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LIEZL BITAS Editor-In-Chief

CATHERINE KAWPENG Managing Editor

ANITA PERI Staff Editor

VANESSA TAN Column Editor

GABRIELLE GANE Column Editor

BEA NAZARENO Art Director

ALESSANDRA SY Marketing Head

JULIAN BERNAS Photography Head

CEARA RUSSELL WinstonVideo Manager

Riana Lago Miles Sy Alexa Sy Kimberly Tanchay Bella Cristol Anne Lancaster Frances Petilla

TABLE OF CONTENTS

SCHOOL NEWS

TEDxBritishSchoolManila P.18 Comedy of Errors P.10

LIFESTYLE

LITERATURE Coffee Table P.11

MUSIC

Melancholy Mixtape P.9

Did You Miss Leg Day Again? P.20 Quiz: Which Head Student Are You? P.14 DIY No-Wax Cupcake Candles P.32

COVER STORY

REVIEWS

COVER CREDITS:

Barkin’ Blends Dog Cafe P.28 Roast: Ranked P.30 The Word on “Grease Live!” P.34

PERSPECTIVE

Humans of BSM: The Best Of P.15 Do It For The College App P.16

Meet The Team P.22

Photographed and Edited by Tarish Zamora, Layout by Bea Nazareno and Alessandra Sy, Taken by Icon Plaza in Bonifacio Global City

editor’s message

LIEZL BITAS AND CATHERINE KAWPENG

Ever wondered which of our lovely SSLT members you’re most alike? Take this quiz to find out! Jot down your answers and find your result at the end. 1. Favourite cuisine? A) Italian B) Mexican C) Japanese D) French E) Thai F) Fast food

2. Favourite music genre? A) I love all types B) Alt-pop C) Hip-hop D) Anything in the Top 50 E) Punk-rock F) Alt-rock

3. Favourite subject? A) Art B) Biology C) Theatre D) Spanish E) English F) History

4. Favourite sport? A) I hate sports B) Water polo C) Rugby D) Tennis E) Volleyball F) eSports

5. Favourite movie genre? A) Indie B) Horror C) Comedy D) RomCom E) Action F) Slice of Life

6. Favourite city? A) Prague B) San Francisco C) Hong Kong D) Paris E) Rome F) Stockholm

7. Favourite Teacher? 8. Favourite Superhero? A) Ms Gleaves A) Iron Man B) Mr Taylor (English) B) Wonder Woman C) Mr Storey C) Superman D) Mrs Storey D) Captain America E) Ms Thompson E) Deadpool F) Ms Mouquet F) One Punchman

9. Favourite Dessert? A) Apple Pie B) Lemon Meringue Pie C) Apple Crumble D) Strawberry Shortcake E) Dark Chocolate F) Ice Cream

10. Favourite TV Show? A) Game of Thrones B) HTGAWM C) Narcos D) None E) FRIENDS F) Naruto by Anne Lancaster and Bella Cristol

RESULTS:

humans of bsm “What makes you happy?” “Everything here in BSM. My job. And the kids” “Who are you most afraid of?” “My wife.” - Juﬀel Rabena, BSM Guard

"This is weird, but I think the teachers are the most underrated thing in BSM, because as much as they stress us out and give us pain, they’re also there to support us all the time and they do their jobs really well. I think we all secretly appreciate them." - Aldo Wieneke, Year 12

"What do you like most about teaching in BSM?" "I can just be quite... normal with you guys. It's not like in the UK where you have to be really strict all the time, here you can be quite relaxed and chill." - Mr. Bowen, Biology and ESS Teacher

"What's your biggest fear?" "Interviews." - Mr Kilkie, Maths Teacher

photographed and interviewed by Julian Bernas

Last, but definitely not least, exercise really makes you feel better about yourself. Don’t get me wrong though; this isn’t necessarily because you lose weight or you become more toned. A combination of factors leads you to feeling better about yourself: becoming mentally and physically strong, and your boosted confidence. All right, I’ll stop the rambling. Instead, here are some workout tips from our inspiring Y12s: “I do Pilates and swimming. What I like most about Pilates is that repeating the same low-imlow-im pact movement many times is actually incredibly tiring. At the end of your workout, you feel satisfied. Coming in, you feel like it's nothing, but going back out, you feel like you’ve lost 5 pounds! I look more toned, I feel like my metabolism has increased, and a combination of swimming and Pilates has really improved my lifestyle.” (Said by: an incredibly determined student who is not afraid to step it up and really burn those kaw-lories.) “I love boxing because it’s extremely thrilling. It's the perfect combination of cardio and muscle-building. It really works your upper abs and makes you feel like Adriana Lima! You can get rid of your anger through boxing as well – it's a huge reliever of stress and makes you feel a lot better when you’re having a bad day.” (Said by: someone who is so gorgeous that her smile will leave you speechless.) “I do a mixture of powerlifting and then some boxing as cardio. I’d definitely recommend powerlifting for those who are looking to get stronger and build more muscle. You can do it leisurely to keep fit, or you can train seriously. Either way, it’s a really great thing to get into.” (Said by: someone with arms so strong he could be One-Punch Mickey from the movie Snatch.) It's evident that there are a vast number of ways in which you can get involved with exercise and fitness; the options endless! I hope that this article has inspired you to begin, or continue, your fitness journey. Needless to say, it’s a truly life-altering experience.

by Anita Peri

If there’s anything on Earth that can melt even the coldest of hearts, that would most probably be puppies. Being one of Manila’s several pet cafes, Barkin’ Blends is a deﬁnite go-to for any kind of dog lover seeking for a chance to unwind, whilst being surrounded by the company of many, many dogs. Situated along Katipunan in Quezon City, the cafe had a somewhat questionable location as, on the way there, I kept wondering whether I was lost! By the cafe, there was limited parking. Nevertheless, the moment I set eyes on the dogs, my confusion swiftly turned to excitement. The cafe is separated into 2 sections: the “human zone” and “dog zone”. A fee of P190 was required, inclusive of drinks, to enter the “dog zone”. A maximum of 30 people are allowed into the dog zone with a two hour limit per person. There was a list of rules that everyone had to follow, such as wearing slippers (provided by the cafe) Once I ordered my drinks and got in, it was as if I entered a dog haven. There were big dogs, small dogs, sleepy dogs and active dogs all surrounded by people struggling to get their attention. I noticed that many of the customers were regulars as they knew many of the dogs’ names even when there were close to 20 dogs. The place was clean, hygienic and didn’t have any gross dog smells. Kudos to the staﬀ who quickly cleaned up any accidents made by the dogs! All the dogs were either playful, tired or mellow and were free to roam around the place, leash-free. by the dogs! All the dogs were either playful, tired or mellow and were free to roam around the place, leash-free.

There were varying breeds including Dalmatians, Golden Retrievers, Siberian Huskies and even Irish Setters. My personal favourite has got to be Ewok, a cream-gray shih tzu who looked a lot like the character in Star Wars he was named after. He was so sweet that I was tempted to steal him away and bring him home so that he could be mine forever! When I had to leave, it was like I was abandoning a child - even though we only had 20 minutes of interaction. I decided to try out their best sellers and ordered a cold chocolate drink, green apple fruit tea and raspberry-honey milk tea - all priced less than P100 each. This cafe’s appeal is clearly the dogs as the drinks were all mediocre and a bit too sweet for my taste. To conclude, I’d give this cafe a solid 4 out of 5 stars as the place is unique, well maintained and the dogs were all very friendly and playful. This cafe is a perfect way to de-stress (which I especially recommend during exams) and is simply just an entertaining, family-friendly place to go to that kids (and adults alike) will enjoy. Keep in mind that the drinks are nothing out of the ordinary, and during the weekends. The cafe may also get very crowded, limiting your interactions with many of the dogs. If ever you decide to check out this cafe, I recommend going during the weekdays or the oﬀ-peak periods for the best experience with the dogs!

CONTACT DETAILS:

Website: www.barkinblends.com/ Instagram: @barkinblends Address: 91 Rosa Alvero St., Loyola Heights, Quezon City, Philippines

by Kimberly Tanchay

roast : ranked We've started a coffee review column called 'Roast.' that looks at the best coffee houses Manila has to offer. We go more in-depth in our articles on the Winston website, but here's a quick rundown of the ones we've looked at so far. The best of the best cures for the stressed IB student (and teacher!)

here are some photos from our next cafe review on:

diy no-wax cupcake candle LIFESTYLE Looking for a simple DIY to make with your friends and family? DIY candles may be the perfect project for you. Besides brightening dark spaces, these cupcake-scented candles are a great way to bring some personality into your room. Now, we all know how difficult it is to find beeswax or soy wax flakes here in the Philippines. Not to fret – these no-wax counterparts are a great

Steps: 1. Mix corn syrup and a little bit of water together and spread the sugar mixture on the interior of your jar. 2. Pour in some sprinkles and rotate until the sprinkles cover the walls of your jar.

3. Cut the wick according to the height of your jar and glue it onto the base of your jar. 4. Estimate how much shortening you will need, and melt it on low-to-medium heat. Stir occasionally.

5. Add several drops of vanilla extract, or any scent you’d like, as you stir.

6. Slowly pour the mixture into your jar.

7. Let your candle cool. Now it’s ready to be lit!

by Catherine Kawpeng

I’m probably one of the biggest fans of Grease. I’ve been watching it ever since I was born and grew up with the songs (my mom played “Hopelessly Devoted to You” as my lullaby), learnt all the dances in my living room with my parents, and dreamt of my very own Danny Zuko. But, after the barbaric disappointment that was Grease 2, I was naturally extremely skeptical upon hearing that there would be a modern remake called Grease Live!. I initially refused to watch it in fear of being let down but, after much persuasion from some of my friends, I ﬁnally decided to give it a shot. Vanessa Hudgens made the perfect Betty Rizzo. Although her babyface is a direct contrast with her character, she deﬁnitely made up for it with her mannerisms and speech - she was Rizzo to a T. Hudgens especially balanced out Rizzo’s stubbornness and vulnerability in what was easily the most powerful scene of the show: her belting ballad of the song “There Are Worse Things I Could Do”.

This role is deﬁnitely the highlight of her career so far. I thought that Aaron Tveit was a great Danny Zuko, but felt that he would have been more suited as Kenickie Murdoch. However, this judgement may have been due to the poor performance of Carlos Pena Jr. as said character. I felt like Pena didn’t do Kenickie justice and didn’t fully portray his character eﬀectively; it felt like there was something lacking. Sandy Olsson (Julianne Hough) was played spectacularly. She embodied the sweet voice and innocent facial expressions perfectly, and even her vocals did Grease veteran Olivia Newton-John justice. She nailed all the dance numbers (thanks to her background in dance) and really brought Sandy’s character to life. One thing I will say though is that I never fully believed her romance with Tveit’s character, Danny. It’s supposed to be one of the most iconic pairings, but I felt a bit disappointed by their lack of chemistry and charisma as a duo.

What brought the entire movie down for me were the dreadful depictions of Marty Maraschino (Keke Palmer) and Frenchy (Carly Rae Jepsen). Their performance was evident of their incomplete realisation of the characters. Similarly, T-Birds Doody (Jordan Fisher) and Sonny (Andrew Call) were performed a bit excessively. I understand it’s meant to be high energy, but I felt that they tried to completely imitate the natural movements of the old cast too much that it just looked odd and forced. Maybe the Pink Ladies and the T-Birds should have paid closer attention to Jan (Kether Donohue), who lit up the screen every moment she was on, and Putzie (David del Rio), who had a fantastic romantic twist. Despite that, one thing did save this movie: the joining of the original Frenchy and Doody - Didi Conn and Barry Pearl. Pearl appeared as Mr. Weaver and gave a spectacular performance. Conn’s cameo was even more emotional when she performed as Vi, the diner waitress who gives Frenchy a pep talk before the Teen Angel arrives for the “Beauty School Dropout” number. This scene felt as if Conn was passing the torch to a new generation, eﬀectively giving up her role as Frenchy. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t shed a lot of tears. I loved the initiative of the production crew in making it as authentic as possible in terms of set, hair and make-up, and costumes. You could tell they really watched the original Grease to pick out the small details, and make it seem less like another generic high school movie. Overall, Grease Live! got a couple major things right: the colourful aesthetic, the big dance numbers, and the goofy high energy. Although I felt like they could have done with a better cast for some of the iconic characters, they did present an entertaining show. It was deﬁnitely better than Grease 2, but honestly, what isn’t?

by Alessandra Sy

special thanks to: Mr. Taylor, Ms. Thompson, and Ms. Olds for your continual support for winston and giving us the constructive criticism we needed to improve as a team. Guia Galvez for organizing our team photoshoot and making sure it all went smoothly, helping Winston reach a much wider audience, and for the constant support. Tarish Zamora because without you, we wouldn't have a cover photo! Thank you for the cool photos you took of the team. We love them! Guen Alas, Arianna Bernas, and Maddie Go for setting up the stage for this new editorial team, and showing us the ropes. Thank you for electing this team and inspiring us with your aesthetic. Hope we made you proud! Writers, thank you so much for your contributions to Winston! YOU are what makes Winston what it is. WE LOVE YOU ALL!