INSIDE
Front and Back Cover by Ciel Sriprasert (12) Inside Cover by Note Kaewbaidhoon (12)
Letter from the Editors Dear Readers, Happy Holidays from the Senior Editors at The International! It’s hard to believe that it’s already been a whole semester since the start of the new school year, but already, so much time has gone by. While exams may be stressful to study for, remember that winter holiday is just around the corner. Delicious food, family gatherings, endless sleep and trips to foreign countries: you’ll be able to enjoy all of these experiences in less than two weeks! What this also means for us, Seniors, is that the most stressful semester of high school is finally over! Let’s push ourselves until the very end so we can finish the year with no regrets. This semester, without a doubt, was one full of dynamic events and happenings. From first season IASAS to the fall production of Hairspray, we were extremely impressed by the sheer determination and multitude of talents shown by the student body. It was our pleasure to serve as your Editor-in-Chiefs this semester, and we look forward to bringing you exciting news and features in the coming year. Please be on the lookout for updates from Panther Nation and visit our site at isbpanthernation.com! Sincerely, Seo Young, Thanya, and Katy
t h e I N T E R N AT ION A L Head Editor Head Layout Editor Head Writing Editor Advisor
Seoyoung Lee Thanya Chat Katy Lewis Conor Duffy
OPINIONS 02 What Ever Happened to Privacy?/ Carpe Dime 03 My Anaconda Don’t
FEATURES
04 They’re Back 05 Suit Up 06 The Doctors of ISB
ARTS
07 Coffee House
08-09 Hairspray
SPORTS
10 Touch/ Rugby Exchange Tennis Exchange
11 Swimming Exchange/ Basketball Exchange
12 World Cup Scandal: What’s the Deal? 13 Year in Review
S e ct ion Ed itors Opinions Features Arts/ News Sports
Sarah Lim Sammi Thomas Dan Borenstein Nathan Scott
Rep or t ers Sofi Sintes Arya Bhai Tosia Lekawska Ellen Sypolt Chloe Griffith Becky Bradley Madeline Grove Austin Gallagher Stella Kim Carolina Zeitune
panthergrowls What are you most looking forward to this holiday season? “I’m excited to go back to America to see snow, I love the cold!”
“I’m excited to go rock climbing in Krabi.”
Annalisa Shwartz ‘9
“Sleeping and having less stress.”
Stefan Lovic ‘9
“Taking a break from all this school stuff.”
Grace Oglesby ‘10
Gavin Kresna ‘10
“Not going to school.”
“Not waking up at 5 am.”
Hannah White‘11
Junior Chairatana ‘11
“Sleep. Definately sleep.”
“Sleep.”
Stefan Soriano ‘12
Ananya Kumar ‘12 DECEMBER
2014
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Credit: Xisto
O P I N I O N S
What Ever Happened To Privacy?
W
The Differences Between Now and Then
e live in a strange era, one where privacy no longer seems to exist. A quick scroll through someone’s Facebook and suddenly you know what they having for dinner, where their grandmother lives, why they dislike gerbils and what shade of lipgloss they plan to wear next week. What has happened to our privacy? Back in the days people used to be much more private, perhaps because it actually took a lot of effort to get any sort of information out to other people. A man had to stroll out of his house and walk or ride on horseback for hours, sometimes even days, just to let his relatives know about the death of a family member. Then came letters and telegrams,
but even those took time to be delivered. Now, all this man would have to do is pick up his cell phone and dial the number of the relative he wanted to speak with. Zero effort is needed. Today, it is almost too easy to put any sort of information out there. A few clicks and everybody knows about that amazing new halter dress you bought on sale yesterday. And why should you not share your joy with the world? First of all, nobody really cares. Most people are not at all interested in hearing about your amazingly successful dress shopping. They have their own lives and knowing that you bought some dress does not in any way affect them. In fact, according to an
anonymous source, “having [their] Facebook filled with unimportant details about other people’s lives is extremely annoying.” This leads to the question, why do people nowadays tend to overshare? Thalia Johnston (10) suggested that “people overshare on social media because they see it as an opportunity to get attention.” Another source mentioned that “oversharing has become a habit for people because it is so easy to do it with the technology available.” Society has made it the norm to violate privacy. But the choice to follow that norm is ours. Remember that your privacy belongs to you - you have the power to control it. Antonia (Tosia) Lekawska
C arpe DI M E
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2014
Ellen Sypolt ey on m of
DECEMBER
to know that your club has resources to spend, but not be able access it easily.” To students who may experience frustrations with the money deposit/withdrawal process, the best way to speed up the process is to ensure that the information you submit to the Activities Office is accurate. Since the process requires receipts, students should make sure beforehand that the receipts match the amount due on the request form. ISB allows students to make a difference, so it is our resonsibility to rise up to the challenge and use the resources wisely.
cs Pi
insight on the process being longer than necessary, adding that “[he] think[s] [the process] could be made more efficient if the Activities Office kept a certain amount of money with them at the office, instead of in the bank.” Siri continues to say that having the money more accessible would help clubs to be more efficient as well, since some clubs need money urgently. As it can take up to 10 days to receive requested money, the process does not accommodate clubs that need money immediately or for emergency situations. In agreement, Izzie Fortuna (12) outlines “while this system is fine for indirect service clubs that typically make one donation to an organization at the end of the school year, it is very inconvenient for direct service clubs that need money every week.” She continues, stating that “it’s very frustrating
it:
s students, we have an immense amount of responsibility and voice towards the future of ISB. Since High School clubs are run mostly by students, there are many responsibilities that we take on and fulfill, one of them being the club money. The money that the clubs earn is stored in the school’s bank for safekeeping and therefore requires a precise process in order to deposit and withdraw it. Ms. Tananone, ISB’s Community Service Director states an important point that “students should deposit the money they earn from fundraisers in a timely manner and not put it in their locker or take it home.” However, students often spend their own money on club procedures and these bills add up. For clubs that require immediate money, such as for medical procedures, payment can be very expensive making it difficult for students to pay great deals of their own money for club expenses. Siri Asdathorn (11) shares his
ed Cr
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To seize the club money
O P I N I O N S
it: Dr Cred
ayton
T ’ N O D A D N O C A MY AN Is Nicki Minaj’s newest viral video empowering or demeaning?
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ith over 280 million views on YouTube, Nicki Minaj has made a chart-topping hit with her single “Anaconda.” It is her most successful music video to date, and has pushed her past even Michael Jackson on the record of most singles on the Billboard Top 100. However, the lyrics of the song, along with the accompanying music video, have made a huge splash in the world of pop culture. This has left to us wonder whether ‘Anaconda’ in reality empowers women or demeans them. The video is chock-full of bare bottoms and sexual innuendo. Minaj twerks and shakes her way through jungle scenes, gym sessions, and an unusual cooking excursion. In these scenes, Minaj unapologetically shows off her gratuitous curves more than a few inches of tanned skin. In fact, most of the people in her video are scantily clothed, except for the one man who appears in the video: Drake. What message does it send if all the women are showing off lots of skin, while the one man in the production is covered up?
Minaj, herself, has deliberately declined to comment on any of the symbolism in the video - other than the chopped banana. She opened up about the chopping of the banana, saying that it symbolizes female empowerment. She told GQ, “At first I’m being sexual with the banana, and then it’s like, ‘Ha-ha, no.’...because it’s always about the female taking back the power, and if you want to be flirty and funny that’s fine, but always keeping the power and the control in everything.” Such a viral music video surely has an impact on those who look up to her. YouTube users TheFineBros, on their latest episode of their “Teens React” Series, showed teens the Anaconda music video for the first time and recorded their reactions. At the end, four teens said it was appropriate for her to have made it, while others disagreed. Some of the teens expressed that Minaj was empowering women by showing that she will do what she wants with her body and not be sorry about it; others argued that although she is strong and confident, she is over-sexualizing the female body. One teen said, “It makes men feel
DECEMBER
2014
like they’re entitled to that body because they see it all the time.” Seoyoung Lee (12) saw the video in the same light, saying, “It is basically pornography. She is objectifying herself. The human body should be treated as precious and not thrown around in the public eye as she did.” Another thing to consider is while Nicki Minaj offers her strong belief in loving one’s body, she herself has had surgical implants. She has altered her body to pan to society’s idea of female sexuality, albeit in a way that she personally chose. Moreover, in the video, she repeats a very insulting phrase that puts down skinny girls. Minaj’s message in the video is self-contradicting and confusing. Showing off that body takes a lot of guts, but if it’s normal for women to do it, it should be normal for men to do it too. As an anonymous elder says, “it makes it harder on all women. We’re so much better than sex. This is saying, ‘This is all you need to see. This is all we need to be.’” Katy Lewis
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F E A T U R E S
They’re Back Nathan and Dan bring you: Relationship advice from two forever single Juniors
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k, so, they know they said they would never come back, but after Nathan dropped to his knees and begged for Dan’s forgiveness after leaving him crumbled and heartbroken, they’re back. Even though Nathan kept reasoning with Dan that they were on a break. But for those who are afraid to face the challenges of the holiday season alone, have no fear, because Dan and Nathan are here to save your hopeless relationships.
1) Felicity: Dear Nathan and Dan. While I was worrying about putting on holiday weight, I didn’t notice that my boyfriend has accumulated about 50 pounds through his festive eating habits. What do I do?
Hi Felicity, I assume you’ve invited this boyfriend to Christmas dinner. Since he’s most likely the kind of person who expects the woman to make the food, this gives you the opportunity to influence his diet. Rather than cooking a whole roast turkey, you should order a few boxes of McDonalds chicken nuggets. Make sure to leave the boxes in plain view, so your boyfriend realizes your attempts to alleviate his chunkiness. Once he finds a mere happy meal on his plate rather than the infinite slices of turkey he so desires, his self esteem should burst like a bubble, and hopefully he’ll start starving himself. If this doesn’t work then just give him the boot. Don’t feel bad about judging him based on his looks, or a book by its cover, after all, that’s what covers are for. Please use my critique of this metaphor to justify breaking somebody’s heart because of their appearance. I promise you have the moral high ground... 2) Dorothy: Dear Nathan and Dan, I saw my boyfriend at the mall the other day when I was going christmas shopping with my mom, I assumed he was there to buy me a christmas present but it’s been about a week now and I’ve also noticed that he is best friends on snapchat with this other girl, Felicity, should I be worried? Well Dorothy, I don’t know how to tell you this, but it seems like you’ve given your boyfriend too many chances. As worthless as you may think you are, which I am guessing is very, you really shouldn’t up put up with guys as chunky, dull-witted and unfaithful as him. But as our job is to fix your problem, we will tell you what you need to save this relationship. Firstly, in order to gain back his attention you should send him “accidental” facebook messages such as “ahaha you’re just adorable” or “ahaha you’re the funniest guy alive lol” and follow up with “Sorry, that was meant for someone else. But how was your day?”. Once he realizes that he has been remiss, he will either try and win back your heart by giving you affectionate christmas gifts and christmas dinner leftovers or he will dump you in the trash along with the dozens of hearts he’s broken-I’m sure he has a spare (see above). For any of you who are experiencing similar problems do not be afraid to contact us: Dan: 16092@students.isb.ac.th or dannyb01#yamackaman$ixty8$wagmaster97@hotmail.com Nathan: 17406@students.isb.ac.th or n4tm4n_xxgoliath420noscopexx@gmail.com *We also provide home services for no charge*
Dan Borenstein and Nathan Scott
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DECEMBER
2014
F E A T U R E S
Suit UP
Three days. Six committees. One IASAS Model United Nations 2014.
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fter ten weeks of intense mental and physical preparation, the ISB Model United Nations delegation, comprising of sixteen astounding individuals, faced lengthy immigration lines, airport security and a three-hour flight. This was all that separated these students from their ultimate destination— the IASAS MUN Conference in Jakarta, Indonesia.
Upon reaching Jakarta International School on the eve of November 13th, each person embodied a new identity. No longer were they merely high school students, but rather, diplomatic representatives of the United Kingdom, Philippines, Colombia, and Amnesty International. But with this great power came a great responsibility. For the next three days, ISB students were among nearly 200 others, delivering riveting speeches and asking assertive questions to defend their position on several controversial, current events. Additionally, they presented formal resolutions for world issues, while supporting or criticizing those of their peers. One memorable moment in General Assembly was when Ben (Regimay) Eales (11) compared the del-
Photo Credits to Mrs. Whiteley
egate of Sweden’s resolution on the issue of Kurds in the Middle East to a dumpling— although it appeared “plain and white” on the outside, it was “meaty” and “full of protein” in the center. Also notable were Cole Whiteley’s (12) passionate speeches as the delegate of Ukraine while debating the emergency topic of the Russian Annexation in Ukraine.
“...all united in their passion for current events, their eloquence and confidence in public speaking and their impecible dress.” Delegates of IASAS MUN, while coming from a variety of international backgrounds, were all united in their passion for current events, their eloquence and confidence in public speaking and their impeccable dress. The MUN experience was complete with passionate debating, rapid-fire questions, sending of frivolous notes (MUN pick-up lines) to other delegations, and the inclusion of funny and witty (if not slightly in-
appropriate) analogies at the podium. To the casual outsider, MUN may seem slightly intimidating— a conference filled with groups of welldressed, dignified people, who speak with a sense of eloquence and persuasive poise, spew diplomacy, and engage in ferocious, if not frivolous, debate. However, beyond the suit and the style, delegates are all one and the same, united by their love for resolving world issues and sharing their opinions and ideas with others. IASAS MUN was definitely one of the most unique and special high school memories I’ve ever, and will ever, have at ISB. Having joined MUN in freshman year, I had no idea how much it would help me to improve— not only as a speaker, debater, and persuader, but also as a person. MUN is a completely different world— one full of wit, expression, and rebuttals— and delegates are the exclusive population. IASAS brings them all together, uniting different parts of the same group of people and bringing them together in a harmony of fervent debate and discussion.
Thanya Chat
Photo Credits to IASAS
DECEMBER 2014 DECEMBER 2014
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F E A T U R E S
The Doctors of ISB T
No, Not the Medical Kind
he vast majority of ISB graduates will be going off to colleges and universities all around the world, pursuing education in fields ranging anywhere from business to geography to neuroscience.
This prevalence of further education was not always the norm, it still is not in many places around the world. With our almost endless possibilities in further education, it is important to pursue what you want to do.
We live in a competitive academic atmosphere that allows us the ability to pursue the highest degree of education we could desire, but does that mean we should always push ourselves to that level?
Panther Nation decided to talk to those at ISB with the most experience with post high school education, members of the staff who have doctorates in a variety of subjects and a huge experience in further study. Dr. Michael O’Shannassy, High School Social Studies Teacher, has a doctorate in International Relations. When asked why he chose to pursue a doctorate, Dr. O states that he “used to joke (halfheartedly) that (his) primary reason for pursuing a doctorate was sheer ego, something akin to George Mallory’s response when asked why he chose to tackle Everest (‘Because it was there.’)”
Meanwhile, Dr. Nancy Le Nezet gained her doctorate in Philosophy in France, where you are invited to continue your education if your work is deemed worthy. Even though Dr. Le Nezet “partied a lot” and “had incredible amounts of fun in college”, she always saw studying as her priority.
These individuals have worked hard and have well established knowledge bases in not only their field, but also other subjects. One non-Ph.D example would be Mr. Richard Harvey, who is in the process of getting a master degree in Geography. With his he will have the education to teach Intro to Economics, world studies and his current Geography classes.
High School PE and Sports Science teacher, Dr. Tara Blackshear says it’s important to, “select a major or field of study they are passionate about rather than choosing one simply for monetary gain or external factors.” Dr. O’Shannassy echoes this idea, saying that “you shouldn’t pursue further education just for the sake of doing so, because it is what is expected of you or, even worse, because you cannot figure out anything else more interesting or meaningful to do with your life.” Regardless of whether or not you have these teachers personally, they are a valuable resource for those of you thinking you might want to pursue further education.
Photo Credits to Dr. O’Shannassy
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Dr. O’Shannassy at her graduation ceremony.
DECEMB ER
Austin Gallagher
Photo Credits to Dr. Blackshear
Dr. Blackshear at her graduation ceremony.
2014
A R T S
Coffee House O
n Wednesday November 5th, The Odyssey Club hosted the 12th year of Coffee House. Billed as “an opportunity for students to share their poetry and song with an appreciative audience”, this year’s coffee house began with a reading of Olwenn Fruchart reading “For Beatrice Anne White” followed by a few teachers taking a turn: Ms. Weber read from
John Donne; Mr. Giles performed “To be or not to be”, while Mr. Duffy sang James Taylor’s “Fire and Rain”. Students then took over with notable performances by Baden Soltes, (including a monologue from his own play!) Johanna Stiefler-Johnson (a poem from Anne Sexton), Austin Gallagher (“Stealing from Carol Ann Duffy) and Cole Whiteley who did a fabulous job delivering a Martin
Luther King Jr. speech. Coffee House was also where the Odyssey club’s poetry contest winners were announced. 3rd place was awarded to Nishtha Jaiswal (12) for “-untitled-”, while Rea Saxena (12) recieved 2nd place for “Inferno” and Johanna Stiefler Johnson won in 1st place for her piece, “The Square Root of Two Hundered and Fifty Six”.
The Square Root of Two Hundred and Fifty-Six who falls in love at
wholly sure of is
darkness
16 i
that my love for you
that my eyelids slide
have never felt this
is more
into place.
way about a person my
certain than the
i would die
love for you inhales
rising of the
for you,
me, sets
sun every morning,
with you,
fire to me, you are
than death; i love
because of you, i
wading in my crimson
you
love you,
blood and you taste
with the
forever and with all
so so
rounded teeth in my
of these ridiculous
sweet
gums, the ringed
16
(honey, syrup, some-
tubes that lace my
(four squared, the
times strawberries)
mouth
square root of two
on my tongue.
to my stomach and
hundred and fif-
i learn eight hours
lungs, i love you
ty-six)
worth of goddamn high
with the
years i love you
school classes
freckles on my arms,
each day and yet all
knees, shoulders,
-Johanna Stiefler
i can be utterly and
and with the papery
Johnson (12)
DECEMBER
2014
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Photos by ISB HS Flickr, Grace Currie and Terri Thomas
Touch/Rugby Exchange S P O R T S
O
ver the weekend November 21st-23rd, the ISB girls’ Varsity touch rugby team travelled to Singapore for the All Asian School Tournament while the boys’ rugby team travelled to Jakarta for the Pre-IASAS exchange.
The rugby and touch teams were able to garner experience by playing competitive matches in which they both lost and won. The girls played games all day Saturday as well as Sunday morning. Makena Emery (12), captain of the girls’ varsity touch rugby team, said, “the team got a lot of playing time and therefore learnt a significant amount about working together as a team as well as about each individual’s playing potential.” She further added that she was “proud of how far they got in the tournament and how they rose to the occasion in their semifinal game against United World College (UWC) East.” Although they lost to UWC, they played competitively and did not give up.
They learnt a lot from playing against such an experienced, talented team. The competition between the IASAS schools for touch this year was similar across the board. Mr. Phil Rogers, the girls’ coach, described the exchange as an energiser for the players and a motivator to increase the intensity of training. He further stated that “in terms of expectations, the team should be in the mix for a medal at IASAS.” Additionally, the captains, the coaches and players strongly agree that improvement
Photo by Marilu Emery
Sofi Sintes (10) catches a ball
in their defence and more importantly their communication must continue. The boys had games on the Friday evening and all day Saturday. Dylan Harvey (12), captain of the boys’ team, described the exchange as more of a learning opportunity as they were able to realize what they must do to improve their game in time for IASAS. At the exchange, the boys brought a small squad of only thirteen players. The JIS Rugby team offered to give ISB some of their players which ISB kindly accepted. Mr. Richard Harvey, one of the boys’ coaches, positively remarked, “the boys made enormous progress from Friday night through to Saturday and were fairly evenly matched up against SAS on Saturday morning.” With the intensity building as IASAS approaches, the touch and rugby teams will continue with their diligent preparations. Good luck!
Tennis Exchange
O
n Saturday, November 22nd, both boys’ and girls’ Varsity tennis teams headed out onto the courts at ISB for the annual pre-IASAS exchange. Both teams were against a lot of tough competition but were hardworking and determined to perform the best of their abilities throughout the entire tournament.
The girls’ team stayed positive throughout the whole day and was able to pull out one win and another very close score. They successfully won their last match against ISKL, with a score of 4-3, and another close game was against JIS, with the game ending in a score of 3-4, but unfortunately in favor of the other team. The head coach of the girls’ team, Coach Marion stated, “since this is a very new experience for most of the girls to play a real tennis match, they all did very well.” She also mentions that the “last three weeks, [they] have seen a big improvement, everyone worked really hard and those girls are committed.”
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The boys’ team also showed a lot of improvement and performed well at exchange. Captain of the boys’ team, Mong Sukpraprut (11) says that although “there were some downfalls,” everyone “remembered that an airplane takes off against the wind and kept on fighting.” He also adds that since they are a young team, this was a good way to practice, and “even though [they] didn’t play like they wanted to, [he] believes that [they] will do much better at IASAS.”
Becky Bradley
Both teams are fairly young and not only was this exchange a good learning experience for them, but it was a perfect way to show how much they have all improved since the first day of practice. Now that they have gotten a taste of what IASAS might be like, they will hopefully continue to improve and be able to perform outstandingly at IASAS in Manila next semester. Stella Kim
Photo by Orawon Lamangthong
The girls’ Varsity tennis team enjoying their home-turf exchange.
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Swimming Exchange S P O R T S
T
he boys’ and girls’ Varsity swim teams headed off to Singapore American School on November 19th in hopes of showing their impressive swimming abilities. Also, it was a great swim meet to get a look into this year’s IASAS competitors; all in all, the experience went quite well for our speedy swimmers. Quickly after arriving to Singapore, the 400 meter I.M. and 800 meter freestyle were taking place, and from the start of the meet our panthers elicited great spirits,fast times, and many personal bests from everyone on the team. The swimmer’s brilliant performances really shined through in the weekend of exchange. A moment that Varsity boys’ swimming captain, Anders Brekke (12) had to highlight was the “4 x 100 freestyle relay in which Tobi Rodriguez(12), Om Samanthai(9) , Tar Tar Jarusinchai(9), and Anders Brekke(12),
T
broke the ISB school record.” Anders then added, that at the level in which the boys’ team was swimming at showed that “if [the team] continues what [they] have been doing thus far in practice, [they] not only have a chance at medaling at IASAS, but maybe even having a shot at gold.” Going to the swimming exchange was not only a way to compete and show talent, but to learn what the strengths and weaknesses of the team are in order to improve before the big championship of IASAS next semester at ISB. Sidney Smith (11), captain of the girls’ Varsity swim team stated that “ overall, the team learned that we do function as one, despite being an individual sport,” as she noticed that “as people started to get best times the pattern continued, and when energy was low everyone was low.” With the final IASAS championship of the second season arising, the
swimmers have shown that they will ferocious and threatening competition next semester. The best part about it, however, is the fact that they will be able to get support from the panther community as it will be hosted at ISB, our home… So stay tuned!
mance against IASAS competition, while also acknowledging the impact of the team’s inexperience. Varsity boys’ captain Afi Blackshear (11) was excited about the team’s potential, as he noted the “moments of greatness” he witnessed on the court. However, he also elaborated on the team’s “inexperience,” and how they will need to “focus on fixing the little things” as these are the “things that beat [them] every time [they] lose.”
shared his captain’s views on the team’s display in Manila. Ralph explained: “I think one of our disadvantages we learned from the exchange was that our team is very young and inexperienced. but experience will come from just playing and getting used to the intensity. Although the team was happy with the way they faced up to with IASAS conpetition, they were surprised by the higher skill level of each team compared to last year. Ralph was conscious of the consequences of overestimating any team at IASAS, and was aware that this may have contributed to losses. “All of the teams competing will be a challenge. We can’t underestimate the opponent based on their team from last year, we learned that the hard way.
Sofi Sintes
The swim team huddle before their races Photo by Sidney Smith
Basketball Exchange
owards the end of November, the Varsity boys’ basketball team headed to Manila for their exchange. In past years, basketball have not travelled to exchanges, however this year they were lucky enough to face ISKL, JIS, and ISM.
After losing many seniors and other departing players, the team has had to rebuild since their fantastic silver medal finish at last year’s IASAS tournament. This meant that the pre-IASAS exchange would be an adequate test of their new talent. While the team lost to JIS and hosts ISM, they managed to pull out a win against ISKL. They were in contention to win each of their games until the final buzzer went, showing the team’s ability to compete against teams with equally high standards. The few returning players were pleased with the team’s perfor-
“Our team is very young and inexperienced, but experience will come from playing and getting used to the intensity.” Returning junior, and member of last year’s silver medal winning IASAS squad Ralph Huang (11)
DE CE M B E R
2014
Nathan Scott
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S P O R T S
A
fter the recent bribery accusations aimed at FIFA, there has been an investigation into the 2018 and 2022 World Cup bidding processes. Four years ago, a select number of countries competed against each other to earn the right of hosting either the 2018 or 2022 World Cup. Each country sent their envoys, generally a combination of football legends and powerful political figures, and pitched their plan for their ideal World Cup. Russia and England were among the 2018 bids, while joint efforts from Belgium and Holland, along with Spain and Portugal were also pitched to the FIFA judges. For the 2022 bids, we saw Japan, Qatar, the USA, South Korea, and Australia pitch their efforts to Fifa, while Mexico and Indonesia both withdrew due to lack of financial and governmental support. Although countries such as England, USA, Australia, and Japan already have enough sport venues to host the World Cup without having to construct new stadia, the winning bids came from Russia and Qatar. After the surprises of the bidding process, FIFA aroused much suspicion from around the globe, leading to an investigation into corruption. There were allegations of blackmailing, threatening, and bribery amongst certiain bidding participants.
World Cup Scandal: What’s the deal? Michael Garcia was hired to conduct a two-year investigation into these allegations, but his results are not clear as of yet. FIFA recently released an adapted version of his report, stating that Qatar and Russia were clean, and had not bribed or threatened FIFA officials in any way. Hans Joachim Eckert, head of the FIFA adjudicatory chamber published Garica’s findings, but has been heavily criticized by Garcia himself, for mis-representing his findings to a large extent. Garcia has since appealed to the FIFA comittee, asking for his full report to be published for the public to read. This adds another case to “FIFA’s Dirty Secrets,” which has since warranted its own Wikipedia page. As it stands, the World Cup may in 2018 may have to be moved to the winter, due to time complications, while the Qatar world cup will have to be played in fully air conditioned stadia. Temperatures can rise to as high as 55 degrees Celsius in Qatar, which is far above the safety zone for professional football games which last 90 minutes. Additionally, there have been accusations against construction companies in Qatar, claiming that the construction workers, primarily central Asian immigrants, have been treated so poorly that they may have had their human rights violated. More extreme reports also claim that these workers have had their passpsorts confiscated, and have no choice but to work for these construction companies to build these billion dollar stadia. This is not the first time FIFA have been under the spotlight, and they will have to stop making a habit of this if they wish to be trusted by the footballing world. Nathan Scott
D E CE M B E R
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Photo Credits: ISB Photography Club, Ciel Sriprasert, Genie Pakvisal, Yuan-yo Wang, ISB HS Flickr, Mrs. Whiteley, and Mrs. Thomas