April - May Issue 2021 by The Quill

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VO LU M E 8 I S S U E 4 apr-may 2021

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dear reader Dear Readers, It’s crazy to imagine that it’s already that time of the year! April and May, the last stretch of the 2020-2021 academic year, has now brought with it the last of AP exams, graduations, farewells, and new beginnings. It has been a bittersweet time, but nothing except a pleasure to have worked on the bi-monthly publications this year! We would like to extend a big thank you to all our extremely talented and hardworking writers, editors, layout designers, leadership team - and most importantly, you, our reader. Best wishes to the Class of 2021 - we eagerly await the Class of 2022 to see all they will bring for the future! Quillfully Yours, The Quill Team (Class of 2021)

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THE TEAM 4

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Mr. MARK COOPRIDER Advisor

David Bang & Amy Jain editors-in-chief

Arm & Oak Muadthong art directors

Claire Mast managing editor

Editors

Charlotte Muehleck Ben Quick Austin Cipriano Shreya Rupani Pat Watcharapong Daniel Yim Pann Sripitak Tayida Chaiyakiturajai

writers

Krishma Gandhi Krisha Gandhi Emmy Mills Emily Rubio Proud Ua-Arak Hannah Kim

photographers

Ai Tulayathun Mina Wangpattanamongkol Nupook Suthisamphat Russia Chawala Beam Yongphiphatwong Aum Kuansongtham Luksorn Sorapinya Yashvi Shah Belle Sertsaibua

layout designers

Ai Tulayathun Cha-aim Thienlikit Kelly Phongkusonjit Jamie Lin Nine Dangthanom Angie Tanabodee-umpon Nana Dangthanom Lala Viboonkiat

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contents 6

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Usa/Canada Acceptances Nupook suthisampat Guy Jothaprasert Pann sripitak blink chaisuparakul timothy pyon caroline conrad Thailand Acceptances Namthip Wasusopon Kee Vesessook primmy suthivong jamie deevisetpunt oak muadthong Various Countries Acceptances brad busabok ai tulayathun jamie lin Anakin krisanamis Gap Year Peam sirisereewattana Pim Unhasuta

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Exam Tips: The Pomodoro Technique capstone service projects Asia perera Lyla yuvaboon David Bang funny story with mr. Noah covid-19 update

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Nupook Suthisampat Johns hopskins university: Environmental & Public health Studies

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First of all, congratulations on getting into Johns Hopkins University! What major did you pick, and why? I’m going into Environmental and Public Health Studies! I chose this major because I really want to give back to society, and I’m also interested in environmental and public health issues around the world as well as those prominent in Thailand.

Can you tell us a bit about your college application process? What stood out and/or was unexpected for you? My college process probably started since sophomore year when I was picking my AP classes, so I view it as more of a cumulative experience rather than just a senior year thing. Something that was unexpected was that I didn’t get into my Early Action choice in December. That was really disappointing, but I looked into Early Decision II programs, which is where I got into Johns Hopkins! Something that stood out to me was probably taking all the tests during the time COVID-19 impacted a lot of things. However, I think testing is my strength, which is what actually got me into these schools because my GPA is definitely not the best. So I encourage everyone who’s applying to college in the US to take these tests and prepare for them early on! Are there any final last words for underclassmen who are applying? Don’t just look into the rankings! I know it matters a lot, but college is not all about that. You need to look at where you’d fit in best. Really look into the curriculum--even which system the college operates in, like whether it’s semester or tri-semester based. Look into those little details and find what best fits you.

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Guy Jothaprasert University of toronto: Compsci and Art & sciences (Economics)

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Congratulations Guy! Why did you choose this University and major? I chose University of Toronto simply because it’s in Canada and I think that it’s a much better fit for me there. A lot of people don’t actually want to say this, but it’s because I plan to move out and live my life there. The reason I chose to major in psychology and arts & sciences is because I don’t really have any real interest in what I want to study except for helping people or doing something useful for the world. I think that no matter what, any of the three majors can be used to help people. What was the application process like for you? What was especially stressful for you? The application process was honestly straightforward and easy. If you don't wanna write essays in applications (or not a lot of them), CANADIAN UNIVERSITIES ARE FOR YOU. They're quite simple, fill in the blanks and details, and write just a bit about yourself and your academics. Honestly, the hardest part is the brief video essay they ask you to submit (spontaneously), but it's quite easy, just a bit on the spot and the really expensive application. At the end of the day, the application process was really smooth and easy. What were a few key takeaways from your application process? I think that some of the key takeaway points from filling out the application was when I was filling out my application on why I wanted to go to engineering and UBC and trying to write why I wanted to join Johns Hopkins. When I was writing my essays on why a certain major or why a certain university, I realized that a lot of research has to be done to write this and that you truly want to attend that university. I was on the verge of a mental breakdown writing it. Know what you want and own it, or you will have a really hard time writing genuine and personal applications. What was your proudest achievement in High School? I think that the proudest achievement I've had in high school was when I got the best chair at MUN. I think that I was so proud of it because I built my reputation and my ability over the years and trial and error and finally succeeded in making my mark. For me, it's a symbol of strength, perseverance, and proof that success comes with work (and some luck). Any advice for the underclassmen? Um… Here's some random ideas to have: 1. Know what you wanna do and not back out; 2. Research the university well; 3. Don't stress about applications; 4. Keep working on your passions and go on from there; 5. Just remember this advice from Operation Varsity Blues: "everyone can get into university - it's just that everyone wants to get into the same ones." apr-may 2021

Pann Sripitak university of Stanford: Computer science

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Hi, Pann! Congrats on getting into Stanford, one of the top 5 universities in the world, and through early action, at that! What are you planning to study there, and what made you decide to apply in the first place?

Stanford is great in that I don’t need to commit to a major right away, so I’m still considering between Computer Science and Symbolic System (which is basically AI-centric Computer Science along with aspects of Linguistics, Philosophy, and Psychology). Stanford caught my eye right away not only because of its academics but also its very quirky culture, which I thought was a good fit for me. What was the application process like for you (what was especially unexpected, challenging, difficult, etc.)?

Of course, the application process was stressful for me. There were so many essays to write and many forms to fill out. It was also super time-consuming since I think I read over and revised my Stanford application at least 20 times. Surprisingly, though, I didn’t mind writing the essays at all. I actually thought they were pretty fun, and ironically, I learned so much about myself through the process of introspection while brainstorming essay ideas. What are you looking forward to the most at Stanford?

Definitely the people I’d meet there. I feel like Stanford is a place where bunch of quirky people gather together, and I’m very excited to get to know them more. Any final words/advice for future underclassmen who’ll be going through the college application process?

Start early! There’s a lot of essays to be written, but if you start early, you won’t have to stress about it as much when the deadline approaches. The quality of your essays will significantly improve as well if you just spend more time with them. Also, talking to upperclassmen helped me a lot, so reach out to your upperclassmen for advice!

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BlINK CHAISUPARAKUL university of california berkeley: chemical biology

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Congratulations on UC Berkeley! What helped you to choose this university and studying Chemical Biology? I chose UC Berkeley because the university’s college of chemistry is very well-known and highly ranked. Also, I believe that surrounding myself with brilliant and competitive students will drive me to achieve higher goals in the future. Besides studying your major, what is another thing you’re excited to learn about in university? I want to learn to become a street-smart person who can survive in this real-world situations. I want to know how to cook and also do laundry by myself, haha. What things are you looking forward to in becoming a more independent adult? I’m looking forward to becoming financially independent and being able to invest in many assets; also knowing how to pay taxes. Looking back on your college application process, what advice would you like to give to underclassmen? You don’t have to get high SAT scores or GPA to prove that you deserve to be there. If the college administrators actually see your value, they will accept you unconditionally. Write essays that make them want to see you in person or want to know more about you. Don’t write them too academically but focus on your voice and tremendous passion. What are you scared about going into college? I’m scared that I’m not deserving to be there. I feel too stupid to be among those brilliant, talented people. However, they accepted you for a reason, so don’t underestimate yourself.

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Timothy Pyon Brown university: neuroscience

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Congratulations on making it to Brown! What do you plan to study there and why? Thank you. I plan to study Neuroscience. I’ve always been interested in hard sciences, and then, after taking Biology, I became more interested in the brain. So I took some summer Psychology classes, AP Psychology, and I also took a Neuroscience course over the summer which I really enjoyed. What are some things that you’re really looking forward to about attending Brown? I guess college in general -- new experiences, meeting new people, and starting a new part of life, mainly. What are some things that helped you decide on Brown? I think the college tours, like the visitations, hearing about it from people that go there -- like my brother -- as well as learning about the culture at Brown. Was there a point when you were really stressed during the application process? Yes! Especially when I was writing my essays. Writing my essay was very stressful, the supplementals and the common app essays. And the period when I was just finishing off my application. What is something you learned through the application process? I think something that I learned was working thoroughly -- of course, you learn that in school, but like I said, I wrote close to 15 drafts of one essay, so working thoroughly to make it the best it can possibly be is, I think, worth it. What’s one piece of advice you can give to all the underclassmen? Don’t choose a school that you think will be the best name necessarily, choose a school that’s right for you because even when you’re writing essays they ask you to write about their school specifically. If you don’t have anything you really like about your school, you won’t be able to write a good essay and it just won’t be as good of an application.

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CAROLINE CONRAD Cairn University: marketing & graphic design

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Firstly congratulations on getting into Cairn University! Why did you choose to go to Cairn University? I chose Cairn because they had the option to be in person or online for the time being at school. This was a very important factor for me as I wanted to be on campus and have classes in person for the first year of college. Another factor that drew me to Cairn was the fact that I am able to continue playing sports which hopefully will help me not get the freshman fifteen. Did you have any requirements/opinions when looking for a university? I didn’t really have any specific requirements but just wanted a school where I thought would best fit me especially during the times of the pandemic. Which major are you planning to take? Marketing and graphic design. What was the application process like? The application process was pretty easy because I had worked ahead and had been thinking of college essay ideas during my junior year. What are you looking forward to in college? I am really looking forward to being independent and not having my mom force me to eat vegetables and fruits every day. Any advice for the underclassmen? It is very important to be practical and realistic under the circumstances you are in and also attend the college club meetings as you will gain advice about many aspects of college life and the application process. apr-may 2021

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College Acceptances in

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THAILAND

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Namthip Wasusopon Mahidol University Congratulations on Mahidol! What helped you to choose this university and studying Dentistry?

N: At first, I had a hard time deciding between dentistry and medicine. However, after attending several camps and activities, I thought being a dentist would suit my lifestyle and interest better. Mahidol has always been my topchoice university, so I think I got truly lucky to be accepted. K: Going to different camps and open houses helped me a lot. Going to Mahidol’s Sanfun camp allowed me to see all of Mahidol’s facilities and interact with seniors at the camp. Besides studying your major, what is another thing you’re excited to learn about in university?

N: As an extremely introverted person, socializing can be rather challenging for me. As I enter the university, I’m looking forward to participating in as many extracurricular as possible. I’m excited to escape from my comfort zone, meet new friends, and enjoy new activities. K: I’m excited to learn to blend into this new environment and culture. Also joining clubs and participating in the dental mobile unit to help those in rural areas. What things are you looking forward to in becoming a more independent adult?

N: Probably becoming more responsible… and making decisions I won’t regret. 24

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Kee Vesessook Faculty of Dentistry K: As I’ve chosen to become a dentist, there are a lot more responsibilities I need to take on. Not just the responsibilities for myself, but also for my patients in the future. Looking back on your college application process, what advice would you like to give to underclassmen?

N: Be sure to discover your interest. The faster, the better. But don’t stress too much. University is not everything in your life. Make sure you enjoy your high school life to the fullest because there’s no turning back. K: I’ll say to start early and pin the date of every application deadline onto a calendar to see a bigger picture. Also, check the application requirement precisely. Don’t rush to the post office or submit the application 10 minutes before the deadline like me! What should students focus on in high school? What do you regret you didn’t do?

N: Students should learn to improve their work-life balance. Studying hard is important, but make sure you find some leisure time as well. And Nope, my high school life was already awesome, there’s nothing to regret. What are you scared about going into college? N: Since I have really high expectations for my life at the university, I’m quite nervous about whether the reality will meet my satisfaction or not. apr-may 2021

primmy suthivong chulalongkorn university: bbtech

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Congratulations with your acceptance, Primmy! Why did you choose Chulalongkorn and the Biotechnology major? I chose Chulalongkorn University because I like the environment there and it’s the top university in Thailand. It’s also very close to my home. For my major, I chose to study Biotechnology because I want to develop products and technologies that help improve people’s health, especially in food.

Why did you choose to study in Thailand? Did you ever want to go abroad? I chose to study in Thailand because I want to have Thai friends and also due to covid. In the future, I plan to take my master’s degree abroad.

What was the application process like for you? What was especially stressful for you?

My major required me to send all documents and perform interviews online. So, I need to check my major’s website often for updates. The part that was stressful for me was the interview part because I need to prepare as much information as I could in case they ask further questions.

What are you looking forward to in college?

I am looking forward to making new friends and wearing university uniforms!

any advice for the underclassmen? Don’t procrastinate and stress too much!

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Jamie Deevisetpunt Mahidol University: medicine

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Hi Jamie! Congratulations on making it to Mahidol! What inspired you to pursue Medicine? Since Biology was my favorite subject during high school, I felt like I wanted to study something related to the science field. I also had the chance to go do several volunteer work and I really enjoyed helping others. Because of this, I felt like medicine is a career that would suit me very well. I also wanted to use my knowledge and ability to help others live a better life. Have you always been interested in Medicine? No, but I have always been interested in the science field. During high school, I was choosing between studying in the dental field or in the medical field. In the end, however, I decided to study medicine instead since the medical field focuses more on the overall health of the human body, which is exactly what I am interested in. Why did you choose Mahidol? First of all, I have heard plenty of stories about Mahidol University, about their facilities and society, from my sister who is currently studying at Mahidol University. Mahidol University also encourages students to engage in extracurricular activities like playing in musicals or joining sports teams. I also had a chance to attend the Ramapanitharn Camp at Mahidol University and I really enjoyed the school there. I am very excited and am looking forward to studying at CNMI, Ramathibodi Hospital’s new medical institute as well. What are you looking forward to most about medical school? To learn more about the human body, to meet real patients, and to have long study sessions with my medical friends. Was there a point when you were really stressed during the application process? That I have to try my best no matter what. The application process was very hard and stressful for me since I had to finish about 10 portfolios at the same time and prepare for my interview at different universities. However, I learned to try my best so that I would not regret anything. After I got into Ramathibodi, I felt very content and proud of myself that I was able to achieve my goals despite all the difficulties and challenges along the way. What’s one piece of advice you can give to all the underclassmen? To try your best. Everything might be overwhelming, like all the SAT tests, BMAT, IELTS, Capstone Project, and interviews, but it will all be worth it in the end. Just try your best during these hard times, and after that, you can play ROV and watch Netflix all day, haha! apr-may 2021

Oak Muadthong Chulalongkorn university: Bachelors of Art in Language And Culture

Congratulations on Chulalongkorn! What helped you to choose this university and studying Arts in Language and Culture? Like many others, I was stuck on which majors or universities to choose. There were so many out there that relayed my different interests and passions, and it didn’t really help that I started super late into the application process (haha, it happens, don’t be like me!). After the ultimate decision to stay in Thailand in light of the pandemic, I wanted to find a middle ground between art and liberal arts where my 2 biggest interests and curiosities lie. I happen to stumble across BALAC, which is Chulalongkorn university’s global liberal arts and cultural studies program offers the combination of both with really great courses and concentrations, where I could see myself incorporating both my interests into practice in the future, whether that’s in the creative or teaching field! 30

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Besides studying your major, what is another thing you’re excited to learn about in university? I’m excited to learn more about the new uni culture and to participate in the different activities and legacies that Chula offers. From different volunteering opportunities, sports teams, and activities, I guess I’m really more excited about how I could get to be part of the little things in such a big school; fingers crossed we’ll get to do things more on-campus in the future!

What things are you looking forward to in becoming a more independent adult? I guess I’m looking forward to the little bits of freedom that come with a college student. For one, probably the chance to stay after school longer for club activities or sports in the future, since if you know me, any chance that I get to stay after school is pure gold!

Looking back on your college application process, what advice would you like to give to underclassmen? One advice I would also give is that it’s not impossible, and having a good mindset and attitude changes everything! I’m not gonna lie, sometimes the application process is quite intimidating, with all the essays, interviews, and preparation you have to account for. But having a positive mindset and attitude to continue to work at it is really going to really get you far through the process. Give it your all, do your best, chin up and be confident!

What are you scared about going into college? As a person who doesn’t do well with change, the process of transitioning into college life in such a big community is going to definitely be hard. I’m going to really miss all my friends, teachers, and the close-knit community here at ICS. But with time, I’m sure that I’ll fit in. Plus, ICS is just right here, so I’ll make sure I come back and visit! apr-may 2021

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Brad Busabok national taiwan university of scienceand technology

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Congratulations on National Taiwan University of Science and Technology! What helped you to choose this university and study Architecture? Choosing the university wasn’t easy since there are many different choices to choose from and it also depends on your likings of the environment of the school. What helped was just knowing what you prefer and like. I chose this major because I like it, and people should also choose to major in what they like.

Besides studying your major, what is another thing you’re excited to learn about in university? I’m excited about learning the language.

What things are you looking forward to in becoming a morE independent adult? Just the freedom in general. There are many restrictions when you are living with someone else at home, but there are many pros to go along with it. I would probably face many difficulties living by myself overseas but I’ll be looking forward to the freedom that I have.

Looking back on your college application process, what advice would you like to give to underclassmen? I really regretted not researching about the colleges that I applied to a lot. So my advice would be to research, and create a timeline, schedule, or deadline that can help you plan and know when to turn each thing in.

What should students focus on in high school? What do you regret you didn’t do? Have fun. I feel like everyone in school is being too serious about school and college like they wouldn’t succeed if they fail a test or something like that. I should have created a more stable relationship between my school work and having fun.

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Ai Tulayathun WAgeningen university: food technology

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Which university/college are you planning to go to? What are you planning to study? I’m planning to study Food Technology at Wageningen University, which is in the Netherlands. Why are you choosing to major in Food Technology and what made you apply to Wageningen University? I guess it all begins with my passion for food. It’s such a relevant topic but there are so many ways the whole food production system could improve, like reducing its impacts on the environment and making food more nutritious and accessible for people. And I love science a lot too, so that’s a plus. For the university, I did apply to a few, but Wageningen really stood out to me because the program involves a lot of research and the whole university is really focused on science and the environment, which I think fits me well. What are things you are excited about? I’m really excited to meet people from diverse backgrounds who are passionate about the same things as me. Moving to a city I’ve never been to and biking a lot also sounds super exciting! What was the application process like for you (challenges, things you learned)? My application process was actually really easy and chill. I just had to submit some scores and answer a quick “Matching” questionnaire, which apparently is required for all Dutch universities. One thing I learned is that it is so important to start searching for programs and requirements early. My program required very specific AP scores, and if I had not started looking and planning since my sophomore year, I wouldn’t have taken all the AP exams in time. Advice for the underclassmen? Again, start searching early. It’s okay if you don’t know where you want to go, but having a general guideline for what classes to take is always helpful. Also, don’t feel like you have to take all the APs because there’s a good chance that you’re not gonna need all of them. The earlier you know what is required the more freedom you have in your high school schedule.

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JAMIE LIN

NAtional taiwan university: Finance

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Congratulations on National Taiwan University! What helped you to choose this university and studying Finance? They have programs for overseas Taiwan students to apply, so I did. I chose finance as one of the majors I was interested in, and the uni said ‘ok, in you go.’ So I took it, haha. Besides studying your major, what is another thing you’re excited to learn about in university? I’m excited to learn how disastrous it’ll be for me to live by myself. Also, I’m excited to join the clubs offered at my uni. What things are you looking forward to in becoming a more independent adult? Definitely having more freedom with basically all aspects of my life and experimenting with a change of pace in my daily life. Looking back on your college application process, what advice would you like to give to underclassmen? Start early. Procrastinating is so much more fun when there is no heavy stare from your college deadline constantly looming behind you. What are you scared about going into college? Leaving everything I’m with familiar behind. My friends are dispersed throughout the world and my family will still be in Thailand. I’d feel kinda intimidated in such a new environment. I cant help it, I’m still a baby.

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Anakin Krisanamis waseda: mechanical engineering

Congratulations on Waseda! What helped you to choose this university and studying Mechanical Engineering? The location of the university is in Tokyo, and I’ve always wanted to be an engineer since I was a kid, so it was a perfect fit for me. Besides studying your major, what is another thing you’re excited to learn about in university? I’m excited to learn Japanese. What things are you looking forward to in becoming a more independent adult? Living alone and managing my own money. Looking back on your college application process, what advice would you like to give to underclassmen? I think it’s not all about grades and SAT scores, but your reference letters and personal statements.

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Gap year

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Peam Sirisereewattana Gap year

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How did you decide you wanted to do a gap year?

Originally, it was due to our lovely 2019 Virus. I’d hoped that the Pandemic would be over by now because I felt that studying abroad isn’t worth it if I’m glued to my screen (especially since I want to study Theatre). However, as I realized that this was a pertinent issue, I still decided to go with a gap year. I felt that I wanted time to extend my portfolio and explore what career I wanted to pursue.

What are your plans for your gap year?

For now, I want to find an internship related to Theatre. My goal is also to branch out to a more professional scale. I can’t say much yet because my contract hasn’t been sealed, but perhaps you’ll see me around more often than you think.

Do you have any college plans for after?

Certainly! If given the chance, I’d love to study abroad. Of course, I can’t say where exactly as it would be unfortunate if I jinxed my chances.

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How did you decide you wanted to do a gap year? Because I realized pretty late that I want to study technical theatre in college, especially in the field of stage management, I knew that I needed to gain more experience for an impressive college portfolio. And considering the outbreak of COVID virus in Europe, I decided that it would be best to take a gap year next year and dedicate my time on learning the complex mechanisms of real theatre work and explore my passions as an artist and as a stage manager. What are your plans for your gap year? One of my biggest plans for next year is to voluntarily work for the ICS Department of Dramatic Arts and gain the experience I need for my upcoming college years. I might do volunteer work at other theaters in Bangkok as well. Do you have any university plans for after? Nothing is set in stone at the moment, but I know for certain that I will do my studies in Europe, not only because Europe is well-known for quality theatre schools and broadway-level theatrical productions, but also because it has been one of my biggest dreams since I was young. 46

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PIM UNHasuta Gap year

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Exam Tips:

The Pomodoro Technique Written by David Bang

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Exam season is upon us with APs, Finals, and SATs. As this difficult, stressful, and busy time looms ahead, we have to take responsibility for ourselves and make study schedules to help prepare us. There isn’t anyone telling us what to do or how to study, so it makes sense for anyone to get burned out and not know how to continue studying effectively. Thankfully, there are multiple tested methods to guide us along the way! This time, I’ll be specifically covering the Pomodoro Technique, otherwise known as the 25-5 or 50-10. It’s a great skill to master and will help in life, no matter the season.

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They say the secret to life is thinking in tomatoes. That’s right, tomatoes. Pomodoro is ‘tomato’ in Italian, and it helps you to manage your time in bite-sized tomatoes that you can easily achieve, instead of long multiple-hour sessions. It’s the perfect technique for people who are easily distracted, those who do better when they turn work into gamified goals, and those who seem to have lots of open-ended work.

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Here is the basic rundown of it: 1. Combine all your work into categories (such as by subject) or tasks (such as by project or essay). 2. Set a 25 minute timer OR 50 minute timer. a. 25 minutes for people who get distracted easily, 50 minutes for tasks you wanna complete asap and don’t burn you out. 3. Work on just that task until the time is up; if you finish early, then move onto another task in the same category or another small task. 4. Take a 5 minute break (if you set a 25 minute timer) OR a 10 minute break (if you set a 50 minute timer). 5. Set the timer again and go onto the next category or task (even if you didn’t finish the last one). 6. Every 4 Pomodoros, take a longer 15-30 minute break (recommended to walk around and get the blood flowing or talk to friends to have a social laugh).

That’s it! This is a very easy method to use and will help a ton with feeling productive and saving time. You can also cycle between types of tasks, like working on Math, then Science, then Math again, but make sure not to do 2 of the same category in a row because it contributes to burnout, and going between types of tasks can help keep the mind at its peak.

It also helps to think of each study-break cycle as a tomato you’re eating. You take 25 minutes to chew, then 5 minutes of letting it go down and settle before eating the next tomato. How many tomatoes will you eat by the end of the day? 4? 8? It’s a lot easier to continue doing work if you think, “Oh, I’ve done 4 Pomodoros,” than to think, “Oh, I’ve done 2 hours.” 4 Pomodoros feel like 4 tasks, whereas 2 hours is just a blob of unrecognizable time. I hope this helps you continue to be successful and take your time to the fullest! Of course, if you really wanna get in the hang of the Pomodoro Technique, make sure you practice a few days for you to ease into it! Good luck studying!

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Capstone

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Teaching Tubs: Sustainable Education By: Asia Perera

We’ve heard so many amazing things about your capstone project! How would you briefly summarize it? I created a science education system for migrant children at Construction of Hope. The main goal was to give the younger children the opportunity to learn from organized educational resources and for this system to be used on a long-term basis. What made you interested in this topic? What part of your capstone were you less interested in? I was interested in this topic because of my own passion for science and learning about the environment. I wouldn’t say I was less interested, but I was definitely more nervous about making sure this was a system that worked for very young kids. What have you learned from completing your capstone? What skills do you think you can take into the future? I learned a lot about time management and being realistic with my expectations. I think these are skills that I will be able to use a lot going into my college years. What is the most special memory you have of your project? The best part of the project for me was when I got to see the system in use and seeing how curious and eager to learn the kids were. Any advice or any regrets you’d like to share with the underclassmen? Start your project as early as possible and don’t slack off on the papers, haha!

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period poverty and practical products By: Lyla Yuvaboon

We’ve heard so many amazing things about your capstone project! How would you briefly summarize it? So basically, I fundraised to provide underprivileged orphaned girls with reusable menstrual products. I also taught them a bit about menstrual health and hygiene. What made you interested in this topic? What part of your capstone were you less interested in? I was interested in this topic because it’s an issue that is often stigmatized and not really talked about. After researching and implementing my solution, I realized that this real-world problem could be easily fixed if there was just more awareness around the issue. I just felt like I had the responsibility to raise awareness within my community since nobody really knows about it. What have you learned from completing your capstone? What skills do you think you can take into the future? I was definitely less interested in the writing parts of the capstone. The action and presenting parts were actually kind of enjoyable in a way, but the writing was pretty stressful because I didn’t manage my time that well. Whenever I ran into different issues or problems and managed to solve them, I’d realize that I could’ve done a better job if I just managed my time better so I could put the best quality of effort into my work. Capstone also was a really great reminder of the consequences of procrastination. I think capstone strengthened my creativity and presentation skills. I had to think creatively not only for my booth setup but also for different ideas and solutions. The presentation part was also helpful because it helped strengthen a skill that most people would probably have to use in the future. What is the most special memory you have of your project? Explaining what periods were to middle school boys, haha! Any advice or any regrets you’d like to share with the underclassmen? The CSP project itself isn’t hard, you just have to organize time well and figure out how to balance it with everything else. You can have fun with it if you know what you doing. Also, don’t get too stressed whenever Mr. Mike posts something on google classroom. It seems like a lot of detail and stuff at first but it really isn’t. 56

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MENDING CLOTHES TO MENDING LIVES By: David Bang We’ve heard so many amazing things about your capstone project! How would you briefly summarize it? I taught sewing, mending, and embroidery at Construction of Hope to elementary/middle school kids. Over covid, there were fewer clothes donations, and so the need for clothes was more prevalent than ever to these poor kids at the youth center. Because no one knew how to mend clothing properly, and because they didn’t have any materials, clothes that ripped were scrapped. So I taught this vital skill and also donated an industrial sewing machine and a bunch of sewing materials. What made you interested in this topic? What part of your capstone were you less interested in? I already love sewing and embroidery, so this was easy to enjoy teaching. It was super helpful to start a project related to this, but making lesson plans and figuring out the technicalities of what I’m teaching was more stressful than anything. What is the most special memory you have of your project? I loved the embroidery aspect of my project, and I loved the creations I made with the kids. They learned to embroidery words and create intricate images with basic stitches. It’s so amazing what people can come up with creativity if they have the right skills and materials. Any advice or any regrets you’d like to share with the underclassmen? Don’t let circumstances drag your project down. With covid, my first project ideas were ruined, but I learned to turn this hindrance into a guideline for what I could do.

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apr-may 2021

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STORYTIME WITH

MR. NOAH Interviewed by Amy Jain Photos by Arm Muadthong

apr-may 2021

Can you tell us a little about yourself? Yes! Of course! So I’m Mr.Noah, I’ve been teaching for 14 years now and I've spent my whole adult life in Asia and I love teaching and working with students… it’s been good fun so far! If you could describe yourself in 1 word, what would it be? Hmm.. that’s a tough question - maybe, like, bizarre? Favorite food? There’s a restaurant in Hong Kong called Amaroni’s and they have this AMAZING ravioli with creamy tomato sauce that is the best thing ever and I miss it so much! Cereal before or after milk? I do my cereal before milk. Otherwise, you make a mess. Pineapple on pizza? That’s evil. I don't even understand why people do that. It's ridiculous. It's like going to a hotel and being told you have breakfast sausage, and it's a hot dog. Like, that's not a sausage! And then when you throw a thousand island dressing on top of it… that's a cardinal sin to pizza. Just no.

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So now that we’re on the topic of food, is there any food-related story about yourself that you would like to share? Hmm, so I’ve had a lot of bad experiences with dentists... When I moved back here in 2005, I found out the dentists in Thailand were a lot cheaper than in America. So one day I had a toothache and needed a crown, so I went over to the dentist, and he just looks at me and says... “Ok! Gold crown!” And I say, alright, I'll buy a gold crown, not realizing that these are twice as expensive, and so now I've just got suckered into buying this crown. So then a week later I show up to get the crown and I'm sitting in the chair and the dentist is measuring the crown/popping it off/measuring it, and all of a sudden he drops the crown down my throat (and this is before they used to make you put on the dam) so I sit up and start choking on it -- and in the process of setting up... I swallow the crown! So now the dentist is sitting there just shocked and looking at me… and all I could think to say was, “Dude, I swallowed it.” And the dentist looks at me, shocked, doesn't know what to do, and he says, “No you didn't.” and so he lays me down and continues to probe my mouth with his hands. Obviously, he can't find the crown so he gets on the phone and calls a friend who is a surgeon. So now the surgeon says, “Since he's swallowed it, he might have to get surgery but… See if he can cough it up first?” So the dentist gets off the phone, and he proceeds to tell me that I need to throw up the crown into the sink.

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apr-may 2021

covid-19 update Written by Emily Rubio

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Thailand is in the grips of its third wave of Covid-19. As of April 23, Thailand’s Ministry of Public Health reported a daily high of 2,070 Covid-19 infections — Thailand’s highest ever daily record. From Bangkok to Chiang Mai to Chonburi, its spread is not only rapid but lethal, bringing a rising nationwide death toll of 121 deaths (Bangkok Post, 2021). Many point to the slow roll-out and limited quantity of vaccines as the main culprit to Thailand’s worst surge in Covid-19 cases. As of today, only about 0.1% percent of Thailand’s population is fully vaccinated. That’s a total of 94,385 fully vaccinated people in a country of around 70 million people. This incredibly delayed procedure is directly causing a nationwide health crisis. As of right now, the Thai government is attempting to procure the possible vaccines: Russia’s Sputnik V, China’s Convidecia and Sinopharm’s vaccines, India’s Covaxin, and the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine (Thai PBS world, 2021). Though the rollout rate may be alarming considering the worldwide percentage of the vaccinated population is 2.8%, the government plans to have 35 million people vaccinated by the end of this year (Thaiger, 2021). Though vaccines may be a reason for Thailand’s worst wave of coronavirus, variants of the coronavirus are another logical explanation for the recent extreme surges not only in Thailand but India and worldwide. The UK variant of Covid-19, also known as the B1.1.7 variant, was found in early April of this month in the Thong Lor bars. In fact, Studies found that this strain is 43-90% more likely to spread than others (Ministry of Public Health). Furthermore, according to the director of the Centre of Excellence in Clinical Virology, this strain spreads “1.7 times quicker than the normal strain.” And quite evidently, with the rising cases, his statement has remained true (Bangkok Post, 2021). Until this fatal surge is over, we will have to deal with both its short-term and long-term consequences. In the long run, the greater the spread, the greater the likelihood of a new, stronger variant. We need to stay safe and protected to get through this pandemic together.

Works Cited: Bangkok Post. “Covid Cases Top 2,000 a Day, 4 Deaths.” 23 April 2021, 13:04. Bangkok Post. “UK Covid-19 Strain in Thong Lor Cluster.” 7 April 2021. Department of Disease Control. “ The Coronavirus Disease 2019 Situation.” 14 April 2021. Thaiger. “Thailand to Purchase Additional 35 Million Doses of the Covid-19 Vaccine.” 21 April 2021. Thai PBS World. “Thailand's Vaccine Shopping List as COVID Surges.” 18 April 2021. apr-may 2021

congratu

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on all acceptance

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ulations

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es, class of 2021!

apr-may 2021

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April - May Issue 2021

Articles inside

Gap Year

Thailand Acceptances

Various Countries Acceptances

Usa/Canada Acceptances