S E Q U O I A C L U B

Editor-in-ChiefRebecca Pardey

Assistant EditorGhazal Heidari Marvi

Layout EditorKyung Seo Han

ReportersCourtney CohnHerve Bougard

Jason KlandermanMalavika NairYewon Park

Hee Young LeeKyungha Lee

Mhd. Antonio van der PuttenAniroodh Shankar

Anthony Walsh

Special ThanksMs TamanaMr Glover

The FootprintLetter from the Editor

1F O O T P R I N T

CONTENTS DECEMBER 2009

14 12

03

16

17

14SECTIONS

03 ENVIRONMENT

07 VICTORIES

12 MODEL UNITED NATION

14 CELEBRATION

16 ENTERTAINMENT

18 BUILDING BRIDGES

A Green Theme

Every year millions of tons of rubbish are produced from festivities. These are not just the usual papers and aluminium cans, but more unusual waste like plastic trees, ribbons, boxes, wrapping, decorative lights and disposable cutlery that are mass-produced by the thousands during each festive occasion each year. While we are lost in the pretty colours, the thoughtful gifts, the happy faces, and the pure joy of celebration, it is no surprise that we may not pay attention to what we may perceive as insignificant things like being eco-friendly But in truth, you would be surprised just how easy it can be. Have a look at these suggestions and you’ll realise that being friendly to mother nature is far from rocket science.

1. Fake FirOkay, buying plastic is not the usual advice an environmentalist would condone, but if you do celebrate Christmas, you will see what I mean. Every year thousands of fir trees are chopped down to serve as Christmas trees for families. This results in unnecessary damage to the environment that is completely avoidable. Simple solution: Buy a plastic Christmas tree and reuse it every year! It lasts much longer and looks just as good.

2. Low-Energy Lights

The newest energy-saving stars on the holiday scene are Christmas lights made with light-emitting diodes, or LEDs. First introduced in 2001, LEDs incorporate the same computer-chip technology used to light calculators and watches. These lights are 90 percent more efficient than traditional Christmas lights. According to one U.S. Department of Energy study, if everyone replaced their conventional holiday light strings with LEDs, at least two billion kilowatt-hours of electricity could be saved in a month.

3. ‘Re-gifting’ is OKThere is much discussion about etiquette behind the trend of 're-gifting', that is, to pass on a gift you received, but do not need. What is to discuss? Re-gifting makes perfect sense. If you receive something you really do not need, look for ways you can reuse this gift by passing it on to someone who can actually use it. Of course, re-gifting needs to be done with care so as not to offend the original giver, but keeping a gift you don't need is wasteful.

4. Buy LocallyMany gifts in today's marketplace come from halfway around the world, and the impact of transportation contributes significantly to greenhouse emissions and global warming. Local craft fairs and artisan shops are a good source for gifts that come without the added costs of transportation.

Ghazal Heidari Marvi

Eco Friendly Winter Dance

In today's world, being 'Eco-Friendly' is a social responsibility that everyone should be getting involved in. Fortunately for us, while the majority of the school's focus was on impending exams, a specific aspect of our school community jumped right in to fill the void. Gabriella Andriesz from Grade 12 took the time to answer questions about what Student Voice is doing to reduce the school's carbon footprint for the school's winter dance.

Are you making any plans to lessen the schools carbon footprint at the winter dance? “Yes, most definitely! The school's carbon footprint won't be so bad, because we have organized electronic auditions for possible music act for the night, rather than holding auditions in school that waste energy and paper. The lighting in the auditorium will be dim, not only as it makes for a

more fun atmosphere in the dark, but it will save more electrical energy.”

What are you going to do to make the winter dance a bit more Eco-friendly? “The aluminum cans used will be recycled after usage which will help with the environment and not harm it, as well as having decorations that are mainly paper based as well- this can easily be reused.”

Why is it important to you to make the winter dance Eco-friendly? “It's important firstly teach the students that Eco-friendliness is not only up to the club, but we can also bring this outside and make people more aware of the growing problem that is global warming. I also think that as the juniors are getting more exposure to this particular event, they will be able to take it on and bring the knowledge with them into their later years.”

Courtney Cohn

3F O O T P R I N T

S E Q U O I A C L U B

Thirty people, thirty trash bags, thirty tongs and an inconceivable amount of styrofoam - tiny bits, big bits, medium size bits, and even letter shaped bits were all collected and trashed during the OFS Beach Clean Up on October 31st, 2009.

The seemingly innocuous material dominates the coastline of our East Coast Beach as well as many other beaches worldwide. There is a critical need for attention to the damage styrofoam causes if not d i s p o s e d o f p r o p e r l y. Currently, the attention it receives could be considered laughab le i f somewhat pathetic, however due to the seriousness of the situation it is a very worrying situation.

Where does it come from? The answer is simple - you. Whether going for a family picnic, a game of volleyball, gathering of friends, or a nice tanning session, styrofoam is often your unnoticed companion, in the form of cups, plates, and containers and just about anything else. In other cases, it drifts ashore from buoys or ships. It’s not a

sin to use styrofoam, but disposing of it properly is a process everyone needs to get the hang of.

Styrofoam is made from polystyrene foam and is not biodegradable and often not recyclable. As a result, not only do tiny bits of Styrofoam diminish the beauty of our beaches and make them less fun to walk on but, but also harm our waters. The waste from polystyrene pollutes the water and

has an adverse affect on creatures living in it. Both marine and land w i l d l i f e a r e o f t e n poisoned, mistaking the material for food.

What can you do to help? Another simple answer - cut down the use of Styrofoam, or just

dispose of it properly. Make a personal statement to the world and maybe others will do the same. There are always alternatives to styrofoam. Try to use biodegradable, recyclable or reusable materials instead, so we can keep Singapore beaches clean, as well as those in our own countries.

Abhineet Kumar

Beach Clean UpSwimming in Styrofoam

DO NOT THROW THESE AWAY!!!

4F O O T P R I N T

S E Q U O I A C L U B

Y O U R G A R B A G E COULD BE MY GOLD

T h e l i g h t s d i m m e d , t h e chattering stopped, and all eyes were fixed on Amalie Madsen, as she took centre stage to introduce one of Overseas Family School’s first student directed plays. The play entitled, “Trash or Treasure” was an at tempt to br ing awareness to the efforts of the Earth Club as they found a creative mean of showing what they have been propagating all week long. The concept for this play evolved from the simple idea of turning humans into trash. This was to personifying trash and give it the feeling of life and was perfected and improvised for the, “...800th time,” according to Amalie.

The show started off with a man who works at the junkyard, gathering his collection of old teddies, the barely-battered handbags thrown out with the arrival of the new line, and other such cases of ordinary items that get thrown out as we grow tired of them. The different items come to life to explain their fate, and are distributed to more deserving people, who are overjoyed to receive these new gifts.

The skit ended with the items all given away to new owners, where they would still be cared for until they pass it on to the next person who wants it. The main message of this entire experience was to re-use, and give away our old products to those who might really want it, and to share our trash or treasure. The student-director, who was really nervous about how the play would turn out, was mainly concerned over the

conveyance of the message and the actual implementation of it, in our new green lives.

Malavika Nair

Earth Club Challenge Update

The Earth Club has certainly not been sitting idly this semester. Aiming to make their projects bigger and better this year, they launched an initiative to raise a w a r e n e s s a b o u t c a r b o n footprints around the school, inviting students to embark on a series of goals designed to cut down on each student’s carbon footprint. This initiative aimed not o n l y t o s u s t a i n t h e s e commitments for the duration of the challenge, but hopefully also in the long term. However, how effective was this mission really, and will people continue to stick to their new habits?

When surveyed, the response was generally positive as a large number of students chose to take part in the initiative, implying a good first step towards making the school more environmentally aware. However while most students signing up generally agreed these goals were very feasible, they added that they actually already did these, and it took only the most daring to sign up for things that put them a little out of their established routine,

leav ing us eager for more challenges to up the ante.

However, the percentage of students who were surveyed said they would stick to some of the goals they signed up for was high, w h i c h s u g g e s t s a g r e a t e r involvement amongst the student b o d y i n b e i n g m o r e environmentally friendly. As an international school, which tries to foster a global awareness, our environment is something we should be aware of. This scheme al lowed many students not affiliated with The Earth Club to participate towards furthering a common goal, showing an overall success for the initiative.

Taking Environmentalism a Step too Far

Sav ing the env i ronment i s important, but not at this price!

Save Water By deciding to stop showering.Stop breathing To cut down on the levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.Carpool With eight people in the car, four in the trunk, and three on the roof.Re-use everything From old clothes, to plastic bags, to Kleenexes.Buy less Sew your own clothes out of hemp, and recycled plasticEat lower down the food chain Learn to harness your own energy through photosynthesisUse less electricity After dark, work by candle light.Save Paper Decide not to turn in that ten page essay… or on second thoughts that will always be fine with us- though we can’t guarantee others will agree!

5F O O T P R I N T

Winning Isn’t EverythingIn this fast paced world of the three Cs – Cash, Cars and Companies, achievements and winnings can be pinned down as the driving force behind a person of the 21st Century. As the future generation of this world, we are presented with many opportunities for such achievements, starting with the rewards of being a student at OFS, which are not limited to academics. But what sets these winners apart from others to make them so special? In a survey based on the question, 'What does winning mean to you?' OFS students - current and previous - have expressed their thoughts on winning.

To the vast majority who answered the question, winning means pushing ourselves and having no limits, or being the best and coming out of struggles. As Nada Taki from Grade 10 and Noam Massas from Grade 12 clearly pointed out. Ash Rao from Grade 11 explained this further as to achieve whatever we have undertaken and, “...to get the satisfaction from being temporarily awesome”. While the satisfaction of completion is one of the factors that makes us a winner, Ryo Sprott from Grade 10 believes, winning is essentially having fun with a little healthy competition to spice things up. He said that he is actually against those people who go nuts over pursuing the material possessions (the three C’s( by concentrating on the experience involved in the process.

But winning can be more valuable than what meets the eye. For example, 10th Grader Saoni Ghatak feels that winning is something completely psychological and, “...it’s when I feel like I’m the best even I’m not”. Dipanjali Roy, an ex-OFS student, said that there are no winners or losers in life, only in superficial things like contests. He went on further to say what is more important is what we make out of our lives.

In the end, the stigma of losing is perhaps non-existent, or could at least be overcome, with the right mindset and approach to obstacles in life, and winning can be summed up very well in one quote that the Dean of International Relations, Mr Taylor, said about MUNOFS, “Everyone’s a winner, we come out of the experience as winners, winners who’ve reached success in different measures and dimensions.”

Malavika Nair

VICTORIES

7F O O T P R I N T

Football Crazy, Football Mad

The football season has come to a triumphant close for OFS, especially for our under-19 girls’ team, who snagged the silver medal in the ACSIS tournament. Twelfth Grader, Gabriella (Gebz) Andriesz was appointed captain to help lead the team along with the girls’ coach Mr. Buscher. It was an intense season culminating in the final victory against SJII, securing the team’s silver-medaled glory.

Despite this, the season did not start out particularly promisingly with a disappointing loss against UWCSEA, however Gabz explained that this somewhat disheartening result could not be considered a reflection of the girls’ skill, as it was UWC’s fearsome reputation rather than their talent that led to this unfortunate defeat.

From here, our football representatives did us proud, inspired by Mr. Buscher’s philosophy that the season was a, 'Road to Respect': starting with an avoidable loss, to which the girl’s had to prove that they deserved the respect of their competitors, coaches, and team mates. This they did with four consecutive wins mid-season, however Gabz regrets they may have gotten slightly over-confident, leading to losses against CIS and Tanglin. These small blimps on their otherwise impressive record cannot be considered entirely disappointing, as the team never lost twice against one team, whilst winning consistently against others!

We can see how the girls learned from their mistakes, and improved their game to defeat the competition. For Gabz, the most satisfying example of this was their championing of UWC, certainly regaining any respect they may have lost.

Rebecca Pardey

Player’s reactions to lunchtime soccer

I am here with Cem Meric, a member of the French squad at the OFS lunchtime soccer tournament, who is here to tell us about his experience.

So first question, as an asset to the defense of the French t e a m , h o w d i d y o u r experience on the court made you feel? “Well it was an enjoyable experience as it was a good way to relieve stress as you play with your friends, meet new people and interact with others, but it’s also a challenge as you are playing very competitive teams with a lot of experience.”

As a Turkish player in the French squad do you feel as if you have more responsibility and

pressure on you or would you rather consider it a privilege? “I feel as if I am welcomed by the

French team, I have tasted a new culture and met new people. It has also helped me improve as a player and I also consider it as a privilege as I was playing with one of the tournament’s finest teams.”

The defender who has helped the French team reach the semi final before being knocked out by the tournament champions in a thrilling penalty shootout

ended the interview by saying, “I believe I have managed to integrate in the French team well due to my good relations with some of my teammates.”

8F O O T P R I N T

F O O T P R I N T

OFS Wins Gold AND Silver

On Saturday, November 7th the OFS girls under-19 and the OFS boys under-19 for basketball swept the silver and gold medals respectively at the fi n a l s , h e l d a t t h e U W C gymnasium.

The OFS girls played well all season and were pitted against UWC in the finals. With some of their key players on the sidelines due to injuries, they gave it their all, resulting in an admirable silver medal.

The boys in turn faced this season’s toughest opponent yet, North Vista, having faced them before and only losing by a small margin. Everyone was pumped and nervous, knowing this would be one of, if not the toughest game of the

season. The starting five were: Pedro and Rodolfo Moschioni, Aoi Hosakawa, Marco Anselmi and Rob de Vegt. The tip off went to North Vista, but OFS quickly recovered. The first quarter was a slow one, many scoring opportunities were missed, by both

sides, but OFS was still in the lead. At one point in the game, the lead was a mere four

points, then the under 19A team continued to build the lead, finally winning with 70-49.

This year ’s under-19 boys t e a m , l e d b y c o a c h M r. Bergeron, brings the U19 title back to OFS for the first time since 1996! In all, it was a great g a m e d e f e n s i v e l y, a l m o s t completely eliminating North Vista’s offensive capabilities. Next

up is Season Two, of which both teams have at least equally high expectations.

Jason Klanderman

Whatever it Takes

Student of the Month- an award that comes with positive connotations, sure, but what does it actually take to be the student of the month? Kind spirits? Sevens across the report card? After asking Malavika Nair, Grade 10's October 2009's junior female Student of the Month winner, it is clear that it was really her persistence and commitment to her school work and community that won her the coveted prize.

“Even though we get rubrics and stuff to do all our projects on, I don't finish it [even] when I think I've met all the requirements,” Malavika said. “I

usually keep working on it until I am personally satisfied with my work.”

But, she promises she is not a total workaholic and a nerd with no life.” However she does joke that, “I hate that I have to sacrifice so much of my precious sleeping time.”

But it doesn't just come down to perfecting the crafting of school assignments, she is an avid school club goer, dabbling in not one, not two, not five, but eight different clubs this semester alone!

“While I did two for the school requirements, I genuinely enjoy doing the other six, which is why I joined them.”

But Malavika also takes care to mention that there is down time in her life as well, away from school work and responsibilities.

“Well the thing is that I really care about everything I do, and I seem really stressed out. But that's only one part of me. I am actually a really chilled out person...who is not a study-bug at all unlike what most of my friends think!”

If you remain unconvinced that this kind of life could be satisfying, all you have to do is take a look at Malavika's ever-present sunshine smile!

9F O O T P R I N T

S E Q U O I A C L U B

Personal Project Exhibition

The Personal Project is a rite of passage for any 10th Grader. After much blood, sweat and tears the students gathered to reap the rewards of their hard word at the impressive Personal Project Exhibition on 11 August.

As time progressed, things started to come together and fall apart. People changed their topics during the summer and some did not start their production stage until September. “I didn’t know what to do this project on. I started to set out a plan and with that, things just fell into place and my final product was complete, my miniature working model of a flying trimaran! I saw I had 3000 words in my essay until I sat and worked on the essay and the next thing I knew, it was over 4000 words!” said Nicholas Walsh.

This exhibition showcased the A-Z of everything from everywhere, be it a flying t r imaran, a homemade dress, a handmade gui tar, an assembled computer, an ipod application or a working piston as an alternative energy source for More Economically Developed Countries.

Aniroodh Shankar

SISMC

In the wee hours of the morning, our alarms went off for those of us who had to be at school by 7.30 to catch the bus for the Singapore International School Math Competition (SISMC). All who were involved were hand picked from the two accelerated GI Maths classes to compete in this event at UWC against all of the international schools in Singapore and the Alice Smith School in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

At the competition, we were split up into three groups, all with intentions to bring home the gold. First there was the icebreaker, where the school teams were split into teams and mixed with other

schools to build paper airplanes and then test the distance of its flight, providing the chance to socialize with students of our age from other schools. Following this, were two team rounds and one individual test round with a relay race and an energizer. Students ran around frantically trying to get their answers to the administrators marking the questions, and returning it for a new question to be added on. Throughout the day the maths certainly added up!

Against all odds, as we were new to this competition and were only invited last minute with no preparation, we triumphed taking home eight awards with four in first

place, for first time participants, what a record!

Aniroodh Shankar

10F O O T P R I N T

SUMMARY OF MUNOFS

Last month, OFS held the second annual MUNOFS conference, inviting many other schools - including local schools - for a two day MUN conference.

The conference was primarily organized and administered by the younger OFS delegates although the Secretary and Deputy Secretary General, Max Martchenko and Karly Franz, were both from 12th Grade.

M U N O F S r e q u i r e s a n d e n c o u r a g e s co l labora t ion , communicat ion , open-mindedness, risk-taking, confidence building, and multi-culturalism. These skills are all actively promoted by UN and MUN practices,

dynamical ly demonstrated by the MUN delegates.

At MUNOFS, delegates are divided into several groups representing a selected country. After the first debate the diligent MUN-ers had a well deserved break - a chance to interact with the students from the various schools. In the interims between talks, the clamour of talk was focused mostly on what had just passed in the debates, the conversation interrupted by the rush for the yummy snacks on offer.

Debating was not only serious, as the good humor of the conference was evident throughout. There was a keen competition between the delegates, but still it was intimate and friendly.

Hee Young Lee

Model United Nations

“OFS Students participating in THIMUN 09’ and Mr Glover watching MUNITY-EAST TV Programme preparation”

12F O O T P R I N T

S E Q U O I A C L U B

THIMUN Summary

The THIMUN conference was fragmented into four days. On the first, our delegates were dispersed to their various locations. Judges were sent to the international court of justice; delegates of “Critical Countries” were sent to the security council and the press were sent to the press core (the centre of intelligence!). Others were shepherded to their respective conference rooms.

The highlight of the first day for many delegates was getting to know new people, familiarizing themselves with the campus, and of course, the opening ceremony, which took place in a grand auditorium at the end of the day. There was much cheering coming from the thousands of delegates as musical events were performed in the opening ceremony. The keynote speaker also raised many interesting issues, which the delegates would later get to tackle themselves. The theme o f t h e 2 0 0 9 T H I M U N Conference was sustainable d e v e l o p m e n t , a n i s s u e c o m m o n l y a d d r e s s e d nowadays but which rarely comes to any satisfactory conclusions.

The following two days were predominately filled with the passing of resolutions and the heated debating that proceeds this approval. In each room w e r e 2 0 - 3 0 d e l e g a t e s defending their cause. The more austere rooms, such as that which conta ined the international court of justice, were isolated form the rest of the con fe rence as o the r delegates were forbidden from entering, as the judges were not

allowed to be disturbed at all costs. Places such as these were hidden behind locked doors which even kept out the insistent press core. On the second last day of the conference there was also the

THIMUN dance while the main highlight of the last day was the closing ceremony, in which many OFS performers impressed their peers. It is quite obvious that the THIMUN conference was a non-stop storm of debates, speeches, applause, points of information and some impressive resolutions, o v e r a l l a n d o v e r w h e l m i n g success!

Press summary

The journalism club took part in THIMUN was mainly responsible f o r t h e c o m m u n i c a t i o n o f in fo rmat ion concern ing the conference and distribution of local newspapers for a fundraiser.

On the first day the press club assigned person a job to each individual, such as photographer, reporter, editor, artist or layout manager. The reporters were assigned each day a 500 word article which was meant to be edited twice by two different editors. The photographers, as you bright students might have

guessed, were responsible for taking photographs, and thus their task was to be everywhere and photograph everything that was going on. An infinitely demanding j o b , a s t h e r e w a s a l w a y s something going on throughout the conference. Artists, similar to t h e p h o t o g r a p h e r s , w e r e responsible for the visual layout of the newspaper, spending their days designing pictures related to respective articles written by the reporters. It can be said that the layout managers had the most difficult job, as when all the photographs were sent to them, and all articles were finished and edited, they were responsible for the ove ra l l f o rmat t i ng and impression of the newspaper. This task was particularly rigorous, as the formatting managers were the ones with the most limited amount of time available, rushing to fit in the most up-to-date articles and photos. Along with the actual newspaper, there were online news video feeds which were made by the Journalism Club. These was a unique addition which their responsibility was to add entertainment to the THIMUN conference as well as give out reports form critical conference locations.

Ultimately, the newspapers given o u t a t T H I M U N w e r e a tremendous success as they raised a lot of money for charity, and also allowed unexperienced delegates to take much more from their first conference.

Herve Tom Bougard

13F O O T P R I N T

ISLAMIC NEW YEAR

Muslims observe this in the first month of the Islamic calendar, in December, when they celebrate Muharram. They follow the lunar calendar and it is short by about 11-12 days than the solar calendar, hence the start of New Year migrates annually.

YALDA

This is an Iranian festival celebrated in the Northern hemisphere on the day of the Winter Solstice. A 13th century Iranian poet Sa'di wrote in his Bustan, "The true morning will not come, until the Yalda Night is gone."

GUADALUPE DAY

Mexicans celebrate this on the 12th of December when they say Virgin Mary appeared before Juan Diego, a Mexican Indian. He is to have been blessed for this sighting.

14F O O T P R I N T

S E Q U O I A C L U B

Halloween Eco-friendly Costume

Each year during Halloween, tons of materials are wasted and a copious amount of trash are produced. Obviously, saving the environment is the last thing people want to think about on a fun day like Halloween.

Certain fabrics and materials have a harmful affect on the environment when they are produced. For example, synthetic polyesters and nylons are made from petrochemicals through a process of refining crude oil, creating harmful fumes. Silk is also a material that when produced, hurts the environment.

Nevertheless, there are a few people out there who have integrated their environmentalist mentality with their love of Halloween. Take Stuart

Aitken who is a senior student from our very own high school. Before going out to celebrate the festival he was determined to make a statement. He decided that he wanted to dress up as a smurf. (For all those of you who do not know what a smurf is, they are small and blue.) Instead of buying a costume or making one out of all kinds of environmentally un-friendly materials, he decided to simply paint himself blue with organic blue paint. Organic paint consists of simple organic compounds, and is not harmful for the environment. It can be purchased at almost any hardware or paint store and is definitely a better choice than all of the other toxic paints out there.

The next time Halloween comes around, think about what Stuart Aitken did, and maybe you will help the environment like he did. Remember, even if it is a small change, its step in the right direction.

Abhineet Kumar

15F O O T P R I N T

Kyung Ha Lee

E N T E R T A I N E N TMWaiting for the Weekend

We, as students (and presumably teachers) spend most of our time longing for the week to finish so we can enjoy our weekends once again. However, even though it may seem like an eternity before Friday rolls around, has anyone noticed how time seems to pass us by without us even realising it?

With every insistent and unstoppable Monday the countdown once again begins to 3:30pm on a Friday afternoon. Monday and Tuesday are on the wrong side of a less than restful weekend and its like struggling, or rather plodding in a sleep-deprived haze, over a hill of text books, green slips, essays and bulging backpacks. But then comes the peak sometime Wednesday morning, when suddenly the weekend is in our sights again! It might still be a bit of a blur, as it cannot yet be shaped by firm plans – and in fact, starting to plot strategies to maximize freedom too early really only amplifies the distance . However, it’s there and we are once again reassured, and the fear that this horrible week will end diminishes once more. Suddenly third period doesn’t seem so daunting.

On the weekends, it is ridiculously easy to get out of the habit of waking up at the unnatural hour of seven in the morning (when I might add, it is still dark!). Two blissful days of sleeping until a reasonable hour, i.e. just before lunch time so we still fit in two meals just does not seem enough.

But when you really think about how long we are actually at school for, it becomes slightly less of an inconceivable horror. I mean really, we are there from maybe, 8:30 to about 4:30 all told, which is (wait for my math skills) eight hours in school. And only five of which are spent actually in class, with a kind of half an hour buffer zone on either side of the tunnel to

prepare us for the battlefield within. This gratifying interval allows us to gather our wits before the final assault on fifth period.

Looking at it this way, it is no wonder that Thursday and Friday seem to slither past like a school (geddit?) of fish swimming down the aforementioned mountain. From Thursday, it is okay to put off all the things you were supposed to do this week until next Monday, because from here the weekend seems tantalizingly close. Its vast array or treasures stretched out like a mirage conceals how close Monday actually is, which never seems to appear until Sunday afternoon. Where we are faced with the piles of accumulated homework left, inevitably, until the last minute. This generously ensures not only that we get to see our deadlines move ever closer, but the clock ticking ever so steadily towards that dreaded seven am alarm on a Monday.

Promise yourself, as the sound of your fingers tapping that ridiculously meaningless last paragraph lulls you to sleep, that next week you will NOT let your friends talk you into going out both Friday and Saturday. You will NOT fall for the charms of CSI: supreme Sunday. You WILL remember to check the homework website sometime before nine, just to make sure that unformulated idea that you only have TOK homework (which is what Monday morning is made for) is not just wishful thinking. And you WILL remember to write that article for Journalism Club before Mr. Glover has a heart attack.

But then, Monday comes and by Wednesday, when we finally feel sufficiently revived, last weekend seems a distant childhood memory, and next weekend is a temple deserving only the most worthy of sacrifices.

F O O T P R I N T

!

16

Atonement

The attraction of a novel for many readers are the situations and characters we come across that we may have never thought of or have a vague sense of familiarity. Great writers can articulate aspects of a reader's mind more eloquently than most could themselves. Allowing not only a deeper understanding of their own character, but also that of those around them. In the novel Atonement, Ian McEwan explores not just the character but also the thought process of the writer itself. This is r e p r e s e n t e d t h r o u g h t h e adolescent Briony, who matures, in Part III into the revered author Ms. Briony Tallis. This simplified explanation of the book does not do it justice as anyone who has seen the movie, and focused on the love affair between Robbie and Briony’s elder sister, Cecilia, would promptly and justly, point out.

However the idea presented by Mc Ewan is that a writer, who based her characters on real people around her in a youthful a t tempt to gain 'author i ty ' , unconsciously distorts the very essence of their character. Resulting in actions which may appear more acceptably with her preconceived ideas of humanity.

Aside from the compelling and desperate love story, which in itself makes the novels worth the time (and tears), a close reader migh t fu r ther cons ider the implications of Briony’s misguided intentions - without giving too much away – to understanding our own motivations, and the unknown forces controlling our minds.

However, it must be said, for seniors who are sick to death of TOK (thank you very much) and juniors who would rather be thril led by a convincing, if somewhat unfulfilling, romance, and lastly for teachers who are r o l l i n g t h e i r e y e s a t m y pretensions. The plot of a young couple struggling through the trials of World War Two, further h i n d e r e d b y a s c h e m i n g woman’s younger sister, is sufficient enticement in itself.

Rebecca Pardey

Into the Wild

Is the way we live the only way to live? Based on a true story, Sean Penn's Into the Wild not only addresses this question, but also the idea of man's place on Earth.

After graduating from university, Christopher McCandless, played by actor Emile Hirsche, decides to take a different path in life – the “ road not taken” . For Christopher, the notion of living alone in a tiny cabin beside a pond and planting some beans is far more seductive than a life of materialism and money. He aims to l i v e a l i f e o f natural ism; one i n d u l g e d i n solitude and the wilds of nature. Consequently, he destroys all of his credit cards and i d e n t i fi c a t i o n d o c u m e n t s , donates nearly all of his savings to charity, and sets out to achieve his goal.

The film is also pregnant

with themes of environmentalism and sustainability. It makes us question ourselves and the way we live. Perhaps, in today's world, we have become far too immersed in materialism, which might be perceived as merely causing us to drift away from nature, and from reality. The dream of happiness has become stained with the pestilence of materialism and money, and McCandless proves that a life without either is in no way a life without happiness. Do we really need light bulbs when there's sunshine? Do we absolutely need to buy a car when we can simply walk or use publ ic transportation?

U l t ima te l y, I n t o t he W i l d illustrates what one man is willing to do, not only to preserve his connection with nature, but to save nature itself. Maybe it is about time we make an effort to live more with what the world has given us, and less with the materialistic creations of man.

Abhineet Kumar

17F O O T P R I N T

F O O T P R I N T

Personal statements 101

On the UCAS website it provides with the do's and don'ts of writing your statement, listed here as advice for some of the 11th graders who will (sooner than you think) have to write it:

Do create a list of your ideas before attempting to write the real thing.Do expect to produce several drafts before being totally happy.Do ask people you trust for their feedback.Do use good EnglishDo be enthusiasticDon't try to impress them just be yourselfDon't say irrelevant thingsDon't lie Don't leave it to the last minute

Mhd.Antonio van der Putten

Stress busters

Obviously in the build up to a football game, the pressure and excitement rises every second you get closer to kick off. But sometimes nerves overtake excitement and it becomes very hard to cope with the pressure. Jun Han Yoon, one of the strikers for the U19A boy’s football team, tells us how he copes with the pressure.

As a member of the under 19A boys football team, when there is a strong side in front of you, there are many people watching you and you are under pressure from the coach. Obviously this brings a

lot of stress on your shoulders, so tell us, how do you deal with that stress?

“Well first, I always take a nice cool shower before a game it helps me cool down, get a cool head, freshen up, and get my strength and focus back before the game,” Jun Han Yoon explains.

“As I’m changing, this pressure seems to ease away, but as soon as we start the team talk and the warm up, it rapidly climbs back up. What I like to do then is to just take a deep breath, count to three and then walk on the pitch.”

The Striker who scored three vital goals for OFS so far this season ended the interview by saying, “I also try to eliminate stress by ignoring the crowd and the coach, as if I could not hear the crowd and as if the coach’s criticisms was just wind.”

Anthony Walsh

Building Bridges

18F O O T P R I N T

S E Q U O I A C L U B

Uniform Threats

Chaos and disorders seems to have broken out for OFS seniors who have been having some trouble with the dress code lately. Feet and shoulders exposed, ID's not worn, and skirts getting too short.

As a result, the OFS staff is disappointed in its seniors and warnings have been made that perhaps a senior uniform may be created.

Antonio Vander Putten of 12th Grade argues that such a policy would be, “...unfair to those who do dress properly”. He believes that the, “...three warning system,” should be continued to be implemented as it is the most fair and efficient.

Malavika Nair of Grade 10, who is still in uniform, also believes that, “Just because some of current

seniors are not following the dress code, that doesn't mean future seniors will do the same.”

Of course, these are all logical arguments, however, what needs to be understood is that seniors need to set an example not only for their peers, but also the grades below. This is the message that the OFS staff are trying to get across. Currently only warnings have been made and seniors still have some hope in making a change.

As a senior, I know that we have the capability of waking up in the morning and taking the time to pick out an outfit or a piece of clothing that does not break the dress code. If we can spend hours on Friday nights deciding what to wear, it should not take too much of an effort to pick out a few clothes that are suitable for school. We not only need to do this for the sake of our own freedom, but for that of our juniors.

Abhineet Kumar

19F O O T P R I N T