The High 59 by The High

Editors in Chief Ruby Griffiths Deputy Editor in Chief Edward Fraser

Editors Nikolay Zhurov, Chetan Khanna, Lauren Nudi

June 20th, 2016 Issue 59

All The President’s Men Emily Coyne

aughter, tears, screams. Another year of student elections, and it seems safe to say that this year’s selection was far from disappointing. Despite the speeches no longer taking place during wacky week like the previous years, the standard was just as extravagant and outrageous. The climax of the elections peaked at the long sought after position of high school president. Four brave runners took to the stage, Camilla Lozinska Brown and Amanda Bris from year 12, and their younger rivals Conrad Grindheim and Habib Makhlouf from year 11. Finally, the role of high school president was won by Habib. Yet, this momentous achievement, which defied the odds of his two older competitors, did not start the moment he stepped on stage, but months before word was even spoken of the elections. Habib’s story began with the establishment of his campaign team, which consisted of three of his closest friends, John Patrick Fentener, Frederik Masure, and Giovanni Raiteri. Upon being told that he is “charismatic and funny,” Habib brought together a group of friends to help him rise to power. Together they made pins, posters, and spread the word amongst the rest of year 11 for support. The idea came when Habib’s friends realised that he was “loved by the community… we

wanted everyone to see his face and everyone to know he was running for President”. His wonderful friends knew that he would make a good president because he is “charismatic, hardworking, loved by the people.. [and] always on time” (he was only 5 minutes late to his scheduled interview). While the day itself was as stressful an experience for Habib as anyone else, he confided that the defeat of two girls in the year above was “satisfying, of course”. Habib graciously shared that he thought “they would be great presidents” but thinks he “can also contribute a lot.” As a friendly, open, caring Photo: Camilla Lozinska-Brown guy, there is no doubt that Habib has the best intentions at heart. However, bit [of] humour, for example, Obama is his aims as president still seem unde- a really sociable person, which helps, fined; apparently “for now, [he is] still but [he] still needs a bit of authority”: thinking, but [he] wants to improve this While it may be farfetched to compare school.” Vague, perhaps, yet his neutral the humour of Habib’s campaign to answer seems to match his unperturbed that of Donald Trump’s, ISL does someand laid back attitude, as he went on what act as a microcosm for the bigger to share that he “made the video [him] world, which begs the question; can we self, last night [before the speech]”. His really trust democracy? humour, which came in the form of slow motion footage of Habib wearing sun- The ability to rise to power while runglasses and throwing plastic cans into ning on a campaign with no substantial bins, proved very effective indeed, as policies or demands is impressive, and humour often seems to do in a demo- highlights the importance of charisma cratic vote. The 2015 vote saw the titles and charm in such a system. After of high school president and vice presi- all, Giovanni Raiteri admits upon bedent taken by two boys decked out in ing asked what the most fundamental dress and wig, as well as tight cowboy element to success is, that “being like shorts paired with a revealing flannel by everyone” is crucial. However, the shirt - an unlikely cocktail for success. system’s strength also needs to be Frederik Masure suggested that in order questioned, as the elections called to to gain the vote, the president “needs a attention whether the student council is combination of everything, you need a efficient or merely a popularity contest.

Rolling in the Debt Edward Fraser could spare some change.

little over three years ago, ISL publicly announced its now very familiar expansion project. Among an assortment of new facilities, this expansion has since brought us a dedicated ECC building, a remodelled playground, an additional south campus building, and, of course, nearly 400 new students. With nearly 1,000 students enrolled at ISL, the faculty was also increased to a figure of nearly 100 teachers. When the expansion was first announced, there were several designs presented regarding the future of ISL. However, the school had a budget to work with when undergoing the expansion, which was, all told, CHF 48,000,000. The agreed-upon plan was to get the expansion finished within two years for CHF 48,000,000. Ultimately, this year has seen the opening of the south campus building—home of the IB students’ lockers, new science labs, new rooms dedicated to design, mathematics, and the arts, and of course the large auditorium. No more were the days of having assemblies in the make-shift auditorium spilling over the edge of what was also the cafeteria. You may be familiar with a rumour that has lingered through the hallways since the expansion was set underway. Several students were hinting that the school was around “3,000,000 Francs in debt.” It is worth clearing this up a little bit. As Mr. Foley explains: Yes, the school does have several long-term loans, totalling up to tens of millions of Francs, but this is the case with many of today’s businesses. Each of these loans are on fixed interest rates for the next tens of years, which the school’s current operating rates and revenue will cover. This all was planned before the expansion was even set underway, and in absolutely no way is ISL not financially stable. In fact, the growth that the expansion has since brought the school has been quite successful as well; in that with the addition of nearly 400 new students in this academic year—which was even above projection—the school fees subsequently remained at the same rate as that of last year’s. Thus, the school’s tuition was not increased this year, whereas it has seen an increase

every year prior, sometimes by up to 3-4%. In that regard, the expansion was not a hindrance to the school’s financial stability, but in fact proved to be very beneficial to both the availability and affordability of ISL.

“You might wonder why the school would need two million francs.” The board of ISL has since created a fundraising committee comprised of different parents from ISL in order to help achieve their fundraising goal. One of the largest contributors to this fund is the annually-hosted ISL Fundraising Dinner. Previously, this event has also raised money in support of the Tanzanian scholarship programme here at ISL. The events of the two years prior had raised over CHF 100,000 collectively. And though this year’s earnings have yet to be announced, there were much fewer attendees when compared to the previous year’s event. This year was not in support of the Tanzanian scholarship programme, but instead raised money towards the new fundraising goal of CHF 1,000,000 per year for the next two years. Unfortunately, this alone dissuaded many of the ISL parents and teachers from this year’s event. ISL’s Tanzanian scholarship programme has proved to be very successful and has allowed for two Tanzanian students to attend ISL on full scholarship throughout the entirety of the IB course in Years 12 & 13. Last year saw the graduation of the first two beneficiaries of this programme: Kwesiga Kahigi and Christine Lujuo. Christine and Kwesiga have gone on to be greatly successful, now at Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Massachusetts and McGill University in Montreal respectively both on full scholarship. Furthermore, Christine has since been recognised for her academic achievements by making Dean’s list and both girls have also been honoured with important on-campus jobs at their universities. With the success of these two girls, the Tanzanian scholarship programme was continued for one last year; this year welcoming the two new Tanzanian students Veronica and Belinda, who will graduate next year in 2017.

For quite a few weeks, you may have stumbled into a large structure in the north campus entrance advertising the school’s new fundraising effort, in which the school’s board aims to raise CHF 1,000,000 each year for both this year and next, totalling to a goal of CHF 2,000,000 by the end of the next academic year. With the school having just undergone a nearly CHF 50,000,000 operation, you might find yourself wondering for what the school could possibly need an additional CHF 2,000,000. And no, again, it is not to deleverage the school out of it’s alleged ‘debt’. But rather, the school wishes to raise this money in order to gather additional equipment for each of its facilities. This means purchasing instruments for the music department, sports equipment, and technical equipment. Mr. Foley has indicated that now that ISL has opened the availability to more students with the recent expansion, it is time to improve the education. Mr. Foley says that with this new planned fundraising effort, it is about “enhancing the quality of education here at ISL.” Providing both the students and faculty here at ISL with additional resources will allow for the methods of teaching to be broadened. This money will not be used to change anything about the school, structurally. So there will be no wretched sound of drilling to cope with, especially while taking tests. Ultimately, with all of this year’s fundraising events that the committee has hosted, the school has raised approximately CHF 400,000 of its new goal, giving the board a lot of work to do in the following year, but definitely nothing unachievable.

StuCo in the Middle with You Floris van Lieshout is talking about a revolution.

ah, student politics. A great process for getting students involved in voicing their opinions, and voting for someone who they think best represents them. An ideal introduction into the world of politics, one could say. However, to be a good reflection of what politics is in the real world, it would have to replicate something that politics produces: change. Does the student council actually produce change or get up to anything at all? Now, of course, we have to bear in mind the extent to what they can get done. Nevertheless, does the student council do all that they possibly could do? Or is it simply an illusion the teachers create in order to give the students a sense of power in the school. As one of the supervisors of our student council said “During the election speeches teachers were looking at each other shaking their heads” Obviously all of the ideas getting put forward by students were shut down even before the people were elected… Do the students really have nothing to say? After having sent a survey concerning the student council to our year 12’s, the response has been rather negative. With 62% of the people believing that the school wouldn’t be any different without a student council, the question does start to arise: why bother having a student council at all? With over 70% of the survey respons-

es believing that the student council is most probably or definitely an empty promise of power the teachers give us, it might as well be renamed the “club of illusionary power”, which I am most certain most people would not want to be a part of. Mr Foley might say that the student council has an impact on the selection of our next director; however, one must ask themselves if the student council is unable to hold a snapchat account for longer than a week, can their opinion on the upcoming director be any more important ? I doubt it.

“70% of the survey responses believe that the student council is an empty promise of power the teachers give us.” Looking at the opposite side of the spectrum, I conducted an interview with one of the advisors of student council and general superstar Mr.Ribas. He articulated throughout the interview that he was an advocate for the “student voice” . When being asked what the student

council had accomplished in the last two years there was no real snappy response. However, he then said that the student council is a force that creates cohesion within the student body. Considering the recent, and very necessary, expansion … *cough*, Mr Ribas stated that the student council was there to meet genuine fears the students had about the extravaganza. Moreover, its main achievement was wacky week. Here, I must say, Mr Ribas has a point; the students, in general, do not want the teachers to run wacky week, as most teachers are just not too wacky… The student council does indeed play a big role in this event, and it’s role is slightly overlooked sometimes by the student body. However, the big question that was posed in the interview is “Would the school be different without a student council ?” After a concerned look, Mr Ribas answered that he does think that it would be different. He believes that the student council brings the “corridor grumbling” into the light, and is a medium through which the student can articulate their opinions on ideas. Now to what extent this is taken into consideration by the teachers is very debatable. Take from this piece what you will; however, what I have realised in the past two weeks is that if the general student body thinks that the student council does nothing, it should come from within the students to change it. What we have currently is a pretty standard situation. Having been to 9 different schools over the course of my life, I can say that student politics is regarded relatively similarly around the world. However, you do have the occasional outlier, in which students who partake are very serious, and really add something to the school. Who knows, maybe one day ISL will rise up onto the shoulders of a great student council, although, I doubt in the foreseeable future.

Women Come Off the Bench Luca Adams kicks sexism off the field.

SL has the most female sport teams I have ever seen in a school, some of them being more successful than their male counterparts. However, recently, I have heard a lot of boys hating on these teams and players and it got me curious. Just how equal are we when it comes to ISL sport? “The only time I watched women’s [sports] I was horrified and got nightmares.” Just one of the many quotes I received in a survey I sent out last week. The fact that this person “got nightmares” (although not in a literal sense I hope) just shows the attitude some students at ISL have about women’s sport. And more often than you would think, the responses were, “Men often perform better”, “[...] men have a greater level of skill.” and “Men are a lot better”. Many of these students are in the mindset that all men are simply superior and are more skillful at the sports they play.

I interviewed several girls from the relatively new varsity basketball team and was told by one that often times her and her fellow players will play on the outside court with the boys, during recess. However, there has been confrontation. “They will not pass [me] the ball, because I am a girl…and the one time I was passed the ball (from a female player) I scored and one of the boys yelled, “Oh, that’s girls basketball” When asked if they preferred watching men or women, 96% of students said they watch only men. This can be seen in professional sport as well. “For certain sports, like football, people don’t care at all about the women’s teams.” As an example, the stadiums for men’s football have many more spectators than in women’s games. Furthermore, stadiums dedicated to men’s sport are also usually significantly larger. Some people revealed that the only reason they watch sport or find it entertaining is the “aggression and incredible movement” - something they find hard to find in women’s sport. “The competition between men tends to be more intense, and has a more elite level as to man’s capability over women. It’s not sexism,

it’s natural selection…” Many students also believe that men and women are equal in rights, but that men are much more capable when it comes to physical recreation: “Well, I don’t think there should be sexism in sports, but physically, boys tend to be better in sports than girls” “Women, while being obviously equal in rights to men, have inferior physical characteristics. This is obviously a disadvantage when facing sportsman during a match.” It’s obvious there’s a gender equality problem here at ISL. Many people’s attitude towards girls playing sports is that of condescension and even disgust, which is, frankly, an appalling fact. From what I’ve gathered, many people believe that the first step in fighting discrimination comes with education. A lot of boys are in the mindset that girls must fulfill the gender norms set out for them. If everyone is taught (not just boys but girls as well) that anyone can do anything, no matter their gender, I wouldn’t even be writing this article.

She Was Not Asking For It Amanda Bris has had enough.

he prestige of a private academic institution was recently brought into question, as a result of a sexual harassment incident involving a member of one of its sports teams. There was uproar among the community when the authorities decided to let the perpetrator off with a lenient sentence, while his victim had to go into hiding. I am, of course, talking about Brock Turner, a Stanford University swimmer. There are many different versions of what happened, so I will simply state the facts. One night in January 2015, two Swedish graduate students biking across campus spotted a freshman, Turner himself, thrusting his body on top of an unconscious, half-naked woman behind a dumpster. However, what shocked the world most of all was the pathetic sentence Turner received: six months in a county jail. The woman he raped would not stand for this. She shared an open letter to her rapist in court, and her message was clear. The legal system had failed her, and her tragedy gives the rest of the world an insight into the injustices that victims, such as herself, face. The letter is haunting from beginning to end: “You don’t know me, but you’ve been inside me, and that’s why we’re here today.” Educators, parents, and politicians can, and should, speak at length about this crisis. But, hearing about it in the victim’s own words speaks volumes. “Even if the sentence is light, hopefully this will wake people up,” she said. “I want the judge to know that he ignited a tiny fire. If anything, this is a reason for all of us to speak even louder.” This case confirms our worst nightmares about rape: that the victim will receive shame from the attacker, as Turner and his father both did in their statements, citing alcohol and ‘sexual promiscuity’ as the real offender. That the crime will be decriminalized, as Turner’s father wrote off the assault as ’20 minutes of action’. That according to judge Aaron Persky, Turner was ‘not a danger to others despite his previous three felony

charges’. That privileged, white men who can afford expensive lawyers will simply get away with it. Sadly, this case is not rare. In the United States alone, a person is raped every two minutes. 17% of men and 25% of women will be victims of sexual assault in their lifetime, and, despite these large numbers, 54% of rapes are not reported. Alarmingly, out of every 1,000 rapes, only 6 rapists will be incarcerated. There are several harmful stigmas around sexual abuse; some individuals believe that it is the victim’s fault that the rapist’s sexual advances were forced upon them. Flirting, or the clothes someone is wearing, or drinking too much do not cause rape; it is the rapists themselves. Blaming rape on the victim for being too sexually provocative is like blaming the bank for a robbery because its contents were too appealing. It seems that society teaches us “don’t get raped” instead of “don’t rape”. As can be seen in the Stanford rape case, victims are often made to feel powerless, and they must fight for months in order to have justice served or even to be heard at all. Although it is upsetting that most rape cases are not reported, it is unsurprising. The victim, whose name has not been released, expressed in her letter that she was asked questions, such as “how much do you drink?”, “what were you wearing?”, “are you a party animal?” and “are you sure you did that?” How can we expect a victim to feel comfortable telling their story if they are treated with skepticism and blame? I must also clarify a simple fact: sexual assault is not only synonymous with rape. It is any form of sexual contact where consent is not given. This common misconception has allowed our society to continue to mistreat victims under the impression that what the abuser is doing is legal. We need to openly discuss the issue of sexual assault in school, as clearly it is a huge problem in our own ‘developed’ society. In fact, it is probable that sexual assault in some form or another has taken place at our very school. In a culture where drinking, hookups, and one night stands are a norm, the likeli-

hood of being the victim or perpetrator of sexual abuse is exponentially higher. In our community, it is assumed that everyone knows that rape is wrong, and so therefore we do not need to talk about it. Rape is not just something that happens in ‘third world’ countries; it is perpetrated by us and happens to us. Stories such as this one are a clear sign that there is a problem being shoved under the rug. Although my heart goes out to the victim of the Stanford rape case, I am glad that her story is being told. The countless articles I read made me hopeful that a social revolution is underway, and the backlash on the internet shows that a spark has been lit - one that cannot be diffused with a six month prison sentence. We cannot continue to disregard rape, and the importance of consent. The message needs to be heard by everyone, male and female; that only “yes” means “yes”, that consent is not given whilst intoxicated, and that a person’s clothes do not work as an invitation. It is these conversations that will ultimately change the way we, as a society, deal with sexual assault. Remaining silent means agreeing to the status quo, and, unfortunately, the status quo at the moment often means victim-blaming, defending attackers, and giving rapists lenient sentences because of their privilege and wealth. If we talk about Brock Turner, we’re one step closer to ensuring our community does not have to live within a toxic bubble of ignorance.

Do We Need Another Hero? Lauren Nudi searches for white knights.

e had just returned from Iceland, all of us were exhausted from the trip and ready to get home. We figured the excitement was over, and that now we would have an hour to relax on the train before arriving in Lausanne. What we didn’t expect would occur, however, was a few drunk men to showing up in our cabin. One man in particular started trying to talk to a few girls, asking them questions and trying to initiate small talk. It was harmless at first, until he started loudly screaming about how he was going to rape a number of the girls. I was shocked. I had never encountered a situation such as this one, and I had no idea what to do or how to act. What shocked me more however, was how the boys surrounding me, and my friends, reacted. Instead of switching seats with us so that we were further away from the drunk man or even trying to distract us so that we didn’t focus on them, the boys provoked the man by laughing and asking questions about which one of us he was going to rape. As constant talk of the incident continued into the next week of school, the only logical thing running through my head was the question, is chivalry dead?

“I would like to think that we live in a world where everyone holds the door open for each other” I asked the students of ISL this exact question, with the majority of them saying no, chivalry is still alive today. If it is still around, what does it mean today, and how has it changed? Historically chivalry was created as a code of conduct for knights in the Middle Ages. Although, nowadays you would rarely hear someone regard chivalry as something for knights. In fact, not many students associated this definition to how they would describe chivalry. Instead, a more popular definition is “having the qualities of chivalry, as courage, cour-

tesy and loyalty” and another being “considerate and courteous to women; gallant”. Teachers seem to be split as well. When asked what she thinks chivalry is, Ms. Smith replied, “Chivalry is about being courteous to other people”. On the other hand, when asked the same question, Mr. Humphrey said, “I think I was brought up to think of chivalry as a gentlemanly conduct… It was about the way that a man acted in terms of treating people, particularly women, with respect.” When taking these answers into consideration, I think we can all agree that chivalry would rarely be used today necessarily to describe someone who is courageous, courteous, and loyal. However, I do believe that it wouldn’t be too shocking to hear a man deemed as “chivalrous” because he opened the car door for his girlfriend. This leads me to think about what is expected from a guy versus what is expected from a girl on a daily basis. It’s easy to say that men and women are equal and the same things are expected from each of them, but the truth is that in the world we live in, they are not. If a man and a woman are standing outside together and the woman is cold, it would be expected that the man give her his jacket. If the situation were reversed, would the majority of people think that the woman should get cold so that the man wasn’t? How about opening doors? I would like to think that we live in a world where everyone holds the door open for each other, and at ISL we do, but as Ms. Schuler said when talking about living in Abu Dhabi, there are places in the world where women are not treated the same as men in anyway. She said, “Chivalry is not dead there… so I always got pushed to the front of the line… people would buy things for me.” Chivalry is something that was created for men, and it unlikely will ever completely morph into being something for both genders. If we want equality then we should be fighting against chivalry, and instead focusing on respect and politeness for all. With that being said, is there a difference between chivalry and politeness? When is someone considered as being chivalrous or just being polite? These are both questions that are seemingly unanswerable because there honestly doesn’t seem to be much of a difference. If men aren’t running around

throwing coats over puddles anymore, and acts of chivalry and acts of politeness are the same thing, then I can’t see why we don’t just stop using the word altogether. Instead, let’s promote respect and politeness for all so that we can continue to fight for equality and improve the world we live in today. After exploring the ambiguity of chivalry and politeness, I think that in situations such as the one my classmates and I experienced on the train, a man should be the one to stand up for a woman. Not because a woman isn’t capable of taking care of herself, but because in this situation she is the one who is in need of help. Instead of lacking in chivalry, I believe the boys who provoked the drunk man on the train simply lacked in politeness and respect for the girls’ safety, and instead of encouraging them to act more chivalrous we should teach them to not be so thoughtless.

Illustration by Anna Voigt

The Gap is in the Mind Gregory Foster is a philogynist.

e are told we live in a community where men are sexist, and repress the pay of their female counterparts in an attempt to hold onto power. We are told that this pay gap is so large, that for every dollar a man earns, a woman earns around 77 cents. It seems to be ludicrous that a woman’s wage is so much lower than a man’s in modern, Western society (which I am considering to be Europe, USA, Canada and Australia/ New Zealand). There is, indeed, one problem though. This statistic misleads you. First of all, the media does a great job at making this seem like an issue because of the way it is phrased. What it actually means is that on average, a woman earns 77% less in total throughout their whole career than a man, and this makes a big difference. Thus, this rephrasing does not imply women have a lower wage than men. More men work full-time jobs than women do, and they will, therefore, naturally be paid more on average. A study from The Official Bureau of Labor Department showed that when comparing full-time jobs only, women earn 94.6% of what a man earns in total. So why is there still a 5% gap between men and women? This is all due to working hours, life choices and career options.

“More men work full-time jobs than women do, and they will, therefore, naturally be paid more on average.” The American Enterprise Institute carried out a study in 2014 showing that the average man working in a full-time job worked up to two hours more than the average woman. An industry would obviously pay the person working longer hours more regardless of their gender. We all know that many women take maternity leave in order to raise their children, making them more likely to take extended time off work. Be-

cause of this, they are not working as many hours as their male counterparts, thus reducing their pay. In addition, according to Anthony Carnevale from Georgetown University, “Of the 10 lowest-paying majors—such as drama, theatre arts, and counselling psychology—only one, theology and religious vocations, is majority male.” This is backed up by another study showing high paying college majors, such as mechanical, mining, and mineral engineering are 90% male, whereas low paying college majors, such as early childhood education, and communication disorders, are 97% and 94% female respectively. Logically, if someone receives a college degree in a low paying career, they will naturally earn less than someone who has a major in a high paying career. On top of that, 92.3% of work-related deaths are male (2014), suggesting men far outnumber women in the most dangerous, and, therefore, highest paying jobs. All of these examples illustrate how the gender pay gap, despite all the hype, is not caused by oppressive, sexist men. The idea that the only way to decrease the gap is to force women into making different life choices is nonsensical. A woman can sue a company if she is being paid less than a man for no reason, and this very action is, indeed,

“The gender pay gap, despite all the hype, is not caused by oppressive, sexist men.” illegal. If women were naturally paid less than men, would it not be cheaper for a firm to solely hire women? In fact, in the 150 biggest cities in the USA, women under the age of 30 earn 8% more than men. None of this adds up. This is why I have an issue with some feminists who believe that Western society is not equal in this area when it clearly is. Why not use all this energy to target countries where gender inequality is so much more serious, such as in the Middle East or The Democratic Republic of Congo or Sudan? We are so easily swayed by lies and false statistics, exaggerated by the media, but it is a waste of time and emotion to fight against something that does not exist in our society anymore.

Stressed Out Lyndon Kwan needs a break.

t seems that students have reached a point where a number on a piece of paper has become more important than mental stability. The exams have recently finished for all years, including the year 13s. They’re done. During my time in school, I have often heard the IB diploma dubbed as ‘IB hell.’ If you look up IB in the urban dictionary, all definitions consult the IB diploma as a malicious, venomous, wicked, surgical procedure. One of my personal favourites being “a cleverly disguised plot to steal the souls, sleep, and free wills of high school students...See also: Academic Suicide”. Student’s have received their grades back from the recent exams. Some were good and some not so good. There seems to be a distinguished relationship between our grade and, consequently, our self confidence. After interviewing some students about their experiences with the IB, many of them admitted that the IB has cost them hours of sleep, boosted their levels of stress, and caused Clara Juhl a number of mental breakdowns. Beth Rennie aptly responded, “I think it’s easy to look back when you’re an adult and realise that the IB made you a more balanced person. However, while you’re in the middle of completing it, it seems far from beneficial, as you’re so focused on grades and deadlines. The end goal seems irrelevant!” Her perception of the IB is definitely a rigorous and challenging course which, while in the midst of extended essay, exams and IAs, is difficult to see around. The final results are fogged up by all the chaos and stress. Until you’re holding a diploma in your hand, you won’t be able to quite fathom the purpose of your educative endeavour. Nuria Martin claims, “if you want to succeed in life and in your future, you can’t just want it. You need to work for it. Before the IB, it was easier to get good grades, but now you realize that you really have to dedicate time and put in hard work, in order to succeed.” This alludes to the saying “Temporary pain for long term gain”, where if you put in the hard work and hours, you will see the light at the end of the road. Students seem to visualize the idea of success as entering university. When

students think of the future, especially in IB culture, the first thing that comes to mind is university. It is rare to find someone whose future dream is to become an actor, singer or professional football player. For most of us, it’s university or bust. People rarely consider career options that don’t demand a university degree. These grades determine our university. Philip Reich mentioned that “I was always told, after IB, it can’t get much worse. So I guess I feel okay about university.” This, in fact, brings up the argument that the IB is excessively demanding. You wouldn’t teach a baby to run before it walks, would you? Emily Coyne acknowledged that “I genuinely feel at times I am missing out on my youth because I have spent so much time working and stressing out.” This elusive ‘youth’ is meant to be the best years of our lives! Should we be spending those sunny hours inside on our computers reading about indefinite integrals, the Redox process, and the causes of the Spanish Civil War? The general impression received from students was that the IB has had a negative effect on the mental health, but

has undeniably helped their academics reach greater heights. Gregory Foster reflected saying, “I feel like my mental capacity and thought process has evolved. However, it feels a little overloaded right now.” A study done in The National Institute on Mental Health in 2011 correlates chronic stress to the killing of neurons and stunts the growth of new neurons, which is the root of depression. Sleep deprivation is not a cause of depression however, it cause any existing mental illnesses to become worse. Ultimately the students agreed that the IB is beneficial to the student. And, although it has caused an extreme amount of stress, they are confident it will be worth it in the end. It may, however, be argued that humans naturally neglect their mental health as the signs of dangerous compromises are not as easily identifiable as in physical health problems. Thus, the question remains as to whether the IB is healthy or not. I believe that the majority of IB survivors have not had extensive problems with their mental health.

Illustrations by Jocelyn Kwan

And Overcommitted Maelle Jacqmarcq wrote this article in her free time.

fter an intense week and a half of exams, I thought I would never be as busy until summer vacation. I was wrong. As homework piles up, and all the activities we are dedicated to stuff their deadlines and competitions in the few remaining weeks, it’s getting hard to find time for ourselves, let alone get enough sleep. But is it really only at this time that we are so busy, or is the same as the rest of the year as well? After all, it is rare to not hear someone complain about how tired they are or about how they want it to be the weekend. So I asked myself: do we do too much? ISL offers countless after-school activities, ranging from team sports that compete in international tournaments, to service activities that have a global importance, to your dedicated, monthly newspaper that delivers you priceless information. In fact, it would be very hard not to find an extracurricular that pleases you. According to a survey

sent to the high school student body, the great majority of respondents said that it was good that ISL offered so many activities. As to why it is good, two students summed it up: the first said, “I think that the more activities the better; they enrich characters, broaden horizons and make people more interesting,” and the second explained, “It’s great that everyone has an opportunity to find something they’re passionate about. We have the facilities, why not?” However, this number of activities offered by ISL, which shapes us and in which we spend so much time of each day, may lead to us to having the mentality that not taking part in multiple extracurriculars is frowned upon. As one student puts it: “The school motivates us to work as hard as we can. And while it is a nice idea, it creates over-obsessive behaviours. I feel like teachers are always pushing us to do more, and [enforcing the idea] that we are not ever doing enough.” But, it is not just in work that “we are not ever doing enough”; in fact, the majority of students are dedicated to two after-school activities at

school and one outside of school, and spend in average two full hours after school each day doing their activity. To most readers, these numbers may not seem like much, which further proves that we have a mindset saying that doing extensive activities after school is normal. Despite having this outlook on what is meant by doing ‘too much’, more than 70% of respondents agreed that we are too busy. Most blamed it on the amount of work they received from their teachers, and only a very few said it was because of extracurriculars. However, the average amount of time spent in activities, and spent doing homework after school were both 2 hours, which shows that after-school activities are also a key part to what makes us so busy. Being so busy does have negative effects. Since we have such overwhelming weeks, we end up lacking sleep, and then the tiredness picks up and drags alongside us until the weekend -me being the first person to be guilty of this. I like to think of sleep as a charger filling me up with power and effectiveness for the day to come. According to statistics, teenagers need about 9 hours 30 of sleep each night to recuperate, and here at ISL almost 85% of respondents to the survey only get 5 to 8 hours of sleep per night. Only 10% get enough sleep (9 to 10 hours), and the rest get even less, which is less than 4 hours of sleep each night! Most of us understand this lack of sleep, and simply shrug it off because, honestly, what can we do about it? But, maybe having less busy schedules is the key to being more awake, thus relieving the “stress and anxiety” that comes along with lack of sleep. We also benefit a lot from doing so much after school. The diversity of activities lets us find what we like, and we gain many values. While service activities “raise awareness on how lucky we are, and the opportunity to help others less fortunate than us,” sports activities give us the “opportunity to keep a balanced lifestyle,” and “a healthy mind.” These extracurriculars not only “relieve stress” and give us “a break from school,” but they also give us “the opportunity to share time with other people and learn new skills”.

The Road Less Travelled Veronica Wambura took the path that wanted wear.

ost people ask me how I got to ISL. Sometimes I feel as if ISL came to me. My mom received a call from a woman who told her that I should try doing an oral interview that would choose two students from all over Tanzania, to study in Switzerland. My mom told me this, and, at first, I was so excited. I always wanted to study outside Tanzania; it was like a dream come true. But then, negative thoughts started hitting me, what if I don’t get in? My mom kept telling me that I didn’t have to go if I didn’t want to. But I told her I would try anyway. So the Saturday for the interview came, and my mom drove me there. When we reached the building where the interview was to take place, she reminded me again that I did not have to go if I did not want to. At this point I had to laugh, and I told her, “Mama, if I don’t try, I will never get in.” I guess my mom was scared that I would be extremely disappointed if I did not get in. I decided to get out of my comfort zone and do it anyways. In the interview, I was asked, “what do you think would be the greatest challenge you will face studying in Switzerland?” Of course, I

answered that going miles away from home would be the hardest thing. The thought of having to live so far from family and friends was both exciting and terrifying. Then I answered, “But why not? It’s worth trying, I’d be way out of my comfort zone.” After two months of waiting, my parents received an email from ISL; I had passed the interview. My parents did not tell me the exciting news till the next day. I was smiling so much, only to look at them and realize that they weren’t as excited as I was. They told me it was too far. I couldn’t take the plane by myself. And what about living with other people? The friends I was going to make? The subjects I was going to take? And studying a new syllabus? They were just too scared for me, but I wasn’t. I told them I was going to take the opportunity. This would be the greatest step out of my comfort zone. Then another stressful point came; what subjects was I going to take? Kwesiga, the previous Tanzanian student at ISL, told me that maths HL was so hard, and that I would be good with just maths SL for university. I searched for the course online and the list of topics; everything just looked so complicated. Sometimes,

at home, I would shiver at the thought of studying the IB, a course I knew so little about. I decided I would take her advice. When I told my dad, he asked, “So is maths HL the hardest of all the maths?” And I told him, “yes.” To my surprise he answered, “Then take that.” He told me, “If something looks hard, then it’s worth taking. Don’t ever settle for less than your abilities.” So following his advice, I decided to take all the crazy subjects the IB had to offer, because why not? Physics, Chemistry and Maths higher level. People still give me crazy looks when I tell them the subjects I’m taking. And is it easy? No, but am I surviving? Yeah, pretty much. And so, as a message to everyone reading this, do not settle for anything less than your abilities. You don’t know if you are able until you try, and, most of all, step out of your comfort zone. If you do, expect the greatest outcomes. Try everything, even if it looks so hard and impossible, whether it’s as complex as applying to a crazy top university, or as simple as trying a new cuisine: I tried snails, and, I must say, I loved them!

Arts Attack! Jennifer Fernandez Owsianka and Amelia Lozinska-Brown

magine having to perform in front of barely twenty people. Would you feel heartbreak? Disappointment? Demotivation? Probably all of the above, as we tend to react to any sort of rejection badly.The turnout of the IB drama event, along with the news that the new art diploma courses like Drama and Music are not even running next year, made us question whether the arts are truly valued at ISL. Do we, as a school, need to confront and change the student’s general perception of the arts as being an easy out? As we proceed to the International Baccalaureate, we tend to dismiss the arts as not being valuable to our education. The impression is that most students at ISL possess a negative perception of the arts, and that they are not as intellectually demanding as other subjects like the sciences. Ms. Baardsen stated this is due to “our society stressing greater importance on subjects that will allow students to develop skills that could potentially help in the production of goods or merchandise.” It seems that one of the reasons students avert the arts from their education is their lack of confidence in their artistic abilities. We know that one does not have to be an amazing artist, musician or actor to take these subjects. Some subjects are considered better for us to become successful, and teachers agree that students are making educational sacrifices due to the societal pressure to make money. However, if we do not take subjects that we are passionate about, the likelihood of us being truly successful decreases. We advise students to make their IB choices to try to take subjects that they will be truly enthusiastic about. The IB claim that they provide students with a “holistic education”, which is not entirely the case. We are forced to take a subject from the humanities and maths, yet the arts are not at all compulsory. For students who want to pursue a career in the arts, their options are immediately limited, as they can only choose one of theatre, music or visual arts. As Mr Fessler clarified, “the IB, by doing this, are sending out a clear message that the arts are ob-

viously not important”. In order to improve the reputation of the arts in education, the IB should allow students to take two art subjects, as they do with our peers who select multiple sciences for futures in medicine. Additionally, the IB does want the arts to be valued, yet creates the exact obstacles that hinder their importance. Ms. Baardsen stated,“The IB is clearly not as rounded as we would like to think, without the unique skills and input of the arts.” In order for this to change, it is necessary for the IB to make the arts compulsory, for they allow students to develop vital, and arguably more important skills such as critical and creative thinking. Students and teachers alike agree that taking an art subject for IB is not in the least “an easy way out”. On the contrary, the arts are the most time consuming because they require a depth of practice, skill, research, and analysis not always found in other subjects. The challenge of studying an art subject is not to be undermined, but rather encouraged. What is important to emphasize is that taking an art subject as part of a student’s IB diploma not only develops creative thinking, but also both collaborative and individual skills. Mr Ivett eloquently told us that “people underestimate the skills you can learn from doing an arts subject, some of those are life skills, and also what you can learn about yourself… It can be incredibly fulfilling, and it can be incredibly frustrating… teaching you important lessons about being persistent, finding your way around obstacles”. In other words, taking an art as part of your IB is not just a matter of memorising something from a textbook; it is a lesson on life. Being creative within an art subject requires a deep understanding of your own experiences. The arts are considered, more often than not, just an ASA or a hobby for entertainment, especially within the ISL community. However, the arts are also immensely academic, forming links with politics, economics, history and philosophy. These links transcend from our exterior, social world to that of our interior, emotional being and conscience. For example, in Ancient Greece, the state would spend more money on organizing religious festivals that promoted dramatic performances than on their own military. Performance used to play a major part of Ancient Greek

society and culture.The arts teach us of our human existence and history; as Aristotle once said: “the arts strive to give us clarity of the world we live in.”

“The challenge of studying an art subject is not to be undermined, but rather encouraged.” The new arts subjects included in the IB this year have struggled to establish themselves. As Mr Ivett and Mr Fessler expressed, only through positive encouragement and persistence can these subjects gain the hold and reputation they deserve. Ms Baardsen explained how “we thought that the courses starting with really motivated students would promote the subjects,” but unfortunately this has not been the case. It seems that a more active approach towards encouraging students to take art subjects needs to be undertaken by both teachers, and, more importantly, by the ISL community itself. Dismissal of the arts has been ingrained within the values of our current society, to the extent of influencing and pressuring parents to limit university choices. Mr Ivett elaborated, “I think arts are undervalued and underrated, but by society in general - particularly by governments that put a lot of stress on statistics and how kids perform in exams… It needs society to change... and perhaps the IB as well”. The irony is that even though many students will pursue corporate careers, employers and universities will want someone with the skills and creativity like those developed in art subjects. Mr Fessler suggested that perhaps the focus should be on promoting and advancing the arts subjects in the high school years preceding the IB, particularly in Year 11, where a more IBorientated programme should be established so that students can gain a greater sense of the academic rigour of these subjects.

Losing Our Religion? Anna Voigt seeks the ultimate truth about religious education at ISL.

ne day, a teacher sought me out at the end of class. During the course of the lesson, we had talked about a certain controversial topic. The teacher approached me and asked me to share my opinions on this topic the next day. I have to admit I was taken aback. It was said in a respectful and kind manner, but I was surprised that a teacher would ask for my perspective. As a devout Christian, I have definite beliefs on this issue. But, because of previous experiences, I was downright terrified. Previously, I had mentioned this topic to some of my fellow classmates, and they were not particularly open or even kind towards my opinions. Coming from a Christian school, I had not fully realized that their views were not the same as mine. I should have thought about it, in all honesty. I was just trying to reason my case, but was brushed off. After that, I did not bring it up again. The next day the teacher asked a question, which was obviously directed at me. I kept quiet. I was unsure to share my opinions because I felt like they would not be welcomed. I didn’t want to offend anyone. I feel slightly ashamed having not said anything when given the opportunity. The environment was so one sided, and I felt so under pressure that my anxiety took over. Even if I had opened my mouth, nothing intellectually substantial would have come out. This incident at school made me curious. According to the most current Swiss Federal Constitution of 18 April 1999, “No person may be discriminated against, in particular on grounds of origin, race, gender, age, language, social position, way of life, religious, ideological, or political convictions, or because of a physical, mental or psychological disability” (Article 8,2). But what does this really mean? I think that there is an invisible boundary when respectfully talking about one’s religion to other people, a line that is not to be crossed. I do believe that no one should have a religion forced onto them, but what about simply having a normal, respectful conversation? One student said, “I think there is a boundary [between] simply talking about it, and giv-

ing opinions, and [then] actually having an argument.” If this is the case, then why am I, as a Christian, unsure to say anything on my views? My experiences have shown me that when I mention something, those around me turn it into an argument. So is this really a safe environment to talk about religion? Or is it more of a topic to be left at home? Ms. Schuler assured me that, “[teaching different religions] should be the responsibility of a school”. If religion is to be discussed in classrooms, can I still talk about it in that same classroom once the bell rings? The collective answer from my interviewees was “yes”. But, I think many people feel awkward in these situations where religion is mentioned because they don’t want to offend. Yet, Ms. Schuler told me that kids were open to learning about religion; she said, “some of the kids get really interested and they’ll ask a lot of questions [...]. In fact, it’s quite a popular subject I think.” I started to ask why it is such a sensitive topic. One interviewee said, “I believe that it is a very sensitive topic ... This is because beliefs are often touchy like that, and getting offended is very easy.” Mr Kirby mentioned that, “[religion] is such a personal thing that it is not really debated or challenged in the way that other views might be, and that makes it a difficult thing to talk about.” When speaking to people about this issue, I have found that it makes people uncomfortable, more so in that they don’t know how to respond to it than being scared of confronting the topic itself. As an international community, I think that it is important we are taught how to approach these subjects. At the moment religion is only being taught in middle school, leaving an awkward stage in high school where we have forgotten a lot of the information once taught. It seems we don’t know how to react to certain situations, for fear of offending - including myself. As an international school, openmindedness toward religions is a very important in having a multicultural understanding. It should be elaborated on at some point in our high school careers. Ms. Schuler explained that “so many conflicts [in the world today] are about narrow mindedness, and not

understanding other people. If you understand a religion, and you disagree with it, that is fine, but at least you have cultural context”. One student said she saw “muslim women wearing hijabs in school. [The women] hadn’t said anything about their religion, but they were bullied for it”. I think that if we were taught to react with a full understanding and an open-mindedness, instances like these would be less likely to happen. Maybe it is not in the High School curriculum because the assumption is that high school students are not as interested, and just zone out. We need to, at the very least, have a circle time once a year discussing the matter. What if we were taught how to approach the matter in a heedful manner? I think that this would be time well spent. It would prepare us for when these encounters do occur in and outside of school. It is an important skill to know how to talk respectfully about religion, and keep an open mind toward others’ opinions, even if you don’t agree with it. I understand that religion is something that is discussed in ToK sessions, but not in very much depth. According to Mr. Kirby, “In ToK we learn about the nature of knowledge and how we know different things. For instance, how we know things in science, history, and the arts. We start off looking at the different ways we know things through our senses and emotions and reason. [This brings us to the topic of how] people claim to know God based on not using reason.” So it is discussed in TOK sessions, but not in very much depth. Sometimes kids bring up the topic in instances like these, and otherwise (given the opportunity), but ultimately it is not talked about in school. We should have a circle time or short lesson that could help us think up words and things to say if we want to start a conversation with someone about their religion without offending them. Or how to kindly tell them that you are not interested in speaking about their religion. Because how can we be an international, multicultural understanding community if we do not even know how to approach the subject of religion when it is a crucial component to so many different cultures?

Hooked Without Feeling Jocelyn Kwan and Conrad Grindheim are not sitting in a tree.

been building up to the position that teenagers are finding themselves in today.

Bunnage describes how Western mothers in the 60s didn’t work, so children were monitored 24/7. Schools were highly disciplinary, and neighbours felt no shame when tattling on other families’ children. Therefore, children respected adults, and didn’t dare to do anything they shouldn’t be doing. During the late 70s, the worst thing one could possibly do was sleep around with their boyfriend or girlfriend, and anything else was completely unthinkable or taboo. It’s now come to the point where people are desensitized to this, and children are getting progressively worse. So when did this all change? The shift in culture began around the 70s when moms began to work and had no energy to discipline the kids. Schools were expected to educate children on what once was a parent’s job, such as nutrition, hygiene and sex. However, since the educational system wasn’t prepared to carry such a burden, it was ultimately the children who were hurt due to how this affected their lack of knowledge on the subjects. In more recent times, this made children turn to the internet to ask what nobody else would answer. As you might guess, this backfired.

ah we just kissed… Nothing serious though… It’s not like she likes me”... This was, to my shock, a regular response I’ve been hearing from gossip floating around leaked from recent parties. This is the progressive state of our generation’s “hookup culture”. Hookup culture is a lifestyle that encourages casual encounters, such as one-night stands and short term relationships, which focus on the physical aspect of a relationship, without any emotional commitment. Based on the findings of a recent survey sent out to the high school students, out of the 40 responses received, 97% of people who answered have, or have known, someone who has hooked up. Part of this shocking majority is attributed to the fact that 45% of the students agree with carrying out this act (and 15% leave ambiguous responses). As one person responded, “Part of me wants to say it is wrong, primarily because it doesn’t necessarily seem like real love”. Adversely, another individual argues that “As long as it’s consensual, and nobody is cheating on anyone, then there’s nothing wrong with it.” While they might have a point, we personally wouldn’t engage in it because we believe that hooking up with just any random person is a little sad, as a large majority believes that people hook up for the fun of it and to relieve sexual needs.

“It feels a bit like we’re all just using each other to fulfill our own needs.” Most people don’t feel disappointed with having been dubbed “the hookup generation”, and actually believe that we are not the only ones to express sexual freedom in this way. However, according to a TED Talk “The unsexy truth, the hookup culture”, presented by parenting coach Lisa Bunnage, hookup culture is not something exclusive to our generation, but has rather

It feels a bit like we’re all just using each other to fulfill our own needs. It does not consider the other individual, and what we really don’t consider is the thought of the person we might end up with in the future. I personally wouldn’t want to throw around something as personal as my first kiss (or something even more intimate), as it would start to lose its meaning. When something like this is continually repeated, it abuses its value, and intimacy becomes somewhat insignificant. One person responded “I think that this is something that causes a lot of confusion and drama, and feelings get hurt because it is taking something that is usually intimate and making it casual”. Dangers that come with this include the misunderstanding that can arise between individuals concerning the reality of their relationship. Some people may feel lead on and very often let down. Others may feel regret, like they made the wrong decisions. It can ruin friendships and reputations. Contrarily, some people don’t feel remorse after doing so; as one per-

son responded “People that aren’t in a relationship also deserve to get some physical attention and if you don’t have someone you love to do so with, you can do it with someone who you’re interested in”. I [Conrad] had a debate in one of my classes about short term relationships such as “summer flings”. One of my classmates talked about how they got in a 2 week relationship at a summer camp. When I heard this I asked them whether they regretted it or not, and to my surprise, they didn’t. Their reasoning behind this was that if you feel physically attracted to an individual, and only have a short time to get to know them, then you should pursue a relationship, and then break it off once you part ways.

“It isn’t about what you can get out of it, but what you can give.” The basis behind relationships such as these is to mutually take advantage of each other. At first, I was quite confused, as when you enter a relationship you generally get really attached to your partner. However, one of the other people who I had the debate with stated that the point was NOT to get attached. One of the responders, quite well put replied, “I wouldn’t mind if a friend of mine had a short term relationship but I wouldn’t really understand the point of it. It would be too short to have any advantages and usually the end result is that one or both of the people after the breakup are really depressed…” A counter argument to this is that “If you don’t fall in love you’ll be fine.” This concept is very foreign to us, as we grew up with the idea that the purpose of being in a relationship is to get attached. It isn’t about what you can get out of it, but what you can give. If you go into a relationship with the mentality that you only want to please yourself with your physical needs (even with the mutual consent), then it’s just going to hurt both of you. In the end of the day, it’s your life, and we can’t dictate how you should live it.

EurOnly Getting Started Shardul Bansal is watching too much football on TV.

o matter what league you watch, what team you support or your favourite player you cheer on, this month all football fanatics can gather around the TV to forget Arsenal’s monstrosity of a season or be reminded that yes, indeed, Jamie Vardy is having a party. For the first time, there will be 24 teams participating in the 2016 Euros as UEFA have included the Round of 16, because well, when did the footballing association ever say no to making more money? Taking a look at the groups, France has managed to scrape six points from their first two matches while Switzerland (yes!) have secured 4 points with a win and a draw. For the first time in the history of the tournament we witnessed two brothers, Granit and Taulant Xhaka, playing for two different national teams, Switzerland and Albania. Little Granit got the better of his brother, as Fabian Schär was the only goalscorer, securing three points for the Swiss in their first match. Meanwhile, France struggled against Romania in the opener as the 1-1 draw seemed to loom over the supporters. Thankfully for them, the French magician Dimitri Payet was able to knock a left foot long-shot in the 89th minute of play to secure a win. A similar story ensued in France’s second match, but Griezmann headed one into the net albeit a solid Albanian defensive display. So far, France is on top of Group A, with Switzerland following behind with 4 points. Romania have also managed to rack up a point in their first two matches, however the

tournament looks grim for Albania, with 0 points so far. In Group B, Wales and Slovakia were able to secure a win, with Gareth Bale scoring the first from a freekick and Aaron Ramsey assisting Robson-Kanu to see out a 2-1 win over Slovakia. Meanwhile, England, to the dismay of many, could not see out their one goal lead to Russia as Berezutski equalised in the 90th minute. It wouldn’t be a tournament without England’s underwhelming performance, would it? Despite their performance against Russia, I believe England will finish first. I believe Ramsey and Bale can push Wales to a second place position with Slovakia closely behind, with Hamsik being a great influence in their next few matches. However, I predict Russia to finish last in the Group. In Group C, Germany (the World Champions) have pushed through against Ukraine. Shkodran Mustafi scored a header from a set-piece, while Bastian Schweinsteiger doubled the Germans’ lead after latching on to an absolute peach of a ball from Mesut Özil. Poland’s Arkadiusz Milik played well and snatched a well-deserved three points against Northern Ireland who are playing in their very first Euros this year. Unfortunately, due to Northern Ireland’s lack of experience, I do not see them going past the group stages, so the Germans are going to finish first in the group, with Poland, Ukraine and Northern Ireland following them. In Group D, Croatia saw a bloody end to a 1-0 victory against a helpless Turkey, with Luka Modric scoring a 30yard screamer to seal the win. Turkey’s long balls into the box were all met by

a solid Croatian back line who were still clearly buzzing off of their 10-0 victory against San Marino in the friendlies. Spain was able to secure a late win, with Pique latching onto a sublime pass in the 89th minute from Iniesta Group E and F have yet to play any matches, with Group E looking the most interesting out of all, sporting Italy, Belgium and Sweden in the very same group. I’m sorry to say but Republic of Ireland don’t stand a chance against the likes of Lorenzo Insigne, Eden Hazard and Zlatan Ibrahimovic, just to name a few. Belgium’s squad looks the strongest in the Group, however, this does not reflect how the team has played, as we’ve seen so well in the past, looking at the likes of England. Belgium were not able to muster up a convincing performance against Italy, who linked up well and were able to score 2 against Belgium. I believe that still, Italy will sit in first, judging by their great team performance against Belgium. The depth of Belgium’s squad looks promising, if anything, and I believe they can sit in second, with Sweden coming third and Republic of Ireland, unfortunately, knocked out. Group F is starring arguably the best footballer in the world. Spotted playing on the wings for Portugal - you guessed it - is Nani, has had a bit of a resurrection in the Turkish League playing for Fenerbahçe. Oh, and Cristiano Ronaldo seems to be in fine form as well, scoring over 50 goals in his sixth consecutive season for Real Madrid. Unfortunately, Ronaldo had a dismissive performance in his first match against Iceland, who had 10% of their population sitting in the stands yet the Portuguese could not penetrate the Iceland 11. I think Nani might be the special one that Portugal need to get through to the Round of 16, which I know they will, finishing above Austria, with Hungary close behind and unfortunately, I don’t see Iceland being able to get past the Group stages. So far, out of all the teams in the Euros, the French have been slightly less convincing as the home fans would have hoped, but have shown great quality when needed. If Payet, Giroud, Pogba and Griezmann can keep linking up and pressing high as they did in the second half against Albania, they look like they possess the quality to win it for the host nation!

Going, Going, Gone JD Villarino takes a bow and exits stage right.

nd now, the end is near. And so I face the final curtain.” Just as Frank Sinatra mentioned the end in the beginning of his song, I will do so accordingly. And most definitely just like Frank Sinatra, I’ll do it my way. Leaving can be a hard part of an international student’s life. Change in the space of two months or so can be quite nerve racking, especially to those whose lives will completely be transformed. Having parents who work internationally, most leavers do not only get to leave the school but they may also leave the country, heck, even the continent. Annually, your friends and people around you disappear as if they have been chosen as tribute for our very own version of the Hunger Games. Your friends disappearing may be hard for you to cope with, but should you be the one chosen as tribute, it may be even harder unless you actually want to leave. Over the past four years I have seen many friends leave, but I have never really wondered what it would be like to be the one doing so. This year we see numerous people leaving ISL, peaking in the amount of leavers coming from year 11 with seven students. We also see leavers from other years with two from year 10 and one from year 12. However few they may be, they are still pillars that hold our collective school together, and their departure will surely weaken our structure. A few of the students that will be leaving have been in this school for 4 or more years, two being loyal ISL students for 6 years and one of 12 years. Although the others may have only been in this school for around 1-2 years, all students are an integral part of our community and everyone will be remembered all the same: as students or soon to be previous students of ISL. Each and every student has his or her own reasons for moving and feelings on fleeing from ISL. Almost all are pertaining to their parents’ work arrangements, and some have other reasons such as moving for a different school (although I don’t get why they’d do that, given that ISL is the best school ever) or moving to go back to their

home locations. Either way, we can arguably say that moving away from ISL is something that our leavers will be somewhat sad about. When asked how they feel about leaving, most leavers mentioned how they’ll be sad as they’ll miss the close friends they’ve made in this school, and the school’s overall community, and rightfully so. ISL has a great community, and a knack for being a friendly and fun place whilst providing its students with high-quality holistic education. It also has a strictly enforced dress code against ripped jeans, another attribute that I can safely say all leavers will miss greatly. When asked about what other things they will be missing in the following weeks, most students will be missing their friends and the general feel of the school, save for one response, which mentioned missing the great teachers. Apparently, they’d particularly miss the handsome ‘Mr A’ who I can only assume is the one and only Mr Aldersey. Another aspect that I find interesting is how differently we cope with change surrounding us in a short period of time. To most international students leaving can be routine, and therefore will be easier to cope with. In fact, most leavers this year have left previous schools an average of four times. This does not mean that these people move on quickly, but it means that these people will be able to adapt to a lot of change, however big it may be. Coping with moving is one thing; moving on will be another. Furthermore, around about half of the leavers are actually returning to their previous countries and to some their home countries. This means it might be easier for these people to incorporate themselves back onto their previous lives. However, some will have

to have a complete reset in their lives and social groups, which is a pretty hard feat to accomplish. However, one could say that moving is an essential step in the process of becoming a global citizen. Not only does it become normal to us, but it is also something that non-international people usually don’t deal with. However physically exhausting and mentally exasperating leaving your life can be, it is uniquely international people who cope with this easily and recuperate from the tiredness, continuing with their lives with little indication of the gravity of what they had just gone through. As global citizens who are privileged with the ability to have friends thousands of miles away whilst still keeping in contact, moving is seen less as having to reset, but rather to step into a new chapter of our lives. This is evident in the recent ISA’s, for students who took the test were faced with writing an argumentative piece about whether or not moving is a good thing or not. Interestingly enough, when I decided to investigate most said that moving is not as bad as it may seem, as they see it as an opportunity to have new experiences and new friends. And that is hopefully what this year’s leavers will see this as. The world is yours. And now must I bid my final adieu. Just as salut and aloha can mean both hello and goodbye, I decided that I would finish this article the same way it started: with a song lyric. Goodbye everybody, I’ve got to go; gotta leave you all behind and face the truth.

A Show, a Film and a Book Suggestions compiled by Luca Adams

A much better adaptation of what the movie failed to portray. It has a much stronger plot. Not overwhelming but at the same time consistent.

The first one was really good (2010) and this one was not disappointing but it felt less surreal. More childish but great puns.

A meditation on family values dressed as a murder mystery trapped in a dystopian world.

Wordsearch: Leavers