QUILL
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V O LU M E 6 I S S U E 3
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Mr. MARK COOPRIDER Advisor
punpun leelamanthep & AMY Limtrajiti editor-in-chiefs
pawan wirawarn art director
Editors
Arjav Sanghavi Erica Kim Pumpanchat Suthisamphat Serumi Yoon Karuna Khatri Kharis Fullington
writers
Allan Rubio Amy Jain Arjav Sanghavi Charlotte Muehleck Daniel Shin Emily Rubio Hayoung You Hyunwoo Koh Joseph Ha Jessica Shah Jooyoung Kim
Mckenna Sanchez Minki Kwon Nate Ronnakiat Pam Rangchaikul Pollisa Tien-iam-arnan Tawan Petpaiboon Tayida Chaiyakiturajai Vichida Phisitkul Yeji Park Joey Chao
photographers
Ruchipat Kumpusiri Apichaya Sethaudom Artch Dechpokked Chayut Srirungrojana Joanna Pinsuvana Nutthun Tulayathun Thaam Limwattananon
Werawut Withayarukson Cherry Choi Beam Yongphiphatwong Apitta Thaveeprungsiporn Sanata Wangpattanamongkol Thapakorn Yongphiphatwong Pawan Wirawarn
layout designers
Ruchipat Kumpusiri Kantapat Jungpaibul Napatsorn Chadanuntakul Natuchkamon Ngammuang Sirinda Vongsrirungruang Beam Yongphiphatwong Nikunta Piyaket Plaifon Ruengarak
Thananun Kanchanachayphoom Teerach Songwatana Prakhun Wongmahapaul Burapon Wasusopon Haeun You Hannah Kim Clara Park Pawan Wirawarn
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contents 4
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ICS GOT TALENT
mulan
spirit night
service conference
theater arts mask performace Senior Session emily person Senior Session
mariana onoe & kharis fullington
Eagle’s Eye
sun yuvachitti Eagle’s Eye grace maneerat
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Alumni Interview young kwang shin Alumni Interview bill achariyasoonthorn Alumni Interview khushi khotari
volleyball season recap
SWIM TEAM
tennis team
Opinion Editorial bell-to-bell phone policy Short Story A Christmas Miracle
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ICS
T L
Words by Hayo
Phot
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GOT
LE T
oung You
tos by Saran Karunan
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On Thursday, November 8th, a huge crowd gathered in the PAC to view some of the most amazing talents ICS has to offer. Mr. Mark, Mrs. Debbie, and Mr. Zach were on the judging panel, and the show was MCed by Daniel (G12) and Ping (G12). 8
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The evening consisted of various acts, ranging from dances to band performances. The audience was constantly astounded by the immense amount of talent our students possess.
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The show consisted of three categories of awards: the judges’ choice, people’s choice, and the decibel award. Our judges chose Jihyo (G2) as the winner, and rightfully so - everyone was stunned by the amount of talent such a young student had to offer. She started off by playing a short song on the piano upside down, then proceeded into an extremely beautiful and impressive piece. The audience was absolutely blown away. A band consisting of elementary students and one middle schooler took the people’s choice award. They sang Shawn Mendes’s Believe, accompanied by a few of them dancing. With an overwhelming number of votes, this young but talented band took the award.
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Last but not least, the decibel award went to Joseph Chung (G12) as people responded extremely positively to the rap he performed. The decibel award was a new addition to this year’s competition, where after each performance the audience cheered as loud as they could for their favorite contestants. Joseph’s powerful rap captivated the audience, and he won the award. Overall, this year’s ICS Got Talent was extremely successful. Numerous students displayed their gifts in a wide variety of areas, and once again proved how talented the people in our community are.
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MUL
Words by Pann Sripitak Ph
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LAN
hotos by Pawan Wirawarn
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“This musical was something truly special,” said Genie, who played Mulan in the recent school production. Minki, who played Captain Shang, added, “I felt like all the puzzle pieces – the acting, the music, the sound, and the lighting – came together very nicely.” I couldn’t agree more. The preparations for Mulan started early September this year, in which cast members have been working diligently for over 40 rehearsals, adding up to a total of almost 120 hours. The musical follows the story of Mulan, a funny, clumsy girl filled with character and creativity who breaks traditional Chinese culture to paint her own path in life, joining the Chinese army in place of her father. There she meets Mushu, a jazzy, funny little dragon who helps her along the way. She also meets Captain Shang, and during their journey fighting the invading Huns, they all learn an important lesson about following their own path and showing who they truly are. 14
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Also in the musical, I took on the role of Fa Zhou, Mulan’s father. With first hand experience in these rehearsals, I assure you that every single member of the cast and crew had been working really hard and it had definitely paid off. The experience of being in a musical was also something special: cast and crew members got to know each other more and got closer to each other. Rehearsals were long and tiring, but a lot of fun nonetheless.
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The cast and crew were especially strong this year, with new prop pieces, a variety of traditional Chinese costumes, a beautiful and emotional soundtrack, and, of course, the acting, singing, and dancing that were simply stunning. The leads were also phenomenal: Genie, who played Mulan, has a “charming voice… she sings even better than most professional singers, I would say,” and “exceptional acting,” as described by Peam, leading to very beautiful and emotional scenes that had personally given me chills many times. Minki added, “Don’t even get me started on how good she sounds.” Peam fit the role of Mushu, the comical and crazy little dragon, especially well, with, “as always, top notch acting,” said Genie. Peam was also “Hilarious. Absolutely hilarious,” as Minki put it. Minki, who played Captain Shang, was also “great at acting” and was “very, very good at singing,” as Genie put it. “He was the perfect Captain Shang. Seriously,” added Peam. 16
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Mulan was indeed something very special. The story itself from the Disney classic holds a special place in many people’s hearts, and bringing this to life into this vivid, energetic, funny, yet emotional and touching musical is truly something sensational. It truly awed many of the audience members, and many even go so far to say that it is “one of ICS’s best.”
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SPIRIT NIGHT Words by Daniel Shin Photos by Pawan Wirawarn
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The tense air in the court was filled with cheers and excitement as Spirit Night commenced. Both teams expected to demonstrate their abilities and teamwork in their first game, and things looked bright as they headed onto the court in their basketball jerseys. First off, we had the ICS Girls Varsity Basketball team battling it out with an elite group of players from BCIS. Although things started out rough and shaky, the Girls Varsity Basketball team slowly started catching on to the rhythm, motivated by the incessant cheering and screaming of teammates, parents, teachers, and students. Never willing to let BCIS catch up, the girls played their hearts out, often winning out skirmishes for the ball, running with pure determination, and precisely scoring the ball into the hoop. They kept at this trend until the whistle for the end of the final half blew. They dominated their game with a final score of 45-17. NOVember-december 2018
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While the girls dominated their own game, The Boys Varsity Basketball team had a much different kind of game. The game erupted with pace as soon as the whistle was heard, both teams playing the game out of pure instinct, skill, and experience. Although BCIS had initially gained the lead through an exceptional level of gameplay, our team caught up, chasing away the lead of BCIS in the second and third half through a vigorous spirit of competition and practice.
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Every shot lifted the crowd to their feet, thrilled at the spirit and tenacity that the boys were showing in this game. At one point, ICS was only three points away from matching the monstrous opponents of BCIS. However, we failed to maintain our footing and BCIS advanced their lead, ending the final half with a score of 48-36 in their favor. Although the outcomes of the two games had varied, both teams came out of their games stronger and eager to improve and take the victory in the games to come.
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SERVICE conference 2018 Words by Amy Jain Photos by Beam Yongphiphatwong
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“When I say, “SERV”, you say “ICE!” Ready?” “SERV-” “ICE!” “SERV-” “ICE!” “SERV!” “ICE!” With a booming voice on the loudspeaker and an auditorium-gym packed with students from schools around Thailand, began the annual ServICE Conference at ASB.
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The servICE conference spanned over the course of 3 days with simulations, how-to sessions, un-conferenced conferences, Keynotes, etc. But the important question is, what was the purpose of this conference? Originally, it was created by a panel of teachers from international schools that wished to inspire, connect, and empower (hence the name ICE) students by creating a platform where they could come and learn more about the world. Going eight years strong, and the future 9th conference being held at our ICS itself, the conference has built a name for itself that many look back and smile at.
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The essence of this year’s conference revolved around Robert Sean’s famous quote: “The greatest threat to our planet is that someone else will save it.” It reflects how youth do have a voice, and how we are neither too young, nor too immature, to bring about the change we’d like to see in the world.
The first day began with Icebreakers and get-to-know-you games, preparing everyone for the BYB (Burst Your Bubble) trips coming up the next day. These BYB trips took us through activities like visiting the elderly at the Ruth Centre, playing with soi dogs, and cleaning up dirty klongs on the way. With the service part of the ServICE taken care of, what remained was the last day – a day to reflect and practice mindfulness using the energy of self-motivation to drive us towards our goals. And as these moments turned into memories, Instagram pictures and lifelong lessons were seared into our brains for the future to come - the future of another unforgettable NOVember-december 2018
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THEATer ARTS MASK PERFORMANCE Words and Photos by Mimi Kim
Is that supposed to be a bird or human being? That’s right! This is a basel mask from Basel, Switzerland. It is also called a larval mask, a type of mask that doesn’t look quite like an animal but also not quite human. Side note: Students from the Theatre Arts class have specially created these masks for the performances themselves!
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Interview with Mr. G What is Theatre Arts to you? Mr. G: I think Theatre Arts is a combination of three things. One is self understanding— by acting as someone else and getting out of your comfort zone, you learn something about yourself. Number two is empathizing with other people. By acting like someone else, you let them understand how other people feel. Number three is representation— understanding that how you behave may not be interpreted the same way by everyone. For example, shaking your legs on stage may be appropriate in one country but really offensive in another. You have to be able to interpret and send a clear message through your acting. What activities do you usually have your students do in class? Mr. G: What we do depends on the unit. We usually start with some sort of warm-up because people have been sitting and their muscles are cold, or an exercise that focuses on creative thinking. You have to get the brain not to think about right or wrong but about what options there are. Depending on the unit we might go into a lecture about history, or we might go into an exercise to practice specific skills. For example, if we were doing naturalism, we might read certain lines in different ways. If we’re doing improv, we’d have no lines, and we’d practice making stuff up on the go. Or if we’re doing mask work, we would start practicing physicalized movement. We wouldn’t exactly dance, but go through exercises that look like a dance, and work towards synchronizing all this together.
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What makes your class unique? Mr. G: Everything! *Laughs* We don’t have desks and assessment is not based on a right or wrong answer but on how critically you think—a bit like English literature in that sense. Students are expected to continually go outside their comfort zones, whereas they might not have to do that in another class. They also learn a lot more from feedback than assessment.
Saran: We had put a lot of work throughout most of the second quarter working on the study of masks and physical expressions, particularly through animal exercises. We were divided into groups and wrote a short narrative using masks we created ourselves which were inspired by animals. The audience got a chance to experience very weird and bizarre performances involving all kinds of stories. Without a doubt, all those who came left with puzzling thoughts on what they have just witnessed. 28
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Can you explain a little bit about mask performance and give a brief overview of what the Larval Mask performance was about? Mr. G: Mask performance is one of the most ancient forms of performance in existence. Every single culture in the world has had some form of a mask performance, even if they’ve now lost it. It’s a highly ritualistic type of performance, so it has been used in churches but also in temples and other old pagan religions as well. All these religions have used masks as an attempt to get closer to God or whatever their belief. They used it as a channel to represent objects, people, and ideas. Although masks have changed from their original uses and purposes, their representation and symbolism is a central element that has continued till today. Some countries like Thailand and Indonesia still use masks for religious purposes, but most masks aren’t necessarily used religiously anymore. Western countries don’t attach as much of a religious aspect to it. In class, we are doing a more Western-style mask performance. Around the ’60s mask performances underwent a revolution where people went back to using mask forms of acting. They started using the masks to train actors physically. Mask work forced actors to embody emotions better, more accurately represent things and made them fitter for performance. Instead of focusing on realism and naturalistic acting, we go for a universal understanding of our performance. Anyone should be able to understand the storyline just from your physicality. Mask acting is able to cross language barriers in this way. Our masks were inspired by the basel masks, also called larval masks. They are a type of mask that is not quite a creature and quite not a human being—they are meant to be quite mysterious masks. All of our performances took many different directions, and a lot of them were surprising. You didn’t what was going to happen and what the masks meant until you watched the performance. Because the meaning of each performance is different based on what your life experiences are, the meaning of our performances were up to the interpretation of the audience. After each performance, we had a volunteer from the audience to guess and explain what they thought the meaning behind the performance was.
What was your favorite activity from class? What makes it fun, boring, or challenging? Saran: The most fun activity in the drama class has to be what is called “Creative Drama.” In this activity, we immerse ourselves in an imaginary world and are guided by a narrator, Mr. G. We have to work as a class to progress and accomplish tasks in the story. It’s sort of like a choose your own adventure book, except you are acting it out in real life. I think our class bonded very well over this four-week game, and it strongly developed our imagination. NOVember-december 2018
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SENIOR SESSION
EMily Person Interview by Tawan Petpaiboon Photos by Nutthun Tulayathun
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Can you please introduce yourself? I am from the US but have lived here in Thailand all of my life. I have been at ICS since 1st grade. What extracurricular activities do you enjoy? I have loved playing varsity basketball and soccer all of high school, along with the Friday school events.
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How has senior been for you? It has been good, but also nostalgic realizing I will be leaving soon and thinking back on all of my years/ memories here. What subject do you like most this year? I like human anatomy and physiology a lot because it includes what I am interested in studying in the future and I just think its really cool how the body works. What are you looking forward to for college right now? Which faculty are you thinking of joining?
I will be going to Baylor University in the US, and I am planning to major in either health science studies or exercise physiology following a pre physical therapy track. I am excited for the independence and getting to really focus on studying subjects I am interested in.
Do you have any important or memorable events from ICS? All of the tournaments/traveling/ bus rides with my sports teams, just sitting around talking with people during guided studies, the Friday events.
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Can you explain about your capstone project? I worked with a physical therapist to develop an exercise program focusing on balance and strengthening for the elderly, and implemented it with the Ruth Center, an outreach for elderly who live in the slums. It involves group sessions composed mostly of games that incorporate physical therapy into a more fun experience, along with individual exercises to do
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at home that are adaptable to different skill/health levels.
Do you have any advice for future seniors? Don’t put off all of the capstone/ college stuff, just get it done so that you can enjoy senior year. Also don’t stress so much// take a few fun classes etc and focus on spending time with friends and stuff at ICS while you are still here.
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SENIOR SESSION
mariana onoe & kharis fullington Interview by Yeji Park Photos by Joanna Pinsuvana
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How long have you been in ICS? Mariana: This is my 12th year. Kharis: I’ve been at ICS since third grade, so this is my tenth year here. Could you give a brief description of your capstone project? M: My CSP was about education at my church's English program. To improve memory retention, I implemented the use of TPR (Total Physical Response) activities in the curriculum. K: I worked with an organization called Construction of Hope. I taught them how to bake biscuits/scones over the summer, and now I have started a business where they sell biscuits/ scones weekly. We take orders through Facebook@constructionofhope.biscuits.
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How do you feel about your capstone project? What did you like about it? M: I feel really accomplished with my CSP. The experience with these children was amazing and they really did improve in the language. I’m very proud of them. K: I actually really enjoyed my project. It was really fun working with these people and teaching them something I really enjoy doing. I think that it’s been a good project and really beneficial for Construction of Hope. Do you have any tips for underclassmen? M: It’s not actually that hard, so avoid that stage when you dread even starting your proposal. Once you've got an idea, the rest of it comes quite easily.
K: One big tip would be to find something you’re really interested in, something that fits with your talents and interests. I thought about doing a couple different projects, but had zero motivation for any of them. Once I found this project I had so much more motivation. I really enjoy baking and working with people, so I was excited and interested in the project. Definitely find something you WANT to do, and that will really help the whole process.
What colleges have you applied to? What are your top choices? M: I have applied to Biola, Messiah, and Cairn. My top choice is Biola University in California. K: I’ve applied to four different colleges:
Hope College, Cairn University, Gordon College, and Wheaton College. I’m really excited about all of them, but Hope College would probably be my top choice.
How did you find the college that "fit" you best? M: I attended the college visits and also did some campus tours. A little bit of research, interviews, and tours will give you a feel as to whether you think you'll like being at the college or not. K: It took me a while to find colleges that I was really interested in. I think I would recommend talking to a lot of different reps. That really helped me. Look at their websites, and be mindful of the location.
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How have you prepared for college apps? M: I started my college apps quite early, especially with my essays. College applications are important, so it’s something I don’t think anybody should procrastinate on. K: I didn’t do a ton to prepare for college apps, I kind of just did it. What was one hard thing about college apps (or just finding a college in general)? M: The hardest thing for me was not knowing much about the college process (how to send transcripts, sat scores, etc.). Talking to Mrs. Jen and Mrs. Kristine definitely helped, so I would advise you to ask them questions. K: There’s a lot of little details that you have to be mindful of, and they are really kind of annoying. That was one hard thing about it. Do you have any tips for finding colleges or college apps? M: As I said before, don't procrastinate. Write an essay. If an idea comes up later, you'll have time to revise or completely change it. As scary as it sounds, this is a process that determines your next four years, so you don't want to complete the application process in just a few days. K: Meet with Mrs. Jen! She’s a life saver.
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EAGLES’ EYE
SUN
YUVACHITTI Interview by Joey Chao Photos by Proud Sethaudom
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Would you mind giving a brief summary of yourself? I’m Sun, and I’m the president of the History Club. I came to ICS in 7th grade, and this is my fifth year here. What drives your passion for history? Well, history feels fuel my imagination,
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similar to what music is to someone. I want to change people’s perspective of history since many think that history is boring and that history won’t get them a job. By creating the History Club, I wanted to make history fun for everyone. On a side note, the History Club is not the History Bowl Club, thank you.
What field do you want to study in? And where do you want to study at? History obviously. Other than history, I am also interested in politics and linguistics, which include Spanish and German. Currently, Oxford is my dream college, but other places like Hong Kong, the U.S.’s Columbia University, Canada, Japan, and the United Kingdom are all nice places too. I am keeping my options open to where I want to study at. What are your responsibilities as the History Club president? I hang out with members, help them understand topics, organize meetings, work to be charismatic, go around asking my members to join during lunch time, think up creative ways to teach history, and work with my vice-president, Guy, in 10th grade.
In your opinion, should everyone learn history? Yes. History helps expand your interests, make connections, understand one’s heritage, and gives empathy for others of different cultures. You get to see the world from a different perspective, much more from what meets the eye. What do you enjoy doing in your free time outside of school? I listen to classical music, jazz, eat food from many different cultures, and hang out with friends like Poomshark. I also enjoy studying new languages such as Cantonese, Malay, Portuguese, Greek, Italian, German, Russian, and Esperanto. In addition, I watch a variety of videos from channels like Extra Credits, The Armchair Historian, Real Life Lore, and Kurzgesagt.
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Compared to sophomore year, how is junior life? During sophomore year, I thought that high school was tough. However, sophomore year was still enjoyable. I liked British Literature. When I got to junior year, things got a lot more difficult, such as more club work as the History Club’s president and more school work in general. There is less time to do what I love. Even with more work, I get to interact more with underclassmen. I also learned a lot more about myself this year. “Enjoy the most of it! Live life to the fullest!”
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What are you most excited about this year? I am excited about gaining new experiences, expanding the history club, meeting more underclassmen, and the SALT trip as it is the final SALT trip we juniors will have. This is my second to last high school year, so I want to do a lot. Finally, do you have any advice for upcoming high schoolers? No matter how hard something is, as long as you have determination to achieve it, nothing is impossible. Also, dream big. Everything you have done will all pay off in the end. Also don’t be afraid to ask for help! Get advice! Here’s a cliché: Believe in yourself.
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EAGLES’ EYE
GRACE
MANEERAT Interview by Pollisa Tien-iam-arnan Photos by Thaam Limwattananon
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How are you doing? How has freshman year been for you? I’m fine! I think that being a freshman is more difficult than being in middle school. I have had to adapt to new environments. What is one word that describes your personality best? Crazy! I love to express myself by talking and talking. Basically, I have a lot of energy! Do you have any role models in your life? If so, what makes them important to you? I would say that P’Sunbeary is one of my role models. I love to watch her YouTube videos because she is genuine to her fans and loves food like me. She reminds me to be who I am instead of pretending to be someone else.
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Congratulations for gaining 300,000 subscribers on your YouTube channel! How would you describe this accomplishment? It’s been interesting and a bit difficult to get through sometimes. Since not many people are YouTubers, I get judged and am exposed to a lot of criticism. Nonetheless, I feel more confident when there are many young kids that see me as a role model. I gain more confidence in myself and hope to be a good influence on them. In your opinion, what makes your YouTube channel interesting and unique? I think that most viewers enjoy my energetic personality and relate to a lot of things that I say.
How has your YouTube channel shaped who you are today? Honestly, I think I’m still the same me! Inside, I’m still a crazy, young girl who speaks her mind and is full of energy. YouTube has taught for me to step out of my box and try something new. I’m more confident now because of it. Do you have any advice for other students who aspire to build an online platform like yours? Don’t be scared to do what you love. I know the first step is going to be so hard, but trust me, after you take a few more steps you can start to see some progress in what you do. Whatever you do, just do it in a good way, and you’ll be rewarded.
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Young kwang shin amherst college class of 2019
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Can you briefly introduce yourself? I'm Youngkwang. I graduated from ICS in 2015, and am slated to graduate Amherst College in 2019. What is one of your favorite memories from ICS? ICS was a part of my life for 12 years — it's really difficult to pick just the one. I kind of miss the general vibe of the cafeteria: white walls, maroon shirts, and the ambient noise. I barely remember the specific conversations, only that my friends and I were always chatting away together. Did you participate in any extracurricular activities, and which do you suggest joining? I was actually part of the Quill! I wrote opinion pieces for the publication that are sure to embarrass me now, but I remember begging the magazine's first editor-in-chief to include me. I did that to pad my college app, but writing for the Quill definitely boosted my skill and confidence, two essential qualities in
college life. Join the Quill, is what I'm saying.
If you could redo high school, what would you change? Honestly, I think I had a good run in high-school. Maybe I could've been more outgoing, but I still made friends I would not care to lose in any imaginary revision of over half my life. Do you have any advice to give to current ICS students? I can't give any advice you guys haven't heard, which is the same way I felt when I was in high school. You could say high schoolers need to chill and do things less for college and more for passion. But in this economy, admission into a good college is everyone's passion, and I think adults need to realize that more. Simultaneously, we all need to do better in taking care of the health of our mind and body. All of this is quite the burden, but I believe all of you are better equipped than any older person to navigate these issues. NOVember-december 2018
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What is the most important thing you learned from ICS? This is as corny as it is true: it really is all about the friends you make along the way. There is no guarantee that you'll remain in contact with all your friends from K-12, but the longer you remember this bit of wisdom, the happier you'll be. Why did you choose to study at Amherst College? I chose Amherst College because of the freedom. We don't have any course requirements, and you can avoid taking morning classes. It seems trivial, but that leaves a lot of room to learn (and sleep) the way you want. Also, when you do wake up at 1 pm to rush for class, you'll find that the professors here are spectacular. That margin between you and them never fails to inspire. How does living in Massachusetts differ from living in Thailand? Which do you prefer? I prefer Thailand, all things considered. "All things" being no snow and more malls.
Since you’re a senior now, are you more excited to be graduating or nervous for the future?
I am a bit nervous. I'm thinking of grad school, so I'm kind of repeating the admissions process form from 4 years ago. What's more, I feel my 4 years at Amherst have whizzed by without my consent. I wouldn't mind another year here.
When you are stressed, what are some things you do to destress?
My usual answer was movies and video games, but as I get older, I realize that there is nothing in the world more pleasurable than eating and sleeping.
Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
I don't have an answer for this at the moment. Maybe in academia? There is no assurance with everything happening in the world. But I suppose we all find our way.
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BILL ACHARIYASOONTHORN UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN CLASS OF 2021
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As an alumnus from the ICS class of 2017, what was a unique characteristic of your class? I think what made our class special was how close we were with one another. We were quite a small class—I think there were only around 60 of us—and that was a blessing in that it made us very tightly-knit together. What was one thing that kept you going throughout high school? Food! Why did you choose to attend the University of Michigan? That’s a good question—I don’t know. I was just looking for a good business and environment program. But well, in hindsight, I’d say there were many reasons to come here. There are many recruiting opportunities, diverse classes to choose from, and a lovely Thai community. Ann Arbor, the city, is quite nice; the weather’s not so. What is your favorite thing about living there and what it has to offer? Chipotle is probably the best thing that happened to me here; I really wish I could have it in Thailand. Apart from that, you get a lot of freedom as a college student, so that’s really nice. In terms of what Ann Arbor has to offer, I like how it gives you the vibes of a city, but also of a small college town. Not many places can do that.
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How has the “college life” affected you? Being in such a big public school, I’ve constantly been meeting new people and hearing stories I’ve never heard before. That changed my perspectives, especially as someone who came out of a small school like ICS. I also wonder how I woke up at 6:00 a.m. every day to go to school. I definitely can’t do that in college anymore. If you could bring back something from Thailand or ICS, what would it be? I could really do with a box of Bonchon right now. What are you looking forward to in terms of your career? I plan to pursue management consulting for a while before eventually returning home to get into social entrepreneurship. But plans can change, so I’m not expecting anything too much, though I do look forward to not having to worry about finding a job.
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Khushi khotari kent state university CLASS OF 2022
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Which university are you studying in? I am studying at Kent State University in Kent, Ohio. Was this your first choice? Yes, this was my first choice. It was really my only choice. I knew I wanted to attend Kent State right off the bat. The only reason I applied to a second college was because I wanted to make sure I had a backup, just in case. What major did you choose to study and why? My major is Fashion Merchandising. Ever since middle school, I knew I wanted to do something in the field of fashion because that has always been a passion of mine. I love how my major allows me to explore the business aspects of the fashion industry while being creative at the same time. What characteristics did you look for when applying to universities? It was really important to me that the university I chose to attend had a reputable fashion program and Kent State is ranked as the fourth-best fashion school in the U.S. The other important thing was that I did not want to go to school in a city like New York (where many of the top fashion schools are). After living in a busy city like Bangkok for 17 years, I really wanted to go to a university in a more easygoing and chill town, and Kent is exactly that. NOVember-december 2018
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How is college life so far? What are some things you like and some that you wish to be different? I love the fact that I am able to take courses I am really interested in. I have also loved experiencing autumn and snowfall for the first time. I really wish the U.S. wasn’t so far away from home; or at least that teleportation was possible because I find myself missing home quite often, but I do love being here and I wouldn’t want that to change. If you had to choose, what would you say is one challenge you have overcome during your time at university so far? Homesickness. As I said, there are some days when I miss home a lot more than usual. It’s not easy moving halfway across the world and the time difference can definitely get quite challenging. But, I have slowly figured out a system and worked into my schedule daily video calls with my family to help with the homesickness. It’s also so incredibly important to stay in touch with friends; I have found that after a long, tiring day, all it takes is one phone call with a friend to put me in a better mood. What might your routine look like on an average weekday? I only have four classes this semester so it’s pretty chill right now. I wake up at around 7 A.M., shower, have breakfast, and then go to class. I then have lunch with my friends, go to my other classes, and then come back to my dorm. I’ll have a snack if I’m hungry, then do homework, then have dinner at around 7 P.M., chill with my friends, talk to my parents, do some more homework, then go to bed at around 10:30 or 11. It’s a pretty normal and regular schedule.
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What things do you miss about ICS? Oh, everything! The hallways, Chapel, having lunch on the picnic tables, Eagles’ Camp, chilling in Mrs. Sheila’s office with my Jelly Fam (shout out to my people!). Most of all, I miss the people. The teachers, the students, everyone. Honestly speaking, I didn’t think I would miss ICS that much, but I really, really do because it is the amazing people that make ICS so special. I don’t think I’ll ever not miss ICS. I have made so many memories in that place and it holds a special place in my heart, for sure. What are some expectations you have for the rest of this year? What goals do you wish to achieve (long- or short-term)? I really want to get more involved on campus and join some other organizations. There
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are so many opportunities to learn new things and discover new passions in university, so I want to do just that.
How do you feel about overcoming the “great walls” of high school, and what have you gotten from your experience at ICS? It feels amazing! I now know that all that hard work wasn’t for nothing. All those difficult AP classes (ahem, AP Chem, ahem), and Capstone papers weren’t for nothing. ICS has taught me so much, both academically and just in the aspect of how to go about life, and being able to carry that into this next chapter is a blessing. I will learn many more things in the next 3 ½ years at university, but I will never forget the lessons I have learned during my 8 years at ICS. Oops, too cheesy, I know.
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Volleyball s
This year’s Varsity Boys’ Volleyball team experienced a great improvement within a short amount of time. Their initial goal of the season was to qualify for the BISAC and simply try their best in every game. However, as they started to gain victory and triumph over teams they never imagined winning, the players started to strive higher. Despite the people who doubted that the volleyball team would even make the BISAC, the team arrived first in their group and qualified for BISAC with two games left. This was an unforeseen feat for the players and even for the fans! The team knew they had the potential, but they never believed they could come this far. In the end, the Boys' volleyball team came third in BISAC, which is a tremendous achievement for the school since it has been a considerably long time, perhaps almost ten years, since the ICS Boys’ volleyball team won a medal in BISAC. When I asked one of the players regarding their success, he replied, “The good thing about this year was that we were all one united team, and no one was left out during our practice sessions. Also, it has been a while since we’ve played together as a team, so I think this year was the time when our chemistry really reached its fullest potential.” This is especially noticeable, as other sports teams in ICS has had a challenging time, trying to fill up the holes the seniors of 2018 left behind. Although the season has officially ended and several seniors will be graduating soon, it seems to not be a mortifying problem for the ICS Varsity Boys’ Volleyball team due to the myriad amount of potential remaining amongst the younger players. 66
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season recap by Jooyoung Written by Words Jooyoung Kim Kim
Similarly, the Varsity Girls’ Volleyball team also had a phenomenal season. Although they unluckily lost the semi-finals and came fourth in BISAC, they managed to grab the bronze medal in the NIST Tournament. Even though these results may not sound that impressive, it is indeed a welcoming news for the ICS Girls’ Volleyball team in the long run. This year’s team had only two seniors and the majority of the players were sophomores. In fact, the Varsity Girls’ Volleyball team had lost even more players than the Varsity Boys’ Volleyball team due to the seniors graduating in May 2018. Thus, over half of the squad had to be replaced with new girls. Despite the initial worries, the girls played with great unity, as if they had been playing together the whole time. Having been one of the youngest team in Bangkok, the Girls’ Volleyball team had a remarkable season this year. When I asked the captain to share some memorable events for this season, she replied, “We had a great season, our coach was fantastic, and, most importantly, we had FUN at all our tournaments. I am very proud that I was able to captain this team and I will remember these girls forever!” Although the volleyball season has officially ended, the Varsity Girls’ Volleyball team’s journey hasn’t. They still have an overseas tournament next year, and they hope to bring the trophy with them back home. NOVember-december 2018
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SWIM TEA Interview by Matthew Muehleck Photos by Aim Kumpusiri
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AM
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The swimmer who was interviewed requested to remain anonymous.
Hi, please introduce yourself and give us some background on your experience. I have been on the swim team for several years now. I usually practice 3 or more times a week, and I also swim outside of school at a swim club. Could you please tell us about last year’s performance and how you felt about it? I feel like last year was a strange year for us, as we had a new coach (Ms. Isabel) who had some new ideas on how to improve our swimming. I think that the new coaching style made us swim harder, which made us better swimmers, but also made some people feel like quitting since they felt like it was too hard and didn’t prefer the new style. I also feel like we finished below than what I expected for us, and I hope we can improve this year. However, I hope that this doesn’t discourage people from joining the team since we are evolving every year. What are your hopes for this year? Well, this year we have two new coaches, one being an ICS alumnus. I feel like they could really help drive the team in a better direction and get us into better shape for the season. I also feel that since we started later this year, it might help us not get as burned out, as we will have more motivation and energy at the end of the season. We also have some really good swimmers coming up through the team right now, and hopefully, they will be able to compete at higher levels and help us enhance our results. NOVember-december 2018
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TEnnis team Written by Vichida Phisitkul
Although the ICS Tennis team may be a new addition to ICS’ variety of sports teams, there is no doubt that it is continuously growing. Together, the team has experienced many successes and failures. However, the most important thing was that “everyone had fun” (Gunn, G.11). This year, Daniel (G.10) and Talay (G.10) came in 1st (in the B Draw) for the doubles tournament at ISB with the score of 4-2 in the final set. Daniel stated that “It felt great and wonderful to win for our school.” Let us now interview a member of the tennis team, Gunn (G.11).
Why did you decide to join the tennis team? Gunn: At first, ICS had no tennis team, because, well, ICS had no tennis courts. Then, someone came along and somehow created a team despite the lack of courts. Eventually, my friends then convinced me to join the team. How long have you been playing tennis? G: I’ve been playing tennis for about 6 years. Which tournament do you feel was the most memorable to you? Why? G: The BISAC 2016 tournament was great. Everyone tried their best and we had a lot of fun, even though not all of us won. We got to talk to players from other schools and learn interesting things about them as well. 72
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What would you say to encourage people to join the tennis team? G: Tennis is probably one of those sports that doesn’t always seem like a team sport (except if you are playing doubles, of course), but I feel that as a team, we bond very well with each other and are very chill. Everyone has loads of fun during practices and (maybe) matches. I also heard that you can play tennis until you are, perhaps, over 100 years old, so that’s nice. Any memorable moments? G: If you come to tennis tournaments, you can see some pretty funny matches. One match particularly stood out to me because my teammate and his opponent kept laughing during the entire match. Our team and the opponent’s team were sitting next to each other on the bleachers, and we were also laughing so hard that we didn’t know who we were cheering for anymore. Another time, someone rode a bike indoors and crashed into a wall. The tennis team is always open to new members, and “although it’s a hard sport, once you get the hang of it, it’s actually a really fun sport. So I encourage you guys to try it out!” (Joanna, G.11). Mr. Brad, the coach, stated that those who wanted to play tennis for fun – and not compete in tournaments – are welcome to join as well. NOVember-december 2018
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Bell-to-bell phone policy: Good or Bad? Words by Agrim Jain & Krisha Gandhi Photos by Apitta Thaveeprungsiporn
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Pros
The new school policy that ICS adopted last summer forbids the use of phones from the beginning of school (7:22 A.M.) to the end of school (2:20 P.M.). Phones, particularly smartphones, can cause significant diversions to their owners and their friends. Diversions manifest in forms such as instant messages, phone calls, and unlimited internet access. Despite being set to silent mode, smartphones still manage to distract students from lectures and become the focus of attention during breaks that could be dedicated to academics. Mobile phones offer new ways for students to undermine the value of tests and assignments. Students can text answers to one another while sitting in the same classroom. A student who has class in the morning can use his phone to take a picture of the test questions and share them with a friend who has the class in the afternoon. Even when phone use is limited in school during lunch and break, a desire still exists within students to call or text during those hours and class periods. Students are concentrating on their mobile phones during times when, before the prevalence of mobile phones, students would have been interacting and having face-toface conversations with others. When students use their phones, they are missing out on opportunities to make new friends, talk to teachers, read books, play sports, etc. This school policy has enabled students to interact more with their peers instead of their cell phones. As students are not using their phones throughout the school day, they are working harder to achieve better grades, using their brains more effectively, and becoming more observant of what’s going on in the community they’re in. Do you think it was a wise decision to adopt this new policy? NOVember-december 2018
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Cons: Although it is true that using phones creates distractions and impedes students from interacting with one another, phones can also be exploited for better purposes: improving the quality of education and allowing the access to the vast amount of information on the Internet. Typically, students do not use their phones throughout classes, but they simply go on their devices during breaks. However, by forbidding students to access their devices, this prevents them not only from gaming but potentially from doing homework as well. Although it may be hard to admit, there are people who do not finish all their homework at home because of the overwhelming workload, and sometimes, those people use their break time to complete their assignments. Hence, with restricted access to their phones, students may not be able to research the problems they encounter while finishing up the homework. Consequently, their academics may be greatly hampered due to this. In spite of that, there are plausible arguments about those students going to the Media Center to use the computer to explore additional resources. But this may be inconvenient for them because they are unable to bring meals into the Media Center. Granted that completing all the homework before the school day is the best option, it is not always feasible, which means there are occasions that we have to wrap up our work at school. Hence, being able to utilize our phones will aid in that aspect. In addition to simply completing assignments, we sometimes take notes on our phones, whether it is by typing it down on some applications or by taking a photo. Personally, I find this much more pragmatic because it is speedy and accurate. To be frank, there are times that I jotted notes down on my memo pad, but those were not always helpful. Sometimes, because the teacher was speaking rather fast, I was unable to keep track of what he was saying, or I was writing so rapidly that my entries became mere scribbles. Other times, I would lose my notebook, and obviously, that obstructed me from finishing up my work. Unlike physically recording it, it takes less than five seconds to capture paragraphs written on the board. Also, once you save something on your phone, it is much harder to misplace your notes. Even if you do, it would not have been by accident since you would have to re-delete your jotting from the “Deleted Items� to completely remove it. Surely, devices can be a distraction, but we can always use them wisely. Electronics can help us with researching information and fulfilling our academics duty. With such benefits, I believe that the school should allow their students to use phones throughout the day. 74
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A CHRISTMAS
Words by Shreya Rupani G
December 3rd, 2003 Dear Diary, It is another cold December month, and yet again I am struggling to provide presents for my three children. The holiday season comes with lots of hope. There’s new vigor with lights and decorations everywhere. This year, my children haven’t asked for anything; they tell me my presence in itself is a gift for them. I am overwhelmed by their love and warmth in this bitter cold. We are trying so hard to make ends meet, but I can barely afford their schooling. It's an unfulfilled dream to be able to provide for them what they desire. I have promised myself to provide for my three angels with what they need and what they want any way I can. I read their letters to Santa, and all of them fancy a bike so that they won’t have to walk to school and carry the weight of their heavy bags on their shoulders. I will work extra shifts this entire month if I have to, and supply them with bikes by Christmas.
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MIRACLE
Graphics by Sirinda Vongsrirungruang
December 22nd, 2003 Dear Diary, It is almost Christmas. I have been hoping and praying for a miracle. I have been working hard so that I would be able to gather the twenty dollars needed to provide bikes for my three little twinkling stars. I am again low on money, especially this month, because our rent has drastically increased. I haven’t bought myself one thing this year and I am still short on money. I was going to tell my children today that I wasn’t able to get them their bikes this year, and that maybe next year would be a better year for us. When I built up courage and told them over the dinner table, they were discouraged– I could see it in their eyes. They pretended everything was great, however, and smiled on! One of them though, Kian, just ran to our penny jar and said that we probably have enough in there. I didn’t share the same views, so I brushed it off, but he was right, there was enough. He counted them all and in total there was $42.35 dollars worth of pennies in the jar. I think of this as our own Christmas miracle that God has given us. We would be able to get a few more things besides the bikes, and I have no one but our Almighty to thank.
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