official magazine of the international american school of warsaw
DECEMBER 2020
ISSUE 40
FACEBOOK.COM/IASWARSAW
WWW.IAS.EDU.PL
Pop Culture
MAYBE YOU’RE THE IMPOSTOR?
THE PHENOMENON OF AMONG US
Social Issue
SKINNY TASTES
LIKE HUNGER
School News
CORONAVIRUS &
THE IAS COMMUNITY Hobbiec, Cooking
BAKE YOUR OWN
CINNAMON ROLLS WITH MAJA!
PHOTO: ZAYNEP 10 GRADE
School History
HISTORY OF IAS
INTRODUCTION
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s the world is going through changes, so is our magazine. As new editors, we would like to welcome you to the new school year on behalf of the whole IAS Times crew! Despite the impending doom in the form of COVID-19, we wish to assure you that the IAS Times will keep on producing valuable content.
Mr Krasner served us proudly for 9 years as an advisor and helped transition the advisory role to Miss Kendall Kartaly in 2019. The responsibility for the magazine shall be our merry little band of two with the help of Miss Kartaly this academic year. We hope to bring a breath of fresh air into the way IAS Times functions from the inside, as well as increase the level of interaction between the magazine and the IAS community. This issue marks the beginning of the 13th year of our journey, which is awfully convenient, given the circumstances (unlucky number 13 anyone?). Nevertheless, we believe great writing can surpass any circumstance and we carry this responsibility with care. From Zosia’s skillfully crafted article on the history of IAS to Maja’s take on how to make the best cinnamon rolls, you will be catching a little bit of everything between these pages. Enjoy the reading, and see you in the next issue!
PRINCIPAL SPOTLIGHT
NEW LEADER
TAKING ON IAS by Kayleigh Isa and Vinay Vasnani
Being a part of the IAS community for 7 years, our principal, Mr. Arthur O’Keeffe has seen it all. From the normal day-today responsibilities as leader of the school, who knew that he would be simultaneously dealing with running the school amid a global pandemic and teaching physics? KAYLEIGH: What are the biggest differences between the two leadership positions? O’KEEFFE: The challenges transitioning from vice principal and a principal, are different. From being in a supporting leadership role to being the leader of the school, all the decisions go to me now. I used to have to give my input on things, but never really had to make the final decision, that was somebody else’s problem. Now it’s my problem. Being the principal means that I have to take, at least, partial responsibility for everything that happens, which overall makes it a much more demanding role. KAYLEIGH What is the biggest obstacle you have encountered so far while being the principal? O’KEEFFE: The biggest obstacle I have faced so far is adjusting to the reality of my interactions with people. This was a problem for me when I transitioned to the vice principal position as well. I speak relatively directly and honestly with people; which is something I could get away with as a teacher and vice principal, but not so much now. Being the leader of the school, it’s important to be aware of how other people perceive and interpret my words. Another
challenge is maintaining contact with the teachers and students, as I’m often viewed as being too busy to answer questions. KAYLEIGH As the principal of IAS, although it must be a big challenge, how will you try and keep up school spirit during these unfortunate times? O’KEEFFE: The main thing is for us to keep talking through focus groups and checking in. As for maintaining school spirit, I’m relying on my student body presidents; those are the people who can really lead that on a student level rather than us as teachers and administrators. KAYLEIGH As principal, there are many large responsibilities that you have to keep in order. Do you have any advice regarding time management for students? O’KEEFFE: No, I’m terrible at time management. You have to find out what works for you. It’s one of those horrible things where you go from person to person and one person has a paper list and one has a digital and one has the most colorful timetable ever filled with every color in the rainbow. When I first became an administrator, I was drowning in the number of things I had to do. Eventually, I went with a paper list, and just crossed out things whenever they were done; so that’s what worked for me, but it looks different for everyone. What is important for students though is to keep some sort of physical or digital list.
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SCHOOL NEWS
THE NEW
GEMS OF IAS 1
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MS. ELYSSA WINZELER
Ms. Elyssa Winzeler came from the USA, where she grew up in Waterville, Ohio. She actually came to Poland 8 years ago, when she got a Fullbright grant to teach at the University of Warsaw! Not only did she teach at the university, but also an official trainer in Roller Derby throughout Europe! Although Ms. Winzeler loves teaching, if she wasn’t teaching, she would be selling art on ETSY! Another hobby of hers is felting, which she says is time-consuming, but definitely worth it. Winzeler fondly says: “IAS is possibly one of my favourite places I saw so far.”
2 MS. KATERYNA GOVOR Ms. Kateryna is the math teacher at IAS. She comes originally from Ukraine, but she lived in Canada for 10 years, and in December, 2019 she
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arrived in Warsaw. Ms. Kateryna actually joined us last school year, but this is her first school year starting with us. Before she came to Poland she spent a year in China working for Canadian College. She is a very active person;, every day before school she goes for a 10km run! If that wasn’t enough she also does CrossFit, triathlon and rides motorcycles! Ms. Kateryna mentioned that “[her]first impression of the school was that everyone was very welcoming”. Ms. Govor would like to bring positiveness and encourage students in her classes, as positiveness will bring out the best in students
3 MS. JOANNA HORDYŃSKA Ms. Finch is our new chemistry teacher from India. She is fairly new to Poland - living here since September this year – however, she has lived in Europe for two years. When asked about IAS, she said that our school
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by Klara Lesman and Meylis Arshimov
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has this specific vibe, the cosy atmosphere of everyone knowing everyone, which’s hard to find anywhere else. Her hobbies include shopping, Netflix and food: “ I am not a teenager, but most of my hobbies are teenager-like” - said Ms. Finch.
4 MS. ALEKSANDRA STON Ms. Aleksandra is from Poland and teaches German and PSL. Her hobbies are calligraphy and painting. Her first impressions of our school are really good. Ms. Aleksandra mentioned that the atmosphere among teachers is great. For Ms. Ston, the best aspect of being a teacher is the contact with young people who are so full of energy. She said, “I was the kid that always wanted to be a teacher, I can’t see myself doing another job. ” She would like to bring a safe and fun atmosphere, and she wants to motivate her students to be eager to learn.
A NEW ACADEMIC YEAR, A NEW CHAPTER IN THE IAS STORY,
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AND SOME NEW TEACHERS! WE WELCOME THESE TEACHERS INTO OUR COMMUNITY WITH EXCITEMENT.
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HARMONY MAUTI
Mr. Harmony Mauti comes from Kenya. In IAS he teaches Math, although he is also a geography teacher. When asked how he feels about IAS, Mr. Mauti responded that it’s different. The last time he was in a classroom was in 2016, and it is a new challenge for him that he looks forward to tackling. You can also find Mr. Mauti tackling outside of school, since he is a very sporty person--he loves playing rugby, football and enjoys athletics. Mr. Mauti’s favourite dish is Nyama Choma, a Kenyan delicacy, which translates to “roasted meat.”
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JOANNA KOTECKA
Miss Joanna Kotecka was born in Poland and is trained as a painter. For many years she was combining her passion for art with teaching. During her classes students not
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only use crayons and paints, but also both hemispheres of their brains. Her students undertake challenges by using imagination, flexibility, and critical thinking. She deeply enjoys working with young children--it is them who notice the most surprising things. Outside of work, Miss Joanna’s passion, apart from painting, is travelling. She once hitchhiked through the entire Middle East. “This changes a person into a traveler forever,” she says.
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Miss Ilina is a choir conductor and a harpist. She also plays concerts; solo, and in an ensemble. Since the beginning of the school year, she says that she appreciates how it “is not too big and not too small” and how the students are very talented. Her other hobby is dancing, especially traditional dances that come from old cities and villages, similar to folk. She hopes in the future she will be able to organise a dancing event for students.
ILINA SAWICKA
Miss Ilina, originally from Warsaw, is teaching music at IAS to students from kindergarten to Grade 7. Miss Ilina inspires her students to express their emotions with singing, playing instruments or dancing. She says “music can relax and calm us, but also give us energy, music is also a great way to be together and feel each other”. On top of that,
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SCHOOL NEWS
UP FOR THE CHALLENGE:
NEW PRESIDENTS FACING 2020
by Mary Sarna
With the beginning of our new school year comes our presidential elections. All the candidates this year have come up with ideas with great potential, but the winning duo came down to one team: Natasha and Meylis.
MARY SARNA: Once again, congratulations for both of you. How would you describe your feelings accompanying your win, and to what extent do you find your new positions important to you? NATASHA AND MEYLIS: We are both really excited about the victory. It’s a little crazy right now, with the whole online learning situation, and we need a little bit of time to adjust, however we will try our best to make this time as enjoyable as possible. This position is not only important, it’s challenging, especially under the current circumstances, and we think that this is going to be the factor that will keep on pushing as forward. MS: What made you so eager to become the leaders of our student community? N&M: Well, it sounded like a challenge. Public speaking, leadership, additional responsibilities - none of those things are easy. However, nothing makes a person grow like getting out of their comfort zone, and when is a better time to develop a new set of skills if not in high school? MS: You’re absolutely right! What is the first thing you are going to tackle as presidents? N&M: Currently we are in the process of replanning our events
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so that they fit the online learning scheme. It is quite difficult, we’re not going to lie, but the student community has given us some really cool ideas which we might implement. Soon enough, we will have a constructive and achievable plan, which we will share with the whole community so that they know what to expect. MS: How are you planning to carry out your plans while we are learning virtually? N&M: In most cases our hands are tied, but the truth is, it is all about communication. Surveys, contacting teachers, posting ideas on the school forum; we need to stay in contact with the students, and they need to stay in contact with us. That’s the only way we
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will be able to go through those difficult times. We will also happily respond to all direct messages and emails from the students, as well as the teachers. MS: To what extent will you take into consideration the suggestions or advice from other students? N&M: To a great extent! Our campaign has been based on the idea of communication, and under the current circumstances it’s more important than ever. This situation requires us to think creatively and find alternative solutions to things that normally would be rather simple. During these times, cooperation is crucial to keep on moving forward, and we assure you that none of your voices will fall on deaf ears.
SCHOOL HISTORY
THE HISTORY OF IAS
(AN INCREDIBLY AWESOME SCHOOL, DUH)
How do you picture your ideal school? For me, that would be a school with a close-knit and comfortable environment; sort of like a second home rather than a massive, towering building with thousands of students and strict teachers where you become a number rather than a person with interests and goals.
by Zofia Gowin
However, I have never felt that way while learning in the International American School of Warsaw. It has always been filling the criteria for my ideal school, and I wonder how it manages to do so. Let’s go back to 1989, where the International American School of Warsaw (IAS) was first established as an elementary school, based on the International and American curriculum. It was meant to cater to the Polish and foreign communities residing in the Polish capital. The school is fully accredited by the Polish Ministry of Education (MEN), AdvancED, and the International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO), giving an IAS student a variety of opportunities and a choice of how they’d like to graduate. IAS surpasses Polish and International curricular standards of expertise in all core subject areas. Qualified teachers from around the world use the latest texts and multimedia materials to ensure that the best academic standards are maintained. IAS opened its permanent facility in the Ursynów District of Warsaw in September of 1994. The school complex consists of two buildings in close proximity; one being an elementary school and the other being both middle school and high school. Class sizes are limited to eighteen students, which ensures that each child receives the individual attention students need. Aside from conventional studies, the students have many opportunities to explore their passions and in-
terests within the school. This includes the school newspaper crew (The IAS Times), theater performances supervised and directed by Ms. Izabela Mieszczańska, sports clubs, and various scholar events, such as competitions, tournaments, and contests. However, one of the school’s main priorities is to maintain safety amongst students, especially during the time of global pandemic. As a matter of fact, ever since the new school year has began, the IAS community has tried to make their environment as safe as possible by incorporating weekly Covid-19 testings, an opportunity to learn via VLE (virtual learning), as well as providing education on social distancing and the importance of mask-wearing. The IAS school philosophy is as simple as it is challenging: work together, grow together. The school’s administration sees itself as a partner to the students and their families; here, we all learn from each other in an atmosphere of mutual respect and inspiration. We strive to motivate one another for the goals of individual and collective development. The long history of IAS taught the school how to constantly grow and improve, which made it what it is today. Therefore, it is fair to say that the International American School may be small in size. It is, however, big in diversity, knowledge, and heart. “International American School of Warsaw.” ias.edu.pl/en/
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SCHOOL NEWS
EDUCATION LIKE
NEVER BEFORE The summer of 2020 has come to an end, and we dive into another school year. However, this fall, educational institutions all across the world are dealing with all kinds of shields between teachers and students due to the limitations imposed by the Covid -19 pandemic.
by Mary Sarna
The first changes regarding our schooling in the International American School (IAS) were introduced on the 16th of March when the mandatory school closures were announced by the Kuratorium. Since then we have been able to adjust them, planning this academic year, due to relaxed restrictions over the summer. Even though the virus is still influencing our everyday lives, IAS has successfully managed to bring that influence to the minimum when it comes to this school year. Several innovations have been introduced in order to ensure the sanitary rules are being followed. Our bathrooms have been appropriately renovated, they now include contact-free taps, and multiple contact-free disinfection stations are available in the buildings. Our students’ temperatures are also automatically measured by the entrances. Since our school remains open, we are taking all the necessary precautions for keeping our community safe. Perhaps the most important, and valuable part of our new reality is the Coronavirus testing. IAS has been successfully cooperating with a testing team. All our in-school students, as well as all staff members, are being tested for Covid-19 every week with no exceptions. The Covid testing is available on Mondays and Tuesdays. It is an affordable and quick procedure, therefore students are not missing a significant amount of class time. It only takes up to thirty minutes for the results to appear. Individuals that were unable to come to school
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on those days will not be allowed to enter the campus area, for the remaining days of the week, unless they have taken a test privately and the outcome was negative. In a case where an individual tests positive, their family and their classmates will be tested once again, in order to establish the most efficient way to impose quarantine. If it comes to a point where multiple Covid cases are found, the administration will most likely consider closing the school. It would not be a permanent shut down of course, but rather a two - three week period after which we may safely return to offline education. In times like this, it is crucial to keep a positive mindset. Thanks to the world’s current technological advances, schools are able to offer quality education without requiring students to leave their homes. Not only does it allow us to stay safe during the global pandemic, but it also gives students an opportunity to participate in their classes at times when they are unable to make it to the physical facility. That option was not available before the pandemic and oftentimes resulted in missing work and falling behind. Thanks to our Online Merged with Offline (OMO) system, quarantined students do not need to worry about missing any school days. Falling behind in their classes would be the last thing we would want for our students. The online learning option - Virtual Learning Environment (VLE), prevents IAS students from risking missing out on the quality experience of participating in their class-
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es. The program is structured in a way that allows the students to interact with the teacher and their classmates from the comfort of their home. Some of the IAS students choose to stay at home and engage in online classes rather than take part in offline lessons, which we consider understandable regarding the current situation. Many of our students live far from IAS, some even outside of Warsaw, and using multiple forms of public transport nowadays may be difficult and problematic. Our school is currently relying on the Microsoft Office platform. A school account is provided for each student and includes all of its applications. Our online calls are conducted through Microsoft Teams - an easy and efficient tool currently used by many schools worldwide. We conduct voice and video calls and take part in engaging discussions just as we would be in the traditional offline setting. The students find these accommodations comfortable, and easily adjustable. They are still
given the opportunity to utilize their potential and be productive. 2020 has truly been an exceptional year for everyone. Schools across the world have faced challenges that they were not prepared for in advance. In these difficult times we must prioritize safety, but at the same time we need to ensure that the educational program is delivered to the students in the most efficient ways possible. Physical distancing does not necessarily have to mean social distancing, and here in IAS, we are putting in the time and effort to keep our community together.
BREAKING NEWS - October 15th, 2020 Due to a few students and two of our teachers testing positive for Covid-19 on Monday, October 12th, IAS has temporarily closed, with the intentions of opening after a period of two weeks. However, since the numbers of the infected in Poland have been dramatically increasing this month, the government declared Warsaw as one of the “red zones.�By those means, all the secondary education institutions (all the high schools) were ordered to close. The country is anticipating a slowed down spread of the virus, but so far the numbers of the infected are rapidly escalating, and new restrictions are imposed on the citizens.
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SMALL SCHOOL SPOTLIGHT
IAS:
THE BEST SCHOOL! What makes IAS the best school? IAS is the best school because it is a school of friendship and love. We learn about many different topics. You also meet people from all around the world since we have many people from different places. That’s why IAS is the best!
by Nur Hannah Nabihah Nazul Azha (Grade 4)
First, friendship is the best thing you can have. At IAS, you make friends with so many people at school. Having a friend is very helpful. They are there to help you when you have a problem and to put a smile on your face. Friendship is as sweet as candy! They will be by your side to encourage you and tell you to not give up. You will find lots of friends like that at IAS! Second, at IAS, we learn about so many cool and fun topics. We learn about insects, space, figurative language, and more! We learn new things every single day of every single week. Isn’t that cool? Learning at IAS is never boring because we have fun teachers, too. For example, we had Pizza Week, where every activity was about pizza. We had awesome decorations like pizza boxes and a huge inflatable pizza in our classroom! At the end of the week, our whole class ate pizza together. That encouraged us to learn more in a fun way. If you want to have fun at school and learn new things, tell
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your parents that you must come here!
CHARLES FARRALES grade 1
LILIANA KOZIUK grade 2
international american school of warsaw
Last, at our school many people are different, and that’s a good thing! It’s a very international place. That means that there are different people from different places. For example, we have people from different countries in Africa, Asia, and Europe. Teachers also come from different places like The United States of America, Kenya, Poland, etc. At our school, being different is a great thingthat makes you special! You have to come visit us now to meet new people from different places! Why is IAS the best school ever? At IAS, you make lots of friends, you learn new things every day in fun ways, and people are from all over the world. Some people might say that being in school with different people is hard, but the truth is that in the world not everyone is the same! It is great to learn from different people and experience new cultures and it’s not hard at all! Come to IAS to have the best life!
COMICS
by Nora Pan and Reese Farrales
WELCOME TO THE FIRST-EVER
COMIC SECTION! This is where we will share the comics students have submitted to share with everyone. Each issue we sent out prompts to use for the comic and for this issue they were; Dreamland, Peer Pressure, and Youth. These entries were submitted by Hemavarsha Pokala, Nora Pan, and Reese Farrales!
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SCHOOL NEWS
THE SPIRIT OF FALL Students at IAS are showing their creative spark from D12 to D18! Fall is the most colorful season because leaves change color. Leaves turn mostly to yellow, red, orange, and brown. I love observing the colors of leaves and I think you will too! You can try hunting the leaves and sorting them into different colors. You can create cool art projects, too. For example, you can squirt some paint on a leaf and press it on a piece of paper. Boom! You will have a beautiful colored print of a leaf. Cool, right? Those are just some of the cool ideas that you can do only in fall. Fall can be really fun! Viktoria Juritkova (grade 4)
1st place NATALIA SOCHACZEWSKA grade 9A
2nd place LING LONG (JULIANNA) grade 9A
3rd place POLA SZOSTAK grade 8
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INIYAA KUMAR grade 9A
ALICJA JABLONSKA grade 2
KAYLEIGH grade 9B
JULIANA EL HOUSSARI grade 2
KAMILA SEIDALY grade 9A
CASPIAN FARRALES grade 1
PIN YEN CHOU grade 7
MAJA SANKOWSKA grade 9B
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SOCIAL ISSUE
SKINNY TASTES LIKE HUNGER They didn’t have air conditioning. All the doors and windows were wide open, but there was no draft; you could still feel the heavy, warm summer air sticking to the inside of your lungs, like hot glue. I haven’t seen her for almost two months now. Who wants to spend their summer in a city, breathing in the air from exhaust pipes? And so, we left for almost the entirety of the summer, both anticipating the imminent reunion. When I entered the room, she was facing the other direction, sitting on the floor in a criss-cross, shoulders hunched, scribbling something on a piece of paper. She had a baby-blue bralette on. I could count her vertebrae from 6 feet afar. “You look like a skeleton,” was the first thing I said. It wasn’t the most tactful comment, but since shock is usually more potent than common sense, the words inevitably escaped my mouth. I recovered quite quickly though and didn’t say anything else. We both avoided the topic like the plague, for what I condemn myself to this day. Back then, my mindset was driven by the idea that as long as it’s not my body, it’s not my business. In hindsight, however, I can see how destructive such an approach can be. I let someone who I deeply cared about sabotage themselves in the name of a disfigured body image, right before my very own eyes. Two years later, I finally started asking questions.
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WHEN DID IT ALL START? Well, I believe it all began when I was in 3rd grade. That was the time when I became conscious about the way I look. I remember making promises to myself, such as, “If somebody offers me something sweet, I will refuse.” The real problems began when I was transitioning from 7th to the 8th grade. WHAT WAS THE TURNING POINT? It’s hard for me to tell whether I realized it myself, or whether the doctor was the one to make me understand that I, indeed, had an issue. Everything is rather fluid. I’ve built this wall of “I have it under control” around myself, and at some point, there was somebody who tore it down. Maybe it was me, maybe not, I don’t know. WHAT WERE THE FIRST RED FLAGS? Physically? Typical symptoms. I was constantly cold, my hair was falling out, I couldn’t stand up without feeling dizzy. My mental health though…. After a few months, I had this realization, that I couldn’t remember the last time I had truly laughed. Nothing struck me as funny, or enjoyable anymore. Frankly, it was terrifying. I was deprived of any emotions, I didn’t feel like doing anything. I couldn’t recall the last time I had a crush on anyone, or even found anyone attractive. COULD YOU DESCRIBE THE EATING HABITS YOU USED TO HAVE? Eating disorders are about control. I always had to be in full control of what I ate, how much I ate, when and where I ate. When I had lunches provided by the school, I had a rule where I could only eat a part of
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THIS INTERVIEW HAS A TRIGGER WARNING. THE INTERVIEWEE IS NOT A STUDENT OF IAS AND THE NAME WAS REMOVED TO RESPECT THIS PERSON’S PRIVACY.
what was given--half or one third--it varied. I avoided carbohydrates at all costs, or at least limit them to the bare minimum. When eating with somebody, I wouldn’t allow myself to eat more than anybody else at the table. ARE THERE ANY PATTERNS YOU’VE NOTICED WHEN IT COMES TO EATING DISORDERS? ANY OBSERVATIONS YOU’VE MADE? One thing that struck me as repetitive among people dealing with eating disorders is: control. At some point, I wouldn’t go out with my friends just for the sake of being in control of the time and content of my meal. I knew that if I wouldn’t eat at the time I planned to, I wouldn’t eat at all. But I was still human, I still did want to eat SOMETHING. I was so scared of losing control that I was willing to sacrifice my relationships for it. KATE MOSS ONCE SAID, “NOTHING TASTES AS GOOD AS SKINNY FEELS.” TO WHAT EXTENT DO YOU AGREE WITH THAT STATEMENT? For a person battling an eating disorder, there is nothing as satisfactory as the feeling of hunger. Skinny tastes like hunger. You can feel how your stomach is digesting itself, but you get high off that feeling the serotonin hits your brain and makes you feel like God. HOW DID THE WORST MOMENT LOOK LIKE FOR YOU? It was a brief period, but at some point I would eat only an apple for dinner. I was completely malnourished, my periods stopped. I would think about food almost constantly, not being able to focus. It was the
so-called, “mental hunger.” I didn’t feel it physically anymore, my body was too weak to initiate a physical reaction. Food was the puppet master of my life, I was just a doll. WHAT WOULD YOU TELL OTHERS WHO MIGHT BE GOING THROUGH A SIMILAR THING? Don’t. Just don’t. I feel like I’ve lost a part of my teenage life during that time, it feels as if I wasn’t even there. This fixation over food, it not only quite literally slowly killing you, but also makes you feel dead. It’s not worth it.
Thoughts from a counselor: It is hard to tell someone to stop when it is in the brain. Apart from giving support, the most significant thing we can do for a person going through something similar is to encourage treatment. The longer an eating disorder remains undiagnosed and untreated, the more challenging it is to overcome. Consult with a mental health professional right away.
IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE YOU’D LIKE TO ADD? Maybe just that there is a general misconception of how everyone with an eating disorder has to be extremely skinny. You can’t tell if somebody has an eating disorder based purely on looks; they come in all shapes and sizes - it’s about what’s in the head.
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WORLD NEWS
HOW WILL THE NEW LOCKDOWN IMPACT
HOTEL OWNERS IN POLAND As of Thursday 15th of October 2020, the Prime Minister of Poland, Mateusz Morawiecki, declared that due to the rising number of cases of Covid-19, Poland will take extreme measures to stop the spread of the virus, and thus become a red zone.
by Filip Treider
The red zone means limitations on public events to a maximum of 20 people, as well as cancellation of any major events, such as weddings. In addition, the domestic commute will be more difficult, as 11 of the 15 major cities are in this predicament. While not everything is closed in order to maintain a stable economy, one type of business is impacted regardless: hotels. For the foreseeable future, the hotel industry will come to a standstill, as due to the new restrictions people are less likely to use this particular service. The establishment of the red zone made traveling extremely difficult. As a result, hotels will most likely remain largely empty. According to the statistics, last June when hotels just opened again after the first lockdown, the industry earned a mere 10% of their 2019 June revenue. Even Though the Polish government hasn’t given an official order that all of the hotels should remain closed, traveling is still hindered due to the red-zone restrictions. However, the Polish Prime Minister has announced that if the spread of the virus will not stop, or at least lessen, more restrictions will be implemented, including all hotels closing. Throughout the first lockdown that took place between March and June, all hotels were on a permanent closure, as ordered by the government. We may experience that again if things continue to worsen. Hotel owners are worried that if Poland goes under a full lockdown, thousands of hotels might go bankrupt due to the lack of revenue. That would leave hundreds of thousands of people unemployed, as well as devastate many Polish towns, that rely solely on tourism, such as Sopot, or Zakopane. I believe that another lockdown is necessary to stop the spread of Covid-19 in Poland. It’s the government’s responsibility to support the industry, as the taxes obtained from it bring a lot of income to the country. Poland should take similar actions to Germany - support all industries in order to maintain a stable economy, and save many people from unemployment.
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WORLD NEWS
by Bartłomiej Kuś
RESTAURANTS
UP AGAINST THE WALL
C
ovid-19 is more aggressive than ever, with over ten thousand daily cases. Poland has recently entered the red zone and blah… blah… blah… You all know that already, so I’m not going to bore you with the details; the others have done it for me already. ;) Let’s instead focus on something that everyone can relate to – food. Sitting at home does get tiresome when one has to do it over and over again for weeks, even if we take into consideration all the work that needs to be done while we’re in the safety of our beds. Going out to eat with our families or a group of friends always was a moment of respite from all the worldly worries, be it school deadlines, unfinished projects, or simple anxiety. Bad news – not anymore. As of October 24th, all restaurants, pubs, bars, cafes, etc. are closed for (supposedly) two weeks. Why? Covid-19 (funny how it seems to be the answer to 90% of questions, isn’t it?). Anyway, let’s not start crying and praying to all gods known to humankind. All is not lost. The aforementioned places are still allowed to deliver food directly to your house. That, however, does not mean that the gastronomy sector is not going to suffer. People are generally far less likely to order food than to eat it inside a restaurant, so despite delivering food still being allowed, the overall number of customers is still going to decrease by 40% to 70%, depending on different sources. In addition, we can’t forget about all the staff
(waiters, baristas, etc.) that will have to be made redundant on account of there being no one to serve the food to. Needless to say, the gastronomy workers did not find this situation ideal – quite the contrary. Restaurant owners, staff members, and others have gone out on the streets on October 25th, protesting against the newly imposed restrictions. They demand not only for the restaurants to remain open but also to have longer opening hours (up until the 24th they were already limited to 06:00 - 21:00), arguing that the restaurants were following all the restrictive measures to lessen the spread of Covid-19. Gastronomy workers also ask for an exemption from the obligation to pay social security contributions, as well as additional financing to cover the employees’ wages. On one hand, I believe we can all
international american school of warsaw
agree that despite all the restrictions, people generally do tend to ignore them, both in the restaurants and outside of them, so keeping them open will certainly not have a good result on the number of cases, even if we follow all the safety precautions. On the other hand, we have to understand that for many of the protesters their restaurants are their livelihoods, and having them closed for the second time already will mean bankruptcy for a significant percentage of them. What can we do about it? Well, if nothing else, let’s at least make sure that we order food once or twice a week, just to help the restaurant industry through this challenging situation. The effects of Covid-19 are bad enough as it is, no need to let the side effects kill the gastronomy industry as well.
17
POP CULTURE
MAYBE YOU’RE THE IMPOSTOR?
THE PHENOMENON by Ania Zwolińska
OF AMONG US
H
ave you ever wondered how a game can fascinate and arouse your interest that you would not want to stay any single minute without it? How even the smallest and simplest games may change and attract our attention around the world? Well, his happened to a small social deduction game – Among Us – which then morphed into a world phenomenon – an international sensation – far more than any other social inferring game has ever done before. WEREWOLVES AND MAFIA - INSPIRATION AND DEVELOPMENT Among Us was created and developed by a small development studio called InnerSloth, also recognized as an indie game InnerSloth development team who wasn’t able to receive as much exposure before, with their games like Dig2China or The Henry StickMan collection. The game itself had very modest beginnings; it was released in June 2018 as a mobile-only local multiplayer license that the developer claimed to be inspired by well known social deduction games like mafia or werewolves (Werwölfe von Düsterwald), whose gameplay is remarkably simple and enjoyable. Even though the initial launch was filled with favorable reviews, it has left a lot to desire. InnerSloth continued to update the game, eventually adding the much-requested online multiplayer and finally re-releasing the title on Steam in late 2018, which finally allowed Among Us to make a debut in the streamer zone. The game gained popularity over the last 2 years, which ultimately led to its current phenomenon in 2020.
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VOTE OUT WIN - GAMEPLAY AND PLAYERS The main goal in Among Us is to identify the killer from among a group of several characters, represented by the players. Each participant has simple tasks to complete, which are presented in the forms of minigames. CREWMATE The crewmate’s job is to complete the minigames (tasks) to prepare the spaceship (where the game takes place) for departure and not be a victim of impostors killing spree. IMPOSTOR The impostor has to do everything they can to sabotage crewmates’ efforts and kill them all. Identifying an impostor is a really hard job, as they cannot be recognized as they can act like an innocent crewmate. The only way is to notice their strange behavior, be a witness of killing or see them using a vent, which is a number one way of fast travel for the killer (the vents cannot be used by the crewmate). WINNERS AND LOSERS - THE END OF A GAME The crewmates win by completing all tasks before being killed or by finding and eliminating all the impostors. WHAT MAKES THIS GAME SO APPEALING TO THE USER? • Easily accessible - Free for all mobile phone users, which makes it really easy to download and
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You can customize your character.
start your experience really quickly. • The simplicity of the game - The rules are really easy to understand and just after 2 games, you’re able to become an expert. • Multiplayer game - Internet access gives you a chance to play with all your friends no matter where you are! • Up to 10 players - No one has to be let out, as you can play with up to 10 players. • easy to play on all devices (navigation) - only two fingers or your configuration on PC and you can have an experience of your lifetime! • Free for some of the devices like smartphones or tablets, with a really low price for your PC.
• No age requirements - No matter how old you are, you can still play and have fun with your friends or people all across the globe. ...and finally, you can make your inner child dreams come true and become a full-time astronaut, exploring the universe! Now, don’t waste your time, the adventure is waiting! PLAY AMONG US AND ENJOY YOUR TRAVELS ACROSS THE GALAXY!
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19
STUDENT FICTION
IT FELT LIKE I WAS REACHING FOR THE GROUND FOR LIFE WAS UPSIDE DOWN, NOTHING MADE SENSE. by Hema Varsha Pokala
This is the final part of four-part fiction. See previous IAS Times Magazines to get caught up!
“Stay quiet. I came to get you out of here, I’ll answer all your questions once we are safe,” whispered Laurie to Bethany, Joe, and I. We made our way towards the door as he flashed a card at the guard, allowing us to pass. I could smell Laurie’s stale breath, as he whispered “Stay safe.” I felt Bethany’s hand around me as her warm tears fell on my shoulder. Joe looked confused as he enveloped us, unsure if he was comforting or preparing us for the next step. Laurie took us to an apartment in a deserted area that looked as if it was about to collapse any second As I climbed the stairs, I felt like Dante ascending to hell. Laurie led us into a room where we saw someone familiar: Bethany. I ran into Bethany as I dug my head into her arm and cried loudly, “I thought you were dead! Why didn’t you tell me you had cancer… WHY?!” Bethany was silent and moved toward me almost like a ghost. “I don’t have cancer anymore, we did it!”
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My mouth opened, in shock of what was said. Laurie cut through the silence like a knife. “We are not out of the woods yet, remember, I am an agent working for the WHO and you have to trust me.” I trusted Laurie, because I needed to in order to believe that there was an end and something worth fighting for. “You see,” Laurie said, “The WHO has been observing you ever since The Veil – a controversial group – started following you. They thought you created a deadly drug and we began tracing you. The Veil was the very same group that interviewed you at the airport and locked you up, but we – the WHO – were faster.” The house seemed to tremble at the weight of his words. He slowly loosened his collar before he continued, “ I risked my life on that plane. My team of co-workers thought I should infiltrate The Veil with some other undercover researchers and see what we could find out. A year later The Veil thought I was bringing you in, here was where they made their biggest mistake. My undercover researchers were your prison guards...and well you know what happened.” “Wow, this is almost hard to believe,” I gasped. “There’s more…” Laurie interjected, “We have 24
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hours to save The Veil from using this drug for evil. We need your help.” –– The van was dark and the cold metal of weapons was in our hands, ready to fight our way through and stop The Veil, our disguises hiding our true identities. My heartbeat against my body in fear. Joe pulled me closer – grounding me – in this time of peril. He placed his hands on my cheek and whispered, “All we have to do is pretend like we are here to buy the drug and destroy the formula, Laurie will take care of everything you know we can’t afford getting caught.” The van stopped. The guards from The Veil looked down on us as we made our way into their headquarters – large tables and men sitting in business suits with the glint of power in their eyes. My eyes searched. Then Laurie jerked his head to the man sitting at the head of the largest table, Victor Payne. We followed. As I sat down, I fixed my gaze upon Victor. He looked at me suddenly, and I quickly looked down at the floor in order to avoid eye contact. He looked down and whispered, “Nice dress…Chelsea.” Victor and the men surrounding him turned from
suited men to capturers. They grab our hands tightly and Victor leaned closer to Bethany pressing a knife to her throat. “Welcome to the party guys. Drinks anyone? You really thought I wouldn’t notice...” But what Bethany said next felt as if a knife was stabbing my throat. “No need for that… you wanna know how you can make Eutopia even more dangerous?” “Bethany, you don’t have to do it. You don’t have to sacrifice yourself to save us,” Joe said. ”Oh no, Joe. I want to do this. Believe me, humankind will thank me one day, Victor. This drug can also turn into an explosion leaving no traces. I know how to make that happen let me go and I will tell you!” All seemed lost. Happiness, an ending that we were chasing, seemed unreachable.
THE END
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HOBBIES, COOKING
RECIPE:
CINNAMON ROLLS by Maja Sankowska
On a cold day, you wake up and you smell the cinnamon from the kitchen. Your mind wanders off to a place of warmth and comfort, there is nothing better than homemade cinnamon rolls. With this recipe you can make a batch for yourself, family, or friends!
INGREDIENTS:
PREPARATION:
(For about 13 rolls) 480 ml of warm milk 100 g of white sugar 113 g of unsalted, melted butter 34 g of active dry yeast 625 g of all-purpose flour, divided 5 g of baking powder 5 g of salt 165 g of light brown sugar 180 g of softened, unsalted butter 30 g of ground cinnamon
Grab a large bowl and mix warm milk, sugar, and melted butter together: Sprinkle yeast over the mixture, mix it a little bit and put it in a warm place for about 10 minutes. Add 500 g of flour and mix until combined. Take a kitchen towel or a plastic wrap and cover the bowl with it, leave the dough to rise for about 1 hour. Now we will be making the filling. In a bowl mix brown sugar, butter, and cinnamon then set it aside. Put baking paper onto a baking sheet and set it aside. After the hour has passed uncover the dough and add the remaining flour (125g), baking powder and salt. Mix it well and then put the dough onto a clean surface. Now knead the dough until it loses its stickiness and when poked, springs back. Roll the dough out into a shape of a rectangle about 1 cm thick. If you do not have a lot of space in your kitchen you can split the dough in half and make two rectangles. Spread the filling onto the dough. Roll out the dough into a log, make sure that after rolling you put it seamside down. Using a sharp knife cut the log to form the buns, put them onto the baking sheet you prepared earlier. Grab a kitchen towel and cover the baking sheet with it, set it aside for 40 minutes to let the rolls rise. Preheat the oven to 180*C. After the 40 minutes pass put the buns in the oven for 25-30 minutes. Take the cinnamon rolls out and let them cool down a little bit. Enjoy your homemade cinnamon rolls!
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international american school of warsaw
Complete the crossword below
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1. Which teacher might have worked for NGO's if she hasn't become a teacher? 2. What fruit is present in the comic section? 6. In which month did IAS move to its current facility? 7. What is the name of the studio that has created the game 'Among Us'? 9. When making cinnamon rolls, one should knead the dough until it loses its .................. . Created using the Crossword Maker on TheTeachersCorn 11. What are eating disorders mainly about? Created with The TeachersCorner.net Crossword Puzzle Generator Down 13. In which stateusing didthe Ms. ElyssaMaker Winzeler grow up Created Crossword on TheTeachersCorner.net in?Down 1. Which teacher might have worked for NGO's if
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international american school of warsaw
23
DECEMBER 2020
ISSUE 40
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
Anna Zwolińska
Mary Sarna
Bartłomiej Kuś
Meylis Arshimov
Filip Treider
Natasza Obuchowicz
Hema Pokala Varsha
Nora
Kayleigh Isa
Reese Farrales
FIND US ON FACEBOOK: WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/IASWARSAW
Klara Lesman
Vinay Vasnani
Maja Sankowska
Zofia Gowin
Zofia Owczarek
WWW.IAS.EDU.PL