GLOBAL GAZETTE

September, 2014

~Contents~

Sightseeing

P.1

Hachiko

P.2

Café Talk

P.3

Faculty profile

P.4

Faculty Childhood Pics

P.5-6

Some New Faces

P.7

Int’l Book Review

P.8

Ping Pong Rankings

P.9

Cultural Dinners

P.10

Student Profiles

P.11-14

Mr. Bryant’s Science

P.15

Foods from abroad

P.16

World mysteries

P.17

Int’l Trivia Teasers

P.18

The Traveling Translator

P.19

~ Global Club ~President Eric Lu & Vice President Agustin Rodriguez

This club was created to foster a continued strong

connection between our international students and

American students and faculty. We are intent on

sharing our international cultures with the Hillside

population as well as learning about other cultures.

The Global Club includes all international students and

meets twice a month in the Redeppening Room.

Hillside’s

Cool Facts about Halifax

• In 1917, site of largest man-made explosion

• Old Town Clock has been keeping time since 1803

•closer to Dublin, Ireland than Vancouver, BC

Halifax, Nova Scotia

Halifax explosion

Sightseeing

Page.1 Global Gazette Hillside School

Sightseeing

Halifax, Nova Scotia

In the last two decades tourism in

the Nova Scotia capital of Halifax

has skyrocketed. Many visitors,

predominantly from the New

England area and eastern Canada,

have come to this jewel that juts

out into the North Atlantic because

of its large natural harbor, quaint

shops, sophisticated and diverse

cuisine, vibrancy, and because its

waterfront feels like a throwback to

19th

century maritime ports.

Halifax currently accounts for 40

percent of Nova Scotia’s

population and 15 percent of the

Atlantic Provinces’ population. It is

the urban center of the Maritimes

and a place that is well worth a

visit. I can vouch for that as this is

the city that I grew up in.

Halifax was established in 1749

by the British who named this

majestic peninsula after the Earl of

Halifax, George Montague-Dunk

(1716-1771). In violation of Native

American Mi’kmaq treaties, Sir

Edward Cornwallis brought along

1,176 settlers and created a

Protestant settlement along with

fortifications to secure the area. The

area quickly grew into a bustling

trade port and served to harbor

allied ships in WWI. It was then

that a French munitions ship and a

Belgian relief vessel collided and

resulted in the world’s largest man-

made explosion (outside of nuclear

weapons). The explosion killed

over 2,000 and injured many

more.

Today Halifax is renowned not

only for its tourism but also for

being a cultural center, a home to

several universities and colleges,

government services, theaters and

restaurants, fisheries, ship

building, off-shore gas, and so

much more. In the summer Halifax

hosts the Halifax Buskers, the

International Tattoo, the Atlantic

Jazz Festival, and more.

Page.2 Global Gazette Hillside School

Holidays

The year was 1924 and the place was Tokyo, Japan. A professor in the Agricultural Department at the University of Tokyo is given a pet Akita

dog from one of his students. The two take to each other quickly and

become inseparable. Each morning “Hachi” accompanies the professor

to the Shibuya train station, goes home for the day, then greets his owner

returning from the university at precisely 5PM. The ritual continues

every day for a year and a half. However, one day while at the

university, Professor Ueno has a cerebral hemorrhage and dies. That day,

Hachiko shows up at the station to welcome his master’s return but on

this day, the professor does not get off the train. And now the story takes

a strange and heartbreaking twist. Hachiko, who loved his owner dearly,

continues to show up at the train station every day at precisely 5 PM for

NINE YEARS. Each day, he would wait for all the passengers to get off

then, seeing that his master was not there, would return home. At first,

Hachiko’s presence at the station was seen as a nuisance by train station

attendants who regarded him as a stray. People treated him badly,

throwing things at him and even drawing a moustache on the docile dog.

The cruelty continued until a few of the Shibuya commuters recognized

that the dog had belonged to the late professor and the story started to

gain some local momentum. Then, an article was published about

Hachiko on October 4th

, 1932 in the Tokyo based newspaper Asahi

Shimbun and the dog’s story started to become legendary. It drew

national attention and people from all over the country came to see the

dog at 5 PM at Shibuya Station and brought him snacks as he loyally

waited in vain for his beloved master. On March 8th

, 1935 Hachiko was

found dead on a street in Shibuya. He was on his way to the train station

but never made it. At first, some said he died of a broken heart, but much

later scientists determined that he died of cancer and filarial infection

(heartworms). Hachiko’s remains were stuffed and put into the National

Science Museum and can be viewed there today and a bronze statue of

him was erected at Shibuya Station. Hachiko remains as a symbol of

undying loyalty, love of family, and resiliency in Japanese society.

The Story of Hachiko

Hachiko and family/Professor Euno (bottom right)

Hachiko’s statue (Shibuya Station

2013)

Shibuya Station 1925

Old photo of Hachiko waiting for Professor Euno

Page.3 Global Gazette Hillside School

Mr. Tang making Chinese wontons

Café Talk

The International Café is a place where we meet once a week to

discuss culture. We focus on a particular country and discuss everything

from school to holidays to fashion to religion and more. The discussions

are accompanied by snacks from the featured country cooked by none

other than Mrs. Brown or a guest chef. At the Café, the boys have a

chance to learn about other places around the world in a fun, relaxed,

and delicious atmosphere. We’re hoping to perhaps plant some seeds for

future travel and to promote cross-cultural understanding. A discussion

on Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, Seoul, South Korea, or Berlin, Germany, for

example, might spark a series of thoughts that culminate in a trip to one

of these places someday. Or maybe these discussions will serve to give

students a greater understanding of global cultures, a sensitivity for

diversity, and an appreciation that we are all human beings tied together

in this global existence and that our future lies in understanding and

cooperating with one another. At any rate, the International Café is a fun

and educational way to spend morning recess. So, sign up shortly after

lunch announcement and get ready for a great time.

What Happens at the

International Café?

Cool Facts about Mr. Elias

• Graduated from university in El Salvador

• Has been in the United States since the 1980s

• Loves fishing and soccer

Francisco “Cisco” Elias

San Salvador, El Salvador

Page.4 Global Gazette Hillside School

Faculty Profile

Upon arriving on Hillside

campus, you may see a relatively

quiet but hardworking man on our

maintenance staff. Usually, he’s

out mowing the lawn, or cleaning

the ATL, or driving around in the

Gator with a toolbox and a big

smile. He’s very important around

these parts but flies under the radar

and many might not even know his

name. Until now!

Francisco Elias was born in San

Salvador, El Salvador. He grew up

in this Central American city until

one day, when he decided to pursue

the “American Dream,” packed up

his belongings and moved his

family here to cold and snowy New

England. And he hasn’t regretted a

moment. Mr. Elias loves the

country, people, and school that

adopted him. And we love him!

Mr. Elias has four family members

and two jobs. In his “spare time” he

works at Target. Target? How on

Earth do you find time to work

there when you work around the

clock here? No need to answer and

people can rest assure that Mr. Elias

puts his all into his jobs. That’s just

the way he is and the way he’s been

brought up. It’s a value he’s

instilled in his kids as well. Hard

work has paid off for this valuable

Francisco Elias

member of Bulldog community and

he has found a home here at

Hillside because of it.

Mr. Elias loves fishing and soccer.

When he’s not spreading fertilizer

or pounding on some nails, he takes

some time to enjoy fishing in

Massachusetts’s pristine lakes. No

doubt, while casting his line and

having a moment to reflect in the

New England wilderness, Mr. Elias

must think about home in El

Salvador and how far he has come

to live here. He misses his

homeland a lot but is thrilled with

his life in America and at Hillside.

In fact, when asked what the future

holds in store for him, he responds

“to continue working at Hillside.”

What a dedicated and highly

appreciated member of Hillside.

> > Education? 3 year college el salvador > Future ambition(s)?continue in hillside school > 3 Cool facts about yourself I'm friends , like watermelon , and sea food

Cool Facts about old photos

• Photography has been around since 1826.

• George Eastman named his company “Kodak” after

the sound he thought the camera shutter made.

• We used to think Kodak instant cameras were cool.

World’s 1st photograph 1826

Mystery Faculty

#3. Who is this mystery

faculty member?

Figuring Out the Faculty

#5. Who is this mystery

faculty member?

#1. Who is this mystery

faculty member?

#2. Who is this mystery

faculty member?

#4. Who is this mystery

faculty member?

Answers

On

Next

Page!!

Page.5 Global Gazette Hillside School

You’ve played Hillside’s

“Stump the Staff”, now how

about a rousing rendition of

“Figuring out the Faculty”?

Match these early childhood

photos with one of the faculty or

staff members at Hillside.

Faculty-Answers

ANSWERS

#1.Mr.Hundley

#2.Mrs.Garofoli

#3. Mr. Brown

#4. Mr. Salmi

#5. Mr. Paul

Page.6 Global Gazette Hillside School

New Faculty Spotlights

Mr. Paul is our new Dean of Faculty and

varsity tennis coach. He grew up in

Southern California and later attended

Harvard. He lives with his wife Catherine in

Worcester and has two children Ben (23)

and Natalie (19). Mr. Paul is an avid tennis

player, skier, and sailor. Also, watch out for

this guy on the ping pong tables..

Miss Lord is our new Academic

Assistant. She comes from Hershey,

Pennsylvania and has experience teaching

boys ages 10-15 with autism. She lives off

campus in Northborough and enjoys the

outdoors including: hiking, running, and the

beach. Miss Lord came to Hillside seeking

“a new experience in a fun school.”

Some New Faces Around

Hillside

Page.7 Global Gazette Hillside School

Mr. Kinney is our new math guru, JV

basketball, and varsity baseball coach. He

hails from South Windsor, Connecticut and

has 5 years of teaching experience in

independent schools. He loves sports, a

good conspiracy theory, and is devoted to

education. He is living on campus in

Matthies with his new kitten “Fred.”

Mrs. Freeman is our new Head Nurse.

She comes from East Hampton, MA and has

13 years of experience as a school nurse.

Mrs. Freeman enjoys genealogy research,

gardening, and keeping a scrapbook. She

was drawn to Hillside because of its small

school setting and “team” approach.

Currently, Mrs. Freeman lives in Natick.

International Book Review

Wilmè, took a special liking to him. The young boy was soon participating in gang violence, seeking revenge and hoping to be reunited with his twin sister. Shorty was in the hospital being treated for a gunshot wound when the earthquake hit. Dehydration and hunger cause Shorty to hallucinate. His own story is often interrupted by another story. He becomes Toussaint L'Ouverture, the leader of the Haitian Revolution from 1791-1802. L’Ouverture was a self-educated former slave with a knack for politics and is considered a military genius. The Haitian Revolution began as a slave revolt in the French province of Saint-Domingue and resulted in the establishment of a Haiti, a slavery-free and independent state. In Darkness won the Michael L. Printz Award in 2013. This award is given by the Young Adult Library Services Association to the best book written for teens each year. The characters are compelling and the prose elegant. You will learn a great deal about Haiti if you read it. Come to the library to check it out!

“This is a work of ficTion. That said, much in it is true. If you were hoping that some of the more unpleasant things you have just read were made up, Then i apologise.” - Nick Lake, Author's Note

One: I am alive.

International

Book Review By Ms. Dalane

In Darkness By Nick Lake *Recommended for students in Grades 8 & 9

Setting: Port-au-Prince, Haiti, 2010 & Haiti, 1790s

Shorty is a 15 year old Haitian trapped in the ruins of a hospital following the 2010 earthquake that devastated his country. He slowly loses strength while he waits to be rescued, drinking blood because he is so thirsty. Shorty tells the story of his life while he waits. He witnessed his father’s murder and his twin sister’s kidnapping at the hands of a gang when he was quite young. Shorty joined a rival gang to seek protection. A powerful gang member Dread Wilmè, took a special liking to him. The young boy was soon participating in gang violence, seeking revenge and hoping to be reunited with his twin sister. Shorty was in the hospital being treated for a gunshot wound when the earthquake hit. Dehydration and hunger cause Shorty to hallucinate. His own story is often interrupted by another story. He becomes Toussaint L'Ouverture, the leader of the Haitian Revolution from 1791-1802. L’Ouverture was a self-educated former slave, had knack for politics, and is considered a military genius. The Haitian Revolution began as a slave revolt in the French province of Saint-Domingue and resulted in the

Cool Facts about Nick Lake • Born in England but grew up in Luxembourg

• In Darkness is his 1st book written for teens and adults

• Fascinated by Haitian culture since his university days

Page.8 Global Gazette Hillside School

Ping Pong Rankings

September Ping Pong Rankings

Page.9 Global Gazette Hillside School

Top 5 Students “THE BIG GUNS”

1. Agustin Rodriguez

2. Cam Ray

3. Brendan O’Donnell

4. Lucas Adam

5. Amir Thomas

6.

Top 5 Females

1. Mrs. Greener

2. Mrs. Sims

3. Miss Lucey

4. Miss Buzard

5. Miss Lord

Top 5 Faculty

1. Mr. Osae

2. Mr. Evans

3. Mr. Paul

4. Mr. Bryant

5. Mr. Ribeiro

Culture Night

Culture Night: The Global Club

Goes Out to Eat on the

Weekends

If you’re interested in culture and

food, then signing up for our

weekend trips to local cosmopolitan

cuisines might be for you. We, the

Global Club, load up a bus or two

once a month and dine at some of

the tastiest restaurants in

Marlborough and surrounding

towns. We usually include a stop at

the Korean restaurant in

Westborough, the Chinese Super

Buffet, La Tapatia, an authentic

Mexican restaurant near Main

Street, and so much more. Sign-ups

occur a few days in advance and

you can do so by emailing me at

mbrown@hillsideschool.net or

Global Club President Eric Lu at zhenghanglu2015@hillsideschool.net Don’t miss out on this delicious

experience! The Global Club is

committed to providing our students

with diverse opportunities.

Page.10 Global Gazette Hillside School

International F O o D

Westborough Korean restaurant

Mr. & Mrs. Beecher dine with us

El Basha Lebanese restaurant

A packed house Off to La Tapatia

Kimchi jiggae

Tacos el Pastor

Chengdu, China

Spotlight…Student Profiles

Eric loves kung fu

Eric Lu

Page.11 Global Gazette Hillside School

Eric. Where you going to school

next year?”

“I don’t know.”

“Well, I heard Hillside in

Marlborough, Massachusetts is

pretty good.” Hmmm, this world is

certainly becoming a smaller place

thanks to the Internet and

globalization. Well, we’re glad and

certainly feel lucky to have such a

mature and friendly young man on

our campus.

Eric is the President of the Global

Club. This group encompasses our

international student population

and, as President, Eric is

responsible for making

announcements regarding

international holidays, organizing

cultural trips on weekends, and

leading presentations about the

various countries represented at

Hillside. He has a lot on his plate

since he is also a school prefect, but

if anybody can handle these

responsibilities, it’s Eric. After all,

he aspires to take after his father

and assume leadership.

Presently, Eric loves kung fu and

baseball. In the future, he wants to

be a businessman in China. His

father and mother have set fine

examples in the business world and

Eric wants to follow in their

footsteps. His parents must be so

proud of him. Well done Eric!

Chen, is an entrepreneur who

started her own business as well.

His older brother, Stan Chen,

studies at the University of

Alabama. He speaks excellent

English and helps act as a translator

for the Lu family when they come

to Hillside. They’re a lovely family

and they have raised a very polite

and kind-hearted son in Eric.

Eric’s role model is no surprise.

He admires his father, Jieguo

because he is responsible and looks

after his family well. It’s always

great to see that kind of recognition

early on in life. So many teenagers

boast professional athletes as

heroes. Given the current state of

affairs in professional sports, I think

more of us should look to our

family members and close friends

to occupy that role model status.

Well, Mr. Lu, you certainly brought

up Eric well and with his priorities

in order. And your efforts haven’t

gone unnoticed by your son.

So, young Zhenghang, what

brought you to Hillside? He replies

that “my friends recommended me

to come here.” Really? Wow!

Hillside’s name made it all the way

over to your friends in the Far East?

I am trying to envision how that

conversation would have gone: “Hi

Zhenghang “Eric” Lu is a grade

9 student in his second year at the

Hillside School. He’s one of these

kids who is impossible to dislike.

In fact, if someone were to come

up and say “I don’t like Eric Lu,”

people around these parts would

reply: “You’re going to need some

help son. Let’s get you an

appointment with one of our

counselors.” This is how confident

I am in the likeability factor of one

of our most beloved students.

Eric was born in Chengdu city in

Sichuan Province. For those that

may not know, Sichuan Province

is located in the southwest part of

China and is renowned for its

spectacular cuisine that we

Americans call Szechuan.

UNESCO has specifically

recognized Chengdu for its

sophisticated food and declared it

“a city of gastronomy” in 2011.

Eric grew up in Chengdu as a

youngest child in a family of four.

His father, Jieguo, used to be a

doctor and is now a thriving

businessman. His mother, Chai

Zhenghang “Eric” Lu

Spotlight… Student Profiles

Cristiano Ronaldo

Page.12 Global Gazette Hillside School

Juan Medrano Corona

Hillside? According to our resident

prankster it’s “the homework and

getting to class on time.”

Juan loves sports. That was

evident in the summer. He’d get out

there on the fields and lead his team

on some long scoring drives in

touch football. Then, in soccer, he

purchased these glamorous new

goalie gloves and manned the nets.

He can’t wait for 3 PM and sports.

He races outside to practice JV

soccer. His hero is Portugal’s star

forward Cristiano Ronaldo. Juan

considers Ronaldo to be the best

soccer player in the world because

of his ability to score “beautiful

goals.” Along with soccer, Juan

enjoys playing the video soccer

game FIFA.

When Juan is older, he dreams of

being the president of Mexico. I’m

not sure if he is playing me here,

but this kid sure has the personality

to do whatever he wants. He is one

of the most interesting persons you

will meet around these parts: funny,

intelligent, likeable, and playful.

And just when you think he is

joking around, it would not surprise

me to someday be traveling to

Mexico and see a motorcade come

by with El Presidente Corona

saluting the crowd. He spots me and

says: “See Mee-ster, I told you!”

environment in which he had to

compete for laughs. Perhaps this

explains why Juan enjoys being a

comedian. He’s not only funny but

he’s a very smart young man. His

English is relatively fluent and just

about any topic that you could bring

up in class, Juan has some sort of

peripheral knowledge of it. He’ll

also proudly toss out a relatively

obscure English word at the

breakfast table and tell you what it

means. “Hey mister (pronounced

mee-ster), I know what ineffable

means. It’s when something can’t

be described. Do you think all of

the Hillside teachers know this? I

bet some of them don’t. Hey mister,

if teachers don’t know that word,

but I do, would that be ineffable?”

“I don’t know Juan! I’m just

concentrating on eating my toast.”

And so this young man goes on all

morning.

When asked why he came to

Hillside, Juan declares that it is

“because I have no doubt that it is

one of the best boarding schools in

all of the world.” Gee, thanks Juan!

But is this flattery? “Of course not

mister. It says that Hillside is the

best on that, what do you call it? Oh

yes, the iPad.” Ah, ok, I see. Well,

what’s the hardest thing about

A new student in our JumpStart

summer program swears that he

does not know what an iPad is.

Mr. Evans and I, dismayed, start to

explain. As we are midway

through a description, an ever so

slight smile curls on the upper lip

of one Mexican nacional. Got ya!

Ladies and gentlemen, this is the

fresh and playful humor of one of

our new international students. I’d

like to introduce to the Hillside

community one Juan Medrano

Corona. And no, there is no

relation to the global beer

manufacturer which, of course,

was our first question. Hmmm, in

retrospect, are we to take him at

his word?

Juan comes from Guadalajara,

Mexico. He is the youngest of

three children. His father, Jose Sr.,

works in the advertising world and

his mother, Hilda, is a homemaker.

Juan has an older brother, Jose Jr.

(21), and a sister, Silvana (18),

who attended Dana Hall last year.

So young Juan grew up in an

Juan medrano CoronA

Guadalajara, Mexico

Jeremy and Graesyn

Spotlight… Student Profiles

Brandon Semenuk

Page.13 Global Gazette Hillside School

Graesyn

seem to have a grand time.

Speaking of Hillside, what’s the

best thing about our school?

Graesyn replies that Hillside has “a

great community of people.” And

the hardest? Without hesitation he

says that “It is not coed.” Ok, that’s

fair. Lots of teens are motivated to

get up each morning simply by the

presence of the opposite sex. That

makes sense.

When Graesyn is older he, of

course, aspires to be like his dad.

He wants to get into marketing and,

on the side, do some downhill

mountain biking. They pay people

to do the latter? Wow, times are

changing. At any rate, no matter

what career path Graesyn chooses,

he will have a lot of support from

family and friends. He’s come a

long way since first coming to

Hillside and is gearing up for

secondary school life next year.

Knowing Graesyn, my guess is that

he’s going to choose an appropriate

school somewhere near a mountain.

Perhaps it’ll be in Vermont near

Killington, or perhaps in Maine

close to Sugar Loaf. It’s a safe bet

that Graesyn’s family will visit him

on weekends, just like they do at

Hillside. That is, if Steve Scruton’s

not battling Tony Stark that day.

clear that in his eyes his father can

do no wrong. In fact, Iron Man

would have his hands full in

Graesyn’s mind should he ever

cross paths with Steve Scruton. I

can see it now, Tony Stark meets

Steve Scruton in high-tech armor

over the skies of Long Island in a

showdown for control of Stark

Industries. OK, I’m getting carried

away here but isn’t that the way it

should be? A father pushed up to

hero status in a young teen’s mind.

Let’s hope it stays that way. There’s

nothing more special than seeing

this kind of connection between

father and son. Enjoy it while it

lasts, dad.

Despite Mr. Scruton’s heroic

status, Graesyn actually lists

Brandon Semenuk as his idol.

Semenuk is perhaps the world’s

premier freestyle mountain biker

who grew up near Whistler in

British Columbia, Canada. Along

with mountain biking, Graesyn

enjoys freestyle skiing,

longboarding, golf, and film. At

Hillside he has a group of friends

who share these interests. There’s

Jeremy, Noah Tidus, Dov

Trestman, Sean O’Connor, and

more. They cruise around here on

their skateboards and bikes and

Is it possible to do a story about

2nd

year Hillside student Graesyn

Scruton without mentioning his

ever-present sidekick Jeremy

Hallal? Editors and writers at the

Global Gazette news headquarters

concluded that it was possible, but

difficult to do. Wait, didn’t we just

mention Jeremy already? Never

mind! We all know that Jeremy and

Graesyn are inseparable. But who is

this guy Graesyn without that

appendage Hallal hanging off his

ribcage?

Graesyn comes from Dover,

Massachusetts. His family includes

his father, Steve, mother, Marilee,

and his little brother Kyle. Steve

and Marilee both own their own

marketing software company called

Direxxis. They used to visit

Graesyn at Maher House quite a bit

last year. It is easy to see that

Graesyn is close to them and, like

many teens, young Graesyn idolizes

his father. When talking about any

subject that includes his dad,

Graesyn’s eyes light up and it is

Graesyn ScrutoN

Southampton, Bermuda

Spotlight… Student Profiles

Muhammad Ali

Amir Thomas

Page.14 Global Gazette Hillside School

Amir Thomas

While greeting the new

international parents on

Registration Day, Mr. and Mrs.

Thomas explain that young Amir

couldn’t wait to start the new

school year at Hillside. They then

went on to say that their son “could

hardly sleep the night before”, and

Mr. Thomas felt the need to add

“We’re not bad parents, honestly!

He just loves school.” Everyone

had a good laugh and as attention

focused on our new grade 6 student

we quickly saw what Mr. Thomas

was talking about. Amir has a

passion for life. He has a character

that is larger than life and exceeds

his relatively slight frame. He’s one

of these guys that everyone knows

on Day 1.

Amir Thomas is from

Southampton Bermuda.

Southampton is in the southwestern

part of Bermuda. It is one of nine

parishes on the island and was

named after Henry Wriothesley, the

3rd

Earl of Southampton in England.

It is renowned for its beautiful

beaches and natural waterways that

include Whale Bay, Horseshoe Bay, and Riddell’s Bay. It is from this

scenic part of the world that young

Amir was raised by Armell and

Sheena Thomas. And what an

experience that must be for the

Bermudan couple. Amir is more

than a handful; all in a good way of

course. He brings a smile to the

faces of Hillside residents everyday

with his outgoing manner and

gregarious spirit. At times he may

talk a little too much, but hey, that’s

Amir. To change him would be to

take away that great energy and

stymie his personality. It would be

like telling Muhammad Ali to be

quiet at a press conference before a

big boxing match. Just let him go,

sit back, and enjoy the ride.

Speaking of Ali, young Amir

must’ve watched tapes of him

growing up. He talks just like him.

Ali was renowned for giving play-

by-play commentary as he was

boxing. “Hey sucka, watch out for

the left, it’s coming…Bam! Back

off, Back off! Now the right.Bam!”

Well, Amir does this routine with

everything, even at breakfast. “I

have to have some yogurt”, he says

while opening the package. “Gotta

keep these guns (as he flexes his

muscles) in shape. I got a big game

today, those fools betta watch out.

They ain’t seen nothin’ like Amir Thomas yet.” Of course Amir is a

diligent student and a fine speaker

of the Queen’s English when in the

classroom; it’s just that he can slip

into entertainment mode whenever

he chooses.

So Amir, what is the hardest thing

about Hillside? The young man

responds that it is “adjusting to the

schedule here.” That seems normal.

After all, adjusting to the rigors of

boarding school life is not an easy

thing to do. And what is the best? A

big smile forms on his lips as he

answers “the food!” That’s good to

hear. Do you have any hobbies? “Of course Mr. Brown, what do you

think? I love sports, especially

tennis and soccer. You’ve seen me

out there. Someday I want to be a

professional athlete.” I think that

anybody who knows Amir Thomas

at this point would say that this

young man will be able to do

anything he puts his mind to. He’s

full of confidence and life. He

makes everyone around him happy

and, in general, brightens the day

here at Hillside. He’s one of the

friendliest and most fun kids you’ll

want to meet. Amir, you’ve made

us a better place just by being here.

Thanks for being you and we’re

looking forward to having you

around for a long time.

Science Page

The Wonderful World

of Science: Global Conservation

The Island of Borneo and the Orangutans Who Live There

In the Pacific Ocean, straddling the equator, lies the island of

Borneo. It is situated in a chain of islands just north of Australia and

south of mainland Asia. Borneo is famous for a few things: natural

beauty, being the third largest island on Earth, and being one of the

two islands in the entire world that can call itself home to

orangutans. The Bornean Orangutan, Pongo Pygmaeus, and its

brother, the Sumatran Orangutan, are the only great apes that can be

found in Asia.

Currently, orangutans are listed as an endangered species. This

means that they are coming close to extinction and may soon cease to

exist. This summer I travelled to Borneo and worked closely with

scientists who live in the rainforest and study orangutans and other

animals on the island. They are working hard to protect these

amazing creatures, but struggle to fight against the oil palm

plantations that are ravaging the natural rainforest.

Though it is not a native plant, oil palm is a crop that grows really

well on the island of Borneo. Due to the large amount of rain and

steadily high temperatures, the crop is very successful. This is great

for those who live and farm there because it is a fantastic cash

crop. Oil palm yields more vegetable oil per acre than any other type

of oil producing plant. This includes: soy, sunflower, olive, etc. In

addition, it has no trans fats and is thought to be healthier than all

other vegetable oils. It also makes a great biofuel since it has a large

amount of energy, with very low carbon emissions. The oil from oil

palm can also be used in cosmetics and is widely used by companies

like The Body Shop, L’Oreal, and Estee Lauder. From these

examples, it is easy to see how useful and profitable this crop can be.

However, with the increased demand for the product comes the

increased desire for more land. This results in the destruction of

rainforests, peat land, and lowland areas that the orangutans call

home. This deforestation coupled with the low number of orangutans

left spells disaster for these animals. Luckily, there are companies in

America and abroad that are working to prevent this

deforestation. To do your part, check the web and see if your favorite

restaurant or makeup brand uses palm oil. If it comes from a

sustainable plantation, then support them. If they refuse to use palm

oil, then great! If they use it and contribute to the continued

deforestation, then please take a stand and choose something else.

Page.15

Map of Borneo

An orangutan of Borneo

Mr. Bryant in Borneo

By staff reporter

Henry Bryant

Foods from Abroad

Gazpacho

Solyanka

Galbi

Nasi Goreng

Page.13 Global Gazette Hillside School Page.16 Global Gazette Hillside School

Gazpacho is a delicious cold soup from that great country that brought you the Running of the Bulls, the 1992 Summer

Olympics, and Rafael Nadal. Gazpacho combines fresh and

juicy tomatoes, cucumbers, red bell peppers, onions & garlic in

a puree that’s out of this world good. The soup is prepared cold

and often served as an appetizer but can be a main course. It is

the perfect lunch for a warm summer day. It’ll make you feel

light, refreshed, and satisfied. If you haven’t tried it yet, hurry

up!

From Spain

From Russia Solyanka is a delectable Russian treat. Perhaps no other

country does thick soups as well as this country. Solyanka is a

piquant soup that combines cabbage (smetana), and pickle

water and cucumbers (rassolnik), spices and olives, capers,

tomatoes, lemons, lemon juice, kvass, and salted and pickled

mushrooms. Solyanka has a strong salty-sour base. One could

add meat or fish to it. It is a terrific winter dish that you

should try.

From Korea Galbi is a tasty Korean treat that you will simply love. It is

one of Headmaster Beecher’s favorite. Galbi is essentially

marinated short ribs in a soy (ganjang) based sauce. It is

typically brought to your table in raw form by a server. The

uncooked ribs are then put onto a small barbeque situated on

the table. Diners typically cook the ribs themselves and add

vegetables such as mushrooms, onions, and peppers. When

cooked, the galbi is removed and eaten with garlic. The taste

is out of sight good.

From Indonesia Nasi Goreng is a scrumptious Indonesian stir fry that

contains a mixture of rice, chicken, shrimp and seasonings.

The dish exemplifies the complex culinary heritage of the

Indonesian islands. The technique of stir fry originally came

from the Chinese settlers who explored the islands in the 4th

century. Chiles were added by Portuguese sailors during the

Renaissance, and Dutch explorers added the boiled egg.

World Mysteries

The Dyatlov Pass Incident

The year was 1947 when several ships in the straits of Malacca, near Sumatra,

picked up an alarming S.O.S. message from a Dutch freighter called the Ourang

Medan. The message ran as follows: “All officers including captain are dead lying

in chart room and bridge. Possibly whole crew dead.” That was followed by

another message from the sender that read simply, "I die.” An American merchant

ship, the Silver Star, raced to the scene. Upon boarding the Ourang Medan, sailors were shocked to discover that all crew members, including the crewman who sent the distress signal, were dead. Not only had they

perished, but they had done so with their eyes wide open and mouths agape. The crewmen from the Silver

Star noted that they looked as if they had just witnessed an unspeakable horror before their demise. There

appeared to be no apparent cause of death and pirates on the open seas were ruled out because there was no

blood or evidence that someone else had been on board. The Silver Star captain had decided to tow the ship

back to port where the mystery could be investigated more deeply but smoke began to billow from the ship

and then there was a tremendous explosion which destroyed the Ourang Medan. So, what caused the deaths

of the Ourang’s crew members? Nobody really knows. Some have speculated that the men were overcome

by methane gas which bubbled up from the ocean floor and enveloped the ship while others attribute it to

the transportation of experimental nerve gas after WWII that was flammable. More fantastic explanations

include mass paranoia and UFOs.

One of the most bizarre and terrifying mysteries of the modern age concerns the seemingly

inexplicable deaths of nine Russian university students whose cross-country skiing trip in the Russian Urals

ended in a tragedy so ghastly and perplexing that it has baffled experts and amateur sleuths for over half a

century. What isn’t clear is how these nine lost their lives. What is clear is that something terrified them in

the middle of the night in the barren snowy mountain lands that caused them to slash their tents open from

the inside and attempt to escape, half-naked, into the brutally cold night. The Soviet investigators charged

with solving this case, despite a plethora of physical evidence, officially attributed

the deaths to “a compelling unknown force.” On January 25th

, 1959, 23-year-old

Igor Dyatlov led an experienced group of skiers and engineers from the Ural

Polytechnic Institute on what was supposed to be a trip that served as a training

exercise for future trips to Arctic regions. Little did they know, this exercise would

cost all of them their lives. When the group didn’t arrive at their stated destination

of Vizhai on February 11th

, a search party was sent out. The abandoned tent was

found as were the half-dressed bodies frozen in the ice. Forensics determined that

the students sustained internal injuries, and some tried frantically to climb trees.

What could cause the hysteria as there were no animal tracks around? Theories

range from Soviet military testing of sonic blast tests, to UFOs, to Yetis, to Mansi

warriors. To this day, no one knows what happened.

Dedicated to

Unsolved

Mysteries lover

Mr. Ross O’Connor

Ourang Medan

Page.17

Int’l Trivia Teasers

1) How many islands are there in Indonesia?

a) 17 b) 170 c) over 17,000

2) What is the capital of Indonesia?

a) Jakarta b) Kuala Lumpur c) Surabaya

3) Where was the 1st World Cup held in 1930?

a) Paraguay b) Brazil C) Uruguay

4) What is the capital of Canada?

a) Toronto b) Ottawa c) Vancouver

5) If you were paid in “Krone”, you’d likely be in this country?

a) Germany b)Netherlands c) Denmark

6) Which country does NOT border Somalia?

a) Kenya b) Tanzania c) Ethiopia

7) In which country was Mr. Salmi born?

a) Malaysia b) Indonesia c) Papua New Guinea

8) Madagascar is an island off of the coast of this country?

a) Sri Lanka b) India c) Mozambique

9) How many countries are there in North America?

a) 3 b) 23 c) 41

10) Which two South American countries do NOT have a coastline?

a) Uruguay and Guyana b) Bolivia and Uruguay c) Bolivia and Paraguay

Answers: 1) c 2) a 3) c 4) b 5) c 6) b 7) a 8) c 9) b 10) c

Page.18 Global Gazette Hillside School

The Traveling Translator

Page.19 Global Gazette Hillside School

“School” from Around the World

English - “School”

Spanish - “Escuela”

Korean - “Hackyo” -학교

Japanese - “Gakko” -学校

Hindi - “Skula” - स्कूल

Malay - “sekolah”

Chinese - “Xuexiao” - 学校