The Roar

WINTER ISSUE 2018

THE ROAR

ISSUE NO. ONE

The Official Student Newsletter of TASIS

QUOTE OF THE DAY: "I'LL COME BACK, I JUST NEED FOOD"

-Daniel "Extended Essay" Kirsch

IN THIS ISSUE Letter From the Editors Excuse Meme Don't Judge A Book By Its Cover Is Snapchat Secretly Our Enemy Bring Back Ski Week How To Get Away with Dress code

Exclusive!

Transformation Tuesday: Before & After Pictures Of Your Favorite Teachers (Peek That Glow-up)

THE ROAR LETTER FROM THE EDITORS

by Angelina Not & Bryan Soh Hey there! Thank you for reading this newsletter. It was made by your own classmates for your enjoyment, so sit back (whether alone on the toilet or together with other humans in the Snack Bar), and we hope this puts the slightest of smiles on your mediocre-looking face.

Just kidding, you have a great personality.

We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to all that were involved in this. Thank you to Mr McKee, Mr Nikoloff, and Mr Chevalier for letting this idea come to reality. Thank you to our team for all your efforts despite our poor leadership. Thank you to everyone else who may have contributed ideas as well.

The idea for this newsletter is to serve as a platform on which students can make their ideas and work known to the rest of the student body. We plan to open up this platform to submissions from you guys in the next issue. It will include, among other things, articles covering major school events, studying tips, and tongue-in-cheek jokes (like student & teacher quotes). We are working hard to make sure that this does not end up as a waste of your precious 20 minutes, or less if you do not plan on reading the whole thing (cries).

But most importantly, we will also work extremely hard to improve our humor. Try not to cringe while reading this, please? :) Thank you again for reading through this whole bunch of letters and words. Okay, we're done wasting your time and we hope whatever comes after this is more enjoyable.

Peace, Angelina & Bryan

*lol sorry we wanted to send this out in December 2017, but due to unforeseen circumstances, we took another 50 years*

illustration by Tamara Ilic

THE ROAR EXCUSE MEME?

by Jasper Beckman '18 Memes. A source of unparalleled humor that are enjoyed by all; young and old, boy and girl, the funny and the boring. But do they have an actual effect on the lives of students? Do they personally affect students, or the way they study?

Simply: yes. Thousands, maybe millions of memes circulate through our instagrams, snapchat stories, and even on Facebook for those who still use the platform. They shed light in a world of constant darkness and distract us from the plethora of horrible things going on in the world.

What about where the students come from? Does nationality play a role in our enjoyment of Kermit the Frog photos, or of that woman so desperately trying to figure out simple math equations? How does the students racial background influence the simple joy of a meme?

Kristine Werschler, a senior from Washington (U.S) had a lot to say on the matter. “Memes definitely affect on my life. They make me feel like I’m not the only one struggling in this world.” It’s true, find any meme on instagram and scroll through the comments. Thousands of users from all over can be seen saying “me,” or tagging their friends, writing “us.” Frida Sacuiu, a senior from Stockholm, Sweden shared a similar view on meme’s. “They make me feel like I’m not alone.”

Lærke Blix from Copenhagen, Denmark, had a different view of meme’s. “They have no affect on my life, sure they’re funny, but no affect.” She definitely had a different sentiment than many of the other students, but she may be lucky for it.

I, as well as hundreds of other students know all too well the problem with enjoying meme’s. The distraction. How many times have you found yourself scrolling through your instagram explore feed for hours on end? Wasting hours staring at an illuminated screen, occasionally commenting “I’m dead,” or “I’m actually laughing so hard,” when in reality you’re sitting on your bed, perfectly alive in the darkness of your room, making literally no noise at all.

How many of those hours could we spend studying? Going out with our friends? Doing community service? It seems like meme’s are a waste of our time, but times are hard for high school students. With overwhelming amounts of work, commitment to sports, and eventually college applications, it’s necessary for students to get some peace of mind.

“It relieves stress,” says Olivia Haunsø from, every where, practically. Indeed, it does. The occasional laugh is definitely helpful with relieving stress, and for that I, and others, are very thankful. What’s better, a cheap laugh or a college acceptance? The answer to that question still remains a mystery.

What I can answer is today is that students from around the world share a mostly similar view of the silly electronic images. It helps with stress, and creates a virtual platform that kids can express their feelings freely on. Memes unite students, but beware: eventually you’ll find a meme that reminds you of everything you’re neglecting in your life to be on your phone.

illustration by Francisco Suarez '22

THE ROAR DON'T JUDGE A BOOK BY ITS COVER

by Angelina Not '18 I am overall a very stone-faced person and only with a miracle will you ever see me smile or, goodness, laugh. My dinner consists of a refreshing glass of Beluga vodka along with a spoonful of the highest-quality caviar. I have a strong accent, and oh, my idol is Putin. By now you have concluded that I am describing someone Russian, right? So my question for you now is: “How long did it take you to figure out I was joking?”

Vodka? Yes, some Russians like vodka, some humans like vodka. But it is also possible that some Russians, don't drink at all (gasp). Any accent other than yours might seem foreign and strange. Don’t let your jaw drop - just because you have an American accent does not mean everyone else has “a strong accent”. Relativity, Einstein. I will also be happy to say that: Russians do smile and laugh. Most people only ever meet hotel staff and airport security, and, let’s get real, what kind of airport security guard smiles? And Russians don’t smile to be friendly, they smile when something is funny; there is a difference. So to some degree, stereotypes are like horoscopes. It's misleadingly universal. Now, I can give you the boring “why stereotypes are bad” essay, but I doubt anyone would stick longer than 2 seconds on this article. So let's address the issue through your eyes.

You are probably familiar with the people I am about to show you, whether as someone you've seen around our campus at one point or as a friend. But let me introduce you to those people as if you didn’t know them, but knew their origins.

1. Number One is from Brazil. First thing we can assume? He/she is very good at soccer, loves to party like he/she is at the Carnaval.

2. Number Two is from India. Let us first just say he/she definitely has “that” accent. His/Her diet? Spicy curry - all day, every day. Is she even Asian? Nah, she has dark skin, how could she be Asian?

3. Number Three is from Russia. We can assume he/she has a stone face and barely hangs out with anyone but Russians. Also, of course, he/she is a smoker, heavy drinker and is always ready to fight over every small thing.

Let’s compare the people to their assumed descriptions :

As you can see, the stereotypical descriptions of those people do not match their actual personas.

Conclusion: Don’t judge a book by its cover, because the same genre of story does not mean the content is the same.

THE ROAR IS SNAPCHAT SECRETLY OUR ENEMY?

by Lilian Angelone '19 Here’s a quick test. Go to your settings, click battery usage and check to see how much is taken up by the Snapchat app. The number may, or may not, surprise you. Teens are spending more than one-third of their days using media, like snapchat, nearly nine hours on average, according to a new study from the family technology education profit group, Common Sense Media. We have all felt the sublime pain of losing that 364 day streak, and we cannot help but feel the responsibility to respond when we see the bright yellow band light up across our phone screen... but is it affecting more than just us exceeding our monthly data?

1) It increases separation anxiety from our phones.

We all know the feeling of pure fear when we check our back pocket and realize the familiar rectangular shape is not bulging out. This fear reaches a new high when we realize five of our streaks had hourglasses looming next to their names waiting to strike.

2) Snapchat increases our already heightened levels of FOMO (Fear of Missing Out). Seeing snap stories of your friends shopping in Milan or eating sushi at Parq while you are home studying for your upcoming TOK test only reassures you that you made the wrong choice to stay home. Not only this, but because you can see the lives of basically all your friends at once, it is easy to forget to remind yourself that you, in fact, can not be in 10 places at once. Especially not if those places are hundreds of miles apart.

3) Those moments when you realize you snapchatted the wrong person that double-chinned selfie. Yes. Those many times when you refresh your page, hoping, just hoping it was a glitch in the app and that the little colored in red triangle will disappear but alas, that is never the case.

5) The fact that the amount of time you spend looking at yourself has reached an all-time high, especially when it's golden hour. Admit it, there has been those mornings where the light hits your highlighter perfectly and well, that spot becomes your new home for the next 10 minutes.

6) Outings with your friends become a photo shoot. A perfect snap story is a must when going anywhere with friends because how else would anyone see your new Gucci sneakers?

Snapchat is one of the reasons that Aunt Kristie and Uncle Dave think that we, “millennials”, are phone-obsessed zombies. Snapchat has made communication with our friends from across the globe uber-accessible, which is fantastic, but has also made it much harder to live in the moment and not through a screen. Along with that, it has only heightened our constant need for affirmation from others, I mean how else would people know how awesome our lives are if we aren't constantly posting about it? Long story short, the creation so famously known as Snapchat may seem all fun and games, but it could very likely be the devil in disguise.

THE ROAR BRING BACK SKI WEEK

by Bryan Soh '18 As I trudged through the snow and slush back home after the recent snow-dumping not too long ago, I had a little deja vu moment.

Snow-capped trees, mesmerizing snowfall, and a white blanket of snow on the sidewalks. Where have I seen this before?

Crans-Montana, Ski Week. What I would describe as the iconic and imperative experience that TASIS offers, has been robbed from me, in broad daylight. For the past 3 years, I have had the privilege of going to every Ski Week. Each one has never disappointed me, with the subsequent being better than the previous every time. Ski Week was the first TASIS experience I had, having joined TASIS after winter break, and it was undeniably the best way to start my TASIS adventure. It would also be the best way to end my TASIS experience, but sadly I have been bereaved, deprived, pillaged - you get the point. Heart-wrenchingly, I will be leaving TASIS without going to CransMontana in my last year. Disappointment is an understatement; I am devastated.

For those of you that are new, or have never heard of Ski Week before - what kind of rock do you live under - Ski Week is a, yes, week of skiing in Crans-Montana with your friends. Yes, I know, sounds pretty underwhelming on paper. But trust me, ask around. Ski Week is THE experience at TASIS, and to miss out on it, is a crime against humanity. The views, the snow, the pure bliss and euphoria of cruising down gorgeous slopes, the dumb and memorable moments you share with friends. A beautiful concoction of adrenaline and euphoria, oh-so-capable of intoxication. It is simply so much more than your average week of snow. But anyways, back to the rant.

I am devastated that my beloved Ski Week has been so strategically and deviously taken away from me, and in its place, IB Study Week in Siena. I am distraught at the prospect of not being able to take in the sights and sounds of Crans-Montana once again, for the last time, before leaving for military service in Singapore, and college in the US. I was already outraged last year, when they shifted Ski Week to February, where snow conditions in the mountains were much poorer than previous years due to the warmth. And now? When the only thing a senior could wish for - to leave the school with the most enjoyable and memorable experience in TASIS - it is instead, being replaced by a study week in Siena.

Yes, TASIS faculty. I have heard your “reasons”.

“We cAnnOt afFoRd lOsiNg aNotHer wEek oF scHOol. Our sChoOl yEar iS tOo shoRt.” “SeNiOrs in pAst yEArs coMplaInEd of hAvInG tO Do IB mOcKS aFtEr sCHool. THis iS vEry hElPfuL.” That is why I have spent days and nights, climbing the highest mountains, crossing the deepest oceans, treading in the deepest valleys, searching high and low for the answer. And behold, I present to you the proposition that will solve your problems. Hark, for I shall enlighten you on this lengthy, complex, and intricate solution.

End. Summer. A. Week. Earlier.

Get back that week of school - which is not hard considering how long our summer is compared to other schools. A typical summer for American schools is 10-11 weeks, roughly from early June to mid-August, while ours lasts from the start of June to the start of September. And to be honest, we really do not need that much time. I can hereby confess that while 70% of my summer is spent travelling, having fun, and “studying”, the other 30% is spent lying down on my couch, staring at a stink bug (oh-so-infamous during the summer) on the white wall, thinking of whether I should kill it today by shooting it down with a Nerf Gun James Bond-style, or experimenting with the abstraction of fighting evil with good - by seeing if spraying perfume at a stink bug would eliminate it, that is.

So for goodness’ sake, can we just take away a week of summer, and #BringBackMySeniorSkiWeek? Keep the IB thing, I am still interested in pursuing a career outside of McDonalds. But also give me back my Ski Week, please. If there is a change, I will, unfortunately, not be able to reap the benefits of it. But I do hope that the juniors can benefit from a change, because I believe this is a complaint that many of us share. photograph by Angelina Not '18

THE ROAR HOW TO GET AWAY WITH DRESS CODE

How to get away with

dresscode

by Esma Karuv '19 It's the time of year where it's chilly and the dress code is uncomfortable and too demanding. Especially with the teachers riding on our backs with their judgmental insistence on the wearing of the famous and beloved TASIS Jacket. I understand the stress of dodging Mr. Joyce’s, Mr. McKee ’s and Ms. Heard’s incredible eye. Winter dress code is no doubt demanding, leaving us, the outsiders, in need of difference and identity. Here are some simple steps to aid your needs and comfort you through the dark, cold, and difficult winter days ahead of you.

1. When wearing your own warm jacket, try to make yourself unnoticeable and disinteresting from what you usually are. Basically be a superhuman dodging any and every teacher.

2. Uggs are a need in this freezing weather, so the wearing of them I understand is indeed vital. When wearing uggs, make sure to steer the attention of the teachers to your upper body and head. That way, they will avoid looking down at your feet.

3. If for some reason you want to wear your own sweater, try to make the colors black, a deep blue, or grey. White and hot pink are too obvious, and you are bound to betray your superhuman disguise.

4. Deciding for some reason you don't want to wear a collared shirt is easy to get away with. Just wrap a huge warm scarf around your neck.

5. Lastly, pants… Wear black, blue or grey, of which needs to be a darker base. The people who risk wearing TASIS uniform pants live life on the edge. Just when wearing non-dress code pants, aim to keep the colors to a dark base.

I hope these 5 steps help you succeed in your overall success in evading dress code. There is always a risk of getting caught by a teacher, but these rules are here to support you and provide options that can find themselves useful to you. I know uniform can be stressful and running like a psycho around campus from teachers is just not an option anymore. Those days are over now. If caught though, remain strong and keep your integrity. Go into that detention room with your pride and leave with your mind filled with new ideas on how to get away with dress code. illustration by Aurelia Dochnal '19

THE ROAR ARTWERKS

by Nicolas Jacquemin