zaman international school magazine issue 100

TABLE OF CONTENTS

May-Jun 2015

ISSUE

415262707172758086

Time to Help Nepal

Happy Mother s Day

Handover

Trip to Siem Reap

Trip to SihanoukVille

Trip to Thailand

Math Departments Trip To Malaysia & Singapore

Internationalism at ZIS

Fidelity

CULTURE

61416172442434446616869747990

Lead The Path For School Improvement

Hello Mr. Smart , This is Your Heart!

H.E. DR. VISALSOK TOUCH At The Campus

ZAMAN Alumnus Returns From The USA With An Inspiring Story

SASMO

Grade 12-A

Grade 12-B

Grade 12-E

Grade 12-F

Why do cats land on their feet?

Puzzle Contest

Articial Intelligence

Its Business Time In Phnom Penh

I-SWEEEP Results

Reections On The 99th Issue

343637

The Third Place

Running Contest, Battambang, 2015

ZIS Football Tournament Champions

100

Training forTournament in

Thailand

33

Glee ClubConcert64

Editor in Chief: Kudret DoganEditor: Katherine Lorene Hart and Ivy DawberLayout Designer: Kheang Sileab

Zaman International School Magazine is dedicated to training young journalists.Published in Zaman International School.

Copyright 2015 by the Zaman International School.All rights reserved.No part of this periodical may be reproduced in print or electronically without the consent of Zaman International School.

ACADEMICS

18

26

10

Interview

SASMO 2015 Prize Giving Ceremony

The 11th Annual STEM Festival

SPORTS

Clock is ticking. Time is flying. The academic year has come to an end. We are registering new students and saying good bye to our graduates. Our students who have participated in the International Olympi-ads and tournaments are returning with medals to Cambodia. Plans for next year are in progress. Some teachers are leaving and some being taken on. All in all, ZIS is following its busy schedule.There are some important numbers for human beings such as ten, twenty-five, fifty, a hundred or mil-lennium. While millennium keeps its superiority among all of them, centum follows it. Why is 100 very peculiar? Because of its three digits, it stands for maturity and a long history. Zaman High School Magazine started its journey in November 1, 2003 and continues to be published as a periodical in its 12th volume. The first issues lead article was Our School. Many people contributed to the former ninety-nine issues and were looking forward to write in this centennial publication.The avid readers of our school magazine will be perusing a special one: the centennial issue. To celebrate this, quiz shows were organized in the Secondary classes and the winners were awarded with cinema tickets. Additionally, the front covers of all the previously-published school magazines are displayed in this centennial issue. The last activity to be held for the celebration of this long-awaited publication will be blowing out the candles and enjoying the cake with the magazine team and the class monitors on the day this issue will be distributed. By the way, this special issue has been published with 100 pages in which you are bound to find articles of your interest. With this issue, we enclose our teachers reflections on the 2nd STEM Festival, which was held at Diamond Island on March 24-25, 2015. It drew lots of attention from our students parents and the students from the other schools in the city. As Miss Ivy points out, she has never seen anything like STEM in her home country and English schools could learn new things from ZIS STEM Festival.Mr. Adashevs article on Lead the path for school development is very noteworthy. Zaman hosted Mr. Bill and Mr. Martin from Council of International Schools. Besides welcoming the CIS recommendations that will improve our schooling, we hosted our alumnus, Sothira Toch, from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), whose inter-view can be an inspiration to many of our pupils on their academic journey.Another guest at our campus was Mr. Henry Ong, founder and executive director of SASMO, who brought medals to the students who did well in the Math Olympiad. He also met Math teachers and briefed them about SIMOC, which will take place in Singapore in mid-August. You will see the photos of gold, silver and bronze medal winners in this issue. Hard work always pays off.One of our graduating students, Priyanith, is a very talented and influential writer. She penned down the feelings of the senior students and how time flies by on a six-year course. They are so excited about their graduation ceremo-ny.One of the highlights of this periodical is Mothers Day on which Mrs. Katherine Hart, mother of a two-month baby, shared her opinions and emotions about the Mothers Day and where it was originated. Full of mysteries, joy, excitement, sorrow, disappointment etc., life for humanity starts in the wombs of the mothers to whom we must be obliged for what they have done throughout our and their lifetime. You will enjoy reading the articles and the excerpts of the essays that were sent as entries in the Mothers Day Essay Contest.Last but not the least, the activity which finished off the month of May was the Friendship Concert, organized by ZIS Glee Club. It was held at CJCC on May 30 and brought many experienced musicians and young talents together. You may read the articles jotted down by Mr. Adashev and Miss Sibel. It was a must-hear event. If you could not attend this year, do not miss the next concert. I strongly recommend that you stay tuned with the school magazine or the faster way, check out the new blog site: www.zisnews.com.More articles on various topics can be found in this issue, dear avid reader. We thank all the columnists, both academic staff and students for sending their arti-cles. Your feedback and suggestions are always welcome and can be sent to [email protected] wish good luck and success to grade 12 students in the next chapter of their life.Thank you for reading this centennial issue.

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INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL

Chinese SASMO

LEAD THE PATH FOR

SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT

Running a school is not an easy affair. Putting a teacher and a group of students in a classroom, as well as dictating curriculum, does not constitute schooling. In order to keep the school improvement on track, there are many organizations that help individual education institutions in any part of the globe align with global education standards. These standards are the outcome of the collective work of expe-rienced educators that pervades all the aspects of schooling.

6 7Zaman International School - High School Magazine

May-Jun 2015Zaman International School - High School Magazine

May-Jun 2015

Council of International Schools is one of them. Lets look at how the CIS introduces itself to the broad community:

In July 2003, the Council of International Schools (CIS) took over responsibility for the Accreditation Service which the European Council of International Schools (founded in 1965) had been offering to schools since 1970. CIS is an independent, non-profit, membership organisation of approximately 650 international schools in approximately 110 countries throughout the world. It serves the interests of some 340,000 young people, a constituency which represents many nationalities with varied cultural, religious, and linguistic backgrounds.

CIS also includes universities and colleges, to which students from international schools apply. Presently over 280 CIS member schools have been granted accredited status following a directed comprehensive self study and a rigorous, thorough evaluation by a Visiting Team, which found them to meet the CIS Standards for Accreditation. Accredited schools are subject to regular monitoring through routine progress reports and visits, and they must undergo a full re-evaluation every ten years. CIS accreditation is accepted throughout the world, including in the USA through the recognition programme of the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS).

The school evaluation programme consists of three main stages: the Self-Study conducted by the professional staff and other members of the school community, the evaluation by the visiting team, and the follow-up pro-gramme carried out by the school under CIS monitoring to implement the findings of the Self-Study and the valid recommendations of the visiting team.

Zaman students will consider their needs and prefer-

ences. When do I learn best? What type of learner am I? What tools and skills have I already acquired; and, what is

missing to succeed in my university applications as a lifelong learner?



May-Jun 2015

CIS recognises that schools which are different may be equally good. The fundamental premise of the accreditation pro-gramme is that an educational institution must be evaluated in terms of the CIS Standards for Accreditation and the degree to which the school is putting its own Philosophy and Objectives into practice. The schools Philosophy and Objectives statement is therefore a vital document, and it should express the principles which guide the governing body, school man-agement and professional staff in their efforts to meet the needs of the students enrolled. The visiting teams observations on the schools philosophy are found in Section A of this evaluation report. As the responsible body for matters of evaluation and accreditation, the CIS Board of Trustees charges visiting teams with the responsibility of assessing the degree to which evaluated schools are putting their own Philosophy and Objectives into practice and the extent to which they are meeting the published Standards for Accreditation.

At Zaman International School, we are committed to become an accredited school in the long term. As an explicit sign of this commitment, we had a Preliminary visit in March and received the visit report in April. We will not enclose the details of the report as the space does not permit us to do so. Instead, we will give you some details of the school assignment in order to align with CIS standards better.In todays education, we speak about mission-driven, vision-led schools. What this implies to you, and every one of us at Zaman, is an understanding of the Zamans guiding statements: Vision, Mission, Philosophy and Objectives. We sparsely refer to the Mission in our programmes and activities. In fact, all the activities and programmes stem from the schools mission and vision. We will work on documenting how mission or vision leads us to reach the top and keeps us focused by making more explicit references to them.

Zamans diversity is quite distinct. The faculty ranges across many nationalities and our international student body is increasing. However, that does not completely imply we understand what international-mindedness is.One of the most challenging tasks in this process will be defining the internationalism for Zaman and applying it across the disciplines including the subjects in the National Curriculum. Every discipline, regardless of the language medium, will incorporate internationalism and interculturalism in the instruction process. Bringing in a broad outlook to our conceptual understanding, considering the multitude of perspectives, as well as learning how to be sensitive towards different cultures, while treating concepts and approaches to dealing with dilemmas and ambiguities in any given discipline, will develop the international mindset, consolidate understanding of interculturalism and, most necessarily, be useful in the 21st century challenges.



May-Jun 2015

This leaves us with a task to revise teaching and learn-ing through Zaman Guiding Statements. Challenging Zaman students and inspiring them to become global and committed local citizens is not an easy task, but with a dedicated faculty we will keep improving the teaching process. We will voice learning styles and differentiation, interactive methods and assessment types, backward mapping and intentional goals. All the same, Zaman students will consider their needs and preferences. When do I learn best? What type of learner am I? What tools and skills have I al-ready acquired; and, what is missing to succeed in my university applications as a lifelong learner? These questions may expand into a long list; reflection will help you generate more.

As Zaman students, parents, faculty and staff, we be-lieve we will embrace all the developments and im-provements in academic programmes and guidance as well as building renovations of Zaman. CIS standards for school improvement will be instrumental in our Journey to Excellence in International Education.

Mr. Muhtor AdashevVice Principal

ACADEMICS



May-Jun 2015

Zaman International school is proud to or-ganize the 11th Zaman STEM Festival on Friday and Saturday, April 24 25, 2015 at the Diamond Island Building A, from 9am to 6pm.Zaman STEM Festival is a strong example of Zamans mission: while students are inspired and challenged with scientific processes and projects, they will acquire the necessary skills through first-hand experiments. Zaman STEM Festival has a long history, as it goes back to 2004. The science fair grew up to acquire a title of Zaman STEM Festival. Zaman students have the opportunity to experience global scientific developments in the Cambodian context. The STEM Festival prepara-tion offers a unique opportunity for Zaman students

www.stemcambodia.com

The 11th AnnualSTEM

FESTIVAL



May-Jun 2015

to explore their local context, its opportunities and limitations, and build a wealth of scientific knowl-edge and skills. As students conduct independent research, each has the opportunity to individually learn, grow and develop. Today, they are showcas-ing the outcomes or the processes they have expe-rienced to their parents, peers and public. Visitors will observe the best examples of the combination of theory and practice through live experiments, demonstrations and poster presentations.

Mr. Mustafa OzgurHead of Physics Department

ACADEMICS

www.stemcambodia.com

The 11th AnnualSTEM

FESTIVAL



May-Jun 2015

The two days of the STEM festival have been very enjoyable and fun. It has opened my eyes in that I have never seen students so passionate for learning. Their eagerness to learn and pass on knowledge to other students is inspirational. Whomever said learning wasnt fun has clearly never seen these students rushing around to see the projects of their peers. Over the two days, I have seen stu-dents creating fire in their hands using wash-ing-up liquid, a group explaining how dry ice works by freezing chocolate, and demonstra-tions of how fake blood is used in films through cuts on your arm with a rubber knife. The entertainment which accompanied the sci-ence was also very fun and enabled students to show off their other talents while also offering students who are more creative a performance space. I have seen many parents showing small children around to see that the youngsters had looks of awe and amazement on their faces. In my opinion, this is one of the best things about the STEM festival young children becoming excited about science, technology, engineering and math.

The festival is certainly helping science be-come more popular while also ensuring that it becomes more available to students in Cam-bodia. In fact, I have never seen anything like STEM in my home country of England and cer-tainly English schools could learn a few things from this STEM festival, and Zamans skill in having been able to organize such a large and wonderful event for the 11th year running.

Ms. Ivy DawberEnglish Teacher

ACADEMICS



May-Jun 2015

The STEM festival continued to be a great success in 2015. The STEM festival has built on its previous success-es, year after year. Fundamentally, the STEM festivals objective is to showcase students projects and exhibits to as large an audience as possible. The audience primar-ily consists of fellow Zaman students, invited guests and dignitaries, public school students and the general public. As usual, in 2015, the turn-out for the STEM festival was extremely encouraging. It emphasises the interest that has been generated around STEM over the last decade. The variety and range of projects was immense, as usual. Projects ranged from things such as Blood group testing to Rebus puzzles.The preparation that went into ensur-ing the projects were of the highest possible standard was superb. Students worked diligently on their projects for over a month before the STEM festival. They incorpo-rated advanced technology into their projects as much as possible. For example, one of the projects named Swing-ing Pendulum managed to integrate a tablet into the actu-al display board, which allowed them to visually display relevant examples and experiments to the audience. They informed me that in future STEM festivals they hope to incorporate more tablets into the display board, in order to give the overall display an even more ultra-modern look.Finally, it is the variety of the STEM festival that makes the overall experience so rewarding to the audience. As well as the plethora of varied projects, there are also oth-er surrounding displays, performances and activities of interest. For example, musical performances, from a vari-ety of grades at Zaman school, were performed; art exhi-bitions were displayed; award ceremonies were conduct-ed; and, international food and social activities were sold and advertised over the course of the two-day festival. It is, therefore, the rich variety of things to do, see and learn that makes Zamans STEM festival a truly memorable event.

Mr. Thomas JavanaudEnglish Teacher

ACADEMICS



May-Jun 2015

Dear Mr. Smart,

I know you better and more than you know (about) me. I started functioning months before you opened your eyes to this world. I work the whole day beating ceaselessly, but you do not notice until you feel some pain in your chest or you are taken to the hospital after a heart attack. Mr. Smart, it is high time that I, your heart, revealed some facts about myself. I am a muscular organ in humans and animals, which pumps blood through the blood vessels of the circulatory system. The average adult heart is the size of a clenched fist and weighs approximate-ly 300 grams. However, you should not be taken in my size when compared with your 70000-gram body. All the cells, the building blocks of your body (maybe 100 trillion of them ) need me for their nutrition, breathing, digestions, waste dis-posal and carrying out their particular tasks. You can feel me thudding away every time you put your hard to chest.What you feel as pulse is when all my cells contract together to beat. When

you play football or run faster, the beating gets faster. The biology teacher sometimes talks about me and you may suppose that what I do is a sim-ple pump. You need to keep in mind that if blood pumped by me does not go to your brain, which explained about itself in the previous issue, you cannot even move a finger. Though I operate day and night, do not make a wrong assumption that I will never get tired and beat forever. Every day, your heart beats about 100.000 times, sending 2.000 gallons of blood surging through your body. Despite the tiny size, it carries out the mighty job of keeping blood flowing through the 60.000 miles of vessels that feed your organs and tissues. I can see your surprise and excitement when you read these lines, my avid reader. In fact, there are lots of fascinating facts about the minor and major galaxies.Human body is a minimized sample of the universe, which needs to be cov-ered in another article. The muscle tissue which makes up my main struc-ture is designed as an intricate ball of fibers, so I am able to function without changing my shape too much as I contract and relax. The surface of my walls is wrapped up in a double layer in or-der to prevent harm from rubbing the ribs, whose duty is to protect me . Moreover, there is a special liquid between these two layers to decrease the friction further. You may visualize me like a car engine with four cylinders. My upper chambers are called atriums while lower ones are named ventricles. The aorta, a large vein, has been pro-grammed to send blood to each organ in the re-quired amount and at the right speed.

Mr. Kudret DoganMs Marilou L. Cabigkis

ACADEMICS

Mr. Smart,This is Your Heart!



May-Jun 2015

If something goes wrong with the timing or closing of my valves, they are blocked with fat or calcification resulting in blood leaking. This is what you call a disease. As I have told you, you are at times lazy or fall asleep after a tiring day. While you are asleep, I work at an easier tempo. Sometimes you get upset and even harm me, though. Here is my complaint: When you are hungry, you gulp down lots of food to my downstairs neighbor, which puts pretty much pressure on me. Mr. Smart, let me remind you that I can not put up with very much pressure and stress.

There is a little confusion that I need to correct. People think of me as the center of the emotions and draw my shape to show their love and com-passion.Nevertheless, the nerves in the brain affect my operation. All the emotions such as anger, love, hatred, sadness, joy etc. occur in the brain.

I cannot tell all about myself in these few lines. My purpose of introducing who I am is to arouse curi-osity not in the sense of curiosity killed the cat, but to help you search and find out about the minor and major galaxies, one of which is a splendid and outstanding structure, the human body. As I ful-fill my duty 24-hours, you need to know, read and think of me at least one hour of the week to show your appreciation and be grateful for your health. Always keep in mind what Mahatma Gandhi said, It is health that is real wealth, not pieces of gold and silver.



May-Jun 2015

Zaman International High School campus received a visit from Dr. Visalsok Touch, PhD, Under-Secre-tary of State, Ministry of Education, Youth, and Sport.

We had a brief tour around the school facil-ities; Dr. Visalsok Touch closely scrutinized the laboratories, asked questions about the developments in the labs, projects and the curriculum. He commended Zamans com-mitment to the international project Olympi-ads, and the success we brought back to the country. We discussed about developments in the fields of science and technology in Cambodia and their implications for Zaman International School students. His Excellen-cy mentioned he was willing to share more updates in science and technology in the re-gion.

H. E. DR. VISALSOK TOUCHat the campus

Mr. Muhtor AdashevVice Principal

ACADEMICS



May-Jun 2015

Everyone has heard the age-old saying about how edu-cation can open new doors of opportunities for people; but, at times, these doors

seem like merely a mirage in the distance for students who work tirelessly day-to-day in their classes. Every student should be reminded that with hard work and perseverance, these doors may even lead them to studying at one of the most pres-tigious universities in the U.S., as it did for former Zaman High School alumna, Soungsothira Toch.Last week, Zamans junior class received a visit by Ms. Sothira, the first Cambodi-an female to study at one of the highest ranking institutions in the world, MIT, located in Massachusetts in the U.S. Studying abroad can be a daunting idea for many students but Sothira was able to take the students step-by-step through the process and inspire them to follow their dreams. She was able to convince the students that they, too, could have the ability to one day study abroad. As Sothira flipped through her power-point slides, the students were captivated by her stories about the modern dorms she lived in and her famous professors, some who advised President Obama. She told stories about all the places she

visited and all the new things that she was learning in the U.S. Her high energy and approachable charisma allowed the students to ask a number of questions about her life in the U.S. One student, Johnny Chung, said that Sothiras visit was proof that even though you may be from a poorer country, you can still achieve higher goals in life.Sothiras visit brought with it a wealth of valuable information for Zamans ju-nior class, not to mention a re-energized sense of opportunity for their future. The students listened closely as Sothira pro-vided advice on various topics, from the application process to good study habits. And, she even offered advice on being more independent. Of course, she also reminded the students that such opportu-nities only come with lots of patience and planning. Only after preparing well for her SAT, TOEFL, and applying to fifteen different universities, was Sothira able to take the first step to her new journey in the States. She summed up her presenta-tion with a very sincere statement about how much she loves college and study-ing biological and chemical engineering, and how she wants the students to really realize how incredible studying in the U.S. can be, but, they need to start plan-ning, NOW!

ZAMAN ALUMNUS RETURNS FROM THE USA WITH AN INSPIRING STORY

Mr. John MoneyJohnny Chung (11-A)

ACADEMICS

Education can open new doors of opportunities for

people.16 17Zaman International School - High School Magazine


May-Jun 2015

You are the first female Cambodian student attending MIT? What does it feel like?

Sothira : When I found out that I was accepted into MIT, it made me feel so proud; but, there was a lot of pressure. I am still not sure if Im the first Cambodian ever to attend MIT, or if I am the first to enter MIT straight from Cambo-dia, as compared to the children of Cambodians who were born overseas and attended MIT when they got older. This really has to be clarified. In terms of coming straight from Cambodia, I think Im the first one; and, that makes me really proud. It helps a lot during tough times. As I already have a great opportunity, I have to try really hard to suc-ceed. But, I dont go to class thinking, Im the first Cam-bodian to be here. You have to have the correct mindset.

2)What were your dreams at the beginning of your Sec-ondary Education?

Sothira : I was never sure of the exact path, but I knew that I wanted to be something big or at least that was what people encouraged me to do. My parents were really good students when they were growing up, and every time we met their friends, they would tease me and ask if I was as smart as my mom or my dad. So, all I wanted to do was be smart like my mom. But, as a child, I was really nave and I didnt know the extent of what I could do. I wanted

to be successful. What

success was I had no idea. My ideas developed when I got to see the world and meet new people. My overall views are still forming, and sometimes Cam-bodia is a bit close-minded for me. Right now, my plans are also still forming. I just go one step at a time.

What is so special about MIT?

Sothira : My moms vision was for me to grow up; go study banking; sit in the office with an air conditioner; and, do it (succeed) from there. It had always been my dream, too. But, I realized that I have a lot of opportunities. Mrs. Els, a teacher here at Zaman, was the one who made me fall in love with biology. She once told me that our stom-ach holds a certain amount of acid and I was amazed. Later on, I met an important Cambodian, who was someone-like the director of nuclear in the UN , and he encouraged me to do what I love. But, the reason why I applied to MIT, was a bet with a friend. He said he would buy me a pair of Christian Loubontin, my favorite dress heels, if I got accepted. And, so, I applied and got in! The motto at MIT is "Mind and Hand." We do a lot of thinking. The people and professors there are great. The facilities are amazing. It offers me a lot of opportunities. So, yeah, MIT is #1.

What type of qualifications/traits does MIT seek in the students?

Sothira : We're still not sure. A lot of MIT students ques-tion why they're at MIT. Obviously, MIT wants people who are hard-working; but, the most common need is to have someone who stands out. Show them that you're willing to stay up all night working. Show that you also have a broad-mind and are a well-rounded person. There's no typical MIT formula to get-ting in. There's no specific cookie shape. Still, we have to fit in. Everybody is special. There's a lot going on at school.

INTERVIEW



May-Jun 2015

What special skills do you think you possess that make you stand out from the other candidates?

Sothira : Think of it this way: I'm Cambodian and I'm female. So, that already puts me into a small category. A lot of it has to do with a lot of talking about what you're passionate about, and how you want to change the world as a part of the society. I tend to be very opinionated over certain stuff. I studied under Kim Henry for two years. She was an amazing woman. She changed my world view. Kim taught English at a foundation, and the director of the foundation was a professor at MIT. Three weeks after I met him, MIT asked me for an interview. It was amazing.

What are you long-ranging goals and how are you planning to achieve them?

Sothira : I wanted to be a doctor, a surgeon. In the U.S, its not like here. In Cambodia, when you get out of high school, you go to medical school. In the U.S., you have to have a bachelor degree. Then, after you earn a bachelor degree, you have to go to a medical school. So, right now, Im in my bachelor degree period and medical school is afterwards. So, hopefully, I will get into one of the medical schools in the U.S.; and, the end point would be when I be-come a surgeon. This is the plan. Hopefully my plan will work out. I dont know how long it will take or whether Ill actually achieve becoming a surgeon. I may practice medicine for a little while in the U.S., may-be fifteen or twenty years. I have to have experience. May-be I will travel around, either in Africa or Asia for medical camps. Then, at the end, I will be here. Regardless, I will be here. Maybe I will open up my own NGO and start vac-cinations and stuff like that, because health care systems in Cambodia are really over-burdened.Recently, Ive discovered that another one of my passions is to talk about social problems in communities. I also learned from all of the people I am working with, espe-cially the young generations, that they all want changes in the world, like I want to change this and change

that. Then, when you ask them, How are you planning to do it? or How do you feel about politics? they reply that they dont care about politics. I dont want to be a politician. But, Ive realized that these people, including myself, want change, but we dont want to do it in the fast-est way. The fastest way to achieve change is to be the person in power. The most powerful aspects of Cambodian policy are held with political power, which is why Ive told you guys that I might want to go into political science. I dont trust anyone in Cambodia in terms of politics right now. So, I might as well try to be a politician; but, its still a farfetched plan. So, maybe Ill change to a political science major. Or, maybe Ill study to work in the Minis-try of Health, so I can create more drug regulations and place more emphasis on how doctors should treat patients. But, change can only be achieved if youre at a high level. Maybe this is an end goal. I have to tell you my dreams are still forming. I dont know what to do with my life.

What is your most interesting experience as freshman in MIT?

Sothira : There have been a lot of interesting experiences, like the first time I saw snow. Yeah, there are a lot of inter-esting experiences. But, in terms of being at MIT, I guess I can talk about my first job. I was a research undergrad at a laboratory. I was working in the lab. And, of course, on the first day, I broke a beaker. And, over that first week, I broke three beakers. I was so scared. I was like, Oh, my God! Shes going to fire me. Instead, she was like, Sot-hear, just clean it up and get another one. So, I went into a closet, which is just for lab materials, and its like miles and miles of beakers, test tubes, and everything. Its like a huge warehouse. You can take anything. You can steal from the lab if you want. Thats when I realized the oppor-tunities that I have.The professors dont care if you break stuff, unless you ruined your supervisors twelve hour ex-periment. Anyway, as I was saying, she doesnt care if I break stuff and makes mistakes along the way, as long as I get it done.



May-Jun 2015

You know, in America, there is a lot of Obama-care, there are a lot of health care reforms and things like that. Then, in the Summit, you see this guy sitting next to Barack Obama. It is Eric Lander, a very well-known professor. He just passed you in the hall. And, you just saw Eric Lander on TV next to president Obama. That was when I knew that I was at a really, really huge place. So, sometimes you just have to pinch yourself and know that youre not here by mistake.

8) How do your professors react when you tell them that you are from Cambodia?

A: Usually it started out with an explanation like, I didnt have to tell them Im from another country. It started out with my name. And, they asked, Where are you from? Which would be followed with: Thats a real-ly interesting name. because they couldnt pronounce it. But, trust me, my story is not as unique as you might think, compared to the other stories at MIT. Mine is more general. You have students who were in Africa and escaped differ-ent political powers, who came here as refugees. They got into MIT. There are a lot of illegal immigrants in the U.S., who got into MIT and are under MITs protection. MIT protects illegal immigrants, too. Its like, if their par-ents are illegal immigrants, even if the MIT students were born in the U.S., they also dont have official papers. So, MIT declares that these are MIT students, so that the gov-ernment cant take them away. Also, you have other people from all over the world. You have people from Pakistan, Israel, and Iraq. So, professors know a lot of stories already. Mine isnt always as interest-ing. So, when they start asking, How did you know about MIT? How did you prepare yourself to be here? Was it as you expected? they dont usually jump up in surprise at anything. They usually just say, Thats amazing. Congrat-ulations.

What was your favorite course this academic year?

A: I took four technical classes and one humanity class this past semester. My technical classes prepared me for thermal dynamics and fuel mechanics. I was studying pipe flows. So, it was very basic and not very interesting. I liked bio-chemistry and genetics. Those subjects are also very broad, but are still very interesting. I even learned random stuff, for example: vitamins are called vitamins because they are vital amines, which means important amines for your body. I just know that from lectures. And, I learned why birds dont pee -- they have their own biological rea-sons. My favorite class is actually a humanity class, Psychol-ogy of Gender and Race. You get to learn how a person develops their own identity of gender and race, especial-ly in America, which is a diverse country. So, you learn the psychological aspects, like: Why do you form this idea? You learn a lot of theories. My professor is actually a psychologist, and our assignments were to analyze her patients. A case might be: this girl complains of this-and-that. So, what do you think? Why do you think shes going through anxiety? Why do you think shes having that stuff? And, its really interesting. I really love that class. Its still something new for me. So, to be able to understand a per-son, find out about their personality, is so interesting.

What do you see as your strengths to help you accom-plish in your university?

Sothira : I think the answer is perseverance. I had a hard time getting into MIT. Then, like for the first semester, I was a mess. I was a mess mostly because all of my life, in Zaman or in any other school that I went to, I never tried. I never tried. You think youve tried. But, really I just studied for an hour, and then I took the test. I would just be done with it. I never tried at anything. And, at MIT, I tried so hard, but I still failed. I failed my first test at MIT. I studied real hard. I just realized that I didnt know how to study. Only studying the day before a test, even if you study eight hours straight, wont help you. So, you have to learn how to study. You have to take it step-by-step. This is one of the struggles at MIT, because many people who are there were usually at the top of their classes. They were the best at whatever they did. Then, you put them into MIT,

and they realize that theyre not the best anymore. There



May-Jun 2015

are people who are better than they are. I was not the best. I still am not. There are a lot who are really good. Its real-ly interesting. So, I think my biggest strength is knowing my situation and adapting to it. I know that Im not going to be the best at MIT; but, I know that I am at this place for a reason. I try hard to schedule my learning. I try hard to adapt to lesson plans. Its more about flexibility, assessing your situation and coming up with the best solution. You cannot be rigid. You are not going to survive MIT if you are rigid and think: Oh, I have to try so hard to be the best, because I was always the best! Just be normal. Go with the flow.

What would you recommend to high school students for their academic path?

Sothira : Well, first of all, know what you like or love, because knowing what you like or love and what you are willing to fight for will really help you a lot since its going to be a hard journey of your life. If you dont love it or even have any interest in doing it, it will just bring you down by making your lifes journey harder. So, find out what you are passionate about or your own interest first. Make sure its your own journey and not anyone elses. After that, do a lot of research or reading about the university/college that you like because you get a lot of privileges. Most peo-ple would have to find suitable scholarships first before they enroll, but you get the opportunities to enroll and ask for financial aid or a scholarship later on. So I suggest you should do that. Like me, I can choose to go to a school that I dont even have to pay a dime for, still, I chose MIT even though its not financially the best, but I know that I am going to take back as much as I have invested. And the most important things, you must know the application process- how to apply for it, the deadline etc. and study hard for the tests- SAT, IELTS, and TOEFL etc. So yeah, know what you want first, and aim for that.

Are you the same as you left Cambodia for MIT last year?

Sothira : I hope not. I have grown a lot and got to see a lot of places, problems. And importantly, Im more rea-sonable than I used to be before, and Ive gotten to know myself a little bit better. Especially, I am not dramatic as I used to be in high school and I tend to let thing go a lot more easily.

Do you miss your family and homeland?

Sothira : Yeah! During school, you dont really feel any-thing, but when Thanksgivings, Christmas and all of those long term breaks come where people leave school and cel-ebrate the occasion at their homes, the feeling of needing you family starts to come back. Like my roommate-my best friend- she has to go back and celebrate Thanksgiv-ings with her parents and family while my parents are like half the world away, so I decided to celebrate that holiday with her and her family. And also when you are sick, you just want to go back home and sometimes feel like you need to get out of this place and go to your precious family. But after the sickness has recovered and when school has started, you will probably be okay once again.

Recently, John Nash has passed away in a traffic acci-dent. Do you see the potential in your being John Nash of Cambodia?

Sothira : Well, you can have that kind of person to be your inspiration, but for me I try to stay away from being someone or somebody, if I have to be someone/somebody, I will just be myself- Sothira of Cambodia. I definitely have my own inspirational model, like the CEO of Face-book, Hillary Clinton, and Marie Curie-the one who dis-covered radioactivity. If I choose to believe in something, I will just go for it.

Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

Sothira : Hopefully, finishing medical school and work-ing in a hospital somewhere or maybe I will be travelling and working at the same time because I love to travel a lot. Maybe I will work in New York or in Africa, or some place that I havent been to before.

Interviewers:Kristine Marina Chann Keo(11-E)

Monineath Bunyay (9-F)Mei Lan Loh (10-E)

Arya Leng (10-F)

ACADEMICS



May-Jun 2015

10-ESokunmerdey Dara

10-EMengchu Ngor

10-ESaophea Luu

10-ESoyean Chea

10-EGeech Hor Huot

8-EChanmoniratana Vornvann

8-ERita Kanika Chim

8-ESok Heng Soung

12-FSereyvothny Um

10-FSundayna Huot

10-EPuthina Keang

10-BTheanhok Lim

10-BSokheang Dieng

10-BRothvichet Poch

10-FLinna Heng

10-ESahasvichni Chou

10-BSeuchhav Ea

When I heard the ab-breviation SAS-MO, the first thing which came to mind was a kind of des-

sert. However, it has no relation to eating. If you think that maths are very delicious food, which many students are hungry for, then it turns out SASMO is a maths des-sert. It stands for SINGAPORE ASEAN SCHOOLS MATHS OLYMPIAD. A great number of students from several countries and schools have been joining SASMO for a decade. SASMO is devoted and dedicated to bringing a love for Mathematics to students. Unlike most Maths Olympiad Competitions, SASMO caters not only to students in the top 5%, but to the top 40%. It aims to arouse students inter-ests and enthusiasm for mathematical problem solving, develop mathematical intuition, reasoning and logical thinking, as well as creative and critical thinking. In addition, this can help improve the students maths grades, because they can apply problem-solving strategies learnt during their training on their daily school mathematics.

Zaman International School is the representative of SASMO in Cambodia. We hosted the competition this year for the first time with 200 participants from 5 distinctive schools in Phnom Penh. I am very happy and proud to announce that 15 ZIS stu-dents from grade 2 to 10 have received the Gold Award. In total, a significant number of students, 89, received an Award. The awards ceremony of SASMO will be held on May 31st at CJCC. Moreover, those who have obtained an award, Gold, Silver or Bronze, seize the chance to join Singapore International Mathe-matics Olympiad Challenge (SIMOC) which will run from 14th to 18th August 2015 with around 1000 of the finest mathematics students from 15 countries. It will be held in Singapore in Au-gust. An amazing three-day trip will be organized for partici-pants. Those prominent students will get a certificate of achieve-ment which makes a considerable impact on being selected to prestigious universities in many countries such as USA, UK, Singapore, Australia, Turkey, Netherlands, and so on.

Besides providing information to let readers know what SAS-MO is all about and the benefits it creates, I would like to point out the importance of Maths in growing the leaders of tomorrow. It is an undeniable fact that the great thinkers and leaders of the future will require a strong background in logic, reasoning and critical thinking. One of the best ways to achieve this is through the wonder of Mathematics. Therefore, these kind of Olympi-

SASM



May-Jun 2015

ads turn out to be crucial and critical to the future social success of the nation which is one of ZIS objectives as indicated in the school Guiding Statements.

We at ZIS Maths Department aim to ignite the stu-dents passion, help develop their confidence, stimu-late and foster their interest in learning Mathematics, strengthen their ability in creative thinking and wid-en their international perspective as pointed out in the school guiding statements, vision and mission. Un-doubtedly, SASMO has made a huge contribution to these goals.

As a result, I would like to express my apprecia-tion and gratitude to Mr. Gurkan CIL, Principal, to Mr. Kasim, Head of the Maths Department, the Director of SASMO in Cambodia, to my colleagues, Mr. Ibrahim Yalcin, to Ms. Nesibe Nur Celik and to our great stu-dents, who are so passionate in joining the competition in their hunger for success.

Mr. Mehmet EsenMath Teacher

ACADEMICS



May-Jun 2015

SASMO 2015Prize Giving Ceremony Cambodia

It gives me great pleasure to see many dedicated teachers and stu-dents in pursuit of Math Olympiad competitions with the strong desire to do well academically. Education is the fastest way to im-prove your life. In Singapore, we have seen tens of thousands of mir-acle transformations for families whose parents have toiled as taxi drivers and cleaners. Then, within a generation, their children have gone on to attend universities and secure high paying jobs, hold im-portant posts in society and drastically improve their families stan-dard of living.

I spent one morning with ZIS teachers sharing Math Olympiad topics. There are many International Math Olympiad competitions available, as well as access to playing games and puzzles that help hone and improve mathematics skills.

This is my first trip to Cambodia. I am very impressed with your people. We are working with Singapore schools to offer more learn-ing, competitions, and scholarship opportunities for your teachers as well as students in the area of Mathematics first; then, later on, in other areas like Information Technology, Science and languages.

We are very keen to set up a Math Olympiad training school here with our partners. We will be offering more scholarship opportunities for Cambodian students to study in Singapore.

I would like to invite all of the SASMO 2015 winners to join our next event, the Singapore International Mathematics Olympiad Chal-lenge (SIMOC) 2015, which will be held in Singapore from August 14th-17th.

You will be attending a very interesting Math Olympiad compe-tition while getting a chance to test out your mental arithmetic. You can also improve your critical and creative thinking skills by working with foreign students, honing your team building and social interac-tion skills, as well as making life-long friendships.

So, I am looking forward to seeing all of you along with the partic-ipants from 14 other countries in Singapore in 2 months.

I see a very similar development in Cambodia. I can see many of you winning international scholarships to improve your life, your familys fortunes and the development of Cambodia.

Mr. Henry OngFounder of SASMO

ACADEMICS



May-Jun 2015



May-Jun 2015

SEUCHHAV EA

S4RITHYA MONG DOM

S3PICHPANHA OUCH

S3KIM LENG

S3

THANAN NETH KOSAL

S1LAY SOVANN MUNI VISAL

S2SOPHEARA CHEA

S2

CHHUNKIM ER

P2SAM VOLLEAK

P2RATANAKMEARLEA SEANG

P2OLI TINO TEP

P4

TITH NGOUNSENG

P3JESJES HENG

P3KOLSEREYMEAS LAY

P5JUSTIN CHIN

P6

15 GOLD

MEDALSINTERNATIONAL SCHOOL

GOLD MEDAL WINNERS OFSASMO 2015 CAMBODIA

(P2, P3, P4, P5, P6, S1, S2, S3, S4)

CONGRATULATIONS

SILVER MEDAL WINNERS OFSASMO 2015 CAMBODIA

(P2, P3, P4, P5, P6, S1, S2, S3, S4 )

AIMEE TRAP2

SOVUTH VISAP2

YUKKIN NEPP2

SAMBATH LAYP3

LIN HOUP3

KHOV FORTUNEP3

MONITA THAIP5

KEOSOTHEANY PHENGP6 EANG POVP6

ADMADSAIFUDINE LIMP4 LISA TAUCHP4 MEYLING TAINGP4

CHHORN RITHICHANP6

RAYOUNETTE CHHAYS2VANNARA SOMS1

CHANVATHNA CHEAS2

KHUNKIMPOR SUNS3 SHRUTI DASHS3

DALUX BES3

SARAKVIKOMAS3

SHIENNITH KEAS3

TEP ARUN SOKS4

PICHSOVANNTHYDA ANS4WINJING UNGS3


CONGRATULATIONS

24 SILVER

MEDALS

SILVER MEDAL WINNERS OFSASMO 2015 CAMBODIA

(P2, P3, P4, P5, P6, S1, S2, S3, S4 )

AIMEE TRAP2

SOVUTH VISAP2

YUKKIN NEPP2

SAMBATH LAYP3

LIN HOUP3

KHOV FORTUNEP3

MONITA THAIP5

KEOSOTHEANY PHENGP6 EANG POVP6

ADMADSAIFUDINE LIMP4 LISA TAUCHP4 MEYLING TAINGP4

CHHORN RITHICHANP6

RAYOUNETTE CHHAYS2VANNARA SOMS1

CHANVATHNA CHEAS2

KHUNKIMPOR SUNS3 SHRUTI DASHS3

DALUX BES3

SARAKVIKOMAS3

SHIENNITH KEAS3

TEP ARUN SOKS4

PICHSOVANNTHYDA ANS4WINJING UNGS3


CONGRATULATIONS

24 SILVER

MEDALS

This 1st SIMOC 2015 is organised by the same group of education specialists who organised SASMO for the past 10 years. This international competition is open to Year 2 to Year 11 students who have won Gold, Silver and Bronze Medals in SASMO 2015.

Date: 14 th- 18 th August 2015

Venue: Singapore

SILVER GOLD

SIMOCSingapore International Mathematics Olympiad Challenge

Singapor

e Internat

ional Mat

hematics O

lympiad C

hallenge (

SIMOC)

provides

an interes

ting and h

ealthy com

petition p

latform w

ith the

combinati

on of M

aths Olym

piad ques

tions, Ma

ths Warrio

r games

and Mind

Sports c

hallenges

!


* There will be preparatory courses for SIMOC in the SUMMER SCHOOL PROGRAMME of ZIS

BRONZE

50 BRONZE MEDALS

BRONZE MEDAL WINNERS OFSASMO 2015 CAMBODIA

(P2, P3, P4, P5, P6, S1, S2, S3, S4)INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL

CONGRATULATIONS

P2

CHUA JODIE RIYHAN ANNIKA P2

TAN CHETTANA PRASITH

P2RATH SOLEAK

OHANASAR P2SIHAREACH

SAROEUN P2HENG

MONIREACH P2ASADULLOKH

AKHMEDOV

P2NATALIE SOK

P2RUBINA HENG

P2SHIYU LIANG

P2KUY BUNTHEAN

P2NITA LAY

P2YU XIAN GE

P2TITHPHIT ALEXUS

P2SEILANISA

CHUON

P4DARAWATH DINA

P4

CHUA JACK RAYME ANTONP3 KHIM HENGP3 HOUT VITHIDA

P3NIZA YONG

P3PANHAWATH EK

P3

DHAMOKOL SOKHOM P3 IEV JOLYENE

P2VATTANA HENG

P2LIM PEIZUE

P2SOCHEAT JINNIN

P2SOVANKIRY

KHOV

P4SOPANHA UNG

P4

SY CHEANG OUDOM PANHA P5 KIMLY MOV P6

PAVIT VATHNA

P6

CHANPHALLA BUN P6 DO SIEVTY P6 PICHPISEY SOUN P6

SOKDIAMANT CHAN

P6

VICHRAINGSEY DOM S1 JOYDEEP DASH S1 HOK HENG S2

SHEN HOUT

S2HANFONG LUU

S2KHUNKIMHENG

SUN S2 KHENG IRSENG S2 HASOKINA

S4SOUDOM TRY

S4

SOPHEAVATEY PEOV S4

VOUCH LANG CHANGS4 SOYEAN CHEA

S2VIRA VAR

S3SOCHEAT LONG

S3DANITA CHHIM

S3SONITA HEAN

This 1st SIMOC 2015 is organised by the same group of education specialists who organised SASMO for the past 10 years. This international competition is open to Year 2 to Year 11 students who have won Gold, Silver and Bronze Medals in SASMO 2015.

Date: 14 th- 18 th August 2015

Venue: Singapore

SILVER GOLD

SIMOCSingapore International Mathematics Olympiad Challenge

Singapor

e Internat

ional Mat

hematics O

lympiad C

hallenge (

SIMOC)

provides

an interes

ting and h

ealthy com

petition p

latform w

ith the

combinati

on of M

aths Olym

piad ques

tions, Ma

ths Warrio

r games

and Mind

Sports c

hallenges

!


* There will be preparatory courses for SIMOC in the SUMMER SCHOOL PROGRAMME of ZIS

BRONZE

raining for ournament in hailand

Another tournament that ZIS has participated...Another victory that has been tasted. Another success story to scribble about and take pride in.Students from Lower High School section of ZIS returned to Cambodia from u14 Football Tournament, Thailand with bronze me-dals by ranking third in the tournament that 11 count-ries have struggled to become the champion. After a systematic and rigorous training for one month, eleven students set out their journey for Bangkok with their coach, Mr. Cihan Kazanci. Our team beat Banglades-hi team(3-0) and same score(3-0) was ensured against

Kyrgyzstan, a country located in Central Asia, in the first leg matches. Although we lost to Laos in the penal-ties dramatically in the semi-final, ZIS snatched victory by beating Pakistan(4-1) and completed the tournament the third place. The team players were awarded with bronze medals. One of the players, Lokey Mao, recei-ved the best player award while Soputhik claimed the best goalkeeper award. Our successful team enjoyed a superb welcome from the parents and teachers at the airport on Thursday evening. Congratulations!

The Third Place



May-Jun 2015

Mr. Cihan Kazanci Head of P.E. Department

SPORTS



May-Jun 2015

This year, ZIS has attended public schools sports tournament for the first time in the school history. Our student from 11-A, Maty Math, won first place in the 100 m run in Phonm Penh. He earned the right to participate in country-wide tournaments held in Battambang. He won the 5th place and made us proud! We are so glad that weve achieved excellent results from our first participation in the tournament. We believe that our school will be successful in different sports branches in the upcoming years.

Maty Math: Last week, for me, was a very proud week. I participated in our National Marathon in Battambang where each competitor is chosen to represent their province. I was representing Phnom Penh. During the first round, I received first place. I was very happy at that time, and even my friends cheered for me. However, in the final round, I got fifth place. I am still proud to be in the top five though, because there were many people participating in the contest.I really enjoyed my days in Battambang. It is a beautiful city and people there were very friendly. Finally, I would love to join in such contests again if I get the opportunity to participate. The most unforgettable moment for ZIS was when Maty went through to the finals despite the fact that he had strong oppo-nents. He finished the first round in first place and he got the chance to participate in the finals that were held on Sunday, 10th May. After the first round, we had a couple of days until the final. Throughout that time, we had a small tour around the province; and, on the rest of the days, Maty trained for the finals. On the final day, we knew that there would be less chance for us to be in the top three, because all of his opponents were too fast. There are supposed to be two rounds in the final. Maty went through to the final round beating some of the opponents by 9.7 seconds.

RunningContest, Battambang

2015Mr. Cihan Kazanci

Head of P.E. Department

SPORTS



May-Jun 2015

Mr. Cihan Kazanci Head of P.E. Department

SPORTS

Rank Teams Played Wins Draw Lost Goal score Points

1 8B 6 4 2 0 32 14

2 8A 6 3 2 1 21 11

3 7A 6 2 0 4 8 6

4 7B 6 1 0 5 9 3


1 10B 10 8 0 2 31 24

2 10C 10 6 0 4 34 18

3 9C 10 5 0 5 16 15

4 10A 10 5 0 5 15 15

5 9A 10 5 0 5 17 15

6 9B 10 1 0 9 6 3


1 12A 4 3 0 1 10 9

2 11A 4 2 0 2 5 6

3 11B 4 1 0 3 4 3

1. Vira Var

2. Soputhik Seng

3. Sovann Rothanak Pich

4. Odomrattanak Sok

5. Povsamnop Phok

6. Socheat Luon

7. Kunprorseth Long

8. Belchhunna Nor

9. Sopheara Chea

10. Buneng Huy

Champion Class 8-B Players

Champion Class 10-B Players

Champion Class 12-A Players

ZIS Football Tournament Champions

1. Chan Billy Keo

2. Hoklay Tang

3. Seuchhav Ea

4. Mondero Sor

5. Chhayhy Kourn

6.Ty Chhorng Choeung

7. So Panha Seng

8. Sopanha Mak

9. Allyas Iskandar Bin Ahmad Jais

10. Rothvichet Poch

1. Sovanda Hun

2. Salamey Math

3. Ratanak Sethey Lin

4. Smael Kob

5. Noruth Nuon

6. Khunchettha Sivin

7. Kimlong Seng

8. Eng Huy Seang



May-Jun 2015

Class representatives met Mr San-tosh Khatri, a Nepalese profession-al working in Cambodia, to discuss the current situation in Nepal and ways of supporting Nepals peo-ple who suffered the earthquake.

Time to

Help Nepal

38Zaman International School - High School Magazine


May-Jun 2015


since 1997

CLASS OF 2015

Date : SATURday, 13 june 2015

time : 5:00 pm

venue: grand ballroom, sofitel phnom penh phokeethra

The graduation ceremony is coming up very soon. Its really hard to think that our high school life will end in just a couple of weeks. We will surely miss all the jokes we have made, all the works we have done, and all the good times and tough times we have had in Zaman class-rooms.On behalf of 12A, we would like to say thanks to the principal, vice principals, teachers and stu for all the support, guidance, and wisdom during our times at Zaman International School. We denitely wouldnt have gained so much success without your inspirations. We also apologize for all the mistakes we have made throughout the years.We all hope that six years full of experi-ence, knowledge and lessons at Zaman will be our pathway to reach our future goals.Thanks for being part of our lives.

12-A

Bung Long Taing12-A

ACADEMICS



May-Jun 2015

Here at Zaman, 12B will always be a class.Howev-er,annually,the people in it will change.This year,the 14th generation of 12B is very special.Every memory we have made over the past few years is un forget-table.We fought,we quarreled, we laughed and we had fun together.We were like brothers.Although it is not genetic,we are able to have every moment with each other. We spent more time with each other than with our fami-lies.Unfortunatly,we only have 3 - weeks left before

we will all leave high school.We will not be able to meet each other so often.We will not be able to share what we have now,with each other,again.But ,those memories that we have will be cherished and will

remain in our hearts.I hope that we will someday be able to come together again as 15 friends.We will be always brothers.

Kim Hav Dy12-B

ACADEMICS



May-Jun 2015

Everything seems simple in theory, but when you actually try to put it into prac-tice, it gets a little complicated.Coming to Zaman solidifies this theory. I was expected to come here, to study, to pass each grade, to take the final exam of year 12 and say my goodbyes, to take my final steps and leave. But, it is 3-weeks until graduation, and I swear there are quick sands all over the school.Before we get too ahead of ourselves, lets start from the be-ginning. First, you are born. You are expected to go to school. You are expected to study, pass, and graduate high school. You are expected to go to a university. Then, you are expect-ed to get a job. Then, you are expected to get married and have children. Then, by the laws of nature, you are expected to die. Simple.But, we are not even halfway through the grand plan that is life. And, the struggle is so real to finish high school that the graduating class of 2014-2015, 12E is barely hanging on. Im not going to sugarcoat the experience of the final year at Zaman for this article just because it is expected that I should be sweet and reminisce on past memories and write haunt-ingly beautiful words and advices for the later generation. Instead, I will give you the harsh truth of being a senior.It is difficult. Mainly because it consists of real life CTRL+C and CTRL+V: which is the main reason why we all have re-ally powerful fingers and knuckles. Breakdowns in the class-room are a daily occurrence. Nap times and snack times are needed every day if we are expected to survive. Constant screaming is heard in 12E, because one has to shout at the top of ones lungs while trying to share sips of coffee (be-

cause of aforementioned CTRL+C and CTRL+V of home-

work the previous nights), while discussing the national exam 99.99% of the time with the other 0.01% devoted to discuss-ing colleges and universities, while complaining about sores and many other unspeakable truths, which I shall keep to my-self for the sake of maintaining any last shred of dignity we should want to keep.The entire academic year can be put into numerical val-ues for a more simplified view: from Monday, Septem-ber 15th, 2014 to Saturday, June 13th, 2015, for 8-months and 30-days or 272-days or 6,528-hours or 391,680-minutes or 23,500,800-seconds. All the les-sons, the crises in class, the tears, and the laughter, virtually every-thing, happened in-between these 2 dates. And, just as we were ex-pected to grow older and become mature young ladies, our brains also expectedly became very fried somewhere during Febru-ary. This is when our will to power through the rest of the year became scarce and all we wanted to do was sleep for a really long time and wake up with our diplomas in-hand. The one constant source of energy is the cumulative momen-tum of our hilariously embarrassing history. Selected stories include the following examples. One year a certain friend (you know who you are) wore pigtails to school every day for the whole year and cried whenever anybody shouted at her. Or, the class day in the 8th grade when everybody was serious about the show, but there were preliminary rounds, and then finals, before we could finally go on stage. Or, that time in the 9th grade when some of us went through the emo stage and aced our staring game (said stare was compared to a Japanese



May-Jun 2015

ghost in a horror movie). Or, the possible coup dtats or the infamous flash mob we did as a class.The bad haircuts, the weird phases, the forming and break-ing of cliques, the sing-along sessions, the dramas, the anger, the sweat, the burps, the snores and everything else smashed into one big ball of emotion. With the pressure of time and final goodbyes approaching, it is not abnormal to be scared. I find myself forgetting things and small details of what hap-pened 4-years ago and I think of 5-years from now when all

this will not be the recent past, but a past I can look fondly upon from a distance. But, what if this past isnt there anymore? What if there comes a day when I dont re-member my friends zodiac sign, or where she sat in class, or who the physics teacher was that year, or what club I had, or who I hung

out with most? What if the day comes when I forget, and the pictures arent enough nor are the videos? What if the vivid present I am now living in becomes just another gray part of my life?I worry because that is what the class of 12E is to me, a burst of colour in an otherwise black and white life. They are a constant and have been for 5-years. They are my niche of existence. To have that ripped away so suddenly and so force-fully, only to be expected to move on into what right now seems like a black hole, or what adults call the future, is not only unreasonable, but unjustified and cruel. (Slight exagger-ation, oops.) This is what I fear. I fear forgetting what it is like to eat in the canteen or what it is like to be in PE class. I fear learning how it would feel to eat in a different canteen with

different people and how the classes would feel without that constant hum of familiar voices.12E is a relatively normal class. We do not proclaim to be weird, or special, or good at anything. We do not serve an important role to the students or the school. We would not be sorely missed nor would we be needed by the school. 12E exists simply for the purpose of friendship to one another. We are there for each other; and, this is enough. If 5-years with these people has taught me anything, it is that sacrifices should be made for the people you love. I now know to be optimistic and find the small, simple joys in the bad times, to block out comments made by strangers, and that flattery goes a long way.

What was said above, covers only approximately 0.00001% of the actual Zaman experience; but, I tried. I never believed it when former seniors said that after we leave, we would miss it; but, it is finally time, and Man!... were they right.

Good luck, Class of 2014-2015.Thank you for all the good times, the bad, and everything in-between.

Priyanith Keo12-E

ACADEMICS



May-Jun 2015

This school year is coming to its end in less than a month. To everyone else, its going to be just another school year coming to an end; but, for us, seniors, its our last year as high school students. We would like to say thank you to all the teachers who taught us. Without your help and guidance, we wouldnt be here today. This past 6-years, you taught, guided, and nurtured us to become good stu-dents, daughters, and future citizens of the society; and, through this, you went through troubles and were tired on many days. We would like to say and THANK YOU. Thank you to all the staff and admin-istration for all your hard work, and sorry if we caused you any trouble.

To our homeroom teacher: Its been 4-years since you became our homeroom teacher. In those 4-years, you took care of us and loved us. Even though, we caused you trouble, with a smile on your face, you always said, Its ok. You al-ways said thank you and seemed so touched no matter how small the presents we gave you were.To our assistant teacher:You became like our sister last year. But, trust us, you are our favorite abla. Your love and care touches us. Thank you for cooking and baking for us. We will miss your cakes and food- for sure. ---No words can describe how thankful we are to both of you. This year is nearly coming to an end and we have three words for you two, WE LOVE YOU, SENI OK SEVIYORUZTo 12-F class:

Last but not least, its been 5 years since we became a class. Through those 5- years, we went through a lot of things together. We fought and we made-up, but thats what made us as close as now, sisters. All the time we spent together, the tears, the happiness, the laughter and the food we shared (especially in class), these memories will stay in our minds and hearts for-ever. This school year will end, we will go on our separate ways, and stay in different countries. But no-matter-what, our class is here to stay. Lets do our best in the future and slay the government exam.

Phearnique LyClass 12-F

ACADEMICS

To Everyone in ZAMAN, THANK YOU! WE LOVE YOU! WE WILL MISS YOU.

12-F



May-Jun 2015

ZAMAN INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL MAGAZINE ISSUE 1-50

Issue 1 Issue 2 Issue 3 Issue 4 Issue 5 Issue 6 Issue 7 Issue 8 Issue 9 Issue 10





ZAMAN INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL MAGAZINE ISSUE 51-100






Essay & Drawing Contest

MOTHERS DAY

Why I Love My Mom

Joydeep Dash (winner of 7th grades)Chanbopear Peng (winner of 8th grades)

What makes a mother special?Tepolak Seth (winner of 9th grades)

Taing Huong Hao (winner of 10th grades)

My mom is my heroRosa Nhim Khemara (winner of 11th grades)

Chamroeun Kalyanney Chhoeung (winner of 12th grades)

And the winners are...

Chhayhong Leang (7-A)

Winner of Drawing Contest

Many Participants from dierent grades have submitted their entries.We are grateful to all participants for their interest and time they

allocated for this contest.

Mothers Day

This year I became a mother for the first time. My newborn daughter is the center of my world. I learned to incorporate her into every aspect of my day. From the start, she was opinionat-

ed. The pregnancy was filled with mustard cravings, hamburger

cravings and an odd aversion to cucumbers that I may never

totally erase. Today, I watch her make faces as she sleeps

peacefully, sometimes wrinkling her forehead, raising an

eyebrow, or giving a big smile. I giggle at the thought of her

growing up and being able to live out all of those dreams that

keep her so busy in her little bassinet.

Meanwhile, during class, the seniors at Zaman have dis-cussed cloning, androids, and three-parent families. They have

learned about the terminology and current discussions regarding a

variety of scientifically-enabled child rearing techniques. On a less dra-matic and more traditional note, they have written paragraphs on family

vacations. Many have written essays or completed other assignments that

allowed them to share how they felt about someone who influenced or

inspired them. I got to read more than a few papers about mom. So, as

such, what does the term mother mean? A mother often makes us who we

are. And, a mother is who we make her.

It is a testament to humanity that so many find their mother essential

or inspirational. In the 19th Century, Ann Jarvis was a wife, community

leader, and a mother. She helped organize local medical services within her

community in the southern United States during the Civil War. Notably,

she insisted on providing equal care to those fighting for the Union. She

refused to use the medical service or the lack thereof as a weapon. This

strong-willed woman had a daughter, Anna. When Ann died, her daugh-ter sought a national holiday to honor mothers. In 1914, Anna Jarvis, the

pioneer of Mothers Day, was formally given her wish. U.S. President

Woodrow Wilson made Mothers Day a national holiday. The holiday was

so well-received and enjoyed that it is now celebrated in many countries,

including Cambodia, on the second Sunday of May.

Almost all 7 billion persons and counting on the planet have someone they

call mother. If you are ever feeling depressed about mankind, remember

that there are billions of people capable of this beautiful love and devotion

to another human being. A mother is expected to hug and console us when

we are un-hug-able and inconsolable. A mother is expected to encourage

and nurture us with limitless energy. In stark contrast to the often quoted

schemes and plots of Machiavelli for politics and power, the everyday fam-ily, with a handful of such loyalties, often silently maintained by mom, is

extremely flexible, and stronger than any tyrant.

So, this Mothers Day, I hope you find the same beauty and meaning in

life that I find when I see my daughter. For years, I desperately wanted one

child, a daughter, yet life was not so kind. Then, one day, it was. She is a

child I never thought I could have. Life is full of so many obstacles and

difficulties that things seem and often are impossible. Remember to count

the miracles, the people around you. If you do that, you will always have a

wonderful Mothers Day.

Happy

MothersDay

Happy

MothersDay

Mrs. Katherine HartSenior English Teacher

CULTURE

Almost all 7 billion persons and counting on the

planet have someone they call mother. If you

are ever feeling depressed about mankind,

remember that there are billions of people

capable of this beautiful love and

devotion to another

human being.



May-Jun 2015

Essay & Drawing Contest

MOTHERS DAY

Why I Love My Mom

Joydeep Dash (winner of 7th grades)Chanbopear Peng (winner of 8th grades)

What makes a mother special?Tepolak Seth (winner of 9th grades)

Taing Huong Hao (winner of 10th grades)

My mom is my heroRosa Nhim Khemara (winner of 11th grades)

Chamroeun Kalyanney Chhoeung (winner of 12th grades)

And the winners are...

Chhayhong Leang (7-A)

Winner of Drawing Contest

Many Participants from dierent grades have submitted their entries.We are grateful to all participants for their interest and time they

allocated for this contest.

Mothers Day

A mother is someone who sacrifices her life for her family and, especially, her children. There is no substitute for a mother. She bears her child in her womb and we all see the world only for her. I love my mother for a lot of reasons. She takes care of me all the time. That is not the only reason why I love her. She fed me, bathed me, made me sleep and did so much other stuff to make me feel comfortable when I was a child. She had to bear so many sleepless nights when I was small, to take care of me.There are so many reasons why I love my mom. She makes me feel special by treating me in a unique way. She is a very nice and kind person and isnt biased. She helps me in whatever work I need help in. When I feel bad about something, she caringly explains why it isnt my fault or anyone elses fault. My mother is always interested in do-ing things that could help me.I believe that my mother is one of the best moms in the world because of her love for me. She has always been there for me and I never thought of losing her love and affection in my life. I love my mom very much and I am sure that she loves me much more than that.

Joydeep Dash (7-B)

Grade 7

I love you I love you,means very muchI love you means a lotI love you s for someone specialI love you s for my momI love you s all I needTo describe my feelingsOh,How many times I repeat itI love you mumHAPPY MOTHERS DAYWhen my mom is old I will take care of her like she took care of me, too, when I was a kid. I will take her to good places,the places that she likes the most

Jeremi Fernandez (7-B)

Why I love my mother?



May-Jun 2015

Why I Love My MomMothers are the ones who carried us in their wombs for nine months. They had to suffer from pain and had to change their lifestyles just for us to grow up healthy. They have a lot strength and would do anything for their children. I have an amazing mother. When I was young, she had to take a break from her job for weeks. My grandmother took care of me when she went to work. She wanted to provide money for the family. When she was free, she would take me to shops and buy stuffed ani-mals for me. Whenever I cried, she calmed me down with her soothing voice. She cooked my favorite dishes and washed my clothes. Some-times, she had to stay up all night to take care of me when I was sick. As I started school, she always explained to me the homework that I didnt understand. She also taught me more things that I would need to use in the future. I remembered in the 1st grade, the final exam results were announced and I got 21st place of 26 students. My mom was very disap-pointed at that time, so she started becoming more strict and encouraged me to study harder. She provided me all the things I need for school projects. She supported me when I felt determined to achieve something. She guided me to the right path. When I was in the 3rd grade, I finally got the highest result. My mother was very proud of me. Even until now, she continues to support and encourage me and told me never give up.My mother is truly the most fantastic of all. She is the light to my darkest nights. If I were a plane, she would be my wings. I really feel grateful for everything she has done for me and all the hardships she had to go through because of me. I hope that when I have my own children, I be-come like my mother, too.

Chanbopear Peng (8 E)

My motherCaring and sharing thats my mother. Inspiring and supportative, the best model for me. Her love and feelings for me are even

stronger than gigantic waves of Pacific Ocean, which never stops flowing, just like how her love for me is endless.Always running back and forth to work and back home for my sake .She supports me even as an endless atm bank that never stops. She helps me when Im in need, supports me when I need support, gives me love when I need it, and she never stops helping me. She scolds me to teach me the difference of bad and good, corrects and tells me my mistake as a counsel guiding me into a world of success and happiness as I get older, which no one can do for me. She cares and heals me when Im sick, as if a nurse.

Vuthiya Saly (8 E)

My mother My mother is like an angel who flies from the sky and helps me out when I am in need. She is my everything, my bank ac-count, my doctor, my chef especially she is lovely, beautiful and kind.

Panchapor Pich Saing (8-E)

MommaMom is a person that will always stay by your side no matter how wrong you are. Sometimes she will scream, shout, blame or try to stop you from doing something, but that doesnt mean she is bad, she is just caring about you and wanting you to look through the right way. No matter what, her love and car-ing will never end. Seeing you walking through the right way is all that matters to her.

Thidavan Meng (8 E)

Grade 8

My mother or Mothers loveEvery mother is like a warrior to their kids. She will always be there when we need help. Mothers always love their children no matter what.

Chan Lychouleang May (8-E)

Monkolraksmey Cheam (7-F)



May-Jun 2015

Kim San (9B) She is the person whos always there even when we do not know it. Isnt it an amazing thing to know that she endured all that pain from 9 months to the next 18 years of raising us, maybe more? Our mothers work really hard from day to night to provide us with the best they can , so appreciate every single little thing you are offered. They protect you from all the dangers ahead, guiding you along the best paths of life that will most likely bring you to success. Its kind of sad isnt it? How the world works? Undergoing limitless pain just so the one who caused you pain can be happy. If animals could talk, they would all agree to the fact that Mothers value cannot be illustrated through words.

Chungsiv Kuoch (9F)As I grew up , she would always whisper to me : Stay strong, be brave. Choose the choice you think will be right. Dont be afraid of people. I would recite these lines every morning when I woke up. Through all the years that we fought like teenagers. We burn each other. We cry. We smile. We laugh. I still love you. You are my best-friend , my hero and my mother.

Sam Vichet Pen (9B)She guides us through the big moments in life. No matter what mistakes we make or how serious it is , she tends to always forget it in the end. This is due to every mothers trait of always forgiving their children. She doesnt want to discipline us , its just that she wants to guide us through the right paths in life.

Ung Heng So Viriya (9E)She knows that she might have to wake up to morning sickness and nausea for the upcoming two months or even more. But she still smiles, because she knows shell see your face after that. She no longer has time for herself; but, being able to spend time with you is enough. Shell keep on worrying for you until the day she leaves this world. She does all those things , suffers all those things , but she asks for nothing from you. That is why all mothers , alike , are undoubtedly SPECIAL.

Norpheakmoni Samreth (9F)When I rst started to tiptoe with my fragile legs, my mom was the rst person to ever catch me in her arms before I fell, and she was the rst to encourage me to not give up. Because of her, I was born.

zaman international school magazine issue 100

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