PAST EVENTS RETURNING. TRAVELING INTERNATIONALLY. PERFORMING WITHOUT MASKS. ILLUSTRATION BY RICHIE H. (‘23)
After three years without the annual Food Fair, the Taipei American School (TAS) Parent Teacher Association (PTA) successfully hosted the Halloween Family Fun Night on Oct. 28. With over 2,500 faculty, staff, students and TAS family members attending, the event was the biggest schoolwide, cross-divisional function since the 2019 Food Fair, the last Food Fair held before COVID-19 hit.
The Halloween Family Fun Night was hosted at the Taipei Children’s Amusement Park. “The event was pretty festive, especially for the younger kids, as there were endless food stands and activities throughout the park besides the rides to keep them busy,” said Daphne W. (‘24), who attended the event with friends.
The PTA, led by President Ms. Fantine Chu and Events Head Ms. Mina Hirai, worked tirelessly to coordinate all factors leading to this success: finalizing the date on short notice, working with the Informational Technology (IT) Department on registration forms and communicating with administrators to finalize logistics.
Ten upper school clubs, including the Climate Change Club and PaintHouse, set up shaded booths with fundraising activities and games. “When it rained, everyone went to the games,” Ms. Chu said.
The rain posed an opportunity for cross-divisional interaction, with members from the lower, middle and upper schools participating in upper school student club
booths. “[Lower school students watching upper school students run their booths] made them go like, ‘one day, I could do that too,’” Ms. Hirai said.
grandparents,” Ms. Chu said. It was also a chance for new TAS families, who joined across the past three years, to socialize. “Parents were meeting the parents of the best friend of their kids,” Ms. Hirai said.
New faculty members, including Deputy Head of School Dr. Liz Gale, also got to see the community in full scale. Dr. Gale made a short speech introducing herself to the TAS community at the start of the event.
The event was also an opportunity for the community to come together holistically. “This was not only for the students’ [immediate family] ... It was about the TAS community … The students could even invite their
The planning process also involved many parent volunteers, with over 70 parents getting involved in decorations and the overall coordination of the event.
The annual PTA Food Fair, which this event replaced, is still in consideration for coming years as COVID-19 restrictions loosen.
After two years of COVID-19 putting school trips on hold, students are finally able to travel internationally this year. Season one Interscholastic Association of Southeast Asian Schools (IASAS) kicked off the first international school trips of the year in early October. Many other teams have followed suit and traveled to attend tournaments, conferences and conventions since.
For season one IASAS sports, Taipei American School (TAS) required more than 70 athletes and accompanying coaches to follow the host countries’ policies. Upon returning, they were required to follow Taiwan’s COVID-19 restrictions.
“Taiwan’s conservative approach really restricts who can go and how many can travel because we’re still trying to operate
By Aina Chen (‘26), Audrey Hwang (‘23) & Erin Wu (‘25)a school and a lot of coaches are also teachers,” said Ms. Kim Kawamoto, the athletic director and lead organizer of season one IASAS travel.
Although TAS has a goal to have as many students travel as possible, coordinators still had to “take everything into account,” including what plan students would follow if they were to get sick and if quarantine rules were to change, Upper School Principal Mr. Andrew Lowman said.
For season one IASAS, traveling out of the country stayed mostly the same, except for the fact that the athletes had to present a negative rapid antigen or polymerase chain reaction (PCR) COVID-19 test before boarding the plane.
Once the athletes landed, they followed a testing schedule throughout
the trip. Although many of the host countries did not have mask policies, TAS students and coaches continued to wear masks when they weren’t playing a game to lower the risk of contracting COVID-19.
The Speech and Debate team, which traveled to Las Vegas and Minneapolis, followed the same guidelines. However, while planning the trips, the teachers had more meetings with Mr. Lowman to consider and plan according to Taiwan’s ever-changing policies.
Many of the obstacles were Taiwan’s restrictions themselves. TAS had to handle COVID-19 related paperwork such as vaccinations and PCR tests. Also, TAS had initially anticipated a seven day quarantining period after re-entry, but restrictions soon changed and students
were able to attend school on return.
Now that things seem to be returning to normal, coordinators face another challenge of having to evaluate whether or not some travel opportunities are worth going on, as TAS no longer sponsors a portion of the travel fees.
By constantly checking the travel restrictions, coordinators are working with Dean of Student Life Dr. Brandon Maguire, parents and the Ministry of Education to ensure that students are able to attend events that will provide them with quality experiences.
Pending changes in restrictions will determine whether TAS can host events next semester, including the highly anticipated IASAS Track & Field Championships, which are scheduled to be in Taipei in March 2023.
“This was not only for the students’ [immediate family] ... It was about the TAS community.”Students, faculty, staff and families were all invited to the Taipei Children’s Amusement Park for the Halloween Family Fun Night. [PHOTOS COURTESY OF PTA MEDIA] The TAS Debate team traveled to the U.S. to attend the MinneApple Debate Tournament. [PHOTOS COURTESY OF TAS SPEECH AND DEBATE]
This semester, the Taipei American School (TAS) community is transitioning into a new era of living with COVID-19 as restrictions loosen but cases remain high. These updates are accurate as of Nov. 18; TAS Communications provides the most recent updates on the school website.
An estimated five to 10 students per division (lower, middle and upper school) have been testing positive for COVID-19 daily, according to Head Nurse Ms. Kendal Cheng. This is a rise from last year.
By Katherine Ma (‘24)Dr. Liz Gale (she/her) is the new Deputy Head of School at Taipei American School (TAS) this school year. Prior to coming to Taiwan, Dr. Gale worked at several international schools in China, spending 11 years at the American International School of Guangzhou, six years at Shanghai Community International School and a year at a startup school in Beijing.
Dr. Gale was attracted to TAS because of the school’s neverending commitment to learning. Even while working overseas, Dr. Gale was well-informed about TAS values and the school’s work.
“Having lived and worked within the educational sector in Asia for the past 20 years, TAS has always been a school that I’ve kept a close eye on in terms of the implementation of innovative and forwardthinking educational practices,” Dr. Gale
said. “There have been some fantastic program developments and initiatives that have occurred at TAS over the years that are in alignment with my educational beliefs and values, and I’m excited to continue to build upon these initiatives to ensure TAS remains a world-class school of excellence.”
As deputy head of school, Dr. Gale is an important member of the central leadership team at TAS. “She supports me and collaborates closely with the Admissions Director, the [Information Technology] Director and with the three principals, the Dean of Teaching and Learning and the Director of Inclusion and Wellbeing in overseeing academic leadership and our school’s strategic goals,” Head of School Dr. Grace Cheng Dodge (she/her) said.
Dr. Gale has worked with Ms. Amanda Jacob, the dean of teaching and learning, leading professional development days (PD
days) to uphold and carry out TAS’s mission of supporting students in their education. In addition, they have visited lower school classrooms, held parent events and had discussions with upper school students to help further define and develop the TAS mission.
“We have been doing a lot of work over the last two and a half months to help make sure our community, students, faculty and parents understand our mission,” Ms. Jacob said. “We want to help all learners have an enduring commitment to lifelong learning through a broad American-based education.”
With the help of a supportive community, Dr. Gale has been adjusting well to TAS. “It’s been one of the smoothest transitions I’ve ever made,” Dr. Gale said. “The whole TAS community has been extremely friendly, supportive, welcoming and helpful. My family and I are grateful to be here.”
Frolic, the upper school winter formal, is making a comeback on Dec. 21. The upcoming event will be the first since 2019, which was when it was last hosted.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the formal was canceled in the past three years. There was an event held at the Taipei Children’s Amusement Park in place of Frolic in 2020. Although events have been held to replace the dance, this is the first year that students will have a traditional Frolic.
The upper school Student Government (StuGov) is in charge of planning the formal, where students get to dress up, have dinner, watch performances and dance at a designated hotel venue.
The theme for this year will be Shanghai in the 1920s, and the dance will be held at Taipei Grand Hotel.
StuGov officers began to start focusing more on planning for Frolic after Field Day.
“We first come up with a date, the theme and which hotel we’re holding it at,” said Erin S. (‘23, she/her), a StuGov officer. “Most of the activities are similar to the years before so we get to use information from past years.”
Planning for the event is a group process involving all members of the StuGov. After specific details such as the date, theme and venue are decided, the officers divide up jobs like ordering food, buying decorations and promoting it. StuGov members participated as well, whether that be setting up and cleaning up on the day of the dance, helping sell tickets or making promotions beforehand.
“It feels more like Frolic was put on pause, because things haven’t changed much,” Erin said. “If [COVID-19] increases, we’ll have to
change some stuff, but as for right now, we’re just planning it as if it’s a normal year.”
Though the effects of COVID-19 have increasingly lightened over the past year, it still has some indirect impacts on Frolic this year. “We’re a little worried that because there hasn’t been a Frolic in the past two years, students may not be as excited about it,” Erin said.
However, students seem to look forward to attending the school event again. “I think even with COVID, it’s fun to dress up and go with friends,” Ocean T. (‘25, she/her), a student planning to attend Frolic, said. Other students are just glad to have school events continue as normal. “I’m really excited for Frolic because the last dance I went to was Candlelight in middle school, and that was really fun. I miss it,” Shelby T. (‘25, she/ her) said.
However, the general protocols for if a student contracts COVID-19 remain the same. Students who see the nurse with symptoms on campus are sent home with a COVID-19 test. If they test positive, nurses contact their academic counselors, who then communicate with the student’s teachers.
As of Nov. 14, confirmed positive COVID-19 cases will only be required to home quarantine for five days, followed by a seven-day self-health management procedure. Campus access will be permitted after completing the five-day quarantine if symptom free, according to Chief Operating Officer Mr. Larry Kraut in a message on the Parent Post.
The process for positive cases begins with the nurses reaching out to the family to see how the student is doing. The nurses then work with parents to ensure a plan for the student’s return to school, which comes after a five-day quarantine requirement.
This “chain process,” as Ms. Cheng described, has been tough on everyone impacted: administrators, counselors, teachers, parents, students and nurses. “It’s been a lot of work we did not anticipate,” Ms. Cheng said.
According toTAS Communications’s Parent Post, close contacts within a home, like siblings, are permitted on campus during a seven-day period of self-initiated prevention. Contacts are allowed on campus, subject to a negative COVID-19 test within two days of campus access, effective Nov. 7.
Since Nov. 7, TAS is no longer required to confirm the vaccination status of anyone entering campus or participating in school events, including on and off-campus activities, according to Mr. Kraut.
For teachers who contract, COVID-19, there are several backup plans. Either an appropriate TAS teacher would step in to substitute for the class or a substitute teacher would monitor the students in class while the teacher teaches on Zoom.
At one point in the semester, up to five math and computer science teachers were out with COVID-19. “Teachers worked really hard to cover each other,” Upper School Principal Mr. Andrew Lowman said. “It’s hard to teach four classes a day.”
Ultimately, as government policies continue to change, the TAS community can only adapt. “Things are constantly changing,” Mr. Lowman said. “We’re [always] trying to deliver the TAS program.”
The Interscholastic Association of Southeast Asian Schools (IASAS) sports competitions have returned after nearly three years of COVID-19 disturbances. Volleyball and cross country athletes traveled to the International School of Bangkok (ISB), and soccer athletes traveled to the International School of Kuala Lumpur (ISKL).
BOYS - FIRST PLACE
The varsity girls volleyball team placed first, defending its IASAS championship from 2019. This year, the team was led by captains Reese R. (‘23, she/her), Catrina Y. (‘23, she/her) and Chloe W. (‘23, she/ her). The team went undefeated, making it through the tournament with a record of 6-0.
“Seeing the camaraderie between our teammates and bonding with everyone was definitely one of the most notable things [about IASAS],” Reese said. She believes the team is well-equipped in terms of leadership and hopes to see the team continue to thrive next year.
GIRLS - SECOND PLACE
The varsity girls cross country team placed second, defending its position from the 2019 IASAS. The team of 12 was led by captains Enya T. (‘23, she/ her) and Maddy C. (‘23, she/her). The team placed second in the 5KM time trial and first in the 3K trail, finishing just two points behind first-place Singapore American School (SAS). Asia H. (‘26, she/her), who placed third overall on the 3KM time trials, received All-Tournament recognition.
Looking ahead, Enya thinks her team is ready to win gold at IASAS next year.
BOYS - FIRST PLACE
The varsity boys volleyball team placed first, winning their first gold since 2016. The game ended with three sets to TAS and two for ISKL. The team was led by captains Derek L. (‘23 he/him), Evan L. (‘23, he/him) and Justin L. (‘23, he/him).
“[Being able to go and] win IASAS is really unforgettable,” Derek said. “This year, we really proved that our team could improve in a short span of time.”
Derek believes that the boys volleyball program has a lot of potential and foresees several more championship victories in the future.
GIRLS - THIRD PLACE
The varsity girls soccer team placed third this year. The team, led by captains Mana L. (‘23, she/her) and Melissa R. (‘23, she/her), lost the semifinal match by one goal to SAS. They went undefeated on the first day and had a record of 1-1 on the second day.
After three years without IASAS, students were excited to travel again. “[Because of COVID-19], I never thought I was actually going to travel in my high school career. But the fact that we got to go this year was definitely the cherry on top of everything,” Mana said.
BOYS - FIRST PLACE
The varsity boys cross country team placed first, securing its first ever gold medal in the TAS cross country program’s history. In the 5KM time trial, TAS runners placed top first, second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth, a feat never done before in IASAS history. The team was led by captains Guan C. (‘23, he/him), Justin M. (‘23, he/him) and Charlie H. (‘24, he/him), who all earned All-Tournament recognition, a prestigious award given to the top seven runners in IASAS.
“No words can describe how proud I am of this team,” Charlie said.
The varsity boys soccer team placed first, playing the International School of Manila (ISM) in the final match and winning 3-2. The team ended with three wins and two ties, securing the first gold medal for the TAS boys soccer program since 2008.
This year, the team was led by captains Jeffrey M. (‘23, he/him), Daniel T. (‘23, he/him) and Tyler L. (‘23, he/him).
The boys soccer program hopes to continue winning. “I think the best advice I can give the team is to trust the process,” Jeffrey said.
The Interscholastic Association of Southeast Asian Schools (IASAS) Model United Nations (MUN) Conference was held from Nov. 9 to 13. Selected delegates representing Taipei American School (TAS) traveled to International School Bangkok (ISB) for the first in-person IASAS MUN Conference after three years of not being able to travel due to COVID-19.
“It was so exhilarating to be able to meet the people that I met last year online in person this year,” James K. (‘23), the vice president of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) committee, said.
Before leaving for IASAS MUN, delegates practiced every Monday and Wednesday after school to prepare resolutions and practice resolution debates. A resolution contains all the proposed solutions to a topic that the committeee is trying to address.
ICJ, especially, had a grueling preparation process, where students had to prepare many documents, such as lengthy memorandums, and opening and closing statements, while preparing witnesses for examination.
“After-school preparations for IASAS MUN are both fun and tiring,” Crystal C. (‘24), who represented the United Kingdom (U.K.) in the Human Rights Council (HRC), said.
On the first day of the conference, students headed to United Nations Conference Centre for an opening ceremony and a speech from one of the former prime minister of Thailand, Abhisit Vejjajiva. Students then had a chance to socialize and connect with students from other IASAS schools.
The other days were spent debating resolutions, general assemblies and practices in the United Nations Conference Center (UNCC).
By Ariel Lee (‘23)
After the Interscholastic Association of Southeast Asian Schools (IASAS) Film and Art Cultural Convention had been hosted virtually for the past two years, students were finally able to travel to attend the inperson event from Nov. 9 to 13.
Eight art delegates represented Taipei American School (TAS) at the International School of Manila (ISM). Delegates participated in critiques, attended workshops, visited galleries and collaborated on artwork.
After 25 pieces of artwork were picked by the art department, students were interviewed to be part of the eight selected delegates. “Just the thought of being in the same room with aspiring artists from all across South [East] Asia sharing and making art together was enough to make me want to join IASAS Art,” Feronia L. (‘24), a TAS art delegate, said.
In preparation for the art show in ISM, TAS delegates held a home show with the artworks that were not brought to the convention, through which they learned more about installing art and curating an exhibition.
This year’s theme for the Cultural Convention is “Pamana,” which represents
Filipino culture and heritage. This theme was present throughout the collaborative artworks. Students across schools collaborated to paint sculptures of carabaos, water buffalo native to the Philippines. Each school had its own carabao, representing its culture, which was brought back to the respective schools. Students also had the opportunity to view other artworks and receive constructive feedback from each other and professional artists. “Having critique from someone working in the professional field was really insightful and gave me guidance to one day work in the art industry as an aspiring artist,” Richie H. (‘23, she/her), another TAS art delegate, said.
Delegates attended three workshops in the unconventional mediums of paper cutting, spray painting and installation art. “It introduced me to mediums and art making techniques that I would not think of myself,” Richie said. “Attending these workshops and talking with the artists gave me inspiration for my upcoming [International Baccalaureate] (IB) art exhibition and allowed me to step outside of the box as an artist.”
During the Interscholastic Association of Southeast Asian Schools (IASAS) Film and Art Cultural Convention, film delegates participated in an interscholastic film challenge over three days. Everyone was given the same theme and had a limited amount of time to create a film corresponding to the theme.
According to Film Teacher Mr. Adrian Town, on the first day, students were introduced to the theme, which was related to the host country, the Philippines. Filipinos traditionally start preparing for Christmas months in advance, so the theme was “It’s Christmas already.” Students split up into eight groups, with each group including one student from each school to encourage interscholastic collaboration.
“The film challenge was really fun because we got to work with a lot of new and different people, which was super
exciting,” Sofia H. (‘25, she/her), a TAS film delegate, said.
Each group was allowed to interpret the theme freely, so students traveled around the city to scout their filming locations. The rest of the pre-production process was also completed on the first day in preparation for filming, which took place on the second day. After filming, students collaborated on editing their films, which were then screened on the last day.
Throughout the convention, students also attended workshops to learn more about the film industry and improve their filmmaking skills. They watched professional films and participated in Q&A sessions with the directors and filmmakers themselves. Other workshop topics ranged from screenwriting to how to secure funding for films.
Attending the IASAS Cultural Convention was one of the film department’s biggest hopes for this year. “I think the most important part of IASAS is
“My favorite part about IASAS MUN is definitely meeting new people and interacting with them,” Jerry L. (‘24), the parliamentarian, said. “The students in other schools were all super interesting and fun to joke around with.”
During the conference, students had some difficulty communicating with the ISB team as there were some technical issues that made communication inefficient. However, the students still managed to pull through and finish the conference.
Ultimately, this year’s conference was a success. Students were all able to have fruitful debates and fun interactions with other students.
“I’m thankful we got to travel this year,” Crystal said. “We made so many memories and learned so much because of this opportunity.”
Furthermore, students visited the Pinto Art Museum, a museum in the Philippines that showcases contemporary and native art. “The museum was designed and built in a way that interacted with nature and the outdoors; it was something I’ve never seen in a gallery space before,” Richie said.
Despite the packed schedule, most delegates found the experience to be fulfilling. “From traveling to staying at [ISM] till 7 p.m., it definitely was exhausting but an experience worth doing again if I could,” Richie said.
“Now, having been myself, I’d say it was a very magical experience indeed, and I would love to be part of this event again next year,” Feronia said.
the fact that delegates are meeting students from different backgrounds,” Mr. Town said. As filmmaking is very collaborative, working with other students is a crucial skill to learn. “In previous years, all the students have seen each other’s work and done workshops and watched films together online, but it’s not really quite the same as meeting them and actually making a film together,” he said.
“I’m really grateful to have had the opportunity to travel for IASAS Film after the [COVID-19] pandemic prevented us from traveling for almost three years,” Sarah Y. (‘23, she/her), another TAS delegate, said. “I think this IASAS experience was a great way to develop my passion for film and create bonds with new people in a creative and enjoyable environment.”
“I definitely think the students were just happy to be there. The energy was very high and everyone was grateful to attend a live event,” Mr. Town added.
“It was a very magical experience indeed, and I would love to be part of this event again next year.”
By Ariel Lee (‘23)
This year’s annual Upper School drama production, based on the 1606 Shakespeare play “Macbeth,” was held from Oct. 5 to 7. Director Mr. Austin Farwell led the production for his first show at Taipei American School.
By Ariel Lee (‘23)
This year’s annual Upper School dance production “Beautiful Dreamer,” based on the classic story “Sleeping Beauty,” was held from Nov. 3 to 5. Dance teachers Mrs. Cheryl Lagerquist, also known as Ms. Q, and Ms. Kendra Ing directed the production together for the first time.
grew closer to each other and acted as emotional support for one another
“We gravitate [towards each other] because of the language and culture barriers we have with the non-international people,” Joseph said. “During break times, we would sit together in those little night market plastic stools or benches and drink something like tea, juice and whatever cold beverage that is
Ultimately, the military experience allowed the alumni to realize how much they
“Life outside the military is beautiful,” Joseph said. “Be thankful for the basic rights, as simple as eating whatever whenever, because I don’t think we can even take these
Food items’ prices at Taipei American School (TAS) have increased this school year. Many items have been increased by NT$10 to NT$20. The popular complete meal from the serving line has been increased from NT$105 to NT$115.
Mr. Shawn O’Neal, the food service business manager, partially attributes the price increases to global inflation. According to Mr. O’Neal, the trend of inflation has been more than apparent even before the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Everything costs more,” Mr. O’Neal said. “Our prices are set such that we are able to cover our expenses. That’s the main thing.”
An across-the-board price increase in which prices for all TAS food items are raised explains this year’s price raises. “We haven’t actually done an across-the-board price increase for almost 15 years,” Mr. O’Neal said. “The last time we did was actually back in 2008.”
Across-the-board price increases were implemented at the beginning of the school year. Before being implemented, the increase had to be approved by a series of supervisors. Mr. O’Neal came up with the initial proposal, which was then reviewed by the Chief Operating Officer Mr. Larry Kraut and the Controller Ms. Cathy Hsu.
After approval from Mr. Kraut and Ms. Hsu, who are responsible for general
financial oversight at TAS, the proposal was then forwarded to the school board for authorization.
In general, these price increases are done to ensure that the food service department at TAS can cover all of its expenses. “The school ultimately decides how often prices are raised … This [across-the-board price increase] was definitely done to counter the effects of increasing costs,” Mr. O’Neal said.
By covering expenses, Mr. O’Neal and his team strive to make the dining experience at TAS as enjoyable as possible for the TAS community.
“We try to do things so that most people will be able to find something in the cafeteria or snack bar that appeals to them, so they
leave TAS with a positive impression,” Mr. O’Neal said.
Opinions about these price increases vary among students, with some feeling discontent as they view price increases as unnecessary considering the school’s tuition fees.
“Personally, I do not think that [these price increases] are justified since we already pay so much for school tuition,” Katrina F. (‘24, she/her) said.
Other students feel that the price increases at TAS are practical and understandable. “I think, to some extent, [increased prices are] justified because of inflation of products all over the world,” Kaitlyn C. (‘24, she/her) said.
This article is only avaliable in physical print issues.
Sean L. (‘25, he/him) recently joined the Chinese Taipei Football team to play in the 2023 Asian Football Confederation’s (AFC) qualifying tournament. Sean was also on this year’s varsity soccer team but had to opt out of traveling for the Interscholastic Association of Southeast Asian School (IASAS) competition to play in the AFC tournament.
For the AFC tournament, Sean traveled to both Malaysia and Vietnam to compete against teams from Vietnam, Thailand and Nepal.
The U-17 Taiwan team, which consists of players under the age of 17, ended with one win and two losses, placing third overall. As this is Sean’s first year on the Taiwan team, he hopes to continue to improve and grow as a player with his teammates.
“I’ve never played in international games,” Sean said. “I normally just play in Taiwan so this is a big step for me.”
Sean was recruited by scouts from tournaments such as the Asian Qualifiers Club, which invites local teams to compete in tournament styled matches. Scouts from the national team watch the games and extend offers to promising players. He has
been training with the national team for over a year and will continue playing for Taiwan.
“I love playing with Sean as I already have played with him for several years outside school,” Daniel T. (‘24), one of Sean’s varsity teammates, said. “He is a great player and I love his desire to win which makes me excited to play with him in the future.”
By Abby Chang (‘24)
Will H. (‘24) is a rising pop artist, first gaining recognition in a Taiwanese idol survival show “Atom Boyz.” After more than a year of hard competition, Will successfully finished the survival show and debuted in a five member boy group, AcQUA.
The “Atom Boyz” idol survival show is designed with the concept of the solar system’s eight planets. The show began with 80 participants all split into eight planets. Each planet had missions, such as performances, to accomplish throughout the show.
challenges, such as struggling with confidence when speaking in front of cameras with everyone listening.
However, with encouragement from his friends and as Will adapted to the new environment, he eventually learned to feel comfortable when speaking in front of everyone.
Will had to balance his show responsibilities along with his school work. Communication was crucial for balancing school during this time. According to Mr. Peter Hua, Will’s math teacher, Will balances his school work well and completes his assignments in a timely manner.
Looking forward, Sean also hopes to continue playing soccer at TAS. If given the choice between IASAS and his national team’s tournament, he would still make the same choice to play for the national team.
“Despite having to leave school for such a long time. I still feel like it was a really good choice for me,” Sean said.
Matthew K. (‘25), one of Sean’s varsity teammates, greatly admires his leadership and determination.“I look forward to Sean being captain of the varsity squad during his senior year at TAS and leading [us] to another gold medal at IASAS,” he said.
As the show progressed, participants were gradually eliminated based on their performances. For Will, the elimination process was not easy.
“It was pretty intense and tiring, but fun at the same time,” he said.
After being selected from his planet group, Mercury, to perform, Will began long hours of dance practice and music lessons. He would arrive at the studio at 3 a.m. for makeup, then would have dance rehearsals and 12 hours of filming to around 3 or 4 a.m. the next day.
Will enjoyed being in the recording studios and learning skills, such as evoking emotions and singing fluidly, from professional teachers.
Will’s most memorable moment in the show was his first stage performance in front of judges and other competitors. Due to his inexperience with performing on stage, he underwent overwhelming emotions.
“The first time was tough. I was fake smiling. I was blushing,” he said. When interviewed by the show, Will explained how he was tearing up from the stress of his performance. “My first performance was definitely something that’s going to stick with me forever,” he said.
Will’s musical journey comes with
After Will finished “Atom Boyz,” music companies started scouting for the singers they wanted. Will, alongside four other members in Mercury, were selected and signed into a group with Catwalk, the largest modeling company in Taiwan. Thus, AcQUA was born.
“[The members of AcQUA] are not competitors anymore,” Will said. “We have to be more professional.”
AcQUA released its debut song called “AcQUArius” on Oct. 27, which currently has over 900,000 views on YouTube. The group is planning on producing a second song either this month or early next year.
“Seeing his group go from competing in a television show, to getting signed and to releasing a single … was surreal because the person on the screen was this person next to me,” Cedric L. (‘24, he/him), a friend of Will, said.
Ultimately, Will hopes that everyone can enjoy his performances and support his new group, but also respect him by giving him space and privacy. “We need some privacy… Sometimes you get overwhelmed when it’s too much,” Will said.
“I’m just so incredibly proud of Will and I can’t wait for him to release an album,” Cedric said. “No pressure though.”
“I normally just play in Taiwan so this is a big step for me.”
RD.
TAIPEI 11152 TAIWAN
EDITORIAL BOARD
EDITORS-IN-CHIEF
AMBER WU (‘23, she/her)
AUDREY HWANG (‘23, she/her)
MANAGING EDITOR (PRINT)
ARIEL LEE (‘23, she/her)
MANAGING EDITOR (ONLINE)
VICTORIA HSU (‘24, she/her)
SOCIAL MEDIA DIRECTOR
ABBY CHANG (‘24, she/her)
STAFF WRITERS
KATHERINE MA (‘24, she/her)
ERIN WU (‘25, she/her)
AINA CHEN (‘26, she/her)
ADVISER
MS. JEI-JEI TAN (she/her)
MISSION STATEMENT
The Blue & Gold is a student-run publication dedicated to sharing stories from the Taipei American School community. Regularly publishing content by student reporters during the academic year, The Blue & Gold strives to inform our school community by covering events and issues relevant to TAS and showcasing the diversity of our community.
CORRECTIONS
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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 the TAS student body, staff, faculty or administration.
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By Amber Wu (‘23)While it is common for many upper school students with driver’s licenses to drive themselves to school in the U.S., most Taipei American School (TAS) students are not seen searching for parking spaces on campus, leading many to question why TAS students are less likely to drive to school.
The current policy indicates that seniors who are 18 and have passed their driving test are allowed to operate a vehicle on school grounds; however, like parents dropping their children off at school, they cannot park at school during the school days, which makes driving to school very inconvenient. “Students [driving to school] need just make it clear [that] it is for drop off and pickup, and not for parking,” Mr. Ming-Der Huang (he/him), the security manager, said.
The parking restrictions were established due to the lack of parking spots on campus. The school had considered procuring more parking spots but was not able to as school grounds are too small. “There are not many
spots [in the basement], with a long waiting list for spots when they open,” Mr. Larry Kraut (he/him), the chief operating officer, said. “As for the West Side Campus, we have a few parking spots and they’re also on a sign up basis for employees, with a long wait list.”
The school’s decision to disallow parking also stems from the potential accidents caused by increased traffic. “It’s understandable because there’s not enough parking spaces for everyone,” Connie L. (‘22, she/her), a TAS alumnus who got her driver’s license in her senior year at TAS, said. “I think it’s good that students aren’t allowed to drive on campus because it can mitigate accidents.”
However, the administration should allow students to park on campus during weekends when students need to stay at school for longer periods of time as it is more difficult to access school transportation. Although many students are required to come on campus for certain activities, they cannot take the school bus on weekends as it only operates on the weekdays.
Because the bus parking lot at school is vacant during the weekends, the administration can consider opening the spots to students who wish to drive to school during special events for convenience. Students would not have to scour the streets for a public parking spot or take public transportation that would require more time to travel to campus.
While providing more spaces in the bus parking lot for students to park on the weekends would greatly benefit student drivers, the school should still maintain a policy with a limit on parking times. “It is important to limit the parking times to school days or when students need to come on campus for events so the school can use the space more efficiently,” Claire C. (‘23, she/her), a current student driver, said. Fundamentally, although there are not enough spaces for car parking on school days, the administration should allow students to park on campus for special occasions and events on the weekends.
By Davina J. (‘25, they/them)
I’ll be taking the SAT in exactly two weeks, two days and 12 hours. I know this because I’ve been counting down the days with something like tears or sweat trickling down my spine. It’s funny because everyone knows that a singular test isn’t very representative of your intelligence or your ability to succeed. Yet here I am, ready to take a test meant to do exactly that. A test supposedly meant to represent me as a person, to tell colleges exactly who I am.
Here’s a funny story: there once was a psychologist named Carl Brigham who created a standardised test in 1926 designed to test one’s scholarly potential, to clean up the nepotistic college application process in the twentieth century. The test was widely accepted and seemed like a great idea, until you realize Brigham was really into eugenics or, in other words, blood supremacy. That was obviously an issue and led to a rebranding
in the late 20th century where the College Board renamed the test to the scholastic assessment test (as opposed to the scholastic aptitude test from the 20s). It didn’t work out. So they rebranded again. And again. And again. Until they finally gave up and decided the SAT just wasn’t going to stand for anything. The SAT. An empty acronym. And perhaps that’s fitting because the SAT’s less-than-stellar past bleeds through history into a less-than-stellar present.
In “Sex, Race, and Marriage,” Claude M. Steele argues that the SAT only measures about 18 percent of the factors that determine someone’s freshmen year grade. And I don’t know what that says about me, because I’m staring at the evidence of the SAT’s absurdity and yet I’m prepared to partake in this broken system anyway. I’m fully aware that the SAT isn’t meant to test your intelligence, it’s to test your capacity to spend money on things like prep courses, the tests themselves, and, eventually, college. And this knowledge of the SAT’s
history, this knowledge of its futility, still renders themselves meaningless. Or perhaps it could mean something. Perhaps all it means is to take the SAT less seriously. Because let’s be honest, the SAT isn’t going to become obsolete until the American education system fully changes the way it screens and accepts students, which isn’t going to happen anytime soon. So all one can change is their mentality. Take out some of that frustration and mock the exam viciously. And if you get a low score, so what? Plenty of students get into college without even taking the SAT. Plenty of students have a great future without even considering the SAT. And perhaps I’m lying to myself. And perhaps all this is leading up to a moment of zemblanity. But perhaps in this way it wouldn’t be tears and sweat trickling down my spine. It would be anger, steely, keeping my mind sharp and hands steady. At this exam, I was stricken. At this injustice, I seethe.
TAS seniors should be able to park on campus during weekends
The long awaited Netflix film “Enola Holmes 2,” the female heroine counterpart of the beloved “Sherlock Holmes” series set in Victorian England, was released on Nov. 4. Directed by Harry Bradbeer, the movie stars Millie Bobby Brown, Henry Cavill, Louis Partridge, Hannah Dodd, Helena Bonham Carter and more.
The second installment follows the eponymous heroine Enola, the younger sister of the famous detective Sherlock
Holmes, who struggles to operate her detective agency until a young girl comes for her help to find her missing co-worker from the match factory. Enola sets off on an adventure to find Sarah Chapman and learns about the cruel conditions of the match factory that many lower-class girls worked in during the late 19th century.
Mirroring the themes of the first movie, feminism is prevalent in the beloved sequel. The film also integrates historical elements such as the Matchgirls’ strike of 1888, when around 1,400 girls working at a London match factory refused to work under deadly
conditions, highlighting the lack of wages and the strikes to call for better working conditions.
What makes the second film stand out more than its predecessor is that the story revolves around the Matchgirls’ strike, allowing viewers to enhance their knowledge of social injustices in the Victorian era.
Viewers also see Enola transition into a young adult, struggling to follow the societal expectations the high-class Victorian society endows upon her. She attempts to learn the airs and mannerisms that other ladies value in order to receive
information instrumental to her detective case.
At the end of the film, Enola develops into a respectable young Victorian woman while continuing to embody her cheerful, humorous personality, implying that society has not restrained and marred her character.
Ultimately, the second installment of the “Enola Holmes” series not only maintains the warm, cozy mystery aspect, but it also delves further into the purposes of work strikes in Victorian England, giving the film a historic edge.
Between the first and second installments of the “Black Panther” series, the most tragic and impactful change was the death of Chadwick Boseman, whose performance as King T’Challa/Black Panther had seemed to signal the arrival of a new start.
Although many Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) movies currently focus on the complex plot of the multiverse, cowriter and director Ryan Coogler does not run from the grief caused by Boseman’s death in “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.” Instead, he uses it to reshape the series by portraying deep themes of vulnerability and loss as the film focuses on the aftermath of King T’Challa’s death. Similarly, characters are shaped by their grief as the kingdom of Wakanda fights to embrace its next chapter and protect the nation from intervening world powers.
We first witness the burden of Shuri
(Letitia Wright), T’Challa’s sister, as she is tortured by the knowledge that her gifts in science and technology could not save her brother. Queen Ramonda (Angela Bassett), her mother, attempts to balance her responsibility to keep Wakanda sovereign while Nakia (Lupita Nyong’o), T’Challa’s partner, struggles to come to terms with his death. The responsibilities each character faces are multilayered as they process the new changes while protecting themselves from the hunger of Western powers for Wakanda’s resources.
A new antagonist, Namor (Tenoch Huerta), also known as the feathered serpent god K’uk’ulkan, has big shoes to fill following Killmonger (Michael B. Jordan) from the first movie. The two characters share similar traits like self-determination and aggression, and both are not completely unjustified in their wrath. The movie offers a sincere discussion about resource control and formerly colonized countries, as Namor is the ruler of Talokan, an ancient deep-sea
Mayan civilization.
Another new character, Riri Williams (Dominique Throne), is a technology prodigy set to receive her own spin-off series “Ironheart.”
The entire movie was shot well with arresting visuals such as a mother cradling her baby in shallow waters, a house burning with flames reaching for the sky and Shuri standing in front of the throne of her fallen brother in a blazing room. The occasional moments of weak computer generated imagery (CGI) do not take away from the overall story, which still presents thrilling scenes and action sequences.
The film’s music highlights diverse voices to bring dimension to various cultures and key moments. The two highest profile tracks, Rihanna’s tribute to Boseman “Lift Me Up” and Tems’ cover of the Bob Marley staple “No Woman, No Cry,” both feature reflective tones that emphasize the importance of T’Challa’s — and Boseman’s — passing, touching on themes
of spirituality, legacy and connection.
Oscar-winning costume designer Ruth E. Carter, who helped build the world of Wakanda in the first movie through wardrobe, continues to add to the series by portraying the vibrant world of Wakanda and the underwater universe of the Talokan community. Successfully showcasing the similarities and differences between Wakanda and Talokan, Carter introduces intricate details of the Talokan community. The research that went into the costume design process definitely paid off as the color white, worn traditionally for funerals in West Africa, is used to pay homage to Boseman’s life.
The film’s various elements are beautifully materialized in “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” which skillfully lays the groundwork for future MCU projects. On top of that, Boseman is passionately honored as he continues to be irreplaceable, holding the movie together in an elegant and profound way that continues his legacy.
By Ariel Lee (‘23) & Aina Chen (‘26)
“Midnights,” Taylor Swift’s highly-anticipated 10th album, dropped on Oct. 21. The album features 13 songs and an additional seven bonus tracks in the “3am Edition” (deluxe album). Since the album’s release, “Midnights” has broken many records including the most streamed album in a week with 549 million streams as well as Spotify’s most streamed artist and album in a day, and it has made Swift the first artist to occupy the entire top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100. “Midnights” is Swift’s first self-directed autobiographical album and it is by far the most “cryptic and machiavellian” yet. The haunting melodies and captivating lyrics create something for everyone. “Midnights” encapsulates a feeling of development and growth even if it comes with loss, a reflection on the love, fame and other changes in her life. As usual from the mastermind herself, “Midnights” brims with coded poetry, easter eggs and exquisite lyrics. Here are our top four songs decoded.
“Maroon” is the second track from “Midnights.” “Red” is the second track from Swift’s fourth album, “Red.” Is this coincidental? We think not. While “Red” explores the raw emotions one goes through during different stages of love, “Maroon” explores the honest and more regretful side of a relationship. In the chorus, Swift sings, “And I lost you / The one I was dancin’ with / In New York, no shoes / Looked up at the sky and it was maroon.” Swift often plays with colors that convey different emotions, like burning red symbolizing the fiery stages of love, blue symbolizing the feeling of losing someone and grey symbolizing the stages of missing someone who was once a central part of life. Throughout the song, Swift uses over five shades of red to capture the emotions felt near the end of a relationship. “Red is such an interesting color to correlate with emotion, because it is on both ends of the spectrum,” Swift said. “On one end you have happiness, falling in love, infatuation with someone, passion, all that. On the other hand, you’ve got obsession, jealousy, danger, fear, anger and frustration.” “Maroon” highlights all stages of love and loss symbolized by colors.
In the 13th track of “Midnights,” Swift recounts the night she met Joe Alwyn, her current partner. Having already addressed falling for Alwyn at the Met Gala in her song “Dress” from her sixth album “Reputation,” Swift fleshes out the details of that night in “Mastermind.”Previously referencing the idea of fate in her song “invisible string,” Swift uses the verse “Once upon a time, the planets and the fates and all the stars aligned / You and I ended up in the same room at the same time” to allude to the theme of fate in the beginning of her love story. However, she slowly builds up to a rejection of fate, instead placing herself above the whims of the universe when she sings, “What if I told you none of it was accidental / And the first night that you saw me, nothing was gonna stop me / I laid the groundwork and then just like clockwork / The dominoes cascaded in a line.” Swift takes full responsibility as the “mastermind” behind their union, finally revealing that the subject of the song was a willing accomplice: “I laid the groundwork and then saw a wide smirk on your face, you knew the entire time / You knew that I’m a mastermind / And now you’re mine.”
On the album’s “3am Edition,” “Bigger Than The Whole Sky” is a heartbreaking song that explores themes of grief and loss. While Swift has not shared or confirmed the inspiration behind the lyrics, many fans believe that this song is about losing a loved one. Swift sings in the chorus, “Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye / You were bigger than the whole sky / You were more than just a short time / And I’ve got a lot to pine about / I’ve got a lot to live without / I’m never gonna meet / What could’ve been, would’ve been / What should’ve been you / What could’ve been, would’ve been you.” Here, Swift describes the fleeting loss that she experienced which was nevertheless gutwrenching. As such, many fans speculate that this song could potentially be about a pregnancy loss, combining a different level of grief with devastating, life-altering effects. Swift’s song allows people to find comfort in it and relate to it an empowering way. Another potential interpretation of this song is the narrator addressing their younger self and mourning the life they could have lived. This song relates to the album’s themes of revisiting regrets, self-made enclosures and life-altering changes.
In the “3am Edition,” “Would’ve, Could’ve, Should’ve” explores the devastating aftermath of Swift’s relationship with John Mayer. The two singers dated in 2009, when he was 32 and she was 19. As the 19th track, the song points out Swift’s age during the infamous relationship. “Would’ve, Could’ve, Should’ve” refrences the 13-year age gap that left Swift broken and blaming herself for the pain she went through. In the chorus, she sings, “And the God’s honest truth is that the pain was heaven / And now that I’m grown, I’m scared of ghosts / Memories feel like weapons.” This line captures the complex feelings of having been preyed on by men at a young age and the difficult journey of recovery. The vulnerability throughout the song exposes her honest emotions as she looks back on the relationship. “Would’ve, Could’ve, Should’ve” is a sequel to “Dear John,” which Swift released in her third album, “Speak now.” In “Dear John,” Swift sings, “Don’t you think nineteen’s too young / To be played by your dark twisted games / When I loved you so?” Here, Swift sings about feeling like her girlhood was stolen, which she also references in “Would’ve Could’ve Should’ve”.
[PHOTOS COURTESY OF REPUBLIC RECORDS]
By Victoria Hsu (‘24)Two years after his last album “Nectar,” Joji released “Smithereens” on Nov. 4. Similar to past albums, the songs on “Smithereens” focus on heartbreak and aunrequited love. The album is split into two parts: Side A and Side B.
“Glimpse of Us” - 4/5
“Glimpse of Us,” one of Joji’s biggest hits, has just under 600,000 streams on Spotify. The song is catchy, even to people who might not have been in the character’s shoes. The piano and lyrics convey the essence of late-night overthinking. Although I think this song is too overplayed online, Joji’s lyricism and hypnotic composition create an unforgettable song.
“Feeling Like The End” - 3/5
“Feeling Like The End” is also about someone reeling after a breakup. The character reminisces about the promises. Rather than a slow piano ballad, “Feeling Like The End” is much more upbeat and incorporates more drums. Joji could have done more with this beat and produced something that fit better with the album, like incorporating vocals that aligned with the heavier load of instrumentals.
“Die For You” - 5/5
My favorite song from this album is “Die For You.” Joji mixes elements of pop and lo-fi in this track to create bedroom pop, a genre of music that uses minimal instruments to create a unique experience for the listener. Despite the melancholic lyrics, the faster beats still fit well with the lyrics. “Die For You” is one of the longer songs on the album and is quite similar to the songs that appear on Joji’s “BALLADS 1” album from 2018. This song has a good mix of vocals and instrumentals.
“Before The Day Is Over” - 5/5
“Before The Day Is Over” (BTDIO) is my second favorite song from the album. Even though Joji still primarily uses the piano as the main instrument, this song is much more similar to those in his 2020 album, “Nectar.” Nonetheless, Joji’s ability to produce music, from pop to instrumentals, is what makes this song as enjoyable as it is.
“Dissolve” - 3/5
Right at the beginning of “Dissolve,” a guitar cuts in abruptly, which is too jarring and does not allow for a smooth transition between “BTDIO” and “Dissolve.” As much as I admire Joji for his flow and production ability, his vocals are too indistinguishable. This is a common issue throughout his music, as the guitar overpowers his voice and makes the lyrics hard to decipher.
“NIGHT RIDER” - 3/5
When I first listened to this song, I was expecting something more upbeat. Perhaps it was because of the song title, but I thought “NIGHT RIDER” would be more of a bassboosted song. While the songs on Side A feel traditionally produced, with a variety of instruments and vocals, “NIGHT RIDER” is the first song on Side B and marks a shift toward songs that feel produced in a home studio, perhaps produced late at night or by someone experimenting with music.
“BLAHBLAHBLAH DEMO” - 3/5
“BLAHBLAHBLAH DEMO” is the only song that did not really stand out to me. I don’t dislike it, but I don’t see myself being obsessed with it either. It’s a good song, but nothing about the beat or melody really sticks out to me. Overall, the beat is repetitive and predictable. The lyrics did not compensate for the beat and were very underwhelming.
“1AM FREESTYLE” - 4/5
“1AM FREESTYLE” definitely lives up to its name. The looped beat makes the song feel very homemade, sort of like a spur-of-themoment song. The lyrics are easy to pick up which makes this a good song for people to sing, or hum, to themselves. I really enjoyed the isolated vocals toward the middle of the song. This is something different from what appears in the rest of the album and fit the song well.
“YUKON (INTERLUDE)” - 4/5
“YUKON (INTERLUDE)” was another song Joji released as a single before releasing “Smithereens.” Once again, Joji returns to his signature sad piano ballads that transform into faster beats later on in the song. Overall, this song is very reminiscent of “Pretty Boy” from “Nectar” which makes older fans happy. The song is really catchy and the looped piano makes the song feel very organized. Moreover, the song’s lyrics are very heartfelt and calming.
‘Smithereens:’ Joji’s album for every occasion ‘Smithereens:’ Joji’s album for every occasionMaroon Mastermind Bigger Than The Whole Sky Would’ve, Could’ve, Should’ve
