The March Issue

“One little Indian left all alone, he went out and hanged himself AND THEN THERE WERE NONE.” -Agatha Christie

ISSUE 7

As we indulge ourselves in the overkill of homework, quizzes, and tests whilst trying to survive the tight month of March, we slowly seclude ourselves from our surroundings. We tend to concentrate solely on academics, while neglecting the other joys enclosing our lives.

For this Quill issue, we want to bring these ICS events back into your priority list.

Flip across this month’s issue to discover the rankings of the Soccer Intramurals teams, to remember some of the memories from the And Then There Were None ICS production, to learn about the recent success ICS students achieved in the International History Bowl and Bee, and much more. Not so amused by school related news? Feel free to read a book review on the Red Queen or dive into an analysis of China’s aggressive artificial island strategy. Surely, such exclusive articles will relieve some of that stress and, perhaps, compensate for the lack of holidays in March.

Quillfully Yours, Titapa C. and Keshav G.

SPORTS

Soccer Intramurals

SCHOOL NEWS

And Then There Were None International History Bowl & Bee

LIFESTYLE

Tips for AP Exams

GLOBAL NEWS/POLITICS

China Calls Dibs On Islands

TRAVEL

Wanderlust - Amsterdam

6 10 14 16

INTERVIEWS

Eagles Eye - Fay Sookparkob

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Senior Session Candy Sangteerasintop

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Alumni Profile - Aparna Iyer

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BOOK REVIEW Red Queen

POLLS/STATS 18 20

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Most Used Social Media App?

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ARTWORK OF THE MONTH

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EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Titapa Chaiyakiturajai Keshav Garg ADVISOR Ms. Lissa Scott PHOTOGRAPHERS Surawut Withayarukson Teerawat Chaiteerath Pawat Wirawan ART MANAGER Anna Chen LAYOUT DESIGNER Titapa Chaiyakiturajai Surawut Withayarukson Phatsawut Achariyasoonthorn

EDITORS Keshav Garg Titapa Chaiyakiturajai Haripoom Prasutchai John Kim WRITERS Keshav Garg Haripoom Prasutchai Anvi Mehta Chanaradee Leelamanthep Yihyun Kwon Jin Ha Yuho Su Gino Lin Arjav Sanghavi Naran Suvarnpradip

Road to

Glory

T

By Jin Ha Photos by Pawat Wirawan

his month of March’s madness kicked off with the ICS intramurals. These vastly competitive yet friendly games offer a strong bonding moment for the entire ICS community, from students to faculty.

Let’s check out this year’s teams!

B. Stuv IV

Rating: 4 Key Players: Jingjo, Peak, Winnie and Shawn After their win against West Tangent, many assumed it was by luck. Contrary to the assumption, they maintained their winning form in HS Intramurals 2016. Winnie and Jinjo make a strong front line, while Merche and Shawn keeps the defense rock solid. As long as the starting lineup continues to deliver, the team will do well throughout the entire tournament. This team have the potential to lift the trophy, but can their consistency last?

Airpezi

Rating: 4 Key Players: Peter, YaeChan, and Esteban Airpezi is a strong team. Their team consists of current and former varsity players, with the addition of an established veteran, Esteban Cevallos. The only issue of the team is their lack of substitutes. This issue may lead to potential weaknesses other teams can exploit, especially during the late game. A few tactical adjustments to their team can take them far, with their defensive and offensive attributes already in hand.

Older Guys United Rating: 3 Star Player: Adriano

The Older Guys had a firm start to their second intramural season. This team of fathers has actually won it last year, when they beat Legit in the Championship. Therefore, some favoritism has to be given to this team. However, the real reason behind Older Guys United’s second run to the Championship is due to their star player, Adriano. Adriano is a former professional, who played as a defender in Atletico Paranaense (Brazilian First Division team).

On the other hand, OGU lost a key member who was an integral part of the team last year. Will Adriano still lead his team to victory?

Marshal Law

Rating: 3 Star Players: Mr. Stephen Marshal Law is a team of our beloved teachers. They were one of the strongest teams last year, but it seems as though things have changed. Marshal Law is not the force they were last year, and the student teams are quick to take advantage of that. Marshal Law has two forms. One without Mr. Stephen, and one with Mr. Stephen. Mr. Stephen presents a dangerous offense to the team, which they lack without him.

The teachers could go to the championship, but they would need Mr. Stephen to do so.

Legit

Rating: 3 Star Players: Ja and Alan The senior team was one of the finalists last year, but lost to Older Guys United. Their team is identical as last year, so as previous finalists, they have some favor going into the finals. However, they have struggled to win their previous games, mostly due to the lack of a finisher. Ja is excellent in the middle of the field, where he creates countless opportunities to score.

Sadly, no one can finish his passes. Alan is a versatile player, who alternates between defense and offense.

Perhaps he will choose to fully participate in the offense only in the playoffs.

Galaxy

West Tangent

Rating: 2 Star Players: Alex

Before the season started, West Tangent was regarded as one of the stronger teams. In contrast, the team

The saying “last, but not least” implies that the last in a list does not mean they are the last in attribute.

Well...in this case, the last does mean the least. Galaxy is undoubtedly the weakest team in the tour-

Rating: 3 Star Player: Happy

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has struggled to gain proper footing in the tournament. Their varsity squadron consists of Happy, Neddy, Koch, and JiHyoung. The team will look to Happy (who will captain the varsity team next year) to lead the team to achieve victories before playoffs begin. Neddy has been gaining momentum, showing some fine performances in the past few games. Their biggest weakness is their lack of consistency. West Tangent seems strong one game, and weak in another. Will they find their true form?

Sports

nament, which reflects their disastrous record. The team can attack to a respectable skill, but Galaxy has a horrible time putting the ball into the net. They have lost all their games so far, and no one would be wrong to assume it will continue. On the other hand, there has been a team who were last place in points before playoffs, but managed to pull through their struggles to win the Championship. Could Galaxy be the wildcard?

Top: Peter (11), Alex (10), Junior (10) Left: Team Stud IV and Mr. George W.

Right: Airpezi vs. Galaxy

Sports

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AND THEN THERE WERE NONE

By Yihyun Kwon Photos by Teerawat Chaiteerath

“ One little soldier boy was left all alone; He went out and hanged himself AND THEN THERE WERE NONE.”

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n the 18th and 19th of March 2016, ICS held the production of the well known mystery novel And Then There Were None by world- renowned British author Agatha Christie, many of whose work have been translated to at least 103 languages.

Interview

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en people, all strangers to one another and varying in status, age, and gender, are all invited to the Indian island on different invitations. On arrival, they realize that things are not as they seem to be. There is no sign of the host. The island is seemingly abandoned, and every guest has a murderous crime they wish to hide in the shadows. Soon each of the ten begins to die, one by one. The killer is among them.

Mystery is not the most common genre seen on the ICS stage, especially not one as thrilling or as dark as And Then There Were None. Nor was the plot the usual sing-andhappy storyline.

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School News

The scenes were lightly dimmed and the atmosphere was one of constant tension.

Eerie music played overhead, and unanswered questions hung thick and heavy in the air.

Members of the audience sat riveted in their seats.

With such a production, subtlety is key in creating the right mixture of tension and suspense. And Then There Were None was successful in formulating all the right ingredients for cliff hangers.

“The practices were really laid back. Everyone had a lot of fun,” said Noah Blakesley, one of the actors, “my first high school play experience--I enjoyed it a lot, even though

“The practices were really laid back. Everyone had a lot of fun”

- Noah Blaskesley

Clockwise: Ensemble of the characters, tech crews, Kaofang and Phillip (12), Andrew P. (12)

I didn’t like waking up at 9 am on weekday mornings for practices. It was a ton of fun, just because I got to hang out with a lot of people that I usually don’t see a lot. They were all a lot of fun and made me laugh a lot.”

Though it was on new grounds in terms of genre, the ICS play production team managed to pull off the whole look for this trailblazing project: the set, the outfits, and all the small details that ensured a wholesome quality.

School News

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International History

Bowl and Bee

By Chanaradee Leelamanthep Photos by Teerawat Chaiteerath

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n March 13th, 2016, ICS hosted The International History Bowl and Bee, a quiz competition with three divisions: middle school, junior varsity, and varsity. The middle school division representatives from ICS included Guy, Matthew, Pann, Peam, Sun, and Tai. The junior varsity team of ICS comprised of freshmen: Arjav, Nicha, Peak, and PunPun. Lastly, the varsity team was composed of juniors and seniors, namely: TinTin, Yuho, FayFay, Keshav, Gino, Oscar . All three teams placed first in their respective divisions. In addition, each team had a few players who upstaged themselves in the solo competition, the Bee: Sun (3rd place), Matthew (finalist), Peak (1st), TinTin (1st), FayFay (3rd), and Keshav (finalist.)

Here is an interview with Peak and FayFay, major contributors to each team’s victory.

Q: How long did you prepare for the competition?

F: I guess I can say that we prepared for this for 2 years, since the first time we did it was in 2014, and everything including knowledge and experience builds up until this year P: I have never prepared for this competition.

Most of the time, my knowledge originated from my fervent interest of history itself and my love of reading. Although there are surely some individuals I need to personally thank.

Q: Did you have any expectations of which rank you would place?

F: To be frank, we really expected to win this time since the ICS varsity team has never failed to win a championship; it would suck for us to break that streak. Plus, we are pretty confident that we had a strong team.

P: At first, I felt that getting into the finals would be a great achievement, but I never imagined this level of success at a nationwide competition.

Q: Were there any moments you felt nervous or perhaps anxious?

F: Definitely. On the first quarter of the first match against Concordian International School, we were losing 20-80. That legitimately freaked us out because we thought we were going to lose. But later, we gathered the momentum and beat them, but it was a very close game P: During the Bee’s final, I was incorrect on the 1st question.There, I panicked but I gradually regained control of the final.

Q: What were some of your memorable or favorite moments throughout the competition?

F: Winning, of course. But also, on the same first round that we were not doing so well, I really liked how we didn't give up or break down and went on. It was nice to see how a lot of people are genuinely enjoying this.

P: My favorite moment was probably when I realized that all three of ICS divisions won the bowl.

School News

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TIPS for AP Exams

By: Anvi Metha Photos: by Erng Pawat

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xams are almost always stressful and they are such a hassle!

Around this time of the year, AP students are starting to realize that their final exams are approaching at an extremely rapid pace. There are several ways to push through this time of the year more easily.

The first step is dealing with pressure to do well on the exam. Handling large loads will accumulate stress and that could possibly be detrimental to performance on the actual examination. Managing stress is vital. Students are aware of the topics that are going to be covered on the exam and should break them down into manageable sections and assign each section to a certain day. Make sure to leave a few review days and few break days; it will diminish stress greatly.

Doing practice tests is another key to success.

Practicing both free response and multiple

choice questions will acclimate students to patterns in the questions and topics that they are likely to be assessed on. If certain concepts or question types appear to be confusing on every test, it is recommended that one use mnemonic devices to remember such ideas. A few examples of mnemonic devices are acronyms, rhymes and imagery.

Other major hindrances may be in diet. Although caffeinated drinks may seem appealing the night before the exam, they are short termed solutions that could possibly obstruct thinking processes during the actual exam.

Having a healthy and balanced diet allows the body to produce fuel for the studying. Cardio for at least 20 minutes per day has also proven to help students think. Exercising increases the energy in the body and also reduces stress to a certain degree.

These are just a few tips that may help in the exam process. Happy studying!

Lifestyle

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China Calls Dibs o

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ecent surveillance and satellite imaging shows several disturbing batteries of surface-to-air missiles deployed on Woody Island.

China has reached the international spotlight once again due to its sudden military expansion into the South China Sea. Despite the claim that China has been occupying Woody Island for the past 50 years, the sudden rush to militarize the area was unpredicted and uncalled for. The Chinese have begun drenching the water within and around the Paracel Islands (a chain of islands that included Woody Island) and created landfills to expand the size of the islands for no specific purposes.

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Global News

It was a few months into the expansion of the islands that air strips began to emerge and obvious military equipments were being placed on the island. Full construction teams soon began building defensive fortifications and military facilities on the growing artificial island. The alarming militarial act caused multiple South East Asian countries to voice their concerns over this unpredicted military expansion, and in return, they were met with China’s claims of defending its sovereign land.

The Paracel Islands are located in the international waters, which means that no countries can officially claim them, but it appears to be that they were in China’s territory all

on Islands along. It also happens to be that the Paracel chain is located close to international shipping lanes that are worth billions in commercial value. Strategic analysts view this military expansion as a method of countering the US’s future possible involvement within the South China Sea. Militarization of the islands also clearly shows China flexing its muscles and expanding its presence among nations close to the islands, including Taiwan and Vietnam, for example. Further analysis predicts that the islands could possibly be used as military staging grounds or missile launching sites for future strikes around nearby countries.

By: Gino Lin Photos by: Surawut Withayarukson

An argument by the Chinese government is that what it is currently doing is right for, in technicality, the Paracel Islands are part of Chinese territories. Confusingly enough, Taiwan and Vietnam claim as well that the archipelago is theirs, but are backing off due to fears of Chinese military strength and economy. John Kerry of the US is representing many of the countries that are grieved by the controversial military expansion and hopes to settle things with China through diplomacy rather than military.

Global News

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Travel

Wanderlust

Amsterdam, Netherlands

By Haripoom Prasutchai Photos by Associated Press

F

rom the exotic Maghreb region, Wanderlust would like to bring all our dear readers to another voyage in Europe. This destination is on the list of things that get the most undeserved flak. Known for its prevalence of soft drugs such as cannabis and prostitution, Amsterdam is outrightly culturally underrated given its rich history, picturesque edifices, renowned canals, and the unmatched cuisine.

Travel

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Since its rise to prosperity during its Golden Age in the 17th century, when for a period of time it became the richest city in the world, Amsterdam has never ceased to be a cosmopolitan city with products and people arriving from different corners of the world. Home to the headquarters of the Dutch East India and West India companies, Amsterdam waszzzz once the city of merchants and the financial center of the world. The vestiges of its heyday themselves could serve as a prime attraction for this comprehensive city.

Travel

But where exactly can tourists enjoy the historical vibrations of the city? By the canals. They facilitated the city’s position of world trade center by allowing products to be transported to the warehouses owned by merchants.

A cruise around the Grachtengordel, or the Canal District is a great starting spot, consisting of four distinct canals around the city: Singel, Herengracht, Keizersgracht, and Prinsengracht. All four of these canals will give visitors a taste of how traders of the city’s golden age lived and worked--most of the narrow buildings were once warehouses that would store products from the ca-

nals. However, the attractions on land are not the only interesting things.

Pay attention to the boathouses along the canal -- an ingenuous response to the dense setting of the city center.

Anyone with a stint of knowledge of modern history will be aware of Anne Frank and her mention of her family’s secret annex in her famed diary, but perhaps not where the Franks actually hid. Their secret hideaway, now dedicated as a museum to Anne, is located near the Prinsengracht in the Grachtengordel. The secret annex not only gives a synopsis of Anne Frank

and her family’s troubled life, but also a first hand experience of the struggle to survive in the Nazi-occupied Amsterdam where Jews like Anne could be captured and sent to concentration camps anytime.

So in this Spring, indulge yourself in the tulip-laden city of Amsterdam and kick away all the negative stereotypes.

Wanderlust sincerely hopes that the example of such a city sullied by prejudices can also shed light to how one should not be quick to judge others by mere stereotypes and rumours.

Travel

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FAY S OOKPARKOB

By Naran Suvarnpradip Photos By Teerawat Chaiteerath

If you have been in ICS for several years, it’s likely that you are acquainted with Fay. A jocular junior, Fay can be found skipping the halls of the High School building while playing a game resembling the infamous Candy Crush. Let’s see what she has to say about herself.

Interview

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How many years have you been at ICS? I have been at ICS since 3rd grade, so that makes it 9 years (including this year).

What soccer team were you in last season?

The Varsity Soccer team! I even went to Chiang Mai with them for a tournament!

What are some of your favorite hobbies?

During my free time, I like to sketch, read books, and occasionally go watch movies with my friends.

Right now, what is your biggest hurdle in school?

Working on my AP Art portfolio.

What is one activity you do outside of school?

I take ballet courses outside of school.

What sports are you into?

I’m into soccer, although during my childhood, I liked to try out multiple sports other than soccer.

What do you plan on majoring in college?

I’m planning on majoring in architecture.

Lastly, if you could take a day off and travel to some place for a day, where would that place be?

I am a greedy person, so one day isn’t enough. But if I have to decide, I would say the Maldives, since it is a very beautiful place.

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Interview

CANDY SANGTEERASINTOP

By Daniel Ha Photos By Teerawat Chaiteerath

What major and career have you chosen to pursue?

I plan to major in Biochemistry. I haven’t given much thought about my career, but I hope it has something to do with my major. Otherwise, it’s gonna be really sad.

It’s already March! As high school comes to an end, what are some of your favorite moments?

What do you look forward to?

I would say I have cherished everything in life so far, minus all those crazy APs, Capstone, lab reports, and a bunch of other things…but, I enjoy spending my time with friends and teachers and laughing at my friends’ jokes. SALT Trips (especially Senior Trip) are my favorites as well. I look forward to making the most of my last several months here at ICS, trying out things I have never done before and expressing my gratitude for the people I am close to.

What is your dream?

Have an endless supply of sashimi.

What are your hobbies?

Listening to music, playing the violin, drawing, eating/sharing food with friends, checking Line messages in class, shopping, working out, and texting. And no, studying is not one of my hobbies.

What is the most embarrassing thing you’ve done?

In sixth grade, the old locker’s door fell on me and cracked my head. I totally freaked out when I saw blood and I thought I was going to die.

I remember crying and running around like a zombie. But then the nurse said a few stitches would make it okay. When I came back from the hospital, I had miles of white gauzes wrapped around my head like I was wearing a Naruto headband and everyone was staring at me awkwardly. It was embarrassing.

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Interview

What is your greatest strength or weakness?

I don’t really have any strength to talk about, but I have loads of weaknesses. My greatest weakness is that I fail to address and rectify my weaknesses.

What is your favorite quote?

“Don’t ever take a fence down until you know why it was put up.” -Robert Frost Do you have anyone you want to give thanks to?

I would like to thank all my wonderful teachers for their encouragement, life morals and stories, all the help, and extra credits. I would also like to thank my friends for putting up with my mood swings, accepting me for who I am, and making my days lively and unique.

Do you have any advice for the underclassmen?

Keep your expectations low but always give everything your best shot.

What is your ideal boyfriend?

Someone I can talk to without feeling awkward, someone sincere, loyal, and reliable. Oh and, someone who can eat sushi with me whenever I feel like it.

If you could be any animal in the world, what animal would you be and why?

I would choose to be a panda because I don’t have to care about anything and just sleep all day.

”

APARNA IYER

A

s sophomoric students, we join ICS as wild, crazy juveniles. We leave, however, as mature men and women. ICS has nurtured countless quality leaders, and this column is to appreciate these alumni’s hard work and follow their footsteps.

The feature for the March Alumni Q & A is Aparna Iyer ‘10. Aparna graduated from ICS almost 6 years ago, and since then she completed her undergraduate degree from Nanyang Technological University. Let’s see what she’s got to say!

Interview

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22 Opinionaire

It has been a while since you graduated from ICS. What are the things that you miss the most about this school? What are the things that you miss the least?

I miss the people and the environment. It’s hard to find a place that has people that are so loving and friendly. There are surely more things that I miss than not miss; however, I do not miss the school uniforms.

If you could time travel back to the years at ICS as a high school student, what would you do differently?

If I could to travel back in time to be an ICS HS student, I would have surely taken part in more sports.

As an ICS alumni, you’ve experienced senior year of high school. Do you have any advice you would like to pass on to current seniors?

Enjoy your senior year. The major you pick for college is not going to decide the rest of your life, but at the same time make sure you work hard at whatever you have currently chosen to do: academia, arts, sports, etc. These skills will last you throughout your life.

You got accepted into Nanyang Technological University, one of the most prestigious schools in the world. Many of our current students would also like to get admitted into such a highly esteemed institute. Do you have any advice for them?

ICS is preparing you all well enough to be admitted into highly esteemed institutes of your choice. It’s just about clearly presenting your true self in the applications.

What did you study at Nanyang Technological University (Major and Minor)?

I studied Computer Science as my major, and Business as my minor.

What are you currently doing? What are your future plans/goals?

I am currently working at Barclays Capital, a London based bank. I plan to move into technology consulting over the next few years and also earn a B.Education here in Singapore.

Thanks for your time, Aparna!

We genuinely appreciate people like you uplifting ICS and its core values!

Interview

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Book Review: Red Queen

By Arjav Sanghavi Photo by Associated Press

I

n a world where the elite Silvers, who have superpowers, lord over the feeble Reds, who do not (have superpowers), lives a young Red woman named Mare. One day, when her powers manifest in front of a large audience, Mare gets tangled in the dangerous Silver court, the brideto-be of her king’s son; a court whose occupants are walking, talking lies.

“Anyone can betray anyone.”

I am just so fed up of the female-led, dystopian trilogies. I mean, seriously, how many more books do we need to have with the same old girls stuck in their emotional teens, torn between two incredibly hot guys, complaining without an end about the incredible pressure they are under, and how they would do absolutely anything to return to their normal lives again.

When Katniss and Tris did went through these phases it was fine, because it was new, something different.

Then it became a cliche. Enter Red Queen.

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Book Review

“In the fairy tales, the poor girl smiles when she becomes a princess. Right now, I don’t know if I’ll ever smile again.”

This book is like a dog. A dog that you were strongly attached to. A dog you fed, walked, played with, shared every moment of joy with. A dog that turned out to be a fake. Okay, that was a horrible metaphor, but it makes sense. This book holds your hand, gently nudging you along this beautiful road strewn with roses and thorns; as you reach the end, as you start gaining momentum, this book picks you up in its strong capable hands and hurls you off a cliff. It doesn’t even leave you hanging.

“Words can lie. See beyond them.”

Other than the absolutely loathsome plot, this book is fantastic. Oh wait, it isn’t. Did I forget to mention the terrible, extremely characterless characters? Meet our main protagonist, Mare Barrow. At times a nervy

Maven. The one character that makes the book worth its while. It’s sad he turns out to be pathetic, too.

“There are worse lives to live. Don’t feel sorry for me.”

wreck, at times a heartless soldier, Mare’s character just seems to go with the flow, changing to fill in the book’s countless seams. The same applies for Cal, our fiery prince. Shown to be naive, illusioned heir-apparent, Cal does some of the strangest things ever, and totally gets away with them. Dancing at midnight with a Red woman, after torturing another Red woman for hours; giving boring talks about equality, and then going off and oppressing a group of Reds, after being kind to another Red girl; what the heck is happening? No one knows.

Fortunately, this debutee novel does have a few redeeming qualities. The worldbuilding in this book was done surprisingly masterfully; I could see images of the cities, the politics, the people in my head without having to force myself. The style of writing was smooth, making this book a one night read.

“The truth is what I make it. I could set this world on fire and call it rain.”

All in all, this book was decent. If it hadn’t been the billionth YA, female led, dystopian novel of the year, than I might have found it more enjoyable. This book deserves 5/10 stars.

“Rise, red as the dawn.”

“I’m a Red girl in a sea of Silvers and I can’t afford to feel sorry for anyone, least of all the son of a snake.”

Book Review

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Most Used

Social Media App?

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Statistics

Survey by Yuho Su Graphics by Keshav Garg

ARTWORK OF THE MONTH Critique by Anna Chen Artwork by Jana Quahe

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n assignment for Intermediate Drawing, Jana’s linear perspective drawing was done in graphite and utilized the technique of two vanishing points. She says that although this piece has, “despite being possibly one of the most frustrating artworks [she’s] ever done, also been one of the most rewarding.”