Catalysm March 2020 Issue

catalysm vol 6 issue 3

HOME Casa Grande

Brunella Tipismana

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Candle light

Pema Lhundrup

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Humans Of ISAK

Brunella Tipismana

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Gianluca Yornet

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Circle of fifths : home

vol 6 issue 3

Wrong about Japan

Francisca Salema

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Romanticized

Amanda Souza

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catalysm

CREDITS CATALYSM A UWC ISAK Japan publication: Volume 6, issue 1

Find my place

Pema Lhundrup

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WRITERS / EDITORS Amanda de Souza

Brunella Tipismana

Kinga Fraczkiewicz Lydia Etherington

Pallavi Talwar

Sudhish Thapa

Rikio Dahlgren

Pema Lhundrup

PHOTOGRAPHERS Elena May Saini Jeffery

Hassan Alkkle

Pallavi Talwar Sara Al-Lawati

What is home?

Kinga Fraczkiewicz

San Francisco’s Homeless Epidemic

Rikio Dahlgren

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Sisi Wattanagool

LAYOUT TEAM Briclandji

Brice

Elena May Saini Jeffery Mana Sakamoto

Chengyu Fan (Cathy) Lydia Etherington Pema Lhundrup

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Can you imitate the feelings of home? 20

Alumni

Sudhish B Thapa

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Reading through the articles for this issue I realized that I never really challenged my idea of home. After all, the word never really changed geographies: “I’m going home” always meant “I’m going to Lima”. And I don’t think there is anything wrong with this—but I also think I have grown to have more homes, homes who are people and feelings and, of course, places.

I won’t bore you with my personal dilemmas: the definition of this word has been explored and re-explored throughout these pages. As I’ve said too many times here, find your answer or create one. I haven’t come to any conclusion, but I’ve found an answer that works for me.

In This Must Be The Place, David Byrne sings:

Home is where I want to be

But I guess I’m already there

And, despite everything, I agree: we might just be already there.

- Brunella Tipismana

Casa Grande

I grew up in a small apartment in the middle

apartment was always beautiful, at least for

of the busiest city of the country. My mom

me: linen angels in the door of the bathroom,

balanced her work as a teacher with a side

mine and my sister’s names in white wood

job making lace and cotton souvenirs for

letters above our beds, during Christmas our

weddings, baptisms, and baby showers. Her

house awash in golden and red handmade

warehouse were the bedrooms, and her

shine.

workshop was the living room: her job framed our existence. The reel of childhood

I don’t go back to these memories very often,

memories in my mind is punctuated by it.

but they have been a lot in my mind lately. I

These memories involve being nine years old

think it’s because of the Accord Center. It’s so

and waking up to discover the entirety of the

new; placed against our old buildings, the

kitchen table covered in tiny linen angels.

differences are stark. After a class inside the

And waking up late at night and having my

white-walled TAC, Asama feels older and the

mom shout at me to put my shoes on, lest I

KAC feels messier. If the TAC is a white

step on the hot glue gun lying on the floor.

canvas, immaculate and spotless, Asama is

And boxes and boxes of plastic eyes, lace,

covered by three layers of acrylic, painted and

ribbons, all piled up in different corners of

re-painted. Because, well—you’ve noticed.

the living room, . Though it was messy, our

You’ve noticed the mess. The box full of file

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2 folders in the windows of Asama, all the

nothing.

beanbags that used to lie around in KAC, the hand-made poster asking “Who have you been kind to today?” that someone stuck months ago on the walls of the cafeteria.

I doubt I would have looked at these things with the same kindness in any of my

When we get comfortable in a space, I think, we stop trying to make it look nice for others and we start to make it nice for ourselves.

That choice, of course, implies occasional chaos. It implies stopping a pursuit of artificial perpetual cleanliness.

previous schools. I attended a boarding

Don’t get me wrong: Stop & Clean is good

school before, after all, one in which a

and noble and praise-worthy. Keeping

thousand students spread across three

standards of hygiene and order is necessary.

grades. But it was too big and impersonal: it

Please wash your dishes and clean up if you spill food in the cafeteria. Though we should not try to make our classrooms look like

never felt like a home but a place I lived in until graduation. Its disorder irked me: it had nothing to do with the mess I encountered in our tiny apartment growing up. Instead it was faceless, created by people I almost didn’t know, and since Stop and Clean didn’t exist, I always understood it as someone else’s problem.

If there is a spectrum, and I suspect there is, on one end there is my thousand-student school, huge and impersonal, and on the other end, my 4-person apartment, small and cozy. UWC stands squarely in the middle. It’s not tiny (we have… a... forest), but it feels like a lived-in place. Its disorder is not faceless but a by-product of the presence of 200 people, a mess that has a name and a voice and which will be your responsibility from 13:00 to 13:20. Like perfectly clean white sneakers or a notebook without words on it, an immaculate school will only remain so if you refuse to make it yours. And as you can tell, we have refused

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advertisements, we also should take care of

there, getting work done while risking a COC

our surroundings. But that’s the thing: by

(Hey, there Mr. Lacoste!).

not aspiring to a non-existent standard of order, we become more aware of the

I love how new it feels, and I cannot wait

threshold of chaos that we are willing to

until its newness is disrupted. Like a painted-

tolerate. This, in turn, makes us constantly

over canvas, a scribbled-upon notebook, a

conscious of where we stand in relation to

reel of childhood memories framed by lace

that threshold. Embracing chaos and

and cotton—I cannot wait until our presence

embracing mess (and the presence of old

punctuates its existence.

posters and lost-and-found boxes) allows us to understand that the spaces we currently

A note: This was written before the TAC was

inhabit are ours, and that just because they

temporarily closed. I no longer spend

are ours, we are here to take care of them.

afternoons there. Please don’t expel me.

I think this all is to say that I love the Accord Center. I love spending afternoons

-Brunella Tipismana

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ca n d le lig h t ca n d le lig h t ca n d le lig h t can d l e l i gh t i s t h e l i gh t t h at sp r ead s t h e gl ow t o ever yon e ar ou n d Pem a Lh u n dr u p From a volunteering platform in Taiwan to the homemakers of I SAK candlelight, this I B service project wasn?t always the memes on toilet doors or the small snicker bars you find in your mailboxes.

Back in 2015, Grace was just another high school student going through life. She felt that the system was unfair because it treated volunteering as a chore rather than a choice that allowed empathy and

Can d l el i gh t i s t h e i d ea of t h e l u m i n escen t

humanity to fuel decisions and help those around

gl ow of u n i t y an d con n ect i on , which makes all

us. After working in that broken system, she took

that it shines its light on so much more than what it

her time to reflect and realized h ow even si m p l e

once was. I t all started with the idea of turning an

act s l i k e h el p i n g you r t each er s gr ad e p ap er s

orphanage from a housing center to a place where

or or gan i zi n g book s i n t h e l i br ar y cou l d

people were inspired by the youth, ready to make a

br i n g abou t l i t t l e ch an ges of em p at h y.

change. And with all that work, it turned I SAK from a boarding school to a p l ace t h at p eop l e can cal l h om e. A passing of the light from one candle to another.

So she decided to start a platform on which she could volunteer at places like old-age homes, libraries, and schools.

At first, it was just Grace and a few friends of hers, but then one day she went to a rural town in Taiwan and had a conversation with a young orphan when she asked her about the girl?s dreams. To Grace?s dismay, the child responded: ?no, I don?t have dreams I don?t even think I ?m allowed to have dreams?.

Because Can d l el i gh t i sn ?t j u st on e sou r ce of l i gh t , i t i s t h e l i gh t t h at sp r ead s t h e gl ow t o ever yon e ar ou n d .

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CA N DLE LIGHT CA N DLE LIGHT CA CA N DLE LIGHT CA N DLE LIGHT CA CA N DLE LIGHT CA N DLE LIGHT CA This moment was what lit the initial flame of the project. After that visit, candlelight went from a volunteering program for Taiwanese teenagers to this amazing program directed to helping orphans in Taiwan.

According to lucy : ?Candlelight is about recognizing those around you - who you see every day, talk to and sit in class with - and empowering each other with a

-----------------------------------------------------But when Grace left Taiwan to pursue an education here at UWC I SAK instead of stopping the project she decided to continue as an I B CAS that worked with orphanages in Karuizawa. I nitially, the CAS

sense of optimism and a positive attitude. With Candlelight, we hope to bring a little more light to people?s day and remind one another of the strong, supportive community we live in.?

faced some technical difficulties, as they were teenagers who just started working in a foreign

I n the end, the CAS was able to get in contact

country with no Japanese as translators to help

with an orphanage where they continued their

them after they discussed the future of their CAS under the gentle guidance of Ms. McDiarmid, the CAS was redirected to focus on the students of I SAK: i t becam e t h i s i d ea w h er e you ack n ow l ed ge t h ose ar ou n d you an d sp r ead t h e p osi t i ve l ove t h at w e ar e al l h er e f or each ot h er , w e can m ak e I SAK a p l ace w e cal l h om e.

initial purpose but, with all the contributions they now make in I SAK, Candlelight has become a mysterious force that appears out of nowhere, giving the students snacks or a relaxing session to then again disappear.

Humans of ISAK “Home is Jamaica, home is Kingston, home is Ellesmere Drive.

I’ve lived there for most of my life, it’s where I grew up, it’s always gonna be home. I liked it because it’s away from the city, so there’s always this feeling of leaving school behind, which eventually turned into leaving work behind… and then still get to see the water. And there is something humbling about looking at the endlessness of the ocean, something which I really need in my life. That’s why it’s home. And that’s why Hong Kong was really special: I got to be on the water again, and see it, and be reminded of how big it is, and how small we are. Yeah. Home is Jamaica, home is Kingston, home is Ellesmere Drive”.

“During my time at Atlantic College I had an amazing host family. The door was always open, and it’s a very small town, so we would just sort of be there forever. Glynne, the father, loved to cook, and Anne, the mom, loved to bake, so there was always grilled deliciousness and baked deliciousness everywhere. It was the house people ended up at after practice, after things… you would always

Cary

be at the Cheshire’s. And, I mean, British boarding food is… it is what it is. So you just sort of go to their house, and just sit, and eat, and watch TV… That’s where we spent Christmas, where we’d meet during breaks… If things got hairy we’d just go and hang out there, and it was always, always home”.

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7 “Home, for me, is where you go to sleep. It’s that feeling, after a long day, when you feel peace. Peace, sleep… But where the home is or how the home looks—that doesn’t matter. I think you could make a home anywhere. You need to make it home because, otherwise, it’s not nice to be there, if that makes sense.

So I try to make a home wherever I go”.

“I live on the border of Belgium and the Netherlands. It’s quite rural —as rural as it can go in a very populated place—, a very village-y

Ann Van der Borne

kind of life. Then Belgium, India, France, Shanghai, and Japan. Places are good for different reasons, so I don’t have a favorite.

Like, Japan is amazing for the outdoors, Shanghai was amazing for the city life,

“ India is amazing because of, well, India…”

I’m very happy in Japan now. I like the safety.

You don’t have to lock your house, lock your car... It’s also super clean, everything works really well, it has amazing outdoors… so it’s a very easy life. Like—life in India is fantastic, but a lot less easy, because you need to take a hundred things into consideration. \

. Things don’t work as well, which is not bad, just different.

In Japan everything works. For example, the onigiri: if you can’t open it, it’sbecause of yourself, because it’s 1-2-3… and it opens like a machine! In India nothing opens like a machine.

“Different life.”

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Ms. McDiarmid “I hear a lot of people say home is

Only way for me to have a rich

storms coming up off the

other people—like, home is

life, one which continues to be

Atlantic. And it’s a cold region,

where my parents are, or home is

varied and interesting and

so we have weather… And this

where my partner is, or my

fulfilling no matter where I go...

beautiful house that just keeps

friends are. And I understand

is if I see myself first and

standing there. The way it’s

why it is a really lovely answer.

foremost as the place that is

decorated and furnished

But if I define home as something

always peaceful, where things

reminds us of all of the places

that I achieve through my

can be okay, and where I’m

we’ve lived in before. It’s this

relationship with someone else,

happy to come home to”.

beautiful collection of things

and if I lose that person, then, at

and places and people, like the

least for a while, I lose my idea of

“The house that I like the most

memories that you have about

home.

is probably the one that Mr.

who you were with when you

Pitter and I bought in Nova

bought this rug, or a piece of

For me, that’s unacceptable. I

Scotia three years ago. It’s a

art that was a gift from

really love and value my

little wooden house, 109 years

someone. That’s my favorite

relationships with other people,

old. It’s two blocks from the

physical place: our little house

but I think that I am home. The

ocean, so it has withstood a lot

in Blue Rocks.”

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CIRCLE OF FIFTHS: HOME By: Gianluca Yornet The music section of Catalysm.

A Spotify playlist every month.

Listen in the following link:

Home is who we are, our stories, wrists, the people we love, the sun, our dog, our favorite spice, a smell, a pattern of colours, and even our sadness. Home is where we go when we want to feel loved. This is a playlist that reminds me of all of that.

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Wrong About Japan “A fun, beautiful piece of travel writing about the journey of a father and his son to Japan that reflects on the impossibility of truly understanding different cultures”

When reflecting on home, it’s important to consider the way our home or context growing up affects our ability to truly understand people from other cultures. Learning and growing up in one country leaves longerlasting effects than one would initially presume: the culture you’re exposed to effectively shapes the way you think. Different ways of thinking that emerge from distant countries are bound to be more difficult to understand and Japan, with its history of isolation and inwardness, is a very particular country in which a very singular, incomparable culture has evolved.

novelist, decides to take his son, Charley, to Japan in the 1990s. Charley, a 12-year-old at the

The book Wrong About Japan reflects on this

time, had recently become part of the then small

problem. Written in first person, this travel

community of New Yorkers who worshiped

diary filled with beautiful descriptions begins

Japanese culture. This obsession starts to

when Peter Carey, an award-winner Australian

This obsession starts to influence his father and drives him into taking Charley on a long trip from New York to Tokyo, in a time when it was rare to go on such trips. Peter Carey decides to report his experiences in the vacation with his son, and with the help of his agent, manages to interview many important people while he’s there.

What becomes particularly singular about this journey is how Charley and his father have completely different ideas about what the so- called “True Japan” is. The museums, the shrines, the temples, were of no interest to Charley; rather, he wants to explore the new, vibrant Japanese culture that revolves around manga and anime, set in the dynamic streets of Tokyo. That clash between what Carey and his son believe Japan to be generates many charming adventures. Carey and Charley, therefore, embark on an adventure to try to understand and discover this mysteriously exciting “True Japan”.

Carey starts to deeply investigate this country and its culture. He attempts to make connections between aspects of new-age Japanese culture and Japanese history by desperately doing a lot of research in order to find subtexts and read between the lines. He is, however, unable to grasp even the basic surface of the true meaning of the cultural works he is trying so hard to analyze, and that becomes a running joke in this book. It becomes particularly funny when he, an Australian foreigner, tries to explain his conclusions to the legendary Japanese creators he has the privilege of interviewing.

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All of his assumptions and carefully crafted

This book is not fit for those who actually

arguments are proven to be absolutely wrong

want to know more about Japan’s culture (I

(hence the name of the book). In the end, Carey

would recommend a history book for that

has gathered a lot of information about Japan: he

purpose): the lack of continuity in the

has seen many aspects of its culture, old temples,

information Carey gives us from what he’s

samurai swords, and shrines, new pop culture,

learned, although being great trivia and

movies, and animes, he has interviewed people

giving the reader many interesting and

from all walks of life, from World War 2

random facts, creates a messy portrait that

survivors to the creators of incredibly famous

doesn’t lead to profitable conclusions.

mangas. However, despite all his efforts and all

However, I find that to be charming. Carey

he’s been through, he finds himself still unable to

takes us with him on the ups and downs of

understand this strange country he tried so hard

his journey to Japan, encouraging us to look

to uncover as he leaves.

around through his descriptions, meeting the incredible people he met and submerging us

Carey is a horrible reporter. He admits so

in his thoughts, and in the end, the only

himself. That becomes a flaw in this book. He is,

conclusion we get is of how strange and

however, a very skilled novelist, and that is

incomprehensible Japan is for an outsider.

evident in his descriptions, his way of describing emotions, and his ability to form characters.

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We might never be able to understand it no

habits is something I can deeply relate to.

matter how hard we try, but isn’t that what

This small book is a good read, particularly so

makes this place so interesting after all? If its

uncovering this beautiful country in which we

culture and habits were easy to understand,

now live. As we try to discover Japan on our

maybe it wouldn’t be as fun. Maybe it is

own, this book can help complement our own

better to let our minds wander on the origins

experiences with the messy adventures Carey

and meanings behind this incomprehensible

and his son lived in this charmingly peculiar

culture, just like Carey did.

country. for those of us who have come to

My father’s stepmother gave me this book right before I came to Japan — she thought it would be appropriate for my situation, and she couldn’t have been more right. Carey’s utter confusion at the most trivial Japanese

Type to enter text

Japan for the first time and are on our own journey of

-Francisca

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Romanticized

Do I need to be

And we are tired

in a specific place

of feeling alone?

With specific people

This utopia we are looking for

To finally find

Does not exist in this world

myself a home?

And the

Am I always going

inevitable loneliness

to feel at home?

breathes to keep us conscious

Am I ever going

Of our own untransferable souls

to feel at home?

Does anyone even

Loving others is essential

know what home means?

Or are we all just

Body text

trying so hard To find ourselves a place to go When it all goes wrong

to survive this rollercoaster But making them our only home is being one step closer To live a life that does not belong to you And being just another person added to This romanticized perception of home that was never true

By Amanda Souza

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Find my place.

To find my place I traveled, From mountains to water, From stature to fellowship.

To find my place I sacrificed, Comfort and assurance, Now precarious doubt.

Halfway through this walk, I stop and stood.

I ran back.

I found my place.

My place is home.Â

What is

OME?

It’s fair to say that there is not one thing

— Kinga Fraczkiewicz

that makes a home, but many. A home is not just a building you lived in, city or country. The different aspects that make a

The differences are endless but one thing that hasn’t changed between home and ISAK

home range from the people, feelings, and

is the sense of community and friendships.

experiences. Not every home is good

Even though ISAK may not be a home for

and not every home feels like

everyone and it may not have the “home”

“home”.

feeling about it but it is our home for the time

So what exactly makes a home? The

being.

question is highly subjective because to each

There is a difference between feeling at

and every person, home is something

home and being at home. Which is what

different. The most common phrase when

can make ISAK a confusing place to be

talking about home is “home is where the

though it can be referred to as home when in

heart is” but what does that exactly mean?

Like the previous question, this one has many meanings, it all depends on what the person themselves thinks and believes.

For the majority of us, the place we lived before coming to ISAK was home and even

Japan when we go back to our families our mindsets switch to ISAK being a school, not a home. This is what makes defining a home extremely difficult.Even though one definition does not match each individual’s opinion of what a home is, the one thing we all suffer from is homesickness.

now home is where our family is, but some might also consider ISAK home too. When at ISAK, we live and learn with exactly the same people every day so it is not surprising that to it may feel like a big family or a community made up of many smaller ones.

On the other hand, ISAK doesn’t have the things that a home would typically have; our families are far away, the language spoken is not our own (at least for many of us), the food is strange, and culture shock is real.

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Photo taken by Timur in G10

Photo taken by Sisi in G10

Homesickness is a real feeling that we know all too well. Living in a boarding school is anything but easy, it is hard, stressful and extremely hard to get a moment to yourself, not to mention that there are no breaks from the IB. Therefore, it is to no surprise that homesickness is a real problem and one that does not discriminate between people. Feeling homesick hurts in every

When not at home for long periods of time,

way possible, yearning for that familiarity

it can cause stress and yearning for our

of smell, touch and surroundings can

home. This can have many effects on health

make it difficult to go on with life here at

both mental and emotional physical. It is a

ISAK and not go back.Â

cycle. When homesick, emotional exhaustion

However, by definition, ISAK could

and sadness trigger stress which affects how much energy we have. One of the many

be considered a home. It is a place

benefits of living at ISAK is that there

where we live, sleep, feel safe and a place

are people who know that feeling and

we create memories. At ISAK, everyone is

can help you. ISAK provides that comfort

on the same boat; away from home. There

of familiarity we are only getting to know but

is a certain comfort in that, knowing that

one that will help us grow stronger.

you are not alone and that your friends,

All things considered, home doesn’t just

classmates, teachers feel that too.

have one definition because for each individual home means something different.

Home is not always a place but a feeling, a feeling that everyone loves and hates. It is a feeling like no other. Home is where you want it to be.

R4-Downstairs

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San Francisco’s Homeless Epidemic

By Rikio

Walking down the streets of San Francisco, it is quite evident that 25% of homeless people in the United States live in California. Homeless people line Market Street, highway underpasses are dotted with tents, and, when walking through a train station, people are laying on the ground sleeping. I personally remember attending a beach cleanup and when searching for ocean plastic along the coast, finding needles and tents instead.

When I was younger, I never remember seeing these sorts of things.

Now, neighborhood forums have endless posts about how the homeless problem in San Francisco needs to be tamed. However, there’s one unexpected statistic: since San Francisco’s initiative to tamp down homeless began in 2004, the number of homeless people has decreased. To the citizens of San Francisco, though, this just doesn’t seem to be true.

San Francisco has spent millions on reducing homelessness, causing the number of homeless people to fall while the population has grown substantially. So, why do citizens still think of homelessness as the city’s most pressing problems?

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One of the reasons is gentrification. This pressing issue within San Francisco has caused the development and construction of many new buildings, effectively displacing many homeless populations. While the number of homeless people hasn’t technically increased, it appears that it has as they begin to move into new areas. On top of this problem, homelessness has been fueled especially by the American opioid epidemic and has endured for many years. Most San Franciscans have become tired of this issue and are simply looking for a quick solution. At the end of the day, the most important aspect of this issue is how the citizens of San Francisco feel. Looking forward, all they can really hope for is that the government is able to find a solution which not only actually reduces the homeless population, but also addresses gentrification. Finding a balance between both of these will prove, as it has before, to be a challenge, but the pressing demands of the citizens will hopefully soon because this issue to be fixed.Â

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Can You Imitate the Feeling of Home?

Sudhish B Thapa

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Home is the very definition of our comfort zone.

Whatever bad thing we experience in our days, going home and experiencing the feeling of safety is one of the most treasured experiences of society. I n the hierarchy of needs, a dwelling or a shelter of comfort is a priority. Academic performance is related not only to your ability to focus but also the place you study at. I n the context of I SAK, we all have left our homes and settled in tiny dorm spaces with other people who are ridiculously different from us. I t can get quite challenging to imitate the same feelings that we had from home, wherever that home may be. However, there are certain methods you can apply to somewhat optimize yourself and create an environment that mimics the same comfort and happiness you used to feel back home.

I n order to imitate the feeling of home, you need to understand what home can be in various perspectives. A house cannot be a home without constituents of comfort. Nowadays, on the grand scale of the world where people are traveling from one hemisphere to the other; home can be defined as a mobilizing need of life. I t constantly changes and we can adjust to each home that we go to. Your home is distinct from any other place on the planet because of your experience in it and also because it is the place where you originally resided in. Cues, on the other hand are a simple way to turn any space into a home.

Cues are defined as certain aspects that ?cue?the feelings of home into your mind. Creating an instant emotional reaction that can create comfort. They are like the switch to turn on the feeling of home. Cues are very subjective in usage, you can be used in any other action. For example - I f you like cookies, then your cue to study can be to eat a cookie. Using this principle, here is a list of what you can do to imitate the feeling of home.

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I MPLEMENT CUES - I n order to do this, you need to understand and distinguish what you like and don?t like and what your preference truly is. For example; if there is a specific type of smell you like or reminds you of home then make sure that smell is present in your space of the room.

- As previously mentioned, Cues are subjective so make sure you keep all of your favorite features of a home in your space whatever that may be.

COOPERATE WI TH ROOMMATES AND HAVE AN HONEST DI SCUSSI ON ABOUT BOUNDARI ES - The problem that people may encounter even after implementing cues is roommates not allowing those cues to work - That is why it is important to not shy away from a conversation with your roommate about boundaries.

- Make it clear that problems can arise for both parties if these boundaries are not followed

MAI NTAI N YOUR SPACE - You need to understand that cues are temporary and only serve the purpose of giving you the feeling of home for a short period of time.

- I f you make your space dirty or compromise the ability of your cue to turn on the feeling of home is compromised - Every time you enter your dorm space, you need to keep it clean to retain the effectiveness of your cue. I f not you are more likely to not stay in your dorm room and perhaps reside in the common room.

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MAKE YOUR ROOM A RELAXI NG PLACE - This method can be optional for people, however, it is more effective to keep your studying or working activities outside of your room.

- Doing work in the common room or the KAC is more likely to create a distinction among your room and someplace else - I f you experience stress from working in your room, your cues won?t do you any good to keep you calm - That is why you should only use your room to relax if possible and do your work somewhere else.

Those are only some methods you can implement or start implementing. However, there is no one-way method for this problem. Sometimes, it can be challenging to find an answer but trying these methods can definitely help you reach an answer even if it will take a long time.

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Alumni

Where in the world are you?

2017

RYUTARO SEKI

Where are you physically?

Generally, sharing between Leeds, UK and Sendai, Japan during the break. My mind is all over the place, unlike my physical presence.

I’m mostly investigating and processing random thoughts about the idea of continuity and how you could relate that to physical movements through martial arts and yoga.

Sometimes I take inputs from books and relate back to the two fields.

What are you doing?

I’m currently studying at Leeds University as a Mechanical Engineering Student. I graduated from ISAK in 2017 but I’m still a first-year undergraduate. That’s because I took gap years(More than one year, hence the years).

Drawing by Ryutaro Seki

Where do you call home?

Tomiya City, Japan -that is where my family and friends are. That is a significant factor when defining where my home is, but also environmental relations is more or equivalently significant to me. So I guess it is Tomiya City, Japan.

25

2018 ALINA GOH

I’m in London, studying Philosophy, Politics and Economics at King’s College London. Home is still Singapore for me, but I’m loving London as well! At KCL, I’m involved with the foodie society and the baking society (very academic! I know).

I’m always trying to cook/bake something new, so stop by for a meal anytime!

I’m also working as a researcher for a venture capital fund in Silicon Valley, and I’m doing research on the intersection of tech, venture capital and climate change!

2019

COSIMA STOCKER

I am at the University of Exeter and I’m studying sociology (which I really like!). I’m trying to celebrate being a woman as much as I can and spread that self-acceptance and self-love to the women around me (sorry boys!) because it is just so important, and a lack of it can ruin one’s life. Just be happy :).

CREDITS CATALYSM A UWC ISAK Japan publication: Volume 6, issue 3 WRITERS / EDITORS Amanda de Souza

Brunella Tipismana

Francisca Salema

Pema Lhundrup

Gianluca Yornet de Rosas

Kinga Fraczkiewicz

Rikio Dahlgren

Sudhish Thapa PHOTOGRAPHERS Pema Lhundrup

Sara Al-Lawati

Francisca Salema

LAYOUT TEAM Sara Al-Lawati Mana Sakamoto

Chengyu Fan (Cathy)

Pema Lhundrup

Gianluca Yornet de Rosas

Alumni