Editors in Chief Ruby Griffiths Edward Fraser
Editors John David Villariño, Nikolay Zhurov, Genta Hemmi, Chetan Khanna
April 29th, 2016 Issue 58
Let’s Talk About Sex Ruby Griffiths and Jennifer Fernandez Owsianka
A
discussion with our core pastoral team suggests that students at ISL are not receiving complete sexual health and relationship education. Although, it’s not to say there are not efforts toward fixing this problem. From year to year, we learn progressively complex topics, specifically within our allocated circle times. According to Ms Varga, starting in year 7 we discuss relationships -- how they are formed, bullying, and fitting in. In year 9, circle time discussions revolve around coming out and sexual identity; whereas, year 10 brings topics of romantic relationships and all their entailments, like how to approach someone and dating in general. Our year 11 sessions focus on “STDs, contraception, and how sexuality is addressed online and in social media”, says our counselor, Ms Varga. And, at the end of the conveyor belt, year 12 and 13 talks are geared around sexual harassment, relationship abuse, and university information. Behold our journey of self discovery. Mr Foley insisted several times that there are “topics we have to revisit every year”. Subjects, for example like trigonometry and relationships. When working in an international environment where the influx of students is frequent, there is always room for gaps in learning. Our pastoral team admits that “there is an inevitability that some
things are going to be missed.” We do not live in a perfect world, clearly. However, it is a world where people care. After talking to students about the issue of sexual health and relationship education, all students agreed there were gaps, both in their own understanding and in others’. One student commented that “[Ms Varga doesn’t] really go into [enough] depth [… and] feels like she gets more awkward than we do”. Specifically, not enough is done to cover topics like sexual consent and rape, as well as the very nature of gender identity and sexual identity. It seems that, as Tarryn Burrows mentioned, non-hetero relationships are dismissed with a recommendation to watch Blue Is The Warmest Colour. Ms Varga has said that only recently has sexual identity been added to the programme and provided to younger students. There are certainly gaps, and our school’s left-leaning, liberal values ironically contrast with perhaps a lack of understanding about the diversity of sexual relationships. However, most interestingly, every student I talked to thought that sexual consent and rape were not issues understood by the student body. Sarah Hanahan admitted that “if you did a google search, you’d find the same information [we are taught in our pastoral programme]”. This seems to be the extent of our education. Students have stated that “teachers avoid the topic of rape when they are talking about SexEd” and Ms Varga has told us that the word “rape” has never been
directly mentioned in a circle time. Yet Tarryn Burrows made it clear that it was “shocking to [her] how many people just didn’t know what [rape] was” when a discussion ensued in homeroom. And everyone interviewed has agreed that there have been consequent avoidable issues and events that have happened due to a lack of understanding on the topic. For example, some people argued within the homeroom discussion that “it isn’t rape if it’s in marriage”. When asked if a discussion on rape is relevant to ISL, Sarah replied, “I think it applies to ISL…[according to some people] If [you] don’t actually say the word ‘rape’, guys don’t actually think it’s rape”. After exploring the sentiments of year 12, we certainly feel the definition and discussion of rape needs to be revisited at least once every year. The important aspect raised in our discussion with the heads of the school and the pastoral team was the importance of differentiating between the biological side of sex and the emotional side found in relationships. Mr Foley clearly pointed out that “the vast majority of students will pick up at some point in their lives the mechanics of sex. What they may not pick up perhaps is the complexities, and the intellectualised nature of understanding sex, for example sex as an expression between two people as a part of their relationship, or what counts as healthy or unhealthy sex within a relationship”.
continues on page 3
2
Every Inch of You is Perfect Camilla Lozinska-Brown is unique, and so are you
B
ody image tends to be a very sensitive subject for teenagers as they are going through different stages of development and coming to terms with their constantly changing and evolving bodies. When students from years 10 to 12 were asked “are you happy with your body?”, 51.4% of students both male and female answered that they weren’t happy with their bodies. When asked why, one student answered that “my body type does not meet the typical standards of certain trends in the media”, which illustrates the impact of social media upon what we consider as ideal body types. Media plays an important role in depicting the ‘ideal’ body, particularly through platforms such as Instagram where celebrities post pictures of their skinny and perfectly-toned bodies. Teenagers are constantly bombarded with these ‘ideal’ bodies which are achieved seemingly effortlessly but what people may not realise is that these bodies are achieved through very strict diets and training plans. In the case of Gisele Bundchen, she has a very restrictive diet that only allows her to eat plant-based meals as well as no meats and carbs. Not only that, but the media’s portrayal of airbrushed, skinny women and buff men
create ideal bodies for teenagers and adults to aspire to. Although in certain cases the motivation to become fitter by exercising regularly can positively benefit overweight and unhealthy teenagers, it can also make teenagers become very obsessive and self-conscious about the way their body looks. Resulting in extreme and unhealthy measures being taken by teenagers which can take form through restrictive diets, exercising compulsively due to a need to compensate for the food they eat. This raises the question: how can our student body remain so positive about their bodies? Why hasn’t the fashion industry done anything to improve their reputation amongst teenagers? As students, we must learn to progressively use our critical minds whilst we are shown images of skinny models. This will then raise awareness about the fact that not everyone can achieve these ideals whilst remaining healthy. An anonymous student, quite justly, said the following when asked why was she happy with his/her body: “We are all unique.”. This is a crucial thing to remember when one starts to compare themselves to models - our bodies are all unique and are all built differently. Which then leads me to the question: “what has the fashion industry done to embrace our unique and different bodies?”. Louis Vuitton has recently released their 2016 women’s wear campaign which included Jaden
Smith wearing what are normally categorized as women’s clothes. Through this strong campaign, he challenged gender stereotypes by reminding people that our gender isn’t defined by the clothes we wear, whether they are heels, skirts or suits. This was then followed by the brand Zara launching the first ever unisex clothes label, which also challenges the idea of clothes reflecting one’s gender. At this year’s winterball, a couple of girls were also seen wearing suits and pantsuits, defying the dress code that had been sent out, which stated that girls were invited to wear cocktail dresses and heels. Thus, this ever growing attitude for embracing and challenging bodily stereotypes can be increasingly seen in our society, taking the form of fashion campaigns, etc. If this article can leave you with one message, let it be this; perfect bodies are a subjective message that have been translated from glossy pages filled with airbrushed models into the day to day life of teenagers. The reality of achieving such body types are far from realistic, and can have a significant impact one’s self-esteem. Hence, we should embrace the fashion industry’s attempt to challenge pre-imposed gender stereotypes and learn to individually embrace our beautiful and matchless bodies.
3
Let’s Talk About Sex continued from cover page There is, therefore, an acknowledgement made in terms of the essential focus that should be placed on relationships beyond sexual intercourse -which doesn’t seem to be addressed, or at least not sufficiently, according to our student body. The Y12 students commented on how our pastoral discussions have been increasingly centered around either periods, STDs or contraception, and not, unfortunately on the relationships or emotions involved with sex. Mr Foley pointed out that “Mechanics is in the curriculum; relationship is within the pastoral care.”, yet the question that arises is whether the relationship aspect is really discussed within the pastoral programme? Dr Kim clearly mentioned “To answer your question as to whether the relationship component is as important? I think all of us would say, absolutely.” We may therefore conclude that a common ground is reached between students and teachers - there is an important conversation
that needs to take place here, but more importantly, that conversation needs to be initiated by teachers and counsellors alike. Our education in terms of relationships, consent and rape is as important or maybe even more important than the biological ‘mechanics’ of it all as “All the nuances of a relationship that are more than just sexual is a much bigger thing. Those are only critical for us to go forward [in our lives]” (Dr Kim). Furthermore, an interesting point was raised by Y12 student, Opri Martin, who remarked on how no direct knowledge really exists on the limit of what consent means and is, here at ISL, amongst ISL students. The boundary is unclear, as when do we know when an event was actually consensual or not? She firmly proclaimed: “I think everyone should be educated, both sexes, on what rape is”. And at what age? Tarryn says, “as soon as possible”. What is important to understand is that everything is connected. One female student
commented saying, “people just sexualise us all the time...constantly” when referring to our collective understanding of consent and relationships. What persists is, as Natasha Read put it, an “unspoken thing” where people know that unacceptable things happen but have just grown accustomed to sweeping them under the wolf-emblazoned rug. “[People] don’t want to bring it up because they are embarrassed by it, so they just leave it and hope it gets better”, said Margaux Hanson. What this has revealed is the real significance of teaching students about boundaries, about how to treat others, from university to the many journeys ahead. So much time is dedicated to pushing us through the golden gates of university and entrepreneurship, yet we remain unaware of our lives and relationships. Knowing how to get on with people, with yourself, is hard. More importantly, posters saying “no means no” on our future university campuses should not need to address us.
No Headline by the Deadline Luca Adams can’t be bothered to find a byline
L
et me just go ahead and say that when it comes to procrastinating, I’m pretty much unbeatable. Now that may be a bold statement, after all this is a school newspaper, aimed at students (pretty much the world’s number one source of lackadaisical people) and I have a lot of competition. Yes I did look up that last word. No, I don’t know how to pronounce that. Even while writing this article, I find myself taking short cuts, instantly looking up a synonym of procrastination on google instead of taking the time to think about it. Most people are lazy when it comes to work. Seriously though, who would rather work during homeroom than checking to see whether Jerry answered that invitation you sent him 3 WEEKS ago. Thankfully for the masses, procrastination ends at work. And then
there are the not too uncommon exceptions like myself, where the condition spreads to every aspect of your life. I’ll wake up in the morning some days and the very thought of human interaction saps my will power to even get up. When I get to school and someone greets me, I can’t ignore them so I have to force out a smile and a nod of the head to let them know that I appreciate them enough to want to be friends. Most people don’t think this is much of a problem. It’s all fun and games. Until you realise the truth. Procrastination is a serious condition. It affects millions of people worldwide. But you can help. If you see someone doing something they love but they’re sweating like a pig, they’re probably suffering from the condition. Please, spread the word and raise awareness. Oh and go like my facebook page and posts about this topic, to show how much you really care. And change your profile picture while you’re at it too.
4
One You Cannot Vote In Lauren Nudi wants to have a serious discussion about US politics
B
etween the Bernie vs. Hillary memes and the Twitter accounts dedicated solely to mocking Donald Trump it is nearly impossible to escape social media without a run-in with something related to the US presidential race. It’s hard to deny that there is something about this election that has people talking, specifically teenagers, more than in past years. In some ways it’s great. Social media has made it possible for people all over the world to be engaged and talk about politics together, in addition to promoting some intelligent discussion. However, for every intelligent comment thrown into the mix there’s at least a handful of uneducated ones on the subject. With this sort of information on the internet and without doing our own research how are we ever going to know the truth surrounding the US presidential race and its candidates? The simple answer—we won’t. This social media obsession with US politics is creating a gap in knowledge for kids our age, which only results in a problem for our future.
Given that I wanted to explore the subject more and try to find if other people see and hear the same things as I do, I decided to discuss the matter with more students at ISL. After talking to them, I discovered that what I feared was true. The majority of kids were in agreement, the US election was important and they did care about it, however they didn’t know all that much about it. They knew who the candidates were and a little bit about what each one wants to do if they are elected, but they didn’t know how the election worked or had an idea about what they think would make a good president. However these students still said that they have opinions on the election and they’ve often heard people talking about the race over the past few months. If we don’t learn how to make informed opinions and decisions now (and instead we learn how to repeat what another person said on Twitter) how are we ever going to? Everyday I’m completely shocked at some of the things that come out of other students’ mouths. I hear things such as “Sanders introduced a band at Coachella, he seems cool so I would totally vote for him if
I could” and others like “Everyone should vote for Trump just because it would be funny.” I understand that the majority of these kids probably see the election as a joke, but what they don’t realize is that they’re setting themselves up to do this for the rest of their life. They say that habits start young, and with the age of social media upon us it would be a shame for a tendency such as this one to carry on. Take the upcoming ISL election for example, are we just going to vote for whoever says they’ll make school only four days a week, or are we going to listen to each of the candidates and try to understand which one will help improve the school and its community the most? This is a sign. This article is your sign that you need to make a change. If you already know about the US election, or anything at all, and you hear someone else talking about it without having legitimate facts and information, tell them and help them learn. If you read this article and realized that you make uneducated opinions, then change that. Make the step and start learning before you speak.
5
...And One You Can John David Villariño reports on the latest changes to the Student Council electoral system
N
o, this is not another Trump article. As much as we love US Politics and how dorky yet dangerous this xenophobic candidate is (3rd consecutive issue and counting, hooray), our own community must face the episode of change. We, as a community of students, must face our annual dose of politics that will shape the school in the following year. Our internal government is something that we must not take for granted as they will affect our school lives after summer, in one way or another. That being said, you should probably start thinking about how your vote can change your life next school year. Your vote may just be the deciding choice between having an alien or someone punny for president. The elections are coming soon and the inauguration of a new leader is nigh. However, this is not the only change that will be happening in the Student Council. A few changes by the executive team will change the status of the current electoral processes and possibly future ones to come, should the changes work for the better. But you may be asking yourself, “what’s in it for me?” Student Council, in general, is not an organisation to be taken lightly. Our very own ‘Stuco’ is a representation of the bond between the students and the authoritative figures of the school. Our school government is a means for we, the students, to deliver and explain our ideas to the higher-ups, as individuals and as a whole. Not only does this give us the freedom of having our respective voices heard but this also gives us the general affluence of possibly changing something in our school that will affect everyone positively. Moreover, along with the organisation of numerous fun events throughout the school year, for both middle school and high school students, the Student Council organises most of our traditional events such as Wacky Week and Sports Day. These may as well be one of many distinguishing features that makes ISL unique as a school and the Student Council makes sure that these events remain as fun as ever for all the people in ISL. This is not an easy task to do, given the work needed in setting up these events and doing
them every year and not to mention the expansion of the school. Therefore, as a student body, we should probably put more thought into these choices rather than just picking the funniest candidate or the candidate with the best publicity team and their obscure, low-resolution photoshop skills. This is a most probable cause as to why changes will be happening within the processes of election. Wacky Week, for most of the years that it has been in ISL, has included the election of a new government in its main agenda for the longest time. However, the current executive team has decided, as most have heard, to move the elections further back onto a date away from the eccentric components of Wacky Week. The reason as to why this is a sensible decision is that the Student Council should not be something resembling a circus act or a clown show. Wacky Week is a time of fun-filled randomness and people trying almost too hard to be wacky and this shouldn’t interfere with a matter as serious as politics. Simply put by Mr Ribas, it was “to give a bit more gravitas to the election process, and make it less of a parade of wannabe stand-up comedians.” Other changes in the election process includes adjustments as to which year groups will be allowed to enter in elections. Year 12 students who are hopeful to run for a position will only be eligible to run for president, starting next year. It is a current problem that the executive team is facing as six of their members are Year 13 students who have now gone off to exam leave, temporarily abandoning the team with only a small amount of people. Furthermore, the amount of positions are depleted by merging the positions of the Communications Officer and Events Officer. They also decided to change once again the positions for the Middle School students, now having a President, Vice President, and Events and Communications Officer. Finally, the positions which must do a speech in the assemblies to give their as yet ‘funny’ rhetorics as to why they should win have changed. Presently, only candidates for Presidents and Communications Officers for both high school and middle school must do the speech and other candidates must essentially submit a video that will be made available to
everyone outlining why people should vote for them. The lack thereof will result in people surely knowing that one is an extremely organised candidate and therefore more eligible than the others. As current executive member Chetan Khanna said, “most positions don’t require public speaking skills, so we thought you shouldn’t be gauged as much on [this].” Seemingly, most candidates are neither perplexed nor overly joyful of these events but most see it more as something they will just have to adapt to. If anything, this helps most candidates. The additional time given for the candidates to prepare their speeches and videos are to some an additional allowance in which they can make their pitches more attractive or more funny so that they’d be more cool and popular and people would vote for them. Furthermore, the depletion of the speeches may attract possible candidates who are passionate about the position they want to run for but not particularly up for trembling with anxiety on stage. However, the amount of candidates who are currently running for a position is rather low rather than the predicted increase. Why is this the case? Speculations as to why arose and a main argument is that people are not fully informed about what is currently happening on the Student Council and the publicity of the upcoming elections and its changes were not yet particularly conveyed efficiently to the students. Simply put, when I asked Edward Fraser, a student of Year 11, on what he thinks about the changes happening to the Student Council, he plainly said, “What.” In the end, we must just always remember how important a government is to civilisation. Even though the lack of interest of the students about the subject of school politics is currently evident, we must strive to become better members of society through the wise choice of leaders and actually caring about what is happening to your government. You may never know, one day it’s all fun and games and then suddenly there’s a HUGE wall being built. This will not only prepare us to be better citizens as adults but it may also prepare us to be leader ourselves. But then again, if all else fails, anarchy is always an option.
6
In Search of Amanda Bris boldly goes where no ISL student has gone before
A
re you crazy?” was the response I got from most people when I told them I was going to North Korea in Easter break. It is true that it is not a popular tourist destination, or ideal for everyone, but it was perfect for me. North Korea is a country that has fascinated me for years, ever since I was 13 and first read about it in the news. I became engrossed in researching its political system, human rights abuses and stories of defectors who had escaped the dictatorship. I felt a moral imperative that I could not ignore what was going on in the country. It feels like I am one of the only people who actually care about North Koreans and their outcome. The media has turned North Korea into a joke, one that can be dismissed as the fanatic political system of a generation of tyrants, but it is no laughing matter. There are 25 million being oppressed this very minute, hundreds of thousands in political prison camps, countless others starving in the countryside and no one seems to be doing anything about it. I became obsessed with visiting the country, wanting to see it for myself. After pestering my parents for three years, my dad finally agreed to take me. My dream had come true. Upon boarding the airplane in Beijing which would take me to North Korea, the propaganda started. Instead of movies, there were North Korean music videos praising the military. The complimentary newspaper had article after article about production yields and the glory of the North Korean
economy. When we landed, we met our guides: a woman called Park and a man called Pak. It is forbidden for tourists who visit North Korea to walk around freely: they must have at least two government-appointed tour guides throughout the entire trip. Our guides both spoke english fluently, while Pak also spoke Spanish and Park also spoke French. Our conversations were a mixture of the three languages. They were both ideal North Korean citizens: young, loyal to the party and with university degrees. Park was married with children, while Pak was engaged. They were very friendly and likeable, and I became good friends with Park almost immediately. Initially when I set foot in North Korea and met my guides, I felt a sense of normality, which was soon shattered by the harsh realities I faced. Our 7 day visit consisted of a series of highly choreographed visits to monuments, museums and restaurants around Pyongyang, the capital, Nampo, a village in the seaside, and Myohyangsan, a mountainous area. I also had the chance to visit the DMZ, or demilitarized zone, which is the border between North and South Korea. Every visit’s aim was to show us the glory of North Korea and its people, as well as its superiority compared to the international community. We saw 20 meter tall bronze statues of Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il, the grandfather and father of Kim Jong Un, decorated with fresh flowers. We visited the North Korean War Museum, where a sweet, adorable Korean woman dressed in military uniform proudly showed us a display of pictures of dead American soldiers killed during the Korean War. It was clear that the guides’ aim was
to convert our Western perspective that North Korea was a failed state by showing us the sites that made it appear a successful nation, and hiding us from the reality. My favorite part of the trip was driving through the countryside. I feel like this is where I could see the raw, uncensored brutality that is North Korea. I saw huge crowds of people building roads by hand, planting trees, or simply just sitting and waiting for something to happen. Young and old, male or female, everyone worked along the road. These people were dressed in filthy rags, looking especially thin and tan, which gave them away as peasants. It felt so surreal; it seemed like I had taken a time machine to the 1900s. It was extremely disheartening to see the hostility that I encountered in North Korea. In the places I visited where tourists are common, I actually got a lot of compliments about my clothes or my hair, and people were generally very kind. I also had the chance to introduce myself to a room of 150 North Korean university students, who were very interested in what life was like back in Switzerland: what I studied, what my family was like and what my plans were for the future. However, as soon as my guides would let us walk around Pyongyang (under close supervision, of course), I saw the hatred in people’s eyes as they looked at me. Some people even spat at me, and little children got scared when they saw me and ran away. All their lives, North Koreans have been shaped to hate foreigners, and it was difficult to experience this, as I have never travelled anywhere else before where the locals were so hateful
7
the Supreme Leader towards me. My visit made me angry on so many levels. So much of the tour was based on lies. The guides would take us to very luxurious restaurants and hotels, but we would be the only guests there. We would go to a beautifully decorated museum, impeccably clean and decorated with golden chandeliers and extravagant furniture, but the building would have no heating, and when I went to the bathroom, there was no running water. Power cuts were a common occurrence, especially when we left Pyongyang, the showcase capital. There was a sad irony that haunted my stay. In trying to convince me that their country was wonderful, the guides did the exact opposite. I was only seeing what they wanted me to see, but there was no way of hiding the truth. The country is economically stagnant, with most goods from cars to coffee coming from China. The guides claimed that their cars were Korean made, but they were actually Chinese cars whose logos had been covered with a fake North Korean logo. The same applied to computers. I visited a computer science class of boys a little younger than I was. They were using American-made dell computers, but their logos had been scraped off. I learned halfway through my visit that Park, one of my guides, had been raised in France from the age of eight to eighteen. I did not understand how she could lie to me. She had seen what life
was like in a free nation, and she told me that she had read a lot of foreign media criticizing North Korea. She had all of the tools to see that her country was based on lies, and yet she refused to see it. I had never been more angry or frustrated in my entire life. I did not understand how this woman could recite false historical information, claiming that it was the Americans who started the Korean War, and that the North Korean economy was one of the best in the world. I can comprehend why normal North Koreans believe the lies they are told, as it is all they are exposed to, but Park was not like them. She had seen the truth. It was then that I realized how difficult it would be for North Korea to become a liberated nation. Even those who have the resources to see the truth are utterly blinded by propaganda. North Korea gave me a feeling of hopelessness that I could not ignore. Even before I went on the trip, I thought that the country had hope, and that there was a chance that someday North Korean people could enjoy the personal freedoms that we have. I do not consider myself a pessimist by any means, but I can honestly say that after going to North Korea, I have almost no hope that the situation is going to change in my lifetime. The people believe in the system which is oppressing them. They have been indoctrinated their entire lives into believing that North Korea is the best coun-
try in the world. I saw toddlers singing about Kim Il Sung and communism. I saw little children painting pictures of nuclear weapons and North Korean soldiers killing Americans. I saw university students in an English class talking about the glory of the North Korean military. The indoctrination never ends. If public opinion does not change, there is no way that North Korea’s political system will. The dictatorship has been like this since the 1940s, and it has survived a horrific famine. This shows that they can endure any embargo or sanction imposed by the international community. North Korean people are so isolated from the outside world that they do not know that they are prisoners in their own country, and I fear that the system will stay like this for a long time to come. Our guides seemed content enough with their country, only speaking words of praise for the leadership throughout my visit. “We are a free country, everything here is free: healthcare, education, housing and food�, they said. I could not argue, it is true that these things are all free in North Korea, but the personal freedoms they sacrifice for it are incomparable. My wish for North Korea is that someday, its people will know what true freedom is.
8
Chocolate Has Risen Edward Fraser is not the bunny
I
SL prides itself on the diversity among nationalities, ethnicities, and religions of which the student body is comprised; however, we do not celebrate holidays for all religions. In efforts to be a little more politically correct, the recent two-week hiatus is often referred to as the ‘Spring break’— though the break really is in place in favour of the Easter holiday. Quite a few of us—myself included—did absolutely nothing related to Easter at all and simply enjoyed the time off. Of course, many of us did in fact celebrate the Easter holiday with the many traditions particular to each of our cultures. For instance, the Romanian celebration of Paste. Paste is celebrated with very intricately painted eggs, of which are primarily coloured red as a symbol of Christ’s blood. In the morning, one red egg is placed into a bowl of water and as people wake up, they come to deposit coins in the bowl and wash their faces with this water, ensuring prosperity and good fortune for the year to come. The last person to wash their face in the morning must give back to
the Earth by pouring the water into the roots of a young tree. Shortly after at breakfast, in order of seniority, they will recite short prayers regarding Christ’s resurrection and crack the decorated eggs around the table, starting with the narrow end of the egg. At the other end of the spectrum, in the Philippines, as part of the sixth day of the Holy Week—Good Friday, devoted Catholics will undergo intense self-flagellation and even nailing themselves to crosses as a reenactment of Jesus Christ’s crucifixion. Above all, might I say one of the strangest Easter traditions involves an intense hunt for flamboyantly-designed eggs laid by none other than a gigantic bunny. That is where the confusion lies. Since when do bunnies lay eggs? Is there a new species of colourful-egglaying rabbits that we are refusing to acknowledge out of pure lack of interest and a strict sense of tradition? Let’s speak about the mass amounts of chocolate which so many of us take advantage of in light of the Easter holiday. For those who do in fact celebrate Easter, including the participation in
the 40 days of Lent, indulging in these large chocolate treats seems like an appropriate reward. However, it is not just those who take part in Lent that end up enjoying these sugary rewards. The situation I see more often than not starts with a bunny. This harmless chocolate creature sits in your kitchen and a few days pass. One day, you feel you deserve a reward, so naturally, you start by breaking off one of the bunny’s ears. However, because of the way that these chocolate bunnies are so strategically designed, you’ve now rendered this innocent creature half-deaf. So, you do what any loving consumer would do: work your way down. Next you find yourself at the shoulders. But afraid that your headless chocolate bunny might be perceived as some sort of sick message to all of the other chocolate bunnies, you decide you have to keep going. Finally, as an attempt to put this poor creature out of its misery, you finish off the entire chocolate bunny. But the stores remain stocked with a variety of Easter festivities and now you’re out of a chocolate bunny. And thus, I give you the vicious cycle that makes up Easter related treats.
Untitled Genta Hemmi
U
ntitled Unmastered” by Kendrick Lamar is a work of art following his Grammy nominated album, “To Pimp a Butterfly” and a must-listen for all of you hip hop heads out there. The album is relatively short, with a total of 8 tracks all named “untitled” followed by the track number then the date of creation. This 34 minute album features some of the best tracks we’ve seen from K-Dot, although I personally think nothing has yet to be compared to with his 2012 hit, “good kid, m.A.A.d city”. Admitting that the album deserves great praise, there were a few questions that arose when it emerged out of nowhere, kind of like the feeling you had when you saw Xscape on your spotify front page and wondered to yourself if you were high. At the same time, you’re excited to listen to the album but too scared to do so because of the sheer randomness of its appearance. As a
result, this album brought us all a fine balance between excitement, confusion and the need for justification in terms of why Kendrick had the urge to release this collection of unpolished yet authentic works. Although short albums may be appealing to some due to the utter easiness to listen to the entire thing and having the satisfaction of finishing an album (AKA. What amateurs enjoy), but is deemed disappointing by the other side of the spectrum as the album feels incomplete, rushed, and downright lazy - mainly concerning the naming of tracks and theme. Sure, I might not be in a position to critique the talent that is Kendrick Lamar but still, how lazy can you get when you name all of your tracks “Untitled 01” and “Untitled 02” all through 08? Just the frustration it brought upon me at first glance was the worst experience I’ve ever had with an album but the content behind those titles compensated for those burning questions. To conclude this pseudo rant on a more
positive note, the tracks that best define this album are Untitled 02, 03, and 08. 02 really highlights K-Dot’s style of rapping which tends to be more melodic over rhythmic in comparison to the more conventional rappers out there. In addition, it introduces us to a jazz-hip hop fusion which creates an interesting feel to the track. 03 is more lyric focused as it explores racial stereotypes of various ethnicities over a more pop-oriented beat also taking advantage of Kendrick’s style of rap. Finally, 08, my favorite track, puts KDot’s talents on full display. In this track, he makes references to money, crime, and the American constitution - recalling his days growing up in the extreme environment of Compton CA through an R&B-hip hop style which complements his style of melodic rapping a great deal. Overall, despite the frustration you feel at first glance, the content of the album is absolutely astonishing and I recommend you listen to it if you find the time to do so.
9
A Very Different School Day Maëlle Jacqmarcq has 99 problems, but transport ain’t one
E
very single school in the world is different. Schools in different countries teach their students different cultural values, and within a country there are always many different curriculums and ways of teaching that schools follow. Even in Switzerland, there are distinct differences between the IB and the Swiss maturité, in its teaching methods and the student’s independence in their work. When I went to Tanzania in October with 15 fellow ISL students, I noticed huge differences between the school we taught at and ISL, but there were also many similarities between the two schools, considering one is half way around the world from the other. Most of us at ISL get up between 6 and 8 o’clock in the morning, and then take the bus or the train, or get dropped off at school in our big, shiny cars. When we walk into school, we avoid our teachers’ gazes and hop straight into conversations with our friends, until we have to go to homeroom where a long list of lost items, upcoming events, and global issues are read to us. In Tanzania, many schools are boarding schools, but at the school we taught at for five days most students lived in the small village nearby. On the last day, we visited a secondary school we had raised funds for. One boy took three to four hours to get to school and the same journey just to go back home! You would never find that at ISL. Arriving as young teachers at the Tanzanian school meant emerging out
of a tiny public bus in which we were all piled up on top of each other. Immediately, we were crowded by all the students who looked up at us as if we were gods. Many students also carried little brooms and would sweep the dirt ground outside. The equivalent of homeroom in this school was a little procession where all the kids would line up according to their grade and do a series of stretches, claps, and jumps all at the same time. Then, they would run around a part of the campus two or three times before singing the national anthem. Every morning, we followed them during this ritual, and it definitely woke us up and got us motivated for the day that was to come. Was it a better use of our time than homeroom? Maybe. At ISL, we’re used to having language teachers teaching their first language, but we don’t always realize that that isn’t always the case in other schools around the world. When we visited the Tanzanian school we taught the students English, but they were used to having Tanzanian teachers. For lunch here, we have at least four or five choices of meals, and it’s all really good considering it has to be cooked for around 500 people each day. In the Tanzanian school, students ate in their classrooms, and they were served one meal that was cooked by the school cook in a little hut behind the school. Three days out of five, the students were served rice and beans, and the other two days was rice and meat! As for the curriculum, all our studies pretty much sum up to the last two years of school, where we do the IB
and graduate. In Tanzania, there are national tests to pass to get into middle school and high school. If you fail these tests, you either stop school or get into another school, which won’t be as good as the first. It’s a lot of pressure to put on the equivalent of year 7 and year 10 students. For most of us it’s unheard of to stop school in the middle of your studies, especially since most of us will end up going through to university! Another main difference between the two schools are after school activities. At ISL, there are about a million different ones to choose from. In fact, you can be sure that there will be one for you. In the Tanzanian school we went to, there were no after school activities; students just went home or wandered around school for a few hours. Some children even helped us build the foundations of a building we were constructing that was going to serve as kindergarten classes. There are so many differences between the Tanzanian school we visited and our school ISL. The teaching methods and environment were so different that it made me question how both systems could be equally valid in giving a proper education. However, just as most of us are proud of our school and happy to be in it, so were the Tanzanian students in the school we visited. They were definitely happy to be there, and all so eager to learn, even more than at ISL. All these differences but one main similarity: both schools develop equally happy and educated people, who graduate full of ambitions ready to take on important knowledge on life.
10
Prize and Prejudice Adela Sahraoui writes her last award-winning article
T
his is probably my last article for the High so I thought to myself: “Why not end it with one last critique or complaint!” Let’s be clear, modesty is not always ISL’s best policy. Of my six years at this school I have been constantly reminded, especially on Speech day, of how amazing this place is and how talented all the students are - except that it’s not all of the students, but just those who excel in all of their subjects. And although ISL is a cherished school by most of us, it does have its faults. Yes, the teaching is of a high standard, yes the school has many facilities for our usage, and yes the majority of the teachers are some of the most wonderful and caring teachers that I have met, and may ever meet. Yet, the school doesn’t need to indoctrinate us during assemblies about how perfect it almost is. We hear the same boastfulness every year, though Mr Foley is pushing this less so Good Job and Thank you to him. However, this year we did get a secondary school assembly to publicly congratulate all the many gifted students who obtained their effort and commitment awards. Later on that week (or the next) Year 13 was again reminded in homeroom of those who had earned this award and had to re-congratulate the same people some more. The issue here is that the school is unnecessarily publicising the success of others in front of those who are perceived as less successful. I think it’s great that these people win their awards and I congratulate my friends who get them. But WHY make it so public? Why do I need to know who is doing extremely well (especially since it tends to be the same people anyway)? If students get good grades, then surely that is for them? If they wish to share this information with friends, then surely they can do so themselves? No doubt, there are two main reasons why ISL does this: firstly, it makes the school look good and secondly, it is thought to inspire other students to work harder, perform better and get recognition too. However, to take the second
point, far from motivating students to be higher achievers like the others, it can have the opposite effect and demotivate them completely. And does it reflect well on the school when students who work hard and perform well are given no mention because they are not as good as the others. As all students form an integral part of the school and bring their own unique qualities to ISL, why separate them into those who deserve public recognition and those who don’t? ISL is keen to boast about its successes by associating itself with the top students but is silent about its non-successes. Being in Year 13, it is time to get prepared for life after school, choosing universities and courses and working hard to achieve the IB grades necessary for our choices. However, what happens if we don’t get the grades? There has been minimal talk about this. What of those past ISL students who haven’t reached their required grades and weren’t able to go to university as a result? This has surely happened and it would be beneficial to actually know about this instead of blindly assuming that everyone gets brilliant IB results and then feeling like a failure if we don’t. The perception is that ISL is an outstanding school and therefore all students perform outstandingly well, but not everyone does and this surely should not be “swept under the carpet” and hidden as though it is shameful. ISL should seek to remind us that the school
values everyone, not just the brilliantly academic students, but also the more ordinary ones. ISL needs to be more modest and stop identifying itself with what it considers to be winners because not all of us are winners. Students might be better prepared for the outside world if we recognise our limitations and accept that we can’t always be the best and that’s perfectly OK because most people are like us. To recognise only the best and ignore the rest doesn’t send a very great message of inclusivity from the school, especially when we are supposed to be “one big family”.
11
A Letter from the Editor Ruby Griffiths
T
o tell a story, we do not write like we have a giant megaphone and platform in a busy London square, slinging any old mud around. The High is a paper that encourages students to speak freely, but not to speak without thought, or criticism for our own words. This is one of the hardest tasks. It is this realisation that the words we publish have far more impact than sometimes we imagine. To understand its power, is to wield the pen, or in most our cases the keyboard. We hope that The High will bring a new era of stories. Starting now, we will draw upon your stories, and those of our own lives—those inside the Thursday newsroom microcosm. This is a platform written by an eclectic clique of writers who do not judge once the hand strikes half-past five. My first article I believe was a movie review of Richard Linklater’s Boyhood, which I don’t think I ever reviewed objectively because I was completely in love with the film. We all start off with a simple
idea and understanding. But it is our goal to reach a standard of objectivity; no mud slinging. This era will pay new attention to investigative journalism—a new emphasis on evidence to back up our claims, not just the hot air of a frustrated rant. We are reminded now and again, from events that happen, that we are independent. Our journalism depends on it. Recently the British National Union of Students’ poll found that two-thirds of students agreed with their “no platforming policy”, a policy intended on limiting hate speech, specifically discouraging racist and fascist views. This “no platforming policy” means that a list of people or groups are not given a platform to speak on student union premises (for example, the BNP are listed). The problem with this policy is that it is used to dampen the opinions of those not in the interest of the student union representatives. Plenty of highly-regarded British universities have dismissed gay rights activists, feminist writers, and authors from speaking their views. NUS representatives have shut down talks on the grounds of “of-
fensive” and “insensitive” opinions, claiming them to be harmful, inciting of violence and hatred, and excluding certain groups. Yet, university campuses are supposed to be the cesspits for debate to flourish. The High is our platform and our cesspit, and we do not ban or shun anyone for wanting to contribute, for wanting to write and explore issues. We are here to explore ideas from all sides, to dissect the frog found in the cesspit. The true power of the press only really became apparent to me recently. I have been writing for The High for a few years and up until now I never really understood how important our student news platform is. I had been taking our news sources for granted, when throughout history and still today information is censored and twisted out of reality. We are your faithful writers who try to satisfy the inexorable need for journalism. I urge you all to take advantage of such platform. It is a platform where sharing a story can change our collective information, challenge our views, and certainly entertain us.
56 days, 7 hours, 10 minutes Anna Voigt is counting down
A
s each week passes, the same question seems to get asked again and again: how many more weeks do we have? Tons of images just flashed in your mind, I know. Summer is something that is severely craved by all high school students during these final weeks of school. Fantasising about the final couple of seconds where everyone stares at the clock waiting for the end of the school year and summer to overcome. Picturing the moment when the clock reaches the number 12 and that scene from high school musical where we all jump up and burst out singing, “What time is it? Summertime!” Alas we still have, how many weeks? Eight weeks till that glorious moment of freedom. Yet this is the point of the year where we start making plans for the summer holiday. Finding summer jobs, places to travel to, and other fun activities to fill those long empty days with no school.
Granted most of us will be returning to our home countries and seeing family, while some us stay at home. One thing though that we all have in common over the summer is practically always waking up at noon and staying up till one a.m. and basically changing out sleeping schedules to a different time zone. (Not to say that most of us don`t do this during the school year) Everyone has different ways of spending their summer, but it is something that we just can’t get off of our brains these final couple of weeks of school. Unfortunately during this weird limbo time where it is sunny one day and snowing the next, I have noticed that all of my peers have begun to get more and more irritable and touchy. People start to get annoyed at the tiniest of pet peeves such as when people don’t tuck in their chair when they leave the classroom or when desks are not aligned. I decided to ask some of my classmates what their ultimate pet peeves were and they responded with things from
kids running around the market unsupervised to continuous school. The funny thing is going to school and seeing half the kids wearing tank tops and shorts and the other half lugging around coats and sweaters. The back and forth of the cold and hot weather is making everybody sick and everyone’s nerves are on edge with trying to bring our grades up at the very end. This final stretch till summer is the hardest part of the school year as our motivation starts to decline and we find ourselves getting infuriated by the smallest of details at this time of the year. It affects our whole day. These are all issues that we have to deal with during this final stretch with only summer to look forward to. I am sure the teachers have mutual feelings and our parents wish that school would go on till eternity as to not have to deal with us at home. But overall, I wish us all the best of luck in the last weeks of school until summer. Keeping calm and sane while hopefully passing our classes.
12
MYP R8: 8/8 Conrad Grindheim
Word Search: Exam Time