Taipei American School | 800 Chung Shan N. Rd., Section 6, Taipei, Taiwan | blueandgoldonline.org | VOLUME XXVII, ISS. 02 | May 21, 2021
NEWS
Walk for Refugees PAGE 2
FEATURES
OPINIONS
How safe do students feel at TAS
Get Vaccinated
PAGE 10
PAGE 6
Prom canceled a few days prior By Katherine Ma (‘24, she/her) and Abby Chang (‘24, she/her) Taipei American School’s prom is canceled again this year, due to government regulations regarding the new surge in COVID-19 coronavirus cases in Taiwan. As of May 11, indoor gatherings with more than 100 people are strictly prohibited. Especially because prom includes socializing, dinner and dancing, it would be difficult to follow COVID-19 regulations. Prior to this announcement, much of the prom preparations had already been prepared and ready to go. “We literally had the menu set, the vendor, all of our material was just sewed yesterday to be finished for prom,” Dr. Daniel Long (he/him), the upper school dean of students, said. “We have prom-specific masks that we ordered that arrived today [5/12/21] and we were renting some equipment, photographers, backdrops. Everything was set.” It is only understandable that students feel disappointed at the cancellation of prom this year. Going into this school year, many seniors were excited for their graduation and prom, with Taiwan’s COVID-19 situation under control. Having been appointed as co-prom head for two years in a row and having prom cancelled for both years, Melissa Chang (‘21, she/her) is also disappointed by the turn in events. “Prom was something all the seniors have been looking forward to all year,” Melissa said. “It is also really sad because prom is one of those big events that define senior year and now it’s something that we’ll never be able to experience.” However, the cancellation of prom did not stop students from finding alternative ways to celebrate. To substitute for the cancelled prom, some students brought their prom outfits to school and wore them for pictures on Friday, May 14. “I thought that it was really nice being able to come to school, dress up, and take photos with your friends; it was a better sweet ending for the seniors for sure,” Sabrina Hsu (‘21, she/her) said. Other students also made up for the cancelled prom by hanging out with friends after school. “We’re as disappointed as anyone would be when this kind of thing [prom] gets canceled, but it’s out of our hands; we don’t really have an option, Dr. Long said.
ILLUSTRATION BY: PHOEBE CHEN
Graduation to be moved online amidst COVID-19 outbreak By Nicole Chang (‘21, she/her)
Amidst the most recent COVID-19 Coronavirus outbreak in Taiwan, the Taipei American School Upper School administration decided to pivot from inperson graduation to a virtual ceremony. As of May 18, there have been 2260 confirmed cases in Taiwan, including more than 1,100 local cases of COVID-19. The Taiwan Central Epidemic Control Center (CECC) had to raise warning levels for Taipei City and New Taipei City to Level Three on May 15, strengthening restrictions and preventative measures to control the spread of the pandemic. These
measures will be in full effect until May 28. Seniors will definitely be celebrating an unconventional graduation this year due to the pandemic. Last year, the Class of 2020 celebrated their graduation on the Lower Field and were able to invite one parent to attend. However, with new Level Three restrictions, this is not possible. On May 12, New Taipei Mayor Hou You-yi announced that graduation ceremonies be moved online as gatherings of over five people indoors and of over ten people outdoors are prohibited. Although the
administration has not announced further plans, graduation is to be held virtually this year. On May 19, senior students were asked to pick up their graduation gown and cap as well as their diplomas in the Bus Parking Lot at school. Seniors were asked to take individual photos wearing their gaps and gowns while holding their diplomas, and these photos are to be included in a graduation video. Although this was not the typical graduation that many seniors had been expecting as various senior traditions did not take place this school year in-person,
many feel grateful to be celebrating this milestone. “[Graduation] is an end to the past twelve years of education, from primary school to high school,” Kai Yuan Mor (‘21) (he/him) said. “It marks an end to our childhood, and a beginning to adulthood and more responsibilities.” Other seniors also share this sentiment. “Graduation is important because it’s not only a finale to our high school careers but also a recognition of the start of the next chapter of our lives,” Lucy Kim (‘21) (she/ her) said. More information regarding graduation plans will be released soon.
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the blue & gold may 21, 2021
Walk for Refugees makes its comeback this year
Walk for Refugees officer Sophie Wong (‘24) tallies the number of laps after a participant finishes a lap. [ABBY CHANG/THE BLUE & GOLD]
By Abby Chang (‘24, she/her) and Katherine Ma (‘24, she/her) Although the Walk for Refugees walkathon event at Taipei American School was cancelled last year due to COVID-19 coronavirus complications, it has been renewed with Syria as the theme this year. This year’s walkathon was hosted on April 16, while the teacher karaoke took place on April 23. The Walk for Refugees event strives to raise funds and promote awareness for the refugees around the world by creating school events in which students can participate and fund for its cause. “This event re-energizes students as it brings us together as a community and brings joy to everyone,” sponsor Mrs. Darby Sinclair (she/her) said.
It has been a decade since the beginning of Syria’s refugee crisis where 6.6 million people fled from Syria and over 70% living in poverty. “This year, we hope to have a personal and poignant revisit to what remains as the world’s largest refugee crisis — a visit that will hopefully highlight the lasting effects of internal conflict and war,” President Hironori Kondo (‘21, he/him) said. When asked about his decision to participate, runner Charlie Hudson (‘24, he/ him) talked about the perpetuating conflict. “People in Syria have lost part of their lives because of the Civil War,” Charlie said. “So the important thing that we’re doing is that we’re raising money for them and hopefully
giving them a better life.” Students had the opportunity to pledge specific runners or the general event, or give flat donations. In this year’s walkathon, a total of 500,000 NTD has been raised thanks to more than 180 participants. Even with the mask restrictions, the participants remained
“This event reenergizes students as it brings us together as a community and brings joy to everyone.”
enthusiastic. Refugee crises around the world are rarely discussed in TAS, but through the walkathon, students are getting educated and involved in providing support to the refugees in Syria. “I think this event does a great job of steering our attention back to the Syrian refugee crisis,” Outreach officer Andrea Yiu (‘24, she/they) said. This year’s Walk for Refugees event turned out to be a huge success and all the officers were extremely thankful and appreciated everyone’s contribution. “We thank the TAS administration, faculty, and support staff for tirelessly working to ensure our walkathon could be reborn this year in safe conditions,” Outreach officer Ethan Yang (‘22, he/him) said.
StuGov creates mental health podcast for the TAS community
By Abby Chang (‘24, she/her)
Recently, Taipei American School has increasingly tackled the concept of mental health through advisory lessons, guest speakers and counselors. Lessons from educating students about stress to peer pressure are incorporated to help students with their daily lives. To further the initiative, officers of StuGov created a podcast addressing these issues to emphasize the importance of mental awareness. The podcast was formed this year by Vice President Alice Chiang (‘21, she/her) alongside Deputy President Laura Hwa (‘22, she/her). The purpose of this podcast is to instigate conversations about wellness since experiences regarding anxiety and mental disorders are not heavily discussed in school. “I realized recently that a lot of people around me aren’t really familiar with those issues,” Alice said. “And I think this podcast will definitely help students.” The podcast is created in a conversational style with two people having a conversation and is designed in a way so it would be a genuine conversation. Instead of a lecture podcast style, these conversations are natural and will help build our community and benefit students as they learn from it. The podcast focuses on stories of
members in the community and how different students manage their own schedule and lives. StuGov is looking to interview students about their routines and how they deal with their problems. “We wish to share our own perspectives on current events and issues brought up in our community, which could inspire some listeners,” Laura said. Through the podcast, the officers strive to create a safe place where students can talk about different issues and understand how others solve their problems. The podcast will include topics such as how to support a friend or a loved one, where to seek help as well as noticing signs and symptoms of mental health issues. “Everyone should know that it’s okay to not be okay,” Mr. Ryan Haynes (he/him), director of academic and personal counseling, said.
“Everyone should know that it’s okay to not be okay.” Each episode is approximately 20 minutes long and are created in both video and audio
Creators of the StuGov podcast, Alice and Laura, meet during lunch to record their first episode. [ABBY CHANG/THE BLUE & GOLD] form. Videos will be available on Facebook and Instagram, and the audio will be posted on Spotify and Apple’s Podcasts. The first episode is titled: “How we cope
with difficult times” and focuses on emotions, anxiety, confidence, failure and doubts. This first episode will be available on Monday, May 17, in all social media platforms mentioned.
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the blue & gold may 21, 2020
Upper School faculty attend workshop on the effect of gender in the classroom
Are senior trips still happening amidst the pandemic? By Victoria H. (‘24, she/her)
By Amanda Ding (‘21, she/her) This semester, Upper School faculty attended a professional development (PD) workshop on nonbinary and transgender students. The session was led by the Human Rights Council’s Welcoming Schools organization, a program primarily directed to provide LGBTQ+ and gender inclusive professional development lesson plans, booklists and resources specifically designed for educators and youth-serving professionals. Due to COVID-19 coronavirus restrictions, the presentation was conducted through Zoom. It was then followed up with a divisional discussion for each division and the faculty, the principal and one of the central administration, all participating in an open forum conversation to ask questions and express concerns on different scenarios they might encounter. “I would describe it as a good in depth first discussion,” Dean of Faculty Dr. Nathan Smith said. “So that involves defining a lot of the important terms, such as gender identity versus sexual orientation versus sex. It also included talking about how our school’s policy plays into best practices.” The PD day was part of a larger, longterm process to move the school in a direction that promotes greater inclusivity and consideration for students regarding gender identity and acceptance. “I think the process really goes back all the way to the later stages of the Obama administration, because the administration issued some legal guidance that directed people to adopt a new interpretation of federal law, to be more inclusive of trans people and non binary people,” Dr. Adam Nelson, deputy head of school, said. “So in
accordance with that new legal guidance, the school undertook the process of adopting a policy to both meet those legal obligations, and also exceed them in order to be as welcoming and as inclusive as possible.” The eventual goal is to embark on a journey that will promote more complex understanding about the intersectionality of identity, so that TAS can take a progressive step to its commitment to justice and diversity. With an increased focus on entertaining and requiring these conversations to happen, there can be a greater opportunity to equip students with the necessary skills to navigate the world outside of the TAS bubble. “It’s going to take more than one afternoon’s conversation to have people feel really comfortable that they know how to support nonbinary and transgender students. And I would argue, extend that to all students of all identities”, Dr. Smith said. I think the biggest goal is to be inclusive and supportive of our entire community. No student based on who they are, should feel there’s not a place for them, or feel that they don’t have teachers who understand and appreciate them. This is a part of that bigger goal and objective.” But simply assuaging fears is only one facet of the issue. Physical, tangible change, such as the increase in the amount of health education and integration of gender identity discussions in health curriculum, are also necessary components in pursuing progress. “You have to do work to make sure that school systems are fully inclusive, making sure that powerschool reflect[s] accurate information about every individual, making sure that we have gender neutral facilities on campus, and expanding the number of those facilities that are available,” Dr. Nelson said. Like any other movement toward change,
especially in such a large institution, there are undeniable challenges that must be overcome. Besides the logistical difficulties of balancing school wide operations and curriculum development, and dispute over legal documentation and obligations, there are obstacles that simply require time and patience to remedy. “I think you also have sort of more of the personal challenge that you have a diverse array of faculty, and in lots of different senses, like age, background disposition around these issues. And it takes a lot of time to have people really come to full understanding of any complex issue, especially one that I think for many people is a fairly new conversation,” Dr. Smith said. “And as you probably would know, on any issue, you can understand something intellectually, it doesn’t automatically suddenly change every behavior you make from moment to moment.” Students are not excluded from the equation toward change either. Students and teachers can look toward each other to learn how to better express empathy and compassion. And more than ever, students have the opportunity to present their ideas on how these changes can be implemented and incorporated into the school system. “The administration, the head of school, and the principals, are really big advocates for student leadership,” Dr. Smith said. “I think building student leaders is not necessarily a new idea, but an indispensable one. Seeing students take on that mantle and to take on that responsibility in working to develop kind of their own developmental programs with one another, is a really key part of the process that I want to see continue and to see fostered in our community.”
Despite ongoing safety concerns regarding the COVID-19 coronavirus, senior graduation trips remain a treasured tradition for graduates as their high school career comes to a close. But are senior trips still happening? The short answer is yes, but travel restrictions have made the planning a little more complicated than in previous years. Many senior friend groups are planning on spending their summer in Taiwan before they go their separate ways due to the limited access to other countries. Sofia Liu (‘21, she/her) and her friends have not traveled around much of Taiwan, so they want to spend their summer touring places like Penghu before departing for college. “Senior graduation trips celebrate all the work that I’ve put into high school. My whole schooling has basically built up to this one moment of graduating and going off to college,” Sofia said. Erin Huang (‘21, she/her), Julianne Vaughan (‘21, she/her) and her friends have similar summer plans to travel around the island. “I think Taiwan is a beautiful country, so I would like to explore it in depth,” Julianne said. The new travel bubble that opened up this April between Palau and Taiwan allows for seniors to plan their trips with a wider range of locations. According to Taiwan News, Taiwan is also discussing more travel bubbles opportunities with Japan, Singapore, South Korea and Vietnam. However, because many seniors have already planned their trip, a last-minute flight to Palau may not be a feasible option for many. However, not all seniors are planning to travel with their friends this year. Matthew Chuang (‘21, he/ him) plans to stay in Taipei rather than travel, which he largely attributed to his introverted personality. He offered a piece of advice for any underclassmen that may feel similarly: “There’s almost a sense of peer pressure when it comes to [senior trips],” Matthew said. “They’re fun if you like that environment and the crowd, but don’t feel like you have to go.” Many seniors are excited to travel with their friends, as this may be the last time everyone will be able to see each other before college “[The senior trip] is our goodbye trip and also the beginning of our future,” Erin said.
Post-pandemic travel dreams
Taiwan has opened a travel bubble with Palau. [AUDREY HWANG/THE BLUE & GOLD]
Lola Wang (‘22): London, United Kingdom. I want to go to London because we were planning to go last summer, [and] I want to see the Big Ben Clock. Andria Chen (‘24): Montreal, Canada. It’s where a lot of my relatives are. Ruby Omdahl (‘22): The Bahamas. I want to go to a nice resort. I’ve always wanted to go there and go diving. Amelie Nah (‘23): Lakewood, Pennsylvania. I’ve been going to Pennsylvania for camp ever since second grade. Reese Reduta (‘23): Pomona, California. My older sister is in dental school there and I haven’t seen her in two years.
Farrah France (‘23): Holland, Netherlands.“I want to see the tulip fields.” Griff Klar (‘24): Calamata, Greece. It’s far away from everything and seems chill. The city can be a lot sometimes. Ot Zwaenepoel (‘24): Belgium. My family - cousins, grandparents - live there and I want to visit and spend time with them. Ethan Dawn (‘21): Macao, China. There’s this seafood restaurant I’m dying to try once I can travel. Aiden Hall (‘24): Maui, Hawaii. It’s a chill place and the beaches are nice. It’s mostly sunny. Pre-pandemic period, I used to go with my family a lot.
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the blue & gold may 21, 2021
Class of 2021 leaving the nest Europe & United Kingdom: 6 percent
United States of America: 84 percent
Oceania & Asia: 4 percent
Canada: 6 percent
Babson College
Harvard University
Rhode Island School of Design
University of Illinois at Urbana-
Berklee College of Music
Harvey Mudd College
Santa Clara University
Champaign
Boston University
Hult International Business School
Savannah College of Art and Design
University of Maryland, College Park
Brandeis University
Johns Hopkins University
School of the Art Institute of
University of Michigan
Brigham Young University
Keio University Mita
Chicago
University of Notre Dame
California College of the Arts
King’s College London
Stanford University
University of Pennsylvania
California Institute of Technology
Lafayette College
The George Washington University
University of Pittsburgh
California Polytechnic State
Lehigh University
Tufts University
University of Puget Sound
University, San Luis Obispo
Leiden University College - The
University College Utrecht
University of San Francisco
Carleton College
Hague
University of Amsterdam
University of Southern California
Carnegie Mellon University
Les Roches Global Hospitality
University of British Columbia
University of Toronto
Case Western Reserve University
Education
University of British Columbia-
University of Virginia
Chapman University
Maryland Institute College of Art
Okanagan
University of Washington
College of the Atlantic
Michigan State University
University of California, Berkeley
University of Western Ontario
Columbia International University
New York University
University of California, Davis
Utah State University
Columbia University
Northeastern University
University of California, Irvine
Utrecht University
Connecticut College
Northwestern University
University of California, Riverside
Vassar College
Cornell University
Parsons School of Design
University of California, San Diego
Vanderbilt University
Duke University
Pepperdine University
University of California, Santa
Waseda University
Eckerd College
Pitzer College
Barbara
Washington University in St. Louis
Emory University
Pomona College
University of Chicago
Wellesley College
Fordham University
Purdue University
University of Edinburgh
Wesleyan University
Georgetown University
Quinnipiac University
University of Hong Kong
Yale University
16% of
colleges listed are located outside of the United States
21% of
colleges listed are located in California
11% of
colleges listed are located in Massachusetts The list of colleges is accurate as of May 11, and is not representative of the entire senior class.
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the blue & gold may 21, 2020
Breaking records and making history in another IASAS-less season
Despite the absence of IASAS, season three sports teams made the most of their season through competing at various local tournaments, as demonstrated by the baseball team’s games in Hualien and Dazhi, pictured here. [SABRINA CHANG/THE BLUE & GOLD]
By Sabrina Chang (‘21, she/her) The Taipei American School athletics program has taken some hard hits from the COVID-19 coronavirus, to say the least. From masked practices and empty bleachers to the cancellation of four total seasons of IASAS championship tournaments, the athletic department and all the teams have had to persevere through unprecedented times. However, the unfortunate situation has not taken away from the level of sports at TAS. Throughout the recently completed season three, which consists of track & field, softball, baseball, badminton and golf, numerous records were broken and expectations were exceeded as the senior class of 2021 made their final mark on the athletics program.
Girls Golf
Boys Golf
Baseball
The girls golf team was able to fight through some tough weather conditions along with the absence of IASAS to have the best season possible. The team was able to compete against each year during match play contests at the National Golf course, featuring intense competition and pressure situations just like IASAS. Two freshmen were able to post scores in the 70’s, and during match play a player hit birdie, par, and birdie to finish out a tough match. When asked to describe the overall season, Mr. David Iverson, girls golf head coach, said: “Challenging weather on the course, good competition amongst the team, and the forging of a team to be reckoned with at IASAS when the time comes!”
The boys golf team this year consisted of many freshmen and sophomore players, and they were able to complete another successful season while training hard for the bright future ahead. The team was able to have a couple of Saturday outings to golf courses to compete. The varsity and junior varsity teams had 14 players, and this year there was a team that all shot under 100 in their first tryout, which was a first in TAS boys golf history. Daniel Ku (‘21) led the team as the only senior this year. “Daniel was a leader by example and showed that persistence and practicing hard pays off,” Mr. Matt Parenteau, boys golf head coach, said.
The baseball team was able to play many local games, traveling to Dazhi every Saturday to play a double header, playing a tournament in Neihu as a Pre-IASAS tournament replacement, and finally playing four games in Hualien as an IASAS tournament replacement. The team has made some great accomplishments this season, with the pitchers nearing their team goal of throwing 60 percent strikes. “We are moving away from having to spend all of our time teaching the specific skills and spending more time on how to use those skills in situations to win games,” Mr. Jason Thornberg, baseball team head coach, said. “I feel like we are playing our best baseball right now— which would be perfect timing in an IASAS year,” Mr. Thornberg said.
Girls Badminton
Boys Badminton
Softball
The girls badminton team had a very impressive overall season despite their two- year IASAS drought. The team has historically been very strong, with 16 IASAS gold medals won in a row before last year. The team participated in a local tournament in February where they won first and second place and two home tournaments. The team captains also organized a mixed tournament over spring break with the boys badminton team, which included mixed doubles games and mixed team events. “Singles #1” player Alicia Wang (‘23) and “Singles #2” player Ashley Kuo (‘23) both had incredible individual seasons, each playing against tough opponents and finishing with many hard-fought victories.
The boys badminton team, which consists of seven impressive seniors, had a great season. As an IASASreplacement tournament, they hosted an exchange weekend at TAS. After some intense games, the TAS 1 team came in second and TAS 2 team came in third. The team was led by Richard Wang (‘21), who dominated the first singles position, and Douglas Lee (‘21), who played doubles with a high level of skill. “I am so proud of our team not only because of their badminton gameplay, but also because of their character, attitude and support of each other- just like a family,” Ms. Chia Chi Huang, boys badminton head coach, said.
The softball season was able to really challenge themselves this season, playing against some top-notch local competition in Taiwan. Although they did not have a full tournament, they were able to take a day trip to Hsinchu to play a double header against Wufong Junior High. Many players had outstanding individual seasons, with Sarah Johnsen (‘21) hitting the first over-the-fence homerun in TAS fastpitch softball history and Sabrina Hsu (‘21) ending the season with a team high batting average of .524. “I’m especially proud of how the seniors set a positive example for our younger players, they definitely left it all on the field, as well as made a mark on the program,” associate athletic director and softball head coach Ms. Hannah Limmer said.
Six track & field school records broken this year By Maya Kapoor (‘24, she/her) Although track & field season was shorter than previous years (from February 17 to April 1) it ended with a total of six school records broken. Typically, there would be an Interscholastic Association of Southeast Asia Schools (IASAS) competition at the end of the season. This year, however, there were two Tiger Classic events. The first “Tiger Classic” was from March 12-13, and different schools all over Taiwan came to compete. “Tiger Classic 2.0” took place from March 25 26, and the track & field team was split into a blue and a gold team. The track & field athletes broke a total of six records. During the original Tiger Classic, Maud Zwaenepoel (‘22, she/her) broke Jessica Tiao’s (‘19) 400-meter hurdle record with a time of 66.13 seconds. Additionally, she broke her own 100-meter hurdle record with a time of 15.58 seconds. Later on in the season during the Tiger Classic 2.0, Maud broke her 100-meter hurdle record yet again with a time of 15.44 seconds. “I think this season I was just really mentally focused and prepared,” Maud said. Maud also feels that listening and training with her coach helped her perfect her hurdling skill and form this season. William Chen (‘21) broke the 110-meter hurdle record
with a time of 15.55 seconds which was previously held by Jeffrey Yu (‘17). Prior to his race, William’s goal was to break the record, in which he succeeded. With a time of 10.97 seconds, Max Lin (‘23) broke the record for the 100-meter dash, which was held for 15 years by Jon Lin (‘06). Max just completed his second year of track & field and he hopes to continue breaking records. Maya Rosenshield (‘21, she/her), a thrower on varsity track & field, broke her first record in her freshman year, throwing 33.33 meters in javelin. Eventually, she broke the discus record as well but struggled to break the shot put record. “I knew she could throw over 10 meters but she wasn’t able to do it the last three seasons,” co-coach of the track & field team Mr. Julian Thornbury said. “When she finally broke that record, that was huge.” This year, Maya threw a distance of 10.11 meters in shot put, breaking a school record. Maya also broke the discus record this season, which she already held. She threw 30.40 meters. “Freshman year after I broke the javelin record, I realized that I had potential and I started working really hard,” Maya said, expressing how much motivation she felt to work harder throughout her four years of track. “I think the thing that I’m most proud of is the dedication and hard work they put into improving,” Mr. Thornbury said.
Maud Zwaenepoel (‘22, she/her) running her 400-meter relay, baton in hand, during the Tiger Classic 2.0. Maud’s relay team placed first in this event. [ARIEL LEE/THE BLUE & GOLD]
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the blue & gold may 21, 2021
EDITORIAL
The B&G announces important change in pronoun policy and invites the rest of the community to do the same
800 CHUNG SHAN N. RD. TAIPEI 11152 TAIWAN EDITOR-IN-CHIEF NATALIE SCHEIDEL (‘21, SHE/HER) MANAGING EDITORS NICOLE CHANG (‘21, SHE/HER) PHOEBE CHEN (‘21, SHE/HER) SOCIAL MEDIA & MARKETING SABRINA CHANG (‘21, SHE/HER) MULTIMEDIA LANA LEE (‘22, SHE/HER) NEWS AND SPORTS EDITOR AMBER WU (‘23, SHE/HER) VERDICT EDITOR SHARON LEE (‘22, SHE/HER) FEATURES EDITOR LAURA HSU(‘22, SHE/HER) OPINION EDITOR AUDREY HWANG (‘23, SHE/HER) STAFF WRITERS ARIEL LEE (‘23, SHE/HER) ALICE CHIANG (‘21, SHE/HER) AMANDA DING (‘21, SHE/HER) KARA MURRI (‘21, SHE/HER) ABBY CHANG (‘24, SHE/HER) DAPHNE WANG (‘24, SHE/HER) EVELYN HOU (‘24, SHE/HER) VICTORIA HSU (‘24, SHE/HER) MAYA KAPOOR (‘24, SHE/HER) KATHERINE MA (‘24, SHE/HER)
based on gender stereotypes and inherited biases. It starts with respecting the gender fluidity and each individual’s sense of identity within our community.
For this edition of the Blue & Gold, all writers and editors of the publication have included their preferred pronouns in an initiative to make TAS a more welcoming and inclusive place for all. Since the Blue & Gold’s first issue in 1999, the TAS student newspaper has always used and maintained binary pronouns, not only in the staff bios but also in introductions of students, faculty, guest speakers and other interviewees. However, for this issue, staff writers will all include their personal pronouns of preference and do their best to include the personal pronouns of the people mentioned in their articles if requested. This was not a decision that the Blue & Gold made lightly, but we feel this change is necessary and long overdue. In an age where old obstacles have been broken down and stereotypes and prejudices are being discarded, we must do our part to inform, to improve, and to elevate our community’s understanding of this issue. The Blue & Gold firmly stands by an individual’s ability to identify their own gender instead of our previous assumptions to assign them a gender
A person’s ability to use their correct pronouns on an individual level is vital to bulding a healthier, inclusive society. According to a report in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, using correct pronouns and names reduces depression and suicide risks. A person’s ability to use their correct pronouns on an individual level is vital to building a healthier, inclusive society. Transgender and non-binary communities often struggle with telling others their preferred addresses directly, facing resistance of varying degrees of aggression when they take a step to further request others to use gender pronouns.
he/h
per/pers
im
she/her
This unequal dynamic between the majority and minority only gives way to greater misunderstandings and ineffective conversations that impede us from achieving equality and inclusion. Thus, to reduce the stigma associated with non-traditional pronouns and to normalize discussions on gender, both groups and individuals must proactively set an example for those around us. In normalizing the use of pronouns next to our writers’ names, we hope to set an example for the rest of the student body. So we encourage you to join our lead. You can change your email signature and social media profiles to include your preferred pronouns. You can offer your pronoun when you first introduce yourself to others. Also know that you can and should take the initiative to ask others about their preferred pronouns so you do not mistakenly assign an incorrect gender to anyone you meet. High school is hard enough without having to constantly defend your identity to your peers and teachers. Let’s all do our part to take this one obtacle off of our transgender and nonbinary friends.
they/them
ze/hir
ADVISER MS. LINDSEY KUNDEL (SHE/HER) MISSION STATEMENT The Blue & Gold is a student-run publication dedicated to sharing stories from the Taipei American School community. Produced and distributed free of charge monthly during the academic year by staff writers at TAS, the Blue & Gold strives to showcase and interrogate the community it serves. CORRECTIONS We take all measures possible to report accurately, and seek to bring professional, thorough reporting to our readers. Please report any inaccuracies in Blue & Gold content to out email, blueandgold@tas. tw. OP-EDS AND EDITORIALS 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.
Stay Stay safe safe and and get get vaccinated vaccinated Justin Murri (‘23) receives a COVID-19 vaccine. [KARA MURRI/THE BLUE & GOLD]
By Kara Murri (‘21, she/her) Getting safe, effective COVID-19 coronavirus vaccines distributed and administered worldwide is a vital step to end the current pandemic. Currently in Taiwan, we are fortunate to not have experienced much of the devastating impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, a vaccinated population is key to maintaining a truly safe and healthy environment for all. Many misunderstand how vaccines actually work. “Most vaccines in the past relied on viral vectors, or proteins, which is basically injecting a protein of a virus that looks sort of like the virus you want to be immune to, but it’s sort of different because that’s safer,” this past year’s iGEM team leader Wilson Huang (‘21) said. “But there has been a development of messenger RNA vaccines, which is what Moderna and Pfizer are making.” He explained that the messenger RNA is a molecule that tells the cells to make proteins, and in this case, proteins that look similar to the ones on the virus. The body recognizes these and immunizes in response. There are countless misconceptions about vaccines in general. One is that you
should only get certain vaccines; many of these assumptions stem from the percentage of effectiveness. While the different vaccines can vary in efficacy and methodology, all have extremely similar results. “I’ll get vaccinated with any vaccine,” Mr. Jude Clapper (he/ him), the director of science research and an advisor for the iGEM team said. “There are certainly ones I prefer, but I don’t think you always get a choice.” One critical misconception is that you don’t need to wear masks or follow social distancing guidelines after getting the vaccine. “It’s still important to wear masks because there’s been well-documented cases of all these different strains of COVID-19 that have very different genetic sequences that compared to the original virus and the vaccine doesn’t necessarily protect against those other variances,” Dr. Jonathan Hsu (he/him), a Synthetic Biology and Honors Biology teacher and iGEM advisor said. “Look at Dr. Fauci and these other people who have gotten the vaccine...they’re still wearing their masks.” While you may not personally know anyone who believes in conspiracies behind the COVID-19 vaccines, it is still vital to
educate yourself and those around you by keeping up to date with reputable sources. “I think there’s always a lot of anti-vaccination sentiments around the world no matter where you are. But I think this could be improved, just by being more open about the process of how vaccines are developed,” Wilson said. Even in Taiwan, we should all prioritize getting vaccinated. “Taiwan really needs the vaccine now because the virus could spread so easily since we, as a population, have built up almost no immunity at all,” Mr. Clapper said. Right now, the AstraZeneca vaccine is the only one available in Taiwan, but the Johnson & Johnson, Moderna, Pfizer, and Sinovac vaccines are available elsewhere. And while many Taiwanese citizens are skeptical about the AstraZeneca vaccine, the World Health Organization has reaffirmed as of April 19, 2021 that it is “safe and effective at protecting people from the extremely serious risks of COVID-19, including death, hospitalization and severe disease,” and that any complications are “very rare.” “Believe in science,” Dr. Hsu, Mr. Clapper, and Wilson all said. “It brought you your iPhone,” Mr. Clapper said.
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the blue & gold may 21, 2020
Why every photographer should learn how non-digital film photography works The Pentax K1000 film camera with the 400 Tx film roll inserted within the camera body. [LAURA HSU/THE BLUE & GOLD]
By Laura Hsu (‘22, she/her) Have you ever wondered why digital cameras have features such as aperture, shutter speed, and ISO speed? Film cameras are similar to the digital cameras we have today, except they require physical film to be developed, and the process of manually changing aperture as well as shutter speed on the camera requires an elaborate process in between photos. While this process may seem repetitive and unnecessary, the skill of adjusting the film camera to adapt to different light settings, apertures or shutter speeds allows photographers to better understand the basics of photography, thereby elevating the quality of their art, whether in the digital or traditional film medium. When amateur photographers first start taking photos, they usually use the preset automatic setting on a digital camera and
overlook the fact that photography is much more than just a few clicks on a camera. Photography involves the understanding of how the sensitivity to light (ISO speed), shutter speed, aperture and lighting differs from frame to frame. In addition, film photography involves a component called emulsions. The film a photographer uses to shoot with not only affects the ISO, but also the color rendition, which involves the grey tone rendition (if the photographer is shooting with black and white films), as well as grain, contrast, black and white balance. In my opinion, the only way for a photographer to truly visualize specific emulsions for each photograph is to have hands-on experience with non-digital film. As a visual arts student at TAS, I have been constantly refining my skills in film photography, and one of my biggest
takeaways is that the process entails significant trial-and-errors. When I first started taking film photos and later started developing them, I realized that there was never a perfect shot. Each frame turned out to look blurry, discolored or incorrectly framed. From my experience with film, I realized photography is a constant experiment with lighting and symmetry. A photographer would never be able to learn how to take the perfect photo by simply learning the technical aspects. A photographer gains more knowledge on how to improve through taking thousands of photos and learning from each error that might have been made. Personally, I believe a photographer will never go through a process of “linear growth or improvement,” one has to make mistakes to learn more and build off of past experiences.
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Why do we learn history? By Dr. Maguire (he/him) Every year, as the history department chair, I am asked a particular question by both students and parents, “Why does TAS require students to learn history?” I believe that the context for this question is the belief that since many of our students will be studying engineering, computer science or science, and going into these fields for their career, why is there a need to learn about the history of anywhere in particular. My response to this is that we need to learn history because we don’t know why we need to learn history. I think it’s a good answer even though it’s not really an answer. I could give the standard use of the philosopher George Santayana’s oft-quoted aphorism: “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” Meaning that if you don’t know your history you will make the same mistakes as those who came before you. But again, this really doesn’t answer the question. So why do we learn history? We learn history for three main reasons: identity, empathy, and critical thinking. One reason we learn history is to learn about ourselves and our identity. Understanding our identity is key to understanding who we are and how our identity has shaped us. Knowing history helps us to understand where we come from and what is important to us. As individuals, our family history helps us understand where we come from and why we hold the beliefs we cherish. By knowing our shared history, we know the rich past that has created the story of who we are and who we are as a family. History emphasizes distinct stories to reinforce a national identity and teaches morals and values important to us as a collective group. For example, learning about the causes of the 2/28 Rebellion and the resistance, helps us understand about the Taiwanese identity and the importance
of independence. Learning about Abraham Lincoln helps us understand American identity and the importance we put towards honesty. In addition, we learn more about the diverse groups that make up our society and how we are part of a greater whole. Recently a former senator from Pennsylvania claimed at a conference that Native American culture is not part of American culture. Obviously, this senator had not learned his history. How is growing corn and pumpkin, celebrating Thanksgiving and ideas about democracy passed to Europeans form the Iroquois confederation not part of American culture? Spoiler, they all are. History teaches us about how we are all interconnected. Ideally, we learn history to learn empathy for others. An issue we all face in this world is the othering of groups in society. Unfortunately, humans have a history of treating groups that they see as different from themselves as others. We make up stereotypes, both positive and negative, assign blame or credit, and try to distance ourselves from those we see as different. There are many reasons humans do this, although I cannot think of any that are truly justifiable. History helps us overcome the othering of groups in society. Instead of seeing groups as different or others ideally history is utilized to teach us our shared history and create a shared identity. We gain empathy for past struggles that still impact large segments of our society. Examples from US history, the subject I spend most of my day teaching, are numerous. Groups coming to America were, and still are, marginalized by what was/is considered the dominant American culture. Irish were told they “not need” apply for jobs. Chinese immigration was banned. African Americans, a group who had been in America since the beginning
of English settlement, were subjected to slavery, then Jim Crow laws, and systemic racism. By learning that all groups faced discrimination, we learn we have more in common then we have differences. You will see that we have more in common with each other, and should try to understand more about each other, then we have differences. Finally, history class teaches us critical
History teaches us about how we are all interconnected. thinking. In a world filled with an infinite amount of information and individual opinions being shared thanks to the internet, critical thinking is more important than ever. How do we judge who is right and wrong? What makes a source reliable? Why do we believe one source over another? Ideally, history class teaches this as well. By teaching facts, sharing multiple resources and asking students to analyze sources we teach, you will be educated consumers of information. Identity, empathy, and critical thinking, this is why you learn history. Granted not all history teachers or programs you might have in the future will focus on this, and we as a school can do better at sharing more diverse voices in our curriculum with you. But we are adapting and changing to give you the ideal history class. You attend a school with phenomenal teachers who strive to teach you to understand who you are, where you come from, how you share history with those around you and how to be a discerning consumer of information on all subjects. I am lucky to lead this department and know that history is one of the most important subjects you will experience.
Choose and use your first credit card wisely By Lana Lee (‘22, she/her) Obtaining your first credit card is a major milestone and commitment in your financial career. You can qualify as a primary credit account holder when you reach the age of 18 in the U.S. and 20 in Taiwan. By asking the right questions and applying the best practices, you can maximize its benefits that best serve you while building up a good credit. You will already be four years ahead of others by the time you graduate. Visit blueandgoldonline.org to read my first article, which introduced the concept and corresponding benefits and dangers of credit cards.
What to look for The best credit cards, in terms of rewards, interest periods and rates, are most often unavailable for credit beginners. They are reserved for applicants with excellent credit scores and long credit histories in addition to an income above a certain threshold. However, you must compare the various features of credit cards that best suit your lifestyle and needs. The terms of a credit card are publicly available on the company’s website in a Schumer box — a table that includes the card’s annual fee, annual percentage rate (APR), foreign transaction fees and late fees. Your credit card limit, however, will not be disclosed until your application is approved. You should get a card with no annual fee, especially for your first time as the extra benefits often do not justify the annual fee. Look for a card with a low APR — around 15 percent or below. Depending on your personal interests and priorities, choose a card with the rewards most useful to you. These can include cash back, points or travel miles. In addition to reading contracts, consult fiscally savvy figures around you reliable online resources such as creditcards.com.
The best practices You can avoid many of the credit card’s fees under careful management. As long as you pay off your credit card bill every month, you don’t have to pay any interest; your card’s APR becomes completely irrelevant. In fact, paying late can get very expensive: incurring late fees (which increase with every additional violation), increasing interest rate, damaging your credit. Many experts advise using your credit card like a debit card, only if and when you have the actual amount in your account. Though credit card companies do not promote it, paying more than the minimum amount can dramatically reduce the time it takes to pay back your loans. Your credit utilization ratio refers to the percentage of available credit you use. A lower ratio is always recommended — ideally less than 30 percent. Ultimately, build your credit to upgrade to a card with more competitive terms.
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the blue & gold may 21, 2021
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
A student-centered school must turn its attention to student sleep
Mr. Arnold, pictured in his classroom, believes that students’ mental and physical well-being at TAS are often affected by the lack of sleep. [PHOTO COURTESY OF TAS COMMUNICATIONS]
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fter over five decades at this school, I write to you today to entreat our community to turn its attention to the importance of sleep. Our school has a rich history of addressing the wellness needs of its students, and it is time, once again, for us to join together to help our students. If we love these students, and I know we do, we must find creative ways as an institution and as a community to force them to prioritize sleep more. I firmly believe that if one is not part of the solution, they are part of the problem. And so we as the educators must set an example because it has become clear that they will not do it without our help. Innovation, excellence, and studentcentered focus have always been the foundation on which Taipei American School has operated and been recognized. In the March 8, 1979 minutes of the House of Representatives, Congressman Charles G. Rose of North Carolina stated, “This school, which has been operating in Taiwan for over 25 years, has served as a leader in Asian American schools. The staff and students have enjoyed an innovative curriculum….” TAS has always included renowned experts and scholars in its program initiatives. They have been influential in guiding our school to know the best practices and how to adapt and implement them to maximize the benefits for our students. As a result of their consultations and interactions with our administration, faculty and parents, TAS is recognized as a leader in many areas of student development and success. Architectural and education personnel from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology provided their expertise on how to create the Solomon Wong Tech Center which serves as a model for schools throughout the world. Harvard educator Dr. Josephine Kim shared her professional and personal thoughts with our entire community last month. She is the most recent expert to discuss wellness in the Taipei American School community. Numerous international professionals have previously shared their research and recommendations on wellness with us. We hosted a highly acclaimed Wellness Convention in November 2017. TAS teachers have
By Mr. Richard Arnold, Upper School History Teacher (he/him) enhanced their knowledge about student wellness by attending workshops presented by professional experts focused on students’ health at numerous EARCOS conferences. One paramount concern many of those specialists shared was their statistics on the sleep deprivation many of our students routinely experience. They stressed the impact on the students’ mental and physical well-being caused by insufficient sleep. Not only did the lack of sleep cause immediate problems such as lack of focus and depression, as examples, but also residual effects which are linked to future illnesses. Taipei American School has always focused on students’ wellness and taken steps to counter bad practices: •
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In the early 1970’s TAS did not have a psychologist for its nearly 3,000 students. Hope Phillips led a volunteer group of students and teachers to fundraise, especially during the annual American Chamber of Commerce Fourth of July celebration on the Wen Lin campus. The result of her committee’s determination and endeavors was the employment of the first psychologist brought from Chicago, Mr. Michael Berthold. TAS had a smoking lounge where high school students with parent permission were allowed to enter. It was quite a popular gathering spot until the early 1980’s when the faculty and administration decided to close it, for the school could not allow students’ health to be harmed on our campus. Since then, TAS has become a smoke-free campus. A controversial action TAS instituted for students’ health was mandatory drug testing which began in the 1980s and continues. It was an innovative program that interested local Taiwanese educators, as well as other international schools. A tragic murder in 1985 of a TAS sophomore spurred the creation of the Community Center. The TAS administration and parents/faculty were instrumental in that valuable institution’s founding. The Center’s presence was essential in 1988 when about ten high school students unsuccessfully tried to end their lives together. Those students and their parents were required to have counseling at the Center to be readmitted to TAS. The Community Center continues to play an essential role in the entire TAS community’s well-being today. That has been especially pivotal during recent events involving our students.
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The TAS student government used to raise money for various activities through the profits of its Coke machines made on campus. Students felt the more soda they consumed, the more funding they would have for dances and other popular activities. Since this century began, there are no soda machines available to students on our campus. During the last decade fried foods, even though they were best-sellers and popular with both students and adults, have been removed from our menus. The seriousness of concussions that students suffer in athletic endeavors, as well as elsewhere, has become a recent issue which all teachers and students recognize. TAS follows the best practices of independent schools in the United States by using IMPACT, developed by the University of Pittsburgh. It is considered the gold standard for establishing baseline cognitive functioning in athletes. This year new policies and education to be more inclusive to prevent marginalizing any of our students are focused on gender identity. New vocabulary, bathroom facilities, health and academic curricula as well as discussions across divisions including students, faculty, staff as well as parents, are being led and promoted by international experts.
Taipei American School has also created a much healthier environment for our students because of changes international experts have recommended to be best practices. In March, representatives from the internationally respected organization, Freedom from Chemical Dependency (FCD), conducted Zoom lessons for all upper school students. That group has actually been visiting the TAS campus and interacting with students in groups and individuals for years. One of the representatives from LA had visited TAS and was thrilled to recognize some students and faculty members virtually. Now is the time to follow the advice of Dr. Josephine Kim. She, like so many experts before her, stresses the necessity for teenagers to have at least eight hours of sleep each night. As teachers, we know that is essential for a child’s mental and physical well-being. We observe students who are stressed, unable to focus, unhappy and not performing at their best because they are sleep deprived. We all recognize the cause
for this unhealthy existence. Is it not time to be innovative and limit the number of classes each student can register in their schedule for next year? We know many students have various cram classes after school and on the weekends; many families employ tutors. We must also recognize many students are involved in time-consuming school-sponsored activities such as IASAS athletics, debate, drama, music, I-Gem and robotics, as examples.
“If we do love these students, and I know we do, we must find creative ways as a community to force them to prioritize sleep." Many of those activities require overseas trips and other schedules which impact their sleep patterns. As adults could we function if we had to “shadow” any of those student’s schedules? Could parents function properly in their daily lives on the limited sleep their children schedule routinely for themselves? Many TAS graduates, especially from recent years, have shared their concerns about their sleep deprivation. They share their mental health issues from college days and today. We have had experts advise us about the importance of having enough sleep for years; alumni candidly inform us of their concern about mental and physical well-being. Is it time for us, the professionals who care dearly for each of our students, to do what is so obviously right and necessary? What are the reasons we cannot modify our system to allow a healthy eight hours of sleep each day for those in our classes? We need to recognize that if we are still promoting innovation, excellence and a student-centered focus, we simply cannot continue to neglect to address the issue of students’ sleep at Taipei American School.
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the blue & gold may 21, 2021
LETTER TO THE EDITOR My first shot - the “shot” heard around My first shot: the “shot” heard around the world The protest in Taiwan in support of the Hong Kong movement took place in June of 2019. [NATALIE SCHEIDEL/THE BLUE & GOLD]
By Douglas Lee (‘21, he/him) When ninth grade started, my parents sat me down for “that talk.” They said, “Douglas, in high school, you may have to make intelligent choices about alcohol.” I do not think they ever considered I might have to duck to avoid an incoming Molotov cocktail. Neither did I. In the summer of 2019, millions of Hong Kongers took to the street to protest a proposed extradition law. Media organizations from all over the world fixed their attention onto the situation. Despite the exciting nature of the summer, I was relegated as an intern reporter at The China Post to translate articles for their travel magazine. Before the internship, I had told the editor-in-chief that I was keen on covering politics Yet, in a sensitive election year, they refused to grant me my request.
Things changed one evening when my mom told me that there was going to be a protest in Taiwan in support of the Hong Kong movement. Immediately, I contacted the editor-in-chief to see if I could cover the protest. He told me they were unaware of this protest and did not plan on covering the event. To my surprise, he said he would take me to the protest and teach me how to conduct interviews. Standing behind microphones from Reuters and Taiwan’s TV networks, I hung on to my editor’s business card as the only “document” that proved I was a member of the press. I elbowed my way through a crowd of reporters to interview prominent Taiwan political activists such as Sunflower Movement leader Lin Fei-fan and Hong Kong bookseller Lam Wing-kee who had been detained by Chinese authorities.
Amidst the frenzy to interview these political celebrities, I met Dickson, a Hong Kong student who had just gotten off a plane from Hong Kong to join the student protests. Dickson added me to the telegram chats Hong Kong protestors were using live in Hong Kong. Logging in under the pseudonym of Lonzo Ball, my phone was on fire, with texts and images showing that the first rubber bullet had been fired in the protest. I quickly became the most important person in the office with all the sources even though I was just an intern. The editor-in-chief of the news agency and several high-ranking members came to me for a detailed play-by-play of what was happening. Although I have never taken a journalism class at TAS, I realized that the exhilarating and fast paced nature of journalism is something I enjoy. The fact is, in journalism, no day is the same day.
My goal in attending journalism school is unlike that for many. Most of my future classmates are interested in moving directly into broadcast or print, but for me, my goal is to explore and take advantage of the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University’s strong curriculum to give myself the tools I need to become a lawyer. I hope to cultivate my writing abilities to develop a compelling narrative, not only in the articles I write, but also the legal narratives I will develop in the future. My goal from day one has been to seek justice by getting to the bottom of each mystery I encounter. Choosing journalism is precisely that stepping stone I need to fight back against injustice in our world and to inspire social change. With this in mind, I hope I will never have to write an article about you — yes, you.
The importance of exams moving online in the future By Amber Wu (‘23, she/her) Due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 coronavirus, most of the world has moved progressively through an internet-based era, where many academic classes and resources have been offered online, including the 2020 AP exams. However, the uncertainty regarding the continuation of online exams remains as the number of coronavirus cases winds down, allowing schools to begin opening their campuses. Will standardized exams slowly move online in the post-COVID world? Although visually it seems unlikely for students to sit at their desks at home and type their essays online due to the lack of internet resources, I believe that it is important for exams to move online in the future.
There are a variety of challenges imposed upon students when it comes to taking any form of online assessments. Last year, the AP exams were held online, giving students the option to take the exam on different devices. Students who did not have access to laptops were encouraged to take photos of their exams and submit them to Collegeboard. “There would really have to be a longer discussion and plan for equal access,” Upper School History Teacher Mr. Luke Walker (he/him) said. “Not just for kids in rural areas, but in urban areas as well, where the electronic device at home isn’t a laptop.” Another challenge that was discovered during last year’s AP exams was the different time zones as students globally took the same exam at the same time.
“I understand that Collegeboard wanted to ensure the testing security for the exam,” Annie Yang (‘23, she/her), a student who took the AP World History exam at 2:00 a.m., said. “But I think they could have given us different prompts or documents for the Document Based Question.” Even though such challenges allowed education organizations to understand the complexity of online exams, it is still necessary for them to solve these issues and bring exams online. It is essential for our education system to shift online in order to help upgrade the usage of the internet. Online exams are efficient as students do not have to walk into their exam rooms to fill out their information on a sheet of
scantrons. Instead, they can just enter their information online prior to the exam, and immediately take the exam. This would relieve the administration from the burden of ensuring that all students are in the room before beginning the exam. Besides, students from all over the world have already dabbled on online based learning due to the pandemic. As students have relied heavily on online classes the past year, they would adapt well with online exams as well. Although the chances of having standardized exams online after the pandemic are relatively low at the moment, education programs should consider moving exams online in order for students to adapt a more accesssible online-based education.
AP and IB courses should be limited to regulate competition By Amber Wu (‘23, she/her) As the school year draws to a close, many students at Taipei American School are beginning to prepare for next year’s courses. It is that time of the year when students are asksing and discussing about course selections in the hallways. However, negativity is embedded in these conversations. “I need to take seven AP courses to get into an Ivy League university.” “I need to take harder classes with all APs.” “I can’t fit more classes into my schedule but I need to take more classes.” These are some of the things that students will say. However, most TAS students are unaware that AP and International
Baccalaureate (IB) courses are often limited in other schools in order to prevent students from overwhelming themselves. Upper School History and Political Science Teacher Mrs. Darby Sinclair (she/ her) believes that students at TAS often create their own expectations that force them to take harder classes. “We kind of get into a frenzy that this is the reality, and this is the way to university, because we have no other measurement other than our reality at TAS,” she said. “So we get into this narrative of a certain way of thinking about how to be successful and how to challenge yourself and there are just so many myths that teachers are trying to dispel.”
The administration should take action in changing the number of AP and IB courses students are allowed to take. Students stress over their academic courses, leaving almost no leisure time to enjoy their hobbies and to relax. AP and IB coordinator and college counselor Mr. Warren Emanuel (he/him) believes that students should always choose the courses that they feel comfortable with taking. “It’s a really important part of addressing student wellbeing by doing everything we can as adults,” he said. “[We want] to make sure that students are being appropriately placed in classes and make sure that students aren’t being
overwhelmed by academic workload.” While “toxic competition” is a term that students have been taught in the past two years, not many changes have been made to address the issues.Upper school academic and personal counselor Ms. Shirley Peng (she/her) believes that it takes the whole community to work with one another to enact change. “It is an effort that is gonna take the whole community, the school administration, counselors and teachers, as well as students and parents.” she said. “We all need to be aware of the negative effects of toxic competition and engage in conversations on how to build a positive learning environment.”
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the blue & gold may 21, 2021
MENTAL HEALTH: Ways students can utilize TAS mental health resources By Sharon Lee (‘22, she/her) and Amber Wu (‘23, she/her) Although many students may not recognize that mental health is as important as physical health, it is important to prioritize your mental wellbeing and utilize the resources that the school provides for all students, including grade level counselors and psychologists. The upper school counselors, Mr. Ryan Haynes, Ms. Shirley Peng, Dr. Tim Mulligan and Ms. Song Eun Han are working together to promote student wellbeing and to aid students in need. To further reach out to students, the counselors have been hosting group discussions during lunch to stimulate a safe and open discussion regarding various experiences of students. “Oftentimes, students feel like they may be the only person experiencing certain things, but once they get into a group setting, and hear that others are having similar concerns and issues, that can help them know that they are not alone,” Director of Academic and Personal Counseling Mr. Haynes said. The counselors have acknowledged that students may not always feel comfortable reaching out, but they continue to encourage and reassure students that they are always here to advocate for them. “Reaching out to adults is a scary process, and it’s anxiety provoking, but we are always here to help
facilitate the support process, whether it is with teachers, administrators or parents,” Ms. Shirley Peng said. If students feel as if they are not clicking well with their assigned counselor, other counselors are always available to meet with them as well. According to the counselors, the counseling team frequently collaborates with the psychologists, so they encourage students to go to the adult they feel most comfortable with, even if it is not their assigned adult. The counselors also encourage students to provide feedback and voice any concerns they may have on the advisory programs this year to their advisors and the counselors. “As a counselor, advisor or psychologist, we are an objective third party. We are a person or an entity where a student can come and just share, without judgment,” Mr. Haynes said, “We don’t grade the students and we are not here to discipline. We are student advocates.” Despite the fact that psychologists are also normal human beings who are not perfect people like the students in Taipei American School, they continuously strive to disintegrate the closed up bubble students place themselves in to understand and guide them through their issues. The psychologists at Taipei American
School have developed their own approaches in helping the students at the school when they need the aid, despite the fact that many students are hesitant to reach out. Mr. Michael Grande, the lower school psychologist, reaches out to students by understanding their characteristics, unique strengths and weaknesses. “It’s important to focus on the individual person, because everybody is different,” Mr. Grande said. “I take a developmental approach, knowing that people grow and change over time [as] children need different things at different ages, and that shapes a lot of my thinking when I’m helping children.” Ms. Sara Oliveira (she/her), the middle school psychologist, encourages students to open up to her by being student-centered, where she focuses on helping students break out of their shells and define who they want to be. “I try to really work with students on defining their goals for growth and development and what is it that they want to achieve,” she said. “So I try to make [the conversations] very focused and centered on them.” Ms. Sherri Lee Grande (they/their/ she/her), the upper school psychologist, establishes her bonds with students by looking at situations through the perspective of students in order to understand what
they are going through.“My job is to try to see things from the students’ perspective and try to go from there, looking at what their needs are at the time and how they see the problem,” she said. “The problem or concern that can be different depending on who’s coming to ask for help or support and trying to figure out the students’ perspective is always really important to me.” The psychologists believe that although many students feel uncomfortable opening up to an adult at the school, especially those who they are not familiar with, it is important for students to understand that it is totally alright to struggle with opening up but to slowly establish a relationship with the psychologists in order to understand the situations students are going through. “It can be really difficult to tal[k] to someone who you don’t know about the most important things that have gone on in your life,” Mr. Grande said. “But it’s also a really nice thing to do for yourself as there are a lot of benefits that come out of the process of being in counseling seeing someone and talking about what you’re having a hard time on— It can really change things.” The psychologists encourage students to come to their office whenever they feel they need someone to talk to, regardless of their various situations.
TAS students wish for more mental health resources By Nicole Chang (‘21, she/her)
MENTAL HEALTH STATISTICS INFORMATION FROM THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION
HALF OF ALL MENTAL HEALTH CONDITIONS START BY AGE 14 BUT MOST CASES ARE UNDETECTED AND UNTREATED
GLOBALLY, DEPRESSION IS ONE OF THE LEADING CAUSES OF ILLNESS AND DISABILITY AMONG ADOLESCENTS
SUICIDE IS THE THIRD LEADING CAUSE OF DEATH IN 15-19 YEAR OLDS
In recent years, Taipei American School has continued to increase the mental health resources available for its students. Within the last decade, TAS has hired more licensed therapists, counselors, and psychologists at school, held more mental health discussions with distinguished speakers, and allowed students and faculty members to take mental health days. The Upper School even started implementing weekly advisory meetings this school year as an attempt to create a safer environment for students to discuss their emotional and mental well-being with a close group of people. However, with recent events in our community, some upper school students still wish for more mental health support. “I think right now we are a little unstable, we are just picking up from a pretty tragic event, so I think people are like in multiple ranges. There
are people who do not feel as affected and there are some people who still really need help and need to go see their counselors,” Gustavo Vera (‘22, he/him) said. Unfortunately, not every student at TAS feels as if they have a trusted adult that they can go turn to regarding their own mental well-being. “I think personally I don’t [have] an adult that I can trust and feel comfortable talking to about mental health,” Ian Ho (‘21, he/him) said. “I don’t think there are a lot of adults who are as comfortable about mental health [in our community].” Other students want adults to continue checking in with them, especially during periods of high stress. “I feel like counseling could get more involved at times when [students] have a lot of tests or assessments [due], ” Gustavo said. Some students believe that the school
CONSEQUENCES OF NOT ADDRESSING ADOLESCENT MENTAL HEALTH CONDITIONS EXTEND TO ADULTHOOD, LIMITING OPPORTUNITY TO LEAD FULFILLING LIVES
should discuss the resources that are available on campus more openly. “I feel like knowing about the resources [that] we have is important. I did not know that we had a psychologist at TAS until this year, and I still don’t know how to make appointments or get in contact with her,” Celine Yung (‘22, she/her) said. “We do have a lot of resources and so I think that the [if ] the school and the [administration] could direct us to these resources, and remind us that [these resources] exist, it could be really helpful.” However, this responsibility to improve students’ emotional well-being and mental health does not only depend on the administration but on the whole student body. Students must continue showing up for each other during times of need.
Walk the walk: we have mental health days now, but is it enough? By Natalie Scheidel (‘21, she/her) and Phoebe Chen (‘21, she/her) In 2019, The Blue & Gold (B&G) published an article titled “Talk the talk, walk the walk: TAS needs mental health days” where reporter and previous editorin-chief Charlotte Lee (‘20) highlighted the importance of permitting students to take mental health days. School policy now allows students to take days off when necessary, but are these regulations working, and do students know of this new privilege? In this edition, the B&G hopes to examine how students feel regarding mental health days at TAS. It is no secret that being a TAS student is strenuous work. If you are not being crushed by the weight of your honors or AP/ IB courses, then you are probably stressed out by upcoming SAT exams or the ongoing college application process. Regardless, it is needless to say that most students are very busy, and as a result, often spread thin from
their workload. Sometimes, the best way to combat pressure is to take mental health days, but how accessible are these days off, and how comfortable do students feel taking a mental health day? Oftentimes, students feel persuaded by faculty and administrators to avoid taking mental health days. “Since my sophomore year, I’ve been told that skipping school, even if it is for just a couple of periods, leaves a bad impression,” student Gemma Chang (‘21) said. “I don’t take days off usually unless I am really sick or I really need to mentally.” Since absences need to be communicated by parents or guardians of students, students need to be able to express their struggles to them. For Gemma, she is able to take days off if she really needs to due to her close bond with her mom. “I talk to my mom a lot about mental health,
but I know a lot of my friends don’t feel comfortable communicating that to their parents,” Gemma said. Oftentimes, parents deem “mental health days” as an excuse for students to skip school. As a result, it is hard for many students to explain the concept of mental health days to parents. “Students must have a satisfactory record of attendance in order to receive credit for a course—which is a minimum attendance of 85 percent,” Dr. Jill Fagen (she/her), Upper School Associative Principal, said. Strictly speaking, each semester students are only allowed to miss six classes for each of their courses or they risk losing credit. “However, there is room for flexibility in situations involving special circumstances, health or other factors impacting attendance, and each case is reviewed individually,” Dr. Fagen said. More detailed rules can be found on page 20 of the Upper School student handbook.
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the blue & gold may 21, 2021
How safe do TAS students feel at school, and what kinds of ‘safe’ are there?
By Natalie Scheidel (‘21, she/her) and Phoebe Chen (‘21, she/her) [NICOLE CHANG/THE BLUE & GOLD]
TRIGGER WARNING: this article features sensitive topics including sexual harassment, sexual assault and mental illnesses. Every day, parents send their kids to school, expecting a safe environment surrounded by peers, faculty and administrators who do their best to protect them. Oftentimes, the concept of safety is defined by physical surroundings; however, issues surrounding bullying, harassment and mental wellbeing are also at the forefront of a student’s perception on “how safe they feel at school.” A safe learning environment is crucial for students of all ages; without it, many are unable to focus on learning. Research from the National Institutes of Health suggests that students who feel unsafe at school perform academically worse and are more at risk for children who feel unsafe at school perform worse academically.
Physical Safety In September of 2020, TAS installed E-gates at all entrances on campus. Students, faculty, staff and parents are all required to use their identification cards to enter the school. Previously, security guards were always staffed right by the gates; however, it is still possible for someone to enter who is not authorized due to busy morning drop-off or afternoon pick-up periods. With the new system, everyone will need to be authorized with an ID card to enter the campus. “Fundamentally, it is about assurance,” Mr. Larry Kraut, the Chief Operating Officer said. “With the new system in place, we are assured that anybody inside our campus will be people who are authorized to be here.” Not only does it restrict outsiders access to the campus, but the new security system also enables security to know at all times members of the TAS community that are on campus in a more efficient manner. “Honestly, it makes me feel a lot safer knowing everyone on campus is part of the community, and not random strangers,” Rachel Su (‘21, she/her) said. Though the new system will be more of a hassle to students, staff and faculty as everyone will need to scan their ID cards, it will increase the level of security for everyone at school.
Digital Safety With the increasing use of technology, digital safety has become a growing concern for teachers, administrators and parents.
Everyday, students go home, log on to their laptops, browse the internet, click on links and more. However, rarely do we ever question the safety of our digital actions. For schools, technology allows for a vast amount of resources as well as distance learning; however, there comes costs like cyberbullying. A student can easily find themselves at risk while using technology due to a single click. At TAS, a ring of male students ran a distributing and receiving network that circulated private, explicit photographs of female students from 2017 to 2020. Although this group has been known among the student body since 2017, Taipei American School did not explicitly address the issue until the 2019-2020 school year when three students from the class of 2020 were given early graduation as a result of their wrongdoings. Isabel Lee (‘21) had previously been cyber-bullied. “I felt helpless and was extremely disappointed; however, this allowed me to grow and I feel like I can now combat bigger problems that are out of my control,” Isabel said.
Sexual Safety Safety on campus does not automatically equate to the safety of campus. While TAS does require health and wellness classes as part of both the middle and upper school curriculum, the school has recently been improving its curriculum in the area of sexual health to include a focus on sexual safety and consent. TAS also required all seniors during the senior wellness week this school year to take part in a mandatory session on consent. TAS is making strides in this area from a curricular and programmatic standpoint, and it is an important move by the school because statistically, 53 percent of high school girls are victims of sexual harassment in any given school year. “As a male student at TAS, I’ve never really had the problem with feeling sexually unsafe” Henry Ko (‘21, he/him) said, “And, honestly, I think there’s an association with my gender.”
“I’ve been a victim of rape.” However, TAS is still not immune to the problem of sexual assault, which is why the updated curriculum is more important now than ever. “I’ve been a victim of rape,” Veronica Lan (‘22, she/her) said. Veronica says that she
reported it to the school a little over half a year after the event. When the administration was notified, they were quick to connect Veronica with external resources and help. After reporting her case, Veronica requested to ban her perpetrator from campus. “I wanted to ban the person who raped me and thought that my request had been dismissed because I did not know the school had a policy of pre-screening guests’ visits as there was a lack of transparency and communication between the administration and I,” she said. Veronica said that after this incident, and attending school where she thought her alleged perpetrator could still visit campus, made her feel unsafe at school. After reporting the rape, the school helped to connect the student with a therapist from The Center, a non-profit organization affiliated with TAS that provides counseling and other mental health resources, where she is currently receiving therapy for her depression and anxiety diagnosis. However, Veronica did not hear back from therapists at The Center between the months of December to March. Instead, she continued to meet regularly with Upper School Psychologist Mrs. Sherri Grande, who helped her on her road to recovery at school. Veronica strongly appreciates the installation of E-gates at each school entrance. “The E-gates t make me feel safer because only students and sanctioned guests get to come onto campus, and that’s an improvement,” she said.
Emotional Safety At TAS, students are given a multitude of helpful services for their mental wellbeing. From the upper school counseling office and TAS’s affiliation with The Center to Mrs. Grande’s office, there are round-the-clock resources available for students in need. During Tommy Cho’s (‘21) high school experience, Director of Upper School Academic and Personal Counseling Mr. Ryan Haynes has been a reliable and considerate faculty member who is always willing to sit down and talk with students. “When I’m in Mr. Haynes’ office or when I’m talking to him, I feel like I can tell him anything, including things about academic pressure, stress, personal issues and more,” Tommy said. In addition to being a safe haven for students to release or discuss their emotions, Mr. Haynes’ office has become an open door for many students who simply feel like having a conversation or stopping by to say hi.
In many ways, Mr. Haynes’ presence has grown to become more than just being another school counselor. “Before Mr. Haynes, I never had a strong enough relationship with a counselor where I could just go in and talk about something that isn’t a problem or issue,” Tommy said.
LGBTQIA+ Safety For a student who is both queer and a person of color, safety at TAS may take place in a different form. Though this student, who wishes to remain anonymous, rarely experiences explicit forms of homophobia, he often observes subtle jabs and digs from classmates. “I’ve felt unsafe many times at school because I am gay,” he admitted. “I’m often regarded as disgusting, and when I’m in the locker rooms most men don’t even look me in the eyes. I know people in my class are homophobic. I know people on my team are homophobic, but what am I supposed to do about that? I can’t really report someone for just being homophobic. So I’ve had to keep it to myself and that makes me feel unsafe.” However, over the years, he has felt increasingly supported by the upper school administration, more specifically Upper School Associate Principal Ms. Jill Fagen. “I’ve talked to Ms. Fagen several times about my personal experiences and future LGBTQIA+ education at TAS,” he said. “Since she is also a woman, I feel like she can empathize and understand my struggles better compared to people who are white, cisgendered and male administrators.” TAS is not alone in its fight against homophobia; nationally, in the U.S., 59.1 percent of LGBTQIA+ students feel unsafe at school due to their sexual orientation and 32.7 percent of those students missed at least one day of school due to feeling unsafe or uncomfortable. Moreover, according to the GLSEN—an American education organization working to end discrimination, harassment and bullying based on sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression—over four in five LGBTQIA+ students don’t see positive LGBTQIA+ representation in their schooling curriculums. Of these students, nine out of ten experience harassment or assault. Currently, at TAS, there are supportive and inclusive school policies such as antibullying and harassment regulations as well as transgender and non-binary student policies. Additionally, the Interscholastic Association of Southeast Asian Schools (IASAS), has begun initiating conversations regarding LGBTQIA+ participation and more.
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the blue & gold may 21, 2021
Alumni return for spring dance showcase celebration
A dance piece performed at the dance showcase titled “To survive.” [ARIEL LEE/THE BLUE &
GOLD]
By Ariel Lee (‘23, she/her) TAS dancers recently unveiled their annual end-of-year dance showcase. In this year’s showcase, guests, alumni and seniors choreographed and performed their pieces. Dancers from different grades, performed together to celebrate the end of the year. The third performance has always allowed dancers to be creative and not to be restricted by a theme. It is also the place to showcase IB dancers’ work. The seniors are simply told to create a final piece and are given full control. “Watching those seniors, and [their]
sense of achievement is just the next best thing to graduation,” upper school dance teacher, Ms. Deborah Flemming (she/her) said. Besides the seniors, guest choreographers are brought in to create a dance. For this showcase, four different alumni, Jonathan Kwan (‘18, he/him) also known as “Jona,” Iris Hsu (‘13, she/her), Kendra Ing (‘15, she/ her), and Mr. Henry Chuang (‘12, he/him) choreographed. “I think that because it’s been a hard past two years for alumni, it’d be really nice for
them to come watch the show live,” Ms. Cheryl Lagerquist (she/her) also known as “Ms. Q,” upper school dance teacher, said. One of the returning alumni, Jona, decided to come back to choreograph because he wanted to give back to the TAS dance community, as it is where his dance career started. “I was inspired by Ms. Q and Ms. Flemming and so many other guest artists that came through,” he said. “I think it’s also my obligation to give back to the students now, to come back and try my best to inspire them in any shape, way and form.” Jona’s piece for this showcase was inspired by the time he first came back to Taiwan and when the COVID-19 coronavirus first hit the world. His idea was to create a dance that conveyed the sense of helplessness and desire for justice that many international students felt from the Black Lives Matter Movement and COVID-19. “I chose to do this piece because I wanted to kind of [bring back] those memories,” he said. Another returning alumna, Iris Hsu, came back because of the COVID-19 coronavirus. She reconnected with dance teachers when they invited her back to TAS to create a piece for upper school dancers.. She choreographed for the season one dance production and also the season two varsity piece. “For the dance production, I worked with just two dancers and that was more intimate and that was a great opportunity to get to know the students,” she said. “I think with the varsity dance experience because I had a much longer time with them, I was able to explore a lot more and push them a lot more.” Iris choreographed with another alumna, Kendra. They wanted to create something that was fun and joyful. The dance that she
choreographed with Kendra is very upbeat, energetic and sassy. Besides choreographing for this showcase, Iris is also teaching fifthgrade dance at TAS. Kendra Ing is also a returning alumna. She decided to come back this year to choreograph after she graduated from college. Last summer, she reached out to Ms. Q and Ms. Flemming to help out with a dance production and was excited to see how much the program has grown and changed after she left TAS. “Just being able to come back as a mentor and work very intimately with a group of kids is very special.” Kendra said. For her individually choreographed piece, Kendra wanted the dancers to focus on enjoying the choreography and the company of their fellow dancers. “To me, the song is just a lot of fun and I just want to see [the dancers] have fun,” she said. Mr. Chuang is a former faculty member, current TAS substitute teacher and alumnus who also choreographed a piece for the showcase. He is grateful that the dance teachers reached out to him. For his choreography, Mr. Chuang focused on creating movements that would make a person feel stronger and at peace with themselves. Mr. Chuang is especially proud of all his dancers for their hard work in the piece. “I think it’s extra challenging for high school dancers because it’s so slow,” he said. “I’m really impressed with this group of dancers because I feel like they committed fully to the feeling of the piece.” According to one of the dancers, Annie Yang (‘23, she/her), Mr. Chuang had succeeded in his goal. “The dance gives me very zen vibes,” she said. “It’s very chill and relaxing.”
Weston Cooper (‘08) on the importance of learning Black history By Victoria Hsu (‘24, she/her) and Katherine Ma (‘24 she/her)
Alumnus-turned-teacher Weston Cooper (‘08, he/him) recently presented a slideshow to TAS faculty about showing empathy towards the Black Lives Matter Movement by building upon the similarities between American history and Taiwanese history. Mr. Cooper attended a Taiwanese local school until ninth grade. It was there that he realized how unjust it was to be denied an identity based on your outer appearance. To combat this, he immersed himself in studying Taiwanese and Chinese history. “I studied the language to try to say ‘Look, if I know this history, and I know the language better than you, you can’t tell me that I’m a foreigner,’” Mr. Cooper said. After transferring to TAS in 2004, Mr. Cooper felt an immediate shift in the attitudes of his peers. “My first day at TAS was the very first day where nobody stared at me because I was different,” Mr. Cooper said. “I felt a sense of duty and responsibility to be back [at TAS] in many ways, and I really appreciate the opportunity to be back here to work with TAS students on identity formation.” Mr. Cooper attended the University of Washington in Seattle, majoring in international studies and cultural anthropology. In both majors, he focused on studying identity and social inequality in America. While studying these fields at college, he felt frustrated with the world because “I felt like we were learning so much about problems in the world, things that are wrong, but we’re not
offering any explanations or solutions.” Back in Seattle, after the death of Trayvon Martin in 2013, Mr. Cooper began volunteering with the Black Lives Matter movement; the movement aims to draw attention to Black Americans whose lives are often marginalized by the US justice system. The death of Eric Garner in 2014 made Mr. Cooper realize the many parallels in Taiwanese and American history. He felt that it was important for Taiwanese Americans and people in Taiwan to recognize their shared connection. After the death of George Floyd in 2020, Mr. Cooper wanted to get more involved with organizations in Taiwan. He volunteered to help out with a forum some activists in Taiwan started called “Taipei is Listening” over the summer. The main goal of this forum was to allow Black people in Taiwan to share their experiences with racism and workshop ideas on how to loosen the hold of white supremacy that also affects Taiwan. It was with “Taipei is Listening” that Mr. Cooper was invited to give a presentation about the correlation between Taiwanese and Black history. Dr. Grace Cheng Dodge, Interim Head of School, and Mr. Ryan Haynes, upper school counselor, attended the workshop held by Mr. Cooper and Anthony Kelley, and asked them to bring their presentation to school to show the faculty. “It’s incredibly important for us to talk to faculty about it because the faculty are the people who are going to help [the students] develop their identity,” Mr. Cooper said. To illustrate the importance of teachers in helping students form their worldview,
“...the faculty are the people who are going to help [the students] develop their identity.“ Mr. Cooper also mentioned the work teachers could do to unpack the centuries of Eurocentrism and white supremacy embedded in our systems. “Why is it that it’s not until we get into [the unit on] Greece that we start talking about individual inventors of things,” Mr. Cooper said. In his classroom, he works to combat this narrative by encouraging students to work on critical thinking and challenge conventional beliefs. In regards to his future plans, Mr. Cooper hopes to expand his reach and influence in the TAS community. “I would like for the faculty and students to have more workshops instead of just speeches” so that “we can learn about each other and about our community. I am just really excited for our school to be a space where these things can happen and where we can center these kinds of conversations,” Mr. Cooper said. “Myself and many of my classmates have struggled with our identity and our place of belonging and meaning in the world since we are raised in multiple cultures and traditions. Our school is a unique place and we could all benefit from an increased focus on who we are and what we care about.” More importantly, Mr. Cooper hopes to have students take action. “I feel
like this generation of kids are more compassionate than ever… they are more aware of the world than ever,” Mr. Cooper said. The future will be determined by the actions of students, especially as new generations gain more and more resources to make impactful changes.
Mr. Cooper presenting at TAS (top). Anthony Kelly and Mr. Cooper posing for a photo after presenting at TAS (bottom). [PHOTO COURTESY OF TAS COMMUNICATIONS OFFICE]
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the blue & gold may 21, 2021
Farewell to Upper School faculty By Amanda Ding (‘21, she/her) and Kara Murri (‘21, she/her)
The end of another school year is filled with new beginnings and exciting adventures. But the atmosphere is also tinged with a bittersweet feeling as we say goodbye to our beloved friends and faculty. This year we bid farewell to a number of familiar faces in the Upper School, including Associate Principal Mr. John Vandenboom, Librarian and AP Research teacher Dr. Candace Aiani and Upper School teacher Ms. Hye Ryoung Rhee (she/her).
Mr. John Vandenboom
A familiar face in the Upper School lobby, Mr. Vandenboom’s presence will be greatly missed by all. [PHOTO COURTESY OF MR. JOHN VANDENBOOM]
After 34 years at Taipei American School, Mr. Vandenboom is known to students not only as a vice principal, but a guiding presence in underclassman class meetings, a cheerful morning greeting into the Upper School building and, perhaps most importantly, his informational Week Ahead emails that have become a staple of Friday afternoons. Although he is entering retirement, Mr. Vandenboom has no plans to leave Taiwan. “Where am I planning to go when I leave here? Yes, just across the street. There’s a Starbucks there,” Mr. Vandenboom said. “I’ve lived here for more than half of my life, and so this is home. And I love it here. I’ve loved the working experience, I’ve loved the students, the professional kind of growth, and Taiwan. The people, the food, everything.” However, arriving at TAS was an unexpected turn of events. “If somebody had said to me when I was your age, you know, you’re going to end up
living in Taiwan for x number of years, I would have probably said two things. Number one, you’re crazy. And number two, Taiwan? But somehow things just fit when I came here,” Mr. Vandenboom said. “I figured I would be here, probably four to six years, but there was no reason to leave because I felt I had hit the gold mine.” During his time at TAS, Mr. Vandenboom has worked as a math teacher, a tennis coach and an administrator. But what he most enjoys most about TAS are the abundance of connections. “I would miss the daily interactions, and the hellos and the sharing of tea. The ‘Mr. Vandenboom I did really good on this quiz today!’” Mr. Vandenboom said. ““There are students in the Upper School now who are children of former students that I have. I’ll see their parents around campus once in a while That’s one of the advantages of staying in one place for a long time. And so I’m blessed.”
Dr. Candace Aiani After 22 years at TAS, Dr. Aiani is returning to Chicago, the city she calls home. “I think what I’m most looking forward to is being closer to family and friends, the change of seasons that I grew up with, including snow, and all of the traditions and celebrations of my home country,” Dr. Aiani said. “My experience at TAS has been amazing. The students, my colleagues, the resources at the school, the support of the administration, the culture of the people in Taiwan, the environment of Taiwan [are all amazing],” Dr. Aiani said. Dr. Aiani recalls the redesign of the libraries in 2006 as one of her most memorable moments at TAS. “They opened the doors for the first time and the students all came rushing in to enjoy the new library,” she said. Because of the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic limiting her travel abilities, Dr.
Aiani feels her return home at this time is right. “The United States became further than it used to be because we haven’t been able to return for quite some time,” she said. “[COVID-19] has made me miss home more.” Although TAS will miss Dr. Aiani’s willingness to help others and her experience, she leaves with words of wisdom. “Make the most of the time that you have here in Taiwan,” Dr. Aiani said. “For those of us who are coming from other countries, it’s temporary, so I think that we really [have to] try to make the most of our time here.” Taipei American School will not forget Dr. Aiani, and Dr. Aiani will not forget Taipei American School. “Taiwan is now my second home, and maybe even at this point it’s my first home. It has a special place in my heart, and it always will,” Dr. Aiani said.
As the AP Research teacher, Dr. Aiani has been a source of knowledge to new and old students alike. [PHOTO COURTESY OF DR. CANDACE AIANI]
Ms. Hye Ryoung Rhee
For Ms. Rhee, the best part of teaching at TAS is connecting with students and talking to them about their daily lives. [PHOTO COURTESY OF MS. HYE RYOUNG RHEE]
As a former MUN advisor, chaperone and current Upper School history teacher, Ms. Rhee is known for her sweet disposition and close bond with students. After six years of teaching, she is heading to graduate school to study more about education, psychology and counseling. “I really enjoyed doing that and just learning about students and their lives beyond History of Europe or History of Asia. But then I also felt like I didn’t know how to support students that might be going through tough times, other than just relating them to the counselor,” Ms. Rhee said. “Then I thought like, it would be cool if I was the counselor, so I actually have the tools, or the practical skills to not just listen.” For Ms. Rhee, the most memorable moments of her time at TAS have come from interacting with students and creating memories inside and outside the classroom. “It’s really hard for me to leave, because I
really like working with the students at TAS. I think I came here thinking I was only gonna stay for two years, and I was like, let’s test it out, see if I like it, and then I really liked it. I mean the resources of the school, like colleagues are all great, awesome people but I think it’s really the students,” Ms. Rhee said. For a last piece of advice, Ms. Rhee calls upon her own experience as a student. “Your life right now and what you do right now and the struggles you’re going through right now isn’t permanent. It’s an upward trend of finding what you want to do and learning to be more independent,” she said. Now that I’m here, I feel like my high school self would have never seen a future, in Taiwan, but that turned out to be a really pleasant surprise. So basically you never know, and there is happiness in the waiting and there people that are there to support you through the process. So don’t lose hope,” Ms. Rhee said.
Saying Goodbye
Let us also bid adieu to our other beloved Upper School faculty... Mr. Andrew Williamson Ms. Amber Hardy
US English Teacher US Head Athletic Trainer
Ms. Laura Sanchez Ms. Joan Pipkin
US Spanish Teacher K-12 Performing Arts Teacher
Ms. Kazuya Noda
US Math Teacher
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the blue & gold may 21, 2021
Introducing the new 2021-2022 Student Government officers By Evelyn Hou (‘24, she/her)
James An (‘22)
Ethan Dunn (‘23)
Erin StanleyRainbow (‘23)
Austin Lo (‘23)
Stevin Yang (‘23)
“I decided to join StuGov because I was always drawn to the organization by the motto, ‘by students for students’. The ability to institute change for us students really appealed to me. My goal as an officer next year is to address the topic of mental health in the TAS community, especially in the upper school, from the perspective of the students. I am currently considering and thinking about different ideas to try and bring meaningful change as students.”
“My motivation for running was to fight for the changes wanted by us all... and I knew I was the kind of person who was not afraid to ‘rock the boat’. My future plans mainly include increasing student involvement, increasing community involvement and improving how we check grades. I feel that making sure every student has clear and open channels of communication with myself and the other officers [is especially important].”
“I’ve been at TAS for 11 years and really love the school, but I also know that being a student here can be really hard. Students are given a lot of work, and we balance work better when we also have fun. Stugov helps make decisions with student opinions in mind, and I want to work on making TAS a more relaxed place to attend school. I also want to make it more inclusive, open and fun. I would work on trying to bring those parts of school more to the surface.”
“I decided to run for StuGov because I was interested in the topics that are discussed with the school administration in the meetings held. As a new officer, I hope to bring some optimism and open-mindedness to the school environment and help improve transparency between students and faculty. StuGov plans many schoolwide events, encourages school wellness and connects the student body and the administration, and I am excited to be part of that.”
“I decided to run for StuGov because I think the school needs some changes. I’m going to spend time working on trying to change the school food by potentially sending out monthly surveys to students for their input. I also want to work on making sure that students can check their grades whenever they want to and make sure that it’s convenient for students to know how they’re doing in class and if there’s anything they need to improve on in their class.”
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The diversity of human perception and experiences By Sharon Lee (‘22, she/her) Most of us are probably familiar with the phrase “everyone experiences the world in a different way.” Whether it is our experiences, our environments or our personalities, each one of us have qualities and perspectives that make us stand out as a unique individual. What most of us fail to realize is that our literal experience of the world can also differ due to differences in mental processing. The human brain is so diverse that our cognition and our physical experiences, including sight, sound, touch, smell and taste can be experienced differently from those around us. Here are some ways our internal and external perceptions differ. Color Blindness: When we think of the term “color blindness,” many of us assume that it means the inability to perceive color. However, color perception, like most things, is on a wide spectrum. Despite common belief, most people diagnosed with color blindness can still perceive color, albeit they are lower on the spectrum. On the lowest end of the spectrum are the achromats, who only see the world in black, white and shades of grey. On the opposite end of the spectrum are the tetrachromats, who perceive the world in 100 times more shades of color than the average person. Each one of us are on this wide spectrum of color perception, yet many of us mistakenly believe that the way we perceive colors are exactly the same and that there is a clear cutoff for color blindness. We also tend to assume that the shades of color we perceive are the same, but in reality, we have no way of
confirming that our reds, our blues and other colors are similar shades in our mind. Synesthesia: Around 2 to 4 percent of the world population experiences a psychological phenomenon called Synesthesia. Synesthesia is the intertwining of the senses, where stimulation of one sense can lead to an automatic and involuntary experience of a second sense. There are over 80 types of synesthesia. For some synesthetes, music can evoke colors and shapes, numbers have unique personalities, and names elicit different smells and tastes. These experiences may seem bizarre for non-synesthetes, but for
synesthetes, they are completely normal. In fact, many synesthetes do not realize that they perceive the world in a different way. Internal Monologue: Most of us have a voice inside our head that narrates our thoughts in dialogue form, but scientists have discovered that some people do not have inner speech. Instead of thinking in sentences that are heard inside our brains, some people think in abstract and nonverbal concepts. Like other perceptual differences, internal speech is also organized on a spectrum. Some people experience internal monologue all day long, while
others have never, or only occasionally experience it. Aphantasia vs. Hyperphantasia: Apantasia and Hyperphantasia are opposite ends on the spectrum of mental imagery. Those with aphantasia can not produce images in their mind’s eye, while those with hyperphantasia can visualize in extreme detail. Depending on where we are on the spectrum, visualization can change the way we process and retain information. It also influences daily life experiences including our learning preferences, and other tasks such as reading and driving. Each of us interprets the
world in unique perspectives, yet we often do not reflect on our individual experiences. These four examples are just a few of the many perceptual differences that have been discovered by scientists. The possibilities are endless. By discussing the way we experience the world with others, we can gain a better understanding of all of our perceptions. I would like to encourage all of you to take the time today and ask a friend or family member about their internal experience. Who knows? It might lead to an insightful conversation, or even a shocking discovery that will change the way you view your world.
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the blue & gold may 21, 2021
Q&A with Mr. Lowman on mental health By Sabrina Chang (‘21, she/her) and Lana Lee (‘22, she/her)
In honor of Mental Health Awareness Month and to promote ongoing discussions, The Blue & Gold sat down with Upper School Principal Mr. Andrew Lowman to discuss mental health, wellness and the school’s work in these areas. In a frank discussion, Mr. Lowman opens up about some of the perceived conflicts between the administrative and student perspectives. [LANA LEE/THE BLUE & GOLD]
Q: This is only your second school year as principal of the Upper School, but this year you have had to tackle many difficult and urgent issues that some more seasoned principals never face. How do you feel about the challenges we’ve faced this year?
A: There are so many different things that we’ve had to face as a community this year and last as well. The fact that we are in the middle of a global pandemic has caused stress and put pressure in different ways than any of us could have expected. We have had difficult situations in our own community that have come up so I would be lying if I told you that it wasn’t difficult and that it wasn’t painful.
Q: Looking ahead to the next few years, what are the next wellness goals that the school hopes to prioritize? What steps will you take to achieve those goals? A: We try to ask ourselves questions like, “are there structures we can put in place that can relieve some of the pressure that students are putting on themselves?” Are there things we can do to give students...more freedom to pursue things that they feel excited about or are improving their well being?” Right now, students are making choices based on fear. We are having these conversations as a faculty, asking how we define a quiz versus how we define a test. We have a policy to support students’ wellbeing that says they can’t have three tests in a day. Yet, a student may have two tests and two quizzes, and that falls outside of the frame of that policy. How do we build it so that we’re not overloading students? How do we structure it so that we’re not naturally funneling all exams and papers due in one week?
Q: One important theme of this school year has been the school’s emphasis on prioritizing health and wellness, including both physical and mental health. What is your definition of Q: What have been some wellness? challenges your team has A: One thing we often talk about faced in implementing mental is balance. Balancing the various parts health initiatives at school? of your life so no one part of your life overwhelms you. We know the physical health component is obviously important, but there’s also the mental health, emotional health and even spiritual health. Knowing oneself, that’s also a big part of wellness. It’s not just being healthy. It’s knowing when you’re not well and what you need to do in order to help yourself.
Q: What steps has the administration taken so far to improve student physical and mental health?
A: One thing we are consciously trying to do is putting [the topic] into places in every student’s life where they have to talk about things or have to at least listen to discussions. Making sure that students know what resources we have available to them is why we now meet once a week in advisory. People don’t like the feeling of having their time taken away from them. But I also don’t know how to reconcile having an advisor who doesn’t get to meet with students, and have time to be together to build those bonds. So when times are difficult, there’s one extra adult that’s there. To be able to be more open is a step that we’ve been making. PD days are [when] we do some work that falls outside of that traditional curriculum, empowering teachers to have a stronger voice in supporting students directly, and feeling more ownership even over their ability to have direct support and students.
A: Knowing that we needed a stronger advisory program took away time that students had previously felt was their time. There has been the comment of “you’re stealing my time.” There are people who question the sincerity of what we’re doing and ask, “Do you really mean that? Are you just doing it for some other reason?” They have every right to say it...I think that’s a challenge. In a dream scenario, the schedule would rotate every day and...shouldn’t be starting until 8:30 or 9:00 a.m. at the earliest. But the logistical constraints of traffic patterns of busing and [facilities] makes it so that it’s not logical. When we celebrate student achievement...what message are we sending? I struggle with this, because I love when students have done something great to celebrate, but when you celebrate some students, other students feel that you’re sending a message to them about...what they should live up to. How are we celebrating success? How do we do that in a healthy way? [We must] find ways as a community to work on that.
Q: Since a person’s mental health is quite private, invisible, and hard to see, what do you think is the school’s role in promoting mental health awareness? A: One of our main things is to make sure that we have resources available. This comes back to the whole destigmatizing
in our community. Making it part of our culture where we are okay talking about these things will mean that someone’s okay talking to their counselor or advisor about it. We do that training with teachers as well. Every single year, we talk about when a student comes to you in this kind of situation, here is how you help that child. It’s such a big cultural thing as well. But as a high schooler, you don’t want to show weakness to your friends, right? There is also that piece where it’s private, which is really important from our end. This may sound cold to say, but we are first and foremost a school. Part of our job is knowing what other resources are out there, what specialists are out there, and who else we can refer families to so that students can receive the support that they need. That’s a tricky one, because they will say, “Why can’t the school take care of this?” This is not just a TAS thing. This is a school thing, and we have to be honest about this.
spoke about suicide awareness and how to support your friends. Dr. Kim came and spoke about many of these same topics. Guest speakers are tricky, because once again, we take time out of people’s lives so in the end 20% of the student body hears that and thinks it’s great. Others might say “You’re wasting my time,” and “You already told us this.” I don’t love the idea of a mental health day, because I believe that it is further stigmatizing mental health. To say that that’s separate and would somehow have been a different category than just your normal allocated absences that you can have for illness and for other reasons. I would hope that we can have it in the same conversation. If you’re not well enough to be at school, you don’t need to be at school. By saying you get two mental health days a year, we are somehow putting a strange limitation on an individual’s mental health and wellness. Dr. Long and Ms. Grande have worked on a number of lessons, our JEDI community has worked on a number of lessons, and Ms. Fagen has worked on lessons.
Q: What is the role of parents in supporting a person’s mental health? How can parents and students partner with the Q: We know you can’t read school to promote mental student’s minds, but where do you think this frustration health? A: Within the student, parent, and comes from? Since this petition school triangle, communication is key. does contain errors, why did so We have to make sure that we’re always many students sign it? What on the same page in supporting the child, do you think it says about our which really comes through open honest community’s overall attitude communication. Sometimes what the right now? school perceives to be in the best interest of the child and what the parents perceive that child don’t aren’t in complete alignment and that can be tricky.
Q: We know that many people within our community are aware that a recent graduate published an online petition that accused the school of a lack of mental health support. What was your reaction to the student petitions and how have you addressed them? Any advice to students reading these petitions?
A: I want people to know that the other administrators, counselors and I will listen. We want to hear what people have to say and what ideas that they have. This petition was a little bit tricky because it struck very close to home. I read each of the things [the petition is] asking for, and I feel like each of those things are things we are committed to doing. Last year, I worked very hard to make sure that we had an upper school psychologist, so that meant adding a new middle school psychologist, so we went from two to three. Dr. Poland came in and
A: I think people do genuinely want to support each other, and I’m hopeful that this is a signal people would want a community that supports one another. I hope we can harness this energy so that people are more open to implementing the changes for a more full and robust advisory system with a more robust culture where people are talking and being more open about these things...I have to look inwardly and say, “How do I communicate this better?” And the hard part again is… that you don’t want to communicate about something that you’re not going to deliver. It’s about figuring out how to communicate more than what and why we’re doing it. That’s something I need to continue to think about and figure out new avenues to do that. So that those misunderstandings don’t happen moving forward. So those kinds of rumors are really hard, and that’s where we need to keep working on this culture where we all are on the same page with trust and common understanding that mental health is health. It is wellness, it is real, and we need to address these issues in a serious way so that people can improve and get better.
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the blue & gold may 21, 2021
TEACHER ENGLISH: learning perspective through discussion and writing
English teachers utilize class discussions to foster active learning and greater content understanding. [SHARON LEE/THE BLUE & GOLD]
By Sharon Lee (‘22, she/her) The Taipei American School English Department, led by Department Chair Dr. Owen Lipsett (he/him), teaches students to analyze literature and apply critical thinking skills to the world around them. TAS English teachers work together to prioritize creating safe spaces for students to discuss and express their ideas. “It is really
important to me that everybody’s voice is heard, and that people are able to agree and also disagree respectfully to learn from one another and reach a harmonious consensus,” Dr. Lipsett said. Students learn to be more confident in their ideas as a result of being encouraged to speak up. The balance between writing and speaking in English classes
enables students to articulate their ideas more effectively. They also learn to approach literary texts in creative and thoughtful ways, often considering the context and the purpose behind works from a variety of different genres. “I think TAS English teachers do a great job at encouraging students to read works of
literature for themselves, and reflect on what it means to them instead of just seeking the ‘correct answer’,” AP English Literature and Composition student Spencer Chang (‘21, he/ him) said. Developing complex ideas enables students to learn to think critically about a variety of topics from different perspectives. English teachers also encourage students to apply creativity by organizing projects and presentations in class. For example, students in AP English Language and Composition classes have the opportunity to create a passion project to share their hobbies and interests with their classmates. Similarly, in AP English Literature and Composition, students have the opportunity to develop creative responses to books which they then present to the class and which often becomes part of the course curriculum in subsequent years. Past projects have included painting, rapping, programming, writing an original manga-themed retelling dramatic retelling of a novel and even cooking. Teachers also inspire students to apply skills they learn in English classes to the outside world, and help students recognize that literature is not only confined to the classroom. “The value of learning English [as a discipline] is that you are learning how to understand other people, how to understand yourself, and [how] to make meaning out of the world around us,” Dr. Lipsett said.
HISTORY: addressing historical biases in TAS history classes Chair Dr. Brandon Maguire encourages diversity when interviewing teachers for teaching positions in the department. “Looking back at the 18 years I’ve been here, I [value] diversity [in the History and Social Studies Department],” Dr. Maguire said. Homogeneity within the department can translate into a single-perspective education. Many class activities are employed by history teachers to instigate a multicultural historical lens. In AP United States History, students made a presentation on the “Greatest Women Civil Rights Leader of All Time” as their unit assessment. “[This activity] shows us how important it is to educate ourselves on information beyond what is in history textbooks,” AP United States History student Laura Hwa (‘22). The extent to which history textbooks address historical biases varies. [AUDREY HWANG/THE BLUE & GOLD]
By Audrey Hwang (‘23, she/her) Addressing historical and political biases in history class can be a challenge, especially when the curriculum itself is biased. Much knowledge regarding social awareness is valued from learning history, but curriculums can also brainwash and deter one from obtaining the desired societal awareness. History teachers at Taipei American School describe the way in which these biases can be best addressed through class activities, assessments and teaching methods.
The extent to which historical biases can be addressed depends on how the teacher approaches the curriculum. Upper School History Teacher Mr. Walker, who teaches both AP World History and AP European History, approaches the acknowledgement of historical biases through initiating the understanding that there are multiple perspectives. “I fully recognize that I am a white man teaching world history and European history… I need to be considerate of people who are not white, [not male and
not from the same culture as his own],” Mr. Walker said. “One big thing that I tried to achieve is to bring in non-traditional perspectives [to broaden the representation],” Mr. Walker said. Mr. Walker often addresses how minorities approach various historical events. For example, when tackling the imperialism topic in AP European History, Mr. Walker shifted the focus to resistance and reactions by non-Europeans. History and Social Studies Department
The extent to which historical biases can be addressed depends on how the teacher approaches the curriculum. Though learning history is ultimately up to interpretation, various teaching approaches to address the historical biases prevalent in many history curriculums may change the way history is perceived.
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the blue & gold may 21, 2021
PHILOSOPHIES SCIENCE: making decisions in real world context
adds that this quote has been in the catalog for the past decade. He hopes that students can feel like scientists, and find the pleasure in discovery despite the possibility that their future jobs may not be related to science. The science teaching philosophy exists not only within a teaching context but also in a student’s own perspective. Christine W. (‘22) thinks every science teacher’s teaching style differs according to their personality and past experiences as students.
“Science literacy helps to illuminate the world and also empowers people.”
Mr. Iverson teaches his ninth grade Honors Physics Class. [LAURA HSU/THE BLUE & GOLD]
By Laura Hsu (‘22, she/her) Taipei American School science teachers have a specific teaching philosophy that focuses on teaching students to interpret basic scientific literacy. Science subjects mainly teach students to make educated decisions based upon scientific data. “Science literacy helps to illuminate the world and also empowers people,” Science Department
Head Mr. David Iverson said. The subject of science is centered around the development of a science student’s ability to think and interpret content, but Mr. Iverson believes science teachers tend to focus too much on teaching content instead of expanding the scope of teaching. In the TAS course catalog, the science
curriculum overview section includes a quote from Isaac Newton, “I do not know what I may appear to the world; but to myself I seem to have been only like a boy playing on the seashore, and diverting myself in now and then finding a smoother pebble or a prettier shell than ordinary, whilst the great ocean of truth lay all undiscovered before me.” Mr. Iverson
Christine also noticed how teachers change or continue with the teaching style of their past teachers. “Since science teachers have all been in the same situation as us as students, many of them know what we face each day and are willing to teach accordingly.” Christine said. The philosophy behind teaching science also stems from the individual qualities of science teachers. “We do not only look for teachers with outstanding content knowledge,” Mr. Iverson said. The science departments include teachers who are personable, passionate about their subject, and choose to be a teacher to make a difference in the lives of students in their teaching and as a role model.
COMPUTER SCIENCE AND ROBOTICS: learning to persevere and adapt hardships, be comfortable reaching out for help and learn from their mistakes. “When a student encounters a problem, they should keep at it, but they also need to figure out when to look for help,” Dr. Carlos Delgado said. Dr. Delgado is responsible for teaching several courses within the computer science and robotics department including AP Computer Science and an elective called honors artificial intelligence.
Other teachers encourage students to implement new skills on their own. Mr. Fagen teaching his Honors Modern Topics in Computer Science class. [KATHERINE MA/THE BLUE & GOLD]
By Katherine Ma (‘24, she/her) The discipline of computer science and robotics is often labelled as one of the most difficult subjects to learn. However, a good teacher can make all the difference. Here, at TAS, computer science and robotics teachers hope that their students learn to adapt quickly, think critically, and stay determined no matter the circumstance. “The general mission is to teach computer science and robotics while having students engaged in projects that they think are interesting,” Mr. Matt Fagen (he/
him), upper school computer science and robotics department chair, said. “It’s important that the students apply the knowledge that they learn.” Some teachers utilize new, innovative ways to keep students active and engaged. “I like to do a lot of standing up and working on windows,” Mr. Nick Steckler said. Mr. Steckler is a teacher in both the math and computer science and robotics departments. “I think sitting in any class for 80 minutes is tough; just being seated and
listening to someone droning on is not the best way to learn.” Other teachers encourage students to implement new skills on their own. “I like to do a lot of project-based learning,” Mr. Fagen said. “Students will learn a skill and then I will have them develop their own project to try and employ that skill.” However, such projects are not always successful: failure plays a big part in computer science and robotics. Teachers hope that their students can persevere through
Under these teaching styles, students learn many crucial life skills. “I learned problem-solving skills because there are many different approaches you can take to complete projects or free-response questions… it’s like solving a puzzle,” Annie Yang (‘23, she/her) said. At some point, all TAS students will take a computer science or robotics course because of graduation requirements. Aside from fulfilling graduation requirements, these courses are emphasized because of their relevance to our evolving world. “As 21st-century citizens, we should know how this stuff works because it is so important in our daily lives,” Mr. Steckler said.
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the blue & gold may 21, 2021
TEACHER MATH: learning new ways of thinking through problem-solving
Whiteboards help students visualize the process of solving complicated math problems. [SHARON LEE/THE BLUE & GOLD]
By Sharon Lee (‘22, she/her) The Taipei American School Math Department, led by Department Chair Mr. Dan Uhlman (he/him), aims to teach TAS students problem solving skills through high quality math instruction. With an emphasis on experience and ongoing professional development, many teachers are encouraged to take classes each
year to improve their teaching and also connect with other experienced instructors from around the world. In the department, the math teaching team works together to develop and implement a curriculum where students can progress smoothly through all three divisions of the school. “We make sure the progression flows smoothly so students are
prepared when they leave lower school for middle school and leave middle school for upper school,” Mr. Uhlman said. Through studying math, students learn to apply reasoning and logic to daily life problems, and develop persistence and grit. “Math is not just learning logarithms and complementary angles, it allows you to look at a problem that you haven’t seen
before and apply logic in a systematic way to develop a solution,” Mr. Uhlman said, “in life, there isn’t a back of the book where you can check to see if you got the correct answer, you have to figure out what to do and whether it is right.” Learning math is like learning a new way of thinking, which makes it both a challenging subject to study and teach. “Teachers need to make sure that students understand the logic behind the concepts and are not just memorizing content,” Vivian Weng (‘22, she/her) said. Math teachers utilize during class are conducting whiteboard practice problems and also partner online quizzes. This allows students to learn from each other. “It is very helpful if students can work together and share their thoughts, as that can help other students see the problem from different perspectives,” Honors Algebra 2 and Honors Geometry teacher Ms. Jen-Ching Kao (she/her) said. Although only a section of the student body will go on to become mathematicians, studying math is beneficial for all students as it can be applied to all career paths and also daily life. “Math governs many ideas in this world, even something simple like money or taxes. It is a tool you can use that allows you to make the best judgement for yourself,” Richard Wang (‘21, he/him) said.
LANGUAGE: exploring the true value of language classes Casarrubias said. “For new learners, the learning curve is so huge and you feel more and more confident little by little.” Students, especially seniors, are starting to recognize the importance of language as they move abroad. “I think that sharpening both my Mandarin and Spanish skills have been very helpful throughout high school, and I feel confident that I will be able to continue using these languages in college and eventually in my profession,” Sofia Liu (‘21), a Mandarin and Spanish student said. Nelson Mandela once said, “If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his own language, that goes to his heart.” This is Ms. Casarrubias’ favorite quote, as it exhibits The upper school world languages department strives to bridge cultures together.
By Sabrina Chang (‘21, she/her) Language is the essence of culture. It allows us to communicate, connect and understand on a deeper level. The TAS World Language Department aims to foster this, allowing students to graduate as bilingual, and often even trilingual, global citizens. Despite new technology and the accessibility of Google Translate, learning languages is still a practical skill that is very advantageous, as connecting with people must go beyond a computer. “I think that picking up however many
[SABRINA CHANG/THE BLUE & GOLD]
languages you can learn really makes a difference in how you interact with and understand people,” Ms. Lisa Casarrubias, upper school world languages department chair and Spanish teacher, said. “You can’t learn a language without learning its culture.” Although the content of Mandarin, Spanish and Japanese classes are different, the World Languages Department encourages similar teaching styles. “We look for teachers who make language learning fun, engaging and real,”
Ms. Casarrubias said. “It’s hard to bring Spain here, but we find people who can do so through their enthusiasm and resources.” For native speakers and new learners of a language, the value of taking courses can be different. “It’s great to be a native Taiwanese and learning Mandarin because you will learn more about the culture and history of Taiwan as well, and it’s also important to maintain that bilingualism when immersed in an English speaking environment,” Ms.
If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. the power of language and identity that the world languages department hopes students will gain and take with them beyond high school.
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the blue & gold may 21, 2021
PHILOSOPHIES ART: using visual arts to show confidence
get open ended prompts to personalize the assignment. “Instead of a recipe style, [where] you have to do things a certain way, it’s very much like how you want to do it,” Ms. Kao, the department chair, said. “So every student has a voice.” students can also express their emotions in visual arts classes by using different mediums to convey their feelings.
It is also important to have the confidence to risk running something.
A creative piece of IBHL art hanging in H-Block. [ARIEL LEE/THE BLUE & GOLD]
By Ariel Lee (‘23, she/her) Ever once in awhile, art in different mediums is hung in the Upper school H block. These pieces of art showcase, each individual in different ways. The visual arts department at TAS aims to inspire each art student to be able to collaborate with others and communicate ideas as a visual artist.
They also demonstrate mastery of technical skills and effectively implement theoretical principles of art and design thinking. Students reflect upon their role as an artist in today’s cultural climate and strive to be active participants through sharing their work and ideas. Visual arts provides many opportunities
for students to express their creativity. “The value of learning visual art is that you can be free in your creation and by learning more techniques and design principles. It allows you to explore different possibilities and in the process learn more about yourself as a person,” Mr. Huang, a visual arts teacher, said. Depending on the class, students may
“Sometimes [students] might not have words for how [their] feeling so there’s something very therapeutic about it,” Ms. Kao said. With the creativity in visual arts, it is also important to have the confidence to risk running something. “I think the hardest part is having the confidence to risk running something,” Mr. Badgley, a visual arts teacher said. By trying new things, students get the opportunity to grow as artists. “In film, we often try different techniques but sometimes it doesn’t work out that well,” Jocelyn Chiang (‘23) said. “We take it as an opportunity to learn from our mistakes.”
PERFORMING ARTS: showing the courage to perform order to be theater and just in performing arts in generally have to check in with each other, you have to work as a team, you have to make sure that you’re respecting all f the other people in the cast and anyone you’re working with,” Ms. Jensen (she/her), a theatre arts and dance teacher said. The TAS performing arts program is very fortunate so each teacher brings special skills, a common theme is that all teachers share passion for what they do and want
Students learn to work together to find a voice and express themselves while listening to each other’s ideas
Students performing in the Auditorium to showcase their creativity. [ARIEL LEE/THE BLUE & GOLD]
By Ariel Lee (‘23, she/her) The performing arts department at TAS entails music, dance, drama and more. Through these mediums, students can take risks, show courage and find new parts of themselves that they may not be able to have been able to express in other mediums. Due to the variety of subjects categorized under the performing arts department, there is a wide range of diverse different classes offered, with each class functioning differently. For music classes, there is a performance
based approach that is based around repertoire “The teachers chosen repertoire , sometimes collaborating with students, developing their technical skills and working towards performance and sharing it with an audience,” Mr. Abernethy (he/him) the current performing arts department head said. For dance classes, students learn to work together to find a voice and express themselves while listening to each other’s ideas to put together a creative piece of
work. To do this, students have to know themselves in a deeper way to communicate through physical movement. “I think to in the performing arts you have the, especially in dance, have the, the power to take someone on a different journey, or to feel something that they never felt,” Ms. (check quote) In theatre art classes, students learn to collaborate and work as a team. “One of the things that I absolutely love about theater is the community, how in
their students to love what they do. In some performing arts classes, students can learn empathy through working with each other and seeing different perspectives. “Dance allows me to express myself in ways that I can’t in my other classes,” Abegail Huang (‘23, she/her) a dancer said. Despite the wide variety of subjects under the performing arts department, all of the teachers have a common goal of working to share their passions with their students and portray emotions with students to attempt to consistently try to inspire them.
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the blue & gold may 21, 2021
Senior Salutes
The moment I decided to be a journalist By Natalie Scheidel (‘21, she/her)
Editor-in-Chief Throughout my childhood, my mom often went on tirades against her former profession in the journalism industry— arrogance and incompetence, she loved to tell me. In hopes to see truth for myself, I signed up to write for The Blue & Gold. Admittedly, I witnessed some truths my mom spoke of; but the hard work and teamwork that came with overcoming censorship, backlash, and publishing deadlines cultivated my humility,
competence, and an almost visceral hunger for truth. My curiosity has always drawn me to unconventional stories. That’s how I came to meet defense lawyer Leon Huang, one of the most reviled personalities in Taiwan. I had read stories about him, but never the truth. I wanted to understand if not him, at least his motivation for defending murderers who publicly decapitated a young child, dismembered a young girl, and stabbed 28 people. Society had already passed judgement, conflating him with his job. These heinous offenses shattered the peace of Taiwan, one of the safest countries in the world, and the courts doled out swift justice. Images of Huang and his efforts to protest his defendants’ death sentences saturated the media to make him incredibly unpopular. Naturally, when I let slip my plan to interview Huang, my family responded with disbelief and concern; like them, I was aghast at the crimes. But in my eyes, that discomfort meant I was making the right call. After exchanging pleasantries, I wasted
no time in pointing out the criminals he defended were undeniably guilty. Surprisingly, he agreed. With resigned but reflective candor, he said to me, “I took their cases knowing I would lose.” He openly acknowledged the evidence had been overwhelming and perhaps certain criminals deserved the death penalty. “Yet my job is to facilitate legal proceedings, the cornerstone of our democracy, by zealously defending my clients,” he said; if everyone deserved legal representation and fair trials, he explained, then defending the indefensible was the best way to prove it. Huang turned out to be the gadfly to my linear worldview and made me rethink the values of education. Abstract concepts such as the rule of law became more concrete within the context of history and government, showing me the multi-faceted relevance of due process and the presumption of innocence, challenging my passion to become a journalist in a similar way. On my way home that day, I kept going over his words. Even though he defended
monsters, he was not the monster I imagined him to be. Instead, he helped me see that my intellectual interest in politics and justice were more nuanced and interconnected than I had realized. Writing the article on him was one of the hardest assignments I have had as a journalist. I constantly had to ground myself in practical skills in the ethical context. But, I’ve realized that, to me, an education is the process of personal intellectual growth and change. In middle school, I developed skills in mathematics that made life seem logical, my education had offered reassuring narratives about the world. In high school, however, my experience writing for the Blue & Gold and working for The China Post challenged the comforting perspectives encapsulated within the textbooks and showed me a complex, layered society beyond the confines of my classrooms and my community. Particularly, the interview with infamous defense lawyer Leon Huang shattered my binary, right-versus-wrong understanding of justice and in that moment, I realized I wanted to be a journalist.
The IB diploma: hard work but worth it By Nicole Chang (‘21, she/her)
Managing Editor for Online Oftentimes, when TAS students hear about the International Baccalaureate (IB) diploma, they either get intimidated or falsely
believe that colleges in the United States do not prioritize or accept IB diploma students. Having toured U.S. colleges and attended various information sessions with college admissions officers, I can confidently say that this is not true. U.S. colleges weigh both the AP and the IB equally, and students who have completed the diploma can even receive certain credits for their courses. Although the IB diploma has a reputation for being a rigorous and academically challenging curriculum, this should not stop you from pursuing it. Yes, the IB diploma is definitely hard work, but as someone who has just recently completed the diploma, I can say that my experiences and hardships were all worth it in the end. I made a close group of friends, learned so much about myself, and had
deep and meaningful discussions with teachers and students about important topics around the world. But most importantly, I now feel better prepared for college. The IB diploma teaches you how to write (multiple) research papers, how to be more independent, how to manage your time, and how to keep going during stressful times. If you are certain that you want to pursue the IB Diploma, but are feeling nervous about navigating the course load and the external requirements, here are some tips that got me through the process: 1. Learn how to manage your time effectively. Create a calendar. Don’t procrastinate, and start your assignments early! Make some time in your schedule to relax 2. Meet with your teachers
3. Create study groups with your IB friends. Studying together can be extremely beneficial! 4. Create study guides for your in-class assessments. By the end of the two years, you will thank your past self as you will be prepared for your cumulative final exams! 5. Begin your External Essay (4,000 word research paper) before your senior year 6. Coordinate Creativity, Activity, Service (CAS) experiences with other IB students. CAS is fun, so don’t stress about it too much 7. Lean on your IB friends for emotional and mental support The IB diploma is definitely not for everyone. However, if you are someone who enjoys the challenge and strives to grow both academically and personally, I definitely recommend taking the diploma.
History of Minoritites in America: highlight of my 14 years at TAS By Phoebe Chen (‘21, she/her)
Managing Editor for Print When a fellow peer of mine once told an administrator that they hated TAS, he corrected them by saying, “you don’t hate TAS, you hate the people at TAS.” While this may be true, the administrator failed to see that the student’s hatred was still rooted to a single source—the school. TAS’ tendency to evade its responsibilities and turn a blind eye to the immorality that
happens right under its nose has spoiled students sicks, and while students are partially accountable for their actions, the hand that feeds and encourages them is the true culprit. Still, TAS is great at many things: preparing students for college, getting students into top universities and creating a bridge between itself and the world’s top institutions. As a senior and veteran student, I feel confident in tackling the rigor of my future college education. I couldn’t say the same, however, for my future as a global citizen, Asian American woman or my ability to navigate right from wrong. When I was in lower school, my sex education covered the biological changes that appear during puberty. When in middle school, I spent hours in health class learning that healthy gums don’t bleed from flossing. In upper school, my health teachers frowned upon any other forms of birth control that were not abstinence. Meanwhile, in my history classes from grades 6 to 11, I studied white history and success. Despite America’s multicultural heritage, my textbooks were filled exclusively
with the history of privileged American populations. Given this blurred projection of history, society, sex and culture, it came as no surprise that I had little to no experience when it came to maneuvering a moral compass. By the time I was a rising senior, I became desperate—where was I going to acquire a well-rounded education that didn’t force abstinence down my throat, taught me all sides of American history and granted me with the facilities to discern between wrong and right? With very few options, I signed up for Honors History of Minorities in America (HHMA): a history elective that studies the perspectives of minority groups who are not covered enough in mainstream U.S. history courses, which include women, Asian Americans, Black Americans, Native Americans, the Latinx and LGBTQ+ community, just to name a few. In class, I received what 14 years at TAS had failed to deliver: I studied the struggles of American minorities and examined the obstacles I may face in the future as an Asian
American woman. I participated in seminars every other day, in which the class openly discussed topics such as sexuwal violence, sexuality, racism, discrimination and much more. I learned more about STIs and contraceptives than any other sex education course offered to me at TAS. I, most importantly, discovered right from wrong; HHMA taught me that unlike the facade of a disciplined community TAS quivers behind, the real world does not forgive its members as easily. In reality, it’s not okay for people to graduate early for sexually harassing women, nor is a slap on the wrist considered proper discipline for committing inexcusable offences. Unfortunately, I shared this realization and knowledge with only four other seniors. I understand there is little incentive to enroll in HHMA; it’s an elective course that fulfills no graduation credits, and it may not be as impressive as AP Physics or Calculus BC on a transcript. Yet, if I take away anything from my time at TAS, it will be the context and perspective the class has provided.
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the blue & gold may 21, 2021
What they don’t tell you about being a “student-athlete” By Sabrina Chang (‘21, she/her)
Director of Social Media & Marketing I remember the days when my 5-yearold figure would weave through imaginary shadows towards the plastic basket in my
room, eyes gleaming with the image of gold medals and overflowing crowds. Little did I know that only nine years later, the glorified image of a varsity athlete would become my identity. Sports have always been a huge part of me. I was basically born into it, following in my brother’s footsteps and learning to play basketball at a young age; I still joke that it was my “first love.” Yet high school made me realize that I no longer wanted to be just the “tall basketball girl.” I wanted to be known for my work with different clubs, my love of poetry and even my passion for this publication. It was all about finding a balance. This didn’t mean that sports became any less important to me, in fact, with the introduction of IASAS and the excitement of playing with
upperclassmen that I had always admired, I felt more motivation than ever. What it meant was being more open minded, exploring other opportunities and stepping out of my comfort zone. I started to embody what it meant to be a true “student-athlete.” I learned how to look at each of my passions as “outlets.” Outlets for freedom, creativity and insight. When I bombed a test, I would flush it out on the court. When I went through a shooting slump, I would recollect myself through some absent-minded drawing or writing. I also found inspiration in the people that I met through these outlets, encouraging me to put maximum effort into everything that I chose to do. I also learned to stop worrying about what others thought of me. It takes a lot
of confidence to stop caring what others think, but it also takes passion. You have to be invested and interested in the subject to continue to want to work at it. And when you develop such a deep passion for something, that is when you truly do things simply because you love to. My advice: explore while you get the chance, but also stay true to yourself. I knew that sports would always be part of me, in fact it was and continues to be my “backbone.” Yet I was also able to discover and pursue other passions, bridging them together in a high school experience that allowed me to form my own sense of identity. Don’t let yourself be defined by others; you decide what your own aspirations are and what legacy you ultimately want to leave behind.
Being true to yourself and making your own decisions By Alice Chang (‘21, she/her)
Staff Writer We live in a world where we are constantly at risk of letting other people write our own life stories. I say this because it is easy to be
influenced by those around us and to lose vision of what truly matters to us. At a really young age, I realized that my passion laid in connecting with people through speech and art. Talking to different people, whether they be my family, teachers, or my parents’ friends that visit every once in a while, fills me with happiness and gratitude. I loved meeting new people and enjoyed learning about the stories that make each person unique. At the same time, I became more passionate about sharing my own experiences. In addition to providing my own insight into issues such as mental health through online platforms, the act of documenting my own journey through journal entries and online posts also helped me reflect on the highs and lows of my life. Ever since recognizing the positive impact
that it brings to my life, I realized that I wanted to pursue the field of digital media and journalism. However, when I first brought this up to my family, everyone except for my parents were against it and extremely worried about my future. They believed that the industry is way too competitive for me to “stand out” and get a financially fulfilling job, and doubted my ability to be truly happy if I were to pursue this profession in the future. At first, I was discouraged and found myself beginning to see truths in their words. However, I soon realized two problems with their concern. First of all, their opinions are based on their own experiences, which does not take into account other perspectives or potential
outcomes. I came to understand that there is no guarantee of how my own story would play out if I never tried it for myself. Second, their priorities in life are different from mine. To them, one’s profession brings one joy if it brings external validation and monetary gains. However, these two things don’t bring me much happiness. I agree that having a stable income and being respected by others are nice to have in life, but not if it comes at the cost of my passion and happiness. As a last word of advice, if you are struggling to pursue your passion due to opposition from others, my advice is for you to listen to your heart and go for it. No matter what others say, this life is yours, and you have the permission to live it the way that you want, instead of letting someone else become the author of your story.
Challenge yourself to expand your perspective By Kara Murri (‘21, she/her)
Staff Writer I didn’t want to move here—at all. Instead, I actively proposed wild plans to my parents of how I could stay in Northern Virginia with
my familiar friends at my familiar high school, plans ranging from moving in with a friend or graduating a year early. I had already moved schools six times, and I knew it would be uncomfortable to be a new student as a senior. After three years of living in the same place, I finally felt comfortable. But, I knew I had to leave because of my dad’s job, despite my unrealistic proposals. Then, my perspective shifted—and the whole world’s perspective shifted. COVID-19 spread throughout the world, taking away the final months of my junior year like they meant nothing. I was devastated. But I was still moving to Taiwan—even a pandemic couldn’t change that. Before I stepped foot into TAS, I set my expectations low, deciding that, if necessary,
I could get through any situation for just one school year. After I actually arrived on campus, the abstract ideas of who I would meet and what it would be like suddenly solidified into reality. That first day at TAS was an adrenaline rush. Masked faces were hard to recognize, the cafeteria food was surprisingly good, and the hallways were so much emptier than my previous school’s. I look back on those first days, weeks, and months, and I’m filled with gratitude and appreciation. By moving to Taiwan, I was able to escape the harshest effects of the worldwide pandemic that has kept my friends back home stuck in their bedrooms, stuck behind a screen for their senior year of high school, the year we’ve waited for all our lives. I feel so lucky to have a real senior year—normal classes, being able going
out with friends, having prom and graduation. If I’ve learned anything from this unusual senior year, this pandemic, and a life of constant transitions, it’s the importance of getting out of your comfort zone and appreciating where you’re at. TAS can be a bubble, yes; my advice to students is to not forget that there is a whole world out there waiting for you. Allow yourself to grow, change and expand your perspective. Appreciate what you have as a student at TAS, and do what you can to take advantage of it. Perspective is everything. This school year passed by in an instant, and now I’m saying goodbye to my adolescence, my high school experience, and my senior year. I’m saying goodbye to friends and family, people who I love. The present only happens once. Make sure you live in it.
application skills were unsalvageable. Math was my sworn enemy, my selfproclaimed rival. Instead of trying to understand, I chose to antagonize it. But while my hatred for math persisted, my surroundings did not. As my environment shifted with each move and people faded in and out, I came to realize that math was the only constant in a sea of unforeseen variables. At its core was a patient equation to the complexities of what my surroundings had to offer. The methodical process of multiplying, solving logarithms, and mapping bearings was almost therapeutic in its mundanity. I took a class one summer on paradoxes and infinities, and while struggling to comprehend complex theories such as the Fermi Paradox or Turing Tests or Bootstrap paradoxes, I could find a calm within all the chaos, a soothing
continuity that lasted for millennia and even more to come. If these questions had been pondered on for so long, then my own inability to find the answers was a challenge that many had faced. I was not alone. Math was beautiful. And as an appreciator of all things beautiful, how could I deny it? I will never be a mathematician. I will never be an actuary or a financial analyst. I even hesitate to dip my toes into the realms of physics, which rely so much on principles of mathematics. But what I have learned from my time at TAS is that math is part of our world, whether we like it or not. If we can cherish the symmetry of flowers, marvel at the massive infrastructural masterpieces that make up a city skyline or laugh over simple card games, then loving math may not be as difficult as it seems.
Mathematics: a lifelong lesson By Amanda Ding (‘21, she/her)
Staff Writer One of the most shocking realizations I’ve had in the past year was on a seemingly ordinary Tuesday night when I realized that I actually enjoyed the math I was scribbling
frantically into my notebook. I was further startled by the thought that maybe, just maybe, I could enjoy this. For a split second, math was not only tolerable but fun. Fun. If someone told this to my past self, I would have never believed them. Unlike my friends and classmates, math remained an enigma to me, no matter how hard I tried. I went through the five stages of a struggling math student: Kumon, failed tests, tutors, learning the abacus, erratic sessions of frustrated crying, and an unhealthy amount of hours on Khan Academy. Later, once I was able to limp through the problem sets we were given for homework, I would hit an insurmountable wall with tests and exams. One of my teachers even remarked that while I scored high on worksheets and textbook examples, my
22 MARVEL at how streaming services expand the universe
the blue & gold may 21, 2021
Jewelry: a small source of happiness
By Amber Wu (‘23, she/her)
“WandaVision” Marvel’s first television miniseries “WandaVision” was released on Jan. 15 2021. The eight-episode miniseries follows the life of Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen) after “Avengers: Endgame,” where she is shown living in a suburban neighborhood with the supposedly dead Vision (Paul Bettany). The series, which is a combination between sitcom and action, follows in the style of American classic television in the ‘50s, ‘60s, ‘70s, and ‘80s, allowing the audience to experience the evolving of the characters and neighborhood post-war. Although Wanda is living her ideal life outside of the superhero life that she had previously, she struggles to understand that her meddling with reality could cause chaos. Throughout the series, Wanda’s confusion increases as she struggles to find her true identity. Overall, I was impressed by the production of “WandaVision” as new supernatural characters, villains, and storylines were introduced into the extended universe, which I did not think was possible after the huge success of “Avenger: Endgame.” As Marvel produces action heavy films, the franchise has definitely taken a brave step forward in sprinkling the elements of sitcoms in their first ever miniseries.
By Alice Chiang (‘21, she/her) To me, jewelry carries sentimental value. The pieces that I wear regularly are ones that remind me of a certain message or value that strongly resonate with me. For instance, the flower ring that I wear on my hand reminds me of the little joys in my life, whether that be the small yet beautiful works of nature around me, dance, or the opportunities that I have to pursue what I love. For this reason, when I shop for jewelry pieces, I purchase ones that are not only pleasing to look at, but also ones that I could give meaning to. Recently, one of my favorite places to shop for unique and creative jewelry is Wave Shine Accessories. Originally a swimwear store, the company launched a collection of jewelry this year that includes many unique
pieces. Other stores that are affordable and have a range of options are: thislittlething on Shopee and Koreana in downtown Taipei. Sometimes, however, there would be a specific phrase or image that I want to have on my accessories. Recently, filling my life with more peace and believing in myself have become two new, important goals for me. Because of this, I have wanted a necklace with a hummingbird, a symbol of courage and grace, on it. For more custom and specific designs like these, I choose to browse on Etsy, where a variety of small shop owners sell handmade pieces. Instead of shopping in physical stores that have limited designs and choices, online shopping allows me to access a wider range of products. Like me, Christine Wu (‘23) and Isabel Lee (‘21) like wearing accessories that carry
sentimental value. Isabel can often be seen wearing a heartshaped necklace, a gift from her dad for her 18th birthday. Sometimes, she pairs the white necklace with a few shorter choker necklaces that she bought from her friend, Christine Wu, who recently launched her own jewelry shop, CWJY Designs, online. She has designed over 20 pieces over the course of two months, many of them which were sold out almost immediately. “By choosing to create my own pieces, I get to customize my jewelry to my own liking and it is a lot more cost efficient,” says Christine. She explains that the process of creating jewelry is not as difficult as one thinks and recommends people to try making it themselves.
“The Falcon & The Winter Soldier” “The Falcon & The Winter Soldier,” the most-watched series premiere in its opening weekend, was released on March 19, 2021. The six-episode miniseries joins Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) and Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan) on their adventures after the events of “Avengers: Endgame” in which Steve Roger (Chris Evans) hands his shield to Sam. The miniseries follows Sam’s journey in which he is hesitant about taking the mantle as the next “Captain America.” We see Sam donate the vibranium shield to the Captain American Exhibit in Washington’s Smithsonian Air and Space Museum, where the government then reveals the new Captain America, upsetting Sam as he believed that nobody could replace Steve. The audience also discovers that Bucky has been struggling with his past and his sins, causing him to go on missions to take down HYDRA, a terrorist organization that experimented on Bucky with the super soldier serum. Generally, I enjoyed watching “The Falcon & The Winter Soldier” although the miniseries was relatively less captivating to watch than “WandaVision.” Although the series had the highest views in the opening weekend, the action-packed series lacked the uniqueness “WandaVision” had.
Paragliding oceanatatNew New Taipei Paraglidingby by the the ocean Taipei CityCity
Phoebe C. (‘21) enjoying her paragiding experience in the Musang Paragliding Club. [PHOEBE CHEN/THE BLUE &GOLD]
By Phoebe Chen (‘21, she/her) Located in New Taipei City, Mustang Paragliding Club is an aeroclub open Monday through Sunday for guests to visit and experience paragliding. Every customer who flies is accompanied by a club member who must have at least five years of experience. Since Mustang Paragliding Club is located on a mountain right across the ocean, those who fly can decide to either
land on the beachfront or return to the original destination where they took off. Customers must pay 1800 NT and sign a safety waiver before being allowed to take off for a ten minute ride. “When I first went I was really nervous before take off,” Mia C. (‘26) said. “But it passed so fast and after I landed I wanted to go up again.” Since Mustang Paragliding Club is so close to the beach and reservations are
not necessary, I recommend anyone in the area or taking a beach trip to New Taipei City to visit the club with friends and family. One visit at the club will only take a maximum of one hour at most, therefore perfect as a quick and fun activity. “If I go back to the beaches [in New Taipei City] I will probably return to paraglide some more because it was a fun and good experience,” Mia said.
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the blue & gold may 21, 2021
Spend your time with big dogs at Fur Kids TW
Fu Fu, a Formosan mountain dog and Fur Kids’ smallest dog, enjoys spending time with a volunteer. [PHOEBE CHEN/THE BLUE & GOLD]
By Phoebe Chen (‘21, she/her) As a dog owner, I have visited my fair share of dog shelters. From adoption centers that house over 20 breeds of dogs to ones that specialize exclusively in the care of toy poodles, I thought I had seen all that Taiwanese dog shelters had to offer. It wasn’t until I visited FurKidsTW (Fur Kids), however, that I realized the lack of shelters that specifically accommodate large dogs. Located in Keelung city, Fur Kids is a non-profit organization created specifically to house large sized dogs, dogs that weigh at least 50 pounds and are 24 inches tall. While the shelter can accommodate a maximum of 20 dogs, there are currently 19—all of which fall under the category of either Tibetan mastiffs, Caucasian mountain dogs or Formosan mountain dogs. Most if not all the dogs currently at Fur Kids were either abandoned by breeders or found on the streets before taken in. “Tibetan mastiffs and Caucasian mountain dogs have very few chances of being adopted due to their size and the stereotype of having a fierce image,” Rene Chen, an active volunteer, chairman of Fur Kids and TAS parent, said. “While there are 180,000 abandoned dogs in Taiwan, Fur Kids takes on the most difficult mission of rescuing the extra large dogs and providing them with shelter.” Currently, Fur Kids has three dog care assistants that provide the dogs with around the clock care. The assistants typically start their day off by cooking fresh food for the one meal each dog eats a day; this is then followed by other tasks, such as cleaning cages, walking or washing dogs, sending dogs to veterinary hospitals and much more. “Taking care of the dogs is not always easy, and sometimes the assistants can get injured from the dogs,” Rene said. “Just like teenagers, the dogs might sometimes show attitude or do things for no reason that hurt the assistants, as if they were parents.” Since Fur Kids is a non-profit organization, the shelter heavily relies on volunteers and donations. “We do need donations to support more dog rescues, food, shelter, medication and manpower,” Rene said. “Volunteers are always welcome to help.” While volunteering, visitors are accompanied with at least one Fur Kids assistant and allowed to wash, feed or walk dogs depending on the weather. The shelter typically hosts weekend events that are open
Fur Kids dogs go on a walk with volunteers. [PHOEBE CHEN/THE BLUE & GOLD]
“My experience has always been very positive.” for the public. Those who want to visit the shelter as a designated group are encouraged to reach out to the organization to book a specific time for themselves. “The first time I went to Fur Kids I helped walk a few of the dogs,” volunteer and TAS parent Jenny Wang Chen said. “The second and third time though the weather was too hot so the dogs could not walk on the heated ground, so instead I helped wash the dogs. My experience has always been very positive, and although the dogs may initially seem scary, Fur Kids is actually the most docile dog shelter I have visited in Taiwan.” The obedient nature of the dogs is something that Fur Kids volunteers and workers are rather proud of. “The dogs are generally friendly towards visitors and other dogs, and most of them can be taken out for walks by any first time visitor under the supervision of staff,” volunteer Sonia Ho said. “What’s more, fights rarely happen among the dogs. I believe these changes are
made by the love and care the dogs have been shown over the years.” In fact, most dogs are tame enough that they are given the freedom of roaming around cage-free during the day. “When I went to volunteer, the assistants would open most of the cages and the dogs would just walk around freely amongst each other with no problem. This is really rare to see at shelters, because typically rescued dogs have developed anxiety or can be aggressive towards one another,” Jenny said. Fur Kids believes that part of the reason why their dogs are so calm is because they often play mantra, a motivating chant that is performed through Hinduism or Buddhism, out loud in the shelter. “The dogs listen to mantra all day long because we believe that it really helps them calm down and live peacefully together. We’ve found that you can easily see a difference before and after the mantra is played,” Rene said. Aside from Fur Kids, there are very few shelters in Taiwan with the proper resources to care for large sized dogs. For those who are interested in volunteering or looking for a fun way to pass the time with friends or family, I highly recommend taking a trip to Keelung to visit the dogs at Fur Kids.
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the blue & gold may 21, 2020
Hikes to explore during summer break By Ariel Lee (‘23, she/her)
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, many people have been unable to travel due to the many existing travel restrictions. These travel restrictions are set to continue during summer break, leaving many to find other enjoyable activities. One of these activities include hiking, so here are four hiking trails for you to try.
JunJianYan Trail
JinMianShan Trail
ZhishanYan Trail
Xiangshan Trail
Junjianyan hiking trail is ideal for trips with friends as its closest entrance is conveniently located ten minutes away from TAS by car. The hike is accessible from different paths such as the MRT Shipai station. The trail is pretty short and depending on your starting location, can take less than an hour. At the top, there is a vast white rock with natural sandstone, with views that covers both rural and urban Taipei. It is easy to take good photos at the top because there is great lighting. Watching the sunrise and sunset from the summit is very beautiful with sweeping views of the city. The peak has a 117 meter elevation, but still offers a nice view. On weekends, there are more hikers which may make it more difficult to take photos.
The Jinmianshan trail is a fun hike that involves a bit of rock climbing. It is a rugged trail across forested hills, boulders and stony peaks overlooking the skyline and the countryside. It is one of the most adventurous trails in Taipei with steep rocks - perfect for someone looking for more of a challenge. The view at the summit of the mountain is gorgeous and refreshing. You will be able to see the Neihu and east Taipei areas. This route is very similar to the Elephant mountain trail in its large number of stairs and occasional crowds, but is more difficult. It takes around three hours to hike up and down the mountain, which is elevated at 818 meters. It is a nice hike that is easily accessible from the city. However, the trail gets very busy on weekends, so it is better to go as early as possible.
This hike is a great place to walk around and explore as there is a beautiful temple with nice city views. The hike is also easily accessible and suitable for all ages because of the relatively flat path. The trail offers a glimpse into Taiwan’s past. Along the trail are many reminders of Taiwanese history, including a raised walkway on which a military camp previously stationed. Throughout the trail is a nice scenery of nature with the large green trees. There are various starting points around the area, one of which is called the “120 steps”. For people who don’t like stairs as much there are also flatter paths around the area. The hike takes around half an hour and only has an 80 meter ascent. Because of the low ascent, the steps are not that steep and the trail is very easy to climb.
Xiangshan (Elephant Mountain) is a hiking trail located at the Southeast section of Xinyi District. This mountain is one of the Four Beasts Mountain, a cluster of wooded peaks on a low scenic ridge near Taipei 101. It is accessible from the Xinyi area, which has many shopping and food options nearby. Along the hike, there are explanatory sign boards providing information to visitors concerning the environment. The diversified cliff and slope provide for a wide variety of plants and wildlife. There are also multiple photo taking spots with the main one being the Six Giant Rocks, a popular tourist attraction. The peak has around a 183 meter elevation with a nice view of Taipei 101. Despite the open view at the top, most of the hike is shaded with trees making it perfect for the summer.
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Studying: make it unique Everyone has their own studying methods, such as making diagrams, taking notes, or using flashcards. To change things up, here are some interesting studying methods for you to try. By Daphne Wang (‘24, she/her)
Exercising
Eating Sushi
Laughing
Exam Mode
Exercising keeps our bodies and brains active, allowing us to memorize information more effectively. I would recommend using stationary bicycles or treadmills, but if none of them are available, you can always pace around your house while studying. In a recent study by University VitaSalute San Raffaele in Italy, researchers divided a group of people in half, and tasked them with memorizing a set of new vocabulary and grammar structures. One group learned while riding stationary bikes, while the other group sat in a normal classroom environment. After two months, the results showed that the students on the bikes did better. After attempting this method, I discovered that moving around helps you stay awake and focused on your studies. Even standing up can help raise your activeness. In this case, I would recommend using a standing desk instead.
There are many different types of food that can enhance your memorization skills, including sushi. Each type of sushi is different in terms of the nutrients it includes, but overall, they produce a similar effect in enhancing your memorization. Common recommendations include certain types of fish such as salmon or tuna. Another one would be the California roll, as it contains other ingredients which also helps with improving your skills. This is because sushi contains omega-3 fatty acids which are essential for learning and memorization. Commonly known as “brain food,” these acids can both improve and aid in the maintenance of your memory along with your physical health. Although sushi, along with other foods, have been scientifically proven to improve memory retention, these methods do not produce immediate effects, but it is always nice to have a little snack.
Laughter helps with memory retention. Although your subject material may not seem very funny, see if you can make a joke about it. It doesn’t matter what kind of joke, it could be puns or just irony, anything to make it stick in your head. This method is effective as laughter can help you better remember the materials for future references. Coming up with the jokes and puns might be a bit challenging. Under timed conditions or if the sentence really isn’t sticking in your head, do not bother to waste more time trying to memorize it, just move on as sitting there thinking will make your studying time inefficient. I won’t recommend using this strategy for everything as this strategy is not guaranteed and can be a bit time consuming sometimes. Therefore, you can try this method occasionally but don’t completely rely on this, use some other methods to guide you as well.
All you need is a quiet space with a table, chair, and a timer of some sort. The goal is to get yourself into exam mode so you get work done more efficiently. Get yourself in the mood by dressing in your school clothes, and get uncomfortable such as sitting on a chair instead of your bed. Set a timer from 60 to 90 minutes depending on your workload and start working. Under exam conditions, students tend to focus more, getting work done since exams are automatically more valued in our brains. Though this might be boring, out of all the other methods, this is probably the most productive one I have come across. This allows you to sit down without any distractions to be efficient with your work time. This would not be the method to use if you know you are too tired and not in the mood for an hour of work since your productivity might be low affecting the result.