The Blue & Gold: Volume XXV, Issue 3

Taipei American School | 800 Chung Shan N. Rd., Section 6, Taipei, Taiwan | blueandgoldonline.org | VOLUME XXV, ISS. 03 | December 11, 2018

NEWS

OPINIONS

VERDICT

PAGE 2

PAGE 9

PAGE 16

An update on Taiwan’s regional elections

An open letter to the Upper School

Taipei’s most beautiful cafes

Webmaster hired to manage online presence

By Joon Kim (‘19)

A LOOK INSIDE TAIWAN’S HIGH SCHOOLS exploring the lives of students around Taipei

PAGES 10-11

Taipei American School added a key management role last month: Ms. Sophia Weng was recently hired as the school’s new webmaster, and is responsible for the website’s traffic and network. Ms. Weng will complete training before being assigned web design projects after this academic year, IT director Mr. Daniel Hudkins said.

“I’m still trying to familiarize myself with this website,” Ms. Weng said. She plans to create protocols that everyone could use to access the information they need. “We need to keep this website clean and organized.”

One of these projects may include redesigning the student portal, Mr. Hudkins said. Students, faculty and parents who visit the school website could access this portal with content both uniform and visually appealing.

“The idea is to try and make our communication across the spectrum of domain powerful,” he said. “We use email too much. We don’t use the web well enough.” To help prioritize web page usage, Ms. Weng will simplify the content visitors look for as they navigate the website. “If we make it more difficult for people to know, the news we add would not be there,” Mr. Hudkins said.

The school website anonymously records visitors’ browsing history, including date, time, and the specific pages they visited, according to its disclaimer. The IT department will use this data to help improve website navigation.

Further plans for Tigernet are slated to begin after finishing this year’s updates.

From this summer until October, the IT department relocated all student file domains.

They will also update Google Suite, a cloud platform that utilizes all Google applications by late December.

‘Wellness Week’ replaces semester exams for seniors

By Vanessa Kang (‘20) This year, the Taipei American School steering committee has replaced semester exams with Wellness Week for seniors. from Dec. 13-18. This change gives seniors time to complete college applications and equips them with necessary life skills.

College counselors hope that Wellness Week activities alleviate stress for students who are waiting to hear back from their applications or who are still writing their applications. “The challenge of how our students apply to college is that they are hearing back right as they’re supposed to be sitting down to be having these exams,” Mr. Jeffrey Neill, director of college counseling, said. “It is challenging to their health and individual welfare to take an exam when they

are emotionally and mentally unprepared.”

Many seniors agree that Wellness Week will help reduce stress. “I really appreciate this change from semester exams to life skills classes because mid-December is usually when college applications are due,” Peter Chiu (‘19) said.

“It feels good to be free of the responsibility of preparing for semester exams,” Alexander Chen (‘19) said. “But at the same time, seniors have to work harder to maintain our grades before the semester ends because we can’t rely on the semester exam to pull up our grade anymore.”

From 9-10 a.m each morning during senior wellness week, college counseling will host a workshop for students who are still working on applications. Since there will be

some students who have already completed their applications, college counselors will determine whether to require each student to attend the workshop. From 10 a.m to 12 p.m. there will be drop-in office hours so that seniors can stop by the college counseling office for help.

In the afternoons, students will participate in sessions to teach life skills.

Seniors are required to choose two or more other available electives which they want to take part in. The first required session is “Transitioning to College as a Third Culture Kid” a program Dr. Dan Long, Upper School Dean of Students, has done for multiple years in the past. The second required course is “Risky Behaviors in College” because most seniors have not

had health or sexual education classes since freshman year. This course will discuss sexual consent. Other optional sessions include “How to Tie a Necktie and Other Fashion Essentials,” by Mr. Andrew Lowman and Mr. Ryan Haynes, “Fancy Dinner Etiquette & Networking” by Mrs. Michelle Bruce, “A Guide to Relationships with Roommates, Classmates, and Professors” by Mr. David Montgomery, “How to Change a Tire,” by Mr. Ray Heberer and Mr. Dan Hudkins in addition to “Design Your Life & Career” by Mr. Anthony Ives.

Now that semester exams are replaced, seniors can focus on their academic work because because they have time during semester exams that can use to focus on completing their college applications.

2

the blue & gold december 11, 2018

Supporters march proudly as they hold up rainbow flags in the 2018 Taipei Pride Parade. [SHEREEN LEE/THE BLUE & GOLD]

Results of referendum shock TAS’ LGBTQ community

By Natalie Scheidel (‘21) On Nov. 24, the citizens of Taiwan voted on 10 popular referendums, five of which were relevant to to LGBTQ rights. Propositions 10,11 and 12 passed by a substantial margin, reaffirming that marriage should remain defined as between a man and a woman, that schools should not teach sexual education to students at a young age and that LGBTQ rights should be protected in ways other than revising the Civil Code. Proposition 14 and 15 did not pass, redefine marriage to be between individuals of any gender and to allow schools to teach sexual education as well as gender equality to children.

For Proposition 10 which asked if citizens agreed that marriage should be restricted between a man and a woman, 7,658,008 of Taiwanese voters voted yes, and 2,907,429 citizens voted no. As for proposition 11, which asked whether voters agreed that the Ministry of Education should not implement gender equality education in elementary and middle school, it passed with 7,083,379 voters for and 3,419,624 against. For the last anti-LGBT proposition which states that the rights of same-sex couples in cohabitation should be protected in a different way instead of changing the civil marriage code, 6,401,748 voters agreed, while only 4,072,471 voters disagreed.

Both pro-LGBT propositions on the referendum failed to pass. Proposition 14 asked whether voters agreed with extending marriage law’s protection to cover samesex marriage. For this proposition, only 3,382,286 of the voters agreed, while

6,949;697 disagreed. For proposition 15, which proposed gender equality, emotional education, sex education, and same-sex education should be taught to students of all levels, only 3,507,665 of the voters agreed, leaving 6,805,171 voters who disagreed.

This was a big setback for the LGBTQ community and its allies since Taiwan’s constitutional court declared that samesex couples have the right to legal union on May 24, 2017. Many were expecting Taiwan to be the first nation in Asia to legalize gay marriage, but the results announced on Saturday night posse a serious challenge to the future of LGBTQ rights.

Claire Hong (‘21), who identifies as queer, was very upset with the results of the referendum. “Disappointment was the first response I had towards the results, followed by anger, then irritation,” she said. “I was seriously hoping that Taiwan could grow a spine and prove itself as a progressive and forward thinking country.”

Others at TAS were also shocked by the news of the referendum. “I want to get married to a woman,” Sophie Cha (‘20) said. “There was a fairly large chunk of the Taiwanese population that was in support of the May 24 rulings, so it was incredibly surprising when the propositions didn’t pass.”

Claire echoed the sentiment. “I was aware that there are many in Taiwan who are close-minded, however, I also personally know others who are accepting, examples being my friends and my mother, so it was devastating when the pro-LGBTQ propositions did not pass,” she said.

On the other hand, Jeffrey Li (‘22)

reacted differently to the results and provided his perspective on the issue. “Laws are for people now, the majority of the people.

Changing the law can affect everyone, but no matter what, the LGBT community is still the minority,” he said. “Today, so many people think that opposing LGBTQ is being homophobic, but it’s not. “I have friends who are not straight, and I’m fine with them.”

Jeffrey also believes that making sex-ed more inclusive for LGBTQ is unjustified. “It might confuse children about their own sexual orientation, causing more chaos in this nation,” he said.

However, many like Claire argue that queer students are less likely to be bullied by peers at schools that provide LGBTQ education.

“This would definitely translate into students being in a safer and more accepting environment,” Claire said. “Contrary to what conservatives claim, educating your children about basic human nature will not spread aids, make your children gay, or take away the liberties of heterosexuals.”

Taiwan has been internationally regarded as the one of the most progressive nations in Asia, especially in terms of LGBTQ issues: A Quartz article published just two days before the referendum was headlined, “How Taiwan became the most LGBTQ-friendly country in Asia.” Yet, the results of the propositions still showed that 77 percent of voters in Taiwan are against equal rights for homosexual people.

“People just want to marry the ones they love. Is that too much to ask?” Sophie Cha said.

For now, the answer seems to be “Yes.”

RESULTS OF FIVE LGBTQ REFEREDUMS: REFERENDUM 10: SHOULD MARRIAGE BE RESTRICTED TO ONL Y A MAN AND WOMAN? AGREE (69.46 percent) REFERENDUM 11: SHOULD THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION NOT IMPLEMENT THE ENFORCEMENT RULES FOR GENDER EQUITY ACTS IN ELEMENTARY AND MIDDLE SCHOOLS? AGREE (64.34 percent) REFERENDUM 12: DO YOU AGREE IN THE PROTECTION OF RIGHTS OF SAME - SEX COUPLES IN WAYS OTHER THAN CHANGING OF THE CIVIL CODE? AGREE (58.12 percent) REFERENDUM 14: DO YOU AGREE TO THE PROTECTION OF SAME - SEX MARITAL RIGHTS WITH MARRIAGE AS DEFINED IN THE CIVIL CODE? DISAGREE (63.52 percent) REFERENDUM 15: DO YOU AGREE THAT NATIONAL EDUCATION SHOULD EDUCATE STUDENTS ON GENDER EQUALITY? DISAGREE (62.25 percent)

New Upper School debate coach brings program changes

By Kelly Phil(‘19) This year, the Taipei American School speech and debate curriculum has undergone dramatic changes. With a new debate coaching staff and tournament schedule, the forensics and debate program will now give students more competitive opportunities than ever before.

“This year is supposed to mark a huge turning point for speech and debate at TAS,” TAS’ new head speech and debate coach, Mr. Chase Williams, said. Over the last 10 years, Mr. Williams has coached students across all events to national success.

Most recently, Mr. Williams was a

member of the Hawken School coaching staff that brought home two national champions (Congressional Debate and Public Forum Debate) and a national runner-up (Impromptu Speaking) at the 2014 NSDA National Tournament.

For Mr. Williams, the most important factor for success is simple: practice. “When I was in the U.S., the most successful teams I had were the teams who were willing to work overtime to get the results they wanted.”

With this value in mind, Mr. Williams created a new debate schedule that mirrored the schedules of the best debaters he knew. In preparation for

the season ahead, Mr. Williams and the TAS debaters have been conducting frequent practices to hone their skills.

Another significant change to the program is the debate tournament schedule for this year. Last year, the only international or American tournaments TAS attended were the Hawaii Tourism Conference, the Hardt Moot Court Tournament held at Duke University, the International Public Policy Forum in New York City and the Cultural Convention’s Interscholastic Association of Southeast Asian Schools debate tournament.

This year, however, TAS will be attending five additional international

and domestic debate tournaments: the Stanford Invitational, the University of California Berkeley Debate Invitational, the National Speech and Debate Association’s qualifying tournament in Taiwan (hosted at TAS), the Tournament of Champions in Kentucky, and the National Speech and Debate Tournament in Texas.

Mr. Williams hopes that these tournaments will expose students to more experience. “TAS has so many amazing speech and debate students and I really want all of them to experience what it is like to have this team be a consistent part of your schedule,” Mr. Williams said.

3

the blue & gold december 11, 2018

Happy Moo advances in national singing competition With filming for the Jungle Voice happening every two weeks, she has struggled to find time for making up missed schoolwork and practicing her songs, especially since film sessions often continue for over 24 hours straight. “It’s actually both emotionally and physically draining— the stress that comes with being in the competition and the way we film,” Happy said.

Due to the impact on her academic life, her parents were initially hesitant about her participation because of the impact on her academic life. “After they saw me singing on stage, they understood how much it meant to me, and that being in this competition is what really will help me start my music career,” she said.

“Being in this competition is really stepping out of my comfort zone and proving many skills to the world—that I can do it without my father too.”

Happy Moo performs on Jungle Voice musical talent show. [PHOTO COURTESY OF HAPPY MOO]

By Catherine Lin (‘19) Happy Moo (‘19) was about to begin her first song in round one of the Jungle Voice singing competition TV show. In the dark studio it was impossible to tell that it was 6 a.m., and she had been waiting to film for 26 hours.

Happy had decided to perform “Leaving on a Jet Plane,” the first song she had learned on the guitar at 8 years old. She had listened to the song with her father on the car, taught herself its four chords as soon as she returned home, and soon became certain that she wanted to pursue a career in music.

Standing onstage next to the host, she felt glad “Happy is really special. Her father is a celebrity, but she didn’t want anyone to know who he was, so she entered through 海

選,” the host said, referring to the audition process for prospective competitors not signed with an agency. “So everyone can try to guess [who he is] from her appearance.”

“It wasn’t planned. I felt really awkward because i didn’t tell them who my dad was.

They just found out,” she said. “Being in this competition is really stepping out of my comfort zone and proving my skills to the world—that I can do it without my father too.”

Happy was one of 7,000 signups for 海 選, then one of 3,000 musicians picked to audition, then one of just 20 non-signed performers chosen to compete in the show.

She has since passed the first stage, and is now progressing through seven more elimination rounds.

The show has brought her into the public eye even more than she has been accustomed to as the child of a well-known musician. As new fans begin to follow her on social media, she has become more careful about her posts.

Since the cameras are constantly rolling, her every reaction and conversation is documented. When her friend came offstage crying after she was eliminated during round one, Happy immediately went to comfort her. “Suddenly, two cameras were flashing in front of us,” she said. In the end, though, only her friend’s tears, not Happy’s condolences, were broadcasted in the final two-hour show.

Happy hopes to reach the top 12. “It’s harder than I ever imagined,” she said. “I met so many great musicians and realized how much work I still need to put in.”

Winners are awarded a record deal, meaning that the show could be her chance to jump-start the career she has always wanted. “I do enjoy it because I love music, she said. “And people are recognizing my music.”

Annual Frolic dance brings Northern Lights to Taipei

By Sharon Lee (‘22) On Dec. 19, the annual December Frolic dance, run by the Student Government, will take place from 7-11 p.m. at the Regent Hotel. Last year, Frolic was held at the Marriott Hotel with the theme of After Hour. The year before that in 2016, it was held at the Regent Hotel with the theme of Vegas.

The theme of this year’s dance is Northern Lights with a holiday touch, as it happens around Christmas time. “We’re going for a warm, cozy and heart-warming feeling that is comfortable and inviting,” Andrew Xu (‘20), Student Government copresident, said.

The ticket this year will be sold for $1650 NT, with sign-ups available on Google Forms. Approximately 350 tickets are available. “There was a real effort this year in Student government to reduce the price. The price for the buffet individually is already $1600 NT, but we had a discussion on a potential replacement to make the price lower and more affordable to all the people in TAS,” the Frolic Chair, Ian Ho (‘21) said.

Since the decorations and activities of

the dance align with the theme, the activities and games this year are going to include holiday elements. “We’re thinking of poker but with Christmas-style playing cards, and we’re going to try to use chocolate coins and candy canes, which are a part of Christmas.

There will also be cookie decorating and gingerbread house decorating,” Andrew said.

“We’re going for a warm, cozy and heartwarming feeling that is comfortable and inviting.”

The food at Frolic this year will be a buffet, as usual, with vegetarian and vegan options. However, there will be even more desserts this year. Besides the usual self-serve ice cream, there will also be hot chocolate and even a chocolate fountain.

Currently, the Student Government members and the Frolic Chair, Ian Ho, are all working hard on brainstorming

ideas and putting together activities for the dance. They have around 50 dedicated members who meet every Thursday to work on decorations, brainstorm ideas and more.

To better the event for students, many changes were made this year. “We’re trying to bring more activities for people who don’t want to just dance, so we’re making a more concerted effort with little activities, and are trying to make it more inclusive,” Andrew said. One of those activities includes Mr. Andrew Lowman dressing up as Santa Claus so that students can take pictures with him.

Students will also have great access to photos taken during the event this year. There will be teacher photographers and three electronic photo booths available to students. Despite there being more activities, there will still be many performances happening throughout the dance. Including singing, dancing, magic shows, and instrumental performances.

With the effort of the Student Government, the dance will surely be a well thought out event. “It’s going to be great.

Get excited,” Andrew said.

TAS hosts annual Formosa VEX competition

By Phoebe Chen (‘21) From Nov. 30 to Dec. 1, Taipei American School hosted the annual Formosa VEX robotics competition. There were a total of 36 teams, including five from the Upper School and four from the middle school. The winning team, “Raid Zero G”, will be attending the VEX World Championships in April at Louisville, Kentucky.

The Formosa competitions primarily act as qualifiers to determine which teams will attend the world championship games. “It’s the biggest robotics competition we have here at TAS,” robotics sponsor and teacher Mr. Nick Steckler said. “Since Taiwan is only allowed one spot in the World Championships, this tournament is our way to find out which team will get the coveted chance to represent Taiwan.”

This year, the contestants of the Formosa competition competed through the VEX robotics game known as Turning Point.

The game is played on a 12 ft. by 12 ft. field, and includes two randomly chosen alliances, one red and one blue, each made up of two robots. The teams compete to score more points than the opposing alliance by using caps, balls, flags and platforms.

Points for caps are scored based on whether the blue or red side is facing up at the end of the match.

They are worth one point each when placed on foam tiles, and two points when placed on metal posts.

Flags are scored on the red or blue sides that are toggled at the end of the match. The flags that are moved on the bottom tiers of the metal poles are worth one point, while flags that are on top of the poles are worth two.

At the end of the game, the robot parked on the center parking space wins six points, and the allied robot wins three. “There is only space for one robot to park at the center, and it’s worth a lot of points. So you either make it or get pushed off,”co-captain of Raid Zero J Daniel Liu (‘20) said.

A common fear among the students of VEX was the embarrassing possibility of being unprepared at the competition.

“Some teams from last year didn’t even finish their robots. No one wants to end up like that, so we’ve all worked hard,” Julia Su (‘22) said.

Ultimately, the participants of Formosa are satisfied with their performance. “I’m very happy with the results and I’m very proud of all of our team’s performances,” Mr. Steckler said. “We had several strong teams from all grade levels and they represented TAS and the Upper School quite well.”

POST-TOURNAM

By Anya Lai (‘19) and

BASKETBALL

Sabrina Chang (‘21) drives in for a right-hand layup. [PHOTO COURTESY OF MR. MiKE CORSINI]

Under the pressure for a potential three-peat at Interscholastic Association of Southeast Asian Schools, the girls opened their season with another victory. With an impressive 69-49 win, last year’s MVP recipients, Cheyenne Hsieh (‘19) and Sabrina Chang (‘21), both contributed with their first double-doubles—Sabrina with 24 points and 18 rebounds, and Cheyenne with 23 points and 16 rebounds.

“It was the best first game I think we ever had,” Cheyenne said. Head coach Ms. Kim Kawamoto and assistant coach Mr. Christopher Ciamberella said this would be an exciting season as there are nine returning players.

Standout player Cheyenne had been averaging 21.6 point, and four assists and steals per game by the end of the IASAS exchange, which the girls finished in with a 3-0 victory. “I like to watch highlights video of Duke basketball and try to incorporate some of the things they do into my own game,” Cheyenne said.

At the 49th annual Hong Kong International School Holiday Basketball Tournament, the girls finished in second with a 5-3 record, losing to American School Bangkok in the finals. Stephanie Wang (‘19) and Cheyenne received the All-Tournament Awards, and Cheyenne also reached 1000 points of her basketball career. “This tournament made us realize how much we have to work on, and winning the championship will not come easy,” Cheyenne said.

TOUCH/RUGBY After a strong start in the first week of the season, touch coaches Mr. Anthony Joe and Ms. Michelle Lawgun decided to experiment by scrambling the team’s positions. This threw the girls off into a rocky first 15 minutes of their first Friday game, however, they recovered their cool. In the last few seconds, Natalie Limmer (‘22) caught a wide pass to the left wing and dove for the try-line.

Nonetheless, the referees called it a forward pass, resulting in a 10-11 loss.

The coaches continued positional experimentation the following Saturday, when they shifted all the players one more position over. Returning players scored most of the tries, including co-captain Maggie Lee (‘19), Jesse Whiteford (‘20), Charlotte Lee (‘20) and Chloe Mann (‘20).

Over the break on Nov. 16-18, the varsity touch team traveled to Singapore for the annual Pan Pacific touch exchange hosted at Singapore American School.

The girls played against the International School of Kuala Lumpur Panthers on the first day, redeeming themselves after losing to the Panthers 9-0 last February during Interscholastic Association of Southeast Asian Schools. ISKL is surely a force to be reckoned with, especially as they will be the home team for the upcoming IASAS tournament. Although the Panthers exploited the Taipei defense a few times with plenty of dives at the try line, the Tigers relied on individual performances to match them on the scoreboard. The game ended with a 3-3

Jesse Whiteford (‘20) swings a pass to her right. [PHOTO COURTESY OF KITTY WHITEFORD]

The basketball boys handily defeated Muzha Vocational High School to open their season on Nov. 9. With consistent team wins at home, the varsity boys faced more difficult teams during the Interscholastic Association of Southeast Asian Schools exchange. After losing to International School of Bangkok and International School of Manila last IASAS, the boys sought redemption, finishing the weekend tournament with a 3-0 victory. Co-captain Martin Lim (‘19) led all scorers for all three games, totaling 74 points throughout the tournament.

During the first two days of the 49th annual Hong Kong International School Holiday Basketball Tournament, the boys closed out the round-robin as the third seed.

However, the tigers fell against St. Mary’s high school and ended up with an overall fifth place. Martin Lim reached 1000 points of his three-year varsity basketball career and received the All-Tournament Award. “I would probably laugh if someone told me I would hit 1000 points when I first joined the team. It’s one of those things that you don’t really believe it’s going to happen until it does,” Martin said.

Although the boys did not get the results they hoped for, the team is sure they will figure it out as it is only one month in the season. “The seniors on our team have been best friends since first grade and when we play, we usually know what the other is thinking,” Martin said. Winning at IASAS is their childhood dream, and the boys will play with heart to achieve this.

The boys rugby team steamrolled the Chung Cheng Institute of Technology in their debut game with a clean 71-0 sweep.

The 2018 team is entering the season with a higher level of fitness and intensity than we have seen in previous years.

Despite this high level of play, rugby coach Dr. Trey Mitchell said that it is still too early to point out star players at this point in the season. Nonetheless, the team has an abundance of impressive raw speed coming from both new and players, particularly from the Delgado brothers, Carlos (‘19) and Rowan (‘21), in addition to rookie Nader Burton (‘20) and senior Nick Hudson (‘19).

“We don’t play conservatively because we don’t have the big bodies, so we need to play the ball fast.”

This is particularly important to Dr. Mitchell: With an Ed. D. in Sports Medicine, he has emphasized the importance of anaerobics to his players. Running short sprints will be essential for conditioning the players’ ability to accelerate on the field.

The Tigers have also adopted a strategy of playing a “loose game.” “We don’t play conservatively because we don’t have the big bodies, so we need to play the ball fast,” Dr. Mitchell said. “Size hasn’t been an issue for us in the past but we find a way around it by playing smart and quick.”

ENT ROUNDUPS Charlotte Lee (‘20)

Although the tennis girls settled for fifth place during Interscholastic Association of Southeast Asian Schools last year, the seven returning players hope for a season of redemption. Despite this, the girls showed tenacity during the pre-IASAS tournament at Jakarta International School.

Playing 38 sets of tennis in just two days, the girls managed to finish the weekend with a team score of 2-2-2. The doubles teams, Jennifer Sun (‘21) and Evelyn Huang (‘22), and Rowena and Vivian Hwang (‘21), dominated the tournament with an undefeated streak. Although the doubles and singles teams are not finalized, the players were able to adapt to new positions.

“Pre-IASAS was a valuable experience for all of us and we are definitely a stronger team compared to last year, but we do realize we still need to train harder and try to improve ourselves,” co-captain Allie Chiang (‘21) said.

With seven returning players and only two new rookies, the team notes the intense training still needed. “Our training is not only on the courts but fitness at the gym. We try to find time once a week to go to the gym for strength and to improve our stamina.

During practices, we work on all aspects of the game, including forehand, backhand, volleys, and serves,” Allie said. “We have a great group of girls that are motivated and strong. With tennis coach Ms. Caroline Lay and tennis coach Mr. Richard Chiou’s guidance, I think we are able to go very far in this year’s IASAS tournament.”

TENNIS

Heading into their first game of the season, the tennis boys lost players Nicholas Chen (‘20) and Alex Lee (‘21) due to injury and adjustment of form, respectively. Sean Huang (‘20) took first singles with a score of 8-1, and William Chen (‘21) won in second singles 8-7.

The boys travelled with four varsity players and 6 junior varsity players to the exchange due to injuries and college applications for three of the seniors. Although most varsity players could not scout the other teams and gain experience, Justin Lin (‘19) still feels very optimistic about the team. “We have bright young prospects and experienced veterans. Regardless of the outcome, I’m sure it’s going to be a very fun season.”

Previous first singles player, Alex Lee, will be unable to play in official matches until around next semester. “Adjusting my forehand form during the season is quite tough, however, taking match days off helps me look at the team’s performances in a different angle, as I need to sit on the sidelines, cheer for my teammates, and give suggestions during side changes,” he said.

Despite missing out on part of the season, Alex knows that it will be a “humbling experience as [he] is able to take a step back in [his] game to take two steps forward for the future,” to fulfill his aspirations to play at the Division 1 level. As he adjusts his form, he wishes for the team to “give 100% effort and the will to get better, so [they] can gain confidence and hopefully win medals this year at IASAS.”

SWIMMING Having lost a significant number of seniors last year including Hall of Famer Jessica Wegner (‘18), the girls swim team is looking to take this year to rebuild, or “hopefully, reload,” according to Mr. Stephenoach Kuhlke.

At the first meet of the year, freshman Yvonne Kuo (‘22) led the team with the quickest 100m freestyle time of 1:01.57, a time that earned her first place in her age group, putting her in second place in the Girls 13 & 14 Individual High Point Trophy.

The girls’ swim team is looking to take this year to rebuild, or “hopefully, reload.”

Siobhan Hsu (‘21) stood out in the 200m breastroke, beating out all her opponents with a time of 2:57.74. Along with her sister, captain Shawyuan Hsu (‘19), Cybill Lee (‘21), and captain Sharon Kuo (‘19), Siobhan established herself as one of the top five swimmers on the team.

While the swim program currently has more depth on the boys’ side, the coaches expect to see a shift in the next few years. The girls’ program has high-potential swimmers waiting to come up all throughout middle and lower school.

Sean Huang (‘20) swings his racket at the tennis ball. [PHOTO COURTESY OF SEAN HUANG]

When the boys swim team won gold at the Interscholastic Association of Southeast Asian Schools tournament last year, it send shockwaves through the Taipei American School community. Yet, this championship will likely be the first of many.

The Tigers kicked off the season with outstanding times, breaking personal bests and school records only three days into the season at the TAS Tigersharks Invitational Swim Meet.

Jason Lin (‘21) swam a 1:06.77 in the 100m Breastroke, 1.3 seconds faster than his end of season time at last year’s IASAS that put him in third place. He also placed top three in all six of his events.

Hironori Kondo (‘21), who was referred by his coach Mr. Stephen Kuhlke as one of the “greatest swimmers TAS has ever seen,” placed second in the 100m Freestyle finishing in 52.96 seconds. Hiro swam six events in total in that meet and placed top two in each.

Depth runs through the entire team: Mr. Kuhlke predicts that there will be a whopping five or six swimmers competing for the last two spots at IASAS, a strength that allows for them to have a consistent team that will bring home the gold medal just like last year. Senior captains David Wang (‘19), Justin Wu (‘19) lead the team with a team-centered ethos. “This group is poised to be one of the strongest groups of swimmers TAS has ever had,” said Mr. Kuhlke said.

Hironori Kondo (‘21) scouts his competitors in the next lane.

[PHOTO COURTESY OF MS. KONDO]

6

the blue & gold december 11, 2018

800 CHUNG SHAN N. RD. TAIPEI TAIWAN 11152

YOU ARE (NOT) ALONE

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF SHEREEN LEE (‘19)

MANAGING EDITORS CATHERINE LIN (‘19) CHRISTINE LIN (‘19)

By Joon Kim (‘19)

SOCIAL MEDIA & MARKETING VANESSA TSAO (‘19)

NEWS AND SPORTS EDITOR ANYA LAI (‘19)

OPINIONS AND VERDICT EDITOR [SHEREEN LEE/THE BLUE & GOLD]

KELLY PHIL (‘20)

FEATURES EDITOR July 29, 2017: I may have had moments of sudden joy, but...If I were to cherish my best memory, then I don’t have one.

I was diagnosed with major depressive disorder in my junior year of Upper School.

It was not surprising, however. I believed that I did not exist in the world because that was how I lived. I never bothered anyone, unless there was a reason to do so. I accepted the state of my mind as it was, though unwillingly. Such was the saying by the German philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer: “Man can do what he wills but cannot will what he wills.”

I could not take control of my desires.

I knew I wanted to do something, but I stopped approaching it, like a distant star in the sky. I could see it, but I could not reach it.

The problem was, I did not communicate because I preferred not to. I was locked in the fallacy that school functions only as an academic institution. Later, I found out that school was also a hub for socializing.

I thought that I could live without the

assistance of others. But the only excuse I made was that I did not wanted to be controlled by my own desires, one of which was to communicate and interact with others.

But if I kept relying on myself, as my father angrily said, “I’ll guarantee that you’ll be living a hard life.” He was, indeed, correct. No one can survive without the help of others. You learn to control your life independently, but also learn to depend on others. By doing so, you could satisfy yourself by filling yourself with happiness, and ease yourself by emptying yourself from distress.

At an early age, I was enlisted in the Taipei American School support services program.

I had to learn to speak. I took daily speech therapy lessons in Lower School and middle school. I was quiet and shy, and even worse, couldn’t express myself. I was too verbose.

I was constantly bullied, which lowered my confidence. I was upset. But I withheld these feelings for such a long time that I became frustrated. I also didn’t want to hurt others by my words, which were then full of fury.

I just needed someone. And that someone could have been you.

Reach out to someone and ask: I need your help. Can you hear me out?

As a student who attended TAS for over a decade, I ask the school community to put a spotlight on mental illnesses, but not immediately. There are students who have gone through a similar process as me. They may not be as ready as I am today in this article. I also want to tell that only you could defeat your depression. Pain is inevitable, but suffering is optional. No matter what, don’t take that option. Don’t suffer because it is there. Reach out to someone and ask: I need your help. Can you hear me out?

Introducing the “Ask the Counselor” column

By Mr. Ryan Haynes, Ms. Shirley Peng, Dr. Tim Mulligan, and Ms. Song Han

CHARLOTTE LEE (‘20)

STAFF WRITERS MAXWELL CHEN (‘19) JOON KIM (‘19) AMANDA CHIU (‘20) VANESSA KANG (‘20) NAKIAH PANNELL (‘20) NICOLE CHANG (‘21) PHOEBE CHEN (‘21) IAN HO (‘21) ALLISON KWAN (‘21) NATALIE SCHEIDEL (‘21) LAURA HSU (‘22) SHARON LEE (‘22)

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 Blue & Gold content to out email, blueandgold@tas.tw.

OP-EDS AND EDITORIALS Mr. Ryan Haynes Upper School Counselor [LAURA HSU/THE BLUE & GOLD]

Ms. Shirley Peng Upper School Counselor [LAURA HSU/THE BLUE & GOLD]

The Blue & Gold, in collaboration with the US Academic/Personal Counseling Office and MS/US Psychologist, would like to introduce a new feature column called “Ask the Counselor/Psychologist.”

Upper School students at TAS will receive an email with a link to ask questions to the counselors and psychologist. These questions can be related to social or emotional wellbeing, mental health and wellness, or life in general at TAS. The link will be active for one school week. The counselors and psychologist will choose some of the questions to answer in the next issue of Blue and Gold.

In recognition of our initial column, the Academic and Personal Counselors and

Mr. Tim Mulligan Upper School Counselor [LAURA HSU/THE BLUE & GOLD]

MS/US Psychologist feel it is important to provide readers with background regarding our respective jobs.

Counselors enjoy meeting with students and we make a point of checking in with them, but a student does not need to wait until they are called in to see a counselor for any reason. If a counselor is unavailable to meet with you when you stop by the Counseling Office, please schedule an appointment for a later time with our department secretary, Ms. Joanna Han. When a student meets with a counselor, the counselor will maintain student confidentiality when possible (meaning what is said to a counselor stays with the counselor), but in situations where a

Ms. Song Han Upper School Counselor [LAURA HSU/THE BLUE & GOLD]

student’s safety or well-being are in jeopardy, the counselor’s first priority is protecting the student.

Students are our No. 1 priority and we truly enjoy working with you and getting to know you.

We are involved in various tasks and responsibilities and things do get really busy from time to time. However, the Ask a Counselor/Psychologist column is another way the Counseling Office is connecting with students in addition to the other things that we do. Please remember that our doors are always open and you are welcome to come in any time! We look forward to getting to know you more and more as the year goes by.

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.

7

the blue & gold december 11, 2018

Sexual orientation and gender identity is more than a label

Demonstrators waving flags and banners at Taiwan’s 2018 Pride Parade. [SHEREEN LEE/THE BLUE & GOLD]

By Nakiah Pannell (‘20) Thirty years ago, the LGBTQ community was known as the LGB community. Now, this term has been extended to LGBTQIA, as more sexualities and genders are being recognized through the creation of new labels. The label movement deconstructs the isolating stigmas society attributes to gender and sexual minorities by demonstrating the size of this community.

However, while the labels are attempting to give voice to a minority by affirming their existence, I believe that many labels are actually based on gender stereotypes and misrepresent the LGBTQ community.

A gender label should not distinguish whether one is masculine or feminine, especially because these are arbitrary terms. Femininity and masculinity are conceptual, associated with gender expectations and determined by culture.

These labels enable people to classify others according to gender stereotypes and compel the

people who bear these identities to prove that they exemplify these stereotypes.

Meanwhile, a sexual orientation label should indicate which genders a person is attracted to and the terms of their attraction. It should not encompass fetishes, or the personality traits and gendered qualities that someone looks for in a partner. For instance, sociosexuality, the desire to have an open relationship, or sapiosexuality, the attraction to intelligence, should not be considered legitimate sexual orientations because they only serve to characterize one’s interests. A conversation would fulfill this purpose, there is no need to appropriate sexual orientation identities.

The people who invent these eyebrowraising sexual identities often want to ride the momentum of the LGBTQ pride movement.

As a marginalized community, LGBTQ people are at times acknowledged or compensated for the discrimination they experience. By

identifying with this social group, people seek to be recognized as an oppressed person entitled to such treatment. When someone is given this recognition, they will have a new platform on which to voice their support for the community.

But no one needs to be a minority to support minority rights. These pseudo-intellectuals cultivate a bad reputation of the LGBTQ community and avert acceptance for the people within it.

Through social forum instigated by the media, the label movement has been ridiculed as pretentious and silly because of poorly founded labels created in recent years. Sadly, even people who celebrate the movement are sometimes accused of seeking attention in their social environment. As a society, it is important to reflect on how quick we may be to direct judgment and condescension towards anyone who strays from heteronormativity. That being said, people who use LGBTQ labels as a

style choice undermine the legitimacy of the movement.

The purpose of the label movement is to specify sexualities and genders that are not adequately embodied by mainstream identities.

While this is progressive, umbrella terms like “queer” better allow people to avoid specific labels that restrict their identity or inhibit their self-actualization. “Queer” applies to anyone of the LGBTQ community, and establishes a sense of unity within it.

A person’s identity as gay will not dictate their lifestyle, behavior or even social sphere.

People choose how their identity in the LGBTQ community influences them, as it is only one aspect of their being. Each of us are individuals who cannot be wholly defined by a label. We all have preferences, idiosyncrasies and ideals that make us unique. Labels disrupt that individuality when they cause social divide and pressure us to conform.

English courses should add contemporary young adult novels

By Christine Lin (‘19)

For many, high school English class is a time for taking inconspicuous (sometimes conspicuous) naps and cramming SparkNotes of abstruse plays and poems. Often times, students attribute their lackadaisical effort to the books they read being “boring,” which encourages them to“fake read.”

This, in turn, drives students away from leisure reading when they become convinced reading is an onerous task performed only to appease their teachers. For some students, letting them read young adult novels such as “Harry Potter” or the “Hunger Games would make English class immeasurably more enjoyable.

What these students might be surprised to find out is that YA novels are already part of the standard English curriculum. Books like Lois Lowry’s “The Giver,” Madeleine L’Engle’s “A Wrinkle in Time,” and William Golding’s “Lord of the Flies” are all great examples of early YA novels often found in the classroom.

J.D. Salinger’s “Catcher in the Rye” and Mark Twain’s “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” are English class staples and even earlier prototypes of YA novels. All these stories center around the coming-of-age journeys of young adults the same way “The Hunger Games” and “Harry Potter” do, and each captures the

imagination of its generation.

Therein lies the problem: As much as teenagers are alike throughout the ages, each generation also has to deal with its own unique question of identity. To this generation’s young adults, whose culture is made up of movie adaptations and popular music and who sadly do not read anymore, the less relatable young adult novels of old might as well be ancient tomes.

Thus, relatability is key in the high school English curriculum, especially in introductory English classes, because being able to see oneself in a story written by others makes the story inherently easier and more interesting to read. Teenagers are more receptive to learning from YA literature that is closest to their hearts.

In many ways, the relatability of contemporary YA fiction enhances its strength to tackle difficult, thought-provoking issues of the modern era. Tahereh Mafi’s “A Very Large Expanse of Sea” centers around a Muslim teenager living in post-Sept. 11, New York City.

Angie Thomas’s “The Hate U Give,” which explores police brutality and African-American cultural identity, also discusses the power of student activism. These books can foster in highschoolers an interest in interacting with their communities, especially in the current trying political climate. Even YA novels in

the fantasy genre such as Cassandra Clare’s “The Mortal Instruments” explore themes of sexual orientation, moral greyness and teenage jealousy.

While serious literary scholars may argue that contemporary YA novels lack literary depth, and more conservative schools may find their subjects too provocative and taboo, contemporary YA novels provide a good gateway to kindle an interest in reading because the language is more familiar to its intended audience and the story less nebulous.

The “Hunger Games” may be easier to understand than “Lord of the Flies” for some; similarly, “The Infernal Device” may be a good companion reader for students reading “Wuthering Heights” for the first time.

If the purpose of English class is to cultivate a love for literature, then teaching YA literature is an engaging way to bridge the gap between leisure reading and critical analysis. The young adult novel market has never been bigger and the selection of YA novels has never been greater. Say what you want about them, YA books are powerful tools which inform teenagers navigating their imminent adulthood the importance of curiosity, diversity and a thirst for change and those ideas should never be stunted but always encouraged in the classroom.

8

the blue & gold december 11, 2018

EDITORIAL

the cost of our silence on finances With early decision results just around the corner, the divide between students financial situations has never been wider: While some students rest assured that they can attend (and afford) dream schools, for others, even finding an affordable option is a dream, and available aid is a prominent deciding factor.

This is true in all high schools, and Taipei American School is no exception to this rule. People here may not often talk about how they are financing their collegiate dreams next year, but we know that silence on this issue does not mean the issue does not exist.

During conversations with Taiwanese taxi drivers or hairdressers, mentioning TAS sometimes calls to mind full-fledged portraits of spoiled, crazy rich Asians. Being an international school student seems to warrant assumptions that money is never an issue for our educational endeavors. It is true that our school has a rather large sticker price attached to it. Tuition to enroll in our community

was over $400,000 NT during this semester.

We are not trying to argue that our school is cheap, but we do know that just because some families find ways to afford this price does not mean that it is an easy task for them. This depiction of students’ silverspoon upbringings is a clear exaggeration that even TAS students often put too much credence in it.

During conversations with Taiwanese taxi drivers or hairdressers, mentioning TAS sometimes calls to mind full-fledged portraits of spoiled, crazy rich Asians.

In truth, the student body is more economically diverse than the stereotype would suggest. TAS’ tuition does mandate a certain degree of affluence, but families go about making payments in vastly different

ways. Some parents make substantial sacrifices to send their children here; some may rely on employers and grandparents.

But with money as a taboo topic, especially with different families having varying views of what affording to be a TAS student means, it is difficult for students to actively cultivate a practice of financial mindfulness . Because many of us do not talk about our families’ financial situations, other people’s problems are largely invisible to us. As a result, families who are straining funds to pay their children’s TAS tuition occupy a complicated place culturally within the community. Though these students share the privilege of attending this school, they also operate in an environment of assumed wealth they do not have access to. And some other opportunities beyond TAS that are taken for granted by some students may simply not be possible for others.

This is true of student trips. This is true of superficial items like clothing and cell phones. And this is true of different name brand college experiences.

When teachers admonish students by saying, ”I am not your amma” students

they are implicitly excluded from the mainstream. Whether it is ordering UberEats weekly, shopping online during free periods, or planning senior trips, wealth discrepancies between students emerge subtly in everyday life.

Talks of funding some more expensive ventures have become so natural that they may indirectly alienate students who do not reveal their inability to do the same. Apart from remarks about being “broke” and jokes about exam fees, members of our community rarely share their financial statuses.

Our hesitation to discuss financial situations stems from valid concerns about politeness and privacy, but it also has roots in a fear of prejudice and discrimination against lower socioeconomic groups at TAS. Yet, as a community, we can do better about being sensitive about possible discrepancies in financial situations. It is only by breaking the taboo against the topic of money that we can realize just how normal financial struggle is, and erase the stigma against it.

How not to talk about the American education system

By Catherine Lin (‘19)

The Goldwin Smith Hall at Cornell University, Ithaca, New York. [SHEREEN LEE/THE BLUE & GOLD]

A trial brought forward by ant-affirmative action activists is set to begin in Boston, accusing Harvard of discriminating against Asian-Americans in the admissions process.

This comes soon after a polarizing New York City plan to revamp admission to its top public schools in an effort to enroll more African-American and Latino students.

As America’s national conversation about its public school education system once again fixates over how to how to fairly allot the tiny number of spots at the most selective high schools and universities, the

U.S. education system continues to fail minority and low-income students every day.

How to fix it? Books like Amanda Ripley “The Smartest Kids In the World,” subtitled “and how they got that way” have looked for solutions abroad. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation poured thousands of dollars into an effort to reform teacher evaluation systems, only to close the program this year after realizing that they were failing to improve performance.

When philanthropists propose panaceas;

policymakers argue about whether to draw lessons from Finland’s emphasis on creativity and free play or South Korea’s test-oriented culture; and tempers flare over affirmative action; all of this debate ignores the gross racial and class inequity driving America’s lackluster performance on domestic and international standardized tests.

This year, the United States won the International Mathematical Olympiad for the third time in four years. Meanwhile, more than a quarter of U.S. students were classified low performers in math on the cross-national Programme for International Student Assessment. Top public high schools as measured by SAT and ACT average scores manage statistics comparable to TAS’ 2017 SAT average of 1380 and ACT average of 30.3. Not surprisingly, excluding charter or magnet schools, those high-performing schools tend to be located in very affluent school districts.

Henry M. Gunn High School’s average SAT score is 1410; its average ACT score is 32. It is located in Palo Alto, California, where the median household income is $137,000 a year, and the median home value is $3,270,200. Jericho Senior High School’s average SAT score is 1380; its average ACT score is 30. It is located in Jericho, New York, where the median household income is $143,829. West Windsor-Plainsboro High School South’s average SAT score is 1390; its average ACT score is 32. The median

household income in the West WindsorPlainsboro Regional School District is $122,176. By comparison, the U.S. median household income is $57,600.

High median household incomes—and by extension, the ability to afford the high housing prices of affluent school districts— translate to higher spending per student because many public schools in the U.S. are funded by local property taxes. Highpoverty areas with lower home values cannot match the spending of wealthier areas even if they tax themselves at higher rates. This hyper-local funding mechanism also causes racial disparities in access to good schools because a 20th century system for granting federal home-ownership loans actively created racially segregated neighborhoods while devaluing homes in minority districts.

This is where the focus of our attention and anger should be. The affirmative action debate is important from a moral standpoint, but from a practical one, it is a distraction.

The real inequalities are far more systemic.

The reason we justifiably need affirmative action to level the playing field is because the playing field from preschool onward is so unfair.

Changing Harvard’s admission criteria will impact only a tiny minority of American students and ultimately do little to create more racially equal access to education. A commitment to racial and class educational equity has the potential to do far more.

9

the blue & gold december 11, 2018

AN OPEN LETTER TO THE UPPER SCHOOL Reflections preceding my December graduation

By Shereen Lee (‘19)

F

or the past two weeks, I have toted my camera around like an overzealous tourist and documented hundreds of “lasts”—last advisory, last class meeting, last test. By the time you read this, I will have finished my last academic class. In about a week, I will graduate from Taipei American School.

An excessively sentimental person on even the best of days, I found myself eating more Taiwanese food than usual, making retro playlists and forming a long bucket list for my last month. Without other emotional seniors extending a feedback loop of happy nostalgia, though, I soon began to reflect on more private elements of my time at TAS. For much of the past 12 and a half years, weekdays were a haven where I could escape from my home life. I dreaded taking the bus home to my father, who was manipulative and physically violent toward me and my mom. At school, I could pretend that my apartment on Hanzhong Street didn’t exist, and source my happiness from the library or

Something always kept me from talking about how my mom ushered me to sleep early to avoid my father, or the yellow bruises which would spot my knees and back. my next English project.

Soon enough, simple avoidance became an insufficient buffer for the jarring loneliness I felt. “You’re not the only one going through this,” school counselors told me. But with the culture of silence that TAS sustains when it comes to home life, I may as well have been alone.

Something always kept me from talking about how my mom ushered me to sleep early to avoid my father, or the yellow bruises which would sometimes spot my knees and back. Maybe it was the widespread jokes

about Asian parents hitting their kids, or the fear that I would be called weak. Maybe it was the girls giggling on my after school bus, gossiping with wide, bright eyes about other students’ personal traumas. Maybe it was the fact that even when I witnessed these slights, I never did anything to stop them. ast December, the Upper School office tried to call my father: he hung up.

When an administrator came up after exams to let me know, I started crying in the middle of the gym.

It had been just over six months since I had last spoken to my father. He was no longer in the city. I had no idea where he was, and I didn’t try to find out.

Knowing that his old phone number still worked loosened something in me: I remembered for the first time that he was not a mythical monster, but a regular bad father, one among millions. That day, I told my friends about my family situation for the first time, and quietly started talking about broken families to close friends and strangers alike.

In the year since I began openly speaking about my family issues, I have heard rumors about how I am severely depressed, broke, or both. Usually, these rumors have caricatured my life beyond recognition. When I hear these rumors, I fear that I will become a cautionary tale for students: that I have perpetuated shame for existing outside of the ultra-privileged mold with which TAS associates itself.

But many people, from my best friends to complete strangers, have also opened up to me in return about their own losses, granting a whole new conception of what it meant to be a TAS student.

How much had I really known about the school before junior year? How much do I really know, even now? As I edit my last edition of the Blue & Gold, I wonder about the choices that the editors and I have made in curation. More than once, we have cancelled publication of a sensitive story

L

because student subjects or their parents were uncomfortable with exposing their words to the rest of the TAS community.

Eventually, there were dozens of topics we had implicitly blacklisted: Because we never dreamed students would talk about them, the editorial board stoppped altogether.

While I wish I had pursued more challenging stories, I realize the editorial board’s mindset also reflects a broader culture at TAS. The Mandarin saying “家 醜不可外揚”—“you cannot spread family ugliness”—embodies the set of Taiwanese cultural norms that have contributed to this status quo of silence.

TAS students are happy to spend hours volunteering and educating ourselves to help “the children in Africa” or some equally amorphous, distant demographic. Yet, when it comes to students at our own school, domestic abuse and class are only two under the vast umbrella of topics we only talk about behind closed doors.

I was lucky enough to find peers who were willing to talk to me about their own struggles, and help me come to terms with mine. For many years, though, I was unable to find my own community. Most likely, there are other silent students today, and— without taking steps to curb this culture— there will be many more to come.

T

here is no easy solution for improving the way we talk about our personal lives. I don’t expect a “Love, Simon” moment in which people start popping up and confessing their greatest secrets on social media. I realize that there is a difference between privacy and toxic repression, and do not assume that students belong to the latter category. Neither am I here to bash Confucianism or Chinese society; “TAS culture,” broadly, has taught me valuable lessons that I could have found in few other places.

At the same time, I know my own story, and my own emotions. I know that for

many years, I thought it flat-out wrong to talk about my family. I know the ways in which silence at school made me feel alone and inadequate. I know that counselors often knew more about my life than my own best friends. I know that because the lives of other students had seemed perfect, I thought for a long time that my father’s anger was my own deficiency.

My impending graduation has given me the chance to start over one last time.

My impending graduation has given me the chance and the drive to start over one last time at TAS, away from the shadow of my family life. In doing so, I’ve discovered full dimensions to my character that I never knew before. In the past few months as a part of my senior bucket list, I’ve attended club meetings for clubs I’ve never signed up for, went to every possible school event I could, eaten lunch with three groups of strangers, had conversations with people for the first time since middle school and played Connect Four in the student center more times than I could count.

Having conversations about my background eventually unblocked many of the limitations I had placed on myself regarding how I “should” be living. This was not a short or an easy realization for me, and did not come in the same Hallmark paragraphs you are now viewing. But I’m thankful to have real community for the first time at TAS, and to have learned that anywhere, I can curate joy.

We want to hear what you think about this article, and all articles in the Opinions section. Submit a letter to the editor at blueandgold@tas.tw.

LETTER

RE: “RE: Let’s talk about the dress code”

By Daniel Liu (‘21)

As a class representative this year, the dress code is something that has been brought up to me several times as a possible change that we should try and push for, and this article helped me think deeper into the idea of why the dress code is an issue that should be clearly addressed to a higher power, with it perhaps being changed.

I agree with Alex that the dress code is sexist and is biased against girls, but it is necessary to maintain professionalism at TAS. In addition to that, I also agree

that the dress code is put in place solely to avoid attracting sexual attention, but it is specifically targeted to avoid guys’ distractions from girls. So what if a girl shows her shoulders at school? Does that really create a “distraction” for fellow classmates? Male students have violated that rule in the dress code, but they were not held accountable for their actions.

On the contrary, if a girl were to violate this rule, they would almost immediately get called out for it and receive disciplinary action. This brings me to my next point,

that the dress code is too strict on certain apparel. The dress code needs to exist, but I feel that it is too strict on things such as an example from earlier, an individual showing off their shoulders. Do those small actions really cause a large difference? Besides, the dress code states that “students are expected to be modest and neat.” However those are vague terms used to describe the appearance of students, with no set standard: who determines the definition of the dress code?

Personally, I believe that clothes are a way that an individual can express their

personality, so the limitations of apparel that are allowed shouldn’t be that restricted, where even a bit of skin being shown could result in a consequence such as a detention.

The current dress code limits our freedom of expression. It should be expanded more to accommodate for student’s freedoms, and also to treat the genders more equally. You can be the deciding factor for whether or not reforms should be brought upon this long lasting issue between students and the school. So, are you up for the change?

A PEEK INTO THE LIVES OF LO

In this edition, the Blue & Gold e

New international school with a senior class of 12

By Natalie Scheidel (‘21) Taipei American School prides itself on having a maximum of 19 students in each classroom. But the Asia American International Academy takes studentteacher ratios to the extreme: The whole senior class of 2019 consists of only 12 students.

Asia American International Academy is a new international school in Taiwan founded by Allan Liang in 2016 to address the lack of educational opportunity in Linkou district, New Taipei City.

With only 12 students in the class, the social dynamic is very different from Alvin Yao’s (‘19) old school, an institution known for its strict academic focus, Taipei Fuhsing Private School. “It makes it less likely to form cliques,” he said. Everyone is friends with each other, and that keeps things pretty harmonious throughout the class.

Alvin, a senior at AAIA, describes the competitiveness in his class of 12 people.

“How competitive the school is really depends on what type of student you are,” he says “some are quite self-driven and that translates to a more competitive environment.” Yet, at the end of the day, each and every one of the 12 people is still supportive of each other and wish the best for one another.

As a student who had previously attended Fuhsing, Alvin believes the two communities are very different. “What makes AAIA special is it’s community, where

extracurricular activities are encouraged,” he said. Many teachers act as a resource ready to provide students with guidance not only in academics, but also in extracurriculars.

AAIA also places heavy emphasis on the spirit of service. Karen Chiang (‘19), another senior at AAIA, takes a class called student aid, where students help teachers with their work, whether it is organizing papers or helping teachers run errands. They spend spend the class period assisting their teachers, as a way to fulfil the community service requirement.

The sense of community service is meant to “foster intellectual curiosity and growth of [AAIA’s] learning community within a framework that encourages ethical behavior and a global perspective,” as shown on the school website. The school, hoping to ingrain empathy for all living organisms and care for the environment in its student, imposes a total requirement of 80 hours of service learning and community service before graduation.

The academic curriculum at AAIA consists of traditional classes and innovative, student-led classes. Karen said her favorite class is AP psychology. “It’s not only taught with lectures like other classes in her previous school, Taipei Kuei Shan School, but the class consists of many activities and student-led discussions,” she said.

For example, the students in the class had a simulation where they were blindfolded to

Students of AAIA visit 2018 street fair.

[PHOTO COURTESY OF AAIA]

simulate blind people. Students in the AP psychology class had to walk around the class blindfolded with another student guiding them through the school. “It was actually really scary because I’ve never experienced that in my life, but it was very educational, as we could link that experience to the unit,” Karen said.

For Alvin, his favorite class is X-code, where he is currently learning how to code an IOS app. “The nature of the small class of students makes things a lot more

comfortable and casual, and the teacher also focuses more on us as individuals,” Alvin said. In the class X-code, it includes many different classes for students, where students can learn to code for IOS, Android, Unity or Deep Learning.

“After attending AAIA, it really changed and affected my life, where high school was no longer about trying to join cliques,” Karen said, “Instead, in my class of 12, I can focus on finding where my true passions lies.”

Do you know the life of a student athlete?

By Amanda Chiu (‘20) Every day, Rita Wu and Jing-rou Tsai, seniors at Taipei Municipal Shilin High School of Commerce finish school around noon.

Although it seems odd for students to finish school at noon, this is the life of a student athlete in SLHS. After class in the morning, Rita, Jing-rou, and other teammates will typically start practice after lunch, and finish at 6 p.m.

As softball athletes, Rita and Jing-rou spend half of their school time in class learning and half in the field training. They usually continue on this path until high school ends when they then apply and matriculate into university.

Generally, students begin their career in sports starting at a young age by joining intramural teams and developing their new passion. “I joined the softball team in elementary school because one of my friends was doing it,” Rita said.

In junior high school, most of them will join competitive teams in junior high school and train more intensively.

Teammates from the same junior high school often apply to the same high school team, helping the team bond more quickly.

Student athletes who choose this path sometimes come from low-income backgrounds. As a student athlete, they can qualify for higher-ranking high schools through sports instead of the typical entrance examination. “If we didn’t get into

teams then we would have nothing,” Jingrou said.

Due to long practices, studying after a long day is impossible and most of the student athletes are academically weaker than their peers. “Our teachers have lower expectations for us because they know that we have a lot of practices after school,” Jing-rou said. However, they still have to maintain certain grades to continue playing. Different standards in academics lift the stress on students and allow them to study in their own pace.

“Our teachers have lower expectations for us.”

Sports is central to every aspect of their lives. They spend most of their time with the team and even have classes together.

“Our softball team only has classes with other athletes, such as cross country and judo,” Rita said.

In addition, student athletes recruited from cities outside of Taipei have to live at school and are only allowed to go home occasionally. “I definitely missed my family a lot in the beginning, but as time passed, I got used to it and began to cherish every moment I spend with my family,” Jing-

The Taipei Municipal Shilin High girls softball team. [PHOTO COURTESY OF SHILIN HIGHSCHOOL]

rou said. The first day was rough for her, since, as a freshman, she was not as bonded with the team as those who came from the same junior high school teammates are.

However, a team sport needs everyone’s effort and commitment, which helped her bond with the team the team in a different way.

When talking about their future, both Rita and Jing-rou have decided to go to college. “Although I don’t think I

will continue playing sports in college, I definitely will want to major in something I like, which is photography,” Jing-rou said.

Although, unfortunately, some student athletes won’t pursue sport in college or as a career, they have learned a lot as an individual and a team, which matters the most. They have a specific skill set that will benefit them in the future comparing to those that only knows how to study and get good grades.

OCAL TAIWANESE STUDENTS explores the curriculum of other local and American schools in Taiwan.

Bilingual meets traditional education

By Vanessa Tsao (‘19) Tradition is an important part of Taipei Fuhsing Private School: From bowing to Sun Yat-sen’s portrait as the national anthem plays, to a military-esque student orientation, Fuhsing ensures that even bilingual track students get a rigorous traditional Taiwanese-style education.

Fuhsing offers a K-12 curriculum with a bilingual division from first to twelfth grade.

Bilingual track students are taught entirely in English, except for the Mandarin class.

There are about 30 students in each bilingual class,.

School begins at 8 a.m. in the morning and ends at 4:25 p.m. However, the hour after that is given to homeroom teachers to decide what students should do. Sometimes students are allowed to leave early, but other times teachers use this time to teach additional material, or even as a form of punishment if the class has misbehaved.

Fiona Wu (‘19), who attended Fuhsing until eighth grade, described the contrasting Taiwanese and Western methods used to teach classes. Most classes, especially Mandarin, were conducted strictly; teachers frequently scolded students or even threw books if the class was not cooperating.

However, English was taught in a more laidback seminar style.

Academic competitiveness is commonplace according to students, and teachers add to this stress when they return

tests. “They’ll read out your name and your score, and sometimes comment on whether you did well or did poorly,” former Fuhsing student Alfred Chen (‘19) said.

Despite this intensely competitive academic setting though, Fuhsing students are given opportunities to learn different skills and indulge in fun activities.

Music and art courses are a mandatory part of the curriculum, though centered more on traditional Chinese art forms.

Throughout junior high, students take wushu and music classes, and in music, students must learn a Chinese instrument like guzheng or pipa.

National pride and school pride are emphasized in students’ daily lives: every Thursday afternoon, each class folds the national flag and prop a portrait of Sun Yat-sen on the blackboard as the national anthem plays in the background. Then, students bow three times to Sun Yat-sen’s portrait. “Even if you’re out in the corridor when the anthem plays, you have to stay still and then bow from where you are,” Fiona said.

Fuhsing’s school rules include a special Fuhsing handkerchief as part of their attire.

During assemblies, students have to bring their handkerchief and wave it in the air in a show of school pride. “It’s a bit gross because of the snot that might be on the handkerchiefs,” former Fuhsing student Claire Juang (‘19) said. Rules regarding the

Taipei Fuhsing Private School was founded in 1946 and offers K-12 curriculum with a Bilingual Division from First to twelth grade. [PHOTO COURTESY OF TAIPEI FUHSING SCHOOL]

dress code are similarly strict, according to current Fuhsing senior Sharon Li. “If you don’t wear the Fuhsing socks, you will face a red slip,” she said.

Sometimes, Fuhsing’s adherence to its unique traditions have received backlash from the public. During sixth and seventh grade orientation, Fuhsing customarily takes students to an amusement park to march all day like soldiers. They are only allowed to

eat after finishing all the training routines.

Students are collectively in charge of their environment, so they have to keep the classrooms and bathrooms clean. “If something is dirty, it’s your community’s problem. Nobody will take care of it,” Fiona said. Both expressed that this responsibility of cleanliness is different from Taipei American School, reminding them that they should cherish their privileges.

Uncovering life at a Buddhist boarding school

By Laura Hsu (‘22) A typical morning for Annie Tseng, a sophomore studying at Buddhist Pu Tai Boarding School, begins with a quiet meditation session. She sits cross-legged in her assigned row, and once the clock strikes 7:45 p.m., serene background music comes out of the school speakers; some students deeply immerse into a state of peace while some students just goof around and whisper to each other. Sometimes, a monk will be invited to give life lessons after meditation, leaving students feeling deeply inspired and ready to start off the day in a peaceful state of mind.

This year is 15 years old Annie Tseng’s fifth year studying at the Buddhist Pu Tai Boarding School. Although Annie did not have a choice when it came to transfering from a local elementary school to a Buddhist boarding school, Annie is still very happy with her parents’ decision. “I genuinely enjoy studying here at Pu Tai, the people and curriculum here is a lot better than I had expected,” she said.

Buddhism pervades every aspect of life at Pu Tai, including activities like meditation class, daily chants and the vegetarian meals available to students. “Our school is extremely religious,” Annie said, “and the meals that are provided from the school for us to eat are the vegetarian breakfast, lunch and dinner. We are not allowed to eat anything else other than vegetarian meals.”

Annie initially struggled to adapt to the

all-vegetarian diet. “Sometimes I would stare at my meal, and not have the urge to eat even a bit of what was on the plate.”

However, the meals served on campus, was not the only struggle that Annie had to overcome. Living apart from her family was also a troubling aspect that she had to conquer and adapt to.

“Of course I get homesick sometimes, especially right after a long vacation off with family...we cannot see our families for another few months.”

Living on campus 24 hours a day can get lonesome at times, even if there are friends around. “Of course I get homesick sometimes, especially right after a long vacation off with family, because then we cannot see our families for another few months,” Annie said.

Though studying at a boarding school means that she spends less time with family than friends, Annie believes attending to a boarding school has improved her family relationships. “There used to be more arguments in our family before my sister

Pu Ting Boarding School’s sports facility building. [PHOTO COURTESY OF PU TING BOARDING SCHOOL)

and I went to Pu Tai, but now all we do is cherish the limited amount of time that we get to spend with each other,” Annie said. “Unfortunately, I actually spend more time with my friends than with my actual family.”

To Annie, because she attends a boarding school, friends are more than people she can talk to and have fun with. They are also people who help her through her rough times. “When any of us encounters difficulties, we help each other out since it

is hard for us to reach out to our families,” she said.

From the religious events packed into her school schedule, her transformation to becoming a strict vegetarian, and improving her family relationships because of the short amount of time to bond with her family, the school system has really helped Annie grow as a person. “I think I became more independent for sure, but Pu Tai is more than just a school to me,” Annie said.

12

the blue & gold december 11, 2018

BEYOND THE BLUE & GOLD Adrienne Shih (‘14) pursues a career in multimedia journalism

Shih covers politics as an intern at CNN’s Washington, D.C. bureau. [ PHOTO COURTESY OF ADRIENNE SHIH]

By Shereen Lee (‘19)

events to an audience of over a million.

Previously having worked as an intern for large organizations like the Washington Post, her new job at Foreign Policy has been a major adjustment since she started the job two months ago.

“It’s a really small team, and the DC office feels a little like my college newsroom [at the University of California, Berkeley],” Shih said. “Every other company I’ve worked at, there have been seven or eight people. Now, it’s mostly just me, which is a really big adjustment to make.”

Graduating from UC Berkeley in December, she spent much of last semester in Taipei, re ecting on her journey so far.

“I’m at a weird turning point in life, so I’m asking myself, ‘what was high school Addy like?’” she said. Being able to pursue journalism, a dream career of hers since elementary school, has been a major stepping stone for her.

But she feels that her goals have shifted

During 2016’s U.S. presidential election, while many Taipei American School students were surreptitiously checking poll results in class, Adrienne Shih (‘14) was behind the newsroom desks at CNN herself, contributing to the reporting live.

As an intern at the cable network’s Washington, D.C. bureau, she watched producers and writers report calmly on one of the U.S.’s great election upsets.

“All of the interns were like, ‘oh my gosh, look what’s happening, it’s so crazy!’”

Shih said. “But talking to journalists at the bureau, they’ve told me that one of the biggest challenges of being a journalist is really just learning how to turn the switch on and off.”

Now, as the new social media editor for political magazine Foreign Policy, she is one of the writers in the newsroom she watched only two years ago, reporting global news

and narrowed over the course of the years.

Recently, she has grown more focused on building an authoritative voice for the organization, and on accomplishing speci c goals she has set for herself.

“A lot of people think of the stereotypical liberal as only being exposed to a couple of news outlets.”

“One thing I’ve never really focused on, though, is money,” she said. “It’s by no means a lucrative career. Nobody goes into it to make money, or a lot of money.” But Shih considers herself lucky, able to fund herself fully both in her time as an intern and in her rst job.

Over the course of her career so far, Shih has been surprised at how transferrable the skills she has acquired have been so far.

“Even working in a place like CNN, it’s surprisingly similar to the Blue & Gold,” she said.

Fundamentally, even as she has transitioned from print to digital and multimedia content, much of the structure behind writing an editing a good news story has remained the same. e skills Shih has learned from newsrooms, she said, have ultimately been an exercise in empathy. In the Blue & Gold, she rst learned to interview multiple sources; in the Daily Cal, she began to actively facilitate conversations from different ends of the political spectrum.

“A lot of people think of the stereotypical liberal as only being exposed to a couple of news outlets,” said Shih. “But I’ve learned over the years how rigorous studying journalism and reporting can really be.”

A class of one

At TAS, only a handful of upperclassmen are enrolled in independent study courses. These courses allow students to explore their passions under the guidance of a teacher. In this issue of The Blue & Gold, students involved with these courses talk about their experience.

By Maxwell Chen (‘19)

Producing music: From a hobby to a potential career From Disc Jockey’ing at Interscholastic Association of Southeast Asian Schools pep rallies to organizing school parties, Bryan Kang (‘19) has become a prominent DJ at TAS over the last ve years. Now, Bryan has found a way to further integrate his passion for music with academics by taking an independent study course.

Last year, Bryan took Honors Production Music III. e class, taught by music and band teacher Ms. Jennifer Anderson, was helpful for Bryan, but he says that it was not enough. “e production class was great for my music, but I just didn’t think one class was enough” Bryan said. “I wanted to take it up another step and actually get my music out there.” Although TAS offers nearly 30 music classes, Bryan’s

deep passion for producing music granted him an independent study course, also taught by Ms. Anderson.

Like Honors Production Music III, the goal of the independent study course is to give Bryan extra time for him to work on his music. “I like having a one-on-one class because there’s more attention to detail,” Bryan said. “It’s really helped me out with dropping my music and getting it on different platforms.” On Oct. 26, Bryan dropped his debut album, “Kang,” on Spotify, Apple Music, KKBox and Amazon.

He also advertised the album on Instagram for promotion.

Although independent study courses are rare, this is actually Ms. Anderson’s second time leading this course. “e last time I taught music production was a long time ago. One-on-one classes were even less common and the music equipments wasn’t as advanced,” Ms. Anderson said.

Producing is beyond a hobby for Bryan now. He is seriously considering to continue to work and learn about music production in college or even as a career. “I feel like my independent study class kind of locked in my passion for music,” Bryan said. “It made me realize that this isn’t just something I like to do every other Saturday when I’m free.”

Pursuing the psychology behind high school relationships Spending time with a romantic partner and going on cute dates in high school can be thrilling—but also time consuming. In Audrey Yang’s (‘19) independent research, Audrey tries to uncover whether or not high school romantic relationships in uence a student’s grades.

During her junior year, Audrey took the AP psychology course, taught by Mr. Anthony Ives. For her nal project, she studied high school relationships and their effects on students’ academics. Intrigued by the topic, Audrey approached Mr. Ives to continue her research. Because there is only one level of psychology in the TAS curriculum, Audrey continued her work through an independent study course.

Although the independent research is technically a class, Audrey and Mr. Ives only meet brie y during B4, as most of Audrey’s work is self-led. “It’s not a class with a set

curriculum, Mr. Ives said. “It actually works the other way around; it was Audrey saying ‘I wanna do the research’ and me giving her suggestions on how to do it.” e majority of Audrey’s research is interviewing people, including TAS students and teachers and even college professors.

Audrey and other students taking independent research courses need to be genuinely passionate and curious about their topic to succeed in their course. Although Audrey is graded the same way she would be in other classes, success in these type of courses are not necessarily determined by grades. “You have to be very very independent and motivated to continue,” Audrey said.

“You only learn and gure out stuff if you’re actually interested in psychology or any other course.”

As Audrey continues her research, she may have the opportunity to publish her ndings in an academic journal towards the end of the school year. However, her main goal is still to pursue her passion for psychology for her own interest. “[Publishing her work] would be impressive, but that’s not why I’m doing this,” Audrey said.

13

the blue & gold december 11, 2018

Teachers are students, too Upper School teachers pursue doctoral degrees

By Nicole Chang (‘21) & Catherine Lin (‘19) [IAN HO/THE BLUE & GOLD]

Mr. Andrew Lowman reflects on rigor and homework At Chester Middle School, the failure rates of core classes like algebra and English have been increasing every year, especially among ninth grade students. The school recently had to give up professional development days due to budget cuts, and struggles with racial disparities in disciplinary consequences for misbehavior.

Associate Upper School principal, Mr. Andrew Lowman, visits Chester Middle School frequently as part of his Ed.D program in educational leadership—when he logs onto his computer after school and clicks into the simulation to complete his School Budgets and Resource Allocation homework.

The program brought him into contact with educators from varying educational environments. “We are really privileged to be at a school like TAS. In my budget course right now, I have colleagues who are talking about really, really basic school needs—an elementary school principal trying to figure out how to save an art or music program, or you have people talking about how to find money for all the school supplies because

they know the children can’t afford them,” he said.

Resources like the simulation, tailored toward the digital format, are one reason Mr. Lowman chose to complete his doctoral degree through Walden University, an online-only college with no home campus, rather than an online degree offered by a primarily physical university. Despite the lack of prestige, such universities have likely invested in the appropriate technology for online-only curricula. “There’s a stigma against that, but when I did my research I saw that they have a lot of rigor,” he said.

“Unfortunately for me, it’s not just ‘you pay money’ and ‘they hand you a degree.’”

Beyond the online resources, Mr. Lowman chose an asynchronous program to allow a more flexible schedule that accommodates his family and job commitments, though finding free time remains a challenge. “I don’t get to the gym nearly as much as I would like to,” he said, adding, “My wife will laugh when she reads this because she’ll say I never went before.”

Each course, including a course

on research statistics and one entitled Leadership and Management for Change, requires between six and nine hours of coursework per week. A typical assignment might involve performing an analysis of a provided data set, writing up a two to three page report, then posting it on an online discussion board.

While the program does not strive to mimic every aspect of face-to-face education, it does bear some resemblance. “Here I am at night sending emails to a librarian asking them for help on research, just like students when they’re writing papers in eleventh grade stop by and see Dr. [Candace] Aiani,” he said.

These experiences serve as a reminder of the circumstances high schoolers face in their daily lives. “I have to do homework. I have to write papers. I have to communicate with a teacher if a paper comes back and I don’t necessarily agree with my grade on it,” Mr. Lowman said. “I think it’s helpful for me to maintain that perspective. It’s easy to forget what it’s like to be a student when you’re not a student.”

Mr. Andrew Lowman works on his laptop in his office. [CATHERINE LIN/THE BLUE & GOLD]

Ms. Evelyn Chen pursues degree just for herself All day long at Taipei American School, Ms. Evelyn Chen, Upper School biology teacher, spends her time focused on her students’ needs. “Teaching is more outward directed, where I am constantly teaching students different materials and skills,” she said.

This is one reason why she looked forward to becoming a student again by pursuing her Ed.D. through an online program at Vanderbilt University’s Peabody School of Education. “You are just investing in yourself,” she said. “It’s kind of selfish in a way. I am devoting a lot of time and commitment in order to gain something just for me.”

Her desire to pursue a doctoral degree required a lot of support from everyone in her life. She said “I’m lucky to have received such support from colleagues whom I teach with and the administration. I did not intend on causing a lot of disruption, but some changes had to be made so that I would have the time and space to pursue this side passion.”

She chose the program in part because it required her to video conference and

have conversations with her professors and classmates, mimicking a face-to face classroom experience. Uniquely, many of the other students had no background in education, bringing her into contact with new perspectives. “Some of my classmates are regional managers of Nike and CEOs of non-profit groups,” she said.

Before starting the program, Ms. Chen was skeptical about online education, but she was soon assured of the program’s quality.

While the self-directed and self-paced nature of some online degree programs might provide greater flexibility, Ms. Chen enjoyed Leadership and Learning in Organizations more. “The professor, with a click of a button, can put me in a room with three students for group work, and then in another click of a button, you are in another room with [all] fifteen classmates.” she said.

Although this is only her first year in a three-year-long process, she has found this to be a meaningful experience thus far. During a class on leadership theory, she was impressed by the well-planned curriculum and the interesting assigned reading. “I was blown

away. By the second or third week it was my favorite class,” she said. In a recent paper, Ms. Chen had to analyze the leadership skills of a CEO who had created a cult mentality at his company.

As she often spends her nightly free time writing papers, she sometimes struggles to find a balance between classwork and the rest of her life. “TV is a luxury now,” Ms. Chen said.

Despite this, she is content about her decision to pursue the degree. “There may be days where I complain that I am so tired, and I stress out about meeting deadlines, but at the end of the day, I wouldn’t trade it for anything because I love learning.”

Ms. Chen chose to enroll in a degree program because she sought an opportunity for greater personal growth. “There was an undeniable and unsettled feeling that I wanted something more.” She encourages other who feel the same way but worry about managing their busy schedules to take the leap. “There is never a good time to do it,” she said. “If the desire is there you have to go for it.”

Ms. Evelyn Chen teaches an honors biology class. [CATHERINE LIN/THE BLUE & GOLD]

Mr. Kevin Held: From backstage to back-to-school From his master’s degree in theater to his MFA or terminal degree in technical theater, Mr. Kevin Held has always been interested in education.

He is currently pursuing a Ed.D at Northeastern University via Kaplan Higher Education in Hong Kong, and spends much of his time there working on his thesis on technical theater education. “There is a lack of literature or research or planning for how technical theater is taught in high schools, “ Mr. Held said. “There is actually nothing written about how it’s even taught in colleges. So I think there is a gap that needs to be filled, and that is the topic [that] I am investigating.”

He is in his second year of a three to seven year process and has already taken some basic groundwork and introductory courses.

Yet, he is still unsure on how long the overall

process will take. “I don’t know how long it will take to complete because once I get to doing independent research it’s a little fuzzier with the timelines and deadlines.”

His time is divided between taking online courses and face to face classes in Hong Kong. “Two times a year for a couple of days I have face to face class in Hong Kong with the other members of my cohort who started at the same time.”

For his assignments, he is required to interview different people. In a recent assignment, he reached out to the head of the United States Institute for Theatre Technology Education Commission. “He agreed for a thirty minute interview, and we ended up talking for an hour and a half,” Mr. Held said. “It’s interesting to make connections like that.”

Although he enjoys making new

connections with people from all different places, he struggles with the workload. “I have 12 to 15 hours of classwork for the online class between reading, writing, and responding to my classmates,” he said. “The amount of reading expected can sometimes exceed 500 pages a week, with writing papers. I never feel like I have enough time to proofread assignments before I submit them. “ Although this is an ongoing challenge that he faces, he enjoys working with his classmates.”It’s an interesting group of people, it’s fun, I really enjoy the face to face time in Hong Kong versus the online time because then I feel like I actually know them as people.”

He suggests that people “shop around to find a program that is a good fit for [them].”

Mr Kevin Held works on his laptop in his office. [NICOLE CHANG/THE BLUE & GOLD]

14

the blue & gold december 11, 2018

Exploring the smallest classes of TAS Small classes are known to have a more cohesive class culture, in addition to more engaged students. Three journalists seek to understand the experiences of students who are a part of these comparatively small classes.

Art without limits

By Vanessa Kang (‘20)

Christine Chen uses wire to create an innovative 3D dress.

[VANESSA KANG/THE BLUE & GOLD]

The AP 3D Design class, which includes four students this year, aims to help students gain understanding of 3D design through the creation of a variety of works. At the end of the second semester, students in this course will submit digital images of their works of art for their 3D Design portfolios to College Board.

Mr. Andre Huang, AP 3D Design teacher, explains his preference for teaching smaller classes. “I prefer teaching this smaller class compared to the crowded class from last year, which featured 17 students, who were mostly seniors, because I get to spend more time with each student to get to know them better.” Mr. Huang said. Mr. Huang also point out that in a smaller class, each student gets longer periods of time to discuss ideas with with him which gives them more time and feedback to build upon in order to improve their work.

When asked about their preference for either small or large class enrollments Emily Lo (‘19) and Bella Kintzley (‘19) both say they prefer small classes. “Our relationship with Mr. Huang is very friendly,” Emily said.

“It feels a lot more like a relationship between friends than a teacher with students.”

Bella Kintzley (‘19) also enjoys the small class size because it allows more time and space for each student to get to know their teacher. According to Bella, classrooms that have more students also tend to focus less on individual development of each student but rather the overall class. This works well for many students but Bella prefers to have closer ties with the people around her. Bella then adds on a unique story about of AP 3D design. “An interesting component of our art class is that we are all supportive about each other’s art.” Bella said. “One time, one of us didn’t know what to make so he went through the trash cans to find new materials

to work with. Then he started to sort them out and pieced something together. Some time passed before someone said it looked like trash, which was greeted with laughs.

Every since then, calling someone’s piece of art trash has been a inside joke. I really appreciate the way we can all relax around each other, it’s really nice.”

“Ever since then, calling someone’s art trash has been a inside joke.”

Both students say that they prefer this more close-knit, cohesive, class culture compared to the class cultures of other more crowded classes because everyone gets a chance to know one another better.

Bonding through physics phenomena

By Sharon Lee (‘22)

Students building contraptions for their physics project. [SHARON LEE/THE BLUE & GOLD]

The Research in Physics course, taught

by Mr. Adrian Nolin, includes five students this year. Investigating physics problems given by the Taiwan Young-Physicist Tournament, the students in this class work on many projects that are design based, or include working with physics phenomenon.

“These problems have never been solved before,” Mr. Nolin said. ”We need to develop theories, design experiments, test different parameters and variables, and how they impact the outcome.”

Working with the corresponding TYPT club, the students combine with members of the club to form teams to compete at the tournament each year. “In total, we’ll probably work on about eight problems this year.” Mr. Nolin said. The students are currently working on several projects, including the Looping Pendulum Problem.

“It’s basically where you take a string, with masses on either end with different weights, and if you release the lighter mass like a pendulum, it wraps around the rod and stops the heavier mass from falling,” Ethan Wu (‘19) said.

“You get to know kids very well, and all of them get involved, they can’t hide.”

Other members of this class are also working on other projects including problems on sinking bubbles, hurricane balls and building a Corona discharged motor.

With a class of only five students, this

course is in many ways different from other classes. “The class is much more casual and natural, we learn a lot from each other, so it’s less of a information coming from above type of thing,” Ethan said.

In a small class, students also get more individualized help. “You get to know the kids very well, and all of them get involved, they can’t hide,” Mr. Nolin said.

When asked whether smaller classes are preferable, both Mr. Nolin and Ethan agreed that smaller classes are better for research courses. “I don’t think there are any cons of being in a small class, I would really prefer smaller classes,” Ethan said.

This year, the students will once again be joining the TYPT competition in March, and they are all extremely excited. “It’s a great mix of science, debate and on-the-spot thinking, which I like a lot,” Rem Yang (‘19) said.

Piano Performance is a playground for musical success

By Phoebe Chen (‘21)

The class practices piano in unison.

[PHOEBE CHEN/THE BLUE & GOLD]

With four students, Piano Performance is one of the smallest courses available for Taipei American School students; the class consists of experienced pianists who had advocated for the revival of the course. The class, taught by Ms. Andrea Blough, has only recently been open to students after being canceled in 2015.

A typical class period of the Piano Performance course consists of topics from music theory and rhythm practice to quartet, ensemble and individual pieces. Chord progression, which is piano accompaniment with vocals or pop songs, as well preparation for future competitions, are also occasionally practiced in class.

“Usually, we start the class by having Ms. Blough teach us the basics in music theory,” Celine Hsu (‘20) said. “It’s like the language of music, and it makes songs sound good. Afterwards, we always have a stronger practice.”

Currently, the pianists enrolled in Piano

Performance are collaboratively working on an eight-hand ensemble music piece, which requires two students per piano.

“We often practice this way so the course can be just like any other ensemble class,” Ms. Blough said. “Instead of falling to the wellknown stereotype that [playing the] piano is an individual activity, it allows students to expand their possibilities and experiences by working together in an ensemble.”

As a teacher, Ms. Blough does not believe small classes are disadvantageous. “In piano it’s usually easy to hide behind your instrument, but a small class allows you to come out from your hiding place,” she said.

Furthermore, by participating in a small class, the student pianists enrolled in the course form fast friendships and develop their musical technique more quickly.

“You get more of a chance to practice because there are less people that need help from the teacher,” student Mabel Tan (‘22) said. “Improvement is also faster because

everyone can seek advice whenever, all you have to do is ask.”

However, there are also certain disadvantages to being limited to a small class. “Sometimes it gets too quiet in class and it’s easy to get off task,” Celine said. “No one is willing to speak up. In extreme cases, students even fall asleep.”

Ultimately, to Celine, the Piano Performance class is like “a small playground where everyone is able to explore things on [their] own.” Since enrolled students are already experienced pianists, a small class is ideal, as it grants them the opportunity to focus on desired or more advanced music pieces.

“It’s like a playground in the sense that there is equipment everybody uses, but you are also free to use it yourself,” Ms. Blough said. “Think of it like this, at the end of the day a slide is a slide. If everyone slides forward, but you want to slide backwards that’s fine too. It’s the same for piano.”

15

the blue & gold december 11, 2018

Three films to warm up the winter season

By Allison Kwan (‘21)

“Home Alone”

“Shoplifters”

Kick back and relax on a couch alone or with your family while watching this holiday staple. 8-yearold Kevin McCallister, the movie’s main character, is mistakenly left home alone and finds out that two burglars are trying to rob his home and then must find a way to protect his home.

Director Chris Columbus, makes sure to include

This heartwarming Japanese film is the perfect film to celebrate the holiday season. “Shoplifters” is about a family where each person must rely on shoplifting to cope with poverty. On the way back home from a successful steal from a store, the father and son discover a little girl alone and hungry.

The family then unofficially adopts the girl and gives the

many moments of laughter, guaranteeing a laid back and relaxing movie experience.

For those looking for a family-friendly film, “Home Alone” can never go wrong.

The only downside of this movie would be that the scenes become predictable after watching it too many times.

“Us and Them” viewer a peek into each family member’s universe and life.

Throughout the movie, you can really feel the warmth through the little things that each family member does by listening to each member’s conversations. Shoplifters’ family-oriented theme is sure to bring tears to your eyes.

This 2018 Chinese drama film perfect for those looking for a tear-jerker.

Two strangers returning home for Chinese New Year meet on a train and their relationship evolves. A few years later, the two main characters meet again and reminisce on their love and relationship between each other. The director creatively uses color to symbolize the

couple’s happy past, and black and white to symbolize the present. The movie slowly reveals the couple’s past regrets by switching the scenes back and forth from past to present. “Us and Them” is a great film for those looking for an emotional rollercoaster with a side of an occasional laugh.

ELEVATE YOUR YOUR BURGER BURGER GAME GAME ELEVATE TEXT AND PHOTOS BY SHEREEN LEE (‘19)

Boasting a meal— and a name—that even Russian federal security would approve of, KGB’s menu includes 26 types of burgers, from eggplant to bacon avocado. They also offer a student menu with discounted meals, although they are only available sometimes. Their signature dish, the KGB ($210 NT, pictured), has a ginger lime

aioli sauce that was added a kick to the burger.

I like that the restaurant offers some experimental combinations that taste much better than typical “novelty” burgers. The mango jalapeno burger ($220 NT) was a great example of this: the sweet and spicy texture worked surprisingly well with beef.

The only downside to

this restaurant is that it is not as great with food accommodations like allergies or food restrictions as the other two are. There are only three or four vegetarian options that I can see, and vegan readers probably would not find much to eat here. I am a happy carnivore, though, so this was less of a problem for me.

This restaurant moved to its current location from another area in Tianmu in August, replacing Asian fusion restaurant and bookstore Good Cho’s.

Much of the JB’s Diner has physically remained the same as that of its predecessor, but the quirky decorations that characterized Good Cho’s iconic design have been replaced by more blandly aesthetic plants and sleek chairs.

JB’s Diner is now at the perfect location for TAS students grabbing food after a long day at school, only between five and 10 minutes away from school.

You might want to stick to their pancakes, though: JB’s Diner’s cheeseburger ($200 NT, pictured) has an uncomfortably greasy bun, and a sub-optimal burgerto-lettuce ratio.

One free side comes with your order: I enjoyed their

regular fries, but JB’s curly fries (which requires an addon of $20 NT) are a little less curly than they should be.

Do not order their vegetable sides: the restaurant steams their onions instead of grilling them, which I find unappetizing in dishes that are not soup-based. Their grilled sandwiches are relatively superior, with a more palatable bread and more vegetables.

Judy and Bert’s Diner

While the Xinyi District’s Diner branch is always uncomfortably full of customers and requires booking in advance on weekends, this American micro-chain’s flagship store strikes a better balance between aesthetics and comfort. Their mushroom and cheese burger ($350 NT) has a great texture and

exuberantly gooey Swiss cheese. Though pricey, it was some of the best American food I’ve had in Taiwan so far.

Taiwanese avocados can be hit-or-miss, though— they were watery and tasteless when I visited the restaurant—so I wouldn’t recommend their California burger ($360

NT, pictured) as strongly.

Their accompanying sides are good, as well. I would recommend their edamame quinoa salad and French fries. If you are looking for something more adventurous, the peanut butter and jelly burger ($390 NT), fully outfitted with bacon jam and American cheese, is also available.

The Diner

Kiwi Gourmet Burger 5 Shida Rd. Ln 114

5 Shida Rd. Ln 114

145 Ruian St.

16

the blue & gold december 11, 2018

STOREFRONTS YOU COULD PROBABLY LIVE IN TEXT AND PHOTOS BY SHEREEN LEE (‘19)

Combining a wide range of merchandise, food, drinks and cozy seating to doze off in, these shops are fit for camping out in all day.

Urban Select: 15 Ln. 20 Sec. 2 Zhongshan N. Rd. A two-minute walk from the centrallylocated Zhongshan Station, Urban Select finds a great balance between the relatively obscure and aesthetically pleasing. A twostory building with a pointed roof frame and graphic art decorating its glass front, Urban Select is possibly the cutest building in all of Taipei. The exterior and interior both host small pools on the ground with koi in them, which elicits a calming ambience throughout the store.

Urban Select’s storefront is part-stationery store, part-cafe. The first floor, which houses the stationery element, is a great place to find travel accessories and random but highquality gifts. From lightweight backpacks to headphone cases, you are guaranteed to find something you never knew you needed while browsing.

The store’s second floor cafe seems to have been designed for Instagrammers, complete with a pink flamingo wall, potted plants everywhere and hipster filament light bulbs.

As an added bonus, the second floor is often less busy than the first, giving you solid odds of snagging the coveted window table.

Urban Select serves full meals along with desserts and drinks. Their signature artisan

waffles ($230 NT) are always a solid bet, along with their brunch selections ($290$360 NT). I chose the King’s Breakfast ($340 NT, pictured), which includes pork ribs, eggs, yogurt, salad, french toast and your choice of coffee or tea. The food was a little overpriced for its actual value—the portions were smaller than expected—but the real deal is in Urban Select’s free Wi-Fi and unlimited seating.

I spent eight hours studying here on a long weekend. For some reason, the staff keeps putting uncut cherry tomatoes into their lemon water, but I’m not one to turn down free drinks even if there is a sketchy vegetable floating inside.

Heritage Bakery & Cafe: 1F 73-2 Sec. 2 Hankou St. The Heritage Bakery & Cafe is a little more of a trek: It is located around 10 minutes from Ximen Station, a central Taipei shopping hub. Surprisingly, though, the Ximen area is a little deficient in good, mid-range meal options. If you happen to be in the area, Heritage is a great place to stop by — it is definitely worth the walk.

Heritage freshly makes their cakes and breads every day, and they usually sell out by the end of the day despite their steep prices.

Highlights include their cinnamon rolls ($90 NT), pink guava cheesecake ($130 NT) and turkey avocado panini (pictured,

The King’s Breakfast with a glass of iced coffee. [SHEREEN LEE/THE BLUE & GOLD]

A chicken avocado panini with berry jam yogurt. [SHEREEN LEE/THE BLUE & GOLD]

$230 NT).

These are often the best options offered at the cafe: Some of their less renowned deserts, like carrot cake, are excessively dry. While these desserts are dressed up with frosting, do not be tempted by the aesthetics of the decorations. Heritage has only mastered a few of the dishes they make at the cafe, and choosing a non-signature dish will more likely be a miss than a hit for your experience there.

In addition to its food options, Heritage runs art exhibitions and sells products from local artists on its first floor. The sample includes a small selection of bags, pencils and similar items.

On weekends, due to the popularity of the cafe, patrons are limited to 90 minutes for their meal. Even so, seats fill up quickly around the typical rush hours during lunch and dinner, so make sure you grab your spot quickly. It is also better to visit during the afternoon, in order to make sure you are there while most desserts are still available.

While you have to be very careful with the types of food you select, Heritage is otherwise an comfortable cafe with aesthetics that cannot be beat, perfect for the upcoming winter break.

cute Christmas parable, but it also undermines Dickens’ attempt at social criticism. Scrooge’s eventual redemption through charity is ultimately unsatisfying, and the “happily ever after” ending rings false.

“A Christmas Carol” succeeds as a sentimental Christmas story along the lines of “The Grinch Who Stole Christmas.”

Scenes from Scrooge’s past make him a sympathetic character as he reflects on his many regrets. Dickens effectively conveys the meaninglessness of a life in pursuit of money alone, depicting Marley’s ghost dragging a steel chain made of ledgers, padlocks and cash-boxes. Scrooge’s horror when the Ghost of Christmas Yet To Come reveals others’ reactions to his death is particularly vivid.

Beyond cautioning against excessive greed, though, Dickens also seeks to call attention to the plight of the working class, spotlighting the poverty of Bob Crachit, Scrooge’s underpaid clerk.

Early in the novel, Scrooge turns away a gentleman collecting donations for the destitute on the grounds that prisons, workhouses and legislation render charity unnecessary.

Dickens condemns Scrooge’s callousness and points out the insufficiency of government social welfare systems in England. Yet, by locating the solution in Scrooge’s moral reform and in the Christmas spirit, falls short as a work of social commentary.

In some ways, Scrooge’s perspective in the early part of the book is apt. “What’s Christmas-time to you but a time for paying bills without money; a time for finding yourself a year older and not an hour richer...?” he says to his nephew. A day of abundance and feasting does not truly address anyone’s hardships, and the universal holiday cheer depends upon mass willingness to participate in a temporary delusion that all is well.

In advocating for individual charity in place of true socio-economic justice, “A Christmas Carol” contains a flawed—if comforting—message. At the end of the book, Scrooge spontaneously gives Crachit a raise, and the narrator assures us that Tiny Tim, Crachit’s sick son, will survive due to Scrooge’s benevolence. Meanwhile, outside the walls of Scrooge’s home, beyond the scope of the novel, Ignorance and Want continue to roam.

“A Christmas Carol”

By Charles Dickens Published 1843

By Catherine Lin (‘19)

Two grotesque children, a boy and a girl, emerge from underneath the ghost’s robes.

“They are Man’s,” the Ghost of Christmas Present says. “And they cling to me, appealing from their fathers. This boy is Ignorance. This girl is Want.”

Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” takes the social problems the two children personify as its primary concern, holding up the Christmas spirit of kindness and Christian charity as potential salves.

The novel’s narrative arc is simple, populated with largely flat characters.

Ebenezer Scrooge, a stingy old man, is visited by four ghosts on Christmas Eve. The ghost of his former business partner Jacob Marley, the Ghost of Christmas Past, the Ghost of Christmas Present and the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come teach Scrooge the importance of generosity.

This simplicity suits the book’s role as a