Monday, May 1, 2023 | Pinewood International American School of Thessaloniki
Monday, May 1, 2023 | Pinewood International American School of Thessaloniki
We’re excited to share our 2023 Spring Issue of Pineword with you! We’re especially pleased to offer two new segments this issue: several Pinewood News articles written by Mrs. Dalakas’s ELL-Intensive Grade 7 students, as well as extracts from the Pinewood Forensics team’s student speeches. The articles in these segments span a wide variety of interesting topics, from recycling to freedom of thought.
While our photographers at Pineword took a much-needed break during the Easter holiday, Ms. Laina Smith, a grade 2 teacher at Pinewood, was hard at work snapping pictures of the wildflowers now popping up around Greece which you will see represented here. We hope the articles, photos, and creative writing in this issue help you transition into the warmer weather, and that you utilize our suggestions for Spring travel and recipes during the upcoming long weekends all while remaining environmentallyconscious, of course!
As spring comes into full swing, it’s also a time of new beginnings. Though some of the pieces in this issue take on a more somber tone, such as the Pinewood News coverage of the Tempi tragedy or our poetry about
love and loss, we hope all of the pieces here offer us a chance to reflect on the topics concerning our community today. For example, should we be taking action to put an end to the phenomenon of fast fashion? How do we define “ progress”? Are we facing a crisis of culture? Spring is a chance for us to examine the matters that concern us and make changes as we move into the summer and, soon, the new school year.
As one article states, all things must come to an end! Though this is our final issue for the 2022-2023 school year, we’re already looking ahead to the new beginning offered by next fall. For now, our team is concerned with the fast-approaching exam season. We wish everyone at Pinewood luck as they tackle this stressful time; maybe you can relate to the character in the short story “The Mirror,” whose “eyes close on top of pages that smell fresh of pen ink almost every night!”
We thank you for your support of the Journalism club this year, and appreciate the large number of pieces we’ve received from contributors. If you feel in any way inspired to contribute, we’re happy to accept articles, photos, poems, stories, drawings, and more!
We wish you happy readings of Pineword’s 2023 Spring issue!
It is a stated fact that all good and bad things come to an end eventually, but haven ’t you ever found yourself wondering why? For example, a good friendship ended. Why did that happen? Or maybe school had to end, and now you have to act like an adult, but you don’t know how! Or, a relationship ended and you keep asking yourself, "what was the reason?" All these are great questions that any individual asks when an experience ends in their life. But WHY DO ALL THINGS COME TO AN END?
Grabbing the example of ending school, and speaking as an 11th grader and an IB1 student, I have come to the realization that for me, the torture chamber they call school will release me in less than a year… and after that, I am finally on my own in the big, scary world called “reality”. Yet, I still feel like a few more months is a lot of work and a long way to go. School workload–the gift that keeps on giving! Just when you thought you understood a topic, the teachers pile on more work, leading to a bubbling-like situation of never-ending homework and confusion. Then, there’s the IB program–the ultimate breeding ground for bubbling situations! Get ready for responses that lead to even more questions, because in this program, there's no such thing as a straight answer. Sure, you'll get a high-level overview of a topic, but
buckle up, because that's just the beginning of the ride. Get ready to dive deep into the rabbit hole of confusion and frustration as you try to make sense of it all. Who needs clarity and straightforwardness when you can have endless inquiry and debate, right? IB–the program that keeps you on your toes and your brain in a constant state of questioning. Good luck!
My IB topics provide me with the following material and stimulate additional study. Prepare to delve into the complexities of the cosmos and the human condition, for there is no such thing as a simple explanation in the IB program.
In terms of ToK, because our experiences, attitudes, ideas, prejudices, culture, and language impact our understanding, KNOWLEDGE shapes why things end. How we handle endings and changes can completely impact our perspective on why things end. After many ends, we may be more accepting of change. If we're unfamiliar with endings, they may be harder to grasp, because we ’re shaped by our background. That also may mean that endings vary by culture. Some think it's normal, while others strive to avoid or delay it because they think it's terrible. Or, I should point out that talking about endings can change how we see them. For
Monday, May 1, 2023 | Pinewood International American School of Thessaloniki
example, in English, words like finish, conclude, terminate, and expire mean distinct things. Overall, as KNOWERS, we must consider these aspects and think about endings and transitions. If we do that, we can better understand how our lives alter and end.
IB Greek Literature fans should check out Kavafis' "Ithaka" poem. It's pretty famous. The poem is all about enjoying the ride instead of just worrying about the end goal. So basically, life is like a road trip–it goes by quickly and nothing lasts forever. We should just enjoy the ride and not stress about what's already happened or what's coming up. Nonetheless, I believe you have a greater chance of figuring out the solution that
Ithaka in our hearts, no matter what… EVEN AN END!
#neverforget #staystrong #keepgoing #AdventureAwaits #TravelBlogger
There is always the possibility that some people may opt to look at why things come to an end in IB Math. In this scenario, your alternatives can be linked to the concepts of probability distributions. Probability distributions describe the likelihood of different outcomes in a random process. In many realworld processes, the outcome is determined by chance. The law of large numbers states that as the number of trials in a random process increases, the average outcome of those
ronmental Systems and Societies is your focus of interest. In this case, you should know that the idea that all things come to an end is related to natural resource depletion, ecosystem degradation, and the limits of human social and economic systems. Social and economic systems reach their limits as they try to meet the growing demands of human population and consumption. These systems, beyond leading to social inequalities, are often built on the exploitation of natural resources, and thus drive the way to environmental degradation. Natural resources are finite; their extraction and use can cause their depletion and environmental degradation. This can lead to a decline in ecosystem services, such as the availability of clean water or the provision of food and shelter for wildlife, meaning:
This is the end, beautiful friend
This is the end, my only friend
The end of our elaborate plans
The end of everything that stands
…Even The Doors sound more hopeful!
For IB Psychology there is always the dilemma of whether to consider a Biological or Cognitive approach. A true dilemma! Personally, I prefer the second because the biological approach focuses on factors such as genetics, brain chemistry, the impact of disease and injury on the body and mind, and as if the end isn't dramatic enough, you have to consider all of these factors to understand
why everything comes to an end! On the other hand, the cognitive approach in psychology emphasizes mental processes such as perception, attention, memory, and reasoning, and how they influence behavior and cognition. From this perspective, all things come to an end due to the limitations of our cognitive processes and our inability to process and remember an infinite amount of information. Therefore, it can be argued that the cognitive approach offers a more complete explanation of why all things come to an end, as it considers not only biological factors but also the limitations of our cognitive processes. Surprisingly, there is a lot of absurd optimism that understanding our cognitive limitations, and improving our ability to receive and remember knowledge, may assist to delay the decline. Why? Because, obviously, there is no way to dodge the end!
Digging into IB English Literature is like feverishly trying to find an answer in hell! Literally in hell, since how else could the MAUS holocaust story or the Persepolis coming of age in a war-torn setting be described? Going further, isn't it just hilarious how MAUS and Persepolis are all about suffering, trauma, and oppression, while Michelle Obama's speeches are just filled with sunshine and rainbows about believing in yourself? I mean, who needs to grapple with complex themes of identity, belonging, and survival when you can just cheerlead people into thinking they can accomplish anything they want with enough positivity?
Monday, May 1, 2023 | Pinewood International American School of Thessaloniki
Sure, it's great that Obama was able to overcome her childhood challenges, but I guess we should just ignore the fact that most people aren't able to achieve success through sheer force of will and determination. Why bother examining the difficult realities of life
mindset and approach to life can have a profound impact on our ability to find meaning and purpose.
So, keep your chin up, fellow IB warrior! We are almost there, and we will prevail!
lexandra Diamantopoulou M arina Nazeraki
Marina: Thank you for being here with us today.
Sotiris: My pleasure.
M: This is an interview about the new newspaper, Pinewood Times.
Alexandra: Who are the members of Pinewood Times and what is their job?
S: The members of Pinewood Times are all the representatives in the student body and their job is to submit an article every two Tuesdays on a certain topic which we have previously discussed.
A: How well do you collaborate with each other?
S: We all work as a team and always achieve to have perfect collaboration regardless of our position in the council.
A: What is your favorite topic so far?
S: The “Pinewood Concerns” section stressed the topic of cats around the school and set specific rules as to how students should act upon such a significant issue.
M: How do you see the future of the newspaper?
S: Our intention is to achieve keeping the Pinewood Times alive in the upcoming years.
A: What inspired you to create ewood Times
S: Because I felt like the Pinewood community was in desperate need to be informed on global and local issues from a student of view. Also, our newspaper serves as the link between the students and the administration of our school.
M: How do you feel about our newspaper? Do you feel threatened?
S: Well I believe that ewood Times have a different purpose and are thus achieving a different outcome.
A: Lovely. What is the purpose of the newspaper?
S: I believe that the purpose of Pinewood Times is to inform our community, the Pinewood community, on current issues concerning our school, but in comparison Pineword is more of a magazine associated with literature and creative writing.
M: Do you think that Pineword and Pinewood Times could collaborate in the future?
S: I believe that, in the near future, the two could be merged and be published together.
A&M: Thank you so much.
S: My pleasure.
Monday, May 1, 2023 | Pinewood International American School of Thessaloniki
The Flower Parade, also known as the Bloemencorso, is an annual event held in Holland in April. The parade runs from Noordwijk to Haarlem. The Flower parade was first celebrated in 1947, to boost morale after WW2. The floats in the parade are made up of thousands of colorful flowers, such as tulips which are a symbol of Dutch culture. In addition to the floats, there are marching bands, dancers and other performers to entertain the audience.
less of religion. During Holi, people throw colored powder in each other’s faces and clothes which is a tradition rooted in the love story of Lord Krisha and Radha.
Holi is perceived as one of the most famous festivals and has been celebrated in India since ancient times. The festival aims to welcome spring, to help forget and forgive, and end conflicts. People dance, party, have bonfires, and throw colorful powder dye into the air. The colors symbolize a new vibrant life. Holi is usually celebrated by Hindus, however, it is celebrated all over the world regard-
Summer Day, which is celebrated in Albania on March 14, is a holiday that has pagan roots. On this day, families and people celebrate the benefits of nature, the blooming of flowers, and the good things that nature has given to humanity. Inherited from generation to generation, this popular holiday is a day, which today also distinguishes the city of Elbasan, known in Albania for special cultural traditions. But the summer festival, which is celebrated in the city otherwise known as "the city in the navel of Albania", is not only for the people of Elbasana this holiday has been celebrated by all Albanians for years to show that they are always one.
Monday, May 1, 2023 | Pinewood International American School of Thessaloniki
“The history of the Dutch Flower Parade Bollenstreek.” Tulip Festival Amsterdam, https://tulipfestivalamsterdam.com/ history-flower-parade/.
Suri, Manveena. “Why India celebrates Holi: The legends behind the festival of color.” CNN, 20 March 2019, https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/ holi-festival-india/index.html.
“What is holi and Why is it Celebrated in India?” Deepak Bhatt : Blog, 1 March 2023, https://www.deepakbhatt.in/what-isholi/
Summer Day in Albania (Dita e Veres) –AlbPost.Co.UK.” AlbPost.Co.UK, https:// albpost.co.uk/listing/summer-day-inalbania-dita-e-veres/
Monday, May 1, 2023 | Pinewood International American School of Thessaloniki
Spring is a wonderful time of year to travel, as the weather is mild and the world is bursting with new life. Whether you're looking to explore the great outdoors or soak up some culture and history, there are plenty of places to visit in the spring that are sure to delight and inspire you. In this article, we'll highlight some of the best destinations for springtime travel.
In the springtime, Amsterdam is awash with vibrant tulips and other flowers, making it one of the most beautiful cities in Europe. The Keukenhof Gardens are a mustvisit attraction, as they feature over 7 million tulips, daffodils, and hyacinths in a stunning display of color and fragrance. The city also hosts a number of cultural festivals in the spring, including King's Day in late April, which features street parties, parades, and live music.
Spring is the perfect time to visit the capital of the United States, as the cherry blossoms that line the Tidal Basin burst into full bloom in late March or early April. This stunning display of pink and white flowers is a sight to behold, and the city comes alive with festivals, parades, and other celebrations throughout the season. In addition to the cherry blossoms, D.C. is home to world-class museums, historic landmarks, and beautiful parks, making it a must-visit destination for springtime travelers.
Japan is famous for its stunning cherry blossoms, and Kyoto is one of the best places to see them. The city's temples, shrines, and parks are filled with pink and white blooms in late March or early April, creating a breathtakingly beautiful atmosphere.
In addition to the cherry blossoms, Kyoto is home to historic temples and gardens, delicious cuisine, and a rich cultural heritage that makes it a must-visit destination for anyone interested in Japan.
Monday, May 1, 2023 | Pinewood International American School of Thessaloniki
lakes, and rushing waterfalls. Visitors can enjoy hiking, mountain biking, skiing, and other outdoor activities in the crisp, fresh air of the Canadian Rockies. The park is also home to a number of hot springs and spas, making it a great place to relax and unwind after a day of outdoor adventure.
Spring is a wonderful time to visit Barcelona, as the city's mild climate makes it a great place to explore its many outdoor attractions. The city's parks and beaches come alive with activity in the spring, and visitors can enjoy everything from picnics and bike rides to sailing and kayaking. Barcelona is also home to world-class museums, stunning architecture, and delicious cuisine, making it a perfect destination for culture lovers and foodies alike.
These are just a few of the many amazing destinations to visit in the springtime. Whether you're interested in natural beauty, culture, history, or outdoor adventure, there's a destination out there that's perfect for you. So grab your passport, pack your bags, and get ready to explore all the wonders that springtime travel has to offer!
For outdoor enthusiasts, Banff National Park is a must-visit destination in the spring. The snow starts to melt in April, revealing stunning mountain vistas, alpine
Spring is a wonderful time of year when everything comes back to life after a long, cold winter. With the arrival of warmer weather, many people are looking for delicious, fresh recipes that take advantage of the season's bounty. In this article, we'll explore some delicious spring recipes that are sure to please your taste buds and help you make the most of this beautiful time of year.
Risotto is a comforting, hearty dish that's perfect for cool spring evenings. To make a spring vegetable risotto, start by sautéing diced onions and garlic in butter until they're translucent. Add arborio rice to the pan and toast it for a few minutes, then slowly add hot chicken or vegetable stock, stirring constantly until the rice is tender and creamy. Add a variety of fresh, seasonal vegetables like asparagus, peas, and fava beans, and finish the dish with a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese and fresh herbs.
Asparagus is one of the quintessential spring vegetables, and this simple salad highlights its fresh, delicate flavor. To make the salad, blanch fresh asparagus for a few minutes in boiling water, then drain and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process. Toss the asparagus with a light vinaigrette made from olive oil, lemon juice, and Dijon mustard, and serve with a sprinkling of crumbled goat
Rhubarb is another springtime favorite, and it pairs perfectly with sweet, juicy strawberries in this delicious dessert. To make the crisp, combine chopped rhubarb and strawberries with a bit of sugar and flour, and place the mixture in a baking dish. In a separate bowl, mix together rolled oats, flour, brown sugar, and melted butter, and sprinkle the mixture
over the fruit. Bake the crisp in the oven until the topping is golden brown and the fruit is bubbly and tender.
and creamy. Grill the lamb chops until they're nicely browned and juicy, and serve them with a generous dollop of the mint pesto on top.
Spring is the perfect time to fire up the grill, and these juicy lamb chops with mint pesto are a delicious way to do it. To make the pesto, combine fresh mint leaves, garlic, pine nuts, and Parmesan cheese in a food processor, and pulse until the mixture is finely chopped. With the motor running, slowly add olive oil until the pesto is smooth
These are just a few of the many delicious spring recipes that are perfect for enjoying the season's fresh flavors. Whether you're in the mood for a light, refreshing salad or a hearty, comforting risotto, there's something for everyone in the world of springtime cooking. So dust off your apron, head to the farmers' market, and start exploring all the delicious recipes that this wonderful season has to offer!
Monday, May 1, 2023 | Pinewood International American School of Thessaloniki
On Wednesday, March 1, the PN broadcasting corporation reported that at Tempi, Larissa, 57 people were found dead and 85 injured after the Tempi train collision. The passenger train was traveling from Athens to the northern city of Thessaloniki when it crashed head-on with the freight train, causing the front carriages to burst into flames, shortly before midnight local time.
Many of the 350 passengers on-board the passenger train were students in their 20s returning to Thessaloniki after a 3-day long weekend celebrating the beginning of Greek Orthodox Lent. “It is such a pity so many people died in a collision that could have been prevented. So many families are broken, and the entire country is devastated,” Helen Dalakas, a Pinewood teacher, said. Soon after, the main train station manager in Larissa was arrested for his involvement, and the Greek authorities released high-profile dispatch records showing one of the train drivers being instructed to ignore red lights.
The first four carriages of the passenger
train were derailed, and the first two caught on fire and were “almost completely destroyed”. It is being described as the worst train crash Greece has ever seen. “I feel devastated because it is a human tragedy. I believe that the responsibility of each country is to protect its citizens and they failed!” Ms. Katerina Siganidou, a Pinewood shadow teacher said.
Monday, May 1, 2023 | Pinewood International American School of Thessaloniki
Students interviewed Dr. Apostolos Rofaelas about recycling concerns at Pinewood International American School of Thessaloniki.
Dr. Apostolos Rofaelas was invited to attend the ELL Intensive 7 class where students asked him questions related to recycling. The students were excited and the Principal was thrilled to be part of an engaging class.
Below are the questions students prepared and the Principal's answers:
Veronika Koleberdina: Should we organize whole-school events related to recycling at school?
Dr. Rofaelas: Yes, we should organize some next year. This year, we need students and teachers to collaborate for the school to be cleaner.
Romeo Mistakidis: What are the benefits of recycling in our community and how can we improve recycling at our school?
Dr. Rofaelas: I know that recycling is not working really well here, but in the new school we are going to improve recycling by introducing new methods.
Diego Manzano Cases: Should we have conferences or seminars about recycling? If yes, what should we discuss?
Dr. Rofaelas: Yes, we should definitely have conferences about recycling. We should discuss how we should recycle, what we should recycle, and why it is so important.
Vasilisa Naumenko: Can you tell us some reasons why recycling is important in our school?
Dr. Rofaelas: Recycling is important in our school because all the children here are from different countries and when the students of this school grow up and return to their home countries, they will use their prior knowledge to make the world a better place.
XiYa Jiang: Why do you think younger students need to learn about recycling?
Dr. Rofaelas: I think younger students need to learn about recycling because parents spend time teaching their kids about the importance of recycling and how to do it, and if they learn about it earlier, they can be the leaders of tomorrow.
With the ecological situation getting worse, recycling is very important. Pollution harms nature and all living organisms, and if one recycles garbage, the environment can be helped a little. If there is open communication about ecology, many people will be interested in helping nature.
Monday,
May 1, 2023 | Pinewood International American School of ThessalonikiAs I was reading the news just recently, a headline grabbed my attention. It said “Just Stop Oil activists throw soup at Van Gogh’ s Sunflowers.” But it wasn’t until I delved further into this topic that I realized that the intention was never to damage the painting–especially knowing it’s kept under protective glass–but was a necessary means to provide activists a platform to inform people so they could hold companies accountable for their actions. And I must agree, any press is good press: it caught many people’s attention and pushed the issue into controversy. However, I do not see the same press, the same “spotlight” focused on fast fashion companies; in fact, a study conducted by UBS concluded that most shoppers do not understand the impacts of fast fashion environmentally, let alone the ethical concerns. Though this number is growing, not enough know, or care to make a change.
Statistically, fashion industries are one of the most polluting industries in the world, accounting for roughly 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions and 20% of industrial water pollution, drying up rivers and polluting clean sources of water. In just one year, we release 500,000 tons of microfibres into the ocean simply by washing our clothes. To put that into perspective, that’s about 50 billion plastic water bottles. An average of 1,800 gal-
lons of water are needed to produce one pair of jeans–that’s enough water for you to drink for 10 years! And that’s jeans alone–think of all the other products you purchase without giving much, if any, thought into it! Over half of the garments produced every year are thrown away or incinerated within 12 months, burned or trashed in landfill. Despite companies acknowledging this, they fail to make improvements, and it is now the job of activists, of the press, to advocate for a change in our money-oriented world.
The advertised benefits of fast fashion, convenience and affordability, are taken at the expense of others; we are not only exploiting our environment, we are also exploiting laborers in poorer countries. According to a report by the Clean Clothes Campaign, an estimated 93% of workers in the fast fashion industry earn less than a living wage. Furthermore, a study by Oxfam revealed that garment workers in Bangladesh earn only 2.5% of the final retail price of the clothing they produce. When surveyed, they admitted these wages could not make ends meet. These very people are what is exchanged for “convenience and affordability”. This is the actual price of a garment
Our generation, too, is to blame for our environment. The monthly, if not weekly “trending look” our generation so promotes drives people in purchasing products they will not wear
for longer than a month, other than for a couple of photos to be posted on social media to be accepted into the “chic mob”. Trends run in rapidly rotating cycles, how long will you actually wear those MiuMiu mini skirts? Even the alternative, “slow fashion,” or quality fashion, houses are silently transitioning into fast fashion factories. A Dior t-shirt with the print “We should all be feminists” is priced at 750 euros. Seven. Hundred. What difference does it make as opposed to Zara or H&M? Are you really supporting quality goods? Or have you just spent 750 euros on a t-shirt manufactured the very same way as a pair of Zara jeans or H&M jumper?
And despite all of this, I do not see any change, any advocacy, loud enough for companies to accept their wrongdoings. And what infuriates me the most is how companies green-wash themselves, make themselves look sustainable, make you feel good about purchasing a pair of jeans made by (2%) recycled polyester. Make a change today, for yourself, do research, recycle or donate your clothes, buy quality, long-lasting products, support ethical brands that support the wellbeing of workers, and of our environment.
Making that small change today may just lead to government regulations and international agreements. Make an effort to support just and sustainable fashion–a fashion that will never “go out of style”.
Bain, M. (2021, April 12). Could climate-conscious shoppers kill fast fashion? Quartz. https:// qz.com/1995090/could-climate-consciousshoppers-kill-fast-fashion#:~:text=Many% 20shoppers%20remain%20unaware% 20of,about%20fast%20fashion's% 20environmental%20impact
Glover, W. by S. (n.d.). 93% of brands 'don't pay living wage'. Ecotextile News. https:// www.ecotextile.com/2020062326250/fashionretail-news/93-of-brands-don-t-pay-livingwage.html#:~:text=AMSTERDAM%20%2D% 20Some%2093%20per%20cent,the% 20European%20Union%20
(EU) http://rmg-study.cpd.org.bd/bangladeshfactory-workers-earn-2-garment-made/
Home. watertalks.csusb.edu. (n.d.). https:// watertalks.csusb.edu/how-much-water-dopeople-use#:~:text=How%20Much% 20Water%20Does%20One,and%20182.5% 20gallons%20per%20year
Maiti, R. (2023, March 28). Fast fashion: Its detrimental effect on the environment. Earth.Org. https://earth.org/fast-fashions-detrimentaleffect-on-the-environment/#:~:text=The% 20Dark%20Side%20of%20Fast%
20Fashion&text=It%20dries%20up%20water% 20sources,of%2050%20billion%20plastic% 20bottles
Niinimäki, K., Peters, G., Dahlbo, H., Perry, P., Rissanen, T., & Gwilt, A. (2020, April 7). The environmental price of Fast Fashion. Nature News. https://www.nature.com/articles/ s43017-020-0039-9
Monday, May 1, 2023 | Pinewood International American School of Thessaloniki
“Under the brown fog of a winter dawn, A crowd flowed over London Bridge, so many, I had not thought death had undone so many. Sighs, short and infrequent, were exhaled, And each man fixed his eyes before his feet.”
These lines from T.S. Eliot’s Waste-Land come to my mind every single morning, when I see the modern Man commuting to work; when I gaze at these crowds of the modern living-dead, blindly and unwaveringly following their daily routines; when I see in front of me this modern Waste-Land; the withering men and women with their “sighs, their short and infrequent [exhalations]”, “undone” by Death, or rather, by Life, “undone” by the supposed financial crisis. Ever since the collapse of the US housing market in 2008, and its immediate global impact, we have been bombarded and terrorized by these two words: “financial crisis”. And recently, these two words seem to have been replaced by the financial crisis’ sibling: the energy crisis. “Financial crisis” has apparently become our new status quo; Man’ s new plague. Is this truly the case though?
I believe that the crisis of human societies is only seemingly economic. Deep down, the only crisis our modern world is facing and needs to overcome, is a cultural crisis, or a crisis of civilization…. In our western, crudely orthologistic, money-oriented world, civilization has come to be regarded as a surplus, as a luxury, while on the other hand, the securing of “bread”, of material goods has come to be regarded as something sacred, the ‘sanctum sanctorum’ in fact, of the 21st century! But we fail to realize that there is no “bread” without civilization. Perhaps the most representative example of this is the French Revolution. It was the Renaissance that brought about the French Revolution. It was civilization and culture that laid the ground for it. The Revolution was born out of the enlightened ones; it was civilization that gave “bread” (sweet or not) to the people. Our focus needs to shift again towards civilization. Its absence is the true root of our world’ s problems. Its absence is the only crisis our world is facing.
The question that plausibly raises itself is how is civilization absent? How is this justified? The way I see it, the answer lies in the way governments promote a shallow and censored version of literature, which ultimately leads to a decline in people's ability to think critically and intelligently.
Monday, May 1, 2023 | Pinewood International American School of Thessaloniki
Throughout history, periods of cultural decline often referred to as "the Dark Ages," have been marked by the suppression of creativity and expression among society's most prominent cultural figures, such as poets, writers, and artists. I argue that we are currently experiencing a similar phenomenon…
As Aristotle once said, "The aim of art is to represent not the outward appearance of things, but their inward significance." Literature, poetry, and the arts are not mere frivolous luxuries, but rather, the beating heart of a culture, the mirror on which a society can gaze upon itself and understand its own soul.
But as we look around us, we see a society in which literature is increasingly viewed as a mere academic exercise, or worse, a relic of a bygone era. The very act of reading, once a sacred ritual, has been reduced to a mere pastime. The rise of technology has brought with it a plethora of distractions, and literature is all too easily set aside…
But culture and the humanities are not luxuries; they are not meant only for the intelligentsia, for the academics, for such “niche” groups. They are the very foundation upon which our societies are built. The “Spirit” must become again the very centre of our lives! Simply because it is the only thing that can provide the modern Man with an equal, just, dignified life; it is the only thing that can take the modern Man out of this crisis of civilization, out of this modern “Waste Land”. Thank You!
Eliot, TS. “The Waste Land” by T. S. Eliot.” Poetry Foundation, https://www.poetryfoundation.org/ poems/47311/the-waste-land.
Rimbaud, Arthur. “Arthur Rimbaud.” Poetry Foundation, https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/ arthur-rimbaud.
Monday, May 1, 2023 | Pinewood International American School of Thessaloniki
In the bill of rights, the freedom of thought, speech, religion, petition and assembly is widely acknowledged as the highest-ranking amendment, as it is considered to be the very foundation and essence of maintaining a democratic society. Yet, when we magnify the ‘thought’ aspect in this amendment, we can easily observe a pressing flaw, especially in modern society: Thoughts and opinions are so easily influenced and manipulated they no longer take form as one’s own, free thoughts. And so a question plausibly arises: in our current societies, are our thoughts and opinions really ours? Are they really ‘free’?
Think of a future where everyone has conveniently abandoned their ability of thinking critically to fit into thoughtless majorities that can be moulded and manipulated by governments. And no, this isn't just some depressing and dystopian thought, or some sequel to Orwell’s 1984; but the inevitable reality our generation is heading to. Modern man’s thought is not really in flux, “εν ροή” as the philosopher Heraclitus would have put it, but it is stagnant, stone-like. Modern Man’s thought does not derive from conscious, well thoughtout and fully perceived experiences, from constructive dialogue. Instead, it is just blindly reiterated; copy-pasted rambling made out of what one hears or reads; made out of the supposed “opinions” of others…
The truth is, these opinions that conquer the media are neither original nor free opinions formed from facts or constructive dialogue; instead, as a society, we have fallen into the mob mentality and the fandom culture, or rather subculture, making us so prone to irrational group thinking and ideological radicalism, which ultimately results in us not actually having any freedom of thought. And as Oscar Wilde would put it, “Most people are other people. Their thoughts are someone else's opinions, their lives a mimicry, their passions a quotation”...
Alternatively, others might wonder: What if being in the mob is a good thing? If the mob can provide a sense of community and allow greater net happiness, why shouldn’t we comply with these norms? However, it is obvious to me that society is already too far into the mob. We are far too drawn into the fantasies of the media which fail to accurately portray reality; we are desensitised from violence, from pure joy, from rage and anger and it is all reflected in our lack of empathy towards one another. And this is not an unfound concern or an unsupported claim; a study comparing empathy levels of college students nowadays to 50, 40 years ago, found that college students show a 40% decline in their empathy levels; most of which occurred after the 2000s, where social media and the internet
Monday, May 1, 2023 | Pinewood International American School of Thessaloniki
had taken over the world.
We seem to have entered a false sense of democracy, where our societies are ruled by different kinds of mobs, celebrities, pseudointellectuals, or otherwise, thoughtless majorities, rather than by groups of individuals characterised by excellence of intellect and virtue. The question worth asking of course is, why do our societies promote the mobs? Why have we reached the point where it has become so difficult for people, and particularly the young generation, to have their own, personal opinion? I think the answer lies in that the truly intelligent people are deeply independent, exactly because they are ruled by their own free thinking, by their passion for truth and justice; and for that reason, they are dangerous, and they must be kept silent. As we read in Herodotus’ Histories, “The tallest and best ear corns that stand out must be reaped”.
A truly free intellect, a truly independent, original thought cannot be controlled and must therefore be suppressed. Mobs, on the other hand, are much more convenient for governments, as they can be easily guided and moulded into whatever suits them each time.
The intelligentsia should vocalise the importance and method of obtaining actual freedom of thought, free from manipulative sources. It simply requires a willingness to seek out diverse perspectives; a commitment to justice, to constructive dialogue, not with the criminally promoted “influencers” of any
sort, but with the “ear corns that stand out”. Imagine how different our world would be, if before making an important decision, or before expressing our opinion, we asked ourselves: “What would Socrates think about that? What would Hemingway think? What would Mandela do?” They are the ones who can help us truly conquer freedom of thought; a thought unfettered by bias, celebrity-culture, mob-mentality, the “ one-day heroes”, and the pseudo-democratic plurality of information. Let us thus be guided by those “ear corns that stand out” and have always stood out!
Thank you!
Ahmed, Imran. “Social media companies are to blame for Andrew Tate | Context.” context.news, 13 January 2023, https://www.context.news/big-tech/ opinion/social-media-companies-are-to-blame-forandrew-tate
Herodotus. The Histories. Edited by Carolyn Dewald, translated by Robin Waterfield, Oxford University Press, UK, 1998.
Konrath, S., O'Brien, E. and Hsing, C. (2010)
“Changes in Dispositional Empathy in American College Students over Time A Meta-Analysis. Personality and Social Psychology, 15, 180-198. - References.” Changes in Dispositional Empathy in American College Students Over Time: A Meta-Analysis, Sage Journals, https://www.scirp.org/((lz5mqp453edsnp55rrgj ct55)/reference/ReferencesPapers.aspxReferenceID= 1158523
Wilde, Oscar, and David Price. “De Profundis, by Oscar Wilde.” De Profundis by Oscar Wilde, https:// www.gutenberg.org/files/921/921-h/921-h.htm.
Monday, May 1, 2023 | Pinewood International American School of Thessaloniki
“Then there is us. Humans. The most intelligent species on this planet. The thinkers… the inventors… the visionaries… the brains that fought disease and delayed death… The Einsteins, the Teslas and the Musks. The geniuses that put a vehicle on the red planet, a man on the faraway moon, and that plastic bag in the vast ocean. The same one that killed that stupid turtle.” This extract from one article in the Hindu Times perfectly illustrates the paradox that characterizes the human species, namely, how, despite our tremendous capacity for intellect, artistic creation and scientific progress, we have brought about the destruction of the ecosystem and the near extinction of many species, in this particular case, that of the seaturtle. However, on a broader scale, that transgresses the boundaries of ecology, it poses an extremely significant question: Is our world truly progressing? And the obvious answer would be “Yes, of course it is! After all, “we are the Einsteins, the Teslas and the Musks. The geniuses that put a vehicle on the red planet.” What most people fail to realize though is that this progress is only technological or scientific. We fail to realize that our world is actually not progressing on an intellectual, a spiritual or, otherwise, a truly human level. It is about time we realized that the progress as most people perceive it nowadays is a mere illusion, and that true human pro-
gress does not lie in technological or scientific progress, but in the progress of the only thing that actually has power, as the poet Rimbaud wrote, the “Spirit”, or otherwise, the Intellect. And as so many facets of our modern societies undoubtedly and sadly testify to, our Intellect, or otherwise, our passion for truth, for justice, for virtue, has certainly not been progressing.
How many tragic aspects of our supposedly modern, progressive, humane world should I outline? Where should one start from? The constant wars… the human trafficking, the poverty, the famine, the feeling that modern humans live in a state of constant stress, constant melancholy, the feeling that we are all like frogs, very slowly simmering in a casserole, till death comes without us realizing it; without any protest, without any complaint. Where should one start from and where should one end?
…We can live without a newer generation of iPhones, but what about the rights of those who have no equal opportunity? Those who live in war-torn zones? Those who have no access to the welfare or health system? Those who are not allowed to have a voice? How can technology solve these issues? If all our attention is directed towards technology, we will miss the true source of our problems, namely, lack of intellect, which is the only thing that
Monday, May 1, 2023 | Pinewood International American School of Thessaloniki
can enable us to comprehend the true nature of our issues and truly advance as a species.
What modern people and governments call progress, is, unfortunately, very far from that. For the simple reason that it does not bring happiness. The dramatic majority of people use technology unwisely, and that is why, in the hands of many “smart idiots”, technology has brought about the destruction of earthly life. In Greek mythology, Zeus punishes Prometheus for giving people the fire, or otherwise, technology. He punishes him because he, being Zeus, the infinite life, (we should not forget that the name Zeus comes from the Greek word for life, “ζωή”) knows that man will misuse technology to the detriment of life…
We fail to realize that ironically, the term “ progress”, which connotes evolution and future development, is so integrally related to the past. We can have no intellectual progress by rejecting our past, our roots. As T.S. Eliot writes in his Four Quartets, “development” is a “fallacy / “Encouraged by superficial notions of evolution, / which becomes, in the popular mind, a means of disowning the past”. There can be no real progress by “disowning” our past. We have to move forward, but only, by learning from our past, from those moments in the past when the intellect has reached its zenith. Every nation needs to treasure these moments, their great intellectuals, their great authors, their civilization, and it is only by
treasuring and respecting those, that our path towards the future will constitute a true progress, a true evolution, led by justice, by beauty, by truth!
Thank you! Eliot, T. S. Four Quartets. HarperCollins, 2014. Accessed 9 February 2023.
Gharat, Mahesh, and Kiran Antony. “The Sea Turtle: 'The Dumbest Creature on the Planet' - Provocative Wildlife Campaign in India.” Branding in Asia Magazine, 11 March 2020, https:// www.brandinginasia.com/the-seaturtle-the-dumbest-creature-on-theplanet/.
Monday, May 1, 2023 | Pinewood International American School of Thessaloniki
“
heyden4/1/23
I’ll check on you again tomorrow”, a message that brings me delight
I read that message as I send back “Goodnight”
I wake up the following day, and check my phone
The words “Good morning” are shown
My face lights up like the night sky
I sit around waiting for your reply
I spring to my phone as I hear the ring Excited to see the conversation you would bring
As the sun fades away,
As the hours go by,
“I’ll check on you again tomorrow”, you say I step away from my phone and let out a sigh
4 days have gone by
5/1/23, was the date of your last reply
The text “I’ll check on you again tomorrow” stares right at me
Where exactly can you be?
A week has flown by and I look up at the sky, As I place a flower by your grave, eyes full of sorrow
I get up to leave as I say my last goodbye
I’ll check on you again tomorrow.
We fought and fought again I begged you not to go the shattering of glasses engraved in my head the slamming of doors, the crying suddenly, I woke upyou weren ’t there
I hated you for what you did but I had never met a soul braver than yours
The day I got the letter, informing me you were not here anymore walking the same agonizing grounds as me the sorrow they felt couldn’t compare to the aches of my soul I fell on my knees - I couldn’tcouldn’t make sense of itHow can the moon live without her sun?
I tried suppressing the memories of us, I told myself it wasn’t real, that none of it was, it was just a horrible nightmare and if I closed my eyes I would hear you telling me that everything would be all right once more
As time went by I accepted the fact that you were gone that I would never feel your touch again or hear your sweet voice I made peace with myself and slowly forgave the world for taking you away from me
You live in me every day, from morning to night you push me to stay strong and survive and all of me is grateful to have known you
This battle I am willing to fight for you, my sun, not for me because if it weren’t for you I wouldn’t be here today, standing over your grave I would be dancing in heaven with your soul thank you, my love, for saving me
I will always remember you
Monday May 1, 2023 | Pinewood International American School of Thessaloniki
nonymous | Contributing Writer A
I don't know what to do
With this aching pain in my chest
It consumes me
Like the ocean consumes ships
And the earth water
I miss our happy little moments
The ones that built our relationship
I miss the way you looked at me
The way you smiled
The way your eyes shined
Like the brightest blue stars in the galaxy
I miss the way things used to be
And the pain keeps spreading
As every day all I have left
Are our memories
Distant, cold, painful memories
That once used to be
My favorite moments in life
I hate the way you changed
And the way you hurt me
I hate how you acted all cold
And forgot me
I wish you would have stopped
And thought for a second
I loved you more than life itself
More than the flowers love the rain
And the moon loves the sun
I loved you more than poetry can explain
More than the starry nights sustain
I loved you with my whole being
And now all that's left
Is a lifeless soul
Filled with pain
In the body of someone I once used to be
“For The Thoughts That Roam My Mind And Leave Me Sleepless...”
I stood in front of the mirror in the center of my room confidently. After all, my dress was as bright and pure as the smile of a child: it could not lie. And my hair, a very fine fusion of blonde and brown, was still warm from the heat of the straightener. My face still felt the freshness of the clean water and soap, and the texture of the light lip gloss on my lips. The light brown jacket thrown loosely over my shoulders and the sea blue shoes on my feet topped it all off. It was an outfit close to perfection, and looking at myself in the mirror dressed like that, I couldn’t help the borderline narcissistic thoughts that invaded my head from that one moment of glamor, even though my personality was usually the complete opposite.
“Mirror, mirror on the wall, who’s the fairest of them all?” my outfitted-self spoke.
I wanted to hear, “You. You are the fairest of them all, Hope.” I wanted someone, anyone to see the Hope that fell asleep on top of her textbooks and piles of paper and poured her heart into the short stories she loved to write. For me, it was the only Hope I ever saw, the only Hope I wanted to see.
“It is your classmate, who never closes a book without finishing it first, and your best friend, who spends hours in the lab, her eye under a microscope instead of reflecting the
blue light coming from the screen,” responded the Mirror to my dismay.
“But… I drool over my textbooks… and my hand goes numb from all my writing… My eyes close on top of pages that smell fresh of pen ink almost every night!” I said, as nothing but the sound of my jacket is heard in the room, almost as if it's echoing. Weird, though, because it’s the first time something’s ever echoed in this room.
“But that's not enough is it? Not if you want to be the fairest, surely,” the Mirror responded, completely disregarding my answer as if it were normal for her to hear such a response. Too normal.
“What is being ‘the fairest’?” I asked, hands covering my face.
The second echo I had ever heard in my room was the sound of my knees falling. The third echo would come just a moment later and it was my voice as the floor became shiny from the waterfall flowing from the long eyelashes. Tracing my cheeks. And splashing onto the floor.
“Answer me!” I managed to yell out.
This would be the fourth echo before I floated in the pond the earlier waterfall had created.
Monday, May 1, 2023 | Pinewood International American School of Thessaloniki
“Answer me…”
But this time, the voice didn’t echo. In fact, it was too low to echo, like a whisper. I wasn ’t even sure the Mirror had heard it.
“Hm, I wonder. What is ‘being the fairest’?” the Mirror said in a curious tone. “I… don’t know, actually…”
“You don’t know?” I raised my eyebrows in surprise. “You don’t know? Then who are you to decide who’s the fairest!” I say, as a chuckle escapes me. “If you, the mirror who decides who’s the fairest, don’t know, then who knows what ‘being fair’ is?” I cannot stop the laughter coming out of me.
“What’s so funny?”
“Nothing,” I said as I continued to laugh. “You know, if someone was to see me talking to you they’d think I was crazy”
“They would? What’s wrong with looking at yourself in the mirror?” the Mirror responded. Her voice sounded as if I had accidentally broken her.
“There’s nothing wrong with looking at yourself in the mirror, no.”
I softened my tone a bit.
“But what’s weird is talking to a mirror,” I continued. “Mirrors usually don’t talk, you know,” I said as I looked down at the shining floor, taking off my blue shoes. The fifth echo of the heels touching the cement floor was heard.
“That’s right, they don’t.”
“So what am I doing here, talking to you?”
My eyes opened wide and my hands rushed to hide them.
“Have I become so desperate,” my voice broke. “Have I become so desperate to hear that I’m the fairest?” My tears have smudged the small amount of makeup I had put on. I wiped it all off with a handkerchief I had in my jacket. A wet handkerchief, actually. It seemed the jacket had gotten soaked earlier from the rushing waterfalls.
“For what it’s worth,” said the Mirror, “mirrors cannot talk, but they can communicate.”
“They can communicate?” I asked as my eyebrows rose again.
And while the Mirror was speaking truthfully, I had but one thought in my head: “Am I really getting convinced by a mirror that mirrors can communicate?”
“Remember, a mirror reflects the appearance of the person looking at it. Nothing more. Nothing less. There’s nothing left to be said,” continued the Mirror.
“A mirror only reflects the appearance of the person looking at it?” I repeated in awe. “So, you are just reflecting me?”
“I’m no different from the mirrors that can ’t speak. Yes, right now you’re looking at a reflection of yourself. Maybe not of your
Monday, May 1, 2023 |
appearance, but nevertheless a reflection of yourself,” she responded. “Perhaps, this will make it a bit more normal for you?”
Pinewood International American School of Thessaloniki A FINAL (PINE)WORD...
As soon as the Mirror said this, instead of the pitch black color she usually was, she changed her appearance into a transparent, see-through color.
“Wow!”
On the other side, my usual self is reflected. The white dress, the blue shoes, the straightened hair, the handkerchief colored with a tint of pink by the lip gloss I had worn, the soaked brown jacket, even the waterfall pond which had yet to dry. They were all there, facing me.
the person looking at them after all.
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