Quill
The
Thundering Thrills of Thai Day Does the show really leave behind a smile for everyone? Join us on an epic adventure as we explain the Thrills of the Siam culture! BY
Keshav Garg
March 2014
The Quill
Letter from the Editor Dear readers, March is a busy month here at ICS, with the various tests all crammed in one day due to the smoke days and other activities going on in the campus like the intramurals, Thai day, and preparation for banquet. It may perhaps be tiring for many of us, specifically for the seniors, who must also wait anxiously for the decision by the colleges that will change their lives forever. The busyness and chaos does not only exist in our school, but also in the heart of Bangkok and in the world (Crimea & Ukraine). As the election in Thailand comes up and the tense state of the protests continue, it’s important to keep up with the political situation and just continue to be safe! In the midst of this craziness, many of us did manage to get past the stress and the chaos in order to grab success. First and foremost, several groups of ICS students representing in the History Bowl Regional Round at NIST brought back victories along with dignity and prestige for the entire school. In the meantime, the Varsity Basketball girls received the 2nd place in the tournament in Taiwan. Aside from success in tournaments, we also have a story of a victory that will unfold for years after. The Quill would like to proudly present the journey of success of a to-be-U-Penn student, Big, in an interview with him in this edition’s Senior Session. To those still fighting for success, just hang in there. Success is not too far away. As Vince Lombardi once said, “The price of success is hard work, dedication to the job at hand, and the determination that whether we win or lose, we have applied the best of ourselves to the task at hand.” Quill-fully yours,
Will Leelamanthep
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AROUND WORLD the
4 Thundering Thrills
12 Alchemy
7 ICS Sets History for
LIFESTYLE
of Thai Day
the History Bowl 8 Eagle Eye
Science... or not...
13 Masquerade Ball Banquet is coming up!
Tammy Sririntrachai
OUROPINION
9 Senior Session Big Sae-Ung
ATHLETICS
10 ICS’s Girls Varsity 11 The Girls are Back
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14 Crimea and Punishment Crimea from Vladimir Putin’s views.
15 The Little Bunny with Red Eyes
Basketball Team
2nd Place in 2014 Taiwan ACSC Tournament
March 2014
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The Quill
Contents
Volume 1 Issue 6 March 2014
7
in Town
High School Girls Soccer Intramural
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EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Will Leelamanthep
ADVISOR
Ms. Lissa Scott
LAYOUT DESIGNER Pann Sermchaiwong Surawut Withayarukson
PHOTOGRAPHERS Pann Sermchaiwong Surawut Withayarukson Time Chaiteerath
EDITORS
Young Kwang Shin Poom Sethabutr Prim Thientanakij Khem Somsak
WRITERS
Keshav Garg Fayfay Prasutchai Poon Vorapanyaskul Leah Robinson Grace Hsieh Poom Chiarawongse Alisha Phichitsingh Khem Somsak Gid Jiranuntarat 0 3
AROUNDICS THUNDERING THRILLS OFThai Day By
Keshav Garg
The Quill
March 2014
This March kicked-off with an explosive event: Thai Day. The event is hosted annually and was prefaced this year with the King’s Anthem followed by the Thai National Anthem. It is an event many wait for, but for some it is a game of cat and mouse. This writer personally enjoyed observing the exquisite Thai costumes and witnessing the selfies. This writer sincerely hopes the reader too will enjoy this short comedy! My day started out with a bland morning. However, as the day progressed more and more cases of humour began to rocket in my periphery. One instance was what this writer personally calls the cat-and-mouse case. From hearsay, it was mandatory for all Thai students to dress up in traditional Thai costumes. However, many of this writer’s Thai friends were not dressed up in Thai costumes. When asked why, they told me their bets were on to evade their khrus in school. Even though their boldness could cost them 10 points of their Thai grade, many of them took the chance and successfully escaped.
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pushed into the crowded PAC. The blue seats suddenly reminded him of a comfortable bed and the dimmed lights made it the perfect environment to take a small nap. The chit-chatting took place for about 15 minutes until it was briefly interrupted by the greetings from the infamous ICS microphone, once more proving this writer’s contention that the
March 2014
ought just be held after school and really shouldn’t be obligatory. Although it was a good thought, the writer skeptically replied by noting how nobody would choose to attend by free will. Fortunately, by the end of the day this was proven wrong. The writer was tired and sleepy by the end of the 5th period when he was unwillingly
AROUNDICS
As the long morning continued, this writer came to learn of the shortened periods. My initial reaction was one which avoided capture, even more so when it became clear that this writer would have less time to complete my biology test. The writer told one of his fellow peers about this incident, and he suggested the Thai day seminar
school needs to invest in its sound system. The opening ceremony started with the anthems and continued on to the Wai ceremonies. The writer has been part of such a ceremony in the past, and with all the honesty and courage he can gather up, he finds it a little bit over-dramatic (especially with the traditional Thai music in the background). As the show continued on, the usual Thai comedy started with a boy and a girl (one of whom was the translator). Due to the fact that the writer forgot his glasses in my locker, he was not able to identify almost anybody on the stage. Matters escalated when we were to watch the Thai dances. In addition to my bad eyesight, the layers of makeup created a roof on the dancers’ faces. Also, the glittering and shiny gold costumes didn’t seem to be much of a help. 0 5
March 2014
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Nevertheless, during the performances the writer experienced many moments of fun-turbulence (one of which was watching Min identify a floating market as an arcade in a jeopardy game). Though there were many ups and downs of Thai day, the writer’s biggest down was the time managment disorder. This
happens every year and creates a small grudge against the event. Anyways, the event was a great way to learn less in classes and learn more about Thai culture. Although the writer happily did not encounter too many selfie cases during the day, though after school his Instagram was inundated by the Thai art of selfies.
One wishes he could add more on this article, but also thinks it’s time to conclude this article here. He hopes these merry events continue to take place in ICS, and continue to add sparks to his life and yours. Anyhow, its time to say goodbye once again. Hopefully you all enjoy the rest of this magazine. God Bless!
AROUNDICS March 2014
ICS’s junior varsity devision team, winning first place.
ICS SETS HISTORY FOR THE History Bowl By
Haripoom Prasutchai
Bangkok’s first History Bowl was taken place at NIST, involving 18 teams from seven schools throughout the city. The competition was separated into two divisions: the History Bowl, and the History Bee. History Bowl is a team competition involving at most six people per team, with questions that involve historical knowledge, trivia, and pop culture, while the History Bee is an individual challenge. But what might seem as annoyingly boring to some individuals, this event was an intense face-off for history and trivia aficionados. Not only does it involve up-to-date knowledge of global news, the History Bowl required both wit and speed as the competitors needed to press the buzzer as fast as possible. ICS students have dominated the first History Bowl by winning first place in four out of six events in different divisions. Teams from ICS had triumphant results in both Bowl and
Bee. In the Middle School games, Arjav Sanghavi and Clarke Chen, two of ICS’ seventh graders, won first and second places for the History Bee. Eight ICS students, including two middle school teams, have also been qualified for the Asian Championships that will be held either in Hong Kong or Singapore. One of the teams, which consisted of seventh graders, namely Allan, Arjav, Clarke, Jan, and Punpun, was runner-up in the bowl, losing to the Regent’s Pattaya in the final round. The readers are entitled to a hundred baht cash prize, and to redeem the prize, text message to 0818895730 stating your homeroom and your name. In the Junior Varsity division, ICS’ JV team was the bowl’s champion, finishing with no losses! The team included six freshmen: FayFay, Gino, Keshav, New, Oscar, and Pann. Five freshmen and sophomore students were also qualified for the
History Bee Asian Championships (JV division). Regarding the Varsity division, ICS had an outstanding performance, with three students qualified for the Asian Championships. Khem Somsak was the History Bee champion, defeating a student from Ruamrudee. Winning first place, the team that included Khem, Pearl, Will, and Young Kwang, defeated teams from RIS, NIST, BPS, and lost to another team from ICS. Not only was the History Bowl an opportunity to show off knowledge and passion for history, it also served as an opportunity to bond as a team, and a preparation for future competitions. “We clearly won more than that plaque. I believe we also learned about teamwork and the consequences of procrastination,” commented Gino, a ninth grader who participated the JV division. 0
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March 2014
EAGLESEYE
Tammy Sririntrachai
with
BY
Poon Vorapanyasakul
Q: Congratulations on placing second in your ACSC tournament in Taiwan! How was it? Tammy: It was one interesting tournament. Even though we lost to Morrison in the finals, I feel like everyone played their hardest and it was one of the best games in our basketball season this year. Q: How many teams were there, and what nations were they from? Tammy: 8 including us: The Philippines, Malaysia, Hong Kong, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand (Bangkok and Chiang Mai), and Guam. 0 8
Q: What did you enjoy most about your experience in Taiwan? Tammy: Meeting new people, bonding together, and the night market. Q: What would you say was the most difficult part of this journey? Tammy: The 20-minute walk to and from school every day. Q: Twenty years from now, what do you think you would remember about this trip? Tammy: How we were able to keep up in the game against Morrison even when all the other teams were against us.
Q: If you could describe the ACSC tournament in one word, what would that word be? Tammy: Unforgettable Q: I’m sure you and your team bonded over this tournament; do you have anything to say to them? Tammy: I want to thank you guys for making it such a memorable trip for me. I had a ton of fun, especially during our team bonding night with the Mrs. game master ma’am and the animal faces (Tass) Also, thank you captains for such great leadership on and off the court throughout the season and also P’Candy for all the stats.
BY
Poon Vorapanyasakul
Q: Before we start, congratulations on getting into U Penn! Your parents must be so proud of you! What would you say is your inspiration or reason for choosing U Penn? Big: To be honest, I am not too sure about what I will be doing in the future, but I had taken my current interests into account when I chose Penn. I really enjoyed the sciences and the idea of applying such concepts in a real-world setting, and that’s what Penn really stands out to me as: an institution focused on practicality with an emphasis on individualized interdisciplinary studies. Basically, I could study whatever I wanted as long as I put in the effort.
Also, putting in some extra effort to take some additional AP exams is alright - as long as it’s something you’re actually interested in, that is.
Q: What will you be majoring in? Big: I am going to study in the Jerome Fisher Program which is a joint program between the Penn School of Engineering and Applied Sciences and the Wharton School. I plan to major specifically in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and Entrepreneurship.
Q: You’ve been here at ICS for many years. What would be your favorite memory of ICS? Big: In my thirteen years at ICS, the greatest memory I have at this school would be the senior trip on which the class of 2014 travelled to Kho Khood to spend time bonding together. From the start of freshman year, the class gradually grew more tightly knitted together, and I was overwhelmed to see how we finally became one single unit during the trip.
Q: Why did you choose this particular major? Big: I chose this program because it is a blend of my interests in the sciences and the important nuances of a businessoriented and economics-focused curriculum offered by Wharton. If I wanted to do something I was passionate about, I could be sure I would succeed in implementing it in the market. Q: Do you have any advices to give to your underclassmen regarding classes they should take in high school? Big: College admissions officers would most likely tell you to take all the rigorous courses your school has to offer, but I say you should take the courses that interest you and prove you a successful applicant in the path you desire to take.
Q: What about advices on achieving the desired SAT score or getting into the dream college? Big: Don’t worry too much about SAT scores. Your portfolio is what matters the most. Take part in extracurriculars. Start your own “passion project”. Show the colleges what you want to do and that you have already taken the first step towards it. Students usually worry too much about numbers on their records. Colleges want to see the qualities as leaders, thinkers, etc. that you show.
March 2014
with
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SENIOR Big Sae-Ung SESSION
Q: Lastly, what is the most important lesson you’ve learned at ICS? Big: The senior trip is a small example of what ICS emphasises well beyond enough: community. In the hallways, I am comforted by the presence of friends and fellow peers. In the classrooms, I am confident to ask for help from my teachers knowing fully well their willingness to help out. ICS has taught me to realize the importance of a larger community and knowing that fact I feel more assured and steadfast as I get ready to embark on my journey abroad.
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March 2014
The Quill
ATHLETICS
ICS’S GIRLS Varsity Basketball Team The ICS girl’s varsity basketball team has once again proven their mettle in yet another thrilling tournament— this time, in Taiwan. People often find playing on a different court somewhat disconcerting, or at least distracting, but even on foreign ground, these remarkable players managed to demolish their opponents and secure silver. The 2014 ACSC tournament, hosted by Taiwan’s Morrison Academy, cropped up not long after the girls captured their 3-peat champion title in the BISAC tournament, and the team definitely used the momentum from their earlier victory to steamroll the Taiwanese competition. At first glance, the ICS girls may have seemed like the underdogs of the tournament. The Sanchez sisters, as famous for their height as for their athleticism, became part of the majority in the sea of equally lofty 1 ladies. Despite their distinct height 0
disadvantage however, the ICS varsity basketball team rose to the challenge and dominated the physically daunting opposition, annihilating all the teams except for the ones at home, Morrison Academy. The multinational ACSC tournament welcomed players from Guam (Saint Paul Christian School), the Philippines (Faith Academy), Korea (YISS), Malaysia (DALAT), Hong Kong (ICS), and Chiang Mai (Grace Int’l School). ICS Bangkok played all of these schools (save ICS Hong Kong) in their eight games, winning five and losing three to Morrison, whom they played three times. The first game with Morrison Academy was a nail-biter, going into over time only for ICS to lose 46-48. The second and third games were just as intense, each time staying level with the opposition until the very end. The loss of gold proved to be rather disappointed for some players, but for
BY
Grace Hsieh
many players, these games were part of their best memories in Taiwan. Other fond memories were more centered on the team building aspect of the experience. One player says, “My favorite time has to be when we did team bonding late at night, that really helped us get to know each other more. Oh, and the long walks from the hotel to the school actually helped too, like we would play games and stuff to help pass the time.” Coincidentally, the “long walks from the hotel to the school” made it to the list of another player’s least favorite parts of the trip. All the players thoroughly enjoyed the heightened level of basketball provided at the ACSC tournament. Point Guard/Forward Sierra Sanchez, #12 says, “Going to Taiwan was an incredible experience. I had never been there before and was super excited to learn about a new culture. The basketball aspect of it was amazing!
great season. Winning a 3peat BISAC title, 1st in Pattaya, and 2nd in ACSC, is a pretty huge accomplishment. I’m pretty proud of our team, and it’s going to be weird not going to basketball practice everyday from now on. I’m definitely going to miss the seniors as they were such a huge part of the team, and I’m going to be sad to see them go.” Truly one of the most united and successful teams in ICS history, these girls will go down as one of the athletic greats of the school.
March 2014
we finished second, and it was a truly humbling experience. Not quite the ending we wanted to our season, but it was a good learning experience and I am using it to motivate me and prepare me for my up and coming college basketball career.” No matter how one looks at it, placing second in the final, most elite tournament of the season is a great way to end one as illustrious as theirs. The team unanimously agreed on the success that was the 2013-2014 varsity girl’s basketball season. One player issued a touching statement, “It was a
ATHELEICS
It was a very elite tournament with high-level players and competitive teams. It was probably the most intense and official tournament I have ever played in, and it felt like I was in America almost. As a team we learned and grew so much in that one week. After adapting to a shorter 3 point, we started taking advantage and finished as one of the best 3point shooting teams of the tourney.” She was less effusive about the outcome of the tournament, but still managed to keep a positive outlook, saying, “Even though we came in with high hopes,
High School boys’ intramural
THE GIRLS are Back in Town Balls flying through the air, pushing, shoving, arms waving, feet twirling, grunts, groans, glares, and stares. Oh yes, that’s right! The girls are back for the intramurals, this time with their own league! The support for the mixed intramural teams has been fantastic through the years; many students, friends, and grades have made teams together and have had great fun. Despite this, the girls needed a better opportunity to play harder games, because let’s be honest - us girls tend to go easy on the guys. On that note, the guys and some girls who still chose to play easy (for the guys’ sakes) or to play both leagues have been very entertaining and have been pitching in a great effort. Looking back on the first game the girls’ league played, we’re filled with memories of joy not just because the team I was in won of course, but because of the level of enjoyment experienced by the players. Yep that’s right, girls don’t always
have to preserve their nails, face, hair, and/or clothes. We can play a proper game of footy. After all, it’s easy to be competitive in both of the gender leagues, but at the end of the day, having fun is part of it too. Now, in the normal soccer season a girl will hit you in the face to grab the ball off of you while you continue gawping still amazed at what just happened! When you are up against friends and fellow students that you see everyday, they’ll still hit you in the face to get the ball, but they then stop to apologize for ten minutes while you steal the ball right back! Overall there is a more friendly, lighthearted feel especially because people are playing not just because they need the PE credit or because their friend is on the team, but because they want to try something new and have fun. For example a girl on my team who had never played soccer before stepped up to play goalie for our first game and aced it
BY
Leah Robinson
whilst enjoying herself too. Just recently it was international women’s day (don’t know what happened to international men’s day!?!) which reminded us that us women should be stepping up and creating new things for our fellow sisters! I mean guys have there supporters at their games, so why can’t we make our own and build a crowd too? Getting the teams together wasn’t easy, and after about 5 or 6 meetings it was nearly canceled, yet the girls who wanted it stuck with it and here we are playing our own league at the same time as the guys every week. All joking aside us girls probably do play somewhat differently with the guys, but why shouldn’t we open up two leagues so that everyone has an equal chance? This season of intramurals has been about new beginnings, perseverance, and fun so why not keep it going? Girls, let’s make ICS intramurals a female dominated event and show the guys what we’re really made of! 1
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The Quill
March 2014
AROUND the WORLD
ALCHEMY
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BY
Poom Chiarawongse
Its father is the sun, its mother is the moon. some mercury and commented on how good it tastes in one of his research The wind has born it in its belly. documents: “strong, sourish, ungrateful.” That man is inhuman. Its nurturer is the earth. It is doubtlessly a shame that Newton’s laboratory was set ablaze by It is the father of all perfection of all the his dog, Diamond. Twenty years of world and all its virtue is perfect. his research pertaining to alchemy was burned in a second among those flames. It is the Philosopher’s Stone, the It is speculated, therefore, that Newton Holy Grail of the ancient art of alchemy. Nicholas Flamel allegedly created it in the had much more influence in the field of fourteenth century. His name might ring a alchemy than what his recognition suggests. This peculiar little Stone promises bell if you have read Harry Potter. immortality. It possesses the power to turn If you want an archetypal alchemist, then you need not look very far metal into gold and, in rarer accounts, into the depths of history. Isaac Newton, a crystal into diamonds. It was also said man of God, a man of natural philosophy, to light inextinguishable flames, create and a man of mathematics was also a man homunculi, and revive dead plants. (Sorry of alchemy. When the man was bored with Batman, plants, not parents.) The summary of the Great Work the Bible, apples, and calculus, he devoted of alchemy that not even the Führer of himself to certain occult studies. His the Nerd Nation, Isaac Newton, could fervent desire to create the Philosopher’s complete had been inscribed on the 14Stone and his alchemical passion was line Emerald Tablet written by Hermes intense enough that he willingly drank
Trismegistus. Those fourteen lines are so very short yet so very long. As Kant had said, “some books would be much shorter had it not tried to be so short,” this pithy instruction to the creation of Lapis Philosophorum cost alchemists their whole lives to interpret. Though the one instance of success was but in legends, eternal life was so tempting a reward that men would waste their existence researching its possibility. The irony was that some of them would die for something that would allow them to live forever. As of now, we have achieved an astounding one of the mere two goals of alchemy. Human knowledge of nuclear physics has bestowed upon us the power to transmute shiny, shiny gold. Example: more than 3 decades ago, American scientist Glenn Seaborg turned bismuth into pure, bright, blinding gold using a nuclear reactor. We are gradually approaching the other.
Febuary 2014
LIFESTYLE
The Quill
MASQUERADE Ball BY
Alisha Phichitsingh
I know most of you girls are thinking about what to wear for banquet! Well, lucky for you I have some inspiration or background on how to get you ready for the big Masquerade Ball. First of all a Masquerade ball is an event which the everyone comes dressed wearing a mask. In the 15th Century masquerade ball was known for big extravagant costume or ball gowns, which were worn by the royal. Now I know most of you ladies out there do not want to come dressed in a costume or clownish ish outfits, but don’t be afraid to be creative with your outfits, because Masquerade’s are all about the big gowns and the pretty masks. If you are a simple girl you could dress up your look with a beautiful embroidered mask or if you like a little jazz you could go all out on your outfit by making it puffy. Don’t be afraid to play with lengths and textures on your outfit.
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Febuary 2014
The Quill
OUROPINION
CRIMEA and Punishment Hello. My name is Vladimir Putin. I am the president of the Russian Federation, and in my time in power, you – the citizens of the world and their governments – have allowed me to kill tens of thousands in the Chechnya War, support the holocaust in Syria, and invade Ukraine. You read that correctly: I am an individual who has directly or otherwise murdered hundreds of thousands of human beings since May 2000, and you have watched it happen and done nothing. I have killed and brutalized many people: human rights activists, Muslim minorities, political dissenters. You name a group of people and I’ve killed their members. I have killed people with loved ones. I have killed mothers and fathers and daughters and sons, and I continue to do so. In fact, I’ve carried out countless 1 assassinations overseas in broad 4
BY
Khem Somsak
daylight, but yet here I am, alive and still killing people. Still suppressing human rights. Still invading sovereign countries. In light of recent events, I can only conclude that destabilizing, invading and illegally occupying parts of neighboring states must be acceptable behavior in the eyes of the world. After all, no one in the international community has done much more than verbally condemn my deployment of troops into the Crimea. I’ve taken that as tacit permission to continue doing what I am doing, which doesn’t exclude helping Bashar al-Assad carry out the bloodbath in Syria. Now, I would assume that you all have a pretty good reason for not even making a token effort to intervene. Or you’re all just outright ignoring the whole affair because you either don’t care or believe
that interfering would be politically inconvenient, regardless of the fact that my actions are setting dangerous precedents and is flying in the face of international law. If that’s the case, I guess the disaster I’ve put together in Ukraine is on your conscience. Not that I cared either way. Truth be told, I should thank you all for how little you’ve done to stop me. I really appreciated it. Anyways, I just thought you’d like to know what I’m up to. I’ll try to keep you updated on how much conflict and unrests I’ve been stirring up while you and your leaders sit on your hands. Stay tuned by the way – I’ve heard rumors that the Nobel Peace Prize committee is receiving suggestions to land me with the most prestigious award in the World. I guess if they can give Obama a Nobel, they might be willing to give it to an international criminal like me.
Since this month of the Quill is sparse on topics and writers, I have been forced to write some complete and utter garbage to satisfy the deities upstairs. And so I churn away on my keyboard with the metaphorical gun against my skull. And so in honor of Bunny Day (which is a nationally celebrated holiday in the land of Gid’s head), I have opted to write a short story about a bunny named Coco. Now Coco wasn’t like the other bunnies. Coco was different. All the bunnies in the bunny neighborhood were bunnies that were born with brown eyes. But Coco was born with red eyes. And due to this supposed “defect”, Coco was ostracized and tormented daily. However, apart from his red eyes, Coco was the same as any other bunny. He loved carrots, enjoyed soft petting, hopped around on his hind legs, and enjoyed the occasional soft jazz. The other rabbits couldn’t accept this however, because they were raised at a young age to know that red-eyed rabbits were evil. They were not equal to the rest of the bunnies, and so they must rid themselves of such impurities from the community. So all the red eyed bunnies were hunted down and driven out ruthlessly. Coco was a child born from two brown-eyed rabbits. Coco’s parents knew that they should’ve killed Coco, or at the least have left him to die on the streets, but their hearts were moved by Coco’s infant body and raised him up as they would any other brown-eyed rabbit. Coco’s childhood was not an easy one. His red eyes earned him much torment and ridicule, all of which of course, were unwarranted as he had not chosen to be red-eyed. And so he cried out to his tormentors, “What have I done to you to deserve this treatment? Have I wronged you in any way? Why must I endure this torment, just so you can have your satisfaction of driving us red-eyed bunnies out?” His tormentors’ hearts were not easily moved and they replied back to him, “Being red-eyed is a disease. Go get cured, and you can return back to the community again. Now go away Coco. You are an abomination in the eyes of our community. Go, and never return until you are brown-eyed again.” And they ran Coco out of town. Coco wandered aimlessly on the outskirts of town, avoiding feral dogs and vigilante brown-eyed rabbits that enjoyed doing nothing else but hunting and skinning red-eyed rabbits. As Coco entered the Forests of Solitude he cried out to the carrots above. “What have I done to deserve being born red-eyed, Oh Almighty Carrot of the Fields? If all rabbits were created equal why must I and my fellow red-eyed rabbits be accursed so? I beg of you, take my life and use it as fertilizer to raise more carrots, for I can not stand my own existence any longer. My parents told me that it will get better, and soon the rabbits of brown would understand our plight and offer us equality. But I can see now that that isn’t so.” As Coco prepared to end his
wretched red life, a rabbit priest of the Carrot hopped up to stop him. “Stop young rabbit. What is this sin that you are to commit? Have faith in the Carrots and have faith in yourself. Be strong. This isn’t the end for you.” “Oh old rabbit , have you not seen the color of the eyes that were given to me?” “Aye, I have seen them.” “Does it not displease you? Do as you wish, for I can no longer find the strength to fight back. I have committed no sin, except to be born in this earth with red eyes.” “No my son, the color of your eyes displeases me not. For I do believe the Carrot of the Fields has given us life and molded us all equally. Whether you are born brown-eyed or red, the loving embrace of Carrot envelops us both. Now tell me, why are you on this path of damnation?” “Oh speaker of the Carrot, if only you could understand my plight. The rabbits in my village have exiled me and the rest of my red-eyed brethren into the wilderness of Death, for we were frolicking around with our eyes of red, and they have deemed it a mortal sin and an abomination to our clan. But we have done them no wrong, and have committed no trespass upon them.” “But do these rabbits not know my son, that the color of a rabbit’s eyes are not a choice to them, but something that we are born with?” “Aye, I have told them so. I have attempted reason, but their hardened hearts hear of no such thing. I can change the color of my eyes, no more than you can order the earth to stop or the sun to shine. It is nature, and I am a part of it” “That is most distressing news. Where is this village? Tell me its location, and I will reason with them for you and your brethren.” “Thank ye, old rabbit of the Carrot. For surely they must listen to you, who speaks for the almighty Carrot itself.” And the two rabbits hippity-hopped back to Coco’s village, only to be met with an armed resistance of brown-eyed rabbits. “Hark, who goes there?” The brown-eyed captain yelled. “It is I, Coco of Red-Eye.” “Ah, Coco. Have you done away with your foul disease, and now become cured of abomination?” “No, for I am red-eyed still, and I am proud to be so. I have brought a speaker of the Carrot to divulge on my behalf. Would you hear his words? I pray that you will, and welcome back the red-eyed population into your midst again.” The speaker of the Carrot hopped forward. “Hear me now, and hear me well citizens of this fine village. Coco here is not an abomination. The Almighty
BY
Gid Jiranuntarat
Carrot has created us all equally, whether the nature of his fur, or the color of his eyes. It is not a disease in which one can cure, nor is it an abomination to the village. For if it was an abomination, then how can we say all rabbits were created equally by the Carrot?” “But oh great Speaker of the Carrot?” the townspeople asked in unison. “Can’t Coco simply choose to be brown-eyed? Certainly being red-eyed is a choice, and not a curse.” “To ask of him that, is to ask of you this. Have you tried not being brown-eyed? Can any rabbit possibly change the color of his eyes by simply willing them to do so? Not only is this a futile excuse to torment the red-eyed population, it is an immoral excuse to perform sins of your own. Welcome Coco back to your village, and offer him peace. Equality for all rabbits as it once was in the times of the Carrot Bloom. Red-eyed and brown-eyed rabbits were both molded by the Almighty Carrot, and we must love one another as the Almighty Carrot loves us.” The townspeople stood in silence. Coco stood up bravely on his hind legs. He sensed hesitation in the townspeople, yet he felt their hardened hearts soften. Perhaps he would be able to return home to his parents, and so would his red-eyed brethren. Perhaps he could return home and find a job and frolic again in the meadows of old with his red-eyed brethren. But his dreams were not meant to be for the softened hearts were hardened again. This time with renewed vigor and fury. “HERETIC!” The brown-eyed captain shouted. “That speaker of the Carrot is no speaker, for no speaker can ever approve of one so red. The Almighty Carrot has stated once before, that red-eyed carrots were an abomination before the eyes of the community and must be removed. Skin the speaker and kill that red-eyed freak!” The two rabbits stood still with fear. “Run Coco,” The speaker of the Carrot said. “Run and save yourself.” But before the speaker of the Carrot could say another word, he was impaled upon a sharp carrot. He was skinned alive by the townspeople, and they threw back the hood of the Carrot. “Look here, my fellow brown-eyed brethren. This so called speaker was in fact a red-eyed abomination. No wonder he wanted us to accept Coco. For it was their devious plan to infiltrate our brown-eyed masses, and infect us all with their redness. Kill them all! Kill all the red-eyed bunnies!” Coco ran his fastest, and tried his best. But he was no match for the brown-eyed bunnies on dogs. And he was ripped apart by the sharp teeth of the hungry canines. And so ends the tale of Coco the Red. The red-eyed bunny who tried to change the hardened hearts of the brown-eyed bunnies.
OUROPIINION Febuary 2014
THE LITTLE BUNNY with Red Eyes
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