The Blue & Gold Volume XXVI, Issue 2

Taipei American School | 800 Zhongshan Shan N. Rd., Section 6, Taipei, Taiwan | blueandgoldonline.org | VOLUME XXVI, ISS. 02 | December 2, 2019

EDITORIAL EDITORIAL

OPINIONS

NEWS

Senioritis doesn’t Senioritis doesn’thave havetotobebea abad badthing thing

Stop buying new phones

Adulting 101

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the blue & gold december 2, 2019

SENIOR WELLNESS WEEK RENAMED ADULTING 101

[AUDREY HWANG/THE BLUE & GOLD]

By Nicole Chang (‘21) Last year, a new program called “Senior Wellness Week” was implemented by the upper school administration and counseling team to take the place of senior exams.

While the general program will continue for the second year, it has been renamed “Adulting 101,” to show a new emphasis in the course selection. From Dec.12-17 seniors will participate in a wide range of courses — from learning how to tie a tie to learning how to make things on a rice cooker — to equip them with important skills that will help them in their transition from high school in to college.

Upon receiving feedback from last year’s seniors and from TAS alumni on what they wish they had known before going off to college, college counseling made new

changes to the programming to put a greater emphasis on the transition from high school into college.

Similar to last year, seniors will be required to take two mandatory classes over the course of those six days. One of the required courses is about consent, sexuality, alcohol and drugs on college campuses.

“I think that we would be doing students a disservice if we did not address [this],” director of ollege counseling Mrs. Melanie Hamre said. “We talk a lot about TAS being a bubble. It is a nurturing community, and people are so warm and supportive, but that is not always how college campuses are.”

The second mandatory class will cover third culture identity. Since many faculty members at TAS have lived abroad, they will be sharing their own struggles and

experiences with their third culture identity.

Understanding the various elements in students’ identities is important before traveling to a new country so that they can recognize and appreciate where they have come from while adjusting to a new culture.

Aside from the two mandatory classes, students will also be able to choose two or three additional classes to take. Some of these include a class on how to vote, a class on how to make things on a rice cooker and a class talking about how to deal with college rejection.

“It [will be] such a stressful time [as] a lot of our Grade 12 students are going to be getting news [from colleges], good and bad,” Mrs. Hamre said. “We really want to help them understand that it does not define their lives, that it is okay to be upset and sad, but

then how to get through that and focus on the next thing.”

Personal and academic counselors will also have open hours for students to drop by and talk to them, which is a change from last year.

Mrs. Hamre ultimately hopes that seniors will view this week with a “positive attitude”.

Current senior Julia Kim (‘20), believes that participating in classes during Adulting 101 will be more beneficial than completing an exam. “[Having] important life skills is more important than taking an exam,” she said. “When I go to college, I will be away from home and by myself. Going to school and studying for an exam, won’t teach me how to change the tires of my car, this is why [Adulting 101] will be useful.”

Upper school dancers take on Emerald City in “The Wizard of Oz”

By Audrey Hwang (‘23) “The Wizard of Oz,” the 2019 Upper School Dance Production, showcased the hard work of Upper School dancers on Nov. 14-17.

This dance showcase was choreographed by performing art and dance teachers Ms. Cheryl Laqerquist, Mrs. Deborah Flemming, and Ms. Kari Jensen, and former TAS faculty and alumnus, Mr. Henry Chuang.

The social atmosphere played a crucial role in creating trust and compassion amongst the dancers while performing.

“I think the audience can just tell when there’s chemistry between the cast members

and one thing that helps bond everyone is if you’re not afraid to make mistakes or embarrass yourself in front of others, then [other dancers] won’t be afraid to do the same,” Genevieve Chan (‘20), who played Dorothy, said.

In their last year of upper school dance, the seniors were excited to take on roles of leadership but sad that this was their last dance production.

“This is going to be a really emotional one. I have really tight bonds with the teachers and other dancers, so I feel like it will be a really emotional experience for me and the rest as well,” Chloe Yong (‘20), the

Wicked Witch of the West, said.

The choreographers wanted their dancers to feel proud while doing the difficult task of performing in front of an audience. “We want our dancers to feel a sense of achievement… it takes a lot to perform in front of a group of people,” said Ms. Lagerquist.

Through a display of dance scenes following the storyline of “The Wizard of Oz,” the dancers and choreographers hoped to entertain the audience by telling a story through dance with incorporations of costumes and props that align with the plot. “[The students] aren’t just dancers, but they’re actors as well,” said Ms. Lagerquist.

Genevieve and Jasmine Oh (‘21) performing the opening scene.

[AUDREY HWANG/THE BLUE & GOLD]

TAS iGEM team qualifies for gold medal for the fifth time in a row

By Audrey Hwang (‘23) The TAS iGEM team won a gold medal and was nominated for “Best Part Collection” in the special awards section at the iGEM Giant Jamboree, an international scientific research competition. To achieve the gold medal, the team had to satisfy competition’s the requirements.

From Oct. 31 to Nov. 4, 13 students attended this event in Boston, Mass. They were accompanied by Mr. Jude Clapper, upper school scientific research teacher.

After much deliberation and research, the students have created a project that immediately detects agricultural residues.

The team designed and synthesized DNA that, when transformed into bacteria, produce colored proteins that bind into

either heavy metals or pesticides.

The preparation process took about one year. The process starts from idea creation, to initial results, to refining your methods and finally collaborations.

The students learned to persevere through the resarch process. “Since it’s a year long process, a lot of us are really busy with other types of work, but we had to be better at time management and try to squeeze out some time for iGEM. [We had to] go to labs during lunch and after school, or even staying up until 10 at the lab while others were going out and having fun,” said Kimberley Huang (‘20), the human practice co-head.

At the competition, the students were able to learn by listening to other teams

present, along with presenting their own project. “There are a lot of people who were smarter and more professionalized than us… so we were able to learn a lot from them,” said Eugene Choi (‘20), the human practice co-head.

Aside from attending the iGEM competition, the team took time in the trip to bond with each other. “We did a lot of touring and bonding with our team in Boston. I think it was a good experience to bond with our team,” Eugene said.

Reflecting on the entire process, the team was able to overcome obstacles. “We thought [our conflicts] were the end of the world… but there are always ways to solve [the issue], so I want [future iGEM teams] to not feel bad about getting stuck,” said Eugene.

Dhirpal Shah (‘20) reviews poster with TAS team before the judges evaluation.

[PHOTO COURTESY OF MR. JUDE CLAPPER]

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the blue & gold december 2, 2019

Film team wins big at All American High School Film Festival

The Film team reacts after the announcement that they have won best picture at an international 3-day competition. [PHOTO COURTESY OF TAS FILM DEPARTMENT]

By Sabrina Chang (‘21) The Taipei American School upper school film team won several awards for each of their two films, including the prestigious Best Picture award, at the All American High School Film Festival (AAHSFF) in New York. They showcased the talent and creativity of the film team and impressed both the judges and audience members alike.

One of the students’ short films, “Portraits,” took eight months to write and produce by all 41 students who took part in making it. It was nominated for Best International Film, Best Director, and was awarded Best of Festival from among the 2500 submissions from 50 states and 50 countries.

Their comedy short film, titled “A Fishy State of Mind,” won Best Picture for the three-day competition, receiving an NT$ 150,000 prize. It portrays a mixup between two packages: a live goldfish and a fish taxidermy kit. “It was very spontaneous,” Anthony Hsu (‘20), the film team’s director of photography, said. “It started as a joke and then became a story.”

The work and dedication put into the three-day competition project was nothing short of incredible. “The threeday competition is the ultimate test of the students’ skills and commitment,” Mr. Brett Barrus, upper school film teacher, said.

The students worked tirelessly for ten weeks even before they traveled to New York, in order to conduct thorough pre-

production tasks such as booking spaces, writing and rewriting the script, and testing shots. “Students stayed at school every day after class, as well as over the weekends,” Mr. Adrian Town, upper school film teacher, said.

The team immediately started to work upon arriving in New York despite intense jetlag. The team was often forced to find creative ways and workarounds to overcome obstacles. “We asked postal services for cardboard boxes and even scavenged the New York streets for them,” Ms. Michelle Kao, upper school visual arts teacher, actress, and leader of production design for the film team, said. “It was a lot of thinking on the spot and preparing for all scenarios.”

The trip also involved many sleepless nights, where Michael Nili (‘20), director of the film team, took charge and tried to step up to keep everyone motivated. “By the third day, everyone became zombies,” Michael said. “I really pushed myself to stay energized and confident, hoping that it would reflect on the whole team.”

The film team was especially focused on producing their best work after finishing as finalists at the same festival last year. “The students definitely came away inspired [last year],” Mr. Barrus said. “They were hungry after seeing what was possible.”

This mindset undoubtedly paid off, as the film team came out on top at the competition this year. The awards ceremony itself, complete with a red carpet, was very Hollywood-esque. “It was like a toned-

down version of the Oscars,” Anthony said.

It was an experience that the team will never forget. “We walked down the red carpet with the Taiwan flag,” Michael said.

“It was a cool, almost patriotic, moment where we were able to represent our school.”

Other schools were also amazed by the TAS film team’s product during the screening of their film. “Our film was like a breath of relief,” Anthony said. “A teacher from another school sitting in front of me was even laughing throughout the entire film. It really made us feel great.”

Winning first place and hearing “A Fishy State of Mind” being called to the stage aroused a plethora of emotions, and the moment was almost surreal to the team.

“We were all nervous, then they announced us [as the winners] and I literally felt weightless,” Michael said. “It was a beautiful moment.”

The film team received an NT$ 150,000 check to take back to the TAS film program.

“It felt good to get validation for all of the hard work put into this,” Mr. Town said.

As the largest high school film festival in the world, the AAHSFF fosters spectacular work from numerous schools. “Some of the other films were insane and had really deep messages,” Michael said. “This is something we can definitely explore more; we’re just starting to crack the surface.”

The trip and overall project was a oneof-a-kind learning opportunity that the students and teachers felt privileged to experience. “You can’t replicate the same

type of competition in a school project,” Mr. Barrus said. “This festival hosted the best of the best.”

This project also gave students the chance to work in a drastically different film environment. “It gave them a taste of working in the real world of film, outside of just the grade,” Mr. Town said.

Everyone on the team was exceptionally proud of the product, but also equally proud of the camaraderie that developed along the journey. “I was so touched to see the entire group have each others’ backs,” Ms. Kao said. “The students even fed each other water and made sure everyone got rest; each role was so crucial, and the teamwork was amazing.”

The students felt the effect of their cooperation as well. “Everyone was working in harmony, almost like a professional team,” Michael said. “We felt like we could do anything we wanted.”

The success of the team will undoubtedly help propel TAS film forwards in the future.

“It further galvanizes the film community,” Mr. Barrus said. “The bar gets higher and higher, even TAS alumni currently attending film school are blown away by the work the TAS students are producing every year.”

The film team’s accomplishment is only one example of the outstanding work performed by TAS students. “Don’t underestimate high school students,” Mr. Barrus said. “They can do amazing things.

It’s happening everywhere at this school.”

IASAS expands traveling roster to improve student safety and experience

By Lana Lee (‘22) The Interscholastic Association of Southeast Asian Schools (IASAS) governing body have made several important changes to the team roster size limits. The affected sports include cross country, soccer, rugby, basketball, baseball, fast-pitch softball and track and field. The changes will be implemented this year starting from season two.

According to Ms. Kim Kawamoto, TAS athletics director, the change was made to increase student safety and decrease the number of injuries. “That’s what we have in the forefront of our minds when making these decisions,” Ms. Kawamoto said, who also coaches varsity girls basketball for the school’s IASAS team.

An elaborate legislative process needs to

take place for a rule change to occur at IASAS. During each IASAS sports tournament, the coaches hold a meeting to discuss changes they would like to see in the future. If the coaches pass a suggestion by vote, it proceeds to the IASAS board, where they review the suggestion and vote on it once more.

Although the IASAS games do not follow an explicit guideline, the team roster size usually adheres to the rules of the official governing body of its sport: FIFA for soccer, FIBA for basketball, and FIVB for volleyball.

Ms. Kawamoto and the TAS coaches all supported the increase in roster size limit.

“With the type of schedule they have — 7 games in 3 days — making sure that there is enough players on the roster to play an aggressive, contact sport is important for their safety.”

The change does not apply to every team and sport. “[The changed roster sizes] are limits, and coaches don’t have to take the limit,” Ms. Kawamoto said. “So, some programs might not be affected. For other programs, the limit change will increase the probability of another student athelete getting that IASAS experience.”

Many TAS students are enthusiastic about this change. “I think the change can help build chemistry within the team for next year,” Letisha Wang (‘21), a varsity basketball player, said.

Ultimately, this change is expected to benefit the teams and individual players. “It especially helps the younger players because they can see the pressure and excitement that the IASAS atmosphere offers,” Ms. Kawamoto said.

INFOGRAPHIC BY LANA LEE

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the blue & gold december 2, 2019

Playing sports beyond the TAS athletic department In this edition, The Blue & Gold explore students who participate in sports that are unavailable at TAS

Illustration by Phoebe Chen (‘21)

Tyler Chen: gold medalist at Taiwan Shinkyokushin nationals

By Ian Ho (‘21)

[PHOEBE CHEN/THE BLUE & GOLD]

After practicing taekwondo for eight years, kickboxing for one and a half years and boxing for another two years, Tyler Chen (‘21) began practicing Shinkyokushin karate, an original form of Karate that simulates real, unprotected battles. Tyler has participated in Taiwan national and overseas Okinawa competitions. He medaled first in Taiwan and third in Okinawa.

Shinkyokushin karate requires participants to compete without protective equipment. “In a way, it is basically like kickboxing, but Shinkyokushin athletes do not use gloves in the competitions. They also do not have pads either. Plus, they can attack any way except for throwing punches to the face,” Tyler said. Since the sport

provides a greater risk of injuries compared to other forms of martial arts and karate, many participants of Shinkyokushin karate train their bodies to be not only fit but also durable.

At his first competition in Taiwan, Tyler competed against opponents from all age groups. Rather than seperating by age groups, Shinkyokushin competitions are divided through weight class. Thus, the opponent Tyler fought in his first match was 24 years old. Older opponents had greater stamina, which led to long grueling matches. However, due to Tyler’s training for other sports such as rugby at the time, his stamina was strong enough to keep up and win against his opponents. “The practice that I received from other sports really pulled

through at the competition,” Tyler said.

Driven by the desire to teach his son discipline and courage, Tyler’s father was the catalyst that led Tyler to practice many forms of martial arts and sports from a young age.

“He wanted me to do various forms of sports to develop a sense of discipline,” Tyler said.

“Of course training my body to be fit can help with protecting myself, but it is also about just staying grounded and not shying away.”

Tyler hopes to continue competing and practicing Shinkyokushin in the future. “I’ve learned to really enjoy the forms of martial arts and sports that I’ve picked up throughout the years, especially Shinkyokushin karate. I am positive that I will continue to pursue these activities,” Tyler said.

Zef Robinson: surfing and biking as the ultimate source of joy

By Sharon Lee (‘22)

[SHARON LEE/THE BLUE & GOLD]

For senior Zef Robinson (‘20), biking and surfing have played a significant part in his life since he was 3 years old. He has participated in professional biking and surfing competitions and has won various awards.

In 2016, Zef qualified for the World Surf League in Taitung and had a brief sponsorship with an Indonesian brand named Refuse, which he discovered through a friend. The sponsorship mostly included surfing for the company.

As for biking, Zef has been competing for almost five years. For the past four years, he has placed top ten in each contest he has participated in. In the past two years, he has competed in the Asian Extreme Sports

Games, and ended up in the top five as part of the SPUN STUDIO elite team. This year, he will be competing in a Dirt Contest in November.

The competitions Zef participates in are judged based on the tricks that are performed and the flow of the whole riding course.

His favorite part about biking and surfing is the rush of excitement and adrenaline.

“Nobody is gonna tell you what to do. So you can just do your own thing and make it work, which feels really good,” Zef said.

Zef is a huge fan of Trey Jones, a professional biker. “I absolutely love Trey Jones for his truly unique and raw style and insane diversity in every aspect of bicycle motocross,” Zef said. “He is my favorite of all time, and

his style compared to everybody else is just so different. Everything works when he does it.”

At home, Zef has a half-pipe in his backyard, which can be used for practicing both biking and skating.

Occasionally, Zef also teaches and helps his younger sister Evie Robinson (‘24) with biking and surfing. “Sometimes if I am doing something wrong, [Zef will tell me], Evie [try] doing it like this so you can do it better,” Evie (‘24) said.

To Zef, biking and surfing are both very important aspects of his life. “I don’t find as much joy in any other thing that I do from biking or surfing, there is no way of explaining the great feeling I get from practicing the two,” he said.

Michael Wu: on the road to college and Olympic fencing

By Sabrina Chang (‘21)

[PHOTO COURTESY OF MS. CAROLINE LEE]

Michael Wu (‘21) is a member of the Chinese Taipei U17 National Fencing Team. He has been fencing for five and a half years and is currently ranked second and seventh for the U17 and U20 age groups in all of Taiwan, respectively.

Michael’s love for fencing truly developed when he placed third at National Team Trials last year. “I realized that I could have a future in fencing,” he said.

As a member of the Chinese Taipei National Team, Michael trains six days a week and attends numerous team and individual competitions in different countries, including Seoul, where he placed first at the International Region Circuit

in his age division. Michael also recently placed third at the North American Cup in Kansas out of over 200 opponents. “I’m really proud to be able to represent Taiwan, at these compeitions” he said.

If Michael participates in the World Championships this year, he could potentially miss one to two months of school due to intensive training and competition in preparation for it. “It’s really important for me to be proactive and stay ahead on schoolwork while training,” Michael said.

The sport itself is very difficult. “Fencing is a really unique sport, it’s not as easy as many people claim it to be,” he said. “It takes a lot of commitment and constant training.”

In Michael’s eyes, fencing is not just a sport, but an essential part of his life. “[Fencing] has taught me how to be more patient and disciplined in all aspects of life,” he said. “It definitely challenges you both physically and mentally.”

Although the college recruiting process is very extensive, Michael has been working very hard, and hopes to fence for a Division 1 college with strong academics. As of now, he has already begun communicating and reacing out to numerous university coaches and getting responses and interest. Michael also has even higher goals for the future.

“My ultimate dream is to fence in the Olympics one day and medal for Taiwan,” he said.

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the blue & gold december 2, 2019

EDITORIAL

“Senioritis”

isn’t a dirty word

Last spring, in the March 2019 newsletter, the college counseling office sent out a link to a blog post titled “5 Things You Should Know About Senior Spring.” The post warned students of the risks of falling prey to “senioritis” once they’ve received their acceptance letters, highlighting that acceptance offers, including scholarships, are conditional. And if that was not convincing enough, college counselors also said that “spring performance is a predictor of success” and “you will appreciate ending high school on a positive note.” The blog post ended with the sentence, “In the end, the message is simple: KEEP WORKING!” It goes without saying that our college counselors, along with the rest of the faculty, hope to see students thrive academically, regardless of the time of the year. Still, this message towards seniors could use a little nuance. “Senioritis” and success are not always mutually exclusive—at least, for seniors who have committed the past three and a half years of their lives overstretching themselves to reach their personal goals—perhaps, now, a reshuffling of priorities is not uncalled for.

While the notorious “senioritis” seems to be every teacher’s nightmare, at Taipei American School especially, it has the potential to do more good than bad.

With regards to “ending high school on a positive note,” “positive” should be measured by an individual’s

strategically to please adults.

“Senioritis” doesn’t have to be synonymous with irresponsibility.

Maybe, for some students, this reshuffling of priorities means delving more deeply into classes that they couldn’t afford to fully explore before. Or, this could mean spending more time with their families, who they will not be seeing nearly as often for the rest of their adult lives. There is a middle point between workaholism and laziness.

And if students deliberately decide that in order to live a more balanced life, they need to go from being an A student to an A minus student—they should be able to do so, guiltlessly.

Seniors—with graduation approaching, carefully consider how you want to distribute your time during your last few months.

Consider what kinds of impressions you want to leave on your teachers, friends, and family— the people who have long supported your path to success.

Fundamentally, the core message of the college counseling office’s March 2019 newsletter was that students should exercise prudence.

Indeed, it would be a shame to see all of one’s hard work go to waste because of one or two poor decisions.

But there is a fine line between reckless impulsivity and finding a sense of balance. Hopefully, Taipei American School has educated us well enough for seniors to understand this distinction.

metrics, not by systemic expectations. We have been told to prioritize our own wellness and individual passions, but when they are under the pressure to succeed, students will

“Senioritis” doesn’t have to be synonymous with irresponsibility. always be skeptical of this advice.

After submitting college applications, seniors who once fed into TAS’s toxic hyperacademic culture, may start to reconsider what really matters. Without the threat of failure or the pressure to succeed, perhaps they will begin to see how their approach to school was unhealthy. With self-reflection, they will be able to plan how they want to change their mindset and what sort of balance of life they want to achieve in college.

Some might argue that this balance of life could be achieved in less all-or-nothing manner, and students don’t need to wait until senior year to decide that they want to prioritize wellness over academics. But it is far more difficult to eradicate toxic competition when people still feel as if they are still being compared with others.

Perspectives are more likely to change if the conditions themsevles change too.

In a way, the idea of “senioritis” isn’t actually an illness that needs solving; rather, it is a time when students are trying to find themselves, without worrying about whether they’re distributing their time

A letter to millenials: stop buying new phones

By Jonathan Chen (‘23)

With the new release of the iPhone 11, it won’t be soon until we start wandering around the hallways seeing the flashy new phone gripped tightly in people’s hands. It’s also time to explore the question, should people buy new phones?

Firstly, to speak from personal experience, there are many struggles with receiving a new phone. I was lucky and received a iPhone X few weeks after its release date, its new features without a home button and dual camera really made it flashy and obvious for people to recognize. There were some struggles when I was outside of school with my new phone. It was impossible to walk five steps without receiving one judgemental look from a local shop owner, an old lady looking up from her Nokia flip-phone, or other kids my age who attend different schools. They all shoot me looks, as if they were labelling me “spoiled.” Right now, almost everyone has an iphone X or above, so the judgy looks really seem unnecessary now.

These effects are only my personal experience. Now let’s take a stance of the issue from a general standpoint. First of all,

getting new phones are crazy expensive, there is no need for professional opinion on that, the majority should agree that as technology advances, prices of these items of luxury grow at a steady rate. CNBC tells you, “with few exceptions, phone prices from top brands are on the rise. The uptick is immediately noticeable when comparing phone prices from today with the same model released two or in some cases, three, years ago.

Apple’s prices have risen at a steady rate for both its standard size iPhone along with the Plus and Max lines, making the iPhone XS Max a luxury spinoff. Samsung’s Galaxy S, S Plus and Note prices are swinging upward too for standard models.”

Next, getting new phones also waste your time, the time you spend in exploring your phone when you get it, the time you spend when you are on ebay looking for the cheapest price and the phone with the best features. More lethally, the time we spend on our phone after we get them. Our focus as teenagers right now should be academics or even social events instead of wasting our time on these electric boxes filled with meaningless wires and pieces of metal.

A 2016 study from Forbes followed the device usage of 100, 000 people over a five day period. By tracking every tap, swipe, and click participants made on their smartphones, researchers where able to deduce that the average user touched their phone 2,617 times every day. That’s over 2.42 hours of phone usage. What’s more alarming is that an estimated 47% of these interactions occurred on phones with locked screens, and researchers didn’t include them in their final touch tally. People could spend an additional 2 hours a day checking phones that aren’t even unlocked. A further study found that the lower the age group, the heavier device usage became, with people between the ages of 25 and 34 representing moderate to heavy usage every day. This suggests that millennials have a neurotic, compulsiveness that dominates how and when they use their phones. If left unchecked, this habit will consume much of the average millennial’s valuable time and energy.

Overall, the daily struggles on possessing a new phone and the harm it does to you are the reasons enough for you to think twice when iPhone 12 comes out.

800 ZHONGSHAN N. RD. TAIPEI 11152 TAIWAN EDITOR-IN-CHIEF CHARLOTTE LEE (‘20) MANAGING EDITORS NATALIE SCHEIDEL (‘21) NICOLE CHANG (‘21) COPY EDITOR KELLY PHIL (‘20) SOCIAL MEDIA & MARKETING PHOEBE CHEN (‘21) NEWS EDITOR SHARON LEE (‘22) OPINIONS AND VERDICT EDITOR KELLY PHIL (‘20) FEATURES EDITOR LAURA HSU(‘22) SPORTS EDITOR AMANDA CHIU (‘20) STAFF WRITERS VANESSA KANG (‘20) IAN HO (‘21) ALLISON KWAN (‘21) SABRINA CHANG (‘21) LANA LEE (‘22) AMBER WU (‘23) MICAH WANG (‘23) ARIEL LEE (‘23) AUDREY HWANG (‘23) JONATHAN CHEN (‘23) 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 the community it serves.

CORRECTIONS We take all measures possible to report accurately, and seek to bring professional, thorough reporting to our readers. Please report any inaccuracies in The Blue & Gold content to our email, blueandgold@tas.tw.

OP-EDS AND EDITORIALS Editorials collectively represent the opinions of The Blue & Gold’s editorial board, while op-eds represent the opinions of each writer. Opinions in The Blue & Gold do not necessarily reflect the views of TAS student body, staff, faculty, or administration.

THE BLUE & GOLD ONLINE The Blue & Gold runs an online edition that publishes articles every weekday when school is in operation. Find the website at blueandgoldonline.org.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR We welcome letter submissions from all readers. Email your signed letter of under 500 words at blueandgold@tas.tw.

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the blue & gold december 2, 2019

Double casting: Relieving stress or creating toxic competition Upper School Dance Production “The Wizard of Oz”.

[AUDREY HWANG/THE BLUE & GOLD]

Double casting refers to when two actors or dancers are assigned to the same role and alternate depending on performance schedule. Double casting ensures more people have roles.

By Natalie Scheidel (‘21) The obvious benefit to double casting is the ability for dancers to have more opportunities to perform. “If it was single cast, so many talented and deserving dancers would not have a role,” Jessica Oh (‘21), a member of the recent production of “The Wizard of Oz” said.

With double casting, dancers also get more rest and fewer injuries and have the chance to be in more scenes because lead dancers can take on the parts of the ensemble and vice versa on their “non-nights.”

Additionally, with a double cast production, the students involved have the ability to not only learn from the teacher, but also from each other. A student can see how their counterpart chooses to perform the same choreography and can take inspiration from his or her ideas.

For instance, Jessica and Yuki Noda (‘20) both played the recent role of Scarecrow. “I think Yuki is better than me at inversions like handstands, so sometimes I simplify the movements and the other way around for other things,” Jessica said.

With double casting, dancers are able to experiment with different styles from

watching each other.

Despite this, some performers feel that comparing themselves to their “others” is inevitable. “I wouldn’t say it adds to toxic competition because nobody is toxic about it,” Jessica said. “But, even though personally I don’t feel that double casting creates a culture of comparison for me, I do see it happening to others.” However, at the end of the day, as a team, the dancers all strive and work towards the same goal of having a great show instead of competing.

TAS drama productions also double cast, where the two casts alternate throughout the week. In October, “The Miracle Worker” had two casts, called the Keller and Sullivan casts to keep them separate. Both had very different dynamics and were able to bring their own nuances to the table.

Thus, for both dance and drama productions, audience members watching the show can watch both casts and experience different emotions without worrying about the shows being repetitive. “Even though we are using the same script, the audience can still be surprised and entertained by what we perform,” cast member of “The Miracle Worker” Nicole Lin (‘21) said.

By Vanessa Kang (‘20) Despite the fact that it is nice to have someone to work on choreography with, double casting creates a culture of comparison and toxicity. “The dancers who play the same role as you sometimes become a standard of comparison,” Katrina Hsu (‘20) said.

Performers who are part of double casting often feel the pressure of competing against another cast which defeats the sense of community that performances are supposed to evoke.

Though double casting provides numerous benefits such as getting double the amount of scenes and including more people. In the performance, it limits the exposure of certain dancers who play minor roles.

If a dancer were to play a more major role on one day and a minor role on another, and the most popular day was one that they played a minor role in, their friends and family may only go to the day in which they play a minor character, missing the chance to see them as a major character.

When people are made to compare themselves against another person or another group, it can lead to strong feelings

of depression and the belief that they are not good enough.

Competition and comparison are natural human impulses that are hard to control but double casting fuels this toxic culture of comparison.

In productions that utilize double casting, phrases such as “The Friday cast was better than the Saturday cast” or “Saturday’s cast was better than Thursday’s cast” can often be heard.

Additionally, members of the dance production only get to know and work extensively with people from their own cast (those who perform on the same days as they do). This limits the people that dancers or performers are exposed to, which reduces efficiency and productivity as creativity in small groups is more limited.

With the standard process of casting, the entire cast gets to work together and discuss potential points of improvement, which is not possible in double casting. This allows dancers or performancers to familiarize themselves with the group and their partners.

Double casting comes with clear benefits, but is it worth it at the expense of the confidence of the performers?

Offensive student behavior is a threat to our school reputation

By Amanda Chiu (‘20)

Sometimes students at Taipei American School forget that there is a bigger world outside of their friend groups or themselves.

They do not consider that not thinking before their actions could impact not just themselves but also the community around them.

In the weekly senior college counseling class on Oct. 1, university representatives from DePaul University, Wabash University and Florida International University came to TAS to give a lecture on how to write good college application essays. To do so, they conducted an interactive activity that asked students to provide personal advice on how to write their essays.

The college representatives tried to engage the class while also sharing useful information so that the students could provide beneficial and helpful advice on how to write college essays with the class.

Shockingly, some people took this lecture as a joke and gave responses that were very inappropriate to the extent that some responses even included swear words. In

public. To a college representative.

Although the college representatives did not make a big deal out of it, it was certain that they were disgusted by the mischievous behavior that the students at TAS had shown.

The student was extremely disrespectful to the representatives that had worked hard in preparing the class materials in order to ease the stress in the college application process.

Unfortunately, the student thought they could get away with some giggles from their friends and have no consequences afterward.

Sometimes students at TAS forget that there is a bigger world outside of their friend group.

Despite having respect as one of the five main values at TAS, the student failed to follow it and chose to be foolish. The student’s action not only impacted himself, but it

also affected how the college representatives viewed TAS students. The student ruined the chances of other students who would also have wanted to go to these colleges by destroying the school reputation. Now, whenever the college admission from these universities sees students from TAS, they will immediately link them to this undermining experience that they had during one of their college counseling classes. Yet, the student forgot that the most servere consequence is that these college representatives will share information about a school with each other while reading the application.

It is essential for students to understand that words are very powerful and there are consequences to their actions. Sometimes it only affects themselves, but most of the time, it affects others as well. They must learn that the world is larger than themselves and a small act could bring either a positive or negative impact. Students should be aware of their tone, attitude and behavior towards others when they are representing the school image.

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the blue & gold december 2, 2019

Forever 21 might not be forever after all

Fast fashion clothing displayed in the Pull and Bear store in the downtown Xinyi area. [LAURA HSU/THE BLUE & GOLD]

By Laura Hsu (‘22) After browsing through fast-fashion stores for hours in downtown Xinyi district, you finally found the perfect shirt, so you flip the shirt to glance at the back, but what you find is “fries over guys” printed in large letters.

Disappointed, you keep browsing for shirts without awkward and quirky phrases, but the more you try, the more disappointed you become.

If you ever had an experience even remotely similar to this one, then you have experienced the downfall of fast fashion.

Forever 21 was once the leader and fastest growing fast-fashion brand. In 2017, the brand decided to open up six hundred new stores in just three years worldwide.

According to a recent survey by B2C,

about 75 percent of Gen Z and millennials shop online rather than in stores. Therefore, the decision Forever 21 has made to expand its stores in large numbers would spark the brand’s ultimate downfall.

Fast fashion is made possible through the mass production of trendy items, and the motto is always “quantity over quality.”

The goal is focused on maximizing profit by keeping up with the latest trends, through quickly producing them quickly.

The business model is based on the idea that consumers are only going to wear an item for a season or two at most.

It is actually preferable that the item breaks by that time so that the consumer is ready to buy next season’s items.

Eventually, this production method

became highly questionable, customers started noticing the low-quality material fast fashion companies adopt to achieve the dirt cheap and affordable prices. In response, many customers start turning to other, higher-quality clothing brands.

Forever 21 went from a $4.4 billion dollar company, at the top of the fast-fashion game, to now filing for bankruptcy. This almost directly correlated to the downfall of fast fashion.

Stores like Forever 21 closing down shows how little newer generations rely on fast fashion, therefore signaling the rise of a more environmentally friendly sustainable fashion era.

The Research Journal Nature states that 1.1 billion tonnes of carbon emission is

produced per year from producing clothing.

Which is equal to the amount produced by international flights.

Luckily, educated consumers are starting to seek out other ways to save the environment through sustainable fashion.

In Taipei American School, students like Sarahi Zuñiga (‘20) has started thrifting more, “it is a really fun activity to do with friends and a unique way to change up your wardrobe, because the clothes you find are very different from what you will find at a regular store,” she said.

Sarahi recognizes the difference in thrifting and going to regular stores, “though fast fashion shops can be more convenient at times, the repercussions outweigh its benefits,” she said.

Teenagers are starting to shop more at second-hand stores, and social media influencers are promoting the idea of thrift shopping increasingly more.

This allows for young adults to participate in advancing the next generation into a more sustainable way of fashion.

Fast fashion is made possible through large scale mass production of trendy items, and the motto is always quantity over quality.

Buying clothes from fast fashion stores might be less time consuming, but if we stop and think about how much a low-quality t-shirt would pollute the earth, than we would all start thinking of sustainable ways of fashion.

Next time when you walk into a fastfashion store, think twice before buying shirts that have phrases like “call me on your shellphone” printed on the back.

Modern Fashion: the Good and the Bad Ariel Lee (‘23) Text by Ariel LeeBy (‘23) Photo

by Laura Hsu (‘22)

Mannequins displayed in downtown Xinyi’s Bershka store display. [LAURA HSU/THE BLUE & GOLD]

Brandy Melville: One Size Fits None

Aerie: Standout for Body Positivity

Lululemon: less talk, more action

ASOS: fashion with integrity

Despite its growing popularity, Brandy Melville does not live up to the claim that their clothing is “one size fits all”. The brand’s sizes range from 0 to 2 in standard American sizes, but most teens are not in that size range.

We come in all different shapes and sizes, and expecting all of us to fit into one size is simply impossible. Brandy Melville unreasonably expects everyone to have the same body type of long legs and a flat stomach.

The company’s hiring practices are based on the candidate’s looks and the number of Instagram followers they have. This shows that the company wants to forward an image based on unattainable looks that is antithetical to the “one size fits all” ideal.

Since 2006, Aerie,a subsidiary of American Eagle, has continued to grow and surprised the fashion industry by selling lifestyle clothing, swimsuits and more. In 2014, it launched the #AerieREAL campaign, which aims to publish only images that have not been retouched, featuring models with a wide range of racial backgrounds, different types of body types, and models with disabilities and medical illnesses.

The ongoing campaign #AerieREAL continues to grow as the company moved to use untouched images for their campaigns.

Aerie even started selling free pins and stickers that emphasis body positivity featuring designs with quotes such as “Can’t Touch This” and “Keep It Real.”

While Lululemon tries to market itself as being body positive, this is far from the truth Lululemon currently carries sizes Canadian sizes 0 to 14. While this is a broader range than Brandy Melville, the average woman’s size in the United States is a 16.

I also think Lululemon adopts unsustainable practices. Lululemon is part of the Sustainable Apparel Coalition and claims sustainability as one of their core principles, their environmental impact is insufficient They only use a small amount of ecofriendly materials. The sustainability section on their website discusses ways to improve their environmental impact, but, in reality, Lululemon has not taken concrete action.

ASOS is a British online fashion retailer.

The company targets younger customers’ taste.

The brand is currently working to spread positive messages around the world with their platform.

ASOS is working towards establishing a culture of inclusivity to truly represent the diversity of their customers.

Similar to Aerie, the company never retouches their photos or removes parts of models.

The British online fashion retailer includes details on how the company design adaptive or accessible clothing and how they signpost existing products that possess accessible features.

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the blue & gold december 2, 2019

TIME TO GET POLITICAL

Pay attention to Taiwanese politics

By Ian Ho (‘21) At Taipei American School, all students must have a foreign, non-R.O.C. passport, and yet in our hallways I often see more people of Taiwanese heritage than American descent. While it is true that I am attending an American school, meaning an Amerian education, I still believe that there is a lack of appreciation for local Taiwanese elements in this school.

American and Taiwanese culture do not seem to be equally valued. Many upper school students have a third culture identity, because by attending a non-Taiwanese school located in Taiwan, our parents are cultivating us in a foreign environment. Being in a foreign setting for so long disconnects students from the local culture. This is a clear issue of third

cultural identity, but people should not have to choose between heritage and education.

In TAS, the majority of teachers are not from Taiwan. In an average class, a teacher may bring up the National Basketball Association, the National Football League, and many other American sports and topics they are enthusiastic about, but they would seldom bring up Taiwanese sports. This shows how the faculty, an extension of the school, disconnects students from what’s happening on a local level. I know that this is to be expected because they are charged with educating us in a truly American way, but it is something that we should remember because if a person only hears about American sports or American politics, they will begin to devalue the local sports and local politics —

the local way of life — in favor of only the American.

Knowing what is happening at the local level is important. Foreigners who come to Taiwan may say that they have arrived in a province of China. Naturally that would be extremely insensitive to local people, but watching CNN alone wouldn’t convey that sensitivity. Only news in Taiwan can give you the nuance, perspective and understanding of local issues that affects your ability to interact with everyone around you. When a bridge collapses, when a riot happens or when there is a parade, you need to be locally engaged to know these events and take action to avoid it or take part in it. The next outrageous comment President Trump makes may not impact our lives as much as the next Taiwanese election,

which is happening in only three months.

Some may say that such depth of understanding of Taiwan is not necessary, as most students head off to the United States.

Simply because you will end up somewhere 12 years later, does not justify ignorance about your current location for 12 years. 12 years is not a short period.

If we don’t work to solidify our local culture, we would not be left with a clear identity. Students will not be taking full advantage of their resources if they have lived in a country for a duration of their life and taken nothing from the country. If you go to college and your friends ask you where are you from? You reply “Taiwan,” but then you can’t say anything in-depth about it, was there any value inhaving lived there?

Trump is bad now, but four more years is worse

By Kelly Phil (‘20) Since Donald Trump’s election to the presidency in 2016, there has always been a persistent conversation regarding impeachment.

From the Mueller investigations to Russia’s role in the United States election, Democratic members who have opposed Trump’s presidency have been looking for the prime opportunity to remove Trump from office. But, when it seemed like Trump would cruise into the 2020 presidential election without a scratch, the Democrats finally got their chance to pursue impeachment.

Now, it seems pretty likely that impeachment will be successful. A recent article by The Atlantic outlines how the Ambassador William Taylor’s testimony to House investigators on Tuesday definitively turned the tables against Trump.

And of course, impeachment proceedings are proof that many of America’s democratic institutions are robust enough to penalize actions by an erratic president. And yet, what we too easily ignore is that impeachment isn’t a magic wand that solves all of America’s problems.

We hear it on the news every night as if impeachment is the same thing as conviction and removal but sadly the two are far from the same. Impeachment still opens the possibility

for Trump to run for re-election in 2020 while conviction would shut that possibility down completely.

One thing that’s clear already is that if the House votes to impeach Trump and the Senate does not reach the two-thirds majority required to remove him from office, the United States will enter uncharted political terrain in 2020. None of the previous three presidents who faced a serious impeachment threat appeared on the next general election ballot and even if they did, none of them would have had a chance of winning. But what we too often forget is that Trump is not any ordinary candidate.

I’m not going to be the one to say that President Trump should never be held accountable, however, Democrats need to think long term.

If he is given a chance to run for reelection, the chance that he wins is still pretty

Washington DC stays awake at night as the impeachment process continues.

[PHOTO COURTESY OF DARREN HALSTEAD/UNSPLASH]

high and impeachment is certainly not going to make things any harder for him to win. In fact, impeachment might be what gets him re-elected.

For President Trump, an impeachment confrontation that highlights the aspects of his presidency that most concern swing voters — from his volatility to his willingness to skirt if not smash legal constraints — could force him further toward a 2020 strategy centered on maximizing turnout among his core supporters.

For Democrats, a bitter impeachment fight that divides Congress and the country almost entirely among party lines could upset one of the key underlying assumptions driving

the competition for the party’s presidential nomination. While most Democratic primary voters appear focused primarily on finding the nominee they believe will most effectively take the fight to President Trump, a searing impeachment struggle could create more public demand for a candidate who pledges to bring the country together.

I’m not going to be the one to say that President Trump should never be held accountable, however, Democrats need to think long term. A short-term victory at the end of 2019 might seem refreshing but four years later, when we still have Trump in the White House, we might not be feeling so reassured.

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the blue & gold december 2, 2019

Natalie Hon expands her horizon through Greek life

Natalie Hon (‘18) has developed new life skills since joining Alpha Kappa Psi. [PHOTO COURTESY OF NATALIE HON]

By Nicole Chang (‘21) After meeting with some of the brothers at Alpha Kappa Psi (AKPsi) during rush, TAS alumna and current sophomore at Carnegie Mellon University, Natalie Hon (‘18), knew she wanted to join; this turned out to be one of the best decisions she had made.

AKPsi is the only professional co-ed business fraternity at Carnegie Mellon University. The three main pillars of the fraternity are Professional, Philanthropy, and Social. AKPsi provides members with the opportunity to network with professionals and enhance their academic learning, while also emphasizing community service and social life.

As a freshman last year, Natalie was asked by her roommate to go with her to a rush event. Natalie was immediately drawn to AKPsi. “I found AKPsi to be an incredibly tight and welcoming group, and I really wanted to be a part of an organization that had these qualities,” she said. “I also wanted to expand my friend group beyond TSA (Taiwanese Student Organization) and ASA (Asian Student Association)” She had also chosen this organization in part because it had both the socializing aspect as well as the ability to help her grow and challenge herself. “I learned soft skills like good time management and organizational skills,” she said. “As well as hard skills such as public speaking and professional presentations.”

One of her most memorable moments after joining AKPsi was painting a fence with her pledge class, which is a popular

tradition at Carnegie Mellon University.

“My pledge class and I painted [the fence] together on a warm summer night, and I remember we painted each other more than the fence itself,” she said. “ It was such a fun experience that allowed our class to bond as a whole and [was] definitely worthwhile.”

Furthermore, she really enjoys the close friends that she has made in the organization and the opportunities that she has received.

“The fraternity is a mixture of people from different professional fields, majors, and cultural backgrounds, and I appreciate the opportunity to branch out from TSA and ASA,” she said. “ I have also received a lot of professional help from alumni and brothers, which has aided in my career.”

Although one of the drawbacks of being part of a fraternity or sorority is paying dues, Natalie does not see this as an “extreme con” as AKPsi’s dues are much lower than other fraternities or sororities on her campus.

Ultimately, she believes that joining AKPsi has played an important role in her growth. “I would say AKPsi contributed heavily to the growth [that] I have achieved in college and I would not have had such an enjoyable freshman year if it was not for AKPsi,” she said.

Isabelle Sung joins sorority after a conversation in ethics class

By Natalie Scheidel (‘21)

Isabelle Sung (‘18) with her “sister” after getting into Kappa Kappa Gamma. [PHOTO COURTESY OF ISABELLE SUNG]

Many teenagers desire to join sororities or fraternities because of how movies portray them: glamorous, exclusive, empowering.

For TAS alumna Isabelle Sung (‘18), a second-year college student at Santa Clara University, her dream of sorority sisterhood started in middle school.

“When I was in middle school, I wanted to join a sorority because of what movies depicted it to be like,” she said, “I remember Amanda Bynes always starring in a college movie with her mother’s legacy and joining sororities, with an emphasis on family connections.”

Due to the plot of the Bynes’ movie Sydney White, Isabelle had envisioned herself joining a sorority in college; however, as a family-oriented person, she was worried about not spending enough time with her family in San Francisco and she was also surprised by the “really expensive fees and duties” of sorority life.

She ultimately decided to join Kappa Kappa Gamma (KKG) in her sophomore year when she met Isabelle Faller, a member of the KKG, in her ethics class.

Over the three-day recruitment, each rushee needed to wear three different outfits: casual, semi-casual and formal.

“What you wear can really affect how the sororities see you, and they almost seem a little judgemental,” she said.

Before joining KKG, Isabelle had always thought that sororities were “clubs where you meet fake friends;” however, after joining, her sorority has proven her wrong. Isabelle finds the “philanthropy” her sorority focuses on to be the most interesting. “Our sorority is very involved in the middle school nearby where we help middle school girls transition to high school,” she said.

Isabelle has learned much from joining KKG including how to best balance school, work, family and her sorority.

Sheeren Lee maximizes her gap year

By Kelly Phil (‘20) Shereen Lee (‘19) has used her gap year to explore a variety of different hobbies and professions. With a year left before beginning college, Shereen has undertaken numerous ambitious projects and activities to occupy her time.

Like many students taking a gap year, Shereen’s daily routine is structured around a loose routine. In the mornings, Shereen goes to work at a restaurant she plans to open with her mother. At her job, she plans and organizes events leading up to the restaurant’s opening.

In the afternoons, Shereen attends Chinese class for three hours before taking French lessons for three hours.

“I always wanted to improve my Chinese and expand on a language I already had an interest in like French which is why my gap year was such a great opportunity for me to pursue my interests,” Shereen said.

In order to maximize the limited time available in her gap year, Shereen makes sure to structure her time wisely and go into the year with particular goals in mind. “I designed my gap year around developing many of the skills I’ve always wanted to have, from helping develop a company to learning how to bike,” Shereen said.

In the spring, Shereen plans on going to Nice, France to immerse herself into French culture and help fast-track her learning process.

Shereen plans to open a cafe with her mom. Although the name of the cafe has not been released yet, Shereen is confident that the cafe will be a success. “My mom and I have worked really hard on this and I know that people will love it,” Shereen said.

Overall, Shereen is enjoying a productive gap year. “I’ve been happiest when I had a full schedule and a good routine, which itself has been an incredible learning experience,” Shereen said.

Collegetown check-in: two TAS alumni in Providence, Rhode Island Emily Lo successfully adjusts to college life at Rhode Island School of Design

By Vanessa Kang (‘20) Emily Lo (‘19) attends Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) and is pursuing a BFA in architecture. So far, she is adjusting really well to college life and feels at home at RISD. “The workload right now is crazy,” Emily said. “But I really enjoy the feeling of learning something new everyday and pursuing my interests.”

For Emily, her favorite thing about college is being able to choose the subjects she likes and the classes she wants to take.

Emily is currently in her foundation year at RISD, which is the first year in dedicated to enhancing technical skills so that the later years are built upon a solid foundation.

Through foundation year, students gain an understanding of composition, color, narrative and cultural signifiers and are able to communicate messages more effectively

through design and art. “I’m finally free of math and science.” Emily said.

Aside from the standard art classes, Emily takes liberal art classes at Brown University which is a 10 minute walk from most parts of the RISD campus. Emily advises that seniors who are applying to college should get lots of sleep so that they can be the most productive with limited amounts of time. Even though Emily is thriving, she still misses Taiwan. “I miss the [Chicken Leg Lunch Box]at TAS so much.

It’s crazy.”

Emily Lo enjoys the flexible curriculum at Rhode Island School of Design. [PHOTO COURTESY OF EMILY LO]

Darren Fang challenges himself with a combined concentration at Brown University

By Amanda Chiu (‘20) Darren Fang (‘19) is pursuing Computer Science and Economics at Brown University.

He is also considering taking public policies and psychology classes during his free time.

A big difference between college and high school that Darren experienced is that students will have more free time. “Living by yourself is a pretty big difference; you’re in charge of your daily routine and there’s no one there to check up on you, so you have to be pretty self-disciplined,” he said.

Unlike Taipei American School, students at Brown University does not have course requirements to fulfill. “ I like my schedule in college better because there’s just so much flexibility in terms of which class sections I can take,” he said.

Not only is there more time in college, but students are also able to participate in

different clubs. Continuing his interest in debate since high school, Darren is currently a part of the Brown Debating Union. “We travel to tournaments hosted at other universities almost every weekend, and it’s pretty fun because the debate circuit is not that big,” he said. Due to the short hours of classes each day, he is able to attend extracurricular activities and hang out with friends whenever he is free.

Darren Fang is pursuing Computer Science and Economics at Brown University. [PHOTO COURTESY OF DARREN FANG]

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the blue & gold december 2, 2019

TAS athletic department fosters “Better Athletes, Better People”

Athletic director Ms. Kim Kawamoto and associate athletic directors Mr. Mike Corsini and Ms. Hannah Limmer pose in the athletic department office. [SABRINA CHANG/THE BLUE & GOLD]

By Sabrina Chang (‘21) Numerous changes have been implemented in the middle school athletic program since 2013, contributing to an increase in student participation and to the upper school athletic program’s recent successes. Taipei American School has adopted the slogan “Better Athletes, Better People,” inspired by the Positive Coaching Alliance, as what they ultimately strive to encourage for each student-athlete at the school.

The no-cut policy that started in the Middle School in the past few years has been a huge factor in fostering the growth of teams. “[The middle school administration] wanted to increase the participation of students in sports,” Ms. Kawamoto, athletic director, said.

“The new all-inclusive model allows them to experience different sports and opportunities that they might not be able to in Upper School.”

The new system consists of the Blue, Gold, Gray, and White teams which are split up based on skill levels, and each have practices and games. Sixth graders are also separated from seventh and eighth graders. “Sixth graders are often not as developed yet,” Ms.

Limmer, associate athletic director, said. “This gives students a chance to learn about the sport and be leaders for their peers.”

This improved program has received a lot of positive feedback from everyone at Taipei American School. “Parents, students, and the middle school administration are all very happy about it,” Ms. Limmer said.

This year’s freshmen, who were the first batch of students to go through this new program last year, see it as a great opportunity for all middle schoolers. “The [no-cut] system encourages people to try new sports,” Catrina Yeh (‘23), said. “The higher participation numbers also transfer to Upper School, where sports are more competitive.”

The boys basketball teams in the Middle and Upper School have historically had the most participants at tryouts. Maurice Hsia (‘23) and Jeffrey Yu (‘23) were both placed on the second best team, Blue Two, as eighth graders, which allowed them to continue developing their passion for basketball and gain experience.

“The tryouts were a lot less stressful, and we got to play a lot more games” Jeffrey said.

The benefits of the system are evident since the

first year that it was implemented. “Everyone has the chance to try new sports; it’s really helpful,” Maurice said.

Upperclassmen also recognize the advantages that this program will have for future upper school athletes. “The opportunity to play will help [middle schoolers] improve a lot and prepare them for Upper School,” Karen Wang (‘20), four-year volleyball Interscholastic Association of Southeast Asia (IASAS) participant, said. “It allows the overall program and people to be more successful.”

There have also been numerous new facilities and faculty roles added in the athletic department in recent years, boosting the level of sports at TAS significantly and providing a community space to promote physical and mental health. “These resources encourage wellness for everyone,” Ms. Kawamoto said.

The implementation of three trainers across campus has been a huge help in preventing and treating injuries, as well as educating athletes on how to take care of their own bodies. “It’s a privilege and a luxury,” Ms. Kawamoto said. “No other IASAS school has three athletic trainers.”

The launch of an official athletic website

and social media pages have also helped showcase the success of the athletic program.

“It’s a way for us to spread sports news to the whole community, and celebrate the achievements of student-athletes and teams,” Mr. Corsini, associate athletic director and athletic photojournalist, said.

The drastic changes in the program since 2013 have received many positive responses, and the athletic department hopes to continue this trend. “Continuing to build and streamline the program is really important,” Ms. Kawamoto said. “Each level matters.”

The athletic department hopes to boost interest in sports, as well as health and wellness, throughout the school. “One of the program goals is to develop people to fall in love with a sport, and play it for a long time,” Mr. Corsini said.

Each change to the program is designed to make that mantra, “Better Athletes, Better People,” become a reality by providing more opportunities for students outside the classroom. “We are most proud to see athletes improve as people and use sports as a way to develop themselves into young adults,” Mr. Corsini said.

TAS welcomes two new additions to the athletic training team

By Sharon Lee (‘22)

Ms. TK Edwards

Ms. Edwards treats a student in the athletic training room. [SHARON LEE/THE BLUE & GOLD]

Prior to coming to Taipei, Ms. TK Edwards worked as an athletic trainer for the Shanghai Community International School in Pudong. She is a certified athletic trainer and holds a master’s degree in kinesiology.

Ms. Edwards came to Taipei American School for the first time for the concussion lectures with Dr. Kenneth Poddel last spring. “Coming to the campus and meeting different members of the community made it an easy choice to want to work here,” she said. “Everyone was extremely welcoming.”

Ms. Edwards feels that communication at TAS is very thorough and beneficial. “It is not just us athletic trainers doing our own thing; it is a team effort,” she said.

Ms. Edwards started her career as an athletic training student intern in high school.

“I was always at games getting water and doing first aid, it’s always been something I’ve liked to do,” she said.

Ms. Edwards always looks forward to helping athletes overcome injuries and cheering for them when they rejoin their sports.

She believes that the most suitable word to describe her job is “unpredictable.” “You just don’t know until you poke around and ask questions,” she said.

Outside of work, Ms. Edwards enjoys catching up on shows, hiking, and solving jigsaw puzzles. “I also like finding different restaurants around Taipei,” she said.

Ms. Edwards hopes to maintain the high standard of care for student-athletes at TAS. “All of the resources are already in place here, I can just focus on doing my thing and work with the student-athletes,” Ms. Edwards said.

Mr. Conor Davis

Mr. Davis stretches a student in the athletic training room. [SHARON LEE/THE BLUE & GOLD]

Before coming to Taipei, Mr. Conor Davis worked as an athletic trainer at Wellesley College in Massachusetts. He is a certified athletic trainer and has worked with various sports teams.

Mr. Davis enjoys the TAS system because he gets to work with specific sports teams.

“I like getting to know teams, rather than working with many different athletes and not knowing much about them individually,” he said.

Mr. Davis learned about TAS and the

athletic training program through Ms. Amber Hardy, TAS head athletic trainer. “I already knew TAS was where I wanted to go, so it worked out really well,” he said.

To Mr. Davis, being an athletic trainer is all about being engaged. “I like being engaged with everything that’s happening, rather than sitting behind a desk all day and in the background,” he said.

Mr. Davis’ first exposure to this profession was when the athletic trainer at his high school taught a pilot course. “It inspired me to look for athletic training programs in the U.S.,” he said.

As a lover of traveling, Mr. Davis enjoys the international traveling opportunities that TAS offers with sports teams. He also appreciates the respectful attitude from people at TAS. “It’s always nice when kids, coaches, and parents are respectful of what you’re trying to do as an athletic trainer,” he said.

Mr. Davis is grateful for the resources that are available to him at TAS, and hopes to continue improving the athletic training program at TAS and around Asia.

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the blue & gold december 2, 2019

Delving into the college counseling process

By Amanda Chiu (‘20)

Submitting college applications is a long process that every TAS upper school student has to go through eventually. The college counselors’ jobs are to help alleviate students’ stress levels by assisting them in college research, essay revisions and sometimes just moral support.

There are six college counselors currently and each student will be paired up with a college counselor in the second half of their junior year. There will be additional classes during Tuesday’s lunch where counselors will lecture about the college research process.

In order for the college counselors to understand more about student’s personal life, they would conduct meetings regularly with them. “We start with something very basic and know them through their writing,” Director of College Counseling Mrs. Melanie Hamre said. “We also meet with them and hopefully a lot because I can only know them as much as I’ve spent time with them.”

Not only do the college counselors stay in school and help students, they also attend conferences overseas to learn about colleges throughout the school years and during summer breaks and introduce TAS to those college representatives. “We advocate for the students by communicating with the admission officers in college when students are applying,” Upper School college counselor, Ms. Dabina

Gim, said.

College counselors also organized the annual CAT Fair alongside the Counseling Association of Taiwan and have invited over 130 colleges from all around the world to introduce their school to high school students in Taiwan. Through this fair, students are able to meet face to face with the college representative and build a connection with the college.

In addition, there are college representatives coming during the school day to share information about their school. Students are able to utilize this opportunity to learn more about college and leave a good impression.

The college application process had always been a stressful time for students since they have to maintain their academics at school and prepare supplements that each college requires. Ms. Gim wants to emphasize the importance of giving each other space and having an open mind when applying. “Don’t take the decision [from college] personally to a point where you think it defines you,” Ms. Gim said.

Not only does college counselors help students during the application process, they also give moral support when students receive the results. “I have candies, kleenex, and soft fuzzy things [in my office] because the environment matters when [students] are going through this really stressful time,” Mrs. Hamre said.

22 00 11 99

HIGHEST MATRICULATION

How well do college counselors know TAS students?

Adults who knows them the best in the TAS community

One in three

College

Attend

Emory University

11

UC San Diego

9

New York University

8

Northeastern University

7

UC Berkeley

7

U of Southern California

7

INFOGRAPHIC BY SHARON LEE/THE BLUE & GOLD

How the keto diet helps Tovi Pannell stay awake

By Phoebe Chen (‘21)

A ketogenic diet is a low-carb, high-fat food regimen that some believe offers an assortment of health benefits. According to online website Healthline, the diet can help those who want to improve their health in the areas such as muscle gain or weight loss.

The reason why Tovi Pannell (‘23) follows the keto diet is because of ketosis, the process in which the body enters a metabolic state where the liver produces ketones for fuel instead of glucose. This state occurs only after a person pro-longingly consumes a high level of healthy fats instead of carbohydrates for roughly one to two weeks.

For Tovi, when her body enters a state

of ketosis, she is more attentive in classes and sports.

“When I do workouts while in ketosis, I [feel like I] can do them for longer without feeling as tired as I would if I weren’t on the keto diet,” Tovi said. “I also feel like I have a lot more energy.”

However, it is not always easy to begin the keto diet or adopt a state of ketosis. According to another study done by Healthline, short-term fatigue is a common symptom during an initial switch to a keto diet.

From Tovi’s personal experiences, although she may feel attentive when in ketosis, during her first few days after beginning a keto diet, she can feel sometimes weak

and fatigued.

“During the first stages of the diet when I first begin a keto diet before I hit ketosis, I sometimes feel weaker,” Tovi said. “This is because my body is not used to the change from a regular diet to a keto one.”

Dietary cravings are also common struggles that Tovi face on a day to day basis while on a keto diet. “Usually I crave to eat foods such as chocolate, but those types of foods cannot be consumed if you want to strictly follow the diet,” Tovi said.

To help battle her cravings, Tovi often indulges in coconut milk or monk fruit powder, a natural sweetener made by fruit extract that comes from Thailand. “I usually

add some monk fruit powder to the foods I eat while on the keto diet,” Tovi said. “It makes the food taste more appealing than usual.”

For those who often battle with remaining present in class, Tovi recommends possibly attempting a keto diet. “When you eventually hit a state of ketosis, it [keto diet] can really help with being present and thinking well during enviornments such as the classroom or sports field,” Tovi said.

“However, everyone’s diet is personal. People should eat the way that makes them feel good. If you find that you have trouble staying focus, though, I would say the keto diet could be a possible solution.”

Keto Diet vs. Normal Diet Protein Fat Carbohydrate

Tovi Pannell poses beside the Fitness Cafe after a Keto lunch break.

[PHOEBE CHEN/THE BLUE & GOLD]

Keto Diet

Normal Diet INFOGRAPHIC BY VANESSA KANG/THE BLUE & GOLD

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the blue & gold december 2, 2019

EAST MEETS WEST

Path of hard work: Tiffany’s journey writing Chinese calligraphy

By Sharon Lee (‘22)

Tiffany focuses on copying a calligraphy model. [SHARON LEE/THE BLUE & GOLD]

Tiffany Huang (‘21) has been writing Chinese calligraphy for eight years and has competed in the National Student Art Competition (全國學生美展) since fourth grade.

Tiffany first started writing calligraphy when she was 10 years old. Her mom signed her up for a calligraphy class a week before her birthday. “I still remember the date because that’s how much I despised calligraphy at first. It was April 13,” Tiffany said.

Her first few months writing calligraphy were tough and stressful. “My mom forced me to go to class. When competition season rolled around, she also signed me up for the competition. So I had no choice,” Tiffany said.

She started training for competitions the

following summer, practicing for three hours every day in her teacher’s classroom and even more after she got home. However, her hard work paid off as she got more and more into writing calligraphy. The second year she participated in the competition, which was in fifth grade, and she placed second overall.

Tiffany feels proud of how far she has come with calligraphy. “I feel like it has grown on me as a passion,” she said.

Out of all the Chinese scripts, Tiffany particularly enjoys writing in running script.

Running script is more free-flowing than the standard script, and individual strokes are often condensed; characters are then joined by linking strokes.

Tiffany also models her work after the Chinese calligrapher Wang Xizhi (王羲之).

“His calligraphy pieces are so intricate, and his running script is so different. He adds his own variation to it,” Tiffany said.

Preparing for calligraphy competitions is a hard and time-consuming process. After receiving the prompt, it takes two months of preparing before she starts writing drafts to submit to the competition. Each draft takes around three hours to complete, and she usually writes six to seven drafts before she picks which one to submit to the competition.

Despite the first few months of struggle and resistance, Tiffany feels like she has thoroughly embraced calligraphy as one of her passions. “It is really calming, I feel a sense of peacefulness when I write and also like I am embracing my own culture,” Tiffany said.

From violin to erhu: Eve discovers the allure of Chinese music

By Ian Ho (‘21)

The erhu came from tribes in North East China. [PHOTO COURTESY OF EVE CHEN]

Eve Chen (‘20) has been playing the Erhu, a Chinese string instrument that utilizes a bow, for four years now. In TAS, there are not many opportunities to learn a Chinese instrument since the school currently offers orchestra, band, and jazz band as instrumental music course options.

Eve was able to learn the erhu because, like Erica, she had previously attended Taipei Fuhsing Private School, where it’s mandatory for students in the bilingual department to learn a Chinese instrument.

Fuhsing’s curriculum requires students to learn a western instrument in Lower School

then transition to a Chinese instrument in Middle School. Eve first began by learning the violin before starting to learn the erhu.

“At first [learning two instruments] was annoying, but then it was kind of fun because you get to learn different instruments from different cultures,” Eve said.

Both violin and the erhu are string instruments played with a bow, and knowing how to play the violin helped Eve tremendously when learning the erhu. While similar in this respect, the notes and fingers associated with the notes are still different, so it is not without its difficulties.

After learning the erhu for just one

year, Eve had to give a recital. “It was fun [be]cause it was my first time practicing in an orchestra full of Chinese instruments, “ Eve said. Of course, there were moments of nervousness. “It was also kind of a new experience considering I’ve only performed with western instruments,” Eve said. Most recently, Eve had worked with the DRM music club and performed songs by Lim Jun Jie, a famous Singaporean singer.

Reflecting on how the erhu impacted her life, Eve said, “When you think of Chinese culture, you think of it as kind of old and not innovative, but you realize the erhu can make western songs sound entirely different.”

The resonance of the Chinese flute connects Erica with tradition

By Laura Hsu (‘22)

Erica took Chinese flute lessons once a week in Fuhsing. [LAURA HSU/THE BLUE & GOLD]

Erica Chiou (‘20) hesitantly opened the envelope and carefully unfolded the invitation to the Taipei Fuhsing Private School Chinese flute competition; she was one of the few students that had been selected to represent her high school class.

In her first year of playing the instrument, she started out playing only Chinese traditional songs to set some foundational skills. Later on, she played more advanced songs, like pop songs or the theme song from the movie “Totoro.”

Erica really enjoys playing the transverse flute, mainly because of the sound it makes.

“The resonance is kind of different, and the sound is a little warmer compared to Western instruments,” she said.

While the Chinese transverse flute is made of bamboo, the western flute is made

of silver or silver-plated nickel or brass, so the resonance of the two instruments is quite different. “It has a really nice sound. That’s one of the reasons why I had a passion for the flute” Erica said.

Another great aspect of the Chinese flute that Erica enjoys is that it is a beginnerfriendly instrument.“It’s not super hard to learn, but it’s hard to play really well, so it’s easy for beginners to gain confidence in it,” she said.

Erica thinks many people in Taipei American School do not have a close connection with Chinese traditions anymore.

“For me, there’s a musical component where I get to connect with others and Chinese culture with this instrument,” she said.

Erica enjoys being a bit distinctive by pursuing this instrument.“I guess it makes me a little more unique, because not a lot

of people play this instrument, so I know [Chinese culture] a bit more than other people, in terms of like tradition and culture.” she said. Erica also displayed her connection with Chinese culture in the Chinese Honor Society’s induction ceremony. During the ceremony, she performed the flute on stage.

With all the stress and workload Erica is currently experiencing as a senior in high school, she is ultimately been unable to continue pursuing the Chinese flute. “I want to [continue playing], but right now there’s not really a lot of teachers that tutor this kind of instrument,” Erica said.

She plans to continue playing the Chinese flute in college, that way, her passion for the flute will not only be limited to learning and performing, but also transfered to other people. “If I have a chance in college, I can maybe teach someone else,” she said.

13

the blue & gold december 2, 2019

Does your pet’s beard turn black when it is mad?

By Natalie Scheidel (‘21) People often believe in the myth that owning a reptile will make children sick with an infection. This is completely false; children only get sick if they put reptiles or their feces in their mouths, but the same goes for putting a dog or a cat or its feces in their mouths.

Bearded dragons are becoming increasingly popular as household pets; known to be both easy going and easy to care for. Lena Shea (‘21) had two bearded dragons before one passed away. “My grandma accidentally stepped on her, and she had surgery. She survived it but had lost too

much blood internally,” Lena said. Soon after, a friend gifted her another bearded dragon.

A day in the life of a bearded dragon mostly consists of it sleeping and eating, but when it is let out of its cage, bearded dragons often go sunbathing. “To ensure we don’t lose them, we keep them in a confined space,” Lena said.

While bearded dragons are the only reptiles to show affection, “it is hard to bond with them, [because] they don’t exhibit human emotions,” Lena said, “It’s not a pet you can cuddle with, so it’s hard to tell.”

It may be hard to tell when they are being affectionate, but one can clearly tell

when a bearded dragon is mad. “When they get mad, their beard turns black and their faces become puffy,” Lena said. “That has happened [to me] about two times.” When it first happened, Lena’s family did not know how to react, but the next time it happened, they found it funny.

Even though taking care of a bearded dragon does not require as much work as taking care of a dog or a cat, it has taught Lena and her brother how to be more responsible. She recommends people to get a bearded dragon if they want a pet to play with but they do not have the energy or time to take care of a larger pet.

Lena Shea’s bearded dragon stares out the window. [PHOTO COURTESY OF LENA SHEA]

Preston Tang raises an axolotl, the alien of the sea

By Allison Kwan (‘21) Preston Tang (’21) has been raising his axolotl for two years. He developed an interest in raising them after watching YouTube videos. Axolotls tend to live about 15 years and tend to have a black body in the wild. However, white and pink axolotls are more popular as pets. Axolotls also have the ability to regenerate their brain, heart, and limbs.

Preston’s axolotl, C.C. — named after his stuffed animal when he was younger— is a salamander-like “walking fish.” An axolotl is like an unmorphed version of the salamander. Preston had really wanted

a pet but his parents had not allowed him to have any pets that lived outside a fish tank. Preston and his group of friends then decided to make a trip to the pet store and purchase an axolotl.

“Just washing the fish tank takes a full hour.”

Raising an axolotl is very different from raising fish as is it needs a ten-gallon tank.

An axolotl is 15 centimeters long which is a

lot bigger than the average goldfish.

Preston spends his time feeding C.C. food pellets with a syringe. “When he eats his food, he sneaks up and eats it really quickly.

It’s really interesting to watch,” Preston said.

Preston also picks his axolotl up and finds its slimy body interesting to touch.

Preston has learned that raising an axolotl requires lots of responsibility. Since the fish tank is 10 gallons, it takes a lot of time and energy to clean. “Just washing the fish tank takes a full hour,” Preston said.

After raising an axolotl for two years, Preston finds his axolotl a great animal to keep him company at home.

Preston Tang’s axolotl climbs down its tank. [PHOTO COURTESY OF PRESTON TANG]

Upper School faculty and part-time amateur zoologist

By Allison Kwan (‘21) Ms. Mary Ann Cooke, Taipei American School speech and language pathologist, has had a passion for raising animals ever since she was a little girl. The pets she has had over the years include hundreds of fish, 15 cats, eight birds, six hamsters, four dogs, and one chameleon.

Dedication is the key to giving her pets a happy life.

Of all the birds Ms. Cooke used to have, her parakeet, Xiao Huang, was her favorite.

Xiao Huang had an adorable habit. “Every

time I put her on the table with a tissue, she would wrap herself into it like an eggroll,” Ms. Cooke said. Many of her birds have since passed away, but she still owns one parakeet.

Of all the pets she has owned, Ms. Cooke has enjoyed raising her dogs the most. Ms. Cooke’s first dog was adopted by her family when she was a baby. However, since she loved raising dogs so much, Ms. Cooke decided to get another pair of dachshund dogs about seven or eight years ago. The reason why she wanted to get them was because of their personality; they are known for being stubborn yet protective and affectionate at the same time. Her friend had recommended her to go where a man was selling puppies from his own apartment. The man who sold

them to her begged her to take good care of them because he knew he would never see them again, and she promised she would.

The one thing she has learned from her experience with raising dogs is that dedication is the key to giving her pets a happy life. For example, one of her current dogs, Macy, the runt of the litter, has had many health issues. “I’ve had to race him to the vet a couple of times because he was having seizures,” Ms. Cooke said.

After having raised so many pets, she wishes she had adopted her dogs from the pound instead of buying them from a pet supplier. In the future, Ms. Cooke’s dream is to have a ranch with even more animals. “I would love to have a little farm with a herd of alpacas,” she said.

Dachshund dogs sunbathe on a table.

[PHOTO COURTESY OF MS. MARY ANNE COOKE]

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the blue & gold december 2, 2019

Miss Green SuperKid: healthy and sustainable

Location: No. 435, Sec. 6, Zhongshan N. Rd., Shilin Dist., Taipei City (Chain restuarant with a total of three stores in Taipei) Average price: NT $280 - $320

By Charlotte Lee (‘20)

Total star rating:

Adopting a plant-based diet is among the most environmentally friendly things you can do as a consumer. Miss Green SuperKid, a new vegan restaurant in Tianmu, embraces the idea of reducing one’s carbon footprint through food choices with the philosophy, “Many of us dream of saving the world. What if you can do it three times a day?”

Greenpower Protein Salad

Coconut Curry Pasta

Amazing Avocado Wrap

The Greenpower protein salad is a yummy, light salad served with a delicious vegan dressing meant to resemble a typical ranch sauce, which would usually contain dairy.

What makes this salad special, though, is the vegan cheese: a thick, nutty cheese-like paste that more closely resembles sour cream. The avocado, dressing and fake “cheese” makes the salad rich with flavor, without being too heavy. However, this dish is not unlike something you could make at school for half the price.

Perhaps the highlight of the entire meal, this pasta is packed with flavor and spice in every bite. The soup is rich, creamy and slightly spicy, and blends well with the sauteed vegetables and tofu. For such a large bowl of pasta, it doesn’t feel too heavy. It could be shared between two people or act as a complete meal for one and is definitely worth the price. However, the dish would be far better if the rather tasteless spaghetti noodles could be swapped out for something more fitting, like ramen noodles or rice noodles, to better absorb the soup.

The “Amazing” avocado wrap is actually a rather average tasting veggie wrap that is uncomfortable to eat. Although the eggplant was grilled with a tasty smoky sauce and the ingredients were well seasoned, there was far too much lettuce. The filling should have been mixed together better so that each bite is filled with flavor. There is not much special about this dish, and it feels somewhat disappointingly homemade. Despite its flaws, it is a filling dish and the large portion size makes it worth the price.

NT $289

NT $289

NT $290

FROLIC ON A BUDGET

By Charlotte Lee (‘20)

[PHOTO COURTESY OF ANNA JURLING]

Frolic season is approaching, which means that many students won’t be able to resist splurging on new dresses and shoes—items that they don’t end up reusing very often. And for many girls, attending a formal event like Frolic could end up costing them well over a few thousand NT dollars on top of the actual ticket.

This Frolic, instead of spending over NT$ 1,000 on a gel manicure, only to spend almost the same amount of money to get it removed, try supporting this student business run

by Anna Jurling (‘20).

Anna Jurling (‘20) runs a small business for gel nails, and is open for appointments to all upper school students.

It all started off after she purchased a gel nail kit and several

[PHOTO COURTESY OF MR. RHOADES

different pastel nail colors online. Soon, she discovered that painting nails for other people is both profitable and enjoyable.

Her manicures cost NT$ 400 and take about 20 minutes to complete. Although the quality of the nail polish is definitely not what you would expect from a professional salon, they are surely worth both the price and the time saved.

The gel polish lasts a few weeks, and the fact that it is not nail salon quality is actually a benefit. The polish is much easier to remove on your own, and doesn’t leave your nails nearly as damaged. You can choose from a small selection of pastel colors including white, blue, green, yellow and

[PHOTO COURTESY OF ANNA JURLING]

lavender.

For students who are still deciding if they want to attend Frolic, finding something to wear is often far more of a deciding factor than it should be.

Perhaps instead of ordering a dress online, one can put together a two piece outfit, which is both a fashion foward and sustainable consumer choice. In fact, a pantsuit or formal cropped top paired with a pencil skirt is far more unique than any of the dresses you will find on one of the ten online stores that everyone seems to be shopping from these days. These pieces can likely be reworn on other formal occasions, and paired with other accessories so that you don’t feel like you’re repeating the same outfit in the future.

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the blue & gold december 2, 2019

[IMAGES COURTESY OF NOUN PROJECT]

Triumphs and failures: Fall Netflix premieres TRIUMPH: “The Politician” takes on politics for the apolitical

By Kelly Phil (‘20)

A voter enters a vote much like how the students in “The Politician” cast theirs.

[PHOTO COURTESY OF ARNAUD JAEGERS/UNSPLASH]

Netflix’s recent television series, “The Politician,” details a wealthy high school student’s journey to becoming president of the United States. Each season will follow a different campaign run by its title character, Payton Hobart, played by Ben Platt, known for his previous roles in movies like “Pitch Perfect,” presumably on his way to the presidency. Overall, the show offered a light-hearted and fun take on politics that I thoroughly enjoyed.

In this first season, Hobart runs for student body president, and the show’s premise becomes more and more clear as the season rolls on. Overall, the pace of the show sheds plot points as quickly as it raises them, spoofing everything from “Gone Girl” to the modern concept of disaffected white male voters.

“The Politician” is odd because despite its name, the series has almost no interest in actual politics. Similar to high school comedy, “Glee,” the plot device only part of the story. Payton — who occasionally seems to be compared to gun control activist David Hogg and a revamped version Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez — makes only occasional

stabs at caring about political issues.

In many ways, it is because “The Politician” is so apathetic that makes it so decisively political.

Hobart wants students to be safe from gun violence, but he’s also equally worried about plastic straws. He seems to have arrived at his political positions because they are advantageous, not because the issues he is chosen to focus on are deeply important to him. And yet other characters earnestly intone several times that he wants to make the world a better place. It is a jarring reminder to high school students that just because someone says something nice about another person does not mean it’s true.

In many ways, it is because “The Politician” is so politically apathetic that it is decisively political. In other words, “The

Politician” exposes how modern politics is not really about the issues themselves but about how the issues will be spun to win political campaigns. It has become the norm for modern politicians to flipflopping between different positions in order to cater to different voters, and Payton’s campaign is no exception.

This is not to say that “The Politician” intends to criticize these systems. On the contrary, “The Politician” is merely an accurate portrayal of what really happens within political systems in a comedic light. In this way, “The Politician” is a good laugh but also gives the viewer insight into America’s political process.

In addition to its insightful take on American politics, “The Politician” is also a solid movie for a Saturday night binge session. Similar to teen dramas of the past like “Mean Girls” and “Clueless,” “The Politician” is very adept at offering a comedic, hyper-dramatized take on high school life.

With its larger than life characters and comedic critique of politics, “The Politician” more than exceeded my expectations and is worth the watch.

FAILURE: “Criminal U.K.” is a bore with few redeeming qualities

By Nicole Chang (‘21)

A detective, like the one in the show, walks into the darkness contemplating a case.

[PHOTO COURTESY OF CRAIG WHITEHEAD/UNSPLASH]

“Criminal” is a true crime drama television series that is available for streaming on Netflix. Created by director Jim Field Smith and writer George Kay, the television series is set entirely within a police interview station. It features 12 cases that are split accross four different countries: the United Kingdom, France, Germany and Spain.

Each of these four countries have three episodes each and are presented in their own languages.

The first episode in the United Kingdom premiere of “Criminal,” “Edgar,” follows Dr. Edgar Fallon (David Tennant), who has been accused of sexually assaulting and murdering his stepdaughter. After finishing the 40-minute episode, I immediately wanted to go and watch the next one. Actor David Tennant had an exceptional performance in this episode with his portrayal of Dr. Edgar; he was really able to bring his character to life. Not only was the acting outstanding, the story plot was also extremely interesting and engaging. While I thoroughly enjoyed the acting and the plot, this episode was only centered around the male characters.

Although the episode discussed sexual assault and violence towards women, the

investigation room was ruled by men. The directors should have allowed the female investigators to play a more significant role in this murder case.

The only positive aspect of this episode was that the female detectives played a more active role in the case.

Upon watching the second episode “Stacey,” the series became extremely dull.

“Stacey,” revolves around a woman named Stacey Doyle (Hailey Atwell), who has supposedly poisoned her brother-in-law with rat poison. Although Hailey Atwell’s portrayal of the character was decent, the plotline of this episode was utterly disappointing and predictable. The episode dragged out for too long while the ending just seemed sloppy and rushed. Moreover, the storyline of this episode was not convincing and completely unrealistic. The only positive aspect of this

episode was that the female detectives played a more active role in the case.

Despite the let-down of the second episode, the third episode “Jay,” which focuses on truck driver Jay Muthassin, played by Youssef Kerkour, who has been suspected of transporting illegal immigrants to the United Kingdom, broke my short-lived disappointment in the series. Not only did this episode focus on the suspect and his crime, it also focused on the supporting cast of characters and their own stories. This episode revealed a connection between the detective and the suspect, which further developed the plot.

Although the episode was not as good as the first, it was a nice ending to the season.

Although I understand that the TV series was set in the police station all three episodes under the intent of the creators, I would have preferred it if there had been more changes to the overall setting. It was tiring to watch all three episodes unfold in the same place, especially since the viewers could not see the crimes take place.

Overall, I would only recommend this series to those who are genuinely interested in crime-drama. For those who are looking for something more expansive,

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the blue & gold december 2, 2019

BOJACK HORSEMAN—a television series not for the sensitive

Phoebe Chen watches the season 6 trailer for BoJack Horseman on Netflix. [NATALIE SCHEIDEL/THE BLUE & GOLD]

By Phoebe Chen (‘21) Kicking off of the end of season 5, “BoJack Horseman” season 6 follows BoJack—a washed up celebrity humanoid horse struggling with alcohol and drug addictions—and his pursuit of selfredemption. The final season of the show has been split into two releases, one on Oct. 25 and the other Jan. 31. The two releases will each have eight episodes, resulting in a total of 16 for the season.

Produced by Raphael Bob-Wakssberg, “BoJack Horseman” was originally a lighthearted, satirical animation about the superficial and humorous lives of celebrities in Los Angeles. Yet, in its last season, “BoJack

Horseman” digs into the distressing and sometimes even illegal actions that celebrities commit and, unfortunately, often get away with.

One of the overarching messages the season hopes to portray to viewers is that cancel culture, the practice of losing support of a celebrity, company or product when they are regarded as problematic, is unfair. The season admits that BoJack has committed some terrible crimes, but also implies that those offences do not dictate whether he can truly change his character.

The season begins with BoJack’s sixweek journey to fight his addictions in rehabilitation. Early scenes portraying

BoJack’s journey at rehab demonstrate him originally unable to persist in activities and often falling behind other patients. As time passes, BoJack eventually overcomes his addiction. Yet, he still cannot shake off haunting memories from his past or redeem himself from his terrible mistakes.

Season 6 is drastically different from other releases of the show as it genuinely demonstrates BoJack’s true reform as a character. In past seasons, BoJack often claims of change but never completely follows through. Season 6 witnesses BoJack in all his vulnerability, opening undisclosed factors of his past life that proves to be the reason for his inappropriate behavior.

Although BoJack Horseman is a character that may be automatically associated with disapproval, viewers must attain a better understanding of his background to judge him for his actions. Season 6 reveals all the nuts and bolts of his life that has cultivated his poor decision-making habits. BoJack would not be the imperfect character he is if it were not for the troubling past that has followed him for the entirety of his life.

BoJack is a character who is easy to dislike but hard not to love. As a character, he is the epitome of guilt, regret and sorrow that everyone can relate to. This season of the show is a candid, raw demonstration of how forging for forgiveness is never easy.

Who’s leading the 2019 phone race?

By Micah Wang (‘23)

The race for the best phone is still being fought, but 2019 has shown to be a great year for major phone companies around the world, with several remarkable new phones entering the already-crowded market.

Despite the new releases, there are some phones that truly stand out from the rest. Make sure to consider the following (or send links to your parents) before purchasing your next phone.

OnePlus 7T

Samsung Note 10 Plus

iPhone 11

One of the hidden gems of 2019 came from OnePlus, a Chinese smartphone manufacturer that has gainied popularity internationally.

This is with 35% of the market share in India, greater than both Apple and Samsung, who have 23% of the market share each.

Their newest phone, the OnePlus 7T, goes for NT$ 18,000, which is substantially cheaper than the iPhone 11.

Furthermore, the quality of the phones holds a candle to other flagship phones, giving name brand companies a run for their money.

If price is a pivotal factor in buying a phone, the OnePlus 7T is worth looking into, as the technology in the phone is comparable to other popular phones, yet for a fraction of the price.

With small phones becoming the new trend, the Samsung Note 10 Plus is the antithesis to the status quo.

With a whopping screen size of 6.8-inches, it towers over the 6.1-inch iPhone 11.

And, with the addition of the ‘S Pen’, there’s no phone quite like it.

The ‘S Pen’, Samsung’s stylus made for phones, makes the Note 10 into more of a tablet than a phone.

With built-in bluetooth controls, the S Pen transforms the phone into a pocketsized notebook.

“The screen is really good,” Dylan L. (‘23), said. “The quality and the size of it is so much better than any other.”

For artists, workaholics, and consumers who just want a big screen, the Note 10 Plus is worth splurging for, even at NT$ 32,635. for the base model.

Aptly named Apple’s best phone yet, the iPhone 11takes the top spot.

Releasing on 20 Sept. 2019, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo estimates that Apple has already shipped over 75 million iPhone 11s worldwide.

With a starting price of NT$ 24,900, the iPhone 11 is equipped with some of the best technology on the market.

Using Apple’s newest Apple A13 Bionic Chip, phone performances have reached new highs, being the fastest Central Processing Unit in a phone.

For the first time since the iPhone X, Apple made substantial improvements to the camera, setting Apple far ahead of other brands in terms of camera quality.

With the upgrades to the camera, display quality and battery capacity, it is a solid contender as the best phone of 2019, and packs a hefty punch for it’s price.

Front screen display of the iPhone 11 [MICAH WANG/THE BLUE & GOLD]

A view of the back of the iPhone 11 [MICAH WANG/THE BLUE & GOLD]