet Jaami Franklin Joan Pipkin Kevin Held Melanie Hamre Michelle Kao Richard Arnold Ryan Haynes Sanders McMillan Sarah Peters Shanice Kok Stephanie Chiang Find out more about JEDI online via the TAS Parent, Faculty and Student Portals.
The JEDI Committee hosted a “Safe Space Dialogue” for seniors on Oct. 12.
By Sabrina Chang (‘21) The Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (JEDI) faculty committee is a newly formed initiative that focuses on serving as a platform to create change and improvement throughout TAS to foster a more inclusive community. With increasing attention drawn to incidents of racial violence in the United States along with the expression of heightened concerns of social issues at TAS, members of the administration and faculty were prompted to create a group to battle possible issues of oppression and prejudice TAS and help educate people on these topics. Many faculty members volunteered to be part of the program across all school divisions. The committee has already had a series of meetings, featuring divisional checkins, collaborative conversations between the task force and TAS administration. “If you are going to make the whole
[SABRINA CHANG/THE BLUE & GOLD]
school inclusive, you need voices and representation from all divisions,” said Upper School History Teacher and Representative of the JEDI Committee Dr. Erika Soublet. “Everybody needs to work together.” Improving the overall community and curriculum is a large task to tackle, thus the committee is still solidifying their mission. “Before you can make any plans for anything, you have to figure out what the issues are,” said Dr. Soublet. “What I am focusing on right now is collecting data to understand what concerns people may have right now.” Dr. Soublet and JEDI are in the process of creating and sending out surveys to different parts of the TAS community to gain insight into which issues are deemed the most urgent and important. Mr. Ryan Haynes and Mr. Jaami Franklin, upper school representatives of JEDI, facilitated an open dialogue discussion for seniors in October. “I was pleased that
people felt safe and comfortable in that setting to speak up on a variety of topics,” Director of Upper School Academic and Personal Counseling Mr. Haynes said. The seniors that attended were very passionate about their thoughts on issues such as racial slurs and the minimal sex education program at TAS. “It was a great opportunity to widen topics beyond what we talk about in classes and advisory,” said Sofia L. (‘21), one of the seniors who attended. “Hearing everyone’s opinions really captivated me.” Leaders of the JEDI Committee have hosted an informational discussion similar to this with TAS parents as well, and they hope to expand conversations to other parts of the community in the near future. The committee looks forward to bringing changes to TAS to ensure that the institution continues to foster academic exploration and growth, but in a safer and more inclusive environment.
New upper school student group encourages valuable discourse on identity and diversity By Sabrina Chang (‘21) The Diversity, Equity and Inclusion group (DEI) is an upper school-specific student group formed by Mr. Ryan Haynes, with students of all upper school grade levels invited to join. The group is focused on helping students voice their opinions in a safe environment and create effective discourse about social issues in the TAS community and beyond. The group had their first few meetings recently, hosted by Mr. Haynes and Dr. Soublet. “I was impressed that there was a mix of ethnicities, genders and grades [within the students who attended the meeting],” Dr. Soublet said. “I was also impressed with the willingness of everyone to share their reasons for attending and how they felt about the issues being discussed.” In the most recent meeting, students and faculty were invited to take part in an exercise called “The Race Card Project,” originally founded by journalist Michele Norris with National Public Radio. Each person wrote a six-word sentence about their identity and experience with race. “It was really powerful to hear people share the meaning behind the sentence they wrote and the specific words they chose,” Sofia L. (‘21), one of the attendees, said.
Students and teachers explored and shared their identity by writing a six-word sentence that felt meaningful to their backgrounds. [SABRINA CHANG/THE BLUE & GOLD] The teacher sponsors hope that the group continues to expand, giving more students the opportunity to express their thoughts and opinions through discussions and activities and feel included. “I hope we can turn it into a club in the future and get more involvement,” Mr. Haynes said. “But regardless, we really want the discussion topics to come from the students.”
The TAS community is making great strides to work towards becoming a more inclusive environment for everyone, and student involvement is extremely impactful, as they play a big role in that ultimate goal. “I want students to know that they have a voice,” Dr. Soublet said. “History teaches us that students are some of the greatest agents of change.”
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the blue & gold december 8, 2020
By Sabrina Chang (‘21)
Many high school student-athletes dream about signing day. Yet college recruitment is often romanticized as this hat-choosing, “I’m taking my talents to…”, announcing event that athletes prepare for by practicing their NCAAworthy signatures and candid smiles — at least, that is the impression I got growing up watching sports movies and idolizing five-star recruits. But for most studentathletes, it is a rollercoaster journey that can end with results on either end of the spectrum, even making you question your own self-worth in the process. Some student-athletes in the class of 2021 have chosen to take this route with the hopes of pursuing our passions at the collegiate level, but with the reality of the relatively low shot we have at top-tier athletic schools, is it even worth it? There are many reasons for wanting to play sports in college, but the level of commitment required means that athletes must really love the sport. I cannot imagine my life without basketball, which I started playing when I was four, but I was still
uncertain on whether I wanted the sport to consume every waking moment of free time I had. I was also not planning to continue playing after college; for others, however, this can be another source of motivation to play in college as a first step towards a future career. “I want to fence in college because it’s something I started at a really young age,” Michael Wu (‘21) said. “Competing at the college level would also get me one step closer to my ultimate goal of representing Chinese Taipei in the Olympics.” Another source of motivation can be a potentially easier route to one’s dream school. For selective colleges especially, students that enter the athlete pool have the support of the coaches and thus do not need to reach as high of an academic standard. However, for athletes looking to play for a more academically competitive school, it is much more difficult to gain initial interest from coaches. The recruiting process involves many intricate steps, which were made even more difficult this year because of the
COVID-19 coronavirus that has made in-person campus visits impossible. This made frequent emailing and reaching out online even more important. It was really challenging because you have to constantly update coaches with statistics and footage, even if they do not respond the first, or even the second, time. Student-athletes are also able to learn crucial interviewing and social skills through phone calls and Zoom or Skype calls with coaches and current athletes on their potential team. “Talking to coaches was scary at first, but it became much easier once I realized that they are just normal people like me,” Sarah Johnsen (‘21) said. It is also important to learn how to control your feelings throughout the ups and downs of the process. Coaches have a limited amount of space on their roster, so students should not take it personally if they do not reciprocate interest. I will be the first to admit that it stings when you get that first “unfortunately we have already filled our roster” email, but I do believe it has strengthened my mindset.
Ultimately, student-athletes should find a school that is the best fit for them, a school that they would be excited to attend for all aspects, not just sports. Just like how schools are looking for a holistic student, students should also be looking for a holistic college experience. Personally, I was very selective with the schools I talked to because being able to play sports was just one part of the criteria I considered.
“Go in with the mentality that you have nothing to lose.” Do not be afraid to reach out to schools that seem “too good,” as the college recruiting process is extremely subjective. “Go in with the mentality that you have nothing to lose. There are thousands of other athletes competing for the same spot, but you never know what the coaches want until they’ve seen what you can bring to the table,” Michael said.
Athletes adjusting to constant IASAS changes By Maya Kapoor (‘24) With the craze of the COVID-19 coronavirus, the Taipei American School sports schedules are in flux and the athletics department is looking for ways to make up for the cancellation of the Interscholastic Association of Southeast Asia Schools (IASAS) tournaments as well as focusing on second season sports. Season 1 IASAS was canceled on Aug. 13 during a student-athlete briefing while Season 2 IASAS was canceled on Oct. 20 through an email sent out by Upper School Principal Mr. Andrew Lowman. “This was not an email I was thrilled to have to send, but one that I think we all knew was coming,” Mr. Lowman said in a message to Season 2 athletes. IASAS conferences provide the main sporting events during each sports season, and they provide a time when athletes from different schools come together to compete. Six different international schools from southeast Asia take part in the competitions and hundreds of athletes participate. PreIASAS is held before the official tournaments as preparation. Typically, the formal IASAS sporting competitions are held three times a year for the three seasons. However, as this was not possible this year, many of the Season 1 varsity athletes were disappointed by the cancellation of IASAS. “All the sports teams put in a lot of work throughout the season and the thing [that] they are most looking forward to is IASAS,”
varsity volleyball player Candice Hsu (‘23) said. As the year continues, the IASAS board is constantly reassessing the conditions of COVID-19. For now, though, it is uncertain whether there will be any IASAS events this year. “I think [student athletes] are disappointed, but I think they also showed some resilience,” TAS Athletics Director Ms. Kim Kawamoto said. In an email sent to all IASAS schools, the IASAS board said: “All schools have agreed to an ongoing examination of factors in the chance that future IASAS events remaining on this school year’s calendar may go on” IASAS Secretary, Mr. Jacob M. Stockman said. “Our conference remains open to the possibility of a replacement championship for cancelled events if circumstances change in the near future.”
“Regardless of whether we have IASAS or not, I still think everybody is engaged and they’re putting out the effort.” Though there is no scheduled IASAS tournament in sight, some teams are participating in local events and tournaments. The girls cross country team took part in the
On Nov. 12, the varsity boys rugby team played against two local schools, winning their game against Luodong Senior High, 48-0. [MAYA KAPOOR/THE BLUE & GOLD] 2020 Taishin Women’s Run Taipei on Aug. 23, where they placed third. On Oct. 3, the girls volleyball team participated in an over-night tournament in Sanchong where they placed second. On Nov. 12 the boys varsity rugby team played a series of games at TAS against Luodong Vocational Senior High and National Taiwan Ocean University. On Nov. 21 the girls varsity basketball team played Morrison Christian Academy as well as Neihu Senior High in a small tournament where they won all three games.
Some IASAS events have been able to conduct virtual tournaments through these unprecedented times. One notable example is the International School of Bangkok virtual cross country tournament held in October. The varsity boys finished second while three varsity girls placed in the top 15 and another eight girls placed in the top 50. “Regardless of whether we have IASAS or not, I still think everybody is engaged and that they’re putting out the effort,” Ms. Kawamoto said.
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the blue & gold december 8, 2020
EDITORIAL 800 CHUNG SHAN N. RD. TAIPEI 11152 TAIWAN
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF NATALIE SCHEIDEL (‘21) MANAGING EDITORS NICOLE CHANG (‘21) PHOEBE CHEN (‘21) SOCIAL MEDIA & MARKETING SABRINA CHANG (‘21) MULTIMEDIA LANA LEE (‘20) NEWS AND SPORTS EDITOR AMBER WU (‘23) VERDICT EDITOR SHARON LEE (‘22) FEATURES EDITOR LAURA HSU (‘22) OPINION EDITOR AUDREY HWANG (‘23) STAFF WRITERS ARIEL LEE (‘23) ALICE CHIANG (‘21) AMANDA DING (‘21) KARA MURRI (‘21) ABBY CHANG (‘24) DAPHNE WANG (‘24) EVELYN HOU (‘24) VICTORIA HSU (‘24) MAYA KAPOOR (‘24) KATHERINE MA (‘24) ADVISER MS. LINDSEY KUNDEL MISSION STATEMENT The Blue & Gold is a student-run publication dedicated to sharing stories from the Taipei American School community. Produced and distributed free of charge monthly during the academic year by staff writers at TAS, The Blue & Gold strives to showcase and interrogate the community it serves. CORRECTIONS We take all measures possible to report accurately, and seek to bring professional, thorough reporting to our readers. Please report any inaccuracies in The Blue & Gold content to our email, blueandgold@tas. tw. OP-EDS AND EDITORIALS Editorials collectively represent the opinions of the Blue & Gold’s editorial board, while op-eds represent the opinions of each writer. Opinions in The Blue & Gold do not necessarily reflect the views of TAS student body, staff, faculty, or administration. THE BLUE & GOLD ONLINE The Blue & Gold runs an online edition that publishes articles every weekday when school is in operation. Find the website at blueandgoldonline.org. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR We welcome letter submissions from all readers. Email your signed letter of under 500 words at blueandgold@tas.tw.
Exclusive library study rooms further toxic academic culture at TAS At TAS, one of the only truly accessible parts of campus is the Legacy Commons, also known as the cafeteria. But every year the cafeteria becomes more and more crowded as the upper school expands. The same could be said about the Upper School Information Commons (USIC), an egalitarian space designed to let all upper school students gather and study. However, even the library has limits built into its space. Spaces are open to everyone while others are only made available to different groups of people at different times. It is a place to read and to work silently individually—collaboration necessitates talking and a space to work together. This year, a new addition to the library was added: a dedicated research room. However, this room is only open to a select group of students who take IB courses or those who are AP researchers. “There wasn’t really a place to highlight that special [research] work that was happening invisibly around the school,” Upper School Librarian Dr. Candice Aiani said. The room was originally the library’s designated printing room, but was repurposed after school-wide printer relocations and new updates. Essentially, the research room is designed for “advanced” students to have a space to work independently and quietly. The change was initially done in an attempt to better the quality of learning for advanced students. However, with this classification, the library is inherently dividing students into groups with preferential treatment that reward students who take more
“advanced” classes. This creation of a specific group of students with certain library privileges cannot possibly be the antidote to our school’s competitive and, at times, academically toxic culture. At TAS, taking more “advanced” classes is already highly regarded, thus, highlighting this divide would create a further separation between students. By creating an exclusive study room, the library furthers toxic competition between students taking “harder” and “easier” classes. Moreover, it builds an elitist structure within the student body, making the divide between “easy” class students with “hard” class students much greater. Ironically, toxic competition was the focal point of the Honor Committee last year, but the dedicated research room just counteracts their efforts to create a less divided TAS. The Blue & Gold interviewed four students from the select group of IB students and AP researchers who would prefer to provide information “on-background” while remaining anonymous in this publication in fear of retribution or consequences as a result of this editorial. One student uses the new research room during lunch periods to work on his research as he finds it to be a useful place to complete the various assignments he has each day. However, the other three students find it unnecessary for a space to be made solely for the purpose of IB and advanced research. Not to mention, oftentimes, IB students work alone on research projects, so they tend to opt for going in the silent study room at the library to finish assignments. The fact that the school has created an advanced study room in the library is problematic because of the different classes of students it promotes, but that is not the
only reason it is troubling. The second reason our publication takes issue with this room is because of the dearth of other spaces on campus reserved for students to work as small groups. While IB students and AP researchers may find themselves comfortable in an exclusive study room, many other students do not experience the same luxury. However, it is also important for us to understand that it is impossible for the school to create spaces that adhere to every student demographic. Our school is at record enrollment numbers, and, after the Solomon Wong Tech Cube was built, we know that the school has already built up as much of its current campus as possible. As of now, there are the library’s exclusive research room and the newly reopened study rooms which are open to all students. To ameliorate the issue of exclusive study rooms that further toxic competition, we believe that TAS should allow students to reserve classrooms in H-Block and W-Block to collaborate with their peers. Although IB students and AP researchers undoubtedly have heavy workloads, neglecting to provide an equally spacious and resourceful room for non IB or AP research students would be unfair, to say the least. By opening classroom spaces in H-block and W-block, the school would ensure students have access to the same resources and infrastructures, which should be the standard as all upper school students pay the same amount of tuition.
Now or never: choose positivity now By Kara Murri (‘21)
Remember the beginning of 2020, when we said it was going to be our year? After a tumultuous 2019, with Trump’s impeachment, the Notre Dame fire, protests in Hong Kong, wildfires in the Amazon and more, we felt disillusioned, disappointed and discouraged, but ready for the new year. Once again, we face the end of a year with similar exhaustion. However, the mindset that the strike of a clock at midnight on December 31st will magically eliminate all the issues of 2020 should not be encouraged. In fact, it is emotionally and mentally dangerous to pin all your hopes on the start of a new year. If you set your expectations too high for all the goals you’ll accomplish, all the great events that will happen, all the ways you’ll be a new person, you are setting yourself up for disappointment. Applying yourself is a more effective approach towards personal growth; this can be done at any time of the year, not only at the beginning. Having hope for the new year is not a bad thing in itself, but hope should
be applied on a daily basis, rather than just waiting for an arbitrary future date for things to improve. Hope is not toxic positivity or unrealistic optimism. Alia E. Dastagir of USA Today referred to hope as being about “using personal agency to achieve a desired outcome,” and it is essential to your mental health, helping combat anxiety and depression and helping produce chemicals like endorphin in your mind. So, rather than feeling overly optimistic or overwhelmed about the future of 2021, apply your hope as a catalyst to fix what you can, and focus on the little things. Pandemics, academics, politics, travel restrictions and economic downturns are all stress-inducing matters. But there are a few things you can do to increase your wellness and happiness in the midst of stress. A study in positive psychology conducted by the American Psychological Association suggested some ideas: acknowledge your strengths and capitalize on them, complete random acts of kindness, take time to be grateful, savor your past and future positive experiences
and allow positive emotions to influence you to be flexible to what life throws at you. By setting realistic goals for yourself, having hope and practicing positive psychology you have a real chance of finding actual happiness at any moment in the year. “It would be better to prepare for a difficult 2021 and be surprised by its being easier than to assume things will be easier and find life is still hard,” Aaron E. Carroll of the New York Times said. “This is a marathon, not a sprint. Both, though, require running.” The key to being hopeful and happy is not starting fresh on Jan. 1. The key is to start fresh every day, persisting and thriving through the tough times. Instead of being toxically optimistic about your expectations for 2021, be realistically positive and tirelessly hopeful. We may not know when this pandemic will end, or when things will get better, but we do have control over our happiness by controlling our attitude and actions. The power is in our hands to make it our moment, our day, our month, and, ultimately, our year.
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the blue & gold december 8, 2020
Dear TAS boys, be careful with the curls you get By Natalie Scheidel (‘21) and Phoebe Chen (‘21)
TikTok has promulgated many popular beauty trends among teenagers such as the “lash glue lips” or the “feathered brows.” The newest trend, the “boy perms,” involves men wearing curvy curls and sometimes “Black curl,” which has sparked fierce debates as many consider doing so a form of cultural appropriation. Others argue that hair is hair. In 2017, former NBA player Kenyon Lee Martin Sr. called out Taiwanese NBA star Jeremy Lin’s dreadlocks and sparked similar debates. Lin was quick to respond, saying it was “cultural appreciation” instead. So where is the line? What separates “cultural appropriation” from “cultural appreciation?” The answer is it depends on the time and place, for no action exists in a vacuum. It ultimately comes down to whether one is attempting to exploit a culture
by taking away something empowering and powerful to instead use it to empower himself or herself. While many male students at TAS have started perming their hair, some have gone as far as getting what they call the “spiral perm,” which is a very tight curl perm. These students should question their motives for wearing this hairstyle, and thus reflect on whether their motive classifies as “cultural appropriation” or “cultural appreciation.” The wavy hair, first becoming fashionable for modern women in Asia at the start of the 19th century, was associated with whiteness as a form of imitation of Eurocentric beauty standards. Historically, Black hair has been used as an excuse for racist remarks and ridicule towards the Black community since white beauty standards have largely dominated
popular culture. Yet, this style of hair is now lauded by many as “cool” as Black representation rises and Black culture stoically stands its ground in cultural dialogues of the 21st century. As such, Black hair, a style once deemed unprofessional by the public, is now a symbol of confidence for many Black Americans. In Taiwan, a popular hair salon for “black curls” is The Oneoff. Stylists profit on what they call “black people perm,” meaning permed hair that copies ethnically Black curly hair. “The fact that people [in Taiwan] go to salons and specifically ask for ‘Black people perm’ is very telling in itself,” Rachel Su (‘21) said. Teens, especially white and Asian, who wear “Black curls” without understanding the history of oppressions Black Americans endured should do so with caution. If you
ask your stylist to give you “Black hair” because it’s fashionable, you are dabbling in cultural appropriation. Social media has played a huge role in normalizing this type of behavior, leading teenagers to act frivolously or irreverently. For example, Korean Pop and popular culture in east Asia also normalize culture appropriation. Within the industry, there are many aspects directly appropriated from Black culture. For instance, K-Pop star Kai from the EXO boy group was seen sporting a dreadlocked look in 2017. Now is not the time for insensitive hair styles when Black empowerment is more important than ever. “For you it’s a trendy hairstyle. For me it’s hundreds of years of being institutionally and socially othered for the natural hair that grows out of my head,” Upper School English Teacher Ms. Jodi Thompson said.
“Blackfishing”: the new face of blackface By Natalie Scheidel (‘21) and Phoebe Chen (‘21)
As social media becomes more and more prevalent, influencers are forced to vie for viewers’ limited attention by broadcasting more and more outrageous ideas . Blackface is one controversial way for some influencers to try to get more views and attention. Even though it is negative attention, several influencers such as Kim Kardashian West and Katy Perry have still been able to reach a wider range of viewers through it. To us, no attention would be much preferable to the negative attention they are drawing through these racist ploys. For those unacquainted with the history of “blackface minstrelsy” in the 19th century, white performers sometimes painted their faces with black grease and dark thematic makeup in order to portray Black slaves in a cruel and mocking manner. They sang, danced and acted as slaves on plantations as a form of racist entertainment for non-
Black audiences. Now, 150 years later, this form of minstrelsy is still evident in society, but in the form of Instagram models attempting to change their ethnicities for clout. Nowadays, the form of blackface seen on social media may not be considered as sheer mockery, but instead a source of blackfishing. Non-Black influencers develop ethnic black features merely because they deem it as “trendy” or “fashionable.” Not only have there been models pretending to be Black, but there have also been “tutorials” where nonBlack makeup artists teach their audiences how to “become” Black such as makeup artist notcatart on Instagram. Many of these influencers claim that they “naturally tan” or are unwilling to admit their non-Black heritage, but it does not override the obvious Black features that they attempt to sport. The act of adopting features from another culture cannot be justified as many of these characteristics were once vilified in society.
One example of this recent phenomenon is Instagram influencer Emma Hallberg, who was thought to be a “light-skinned Black woman,” but was in fact, a white woman from Sweden. When Hallberg was called out for blackfishing through a side-by-side photo comparison of her true skin color compared to her “fake” dark skin, she responded stating that the images were “just two different pictures taken on two different seasons of the year.” Hallberg was seen using makeup that was significantly darker than her skin tone in a popular makeup tutorial YouTube video. She is also seen promoting Ali Grace Hair, a hair extension brand predominately marketed towards Black women. This may seem like another ad, but, donning hairstyles that are ethically cultural and historically oppressed is completely inappropriate and disregards the important history of hairstyles that should be appreciated rather than appropriated. “Everyone wants to be Black so bad—to
costume themselves in Black cultural markers—until it’s actually time to be Black,” Ms. Jodi Thompson, Upper School English Teacher, said. Not only is Hallberg profiting from blackfishing, but also in “cultural capital”, which translates to money later. “They want the cultural capital and the clout but not the discrimination and marginalization. That is at the heart of cultural appropriation and why it sparks such anger and pain for many,” Ms. Thompson said. However, the problem with blackface is not as far off from Taiwan as we may think. Over the past summer, Taiwanese social media entertainers “Wackyboys” posted photos of the Ghana Coffin Dance in blackface. We can continue talking about how aggravating it is to watch people appropriate culture, but if we merely focus on our anger, we will miss the chance to discuss and learn.
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the blue & gold december 8, 2020
Passport strength amidst the COVID-19 pandemic shines light on dual citizenship Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, dual citizenship is now a valuable asset in the perspective of passport strength. [LAURA HSU/THE BLUE & GOLD]
By Laura Hsu (‘22) Due to COVID-19 coronavirus restrictions on traveling worldwide, there has been a decrease in countries that previously had high passport strength. This “strength” is the measure of the freedom in which a country’s passport may allow the holder to enter without prior visa approval. This increase of restrictive travel freedom can lead to a shift in the popularity in obtaining dual citizenships, benefitting a wide majority of the students at Taipei American School. Passport strength can also be known as “passport privilege.” Passports are also seen as a document that communicates political, social and racial identity of an individual. In other words, the political and social climate may present a reflection for the privilege one may gain or lose while travelling.
For example, the United States, Belgium, Greece, Norway and the United Kingdom have previously experienced a strong passport strength, which allowed them to travel to 184 countries without a visa prior to COVID-19. The American passport in particular, was ranked to have the highest passport strength in 2015, but after COVID-19, American passports have dropped to the rank of 21 this past year. According to the Henley Passport Index, a worldwide ranking of the number of destinations different passports can access without obtaining a visa, many countries whose passports have once ranked to obtain the most strength are now lowering in the ranks in the post pandemic period. Before COVID-19, passport strength only impacted economy. However, the scope
of effect has spread to issues related to health and safety. In fact, on June 30, the European Union released the names of some countries that would be allowed to cross EU borders according to health and safety measures. It is interesting to note that the list of nonEU countries did not include the United States, Brazil or Russia, which were countries that had once held the top rankings on the passport strength index. Passport strength will likely affect future concerns regarding travel freedom as well. The measure of a country’s management in health and safety measures will determine a new hierarchy in the realm of passport strengths. Therefore, the dramatic fluctuation in passport strengths due to the unpredictability of COVID-19, has led to an increase in demand for a second citizenship
or an alternative residence. In these uncertain times, the most valuable asset one can attain would be a dual citizenship. Dual citizens may enjoy benefits such as the ability to be able to travel back and forth between multiple countries all over the world. Another great advantage dual citizens have is the ability to invest in real estate properties in both countries. Many of those who decide to live in one of the two countries they are registered in will also be able to work in the same country with ease. Since many TAS students already have more than one passport, these students would not have trouble maintaining passport strength when a radical shift in the political climate occurs. In addition, having dual citizenship also allows less concerns with access to first-rate healthcares, as well as mobility across borders.
Emphasizing the “American” in Taipei American School By Audrey Hwang (‘23) U.S. politics can be a tricky and complicated topic for Taipei American School (TAS) students, but it is a relevant one. Eighty percent of TAS students do end up attending college in the U.S., thus ensuring a long road ahead of participation in U.S. politics. A question to consider is - to what extent does the outcome of the 2020 Presidential Election actually have an effect on TAS students? Seventy percent of TAS students are U.S. citizens, but regardless, students generally understand foreign policy regarding international relations and economic concerns that may arise because of U.S. politics. However, many students have very little understanding of domestic politics unless they have lived in the United States. Students mainly focus on politics that
have direct relevance to them, including international relations between the U.S. and Taiwan (and how each country’s relationship with China affects the other). Although domestic policies reflected by U.S. politics are not fully understood by the majority of TAS students, there are still many ways that students can enhance their empathy towards topics including U.S. domestic policies. “I think that reading [the news] everyday is so essential… and asking other students or teachers about issues is also helpful [for students who want to better educate themselves on current issues],” Upper School History Teacher Mrs. Darby Sinclair said. Although many students find time and the need to educate themselves of political matters that they are not familiar with, many others ignore factors of politics that they do
not believe to have direct effects on their lives. This promotes a disoriented worldview where students selfishly focus on matters that are within their own convenience. The outcome of the 2020 U.S. Presidential Election may have impacts on families at TAS depending on their backgrounds. There are families that are concerned about having a new president because they felt that Trump was good for U.S.-Taiwan relations. However, other TAS families might find a new president to be refreshing as President Elect Biden has said that he will stop the ban on immigration from Muslim countries or the travel bands from Muslim countries. Ultimately, different interpretations of Biden’s presidency are shaped by various life experiences that mold different political viewpoints.
AP U.S. Government and Politics reports mock election results SUSAN COLLINS (13.8%) 31.5% voted for Susan Collins.
SARA GIDEON (86.2%)
STUDENTS
The political opinions of student and faculty were displayed in the results of a mock election facilitated by Mr. Chase William’s AP U.S. Government and Politics classes. Students in the course worked on campaigns for two candidates, Susan Collins of the Republican Party and Sara Gideon of the Democratic Party, running for the state Senator potition of Maine. For faculty, 86.2% voted for Sara Gideon and 13.8% voted for Susan Collins. For students, 68.5% voted for Sara Gideon and
FACULTY
By Audrey Hwang (‘23)
SUSAN COLLINS (31.5%)
SARA GIDEON (68.5%)
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the blue & gold december 8, 2020
MONEYMADESIMPLE
What I wish I knew before applying for colleges By Phoebe Chen (‘21)
What is a credit card and should you get one? By Lana Lee (‘22) Using a credit card with a solid purpose and understanding can allow high school students to reap its benefits of convenience and educational value for their future personal finance. Credit is an agreement that allows a customer to obtain goods or services before payment with the promise to make it later. You can use a credit card, for example, to purchase goods by borrowing money from a financial institution and promising to pay it back. Unlike a debit card, a credit card does not immediately draw tangible money directly from your checking account but instead charges your purchase to your line of credit that you will be billed later. In both forms, you are obligated to pay; but with the line of credit you also pay small fees for the ability to pay at a later date. However, there are certain risks that accompany your ability to spend money with the credit limit as your only restriction. Thus, you must develop responsible financial habits to avoid the quicksand of credit mismanagement, which besets millions of adults until their deaths every year. It is crucial to spend within your means and not to expend the majority of your available credit. You must also pay off as much of your remaining balance as possible each month; only meeting the required minimum payment will lag your repayment process exponentially, inflicting the pain that can be avoided. This is important because credit card companies make their money off of the interest fees you will pay if you do not pay off your balance in full each month. Acquiring a credit card can be a good first step to developing good financial habits for high school students. In fact, it is easier to avoid losses from fraud using a credit card instead of cash or debit cards, as most credit cards allow you to contest unauthorized charges. Accumulating a high credit score by starting your credit history early can also be a priceless weapon that equips you with greater negotiating power. With a good score, you can demonstrate that you pay back what you borrow on time and, consequently, access higher loans and credit limits, as well as lower interest rates, that will allow you to make major purchases, such cars or houses. A good credit may be used by your potential employers and landlords as part of the selection process as well.
As each TAS student enters their senior year, they also enter the final stage of their college application process: writing essays and, finally, submitting applications. Ideally, college applications capture the essence of an individual, and advertise the most appealing aspects of them to colleges and universities. So, it goes without saying that any TAS student’s journey towards making their dream college would inevitably involve a stellar application, which ultimately pegs the question: how does one create the most impressive and effective application possible? As a senior who has submitted the first round of her applications, I have picked up several tips and tricks along the way while researching universities and writing college essays. From one college applicant to many others, here are a few essential tips for submitting college applications:
Start writing early A life-saving tip that will free students from drowning in work during their first semester of senior year would be starting the college application writing process no later than the summer before senior year. For however long you expect yourself to take to finish your essays, double that time if you are expecting to send a college application that is nothing less than perfection to colleges. Although it may sound silly and exaggerated to begin months before you are required to, the reality is that students often overlook the writing process. Before they can even type out a draft, they have to consider the topic and even writing structure they would like to employ. Moreover, most of the time, myself included, students find themselves writing multiple essays before honing in on the right one. “Write during the summer. Honestly, that’s all you need,” college applicant Daolong Yang said. “It’s a gamechanger and you’ll regret it if you end up having school work and college work.”
Plan meetings with your counselor ahead of time Before the first week of senior year is over, all students should schedule a time to meet with their college counselors. Whether this is to go through the writing they have done over the summer or to ask questions they came up with while researching schools, it is important for students to get back on track right away. Furthermore, as most students will realize, their counselors are extremely busy. Not only do they have to meet their
students, they also have to read teacher recommendations, edit college supplements and personal statements, prepare student transcripts and much more. When given the chance, students should prioritize scheduling a time to meet with their counselor. “Remember to always go to your meetings, because if you forget, you’ll get in trouble,” Daolong said. “Also, make sure you go to your meetings with any questions prepared.”
Ask a teacher you trust to read over your essays Each student is officially assigned to a college counselor during the college application process. However, this does not mean that students are bound to showing only one person their essays. One game changing decision that can drastically change any student’s application would be the advice and help from a teacher. Although your college counselor may know you well, chances are there is a teacher that has logged more hours with you in the classroom, and thus, knows you better. For those of you with teachers you trust, showing your essays to them could be a good idea. Not only will the teacher most likely give you helpful suggestions, they will also know whether your essay is a good demonstration of your character.
time wisely. Depending on which schools you are considering to apply to, you may have a varying amount of essays and questions to answer. By having all your required prompts laid out in a document, it is easier to create a tentative schedule for when you will begin and finish answering certain questions. “Writing down your questions will give you a better picture of when you want to start writing,” college applicant Tommy Cho (‘21) said. “For example, it will let you know which schools you need to begin on earlier, and which ones are not as important.” Typically, students who create a document of supplement prompts are suggested to put the questions in chronological order for safety to far reach schools.
Organize your supplement prompts This may seem unnecessary, but organizing your supplement prompts into a document will allow you to manage your
Why “test optional” policies should continue on post-pandemic By Laura Hsu (‘22) Due to the COVID-19 coronavirus, many standardized tests have been canceled, leading to the ongoing discussion of continuing the test-optional policy in the future. The University of California System (UC System) and many other colleges have made the decision to go test-optional for the 2021 school year. In fact, the UC system will be test optional until the fall of 2022, while the fall of 2023 and 2024 will be test blind for all applicants. Though this decision may come as a surprise to many, the decision to go testoptional has always been an option for many notable colleges. The coronavirus was the last push to enacting this decision. In fact, on Aug. 10, the National Association for College Admission Counseling released an agreement that was signed by more than 1500 deans of admission, presidents of universities, and many more. “The agreement says [that] when a school declares that they are test-optional, they will make sure students who do not submit test scores are not negatively impacted, and if they do choose to submit more than one piece of information that they’ll consider it as part of an entire holistic review.” Ms. Hamre, the Upper School Director of College Counselling said. While standardized tests are designed to be fair assessments, they do not accurately measure a student’s intelligence. Standardized
assessments are essentially differentiating each student’s financial asset in order to access sufficient resources to prepare for the assessment. Those who do not have access to certain guides or textbooks are automatically at a disadvantage compared to the students who have a higher quality of education. Standardized testing does not test a student’s cumulative knowledge on the academic curriculum. Instead, these assessments target specific categories of the academic curriculum. The assessment also depends on a student’s ability to approach problems in a robotic way. Students are required to sit through three hours of testing while repeatedly solving through math problems If colleges eliminate a student’s possibility of being accepted into a college solely due to their low assessment score, then they are discriminating against those who have a lower financial income, as they do not have access to costly testing preparation resources. Since test optional policies have been implemented in recent months, it can be inferred that many colleges will continue this policy in the future. That is why college counselling classes have become more flexible compared to the past. “I think because there is a greater emphasis being put on how you’re portraying yourself through other components of the application, so we are having more open-ended classes for students to work on writing,” Upper School College
Counselor Mr. Gursky said. Unless colleges find a truly unbiased and completely accurate way of determining a student’s intelligence, the best solution now will be to continue implementing test optional or test blind policies even after the post pandemic period.
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the blue & gold december 8, 2020
the blue & gold december 8, 2020
Navigating Navigating changes changes in in our our community community
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In the 2020 year, we experienced numerous changes in the world and community. Each change created a ripple effect that impacted us in different ways. The Blue & Gold explores numerous ripple effects in our TAS community, from advisory changes to students starting projects they are passionate about.
Michelle Yeh (‘20) now receives orders for her baked goods By Alice Chiang (‘21)
New weekly advisory meetings raise controversy By Natalie Scheidel (‘21) This year has been full of changes— from COVID-19 coronavirus adaptations to a new head of school. One of the other changes in the upper school are the weekly advisory meetings, which were introduced at the start of the school year. Students now go to advisory meetings to talk to their advisors and their peers every week instead of every two weeks. While the administrators and some students maintain this is a right step in the development of a positive community, others have expressed their beliefs that this is a waste of their time. Weekly advisory was implemented to better achieve goals set out by the upper school administration. These goals include the cultivation of advisor-student relationships, honest conversations on racism and sexism, early discovery of
wellness issues and much more. Upper School Principal Mr. Andrew Lowman believes the old meeting schedule to be inadequate. “As we honestly reflected on what we hoped to do with advisory, it became painfully obvious as well that there just was not enough time to do it,” he said. The advisory program was designed so that students could have a trusted adult on campus to talk to. Yet, in recent years, many students have stated they were not able to develop these relationships due to a lack of time. “Honestly, it is really hard to develop a strong relationship because even when we are in advisory, everyone tends to navigate towards talking to their peers” student Rachel Su (‘21) said. “So, we don’t get the chance to know our advisor personally.” Another concern some students have
had with building trust with their advisors is their advisors potentially becoming their teachers in one of the subjects. Many worry this creates a conflict of interest since now their advisors would also evaluate their academic performance and become informed by it in turn. However, the school argues that such instances are far in between. “Most of the time, advisors don’t have an evaluative role on [their students],” Mr. Lowman said. Since the change, many students, especially juniors and seniors who had been used to bi-weekly advisories, have complained about the added times to their schedules. Mathematically speaking, doubling the meeting times might sound onerous, but it is really just one more hour every month. Additionally, several students also
argue the advisory experience is more dependent on their peers’ and their advisor’s contributions within it. Some have expressed the lack of care from their peers and advisors, while others have stated the benefits of having their meetings. “This year, advisory has allowed me to connect more with my peers and my advisor in ways I could not really do before,” student Ethan Jan (‘21) said. With advisory becoming a place for more serious conversations, the line between solemnity and somberness becomes blurred. “Sometimes it is hard for advisors to draw this line which creates another factor that prevents productivity during advisory,” Rachel said. As students learn to take the meetings more seriously and teachers receive more training, both must carefully navigate this change.
Dhirpal Shah (‘20) takes gap year to pursue professional soccer career By Nicole Chang (‘21) Like many other students from the Class of 2020, Dhirpal Shah (‘20) decided to take a gap year during these unprecedented times. He wanted to take this year off of school to pursue a professional career in soccer. The COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, however, was not the only reason as to why he decided to take this gap year; in reality, Dhirpal had always been planning to do so after graduating high school. “I had actually begun to plan on [a] gap year during the end of 2019,” he said. “And because football (soccer) did not relate too heavily to the pandemic at the time, I would have considered [a] gap year regardless [of the circumstances].” His parents were fortunately very supportive of his decision and were relieved that he would be staying in Taiwan for longer, where the pandemic has been successfully controlled. Dhirpal was also optimistic about taking a gap year. “I am confident that I will look back and acknowledge that this was one of the best decisions of my teenage years,” he said. “Football is great and all, but the chance to stay near my family and appreciate this country for what it has done for me is truly a blessing.” Since the beginning of his gap year, Dhirpal has been dedicating around three hours of his day to soccer, training with his team members four to five times a week and
playing weekly games semi-regularly. He also spends an additional three hours in the weight room, and sometimes travels across the island to play soccer matches with his team. After his season ends, he plans on taking some time off to “sit back and relax,” and even travel abroad to India or European countries, where soccer clubs have already expressed interest in signing him as a player. However, this will only be possible if vaccines are widely available and the COVID-19 situation improves. If that is not the case, he is happy staying in Taiwan and taking time to pursue his other passions such as reading and yoga. Dhirpal really enjoys the flexibility that he now has. “The best thing about taking a gap year is the freedom to pursue the things you love to a greater extent than in high school or even college,” he said. “Although there are moments of anxiety when I worry about what the next few months will look like, [having] a good plan about what you want to spend your time doing, [reminds you that] there really is nothing to worry about.” Dhirpal does not know whether he wants to go to university in the fall of 2021 or push it back even more as he is still at a “crossroads of trying to pursue professional football and attending university.” However, he is definitely excited about reuniting
Dhirpal Shah (‘20) trains with his team members four to five times a week, playing weekly games semi-regularly. [PHOTO COURTESY OF DHIRPAL SHAH] with people of his age if he does decide to go back to school in the fall. “[Since] I am playing with a professional men’s team here [in Taiwan], I am training with some people twice my age, and it’s fair to say that there is a bit of a generation[al] gap between us,” he said. “I miss the reassuring feeling of people around you that understand what you are feeling and going through.”
For current seniors, Dhirpal recommends taking a gap year. “Even if COVID-19 magically disappears as you graduate, do not throw the thought of a gap year away so easily. Many teachers I consulted in highschool encouraged me to take it because they believed that it would help in innumerable ways. If you have a plan, or even a passion, a gap year may be the best decision of your
Michelle Yeh (‘20) makes baked goods ranging from cookies to birthday cakes for sale. [ALICE CHIANG/ THE BLUE & GOLD]
We probably all have something that we are passionate about, something that calms and energizes us. For Michelle Yeh (‘21), baking has been her special source of happiness since she was young. This summer, Michelle took her passion for baking to the next level by starting a small online business, where she makes and delivers baked goods such as banana bread, strawberry cakes and croissants. When Michelle began managing her Instagram baking account, @gentlefoods, she regularly posted pictures of food she made in hopes to delight people during the stressful COVID-19 Coronavirus pandemic. “I found out that food actually makes a lot of people happy, so I wanted to bring a little bit of happiness to the people around me with the food I made,” said Michelle. Eventually, her beautiful Instagram feed filled with mouthwatering pastries caught the attention of many friends, and soon, orders for various events began coming. “They usually come to me with a list of things they want and don’t want in their cakes, and my job is to help narrow it down into something that works and would be yummy to eat,” said Michelle. Her friend, Celine Hsu (‘20), was amazed by how well Michelle transformed her random
list of cravings into six amazing cupcakes. “I told her that I wanted a not too sweet chocolate brownie cake, and with that, she made me the most delicious chocolate cupcakes,” said Celine, “my family and I loved it so much.” If you want to order it from her, the “chocolate cupcakes with chocolate Italian meringue” is what it’s called! When she is not baking for orders, Michelle is looking at Youtube videos and trying out a wide assortment of recipes. Before baking a red velvet cake, for example, Michelle goes on the Internet and looks through all available recipes before deciding a few to modify and try. She goes through this process repeatedly until she finds one perfect recipe for her cakes, which means many yummy goodness for her family! Michelle adds that she decided to dedicate time for baking because she believes that it is worthwhile to do what you love. “Even among schoolwork and other responsibilities, it is important to do what you love because it’s what gives your life meaning,” said Michelle. Because of this, she encourages those looking to pursue a passion to have the courage to go for it and says that although starting out could be hard, it will be worth it to see your dreams slowly come to life.
Annie Huang (‘23) turns her passion into an online business By Ariel Lee (‘23)
Annie Huang (‘23) took her passion in calligraphy to a new level when she started her own business in April. She posts wallpaper designs and photos of her various products on her Instagram account @letteredbyannie_. Inspired by different YouTubers such as Amand Rach Lee who owns her own stationery business, Annie initially started as a card making business. However, her buisness has grown to offer more products such as stickers, digital illustrations, graphic designs and custom orders. The way she runs her business has also evolved. “My main goal is to try and encourage people with positive messages and pretty things that make them happy,” Annie said. Recently, she has also tried to expand her business by constantly brainstorming new ideas and creating new products. “Keeping up the posts on Instagram is another way I have been trying to grow my business,” Annie said. She has also started doing special events such as giveaways to help increase social media engagement. Currently, Annie is working towards shipping more orders internationally to reach more customers. Besides that, she has other short term goals as well such as doing more digital designs to turn into stickers. A more long term goal for Annie would be to create an official website. “I’m also working towards maybe getting a sticker cutter, since right now I’m hand cutting each sticker. And eventually having a team of people to work for the business would
be really cool,” Annie said. Balancing her schoolwork with her business is not an easy process. It takes a lot of work to make sure products are in stock. Annie tries to balance these two sides of her by making sure she does not have any deadlines when she works on business stuff. “It’s definitely been a process and something that I am continually working through, but I think I’ve learned that I have to prioritize and schedule out my time,” Annie said. Annie’s business took time to start. When she was deciding to create her buissness, she was not sure how her parents would react so she turned to her sister for advice. Her sister encouraged her to ask their parents and when she did, to her surprise, her family were very supportive of her business. Now, by showing their support, Annie’s parents help her with logistics and her sister with the creative side. Many of Annie’s friends have also been supportive by buying her products and promoting them on social media. Annie wants potential business starters to know that it’s important to enjoy the process and development. “Not everyone enjoys management, and the practical side of a business can be annoying sometimes,.” Annie said. For Annie the process is something she never thought she would be doing. She admits that although it’s frustrating and overwhelming, it has been a cool experience. “Hopefully, it’s something that I can continue for the rest of high school and into the future, but we’ll see where it goes,” Annie said.
Annie H. (‘23) works in her free time to create stickers and cards for sale through her Instagram account, @letteredbyannie. [ARIEL LEE/ THE BLUE & GOLD]
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the blue & gold december 8, 2020
Dr. Dodge takes on the role of interim head of school
Dr. Grace Cheng Dodge watches middle school students work on asssigments in the middle school library. [AMBER WU/THE BLUE & GOLD]
By Amber Wu (‘23) Dr. Grace Cheng Dodge has accepted her new role as Interim Head of School from 2020 to 2022 after the departure of former Head of School, Dr. Sharon D. Hennessy in September due to health concerns. Dr. Dodge grew up in a TaiwaneseAmerican family in the United States and graduated from Harvard University. She later received an MS, MBA and EdD from Northeastern University. She then worked as the Director of Admission at Wellesley College in Massachusetts and the Associate Director of Admissions at Harvard
University for ten years before coming to Taiwan in 2009. Before taking on the role of Interim Head of School, Dr. Dodge helped open the new college counseling office in the upper school H-Block at TAS and worked in the college admissions office for three years before taking on the role of Deputy Head of School in 2018. Dr. Dodge is also a Certified Public Accountant. After working in TAS for 11 years, Dr. Dodge realized that TAS students tend to focus on academics, which creates competition between the students. “I just wish that students, parents and
families wouldn’t put so much pressure on themselves and compare each other to other students,” she said. “I would love students to show a love of learning that can actually be seen by us, surpassing the need to compare.” As Dr. Dodge takes on her new role at the school, Dr. Adam Nelson, the new Interim Deputy Head of School, will be working with Dr. Dodge in the administration office over the next two years. “I think that Dr. Dodge’s counseling background [allows her to be] a uniquely qualified place to work with students and on that culture aspect,” he said. “I think
part of changing [the school] is finding ways to further evolve our curriculum and our teaching practices.” Ultimately, Dr. Dodge has set many new goals for herself during her time as Interim Head of School. She is currently meeting and interacting with students in the lower school and will make her way up to the Upper School. “I want to make sure people feel welcome here, and that they’re not so stressed that they forget that the upper school experience is supposed to be fun,” she said. “So I would love to work on that culture for the school.”
Dr. Williamson gets published in the Journal of Modern Literature By Audrey Hwang (‘23)
Dr. Williamson worked on his dissertation for almost seven years as the process of writing a dissertation is an arduous one. [PHOTO COURTESY OF TAS COMMUNICATIONS]
Upper School English teacher Dr. Andrew Williamson’s article, “Pound ‘re/ sound’,” was recently published in the Journal of Modern Literature, a journal that focuses on contemporary and 20th-century works of literature. With only a few revisions, the Journal of Modern Literature selectively chose the first chapter of Dr. Williamson’s dissertation to be published. This chapter of his dissertation focused on poet Ezra Pound. Dr. Williamson got the inspiration to write this when he was thinking about the connection between imagism and modernist American poetry. Dr. Williamson got the inspiration to write this when he was thinking about the connection between imagism and modernist American poetry. “I actually had the idea for this initial article when I was just sitting on my living room couch early one morning and I was thinking about modernist American poetry and about Ezra Pound and about his relationship to a movement called imagism,” Dr. Williamson said. Dr. Williamson’s profound interest in studying modernist American poetry stemmed from the moment he read the poem “The Waste Land” by T.S. Eliot. “When I read that poem, I really realized that I had found my passion and wanted to
continue studying [modernist American poetry] more,” he said. His realization also led him to pursue an undergraduate degree in English Literature at Yale University, and later a Ph.D. in English Literature at Princeton University. He finished his dissertation in 2019.
“When I read that poem, I really realized that I had found my passion and wanted to continue studying [modernist American poetry] more.” The process of writing a dissertation is a long and grueling one; Dr. Williamson spent almost seven years writing his dissertation. However, after enduring the arduous process, Dr. Williamson was rewarded with the feeling of satisfaction. Prior to earning his PhD from Princeton University, Dr. Williamson taught first grade at the American School in London. “It was really gratifying to see the result of many years of work finally in print,” Dr. Williamson said.
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the blue & gold december 8, 2020
Justin Rhee (‘16) and Trevor Shim (‘16): Current stop, Silicon Valley. Destination, “big hairy goals”
Justin and Trevor founded Porter with the support of Y Combinator, a prestigous Silicon Valley startup accelerator. [PHOTO COURTESY OF TREVOR SHIM]
By Lana Lee (‘22) On a Sunday morning at the beginning of November, Justin Rhee (‘16) and Trevor Shim (‘16) joined my Zoom call, one at a time, each one in an adjacent room of their shared New York apartment. These co-entrepreneurs, who have been business partners for the last seven years, settled in their seats in a demeanor that seemed like a familiar routine. Though they had been acquainted as classmates at TAS, they had not expected to walk a path together for this long — or even to become friends to begin with. While at school, Justin participated in MUN and speech and debate; he was the “MUN, nonSTEM guy.” When Trevor discovered Justin’s interest in technology as they sat next to each other in their AP Computer Science class, he had not expected them to connect, let alone co-found a startup, Porter, in the milieu of Silicon Valley a few years later. Neither remember how they began to talk about business ideas, but it was clear they were meant to be partners from the very start. “We quickly realized that we both kind of thought of things at least in terms of what we wanted to do and the things that we made fun of together — such as ‘why do people do this’ or ‘why do people think this way’,” Justin said. They would go on walks and sit at the table next to the TAS locker room to start brainstorming. But even then, Justin admitted, “I don’t think we knew that we’d necessarily work on something together after college or, at least, immediately.” One of their earliest brainchilds was the NOVA competition, derived from the word “innovate,” which is an entrepreneurial competition for high school students that will celebrate its sixth year this year. They would stop at nothing to achieve its success. Once, they literally broke into Mr. Matt Fagen’s robotics room, which made him “understandably upset,” according to Justin. They had distributed kindergarten crafts materials, “silly things like pipe cleaners,” for teams to create a rapid prototype. Then, when one of the teams asked for an electronics component, the two were so elated that they unhesitantly climbed through a window to acquire it. “We didn’t want to slow them down,” Justin laughed, embarrassedly. Both of them always knew they wanted to
step into the technology industry. Even when they lacked the fundamentals of coding, they would try to experiment with the tools they had access to. They once spent a weekend struggling to create a login page for “some silly app idea” using Adobe Dreamweaver, a drag-and-drop website builder. Justin said they “were never remotely the ‘coders’ during high school.” They eventually followed where they had set their hearts early on. “We always knew we wanted to get into tech at some point” said Justin, despite being a “pure political science guy” in high school. “I didn’t take any of the high math classes at all, and I didn’t know how to code.” Upon his acceptance to the University of Pennsylvania as an International Relations major, he quickly switched to computer science and philosophy. Trevor attended and graduated from Yale University with a Bachelor’s degree in physics and computer science. Although Trevor always viewed startups as a risky endeavor, it was his perpetual voracity to create one that swerved his plan to attend graduate school his sophomore year. “Startups were always my first choice,” he said. From a young age, he had an innate interest in making gadgets; his dream was to get a patent. So when he watched a documentary about the dot-com bubble in middle school, “That kind of stuff became really sexy, and honestly, that’s how it started,” Trevor said. Entrepreneurship never started as a career choice for Justin. “Startups just kind of made sense,” he said. “We don’t want someone telling us to do day in and out for a corporate grind, especially if we disagree with what we’re doing.” It took three years in college for Justin to realize he wanted to create a SiliconValley-style tech startup. Justin and Trevor were accepted to Y Combinator (YC), one the most prestigious startup accelerators in Silicon Valley last September. Twice a year, it invests in a limited number of startups, one of which was “Bloom,” a product of three co-founders, Justin, Trevor and Alex. According to Wharton’s Venture Lab, Bloom is “a virtual assistant chatbot that directly integrates onto a course creator’s site to allow students to ask questions, see relevant discussions, and
receive both automatically-generated and community-mediated answers.” Soon realizing the idea lacked practicality and receiving YC’s encouragement to pivot, they explored different possibilities. Then, they recalled the difficulties they faced when they were using Kubernetes, a platform developed by Google for managing containerized applications, to institute their previous idea because “it was too hard and technical to use.” This is when Porter was born. Justin and Trevor exchanged a particular grin with each other when asked to describe their startup, Porter. “The objective of Porter is to make it as easy as possible for companies to host their web services,” Trevor explained. It was his turn in their alternating routine of marketing the business. According to him, there is a common consensus that Kubernete will become the norm among all companies as a means of using their software in the cloud. Porter is a platform, “a layer,” built on top of that. Despite Y Combinator’s prestige, it is “not a fundamental changemaker” for their team, according to Trevor. “Our team is probably the least grateful when it comes to
“Through starting a company, you learn a lot and you can deploy capital unilaterally, which you wouldn’t be able to do in any other circumstance in nearly the same amount of time.” appreciating YC,” Trevor said. Justin exposed that “by default, they push you really hard to generate visible external metrics...they really ask you for revenue, essentially, no matter where you are.” This was especially a challenge because they were forced to offer a “half-baked software” to large companies. “We threw our heads against the wall so much, but we got some meager monthly
revenue and honestly had just one client that was using it on a regular basis,” Justin said. It was only when they took a step back that they realized their marketing approach was ineffective, as a result of YC’s moneydriven assessment and guidance. They learned the importance of community adoption prior to selling a product. Although not a “fundamental changemaker, YC is like a catalyst and accelerates a lot of things,” said Trevor. Beyond getting a boost in fundraising, they appreciate the internal social network called Bookface, used by founders to connect with one another. They can gain exclusive access to priceless advice and inspiration from experienced and fellow motivated entrepreneurs. At the moment, their team is on a “technical sprint” to secure the stability of the online platform. But they have grander plans in the long term. They merely hope to “make a dent in the world [through Porter],” and will continue to be serial entrepreneurs for now. “We want to keep building things that put us in a position where we are technically and non-technically able to build more and more massive things,” Trevor said. They aspire to pursue capital-intensive interests in the end: Justin ultimately wants to enter the realm of AI recognition and research, while Trevor hopes to become affiliated with transportation. “Through starting a company, you learn a lot and you can deploy capital unilaterally, which you wouldn’t be able to do in any other circumstance in nearly the same amount of time,” Justin said. Porter, “even if it does end up taking a lot longer, is a boat we’re happy to be on.” He hesitantly admitted, “for lack of a better word, it’s like a stepping stone. Everything we do, we’re just trying to get to the next step right.” Their ultimate goal is to achieve the socalled BHAGs, or “Big Hairy Audacious Goals,” coined by Mr. Ives in their years at TAS. They are aware that they can “pursue that probably when [they are] 50 years old or so,” but they are currently climbing up each step of the ladder with a mindset that “if you get stuck in any route, you design it in such a way that you can still make the most of that.”
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the blue & gold december 8, 2020
The show must go on with masks, jokes, and new song lyrics
Camryn Rowe, as Logainne SchwartzandGrubenierre, unmasks and spells out her words, tracing the letters on her arm before saying it out loud. [EVELYN HOU/THE BLUE & GOLD]
By Evelyn Hou (‘24) From Nov. 11-14, Upper School student actors performed the musical “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.” The directors originally chose the musical “In the Heights,” but a lot of dancing and singing was involved, so it was changed due to the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic. The new musical incorporated coronavirus prevention measures, including masks and social distancing restrictions. The musical takes place in fictional Putnam County, where middle school students are competing in a prestigious local spelling bee competition. “I wanted to pick a story that could infuse the idea that the conditions in the story are also experiencing COVID-19,” Upper School Theater Art Teacher and Musical Director, Mr. Cory Edwards said. “All the characters are experiencing masks, but it is part of what they’re going through.” Having a COVID-19 themed musical allowed the audience to relate to the characters in the musical. “I think it’s
enhancing the musical in a way so it’s kind of tying in our current situation and making it a fun experience for everyone who’s watching,” Ivan Wei (‘23), who played Chip Tolentino, said. Although student actors were required to wear their masks in most of their scenes, a six-foot circle was drawn in the middle of the stage, where students could safely take their masks off to speak and sing. “[It’s] great to be able to at least see the main characters’ faces briefly,” Mr. Edwards said. “So if you step outside that circle, somebody enters, we have to re-mask and the story continues.” Even though everyone has been wearing masks since February, they still cause complications for the students while they act and sing. “Masks can be pretty frustrating with makeup and hair getting caught and singing, but we have been able to work the masks into the show,” Camryn Rowe (‘22), who played Logainne SchwartzandGrubenierre, said. COVID-19 affected the pit musicians
as well. Pit musicians were given “In the Heights” sheet music to practice over the summer; however, because the musical was changed last minute, the musicians had to learn the new pieces in a shorter period of time. “Some of the pit musicians had already prepared the pieces, so that was sad, but it is inevitable,” pit director and piano player April Wang (‘22) said. Because of social distancing restrictions, only 250 people were allowed in the audience per show, although the auditorium can seat up to 650. “I’m sad because it is [a smaller audience], but I am way more thankful for our circumstances [compared to other places], especially at TAS,” Mr. Edwards said. The musical also had an interactive feature in which audience members were asked to go on stage and join the actors to compete in the spelling bee. “I love the idea of it being interactive with the audience, and I’m sure people would love seeing their teachers and parents up on stage,” Camryn said. Upper School Principal Mr.
Andrew Lowman took the stage during the opening night performance and pretended to know the dance moves of the cast during musical numbers. Dr. Grace Dodge, Interim Head of School, also gave a comedic performance at the Friday night show.
I’m sad because it is [a smaller audience], but I am way more thankful for our circumstances [compared to other places], especially at TAS. Despite all the frustrations and struggles with COVID-19, the cast and crew tried their best to put on an entertaining show and to make their experience worthwhile. “Everyone is being super positive,” Camryn said, fondly. “They’re doing a really good job of taking what they can get and making the best of it.”
Lower school students launch gardening initiative By Abby Chang (‘24)
Even in the rain, lower school students stay after school for a late gardening session of transplanting plants and weeding. [ABBY CHANG/THE BLUE & GOLD]
At TAS, it can be easy to focus on the glamorous upper school programs. The musical has a brightly lit stage, and the robotics competitions have the Tech Cube. But we often overlook the smaller moments (and people) on our campus in the Lower School. Recently, the lower school Green Club, a group focused on helping the environment, launched its first project of the year: gardening for the cafeteria. The club is led by lower school teachers who volunteer their time and efforts into making the Green Club a safe and educational place. The Green Club strives to “raise awareness about being green,” Lower School Mandarin Teacher and Club Sponsor Ms. Clarabelle Lin said. The club consists of 30 students, each with different objectives. “Some of the students just love to be outside of the classroom, while other students want to be indoors,” Ms. Lin said. As a result, sponsors focus on initiating two types of projects: planting in the lower school garden and indoor art activities. Ms. Brianna Pannell, a Lower School Librarian, is one of this year’s sponsors for the Green Club. She is in charge of the gardening section, which is comprised of 12 students. This year, the club aims to provide the cafeteria’s salad bar with handgrown vegetables, such as tomatoes, greens and herbs by January.
“When [students of the Green club] go to the cafeteria, we are hoping that they will be able to see the food being served to people and they will know that they had a hand in growing that food,” Ms. Pannell said. The lower school students are currently learning the basics of gardening. The students are preparing the garden by weeding and learning about insects that are harmful for the plants, as well as learning the process of transplanting plants. “They [are starting to understand] the connection between how food is grown and how it is made,” Ms. Pannell said. Meanwhile, the students who choose to stay indoors are working on art projects to spread greater environmental awareness. One of the projects invites students to speak about the environment through short recorded messages. The interactive website “Earth Speakr” allows other students and teachers alike to access the videos and listen to the students’ messages. “Creating art is something that allows you to feel a sense of achievement,” Ms. Lin said. Ultimately, the Green Club educates students about the environment through fun activities and projects. “We always have fun,” Lower School Art Teacher and Green Club sponsor Mr. Ramses Youssif said. “It makes me happy that there are a lot of kids who do care about our world.”
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the blue & gold december 8, 2020
New York Times best-selling author of “Loveboat, Taipei” Abigail Hing Wen explores life in Taiwan as an Asian American By Natalie Scheidel (‘21) and Phoebe Chen (‘21) From overbearing parents to high academic expectations, New York Times best-selling Ms. Abigail Hing Wen has been through all the experiences of a typical Asian American. In her award winning novel “Loveboat, Taipei,” she recalls her experiences at a summer camp in Taiwan through main character Everett “Ever” Wong. In the novel, 18-year-old Ever finds herself at a Mandarin language and Chinese culture learning program. Upon her arrival, she becomes friends with Asian Americans who share and know all too well the struggle of appeasing parental expectations, succeeding, and most importantly, following dreams.
“The struggle of appeasing parental expectations, succeeding, and most importantly, following dreams.”
“Loveboat, Taipei” resonates with many students at TAS such as Claire H. (‘21), who identifies with the uniquely Asian American struggles portrayed in the novel. [PHOEBE CHEN/THE BLUE & GOLD]
“Growing up, I shared a lot of similar experiences with Ever,” Ms. Wen said. “I wanted to learn how to navigate through my personal passions while honoring my family and their desires for me to enter politics and become a voice for the community.” However, given the pressure to please her parents, Ms. Wen pursued a career in law. “It wasn’t until my first year out of Harvard that I finally called my dad and told him I couldn’t do it,” Ms. Wen said. “My dad had
received the news well, and that was really important to me, it was like he had finally released me from the expectations he had for me.” Now a parent herself, Ms. Wen encourages her sons to follow their dreams, but after they become financially independent first. “I would say the first step is to try and figure out what you want,” Ms. Wen said. “Then when you are able to be strong and independent, what your parents have to say
becomes less effective. Of course, in order to succeed in all of it you have to be able to financially sustain yourself.” Ms. Wen also hopes that her book will serve as an argument towards the common stereotype that all Asians are nerds or boring. “The book addresses the media’s portrayal of Asian Americans,” she said. “Typically, in the media, Asians are doctors or sidekicks. In the book, there is a diverse, fun community of Asians.”
Many TAS students may resonate with finding themselves in Ever or Ms. Wen when she was younger. To those who are still struggling in finding themselves or dealing with their parents, Ms. Wen hopes they will continue to search and follow their goals. “I wish I could just say ‘be open to your parents’ but I know it is not that easy,” she said. “Just remember that even if you do listen to them, one day you will realize that you also need to listen to yourself.”
Darryl Loke (‘17) wins Emmy award for his college film, “Strays” By Sabrina Chang (‘21) and Lana Lee (‘22) Alumnus Darryl Loke (‘17), one of the students who sparked the start of the film program at TAS, recently won a Mid-Atlantic Emmy award in the college division for his film, “Stray.” During his time at TAS, Darryl Loke (‘17) led his grade to multiple victories in the Spirit Week class video competitions. They were just a starting point of his ongoing Emmywinning career in filmmaking. He is currently at Temple University, studying psychology to delve into the human condition of films and ultimately reach a wider audience. Darryl’s passion for filmmaking began during his freshman year at TAS, when his interest in cameras led him to Mr. Tobie Openshaw, TAS video production specialist. “Mr. Openshaw gave me a lot of opportunities and gave me access to the film equipment at TAS, which was very helpful,” Darryl said. He took advantage of them to produce class videos and short films that Mr. Openshaw allowed him to showcase in student assemblies. His first film that garnered a lot of attention was the freshman spirit week video, which he directed and filmed with one of his friends in 2014. The video won first place, much to the shock of the upperclassmen, but more importantly helped Darryl create a stronger connection with his peers. “After that I think people just understood who I was and how I saw the class, and I just wanted to showcase that and share it with everyone,” Darryl said. “It was sort of my calling.” The class video did more than just kickstart Darryl’s filmmaking journey though; his passion helped to inspire Mr. Jaami Franklin, Mr. Brett Barrus and Mr. Openshaw to start
the high school film program the following school year. “At first, they would teach us the common concepts of films like using cameras and setting up a shot and how to tell stories,” Darryl said. “Later, they started bringing out things like field trips.” The film trips to various places ranging from the outskirts of Taipei to Berlin served as a huge part of Darryl’s high school experience, and the team was able to win numerous competitions with their creations. “All those trips gave me a very worldly view, and it is amazing to see how rapidly the film program innovated,” Darryl said. Filmmaking became Darryl’s priority and greatest interest, and he lost track of time while working on his projects more times than he could count. “In 2017, I actually held the record at school for the most tardies,” Darryl said. “I had detention almost every lunchtime because I’d always show up late to class from the film studio, but I think it was worth it.” After TAS, Darryl enrolled at Temple University, where he felt he adapted to the American culture more readily compared to the “Tiger Babies” around him, because he had spent his childhood in a different country every four years. When he realized that he had limited his scope of interests and knowledge to film since eighth grade, he chose to major in psychology. “I feel like [psychology] benefits me and my films,” Darryl said. “Almost every film consists of humans...psychology allows me to delve into people’s roots because I understand how to approach them better.” Since his freshman year at college, Darryl has prioritized getting to know diverse people after filmmaking helped him realize
the value of relationships and networks. His film producer roommate, who invited him to the Emmy-winning film team as a cinematographer, is one of the people he met as a result of this endeavor. From this invitation, Darryl’s casual offer to help write the script quickly turned into a six-hour task everyday, and he was eventually offered the role of director and writer. He attributes this to his ability to creatively connect with people. “When I came into the project, I was able to instantly connect with the original writer of the film,” he said. “Making a film is all about finding the right people who vibe with you emotionally and creatively.” Darryl’s award-winning film, “Strays,” is a short film about Shane Shephard, a young adult who inherits a family owned thrift shop after the death of his mother. The film explores his “failed attempts to help people as he turns to unconventional methods in order to prevent others from feeling his pain” through encountering unusual customers that stop by the shop one day. Darryl’s team submitted this film to the festival circuit and received a Mid-Atlantic Emmy award in the college division. “I definitely had a very ambitious goal in mind, I wanted [the film] to be seen by a big name,” Darryl said. “So hearing that we had won this award was great.” Time and money were the biggest challenges his team faced. The film had an extraordinarily low budget of USD$2000 to USD$3000, and it was funded independently by many people. Darryl’s extensive exposure to books and films played a key role in recruiting actors, as he used them as
Darryl was a pioneer of TAS film; his work inspired the creation of the film program. [PHOTO COURTESY OF DARRYL LOKE]
conversation starters to connect with others. “Seventy percent of making a good scene has to do with just getting to know people, which is why I think it’s very important to be very inspired,” he said. “It’s an easy way to work with people in any career.” Now in his senior year at Temple, Darryl ultimately hopes to make a career in filmmaking and expand his audience. “I feel like [winning the Emmy] solidified that I will always be in film because I saw that my work does impact a lot of people,” he said. “I’m not striving to win more awards. My main goal is to reach more people [and get them to] understand who I am, and hopefully [my films] will make them happy.”
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the blue & gold december 8, 2020
Classes more students should know about Juggling in-person and History of Minorities in America online classes By Sharon Lee (‘22)
By Amanda Ding (‘21) As a student, finding time to indulge in personal hobbies is an ongoing challenge. This is particularly true for seniors, who bear extra burdens due to college applications and schedules laden with advanced classes. But seniors Isaac Wu (‘21) and Cherry Boontaksinaphan (‘21), have found a different way to nurture their interests: online classes. To further his interest in psychology, Isaac is taking the Intro to Psychology course offered by Outlier, a startup program offering affordable collegelevel classes and credits in a flexible virtual learning environment. The classes are taught through pre-recorded lessons with quizzes at the end of each class, as well as a midterm exam. “I think psychology is useful for a lot of majors,” Isaac said. “Like, I want to go into business and I think psychology is pretty essential.” At up to USD$400 per course, careful consideration should be given prior to making any registrations.. “It’s quite expensive because they’re giving you college credit,” Isaac said. “And it’s fast paced, so you have to allocate some time everyday or every other day to work on it.” In addition, Isaac is taking an online Statistics with R specialization course offered by Duke University and plans to take another Outlier class called Calculus next semester. Cherry participated in a two-month long Harvard University Program for Molecular and Cellular Biology over the summer, which was taught alternately on both Zoom and in-person at the National Tsing Hua University in Hsinchu. It included assignments, class discussions, real laboratory work and report submissions, such as finding viable solutions to real life issues such as the COVID-19 coronavirus. Unlike Isaac’s self-regulated learning schedule, Cherry’s live synchronous classes made her experience more difficult due to the irregular times the classes took place. “From 8:30 to 11:30 pm I would have a lecture, followed by another at 1 a.m. to 3 a.m. We had experiment time, which is harder for the people stuck at home. But luckily for me, I was at a lab, so I could do the experiments at 3 a.m. That was pretty fun, but it was intense,” Cherry said. However, the virtual nature of the course inhibited some potential benefits of the experience. “I think the bad part was the lack of interaction between my classmates compared to if I had gone to Boston,” Cherry said. “We didn’t really get to know each other personally.” But despite the challenges in keeping the balance between sleep, work and having fun, Cherry believes the experiences gained were well worth time and effort. Byher Audrey Hwang (‘23) “Over the summer, I was making vaccines for COVID-19, so I thought taking a course in molecular and cellular biology would really help me in these life skills and it did,” Cherry said.
History of Minorities in America is a history elective taught by Dr. Erika Soublet. In the 2020-2021 school year, there are just five students enrolled in this little-known course. In this class, students learn history from the perspective of various minority groups who are not covered in depth for other U.S. history classes, which include women, African Americans, Native Americans, people with disabilities, Asian Americans, Latinx Americans and members of the LGBTQIA+ community. Through seminar style teaching, students learn about the ways minorities have impacted American history, and their influence on current events. Students help lead class seminars and devise lesson plans, and through discussing articles, podcasts and movies, students explore connections between history and current issues. Dr. Soublet wishes her students can learn that history is much more diverse than what we see on the surface. “People of all ethnicities, genders, sexual orientations, religions and more have contributed and continue to contribute to America,” Dr. Soublet said. “I want students to understand that the issues we’re currently facing are rooted in history. Understanding how problems came to be is a first step to figuring out how to solve them.”
Dr. Grace Cheng Dodge, Mr. Ryan Haynes and Ms. Jessica Huang (‘11) join students in the History of Minorities in America class to discuss identity. [PHOTO COURTESY OF TAS COMMUNICATIONS]
Fashion and Costume Design Fashion and Costume Design is taught by Ms. Jessica Huang (‘11), the assistant theater manager at TAS. The course is focused on learning how to sew both by hand and by using the sewing machine. Students learn about current trends in fashion, including costume design in film and theater, as well as a wide range of other topics, such as sewing production in prisons. A typical class day starts with a pow wow session, where students discuss an article they read for homework by asking questions and sharing key takeaways. The rest of the class is focused on sewing and familiarizing themselves with different sewing techniques and sewing machines. Students get to choose their own projects and design their own clothing. Depending on the musical or play that year, students may also have the opportunity to participate in the costume crew, putting together and sewing costumes for the cast. “What’s fun about this is that it is hands on, but sometimes I joke and say it is a social studies course, because we talk about so many topics related to history, lifestyle and culture,” Ms. Huang said.
Fashion and Costume Design has multiple projects throughout the year, such as desgining tote bags. [SHARON LEE/THE BLUE & GOLD]
Robotics Mentoring Robotics Mentoring, taught by Mr. Jason Kiang, is an interactive course where upper school students mentor Grade 3 and Grade 5 students on the basics of programming. This class fulfills the Computer Science/ Robotics graduation requirement and requires no prerequisites to enroll. The classes take place during A5 and B5, with eight to ten students in each class. Each upper school student in the class is paired with three to five “little buddies,” who they meet with every week to work on their projects. Grade 5 students work on Lego Mindstorms, where they program robots to perform various challenges purchased from the First Lego League. On the other hand, Grade 3 students focus on creative programming projects, in which they design robots according to a given theme. The theme this year is increasing physical exercise around the world. Being the only class that allows students across divisions to collaborate, this class is a great way to develop new skills. “If you like little kids and you want to build mentorship skills, leadership skills and collaborative soft skills, this class is a great way to achieve that,” Mr. Kiang said.
The Robotics Mentoring course allows upper and lower school students to work on creative programming projects. [SHARON LEE/THE BLUE & GOLD
Writing Workshop & Seminar The Writing Workshop & Seminar class taught by Ms. brenda Lin (lowercase intentional) is a creative writing workshop that explores various genres including short stories, poems, graphic narratives and many more. Students get to read each other’s works and receive feedback from their peers, and they learn to develop their own voice in writing. “There’s so much going on inside [at this age] and creative writing is a great outlet. What I hope to accomplish is to convince people that creative writing can be applied to everything else you do,” Ms. Lin said. Her favorite part of this class is her students’ open-mindedness to share their own perspectives. “It takes courage to be honest in your work, sometimes it can be challenging to put yourself out there. I think my job is to make sure we’re in a safe place and people feel comfortable sharing,” she said. Students also have the opportunity to submit their works to magazines and competitions throughout the year, although it is not the main focus of the course. The seminar aspect of the class explores various texts as well as different forms of storytelling through multimedia: podcasts, videos and artworks, where students learn to emphasize and adapt to different contexts. Ultimately, Ms. Lin encourages students who are interested in the writing world to sign up, and she hopes that this class can provide more students the opportunity to channel their creativity in writing.
Students in the Writing Workshop & Seminar class had the opportunity to write their own children’s books. [PHOTO COURTESY OF TAS COMMUNICATIONS]
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the blue & gold december 8, 2020
Classic literature movies are not worth it As the year draws to a close, many classical literature books that have been remade into movies were released. However, in recent years, these classical literature movies have not done as well in theatres as the storylines from the 19th century have cultural differences that are not written in ways that would grab the attention of the audiences. Other movie remakes that have been released recently but not mentioned below include Netflix’s “Rebecca” (2020), HBO’s “His Dark Materials” (2019), and HBO’s “Watchmen”, originally a remade into a movie but recently transformed into a series. By Amber Wu (‘23) As one of the most anticipated classical literature movie remakes, the 2019 adaptation of “Little Women” was truly disappointing compared to its popular 1994 version. Directed by Greta Gerwig, the new cast includes Saoirse Ronan as Jo March, Emma Watson as Meg March, Florence Pugh as Amy March, Eliza Scanlen as Beth March, and Timothee Chalamet as Laurie Lawrence. Although the movie attempted to tackle themes such as advocating for women’s rights while breaking out of the original storyline, it did not fulfill the standards that one would expect. Before the release of the film, the actors began promoting the movie by stating that references from the #MeToo movement and the development of feminism would be implemented. However, the development of feminism did not evolve during the story as the female characters either subjugated themselves to their husbands or failed to did not achieve their goals of breaking societal norms. An example of how the failed push towards feminism in the storyline was the choices of the costumes for the characters, which matched their personalities, characteristics, and character change. In the beginning of the movie, as a symbolism of breaking societal norms, Jo, who was branded as a tomboy, wore darker dresses with men’s jackets while her other sisters wore flamboyant pastel colors as a mark of youth and femininity. However, towards the end of the film, all the characters, including Jo, wore stiff Victorian women outfits with their hair all knotted in buns and began behaving like a “lady”—the symbolism of subjugating into
society as they could not freely express their personalities. Although it was a talented cast, the roles that were assigned to the actors prevented the chemistry between actors and their characters from being to be made. Although filled with hopes in promoting women’s rights, the 2019 version of Little Women is just unlovable compared to GIlliam Armstrong’s 1994 version. The 2020 adaptation of Secret Garden was the most disappointing and boring classical literature movie remake as it was filled with dullness and unrealisticness. The story is about Mary, a sulky orphan who is sent to England after a disease killed her parents in India. She finds an abandoned garden that once belonged to her late aunt, and brings love to her grieving family members. The “magical” visuals were very cringeworthy as the computer-generated imagery (GCI) seemed very unrealistic. The magical effects caused the scenes to feel very immature and boring as they were poorly edited into the film. The climax, which was the most essential part of the movie, had horrible and unrealistic visuals. The ghosts of the mothers of Mary and Collin, the protagonists of the story, were implemented in a way that made the whole scene hard to watch. The butterflies that were edited in the movie to “lead” the characters from a burning mansion and into the garden had different lighting than the rest of the objects in the scene, which made it even more unrealistic. Furthermore, even though the young actors attempted to portray sulky characters who experienced the loss of loved ones, the
actors overplayed their roles, making the whole movie more of a comedy rather than an adventure or fantasy film. The child actors in the movie clearly did not do their research on how Victorian children would act in certain situations. Therefore, the 2020 adaptation of Secret Garden is not worth watching as it is filled with disinteresting elements. The 2019 version of David Copperfield is also a very disheartening classical literature movie remake as it fails to entertain the audience. Directed by Armando Iannucci, the movie stars Dev Patel from The Newsroom as David Copperfield, Aneurin Banard as James Steerforth, and Hugh Laurie as Mr. Dick.The film explores being part of Victorian society. David escapes from his dull life, making friends and enemies along his way. The movie attempts comedic elements by adding humor in the personalities of the characters. However, many scenes were exaggerated to the point where the plot of the story became irrelevant. For example, the frequent scenes in which David attempts to ask his love interest out creates another unimportant branch of storyline. The character of David in the movie fails to portray the main protagonist of the original novel as the version of David in the novel was less immature and less socially awkward compared to the movie version. Furthermore, the storyline had no connections to the novel, as the directors attempted to sparkle the movie with humor making the movie tedious to watch. The 2019 David Copperfield remake does not satisfy the standards of classical literature book lovers and therefore is not worth watching.
The complete disappointment of “Big Brother” 22 By Ariel Lee (‘23)
Each year, fans of the show Big Brother gather together to watch the series. However, a lot of fans were not happy with how “Big Brother 22: All Stars” turned out. “Big Brother” is a show where a group of contestants known as the HouseGuests live in a house with cameras and microphones recording their every move 24 hours a day for 12 consecutive weeks. During their stay, they are stuck in the Big Brother-bubble, without any contact with the outside world. Each week the HouseGuests compete in several competitions in order to win power and safety inside the house. Episodes are aired every week with live feeds available to viewers. Each week, the HouseGuests compete in something called the Head of Household (HoH) Competition, which allows the winner to gain immunity from eviction and the power to nominate other HouseGuests
for eviction. The Power of Veto (PoV) competition gives the winner the power to remove one HouseGuest from eviction. There are a few key elements as to why this season justified people’s disappointment. First and foremost on the minds of viewers was disappointing casting. Between people’s busy lives and the COVID-19 pandemic, the production team had to scramble to find good HouseGuests. The cast was made up of sidekicks, weak winners, sore losers, and other not-so-stellar players. The only interesting contestants were the consistent fan favorites, but most of them including Janelle, Kaysar and Keesha were taken out early. It is also important to note that the fan favorites were taken out by the dominant alliance that was immediately formed in Week 1. This alliance won most of the competitions proceeding to target all the other players. What the season lacked in drama, it made up with important conversations
surrounding important and timely social issues. The show has had controversy in past seasons for HouseGuests displaying racism, bullying and homophobia so it was great to see the show shed some light on the importance of representation and diverse experiences. Many HouseGuests used their platforms to discuss relevant topics. Da’Vonne brought attention to the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement and the importance of self-worth; Kaysar spoke about his religion, Kevin discussed the stuggles with his identity as a gay, bi-racial man, and Ian revealed he was on the autism spectrum. However, not all of these issues were used in a positive way. An example would be when cast members Memphis, Daniele and Nicole were caught on live feeds making fun of Ian’s rocking. Ian is living with autism, a complex developmental condition that involves persistent challenges in social interaction,
speech, nonverbal communication and restricted/repetitive behaviors. Rocking is something that he personally does to cope with stress. Many HouseGuests, such as Memphis threw out “jokes” about Ian’s autistic behavior by saying “he stresses me out. He’s always rocking.” Daniele also said: “When [Ian] is sitting there rocking, I can’t even look at him sometimes, because his constant movement stresses me out.” This type of behavior should not be tolerated. The best part of the entire season was when it was over, and Da’Vonne won the America’s Favorite Houseguest (AFH) Award by popular vote. This made history as she was the first black contestant to win that title. Previously, she had never made it to the top three, but this year she beat out many former AFHs. Truly deserving of the title, she will always be a memorable Big Brother player, being the one responsible for some of the best moments on the show.
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the blue & gold december 8, 2020
PHOTO COURTESY OF AARON PAUL
“Taylor Swift: Miss Americana” By Sharon Lee (‘22)
Taylor Swift is a name all of us are familiar with. One of the most successful and popular artists of this decade, she has won 10 Grammys, 29 American Music Awards and has broken countless sales records over her career. However, beyond her music career, Taylor Swift did not disclose her political beliefs until late 2018, when she endorsed Phil Bredesen, the Democratic candidate for Senate in her home state of Tennessee. Since then, she has spoken up about various political issues. Her song, “Miss Americana & The Heartbreak Prince,” released in 2019 in her album “Lover,” expressed her disillusionment over the current state of US politics. A continuation of her political awakening and an intimate look into Taylor Swift’s personal life, the highly anticipated documentary “Miss Americana” was released on Netflix this year. The film was directed by American filmmaker Lana Wilson, and it features many of Taylor Swift’s most successful and controversial moments. In the film, Taylor Swift opens up about
her struggles, and how she learned to cope and overcome various pressures and issues. Some key highlights of the film include the scandal with Kanye West in 2009, her sexual assault case in 2013, as well as her ongoing public struggles with body image. The documentary shows Taylor Swift’s growth over the years, and how she has succeeded in finding her true self, no longer equating other people’s praises or criticisms to her self-worth. The topics that were brought up in this documentary are relatable to students in our community as well as recent events around the world. By sharing her journey and speaking out for what she believes is right, Taylor Swift serves as a role model for her large fanbase, inspiring people of all ages to use their voice for change. The documentary also shows some of her happiest moments, and her rise to fame starting from her teenage years, including clips from the early years of her music career prior to her rise in popularity. The music production of her album “Lover,” was also featured in the film, allowing viewers to get a deeper look at how she produces and writes her songs. “Miss Americana” gives viewers a raw, realistic and emotionally revealing look into Taylor Swift’s personal life. It allows viewers to understand her on a deeper level and brings up many meaningful and relevant topics that should be discussed in today’s society.
“Blackpink: Light Up the Sky” By Lana Lee (‘22)
Following its debut with an immediate hit, Blackpink has only risen in popularity. It is now the most loved Korean girl group in the world, a group which made history as the first Korean girl group to perform at Coachella in 2019. Some ridicule the somewhat insane fans of modern K-pop groups, some of whom go as far as begging their idols to marry them, and make fun of the stereotypes about the homogeneity of the group members’ appearances. I had likewise grown averse to many K-pop groups as I watched TV shows featuring newly debuted indistinguishable idols — every one with a pale face and bladesharp nose — and mindlessly agreed with my friends, who find them “gross.” Pushing back my antagonism towards K-pop groups, I fought my temptations to exit the film in its first few moments and continued watching it until I found myself immersed, finding empathy and respect towards Blackpink and to thousands of other K-pop groups that I had overlooked in the past. “BLACKPINK: Light up the sky” is a documentary about the sensational hit of
Blackpink, directed by Caroline Suh. She sheds light to the personalities and backgrounds of each individual of the group and humanizes the barbie-like girls, spotlighted on grand stages. The film focuses on the girls’ pre-debut years, including their years as trainees — under the abusive system to generate stars — that are as long as six years. One by one, the members sit in front of the camera to narrate their story and confess their feelings about their unconventional childhood; their emotional vulnerability is unconcealable as they disclose their struggles with the pressure to succeed, body images and hate comments. In the end, the viewer is left with sincere sympathy and respect for the girls who have survived in the ultra-competitive industry. Their interviews are separated by archival footage of the girls in their years as trainees that dramatize the price of their current popularity. The members cycle through different languages throughout the film: three of its members, Jennie, Rosé and Lisa, are fluent English speakers, being born and or raised abroad, with Lisa even speaking Thai when she recounts her childhood. Ultimately, the documentary aims to unveil the members’ relatable human side under their charismatic personas. As K-pop continues to become accepted into mainstream culture, “BLACKPINK: Light up the Sky” offers a comprehensive introduction and a compelling story to newcomers but also new, exclusive clips for old fans who voraciously consume media content about their idols.
New Netflix film “Enola Holmes” explores feminism and identity By Sharon Lee (‘22)
“Enola Holmes,” a newly released 2020 film available on Netflix, has been wellreceived by its viewers. This new film is another Sherlock Holmes spinoff, following Sherlock’s younger sister Enola Holmes on a search for her missing mother, while evading her two brothers, Sherlock and Mycroft, on her journey
helping a runaway lord. The movie is based on the Young Adult novel series “Enola Holmes” by Nancy Springer, and the film was directed by Harry Bradbeer, a British film director. The movie takes on an interesting and unique approach as the narrator is Enola herself. Millie Bobby Brown of “Stranger Things” fame plays the lead actor. She speaks directly to the viewers throughout the movie, making it engaging from beginning to end.
“The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue” By V. E. Schwab Tor Books, October 2020
B&G BOOK CORNER
BySharon SharonLee Lee(‘22) (‘22) By
“The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue,” a historical fantasy adult fiction novel written by V. E. Schwab, is an enticing and memorable story full of excitement and adventure. Released on Oct. 6, this novel tells the story of a young girl in 1714 France, who sells her soul to a devil named Luc to escape an arranged marriage. However, her bargain with the devil comes with unexpected consequences. Although she gains immortality, she is cursed to be instantly forgotten by everyone she meets. The story jumps between the past and present, which takes place 300 years later in
The movie takes place in 19th century England, where it explores topics and historical movements such as women’s suffrage and feminism. Following Enola Holmes’ journey in finding her own identity and place in society, the story conveys the message that conflicts can be resolved in nonviolent ways Combining mystery and humor, the movie tackles serious issues of gender expectations with a refreshing and
exhilarating approach. “Enola Holmes” is definitely enjoyable for all audiences, especially fans of Sherlock Holmes. Although the focus of this movie is on Sherlock’s sister, her wit, intelligence and charm is on par with Sherlock. Although some may criticize this movie for straying too far from Sherlock’s story. As a Sherlock Holmes fan, I still thoroughly enjoyed it. This movie can stand on its own, and it is definitely worth watching.
New York City. Addie meets a bookstore clerk named Henry, who is surprisingly able to remember her unlike everyone else. The story takes off at that point, circulating around Addie, Henry and Luc’s dynamic relationship. Centered on Addie’s struggle and determination to make a mark on the world despite her curse, the story places great emphasis on people’s natural desire to be remembered by those around them. Not only is the novel intriguing, the vivid descriptions used by Schwab gives the story a very strong start and finish and leaves readers wanting more. However, the plotline of the story did feel quite slow and repetitive in the middle, when similar situations played out multiple times but on different characters. This 570 page story could have been much shorter and still
have the same storyline. Although the idea of the story is perfect for those who love fantasy books, it may be too whimsical for some readers’ liking. Some of the logistics in the story are underdeveloped, which may irk readers who approach books in more logical manners. For instance, Addie’s true age simply does not add up with her childlike persona, causing certain aspects of her character to feel surface level. Some historical aspects of the story also fail to reflect realistic scenarios of the time period. However, the story is still enjoyable once you look past these flaws. The action and conflict in this novel makes it a thrilling experience. Despite Addie’s curse of not being remembered, her story is one that I will recommend to anyone looking for a fun and extraordinary adventure.
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the blue & gold december 8, 2020
The Blue & Gold presents three school-friendly applications Taskade: all-in-one collaboration app for students By Daphne Wang (‘24)
As this semester comes to a close, keeping up with homework and other assignments can be a difficult task for a lot of students. Having an app to help you organize all your assignments can be especially helpful during this stressful time of year. Taskade, a free multifunction app meant to make our lives easier, is perfect for keeping ourselves organized. Taskade can be used as a website, extension or an app on your computer or phone. It has lots of options for you to choose from to help you achieve different goals. The format is clear as everything is color coded with small symbols there to help you. Downloading the app and learning how to use it is simple. The quick sign up process only requires your email and username. When you first create an account, it will
automatically take you to a short guide of all the basic functions in a “To-Do List” format. You can also explore the different templates provided, each with different objectives such as brainstorming, note taking and making goals. This app can also be used by teachers when organizing meetings. In this case, “meeting agenda” is recommended for this job. You can always open a blank template to customize your own design that best suits what you are doing. As a student, knowing when something is due and having a to-do list of all your assignments is really important. Luckily, this app can do both. You can set a due date for each task you create which will show up in the general calendar. Looking at a calendar, you can see all your tasks and when they are due. This is beneficial to those people that
prefer to look at a calendar instead of a list. I personally use the “To-Do List” function the most in school. This simple format can clearly show what assignments you have left for each subject. If you want, you can change the text or color of the titles to make each subject more obvious and organized. I like to rearrange the tasks from most important to least so I know what my priority is. The tasks are always adjustable in terms of their order so if you change your mind, you can easily change it. A unique tool this app provides is a collaboration tool. This allows you to collaborate with other people as you can share your lists or templates with each other. You can also assign tasks by tagging them next to the section. There is also a feature that enables communication by texting or
calling in the chat box on the side. This can make discussing more effective.
This app serves its purpose and I would truly recommend students and teachers to download it. Overall, this app serves up to its purpose and I would truly recommend students and teachers to download it. I, as a student myself, have found this app really helpful and used it throughout my school years to take notes and to keep track of my assignments. This app really helps me stay on task as it allows me to prepare beforehand for my next assignment.
Game-changing Google applications all students must try By Phoebe Chen (‘21)
As the beginning of the school year comes racing by, students are expected to constantly be on their ‘A’ games. Whether this means excelling in all classes or remembering to keep up with weekly club meetings, TAS students face very little room for mistakes. To keep up with demanding workloads, all students should consider utilizing Google Keep and Google Calendar. These two amenities, although often looked past, are two useful applications that can aid students in succeeding in school.
Google Keep makes note-taking easy. [PHOTO
COURTESY OF GOOGLE KEEP]
Google Keep is an excellent notetaking application created to help users capture ideas, manage “To-Do lists” and doodle handwritten notes.The service can be connected to various devices, and even comes in an app form that can be downloaded on both iOS and Android mobile phones. Users can also customize their notes through changing color, adding checkboxes,
Google Keep
Google Calendar
attaching images and much more. “Using Google Keep’s customizable sticky notes helps me arrange my tasks easily,” student Tyler Chen (‘21) said. “I have a ‘To-Do List’ for my homework which I arrange in the form of checkboxes, a ‘General List’ that I present with bullet points, and a ‘Meeting Reminders’ list for the meetings I have during the week.” Along with its note-taking service, Google Keep also provides users with a “Reminders” tab to jot down important dates or meetings. “The reminders tab has been very helpful to me,” Tyler said. After downloading Google Keep, many students find that they are less likely to forget homework assignments or projects with due dates. “Google Keep is a really good tool that just keeps me on track of school at all times,” student Nicole Scheidel said. “Honestly, I think all TAS students should consider using it because it is truly a very helpful app.”
accordingly. “Whenever I have a meeting, Google Calendar is really good at keeping track of it,” Tyler said. “It could definitely be used to help students and people, in general, who are forgetful.” The calendar is also linked to a user’s email, and can automatically create dates and meeting times. For instance, if a student emails their personal counselor for a meeting, Google Calendar will place a time for the meeting instinctively. “Google Calendar is super useful and easy to use,” Tyler said. “For all other calendars, you have to manually put in events. Google Calendar is different because you can simply rely on it to know what you are doing.” Google Calendar also has a ‘Birthdays’ function for individuals to log the birthdays of loved ones and friends. “It’s a little silly, but prett ay useful if you think about it,” Tyler said. “I know people who have almost forgotten a birthday, and were saved by their Google Calendar.”
Google Calendar has various calendar sizes. [PHOTO COURTESY OF GOOGLE CALENDAR]
Google Calendar is a time-management and scheduling tool available on both iPhones and Android devices. The application syncs with a user’s Google account, and creates an automatic calendar that is fitting around the individual’s work meetings and plans. For example, if a student schedules a meeting with their counselor through Calendly or YouCanBookMe, Google Calendar will mark the conference
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the blue & gold december 8, 2020
A deeper look into our favorite albums of autumn By Alice Chiang (‘21)
The 9 member kpop girl group twice released a dazzling album: “Eyes Wide Open.” [PHOTO COURTESY OF JYP ENTERTAINMENT]
In her new album, “Positions,” Queen Ari delivered vocals and sass. [PHOTO COURTESY OF
REPUBLIC RECORDS]
Swedish DJ Alesso collaborates with global singers to deliver three upbeat tracks this month. [PHOTO COURTESY OF SPINNING RECORDS]
BTS returned to comfort struggling fans due to the global pandemic with their new album “BE.” [PHOTO COURTESY OF BIGHIT ENTERTAINMENT]
“Up No More” by Twice
“Positions” by Ariana Grande
“The END” by Alesso
“Life Goes On” by BTS
K-pop girl group, Twice, released their second full album, “Eyes Wide Open,” on Oct. 26. Thise dazzling album features 13 songs, including lead single “I Can’t Stop Me.” Debuting in 2015, the 9-member K-pop girl group has achieved phenomenal worldwide success with their bubbly, energetic songs such as “Heart Shaker,” “Likey,” and “Signal.” However, starting with their seventh single, “Fancy,” the group began to follow a more mature and luxurious concept, signifying their growth. This new album emerged as part of the group’s empowering, bold collection. Among the 13 new songs, the track that captivates me the most is “Up No More.” Written by the group’s leader, Park Jihyo, the song speaks about insomnia, specifically the experience of being bothered by troubling thoughts at night. The soundtrack does an amazing job of capturing the overwhelming feelings associated with insomnia. For me personally the song is also a remedy of sorts. With its soft melody and suave beats, the song creates an ambiance that mimics the feeling of flying up a magical purple sky during dusk, away from one’s troubles. If you close your eyes and listen to this song, you will know what I mean. By vividly portraying such beautiful scenery, it reminds me every time of all the possibilities for happiness in my life.
Without a doubt, Ariana Grande’s new album, “Positions,” is worth mentioning. Released on Oct. 30, her title track quickly landed number one on the Billboard Top 100 chart. A majority of the songs in this album (I would say 12 out of 14) have a pretty seductive, playful aesthetic to it. Let’s just leave it at that. The fourth track, “just like magic,” however, takes a little twist and introduces listeners to Ariana’s mindset in life. With the lyrics: “just like magic, I’m attractive/ I get everything I want ‘cause I attract it,” Ariana shares her determination in focusing on the good in her life and maintaining a positive attitude towards the future. As always, she fills the song with undeniable sass and a full range of her iconic “ah yay”s, which strongly conveys the message that having confidence in yourself is really all it takes, as she says, “to manifest it.” When I finished this song, I truly felt more confident and determined to do what makes my heart happy. The lingering lyrics not only gave me a little energy boost throughout my day but also became little reminders for me to stay positive. If you are going through something rough, let Queen Ari help you out a little with her new song.
On Nov. 14, Swedish DJ Alesso came to Taiwan for the world’s first music festival since quarantine. There, he hyped up the crowd by dropping three new tracks, all of which are impressive. This marks his first release after the widely popular “Midnight,” a song made in collaboration with former One Direction member, Liam Payne. Among the three, however, I would highly recommend the track titled “The End,” where the DJ paired up with singer Charlotte Lawrence to deliver an upbeat song. The song begins with a soft hum that transitions into the chorus, where Charlotte sings the lines “Welcome to the end” in a soothing voice above a series of catchy, percussive rhythms. Together, they bring out a surreal, euphoric vibe. As with all of Alesso’s other songs, this track also has amazing beat drops. The sudden explosion of energy definitely added to the amazing listening experience. Interesting side note from me: if this song were a fictional character, it would be “Frozen’s” Elsa. It gives a similar feeling of freedom and confidence conveyed in her classical “Let It Go” and the ambiance created by the song calls to mind an image of an icy wilderness. If you’re looking for a dose of happy energy, this song will definitely serve you well.
In mid-November, K-Pop group BTS released a full album, where they open up about the fear and anxiety they experienced with the intention of conveying a supporting message to fans that they are not alone. In particular, the track “Blue and Grey” communicated a deep sincerity that touched me. The song tells a story of someone who is having a hard time finding happiness after losing someone whom they care about. In one section, member Taehyung sings the line: “I just wanna be happier, is this a big greed” with a deep and heartfelt tone that perfectly captures the feeling of helplessness that comes with a bitter departure. This is complemented with the angelic harmonization between Jungkook and Jin as they proceed with a last message to the person: “I’ll tell you when I smile in a distant future.” In addition to the vocals, the song also consists of slow rap that adds extra dynamics. With its upbeat tones, the one minute rap at the end served as a good break from the mellow and emotional parts of the song. It also seemingly suggests that there’s hope in the midst of one’s struggles, which is a good reminder. From time to time, a good mellow song can help comfort us. If that’s something you need now, I would recommend listening to this song, letting go of whatever’s inside of you, and taking a deep breath.
New & improving: gen Z’s freshest music By Kara Murri (‘21)
Gen Z has been taking over the music scene recently, with many notable artists releasing music even during times of social distancing and quarantine. In an era of increased vulnerability and openness, these artists have taken it upon themselves to showcase honest feelings and their honest selves during a difficult time.
“Therefore I Am” - Single By Billie Eilish
Billie Eilish’s new single album cover for “Therefore I Am”. [PHOTO COURTESY OF DARKROOM/INTERSCOPE RECORDS]
Billie Eilish, at only 18 years old, is already a multiple Grammy-award winning artist. She is known for her moody songs and darkerthemed lyrics, and this single fits right into that niche. “Therefore I Am” is reminiscent
of her 2019 album “When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go.” The song itself is empowering, with an unbothered teenage attitude and distinct sense of carelessness. Many think Eilish is boldly clapping back at body shamers and reclaiming ownership of her body in this song, turning the phrase “I think therefore I am” into a power play rather than a philosophical phrase. Layer upon layer of soft vocals and scaled back instrumentals provide the expected moodiness of Eilish’s music, which is one reason I could not give it a full five stars—it was a style squarely in her comfort zone. For those not already a fan of Eilish’s typical brand, this single could come off as a little creepy and weird. But for many, I think “Therefore I Am” belongs on those confidence-boosting playlists that you play on the days you need to tune out the rest of the world and focus on yourself.
“Hey u x” - Album by BENEE
The album cover for “Hey u x” is inspired by graffitti. [PHOTO COURTESY OF REPUBLIC]
You may not recognize the name BENEE, but if you’re at all familiar with TikTok, you’ve heard her viral song “Supalonely,” which is featured on “Hey u x,” this being her debut album. At 20 years old, New Zealander BENEE brings her youth and relatability
to every song and each lyric. Vulnerable discussions of mental health, breakups and honest feelings are featured in this album, capturing the openness of Gen Z artists. “Hey u x” has a song for almost every playlist, but most of them still fall under an alt-pop vibe. This album is one you could listen to on repeat while doing homework or cramming for a test, which is both the album’s strength and weakness. The easy ambience the album provides as a whole is definitely enjoyable, but it comes at the risk of sounding too repetitive. A few of the most memorable songs include “Snail,” a head-bopper written from a snail’s perspective during quarantine, “Sheesh” featuring C (formerly known as Grimes) and “Night Garden,” in which BENEE shows off a set of more jazzy vocals. Overall, “Hey u x” is a cohesive, replayable body of work that can be enjoyed by any audience.