Blue&Gold May 2013

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Friday, May 30, 2013

Volume XVIII, Issue VIII

The global impact of a lonely death in Laramie

by Vivian Lee

“He was a typical teenager, concerned with the typical things - fitting in, what classes he went to, and what college to go to.”

Matthew Shepard was just another American teen abroad, excited to be living in Europe, learning French and German.

Mr Badgley, who was head of the art department at The American School in Switzerland (TASIS) in the 1990s, had a close relationship with Matt.

Coincidentally, Dr Hartzell also taught at TASIS which is located in Lugano, in the south of Switzerland, near the Italian border.

This was the school where Matt spent his high school years before heading off to college at the University of Wyoming. Matt was a standout kind of guy; he had a great sense of humor and always knew how to make people laugh. He loved to perform and appeared in a number of school productions.

In 1998, Matt became famous on a nationwide Guest Speaker: Judy Shepard stage, but for all the will be visiting TAS next school year wrong reasons.

One night to talk about the Laramie Project. in a small town

in Laramie, Matt came out of a meeting for the preparation of Gay Awareness Week at the University of Wyoming. Matt went to the Fireside Lounge Bar, where he met two young men. Aaron McKinney and Russell Henderson were at the end of a drug binge and were looking for easy money.

Matthew was driven to a remote piece of land east of Laramie, where the two men tied Matt to a split-rail fence and savagely beat him with the butt of a pistol.

Matt was tortured and robbed of his possessions, and left to die. A cyclist discovered Matt 18 hours later. Matthew was then rushed to the nearest hospital where doctors found lacerations all over his body and a fractured skull. The instability of his condition was so severe that doctors were unable to operate on him, leaving him on life-support.

So what were McKinney and Henderson’s motives? The prosecutor in the case argued the two men’s ultimate motive was Matt’s homosexuality.

Matthew Shepard was pronounced dead on October 12, 1998; twenty one days before his 22nd birthday. Matt’s death sparked outrage across America and led to the passage of The Matthew Shepard Act, signed into law by president Obama in 2009.

This law expanded the definition of hate crimes to include sexual orientation.

Five days after Matthew’s death, mem-

bers of the Westboro Baptist church invaded Matthew’s funeral by holding up “God Hates Fags”, “No Tears For Queers”, and “Fag Matt in Hell” signs up during the procession.

Matt’s murder and the events following his death were a shock to both Mr Badgley and Dr Hartzell. Mr Badgley said that it was something you “simply can’t put words to.”

They remember him as the friendly resident advisor who mentored younger students during study hall. He was the kid who starred in a number of school drama productions, and the guy you greeted every day around school in the dining halls or on the sport fields.

Matthew’s story will be retold in the brand new Black Box theater which opens this fall.

The play, called The Laramie Project, is also the school-wide sumHate Crime: Gay student Matt Shepard was murdered in 1998. mer reading.

Shepard, will visit TAS next year to talk to Dr Hartzell introduced The Laramie Project because at TAS, “we don’t shy the student body about her son’s murder and away from conversations about [bullying], or the Matthew Shepard Foundation. The founconversations about homosexuality for that dation’s main goal is to encourage support and to advocate equality for lesbian, gay, bimatter.”

Matthew Shepard’s mother, Judy sexual, and transgender Americans.

Road to Birmingham, Alabama Bridge to new additions

by Connor Lin

Jerry Seinfeld once said, “I read a thing that actually says that speaking in front of a crowd is considered the number one fear of the average person. I found that amazing – number two was death! That means to the average person if you have to be at a funeral, you would rather be in the casket than doing the eulogy.”

At TAS we have a growing number ready to “feel the fear and do it anyway”.

The National Speech and Debate Tournament hosts more than 120,000 American students each year. This year thousands of students will be traveling miles to Birmingham, Alabama, all competing for a $200,000 college scholarship.

This year a TAS team of ten will compete at this world class event.

Why is this event exciting? “Seeing extremely intelligent people from all over the United States and the extempters walk around practicing their

by Berry Sheu & Vivian Lee

speeches like fish in a fishbowl,” says Thomas Lee (12).

There are 17 different competition events ranging from extemporaneous speaking to policy debate. The TAS team led by coach, Mr Brundage, fly to Birmingham this summer. The team will be competing in a total of four events.

Eli Morimoto (9) says she is “honestly looking forward to stuffing [her] face in all the food [she] can possibly get to in Alabama, including BBQ, Ribs, Super-Size Pizza’s, Burgers.”

Any secret tips for success as a public speaker? “I either breathe in really deeply and sing or start jumping and dancing(when no one is in the room). When on stage, I try to imagine there is absolutely no one in the audience” says Eli. Georgia Huang’s (11) advice? “Before every speech, I tell myself to take a deep breath and... yolo.”

Imagine walking into a brand new dining hall after second period class. You can’t decide whether to sit in a booth to study, go to the bar to get a quick bite before class, or just sit at a table with all your friends. At the end of flex, you’ve finished your snack and you’re already on your way to the gorgeous new dance studio next to the technical theatre rooms.

But wait, there’s more! Unlike the current cafeteria, there will be cellphone reception in the new facility! A new super convenient school gate

will give us an alternative entrance (and escape route!) from 7am to 4pm.

Next year, you won’t have to deal with the noise of jack hammers while trying to focus in class.

The extended C Block features a new dance studio, music classrooms, and technical theatre rooms.

The new building will include ten new high powered workstations - computers loaded with the software needed to generate digital work. “It’s an outstanding, unbelievable new space that will take our game to a whole new level” said an excited Mr Badgley, Art Department Chair.

According to Mrs Flemming, Dance Director, the building will “open up room for us during IASAS and production season.” and that “we’re all just excited about the possibilities.”

The Upper School student body will also enjoy an upgraded menu with a variety of healthy selections while dining in a booth or at a bar.

“Now, with all the work facilities provided - library, common rooms, and cafeteria--you won’t have an excuse of having nowhere to study!” said Mr Panta.

Battling for health and hair

by Rachel Kwak

Photo courtesy of Anjoli Guha (9) Out of the comfort zone: Public speakers, Justin Rhee (9), Juliana Chang (10), Eli Morimoto (9), Rachel Lui(11) proudly display their plaques which qualify them for the National Championships in Alabama.

Two things that should never be mixed are wigs/headscarves and a Taipei summer.

However, sometimes there is good reason for this mismatch: cancer.

Cancer treatments are notorious for horrible side-effects such as hair loss. But new research might change all this.

Dr Roffler, father of three daughters currently attending TAS, is leading research into anti-cancer therapies that could possibly end the need for wigs and scarves.

He spoke to students about his work targeting cancer tumors as part of TAS’s research speaker series.

The main problem with our current method of treatment, chemotherapy, is that it targets all fast-dividing cells. This broad targeting causes a problem because other fast-dividing cells,

namely cells that control hair growth, are affected as well.

Dr Roffler is currently developing a drug that will specifically target cancerous tumors.

These pro-drugs are non-toxic until they are bound to tumors by a n t i b o d i e s ( u n i q u e t o Dr. Roffler: Guest speaker for tumors), where they turn the scientific symposium toxic, thus killing the tumor.

TAS will invite four more guest speakers next academic year.

According to Mr Devore, “TAS is trying to expand its scientific research program and the progress is looking good.”

2

News

Blue & Gold May 30, 2013

A new Take On Knowledge Inventions that serve

by Carol Chen

by Juliana Chang and Jodelle Lai

“I think the beginning will take some adjustment time, but I think once we do it, it’s gonna be a lot better,” says Mr Maguire, coordinator of our school’s IB and AP programs.

Next year, a major change will be made to the IB diploma program: Theory of Knowledge will no longer be offered as a class.

Starting with the class of 2015, Theory of Knowledge, which is a required course for the IB Diploma, will be revamped into a flex and lunch time program. Instead of meeting as a class every other day, TOK students will now have one meeting every week during flex, and on weeks that start with an A day, 55 minutes of Monday lunch will also be dedicated to this course.

Most students don’t seem to mind the TOK rescheduling, in fact, many have embraced it.

“My incentive for taking the IB Di-

ploma is more for the core classes that are offered, not for the TOK class in specific.” said Deepak Vanjani (10). “I kind of like the fact that TOK is now going be [in] our flex and lunch. I don’t need two hours to eat lunch and it’s nice to have an extra free period my senior year!” said Meredith Zhou (10). Pareena Paryani (10), sums up the general consensus: “Overall, I think its a good change.”

According to Mr Maguire, this change will occur for two main reasons. While TOK is a key class for the IB Diploma, it’s only worth 1.5 points on the diploma, while other required courses, like IB English are worth 7 points. Not to mention, the fact that TOK is no longer a class allows for students to be taught by an array of teachers: “During flex, there is time open for a lot of teachers to come and help. More experts can come in from different departments. I think it’s going to be good. I hope it’s going to be good.”

RoboCup champs go Dutch

Sophomore Wu Zhi Yuan stands at the bus stop with a pair of binoculars in his hands. He’s not focusing on a rare bird in a nearby tree. His binoculars are inches away from the bus timetable, searching for the scheduled bus to Taipei School of Special Education.

Zhi Yuan is visually impaired and needs his binoculars to survive the bustle of Taipei.“It is tiring,” he says.

But when the TAS robotics club suggested “binocular glasses” he almost leapt out of his chair with excitement.

This year, Robotics Club aims to help myopic and blind teenagers cope with their lives by granting them “wishes”. Mr Arnold and Orphanage Club have helped the club by making the connection with nearby Taipei School of Special Education.

“I wish that I had something like a customized GPS device that could tell me exactly where I am. For instance, telling me that

I’m at the intersection in front of my grandmother’s house or next to the 7-11 of my alley,” says Andy Huang, who is a blind high school student at Taipei School of Special Education.

Another teenager at the school wished for a lighter and less cumbersome braille typewriter. His braille typewriter weighs more than 4 kilograms. Carrying rolls of papers with the device only adds to the burden.

Mr Fagen, the Robotics mentor, immediately imagined a new invention- a digital touchscreen with a pre-installed braille typewriting program.

Students have many ideas for exciting new projects. From a compass, to a sensordriven walking stick, to a GPS car, the robotics club is ready to experiment. Mr Fagen does admit, though, that he will have to leave the car idea to Google.

So far, these are just ideas on paper, but now that there is a plan, Mr. Fagen says, “We will just have to find people to do it!”

by Carol Chen

Photo courtesy of Christopher Lin (11)

“I am always excited when my robot does whatever I tell him to. It is silly, but I often feel that he is my son,” says Cassandra Lee (11). She loves her boy but he still has some coordination issues.

“I taught him to go forward, backward, chase the ball, and avoid hitting the wall,” she adds.

Cassandra is the mechanic for the TAS team “10 Minutes” that recently qualified for the RoboCup championship tournament held in the Netherlands in June.

The other TAS RoboCup team “4th Dimension” finished the National Taiwan RoboCup competition on April 28 with an even more spectacular result. They won 1st place and were also invited to the RoboCup championship tournament. The team had already established a brilliant record in 2011 when they finished 19th place out of 60 teams at the international robot-

ics competition in Istanbul.

“After the 3rd year in the competition, I am very proud to say that I got 1st place in the National Taiwan RoboCup competition,” says Christopher Lin (11), who is the president of “4thDimension”.

Christopher’s love of robotics grew out the Lego set that he received in second grade, and since grade 9, he has been a part of the TAS RoboCup.

“We won this competition because we value teamwork,” says Christopher. Cassandra admits that at first, teamwork did not seem to be important, and most of them worked on their own tasks and rarely cared about the others.

Nonetheless, in the end, they have managed to solve many problems together, including programming glitches, overly sensitive sensors and the design of robots using a program called AutoCAD. The most remarkable fact is that even after they had won, they still continued to support other teams at the competition.

“I think that we won because we worked really well together and synergized with each other,” says Vergil Hsu (10), who is a mechanic for “10 Minutes”.

As recalled by Mr Nolin, a sceince teacher and the mentor of the RoboCupteam, the team started off with minimal knowledge.

He proudly describes the students as highly motivated and independent learners who have managed every problem along the way.

Christopher remarks that being able to build a functioning robot is very fulfilling and that he has already had a plan for the RoboCup club next year: to expand the club, to teach new members, and to build a really strong team!

Photo courtesy of Mr Nolin

Photo courtesy of Carol Chen (10)

New language? That’s classic

by Hannah Lin

Odysseus’ long and arduous journey back to Ithaca, Theseus’ bravery in the face of the Minotaur, the terrible Trojan war that lasted ten years and destroyed what was once the most beautiful city in the world. Homer’s tales have riveted generations of readers. But imagine reading these tales in the language of Homer himself.

Next year, TAS will be introducing new (or rather, extremely old) language that stretches back more than 2000 years ago, to the beginning of Western civilization: Ancient Greek and Latin. Classics will soon be a fully sanctioned department in TAS. Students will have the option of Latin or Ancient Greek as an alternative to Modern Languages, and will still be able to fulfill the school’s language requirement. The school is even planning to start Classics in Middle School next year.

Although all this might seem sudden, the plans have actually been evolving for some years. “However, what might’ve, could’ve, and would’ve happened,” said Dr Hartzell, enigmatically. The birth of a fully fledged Classics Department, “was greatly sped up with Mr Kevin Held’s arrival.”

Mr Kevin Held, who previously taught Latin I at Rhode Island, St. George’s private

boarding school, was hired as a

theatre technician. Suddenly,

last year, he was catipulted to the position of Classics teacher.

This year, Dr Wells Hansen joined us to become the head of the Classics Department. Dr Hansen, aside from publishing dozens of articles on Classical literature and language, is also the current assistant editor of the Amphora (an American Philological Association publication) and used to be on the development committee for the AP Latin

tests.

Generous parents also helped kickstart this new department. “Someone also just made a timely donation of textbooks too and things just worked out this way,” said Dr Hartzell. “I think that the World Languages is focused on learning foreign languages.

Read, write, speak, listen; whereas Classics, on the other hand, focuses on the study of language itself,” says Dr. Hansen. “What we’re focusing on is reading- and seeing the commonalities between Greek, Latin, and English, and any other modern language.”

As of now, around 30 students will be taking Classics I next year as a language class.

As Mr Held said “Latin and Ancient Greek aren’t dead- they ‘re immortal.”

Blue & Gold

After the win: 10 Minutes, a TAS robotic team, will be going to the Netherlands to compete in the RoboCup Championship tournament.

Editor-in-Chief: Managing Editor: Sectional Editors:

Online Editor:

Meg Silsby Jinnie Khatri Adrienne Shih Berlin Cheng Hannah Lin

Staff:

Berry Sheu Valerie Lin Juliana Chang Rachel Kwak Ally Seo Rebecca Tseng

Advisor:

Heyun Jeong Vivian Lee Carol Chen Vergil Hsu Connor Lin Jodelle Lai

Ron Bell

e

ISSUE VI

May 2013

The Blue & Gold is produced and distributed free of charge monthly during the academic year by the Journalism classes of Taipei American School, 800 Chung Shan N. Road, Section 6, Shih Lin, Taipei, Taiwan 111. The views expressed in the Blue & Gold are those of the writers and do not necessarily reflect views of the school, its students, staff, faculty or administration. The Blue & Gold demonstrates leadership in the school community as a non-biased newspaper that is dedicated to maintaining journalistic integrity, presenting timely information and coverage on events and issues affecting the school and community. In striving to create and produce a comprehensive school newspaper, the Blue & Gold website (www.blueandgoldonline.org) is dedicated to providing a greater voice to the members of the community. Speech is protected on the condition that it does not infringe on others and upholds the Taipei American School values of Honesty, Respect, Responsibility, and Kindness.

Th

VOLUME XIX

Features

Blue & Gold May 30, 2013

3

Best of both worlds for homeschooled model

By Jodelle Lai

Pose. Snap. Snap.

It’s five o’clock on Wednesday. Zosia-Chen Wernik, age 15, a Taiwanese-Polish teenager, is sitting on a stool, in the studio.

She has been sitting, posing and smiling, for five hours. Every time Zosia changes her clothes, the fashion crew swoops in and gives her a new look. 黃天仁(Huang -Tien- Ren) one of Taiwan’s top photographers, gives Zosia expert advice on how to pose.

While TAS students get ready for their exams, Zosia’s assistant gives her quick slurps of coconut juice a f t e r e ve r y t h i r d s h o t . A t h i c k s t a c k o f c h e m i s t r y

homework sits on a table beside a bottle of orange juice.

Unlike regular students, Zosia studies at home and at work.

This is a trend: there are 1,200 students home studying in Taiwan and about 1,972,433 students home studying in America. Every year in America, the number of home school students increase.

Zosia Wernkik started homeschooling in Taiwan when she was in kindergarten. Her parents believe that since Zosia is half-Polish, she should learn in Polish. She wakes up at 9 am every day and the next thing she knows, she’s already at school.

She works on simple courses, such as math and English in the morning. In the afternoon, her mother uses Polish textbooks to teach her physics and chemistry until dinner, which is around 7 pm.

Homeschooled students have 11 hours of classes every day, which is two more hours of lessons than TAS students. It sounds hard, but it in reality it isn’t. The main reason? Homeschoolers don’t take tests or exams.

“The whole point of getting tested is to know what level you are at and how much you know about the subject, but my teacher sits around me all day, so there is no point in taking tests,” says Zosia.

S o m e TA S s t u d e n t s p o i n t o u t t h a t homeschooling students are isolated from society.

Anjoli Guha (9) comments, “Most people’s main source of socializing comes from going to school, so in a home situation they need to have an alternative, which can be difficult to find.”

Zosia disagrees. “Saying that all the homeschoolers

A Taiwanese fisherman was killed when a Filipino coast guard vessel opened fire Early May. Taiwan imposed sanctions and hackers on both sides of the South China Sea, and has started a cyber war.

T TV Star: Zosia Wernik, a home-schooled teenager, on set of a television commercial shoot.

Strangers in the hallways

By Valerie Lin

But most of us settle for a confused, exasperated kind of affection.

This is why many siblings tend to treat each other like strangers at school, “Unless I’m in the same class as her, I usually don’t talk to her as much at school because I see her all the time at home,” says Chris. “It’s different to being around them at school because at home we can talk about almost anything, but at school I don’t talk to him at all,” says Mallorie.

One of the reasons siblings tend to ignore or keep their distance from each other at school is in order to form their own identity. One of the worst things you can do to siblings is compare one to the other. “We have pretty separate lives,” says Jean. “We stay out of each other’s way. Same thing goes for rivalries. I don’t necessarily like the things that he does”. While siblings mostly avoid each other’s interests to prevent rivalry, sometimes it’s inevitable. “There’s sibling rivalry in some parts, but we don’t play the same sports or do the same events, so it’s actually okay,” says Grace Lee (11), whose brother is a senior. We do compete to see who the better looking one is but we all know I already won that one. Just kidding...not.”.

“I think Taiwan definitely deserves an apology from the Philippines for wrongly accusing the Taiwanese ship of doing something they didn’t, and causing the death of a Taiwanese citizen.”

When Jean Huang (11) meets her brother, Dean (11), in the hallway, he gives her a weird look and an awkward half -wave.Why so cold? Did she hog the bathroom this morning?

“No,” says Jean, it’s “Probably to act cool, because I’m not cool enough. I’m the not cool sibling.” Mallorie Hsu (10) has similar experiences with her twin brother, Justin Hsu (10), “I usually don’t say anything to him… it’s kind of awkward.”

The majority of students with siblings at school know this feeling.

Sibling relationships can be one of the most complex and gray-shaded relationships. From a young age, you learn to share toys, bedrooms, car rides and even parents with this annoying half-wit that you have the illfate to be related to.

While some siblings can’t stand each other, some siblings get along like two peas in a pod. “We used to fight a lot when we were little. Now, he’s like a best friend to me!” says Christine Tai (12) about her twin brother, Chris Tai (12).

“If a similar incident ended up in the death of a Korean citizen, I would be very upset too, but I also hope that the two governments will be able to negotiate and uncoil the tension.”

Teachers’ kids “go native” in Taipei

W h a t i s yo u r t a k e o n t h e c r i s i s ?

Drama on the high seas

are anti-social is just totally wrong. It really depends. Take me as an example, I’m not such a bad communicator.”

Similar to normal school students, homeschool students also have internships. Currently, Zosia is working as a model, as well as an actress for TV shows, and commercials.

Homeschool students are just like TAS students. They have the time to follow their passions, are able to learn a foreign language, and still have time for socializing. The only difference is that they spend most of their time at home with their parents, and TAS students don’t.

-Emily Chang (10)

-Heejo Kang (11)

By Rebecca Tseng

Middle school teacher Mrs Rowe

So why do our teachers want their children to h a d a l wa y s w o n d e r e d w h y s h o p a s s i s speak Mandarin? “When we had the opportutants kept giving her two little girls candy. nity for our children to learn a language and

“We’d hop into taxicabs or be at the not be aware of what they were doing, we supermarket, and people would just be handing thought ‘Oh, why not?’” says Mrs Rowe. over candy to them. I thought people here were

“It gives them a bicultural exreally just being generous until I found out perience that you wouldn’t get otherthat my girls were specifically asking wise,” says Mrs Sinclair. “Learning Mrs Sinc lair’s chil for the candy [in Mandarin],” says Mandarin helps them to be more dre (age 6) and Saw n: Elliette Mrs Rowe, a TAS eighth grade comfortable in their environyer (age 4) history teacher. Mrs Rowe’s two ment here and feel more conchildren, Camryn, grade three, nected to the culture here.” and Nyah, grade one, have Learning two languages learned to get attention by also helps train the brain. simply opening their mouths.

Constantly switching be Many TAS teachtween languages durers have immersed their ing childhood exercises children in Mandarin by special parts of the brain. asking their Amah to only Many researchers have speak Chinese at home. found that bilinguals are As a result, these Caucasian better at prioritizing work and pre-schoolers have absorbed the multitasking than people who language like natives. But this complijust speak their native language. cates their relationship with mom and dad.

Knowing both English and Man “They’d be embarrassed about our darin also opens many doors and creates Chinese accent or about something we’d say to some- exciting possibilities. “China is on the rise as a great body in the neighborhood,” says Mrs Sinclair, an upper economic force, a great employer, and the next suschool history teacher. Her two children, Elliette (6) and per power to rival the United States. We think that Sawyer (4), have grown up speaking Mandarin and it can only be advantageous to learn the language English. “They’d tell us, ‘Why did you say that to that of the other great powerhouse,” says Mrs Rowe. man? That’s not the way you’re supposed to say it!’”

你好!

“I think it’s the Filipino coast guard’s’ fault since those coast guards should only warn but not shoot any fishermen who surpass the border. They even chased the Taiwanese fishermen for five hours and the fishermen’s ship was full of machine guns’ crazy bullets.”

-David Tung(11)

你好!

4

Opinions

Blue & Gold May 30, 2013

Is graduating a pain or a gain?

In a matter of days, this year’s seniors will be alumni. Many of them are feeling mixed emotions of excitement and nervousness, looking foward to the next four years of college life. While many can’t wait to put on their cap and gown, others wish they had more time in high school. Seniors Heyun Jeong and Tim Yim dicuss how they feel. Are they ready to leave Taiwan behind, or do they still cling on to the place they call home?

He Said

ess. I’m excited a bittersweet proc be to g in go is e m though some of us `Graduation for

TAS or Taiwan. Al ve lea to eventunt wa t Facebook, when I es, but I don’ “Lives in” box on for new experienc in East eir th try ge un an co t ch tes to an glad ving the grea lea be I’ll e us would be more th ca be t with a heavy hear ally do it, I’ll do it Taiwan . er ath we al en ; the food here in om ather that I’ll miss Asia with its phen y Tofu, we e nk th sti st s: ju ht t lig no But it’s ght Market de Ni e

th iss m going to I’m g eap prices. difficult. I’m goin other dishes at ch of ns orite ze makes graduation fav do y d m an to e, , to Robuchon inced pork ric m Din Tai Fung, oyster omelets, m fro ts an ur sta re g. icken Le variety of miss TAS’ Mr. Ch to miss the wide in Taipei to share. I’ll even re g the convenience da t sin n’ lo do t, I ar at he th y m to places ows me se all clo at th is d efficient MRT Although food an an cle

e e th iss g to m missing out on th hard too. I’m goin nvenience, I’ll be co of y ng bu ki d ea makes graduation an Sp 1 rs. y local 7-1 less than two dolla able to stroll to m be ’t on w I to travel 30km for . an iw n. ience stores in Ta bills in one locatio see millions of conven ks, food, and pay in u can’t frequently dr yo y at bu th or is t gh rd ha n tio ua ing ad go gr ds milk after midni makes From frien Ultimately what person anymore. in e d

nc an rie s, pe he ac ex S co TA l teachers, lped shape your t to the wonderfu n ye tio ua ted ad ua the people that he Gr ad . gr t ter n’ ap those who have the end of a ch d ns an ea ge m lle be n ’t co tio on to ua w off grad ns we your time at TAS, ring IASAS, it mea clubs that defined Tigers in person du e explaining the th rt r fo sta r to ee ve ch ha to able means that we’ll it d an , means we won’t be ns tio uc and Drama Prod le. able to see Dance and to other peop ns that I’ll be Taiwan and Thail t graduating mea n bu ee e, nc rie pe ex us difference betw will be a marvelo me want to stay.

I’m sure college to, and that makes ed m sto cu ac n grow leaving a life I’ve - Tim Yim (12)

When words leave wounds

by Ally Seo

“You’re so gay.” Sound familiar? Teenagers these days hear and spit out offensive words in hallways and the cafeteria on a daily basis. Are these words empty, throwaway lines, or do they cut deep?

According to the Honor Committee survey results, 58% of the students at TAS said that they often used words, expressions, or entire comments that are tainted with racial, religious, gender, or ethnic bias. The two main reasons were to “sound cool” (29%) and “ignorance” (30%).

The real shock is that 53% of TAS students answered that they are not bothered by any of the offensive remarks.“They don’t really understand … how hurtful it can be to certain groups of people,” Honor Committee member, Shannon Hsu (11), says. “If they learn to be more thoughtful and actually understand before using the word….they’d know that it actually is offensive.”

“

Teenagers tend to cling to the most hurtful and disparaging language

to the most hurtful and disparaging language. If derogatory words are used on a daily basis, not only will we forget the importance and beauty of our language, we’ll also end up eroding it.

With the increasing use of offensive terms, even college administrators in the US have banned the use of more than 40 “offensive” words and phrases, including “normal couple” and “slaving over a hot stove”, under equal opportunity rules. Their aim was to ensure that 15,000 students, some as young as 16, and staff were aware of the offense that some derogative terms may cause.

Your high school life is not the world you will face when you leave for college. In a new community, people have no idea what your habits, jokes and true intentions are. It’s important for us to all keep in mind that the derogative terms we used with our homies will not make us look “cool”, but will simply define who we are as people.

“

Teenagers should re-consider their choice of words. It’s not just because they’re offensive. Out of 171,476 words in the English language that are currently used to express opinions and thoughts freely, teenagers tend to cling

Created by Josie Chen (9)

d i a S e h S

College. A magical land of no parents and, supposedly, no rules.

Apparently, you're free to do whatever you want and whe want during those four years. never you Of course, there are lectures, midterms, and papers, but they seem a distraction from what else college really seem s to offer – freedom not only from parents, but also your past.

Yep, I admit it - I'm the senior that just can't wait to leave and been counting down the day has s until graduation since the end of 2012. On that day, I'll walk up the podium in the old Upper Gym to shake hands with Dr Hartzell and receive a piece of paper - big whoop, right? But to me, it seem s much more than that.

Graduation day symbolizes the departure from our TAS bubble, the closing of one doo r and the opening of the nex t, to whatever there is beyond these red-bricked walls.

There's no doubt I'll miss TAS. A small part of me dies time 'next year' is mentioned inside every in class, journalism, and club s, because 'next year' doesn't include me. But, noth ing lasts forever. Well, noth ing good at least.As time passes, I’ve gotten sick of the familiar.

Routine - seeing the same face s, going to the same places, and things - is comforting, but we doing the same all have our limits.

College is freedom, living away from home for the first time, but it also represents a fresh start in a com pletely different setting, espe cially for me in a school where there will be 12 times as many students as at TAS. So, I’m ready to move on.

Thank you TAS for the memorie meeting when we all watched s (that one class Jeffrey blow bubbles for an imp ressive five minutes—he could have gone on for two more), and experiences, (sur viving Dr Bruce’s AP Econ with my deadly senioritis). But, farewell till next time, when I enter the same gate with my alumni card, whenever that will be.

- Heyun Jeong (12)

The cost of Prom 2013 The Blue & Gold conducted a survey prior to Prom to find out how much upperclassmen spend in preparation for the big night. A total of 201 students replied, 122 girls and 78 boys.

The Blue &Gold Presents...

May 30, 2013

FAVORITE 24-hour bookstore

rs

ByVivian Lee

It’s a week before the first day of school and you have yet to buy your summer reading books. You need your books as soon as possible, but the nearest Eslite to your house has just run out of copies of the Laramie Project. You feel hopeless and ready to fail that essay awaiting you on your first day back. But wait! There is a way around your dilemma, a better alternative to all of those online shopping websites or bookstores out there.

It is a Taiwanese online shopping website called 博客來 (Also known as books.com.tw). This site doesn’t require a credit card for payment, ships in 24 hours, and sells some summer reading books on special discounts.

Books.com also has an entire section devoted to MUJI goods, ranging from a selection of stationary to furniture.

Sabrina Ho (11), a books.com.tw regular, said that her “ favorite thing about this site is that

you can walk out to your nearest 7-11 store and get the items you’ve purchased online.” Not only that, but there is no ridiculous shipping fee that comes with sending items over international waters. It is simply unreasonable to pay the same price for those floral pants from Forever 21 as for bubble wrap and the box.

“I bought my Brave New World [book] in Eslite and it was more than 600 NT, but after checking it online, I found that it was close to half price on that website,” said a disgruntled Rachel Lui (11). Books. com also offers seasonal discounts from time to time.

Th e o n l y d i s a d va n t a g e a b o u t t h i s site is that it is completely in Mandarin. This gives you a chance to practice your Mandarin skills!

But don’t worry, the site is relatively easy to use: Simply create an account on books.com.

tw and choose from a variety of books, cosmetics, food, and electronics products. After you’ve finished, go to your shopping cart and choose the local (國內) option on the bottom right of your screen. The first thing you’ll be able to see on the next page is the option of shipping to 7-11 and the choice of which chain store to get your packages from. After your order is complete, submit your form and wait 24 hours before receiving your online goods.

It works like this: If you order before 12 o’clock noon on Monday, your shipment will arrive at the 7-11 of your choice by the afternoon the next day.

All you have to do is provide the cashier with your full name and payment to receive your items. Go order your books now, before it’s too late. Don’t be the one that has to resort to Sparknoting your way through your summer reading essay on the first day back.

4. Payment

British twins, Jack and Finn Harries, are naturally silly and fun to watch. These cheeky twins upload vlogs every week. If you’re looking for some eye candy, they’re the ones for you!

1. Log in

2. Order 3. Shipping 5. 7-11 of choice

With over 8.1 million subscribers, Nigahiga is one of the most popular channels on YouTube (“Niga” means rant in Japanese and Higa is his last name). Every week, Ryan Higa posts skits covering all sorts of subjects. He is cute and funny!

Iron Man 3 Robert

Smosh is the number one most subscribed YouTube channel with over 9.5 million subscribers and two billion video views (that’s almost onethird of the entire world’s population)! Ian and Anthony upload amusing skits every Friday covering topics from Pikachu to the worst date.

10 Krispykreme shops within the next 5 years

Downey Jr. is a BAMF

Bon appetit!

We all love donuts!

Saying “it’s all good” It really isn’t all good.

Psy’s new song

Hate on ask.fm

No one likes anonymous haters!

WongFu Productions, composed of Wesley Chan, Ted Fu, and Philip Wang, produces a number of music videos and short films that are creative and heartwarming. Everyone loves their videos, and it’s a plus that they’re Taiwanese (Taiwan pride!).

Lutetia’s new bakery

‘Gentleman’ just isn’t very catchy

How To Say

To Your Parents

They nag, they worry, they embarrass, and then they nag some more. They are your parents. And yes, they only want what’s best for you. After 18 years, it’s finally time to leave the comfortable, familiar life here at home and to begin your metamorphosis into a college student.

You may be excited, but your parents? When Crystal Yin (11)’s older sister left for college, her mother had a tough time dealing with it. But Crystal had already spotted some earlier signs that it would not be an easy goodbye. “Graduation day is the day parents realize it’s time to let go. My mother carried packs of kleenex in her purse and wore waterproof mascara [when my sister graduated].”

Other parents find that it’s hardest to adjust after their children leave. An anonymous alumni noted that after he left for college, his parents had to avoid going into his room. “Every time they went into my room, they would start feeling really depressed. So they’ve basically decided to leave the door [to my room] locked until I come back to visit.”

carried packs “Mofy mother kleenex and wore waterproof mascara. ”

Interestingly, there are some parents who barely show any traces of separation anxiety. Usually, it’s the parents with more than one child. When Mallorie Hsu’s older brother left for college, her parents didn’t have problems coping. “I mean, they were sad. But not really sad, because they knew that he would come back to visit for holidays and breaks. Anyways, they still had me and my other brother to keep them busy.”

Different parents have different reactions when it comes time for the farewell. While some burst into tears inconsolably, others seem to be completely content with letting their children go on their own merry way. Regardless, once you’ve graduated and transformed into a full-fledged college student, remember to call home or at least send a text every once in a while letting your parents know you’re safe and sound--they’ll probably appreciate it.

- Berlin Cheng (11)

To Your Friends

e y b d o o G

“On the last day, we gave a 10-paged-long hand-written card to each other… just before the school bus left, we cried and hugged until the bus driver yelled at us…We even had 3 sleep-overs before I left!” For Angela Huang (10), the memories of saying goodbye to best friend, Winnie, are still fresh.

“Going to a new school knowing that I won’t have Winnie next to me made me really sad,” she says.

Saying goodbye is hard. But saying goodbye to your friends is close to impossible.

I ’ve confronted the “goodbye” moment once so far, yet another one waits for me in a month.

If you think that it will be easier for me this time because I’ve experienced it already, you’re wrong.

The truth is, you don’t feel the sadness crawling into you until the very last days.

“When I’m with my friends, I forget about leaving TAS… Maybe it’s because they have a kind of magic that makes me become my happiest,” says Lynn Yang (10), “You never know how great your friends are until you have to say goodbye and leave them.”

i will forever “ remain a tas tiger.”

Students at international schools have more than enough experience of saying goodbye. “I keep thinking about all the great memories that I have had over the past two and a half years…The people make the place, and it is hardest to leave because of the wonderful people,” Cecily Hale (11) says.

There are so many ways to say goodbye. Some cry their eyes out, some keep poker faces and stay strong. And some hold big farewell parties to take the happiest, most memorable moments with them, while some just leave without saying anything. “I had a big farewell party and sleep-overs with my homies…There was no way that I was going to leave without saying goodbye!... It was one of the greatest moments in my life. Once a friend, always a friend, right?” Chalsie Chatham (10) says.

Time is ticking, and we’re getting closer and closer to goodbyes. There’s no way to skip the moment like we do on DVD players. But remember that goodbyes do not mean losing your friends. “TAS has been such a large part of my life for the past 11 years - I will forever remain a TAS tiger,” Justin Hsu (10) says.

- Ally Seo (10)

LONG-D LONG-D DATING DATING TIPS TIPS

1. Send them occasional care packages that include handwritten letters, instant noodles, pineapple cakes, and hi-chews.

2. Skype your significant other regularly, but make sure your webcam is placed above you, so that your double chins won’t be visible in the video-call.

3. Don’t forget to live your life! As tempting as it is, don’t spend every waking moment waiting by the phone for them to call.

To Your Sweetheart

“We both agreed that parting ways would be the happiest ending,” says Justin Chien (11). This fall, his significant other will be heading off to college, while Justin remains here for his senior year. With the start of a new school year, comes the end of this relationship.

Learning how to say goodbye, whether it’s forever or just for a few months, to our graduating seniors is one of the most bittersweet experiences TAS students face each year.

Goodbyes are already a cesspool of snotty tissues, 5 minute long hugs, and mental breakdowns at the airport. Add a romantic relationship to the mix and you’ve got a recipe for the greatest emotional dilemma of the century. Should you break up, or brave the distance?

Whether you decide to end things gracefully, or to live off of Skype calls for the next few months, make sure you fully understand the choice you’re making. Both options require sacrifice in one way or another. Be realistic about what you want and what you’re willing to give up.

The distance isn’t so “big if they’re in your heart. ”

For some, like Justin, it’s better to end a relationship on a high note: “Long distance relationships require an incredible amount of dedication and commitment. We don’t lack that; however, we’re both transitioning into new walks of life. I’ll still be there for her, and I wish her all the best in the future.” As for others, long distance is the way to go. Another 11th12th couple, who have asked to remain anonymous, said they plan on “toughing it out” with an abundance of Facetime and holiday time visits. “The distance isn’t so big if they’re in your heart,” says Thomas Lee (12), whose relationship of two years will soon become trans-Atlantic.

Whatever you end up deciding on, don’t forget to be grateful! Relationships are just about the coolest thing ever: there is this person out there that you think is amazing, who happens to find you just as amazing. The future isn’t something we can ever predict. All we can do is learn to be thankful for the present.

“I started my relationship on borrowed time,” says an anonymous senior. “I know I’m leaving her soon, and I know there’s going to be heartbreak. I just don’t really care.”

“She’s still, hands down, the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”

- Juliana Chang (10)

May 30, 2013

by Adrienne Shih Miuccia Prada, of Italian fashion house, Prada, designed over forty lavish costumes for the film adaption.

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Hollywood sweethearts, Blake Lively, Keira Knightely, and Michelle Williams, all auditioned for the coveted role of Daisy Buchanan.

by Berlin Cheng

It is both the name of the oldest law enforcement agency in the US and the name of the first Texan baseball team to win a World Series game. Now, the term “Texas Rangers” has taken on another meaning as the newest restaurant in Tienmu, attracting masses of TAS students and teachers.

The franchise itself is furnished like the typical American fast-food restaurant, with glass doors, shiny white tiles on the wall and bar stools.

Despite minimal space on the first floor, there is plenty of room to sit upstairs and a nice view of Chung Shan North Road.

The food is decent, but will not meet your expectations if you crave classicallyde-

licious Southern “comfort food.”

On the upside, the pricing is fairly reasonable, and there is a range of different items to choose from, including burgers, mashed potatoes, creamy corn soup, fries and, of course, various types of fried chicken.

There were a few notable selections that I tried, but none that particularly stood out. The waffle square fries, gleaming with oil and tucked in a small paper bag, turned out to be crispy but indeed too oily for my taste. The three-piece chicken tenders were surprisingly smooth and tasty. Unlike the fries, they were not coated in oil. However, it was a little on the salty side.

Overall, though, Texas Rangers seems to be a welcome addition to Tienmu. Like Chili’s or Yoppi Yogurt, the new store is often filled with quite a few familiar faces. Since its grand opening on April 13th, the store has become a comfortable, relaxed setting where friends and family can easily spend time together.

Of course, if you’re someone who eats granola every morning and subscribes to “Healthy Living,” then you should probably stick to Subway. But if you enjoy regular excursions to the likes of KFC and McDonald’s, Texas Rangers is definitely a place to try.

The year is 1922. The city, New York.

Women adorned with feathers and sequins chat amongst themselves, while a jazz band plays softly in the background. Laughs are heard, glasses clink, and gossip weaves itself across the perfectly manicured lawn of Jay Gatsby’s, multi-millionaire, grand estate.

While numerous people have read and enjoyed F. Scott Fitzgerald’s classic novel, The Great Gatsby, movie aficionados are waiting with bated breath for the film adaptation, which was released on May 10, 2013.

The story follows a young Nick Carraway (Tobey Maguire), who moves to New York, eagerly chasing at the tails of the American dream.

He meets his mysterious millionaire neighbor, Jay Gatsby (Leonardo diCaprio) and his cousin, Daisy Buchanan (Carey Mulligan). As Carraway gets sucked into the fantastical world of Gatsby and his associates, he realizes that the idealized perfection that is exhibited by the super-rich is simply a cleverly painted illusion.

As a long time fan of Carey Mulligan, I was delighted to see her take on the role of Daisy Buchanan, the icing on the cake of a long career ahead. I have loved Mulligan’s BAFTA winning role in An Education, as well as her portrayal of Kathy H in Never Let Me Go. Beating out several other Hollywood starlets, Mulligan has finally started to make a mark on the Hollywood scene.

Leonardo di Caprio as the titular Gatsby could not have been cast any better. His character’s lavishness and deceitfulness contrast Daisy’s vulnerability. There is a clear difference between the public and private Gatsby: proud in front of his guests, but tormented with corruption and

Before I start, I just want to let you all know that this review may contain spoilers.

After the little Avenger incident in 2012, our hero Tony Stark returns in a new chapter in the Iron Man franchise. Now, he has amped up his invention to a new level: he no longer needs to be in the suit – he can control the suit safely at a distance, and just fly it around saving people. Sadly, this is an unintended yet symbolic image for the movie. Because as slick as the movie is, there is something empty about it. Just like Ironman’s suits, the armor is impressive, but there is no one inside.

The reason is simply the plot. While the movie has its fair share of mind-blowing CGI effects, witty one-liners and whiplashing action scenes, the story is messy and frankly, left me with a big fat “What? That’s it?”. Rebecca Hall’s character as an ex-girlfriend/botanist is picked up and then quickly dropped; Tony Stark’s half-baked kid sidekick (played by Ty Simpkins) appears briefly than is immediately forgotten. And in the end, everything just automatically fixes itself and we are left feeling unsatisfied and disappointed.

However, there were still a lot of amazing facets of this movie. Robert Downey Jr. is his usual spectacular self. I honestly cannot imagine an actor better suited for the character.

His involvement was crucial in this film, as this wasn’t much of an Iron Man movie; it was a Tony Stark movie. We got to see a darker side of the genius, playboy, and philanthropist. Pepper Pots, played by the love-

flashbacks of war behind closed doors. Both he and Carraway represent the corruption that stems from the end of World War One.

I have always loved how director Baz Luhrmann incorporates a mix of modern artists into the soundtracks of each of his films. 2001’s Moulin Rouge! saw the likes of Nirvana, Queen, and David Bowie, while the songs of Radiohead and the Cardigans were used in Romeo + Juliet. The soundtrack for the Great Gatsby, however, has been truly impressive. From Lana del Rey’s haunting track, “Young and Beautiful”, to the xx’s “Together”, the soundtrack encompasses a wide range of current artists, including Gotye, Florence + the Machine, and Jay-Z. It’s the music that connects the film from the past to the present.

The film has received much critical acclaim since its release, and has opened the 2013 International Cannes Film Festival.

Success, however, has not come without its own dose of controversy.

Fitzgerald’s original novel draws protagonist Nick Carraway as openly gay, yet the film completely ignores this fact. Gatsby is painted as more of a hero in the film, while the novel emphasizes his deceitful qualities. This, to me, is why Carraway is so attracted to Gatsby and his cohorts. The film seems to highlight Carraway’s doe-eyed innocence, though in the book, he seems to also have fallen prey to the scams created by Gatsby.

Though prominent differences do lie between the novel and the film, the Great Gatsby is still a feast for the eyes. Watch the movie for the costumes, music, and acting, and don’t waste your time identifying the faithfulness of the movie to the book.

ly Gwyneth Paltrow, finally gets to see some action ass her character kicks some serious butt that will leave you grinning. Ben Kingsley’s character the Mandarin will leave you in shock, for the better or worse.

Ironman 3 was bright and showy, with a roaring climax and several great performances. However, it fell short by not being the movie we expected it to be. Some viewers will enjoy the flashy action and high tech innovations that come in Iron Man movies; however, bigger fans will be disappointed by the lack of a decent villain and a disapointing conclusion. It works as an entertaining comic book film and summer flick, but just don’t expect anything else.

doomed to disappoint.”

However, some believe that our privacy has always been threatened by the advent of social networking. “When has Facebook ever cared about privacy?” says Woo Yeon Jung (10). According to Facebook’s official statement regarding its privacy policy, visiting a site related to Facebook allows them to access everything from your IP address to what browser you use. In addition, Facebook gets a report every time you visit a site with a “Like” button – without requiring you to click the button, be logged in, or even have a Facebook account.

Facebook’s newly introduced Graph Search function has raised enormous controversy, with many claiming that it is an invasion of privacy. This search engine allows a very large audience the freedom to gather information about other members of Facebook, with little-to-no limits.

Mark Zuckerburg, Facebook’s founder, claims that this new Graph search feature is a “completely personalized search engine where you can ask the slightly nuanced and social questions, such as, ‘What do my friend and I have in common that we like?’, that you wouldn’t typically think to ask of a search engine.”

Natasha Lomas, a TechCrunch writer, states that the new Facebook Graph Search is “humorless, creepy and

“It’s amazing what people put on their Facebook page.”

and then later discover that they have been giving plenty of information to others without knowing it.”

Besides the data that Facebook directly receives, there is also the problem concerning public audience of a person’s Facebook profile. As Dr. Hartzell mentioned during a class meeting earlier this year, employers frequently consider the Facebook pages of potential employees as a crucial source of information despite the fact that it may or may not accurately depict one’s ability and moral judgment. He states, “I Google all the candidates I find interesting. And when I do, I always surprise myself by finding unexpected information; sometimes in a pleasant way, sometimes not. It’s amazing what people put on their Facebook page.”

As a piece of advice, he further stated that “if you wouldn’t put it on the D-Block bulletin board, you shouldn’t be putting it on Facebook.”

All the information that Facebook collects is then packaged neatly and sold to advertisers, so advertisers can have an easier time targeting potential customers. Our IT guru Mr. Sloan says that “people sign-up and join groups/sites/ organizations/social networks, without reading the policies

by Vergil Hsu

In the future, the TAS iPhone App will allow students, faculty members and parents to access school announcements, media, news, athletics, calendar events, and the school directory. An Android version will be coming soon.

The TAS Yearbook app, on the other hand, will only be available for installation on the iPad through the TAS website, where students, faculty members, and parents will have to log-in in order to download the app. The Yearbook app will host magazines such as the Blue & Gold and of course, the Chinagate yearbook.

StuGov

12

Blue & Gold

S T U G OV May 30, 2013

2013-2014

JULIANA

KEVIN

Activities: Field Day

Political: Vice President >> Changes for next year? Make our schoool more environmentally friendly. >> StuGov officers are in the Hunger Games. Who is first to die? Victor. >> What fruit would you be and why? A snozzberry. It’s what you dream it to be.

>> Changes for next year? Turning TAS into a place students are happy to go to for school. >> StuGov officers are in the Hunger Games. Who is first to die? Barry. He’s too friendly to everyone. I’d eat him. >> What fruit would you be and why? A kumquat because it’s a funny word and because it’s a megafail hybrid between olives and oranges and that’s basically what happened when my parents had me. >> Who would you hang out with for one day? Queen Elizabeth. She just did her thing and ruled England and funded Shakesphere and oblierated the Spanish Armada. A very cool lady.

>> Who would you hang out with for one day? Dennis Rodman >> Strengths as a leader? Experience and intitiative.

EUGENE

Activities: Frolic

>> Strengths as a leader? Organization and creativity.

BERLIN

VICTOR

Political: President

Political: Vice President

>> Changes for next year?

Make sure the transition into the D-Block is natural and smooth.

Make Field Day, Frolic, and Spirit Week more open to students’ suggestions. >> StuGov officers are in the Hunger Games. Who is first to die? Victor because he would be spending too long fixing his hair. He would die in the middle of searching for hair gel in the cornucopia. >> What fruit would you be and why? Starfruit because I’m a star (actually it’s because people say I’m “special”). >> Who would you hang out with for one day?

Jennifer Lawrence. I don’t think an explanation is needed. >> Strengths as a leader? When it comes to communication, my people skills are pretty good--or at least I’d like to think so!

>> Changes for next year?

Up until now, friendships are typically confied to specific grade levels. I’d like to see a more interconnected high school body.

>> Changes for next year? A greater sense of community and stronger character at TAS. >> StuGov officers are in the Hunger Games.

Who is first to die? Victor, undoubtedly.

>> StuGov officers are in the Hunger Games. Who is first to die? There’s no question that Eugene would be first to die as he’s the biggest wuss I’ve come across (much love to you, Eugene). He would likely die in the opening stages of the games during the scramble around the cornucopia.

>> What fruit would you be and why? Peach because I’m feeling peachy. >> Who would you hang out with for one day?

Kevin, Victor, Barry, Eugene, Kelly and Juliana. >> Strengths as a leader? I’m usually a pretty easygoing person, but I’m serious when I need to be.

BARRY

Political: Secretary >> Changes for next year? More tiger spirit and a greener school community. >> StuGov officers are in the Hunger Games. Who is first to die? Eugene! He’s tall and easiest to target. >> What fruit would you be and why? I would be an apple.

It satisfies people and I like satisfying others’ needs. >> Who would you hang out with for one day? Steve Jobs! His intelligence and creativity are unparalleled and I strive to be like him. >> Strengths as a leader? I’m dedicated and lead by example through hard work.

>> What fruit would you be and why? A grape because grapes are delicious and come in bunches. >> Who would you hang out with for one day?

Kevin Hart for nonstop laughs! >> Strengths as a leader? Being understanding, cooperative, encouraging and approachable.

KELLY

Activities: Spirit Week >> Changes for next year? Beautifying the D-block and making it a more comfortable environment. >> StuGov officers are in the Hunger Games. Who is first to die? Definitely Eugene. >> What fruit would you be and why? Mangoes because they are especially sweet during summer, my favorite season! >> Who would you hang out with for one day? Zac Efron because I’ve loved him ever since High School Musical! >> Strengths as a leader? I am able to stay on task and can share my ideas while accepting others’. I work well in a group.