Com(m)unicate - Vol V Issue I

CNG

Vol V, Issue i Com(m)unĂ­cate is a bilingual publication dedicated to sharing student voice and writing of Colegio Nueva Granada.

Editors

Copy Editor

Jorge GonzĂĄlez Sarah Kim Jack Akerman

Adelaida Lopez

Layout and Design Editor

Alejandro S. Daniel M. Maria G. Santiago A. Maria Luisa D. Juliana S. Juan Felipe Z. Adelaida A. Isabel A. Sofia M. Suzanne C. Jorge G. Felipe S. Meagan L. Paula A. Ju Young S. Michelle A. Sergio L. Lorenza G. Laura M. Juanita C. Sofia C. Mariana M.

Natalia Acero

Design Team and Artists Catalina Saldarriaga Isabela Puyana Juanita Ferrer Karen Levy Laura Michelsen Luz Perez Stella Hur Natalia Acero

Special Thanks to

Ms. Kaun Mr. Tangen Dr. Carriazo Ms. Paez Publications Department

Writers

Table Of Contents Lesmes 4 Alejandro Alejandro S., Daniel M.

of value is time?

19 What Suzanne C

9 Time: Friend Or foe?

20 Más Que un Torneo, Una Tradición

María G.

10 Santiago A.

Our Time’s Worth

Jorge G. Felipe S.

Musician’s Value of Time

22 Meagan L.

Enslaved By Time

11 Maria Luisa D.

24 Paula A.

12Juliana S.

25 School and time: How are You Using

Todo A Su Debido Tiempo

The Nostalgic 90’s-Ish Childhood

It?

Ju Young S.

time 13 Sleeping Juan Felipe Z.

26 The Tralfamadorians Michelle A.

Test Triptych 14 Standardized Lorenza G. Laura M. Eyeing The Past, Building The Future

16 Adelaida L.

Inexistencia Del Tiempo 27 LaSergio L.

28 Q&A With Mr. Roethler Sofía C., Mariana M.

En Contra Del Reloj

17Isabel A.

Importance Of Time 18The Sofía M.

Relativity: Not A Mere 30 Time Product of Science Fiction Juanita C.

s e . m S s o r e d L n a j e l o r ., A

d M l e n i a an j D le By

A 4

Role Mode l: David Be ckham and “Don Kike” Enrique Umaña

ience: r e p x E k r Wo laborator l o C d e t Incuba Global e h t g n i z i Organ ards, w a p u t r a Edtech st e uan Felip J n ó i c a d fun obar.

Gomez Esc Activit

ies in H S:

Person Vice Pe ero rso NHS (P residen nero t and s ecretary) MTV Ni ght Lea Coorga der nizer o f Inter Studen ro t Coun cil (Sec scas retary L ) Cofoun Eadership der of Sustain ability Top Do g s Math O lympi Debate Club (F cs Fashion ou Show C nder) ommitt Ambass ee adors Prom C ommitt ee

Society r u e n e p e tr Young En tions a N d e t i n Model U rticles in a r u o f f Author o azine Ideas mag articles e e r h t f o e co author s Magazin t h g i S n I in French grams o r P c i m e Acad Oxbridge

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We can all recall that image of a Wall Street executive’s secretary coordinating important business calls while programming meetings, carrying four cups of coffee for the demanding boss, and at the same time paying the taxi driver through the busy streets of New York. All of this under the stress of not having had neither lunch nor breakfast. This is a common and expected sight in the busy streets of any financial megalopolis. However, it stands out in a school environment, especially in one like CNG’s, where slackers stroll through the halls without a worry on their shoulders. This contrast is what makes Alejandro Lesmes so noticeable among the student body. He exudes an air of diligence and responsibility that, although subtle, is impossible to ignore. Although both of us considered ourselves to be relatively close to Lesmes, we both lacked information about the busy life he leads backstage, so we decided to write this article.

Fortunately, he considered us worthy of his time.

We asked ourselves: what is a typical day like for our beloved personero? We all know Lesmes is a busy person. He juggles 150 school organizations, is enrolled in several APs and, as if that wasn’t enough, he’s the personero.

The schedule he showed us went something like this:

We had planned an interview with him a month ago and he managed to squeeze us into a 15 minute window during lunch last week; nevertheless, we should consider ourselves lucky to be able to contact him, for neither of us managed to communicate with him during any of the classes he is too busy to attend. Like all interviewers (at least the humble ones), we had a certain feeling of guilt while conducting this interview, as we felt that by giving us the interview, he was sacrificing some of his valuable time, and that we presented a substantial opportunity cost.

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He carried a yellow paper block filled with his responsibilities: the world’s longest to-do list for an 18 year old. College essays, meetings with the president, studying sessions for AP Micro tests, and several other responsibilities as the NHS president are included in the pages.

“What is a typical day like for you?”

He just gave us his phone and he had his schedule portrayed in his background. His typical day is exactly like the one you would imagine from the White House press. A plethora of meetings and appointments plagued the daily life of our beloved blonde diva. So much, in fact, that it is a mystery how he doesn’t have gray hair yet.

0400. Study and finish homework due that day.

0530. Hygiene.

0600 Breakfast (usually some cereal and coffee).

0620. Leave for school. Cram all unfinished homework in the bus..

0640 Reach school. Take some calls, read some emails.

0700 Advanced Filosofía. (Some say he has more excused absences in that class than actual attendance.)

0840 Halfheartedly attend AP Micro while answering emails.

1020 Astronomy, interrupted, of course, by a PTA meeting.

1150 STUCO Lunch Meeting 1240 AP Calc AB (This class actually requires Lesmes’ full attention) 1410 Opportunity Day for AP LIT and AP Comparative Government 1430 Standard Assessment Meeting Standard 3, SACS School Accreditation System 1700 Gym (Safe Haven Time) 1830 Dinner, second meal of the day.

1900 Homework 2330 Sleep

US presidents are known to age exponentially while in “Lifting weights. That’s why he has that six pack. He office, but our personero still wears his “Colgate” smile has no time to eat and he has to take out his stress and Abercrombie six pack. So the question arises: how somehow.” does he manage his time?

“How’s the energy at home?”

“I don’t know. I just let everything mount up.”

“Well, my parents are proud of all his accomplishments There had to be more behind Lesmes’ success than just but they would really like to have him at home during the daylight. Once they told him that if he continues procrastination. being so stressed out and so (vanidoso) they would “I just go to the gym and run a couple of miles. That cancel his gym membership.” makes everything else disappear.”

“And how’s your relationship with him?”

We decided to talk to his brother Andrés to gain more insight on the personero’s daily life. Most people see “It’s awesome. Sometimes, when he arrives home at those two as complete opposites. While the senior is dusk, I ask him something and he just shuts me off outgoing, the junior is a tad bit more reserved. How- saying he’s busy but that rarely happens. Most of the ever, once you get to know time we hang out and weird our parents out him he can be very similar when we start with to his brother, especialsome inside jokes.” ly in his sense of humor.

Gathering his brother’s

We later asked perspective would be inthem about their inside teresting for our research, we figured. joke. Apparently, during one of their family trips, the two brothers “Alejandro sometimes arrives home later than my parents. He says that he does started making a competition of who could imitate Fehomework, but that must be false. He comes home and lipe Becerra’s sounds the best. In a closed room. Their traps himself in his room to finish, or start, his work.” parents walked in on them screaming at each other from two different corners of the room. We imagine “What do you really think he does?” they were very relieved that nothing else was going on in that room.”

“I bet he goes off to Stalin’s room and blasts music.”

“Do you ever feel compared to your brother?”

“How does he get back home?”

“Well, it is natural for people to compare us but I know “Sammy Fajardo after he’s done playing basketball. he is a very different person than I am, and I am proud Maybe Uber, or the last bus.” of his accomplishments.”

I would like the school to give me at least the minimum wage.

“What do your parents say about that?”

“Thanks a lot, Andrés.”

“They tell him not to overload himself with activities or at least to take it easy. He is always stressed out “Sure, no problem.” about everything.”

So the family aspect was down. We now know his per“How does he manage his stress, then?” sonal schedule and his habit of staying in school until it’s dark.

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However, for our research, we still didn’t know how Lesmes manages his time. We think it is impossible for him to just leave everything to the last minute.

Daniel then came up with the best person to interview: his ex girlfriend.

“Ugh. I don’t knowwwww. Well, yeah, he had a lot of meetings and he was always receiving messages on his phone. However, I only saw him really stressed out once.”

“When?”

With so little time to spare, how does Lesmes man- “In the days before the fashion show. He kept saying age romantic relationships? Velasco has the answer. that the girls in your grade were being dramatic and that Patron and him were working on it.”

During her interview, we didn’t want to get into all the romantic stuff. Although tempting, we “And did you support him as a girlfriend?” were risking to scare her off in an already risky topic.

“We had already broken up.” ¨Velasco, we need to ask you some questions.¨ “Oh, and do you miss him?” ¨Sure, what about?¨ she asked as she packed her yellow backpack.

“I thought we weren’t going to talk about that.” ¨Lesmes.¨

“You must miss his six pack.”

One would never imagine someone so adorable giv- “I’m done with you guys.” ing off such a hostile scowl. But after all, they were the school’s most popular couple last year.

Yeah, that didn’t go as well as planned.

“Don’t worry, it will be only about him.”

“What about him?”

“His time management skills.”

“Why don’t you ask him?”

“He doesn’t have time.”

“Ok then, ask.”

“Rawr. Umm, how many meetings did he have per week?”

“How am I supposed to know that?”

“Well, you were his girlfriend.”

“Yeah, not his personal assistant!”

“Haha, so how busy was he?”

“Very.”

“You’re gonna have to be more specific than that.”

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In conclusion, Lesmes is like a duck: on the surface he appears calm, gracefully swimming around. But underneath, his legs are moving at amazing speeds as he juggles his meetings, his events and his constant visits to the bathroom to see if his hairstyle is still intact.

Time:

Friend OR Foe?

By Maria G.

Sometimes I wonder why time exists. Without time, there wouldn’t be a future or a past. We have come to depend on time, as if it was made to tell us what to do. It bosses us around and dictates the way we lead our lives every hour, every minute, every second. At some point (or multiple points) in our lives, it turns its back on us and suddenly becomes our procrastinating, unorganized self ’s worst enemy.

However, at other times it can become our dearest friend.

Have you ever wanted to enjoy a moment with friends, and found some free time to make it happen?

How about when you come home from school, tired from a tough day’s work, and some spare time allows you to fit a nap into your busy schedule? Time is a two-faced card, a coin spinning in mid-air. Will it be heads or tails? Friend or foe?

That’s when you feel the pressure rise, the drops of sweat sliding down your neck. You’re not even halfway through answering the questions, when the teacher says, “Time’s up! Pencils Down!” Letting out a long sigh, you wish time had passed slower. The coin has flipped, and tails it is; the card is turned, and time is the Joker, it is the foe.But wait a minute. Let’s look at another scenario. You find yourself in the middle of summer break, sitting on a hammock between two palm trees, at the beach. The wind is calmly reaching your face, and you can smell the salt in the ocean. The setting is so relaxing, you begin to count the waves as they come into the shore. Yes, time is passing slowly. And you’re enjoying every second of it. Luckily for you, you kept that card of yours and brought it along; as you throw it in the air, the breeze flips it and it lands softly in the sand, right below your feet. Now there is no Joker. It’s royalty. Time has become your dearest friend.

We have come to depend on time, as if it was made to tell us what to do.

Remember that time when you were sitting in class, and your Math teacher began to hand out the exams?

As you are sitting there, stomping the floor, and biting your nails, you take a look at the long test before you, and then at the clock. You begin to think. Please, please go by slowly. I need to finish this test! But then, as you work, you look at the clock again. And again.

And every time it seems as though the little hand is moving faster.

It’s up to you to decide how you manage your time, and if you let it get the best of you. So, when it’s your turn to face that long test, and the ticking clock, make sure to keep focused. When you’re at the beach, relaxing on a holiday, enjoy yourself. Appreciate your surroundings, and stay away from Snapchat. Because, although time can be a foe, it can also be a friend, and, even though most people won’t believe it, you get to decide what side of the card you get.

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Our

Time’s

Worth

By Santiago A.

Throughout our lives, our senses become engaged with certain cues. Those cues lie within the innermost perception of our minds, and as such, we don’t feel ourselves perceiving things we have already become used to feeling. However, there is one thing that we, as young humans (very soon adults), have understood how to perceive and acknowledge into our daily routines: the passage of time. But not time as in our past memories and experiences, rather the time we (and admit it, you’ve done it too) have wasted doing nothing productive, or simply indulging ourselves with distractions instead of focusing it towards our well-being.

From this point of view, I have begun to understand time as some sort of metaphorical currency; we spend too much of it doing mundane, monotonous routines, and that in the end, are not worth their price. Instead, “expensive” things in time should be acquired through special discounts. These discounts can be those special moments that happen spontaneously, such as laughing your head off with your friends, receiving a helping hand, doing a good deed (not just for recognition but for the heartening experience), etc. Ms. Alice Pettway, an English teacher here in High School agreed with me: “I think that time, the value of time, lies not just in productivity, but rather in thoughtful reflection and in creating quiet spaces for your mind, and if you do as such, the time you use to produce things will become more efficient, and you’ll be much more mentally healthy if you do so”.

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In essence, the value we have for time is intrinsic: the choice we have is to adopt it through disinterest, or to keep searching for it through tedious experiences. And the fact of the matter is, people keep demonstrating such mindless habits at such a young age, and our society will decline sooner than we think if we keep directing our attention into the glow of a screen rather than working for a better future. After we start doing that, then Facebook may just be a thing of the past (even if now it seems like a longshot).

Todo A Su Debido Tiempo Por Maria Luisa D.

A medida que vas creciendo, vas quemando etapas de tu vida. Cuando cumpliste dos años, entraste al jardín; a los cuatro te graduaste y entraste al colegio; después cumpliste once y te diste cuenta de que los muñecos y las barbies ya no eran lo tuyo y empezaste a jugar con cosas “de niños grandes”. Mientras más creces, más empiezas a cambiar tu forma de ver el mundo y creas tu vida alrededor de las cosas que te gustan, acorde con la edad que tienes. Pero, ¿qué pasaba cuando querías algo para “niños mayores” y tus papás no te dejaban?

A diferencia de nosotros, nuestros padres crecieron en un ambiente conservador en el cual era común para un niño de once años seguir jugando con muñecos, pues todavía era considerado un niño. En tales épocas, no era normal que una adolescente de quince años usara tacones en una fiesta, pues todavía no tenía la edad suficiente. Cuando tus papás te dicen, “todavía estás muy chiquito para ese tipo de cosas”, están tomando en cuenta su pasado para poder enseñarte a ti los mismos valores que sus padres les enseñaron a ellos cuando eran chiquitos.

Frustados, solemos decir, “¡por qué no entiendes que ya el mundo evolucionó!” mientras pataleamos y les tiramos puertas en sus caras. ¿Qué fue lo que cambió, y por qué ahora queremos ser más grandes siendo todavía chiquitos?

Muchos argumentos se pueden hacer alrededor de esta pregunta. El simple hecho de que existan las redes sociales ya es suficiente para armar una respuesta válida y concreta. Lo que más me sorprende es cómo los papás manejan esta situación para asegurarse de que su hijo viva su vida al máximo y no se agrande a una temprana edad. Hablé con mi papá para que él me dijera cómo él hizo y ésta fue su respuesta; “Tu mamá y yo siempre hemos encontrado formas de decirles a ustedes con toda sinceridad la realidad del mundo que los rodea para que ustedes estén más preparados cuando les llegue el día de enfrentarlo.

Tu mamá se merece un gran reconocimiento, pues ella siempre ha estado ahí para ustedes cuando yo no estoy y esto les genera más confianza a ustedes con ella creando un campo más fácil para que les hable de este tipo de cosas abiertamente”. En mi casa, existe el dicho de “todo a su debido tiempo”. De esta forma, mis padres logran generar la idea de que no todo tiene que ocurrir en este justo momento. Por ejemplo, al cumplir los 16, saqué mi pase de manejo y enseguida quería que mis papás me prestaran el carro. Sin embargo, ellos no se apresuraron en hacerlo y me hicieron esperar seis meses para prestármelo.

Cuando les preguntaba sobre sus motivos, me decían que todavía no tenía la edad para asumir ese tipo de riesgo. Mi respuesta siempre fue “si ya tengo pase, ya lo puedo hacer”. Irónicamente, la primera vez que me lo prestaron me di cuenta de que todavía no estaba lo suficientemente preparada para manejar sola, pues la ciudad en la cual vivimos es un poco desorganizada, cosa que me hizo sentir insegura. Tuve suerte de que mis papás me hicieran esperar para que cuando manejara sola por primera vez, fuera más responsable a la hora de tomar acciones.

Hoy en día, esta enseñanza la tomo en cuenta en mi vida diaria. Ya no me apresuro en hacer las cosas, porque sé que algún día va a llegar el momento adecuado en el que las voy a poder hacer con más calma y dedicación. Cuando tengo una tarea, ya no me apresuro en terminarla porque sé que probablemente la estoy haciendo mal; entonces, la guardo y la termino en mi casa con más tiempo. Este tipo de lecciones son las que le quedan a uno por el resto de la vida. Soy afortunada de que mis papás lograron influir así de bien en mí.

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The Nostalgic 90’s-ish Childhood By Juliana S.

Were you ever able to own or witness the first “huge” white ipod? Did you ever laugh at shows like Fresh Prince of Belair, Drake and Josh, or iCarly? Do you feel nostalgic when remembering the once ‘heaven of films’, Blockbuster? Have you ever been guilty of busting out the Macarena dance, and only singing the ‘ EHHH MACARENA’? Or were you ever a victim of doing the unforgettable ‘Asereje’ dance everytime the song came up? Do you find yourself saying “In my time, we didn’t have those” more often than ever?

Well, if you have managed to nod, smile, or even do the memorable dance moves, I have news for you: you’re getting old. Well, not spitting out your denture old, but in a way, knowing that the days of being under the parent wing might be coming to an end.

The enduring pain of growing up is that more memories are created as others are left behind.

I sometimes worry that in a blink of an eye, I will be considered the ‘unhip’ parent or even worse: the elderly grandma trying to understand all the social media in the future. So, long story short, laugh at both silly trends today and ones around fifteen years ago.

Let’s begin with the obvious: technology. In my days, we had an ancient communication device called BlackBerry. Instead of Whatsapp, it was BBM, and instead of being able to communicate through just getting someone’s number, you had to get someone’s ‘pin’ . Once you got the ‘pin’, you immediately went through the prestigious process of either being accepted or denied. I also distinctly remember in third grade, I had an emergency flip-up phone (which was only for calls).

Nowadays I see third graders with iPhones. iPHONES!

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Music has also managed to change, specially the dance moves . See, instead of the ‘Nae Nae’ and ‘Gangman Style’ , it was ‘Baile del Gorila’ and ‘ Asereje’. I guess it’s bye to the ‘Asereje aja eje’ and more of the ‘ Now watch me nae nae’. Some of the pop artists and bands before included NSYNC, Backstreet Boys, Maroon 5, etc. Nowadays, it’s all about One Direction, Justin Bieber, and well, still Maroon 5. We can see the drastic changes specific members of the group of NSYNC have gone through, specially Justin Timberlake. In the 90’s -ish, he was a blonde, locked fellow singing ‘Bye Bye Bye’. Nowadays, he has grown into a stylish lad singing Suit and Tie, Mirrors, and many other great singles.

Entertainment has changed as well (Well, duh). Before, it was all about Zoey 101, and Isa TKM. Nowadays, it’s Gossip Girl, Vampire Diaries, etc. The show themes went from little cat-scratch fight between roommates to full-on-drama (love triangles, death, backstabbing, scandals, etc.). In our times, you had to walk to Blockbuster and get the ancient DVD or VCR. In the modern world, we have a practical system called Netflix. Ah, Netflix. Although I miss the Blockbuster era, I must admit it’s nice getting all the entertainment you need from bed.

It’s hard to believe that in a few years, things we have now, such as Netflix, Instagram, and Snapchat, will be considered old to the future generation. Can you believe that the really cool face-morphing spitting rainbow and other Snapchat features will be considered old? There is only one logical explanation to why this happens: time. Time is something we sometimes lack to understand when we are young, yet cherish when we are old. Well, at least we still have plenty time to enjoy. Or do we?

Sleeping ByTime Juan Felipe Z.

It’s no mystery that the perception of time is dramatically altered by our minds while we sleep. The weird thing about it is the fact that there is no pattern whatsoever regarding our collection of time compared to the actual time that has passed, thus allowing a few extra minutes in the morning to become hours, and hours to become a few brief instants of light sleep during class. I came to this conclusion a few weeks ago when I experienced this odd, but common, phenomenon several times in just a few days.

But I eventually opened my eyes without knowing, and was shocked when I read my watch, 1:05 pm.

After coming out of my gigantic state of confusion, I concluded that our minds controlled the passage of time with respect to our consciousness, and therefore when our minds left our controlling grab when we fell asleep, anything could happen with time.

I was surprised to learn that this phenomenon is actually quite common.

It also happened to my grandmother when she came to visit us a few days later. She fell asleep in our living room for about four minutes, and when she woke up, she was confident that she had slept all afternoon. I was shocked by the fact that her experience was almost identical to mine, which got me thinking even more about sleep’s impact on time perception. After asking around, I found out that both of “Where did all that time go?” my parents, my brother, and several of my friends had experienced this odd phenome​It seemed illogical to think that ten hours of time could simply vanish inside my mind merely because non, but had mostly ignored it until then, since they I was sleeping. I wondered if all of us enter some oth- were not aware of the actual amount of time that had er state of consciousness while we sleep, and if we gone by during their sleep. This was the final proof are simply unable to recall it after waking up, allow- that our minds controlled our perception of time. ing us to simply throw time away inside our heads.

According to psychologists and neuroscientists, This was proven wrong a few days later during the perception of time is completely subjective to class. I was sitting in the back row (during last pe- the human mind, and thus it will create or ignore riod) when I felt a soft and gentle call of sleep. I gaps of time under certain circumstances (like looked at my watch and clearly read 1:03 pm be- sleep), but it’s our own subjective view of context fore I fell asleep. I fell into the sweet darkness of which finally influences the amount of “time” that the abyss of nothingness of sleep for what felt like goes on inside our head. The more we wait for an eternity. I let myself go into my pitch black mind something to end (like class), the longer the time for ages and ages as if the world around me had will take to appear, and the more we hope somesuddenly disappeared. I experienced that nirva- thing doesn’t end; the faster it will. This apparentna-like state of absolute rest for endless hours as I ly is also applicable to our subconscious thought remained in the deepest empty caves of my mind. when we fall asleep in different situations, which finally illustrates how we alter time when we sleep.

One afternoon, when I got home from school, I felt mildly exhausted from the school day and decided to lie down.

A few minutes later, it was 2 am. I was baffled by the fact that it had only felt like a few instants of rest, but had actually been the equivalent of a night’s sleep. This led me to ask myself a really deep question.

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ch: Tripty Test rdized Standa

By Laura M. and Lorenza G. Sofía

We all dread it but in the end we all take it: the SAT, or as it was first called, the Standardized Aptitude Test. When this test first came out, it revolutionized “It takes all of my time now”, Sofia says, “and I also college entrance exams by making them more univer- have ICFES classes.” sal. Today, the SAT is still the most popular standardSofia is a senior that is taking the SAT to ized test, but since 1926 it has changed several times. get into Universidad de los Andes. She says that

The last time the SAT was redesigned was through her education in CNG everything has alin 2005 when analogy and quantitative compari- ways been in English so she decided to take her son questions were removed, the maximum score chances with the SAT instead of the ICFES, Cowent from a 1600 to a 2400 and reading compre- lombia’s standardized exam for college entrance. hension passages, higher level math concepts and a Even though she had only taken the test once, Sowriting section were introduced. In 2009, the SAT fia says that the test is too long and by the last secredesigned their score reporting policies in which tion, she gets distracted and needs an extra break. students were allowed to choose what scores to send to colleges but no other change was made. The test is also going to change for 2016, which will have simpler vocabulary, more complex math concepts and a rhetorical essay. For 2016, the math section will also include a part without a calculator. Even though the SAT has attempted to modify itself to be a good indicator of future college success, many students still struggle with the exam and the pressure it implies.

These claims have been made by various students that say taking a four hour test is too much. Sofia has also spent numerous hours studying for the test. She has to. She spends two hours with a tutor twice, and sometimes even three times, a week. Sofia is just one of the few people in the world that dedicate several hours a week to studying for this test that affects many High Schoolers everyday and often in the end, make them feel worthless and disappointed.

Pedro “You have four hours to somehow prove you are ‘prepared for college’ and your score can somehow be equivalent to all the work you did the past four years in high school. It’s b.s.,” he says.

Pedro is a CNG alumnus who took the SAT two years ago when it was still the same SAT we have today (until May 2016). Similarly to Tatiana, Pedro completed the test as he thought he wanted to study abroad. When Pedro was about to present the test, he felt that score would define his entire life. Now, after two years, he says he realizes how stupid the test really is.

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Experiences ent Differ with the SAT

Three

Although many say it looks bad to take the SAT too many times, Pedro took it six times, and that was what it took him to get the score he wanted.

It is said that a student can improve an average of 200 points on the SAT, but Pedro was an exception.

He stopped attending school in order to study all day and night with a personal tutor. He began preparation three months ahead, and he improved his score up to 500 points. Despite all of his efforts and great improvement, even that score wasn’t enough to get into his dream school.

“It was all for nothing”, Pedro said. After having become an expert in this test all Pedro does is make fun of it, “Hahahaha, that test definitely doesn’t measure what it says it does, it’s basically how obsessed you become with it, how many grammatical errors you memorize or how many tricks you remember to not fall under in the math section”.

His thoughts of time on this test were as those of a dying person counting the days he has left, “Time, time on this test is everything. 30 seconds, or 30 minutes, it matters, each second counts and can make all of the difference to your score”.

“I have never devoted myself to something as much as I did to this test. I got the score I wanted, but not my dream school” , Pedro said. Today, Pedro is studying in Los Andes, happier than ever. The SAT he finally got was much more than the score Los Andes required.

Tatiana Tatiana took her last SAT the weekend of November 7th after having taken it four times. Without a doubt, she hates the test. She says that it makes her feel so stupid until the point where she obsessed over improving her score. She needs to take the test since she wants to study in the States. “I have to take this test and study for it, but I know my social life is over.”

As a determined student, she devoted herself to that “1800” that universities consider good. “I began to study two hours per day three times a week.

In the end, my whole SAT book was completed.” Despite having done what tutors recommend for having a perfect score, she couldn’t get near the score that her dream school required. Although the test lasts four hours and leaves students exhausted, Tatiana feels like there’s still not enough time in each section as she often found herself missing complete passages in the reading section due to lack of time. After having obsessed over a score on a test and having memorized all the grammatical rules, math tricks and vocab words, Tati claims this test is a “farce”. “No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t improve more than a hundred points.”

The SAT has become more of a burden than a facilitator for college entrance. It has been redesigned several times to make itself a better indicator but there is increasingly more evidence, such as the study done by William H Ciss, that proves the SAT has no correlation with how well students are prepared for college. Many universities now opt to be test-optional and some don’t even receive scores.

If many universities have taken this path, doesn’t it make you wonder, should the SAT still be a thing?

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Eyeing the Past,ByBuildi Adelaida L.

Time elapses with no boundaries. As we move forward and hold our hands to the future, we know not what will come, but choose to approach it anyhow, with our vulnerable spirits out in the open, ready to tackle anything that may come our way. The twenty-first century is an era defined greatly by modernization and progress. But, what is modernization? As the saying goes, history repeats itself. We’re here to reinterpret the customs of the past, shape them in our own ways, and construct something “new” from these gatherings.

Leather fringe was first identified with Native American clothing, but later made an appearance in the fashion world of the 1920s. Turtlenecks, perfect for cold, brisk winters, date back to the thirteenth and fifteenth centuries, when men used high-collared garments to protect their body from the armor worn in medieval battles. Like other items, they then reappeared in more fashionable terms in the 1800s. Flared jeans and overalls were used in the 1800s and are back in fashion as well.

Time and time again, society comes across a set of barriers that must be penetrated with stronger

In a similar manner, the art industry has also might. Where will we go next? What’s the next step in developed in a cyclic fashion. Each century has come the process of innovation? Fashion, art, music, film, to define itself through different art styles, such as amongst others. The focus of this article, however, the Renaissance, Baroque, Romanticism, and others. will examine fashion and art in more detail. All of These art movements these are popular areas have risen to revive the that greatly impact how techniques of past times. our lives are shaped.

Century after century, we have adaptThe Renaissance, for inThey’re constantly ed to our shifting environment, but in the stance, captured the eschanging, constantly end, we are the same beings we have always sence of Greco-Roman leaving their mark upon classical art in vivid been fighting to strive forward. humanity. Experts in all color, while presenting these fields quiver every the beauty and indiyear, eager for what may lie ahead. What are the viduality of man throughout. This idea of “rebirth” new trends? What do the people want next? Nothtouched on significant achievements of the past, feaing may remain unchanged, especially today when turing the ideas of Plato and ancient Athens in the people become easily bored with the conventional. new movement called Humanism. Nude sculptures and human anatomy, which had been abandoned in

Take fashion, for example. New trends come the face of strict religious doctrine, reappeared in the up each season, all of which build from the trends art world with the Donatello sculpture of David, comof the past. Bohemian fashion is back “in”, covering pleted in Florence in 1440. Egg tempera was replaced fringe, flower prints, long skirts, and strappy sanby oil paint in order to give paintings more character. dals. Most people associate bohemian-styled clothEven as these breakthroughs changed the face of art ing with the 60s or 70s, but are unaware that such forever, artists knew better than to ignore the techa trend had already been born in the nineteenth niques used in the Classical era, and so decided to century, in hands of the Pre-Raphaelites who vinembrace them, adding twitches of their own to make culated bohemianism with the embodiment of the their art statements more powerful. Such capturing unconventional: a way of dressing free of any reof Greek and Roman techniques was revisited in the strictions. Specific items such as fringe, turtlenecks, eighteenth and nineteenth centuries with Neoclassiflared jeans, and overalls, all have their roots in the cism, featuring the concepts of harmony, simplicity, past, and yet continue to resonate in modern fashion. and proportion. This art period came to control most of the time’s architecture, painting, and sculpture.

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The Future

En contra del Porreloj Isabel A.

Artists such as Jacques-Louis David, Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres, Antonio Canova, and Giovanni Battista, became proficient at depicting the major events of the time. For instance, Jacques-Louis’ 1807 painting, The Coronation of Napoleon, vividly illustrated Napoleon Bonaparte’s rise to power. Wealthy families would own several paintings that depicted Es difícil escribir sobre el tiempo cuanthe old Roman and Greek glory as well as the hap- do ni siquiera hay tiempo para escribir. Pero pnings of the time, such that their homes honored the eminence of the classical civilizations and empires. como todos sabemos, la vida no para, no espera y no avisa. La vida es el tiempo que tenemos The Baroque, characteristic of the seventeenth and en este mundo, y éste no es más que una paradohalf of the eighteenth centuries, emphasized reli- ja muy compleja. No tiene ni principio ni fin, sin gion, as did art in the gothic period of the middle volumen ni densidad, sin medidas ni distancias ages. Given that this art was tightly vinculated to pero, sobre todo, sin límites. Es muy objetivo con the Catholic Church, the Royal Courts of Spain and determinantes horas, minutos y segundos pero France commissioned much of this work in order to a la vez completamente subjetivo ya que cada anemphasize on the grandeur of divinity. Some hints gustia lo detiene pero cada alegría lo adelanta. of gothic art can be seen in the Baroque, particularly Gracias a nuestra naturaleza humana estain the religious facet of the movement. Gothic art, too, was commissioned by the church and laity as mos acostumbrados a vivir bajo un horario consa way for the church to control what was being ex- truido y modelado en torno al tiempo que tenemos emplified. Both movements also featured great use disponible. Pero, ¿cómo explicamos esto si el tiemof ornamentation and expression. More specifical- po no es más que una idea creada por nosotros? ly, this art period was focused on the reassertion of ¿Qué significa tener “tiempo disponible” si puede the Roman Catholic Church in the European world ser muy escaso pero así mismo incontablemente during the time of the Protestant Reformation. The excesivo? El tiempo es inmortal pero es lo que nos Council of Trent, product of the Counter-Refor- hace mortales. Nos brinda todo y luego nos lo quita mation, sought to condemn what were considered sin aviso alguno. Así no tenga límites, tiene el poheresies at the time. The council also dictated the der para definir el comienzo y el final de la existenexploration of human anatomy, which had already cia. Somos esclavos del tiempo y estamos siempre been touched by the predecessors of the Baroque, en una lucha constante contra él ya que rige nuesstrictly controlling what was meant to be repre- tra vida cotidiana. Desafiamos sus reglas y paradigsented. Just like in art, living in the moment has mas para acomodarlo a nuestro diario vivir y así become outdated when you can live in the past. lentamente gastamos el tiempo acomodándonos al reloj cuando en realidad deberíamos aventurarnos, Time doesn’t change us. It just gives us new tools despreocupados, hacia las inciertas profundidades to live with, to excavate the past, and to form our- de la vida. Vivamos a la deriva y así como el tiemselves in different ways. Century after century, we po, evitemos limitar nuestras oportunidades. La have adapted to our shifting environment, but in the vida es muy corta pero nos queda toda por delante. end, we are the same beings we have always been fighting to strive forward. A strong and promising species, but a perilous one too. We’re the same puppets living in another generation. At the end of the day, history does not lie so much in its demise as in what can be made of it in its forthcoming aftermath.

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Time The Importance ofBy Sofía M.

The importance of time is a concept that not many people are aware of. Time gives meaning to memories, decides our fate, and gives us the opportunity to choose what we want to do with it.

Without time, memories would be meaningless. Moments get their importance because they don’t really last that long. That’s why we try to hold on to them as long as we can: as time passes, things change.

We are humans, and as such, we like to keep in touch with what is familiar to us. In our attempt to do so, we hold onto objects such as pictures that remind us of the special moments in our lives that we don’t want to forget. People underestimate the importance of the small glimpses of happiness we get once in awhile. It’s ironic how at the time of the special moment, we don’t immerse ourselves in its entirety, and instead take it for granted. Yet somehow, we get bitter when it is taken away from us. As humans, we don’t appreciate the important moments in life because we are constantly distracted with meaningless things. The fact that we can’t stop thinking about the past or worrying about the future makes us miss out on enjoying the present.

People get upset when time isn’t in their favor. Timing is everything: it can decide something big, like what your future is going to look like, or something as small as whether you get to talk to that girl or guy you like. If time doesn’t go in our favor, we tend to blame everyone else but ourselves, but when something doesn’t go as we wanted it to, it’s because we weren’t meant to have it at that time, because we are meant to have something else. When a door shuts right on our face, we get so confused and so annoyed that we forget to look somewhere else for another open door, and that’s when opportunities slip through our hands. We get a chance to discover something amazing when we are open to possibilities.

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In the end, we only regret the chances we didn’t take. Our time in this planet is counted, and we don’t live forever. However, many don’t know that, so they don’t accept it. As cheesy as it sounds, life is short and we should take full advantage of what it has to offer. A lot of people don’t do things they want to do just because society’s expectations won’t allow it. We waste time in the wrong things by worrying about what other people would think. Some people go into careers they don’t really like just because of their family business, or because of the money. Also, some people are afraid to get into a relationship, whether that is a friendship or something more emotional, because they are different or because they are not the type of person we are meant to end up with, or just because we don’t need anyone else in our lives.

When we spend our whole life pleasing others or settle for what we have even though it’s not what we want, we forget how to be happy. When we take risks, there is a probability of failure, which is why most people don’t take chances. However, there is also a probability of success, or of learning something new, that starts giving excitement to our lives. In the end, when we look back,we are just going to see the things we had the courage to do and the chances we were willing to take. There is no time to think of regrets.

What Of Value Time?

Is

By Suzanne C.

Some say time is a measurement. A way to plan everything. Others see it as change, others as pressure. But we don’t have a clear understanding of it. For me, time is something we don’t have.

I believe everyone has their own perception of time. Some people count time by hours, others by minutes, or even years. What we don’t realize is: by counting all those seconds, minutes, hours, years, we actually end up losing time. Our life in the modern world is full of worries, responsibilities, that when you think about it, we don’t even have time for. It may sound confusing but let’s just reflect. In the past week, when have you had time to sit and think about where you see yourself in ten years? It’s a scary thing, isn’t it? Thinking about something much bigger than yourself. Now, we always say how time passes so fast, how two or three years would go by in a blink of an eye. We say this thinking about the past, but is this a good thing? It’s when horrible things happen (like accidents, losses) where we actually appreciate and value time. I’m sure this has definitely happened to you, when something major in you’re life takes place and for once in your life you just want to pause time, but as hard as you want time to stop, it goes even faster.

That’s the catch! It’s when we most want time to stop, it speeds up ten times faster, and when we want it to go faster, it slows down. In this new, modern, western world, we are so full of thoughts and things happening in our life that it isn’t when something tragic and/or ecstatic happens that we truly reflect.

This is even sadder to think about than our future.

What I am saying is… we are all given a certain amount of time to carry out our dreams and fulfill our needs. And with all the time we spend thinking, complaining, we are only losing time and after we lose time, we have no idea how much we even have left. As humans, we tend to compare ourselves to others. We all aim to succeed and excel, “become a diamond in a world of rocks.” We can all have an abundance of money, friends, family or passion, and these are all important factors, but the only thing we’ll wish we have more of is time.

As far as the human mind goes, it’s pretty developed. We have the power of so many different things. I think that with this knowledge, we have to learn to appreciate time so much more.

The world is in our hands, literally. As the new future of our world, what are we going to do with such little time we have left? Eighty-six thousand, four hundred seconds. What will you do today with all that time? Because we can’t keep wasting it.

Time isn’t a measurement or a way to organize your day. Time isn’t a science or watching a clock tick by. Time is important. Something you will value more than you value yourself. Each second that goes by is a step closer to becoming an adult. So stop killing time because as you kill time, time kills you.

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Mรกs que un torneo, una tradiciรณn:

s .

S a e c p li s e o F r y

.

G r e e rg o t J n r

I 20

Po

Es impresionante ver cómo algo que comenzó como un simple torneo de fútbol se ha convertido, con el paso de los años, en una importante actividad recurrente entre los meses de septiembre y octubre, una tradición llena de pasión, diversión e intensidad deportiva para los estudiantes y profesores de la Escuela Alta.

Señores y señoras, sean o no amantes del fútbol, nos parece que expresamos la opinión de todos con la siguiente declaración: cuando llega la nueva edición del torneo Interroscas, organizado por NHS, la vida escolar se vuelve un poco más interesante. Es inevitable que no pase; no con todos esos gritos de aliento, festejos inesperados, resultados impredecibles y la oportunidad de ver a tus amigos y compañeros de clase darlo todo en la cancha, o, si eres jugador, vivir los altibajos de la competencia con tus compañeros de equipo.

Sin embargo, creemos que existe la necesidad de ver más allá de la perspectiva del espectador lleno de emoción, o del jugador lleno de ganas y de la ilusión de poder alzar el título. Sí, estamos hablando de una necesidad de conocer las opiniones de una de las personas más importantes del torneo, aquella que se asegura de que todo se desarrolle de forma legítima y justa, y que en el evento se preserve un espíritu de competencia sana: el árbitro. Nos aseguramos de que, en algún momento, ya seas jugador o espectador, te hayas preguntado lo que pasa por la mente de este personaje oficial, portador de tarjetas, guardián del reglamento, mientras que pita un partido con los espectadores, expresando su posición sobre alguna jugada controversial, o con el constante reclamo de los jugadores...

Para aclararte un poco cualquier duda, nos tomamos la libertad de entrevistar al entrenador Fabian Pastrana, miembro fundamental del equipo de arbitraje en la última edición del torneo Interroscas.

Le hicimos unas preguntas pertinentes a la experiencia de arbitraje durante la competencia, entre otras cuestiones, y esto fue lo que nos dijo:

P-“¿Qué opinas acerca del desarrollo del torneo hasta el momento?”

R- “Me parece que el torneo ha sido muy interesante.

Durante su desarrollo, varios equipos han demostrado gran potencial y se ha presenciado buen fútbol.

La moral y la ética del torneo han cambiado bastante ya que se concentran más en lo que es el deporte y menos en entrar a la cancha a ser agresivo. De todas maneras, opino que debe haber cambios en lo que concierne al comportamiento del público y en hacer entender el reglamento general del torneo.”

P- “A pesar de las mejoras en el comportamiento general, sigue habiendo ‘revoltosos’ a la hora de jugar. ¿Qué tienes que decir acerca de esto y qué puede mejorar?”

R-“Sí, es verdad que hay ciertos jugadores altaneros, quienes entran al campo de juego más con el objetivo de ser agresivos que de hacer deporte.

Creo que desde que Ricardo y yo comenzamos a pitar, esto ha mejorado ya que los jugadores nos tienen más respeto por ser tanto árbitros como profesores, ya que anteriormente, cuando los estudiantes arbitraban, se veía mucho más desorden y se presentaban varias faltas de respeto a los árbitros. En nuestro caso, sí se han presentado un par de situaciones de agresión, pero ninguna se ha salido de nuestras manos. Creo que para mejorar esto hay que asegurarse de que los jugadores tengan claro el motivo por el cual salen a la cancha: si van a jugar fútbol o si van a atacar a los que no les agradan, es mejor que entren sabiendo esto porque el fútbol sigue siendo un deporte que cualquier jugador puede disfrutar sin importar su nivel de habilidad. Creo que nosotros aplicamos de manera efectiva firmeza en el arbitraje.

A mi parecer, varios de los jugadores más pequeños se sentían más seguros en el campo con nosotros como supervisores. Creo que al público tanto como a los jugadores les gustó cómo regulamos los partidos y me gustaría repetir esta labor en otra ocasión.”

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P-“La edición del torneo vista el año pasado es considerada una de las versiones más intensas en la historia de Interroscas. ¿Qué grado de intensidad crees que sea necesario en este torneo para que sea emocionante?”

R-“A mí me parece que la intensidad sí es necesaria cuando es intensidad deportiva en vez de intensidad de rivalidades o riñas. El fútbol es un deporte de contacto. Yo, siendo deportista y habiendo participado en varios deportes de contacto como el hockey, logro entender la diferencia entre contacto deportivo y contacto directamente agresivo. No sé si el público piensa que esta intensidad o esta emoción ha bajado debido a nuevas regulaciones presentadas sobre el torneo, pero también hay que considerar que varios estudiantes piensan que ir a ver un partido es una situación que no debería tener reglas. Eso es un aspecto principalmente cultural que debe mejorar para que el torneo posea la misma energía sin necesidad de tantas restricciones. En mi opinión, el torneo este año estuvo sustancialmente mejor, pero aún así existen cosas que se deben mejorar.”

Como pueden ver, el torneo ha evolucionado mucho y para bien, con el paso de los años. Sin embargo, como dice Fabián, todavía hay espacio para muchas mejoras. Esperemos que esta tradición se siga postulando como razón para celebrar, divertirse y brindar unión a la diversa comunidad de profesores y estudiantes de la escuela alta de nuestro colegio en los años por venir.

Musician’s Value...

One minute can be looked at as 60 seconds, in which many things can be accomplished. On average, a 40-year-old-man should be able to do 27 push-ups, a bed can be made in a minute or less, and 27,800 pictures are uploaded to instagram in one minute. So how much can be accomplished in an hour, or a day? The answer is... a lot. There are so many opportunities available to us in the world to help us grow and learn. Of course, each person has a different perspective of how a successful day goes. A successful day of an NFL football player is very different from that of a professional musician, or even a stay-at-home-mom. Each person spends his or her time differently. It is fascinating how those at a professional level of music spend their time.

From being a DJ, to composing, to teaching, and performing, a musician’s life surrounds their instruments. For example, many pianists start their days by playing preludes and fugues from Bach. It helps warm up their brain. This causes wonder: if people start their day with Bach, how did Bach start his day?

Bach, known for his musicianship and use of counterpoint harmony, spent his weeks composing and rehearsing music for the church program. He would do this week after week. He also wrote twenty-four preludes and fugues combined. These accomplishments only skim his deep ocean of musical achievements. He spent his life devoted to music. He spent hours composing cantatas and symphonies that are known throughout history today. Bach, a man who devoted his life to music, got more recognition after he died than when he lived. Now, people use his musical genius to help them in their compositions. His preludes and fugues help them warm up their minds and open them to the world of possibilities that Bach saw.

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... Of Time

By Meagan L. Professional musicians today will wake up and She said, “It made me feel important.” This simple play through several of Bach’s preludes and phrase shows how music and the fine arts allow people fugues to wake up their minds and fingers. of all ages to participate and feel, as Carolyn said, important. Music gives people the opportunity to shine

It is known to musicians that music does not and build their self confidence in themselves. Music come in an instant, but through repetition. Music brought Carolyn “happiness, stability, and peace.” teachers always say, “practice, practice, practice”, and Carolyn believes that “10,000 hours [of practhe students always reply, “why?”. The teacher’s very tice] will make you proficient at an instrument, but simple yet clear answer is always… “because prac- many more to master.” There is truth behind the antice makes perfect.” Yes, there are those who may tisocial stereotype of professional musicians. Many be able to sit and instantly play a piece of music, but say that they are extremely antisocial and have a in reality, music does not come easy. It takes years hard time maintaining social relationships. There to fully master any instrument. I have been playing is truth to this. Professional musicians dedicate piano since 1st grade, and I still feel as though I have themselves to their instruments rather than to othyears left to master er people. Carolyn would this intricate instrusay they spend “at least 8 ment. Likewise, I to 10 hours” with their inhave been singing struments a day. This is a for as long as I can true relationship that needs remember, but neimore than just attention. ther my voice nor my skills are done

Being a musician rebeing developed. quires a sacrifice of time, efI am not perfect fort, and pain. To be the best in my instruments, but I do know that means to spend more time than anyone else at an inperfection comes through repetition. strument. Many people joke that musicians will develop a relationship with their instruments because they

Carolyn Larson, a singer for twenty-eight years, spend more time with them than anyone else. It is also was inspired to pursue music by hearing her “father physically demanding in some situations. There are play classical piano every night as a child.” Her passion pianists who know how to play with their full arms. for this fine art began when she was very young. She It is a full body effort! Likewise, drummers will reapplied it to many things, such as singing in church, hearse for hours on end to scrutinizingly learn how to talent shows, and school activities. “Teachers at [her] play a specific rhythm. This leaves them with bleeding elementary school taught [her] to play instruments and and bandaged hands. However, all of this is worth it how to sing.” She was even in her first musical in 6th for the few moments of pure happiness and glory that grade! She was in “You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown”. come from performing to others. It brings so much She played Snoopy, who in her eyes, was the main role! joy to a musician to be able to present their hard work to others, and makes all the long, hard times worth it.

If people start their day with Bach, how did Bach start his day?

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y B d e v a l s En

Not long ago, I was arriving to the Elementary School Gym, carrying my heavy bag full of notebooks. All of a sudden, a girl, who could not possibly be older than eight, began filling a cubby with her brand new Longchamp and her iPad. Then, she started playing a game on her phone, and told a friend that she had recently lost her iPod Touch.

Time

By Paula A.

You probably won’t see anyone taking a walk for the pleasure of it, and the appreciation of nature will probably decrease. Social life will depend on technology and this will make human principles completely different, as of priorities.

Maybe it’s just me, but I’m scared that perhaps technology is turning people’s hearts

Later, after practice, I began to walk up to colder, and sooner or later they will be frozen. the buses. When I got up there, I saw a boy using his backpack as a scooter, literally. He showed me Nevertheless, I was not only astonished by the that his wheeled backpack became a medium of expert use of technology of this little girl, but of the transportation because of some great gadgets it had. way she behaved. Having recently finished reading a book about women suffrage

I don’t mean to and the expectations of femsay that technology has inine behavior in the ninechanged throughout time teenth century, the differencbecause we all know it es to today are clearly visible. clearly has. What I mean This girl was playing a game is that the lives of children called, “Plants vs. Zombies”, have changed greatly. My which in case you don’t know, mom got her first phone when she was an adult, even can be considered a war game. She wore a stained though she wasn’t even ten when they were first in- school white t-shirt, with spots of blackberry juice vented. I, on the other hand, got my first phone when I on it, and a pony tail. This little girl was a princess, was eleven years old, as I entered Middle School. And but a warrior-like princess. I see this change in mythis girl I talked about was no older than eight! It’s self as well, considering that in the past there were great, yes, that technology has developed an advanced some activities that were linked to girls and that were education, but it’s sad to see kids play with their iPads practically forced on them. My mother let me choose during social reunions and kid birthday parties in- what sport I wanted to do when I was a little girl, and stead of interacting with each other, with real people. the first thing I said was that I didn’t want to do ballet. My opinion was respected, event that wouldn’t

Have you ever wondered what the future will have happened even in the early twentieth century. be like? It’s scary to think that physical work might be discarded, and that everything will be done through technology and the web. Right now, technology helps spread ideas and tendencies, being the center of social life, but it might become the only social life one can have.

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School and Time: How Are You Using It?

By Ju Young S.

Time is gold. You don’t want to be wasting it on walking from class to class or digging deep down into your locker to find your math book for next class. This got me curious; how much time do we averagely ‘waste’ in school? What follows is a series of estimations on how much time it takes me to do things in school that I count as wasted time.

How much time do you waste? Do you consider these a waste of time? Let’s run through the list first.

First of all, I ride the bus to school. It takes an hour both to and from school. Most of the time I do something, that usually being homework or playing games on my phone, but sometimes I just watch out the window or look at air and think of nothing. This is a WHOLE HOUR down the drain every time I do this. It sometimes comes back at me when I have to rush my homework once I get to school because I forgot about it altogether and didn’t do it at home or in the whole hour I was provided in the bus. Those moments make me sad.

Another thing I consider a waste is the vast amount of traveling time required just to get to the place I want. The school campus is very large and I pretty much cry when I have classes on the opposite side of the school. This also becomes a problem when I have a class that is way too far from the cafeteria and I have this class right before lunch.

It’s a decision between run-like-a-maniac or give up for the convenience of walking. I’m especially not used to any of this because in Korea, the teachers change classrooms and the students remain in the same classroom. During lunch, a trolley with all the food comes right in front of the classroom, so it’s usually a battle royal of quick reaction speed and quick footing to get to the front of the troll, which is at the shortest distance (the kid closest to the door) near 5m and probably 10m for the farthest. Definitely a huge contrast compared to the 200m sprint I have to take from the theater room to have a decent spot in the lunch line.

What about the locker? I hate it when I have to fidget around my locker to get that one book or one document I want. I don’t know about you, but when my locker is filled, I fail to keep it organized. The same applies to my backpack, my room, my closet. I just can’t get myself to organize the place and end up regretting it and wasting minutes to find the thing I want.

So those are a few of the most time-wasting moments I can think of during school. Which others would you add? Remove? Do you think you want to improve on some of these? I definitely want to improve on organizing my stuff so I don’t need to waste time looking for them. After all, time is gold and we can’t just be wasting it.

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The Tralfamadorians

By Michelle A.

“That’s one thing Earthlings might learn to do, if they tried hard enough: Ignore the awful times, and concentrate on the good ones.” - Vonnegut, Slaughterhouse Five

Tralfamadorians are strange creatures. They are “...two feet high, and green., and [are] shaped like plumber’s friends. Their suction cups… on the ground, and their shafts, which [are] extremely flexible, usually [point] to the sky. At the top of each shaft [is] a little hand with a green eye in its palm. The creatures [are] friendly, and... [can] in four dimensions” (Vonnegut 13). Tralfamadorians perceive time in a very special way, different from the way we humans do. For them, “All moments, past, present and future, always have existed, always will exist” (Vonnegut 13).

Kurt Vonnegut, an American author, introduced these little monsters to the world in 1969 through his novel, Slaughterhouse Five, which is mostly about his experience during World War II. The Tralfamadorians exist, but only in Billy’s mind. Billy, the main character of the book, is the only one who can see, listen, and speak to them.

He learns how to move on from all of his problems with the help of the Tralfamadorians and, as the creatures tell him about their planet and give him their opinion of concepts like time, Billy begins to see the world in a totally different way.

The Tralfamadorians live in Tralfamadore and have the ability to “...look at all the different moments just the way we can look at a stretch of the Rocky Mountains, for instance” (Vonnegut 13). Death has always been something we as humans have feared since our existence, because of how unknown it is to us. We often see death as the end of a person’s life and mourn since we believe we won’t be able to live anymore moments with that person.

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The Tralfamadorians believe, however, that when a person dies, he or she continues to live in other times and places; death does not end the being’s life. “When a Tralfamadorian sees a corpse, all he thinks is that the dead person is in a bad condition in that particular moment, but that the same person is just fine in plenty of other moments” (Vonnegut 13). The moments that the person lived will live on forever and can be revisited by anyone at anytime.

The perception of time of these creatures may be quite different from that of our own, and may not be exactly what we as human beings want to believe. However, the Tralfamadorians’ way of thinking offers us a new way to understand time by helping us see the importance of making the right choices in order to live a good life and acquire the ability to move on during harsh times by revisiting those cherished moments. Grasping this belief can help humanity hold on to the good times and ignore the awful ones. A simple action as this could help us avoid conflicts and be happier by remembering and reliving pleasant times. Sometimes, we may have to look back at unhappy moments, as they may have marked a great change in our lives. The mistakes and bad decisions we make may cause hatred,worry, or disappointment in our hearts, but the lessons we learn from them are truly precious.

Johnny Cash, a musician, actor, and author once said, “You build on failure. You use it as a stepping stone. Close the door on the past. You don’t try to forget the mistakes, but you don’t dwell on it. You don’t let it have any of your energy, or any of your time, or any of your space.” It is definitely important to revisit bad moments to learn and grow as individuals but it is also important to move on after a failure and to concentrate on the good moments the Tralfamadorians recommend.

La inexistencia del tiempo: surrealismo, literatura, y cine Por Sergio L.

A medida que los seres humanos han desarrollado sus conocimientos, y por lo tanto, sus percepciones de la realidad, la pregunta sobre la existencia del tiempo ha estado presente en las ideas de muchos y se ha visto manifestada de diferentes formas. Muchos dicen que el tiempo no existe, que es una invención humana, y es cierto. La simple separación entre día y noche puede ser considerada relativa, pues aunque al día se le asocia con la luz del sol, también se dice que a la medianoche empieza otro día, sin importar el hecho de que faltan cerca de cinco horas para que haya luz solar. Desafortunadamente, el tiempo es corto (más bien, inexistente) para que yo solo pueda elaborar este argumento, así que decidí explicarlo por medio de ejemplos a través del tiempo (que no existe).

En primer lugar, tenemos al pintor Salvador Dalí, de comienzos del siglo XX, quien se conoce como uno de los más famosos miembros del surrealismo, un movimiento que buscaba interiorizar los sueños y el subconsciente, y mezclarlos con la vida cotidiana. En una de sus piezas más famosas, La persistencia de la memoria, Dalí muestra un paisaje basado en sus sueños que considera la inexistencia del tiempo a través de una costa “derretida” en la que los relojes no tienen rigidez alguna. En medio del cuadro una figura que no parece ser algo concreto refleja el perfil de una cara acostado, con unas largas pestañas decorando el ojo cerrado. La pieza parece evocar un eterno limbo donde el tiempo no tiene impacto alguno, los humanos, reflejados en la cara, no tienen forma alguna, y nada es coherente, pues no hay límites o metas que emplear para la realidad. Puesto que el cuadro es un dreamscape, la idea también se ve reflejada en el hecho de que en los sueños el tiempo es diferente al de la realidad, mostrando así que puede ser algo relativo.

Esta idea de que sin tiempo no hay propósito o existencia humana también se ve en la reciente pelicula, Luc Besson, Lucy . En la película, la protagonista se ve infectada por una sustancia que hace que aumente el porcentaje del cerebro que utiliza (según la historia, los humanos solo usan 10% del cerebro), hasta llegar al 100% y tener todo el conocimiento en el mundo. Al llegar al 100%, Lucy desaparece y revela que en realidad, los humanos y el tiempo son irrelevantes y expone la idea de que, si la imagen de un carro yendo de un lado al otro de una carretera se acelerara, el carro desaparecería. Lucy también encuentra una forma de desaparecer la materia y crear una especie de limbo, en el que todo está en blanco. Esta escena se puede comparar con una pintura hecha por Dalí.

Finalmente, ambas ideologías se pueden encontrar en uno de los escritores latinoamericanos más famosos: Jorge Luis Borges. Recientemente leí el cuento, “El inmortal” que narra la historia de un hombre que busca la ciudad de los inmortales y, en el camino, se encuentra con trogloditas que no tienen propósito ni “forma” alguna. Al final, resulta que estos trogloditas son los inmortales, sólo que se han vuelto un lugar abstracto en el que no hay identidad u orden. Además, los diferentes personajes que aparecen en el cuento resultan ser el mismo narrador, que salió en búsqueda de la inmortalidad pero permaneció en el mundo a través de la historia, demostrando así que el tiempo no existe.

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Q&A With Mr. Roethler

By SofĂ­a C., Mariana M.

Communicate: How did you end up in Colombia?

Roethler: My girlfriend and I were looking at teaching abroad. I really enjoy traveling and I wanted to do something different. So, we went to the international job fair and CNG was one of the few schools with positions for the both of us. We did our research and we talked to the director, Dr. Habegger, and we just knew that it was going to be a really great place. We also thought it would be great to work on our Spanish skills, and so we are very excited to be here.

not gone to Medellin and I have just heard amazing things about how beautiful it is, and so I would say that would have to be the next place.

C: What has been the biggest cultural shock coming to Colombia from the United States?

R: Well, first of all the biggest shock has been the Spanish. I mean, it’s hard to go from not knowing much Spanish to moving to a place where everything is in Spanish. I think it is good; that is the best way to learn a language. I never studied abroad. I wish I would have, but, at least now I get to live abroad and get immersed in, and learn about, a new culture.

C: If you couldn’t teach physics what would you teach?

R: If I couldn’t teach physics, I would probably teach math. I like math, and how it fits into science. And if I couldn’t teach at all what would I do? I would be an astronaut and go into space.

C: What’s your favorite Colombian food and drink?

R: Uuuuhh…. I would say my favorite Colombian food is one really good “arepa”. I really enjoy eating some good arepas and for drinks, I really enjoy “maracuya”(passion fruit) juice.

C: What has been your favorite place you’ve ever visited?

R: I was able to go to the Philippines three summers ago, and it was incredible. It was very beautiful. I am looking forward to traveling in South America and going to a lot of cool places, and in Colombia I was able to go to the Amazon over Christmas break and that was incredible too.

C: What is your dream job?

R: This! And I mean, I hate to say it like that, but teaching in a school like this, where there are great students, great staff, so much support, and the ability to travel; I think this is an ideal job.

C: Many physicists say that physics is the foundation of science, do you agree with this statement? If so justify.

R: First, I did not know I was in Miss America pageant (laughs). I think the reason physics is so cool, and the reason why I love teaching it, is because physics is evident everywhere. I mean you can look outside and you can see something falling and its gravity. Also, you can look around and learn about all of the ways that physics applies to everyday life and I think that is what makes it so incredible, so I would agree with that statement that physics is the foundation of science.

C: Have you heard that many students find you super cute? What do you think about that?

R: I hope they are not confusing me with someone else. I take it as a compliment, but I don’t know if a lot of my friends would agree.

C: What has been an unforgettable experience since you moved here?

R: I would actually say going to the Amazon. That is something that I won’t ever forget and something that is very unique to Colombia.

C: What hidden talents do you have?

R: I can juggle. It’s not really hidden. I like to juggle when I am teaching, so I’m pretty sure you guys have seen me do it. I can also square any two digit number in my head, which isn’t really a talent though (laughs).

C: Where in Colombia would you most like to travel to?

R: Next, I think I would like to go to Medellin. I have

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Time Relativity: Not a Mere

You sit on a warm Friday afternoon in the dark confines of your last-period class. You don’t have music, or P.E, or art, but something dense: say AP Calc or AP Physics. Why can’t time go by faster? Why can’t time move this slow when you’re hanging out with your friends or blankly playing in your favorite console?

Time dilation, in its most basic principle, explains the concept of “moving clocks run slow”. Yes, this means exactly what you think it means. When compared to a stationary clock, a moving clock will run slower relative to the stationary observer than the stationary clock, hence the term time relativity.

We’ve all experienced this change in the passage of time, so it makes sense to say that time is relative. However, how relative is time, really? What’s so impressive about it that a particularly well-known German physicist became famous for coming up with a formula? What is time?

To introduce this concept, let me introduce you to the twin paradox. According to time relativity and dilation, if a person went away on a rocket moving at 90% of the speed of light while his or her twin stayed on Earth, after 10 Earth years, the space twin would have aged 5 years while the Earth twin aged ten. Before you get confused, let me clarify that biologically, the

We live in a world in which we are able to clearly space twin didn’t extend her lifestyle like Tom Cruise perceive and move in three different dimensions: left to in Interstellar: it just means that, according to her right, forward and backward, and up and down. When clock, only five years have passed while ten years have you try to imagine any other direction of movement passed on the clock on Earth (so no, you don’t live to imply the existence of a fourth dimension, it is like- longer by orbiting space at ridiculously fast speeds). ly that you will end up confused and with a headache and probably with the conclusion that further dimen- To illustrate this, let’s look at a common, more downsions are subject of science fiction movies and novels. to-Earth example. Imagine two people: one aboard a moving train and one besides the train tracks.

But what if I told you there is actually a fourth dimen- Now, imagine that the moving person (the one on sion? the train) begins to bounce a ball on top of the train.

This mind-blowing fourth dimension, as described by Albert Einstein, is called spacetime. This dimension intertwines space with time into a complicated and difficult to understand dimension, that requires a lot of physics concepts and an open mind to get to understand. For the purpose of this article, however, spacetime will be relevant to the concept of time dilation.

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To the person on the train, the ball does not have a horizontal speed; it is simply bouncing up and down. The path the ball follows is a straight, vertical line, because the person is moving at the same (horizontal) speed as the ball.

Now, let’s turn to the stationary observer beside the tracks. To him, the ball is not following the same path! Instead, as the train moves along, the ball seems to be travelling in a zig-zag fashion, and covering a greater horizontal distance than to the observer that’s moving with the ball.

Product of Science Fiction

By Juanita C.

In a similar fashion, imagine a clock consisting of two mirrors, one parallely on top of the other, with a light beam bouncing between them (instead of a ticking hand on a watch). Again, if both clocks are stationary, the light beam would move up and down at the same time. When one of the clocks begins to move, however, the light beam again travels a greater distance in order to reach the other mirror. Recall that speed, time, and distance can be related in the equation distance= time x speed. Therefore, if the speed and distance covered of the light beam (or of the ball) change, time must change as well! Because the objects travel a greater distance to the stationary observer, relative to the stationary clock, the clock that is moving runs slower.

The closer to the speed of light that the object moves, the more drastic the difference in the speed of the running clocks (again, relative to the stationary observer).

It is pretty hard to visualize, but if you think about these examples long enough, you will begin to understand the basic nature of time dilation. If you think this is mind-blowing, the physics of time go alot further, involving spacetime curvatures, frame relativity, and time vortexes, but those are for far more advanced physicists to explain.

So no, as much as it seems, time doesn’t really change much in AP Calc compared to art class. However, time is still relative.. in a much more fascinating way.

Better than science fiction, right?

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