September Issue

Volume4 Issue2

September ISSUE

Dear Readers Wi th the arri val of a tranqui l (or unfortuna tely for some, hecti c) autu mn season, The Qui ll presents to you some of the fi nest pi eces of wri ti ngs rangi ng from fall’s fi nest desti na tions to the school’s arguably most embraced Spiri t Week to an exclusi ve i ntervi ew wi th our advisor—Mr. Mark Cooprider.

Flip through the followi ng pag es to celebra te wi th fellow eag les the accomplishments of our sports teams a t the Chiang Mai Tournament a few weeks ago—Varsi ty Girls Volleyball took home gold and Varsi ty Boys Soccer bronze!

Discover different i nterests and broaden your perspecti ves through the i ntervi ews we have to offer. Grab your cup of coffee, si t back, and enjoy!

Quillfully yours, Titapa C.

THE TEAM

Mr. Mark Cooprider Advisor

TITapa chaiyakiturajai EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

yihyun kwon Managing Editor

surawut withayarukson ART director

Pawat Wirawarn Ruchipat Kumpusiri Pann Sermchaiwong Napassorn Wongakkarakhun Ouki Nishioka Werawut Withayarukson

Photographers

Surawut Withayarukson

Surawut Withayarukson

Haripoom Prasutchai Yihyun Kw0n Jin Ha

phatsawut achariyasoonthorn Pawan Wirawarn yunju cho Yunkyoung kim

EDITORS

Layout Designers

Pann Sermchaiwong

WRITERS Titapa Chaiyakiturajai Anvi Mehta Prisha Khimavat Arjav Sanghavi Naran Suvarnpradip Gino Lin

Vichida Phisitkul chanaradee leelamenthep Satida Limtrajiti Pawan Wirawarn Alex Nim-anong Jin Ha Janessa Looi

Tachapol Posaphiwat Yihyun kwon haripoom prastuchai Pumpanchat suthisamphat pawan wirawarn Erica kim

CONTENT 8 16 22 28 34

MR. MARK COOPRIDER

EAGLES TAKE HOME BRONZE

GIRLS SPIKE GOLD FOR ICS

THE CARNIVAL RECAP

SPIRIT WEEK RECAP

40 48 54 60 66

VOLUME 4 ISSUE 2

September

FALL’S FINEST FOLIAGE

SENIOR SESSKON

EAGLES’ EYES WHAT STUDENTS REALLY TAKE AWAY FROM SCHOOL

INTERNET’S INCLUENCE

Mr MARK

Cooprider Interview by Titapa Chaiyakiturajai, Hayoung You & Pattamon Achakul Photos by Jing-Jo Withayarukson & Happy Nishioka

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The Quill

Interview

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Could you tell us a bit about yourself?

I grew up i n Oklahoma, whi ch is right i n the middle of the US. I would defi ni tely call i t the Bible belt, because Christiani ty is a very cultural thi ng there. I didn’t really know anyone who didn’t call themselves a Christian. Starti ng i n middle school, I went to a Christian school like ICS. I also got i nto somethi ng tha t was a big part of my life, maybe you could call i t a weird ki nd of musi c. I played the tru mpet i n the school band, and I learned how to play gui tar, and piano. When I started my freshman year, I joi ned like a punk rock band through a guy I knew a t church. I would say tha t I

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The Quill Interview

became like a punk rocker, and I started weari ng punk rock clothes.

My wife would always make fun of me after I told her. I remember how I would buy converse and go rub dirt on i t, because otherwise the shoes would look too new and not edgy enough. So tha t was a big part of my life, as I tri ed to figure out who I was and why anybody was. I didn’t really like readi ng.

I was decently good a t Eng lish i n g eneral, but I didn’t really like Eng lish class a t all unti l my junior or senior year, unti l I had a couple of really really good teachers.

Tha t’s when i t ki nd of grew on me - a love for li tera ture. So tha t’s ki nd of why I became an Eng lish teacher.

What about your family?

I have a twi n sister, though not a lot of people know. My parents got di vorced when I was i n middle school, and then they both remarri ed when I was i n highschool. Both of their spouses had chi ldren and I had step sibli ngs on ei ther side, so tha t made thi ngs compli ca ted, but i n the end i t’s all good.

How long have you been at ICS? What do you think of the community here?

This is my third year. I love the communi ty - I thi nk i t’s very tight-kni t. I thi nk a lot of tha t has to do wi th teachers ki nd of doi ng their job a t ICS not only as work, but also as mi nistry and servi ce.

So I thi nk tha t’s a good reason why i t feels like more than just a workplace. There are defi ni tely challeng es, of course, tha t come wi th the communi ty bei ng so close, but I would say there’s a lot of beauty i n i t too.

What made you decide to move to Bangkok?

Most of the refug ee fami li es we worked wi th were from South East Asia, so they were usually from Myanmar or Nepal. After I taught i n Ameri ca for a couple of years, we wanted to go overseas.

So, we appli ed to the US Peace Corps, whi ch places you i n a random country for two years.

We wanted to go to Asia, but we didn’t g et placed there - i nstead,

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we got placed i n a small Pacifi c island country called Tonga, but i t was really amazi ng and we got a very i mmersi ve cross-cultural experi ence. We li ved i n a ti ny vi llag e and learned the languag e, along wi th all the other thi ngs, but a t the end of our ti me we sti ll felt a calli ng to Asia. I felt tha t i nterna tional schools were a good route to go, si nce I was a certifi ed teacher. I appli ed to a lot of different jobs all over Southeast Asia before g etti ng to ICS, and I’m very happy I did.

Have you always known that literature is your thing? When did you realize that?

Like I said earli er, I didn’t really like readi ng a t all. I was defi ni tely a Sparknotes type of student. I remember when I was

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The Quill Interview

an elementary or middle school student, when my mom had to be really stri ct about maki ng me read because I never wanted to. But then, duri ng my junior and senior years, I had two amazi ng teachers tha t were leg endary a t my high school. They caused a love for li tera ture to grow i n me. I enjoyed the arts - bei ng a musi cian, movi es and thi ngs like tha t - i n g eneral, but I really grew this love of li tera ture and started thi nki ng more deeply about i t, and so I learned a lot from those teachers.

What’s your favorite book and why?

Probably a book called ‘Si lence’, by Shusaku Endo, who is a Japanese wri ter and also a Ca tholi c. I would say i t’s my favori te book, and tha t he is my favori te wri ter, because

he wri tes from an i nteresti ng poi nt of vi ew, and he tackles a lot of diffi cult questions rela ted to different ki nds of confli cts on religion, culture, and other si mi lar topi cs. Recently, i n the last couple of years, I would say my favori te book tha t I read is called ‘East of Eden’ by John Stei nbeck - i t’s a really amazi ng book. I thi nk tha t those two are my absolute favori tes.

What are some of your thoughts on The Quill, and what is your vision about it in the future?

I love i t, first and foremost, because I’m an Eng lish teacher, so I love wri ti ng and li tera ture, and the beauty and discipli ne of wri ti ng. Also, the older I g et, the more i mportant I thi nk journalism is to mai ntai n a functioni ng soci ety, whi ch sounds like a very ambi tious thi ng to say. In The Qui ll, i t might not seem like we’re tackli ng hug e subjects, because really, i t’s not like we’re goi ng to chang e soci ety wi th The Qui ll, but our wri ters g et to practi ce their wri ti ng ski lls - wri ti ng opi nion pi eces, wri ti ng revi ews, and the like - i t’s such an i mportant part of a soci ety, journalism, a healthy soci ety tha t hopes to make i tself better. I love bei ng a part of tha t, even if I don’t do much, and our edi tors are the ones tha t do all the work. I know we’ve dreamed about figuri ng out a way to do some pri nti ng of The Qui ll, maki ng hard copi es, i n the future. I would love to see tha t dream happen, and I

know our edi tors would as well.

Is there a reason you agreed to be The Quill’s advisor?

One reason was because I took Ms Lisa’s place as their crea ti ve wri ti ng teacher, so i t made sense i n my mi nd for me to do i t. However, i t was also ni ce because I knew all the edi tors and layout designers personally, as I taught them as my students before. I knew tha t they were very responsible and had a really good vision so i t made i t a very easy choi ce to make.

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What do you love most about The Quill?

So many thi ngs! I love tha t there’s a lot of people from different grades and of different ag es i n The Qui ll. I like tha t I’m always amazed by the ma turi ty and vision of the staff and the dri ve - no one’s aski ng them to do i t, and i t’s not required, but I feel like the students who are i nvolved, they do i t because they enjoy i t, because they take pride i n the fi nal product looki ng good, and they take pride i n doi ng i t wi th a lot of excellence, so I’m always i mpressed by all the students i n The Qui ll.

What are some of your hobbies?

Gradi ng papers - no, I’m joki ng.

Right now, thi ngs are pretty busy wi th havi ng my new four-monthold daughter, Jubi lee, a t home, but I sti ll enjoy thi ngs like readi ng, wa tchi ng TV shows, and playi ng musi c. I don’t have as much ti me to read as I’d like, though. I also enjoy playi ng basketball wi th my fri ends, some of the other

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The Quill Interview

teachers, i n the weekends.

What’s your favorite food?

Such an Ameri can answer, but probably steak.

What do you have to say to the HS students, especially the seniors, since you teach all of them?

The good news is I’ll have a lot of ti me i n class to gi ve advi ce and counsel. I guess, overall, just take advantag e of your rela tionships wi th teachers. It’s true tha t we really love you and care, so take advantag e of tha t fact and i nvest i n rela tionships wi th teachers by seeki ng out your teachers’ advi ce and wisdom. Take advantag e of the benefi ts of ICS, even the thi ngs tha t you’re not the bigg est fans of - there are so many thi ngs tha t you could take advantag e of, like the fact tha t ICS is a closekni t communi ty. There’s a lot of challeng es, true, but there’s also lots of beautiful thi ngs about ICS, thi ngs tha t you’re probably never goi ng to experi ence agai n. So come to the events!

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The Quill

Sports Sports

Eagles take home Bronze

By Alex Tam Photos by Surawut Withayarukson

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T

aki ng part earli er than usual this year, the Varsi ty boys soccer team left for their annual Chiang Mai tournament. Despi te havi ng only 3 games under their belt, spiri ts were high on the airplane, and upon touchdown the whole team was rari ng to go.

The first day got off to a rela ti vely unfortuna te start due to the previous night’s rai n completely wrecki ng the pi tch a t Prem Ti nsulanonda Interna tional School. In effect, the tournament was temporari ly reloca ted and rescheduled to take part a t Grace Interna tional School.

Despi te these unti mely delays, ICS came out strong, wi nni ng their first two games 3-1 and 3-0, agai nst the Interna tional School of Myanmar and Prem

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The Quill Sports

Ti nsulanonda Interna tional School, respecti vely. This placed them 1st i n their group, and ma tched them up agai nst long ti me ri vals Grace i n the semifi nals.

Havi ng triu mphed over Grace i n last year’s fi nal, ICS knew wha t to expect when they li ned up agai nst their formidable opponents. ICS were by far the better team i n the openi ng stag es, controlli ng possession, and they were fi ndi ng grea t success exploi ti ng the wi ngs and g etti ng i n behi nd the Grace defence. ICS were rewarded for their early domi nance wi th a penalty, whi ch Peter smashed past the Grace goalkeeper.

Unfortuna tely, ICS’s defence was weakened by the exi t of Alex ten

(Month) 2016

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The Quill Sports

mi nutes i nto the 1st half, wi th a foot i njury. By half-ti me Grace had equalised to leave the ti e poised a t 1-1. ICS started the 2nd half strong wi th Yae-Chan slotti ng a right footed shot i nto the bottom corner. However, Grace manag ed to score two goals i n qui ck succession, leavi ng the players i n distraught a t the fi nal score li ne of 3-2.

“I felt disappoi nted i n myself, not my teamma tes, mai nly myself. I was completely distraught a t the end of the ma tch and I let my ang er overcome me and I just pushed the screen of my phone so hard tha t i t just stopped worki ng. I was left wi th no phone for the rest of the trip!” commented co-captai n Happy Nishioka. However, the players manag ed to salvag e some pride

wi th a third placed fi nish after prevai li ng over Prem i n a hotly contested 3rd/4th place ma tch tha t ended 4-3.

Hopefully, the players won’t let this early setback affect the rest of their season. This is just the start of the soccer calendar and a t upcomi ng tournaments a t ISB and BISAC, the team wi ll be looki ng to regai n their wi nni ng form.

“I’m disappoi nted tha t we could not capi talize on the tournament, especially si nce i t is my last year. However, we are only about a month or so i nto the season wi th two more tournaments to wi n, and I beli eve we can learn from our mistakes.” commented cocaptai n and senior Dani el Ha. September 2016

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The Quill

Sports School News

Girls Spike Gold for ICS Words by Pond Posaphiwat Photos by Surawut Withayarukson

September 2016

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T

he ICS volleyball teams have proven themselves to be a threa t i n the past few years. Despi te the desti ned departures of the seniors, the volleyball teams retai n their resi li ence. This year is no exception-- the Varsi ty Girls have brought home gold from Chiang Mai. “We were all pretty nervous a t first,” remarked Ivy Oupapan, the team’s starti ng setter, “but thi ngs got better when we came back a set down to bea t CMU-- i t was really, really close”.

The followi ng results prove tha t thi ngs did g et better for the Eag les, as they bea t their second opponent, WELLS, 2-0 on the same day.

They carri ed their excellent form to the day after, bea ti ng

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The Quill Sports

GIS 2-0, and earni ng their deserved place i n the semifi nals to play GIS agai n. After thrashi ng them 2-0 twi ce i n the same day, the Eag les had secured their place i n the fi nals. CMU, hungry for reveng e after they had been bea ten the day before, seeked to keep the gold i n Chiang Mai. Our ladi es-- parti cularly McKenna Sanchez-- had other thoughts, however, headi ng i nto their fi nal game. In an i mpassioned fi nal tha t Ivy described as an “extraordi nary” game, McKenna, a sophomore representa ti ve, scored two ace poi nts, wi nni ng the game, and thus a ttai ni ng gold for the team.

Of course, the words of a wri ter are never enough to express the i ntensi ty and overwhelmi ngness of the

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whole experi ence. Wi th tha t said, here is how Cherry Chai nanpipob, the team’s middle spiker, described the tournament from her perspecti ve: “Every game was super tough and we fought wi th loads of swea t. But the thi ng tha t kept us above other teams were how we never gave up on each other, how we weren’t afraid to make mistakes, and our food bondi ng ti mes. We also owe i t to the boys’ team for always cheeri ng so loud for us-- tha t helped us big ti me. I’m really proud to call these people my fami ly.”

Unfortuna tely, the boys did not g et to experi ence the same taste of success a t Chiang Mai. They fi nished 4th,

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The Quill Sports

falli ng second i n ma tches agai nst CMU, GIS, and WELLS. Although the tournament may not be considered successful i n comparison to the girls, Jared Garcia, senior and a co-captai n of the team, knows this youthful squad has a lot of potential: “It was almost everyone’s first ti me goi ng to Chiang Mai to play volleyball agai nst highly competi ti ve schools. Even though we performed poorly, our team has learned a lot from this tournament and I’m proud of the team for keepi ng a grea t a tti tude. There is a long way to go for this young volleyball team and thi ngs wi ll only g et better from here.”

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Carnival The Recap Words by Jin Ha

Photos by Surawut Withayarukson, Pawan Wirawan & Pann Sermchaiwong

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The Quill School

(Tagline) School News News

A

SENIOR’S REFLECTION ON ONE OF THE BIGGEST EVENTS OF THE YEAR: THE SENIOR CARNIVAL. FROM BUMPER FOOTBALL TO A SCAVENGER HUNT, THE CARNIVAL HAD A LARGE VARIETY OF GAMES TO ENTERTAIN AND SATISFY PARENTS AND CHILDREN ALIKE.

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The Quill School

News

There was much anti cipa tion leadi ng to the Senior Carni val, whi ch took place on the 18th of September. In fact, the Senior Counci l was close to replaci ng the Carni val wi th another event due to the falli ng a ttendance of past Carni vals.

Despi te potential fai lure, the Seniors felt confident tha t they could manag e to put up a successful Carni val. Choosi ng the Space theme, the Seniors stri ved to present a “startli ng� event.

The Seniors made nu merous chang es to the Carni val. The star a ttraction of the Carni val was the Bu mper Football. A new addi tion this year, i t is a football game wi th a fun twist: the players have an i nfla ted torus, whi ch they can use to

crash i nto other players. Fouls do not exist i n this game!

Another noti ceable addi tion was the Scaveng er Hunt. In respect to the space theme, all the booths symbolized a planet of the solar system.

Those i n the Scaveng er Hunt had to succeed i n certai n missions to earn clues from each planet. The clues were parts of a spaceship, whi ch had to be combi ned by the use of origami ski lls.

If the registered teams succeeded i n foldi ng the spaceships, they were the wi nners. Unfortuna tely, due to i nadequa te advertisi ng, the Scaveng er Hunt was not deemed successful, much do the discourag ement of the Seniors.

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Popular among the young er chi ldren was The Circui t, whi ch consisted of ten games. Although each booth costs thirty baht to play, parti cipants could purchase a Circui t ti cket. The Circui t ti cket allowed parti cipants to play i n all games by payi ng only half the cost. Many chose to purchase the ti cket, and some more than once. The Circui t was a grea t fami ly a ttraction, as i t had si mple games tha t appealed to people of all ag es.

To outsiders, the Carni val seemed organized and well mai ntai ned. However, the senior class this year did not

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The Quill School

News

possess a larg e student body.

In effect, the seniors strugg led due to overwork. Many of the seniors had few breaks, whi le some a ttended their booths wi thout rest.

Another controversy tha t bothered the ICS student body was the decision to not allow underclassmen i n setti ng up i ndi vidual booths. Grades 9 to 11 could only run a food booth duri ng the Carni val.

This decision, made by a group of coordi na tors and not the seniors, was deli vered because of the damag e underclassmen did to the rooms last year. Si nce this was not clearly communi ca ted

survi ved wi th only three people!” -Pete Tuchida “It was long and tedious process wi th ti mes tha t I wanted to rip my hair off.

However, upon seei ng the results on the actual day and seei ng the seniors work wi th each other made i t worthwhi le and memorable.” -Dhvani Sanghavi “Although there were a few strugg les I had to face, the Carni val was an overall unique experi ence tha t I wi ll cherish.”

-Suji n Han “I would say tha t other than random kids knocki ng [the Maze] down, a two year old tha t wouldn’t stop bawli ng, and people breaki ng g low sti cks when I’m not looki ng, i t was pretty successful! I am also very proud of my team!” Pack Booncharoensomba t

to the underclassmen, i t led to many misunderstandi ngs.

Several underclassmen questioned the seniors’ authori ty, and some went as far as not a ttendi ng the carni val i n an act of rebellion.

Seniors’ Reflection on the Carnival “I’m qui te amazed to have survi ved stayi ng i n the bubble ball for an hour or more, but the most amazi ng thi ng was tha t our booth actually

“It’s so touchi ng seeki ng kids enjoy such si mple games tha t seem far less entertai ni ng than computers and phones.”

-FayFay Prasutchai “It was really eye-openi ng to see so many people i nteract and stri ve towards the same goal.” -Sarah Shi n

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SPIRIT

WEEk

Words by Pawan Wirawarn Photos by Surawut Withayarukson & Luksorn Wongakkarakhun

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The Quill School

News School News

TO RAISE THE EAGLES’ SPIRIT UP EVEN MORE, ICS SPIRIT WEEK SUCCESSFULLY BROUGHT OUR CLOSE-KNIT ICS FAMILY TOGETHER THROUGH DRESS-UP THEME DAYS AND VARSITY SPORTS EVENTS.

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Day 2 On the second day of Spiri t Week, students arri ved to school i n their cozy pajamas. To wake them all up, the pep band played their jams and ki ckstarted the day off. After school, ICS students, teachers, and parents fi led i n on to the bleachers

Day 4 Spiri t Week was drawi ng to a close but ICS students’ spiri ts did not. In the theme of Teacher-Student Swap Day, students dressed up like teachers and vi ce versa. Several dressed up as Mr. Georg e Weber, weari ng ID badg es and showi ng the same strong passion for neon colors.

However, ICS teachers did not back down this ti me. Many brought themselves back to the old days and dressed up i n their coolest school outfi ts.

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The Quill School

News

Day 1 Characters Day marked the begi nni ng of this year’s Spiri t Week. Lost pikachus, along wi th pokemon hunters, were found wanderi ng along the hallways. Addi ng on to the crowd were Mario’s, Sulley’s, and hug e fami li es of Disney characters. Essentially, this dress-up theme day would be i ncomplete wi thout ICS fellows who walked through the day i n their flu ffy, colorful onesi es (despi te Thai land’s extreme hea t).

and fi lled the gym wi th cheeri ng, musi c, and pom poms--lifti ng up the Eag les’ spiri t to i ts peak.

Both the boys and girls volleyball team played agai nst Wells Interna tional School (WIS). The girls won wi th 2 vi ctorious sets, but the boys lost a close game.

Day 3 If you’ve ever found yourself lost i n a place and not recognizi ng the people around you, then don’t worry, because the third day of Spiri t Week is just as puzzli ng. This day’s dress-up theme was twi n day. Scanni ng through the hallways and cafeteria, you would see several pairs and groups of high schoolers i n the same or si mi lar outfi ts. Some of the most popular twi nni ng outfi ts were as si mple as ma tchi ng t-shirts and jeans. However, among these si mpli ci ti es were bonds tha t uni ted and strengthened fri endships and the ICS communi ty as a whole.

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The Quill School

News

Day 5 On the very last day, students and teachers dressed i n school colors, showi ng their g enui ne Eag les spiri t. Plans for the Spiri t Night game, however, were chang ed due to the flooded fi eld. Instead of havi ng a Varsi ty Boys Soccer Spiri t Night, we moved our ICS crew to the Varsi ty Girls Volleyball game agai nst N IST. Duri ng the game, the Student Counci l walked around wi th snacks, dri nks, and face pai nt as the pep band played their pi eces. The volleyball game i tself was si mply brea thtaki ng. Led by Mr. Mark Sentovi ch and Mr. Luc Lemley, the audi ence were on their feet cheeri ng and throwi ng pom poms around. Despi te the extended game ti me, the ICS fami ly stayed tog ether and cheered for the team unti l the very last second. The game ended wi th a triu mphant wi n for our team, and the ICS fami ly could not help but smi le along wi th the players.

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WANDERLUST

FALL’S FINEST FOLIAGE

By Haripoom Prasutchai Photos by Pawat Wirawarn

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The Quill

Travel (Tagline)

W

ANDERLUST IS BACK IN THIS FALL EDITION WITH FIVE FALL DESTINATIONS FILLED WITH FIRE-RED LEAVES THAT ALL THE READERS OF THE QUILL WILL FALL IN LOVE WITH

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Québec City, Québec, Canada One does not need a si ng le hour i n French class to enjoy the wonderful autu mn sceneri es of this Francophone ci ty of Québec. Take a stroll on the Grande Allée from the Parliament bui ldi ng for ruby-red trees as well as posh restaurants. And after enjoyi ng an i llustrious Quebec lunch, enjoy a luxurious afternoon tea wi th vi ew of the autu mn leaves and the quai nt histori c town a t the Champlai n Restaurant i n the i coni c fi vestar Château de Frontenac.

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Travel The Quill

However, if the heart desires bei ng surrounded by wha t gave way to the ubiqui tous Canadian flag today, take a 45-mi nute dri ve to the Parc na tional de la Jacques Carti er to the north and escape from the conventional defi ni tion of hotels. Campers can choose to stay i n yurt and canoe i n the middle of the valley of burni ng red leaves tha t Best time to go:

la te September

Jiuzhaigou, Sichuan, PR China Red autu mns are just not for Europeans and Ameri cans.

Three-hour flight away from Bangkok and paradise is right around us. Li terally transla ted to the “Valley of Ni ne Fortifi ed Vi llag es,� the idylli c valley is home to pi cturesque Tibetan vi llag es graced wi th peaceful Buddhist temples.

However, besides i ts artifi cial quai ntness, i ts na tural heavenli ness is unma tched.

Crystal-clear, turquoise lakes wi th high concentra tion of calciu m carbona te, gi vi ng the lakes their swi mmi ng pool ti nt. But tourists should not be fooled by i ts crystal clear

depth, as the lakes could be as deep as 100 meters.

But the contrast to the crystalli ne wa ter is the warm red, yellow, and orang e colors of the falli ng leaves tha t crea tes a magnifi cent concoction tha t one has only seen on calendars and posters. As opposed to the green fi elds tha t we thi nk of valleys or forests, this shows tha t leaves themselves can be as colorful as bloomi ng flowers.

Best time to go:

First week of October September 2016

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Lake Placid, New York, USA Home to the 1980 Wi nter Olympi cs, this small town i n the Adirondack Mountai ns boasts the one of the best and most-loved foliag es i n the Uni ted Sta tes. Indulg e yourself i n the multi tude of acti vi ti es tha t you could engag e i n whi le surroundi ng yourself wi th the burni ng colors of the falli ng leaves. From Lake Placid, one could commence a journey to conquer the 46 Peaks of the Adirondacks. Let’s spare the description of i ts beauty for

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Travel The Quill

you to discover, but reachi ng all of the peaks enti tles all the cli mbers to joi n the eli te 46ers Club.

Besides the na ture, pay a visi t to the Olympi cs Sports Complex, where the ci ty held i ts Wi nter Olympi cs i n 1980.

Whether one is a thleti c or just curious, the place is extremely fasci na ti ng i n every way.

Best time to go:

Early to mid-October

Hohenschwangau, Bavaria, Germany The vi llag e home to the Schloss Neuschwanstei n, the Romanesque castle tha t i nspired the renowned Disney castle tha t we see i n every begi nni ng of the movi e.

Si tua ted a top of forested hi lls next to tranqui l lakes, let alone the su mmer sceneri es, the Castle and i ts the fall vi ews of the fairytale castle make the stori es of pri nces and

pri ncesses come true. Just to go another i n absorbi ng i n this fantasy on Earth, take a horse carriag e from the vi llag e to the Neuschwanstei n a t the hi lltop, and the feeli ng of bei ng a royalty wi ll come a t no ti me.

Best time to go:

September-October

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Travel The Quill

Bukhansan, South Korea Only 1 hour from the ci ty of Seoul, this na tional park, easi ly visible from the ci ty, wi ll make anyone who spent too much ti me i n the urban jung le feel na tural and a t ease agai n. The park’s i mpressi ve rocks are not the only characteristi cs tha t make this one of the best na tural desti na tions duri ng the fall, but i ts ruby red leaves tha t adorn the hiki ng trai ls.

Wha t’s better are the Buddhist temples tha t perfectly complement the pacifist sceneri es of the Bukhansan tha t gi ves tranqui l vibes tha t stand i n contrast agai nst the brouhaha of the urban area.

Best time to go:

October

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The Quill

Interview

SENIOR SESSION

Keshav GARG Interview by Yihyun Kwon, Erica Kim & Dada Vichida Photos by Pann Sermchaimong

IF YOU’RE LOOKING FOR SOMEONE WHO IS TECH SAVY, FUNNY, AND WISE, YOU’RE AT THE RIGHT PLACE. JOINING US THIS MONTH FOR THE SENIOR SESSION IS KESHAV GARG, WHO SPENT HIS PAST SUMMER DOING A PROGRAM WITH THE MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY.

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Please tell us a little about yourself for those that don’t know about you!

I'm Keshav and I'm currently a senior. I was born i n India but was brought up i n Kenya, Indonesia, and Thai land. I've studi ed a t ICS for the past 9 years and enjoy computer sci ence, physi cs, economi cs, and entrepreneurship.

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The Quill Interview

I’m sure the whole process of applying and preparing for MIT and the US was a journey in it of itself. Can you tell us a little bit about what it was like?

I should specify tha t I appli ed for a rigorous su mmer program a t MIT called Launch. So, the

admissions procedure was qui te different compared to typi cal colleg e admissions procedures. For starters, the appli ca tion emphasizes tha t you express your past experi ences i n entrepreneurship, teamwork, leadership, and i ntellectual dri ve.

Thereafter, you have to be selected for an i ntervi ew where you g et the opportuni ty to elabora te further on who you are, your personal vision, and wha t the value of MIT Launch would probably be for you.

Why did you choose to take MIT’s summer program?

So entrepreneurship is really qui te convoluted. It really li es i n the i ntersections of many discipli nes such as - management, engi neeri ng, and designi ng.

Fi ndi ng an i nsti tution where I would

have access to all these elements was extremely paramount when I was applyi ng. Thus, MIT, gi ven the fact tha t i t's been a hub for i nnova tion and entrepreneurship, stood out qui te a bi t. In addi tion, the course seemed extremely compact and rigorous whi ch is why I chose i t.

What would you say was the most memorable part of your stay?

I thi nk tha t answeri ng tha t question i n two parts might be helpful. In terms of just the overall experi ence, I would say tha t g etti ng the opportuni ty to work wi th like-mi nded peers was i nvaluable. The fact tha t I was able to learn and grow wi th students who excelled a t wha t they did whether tha t be iOS programmi ng,

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fi nance, graphi c designi ng - was really beautiful. For the second part, if I were to si mply talk about the course, the rush from all the hard-work was qui te addi cti ng.

Pushi ng myself from 7 AM - 12 PM i n order to start a successful company was qui te memorable.

Was there anything new you learned or thought about regarding college or your future through this experience?

Colleg e is not the end li ne i n life.

There is much more life has to offer. Colleg e is merely a steppi ng stone tha t provides leverag e towards achi evi ng certai n life goals. The su mmer program deeply entrenched wi thi n us tha t entrepreneurship, just like life, really comes down to si mply connecti ng wi th people.

There are probably all sorts of hopefuls out there in the younger crowds who hope to reach your position. Any advice you’d like to pass on to the Eagle underclassmen?

I thi nk a quote by visionary Steve Jobs wi ll probably su mmarize my advi ce for underclassmen: "You’ve got to fi nd wha t you love. And tha t is as true for your work as i t is for your lovers. Your work is goi ng to fi ll a larg e part of your life, and the only way to be truly sa tisfi ed is to do wha t you beli eve is grea t work. And the only way to do grea t work is to love wha t you do. If you haven’t found i t yet, keep looki ng.

Don’t settle."

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The Quill Interview

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The Quill

Interview Interview

eagles' eyes

Freshman Class Reps Aoey Wirawarn and David Nicholson Interview by PunPun Leelamanthep Words by Serumi Yoon Photos by Napassorn Wongakkarakhun

AOEY WIRAWARN AND DAVID NICHOLSON, FELLOW FRESHMEN OF ICS AND THIS YEAR’S REPRESENTATIVES OF CLASS 2020, SHARE A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THEMSELVES AND THEIR HIGH SCHOOL LIVES.

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How long have you been studying at ICS? A: This is my fifth year, and I came i n fifth grade.

D: This is my seventh year, and I came i n third grade.

This is your first year in high school. How is your high school experience so far?

A: It is actually pretty fun because you g et to meet different people i n different classes.

D: I agree wi th Aoey. I like how you can meet different people and not just your homeroom class.

What is your favorite class?

A: I like Band and Alg ebra 2 because I enjoy playi ng musi c, and I just like ma th— I thi nk, yeah.

D: I thi nk I enjoy World Geography because Mr. Zach is such a grea t teacher.

A: Oh! I like World Geography too!

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The Quill Interview

Other than being in the student council, are you participating in any other extracurricular activities?

A: I’m i n the cross country team, and I’m a wri ter and layout designer i n the Qui ll.

D: I’m on the JV soccer team.

What motivated you to become the class representative?

A: I thi nk i t’s just an honor to be worki ng wi th very experi enced people. I really enjoy organizi ng school events, and hopefully i t wi ll be really fun.

D: I wanted to be the class representa ti ve because I really enjoy parti cipa ti ng i n acti vi ti es, so I feel like I can help moti va te and make thi ngs more fun.

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The Quill Interview

As class reps, what are you trying to do?

A: We’re goi ng to make a class t-shirt for the class of 2020.

Anything else?

D: I thi nk tha t’s i t, but I really like the idea of the class t-shirt to reuni te our grade.

A: Uni ty!

Comparing middle school to high school, which is more enjoyable?

A: I actually like high school more.

I feel more i ndependent, but a t the same ti me, I g et to meet many people.

I g et to choose my own classes, so

tha t’s really i nteresti ng.

D: Same, I like high school a lot because I enjoy choosi ng classes, and I feel like I can do wha tever I want, ki nd of. But then, I have to be ma ture about my choi ces too.

If you were given the choice to travel back into your middle school years, would you take the offer?

A: Yes, I truly wish I could go back i n ti me to fix the mistakes I’ve made.

D: I thi nk I would go back because I would like to right my wrongs. I would like to re-do them.

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BY LYDIA WON

I

What Students

Really Take Away From School

t’s safe to say tha t

taki ng away from school.

someti mes, i t can be easy

to go from class to class, hour to hour, or day to day wi thout thi nki ng much about school. I know I certai nly do, and let’s be honest: i t’s easi er to do so. For most students, i t is so normal and habi tual to want to rush through our high school years i n despera tion to grow

Wha t do you call i t when a person takes on ten too many duti es for themselves? Overcommi tment.

Wha t do you call i t when a person wishes they had not done wha t they did and had done wha t they did not?

Regret.

up. In essence, students

60

so easi ly “go through the

Our school li ves are full

motions” wi thout thi nki ng of

of both. For some, they

wha t lessons they really are

strugg le to balance 5 AP

The Quill

Opinion

EXPER

IENCE

OBSTACLES COMPLIMENT

MEDAL / CERTIFICATE

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classes, sports, musi c,

The everyday life of a high

plays, and Capstone. Whi le

school student is hard. To

others might realize they

be a student, you have to

have done too li ttle and

balance sleep, studi es,

carry the regret for the rest

extracurri cular, social

of their colleg e li ves. Truth

media, and rela tionships all

is: the lessons a student

i n one day. Now stretch tha t

takes away from school are

lifestyle over a week, then

not the quadra ti c formula

over a month, then over a

they learned i n ma th class

whole year. It can be tiri ng.

(perhaps so, for some

Tha t’s where our priori ti es

outli ers) or wha t the word

come i nto play. Wha t do

diaphanous means, but they

students value more? Sleep

are the ski lls we develop

or social media? Studi es

through our regrets and

or extracurri culars? Our

strugg les.

choi ces i n si tua tions like

The Quill Opinion

these may not always be signifi cant and life-changi ng i n the long run, but the lessons a student takes away from them are.

People say tha t teachers just teach, and students just learn, but tha t’s not the case. Wi th every shortcomi ng or obstacle a student faces, the student learns. Wi th every gold medal or certifi ca te, the student learns. Wi th every praise or compli ment, the student learns. It is these lessons, not the ones from a textbook or whi teboard, tha t are the most pri celess and the ones most remembered.

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Internet’s Influence By: Janessa Looi

T

he Internet, wi thout a

However, the Internet can be

doubt, has become a

used to i nvade one’s pri vacy

larg e i nfluence i n our soci ety.

i nstead of bei ng a search

In the past, only a few knew

engi ne. Whi ch leads us to ask

how to opera te a computer,

if the Internet results as a

whi ch was used for sci entifi c

nega ti ve or posi ti ve i nfluencer?

purposes. Today, wi th this major technologi cal chang e, even the young est chi ld knows how to opera te an iPad. It’s shocki ng how massi ve the i mpact of this technology has become.

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The Quill

Opinion

Because of the larg e vari ety of content we can access through the Internet, there is no li mi t to wha t we can do onli ne. Users can fi nd out how to cook a

meal, wha t the scores are for

bigg est entertai nment source. TV

the la test soccer ma tch are,

shows and drama seri es are easi ly

or wha t your grandmother

obtai ned. Stars are born onli ne.

has been up to. It has become

From a smi li ng Shiba Inu dog to a

less compli ca ted when

gru mpy ca t, anyone and anythi ng

communi ca ti ng wi th our fri ends.

can become popular through the

Before, we had to wri te letters

Internet.

to send a si mple messag e.

The Internet has expanded our domai n of communi ca tion. Wi th a si mple cli ck or tap, we can share a pi cture to the publi c.

The world wide web is also our

Although i t can broaden your fi elds of i nterests, there are several disadvantag es. We can tarnish one’s reputa tion and spread ru mors anonymously. Physi cal acti vi ty

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is reduced and i nappropria te ma terial such as pornagraphy is i ntroduced exponentially. Because of the i nfi ni te possibi li ti es i n the world wide web, i t’s no joke when i llegal cyber cri mes are commi tted. Onli ne frauds are becomi ng more common i n the technologi cal world and hacki ng is often found i n the larg e user base. The more we use the Internet, the more we are exposed to onli ne preda tors. Our i nteraction wi th our gadg ets and technology grea tly differs from the physi cal i nteraction between our fami ly and peers. An addi ction to be onli ne can throw your balance between reali ty and the virtual world.

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The Quill Opinion

C

E YB

L U B R

G N I Y L

ARISM

H A YBE Y C H P K R CR A I N R G G A IME N R ADDICTION PO whether the Internet is the best

emotionally affected someone. It is

PLAGI

slandered anonymously whi ch has

RUM ORS

Before defendi ng your side on

take a moment to thi nk of wha t you

wisely or foolishly. The next ti me

do when you access the Internet.

you go onli ne, to post or comment,

As students, we can complete our

just remember wha t Thu mper

homework wi th ease. Aside from

Rabbi t from movi e Bambi said,

tha t, we also download i llegal

“If there is nothi ng ni ce to say,

content such as musi c and other

don’t say anythi ng a t all.” After all,

thi ngs. Plagiarism is more common

anythi ng can happen i n the cyber

now tha t we have countless

world beyond all boundari es.

ID E

IC

SU

resources. Many of us have

MURDER

up to us to ei ther use the Internet

l a g e Ill

thi ng on our planet or the worst,

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