SCOOP 2022 Winter Edition!

Table of Contents Front Cover

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Table of Contents

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Sports Cover

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JAAC Achievements

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2022 World cup

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Entertainment Cover

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Upcoming Game Announcements

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Taylor Swift's New Album ‘Midnights’

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BTS Military Service

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2022 Fall Anime Season

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How Music Reduces Stress

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Politics Cover

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Economical Problems: Ukrainian War

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Credits

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Back Cover

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Sports World Cup 2022!

It has been 2 years since the COVID pandemic hit our country, which has affected sports events held in our school and other schools. Football and basketball competitions are two such sports that have been affected the most.

However, this year SPHSC and other international schools have managed to form many more competitions to be held in the next couple of months!

Last August our volleyball team managed to get their first JAAC banner, winning against other international schools like JIS, ACS, LV, and KV within the first year of creating the volleyball team. Adding another banner to be proud of in our school, SPHSC. In case you forgot, we managed to get a total of 6 JAAC banners, 3 of them from women's basketball, a banner from the SMP soccer team, another banner from the

SMA soccer team, and our latest banner from the SMA volleyball team.

However, it’s not finished yet, because our basketball team is currently undergoing training and practice to compete in JAAC basketball tournaments, so cheer them on to add another JAAC banner for our school! If you think you have the skills and the moves to join our basketball team, our basketball coach Mr. Chris is still inviting students to come practice basketball with them. If you would like to join, go to Mr. Joseph’s email and fill in the form immediately. Good luck and congratulations to our past JAAC teams!

P U C D L R WO 4 years have passed since the last time 32 countries went against each other in the infamous football cup, the World Cup. 2022’s World Cup will be held in Qatar. This year there will also be 32 countries sorted into 8 different groups to play for the group stages. Here are the groups;

Group A: Qatar, Ecuador, Senegal, Netherlands Group B: England, Iran, USA, Wales Group C: Argentina, Saudi Arabia, Mexico, Poland Group D: France, Australia, Denmark, Tunisia Group E: Spain, Costa Rica, Germany, Japan Group F: Belgium, Canada, Morocco, Croatia Group G: Brazil, Serbia, Switzerland, Cameroon Group H: Portugal, Ghana, Uruguay, South Korea

The first kick-off is scheduled for Sunday, November 20 2022 with Qatar and Ecuador being the teams opening for the 22 World Cup. The group stages will last for 12 days, with 4 matches being played each day. The winners and runner-ups from these groups will move on to the round of 16s starting on the 3rd of December. From the round of 16s, 8 teams will progress on to the quarter-finals which will be played December 9-11. Then the 4 winners will progress on to the semi-finals which will be played on December 14 and 15. The losers of the semis will battle for bronze on December 17, and the 2 winners of the semi-finals will battle for the title on December 18.

So mark your calendars for these dates and stay tuned to see all the action from this year's World Cup. Which country are you going to be rooting for?

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Upcoming Game!!!

The new year is right around the corner, and you know what time it is for gamers!

New game titles! The release of games in 2022 was already astounding for us, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Horizon: Forbidden West with its amazing graphics and scenery, Sifu with its challenging stages and boss fights, Elden Ring with its vast open world RPG game and its astounding storytelling and Souls-like gameplay, Stray, Overwatch 2, Cult of the Lambs, God of War 4 releasing in PC, and many more.

Gamers are still now screaming for more titles and releases. Don't worry, as game companies are ready to send out more blockbusters and fascinating titles to pick up!

As you all know from watching the E3, in 2022 a new sequel of God of War is coming out! For fans out there who know and play this title of the game, they know how impactful this game was when its first sequel came out. For those of you who don't know, the game explores the Nordic world by playing as a god of war from the land of Sparta called Kratos and his son Atreus. They were tasked to spread Atreus’s mother's ashes (Kratos’s wife) to the top of the mountain in all the nine realms. As you explore and travel around the nine realms many challenges are coming right at you! Dark Elves, Draugrs, Frost Giants, Asgardian Gods, and many more! The sequel of this game will explore more on Atreus’s coming godhood and Kratos’s fate of being a god who is hunted by Asgardian Gods.

Another upcoming sequel that has been patiently waited by gamers is Marvel’s Spiderman 2.

Unlike God of War, with its amazing storytelling and graphics, Marvel's Spiderman introduced gamers to a different feel of open world games. As the IGN articles say about Marvel's Spiderman game (2018), “It feels like Spiderman” as if they did not exaggerate it enough.

With all these upcoming games, it’s safe to say that we will be packed with entertainment and new content for a while!

Breaks Two Records with her New Album ‘Midnights’ On October 21, Taylor Swift fans around the world waited with bated breath for her new album, Midnights, to drop. After less than 24 hours of its release, Taylor Swift broke two streaming records. She explained that all 13 songs in Midnights are about reflection, “a collection of music written in the middle of the night, a journey through terrors and sweet dreams.” With the new concept, fans all over the world were definitely not disappointed with what she served.

On Spotify, Midnights surpassed Bad Bunny's record of 183 million global streaming for his album Un Verano Sin Ti by 88 million streams in the United States and 185 million worldwide in one day. Even, she set first-day sales records at Apple Music and Amazon Music. You would be surprised when we say that there's more! According to Billboard, Midnights garnered more than 1.2 million equivalent album units in the United States in its first three full days of release, with traditional album sales totaling more than 955,000 across all accessible platforms.

When Taylor Swift said, "meet me at midnight," the world listened, and the album has continued to break records in the days since. It’s certainly difficult to choose a favorite out of all the new masterpieces, but what’s your favorite from her newest album?

BTS Members Set to Serve in South Korea’s Military. Why and for How Long?

Big Hit, BTS’s management label recently announced that the world-renowned K-Pop Boy Band will serve their military conscriptions in the upcoming year. But for how long will they be in the military? Why should they serve in the military?

Worry not, Armies. BTS members will only serve in the military for about 18 to 21 months. However, the comeback of their band is still a question that has yet to be answered by their label. Kim Seok-Jin, the oldest member, will enter the military this November as he turns 30 by the end of the year. The other members will carry out their military service based on their individual plans for the future.

All South Korean men under 30 must serve in the military for around 2 years – a duty to maintain the country’s ability to defend against possible attacks like from North Korea. Refusing to complete mandatory military service is a crime in South Korea that can lead to imprisonment and social stigma, stated The Guardian.

It would be a lie to say that the Armies won’t be missing these boys and wouldn’t be a surprise if they’re caught dancing to Butter while BTS serves in the military!

2022 fall Anime Season One of, if not the most anticipated seasons in a very long time, this year’s fall anime season is completely stacked! Safe to say the anime coming out this season will leave anime fans unable to get proper sleep and longing for the episode releasing the following week. With both returning and new shows about to be released and having top tier quality episodes releasing everyday, fans are saying this is going to be the best anime season yet. What a time it is to be an anime fan!

One of the most anticipated anime ever, Chainsaw Man will receive an anime adaptation based on the manga series written and illustrated by Tatsuki Fujimoto.

With over 66 million copies, the manga itself is already popular, let alone having an anime adaptation. Just the hype alone around this show is enough to tell you that this show is a must watch. Along with being animated by MAPPA Studio - known for animating multiple famous shows such as Attack on Titan the Final Season, Jujutsu Kaisen, Hajime no Ippo, and many more - the hype around this show just won’t die. The story revolves around the protagonist, Denji, who is trying to pay off his father’s debts by killing devils for the Yakuza. He then makes a contract with a devil which grants him the power to grow chainsaws out of his body, and leaves the Yakuza to work for the Public Safety Bureau as a devil hunter. With this power, Denji will stop at nothing to achieve his dream: to live a normal life.

Another highly anticipated anime is Bleach. After 10 years since its last episode aired, Bleach is finally returning with its final arc, Thousand Year Blood War. Written and illustrated by Tite Kubo, this final arc will definitely bring back nostalgic memories for anime fans waiting for the return of Bleach. As part of the “big 3” alongside One Piece and Naruto, Bleach is one of the biggest Japanese franchises ever. After the show’s abrupt end in 2012, Bleach will finally return to satisfy the fans with an epic conclusion.

Bleach follows Ichigo Kurosaki, a substitute soul reaper that gained soul reaper powers to hunt down hollows. He gets caught in the problems of the Soul Society, a place where souls gather. Overcoming all challenges thrown at him, Ichigo becomes stronger and stronger. As his final battle begins, the secrets and history hidden for a thousand years is finally brought to light.

With all the amazing anime coming out this season, it is impossible to put all of them in this article. Chainsaw Man and Bleach is only the tip of the iceberg with other shows just as good such as Mob Psycho 100 season 3, SpyxFamily part 2, My Hero Academia season 6, Blue Lock, To Your Eternity season 2, Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury, Pop Epic Team season 2, and so so many more amazing shows. Saying this season is packed with multiple astounding shows would be an understatement because there are simply no words to describe how great this season will be.

REDUCES STRESS BY: HEIZEL

A lot of you reading this have or are probably feeling stressed or overwhelmed, whether it is because of school or something in your personal life, or both. Well, one thing that you could try to help reduce that stress is something we are all familiar with, music.

With this a question pops up in mind, what does music do to help reduce stress?

Well, music triggers pleasure inside our brains. When listening to music that we enjoy, our brains decrease cortisol production, cortisol is something that triggers our stress levels. Other than reducing cortisol levels in our brains, music also helps with dopamine production which helps with energy levels and motivation. Other than this, music helps calm you down, when we listen to music we tend to feel relaxed and our nervous systems become calmer. Listening to slower music will also slow down our heartbeat, listening to highertempo music will make our heartbeat go faster. When we listen to relaxed-tempo songs while feeling uneasy, it helps our body relax easier, bringing our heart rate down a notch and triggering our brains to reduce cortisol production. Lastly, listening to music is also a form of distraction from stressors. Music can be used as a way to “escape reality”. Music offers a temporary relief/break from stress in our lives.

With this in mind, the next time you feel stressed or anxious, listen to some music that you enjoy to try and reduce the stress.

Economical problems in relation to the war in Ukraine As the war between Ukraine and Russia continues, sanctions on exported products such as wheat, corn, titanium, palladium, etc. have been causing the increase in prices of daily needs such as fuel/energy, commodities, food, and other products that are mainly exported from Russia and Ukraine. Even before the war, markets were concerned how far central bankers could tighten policy without stifling the recovery from the pandemic. The war happening right after the pandemic presents further challenges for the global economy.

Talking about inflation caused by the war between Ukraine and Russia, several main factors are to be considered, such as; food transport, and energy.

First up, food. Russian and Ukrainian agricultural exports represent an important channel through which trade problems can have a further effect on the rest of the global economy.

According to the U.S Department of Agriculture, Russian and Ukrainian wheat exports are about a quarter of the global total. The 2 countries also account for nearly a fifth of global exports of corn and other coarse grains, and about 80% of exports of sunflower oil.

Sanctions and disrupted supplies are causing higher prices for wheat and other grains, but, as prices of grains and wheat increase, it doesn’t necessarily mean that the prices of bread and bakery products will also increase due to these ingredients. In fact, the main reason of inflation within bakery products which includes: bread (10.8% increase), fresh biscuits, rolls and muffins (13.2% increase), cakes, cupcakes and cookies (13.4% increase), doughnuts, coffee cakes, sweet rolls and refrigerated/frozen treats (15.1% increase), is due to higher energy cost and transporting.

Secondly, transport. Russia is a major producer of palladium (used in engine exhausts to reduce emissions) and accounts for 40% of global mine production, and about 10% of global platinum supply. Russia and Ukraine also account for about 15% of the global supply of titanium used in aircrafts, and Russia alone accounts for about 13% of global fertilizer supplies. Disruptions to the global supplies of those materials have the potential to transmit problems to specific industries such as production of new cars which could keep the prices of the products high, with prolonged shortages.

Third, energy. As Russia is one of the world’s largest oil producers and energy exporters, the Brent oil price surged to $120 per barrel in June, the highest price since 2014, and changes in crude oil prices represent about 40% of the changes in the cost of fuel at the pump in the U.S.

The 3 factors above are the main reasons why the war between Ukraine and Russia are causing global inflation on the prices of many-many products. Overall it’s said that the war has led to a 30% increase in oil prices, a 90% increase in European gas prices, and a 17% increase in food prices over the span of 4 months (from February 2022 - July 2022).

Rachel Heizel Jeremy Alex Nadya Marcus

Yena Jessica Kayla Charlene Abigail

Joanna Ian Orsen Vanesa Ragil

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