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THE WIZARD OF OZ ICS MUSICAL PRODUCTION

BY CHAE YEON KIM

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EDITOR-IN-CHIEFWill Leelamanthep

ADVISORMs. Lissa Scott

LAYOUT DESIGNERPann SermchaiwongSurawut Withayarukson

PHOTOGRAPHERSPann SermchaiwongSurawut WithayaruksonTime Chaiteerath

EDITORSYoung Kwang ShinPoom SethabutrPrim ThientanakijKhem Somsak

WRITERSKeshav GargChae Yeon Kim

Volume 2 Issue 5March 2015

C o n t e n t sThe

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Fayfay PrasutchaiPoom ChiarawongsePoon VorapanyaskulKitty RodchareonKoch KasemsantithamTom ChoiPoom SethabutrGid JiranuntaratJohn KimPunPun Chaiyakiturajai

SECRETARYPoom Sethabutr

OUROPINION

Underneath OUr headstOne

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technOlOgy: Mankind’s adversary Or ally

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sMash fOr sUccess

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laziness and Other schOlarly sins

18 the aMerican dreaM: Greed and Selfishness

AROUNDtheWORLD

LIFESTYLE24 the festival Of

cOlOrs: hOli

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10 the Wizard Of Oz

if yOU dOn’t knOW What Wii WOrship is

seniOr sessiOnGrace Hseih

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eagle eyeWindy Sricheewachart

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17 a fierce cOMpetitiOn

20 sparks and tensiOn in the kOreas

22 Mh 370: Comprehensive Report after a Year

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ATHLETICS

Underneath Our Headstones

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Not long ago, an infamous and vicious machination of the administrative overlords, created in order to bog down the average student’s ability to function as a competent human being, has passed by the senior class. The name of this mythical beast? The Capstone Service Project. On that fateful day in the empty auditorium

Many decided to tackle their burdens immediately, chunking it into tiny little pebbles and skillfully working around them right beside school work, effectively accomplishing their task in a highly professional and responsible manner as we all should strive to follow. And then there were those who decided to sit on the

years ago, us 80 or so lab rats were informed of this new trendy graduation requirement by the prophet of the end times, Mr. Stephen himself. Since then, every class to follow was to wield the Capstone upon their shoulders for the rest of their high school career, on top of the already inflated community service requirements.

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cold, unbudging boulder for 3 years and pretended it wasn’t there. This division was quite clear throughout the hot and heavy 7-hour capstone service fair. The prepared and dedicated servants of the greater good had their booths littered with accomplishments, success, and virtue. On the other hand, the last minute grinders could be picked out in an instant, due to the universally identifiable

features of: white tabletops, bored expressions, unprepared speeches, and bad hygiene. Aesthetics range from Moriah’s delicately assembled slum house or Louis’ stylistically filthy model of a game addict’s tabletop to Ansh’s computer-and-two water-bottles-display, or Gio’s single laptop. Nevertheless, each presenter had their own unique method of seeding interest and then operating on the audience’s

emotions, be it through creativity, fluid speech, or sheer brute confidence. While both the faculty and the student body may collectively relish the thought of confining seniors to a single stuffy building and forcing them to wear work clothes and ties, it was not nearly as delightful for the seniors drowning in their own sweat as flocks and hordes of students, parents, and teachers alike trample

through the ARC. Yet they left, at the end of the day, feeling like a great weight has been lifted off their chests and satisfied that the work they had put in had earned some recognition. But that feeling was not shared by all of the soon-to-be graduates. For there are others. The un-chosen ones. The infamous group 9. Recall the simile enclosed above of sitting

on the Capstone and pretending it doesn’t exist. Well the slightly more diligent students turned and faced reality soon after, as their behinds got sore. The others, well, they sat on it for so long that they believed their own lies; the Capstone simply did not exist to them. Almost a dozen seniors (who will not be named, but may or may not include the author)

have risked repeating the year in order to stick it to the man. And guess what? The man came knocking and we all scurried away to hastefully throw together something acceptable. So there still remain a select few who have yet to earn their ticket out of school, and their final deadlines are soon approaching. Group 9 served as lackeys during the fair, perhaps

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Mr. Mike’s design of an adequate punishment, and are now waiting to see if they will also be allowed to leave with the victors. A definite date has yet to be established, but then again many of the students still have not even thought of beginning their projects. The true terror of this event is that it is by no means an isolated case. Every year to follow will experience the same fates and encounter the same types of people. As

the Juniors move up to claim the throne of high school, they must also serve and appease their superiors. Paid through blood, sweat, tears, and loss of sleep, we will all share this experience as students of ICS. So, from an irresponsible senior seeking to save others from his fate, I urge you all to begin now. Take pride in your work and believe that you can make a difference. Design the most awe-inspiring display for the

fair as you can muster. This is what separates the successful from the failures. It could either become the Capstone that exalts you and your accomplishments for all to see, or it could be the Headstone that drives you into the ground, an eternal reminder of the day you faced your own negligence and failed to defeat it. Take heed, young ones. Capstone comes for all of us.

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If You Don’t Know What Wii Worship Is

It is probably time for you to know more about what your peers are up to, like seriously. One significant day that unifies almost all Christians around the world is the day celebrating Jesus Christ’s resurrection, or Easter. Easter, as we know it, is depicted by the popular culture as the festival with colorful eggs-laying hares. The origin of those symbolisms should be a subject of another discussion, as Easter has a more

profound and important significance to the Christian communities of the world and ICS. As a community endeavoring to transform its members to be followers of Christ, ICS has not ignored the occasion to glorify Jesus Christ’s divine feat of rising from the dead. Sure, we haven’t seen any Easter bunnies hopping around, laying Easter eggs anywhere around the campus. However, it does not at all say that ICS is disregarding or missing the true meaning

of Easter. In fact, ICS has put on appreciable effort to make its members realize the actual essence of Easter: being grateful for Christ’s salvation and realizing that he saved humankind from sins. Apart from the sentimental Easter chapel that involved members of the ICS community to express their faith to the community, ICS’s hebdomadal Wii Worship has seized this occasion of the resurrection of Jesus

by FayFay Prasutchai

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for worshippers to get even closer and intimate with God. Wii Worship, as the name says, is not a worship of Nintendo Wii consoles with which we play with our family and tricking ourselves into thinking that we’re actually “exercising”. Sure, it is an awesome console, but the bad news is that Wii Worship does not actually involve Wii consoles. Wii Worship is a get-together that takes place at school on the first Friday of the month, involving, of course, worship, singing, and fellowship. It features the talented worship band and moving speakers. But on Friday 10 April,

besides traditional Wii Worship elements, Easter Wii Worship featured stations with a variety of activities for worshippers to know God better, let God know them better if not knowing themselves better. Worshippers, for example, lamented troubling burdens, confessed wrongdoings, and wrote out what has been hindering their relationship with God. Apart from spiritual activities, worshippers engaged in symbolic activities to remind them of Christ’s divinity and sacrifice such as crafting crosses, washing friends’ feet the way Jesus Christ washed his

disciples’ feet, and eating bread and grape juice that represented Jesus’s flesh and blood. The Easter Wii Worship was a momentous spiritual experience for most of those who attended the event. “It was quite a change. It took me out of my normal clichéd standards of an easter worship,” voiced Sarah Shin, sophomore, over her experience in the Easter Wii Worship If you did not know what a Wii Worship was, now you do, plus you know something about Easter! Frankly, Wii Worship would be cooler if it involved REAL Wii Consoles!

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The Wizard of Oz ICS’s musical production of The Wizard of Oz was successfully held on the evening of March 20 and the afternoon of March 21. The Wizard of Oz is a musical based on the book The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum. In the play, Dorothy and her dog Toto are caught in a tornado and end up in the land of Oz. Dorothy and her friends, Lion, Scarecrow, and Tinman, go on a journey to meet the Wizard of Oz who can help get her

back to her home in Kansas after realizing that there is no place like home. There are numerous people to be appreciated who enabled this show to happen. The director was Mr. Philip and the main characters were Grace H. (Dorothy), Charissa (Auntie Em), Conner (Scarecrow), Shasha (Lion) and Timothy (Tinman). The advanced techies, on behalf of more than twenty techies, were BoSung (stage manager), Ruffy, Tae, and Hyung

Bin (set construction), Windy (Makeup and Hair), Jenny C. and Hanna K. (Set Decoration), Nick, ChaeYeon, Yvonne (Light and Sound), YaeJee (Props), and Yerin and Anna (Audience Development Service). Furthermore, more than fifty students were in the orchestra, playing forty-three songs and background music, conducted by Mr. B. Without the passionate effort of the crew, whether noticed or unnoticed, this successful show would not have been

by Chae Yeon Kim

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possible. At first when ICS decided to do this musical, many people showed great concern due to the intricate plot and music of Wizard of Oz. This year’s musical indeed demanded strenuous practice for all actors, techies, and the orchestra. Over a hundred students involved in the production put a great number of hours and effort into the musical, staying until six p.m. almost every day for the rehearsals. There were numerous difficulties faced by the musical crew this year. The orchestra was troubled to make a timely sign communication with the stage. The actors had to get used to acting with the real dog, Jaja. The runners at the backstage had to

practice every day, turning the turntable within a few minutes for any changes in the scene. Set construction techies had to work on entirely reconstructing the gate of the Emerald City even on the show day. However, despite all the difficulties, the musical crew overcame the hardships and concluded the show with a round of applause. What was noticeable from the crew was that there were no complaints. Even though the orchestra had to practice the same part over and over again, techies had to practice until 9’o clock, and the actors had to dance, sweating until their microphones fell off, the musical crew showed no sign of anger or renunciation. Their

optimistic attitudes are reminiscent of how Dorothy and her friends overcame their fears and hardships. They never complained about their situation but always sought a way to solve the problem. The musical crew always found a way to handle the difficulties as Dorothy finds the Yellow Brick Road. Throughout their journey, Dorothy and her friends find their worth and true values of life with the power of magic that transform them. That magic resided in the crew itself. They have uncovered their own power in themselves and succeeded in learning how to use it. The optimistic attitude with their sweat and tears were what made this show so great.

SENIORSESSION

BY Poon Vorapanyasakul

with Grace Hsieh

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Q: What character are you playing? Grace: I’m Dorothy Gale, from Kansas .

Q: What was your reaction when you found out you got that part? Grace:I was quite bewildered actually. Originally I was, in all honesty, obscenely cocky and arrogant going into auditions, with hardly any preparation for the role. I had my head thoroughly deflated when Mr. Philip

told me he was looking to cast someone younger for Dorothy. When he gave me a second chance at the call back to audition for Dorothy, I went in determined to prove that I could play her, and I guess having my emotions played like that was a good thing in the end.

Q: How did you prepare to play this part?Grace: I watched a couple of different renditions of the Wizard of Oz to study

the various Dorothies to try to get a grasp on my Dorothy, but in the end, what helped me the most was trying to look at arbitrary scenarios from her particular perspective, and just trying to imagine what she would think, feel, and say.

Q: Have you seen any of the Wizard of Oz films or any other adaptations prior to playing the role of Dorothy?Grace: I had only read the

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abridged version of the the Wizard of Oz, the thick book with lots of pictures in my elementary days. I derived the rest of my knowledge from American pop culture.

Q: What’s your favorite line from the play?Grace: GLINDA’S LINE ABOUT HER WHITE MAGIC SAVING THE FOUR FROM EVIL POPPIES. That or the Munchkins singing cheerfully about a death. The Wizard’s colorful insults are pretty good too, like “you billowing bale of bovine fodder.” Those are just some of the golden lines in this show.

Q: If you could be any other character in the musical, who would you be?Grace: Initially I had planned on auditioning solely for the role of the witch. Sometimes in rehearsals or while reading the script I would feel a stab of jealousy after the witch’s lines, because they’re just so funny and brilliant. But I’m more than happy with Dorothy, and I think J-da makes an amazing witch .

Q: Is this your first production? Grace: This is my first starring role, but I’ve been in 2 plays and a musical 9th grade.

Q: How long have you been acting? Grace: I landed my first role in Pride and Prejudice in 9th grade, and that was my only acting part until this year with Twelfth Night.

Q: What made you start theatre? Grace:I love attention and I love drama so it was only natural that I do theater. Lols, jk, but like seriously, I do love performing and always have. I’ve seen almost every production ICS has put on since 2005, and I think I just decided 10 years ago that one day I would have a lead role on that stage.

Q: What’s your favorite part about being on stage? Grace: As cheesy as it sounds, there really is nothing better than knowing the audience is having a good time. If I’m hearing the audience engaging with the show

and I can see them reacting to what’s happening on stage then anything could go wrong and I wouldn’t care. Except for the mics. When those things die, it’s just the worst.

Q: What’s your favorite song from this show? Why?Grace: I personally love The Merry Old Land of Oz the most. The music is just this happy thoughtless cheerful jingle that gets harmlessly stuck in your head, but the lyrics are worrisome to say the least. Everything is just too good. Who gets up at 12 and starts work at 1 and with an hour long lunch break that ends the work day at 2? The Ozians do. And that’s not right. No economy can thrive with a workforce like that. There should be no way the Emerald City could be the capital of Oz. And yet it is. The lyrics also say the citizens are “not too sane” and “don’t complain” because everything is so “downright right”. That is brainwashing right there. DANGER. STAY VIGILANT. CONSTANT VIGILANCE.

EAGLES EYE

BY Poon Vorapanyasakul

with Windy Sricheewachart

Q:What is your role in the Wizard of Oz musical?Windy: I take care of the costume, hair, and makeup of the musical.

Q:Is this your first production? Windy: Well, as the CHM (Costume, hair, and makeup), this is my second production (I also worked on Twelfth Night), but I was an actor in It’s a Wonderful Life and Cinderella.

Q:What made you start theatre? Windy:I’ve always enjoyed theatre, but drama class with Mr. Greer (Middle School) helped me realize that I was actually quite passionate about it. At first, I considered joining drama in HS, but then during rehearsals for Cinderella and It’s a Wonderful Life, I saw how hard the techies worked, and how without them, we wouldn’t have a play. I was

really inspired and decided that I wanted to be a part of the crew.

Q:What is the easiest part about this role?Windy: Easy? Does buying Mr. Philip coffee count...?

Q: What’s the biggest challenge of this role?Windy: Some actors have a hard time finding costumes that fit them or fit their roles, so we have to come up with AR

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an alternative that works, or try to find the size that fits them. Oh, planning is also very strenuous because I also need to consider all the minor details. We try to make them as realistic as we can.

Q: Which character is the most fun to dress? Why?Windy: The most ‘fun’? I’d go with the Scarecrow because there’s so much to it (hay, his ‘head bag’ thing, rope, etc).

Q: Which character is the most difficult to dress? Why?Windy: I would say the Winkies and Poppies. For the Winkies, we had to cut the shirt in half and attach it with velcro so that they can ‘strip’ during one of the scenes. As for the Poppies, we had to hand-make 24 costumes, which involved a lot of sewing and getting frustrated with the machines. Luckily, Mrs. Lin and a few parents gave us a hand, so we miraculously finished in time.

Q: Where do you draw inspiration for the costumes?Windy: Hmm….we had to look at many pictures of the Wizard of Oz and try to come up with something we had. Also, the actors played a big role because many of them took initiative and came up with their own costumes, so all we had to do for them was fix a few little things.

Smash for Success

by Kitty Rodchareon

With only a few matches left, the U19 Badminton girls are working hard to finish off another season. Through the highs and lows throughout the past few months, the girls had to compete with such schools as BPS, RIS, NIST, and EIS.Pomme Chaiyakiturajai, the captain of the U19 Girls Badminton team, believed that despite the fluxes during the recent matches, the season is still going great so far for the girls.“We’ve have our ups and downs with matches against NIST and RIS, but all of us

are working hard, especially with BISAC coming up in two weeks.”A team that is determined for success requires not only professional advising but also fortitude as well, and Pomme concurs. It’s an obvious truism that a team that succeeds learns from its improvements and professional advices.Pomme added, “the team has done extremely well taking comments from the coach and the guys on the varsity team to improve our overall tactics. I can see everyone’s dedication

to badminton during practice. Fitness, especially endurance training, is one of the things that I need most improvement on.”Pomme lastly concludes, “In addition to returning players, we’ve had a lot of new talents join our team. I’m hopeful for this season and the many more to come.”With more preparations in line for tournaments such as BISAC, the U19 Girls Badminton team is has no time to lax. Nevertheless, the whole school hopes for the best finish for girls this last sports season of the year.

ATHLETICS

March 2015

A FierceCompetition

by Koch Kasemsantitham

This year’s high school Intramurals kicked off a few Mondays ago, with the debut match starring 9th grade team ‘Galaxy’ vs the teachers team ‘Martial Law FC’. A tournament directed by Mr. George, this year’s intramurals held 8 teams playing two legs and then a playoff round that will start on the 30th of March. Last year’s winner, team ‘Legit’, returns this year as well as a similar 10th grade team (JiJiPong FC). Two freshmen teams this year are ‘Galaxy’ and ‘Tangent’. Other teams include the seniors team ‘Yee’, parents team ‘Old Guys UTD’, ‘Cheeseburgers’,

and the teachers team. Various kits being worn this year include the Borussia Dortmund kits (Martial Law FC and Tangent), Benfica (JiJiPong FC), and the notorious German World Cup kit (Yee). The first few weeks of the Intramurals saw Galaxy suffer a devastating defeat toMartial Law FC, Tangent losing a close game to Old Guys UTD by 2 goals, and Legit defeating JiJiPong 4 goals to 1. Strikers from each team competing for the top-scorer title include Alan Dobson from Legit, Happy Nishioka from Tangent, Peter Burgett

from Martial Law FC, and Adriano from Old Guys UTD, all possible winners. Split into two pools, the current standings have Martial Law FC and Old Guys UTD leading the pack. Current second-place teams are Yee and Legit. Coming in third are Cheeseburgers and JiJiPong FC. Last place are the two freshmen team, Galaxy and Tangent. The point rounds are coming to an end, with two more weeks of games. After that the blood-boiling playoffs will start, so be sure to come and support the teams from your grade!

The American Dream Greed and Selfishness

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*Disclaimer: Greetings Fellow Readers. This article has no intention of providing any sort of discriminating and/or racist views on the United States of America. It is merely a glimpse into my opinion of the entire government and international relations system of the United States of America. I, thereby, hold no responsibility for any detestment or pejorative comments on this issue. I, as a free man, am only stating my opinion on the methodology in which the diplomatic department of the United States of America handles global issues. I apologize for any negligence or bias. I hope all readers can understand my state of mind as an international

citizen who is merely putting forth his views.* As countries’ populations, traumatic events, wars, and cyber threats increase, America’s role as a world power only seems to distend. Thus, it becomes their duty to attend to all of these issues in an unselfish and moral way. However, in recent years, America’s selfish way of dealing with such issues has become more conspicuous. I, as an international citizen who has great reverence for the contributions the United States has made to our global society, see it as a potential threat when the very nation I look up to chooses to misuse its authority. Indeed, I speak not of the “average Joe” who makes

$30,000-$50,000, has a family with 2-3 kids, and takes his family to a beach holiday/hiking trip in a pickup or SUV. Rather, I am referring to the “greedy American” - yes, that American who sits in a corporate office eighty floors above the bustling city of New York. I, simply, rebuke contemporary advocates of the American International System. If you are observant enough, you will notice America’s dubious intent. As America corroborates its education, medical, and tourism industries into a much more service based economy, it creates a very clean environment for those receiving those benefits as

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American citizens. It follows naturally that some other nation has to bear the burdens of the finished goods sold in the US. To elaborate, let us take for an example a sweatshirt being sold in an AIIZ in New Jersey. The common American would simply disregard the entire creation process and simply buy the shirt at its 20% discounted price. However, upon closer inspection, one would notice that the very sweatshirt they hold in their hand and wait in line to buy for $6.99 was created in Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, or some other third world country in Asia. It is only when the buyer from America would see the working conditions in Asia, that he would realize how safe an environment he resides in. This enlightenment of the consumer only springs more trouble for the already burdened manufacturing nation. It is odd, to say the least, how America urges higher wages and yet sternly demands goods to be shipped on time. The problem occurs when America tries to unnecessarily intervene in gradually improving economies. When some factory is Bangladesh is providing finished goods to sell to the US, and the US international system interferes by demanding higher wages, it hurts the factory which sponsors the good making. This in turn, leads to the termination of the factory which cannot generate enough profit to run

a global enterprise. When such an event occurs, American news corporations such as CNN, Bloomberg, and FOX News display the factories as the enemies, while the original culprits pass untouched. The final phase of the US’s current international affairs system only kicks in when the American consumer finally realizes that something is fishy in the whole manufacturing system. In order to deceive the enlightened consumer, the American government has to resort to some ploy. What two things make every American happy? Allow me to answer this: lower taxes, and cheaper oil. It would be absolutely ludicrous to lower taxes in light of the burgeoning US fiscal deficit, and thus the only option that remains, through elimination, is setting the oil prices at an all time low (since February of 1999). The well informed “average Joe” is now induced with complete elation and disregards why the oil has been set so low. My theory, and that of nearly any other international being interested in economics, is simply that lowering the oil price was also a selfish motive allowing the debilitation of invading belligerent nations (Russia...ahemm….Russia invading Ukraine), distraction of fellow Americans, destruction of burgeoning terrorist groups, and future investments. Most people are quite myopic to

the game being played in the background. The great founding fathers of America, and the current US government officers are well aware that in order to stay #1, the nation has to project the future of natural resources. Because the US has a vast reserve of natural gas, by ending the sale of oil, they are going to be the only source to turn to for future machinery. Of course, being as astute as they are, they do indeed possess a backup plan. In case all natural gas runs out in the next 300 years, the nation sponsors companies like Tesla which strive for green cars through battery based systems and solar based machinery. Of course, every nation has the right to protect their economic interests. However, the use of sly lies, distractions (Super Bowl), and pedantry is really not the approach that such an admired nation should take. I pertain that it is our duty as global citizens to fix the flaws in America’s international system. This is exactly why when a person asks me whether I support communism or capitalism, I tend to weigh them equally. In communism, I lack freedom of speech, capability to change niches, and receive hate from the rest of the world. On the other hand, in capitalism, I am exposed to false hopes, pretentious actions, biased news channels, and live in ignorance for the rest of the developing nations. God Bless.

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Sparks and Tension In the

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The political rift between South and North Korea, recently exacerbated due to the ‘unity through assimilation’ statement, continues to deepen. On March 14, North Korea, regarding a statement made by Unification Preparation Committee co-chairperson Jeong Jong-Wook, has claimed that the South Korean government has revealed its true colors,

and is demanding the dismantling of the UPC as well as president Park Geun-Hye’s formal apology. The statement that has sparked massive controversy was issued on March 10, during a ROTC seminar, where co-chairperson Jeong claimed that “there is a team preparing for the unification of the Koreas through assimilation.” In their first formal

response since the statement, North Korea has finally broken its silence through its liaison agency Council for the Peaceful Reunification of the Homeland, stating that “president Park Geun-Hye, as the head of the UPC, must take responsibility of this preposterous disclosure and issue a formal apology towards the entire Korean people, and immediately dismantle this heinous,

by Tom Choi

by Tom Choi

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arch 2015disunion-preaching, anti-regime counseling of an agency at once,” and that “should you refuse, we (the CPRH) will sever all communications with the current South Korean regime.” [sic] Since then, co-chairperson Jeong has attempted to extinguish the flames of controversy by repeatedly denying the existence of such a committee or team, but has experienced difficulty due to organizations such as the reunification branch of Citizens’ Coalition for Economic Justice

(CCEJ) withdrawing their participation from a supposedly nonexistent committee. In further statements, the CPRH issued displeasure in the situation by issuing that “UPC is not a committee built for the building of trust, the mutual development of, or even the reunification of the Koreas, but rather a committee rotten to the core with false visions of bringing down the North Korean regime, and a spearhead at that,” continuing to assert that “there hasn’t been a regime as anti-union, bloodlusting,

and manipulative, going as far to control its realm, politics, and the civil population in a ploy to create a committee as blasphemous as the UPC, as the current puppet regime of South Korea.” [sic] Though the South Korean responses have been less fervent and enthusiastic as the responses of the CPRH, it appears as if that the situation will require time and frugal judgement in order to alleviate this status quo of mistrust and suspicion between the two nations.

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The first comprehensive report regarding the disappearances of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 revealed to the public on the 8th of March that the battery of the locator beacon for the missing plane’s data recorder had expired

more than a year before the jet vanished out of the radar on March 8th, 2015. Apart from the expired battery, the detailed report incorporated pages after pages describing the normality of the flight just before setting off aviation’s biggest mystery. Families of the 239

individuals who were on board the plane marked the anniversary of the missing Boeing 777’s disappearance, vowing once again to never give up on the protracted search for wreckage and answers to what happened to their loved ones. Despite an exhaustive 2

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MH 370 Report Comprehensive Report after a Year by John Kim

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search for the plane, no traces of it have been found. In late January, the Malaysian government officially declared the incident an accident and said all of those on board were “presumed dead.” “The sole objective of the investigation is the prevention of future accidents or incidents, and not for the purpose to apportion blame or liability,” the report clarified. Although the beacon’s battery had expired, the instrument itself was functioning properly and would have in theory captured most, if not all the flight information that would reveal what transpired to the missing Boeing 777. The 584-page report by a 19-member independent investigation group went into exhaustive details about the crew’s lives, including their medical and financial records and training. The report said that according to maintenance records, the battery on the beacon attached to the flight data recorder expired in December 2012, but due to a computer data error, the fault went unnoticed

by maintenance crews. While it is possible the battery will operate past the expiration date, “it is not guaranteed that it will work or that it would meet the 30-day minimum requirement,” the report said. The report also gave insight into the physical and mental well-being of the flight’s pilot, Captain Zaharie Ahmad Shah, saying he had no known history of “apathy, anxiety, or irritability. There were no significant changes in his lifestyle, interpersonal conflict or family stresses,” it said. The report also confirmed that there were “no behavioral signs of social isolation, change in habits or interest, self-neglect, drug or alcohol abuse” by the captain, the first officer, or the cabin crew. The report said 221 kilograms of lithium ion batteries packed by Motorola Solutions in Malaysia’s Penang state did not go through security screenings at Penang airport. The shipment was inspected physically by the airline cargo personnel and went through customs inspection and clearance

before it was sealed and left Penang a day before the flight. The report said batteries were not regulated as dangerous goods. Prior to Abbott’s statements, it was unclear what would happen if the search of the area, which is expected to end in May, yields no concrete traces of the flight. Officials from Australia, Malaysia, and China are scheduled to meet next month to discuss the next steps in the search, but Tony Abbott’s remarks strongly indicates that ending the search is not an option. Meanwhile, family members of the passengers and crew aboard the plane marked the anniversary of the plane’s disappearance. Voice 370, a support group for the relatives, hosted a “Day of Remembrance” at a Kuala Lumpur mall with songs, poems, and prayers. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said his government would provide “all needed service to every next of kin” and help uphold their “legitimate and lawful rights and interests.”

A Festival of Colors: Holi As dawn broke, various shades of brightly colored powder were dashed across the street of Sathorn, in the midst of Bangkok. Vibrant faces were full of smiles and colors, coated with drops of water from the water sprinklers. People’s

beaming “Happy Holi’s” were overlapping each other’s, allowing no space for anything near sadness. Originally a Hindu spring festival celebrated on the full moon day of March, Holi’s official name was Dhulandi while the word ‘Holi’

derived from Rangwali Holi, which translates to person of colors. The colors represent happiness obtained following the burning of wicked Holika, where everyone watched in amazement. No longer just a Hindu festival, Holi has been celebrated all over

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by PunPun Chaiyakiturajai

the world for years now. On March 8th, 2015, a full-on Holi Festival took place in downtown Bangkok. Since it is a Hindu-based festival, one would expect the place brimful of Indians; however, that was definitely not the case. Speckles of blonde and black dotted the front entrance where it was nearly half occupied by both Thais and Westerners, yet packs

of powdered colors were smeared on every single person’s faces. A thousand different shades on newly sun-tanned faces didn’t suffice--the people got immensely into the spirit and started smearing more powdered colors all over each other’s bodies. Clean, transparent pools of water transformed into red water dance floors. Now, what’s a festival without music? The Indians

displayed a great deal of unity, amiability, and generosity. With that being said, one’s nationality didn’t matter; Thais were awkwardly dancing to traditional Indian songs while exuberantly bumping into one another. At the end of the day, weary zombies dripped dropped along the paths as they made their ways home. Holi, an experience of Songkran with colors.

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LIFES

TYLE M

arch 2015

Undisputably, technology has revolutionized human society and will infinitely continue to do so until we reach our age of extinction. Our history has been forged by technologies and has allowed us to expedite our perilous quest of our eventual fates. Archimedes, Benjamin Franklin, Charles Babbage, James Watt, and Tim Berners Lee are only a few of the countless paladins who have remodeled the world in which we reside in. Indeed, our

progression of technology is thrusting at an unimaginable rate, with entrepreneurs and innovators from around the world creating our futures. The contemporary facet of technology stands at an influx for artificial intelligence and is being commanded by a growing market for intelligent software and hardware. Our futures lie in the hands of investors flocking to technology based companies that have gone public since the 2008 economic crisis. However, as our prospects

are being fashioned by technological pioneers, a provocative and stimulating argument arises: Is technology a friend or foe of the human race?. Our society is governed by the precedent that there is a clear class distinction between the “haves” and the “have nots;” however, gradually, technology is altering the course of our global economies. A fastidious analysis of previous societies reveals how humanity has shifted from an absolute rule 2

6

Technology Mankind’s Adversary or Ally

by Keshav Garg

under a single monarchy involving a peasantry system, to a far more sophisticated system in which there is opportunity to change the classical internationally recognized caste system. More concisely, artificial intelligence is bringing our contemporary society to an equilibrium state. Promptly, within an expected range of 50-150 years, intelligent machinery will replace the cumbersome roles of humans, giving aid to necessary aspects including global education, healthcare, and advanced specialization. Take the case of futuristic automated grain harvesters, these would allow (initially) farmers to spend their time on other subjects and advance in other fields. Essentially modern technology is replicating the impact of the industrial revolution on a far more connected and global scheme. It is creating an environment where the focus of human aspirations can shift from mundane yet imperative roles to those of much more given appreciation such as the sciences. The comprehensive outcome will involve a balanced system, which would resolve the need for both capitalism and communism and more prominently result in enlightened citizens. It can be safely asserted that any statement possesses a counterargument, in the case of technology,

there is indeed a tenacious contrasting view against its advancement. Certainly, technology, leads to lives involving less physical effort. Take for example the watch, the watch was a revolutionary idea that transformed the current culture. It replaced the ideology that one had to place large clocks everywhere and reduced the expenses involving the possession of such large clocks. On the contrasting standpoint, it made people far more subconscious of their schedules and compelled the creation of a stern acknowledgment of timeliness. On a larger scale, the impact that technology is devising is far more than just “huge.” By cutting tedious work, technology is stealing millions of jobs, for example, the creation of self-driving cars will seize the work of people just as the automatic toll booths have done. Despite opening an immense array of opportunistic doors for humans, technology, especially artificial intelligence, shrinks the options of jobs to simply entrepreneurs/investors and engineers.This would lead to a global trauma involving the rapid deterioration of classical subjects such as history, philosophy, literature, an issue that particularly daunts liberal arts colleges and communities. Evidently, opening the doors to technology will

result in the fatal loss of multifarious occupations as well as educational subjects that once thrived during the Renaissance. The world is being transformed by technology at an inconceivable rate, and it brings along a multitude of pros and cons. Perhaps the greatest entrepreneur alive, Elon Musk, the founder of SpaceX, PayPal, Solar City, and the automobile company Tesla, openly expresses his ambivalent views on the burgeoning technology of artificial intelligence. Despite Musk’s strong desire to transform our fossil fueled lives to those of renewable resources, he does describe artificial intelligence as “summoning the demon.” Clearly, when a 10 billion dollar entrepreneur expresses such thoughts on expanding technologies, there must be a definitive explanation as to why the forestallment of such technologies is necessary. However, one must take into account that without following the progressing path of novel technologies, one only retrogresses to the past, and will eventually fall back to the paleolithic era. There is most unequivocally a war going on between the contemporary evolution of technologies, and it is indeed up to each one of us whether we view it as our adversary or ally. God Bless.

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LIFES

TYLE M

arch 2015

If someone were to take a look at my schedule, it wouldn’t necessarily be called an easy one. However, for some inexplicable reason I find myself slacking off in every single class. (Actually not true. More like the majority of my classes.) Now, most people would chalk this up to a fictional affliction of senioritis and that may be true. It’s undeniable that my work ethic has been reduced to a fraction of what it was the year before, and even then it was nothing to boast about. Homework is now an afterthought, and once again I find myself dreading school.

I can often be observed shuffling my feet towards classrooms, dredging the imaginary muck that lines the school floor. But why do I feel this way? Is it the dreadful teachers that roam the ghastly halls of ICS? (No, most teachers are fine.) Perhaps it’s the unbearable underclassmen whose only purpose is to waste air I breathe? (On the contrary, the underclassmen seem to be contributing more than I am.) Ah, its that ghost that’s always sticking on my back! (There is no ghost on my back) Then what could the reason possibly be?

Fact of the matter is: I’m lazy. There ain’t no other way to put it. I’m as lazy as a sloth drinking lemonade on a sunday afternoon. (Disclaimer: Sloths aren’t actually known for drinking lemonade, in fact they aren’t known for doing much other than sleeping. Still my point remains.) Luckily my grades haven’t suffered much in terms of numbers, but the knowledge that I am receiving? Close to nil. I’ve been surviving off my invaluable ability to retain relevant knowledge that is given to us by teachers, if only for a few days. (My

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Laziness and other Scholarly Sins

by Gid Jiranuntarat

29

memory may or may not depend on my enjoyment of said classes.) If my grades were a reflection for the amount of time I spend on studying for classes, lets just say I better start making friends with the underclassmen. However, I still am swamped by work. I don’t know where this work comes from. I don’t remember it coming from any class that I am actually interested in, but yet there it is. (On second thought, I do know where it’s coming from. World Religions and Government I’m looking at you.) On third thought, I actually know why I have so much work. Procrastination will always come back and take a healthy bite out of my beautiful, wonderful behind. Alas, such is the life of a slacker. The only classes I

seem to work hard in are the classes that I enjoy. Sadly, this amounts to around a quarter of my classes. (For those not mathematically gifted that’s 2 classes out of 8.) This behavior is obviously not conducive to quality education or a functional scholastic career. It’s made worse by the fact that I want to be a teacher. However I am an Olympian at twisting situations to reduce cognitive dissonance. This situation can be viewed as a good thing. It teaches me that if I do become a teacher, I better make my classes interesting, otherwise I would be subjecting my hypothetical students to the hypothetical classes that I despise at a certain hypothetical school. Seeing as I have now officially run out of things to write about and also (and in no way a result of my

laziness) time to write, I will leave my dear readers with a random thought. In the words of Sylvia Plath, “Dying is an art, like everything else. I do it exceptionally well.” I have always held that if I were to get in a freak car accident, I would love to die in a fabulous pose. And although I know I am taking the poem out of context, considering the poem was not meant to be humorous but I found it funny nonetheless. If one were to die, it should be on one’s terms and in the way they want it. For example, if I could choose the manner of my death. I would like it to involve whales. Riding bears. With a circus of squirrels playing the Imperial March alongside the London Symphony Orchestra. Makes me giddy just thinking about it.

The Q

uill March 2015