The Blue & Gold Volume XXV, Issue 5

Taipei American School | 800 Chung Shan N. Rd., Section 6, Taipei, Taiwan | blueandgoldonline.org | VOLUME XXV, ISS. 05 | April 11, 2019

This edition is made from recycled paper.

NEWS

FEATURE

PAGE 2

PAGE 10-11

Seferina Engen wins SENIA Student Award for supporting special needs children

From student to ski instructor: Genevieve tests her limits

NOW IS THE TIME: GO GREEN

TAS debate team encounters setback at Duke Moot Court Tournament

sustainability in our community

By Kelly Phil (‘20)

PAGE 8-9

From March 30 to April 2, six Taipei American School students attended the Duke High School Moot Court Tournament at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina. The students were accompanied

by Mr. Chase Williams, the political science teacher and head debate coach. Dhirpal Shah (‘20), Anna Chang (‘20), Emily Hsu (‘20), Cindy Li (‘20), Sydnie Chen (‘21), and Jessica Oh (‘21) made up the team.

In the weeks leading up to the tournament, the team attended practices to prepare for their debates. Students worked on drafting cases for and against the various legal issues.

At the tournament, two-person teams present cases for and against these issues while a panel of judges decided which team presented the stronger case. This year’s tournament saw students debate issues ranging from gender inequality in Saudi Arabia to the Trump administration’s immigration policies.

This was TAS’ third year attending the tournament following their success last year.

Last year, Cindy Li (‘20) and Emily Hsu (‘20), who returned to represent the school this year, reached the Elite Eight, or quarterfinals, before they were eliminated; the two other teams reached elimination rounds.

However, prior to the tournament, the team also had to face many organizational and miscommunications. “The tournament was a bit disorganized,” Emily Hsu (‘20) said.“We did not receive the schedules on time, which hurt our ability to prepare.”

In addition, this year, two other teams were attending the tournament for the first time. Due to their inexperience, the teams did not make it to the elimination rounds this year.

“Even though we didn’t get the results we wanted, it was still a good way to prepare for next year’s debate season,” Dhirpal Shah (‘20) said.

IllUSTRATION BY VANESSA KANG (‘20)

Upper School film club soon to finish yearlong project “Portraits”

By Phoebe Chen (‘21) On May 10, the Upper School film club’s horror film “Portraits”’ will be released for students and faculty members of Taipei American School to watch. Since October of 2018, participants of the film club have been busy filming, editing and producing the film for the year round AllAmerican high school film festival.

“Portraits” is a seven to eight-minutelong film that follows two artists and long-time friends, Charles and Claire. As a photographer, Charles is stuck in the pursuit of defining art, and eventually finds himself drawn to photographing dying humans. In

the film, he decides to show Claire his secret hobby in hopes of acceptance, but is instead faced with disgust and disapproval.

A major difference between “Portraits” and other films produced by previous TAS students is the greater magnitude of resources that have been provided for the production. Instead of selecting student actors, professional and experienced actors were hired to fulfill the character roles.

In the film, the character Charles is played by professional actor Mr. John Brownlie, and Claire is played by US art teacher and department chair Ms. Michelle Kao.

“Even though we have some amazing student actors, they lack the maturity [necessary for a professional film],” film director Anthony Hsu (‘20) said.

“Currently, most students do not have the right psychological mindset for this role and have not had enough time to develop either.”

Another crucial reason why the film club decided to employ professional actors is because of the need for mature appearances.

“Visually, if a person looks young and tries to act old, it won’t look as professional.

This film is really up close. Every single detail, including faces that have not yet

been fully developed, will be caught on camera,” Anthony said.

As for the actors, being able to understand their character’s personality and backstory has been an important detail to performing well on a professional scale.

“Knowing your character very well, even if it’s not written in the script, creates a backstory for you as the actor. It allows you to understand how you should be acting, and gets you into the mindset of your character,” Ms. Kao said.

// CONTINUED ON P.2

2

the blue & gold april 11, 2019

// US FILM “PORTRAITS,” CONTINUED FROM P.1 “My character, Claire, is a successful architect. She’s quite young and it has only been 10 years out of art school,” Ms. Kao said. “She was named designer of the year and is recognized and established.”

On the other hand, Charles is an artist that has developed his work as a photographer into a frightening hobby of capturing a person’s moment of death.

Another interesting aspect of the filming process is the intricate film effects and tricks used to emphasize scenes and emotion. “In film, it’s not just about picking one effect, we had to use the entire assortment of effects to create the mood that we are going for,” Anthony said.

One effect that the film club used frequently while filming were light gels,thin sheets of film that are placed in front of the camera lenses.

Specific colors such as red, blue or green are used to color the camera’s entire frame. “The red gels that we used helps create the murderous ambience for the scenes,” Anthony said.

One of the greatest struggles the film club faced during production this year was deciding which scenes would make the final film, and which ones would not. “As an editor, you have a lot of control over how people interpret the scene. As in where should I cut this scene at and which scene should I keep,” film editor Michael Nili (‘20) said.

An example is editing a scene with stimulating dialogue between two characters. Since the film cannot display both people and their reactions at the same time, editors of the film must decide which scene is more significant. “Picking is really important,” Michael said. “However, in the case of having an effect and cause, the effect is usually chosen as it gives the good reaction you are trying to achieve.”

Members of the film club believe that one of the most complicated aspects of this year’s film was crafting the plot. Although students were not directly playing the film’s character roles, students are extremely proud of the sophisticated directing style that was necessary to create the film’s plot.

“A lot of times people misunderstand what a movie is about, especially what makes a good one. They think it’s all about what’s seen in the film,” Michael said. “In reality, it’s all about the character and story. If you can’t just eliminate the screen and have a real connection with the two, then it doesn’t matter.

It’s all about the connection the audience can make and what they think about it at the end.”

Michael Nili (‘20) films Ms. Michelle Kao as she searches an ominous corridor.

[PHOEBE CHEN/THE BLUE & GOLD]

Seferina Engen (‘19) explains the rules of the Hero Games events to the children with special needs and student volunteers.

[PHOTO COURTESY OF SEFERINA ENGEN]

Seferina Engen wins SENIA Student Award for supporting special needs children

By Vanessa Tsao (‘19) For the average high school student, organizing a charitable event with over a hundred attendees can be daunting—imagine organizing an event with where the attendees are mostly children with special needs from all over Taiwan.

Seferina Engen’s (‘19) efforts in advocating for children with special needs have been recognized by the SENIA Student Award this year, which is an award that celebrates the achievements of students with disabilities. She has helped local special needs children through Make It Shine and by collaborating with special needs organization Taiwan Sunshine to host the annual Hero Games at Taipei American School.

The criteria for winning this award includes raising awareness and advocating for special needs in Asia and making an impact on the local, national or international community.

Seferina attended the awards ceremony in Hong Kong, from Feb. 22-24, where she also received a USD $1500 cash prize.

Dean of Students Dr. Daniel Long and Upper School academic support specialist Dr. Liz Pasquini nominated Seferina for this award.

“In addition to overcoming her own learning differences to find great success, [Seferina has] also engaged in a variety of activities to support and raise awareness for students with disabilities,” Dr. Pasquini said.

Seferina first became involved with the Hero Games when she volunteered at the first

Hero Games in 2017. The Hero Games brings special needs children from around Taiwan to TAS for a day of athletic events, and student volunteers are paired as buddies to one child to help them in competing in the different athletic games.

“When I went, I really really loved it, [especially as] there hadn’t been anything related to special needs at school,” Seferina said. She reached out to Taiwan Sunshine to continue running the event, and this year is her second year being the head of Hero Games.

The Hero Games creates a unique space for the special needs community. “[It brings] the community together, motivates [the special needs kids] and helps them feel included,” Seferina said. Furthermore, it is an opportunity for neurotypicals to understand and empathize with people with special through face to face interaction.

“A lot of people don’t understand people with special needs, [but] by interacting with them and seeing they’re just like us—it’s really special,” Seferina said. She emphasized that while there has been plenty of awareness around racial and cultural diversity amongst students, neurodiversity is something less understood.

As the head of the Hero Games, Seferina has a lot on her plate. The planning process for the Hero Games begins months before the event, which results in requiring lots of coordination between Taiwan Sunshine, TAS activities headed by Dr. Long and TAS student

volunteers. Sometimes she even has to travel to different local schools around Taiwan to reach out to and invite special needs children to the Hero Games.

The organizing process is also challenging for Seferina in different ways, as she herself has “a rare suspected genetic disorder which influences [her] processing speed, working memory, ability to sequence information and spatial awareness,” as she described her doctor’s complicated explanation. This does not just affect her learning in the classroom, as things that require coordinating, planning and executing motor tasks like going to the grocery store, are challenging for Seferina.

Seferina found that organizing her her first Hero Games was as overwhelming due to the many logistical details she had to deal with. “It was anxiety-provoking when I had to do things on the spot, and quickly,” she said. But the challenge of organizing the event also made her very proud of her accomplishment in the end.

In the future, Seferina hopes to be a special needs teacher, and help those with learning differences to learn in their own ways.

Attending the SENIA awards ceremony and the workshops held on educating special needs children provided her with an opportunity to meet passionate special needs educators, further confirming her dream of being a special needs teacher. “I want to take what my special needs teachers have done for me and do it for others,” she said.

TASMUN 10th annual conference opens new committees to delegates

By Amanda Chiu (‘20) On April 27 to 28, Taipei American School will host its annual Taipei American School Model United Nations conference in the Upper School. Twenty-six schools will visit TAS from all around the world including Hong Kong International School, Seoul International School and Shanghai American School. Schools from Taiwan including Kang Chiao International School, Taipei European School, Dominican International School and others will attend this conference as well. Students will represent selected countries and debate topics relating to current world issues.

TASMUN is as a MUN conference for students from seventh to 10th grade. It serves as an intermediate stimulation for younger students who want to join the more intensive MUN conferences in the future. “We want to provide the chance to as many students as possible to participate in, and upper school students a chance to show leadership,” Ms. Darby Sinclair, head of the MUN program, said. Schools from different countries are also invited to debate and resolve the issues with

TAS delegates. “We want to give our students opportunities to debate against other schools and learn their culture as well,” Ms. Sinclair said.

TASMUN also serves as a leadership training event for TAS upper school students. “This year, there are about 62 chairs for TASMUN, and they are mostly 10th or 11th graders that help coordinate the committee and give advices to the delegates,” Ms. Sinclair said. TASMUN contains 14 committees that each have a different topic, mostly regarding social issues that the United Nations are currently discussing.

In addition to the general topics in each committee, TASMUN integrated a new, more specialized committee this year. The new “Historical Joint Crisis Committee” is a committee for students to discuss about the Taiwan Strait crisis in 1954. “Every delegate in this room will be debating as if they were living in the year of 1954,” Yasmin Hung (‘20), cosecretary general, said.

Some other notable committees include those dedicated to crime such as the International Crime Court and the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice. Students in

these committees will discuss crime and justice issues in the modern world. This year, the committee includes issues about combating wildlife and forest crime, safeguarding of sports from corruption on the global level and encouraging a shift to the alternative development approach in crop management.

Another important committee that is popular with delegates is the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women, a committee completely dedicated to women’s rights in the world. They will be discussing on ensuring legal and economic equality for all women. “This committee is specialized too, because because it won’t follow normal MUN procedure, instead it will be following the format of UN4MUN, the same debate way as they do in the real United Nations,” Yasmin said.

This year, TASMUN included many special committees that are impactful to the world.

Although TASMUN is a conference for mainly middle school and underclassmen delegates, it is a great opportunity for them to learn and grow as a speaker in a less competitive environment.

3

the blue & gold april 11, 2019

[INFOGRAPHIC BY PHOEBE CHEN (‘19)]

Yoga + Meditation

Art + Literature

Robotics Mentoring

Advanced Fitness Training

The Yoga + Meditation course is a class focused on improving the wellbeing of students. It will be taught by English teacher Ms. Simone Zhang.

In her classes, Ms. Zhang finds that students often feel stressed and pressured.

She started to incorporate short meditations in her classes and found that students often respond really well to them. “They feel more calm and focused, and really get into it,” Ms. Zhang said. This made her think of the possibility of offering a yoga and meditation class, as she believes benefit students.

The class will not only cover various styles of yoga, but it will also include the philosophy of it, such as breathing techniques. “It is more of like an intentional practice, seeing how your thoughts can influence your emotional state,” Ms. Zhang said. Classes will mostly be 60 minutes of yoga practice, from warming up to different practices, then end with a short meditation, which will vary. There will also be classes where students reflect on some of the emotions that they are experiencing, but the course still revolves more around the practice of yoga itself.

This is first time a class for yoga and meditation has been offered, and Ms. Zhang hopes that this class could allow students to feel calmer, happier and more at peace. She wishes that the class can provide a open and supportive environment for health, growth and self-care. “Students hold on to a lot and care about a lot, so I just want to provide a space for people to get more in touch with themselves, their bodies, emotions and their mind,” Ms. Zhang said.

The Art + Literature course is designed for students to explore connections between visual art and literature. English teacher Ms. Stephanie Chiang proposed this course and will also teach it next year.

Ms. Chiang proposed the class because she wanted to bring a more creative approach to exploring literature to the Upper School, which she felt greatly emphasizes analytical writing. “What inspired me was a lot of the creative assignments that I gave in my English classes,” Ms. Chiang said. Those assignments were always sidelined, inspiring her to create a class where students could delve into them more deeply.

Students will explore various genres of literature and mediums of art. “The interesting thing for this class is that they are reading literature and responding to literature with visual art, but at the same time they are also looking at visual art and responding to it with creative writing,” Ms. Chiang said. Future lessons could include acrylic painting, illustrations, graphic design,and collages, which will be combined with a wide range of literary genres, including poetry, short stories and short plays.

The class is more flexible in terms of what students want to focus on. “They can pick their own texts. They can pick their own thematic focus, and then decide what mediums to convey it,” Ms Chiang said.

Students taking the honors elective will be required to exhibit their work.

Ms. Chiang wishes for students to realize the great connection between visual art and literature. “I want students to be able to see literature as a piece of artwork, and to also see art as a piece of writing,” she said.

This course was created by Dr. Allan Bayntun, the teacher who has proposed this course, as he saw this as an opportunity to teach students in the Lower School how to program and build robots with Lego.

Because the Lower School ends school activities much earlier than the Upper School, Upper School students can use the time they have in class to teach Lower School students that are interested in Lego and building robots. Dr. Bayntun has worked with department head Mr. Matthew Fagen and many Lower School teachers, including Ms. Leanne Rainbow, the head of the Lower School robotics program, in order to create this course.

Dr. Bayntun describes this class as a learning experience for both the Upper School students and the Lower School students, as this course is progress-based, not assessment-based. As Upper School students must teach in simpler terms for younger students, this helps upper school students learn new techniques on teaching and even learn more about programming themselves. “You learn about yourself while mentoring kids. Teaching is the best form of learning,” said Dr. Bayntun.

Eventually, the Lower School students will work with the Upper School students to build a robot for the First Lego League, a competition for students to compete using their robots. There is still room for students to sign up for this course and this course is a fun and interesting way to build personal growth and learn about programming without fussing around with syntax. “I have never seen a person who doesn’t like Lego,” Dr. Bayntun said.

Advanced Fitness and Training is a class designed for all students who are interested in developing a deeper understanding of weightlifting and fitness by teaching students how to measure exercise performance and delve into topics such as linear and non-linear training.

Dr. Robert Mitchell proposed this course so that students have the chance to dive deeper past merely an introduction to Fitness and Training. This class is catered towards students who want to see a positive improvement or change in their lifestyle. He believes that this course is an essential addition to Taipei American School’s curriculum because it is hard to teach weightlifting and fitness without teaching the underlying mechanism. “We saw a lot of our students that didn’t understand the connecting between the actual science that is in working out and our body,” Dr. Mitchell.

Part of the class will be taught inside a classroom, while the other part will be taught in the gym. Rather than grading students based on assessments, Dr. Mitchell plans to focus on student performance and effort.

Lessons range from the anatomy of muscle fibers to the importance of healthy eating habits. One important aspect of this class is the its emphasis on recovery after an intense workout. Although the actual workout is important, recovery is essential to making sure that students do not strain their muscles.

This class can help students take care of their own physical state and will give them tools to see a different outlook on things they are doing currently, even when under significant pressure and stress. “No matter how busy you are you can still improve yourself,“ Dr. Mitchell said.

During the week of April 22-26, numerous art pieces will be auctioned in the MPR as part of the annual Amnesty Art Auction. This event is hosted by Amnesty International, an Upper School student club affiliated with the non-governmental human rights organization by the same name.

Proceeds goes to the Amnesty International club and the Amnesty International organization.

The bidding price for pieces usually starts at around $1000 NT, and sometimes rise to around $4000 NT. For this year’s bidding, Amnesty is introducing a new system. In the past, bidders placed their bids using paper and pen. Amnesty club members would check the newest bid each lunch period and send an email to update the bidders. This year, co-vice president Catherine Lin (‘19) developed a digital bidding system of new

bids using Google Sheets and Forms. Each time a participant submits a bid through an artwork’s Google Form, an email will automatically be sent to inform past bidders.

This new system will save a lot of time and work for Amnesty club members. There will also be photos of the art posted on a website made specifically for the art auction.

The art pieces for the event will include paintings, pottery and digital art. This year, digital art pieces will be especially prevalent due to it being easier to preserve and less hazardous when broken.

In previous years, a suitable storage place was not always present. Potteries, oil paintings and water colors would often get damaged. The Amnesty International club will find proper storage space for this year’s auction.

Each year, the types of art pieces that are

auctioned varies depending on the donor. IB art, IASAS art, or higher level art students often donate their pieces. Some TAS teachers, like Mr. David Morris, a professional potter, also donate pottery pieces that they own. Though the style varies, political and human right themed pieces are generally more relevant to the overall goal of Amnesty International.

“This auction is a way to present our club’s cause to the public and to raise awareness about human rights issues in a way that is more open and welcoming,” Charlotte Lee (‘20) said. While Amnesty International’s other past activities, such as petition signing targets serious issues , the art auction allows awareness raising in a more relatable form, enabling all in the TAS community to participate and enjoy.

Art connects with human rights at the Amnesty Art Auction

By Ian Ho (‘21)

4

the blue & gold april 11, 2019

ILA club prepares for annual fashion show

By Nicole Chang (‘21) Every year, the I Love Art club holds a fashion show in the Upper School gym, where student models showcase various garments designed by student designers.

This year, the fashion show will take place on April 26, at 7:30 p.m.. Doors will open at 7 p.m., and tickets will be sold for $100 NT each. There are 14 students designers, including Evelyn Pao (‘20), Elly Lee (‘20), Harrison Yu (‘20), Jill Thai (‘21), Joel Lo (‘21), Lani Wagatsuma (‘20), Michael Nili (‘20), Peter Chiu (‘19), Sarah Su (‘19), Tiffany Lo (‘20), Vanessa Kang (‘20), Yasmin Lin (‘20), Rachel Chiang (‘19), and Christine Chen (‘19). During the show, there will also be 3 musical performances

by Upper School students.

This year both co-presidents of the I Love Art club will tackle the two major parts of the show: Yasmin Lin (‘20) will be in charge of design while Peter Chiu (‘19) will organize the logistics of the event.

Yasmin’s as been designer head remains since last year. As head, Yasmin guides designers through the designing process. “When we organize the designs we stress cohesiveness, and [we] mak[e] sure that [the] designers have their own elements, and that their collections are distinctive,” she said.

Designers are expected to come up with their own original designs.

Evelyn Pao (‘20), a first time designer for the I Love Art fashion show, is going for a gothic style.

“I am interested in fantasy [type] dresses. Dark and girly, [with] a lot of lace and feather,” she said. Jill Thai (‘21), a second time student designer for the show, has a similar style from last year. “My design [is] more classy and chic,” she said.

Furthermore, Yasmin and Peter have also made several changes to the fashion show from previous years.

Last year, all profits from the fashion show went to Operation Smile, a student club that benefits children suffering from cleft lip, cleft palate and other facial deformities. However, this year’s profits will be going to another charitable organization, yet to be determined. Yasmin and Peter are also planning on adding a donation box during the show, for attendees to donate directly to the program.

Ultimately, Yasmin is really looking forwards to the upcoming show at the end of this month. “I am most excited for the show and the end product, because [of ] all the work [we] put in, especially the designers and models,” Yasmin said. “Seeing everything come together will be very rewarding.”

“Dear Gen Z” themed artwork displayed at the IB art show. [PHOTO COURTESY OF SHARON KUO AND CATHERINE LIN]

IB art show titled “Dear Gen Z”

By Laura Hsu (‘21) Starting from March 27 to April 4, International Baccalaureate art students participated in an art show, exhibiting projects they made in IB visual art classes. The show will be held in the MPR at Taipei American School.

The show was organized by nine upper school students, all from the International Baccalaureate Higher Level Visual Arts year two course: Sharon Kuo (‘19), Aaron Chen (‘19), Alex Kao (‘19), Catherine Lin (‘19), Isabelle Chiao (‘19), Serena Yang (‘19), Vivian Kuo (‘19), Vivian Wang (‘19).

This tight-knit group of students has been working together for two years already.“I just think its a really nice ending to the two years of studio work that we’ve been doing and it’s just very cool to be able to see everything come together,” Sharon Kuo (‘19) said.

The IBHL art show is different every year

because the participating artists change every year, and all artists have their unique style. Each year, the participating artists create a theme that overarches the entire art show. “This year, our show is called ‘Dear Gen Z,’” Sharon said, “since a lot of our artwork is kind of centered around social issues or a lot of modern issues.”

For artists like Catherine Lin (‘19), the creative process and inspiration comes from everyday life. “Usually I think of things that happen in my daily life, and I try to reflect that through my paintings usually that even is something that gives you a lot of emotions and that’s why I get inspiration,” she said.

Preparation for the show starts during the artists’ junior year, and the process of preparing for the show usually takes a couple days of installation, due to the sufficient planning of the space. Besides the art display setup, students also design their own posters and invitations.

The show exhibit works created by artists during their IB periods. Every artist had their own section that could be utilized to their own use. Each person decides how and what they want the space to be presented. “It’s completely up to us as individuals, I know one of my classmates, his artwork explores inner self versus outer self so his section will have more colorful, positive artworks on the outside and then you can walk into this enclosed space with his inner self works so that kinda embodies the idea of his works.” Sharon said.

Students also received assistance and help from teachers and staff in TAS. “Ms. Kao is our IB teacher, and she was there in the brainstorming process, she was there to help us with the theme,” Sharon said. “She helped us plan our spacing, where everything should be, and around how big our space is,” Catherine said.

Preview of a jam-packed 2019 Arts Festival

By Joon Kim (‘19) Do not miss the rest of the two-week arts festival, which will enrich you with dance sessions, mealtime drama, an interactive film project and a farewell concert.

On April 11, the Upper School Dance Department will present 15 senior compositions in the Guy Lott, Jr. Auditorium.

Dancers will also perform guest choreography by dance and drama teacher Ms. Kari Jensen, William Lu, a former Backhausdance member; Zachary Groenewold, a hip hop dancer; Lithuanian contemporary Viktorija Semakaitė and Danny Lee, a Taiwanese jazz dancer.

All of these pieces represent a variety of genres. “Our guiding philosophy is for each student to find their own artistic voices,” dance director Mrs. Deborah Flemming said.

“There is a little bit of what we choose for them and a little bit of what they would choose for themselves.”

Dancers carefully plan out routines and music before they rehearse. IASAS dance delegates Rachel Hsu (‘19) and Victor Fan (‘19) talked a lot for their duet piece.

“As soon as we rehearsed, we just started working and editing music,” Rachel said. She also laid out the accompanying computergenerated visualizations that respond to their performance’s music.

Honors I Theater students will perform John Cariani’s “Love/Sick,” a collection of amusing short plays, at the Kevin B. Held Black Box Theater on April 12, as audiences will be provided with hot food and dessert.

Ms. Jensen said she hopes that audiences will talk the pieces they see during their first dinner theater experience. “It gives sort of a light feel to the evening,” she said.

Later, the Honors II Theater class will act in two original scripts, “Alexandra” by Charlize Lamb (’20) and “When the Sun Rises in the West” by Natalie Chang (’20). Benjamin Kao (’19) will specially deliver a monologue from Tony Kushner’s “Angels in America.”

On April 18, film teacher Mr. Brett Barrus and arts assistant Ms. Pei Lee will premiere the film project Darklands Legends at the beginning of the spring ensemble’s concert, as the symphonic band plays a suite of the same

name by Randall D. Standridge.

AP and IB arts students created visualizations, which film students programmed last month to respond to improvised movements made by Natalie, an IASAS drama delegate.

“This is a project with a lot of moving parts and a lot of untested ideas,” Mr. Barrus said.

The project will continue until days before the concert.

The finale concert on April 19 will feature this year’s Joanna Nichols Performing Artist in Residence, concert pianist Ms. Elaine Kwon, who will play Dana Suesse’s “Concerto in Three Rhythms” with the Upper School Orchestra.

Ms. Valerie Hartzell, a classical guitarist based in London, will also perform two pieces in a special honor for her father, Upper School principal Dr. Richard Hartzell, who will retire from his position at the end of this school year.

Ms. Hartzell will play Joaquín Rodrigo’s “Fantasia for a Gentleman” with the orchestra, Claude Bolling’s “Picnic Suite” and Isaac Albéniz’s “Asturias.”

5

the blue & gold april 11, 2019

800 CHUNG SHAN N. RD. TAIPEI TAIWAN 11152

How to make your vote count in 2020

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

CHARLOTTE LEE (‘20)

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

SOCIAL MEDIA & MARKETING VANESSA TSAO (‘19)

SPfdsORTS EDITOR ANYA LAI (‘19)

NEWS EDITOR

SHARON LEE (‘22)

OPINIONS EDITOR NICOLE CHANG (‘21)

FEATURES EDITOR PHOEBE CHEN (‘21)

VERDICT EDITOR This year’s candidates: President Donald Trump (center) surrounded by some of his potential competition: Kamala Harris (bottom right), Cory Booker (top right), Joe Biden (bottom left), and Elizabeth Warren (top left). [BRITISH BROADCASTING CORPORATION]

By Kelly Phil (‘20) With only a short year until the start of the United States presidential elections, the entire world seems to be waiting with bated breath, wondering who, if anyone, will succeed in replacing Donald J. Trump in 2020. For many, the past four years have been rife with setbacks. The longest government shutdown in history, Trump’s border wall receiving suspect funding, the Mueller investigation, family separation at the border, the Travel Ban, Judge Brett Kavanaugh’s controversial Supreme Court appointment, historic peace talks with North Korea’s Kim Jong Un, and backing out of the Paris Climate Accords are just some of the many administration defining changes that have occupied the global imagination during Trump’s presidency.

Right now, you can search for “2020 news” and find a list of candidates who are vying to unseat President Trump and ride the coattails of what they hope will be a great “blue wave” of dissatisfied Americans all the way to the White House.

In the face of this electoral onslaught of candidates and campaign promises, losing

sight of what really matters is a possibility.

Especially for members of the Democratic Party who desperately need a win against Trump, the priority of this primary has been to find the best candidate to oppose Trump, not necessarily the best candidate to lead the country. Similarly, voters seem more swayed by impassioned rallies and “Trump-bashing” over coherent policy proposals.

“The Resistance v. Trump” has been a framing that has been around for a while. In the 2020 elections, that “resistance” includes likely presidential hopefuls Cory Booker, Kamala Harris, Bernie Sanders and Kirsten Gillibrand. In their rhetoric and policy choices, these candidates have pursued campaigns centered on the promise that they are the only options to counter Trump’s position in power.

But outward appearances are not everything. Booker, Harris and Gillibrand have been making a very different pitch of late – to Wall Street. According to CNBC article, all three potential candidates have been reaching out to financial executives lately, including Blackstone’s Jonathan Gray, Robert Wolf from 32 Advisors and the Centerbridge

Partners founder Mark Gallogly. Of course, some appeals to external donors are inevitable, especially in a world where candidates are expected to spend billions just to keep up with their competition.

The problem is that it is easy for Washington elites to run on a platform of radical progressivism like universal health care or childcare, but it is becoming increasingly important for voters to remain more vigilant in the face of those promises. Voters should not bank their decisions on empty visions of a radical future that uproots itself from the establishment.

The vision of a future many young voters possess may be used as a tool for many Democrats who hope to gain the younger vote.

Therefore, it is vital that voters are not distracted by rhetoric or promises but instead look into the substance of each candidate’s policies. In an election where Trump is set to be the main villain, it is easy for the public to overlook any nuances or red flags that candidates may display if their strong promises and “Trump-bashing” skills are adept enough. The American public should not make the same mistake twice.

Feminism needs an intersectional makeover

By Nakiah Pannell (‘20) At the Seneca Falls Convention of 1848, the first woman’s’ rights convention, black women were not invited. White suffragettes believed they could not advance their cause if they supported black women, because they would then lose support from racists in power.

This is a common dilemma in social activism: minorities are often put in positions where they must compromise their values and representation to achieve reforms for a larger social group. Intersectional feminism remedies such disunity by representing all forms of the female experience.

Intersectional feminism is an advocacy movement for the women whom society otherizes for their complex identities. An intersection symbolizes the overlapping of two or more social identities, like one’s gender, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, economic status, or even one’s physical and mental abilities. that make a person’s experience with discrimination unique.

Intersectionality also characterizes people

who do not belong in acceptive communities because of their conflicting identities. A gay Asian man will not be accepted by his homophobic peers while the LGBTQ community may also mistreat him due to his Asian identity.

However, intersectional feminism is most effective in theory. Because serving the perspectives of each woman is an impossible goal, intersectional feminism should offer segues to founding new movements that frame the issues of specific social groups. Exclusive support groups and safe spaces for specific groups is a start, and should gather more social acceptance in the name of intersectional feminism.

Police violence against women of color is an example of an intersectional issue. In fact, Kimberle Crenshaw was inspired by the black feminist agenda when she launched the intersectional feminism movement in 1989. One of the campaigns she promotes through an intersectional feminism lens is the #SayHerName campaign, which aims to honor

the black female victims of police violence, such as Sandra Bland, Breaion King and Taiyana Thompson, who did not gain the explosive media coverage that the stories of black male victims of police violence did.

Gender equality is a one-dimensional and arbitrary goal that fails to acknowledge how such a goal is approached differently both culturally and economically. Personally, I identify with feminism on the condition that it is inclusive to everyone, which is why I vibe with intersectional feminism.

In the spirit of unifying all women, mainstream feminism often overlooks social divisions in a manner of flawed idealism. Anyone who defines the movement for everyone is self important. Many white women, typically the first to gain a platform built on their privilege, have whitewashed the movement by claiming to speak on behalf of all feminists. Intersectional feminism needs to instigate social commentary about the divisions of the movement, to motivate women of diverse backgrounds to step forward and lead their own.

LAURA HSU (‘22)

STAFF WRITERS

MAXWELL CHEN (‘19) JOON KIM (‘19) AMANDA CHIU (‘20) VANESSA KANG (‘20) NAKIAH PANNELL (‘20) IAN HO (‘21) ALLISON KWAN (‘21) NATALIE SCHEIDEL (‘21)

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 Blue & Gold content to out 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.

6

the blue & gold april 11, 2019

Racism is America’s biggest policy export B&G

COUNSELOR COLUMN

“Should I be worried if I don’t take any AP or IB courses in my high school career? Also what should I do if I don’t know what I want to do in College?”

No, you should not be worried if you don’t take any AP and IB courses in your high school career, but you should challenge yourself academically. A student should endeavor to take classes that are a good fit and that may include AP and/or IB courses. However, whether you take AP and IB classes is not necessarily a measure of success in high school. Colleges and universities want students to take the most challenging courses in which they can be successful and still have a balanced lifestyle.

We often come across students who feel they need to know what they would study and do in college while they are still in high school. It is true that some students already know what they want to pursue and have a very specific interest and field in which they want to focus.

However, there are also a number of students who are still deciding and exploring different options and opportunities. According to online surveys, an estimated 20 to 50 percent of students enter college as undecided, and an estimated 75 percent of students change their major at least once before graduation. From TAS, 23 percent of last year’s graduates started college as undecided. It is very common to not know what you want to study in college, and this is okay. Many of your peers who think they know what they want to study may also end up changing their minds in college.

And many who claim to know are succumbing to the perception that they must declare one despite the fact that they do not. So, what can you do? High school is a safe place and a great time for you to explore your interests and passions. You can take different classes to see what your strengths are and what you enjoy. You can be involved in various school activities and outside school activities to expand your interests and try something new. You can also apply for summer programs and internships to further explore your interests.

In regards to both questions, we encourage students to continue to explore different opportunities with an open mind.

President Donald Trump delivering a speech regarding current American and Chinese relations. [STEVE POPE/GETTY IMAGE]

By Kelly Phil (‘20) The use of racial slurs and political tropes have been rampant in Donald Trump’s presidency. Although the average American has much reason to be concerned about Trump’s rhetoric in such a turbulent time, we, as international students living in a country affected by U.S. foreign policy, should also recognize the ways that the United States uses racism to justify its foreign policy.

For one, Trump’s administration frequently uses “yellow peril” rhetoric to justify their policies, painting Asian countries and peoples as threats to the American way of life. For instance, President Trump frequently refers to the dangers of Chinese immigrants stealing American jobs, and even paints China as a power-hungry international power. “Yellow peril” rhetoric encourages tough action not only against China, but also Japan and South Korea, and prejudices may affect any future negotiations

for similar actions against Iran for a long time.

The reason it also matters to the rest of the world is because of the importance of understanding history and having it institutionalized. The American political establishment, which will not openly acknowledge its dark history, has instead for decades skillfully used its soft power to bury the truth. This has allowed it to carefully cultivate and reinforce its supposed global moral authority.

A whole generation of young Americans, even in the era of the internet, have grown up not knowing their history beyond the sanitized versions. The U.S. is willfully ignoring the dark history that is shaping its present. This view of American exceptionalism and unilateralism can be found in both of its political parties and it is time to introduce a more multifaceted view of race that encompasses foreign policy.

I am a twin, but I am not my twin

People often confuse Nicole Chang (‘21) with Melissa Chang (‘21).

[CHARLOTTE LEE/THE BLUE & GOLD]

By Nicole Chang (‘21) Ask The Counselors is a feature column by the Upper School Academic and Personal Counselors. Questions are gathered intermittently via surveys of TAS Upper School students.

with North Korea.

Although Trump’s trade war against China near the end of 2018 may have been a one-off event, the perception that a foreign threat is undercutting the value of the American economy is not a new occurrence.

Many members of Trump’s base, along with other members of Congress, have echoed this sentiment in the past. Trump may have been more vocal about his opinions, but this trope is nothing new.

In addition, Trump’s revocation of the nuclear deal with Iran, against the advice of America’s allies and its entire foreign policy establishment, reveals a deep disregard for the dire consequences of American decisions on people who are not citizens of the West, people who are not of the same racial origins and belong to a different religion. Yet Trump is not the only one to have targeted Iran in this way: Many Republicans (and, it should be said, some Democrats as well) have called

My twin sister Melissa, and I are fraternal twins. Unlike identical twins, where one fertilized egg is split in two, fraternal twins are formed when two separate eggs are fertilized by two separate sperm. Despite sharing the same womb, Melissa and I do not share the same genetic profiles. We are as

genetically similar as any two siblings, only sharing 50 percent of our DNA. Although we may be fraternal twins, we do look extremely alike (family members and close friends might disagree), and we are often confused for identical twins. However, our physical similarities have led to difficulties in our lives, as we are often seen as the exact replicas of each other instead of as two separate individuals.

Growing up, Melissa and I have always fallen under one title. At home, we have always been called “as gêmeas,” or “the twins” in Portuguese. My parents and grandparents will often say, “Gêmeas, que vocês querem comer?” or “Gêmeas, o que é que vocês acham disso?” Twins, what do you want to eat? Twins, what do you think of this?

Instead of being called by our individual names, family members use “the twins,” as a shorter and more convenient formulation.

But it genuinely did not have any major impact on us—until we entered school.

At school, being referred to as “the twins” created a whole different meaning. While at home, family members see us as individuals, at school, we are seen as one. When people find out that Melissa and I are twins, they immediately ask us, “How can we tell you both apart?” Instead of getting to know us on a personal level, people naturally resort to looking at our physical traits as a way to tell us apart. They eventually give up, claiming

that it is “too hard,” and start calling us “the twins.” If people took the time to know us individually, they would definitely be able to tell us apart just by our personalities.

Furthermore, society often expects us to be the same in all aspects of life because we are twins. Melissa is a runner, and as a result, people assume that I run as well. Although we might have similar backgrounds and similar physical features, that does not mean we participate in the same activities, or have the same interests. People should not compare us just by looking at our physical appearance.

I understand that twins are extremely unique, making up only around three percent of the total population; and that people mostly compare twins to each other out of a natural fascination. However, when you are constantly being compared, it is almost as if you do not have your own identity. It feels as if my identity is completely dependent on my twin. Although we may share similar experiences in terms of how we are treated in society, we might not even share the same opinion on this topic.

If Melissa and I were not constantly compared to each other, I would feel like more of an individual. I would not be as dependent on Melissa, and I would not feel as much pressure to conform to society’s expectations about twins. What people need to realize is that although I am a twin, I am not my twin.

7

the blue & gold april 11, 2019

AU REVOIR A MA CLASSE DE FRANÇAIS

By Christine Lin (‘19)

Saying goodbye to the last French class graduating TAS.

[PHOTO COURTESY OF CAROLINE CHOU]

DEAR FRENCH CLASS, The time has come. The last French class at Taipei American School is finally departing next month. This event is worthy of a place in our school’s historical records. We will become like a fossilized species of dinosaurs at TAS, buried next to Space Camp and the Lower School playground.

“If you can speak English, you can speak French.”

Do you remember the first day of French 1? Even in sixth grade, with little more than 10 students, we were the smallest language class. Sitting excitedly in our seats and listening to Madam Lasfargues’ cheery and heavy French accent, we had no idea what we were getting ourselves into. We could not even pronounce our teacher’s name.

Throughout the seven years, I have come to take pride in our small and quirky

Correction Notice: In The Blue & Gold’s most recent issue, Volume XXIV, Issue. 04 (February 22, 2019), staff reporters Nakiah Pannell, Vanessa Tsao and Joon Kim co-wrote a piece called “Time to Get Cultured,” in which they featured seven of the IASAS Cultural Convention teams. The reporters did not cover two of the IASAS Cultural Convention teams, IASAS Forensics and Debate and Theater Tech.

For this oversight, we would like to sincerely apologize for our staff’s error in coverage.

In order to rectify this issue, our publication will write and publish two additional articles on our website, blueandgoldonline.org, featuring the two missing teams.

class. This French class became a sort of family despite our varying academic and extracurricular interests. The seven of us made up unforgettable moments of my TAS journey. We performed absurd (and bad) skits about supermarket trips and cafe dates. We leveled up from learning how to say “That was a terrible nightmare!” through 90s educational videos to reading Voltaire.

We (i.e. just me) cried while watching “Le Petit Prince” in class when Monsieur Moreaux was on sick leave. We survived Dr. Hartzell’s conjugation drills (or did we?). We learned to never utter the words “Culcon.”

We have been conditioned to fear the phrase “NUMERO UN!” We underwent countless sleepless nights of deciphering 19th century French literature and chanting “Je vais mourir.” We learned that “If you can speak English, you can speak French.”

Thank you for all the laughs and inside jokes. Thank you for being a source of support, inside and outside of the French classroom. I will miss all of you.

LOVE, CHRISTINE

CHÈRE CLASSE DE FRANÇAISE, Le temps est venu. Le dernier cours de français à Taipei American School arrivera enfin à la fin du mois prochain. Cet événement mérite une place dans les archives historiques de notre école. Nous deviendrons comme une espèce de dinosaure fossilisé à TAS, enterrés à côté du Space Camp et la cour de la récré.

Vous souvenez-vous du premier jour de français 1? Même alors en sixième, nous étions le plus petit cours de langue, avec un peu plus de 10 étudiants dans notre classe. Assis dans notre siège avec enthousiasme et écoutant l’accent gai et franc de Madame Lasfargues, nous ne savions pas dans quoi nous nous engagions. Nous ne pouvions même pas prononcer le nom de notre professeur.

Au cours de ces sept années, je suis fier de notre classe restreinte et originale. Cette classe est devenue une sorte de famille; malgré si chacun de nous a des intérêts académiques et extra-scolaires disparates. Les sept participants ont constitué des éléments inoubliable de mon parcours à TAS. Nous avons réalisé des sketches absurdes (et mauvais) sur des sujets aussi variés que le voyage au supermarché

au rendez-vous dans un café. Nous avons progressé en apprenant comment dire: «C’était un cauchemar terrible!» en regardant des vidéos des années 90, et en étudiant le relativisme de Voltaire. Nous (ou c’est seulement moi?) avons pleuré en regardant «Le Petit Prince» en classe lorsque Monsieur Moreaux était en congé de maladie. Nous avons survécu (ou y avons-nous succombé?) aux exercices de conjugaison du Dr. Hartzell.

Nous avons appris à ne jamais prononcer les mots «Culcon». Nous avons été conditionnés à craindre la phrase «NUMÉRO UN!». Nous avons vécu d’innombrables nuits de panique alors que nous essayions de déchiffrer la littérature française du XIXe siècle en scandant «Je vais mourir». Nous avons appris que «Si vous parlez anglais, vous parlez français».

Merci pour tous les rires provoqués par des blagues en français. Merci d’être une source de soutien, à l’intérieur et à l’extérieur de la classe de français. Ce cours me manquera.

BISES, CHRISTINE

Letter to the Editor: Mr. Kevin Held

By Mr. Kevin Held

I was extremely disappointed by the IASAS Cultural Convention coverage in the Blue & Gold and I hope that the editors apologize for a serious omissionTECH. There are two tech delegates who attend the cultural convention, Maddie StanleyRainbow and Hannah Smith. Their work behind the scenes is not as visible as the dance and drama delegates, but without their hard work, dance and drama would be literally in the dark.

Maddie is the tech delegate for drama.

She has attended every drama rehearsal. She has organized props, and she calls over 30 lighting cues for the hanging fabric panels while executing 40 cues on the primary lightboard. She is also the soundboard operator for the dance performance.

Hannah is the tech delegate for dance and this is her second year as tech delegate.

She has served as the master electrician and programmed the lightboard for both the dance piece “un//breakable” and “Godspell.”

She is also the sound board operator for “Godspell,” which is no small or easy task, balancing the mix of 8 individual mics and 3 instrumental mics.

Both tech delegates work on both the drama and the dance performances. While drama rehearses on Saturday morning, and dance rehearses on Saturday afternoon, Hannah and Maddie spend the whole day here on Saturday. They also served as the technicians for the varsity dance performance of the “What’s Going On Suite,” operating QLab video production and mics for that as well. As an active stage designer as well as a high school teacher for almost 20 years, I have seen firsthand the growth of students who work behind the scenes. In today’s world where few people pick up tools and work with their hands, it is more important than ever to activate meaningful experiential learning. Technical theater can claim its place in an interdisciplinary and collaborative educational environment, instead of hiding behind the curtain. In the context of rigorous STEAM education, technical theater can and should be an immersive and experiential subject that allows students to thrive and blossom. Secondary theater education which is learner-centered provides students with opportunity for growth and change, and it gives young people a voice and agency.

Involvement in theatre in high school,

whether as a performer, technician, designer, or stage manager, can and does have a lifelong impact. The individual lessons learned pale in comparison to the life skills and interpersonal skills developed by participating in theatre while in high school, in front of or behind the curtains.

It is time to shine the spotlight on those students behind the scenes.

When you see Maddie and Hannah, please thank them for all their efforts. They do not get enough credit for all their hard work. It is time to shine the spotlight on those students behind the scenes. I hope that the Blue & Gold does not make this kind of oversight again.

EDITORIAL

NOW IS THE TIME: GO GREEN In 2018, a report was published by the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change setting a deadline for curbing international carbon emissions. The report stated that in light of the increasing danger of climate change, human-caused carbon emissions must be reduced by 45 percent by 2030. And by 2050, emissions should reach net zero.

This is almost impossible. Last year, global carbon emissions were at 40 billion tons. Barring a complete turnaround of current environmental policies, the question that these scientific findings raise is for many citizens is not how we will achieve carbon neutrality in three decades, but what will happen when if we do not.

The real answer is, nothing— nothing that we have not seen before.

“Climate change isn’t a cliff we fall off, it’s a slope we slide down,” Kate Marvel, a NASA climate scientist said. “We don’t have 12 years to prevent climate change—we have no time. It’s already here.”

Today, ice sheets are shrinking by hundreds of billions of tons, sea levels are rising at accelerating rates, temperatures are at record highs and the

ocean is acidifying. According to the Fourth National Climate Assessment, continued growth in carbon dioxide emissions over this century and beyond would lead to an atmospheric concentration not experienced in tens of millions of years. Although climate change has been painted as a “debate” by partisan politics, the terrifying truth is that the evidence for global warming is wholly unequivocal.

Our generation is not in a position to afford indifference.

Fortunately, most students at Taipei American School are educated enough to understand the gravity of the scientifc information available. However, the majority of the student body remain too unfeeling to care. Among our priorities, protecting the environment is secondary: Far below surviving each school day, making it through the week, and of course, getting into college. Many of us tread onward through our daily routines with our eyes glued to the pavement—making grand sacrifices of pleasure and freedom today for the security our own futures tomorrow. While we rarely

hesitate to stay up an extra hour to finish cramming for a test, ironically, we lack the same unabating ambition to make the lifestyle choices necessary to give ourselves the chance at simply living healthy lives.

Despite the schoolwide ban on plastic straws, every day, empty Milk Shop cups clutter school trash cans with straws purchased off campus. There have been more than a few mutterings about increased vegetarian options at lunch, and the student body did not vote in the one candidate that ran on a platform of environmental change into Student Government.

Somewhere out there, though, other young people are taking up arms against the threat of climate change. On March 15, students across the world from 125 countries and regions flooded the streets demanding climate action from their governments.

We know that being a student at Taipei American School is not always easy. Many of us are just trying to fulfill our own dreams.

Our full schedules leave very, very little time for saving the world. However, taking action can be as simple as urging people who are far more powerful than you to do what is right.

As a community that prioritizes global citizenship as one of its essential capacities, we hope that the school administration will commit to two goals. Firstly, we

ask the administration to integrate environmental education in all general science and history classes. Perhaps more than anything, climate change will have a profound effect on people in all professions, and students deserve to be equipped with the knowledge most relevant to the world that they live in.

Secondly, we ask that the school, along with the help of students, to commit to a goal of total carbon neutrality on campus by 2040.

Admittedly, these are grand goals.

But unfortunately our generation is not in a position to afford indifference, or even compromise. The environmental issues that we have inherited cannot wait to be passed on to whomever is next in line.

Students at Taipei American School are persistent. They are good at overcoming odds, even when they are given little time to achieve so much, even when they are told that what they have set their heart on for years is a “Far Reach.” We have proven time and time again that we are capable of exceeding the standards we set for ourselves. Now, the only question left is whether or not we are willing to challenge something greater.

A woman’s place is in the fight against climate change

By Anya Lai (‘19) There are many concrete ways humans can begin to reverse global warming.

From the building of wind turbines to the reduction of food waste, society needs a comprehensive plan to counter the negative effects of rising carbon dioxide levels. Project Drawdown is one such plan, where a group of researchers, scientists, and business leaders rank the beneficial impact of climate solutions.

Estimated for a 51.48 gigatons reduction in carbon dioxide, educating women and girls is ranked sixth on the list of most effective solutions. The education of women can reduce around 20 more gigatons of carbon dioxide than solar farms. However, many countries are still dismissing the fact that globally, 65 million girls are still not in school.

Especially in developing countries,

women’s role in managing families’ basic necessities reveals the potential effect an educated woman can make in progressing towards an eco-friendly lifestyle. These necessities range from collection of fuel sources, storage of food, to the management of land: Communities rely on women because they are the primary caretakers.

Women make up almost 50 percent of labor in the sector of agriculture in Asia and subSaharan Africa, and are often left devastated when crops fail and hunger hits.

In a United Nations press release on women’s participation in protecting the environment, natural disasters have lowered female life expectancy more than that of men, showing how a lack of education also contributes to death rates of women.

In the context of global warming, an educated woman would have the skills to overcome changing weather and protect her

family. She would also be able to learn how to manage resources better when extreme weather approaches, leading to a decrease in poverty and death rates. Opening doors for girls to learn about biodiversity and the environment would allow them to achieve a healthier nutritional balance and even experiment with different agricultural methods that produce higher yields while still protecting the environment.

The United Nations has projected the world population to grow to 9.7 billion by 2050, which nears the predicted carrying capacity. The investment in girls’ education can slow down the birth rates as women will gain personal choice and learn about the reproductive health, resulting in fewer and healthier children.

Because there is a positive correlation between the increased use of fossil fuels and population growth, a decrease in

population rates could have a large impact on the environment.

Besides, educated women are more politically active, which is noticeable in Kenya’s Green Belt Movement. Founded in 1977, the Green Belt Movement highlighted how powerful a woman’s voice can be in promoting environmental conservation to develop a sustainable livelihood. As well as educating women on storing rainwater or saving food sources, the Green Belt Movement also planted 51 million trees. This demonstrates the extent to which educating a woman can bring about change.

Cost-effective and high-impact, girls’ education can guide them to make healthier choices, allowing their families and themselves to live a longer life with greater economic prosperity. And with that, comes a healthier, and more sustainable planet.

For Mr. Anderson, change is a matter of choice

By Charlotte Lee (‘20)

Mr. Anderson is currently working on a self-sustaining, off the grid house with well water and a wind turbine. [CHARLOTTE LEE/THE BLUE & GOLD]

In 1968, Paul R. Ehrlich published “The Population Bomb,” a book warning humanity that exponential population growth would soon rapidly outpace resources. “Hundreds of millions of people are going to starve to death,”

he wrote. The book sold millions of copies, and Americans in this era believed that there was one biggest threat to the environment: too many people, not enough food.

Mr. Steve Anderson was a college ecology student in an age when the theory of overpopulation was popular in the scientific community. In fact, he even attended a talk by Ehrlich himself at Cornell. As Mr. Anderson rubbed elbows with “former hippie,” “‘savethe-earth’” professors, he naturally began to broaden his understanding of environmental issues.

“Overpopulation was a big concern at the time. We were seeing famines in different parts of the world, which we later found out was in part due to climate change. This was before the second green revolution and GMO crops that have increased production to the point where we can feed a world population of 10 or 11 billion.”

Given the scientific information available at the time, Mr. Anderson was intent on fulfilling his duty as a citizen to lessen the effects of overpopulation. “Everybody needs to do something that they’re morally comfortable with,” he said. Because overpopulation was such a large concern, after he and his wife had

two biological children, they adopted two more.

Forty years later, studies are proving that overpopulation is the least significant factor influencing climate change, especially in countries like the United States. Having fewer children will not solve global warming, nor will turning off the lights or fixing water leaks.

“Studies show that [these changed habits] will only make a fraction of a fraction of the impact. The bigger impact must happen on the national level,” he said.

Still, Mr. Anderson does not see this as an opportunity to absolve himself of responsibility. He emphasizes that if the next few generations hope for a safe and healthy world, people should still make small adjustments to their daily lives. For example, Mr. Anderson tries to avoid all foods that contribute to more pollution, including imported goods and red meat. Whenever possible, he buys from small, local markets and even tries to ask the Taiwanese salespeople where their products are grown using his best Mandarin.

Despite his personal choices, Mr. Anderson tries very hard not to indoctrinate his AP environmental science students with

his own beliefs. Rather than lecturing students on how they should live their life, he shows as many sides of the issue as possible to encourage students to see how environmental issues are extremely interdisciplinary. “Getting up on your soapbox and saying ‘You must do this’ is a surefire way to get someone who disagrees with you to turn off,” he says. Instead, he hopes to encourage conversations that extend beyond the classroom. APES student Maggie Lee (‘19) said, “I’m more aware of how our every day actions, however small and insignificant—contribute to environmental degradation.”

Undoubtedly, the environmental issues our generation faces today are quite daunting.

“What scares me the most is how slow politicians are to admit the plain facts. The public have the tendency to think that every time something bad happens, people just get together and find the magic fix,” Mr. Anderson said. “We’re not going to send people to Mars to take care of the issue, we’re not going to spray aerosols in the air and reduce global warming. Things are scary, but at the same time, you’ve got to be optimistic about the resilience of people and their willingness to change.”

A zero waste period: menstrual cups and DIY pads

By Natalie Scheidel (‘21)

JULIANNE VAUGHAN (‘21)

Two years ago, Julianne Vaughan (‘21) was streaming videos on YouTube when she encountered a video by Lauren Singer, an environmental influencer on YouTube, also known as “trash is for tossers.” Singer talks about living a Zero Waste lifestyle for four years, and how all of her trash can now fit in one 16 oz. mason jar.

After watching the video and diving deeper into Singer’s website, “Trash is for Tossers,” Julianne was surpised by how many of the tips could be incorporated into her daily life. She decided to change her lifestyle to be as environmentally friendly as possible. One of Singer’s recommendations for young women is to try to have a “zero Waste Period,” by changing from single-use pads and tampons to menstrual cups.

To Singer, having her time of the month meant creating more trash, with the wrapping, the actual pads or tampons, and the plastic applicators, which is “one of the biggest form of ocean plastic pollution,” so she decided to change to a menstrual cup. So

Julianne decided to change from the singleuse pads she used to a silicone menstrual cup, just like Singer.

After changing from regular pads and tampons to menstrual cups, it was hard for Julianne to adapt at first. Menstrual cups can usually last for 10 hours, but at times it can get messy. Once, Julianne was experiencing heavy menstrual flow, and when she got home, the menstrual cup completely leaked.

“Some people are grossed out by their own blood, but I’m okay with it,” she said.

Additionally, when you first put it on, it does not always go in the right place, and when it does, it makes a “suction noise,” Julianne said. “It does feel a bit weird in the beginning, but you get used to it.”

For tampons and pads, you would have to constantly replace it throughout the day, but for menstrual cups, you can change it at the comfort of your home.

“Menstrual cups are seen as weird because it’s a cultural taboo to openly talk about periods, but we all should get to know our bodies and be comfortable enough to talk about them,” Julianne said. The widespread use of disposable tampons and pads comes with/at the sacrifice of the environment.

Positive period talks are necessary to ensure that women and girls will have the opportunity to ask and learn about more sustainable options. “Ultimately, changing your lifestyle to a more eco-friendly one makes you feel better as a person knowing that it’s better for the environment, so why not make the change?” Julianne said.

MS. BRIANNA PANNELL

Reversing trash pollution is not just about eliminating plastic bottles and straws. It will require having even more uncomfortable conversations about how we live on a daily basis. For women, conversations are becoming more common on how to handle menstruation without further polluting the environment.

Cloth menstrual pads are increasingly available for purchase. But, Lower School librarian Ms. Brianna Pannell uses her interest in sewing to make her own. It all started 10 years ago when a friend of Ms. Pannell’s taught her how to make her own pad. “It is a great option to buy them, but I enjoy making them myself,” Ms. Pannell said.

You are only able to use a single-use pad for three to four hours, but one can reuse a cloth pad for up to two years. For Ms. Pannell, making pads with clothing she no longer wears is a win-win situation. “[The] environment was definitely a driving force, especially after I read a

statistic saying how on average a woman uses 11,000 tampons in their lifetime,” Ms. Pannell said. By making her own pads, Ms. Pannell is simultaneously able to pursue her passion of sewing.

A cloth pad may be inconvenient since you have to wash them instead of throwing them away. The trash problem won’t improve if we don’t confront the habit of throwing things away when there is an alternative. “There is no ‘away’ and most of our sanitary products end up in the ocean,” she said.

As preparation for making her own pads, Ms. Pannell keeps a basket of old clothing in her home, which she uses for various sewing projects. “When I feel crafty or need new pads, I pick the best fabric to reuse from the clothing and make my own,” she said. It takes her approximately 30 minutes to make each reusable pad.

Aside from cloth pads, there are also menstrual cups or moisture-wicking underwear that absorb a pad’s worth of blood. “At the end of the day, all that matters is that individuals are taking some initiative to reduce environmental impact.

This is just one way that I do that,” Ms. Pannell said.

S T R E P EX

Blue & Gold staff writers explored the stories of four members of the Taipei American school community turning their hobbies into professions.

EVIE [PHOTO COURTESY OF GEN

Samir Mahtani adopts fitness trainer role among students

By Maxwell Chen (‘19) Ever since sophomore year, Samir Mahtani (‘19) has been obsessed with health and fitness—especially working out.

Whether during flex, lunch or even after school, Samir can be found pumping iron at the Tiger Health & Fitness Center. Samir decided to take his passion for fitness to the next level by helping others who are just starting to work out. After years of research and practice, Samir is a well-recognized mentor by both students and faculty in the gym, and once he turns 18 in September, he will be eligible to become a licensed fitness trainer.

As an inexperienced sophomore, Samir turned to the internet to learn the basics of working out and building muscles, reading numerous articles and YouTube videos Samir said. “[I read] scientific articles where 30 people work out and do a two month [routine] to check if one type of workout is better than another.” Working out is not necessarily a “one size fits all” deal. Each person’s body is different, so Samir learned different workout styles and routines to help tailor each workout to achieve his mentee’s goals. From creating perfect workout routines for weight loss to advising healthy

[MAXWELL CHEN/THE BLUE & GOLD]

diets for inexperienced students, Samir tailors a unique workout for each student.

In early February, Peter Chiu (‘19) sought Samir out for fitness advice to accomplish his goal of losing 20 kilograms of weight. After assessing Peter’s situation, Samir was able to whip up a diverse workout routine for Peter which focused on cardio and his upper body. “I give Peter 15 to 20 minutes on the treadmill or other cardio.

It’s never good to do the same cardio over and over again because then your fat just turns into muscle,” Samir said. “Peter’s goal

is to lose weight, so switching it up helps burn the fat.” After working with Samir for just four weeks, Peter was already well on his way of burning off 20 kilograms, and is set to accomplish his goal by mid-June” I’ve already lost five kilograms,” Peter said.

“I can feel myself getting stronger.I couldn’t do it without [Samir]. He pushed me a lot in the gym, so without that voice and support I’d probably just slack off,” Peter said.

Even when he is busy with his own workouts, Samir still helps students whom

he does not usually work with. “Every time I’m in the gym, guys always come up to me asking for help. I love helping people, but sometimes it’s annoying because I can’t even finish my own workout,” Samir said.

The fitness coaches in the gym not only recognize Samir’s impact and support for others, but they also treat him as a fellow trainer. “[Samir is] very knowledgeable with what [he is] doing. He’s practical with his own efforts and his own body, so he can most definitely teach someone else how to get results and what they need,” athletic trainer Anthony Poole said. Coaches around the gym recognize how willing Samir is to help anyone at anytime. “It’s rare to see a student help so many other students the way [Samir] does,” US P.E. teacher Ms. Caroline Lay said. “He doesn’t just help his friends either; I know he’s open to help anyone who comes up to him.”

Although Samir is not an officially registered fitness trainer, he is still recognized and respected by his peers for his help for others. Once he turns 18 on Sept. 11, will be eligible to earn a training license and continue to pursue his passion for fitness while also assisting others in and outside the gym.

Mr. Conrad Bauer finds confidence in teaching through yoga

By Catherine Lin (‘19) Breathing is a natural, everyday behavior that most people do without thought or even consciousness, yet for Mr. Conrad Bauer, yoga transforms it into an act of self-transcendence.

As a universally shared force of energy, the act of breathing helps him create a connection between the self and all living creatures. “Everyone does it, it’s fairly straightforward, it’s fairly accessible,” history and Mandarin teacher Mr. Conrad Bauer said. “You don’t have to believe in a God, you don’t have to literally think there’s energy anywhere, all you have to do is breathe.”

For Mr. Bauer, who chose to pursue a certification and career in yoga instruction when he was in his senior year of college, yoga provided spirituality and a sense of higher purpose. “Life can be a lot more rewarding and enriching if you’re pursuing something meaningful to you,” he said. “At that time in my life, yoga helped me feel like I had something really meaningful.”

Mr. Bauer took roughly a year to earn his certification before teaching yoga in both China and Singapore.

“With yoga, it’s fairly no barrier for entry,” “Just about anybody take a yoga teacher class.”

Mr. Bauer spent time researching the class and style of yoga that would best fit him, and eventually chose anusura yoga since its combination of athleticism and spirituality appealed to him.

Acquiring his teacher certification in yoga helped Mr. Bauer overcome his lack of confidence and

easy. There’s he said. could go training

become comfortable with adopting a role as an authoritative educator. “I don’t think if I had done that teacher training, I wouldn’t have thought I was capable of pursuing a career in teaching,” he said.

While yoga was very meaningful for Mr. Bauer, he had difficulty transmitting his love of yoga to his students. “No matter what you’re teaching, whether it’s yoga or history or anything, it’s really challenging to get people to care a lot about it,” he said. Mr. Bauer had particular difficulty

conveying his enthusiasm for yoga because a third to half of his classes tended to consist of newcomers who had never tried yoga before. “You want to sell it to them effectively and make them feel like it’s something worthwhile to do,” he said.

To help his students feel the joy he was able to achieve when doing yoga, he emphasized the philosophy behind yoga. “One way to make your class more meaningful is if you can build not only a physical experience but also an emotional and spiritual experience,” he said. “It helps you to think of something else besides yourself.” Yoga class helped students feel transcendence without necessarily subscribing to a religion or believing in a universal spirit.

Though he no longer frequently teaches yoga, the lessons he learned by both practicing and teaching yoga in the past continue to influence his worldview. “One thing I still try to practice every day is, before you jump in and start something, you should stop and take a deep breath,” he said.

[PHOTO COURTESY OF MR. CONRAD BAUER]

VE CHA

AN]

[PHOTO CO

U]

URTESY O

NG SHY [PHOTO COURTESY OF EMI

F MR. CON

RAD BAUER

]

[MAXWELL CHEN

/THE BLUE & GO

LD]

Eming Shyu weaves cultures together through translation

By Vanessa Tsao (‘19) Born into a bilingual environment, Eming Shyu (‘21) always had a foot in each world, Mandarin and English, and the cultures they allow him to understand.

To weave these two worlds closer, Eming turned to translation. “Language is how you express everything,” Eming said, so he wanted to learn translation to understand how a language is formed through history and culture.

Eming began his translation journey as early as fourth grade. He took a Mandarin to English translation course at a tutoring center in Shanghai that taught translation skills and then successfully completed his certification test in 2012. The test consisted of two parts: a live verbal translation and a listening part.

He explained that the verbal test is usually much harder: “It is easy to translate a grammatically wrong sentence or run on sentence.” Translating on the spot also puts a time pressure on the translator. “You really need that instinct,” Eming said.

However, the listening portion is easier for Eming as there is more time for him to think and organize a written translated

response.

Upon finishing his certification, Eming took on several translation tasks and internships, and though his first language is Mandarin, he is able to translate both Mandarin to English and English to Mandarin.

“Language is how you express everything.”

His favorite translation task was his internship this past summer at Academia Sinica Institute of History and Philology. He translated a variety of texts, from websites to descriptions of history textbooks. Most fascinating for Eming was a text on the Qing dynasty which described a routine for how bureaucrats could submit petitions to the emperor, which simultaneously taps into his interest in both history and MUN. “[The Qing dynasty routine] is kind of like a resolution in MUN...like right now

there’s a problem and here’s my solution [the bureaucrat’s solution] to it,” he said.

And the challenge in translating the historical terminology in the documents only makes his the translation task more interesting.

Translation gives Eming valuable insight into Chinese/Eastern and Western cultures too. He describes how responses to being thanked differ in Mandarin and English—in Mandarin people typically respond with “you don’t need to thank me” (不用谢) whereas in English people simply say “you’re welcome.”

Sometimes it frustrates Eming when translation cannot fully convey the meaning or cultural connotations of a phrase.

For instance “学霸” (xue ba) might literally mean someone with really good grades, but its cultural connotations are not fully conveyed, he explains.

“It’s pretentious to say that [in the few instances] when translation loses its cultural value it is sad...I don’t want to be pretentious but

it’s pretty sad.”

On the other hand, the limitations of translation often reveal interesting cultural norms. “In many eastern languages there is status [included] when referring to ‘you,’ but in English there isn’t really a word or a second person pronoun for it.”

He encourages everyone who knows at least two languages to take up translation.

“It’ll increase your understanding and appreciation of the cultures and [their] cultural values and perspectives,” Eming said.

[VANESSA TSAO/THE BLUE & GOLD]

Genevieve Chan brings dance to the ski slopes

By Christine Lin (‘19) Genevieve Chan (‘20) took up skiing the same way most kids do. “I started when I was in kindergarten. I wasn’t very serious. I didn’t get a teacher or anything.

It was a winter family bonding activity,” she said.

Genevieve continues to ski for the simple reason of the thrill of the action.

“It’s really fun,” she said. “Once you get the hang of it, you are not restricted to a rule. The slope is like your dance floor, and you can do whatever you want on it,” she said.

Though she does not find technical similarities between the two activities, as a ballroom dancer, she admitted to having a little trouble getting rid of habits suitable for her dance training but not ideal for skiing.

Since her first formal skiing lesson in fourth grade, she has been skiing formally every winter, mostly in various Asian countries. During the winter of 2018, she traveled to Whistler, Canada to ski for the first time. A year later, she returned and became a certified ski instructor at 16 years old.

Having skied for 11 years, Genevieve

decided to test her limits by pursuing a license towards the end of 2018. “If I ever like go on a vacation with family, I can also stay there longer to do some [teaching],” she said. She also took this opportunity for the benefit of potentially earning a little money for herself.

As the youngest prospective instructor in her training group at the Snow Skool, Genevieve underwent the Canadian Ski Instructor Association three-day training program for Level 1 instructing at Big White Mountain during the Chinese New Year holiday. The short but grueling classes surprised Genevieve. “It was harder than I thought,” she said.

“The slope is like your dance floor, and you can do whatever you want on it.”

Beyond learning technical references and lesson planning, Genevieve informed her own skiing by learning different methods to teach little kids how to ski. She learned to

teach parallel stance as “french fries” skis and “wide stance” as “pizza” skis.

Most importantly, she trained to tackle real-time challenges on the slopes such as navigating slopes in

accordance to weather conditions as well as accommodating health conditions of different skiers. These decision-making skills are ones Genevieve could not have derived purely from her technical training. “I know my skiing skills are definitely high enough to teach beginners, but without proper training, it’s really hard to provide a professional lesson,” she said.

Ending her three-day course, her “final exam” was a simulation day, in which she accompanied a certified ski instructor as a teaching assistant. She witnessed

the ease and humor her instructor embodied which lightened up the entire class of kids and adults. “You have to get creative, especially with kids,” she said.

“Say, if they like tea parties, you try to incorporate that into lesson to make it more fun.”

The most important lesson Genevieve learned from this training was the value in practice, both as a student and a teacher. “The more practice you have, the more you know what you’re doing and like, get a better sense of how to make better decisions,” she said.

[PHOTO COURTESY OF GENEVIEVE CHAN]

12

the blue & gold april 11, 2019

Mr. Hoffman: from military to mathematics

Ms. Kawamoto: new appreciation for civilian life

By Amanda Chiu (‘20)

By Kelly Phil (‘20)

“Transitions were always the hardest for me after my deployments during the war,” Mr. Christopher Hoffman, the chair of middle school math department, said when describing his transition from the military to everyday civilian life. Mr. Hoffman had been in the military for more than 20 years and encountered many conflicts overseas during his service, many of which are forever sacred to him.

Many times, he had to make decisions that would make significant impact to the world and people under his command.

Many influential people in his life encouraged him to join the military. Mr. Hoffman said, “I’ve always wanted to be in the military since I was young, and my dad and uncles were in the military as well.”

“I would do it all over again,” Ms. Kawamoto, Taipei American School athletics director, said when describing her experience in the military. Ms. Kawamoto’s military journey had come to play an integral role in her life, but looking back, her journey into the military had rocky beginnings.

“The scenes and experiences were a constant part of my life, which has turned into heavy baggage I have to carry. ” One of his favorite things to do as a child was to listen to the stories from the neighbors or teachers about their previous experiences in the military.

After his training in the military, he was deployed multiple times to Iraq, Pakistan and Afghanistan for military support. “The scene and experience there [Afghanistan, Iraq, and Pakistan] were a constant part of my life, which is heavy baggage I have to carry for the rest of my life,” Mr. Hoffman said about being a flight engineer on C-130 aircraft. To him, it was emotionally burdening to see the environment of war zones and the actions that he was complied to carry out during his missions. There were constant bombings and shootings that happened at the war zones, which were not like those portrayed in movies.

“I am grateful to be back without being physically harmed,” Mr. Hoffman said.

However, coming back home safely

Mr. Hoffman, as flight engineer, prepares for his mission [PHOTO COURTESY OF MR. CHRISTOPHER HOFFMAN]

was not the end of the journey. For Mr. Hoffman, the emotional set downs were a nonstop pain that would remind him about the atrocities that he experienced during the war. “Sometimes it is very painful to relive the things you have done and seen, and it took years for me to settle down a bit. It’s still not done and it will never be,” Mr. Hoffman said.

After his last deployment in Afghanistan in 2004 and spending more than 20 years in the military, it was time for Mr. Hoffman to adjust from a soldier back to a civilian. However, the memories and drastic change in lifestyles, especially, became the hardest back to consume.

Sometimes he would think to himself, “I’d give my right arm to go back to [the military] just because that became my norm. It became my life and how I am supposed to be,” Mr. Hoffman said.

As a veteran from the military, Mr. Hoffman realizes the importance of service and responsibility. “Despite the years of service in the military, the main purpose for everyone is to defend the constitution of the United States and protect the rights for the Americans and allies around the world,” Mr Hoffman said.

Many colleges had offered Ms. Kawamoto to play collegiate basketball.

Although she had no intention to join the military, her parents convinced her to eventually attend the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York on a full military scholarship.

“I wanted to go to other colleges to play basketball, but my parents pointed out that if I got hurt I might lose my scholarship in those places,” Ms. Kawamoto said. Conversely, Ms. Kawamoto realized that if she attended the military academy her scholarship would be insured—but it required five years of military service upon graduation.

After her time in college, Ms. Kawamoto commissioned as a second lieutenant, served as an assistant basketball coach at the United States Military Academy Preparatory School in New Jersey before her training began for the military. Before attending her first tour, Ms. Kawamoto went to a military outpost in the state of Georgia to train for her position as a lieutenant.

“The military is a continuous process of education. Every time your time at one post ends, you have to go through training for your next role,” Ms. Kawamoto said.

“I would often wake up in the morning not knowing whether I would be alive by the end of the day.”

Ms. Kawamoto’s first military deployment as a lieutenant was in South Korea near the city of Wonju. “I remember it like it was yesterday because we were out in the field all the time,” Ms. Kawamoto said.

While she was in Korea, Ms. Kawamoto oversaw frequent platoon exercises and

Ms. Kawamoto stands in her uniform on her retirement day. [PHOTO COURTESY OF MS. KIM KAWAMOTO]

other training protocols with other soldiers deployed with her. Even though it was her first deployment, like many other West Point graduates, Ms. Kawamoto started in a position of leadership. “I was not as sure of myself at first, but at the time I just did it because it was my job to do it well,” Ms. Kawamoto said.

After her time in Korea, Ms. Kawamoto toured in Afghanistan for two years. “It was one of the worst times of my life,” she said. With grueling schedules, turbulent terrain and the rundown facilities, Ms. Kawamoto’s time in Afghanistan was both challenging and dangerous. In addition to their daily routines, the constant level of danger that she along with others faced was difficult to deal with. “I know it sounds morbid, but I would often wake up in the morning not knowing whether I would still be alive by the end of the day,” she said.

After her time in Korea and Afghanistan, Ms. Kawamoto returned to civilian life.

“The military really made me appreciate the everyday privileges I had,” Ms. Kawamoto said. “The military can be a great career choice for those of you who want to be in positions of leadership and those of you who want to serve the country.”

Tradition reunites families on Tomb Sweeping Day

By Amanda Chiu (‘20) Tomb Sweeping Day, also known as Qingming festival, is a holiday for Taiwanese people in both the Taiwan national public holiday calendar and the rotating lunar calendar. On this day, people traditionally observe and celebrate the occasion by visiting the tombs of their ancestors to clean the gravesites, pray to their ancestors and make ritual offerings to both gods and ancestors. Tomb Sweeping Day this year occurred on April 5, which was a professional development day in the TAS school calendar.

Many traditional Taiwanese people celebrate this day with their extended families through social gatherings. “Our whole family, even those who we don’t see often, will come together on this day and travel to the gravesite to show our appreciation to our ancestors,” Ms.

Marlene Sun, secretary of the Upper School math department, said. Relatives who live far away will always come together in order to collectively show up in front of their ancestors, regardless of where they live. As a result, Tomb Sweeping Day often becomes a convienient time for families to reunite.

During the process of tomb sweeping, families will offer goods, including objects and food, to the deceased to demonstrate their respect. “We usually prepare three sets of flowers for different purposes, two for the gods and one for the deceased. We will also prepare food that will be placed in front of the tomb in order for deceased family members to enjoy,” Ms. Sun said.

Other traditional offerings such as paper money will be offered for the deceased to use in afterlife as well. “Our family will spread the paper money across the tomb with a little stone on top of each paper money to

prevent it from flying away immediately.

People say that the paper money is used by the deceased for house construction in afterlife,” Ms. Angela Sheu, an Upper School Mandarin teacher, said when describing her family’s special tradition of placing the paper money on top of tombstones.

Another way paper money is used to demonstrate respect is through burning.

Keeping with the tradition of honoring ancestors, on this day, people often eat food cooked using recipes passed down from older generations. A common dish is popiah. In this dish, all ingredients are wrapped in a thin wrap made of water and flour, a convenient snack for those who have to travel a long way to the gravesite. Shredded carrots and eggs, fried noodles, dried bean curd, chinese celery and peanut powder are added into the wrap to make the both wrap delicious and colorful.

Some people encounter the spiritual

world during tomb sweeping. One year while observing the festival, Ms. Sheu experienced a chilling encounter: “I had to sweep two tombs that day and so I decided to clean one first. Since there were a lot of tombs in between the two tombs, I accidentally swept the wrong tomb. I got sick and was not able to speak properly for a month after that day,” Ms. Sheu said.

Ms. Sun also shared an interesting saying, “Don’t look back when you are leaving, or your ancestors will want to stay with you. They might come home with you since they missed you so much.”

The etiquette people abide by during Tomb Sweeping Day demonstrates the importance of this day to Taiwanese culture. “I think you can say that every day is like Tomb Sweeping Day, because you should show respect to your deceased family members every day,” Ms. Sheu said.

13

the blue & gold april 11, 2019

Board of Directors sets strategy for success

By Ian Ho (‘21) and Vanessa Tsao (‘19) The Taipei American School Board of Directors meeting is held every month during the school year except December, and the most recent one was held on March 26. The meetings allow board members to gather together to make important decisions regarding the school’s finances, the appointment of the head of school, school financial management, construction and renovation of new facilities and more.Meetings are open to all members of the TAS community.

The Board consists of both elected members and appointed members, a structure which was put into effect in the 2013-2014 school year. Elected members must be current TAS parents, whereas appointed members may be previous TAS parents whose children are no longer in TAS and may not have children who are currently enrolled in TAS. Appointed members are selected by current elected members and serve four-year terms, while elected members serve three-year terms.

Appointed members provide a different perspective as they do not have children in the school, allowing the board to make objective decisions.

Elected members are selected through an election amongst the parent community with a 20-30 percent voting rate. Elections occur every year in the spring. On April 9, there will be a “Meet the Candidate” public forum.

Voting will take place online this year opening on April 10. Election results will be posted on the morning of April 23.

The Board relies on the following organizational structure to promote effective decisions, and consists of Board Chair Ms. Tina Koo, Vice Chair and Tech Cube Task Force Chair Ms. Elizabeth Wang, Treasurer

and Management and Resources Committee Chair Ms. Gayle Tsien, Secretary Ms. Mae O’Malley, Governance Committee Chair Mr. Joseph Hwang and Audit Committee Chair Mr. Alex Hsu. The Board’s primary role is to ensure that the school has a long-term plan regarding the school’s development and financial situation.

While school administrators are busy with the day to day operations of the school, the Board, instead, is tasked with making sure the school will be prepared for the future. “The Management and Resources Committee has devoted itself to seeing that each year the net assets of the school grow through sound budgeting and strict enrollment management and asset management,” Vice Board Chair and Tech Cube Task Force Chair, Ms. Elizabeth Wang said. Ms. Wang is up for reelection this spring.

“Students should always feel welcome to attend our monthly Board meetings.”

The Board functions by a set of bylaws that is similar to the constitution of the school. The most recent changes the Board implemented to their structure was updating the bylaws. “In addition to the Bylaws, the Board has a set of policies that direct how the Board carries out its duties, as well as its position on the overall mission and direction of the school. The Board policies can speak to the general direction of the school, for example, they provide that TAS is a no alcohol, no substance, no drug campus. As times change, what’s defined as a substance may also change. So that is a good example of how you might need to update a

policy,” Board Secretary Ms. O’Malley said.

The Board Chair presides over the board meetings and works closely with the Head of School, Dr. Sharon Hennessy, to select important day-to-day information from Lower School, Middle School and Upper School to be presented at the monthly board meetings.

The focus of the March 26 board meeting was faculty recruitment and retention. “It continues to be important for the Board to hear from Administrators regarding adequate staffing levels, appropriate class sizes, excellent professional development and worthy compensation. People are our most important asset, and nothing is more important as having the right people with our children,” Ms. Wang said.

Another recent meeting from February covered student academic and nonacademic performances such as standardized testing, participation in competitions, enrollment rates and other relevant indicators of performance. The process of such reflections enables the board to assess the general health of the school to make long term decisions.

Ms. O’Malley highlights the difference between the role of the board and the role of the administration. “It’s important for students to understand that the Board is charged with the long term strategic health of the school. To the extent that students have any concerns about day to day things like teachers and curriculum, those are the types of things that they should feel very comfortable going to administration about, because they are the best ones to address those issues versus the Board. But students should always feel welcome and encouraged to attend our monthly Board meetings,” she said.

The evolution of the Parent Teacher Association

By Vanessa Kang (‘20) The Spring Fair and International Food Fair, created to tie the Taipei American School community together, are commonly considered two highlights of each academic school year. Every year, the fairs feature mouth-watering foods from all around the world, exciting games and the sale of a range of innovative student products including stickers, tie-dyed T-shirts and flash tattoos.

Thus, the planning and execution of these events involve massive amounts of time and effort to pull off.

Events such as these are managed by the Parent-Teacher Association, a school fundraising organisation created in 1982 that has continued to spread positive influence at TAS since its creation. In addition to the two PTA-sponsored food fairs, the PTA also hosts a series of events for the community including support staff luncheons, teacher appreciation meals, parent coffees and different guest visits to Taipei American School to build bridges of understanding within the TAS community.

“Ultimately, the PTA is the icing on the cake of TAS, we support the school community financially so they are able to function more efficiently as a whole,” the PTA president, Ms. Vivian Shen, said.

The PTA was initiated by a small committee of parents, organized by Ms. Cynthia Hall, to bridge the gap between the school, parents and teachers, in addition to meeting the demanding financial needs of the school. Each month, the PTA board holds a meeting to discuss all events occurring within the month, upcoming events and parent concerns. During that time, they vote on decisions and changes

which will be implemented within the next month, fueling improvement within the school community.

Over the years, as the school has evolved in many different ways, the PTA has expanded its fundraising capacity, allowing more successful funding for school events and necessary equipment each year. “When the school needed funding for tricycles and other playground renovations for Lower School, we were able to help out and meet that need due to the money we had acquired through the Food and Spring Fairs amongst other fundraising events,” Ms. Shen said.

However, due to the apparent success of certain fundraising activities, it has become increasingly difficult to get parents to help out by volunteering in these school events because they have the misconception that their help may not be needed.

“Ultimately, the PTA is the icing on the cake of TAS, we support the school community financially...”

Despite the increasing difficulty of running the PTA each year and the continual challenge of organizing successful fundraising events, the PTA always manages to impress the TAS community with its enthusiasm and outstanding ideas.

The PTA-sponsored Spring Fair will be held on April 20. [DESIGN COURTESY OF THE PTA]

The PTA renovated a new lounge next to their office last summer. [AMANDA CHIU/THE

BLUE & GOLD]

Yearbook editor Jasmin Yu inspired by leaders before her

By Laura Hsu (‘22) As the year comes to an end, you grab a copy of the yearbook, and start flipping through pages filled with fun memories.

Immediately, a wave of nostalgia starts to take over. But who is behind this elaborate process of making this treasured book?

Jasmin Yu (‘19) is this year’s editor-in-chief of the Upper School Gateway yearbook staff.

After joining the Middle School yearbook club, she decided to continue in Upper School, and has been part of the team ever since. The welcoming leadership of previous editors was also why Jasmin loves the program so much. “Ever since freshman year, I just wanted to be like them,” she said, “They were such an inspiration.”

Jasmin reveals the difficulties in the yearbook creative process.

She said, “The stress is kind of necessary if you want to get good content, because in order for people to want to read about your story, you need to put in the effort to convey that story.”

Through the many years of involvement in yearbook, Jasmin slowly grasped the major changes that took place within the publication. “Last year we changed the yearbook from the traditional seven-section column layout to chronological coverage, this meant more involvement with school activities and capturing different events,” she said. This change impacted how the crew members of yearbook viewed their own work. “I think people appreciate it more, because we cover almost everything that happens at school. It does take a lot more work, but I think it’s a lot more rewarding too,” Jasmin said.

Being editor-in-chief of the yearbook comes with many challenges, like interacting frequently with the team and taking in charge. Jasmin is able to initiate more bondings with the team and demonstrate her leadership roles. “It’s mainly to not be afraid to reach out to people, because when you’re in charge, people won’t approach you; they are usually intimidated by you,” she said. “It’s always important to find a good balance between good cop and bad cop.”

14

the blue & gold april 11, 2019

Is Gypsy a victim or villain in “The Act”?

“The Act”

Hulu, March 2019 TV Drama, Crime

By Natalie Scheidel (‘21) True crime drama series “The Act” premiered on March 20 on the online streaming service Hulu. The series, based on a true story, is directed by Laure de Clermont Tonnerre, who brings the horrors in the lives of Gypsy Rose (Joey King) and Dee Dee Blanchard (Patricia Arquette).

As someone who loves watching murder mysteries, it was rare for me to be squeamish.

But Gypsy’s squeaky voice and the graphic depictions of the feeding tube procedure in the trailer made me reluctant to watch.

Gypsy’s mother, Dee Dee, tells her she had a range of illnesses—allergies, muscle dystrophy and even cancer—and forces her to undergo numerous unnecessary medical procedures, including the installation of a feeding tube. Dee Dee spends years manipulating Gypsy’s fake illnesses bring the pair fame, as the public saw them as inspirational figures. However, as Gypsy grows up, she discovers Dee Dee’s fraud and begins fighting against her mother’s abusive acts.

After the first episode, it became clear that “The Act” is a story about control.

In the first scene of the episode, the police enter a cluttered and dark house to investigate a horrible crime. The episode then goes backward in time, showing the heart-wrenching and intricate detail of how Dee Dee was able to swindle doctors, the government, her friends, her neighbors and her own child.

Further into the series, the show begins to reveal the dark side of Dee Dee and Gypsy’s life, including stealing. Upon witnessing the theft, Mel began dropping hints to the audience, saying, “Sooner or later everybody knows everything about everyone in this neighborhood.” The episode later flashes forward to the Blanchard’s home, with cops swarming in and discovering Dee Dee’s dead body. After that, viewers discover that Gypsy can walk and is not restricted to her wheelchair.

The first episode was definitely not an easy one to watch, but the plot only intensifies. After watching five of its eight episodes, I thought the series had already done its job, conveying the story of the murky power dynamic in this motherdaughter relationship.

Overall, the show was chilly and included many graphic depictions of the day to day life of Gypsy Rose, so viewers will need a strong stomach to watch this show.

Clockwise, from top left: Inside Neighbors Cafe; piccolo latte and lemon pound cake; a slice of lemon pound cake, quiche; and elderberry mint fizz. [VANESSA TSAO/THE BLUE & GOLD]

THE QUINTESSENTIAL STUDY SPOT TEXT BY CATHERINE LIN (‘19) AND VANESSA TSAO (‘19)

Neighbors Cafe is an excellent choice for an afternoon of studying. Located on the second floor, the cafe is spacious and comfortable. Posters of inspirational quotes hang on the walls, and two small skylights are set in the distinctively sloping ceiling.

The cacti on the tables, record player, scented candles and decorative collection of books make the cafe typical of the aesthetic coffee shop genre. As Taipei American School students also get a 10-percent-off discount on all food and drinks, the cafe is a relatively inexpensive choice compared to alternative study locations such as Afternoon Tease or Starbucks.

The pleasantly large quiche (daily quiche, $120 NT) is a highlight. With its buttery, crisp crust, large dollop of sour cream and plenty of potato chunks, the quiche is a light but warm and filling meal. However, it could have had more egg and less potato chunks.

The dessert options were likewise

“Dune”

By Frank Herbert Chilton Books, August 1965

By Sharon Lee (‘22)

Set about 20,000 years in the future, Frank Herbert’s “Dune” is the first book of a scientific fiction trilogy. The book takes place in a society where powerful human families rule over planets across space.

Although various components in the book seem extremely different from the lives we lead today, “Dune” gives readers an interesting and realistic perspective on what the future of humanity could hold in terms of the environment, and the way a society

affordable and tasty. A large slice of lemon pound cake (daily cake selection, $70 NT) was served chilled and topped with a thin coat of glazing and a small swirl of whipped cream on the side. The cake was very dense and moist because it was also chilled, though it lacked crumbliness. The portion is suitable for sharing between two people.

The piccolo latte ($80 NT), is a great coffee to accompany the cake, and especially perfect for those looking for a less milkheavy option without going for the intensity of an espresso or a black coffee. A relatively rare menu item in most cafes in Taipei, the piccolo is essentially a baby latte. It contains a shot of espresso topped with warm milk and served in a small glass. The little wood cross section coaster added a cute touch, though the latte art was not spectacular.

The piccolo was strong and slightly acidic, muted only a little by the milk, making it a smooth and delicious as a whole.

Neighbors Cafe also offers a wider

selection of drinks for the coffee-averse than some comparable cafes. The elderberry mint fizz ($120 NT), though, was underwhelming, and did not taste of elderberry. Given how pricey this drink is (it is the same price as the quiche), a wiser choice is opting for the organic strawberry fruit tea, which comes both hot and iced. The flavor of the tea packs a stronger punch and also tastes more natural than the artificial sweetness of the elderflower mint fizz.

Neighbors Cafe checks all the boxes of the ideal cafe—food, ambience and price— making it the quintessential studying spot.

functions.

The theme of dynastic feuds is very prominent throughout the book, as ruling families are in an unending struggle for power.

The main character, Paul Atreides, is the son of Duke Leto of the House of Atreides, ruler of the planet Caladan. Faced with dangers from their mortal enemies, the Harkonnens, and suffering from the death of his father, Paul has to embrace his destiny and fight for the survival of the House of Atreides.

Although this book may be confusing at first due to the plethora of foreign names, planets, characters and complex societies introduced, the plot and world-building easily draws you in later on. “Dune” not

only involves a lot of action, but it also contains complex conflicts such as betrayals, bloodshed, warfare and rage.

What fascinates me the most about this book is the planet Dune itself, which is also called Arakkis. The structure of the planet was really well thought out. The vivid descriptions drew me in even more. The planet is covered with deserts, and water is very scarce. Everyone is addicted to a drug, a kind of spice called melange, and it is the most valuable substance known to man, which can only be found on Arakkis.

Dune’s plotline is full of ingenious plottwists. I definitely recommend “Dune” to lovers of science fiction as it can provide you with a whole new perspective on the future.

Neighbors Cafe Address: 2F, No. 430, Section 6, Zhongshan N. Rd, Shilin District

15

the blue & gold april 11, 2019

Disabled football players make their way into the NFL

By Maxwell Chen (‘19) In Week One of the 2018 National Football League Preseason, rookie Seattle Seahawks linebacker Shaquem Griffin made his debut performance against the Indianapolis Colts. Late in the first quarter, Colts running back Robert Turbin shot up out of the backfield but was immediately stuffed by Seattles’ defense. Both Seahawks and Colts fans roared in support of Griffin’s first tackle: He was the first one-handed player in NFL history.

Although Griffin only started for a few regular season games, his story still blew up the internet. With the 2019 NFL Draft coming up in two weeks, scouts are now buzzing over another disabled player.

Kahzin Daniels, the defensive end out of the University of Charleston, is a projected late round pick who is completely blind in his left eye.

Even with his impaired vision, Daniels still dominated the field. Last season, in just 11 games, Daniels racked up 8.5 sacks and 48 total tackles. In the season before that, he hit a career high in both sacks and tackles, leading his team with an incredible 12 sacks in only 10 games. Over his college career, Daniels landed 161 tackles, including both solo and assisted tackles. Despite his impressive numbers, Daniels did not draw much attention from NFL scouts because he played in a National Collegiate Athletic Association Division II school. Although he is nowhere near as good as the top defensive linemen in the draft, like Alabama Crimson Tide defensive tackle Quinnen Williams or Ohio State Buckeye defensive end Nick Bosa, he could still help teams with a struggling defensive line.

Unfortunately, because Daniels is half -blind and from a NCAA Division II school, it is unlikely he will play much during his rookie year in the NFL. However, if Daniels demonstrates his elite speed during the preseason games and gets picked up by a team in dire need of an edge rusher, like the

Seattle Seahawks linebacker Shaquem Griffin covers Oakland Raiders tight end Paul Butler on a slant route during the final Preseason game on August 31,2018. [OTTO GRUELE JR/AFP PHOTO] Tennessee Titans or Philadelphia Eagles, he may share snaps with a starting defensive end. One aspect that makes up for Daniels’ impaired vision is his speed. Although he was not invited to the 2019 NFL Combine, Daniels still showcased his speed in college.

In a home game against West Virginia State University, Daniels came off a four-man rush and sacked quarterback Austin Hensley.

Just a week later at Concord University, Daniels broke the pocket on a blitz and pressured quarterback Kyle Akin, which ultimately resulted in Akin throwing an easy pick. Daniels’ constant speed disrupts offensive lines and may be his ticket to a starting position in the NFL. Both Griffin and Daniels are respected and easily recognized for their disabilities, but neither of them have always been

disabled. Shaquem Griffin was diagnosed with amniotic band syndrome in his left hand, which caused extreme pain in his hand as his fingers could not develop properly.

ABS occurs when a fetus is entangled in the amniotic bands inside the womb, restricting blood flow and often leading to amputation among children. Griffin was born with both his hands, but due to ABS, he constantly expereinced extreme pain in his left hand.

Unfortunately, the pain kept increasing, so at 4 years old, Griffins had his left hand amputated. Meanwhile, Daniels lost his vision through an accident. When Daniels was 5 years old, he collided with a pole while he was riding on his scooter. After his grandmother rushed him to the hospital to get stitched up, he and his doctors realized that he had went completely blind in his

right eye during the collision.

The NFL is made of the best football players around the world, and both Griffin and Daniels prove that disabled players can perform at the same level of skill and intensity. Griffin is playing with his twin brother, cornerback Shaquill Griffin, with the Seahawks under a $2.8 million US four year contract. Meanwhile, Daniels is expected to get picked up anywhere between the fifth and seventh round. The 2019 NFL Draft class is undisputedly stacked with elite defensive players, but as the obvious stars get filtered out in the first few round, Kahzin Daniels will emerge from the bottom and could potentionally be a late round steal.

In the upcoming years, Griffin and Daniels could be the first disabled NFL stars in history.

I fasted for 24 hours. Here is what happened.

By Phoebe Chen (‘21) Whether it is chewing on a piece of candy or ordering a complete meal on my UberEats account, I am nearly always consuming food.

My relationship with food has grown into a never ending cycle where I constantly put unnecessary foods into my body. Usually there is no end to my constant cravings, and my body forces me into a consistent back and forth of sweet and salty food consumption.

Originally, my plan was to try out a plantfocused diet developed by the EAT-Lancet commission known as the planetary diet.

However, after conducting more research and talking to others that have pursued the diet in a healthy form, I decided that trying to fast for 24-hours would be an insightful experience. I was looking for a diet that would challenge me without risking my health.

The 24-hour fasting diet allows its participants to intake only three forms of fluids: water, tea and milk. Although this form of dieting is not natural and is something I would not have pursued regularly, there were also many advantages.

“Some studies have shown that one of the benefits of the 24-hour diet is that it makes your blood sugar levels stable and may boost brain function which could make you do things more efficiently,” rehabilitation specialist Mr. Jerry Chen said. “Since your body will not be receiving instant energy, after about eight hours of fasting, your liver will use the last of its glucose reserves. Studies have shown that the body enters a state called

gluconeogenesis, which makes your body create its own glucose using mainly fat.”

Furthermore, according to an evidencebased HealthLine article, other advantages that comes with 24-hour fasting are boosted brain functions that prevent neurodegenerative disorders and increased growth of hormones that help with growth, metabolism and weight strength.

However, fasting for 24 hours also comes with possible health risks. According to Medical News Today, other unpleasant symptoms may include disrupted sleep, heartburn and increased stress levels. People who are diabetic should also consult their doctors before attempting the diet, as a loss of protein can be risky for their health.

Fasting of any kind is not recommended for individuals with body image issues or a history of eating disorders. According to Sondra Kronberg, the founder and spokesperson of National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA), all forms of fasting should be approached with caution. The line between healthy fasting and an eating disorder is drawn when “the degree to which one’s thoughts and activities and behaviors around food (including clean eating and fasting), weight, body and exercise take up space inside one’s head and interfere with the quality of life, spontaneity, socialization, and health can be potentially fatal.”

Fasting as a diet should only be approached with a healthy mindset. It is not always a suitable route for people whose goals

are strictly to lose weight.

In my experience with suspending food consumption for 24-hours, I noticed that my body did not feel as hungry as I expected it to be. I started my diet shortly after school at exactly 5:00 p.m., and did not feel my first wave of hunger until 12:45 p.m. the next day.

When I was hit with the first signs of hunger, I quickly dispelled it by drinking more water.

However, this resulted in my whole body beginning to feel strangely lighter and flimsier than usual.

The most burdensome aspect of my 24hour fast was not the fasting aspect, but rather being reintroduced to food. For a while after, my body felt unbearably heavy from eating even the slightest amount of food, like a piece of candy. It was not until a few days later that I could eat normally without feeling extremely bloated and heavy.

By pursuing the diet, I have realized the importance of an equal and balanced diet. Halting food consumption for just 24 hours left a tremendous effect on my body for days after. The fast was a wake up call for my body, reminding me about how every single nutritional choice I make makes a difference—even if it is just a small savory snack or bite of candy.

Although my experience with 24-hour fasting was not too painful, I do not believe that others should try this diet plan. Too many times do I hear students claiming they want to start fasting because they believe that it would help them lose weight or make their waist

[INFOGRAPHIC BY PHOEBE CHEN]

smaller. In reality, an immediate stop to food consumption does not necessarily guarantee immediate weight loss. From my experience, I have concluded the healthiest form of dieting is pursuing a personalized, research-based diet for each individual, whether that is fasting for 24-hours or being mindful of daily food consumption.

16

the blue & gold april 11, 2019

IASAS ready: records shattered at the Tiger Classic

By Allison Kwan (‘21) The 2019 Tiger Classic track and field meet was held on campus between March 15-16. The Interscholastic Association of Southeast Asian Schools teams involved in this event were International School Manila, International School Beijing and Taipei American School. Other visiting schools include the International School of Beijing, Concordia International School of Shanghai, Western Academy Beijing and John F. Kennedy High School of Guam.

Two schools made their first appearance: the American School in Japan and the American School of Doha. This year was the biggest Tiger Classic ever hosted since TAS started hosting the event 10 years ago.

For Ms. Kim Kawamoto, TAS Athletics Director, this is her sixth year as the tournament director. “This is one of the biggest events we’re hosting and is a good opportunity for all of our competitive athletes,” she said.

One factor that disadvantaged the team was the timing of the event. “Track season is very short. Athletes don’t train a lot before the season so they come in not as fit, resulting in injuries,” Despite this, both Jessica Teow (’19) and Sarahi Zuniga Ruiz (‘20) both broke school records, and Brandon Liau (‘19) just missed the school record in the 400-meter hurdles.

TAS performed well in throwing, with outstanding performances from Tingkuan Hsieh (‘20), Benjamin Wei (‘19) and freshman Angelina Chen (‘22).

Sprinters, coached by Mr. Julian Thornbury and Ms. Roseleip Fossouo, train four days a week. Mondays and Tuesdays

Evelyn Lai (‘20) races to the finish line to place first in the 1500 meter event.

[MR. MIKE CORSINI FOR THE BLUE BLUE & GOLD]

are conditioning days, while Wednesday and Thursday are speed and technical days. Athletes must take this time to brush up their skills and techniques, such as throwing, jumping and hurdling. “These are not necessarily fitness base but more towards refining what they are doing,” Mr. Thornbury said.

One new training skill that athletes have worked on is pool training. Athletes began using the pool to train because the baseball team occupies the track on Tuesdays. This new training style requires lots of resistance,

allowing athletes to work on form without lots of pressure on feet, which helps to prevent shin splints and other injuries.

Training underwater can also serve as a good recovery workout.

Mr. Terry Lagerquist coaches long, triple and high jump with Mr. Thornbury.

This season’s top three jumpers are Jesse Whiteford (‘20), Stella Chen (‘21), and Logan Chen (‘19). Jesse placed second in high jump with a score of 1.5 meters and placed first in long jump with a score of 4.67 meters. Stella placed third in long

jump with a score of 4.59 meters and first in triple jump with 9.99 meters. Finally, Logan placed first in long jump with 6.06 meters and placed second in triple jump with 11.97 meters.

The track team spent only three weeks training for the Tiger Classic due to the shorter track season, but with these results, the team has the ability to perform well at IASAS this weekend. Still, as the level of competition differs each year—in terms of final results, we can only expect the unexpected.

Riverside Canal

National Palace Museum

Wai Shuang Xi Ding

Zhishan Boardwalk

Across from Shidong Elementary School, the canal run leads to the Shuangxi Riverside park, where you can enjoy the beautiful river scenery while getting a long run in.

The Shuangxi river extends from Danshui to downtown Taipei, and is a popular destination for bikers as well. Suitable for all distances, the canal is the perfect run if you want to get a tan and meet cute dogs along the way.

Around 3.5 kilometers from school, the National Palace Museum run is the perfect fit for a mid-distance runner who wants to get a hard workout. The stairs up to the National Palace Museum and downhill from the bus entrance exercises different muscles than you would work while running on flat pavement from school. Not only do you get a workout in, but you also meet tourists from different countries on the way to the top.

Filled with many popular shrimp fishing restaurants, the Wai Shuang Xi Ding mountain is a must-go for runners looking for a hard hill run. Wai Shuang Xi Ding mountain is also a popular place for bikers, and has hosted multiple marathons and triathlons. Simply an extended National Palace Museum run, Wai Shuang Xi Ding will provide you with a long run filled with hills.

Located near the Yangming Hospital, the Zhishan Ecological Garden is a hot spot for morning hikes and running trails. The garden includes a lake, natural landscape, and a loop that is approximately 2 kilometers long. Also known as the “catwalk,” this archaeological site is popular amongst the touch rugby and cross country teams. If you are not a fan of pavement running, the boardwalk will be perfect for you.