1 2nd ISSUE
April 29th, 2013
Int’l Comm unity School
The Quill Current Events Malala Yousafzai's ideals of equality can't be stopped by mere bullets. Neither can she. Cont. p.3
Interview with the Kongton Sisters Read on p.6
Nefarious: ICS Joins The Global Fight on Slavery The mark of slavery is to have a price, and that price is costing the world millions of women and children. On Wednesday of April 16th, ICS students joined the global abolitionist movement with the screening of the acclaimed documentary ‘Nefarious: Merchant of Souls’ Continued p.2
Trend Report “A woman with beautiful shoes is never ugly.” Cont. p.5
First Edition of Dear Shirley! Ask her a question! Find out more on p.3
Waikay’s Corner: A Critique on Cinderella Did the fairy godmother's magic run out before midnight on ICS's production of Cinderella? Read on p.7
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Nefarious: ICS Joins The Global Fight on Slavery Suntiparp Somsak (Khem)
To many, it wouldn’t come as a surprise to hear that the world’s third largest trade industry lies in the sales of sex. The world had become so saturated with sex – from the media to our mentality – that it isn’t hard to conjure the mechanics of the process. A client comes in, gets his service, gives the money – simple enough, right? Only its not. Beneath that veil of casual immorality lies an entire ocean, an entire system, of mental and physical torture that involves millions of victims and billions of dollars. Legal authorities alone cannot stop it. It takes the entire planet’s awareness and active participation. That’s where ‘Nefarious’ comes in – a message from survivors of the sex trade to us – the world. ICS chose to screen the movie not only to raise aid
funds but also to awaken us to the reality that the dark stain of slavery never really disappeared – legally, maybe, but throughout the world millions are still being dehumanized every second of their every day. The hour-and-a-half screening was a deeply emotional, even spiritual, moment for the audience. “I think everyone teared up at some point,” said Passaca, “We saw what the victims went through, and the pain seemed so very real”. The crowd that left the PAC was noticeably less cheerful than the one that filled it, but by the end one heartwarming message stands clear: the horror of sex slavery is real, but the redemptive love of Jesus is even bigger and infinitely more powerful.
Pearl Tang
Question: What is broken every time it is spoken? Question: I am the past, future, and present. I’ve been here since the beginning and will be here till the end. If you don’t take me seriously, it may be too late. What am I? Question: Which room would be the safest? Room 1 is filled with guys with loaded guns. Room 2 is filled with cheetahs that haven't eaten for months. Room 3 is filled with razor sharp blades. Question: There was an airplane crash, every single person died, but two people survived. How is this possible? Question: Name all the numbers from 1 - 100, which have the letter 'A' in their spellings? Question: Which one is correct? "Penguins flies" or "A Penguin flies"
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How can I manage my time so that I can get good grades and be able to participate in afterskl activities? The main thing is to be organized. This may sound silly, but GET A DAILY PLANNER. It will save a lot of grief by preventing any missed homework, and it will show you clearly how much you need to do and in what amount of time so that you know when and if you are free for club and sports activities. Another important thing is to PRIORITIZE. Place your schoolwork first, afterschool activities second, and time wasting third. Remember, Facebook will still be there after you’re done with your work. Should I take AP World? This very much depends on what type of student you are. AP World History demands a large amount of your time, most of it for reading (this class will definitely be easier if you are a proficient English speaker). The projects assigned to you in this course are designed to challenge you and to prepare you for college, and essays take on a whole new level in difficulty. If you’re considering signing up for AP World, you need to be prepared to do a lot of reading. How to make studying for a test easier? The hardest thing about studying is always staying concentrated. So make things easier for yourself by CLEARING AWAY ALL DISTRACTIONS. Remove all computers, phones, and slinkies from your sight. You can also give yourself a schedule. Concentrate only on studying for 20-30 minutes, and then you can reward yourself with a snack, or a 10-minute break. But remember to time yourself on these breaks, otherwise you might get too carried away and lose all your study time. Why is the sky blue? Because we broke up and it's still not over me yet. Okay, serious answer. You can thank Raleigh scattering for the blueness of the sky. Since the sky (really, the atmosphere) is made of gas particles which trap and absorb the shorter wavelengths of light—such as the blue light—while most of the longer wavelengths pass right through, generally unaffected. The absorbed blue light is then scattered in all directions, making it so that no matter where you look at sky from, some of the scattered blue light will reach your eyeballs and your brain will think, “Oh, blue!” and that is why you perceive the sky as blue. .
Current Events Kitty Rodcharoen
Even today, educational rights are still not given to everyone – women are still neglected in many countries located in the Middle East, specifically in Pakistan. Tensions arise when valorous 15-year-old Malala Yousafzai from Pakistan stood up for her right to receive an education but was prevented to do so by the Taliban who shot her in the head on her way home from school. At the age of 11, she initially gained her stature when she started a blog for the BBC for 10 weeks under a fake name describing her life under the harsh rule of the Taliban. As she gained more prominence, she kept on speaking out against the strict Taliban rule. But on October 9 2012, Malala was shot in the
head and neck on her way back home from school. Soon after, Malala was taken under care and was later flown to the United Kingdom for a reconstruction of her damaged skull. Malala has been nominated for numerous prizes, including the International Youth Peace Prize and the Nobel Peace Prize in 2011 and 2013 respectively. She is currently the youngest nominee yet for this. Back in 2011, she also received Pakistan’s inaugural National Youth Peace Prize. Currently, Malala is attending a school in the United Kingdom, and the Malala Fund was established to give education to girls all over the world.
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Open Opinions
by: Win Leelamanthep
Question 1: Tumblr, Twitter, or Facebook? According to Wikipedia, Tumblr is a blogging platform that allows users to post text, images, videos, links, quotes and audio to their tumblelog; Twitter is an online social networking service and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based messages of up to 140 characters; and Facebook is a social networking website launched in February 2004 that is operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc.. Out of the thirteen replies, four voted for Tumblr while the rest voted for Facebook. Surprisingly, nobody voted for Twitter. According to the poll, an assumption that the majority of the student body uses Facebook, a group of students use Tumblr, while rarely anybody uses Twitter. According to Asia, Facebook is the most popular among the three. However, Twitter is also popular among celebrities and teenagers. Question 2: Twihard or Belieber? A Twihard is described as a super fan of the Twilight Saga. A Belieber is described as one who idolizes American teenage superstar, Justin Bieber. There were fifteen replies to this question, none of which supported Twilight. Two of the nine supported Justin Bieber while thirteen said they did not care. According to this poll, we can assume that the majority of the student body does not care about Twilight or Justin Bieber. Kitty, a freshman, agrees to this assumption. According to Mint, a sophomore, the result may or may not be true. She believes that it truly depends on each person's preference. Question 3: Macs or PCs? According to Wikipedia, Mac (Macintosh) is a line of PCs designed, developed, and marketed by Apple Inc.; a PC is a general personal computer. Theoretically, a Mac is a type of PC. However, when people say PC, they mean computers that run on any software but the Apple’s OS X. Out of the 23 replies, 17 believe that PCs are better than Macs. The rest said that Macs are better. From that, we can infer that most people believe that PC is a better option. Question 4: Which is more important, inner or outer beauty? Outer beauty is one’s appearance while inner beauty is one’s personality. Out of the 16 replies, all believed that inner beauty is all that matters. From that, we can infer that the majority, if not all, of the student body values inner beauty much more than outer beauty. In direct opposition, Jung, a senior believes that the most people would value outer beauty. He said that people only say so because they are taught so. Backing up his opinion, he stated that most people would not say how his/her girl/boyfriend are nice to them, but say that she/he is hot. He also said that less than 10% of people value inner beauty more, plus saying, “[To] tell u the truth, I admit that I am an outside beauty person.” Question 5: Blackberries, iPhones, or Androids? All of the choices listed are phones. Out of the 18 replies, 2 people voted for Blackberries, one voted for iPhones, while the rest thought that there are better alternatives, thus referring to Androids. From that, we can assume that the most popular phone in the community is any Android phone, following by Blackberries. The least used phone would be the iPhone. According to Ik Chan, a freshman, he believes that the results are untrue, stating that most people, even him, would want an iPhone.
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The Novel of The Year: The Fault in Our Stars Amanda DeWit
John Green’s novel, The Fault In Our Stars, is a must-read. This book rose to #1 on the Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble bestseller lists in June 2011 shortly after its title was announced. It also gained ranks on several bestseller lists: It reached #1 on the Wall Street Journal and number #9 on The Bookseller. It was also named the New York Times Book Review Editor’s Choice. As of January 2013, there were nearly one million copies of the novel in print. The Fault In Our Stars has received affirmative reviews from critics. The New York Times’ review of the book called it “a blend of melancholy, sweet, philosophical and funny.” Amazon.com describes the novel as “insightful, bold, irreverent, and raw” and that this is Green’s “most ambitious and heartbreaking work yet.” The Fault In Our Stars was truly a triumph for John Green. I have read an abundance of books in my past years, but this certainly has to be one of my all time favorites – which isn’t something that I can often say about very
Trend Report
many books. It is an achingly beautiful story. There are times when you’ll want to laugh at the dry humor and other times when you’ll want to bawl your eyes out. It’s about star-crossed lovers, Hazel and Augustus, who meet at a support group for terminally ill teenagers. They have both already stared death in the face and come to accept its reality, however, in each other they find a reason to live out their remaining days with passion and purpose. This is a beautifully written novel, and there is not much to complain about in terms of style, plot, character, etc. It’s a story about chance and choice, too tragic to be comedic and too funny to be sad. It’s definitely a tearjerker in the end. Thus I recommend that you pick up your own tear-stained, dog-eared copy of The Fault In Our Stars and fall in love, cry, and learn from all the trials and tribulations that come with dying…and of course, living.
by: Alisha Phichitsingh
Coco Chanel once said, “A woman with beautiful shoes is never ugly.” Numerous students have been spotted around ICS wearing flats with cutouts on the sides. Flats are the most worn type of shoes at our school. However, a new style of flats has emerged! As the seasons change and spring arrives, bright playful colors are now in once again. In addition to being one of the most comfortable and stylish shoes that would match perfectly with basically any outfit, flats are also ICS appropriate! Due to the fact that our uniform is plain and classy, it is easy to style with gorgeous colored flats. These shoes have been seen in countless designs worn by ICS students, for example, flats with studs, buttons, bows, animal prints, and all that jazz. So guys, it’s time to get stylish with crazy colored flats!
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Interview With the Kongton Sisters Arb Kasemsantitham and Leah Robinson
Q: Who is your favorite teacher? Why? Mint: My favorite teacher is Ms. Julia because she's crazy and fun! I just love her! Mild: Mr. Jeremy because he is such a fun and great teacher! Q: What is the highlight of your ICS year so far? Mint: It has to be the winter dance; it was just awesomeeeee! I enjoyed it. :)) Mild: The highlight of this year so far has to be the 417,000,000 baht gym! Q: Do you prefer chocolate or cheese? Mint: CHEESE, I love the taste and the pronunciation of it (C-H-E-E-S-E). Wahahahha so cool, right?! Plus, they make my armpits smell good- jokes. (funny huh? ) Mild: Definitely cheese, because it makes my sister's armpit smell so .........................-you get want I mean. Q: If u had to choose one, would you kick a puppy or take a lolly from a child? Mint: Take a lolly from a child, because I just love to torture kids. I feel so evil right now. Mild: I would kick a puppy, but I have no idea why I chose this. Q: How many languages can you say “hello” in? Mint: 3- English, Thai and Mandarin (For example: Ms.Julia - NI HAO) Mild: I can speak 5 languages (English, Thai, Mandarin, Korean and Japanese) Q: Mayonnaise or ketchup? Mint: Ketchup! Because they're reddddd! Mild: I prefer ketchup as well, because they’re tasty. Q: Which city is the most beautiful? Mint: Errr, I can't think of one. •____• Mild: The most beautiful city has to be Maldives. Q: 1D or The Wanted? Mint: 1D of course because my future husband is in it. Mild: 1D because they are all so handsome. Q: If you were a super hero what powers would you have? Mint: Definitely teleportation. Mild: I want to be invincible and be able to see the future. Q: If you could go back in time to change one thing what would it be? Mint: I would change my nickname because it’s just too common. Mild: My face. Q: Which came first, the egg or the chicken? Mint: The chicken came first because I said so. Mild: Of course the egg came first. Q: If you were granted three wishes what would they be? Mint: I would ask for infinity wishes, to be successful in life, and be immortal. Mild: To get into a good university, marry a millionaire, and become thinner. Q: Who is the most beautiful or handsome celebrity in your opinion? Mint: Louis from One Direction of course. He is just perfect. Mild: I would say Emma Stone. Q: If today were to be your last day on Earth, how would you spend it and why? Mint: I would eat everything! And I don't have to worry about gaining weight anymore. Mild: I would spend my last day with my family.
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Waikay’s Corner: A Critique of Cinderella Young Kwang Shin
The school makes some good musicals. I mean GREAT musicals. Perhaps this perception is the unwanted child of biases formed because of my involvement with the orchestra, but seeing that one of my main objectives as a musician is remain productive in the darkness, there’s something more to what I perceive as quality in these shows. Cinderella joins the proud ensemble of musicals that concluded with great applause - but understandably with some flaws. Actually, there seems to be slightly more flaws in this well-known fairy tale. However, I think they aren’t endemic to the musical, but are correctible flaws that, once rectified, take ICS drama to the next level of showmanship. With this hope, I present my belated review. First, let me tell you what stood out to me. The songs, contrary to my expectations, are legitimately contagious and fitting. Suehee submits an impressive performance as per norm (as it seems) as Cinderella. The monarchs have their chuckles, and the dances remain creative throughout. Oh, and the stepsister who wanted to be a lawyer? Fantastic. She basically has monopoly over the comedy of the production. But herein lies the first problem: that’s it. The other characters, as they are in the fairy tale, receive the short end of the stick and slips into oblivion. After the curtain closes, no one will talk of what an interesting character the Prince was. Or marvel at the breathtaking footwork of the chefs. The setting of the fifties, though original in its own right, has been done to death in past musicals (Singing in the Rain, White Christmas, and even a play - It’s a Wonderful Life.) and does not budge the response of the avid ICS musical-watcher. My biggest concern is the dramatic element of the plot. The crew was given the opportunity
to present their take on the well-known fairy tale. Yet the drama is replaced with predictable progression and predictable progression with...a bit more of the same. Cinderella’s ascent as a butterfly loses all impact if she does not undergo great hardship as a caterpillar. Yet we see her, supposedly being abused by her oppressive family, in full make up and somehow seeming more beautiful than her well-tended sisters. The supposed abuse is simply expressed with just volume rather than bitter words, and developing sympathy seems to not be an option. Also, at the climax, the whole musical seems to leave it to sheer luck that the Prince and Cinderella met once more rather than her taking the glass shoe that didn’t fall off, matching hers with the one the Prince has, and taking a stand for her miracles in the faces of her cruel family, as in the fairy tale. All of this is traded for an abrupt wedding scene that ultimately amounts to only an end, not a conclusion. Not even the good Godmother’s magic can make this fair. Overall, the production was worth watching. Being the by-the-book production as it was, it was a faithful rendition (of the Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella) and an enjoyable showcase of skills. Yet I did exit the PAC feeling slightly disappointed, because I know occasions like this that allow so much room for creativity do not pass the crew by often. Yet simultaneously I understand the technical constraints and executing such an aggressive plot with limited resources. In addition, I cannot help but feel that this sort of vacancy is telling of the degree of endearment this musical attained at my deepest level - because I care, I criticize. It’s the unspoken truth that empowers the critic.
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Quotes & Factoids
by: Pearl Tang
Have something on your mind? Need someone to consult? Ask Shirley a question! If you would like to submit a question, just visit the newspaper’s Facebook page for more info! Remember, all submissions are anonymous! EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Will Leelamanthep WRITERS: Arb Kasemsantitham, Kitty Rodcharoen, Win Leelamanthep, Suntiparp Somsak (Khem), Alisha Phichitsingh, Young Kwang Shin, Leah Robinson, Amanda DeWit, “Shirley” EDITORS: Poom Sethabutr, Prim Thientanukij, Young Kwang Shin PHOTOGRAPHER / EAGLES EXTRAVANGANZA: Pearl Tang, Pat Chitnuchtaranon POLLS: Grace Hsieh FACEBOOK MANAGER: Grace Hsieh GRAPHICS AND LAYOUT DESIGNER: Teak Pornyuenyong, Prang Sawasdee ADVISER: Ms. Lissa Scott