November-December 2019

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dear reader

Congratulations on finishing your first semester! Freshmen, we hope your first midterms went well. Sophomores and juniors, we hope you’re getting used to the cumulative exams. Seniors, congratulations on completing our very last high school midterms!

It’s the holiday season. Christmas lights are glowing everywhere, and a new decade is just around the corner. Time really flies, and before it flies any more, let’s look back at all the amazing moments captured in November and December. Grab a cup of hot chocolate, relax, and enjoy the cozy articles, interviews, and special “Humans of ICS” section that we have ready for you. Happy holidays!

Quillfully Yours, Aoey & Erica

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THE TEAM 4

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Mr. MARK COOPRIDER Advisor

aoey wirawaRn & Erica kim editor-in-chiefs

aim kumpusiri art director

hayoung you managing editor

Editors

David Bang Matthew Muehleck Nate Ronnakiat Tayida Chaiyakiturajai Pann Sripitak Joey Chao Joseph Ha Amy Jain Claire Mast Dada Phisitkul

writers

Tayida Chaiyakiturajai Mina Wangpattanamongkol Dayoung Nam Tawan Petpaiboon Shreya Rupani Charlotte Muehleck Austin Cipriano Pat Watcharapong Emily Rubio Time Kosawad

Proud Ua-arak David Bang Hannah Won Krishma Gandhi Krisha Gandhi Daniel Yim Joey Chao Hunter Lertkiatdamrong Pann Sripitak

photographers

Mina Wangpattanamongkol Lala Lertkiatdamrong Dino Nishioka Thejal Narayanasamy Ai Tulayathun Mine Umnakkittikul Tida Pinthanon Wen Aramratsameekul Ally Woo Russia Chawala Hannah Kim

Blink Chaisuparakul Hajoo Na Proud Sethaudom Joanna Pinsuvana Thaam Limwattananon Clara Park Jan Thaveeprungsiporn Tenny Srirungrojana Sunny Tangniannatchai Beam Yongphiphatwong

layout designers

Haeun You Rita Sirichanyakul Christina Chen Tan Tumpunyawat Aum Kuansongtham Bam Chadanuntakul Gloria Park Lala Viboonkiat Angie Tanabodee-umpon

Gunn Jungpaibul Ryu Ngammuang Year Ruengarak Anna Liang Sungwoo Jeon Nisha Denzau Lucy Noh Ai Tulayathun

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contents 6

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8 14 1984 20 SERVicE 26 32 36

ICS got talent

ICS VARSITY debate championship

eagle eye: davi araujo

senior session andrew malone

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exam TIPS book review: a doll’s house frozen 2 A SATISFYING SEQUEL OK or NOT OK alumni interview: stephen pyon an ode to christmas eve humans of ics

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A recap

on

Written by Photos b Pat Watcharapo ng y Pawan Wirawan

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Sitting in the driver’s seat is very different from sitting in the passenger’s seat; go ask your dad, and he’d most likely agree with that statement. The same goes for ICS Got Talent 2019. If you saw the show, you might have been blown away by little France’s performance on the piano and the harp, been amused by Mr. Mark’s shenanigans, enjoyed the cold pizza, or cringed along with Idy and I’s dry “jokes”.

Now, you may have put two and two together as to why I mentioned sitting in the driver’s seat: it’s because, well, I was.

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MC-ing was daunting, to say the least. Never before had I experienced being on stage in front of such a large crowd. Though, in the spur of the moment, it felt like everything was falling apart, in retrospect, the show was great. I’ve always been impressed by the level of talent at these shows. From the senior “Capstone Failures” to Ryu’s drum solo to Miku’s rendition of “How Far I’ll Go” to the freshman dance crew--as well as a myriad of other performances--as a member of the ICS Student Council, I’d like to thank all the performances and acts for bringing life to this event.

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Overall, the whole event was a treat. It was incredible to see the show up close from backstage.

Speaking with the performers behind the scene was very eye-opening, some of them were very confident, while others were practically trembling in their own skin. Masked by my jokes, I honestly felt closer to the “practically trembling in their own skin” side of the spectrum, but as Idy said, “Suck it up buddy, you were the one who wanted to do this MC thing and dragged me into it.” Wiser words have never been said.

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1984 Written by Danial Yim Photos by ICS Drama Department

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How do you feel after 1984?

Mr. Gersom De Koning (Mr. G): Tired. No, good.

It went well. I think we got the central message down and everyone understood it to some degree at least. It was fun, I think we achieved what we were supposed to achieve, an expressionist show.

What is expressionism to you?

Mr. G: It’s not what it is to me, it’s what it is factually.

Factually, expressionism is a style of theatre which came in the early 20th century around WW1 and all the way up to WW2 in Germany/Europe. It started of as a painting movement, the scream painting by Edvard Munch and a bunch of different guys like that. They started painting scenes which evoked a specific emotion rather than painting realism which is what they had done before that. The playwright

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started doing something similar. Before this you had realism, you had stanislavski, method acting, this whole idea of taking a well made play that has a very clear beginning, middle, and end; and everything packs together really well. They were like you know what that’s great and cute but we aren’t achieving much with these kind of plays. They are cute but that’s it, they are just entertainment. There were some hard hitting realistic plays about political topics and the fall in nature of human beings (ex: bad industrialization). Realism did address those issues but it didn’t change anything. So then the expressionist guys knew that obviously realism isn’t working. The realistic version isn’t making people change their minds, we should do a more extreme nightmare version of what would happen if we continue this road.”

Why did you choose to do 1984?

Mr. G: Mixing expressionism and 1984. 1984 is a dystopian novel, so it has a nightmarish quality, which expressionism plays have to have. Other expressionist plays either they only have one or two leads so then it doesn’t really work out. Or they are too explicit to put on at a school. They include rape and all this really hard stuff to stage.

So then we thought that 1984 is a very dystopian

story and we don’t have to actually follow the real story line, we can just follow the theme and still achieve the nightmare quality, have disconnected scenes (the scenes connect only by theme). So then you have all these tiny little plot lines and you have one overarching theme and it can really drive the message home because expressionism is supposed to be political theatre and sociological theatre that really works.

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How are Oliver Twist auditions going? And why did you choose to do Oliver Twist?

Mr. G: Good. Oliver Twist is good, number one. Number two, it will be the first full-length show ICS has done in a few years, like full-length musical. We have done junior versions, in which they reduce the number of songs and stuff, so they are a little easier; but now I think we are ready to do that. Number three, I had two other ones which I was going to do and then the publisher said I couldn’t do it yet so in my list it was then the next one. I have a list of epic things and this was the third epic one so I was like the other two can wait.

Will the structure be similar to 1984?

Mr. G: No, in 1984 there is not one narative. Each scene is in a different location, the audience is immersed in the theatre so they are walking through it. Some audience members said that they started looking over their shoulders because that’s how immersive it is. They started getting creeped out and it is very political.

Oliver is happy, well it’s not that happy it’s pretty said but it is a musical so there are happier elements and it’s on one stage with the audience viewing directly and the characters do not break the fourth wall. They don’t address the audience whereas in 1984 they look at the audience and stare into your soul and you’re like ugh. It is very different, almost polar opposites.

Do you have a specific vision for this play?

Mr. G: Oliver Twist, is going to be very focused on what London actually was like in that height of the Victorian empire which is not that pretty. So it’s got redeemable elements of humanity like kindness, charity, etc. But also has the sad side which is people were greedy. And really that was the engine of England, greed. So we want to show the factory side of that and the kind side.

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serVI

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ICE

Words by Krisha Gandhi Photos By Joanna Pinsuvana

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From November 15 to 17, ICS successfully organized the 9th annual servICE conference, which welcomed high school students from over fifteen schools across Thailand. The planning team had been working extremely hard over a span of 8 months to make this year’s conference as meaningful and memorable as possible.

The activities spanned over the course of 3 days with simulations, how-to sessions, unconferenced conferences, and Keynotes, to name a few. But first, 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.

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The first day began Icebreakers and get-to-know-you games, preparing everyone for the BYB (or, Burst Your Bubble) trips coming up the next day. These BYB trips took us through activities like visiting grandmas 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 look back, to reflect, and to practice mindfulness using the energy of self-motivation to drive us towards our goals. And as these moments turned into memories, only the instagram pictures remained.

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ICS VA Debate CHA

Words by Pro

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ARSITY AMPIONSHIP

oud Ua-arak

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ICS’s first-ever Varsity Debate tournament (IVDC) was held on the 10th of this month, with teams of 3 competing against each other before the adjudicators, all of whom were professional debating champions from Malaysia. A month prior to the tournament, I had signed up and recruited a team for fun, just to learn a little bit more about debating and gain some experience in something I’ve never done before. Everyone in our team (namely Fah and Stephen from 9th grade)

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had no experience whatsoever in debating— except for arguing with each other, I guess, so we were quite overwhelmed when we first stepped foot into the auditorium on the day of the tournament to see debating grand finalists, chief adjudicators, and regional tournament champions introducing themselves as judges for the competition. We were given 30 minutes after the motion (topic) of each debate was given to discuss and plan with one of these professional debaters before moving into a designated classroom to go against another team. From topics ranging from

athletes using performance-enhancing drugs to whether schools should teach students the harsh realities of life instead of instilling hope and optimism, we had to formulate thoughts and analyze different situations we may never have considered before. With Fah debating in the position of Deputy, Stephen as Whip, and me as Prime Minister, our strategy was just to go along trying to poke holes and find fallacies in the opposition’s proposals whenever we didn’t have enough content to talk about on our own side; a weak strategy which caused us our downfall.

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We lost the first round against an older team.

Fah recalls: “Losing that first game made me much more motivated in a sense. I just really wanted to try again and look at the bigger picture instead of just the details of the motion.” We were, embarrassingly, extremely overjoyed when the next team we had to go against were middle schoolers because we had associated ability with age after losing the first time. It was a fatal mistake since we underestimated their skills by a lot and strongly believed we’d win no matter what. When the judge announced that we’d lost by a single point because we questioned the opposition’s case but didn’t propose any solid arguments on our side, I believe I can say for the three of us that we just wanted to dig a hole and hide in it for the rest

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of the tournament (after eating the delicious lunch they provided, of course). We knew we were just amateurs, but it stung to lose to a much younger team nonetheless.

We ended up winning the last debate, but that wasn’t what made the tournament so valuable and memorable to us. At the end of the day, we learned that there’s more to debate—and life, for that matter—than being right. “You’ve got to link and weave your ideas together in a way that makes sense and communicate those ideas effectively.

Debate is also very much a team sport, as you must trust your teammates and work together to create a solid overall argument,” mentions one of the debaters.

A huge shout out to Nala, Polly, Pann, Fin, Art, Peam, Tenny, and Tayida -- the ICS Debate Club leaders -- for organizing this tournament and allowing it to be so successful and worthwhile!

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Eagle eye

davi araujo

Interview by Tawan Petpaiboon Photos by Mina Wangpattananamongkol

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How do you feel being the President of Band?

I feel,I guess, really honored to be in the position, because band is a subject I really love and have passion for, so to be able to help others and show them the passion I have and to be able to lead is such an honor.

Can you describe your role?

As a band president, I’m in charge of leading the band. If Mr.Cody is sick, I’m there to rehearse the songs we are supposed to play. Me and my committee also plan on band events. Once a month, the band gets together for a team bonding session to make us feel more like family and feel less likely to leave the band.

Do people look up to you?

I guess since I’m in the position of leadership. In the past, Mr.Cody was sick so people looked up to me even though we were in different grade levels.

How were you selected?

The way I was selected was that Mr.Cody asked the students who wanted to join the band council. It had many different roles like communication and secretary. It’s very similar to the student council. I told him that I was interested, and I was willing to run for president. Then, I was selected by the majority of votes.

Is it a challenging job for you?

The challenge I was presented with was to design a band t-shirt. It was the first time I was the middleman so I needed help from people who had experience. I guess there were a lot of problems, but I was able to overcome them.

As a class rep and a SMLIT member, do you think it’s hard for you to organize your time?

I guess if you look at it, we all need time. I felt like it’s challenging to manage time at school because almost every other lunch I have a meeting. In that sort of sense, activities are at the same time, so my dad told me to cut one of those. But after many talks of changes of my schedule, in the end, I was able to balance my time.

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Do you enjoy the chance of getting to experience leadership?

I enjoy it very much because I would always compare leadership to my dad. I would look to see how people look up to him as someone with wisdom and was able to keep everything in control. Because of that, I look at that and wanted to be that man that knows what to do in difficult situations. So, I joined SMLIT in 7th grade and from there, I just like experiencing leadership.

Who do you look up to as your mentor?

As a mentor, I look up to many people with many life experiences. One of them would be my dad because he taught me a lot of things. The second one would be a recent senior that just graduated, Stephen Pyon. He was a really good mentor and I miss him very much. The third one would be someone I met in a soccer ministry.

We had this sort of thing called chat group and we have one mentorship. I was paired up with John, and he was about to get a job because he already graduated college. So, I already experienced a lot of life compared to where I was. Everyday, we would talk about his experiences and he would give me different pieces of advice.

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sENIOR SESSION

Andrew malone

Interview by Hunter Lertkiatdamrong Photos by Lala Lertkiatdamrong

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Why did you decide to learn at home instead of learning at school?

It was convenient at the time, so initially I started homeschooling in Krabi, in Southern Thailand. There were no real schools available there for me, so I just had to homeschool. When my family moved to Bangkok, we continued to homeschool, so it was just the most convenient option at the time.

Do you prefer homeschooling or learning at ICS? Why? There are benefits to both; in homeschooling, you don’t have to get up so early and there is also no homework because everything you do is at home, so it’s just really flexible. At school, you have the social aspect, which you obviously don’t have at homeschooling. You also have really good teachers in the school. Compared to homeschooling, you just have like textbooks.

Do you mind telling us how homeschooling works?

It depends, so normally you get up and I would do online courses, so it depends on the course. On some courses, it’s actually live, so it’s almost like a twitch stream; you chat with the teacher, and the teacher gives a lecture and you have to take notes or something like that.But others are like static, so you just go on the website and you do your work and click submit. There are also tests and quizzes, but you have to get your parents to look after you so that you don’t just cheat on your phone and stuff like that.

Why did you decide to move to ICS? I had some friends here, and I just wanted to get the experience of going to a real school and graduate.

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How do you feel about moving to ICS? I like it, it’s cool.

What were some difficulties that you had to go through when moving here?

Getting up at 5.30 am every morning and just the homework and schedule that was kinda hard to adjust to.

What is your favorite thing about ICS? I like the social aspect and the teachers are really good. Also extracurriculars like sports and stuff like that too.

Why did you decide to move to Thailand?

I was born in America, but I came to Thailand when I was 4 months old. My parents are missionaries here, but my dad is also an English teacher.

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exams tips Written by Krishma Gandhi

December 13 to 20th 2019 is exam season, the time of the year that evokes the most stress and dread within all highschoolers.

Procrastination is often prevalent during exam season. Cramming 10 chapters in just 12 hours might work for some students, but that doesn’t leave a good impact nor calms students down before taking exams.

Exam season is the time where students get to demonstrate what they know and have learned throughout the year, which can be devastatingly difficult when taking numerous, demanding classes. Junior year is probably the most exhausting time for students, as it’s when they try and take all the hard subjects so they can relax in their senior year.

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To have a smooth exam season and ace those tests, procrastination and cramming are two very ineffective, but common, strategies that should be avoided. The best way to study for exams is to first manage your time. Time is the most precious factor for success. During or near the exam season, you might need to rethink your priorities and concentrate more on studying. If things start building on your plate, rather than resorting to last-minute work, seek help from your mentors, tutors, friends, and most importantly, teachers. Teachers are the key people who are willing to help you. If you need extra lessons, ask them politely and make time for it.

Another quite effective but strenuous method for studying is memorizing, which is a method everyone uses that is extremely time-consuming. When given a lot of content, understanding it and finding a unique, different way to remember it can really help you. Sitting down and focusing on only one subject is much more productive than multitasking and flipping through different chapters. Proceed in an orderly manner that doesn’t confuse you and will help you finish the content in due time.

One other method that really helps when learning is simply reading. Reread your notes multiple times a day weeks before your exam so that when the exam time comes, you are familiar with the content and all you have to do is review it for those last few days.

Finally, the best tip during exams is to get rid of all distractions. You might need to delete a few apps, log out of Instagram and Snapchat, and even hand over your phone to your parents. But in the end, it’ll all be worth it. Removing distractions will leave you with more time for what you ought to be doing: studying.

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Book Review: Words by Tayida Chaiyakiturajai

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A

Doll’s House is a renowned play written by Norway’s Henrik Ibsen. It was first performed in Denmark in 1879 and, from then on, served as an important play that captures realistic problems in a household.

In summation, the play portrays the symbolic metamorphosis of the main character, Nora, and her actions while living in her husband’s “dollhouse.” Nora, who is painted as tender and innocent from the beginning, cares about her three children and the underlying traditions of Christmas before anything else. She also furnishes her taste to enjoy the things her husband, Torvald, enjoys and learns to act accordingly. One day, a former employee, Krogstad, brings up the past of Nora forging her father’s signature to save Torvald from dying. Throughout the book, readers examine Nora’s multiple attempts to prevent Krogstad from telling Torvald of her previous sin as guilt and shame stir inside of her.

When Torvald eventually finds out, he belittles her and is ready to kick Nora out of the family. Soon after, when Torvald realizes there wouldn’t be any charges against him, he requests for Nora’s gratitude for his forgiveness to her. Nora, however, ends up standing up for herself for the first time, proclaiming, “I think I’m a human being before anything else,” and shuts the entrance door of the dollhouse.

Nora’s so-called feminist characteristics by many don’t appear until the last chapter of the book and serves as an important message made by the author. Despite being tied into the marriage for nine years, Nora empowers others in toxic relationships to follow her example of valuing her self worth as seen when Nora battles Torvald after he shouts, “You are a wife and a mother before anything else.” Ibsen’s message doesn’t stop there. His aims are bigger in the sense that he encourages mistakes Nora makes throughout the play and for lessons to be learned rather than the goal of achieving perfection in a relationship. november-december2019

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A satisfying sequel 44

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Words by David Bang

It’s been 6 years since I last watched Frozen in the movie theaters - 6 years since holding my popcorn tightly, attempting to ignore the squeals of kids around me. My 5th grade self, being socially awkward, instantly took a liking and formed a personal connection to the story and characters. Though being a boy, Elsa’s message of empowerment and discovering one’s self struck a chord in me. Paired with the beautiful animation and well written songs, Frozen definitely deserved all the praise and achievements it received. After the release, everyone knew its story of sisterly love, its large array of different types of characters, and especially, its endlessly repeated songs, namely, Let It Go.

Frozen 2 was a very long awaited sequel, probably having been drawn out to extend its merch sales. Frozen Fever and Olaf’s Frozen Adventure were released within this waiting period to appease the dying love of the Frozen franchise, but it wasn’t anywhere as big as the sequel that was 6 years in the making. Idina Menzel, Kristen Bell, Jonathan Groff, and Josh Gad all came back to breathe life once again to such nostalgic characters, singing songs composed

by Kristen and Robert Lopez.

Needless to say, Frozen 2 had high expectations and large feet to fill in order to match its prequel. Sitting in the theatre (2 times, both for the 4DX and normal showing because I just had to watch it both ways), my mind was occupied by standards the movie was set at, and I, admittingly, realize that I might have watched a bit too intensely, picking everything right and wrong instead of just enjoying. Now that I’ve given it some more thought, I hope that this journey of a movie can be as enjoyable to you as it is to me.

The Actual Review

Overall, this movie was great. Amazing. Marvelous. Heartwarming. And something that will make you feel connected. Maybe even cry. But getting into technical terms, I’m sad to say this was a tad underwhelming. Let me explain.

The plot starts with the original gang (Elsa, Anna, Kristoff, Olaf, and Sven) in their life after the events of Frozen. They are quickly initiated by something from the past: an old story that Elsa’s parents told came back to haunt her in the form of a voice calling from afar. In Elsa’s new “Let It Go”, called “Into the Unknown”, Elsa fights the urge to find the voice, but she accidentally wakes the nature spirits (fire, water, wind, and earth) up, and they kick out the whole kingdom to the mountains.

From there, the gang trek out to the enchanted woods to find the spirits and follow the voice Elsa hears. Lots of other things happen, where Elsa has another solo moment (Show Yourself), and then there is a climax and a happy ending. A pretty basic run down without spoilers. november-december2019

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Storytelling: The storytelling of this movie is absolutely the best. You feel what the characters are feeling (and of course I’ve cried a million times throughout), sway to the great musical numbers, and become immersed in this gorgeous world that’s been built. Amongst the best are details in the animation and the perfect timing and flow of audio to keep us all captivated. Those are just some of the powerful aspects of the movie. The voice acting and singing are also impeccable.

Songs: I’ve especially enjoyed the songs in the movie. They have 7 full length songs and 1 short (not really an increase from Frozen’s 6 full length songs, 1 reprise, and 2 shorts), all of which are worthy to stand next to the original soundtrack. Jonathan Groff finally singing as Kristoff in his own solo was the cherry on top. Elsa’s second solo, “Show Yourself ”, is a particularly powerful song, taking us on the path of Elsa trying to find herself (with her having a new ice dress included). These songs are exactly what can be expected of a good Disney movie. But that’s a review for another time.

Plot holes (Spoilers): If you asked me what I liked the most, I would say everything. Well, almost everything. My body might have been glued to the chair, but my mind was still picking up some plot issues and loopholes. It is understandable that this is a Disney show for a young audience, but some things much too obviously didn’t make sense. Several tiny details litter the movie, like how Elsa can travel across a continental coast in a minute or how Kristoff was lost in the woods for 2 days before conveniently reappearing. But that’s all they are: tiny details to help move the plot.

The main question involved the larger story and Elsa’s origin. Elsa discovers that she was given powers as a gift from the spirits to Iduna (her mother) for saving Agnarr (her father). However, a better word than ‘discovers’ is ‘logically figures out’. So, if Elsa could figure out how she got her powers, why couldn’t her parents? Did they have to travel so far to find answers that could be derived from past experiences? The other question is, “How is Elsa the fifth spirit when the myth of the fifth spirit existed before she was born?” Possibly reincarnation? Or maybe a prophecy? Or maybe the fifth spirit didn’t exist until Elsa was born. Anyway, this led to some confusion.

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Predictability (more spoilers): Another little thing that bugged me was the predictability of this movie. In Frozen, I certainly didn’t expect the plot twists that came with the story, nor could I confidently predict what would happen next at any point. However, Frozen 2 foreshadows a bit more than I would have liked. It was obvious that ‘water has memory’ would be a major plot device, and much much too obvious that Elsa was the fifth spirit. Anna’s becoming of the queen, Kristoff ’s timing of his proposal, and Elsa’s saving of Arendale could have been guessed too. I was only shocked by the discovery of the parents’ ship.

New Character (more, more spoilers): There, unfortunately, was no new main character in Frozen 2, even though the trailer made it seem like there was. We are only introduced to some new animals (which are actually spirits), and the people who have been living in the forest all this time (about 34 years). Queen Iduna and King Agnarr do make some appearances in the flashback segments, but nothing much. However, there should have been a new main character, which would add something unique to the sequel and help to move the story along. This is where Frozen 2 really missed out on.

For both times I watched the movie, I left feeling full.

Frozen 2 is fun and heartwarming, but also tells a complex narrative of learning to correct past sins and move on. The new setting and atmosphere drags viewers’ interests and strings them along with the story. Though some plot holes and story problems exist, the storytelling is astonishing and worthy of praise. Frozen 2 might not exactly be as good as the original, but it doesn’t deserve to be called a “bad sequel”. The resolution isn’t as tear-jerking and bears witness to a few mistakes, so underwhelming is an accurate word to use.

Though, I’d prefer to call it a satisfying sequel (aka rewatchable sequel), because honestly, this is the most anyone would actually expect of a Disney sequel.

And they hit it right on the spot. november-december2019

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ok or not not ok Words by Pann Sripitak

The OK symbol was a seemingly innocent symbol, until late 2019 when the Anti-Defamation League added it to their list of hate symbols for claims that the gesture was being used as a “white supremacist symbol,” where “the ‘OK’ gesture has spread beyond the far right” (“How the ‘OK’ Symbol Became a Popular Trolling Gesture”). But how did we get here? How does an innocent gesture to show approval or agreement, or a way to say “I’m alright” become a hate symbol used by the alt-right to spread racist messages for “white power”? This rabbit hole goes deep.

Historically, the sign appeared throughout the Buddhist and Hindu diasporas as a symbol of inner perfection. In Greece, it represents the scales of justice, whereas it was an emblem of perfection and precision in Italy. The modern use of this gesture first originated in an 1839 piece published in the Boston Morning Post, where the expression “OK” was an acronym for an intentionally misspelled “all correct” (“What’s the Real Origin of ‘OK’?”). Regardless of its exact origins, the OK symbol, which became a hand gesture, is now used by most countries, especially English-speaking countries, as a simple gesture to show agreement.

Next came the circle game– a popular school prank where a person makes the gesture below their own waist and tries to trick their friends into looking at it in any way possible, whether it be acting like you fell or dropping your books on the floor. If the person looks at it, the maker of the gesture punches the opponent in the arm.

Yet, to see this harmless gesture listed as a hate symbol and labelled as a symbol representing white supremacy and racism is both shocking and disappointing. In 2017, the association of the gesture with white supremacy started. The explanation was that the three fingers resembles a “W” while the circle resemble the head of a “P,” in which “WP” stands for “white power.” The media was outraged by anyone and everyone who showed this gesture. Of course, there were some members of the alt-right who actually used the symbol, but the majority of the people who got criticized for making the gesture didn’t even know what it stands for– in one case, a person got heavy criticism, including threats, for making the OK gesture in the background of national television. They claimed that they were making the gesture as an “alright” sign on national television. Many even got fired because of making the gesture, such as the case of the “Gru” actor at Universal Orlando. Of course, there is no way to know if it was intentional or not; nevertheless, the extent of the media outrage is revealed.

The problem here is that the “hate symbol” actually originated as a 4chan prank on the media– most of them were not truly racist and didn’t believe in white supremacy. Yet, it was these trolls’ mission to turn an innocent symbol into a hate sign just to show how easily-fooled the media nowadays truly are. Worse of all is that they succeeded in fooling the media, but in doing so, they made a symbol that actual racists and alt-rights use. The media isn’t helping either, as more exposure onto the symbol means that the symbol may truly become a racist gesture, not just an internet prank that got out of hand.

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alUMNI INTERVIEW

Stephen pyon Interview by Austin Cipriano

How has your first semester been going at Brown?

It’s gone really well! I really enjoy being here. First of all, I have generally enjoyed all of my classes and they’re pretty interesting and fun. The work is a bit hard but it isn’t too bad. It’s also been really cool to meet so many people and get to hang out with them. It’s a fun time!

Do you have any cool stories from the time since you’ve left ICS? Nothing super interesting has happened yet. Something that I find pretty cool is how I’ve met a lot of people who I have had mutual friends with or I was close with a long time ago. Even though I am at a large university, instances like that make the world seem really small.

What are some big similarities and differences between Brown and ICS? It is a lot easier to point out differences. One of the main ones is just the sheer size of Brown. I think there are 1,600 students in my class. So a lot bigger than my ICS class. It was weird at first walking around campus and not knowing everyone, but now I am pretty used to it. Another big difference would be the values of each school. Brown is a pretty liberal school, especially compared to ICS. In terms of similarities, people here genuinely care about you. That’s something I remembered I really liked about ICS. I didn’t expect that here at Brown.

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THE QUILL

What’s your favorite class that you’re taking right now?

I am only taking four classes right now but I think two of them are tied for my favorite. The first would just be my general chemistry class. I’ve always enjoyed chemistry and this class is reminding me of that after a long time not taking it. The other class would be Korean. That has also been really fun to finally learn the language and connect more with those roots.

What do you miss most about ICS and Bangkok?

I have to, first of all, say my family of course. But I do really miss the food. I know this will sound cliché, but I also really miss the community of ICS. It’s really hard to find something like that outside of ICS. what is something you didn’t realize about ICS until you left?

This relates back to my answer about missing the community, but I didn’t realize how deeply people were willing to get to know you and connect. I haven’t really seen this type of strong connection here at Brown yet.

Finally, what would be some important advice that you could give to seniors who are in the midst of university application season?

Please don’t worry too much. I was thinking about my experience here and I realized no matter where you end up, it’s very possible to be happy and get a good education. Everything is going to be alright!

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an ode to christmas eve Written by Emily Rubio An ode, an ode to Christmas Eve A season free from times of grief With festive streets lit up bright Green, red, white fairy lights Where long lost families reunite Love and festivity at its height So what’s not to love about Christmas?

Stop being so superstitious It is a grand and rare event How could you find it unpleasant?

When you receive an abundance of presents With happiness floating in the air It rids your soul of great despair And when you see Santa in a sleigh With a red-nose reindeer leading the way You’ll enjoy your wholesome holiday

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THE QUILL

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THE QUILL

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"The soul of teaching at ICS is building relationships.

I want to know all of my students -- their names, something they like, something they are good at. I want each of our ICS students to feel known and valued and to walk through our doors with the assurance that they will never go unnoticed."

- Mrs. Karen, Middle School Principal 56

THE QUILL

“Don’t take advantage of your friends. Don’t cut the queue and don’t let your friends buy food for you.”

-Lodnapha Phuyasun

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“I just draw pictures. I am working on a graphic novel though… but it’s going REALLY slow.”

- Ben (12)

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THE QUILL

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THE QUILL

“Learn by doing.”

-Ms. Krittiya, High School Thai Teacher

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“I like third grade best because I can learn more stuff, like multiplication!�

- Hannah (3)

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THE QUILL

“I just beat my friends in Four Square, and I was King for about three rounds.�

- Jasmine (10)

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“Did I start any new hobbies since I left school? Um...

Honestly, reading, I guess. During the school year, I didn’t really read much... I read more now and I enjoy it. Oh! I cook now!”

- Grun (11)

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THE QUILL

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