official magazine of the international american school of warsaw
SPECIAL ISSUE 2020
COVID-19
FACEBOOK.COM/IASWARSAW
WWW.IAS.EDU.PL
Student Spotlight
Student Interview
WE HAVE A
REINIS, THE MULTI-TALENTED
WORLD CHAMPION
CAPTAIN
Special Issue
WHAT ARE YOU LEARNING FROM
CORONAVIRUS? Essay Contest
THERE ARE SO MANY LESSONS
TO BE TAUGHT
Social Issue
FRIENDS WITH A
PSYCHOPATH
STUDENT INTEREST
WHAT TO DO
DURING QUARANTINE? Who could have thought something like this would ever happen? How do you not go crazy sitting at home trying to escape the news about the coronavirus?
by Sardar Atayev
Well, here is what you could do: You can visit many different places, museums, sights all around the world using your phone or laptop. Trust me, it’s really worth trying.
Learn programming and basic
computer literacy. Microsoft’s courses will help you and are for free. If you are a Harry Potter fan, you might be very happy that the author of Harry Potter books, Joanne Rowling, launched the free online Harry Potter At Home project with instructional videos, quizzes, and riddles. You can also listen to “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” book on the Audible for free. If you are a fan of computer games, you can also take advantage of special offers: Steam launched a campaign that allows you to purchase popular games with a discount of up to 80%.
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You can watch performances from Metropolitan Opera, The Vienna Opera, Cirque du Soleil, and many others for free. If you are an iPhone user, you can now get free access to Apple Arcade for a month. Apart from that, many games have become free on Google Play and the AppStore.t It may sound corny, but you can call your friend. Find out how they are doing. Maybe a conversation with someone is just what they need. Learn how to cook. It is not only handy but also entertaining. If you have such a possibility, donate to organizations that help those in need. Try to exercise at least once a week, even if you think sport is gross, because it will strengthen your immune system. Try out TikTok if you haven’t. international american school of warsaw
Maybe you will find it really interesting (sorry to all the TikTok haters).
Watch “One World: Together at Home” concert, which features so many cool artists. Meditate. Actually meditate. Meditation is one of the best ways to relieve stress and improve your wellbeing.
Spend more time with your family. Watch a movie together or go through old photos. If still none of the above interested you - visit boredbutton.com It has never been so easy to save the world - you just have to sit at home and find useful activities. Even after the coronavirus is defeated in the future, and this list will come in handy for your regular home weekend. Maybe we all have something to learn from this!
CHAMPION by Dominika Penconek
Marta Szyłak, from 10th grade, took part in the IDO (International Dance Organization) World Championships this winter. With her team, JazzOne, they won first place in the category “Jazz Dance Formations 16+” and became World Champions in this category. Dominika: What is your story with dance? Marta: I started dancing when I was 4. My mum signed me up, and for a long time it was just my hobby. When I was 11, dance became more serious to me. Thanks to my parents’ support, I got the opportunity to practice in different places. Dominika: What would you say makes a good dancer? Marta: It’s hard to define what a ‘good dancer’ means. I think that hard work and doing your best might be a good description. However, during competitions judges don’t judge your hard work - they are paying attention to your technique. Dominika: How did you prepare for the competition? Marta: I spent long hours in the dance studio, practicing the choreographies and improving my technique. Dominika: How do you deal with pre-dancing jitters? Marta: Oh, it’s impossible to get rid of the jitters. After a long time, I got used to it and it doesn’t bother me anymore - it’s a natural thing for me. Dominika: What is the best thing about competing? Marta: During competitions you are getting to know many other people with who you share your passion. New friendships and experience. That’s a really nice thing.
AT IAS!!!
Dominika: Do you think attitude is a factor in winning? Marta: In my opinion, attitude affects winning. The way you work, the way you present yourself on the stage is important and dancers are working on that. Dominika: What emotions do you feel when you dance? Marta: It depends on the dance style. In Modern, dancers are usually showing sadness, anger and other negative emotions. In Jazz - we are showing positive emotions. When it comes to dancing without any borders - audience and judgement - I usually feel freedom because I know that I can do whatever I want and feel whatever I want. Dominika: How is your everyday life different due to dancing? Marta: Almost every day I have training, individual or with my team. Sometimes I go to the gym to work on my conditioning skills. Because of this, I don’t have much time to hang out with friends or study so I need to be able to organize my time well. Dominika: How does sport make you who you are? Marta: I’m an active person and it’s impossible for me to sit in one place. It brings me joy. For example, when I’m dancing, I can express emotions and sometimes it really helps me escape from the real world and my problems. Dominika: What is your next goal? Marta: I just want to improve in every possible way. I don’t have a specific goal because I don’t want to prepare myself for one thing, I want to be prepared for everything that might happen!
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STUDENT SPOTLIGHT
WORLD WE HAVE A
SOCIAL ISSUE
FRIENDS WITH A
by Natasza Obuchowicz
* The subject of the following article is not an IAS student. Her identity has been concealed to protect her privacy. Her message is worth hearing.
“I am diagnosed with secondary psychopathic tendencies, while I exhibit characteristics of an individual who is properly diagnosed with secondary psychopathy. I am prone to do things such as manipulation, pathological lying or taking part in actions that would cause a normal person to feel guilty, where I won’t feel a thing. There is a clear distinction between my brain and the brain of an average person, where I am less likely to feel empathy.” It was late at night, we were in a taxi on our way to a party neither of us wanted to attend. Having the presence of eachother was the only hope for the night to be at least mildly bearable. I can’t remember what exactly we had talked about, or what made Rachel* say what she said, but I remember that I wasn’t aware of how much trust I am being given. What pushed her to the confession? Was it the late hour or the sporadic sense of safety fueled by the longevity of our friendship? - I don’t know. This statement seemed so detached from reality that at first, it didn’t appear to be meaningful in any way. Instead, it sounded more like something one would say to draw attention to herself.At first, I felt resentment and confusion, due to the way she had told me, but mostly I was just curious. A thousand questions sprang to my mind, to which answers I wanted to know immediately. However, what I didn’t feel, was fear. Afterwards, she asked me multiple times whether I am scared of her, now that I know. My answers have always been sincere. “No,” I said, “I am not scared of
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you, I am interested.” I couldn’t understand why I would develop fear towards her. Essentially, nothing had changed, Rachel was still the same person she has been before with the only difference being my awareness of her condition. “I have to live life in secrecy. My friends, after I opened up to them, were afraid of me. That is not something I want, and so I keep my private life, my thoughts, to myself. Some people could categorize it as living two lives - one that is inside my head, and one I show other people.” But why is it so? What causes that fear of psychopathy, when most people are not entirely aware of how the condition looks in reality? Pop-culture has created this image of a psychopath, being a fanatic caricature of a person, with blood on their hands and a vile agenda. However, despite the way those people are portrayed in the movies, they don’t kill puppies after their working hours. “Psychopaths aren’t people you should fear. We don’t all want to cause chaos; just because we lack empathy, doesn’t mean we want to hurt people. Everyone is different, and this is just the media’s over-exaggeration of all psychopaths being killers. Yes, the condition makes us biologically more capable of murder, but it doesn’t mean we all want to do it.” But what exactly is it that differentiates a psychopath from a typical person? The lack of guilt, but also
international american school of warsaw
PSYCHOPATHS MAKE UP APPROXIMATELY 1% OF OUR SOCIETY.
PRIMARY PSYCHOPATHY CALCULATING SELFISH INDIFFERENT CALM HARD TO THE CORE UNTREATABLE
LIE CHEAT SWINDLE IRRESPONSIBLE FAILS TO LEARN FROM MISTAKES NO FEELINGS OR REGARD FOR OTHERS NO FEELING OF GUILT UNDEPENDABLE UNRELIABLE
SECONDARY PSYCHOPATHY UNDERLYING DEPRESSION ANXIETY CHARACTER NEUROSIS CAPACITY FOR GUILT, LOVE AND EMPATHY HOT HEADED IMPULSIVE TOUGH ON THE OUTSIDE SOFT ON THE INSIDE AMENABLE TO TREATMENT
Venn diagram representing personality traits that distinguish primary from secondary psychopathy.
a certain detachment from emotions in general. Psychopaths do not excuse one’s bad deeds by convincing themselves that what they did was in the name of a greater good--they don’t feel the need to hide their true intentions. “Everyone is evil, everyone does wrong, everyone wants to be selfish, but there is an emotion that stops them, which is guilt. And, in essence, I don’t feel that guilt, not always at least. Everyone is keen to do bad, and at one point everyone will do bad. I am distinctly aware of the ignobility of some of my actions, I don’t hide behind some lies, and that’s what makes me different.” The influence that a psychopath has on a certain target is, with some exceptions, purely psychological: manipulation. This condition gives Rachel this ability to see certain aspects regarding other people’s tendencies, that are unnoticed by average individuals. All the little gestures, minor shifts in behavior, clues regarding a person’s physical appearance - nothing escapes her scrutiny, every small information can be used in one way or another. We could think of a psychopath as an opportunist, seeking personal gain, while not minding other people’s well being. “The brilliant thing about psychopathy is that it allows you to be rational. In our society you have to be social, otherwise, you’re an outcast, which brings no benefit. I learn about people, I have the ability to manipulate them into doing
things I want them to do, that’s why I try to get close to them, even though I genuinely don’t like social interactions.” Secondary psychopathy is not inherited, instead it is developed throughout a lifetime, often caused by trauma. The traits related to the condition can be suppressed by certain medications, and the disorder as a whole, can be cured, yet, my friend refrains from this possibility-- Rachel likes herself this way. “I would say that being a psychopath is actually a good thing. It allows me to be rational; other people are sentimental, they feel guilty of their actions, they feel bad about what they do - I don’t. I’m the perfect robot, the least perfect human. My emotionlessness allows me to make just decisions, in comparison to other people who make idiotic choices driven by unreasonable sentiments.” After I learned about the condition, I started to pay attention to how people use the word “psychopath” in everyday life. How many times have you heard a statement similar to “ He/She was probably a psycho” regarding the executor of a mass shooting you’ve heard about in the news? Being a murderer doesn’t immediately make you a psychopath, as well as being a psychopath doesn’t immediately make you a murderer. Let’s just reckon that everyone is different, and a specific condition doesn’t make you an evil person.
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HISTORY
THE REAL-LIFE HEROES -
ANTONINA & JAN ŻABIŃSCY
by Zofia Owczarek
ZOO SAVES LIVES DURING WWII The Warsaw Zoo consists of a huge garden, full of various animals and beautiful flowers all around the park. But do you know the real story that stands behind the walls of this incredible place? During World War II, when Warsaw was occupied by Germans. Many ghettos were created, all around Poland, the biggest one was created in Warsaw, where in 1941, almost 460 thousands Jews lived in fear of the discrimination and persecution. Varsovians were prohibited to help Jews. So much as a simple offering of water to a Jewish person, could cost their life. The first owners and creators of the Warsaw Zoo were Jan and Antonina Żabińscy who changed everything offering them not only a glass of water but more. While, on 3 September 1939, the Germans dropped bombs on the garden,killing many of the animals and then later shooting more, Jan and Antonina didn’t give up, they decided to use their Zoological Garden to help Jews have a new life. As a zookeeper, Jan’s profession meant he could smuggle food in and out of the Warsaw Ghetto, which he later used to smuggle Jews without detection. For three years, they covertly exported Jews from Warsaw Ghetto, to their zoo,
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giving new documents and a place to stay. Jan Żabiński was also an active member of the Polish resistance; he would smuggle weapons, overthrow trains, and even took part in building bombs and poisoning the Nazis. They were hiding Jews in empty animal cages, and underground tunnels under their house. They used music to communicate with them. When Antonina was playing on the piano slow songs, it meant that they are safe and can come out from their covers. However, when international american school of warsaw
the song was played fast it meant that they needed to hide. In 1944, Jan took part in the Warsaw Uprising, while Antonina and their son, Ryszard, continued helping the Jews. During the Uprising, Jan was caught up by Germans and sent to a concentration camp. Thankfully, the war finished and he could return to his family. The enormous bravery and commitment of the Żabińscy family paid off, saving 300 Jews from a terrible end.
SPORTS INTERVIEW
THE MULTI-TALENTED
CAPTAIN!
Vinay: Congratulations on your win! It doesn’t come as a surprise that your team won! Firstly, how did you find your passion for playing basketball, and becoming an amazing player? Reinis: I started watching basketball at the age of 6 and playing at the age of 7 and have continued playing for 10 years. I went to a basketball club practice for a trial, and I just enjoyed the sport a lot. Vinay: How difficult was managing your team to victory? Reinis: It wasn’t an easy task because the other teams played great as well, however the hardest thing was to manage the team during the games on the pitch. It was hard to guide them to where they should go or how to find an open teammate. Otherwise, all the teams did great and I think that was the point of the tournament, the goal was never to win, rather it was to have fun and compete in a friendly manner. Vinay: Do you think the teams were organized fairly and it wasn’t one-sided? Reinis: Oh, definitely. I think the teams were organized very fairly, each team had their strengths and their weaknesses. It wasn’t a tournament
Reinis Rundans: student-athlete, multi-faceted person, and leader. Read here for an exclusive interview with the winning team captain.
by Vinay Vasnani
where you could predict who the winner will be. Mr. Ruby had put in an incredible amount of work in organizing the teams in a fair way. I respect Mr. Ruby for not only organizing the teams fairly, but also for taking the initiative to take basketball to a whole new level here at IAS. I hope everyone who participated in the tournament, everyone who came out to watch, keep supporting this initiative and respecting basketball as a sport, since IAS has potential of going really far with basketball. Vinay: What makes a good leader in your opinion? Reinis: I think a leader is a person who can learn from their mistakes and make the best out of any situation. Plus, it’s also necessary to have a clear and motivating mindset, and to stay grounded and humble. If we win, that’s great. If we lose, we learn. Most importantly, if you try, you already have won. Vinay: Lastly, how do you manage your school life and studies with basketball, now that you’re in the Pre-IB? Reinis: I don’t have a problem balancing it, I’m not training in a club right now, but in the near future, I plan on joining a club and pursuing my hobby and taking it to the next level.
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SCHOOL EVENT
The first ever basketball tournament lead by Mr. Ethan Ruby was a huge success. Students had fun in some healthy competition and great teamwork!
Photos picked by Reese Farrales
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STUDENT NEWS
NO REGRETS:
FROM THE COURT TO THE CLASSROOM Zosia Owczarek has achieved things most 16 year old 11 graders have not yet. Since 10 years old, she played basketball. It was her father that encouraged her playing from such a young age, he took her to her first practice and she loved it.
by Klara Lesman
Klara L.: I know you had some big achievement in basketball, but what do you consider the biggest of them all? Zosia O.: Well I would say winning the Polish Championship with Masovian staff. And then with my team get to the final of Polish Championship two times in the row! I was also drafted to the Polish national team. K.L: Who supported you the most through all of this? Zosia O.: My biggest support were my parents of course! They were the ones that motivated me all the time! Every weekend I would go with my father for some extra practice, he wanted me to be the best! My parents would never miss my matches, no matter where and when, they were always there!
have lessons everyday until 16:00, and I just wouldn’t be able to do it all. It had to be one or another. Yet I still try to have basketball in my life. I go from time to time with my father to some practice, I joined the school’s basketball team as well.
K.L.: You achieved all that and you just stopped? What happened? Zosia O.: I stopped playing because I decided to put my education first. I wasn’t able to balance it together, the school and basketball career. I
K.L.: It seems like it was really important part of your life would you go back to baseball on a daily basis? Zosia O.: Of course I would love to go back to playing! I always look
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back at my memories of that days, with my friends and teammates. All the trips we had around the Poland for matches—the rivalry. But on one side I knew that, that wasn’t what I would want to do for the rest of my life. It was more for fun, rather than career. And now I have to focus on the thing I will actually do for a living. I know I will never regret playing, because of it I met so many wonderful people. I learned how to fight as a team, how to fight for what you want. Sadly it had to end!
SCHOOL NEWS
by Sardar Atayev, Yasmina Avamova
IAS GETS A
CRASH COURSE IN RAP Dan Wolf is an artist who works with the “Sound in the Silence” project which is a historical and educational project, where we use art to connect young people to the past and also to the present. Get an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at Dan Wolf ’s experience with music and art.
Sardar: What’s the message you are trying to bring with your songs or album? What are you talking about in them? Dan: I’m trying to find the way to be myself in the art form that doesn’t come from my culture, but speaks pretty strongly to me both as an artist and as a human being. So, I think I’m looking for a way to authentically express who I am and how I see the world. But also, honouring the reality, history and the birth of the art form a place where specifically brown and black New-Yorkers from the 70s were being oppressed in a very strong way. And out of this oppression came this new way of expressing themselves. So, to always remember that even though it’s not my story, that I’m kind of a guest in this art form and to be honouring that as a real artist to say like “I see where it’s from. I’m not trying to change it. I’m trying to be myself in it.” Sardar: What made you decide to follow the path of rapping? Maybe your muses or heroes who inspired you? Dan: I always say that the Beastie Boys brought hiphop to my neighbourhood. They were Jewish boys who looked like me and so I was like “Oh! I can do this!” And so then, I listened to NWA and Public Enemy. They re-
ally taught me that hip-hop is a politic and it’s about fighting for something you believe in. I also listened a group called Pharcyde. They taught me that you can be creative and have fun and you can be an underdog like the one who is not the most powerful and still find your power in this art form. Sardar: Is there anything you would like to say to beginners? Dan: Just try stuff. I was so worried about whether I was being good or bad? Was it right or wrong? Will they like me or not? And the older I get the less I care about that. Like, I don’t care if my freestyle is good or bad. My advice is: Try not to judge yourself, even though many times we have those voices in our head. Try a lot of different things and take healthy risks. Sometimes when I rap, I can imagine the worst things they are thinking about or saying. But it’s really about remembering why you did it for the first time and just sticking to that no matter what people say around you. Sardar: Okay. Again, thanks for coming to our school. It was a huge pleasure to meet you. I guess that’s a wrap! Dan: Yeah! That’s a rap!
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SCHOOL EVENT
ESSAY CONTEST
WINNERS
by Yasmina Avamova
At the end of March there was a very interesting essay and art contest. Pola (7 grade) won first place and Mansur (7 grade) won second place for the Junior Essay Contest. For the Senior Essay Contest, Aaditi (8 grade) won first place, Yasmina (11 grade) won second place, and Aliana (10 grade) won third place.
YASMINA: IF THE CORONAVIRUS IS THE TEACHER, WHAT DID YOU LEARN PERSONALLY? LET US KNOW ONLY ONE IMPORTANT THING FOR YOU? Mansur: Coronavirus personally taught me that everything that happens, happens for a reason. I mean that nature deliberately stopped people so that our nature does not deteriorate. Since now many people do not sort garbage in garbage bins and throw wrappers around the street. And to stop many teenagers who go on picnics and spoil the soil there, as well as polluting the air from too many bonfires. Pola: One important thing I learned personally is that people started to appreciate things they wouldn’t before. My neighbours would hardly leave their homes but now, everyday, they started to go on walks to the forest. People in the city also started to say how much they want to go to a park. Aliana: Epidemic demonstrated to me that self development is an inherent part of our lives. When
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we got locked in our houses I wanted to go out and do activities and I even started learning things at home for instance playing on a piano. To sum up, the virus obtained an unexpected effect on how I perceive it. Aaditi: In this time of emergency, everyone has learnt one or the other lesson. Personally, a lesson which I learnt is to value the things you have. It means that, valuing the things are very likely to occur in your daily routines, f.e walks to the grocery store. Before all of this happened, I never felt going on walks was a way of freeing oneself but now I really do. YASMINA: WHAT DID INSPIRE YOU TO WRITE AN ESSAY? Mansur: I just wanted to show people that if the world has such a problem now, let them not waste their time just like that. Many now say so. Oh, if it weren’t for this coronavirus, I’d go to the sea or go shopping a long time ago. I wanted to show peo-
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ple that during this period of time so that they calm down, spend more time with their family. Pola: I was inspired to write the essay for two reasons. I always liked to write stories or essays, especially on topics that can bring a lot of different opinions. I wanted to bring my own opinions on the table and wanted to see what others think too. At first I wasn’t sure if I had the time to write the essay, but I kept thinking about it. Ideas and questions would pop into my head, and I realised that I really wanted to write that essay.
able. One thing that inspired me to write this essay was the thoughts that came to my mind while thinking about this topic. The reasonable thoughts which occurred when I first thought about this topic. Lastly, I also took a part from Essay Contest. This situation pushed me to write an essay, because the virus broke my dreams, and everything in the world. But on the other hand, I’m so happy, because me and my family are together, and that is what YOU and I need in this difficult time. Each of the students showed how Pandemic 2020 is more likely to be important in this period of time.
Aliana: I wrote the essay, because I was surprised about the influence of an epidemic on people, ecology, and technology development. It was shocking to observe how fast people adapted for “new inside lifestyle”. Schools provided online education, government provided comfortable living conditions, medics are saving lives despite a significant amount of infected people. Aaditi: In the past, I really did not write essays and shared it with someone. So, this was a new thing for me and I would like to say that it was pretty enjoy-
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ESSAY CONTEST
WINNING ESSAY BY AADITI RESPONDING TO “IF CARONAVIRUS WAS A TEACHER WHAT WOULD IT BE TEACHING HUMANKIND?”
THERE ARE SO MANY
I
n the late months of 2019, a negative character was born who changed the whole world’s view point of thinking. In the absence of people who lived in ignorant ways, dangerous, meaningless and heartless, this deadly disease named Corona (COVID-19) was born in the buzzling city of Wuhan, China. It started to vanquish the whole world, like an ink dot on a piece of paper. It spread into people’s body spontaneously and could cause death. By the early months of 2020 around 1,867,129 people were affected by this disease and could lose their lives in a second’s fraction. A lot of families were broken by this, the economy of every country fell very rapidly, everyone was out of jobs and also there was a lot of insecurity seeping in peoples mind. The number of cases around the world were not getting controlled and it was high time and that everyone was crying for a solution. Then a splendid idea occurred in the brains of high qualified officials who were trying to control the disease. The idea was quarantining everyone in their respective homes so that they could stop the ink dot from spreading on the whole sheet but it was an idea which would have worked only if people followed the rules strictly, because the researchers said that due to physical contact with other people the disease was spreading. Many difficulties were faced by every individual during this time. Everyone had a lot of detestation for this disease. But the positivity was yet to be discovered… people stayed home, read books, listened to music, discussed matters and talked to near and dear ones, rested and exercised. Starting from mental wellness, one lesson, was that each person had erudite the thought of staying at home and relaxed from the hustle- bustle of the city life. People started to accept the fact that being relaxed and also calm at times was absolutely perfect, not only because one would chill their brains down, but also because they would get a change from their usual routines. It went from all the car horns doing immense pollution to the nature enjoying its break from mankind. Secondly, another important lesson taught to people was that do not rely on people for your happiness. By being in quarantine people were away from their friends and they started to be bored, but in this time span they also learnt that being the reason for your own happiness will help you ahead in life. The people who were
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LESSONS TO BE TAUGHT! sulking started enjoying their own company and no longer complained. This was a very important lesson which one should not forget in life, because if you rely on someone for anyhting, they will start taking you for granted and will not value your existence. Keeping yourself healthy and fit is really important in life because you stay active and also it reduces the risk of one getting in contact with a disease. At the same time, another lesson which people actually learnt was staying in shape as it would benefit one. While in quarantine people were super bored, so they started to invest majority of their time doing some physical exercise and also keeping a control over what they eat. Countries and people were against each other before, but during Coronavirus the whole world connected and started fighting the disease all together. Every country stood against each other and for a change, there were no talks on different religion’s or casts. People learnt that being there for each other is more important than being against one another. Even the countries which never thought of supporting each other took their support and were trying their best to defeat it. Being united together was one another lesson everyone learnt from the disease. Last but not the least lesson which was taught by Corona was that one should value mother nature. During their normal schedule people were so busy in useless things that they forgot what nature is like, no one even cared for it. Then, when quarantine period started all of a sudden people learnt the importance of nature and it playing a vital role in one’s life. When in quarantine people valued there going to the grocery store and also sat and wondered what nature is. Since so many years the whole world was busy in their work and on the other hand, pollution was increasing because of careless people. This was a much, needed break for mother earth from the mankind as it was going to collapse by the conditions Since so many advancements in technology every single person is stuck and obsessed with it. The most important lesson learnt is that never take mother earth for granted because she does not rely on us, but we rely on her for our life. These were all the informative lessons that each individual started to implement in their normal routines. Though the disease was an invisible enemy but at the same time it was a blessing in disguise for all. By these lessons everyone changed their view points and also stayed a little more positive.
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SCHOOL NEWS
SPRING & REBIRTH 1st place YIM PAN ZHAO (NORA) grade 10
3rd place ALESSANDRO FONTANA grade 10
2nd place POLA SZLOSTEK grade 7
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GRETA HEJNAL grade 6
RAMINA AVAMOVA grade 7
JOSHUA ENOCH grade 6
YASMINA AVAMOVA grade 11
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WORLD NEWS
INNOVATIONS OF THE YEAR
CES 2020 (Consumer Electronics Show, the world’s largest technological event) is over, with another portion of cutting edge technology. Human imagination and ambition do not cease to amaze me, despite the passing time. Here is my selection of the five most interesting — ambitious, unconventional, or simply appealing to me — innovations of this year..
by Bartek Kuś
UBER X HYUNDAI FLYING TAXI Uber and Hyundai jumped into a joint venture with the intention of revolutionizing the way we view urban communication. “Dodge the traffic and hop across the city at 180mph”, says Uber’s spokesperson, as the curtain lifts up, revealing an already finished project. The Uberdai (very creative name indeed), is essentially a man controlled electric plane. Can’t wait to see it in action? Uber and Hyundai are planning to (quite optimistically) introduce it to public use in 2023. XIAOMI’S GAMING PHONE Not particularly new technology. Razer and Asus have already presented their gaming phone around three years ago. What makes Xiaomi’s Black Shark 2 Pro stand out? Pretty much the same thing as with any other Xiaomi’s product - price. What made Xiaomi popular in the first place was the stunning price-quality relationship. We’re paying $600 or 2283.25 PLN (more than 30% cheaper than the competition) for absolutely top-notch specs that undermine pretty much any other
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gaming phone (and regular phones too, for that matter). The only reservation I have (and others might as well) is the design, that doesn’t exactly appeal to me. IMPOSSIBLE FOOD’S MEAT…? Impossible Food captivated the attention of CES 2020 by launching a plant-based pork replacement called Impossible Pork. The man-made pork substitute can be used in any recipe that calls for ground pork. What makes it different from other available meat substitutes? It has a taste of meat, it has a texture of meat, it even bleeds (!) like meat (trust me, I’ve tried it). Want to try it yourself? You can order it in Warsaw, just go to beyondmeat.pl and enjoy your meal! TOYOTA’S CITY OF THE FUTURE Apparently Toyota is no longer content making Corollas, as it has decided to build an actual city of its own. I am not joking. The project is called Woven City. This brand-new municipality will be located near Mount Fuji in Japan, occupying the location of a current-
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1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
Uber X Hyundai Flying Taxi Xiaomi’s Gaming Phone Impossible Food’s Meat Toyota’s City Of The Future Mojo Vision’s Ar Contact Lenses
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ly defunct manufacturing plant. Toyota came into the possession of this 175-acre plot of land that, over the next few years, will be turned into a city of the future. Self-driving cars? Smart homes? Robots? Zero carbon footprint? All that will be a reality in Toyota’s Woven City. Moreover, the carmaker is planning on using this prototype conurbation to create a living laboratory for new technologies. And what better place to test them than a city of the future? MOJO VISION’S AR CONTACT LENSES You’ve probably heard of AR (augmented reality) glasses — essentially normal glasses but with a display over them that shows notifications and other useful information. A start-up from Silicon Valley, Mojo, took the idea onto an entirely different level. It has created contact lenses with a tiny display built into them. Apart from displaying messages and other notifications, the lenses are also capable of basic night vision and zooming in, thus not only correcting a person’s sight but enhancing it.
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SOCIAL ISSUE
ASPECTS OF THE
QUARANTINE What kind of a person are you? Are you a glass-half-full kind of person or a glass-half-empty kind of person?
by Yossra Madani
We’re all stuck under quarantine for safety, and that’s the most rational thing to do at this time. Right now, everyone has been stuck in quarantine for more than a month, everyone is probably sick of it. But it’s not all bad. There are many upsides to this quarantine. Starting with the simplest one. The ability to have some time to relax. It’s more relaxing now that we’re at home and can unwind from the repeating routine of our daily life. Everything’s much more comfortable now that school is from home and you feel more reassured that you have time for school and work. Now on the more sentimental and emotional side, quarantine has locked you in with your family. There is no better time or place to spend more time with them and grow closer. After quarantine is over, you’ll probably be closer to your family than ever before. Just how there are positives, there are also negatives. Since we’re at home, there tends to be
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a lot more work to make up for lost time in school... However, it’s not so much that we’re smothered under the workload, but we just aren’t used to it. It can get lonely sitting at home away from your friends and people that you saw almost every day. It can be suppressing, not socializing for this long. Having some alone time and peace of mind is good but to an extent.
Quarantine has taken away something valuable from us. Our plans. Whatever they might have been, our plans were canceled. Birthdays during this time we’re probably really hard. All events, activities, and details we planned for our birthdays were all flushed down the toilet, speaking from international american school of warsaw
personal experience. If this quarantine goes on longer, our summer plans will be canceled as well. Summer, when we’re on a break from school, making precious memories with our friends and family, experiencing and exploring new things, is going to be canceled. One of the biggest problems to come out of this quarantine has to be the not being able to go outside. I know it’s the basic definition of quarantine, and that it’s very simple, but it’s one of the hardest things during this time. Not being able to go out and meeting up with friends you haven’t seen in more than a month. Everyone is stuck in quarantine at the moment and I think we should make the most of it and try to find ways to deal with the drawbacks that come with it. What do you think? How do you feel about the different aspects of this quarantine?
STUDENT OPINION
HERE ARE STUDENT RESPONSES REGARDING THE QUESTION: “WHAT DID YOU LEARN ABOUT YOURSELF FROM BEING IN QUARANTINE?” “I learned that I still can do all the fun stuff inside and that I’m not in this alone. All people are stuck and I’ve learned patience because now we live in unknown and it’s hard for anyone to continue living in the unknown. I also felt that I’ve learned to make decisions and cut toxic relations and just live a better life.”
“I’ve learned that I have to take advantage of the things that life gives us and try new things, because just like this pandemic happened everything can disappear in a second.”
“During the time of isolation, one can realize that some relationships are based purely on the lack of choice, and if you’re not forced to keep in touch with certain people, by taking part in everyday life, the contact with them dies naturally.”
“I learned that I can’t relate to the phrase, “I don’t have enough time”, because who am I to say so? I’m just a high schooler and I should enjoy and spend wisely every minute of my life, because it might be too late in future.”
by Milena Dederko
WHAT HAVE YOU
LEARNED ABOUT YOURSELF?
With the coronavirus outbreak, more and more countries are on lockdown. In Poland, people are advised to stay at home and only leave if needed. This quarantine is made to help us stay safe, creating more time than ever before. “It really doesn’t feel that much out of my comfort zone, except for school. Meaning, I adapted pretty quickly.”
“I realized that I am capable of things that I thought I could never do. I also got closer with my brother during this time, meaning I actually have a hea
“I’ve learned that I have a lot more time than I used. Usually I’ll leave projects/assignments for later in the day and then spend the rest of the day doing something different. Now it’s more of having too much time and realizing that there is so much spare time until the end of the day.”
“I think what I learned from being in a quarantine is that I can’t be indoors for too long, and that I’m a very social person. It also showed me that when I’m too long alone in the house, I keep thinking of the past. So basically that I can’t be on my own for too long.”
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PHOTO GALLERY
FAREWELL TO This year’s graduating class is on the frontlines of the home quarantine. Their IB exams were canceled, their graduation ceremony and prom are in jeopardy, and they face an uncertain future. Still, they man-
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CLASS OF 2020 age to keep their spirits high. We’d like to commend them for their brave hearts and express how much we will miss them once they are gone‌
Photos picked by Bonnie Murphy
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PHOTO GALLERY
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ALUMNI NEWS
INTERVIEW WITH PHI LONG BUI
A COVID-19 PATIENT by Bartłomiej Kuś
Bartłomiej: You tested positive for COVID-19. How did you feel about it at that time? Were you scared, nervous? Phi: I think the UK had around 500 cases at that time, while the population was a couple million, so I was like, “what are the chances that I’ll ever get it”, so I was never scared of it. When I saw that I was confirmed, my first reaction was I was pretty shocked cause I didn’t think I’d have it. I didn’t care much about myself because I always had the mentality that corona wasn’t anything big for teenagers. It’s just that I was scared about my family I could’ve potentially passed it on to them when I came back home from the UK to Poland. Bartłomiej: Although your family tested negative, there’s still a measure of uncertainty. How do you cope with such a burden? Phi: Two days after I tested positive, my parents were tested negative. I told them to move out of the house to our second house where they would be completely out of range. But then my mom didn’t want to move, she said that this is her house and she wants to stay here, to take care of me. I was pretty worried. My family took a lot of precautions, we changed our lifestyle, for example whenever I went to the toilet I wore a facemask, whenever I went out of my room I disinfected everything I touched, my family wore facemasks inside the house too. My mom started a sauna outside my room so that every time I went to the toilet, the sauna’s alcohol vapors would kill the virus.
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Bartłomiej: According to international news, the UK is taking the situation very lightly. To what extent would you agree with that statement? How are people reacting in comparison to the government? Phi: When there’s a coronavirus case there are two potential strategies a country could take. The first one is the one most countries are taking, including Poland. They close their borders early, they close their businesses, schools. The other strategy is called herd immunity--a strategy is to make their younger population have the virus so that they could become a sort of a shield to protect the older people. So they build immunity in the population, which will lower the chances of people having it in the long term. Schools and businesses in the UK were still open until the end of March. While schools in Poland were closed, in the UK they were open for nearly a month longer. All my friends were still going out clubbing, going to the bar, to school, basically normal daily life. When I tested positive I was like “this is what the UK wanted, they wanted the population to have this”. I believe that this is a good strategy because I think that eventually, everyone will have this virus. Herd immunity is a fairly good strategy, although there are arguments against it. In the beginning, a lot of people were talking badly about how countries like the UK are not closing schools, borders, and businesses. My parents thought it was crazy that we’re still going to school
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until the end of March, but then I explained to them what herd immunity is and they started understanding. I think that because of how many people were criticizing this strategy, the UK abandoned it and they decided to close everything like Poland, but I know that some countries are still not closing things like Norway and Netherlands. Their schools are still open and businesses function as usual. Bartłomiej: You have experience with both British and Polish healthcare systems. How would you compare them? Would you say that one is better than the other? Phi: I didn’t experience with Polish or Vietnamese, however, if I stayed in the UK and decided not to come back to Poland, I’d probably never know I have corona because, in the UK, the numbers are very high (nearly 60 000 cases), and because of those numbers, they stopped testing everyone. They’re only testing people who have a very high fever and really need medical attention. When I came back to Poland, I was one of the first 200 people to get it so I did have a chance to get tested. I asked to be isolated in the hospital, but the hospital also said that I should just stay two weeks at home and that the hospitals are only for those who are very old. Although currently, when there are over 5000 cases in Poland, some of my friends are going to the hospital and they get denied because the hospitals are overloaded with sick people. I have been interviewed by I think over 30 news-
papers, I’ve been texted by over 2000 people on Facebook, mostly from Vietnam, cause in Vietnam there are only about 200 cases. The fact that I went public and made a video about this, a lot of people started approaching me, asking what to do, what medicine to take, how do I cure myself at home. I’ve read a lot of newspapers saying how good the Vietnamese healthcare is compared to the Polish one. One of the newspaper headlines was “Meet the student who was denied from the hospital in Poland, but would’ve been accepted to hospital in Vietnam”. Vietnam has this thing where every foreigner coming into the country has to stay in a hospital for two weeks. During that time they’re going to be tested five times, they’ll get food and are going to be monitored. That’s why our cases are so low. Many newspapers were praising Vietnam for its approach. That being said, I find it sensible how Poland is doing it; because there are already over 5000 cases, it is only logical that the hospitals only accept people in critical condition.
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STUDENT FICTION
PROJECT X I TRIED TO SCREAM MY LUNGS OUT, BUT MY VOICE WENT SILENT, MY HANDS BECAME STILL AND TIME SEEMED TO FREEZE. by Hema Varsha Pokala, Senior Editor
Previously on IAS times Issue 2 Joe and Chelsea were put into prison on account of murder and creating a deadly drug called Eutopia. But little did they know what had happened to Bethany.
‘’Joe, did it work?’’ I say with immense excitement, but Joe wasn’t standing next to me, I look around panicking as I find myself on an airplane! The seatbelt sign lights up and so I strap the heavy buckle around my waist and quickly knew I was in a situation where I shouldn’t attract much attention. I closed my eyes and felt the hot blood run through my veins. Joe or even Chelsea were nowhere to be seen. I hear the loud thumping of my heart as the plane touches the ground and when I was supposed to feel at home, I felt displaced. I moved towards the light source coming from the open door, everything was a blur but I managed to make my way out of the plane and like always the sun rays seemed to have a healing effect on me as I walked out of the airport. I had to find Chelsea and Joe but where? Suddenly I began to run aimlessly without direction, warm tears ran down my face blurring my vision of a truck sweeping everything in its path-- including me. My hands feel the soft touch of a warm blanket, I twitched my toes which felt hard and tight but opening my eyes felt like torture with the hard-
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light shining from right above. I hear the distant cries of a person wailing, “PERSON X is awake!” A man with a low voice placed his hand on my eyelids and helped me open them, I see his face for the first time and could see his tensed eyes his sweaty face and the stethoscopes which were about to fall and he says, ”You were in coma for about a year, what is your name and how can we contact your family?” My family? I have no one that I can call family and no one I can call mine other than Joe and Chelsea, but all that came out of my mind was, “Do I have cancer?” The doctor seemed a bit taken aback and replied by mouthing a ‘no.’This word brought me so much pleasure as I jumped up and kissed the doctor who blushed and was surprised to see how quickly I recovered. I created a cure for cancer and my chase for real happiness finally came to an end. I stayed at the hospital for a week because the doctor said I needed rest and nutrients before I could leave. My head was filled with many questions that were all going to be answered today for I was meeting Joe and Chelsea, the only people who I could call my family, my happiness, my eutopia. All of the nurses were glad to see me energized but little did they know I had created one of medicine’s best cures. I wore my white blouse and did my hair the way Joe liked and paired it with Chelsea’s favourite boots but a part of me was nervous, scared
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of what they would say when they see me and how things had changed. Yet, I was ready to risk anything and everything for making eutopia perfect and to not go down history for creating the world’s deadliest drug that tore friendships and families apart. I stared at my reflection one last time as I see Joe and Chelsea standing next to me, I try touching them but the glass shatters right before my eyes. My imagination was going out of bounds. The roads, bustling of cars and the building seemed very familiar but deep down I knew I hadn’t crossed these roads for the past two years. Suddenly, I came to a stop as I stood in front of Chelsea’s mansion which was now surrounded by policemen. I hear the beat of my heart getting louder as I ran to one of the cops and screamed at his face asking what they had done to Chelsea. “Officer you don’t understand she’s more than a friend I need to talk to her, where is she!?” The officer pushed me off with a strong grip and the pain surged through my nerves like a thunder strike. He barked at me,“Its confidential girl now turn around and walk away,”I was done walking away! I knew this all had something to do with eutopia and so I said, “I CREATED EUTOPIA!” The officer’s eyes widened as he walked up towards me and held my hands tightly behind my back, he hollers into my ear words I couldn’t make sense of and shoves me into a police car. No words were spoken in the car, the silence was piercing my
heart and bringing up thoughts that were never in my head before: did they kill Chelsea? and what had become of Joe? Was he killed too… what was about to happen to me? One of the officers guided me through the brightly lit hallways with prison cells on each side, tears streamed down my face, my hands trembled as the officer directed me to my cell, he said they’ll have an interrogation tomorrow. I finally saw them, Chelsea and Joe. I tried to scream my lungs out, but my voice went silent, my hands became still and time seemed to freeze. Seeing them was like looking at a mirror: my tension was reflected on their faces, my fear was reflected on their faces my happiness was reflected on their face but no words were said other than Chelsea who pointed towards me but was talking about the policeman who brought me here, she said, “YOU!....but…but how? YOU’RE Laurie…. I saw you die on the aeroplane that day.”
TO BE CONTINUED...
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MOVIE REVIEW
LITTLE WOMEN: A REVIEW
OWN YOUR STORY by Hema Varsha Pokala, Senior Editor
Little Women, the classic novel, loved by people of all ages is yet again turned into a film and has proven to be the best adaption yet. Greta Gerwig, Oscar-winning director, had chosen her cast in such a way that brought the March sisters and all the other characters to life. Emma Watson who played the role of Meg was able to show the struggles and mishaps of a domestic wife, while Saoirse Ronan had adapted the temper that Jo March displays. Amy played by Florence Pugh fulfils her role by forming a strong contrast to Jo’s character and Finally, Beth, played by Eliza Scanlen, brought a whole new dimension to her character who was not so spoken about in the original classic. The charming Timothée Chalamet plays the lovable neighbor Laurie and brings his mischievous behavior through his crooked smile, and unabashed actions. What distinguishes this film from the previous adaptations is Gerwig’s decision to splice two timelines which doesn’t only bring exhilaration to the narrative but affirms what is at stake for each characters in terms of maturity, especially in tightly interwoven scenes of Beth fighting illness as a girl and later as a young woman.The inclusion of new scenes in the movie - such as Jo narrating her story to the publisher or the making of the novel itself - made it more interesting for the people who had already read the book. For the people who have not read the book, the movie was narrated
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in such a way that not only did these people understand what was going on but were able to grasp onto the true essence of the novel which is seldom captured in reworkings. The movie shows a deep understanding of the book as Gerwig talks about the comparison between the author Louisa May Alcott and Jo March which opens up a new perspective while viewing the movie that wasn’t shown directly in the book or the previous adaptations. So, why should you watch this film? Well if your someone who loves a nice heartwarming story then this movie will not only satisfy this requirement but also talks about how life really is and that it’s not just a walk in the park but a crazy roller coaster, the best part is you are most likely to find the answers to many questions that can rise within that teenage mind of yours. If you believe in gender equality and that women should have the freedom to make their own choices then you’ve come to watch the right film as this story talks about the March sisters pursuing their dreams and owning their story. Another reason you should watch this movie is because it’s got a lot of award buzz around it Little Women received six Oscar nominations. DIRECTOR: Greta Gerwig STARRING: Emma Watson, Saoirse Ronan, Florence Pugh GENRE: Drama, Romance
international american school of warsaw
CROSSWORD
IAS SUMMER CROSSWORD
Name: __________________________
Complete the crossword below
Name:
Complete the crossword puzzle below 1
2
3 4
5 6
Name:
Complete the crossword puzzle below
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1
8
9
2
10
3 4
5 6 7 8
9
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Created using the Crossword Maker on
Down
e of the team Marta is a part of? Reinis should one learn from in order to become a Across
2. What was the nameOf of the teamFuture'? Marta is a part of? l be making 'The City The 5. What according to Reinis should one learn from in order to become a s young people to get infected so that they form a leader? 7. Which company will be making 'The City Of The Future'? people 9. This system causes young people to get infected so that they form a shield to protect older people
1. What does Greta Gerwig mean by, 'Own your 3. The lack of ________ separates a psychopath Created using the Crossword Maker on TheTeachersCorner.net 4. Which is the first posetive aspect about Quara Down 1. What does Greta Gerwig mean by, 'Own your story'? about? 3. The lack of ________ separates a psychopath from a typical person 6. What does hip hop to Dan after he 4. Which is the first posetive aspectmean about Quarantine does Yossra talkwas about? Enemy'? 6. What does hip hop mean to Dan after he was introduced to 'Public Enemy'? 8. To what is Chelsea and Joe compared to in 'P 8. To what is Chelsea and Joe compared to in 'Person X'? 10. How did and Antonina with 10. How did Jan andJan Antonina communicate with communicate the Jews that were hiding? hiding?
Created with The TeachersCorner.net Crossword Puzzle Generator
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SPECIAL ISSUE 2020
COVID-19
JOIN THE IAS EDUCATIONAL COMMUNITY AS WE STRIDE INTO THE FUTURE! • • • • • •
Founded in 1989 as the first independent international school in Poland. Accredited by the world’s leading educational institutions: IBO, AdvancED, MENiS. Average classroom size of 16 students. Diverse student body representing over 40 nations. Career counseling and university placement expertise available. 100% university placement.
• • • • • •
Dedicated and credentialed staff from a variety of international backgrounds Programs to enhance student progress, including ESL, PSL, and Further Maths. After school extracurricular clubs every Wednesday. Fully resourced library, computer lab and science lab. Zero tolerance to drugs and alcohol. Strong disciplinary policy conducted in a positive and collegiate atmosphere.
An IB world school commited to excellence in education THE IAS TIMES TEAM Staff Writers
Senior Editor
Hema Varsha Pokala
Yasmina Avamova
Bonnie Murphy
Zofia Owczarek
Dominika Penconek
Natasha Obuchowicz
Sardar Atayev
Milena Dederko
Bartłomiej Kuś
Yossra Madani
Vinay Vasnani
Clara Lesman
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