Spring Play 2010

"I love scrapes. They are the only things that are never serious."

The IGA Players and their director Mr. Joe Sears are pleased to announce that they plan to bring another noted performance to the Lion's Theatre this Spring. The Importance of Being Ernest is Oscar Wilde's most beloved comedy, full of delightful mix ups and laughable scrapes. This "trivial comedy for serious people" centres around two gentlemen named Jack and Algy, and their respective love interests Gwendolen and Cecily, as they navigate courtship in Victorian England while keeping their ideals and scandalous reputations intact. The Players will be bringing this delightful play to IGA on the 16th, 17th and 18th of April. Your presence would be an honour!

Cast List

John Worthing, J.P. -- Angus McLure
Algernon Moncrieff -- Zach Porter
Rev. Canon Chasuble, D.D. -- Ethan Mitra
Merriman, Butler -- Max MacDonald
Lane, Manservant -- Max MacDonald
Lady Bracknell -- Nina Blythe
Hon. Gwendolen Fairfax -- Sarabeth Flowers
Cecily Cardew -- Charlotte Pratt
Miss Prism, Governess -- Emily Yount
Understudy (Cecily Cardew)/Prompter -- Caroline Elliot (read more)

Inspired By One

The first day of school, 2009-2010. Students are trickling into the multipurpose room at I--, enthusiastically greeting old friends. New students stand to one side, shyly wondering where they have landed. A few of the "old timers" seek out the new students and introduce themselves. Everyone from Kindergarten to 12th grade is fresh and bright eyed, wondering what the new year has in store. Chattering, everyone slowly finds their seats. Suddenly, an Asian looking man they have never seen before bounds up on stage. He introduces himself as the new secondary principal and lays out his main goal for the year: that students would take advantage of every opportunity to do good. The interested students shrug. “He seems like a great principle, but we will have to wait and see.”

For any student of I--, it is impossible not to have noticed Mr. L: He walks the halls talking to students, he gives announcements at chapel, and he monitors our behavior at lunch. Even though he has only been at our school for little under one semester, the students have already felt the impact of his presence. His spiritual as well as academic leadership has left a favorable impression with students, parents, and staff. How well do we really know our principal, however?

Mr. L was born in Korea, but moved to Los Angeles when he was a year old. He grew up in a Christian home and accepted Christ when he was in 5th grade, although he admits that he is still learning how to live for Him. He grew up on the “streets” of LA, which he said, “gave me a good exposure to different challenges.” His growing up experience showed him that God wanted him to work in the inner city as a teacher. In fact, because of his calling to work in the inner city, he had no concept of wanting to work overseas!

All this changed when he spent a year teaching English in Korea, an experience he enjoyed immensely. Then, while working at an English camp in Central Asia, God used a mentor to change his thinking. This mentor cornered Mr. L and convinced him that God had a place for him working overseas. He taught Social Studies at B---- Academy for a number of years before coming to our school, although he has visited Turkey a number of times. On one visit, a parent at our school said, “Don’t forget us!” a statement that stuck with him. Up until this past March, he had been planning to go to Nepal, but his plans fell through. At the last minute, he accepted a position here at our school.

He has said that his goal for this year is learning and growing—in character and in his understanding of people. He has a few plans for the school, which are either in the works or in talks. He already has plans for our spring service project underway, where 11 students in two teams will go to Romania and Bulgaria to serve. He is also talking about instituting a strong student government. “I want students to take ownership of the school,” he said. However, he is mainly trying to learn about our school and seek the Lord’s will for us.

When asked how I-- had blessed him, he praised the graciousness of the staff and students…and the Turks he meets. He said the best way we as students could serve him is to share our perspectives and insight with him. Mr. L’s love of people is evident in the way he interacts with those around him. The thing he would like to have put on his tombstone is: "inspired by One, he inspired many." Christ’s inspiration in his life is evident; we have no doubt that he will leave his mark on our school as well.

Newspaper Info

I have two lists which will hopefully be helpful for the whole newspaper staff. The first one is a list of sections and the articles therein. The second is a list of everyone in our class and the articles they are writing.

List 1:
Campus News--page 1-3
1. Mr Lee Interview(s)
2. ASCI Honour Choir
3. Internship
4. Spring Service Project
5. Spring Play
6. Awards
7. Elementary News
8. Secondary News
9. Hoedown (Announcement)
10. House News

World News--page 4
1. Political Cartoons (Putin/Medvedev, Health care, Housewives)
2. Russian Elections
3. Iranian Elections
4. Obama
5. North Korea--currency
6. Turkey--IMF

Features--pages 5-9
1. Fairy Tales (Rachel, Joe, Char)
2. Cultural Differences (Rachel, Char, Jen, Eung Ho)
3. Cartoons
4. Agony Aunt
5. Reviews (Tim Yan--book, Char--movie, Sarah--music)
6. Embarrassing moments
7. Humour ("Mr. Mee", cartoons)

Editorial--pages 10-12
1. "Two Way Respect" -Joe
2. RE Class Editorial-Rachel
3. Facebook-Sarah
4. Open campus-Tim Yan
5. Flip flop rule-Jen
6. PDA-Joy
7. Facebook stats

Sports--pages 13-14
1. Ankara trip-predictions
2. Jesse's interview
3. Baseball article
4. Floorball article
5. Additional basketball articles

Classifieds--pages 15-16
1. "Dating Service"
2. Fillers- Sudoku? Riddles?
Classifieds team needs to finalize ads/classifieds!

Photos/Layout
1. Picture of editors and picture of whole teams
2. Check with section editors for pictures needed.

List 2: (note: if it is asterisked, you already wrote it.)

Tim Yan-
1. Campus News: Awards
2. Features: Book review*
3. Editorial: Open Campus*

Joe-
1. Editorial: Two Way Respect*
2. Features: Fairy Tale*
3. Features/Humour: "Mr. Mee"*
4. Sports: Basketball

Jesse-
1. Sports: Interview*
2. Sports: Baseball article
3. Classifieds!

Rachel-
1. World News/Politics: Obama
2. World News/Politics: Iranian election
3. World News/Politics: Russian election
4. Features: Fairy Tale*
5. Features: Cultural Differences*
6. Editorial: RE article*

Eung Ho-
1. Features: Cultural Differences*
2. Features: Embarassing Moments*
3. Editorials: Facebook article*

Char-
1. Campus News: Spring Play
2. Campus News: Elementary News
3. Features: Cultural Differences*
4. Features: Review*
5. Features: Fairy Tale*

Sarah-
1. Campus News: Honour choir
2. Features: Review
3. Features: Embarrassing Moments*
4. Editorials: Facebook*
5. Classifieds
6. Campus News: House News

Sunny-
1. Campus News: Spring Service Project
2. World News/economics: North Korean currency
3. World News/economics: Turkey-IMF
4. Features: Embarassing Moments
5. Sports: Floorball

Paul-
1. Features: Review
2. Features: Agony Aunt
3. Editorial: Facebook
Photos/Layout

Joy-
1. Editorials: PDA
2. Editorials: Facebook
Photos/Layout

Jen-
1. Features: Cultural Differences
2. Editorial: Flip flop rule
3. Features: Movie Review

Movie Review: (500) Days of Summer

2009 has been a notable year for major action/sci-fi blockbusters, such as GI Joe: Rise of the Cobra, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, Terminator Salvation and the latest instalment in the Star Trek movie series. However when looking over Hollywood's output for the year, the real gems are in the less flashy, smaller budget films that do more than mindlessly entertain. (500) Days of Summer, Director Marc Webb's first feature film endeavour, is one such film. The movie is creative, artistic, witty, and surprisingly down-to-earth without being depressingly realistic.

It is a story of boy meets girl, as the opening narration informs us, but it also makes an important disclaimer: it is not a love story. The film is told from the point of view of Tom Hanson, a young aspiring architect who abandoned his dream and makes a living working at a greeting card company. Tom is ardently devoted to the idea of true love, and lives his life in expectation of "The One." The movie begins when Tom meets the pretty, witty and unconventional Summer Finn, who most decidedly does not believe in true love and is not interested in tying herself down. Despite that, Tom falls in love with Summer and the movie chronicles the 500 days he has with her. The story is relayed to us in a nonlinear manner, often showing us the effect before the cause, depicting not only the relationship of Summer and Tom, but also the transformation of Tom's views toward romance.

(500) Days of Summer is an attempt at an honest portrayal of romance in the modern world, and captures the raw pain of rejection extremely well. The disclaimer is justified: the movie doesn't end with a wedding or reconciliation between the two lovers. Yet I left the theatre with high spirits and even after watching it again, found the film enormously enjoyable. This may be because of the wonderful fusion of honest storyline, clever cinematography, witty dialogue, and an exceptional soundtrack. Marc Webb brings many of the elements he picked up while directing music videos to heighten the artistic factor of the movie. He willingly suspends reality to make a point quite a few times, and I think it is far more effective than many other tricks directors have tried. Interesting moments, like a musical-esque dance scene, a play on a depressing French film, even a split screen portraying Tom's expectations versus reality add a new dimension to the film.

The characters really breathe life into it, however. Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Zooey Deschanel who play Tom and Summer, respectively, both give wonderfully whimsical but realistic performances. They are both nice looking and intelligent, but do not come across as larger than life. They are very credible in their roles, and have wonderful chemistry. They are also joined by a group of delightful minor characters, such as Tom's hard-drinking foolish friend McKenzie, and his precocious little sister, Rachel. The minor characters are not meant to be taken seriously, but they liven up the story and add perspective.

"Robin is better than the girl of my dreams: she's real." Spoken by a minor character, that line is one of the most memorable from the movie. "That to me is this movie in a nutshell," said main actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt. "I think it's so spot on." (500) Days of Summer shows the audience, through Tom, that while love, destiny, and soul mates are wonderful things to believe in, you can't let your fantasies cloud your view of reality. This movie stands out, not just from the traditional "chick flick" genre, but from most of the films I've seen. It uses techniques that we don't often expect when going to the theatre. It is light-hearted and amusing, while also posing serious questions about how we perceive love. Few movies have done what this movie has done, and even fewer have done it this well.

Sports Writing: Turkey Tackles American Football

Any visitor to Turkey knows that Turks love their sports. Few things breed more enmity or, conversely, bind more strongly than deep seated allegiances to the popular sports teams. Football, especially, is so popular that some fear to leave their houses on a game night between rival teams. However recently a new kind of Football has appeared in Turkey, one more familiar to citizens of the USA. In its brief history, American Football has stayed the heart and soul of American sports, but gained little popularity elsewhere in the world. However, the game is beginning to sprout up unexpectedly in Turkey as well. Zane P---- is assistant coach and manager to the Yıldız University Stallions, one of the few Istanbul Teams.

Q: How did American Football get started in Turkey?
A: About twelve years ago a young American man, who was also a former Football player, named Rob S---- was living in Turkey for two years. He began informally teaching the game to a group of young men attending Boğazıcı University. The game caught on at the university and from there began spreading to other universities in the city.

Q: How widespread is the game now?
A: Now there are 30 teams in almost every part of Turkey, divided into two levels much like our Division 1/Division 2 system in the States. American Football is now officially recognized by the Turkish Sports Federation, which regulates the games and provides referees.

Q: How did you personally get involved?
A: A guy in the gym where I lift weights began playing for the Yıldız team, and invited me to join! There are no eligibility rules, so even a 50 year old foreigner can play on the team. I declined, but was soon asked by the players to coach the team, totally based on the fact that I am American and grew up watching the sport. I served as interim head coach for a while, until I could find a full time coach with more experience.

Q: What was the condition of the team when you first became involved?
A: [laughs] The first time I ever saw them play, my analysis was that they only had problems with running the ball, throwing the ball, catching the ball, kicking the ball, blocking and tackling. Other than that they were fine!

Q: What is the general level of play you've seen from the Turkish teams.
A: Because the sport is so new and not very well known, no one here starts playing until they are in college, unlike the USA where they start from an early age. So the level of play is very low compared to US teams: a good high school team in the States could beat any team in the League. But they really enjoy it, and they aren't playing for the glory: unlike in the States, you don't gain social status from playing football. So they only play for the fun of it.

Q: What are the biggest challenges in coaching?
A: The lack of experience from the players, the lack of good practicing facilities and the poor physical condition of the guys: many have issues with weight, either being overweight or having the slight soccer-player's physique which isn't heavy enough for football, and almost all of them smoke. Also, we have difficulty getting equipment, and the reffing is extremely low quality. We once had a five hour game because the refs didn't know what to do, so they stopped the clock and deliberated between every single play.

Q: Especially considering Turkey's fanatical love of soccer, what attitudes toward American Football have you seen.
A: Well, the players love it! But again, it's not very popular--many people haven't even heard of it. We never have any spectators at games. Plus, many new players have a really hard time with the concept of tackling in the game: they are conditioned to think in terms of soccer and fouling penalties. But overall, those who are introduced to the sport, love playing it.

Political Cartoon

Dear Auntie Char

Dear Auntie Char

My husband and I are raising four beautiful children. Our oldest daughter, age 15, has admitted to us that she has been drinking alcohol at parties on weekends. She says she never gets drunk but always has one drink because "everyone else is doing it" and she doesn't want to look "weird."

My husband and I never drink. Alcohol is not served in our home. Our daughter is an honor student and never has caused us any trouble. She says we should appreciate her honesty and not be angry with her. How should we handle this?

— Beside Ourselves in Bebek

Dear Beside,

It is extremely difficult when a child you love admits to worrying problems. I'm sure you only want the best for her, and are scared that she might hurt herself. Please keep in mind that it took a lot of courage for her to tell you about the drinking. Considering your lifestyle, I'm sure she knew that you and your husband would not be in favor of it. Try to lovingly show her the errors of what she is doing: besides being illegal, it is a dangerous position to put yourself in. Then give her some practical advice on how to avoid situations like that. Maybe she could appoint herself to be the designated driver, so she would have a legitimate reason to refuse alcohol. Or she could organize her own parties with people she trusts who would not pressure her into doing anything she does not want to do. Whatever course you decide to take, let her know that you love her and will continue to love her even if she makes bad choices.
-Auntie

Dear Auntie Char

I have many close friends in my school. We all have unlocked lockers in our PE locker room. My friends feel quite comfortable to take things from my locker—my school uniform shirt, my coat, my deodorant—and use them. I don’t mind, but I wish they would put the things back where they found them. I have received two discipline slips because I cannot find my uniform shirt. What can I do to get them to respect my property and my need for “boundaries?”

–Frustrated in Ferikoy

Dear Frustrated,

It is always a difficult dilemma when you have to decide where the line is between, acceptable behavior as friends and taking advantage. I'm sure you don't want to hurt your friends' feelings, but you have a legitimate reason for complaint. First find out who is taking what on a regular basis. If it is the same people regularly pilfering your things, take them aside and gently explain your situation. Set some ground rules, such as always having to ask permission to borrow things. Don't attack them for their actions, but clearly state your situation. Another thing you could do, is not leave your things at school if they are regularly being taken. If you have your uniform shirt at home, you know you won't be caught unawares on a uniform day.
-Auntie Char

Dear Auntie Char

I have a lot of homework every night. At the same time, I want to spend time with my friends, participate in extra-curricular activities, and use Facebook. If I don’t get on Facebook every night, I feel left out. At the same time, I think I’m wasting a lot of time and it is one way I could make better use of my time. What do you suggest?

-- Lonely in Libadiye

Dear Lonely,

Time management is one of those unfortunate things we all have to deal with, whether we are in high school or not. It can be difficult to decide what to give our attention to. First of all, you need to prioritize. Homework is your main responsibility as a student, so if one of your extracurricular activities is keeping you from completing everything on time, you may need to consider dropping it. You could stagger what you do outside of school, especially since many activities only last for one semester. For example, you could play soccer in the first semester, and be in the play in the second. As for Facebook, while it is a wonderful thing that can be very addictive, it should not be your main priority. Set a time limit for yourself. it can be tempting to check your notifications, and then sit around for a while waiting for something to happen. Give yourself long enough to check the latest updates and then sign off. If you prioritize how you spend your time, life will go much more smoothly.
-Auntie Char

Facebook: Generational Fad or Universal Phenomenon

"I believe kids can do better in school and sleep earlier if there's no Facebook!"

Facebook is known as many things: a social networking site, a virtual catch-all for every person you have ever met, or a time-wasting-brain-cell-killing technological black hole. One thing it cannot be labeled as, however, is an age specific blip in popular culture. Since its genesis in 2004, Facebook has grown from a cool website for preppy college students to a necessary aspect of life for man, woman and child. In a recent survey done at a small, private school, of the 144 people surveyed, 81% admitted to having a Facebook account, and this included middle school students through faculty.

What is the universal appeal of Facebook? In the survey, the two most popular features were the Wall, where a user can write messages to their friends, and the Photos. Informally, quite a few of those surveyed admitted that they really just used it to keep tabs on their friends. As an international community where most of the students and staff are living away from their home countries, this makes a lot of sense. Before Facebook, it was impossible to maintain friendships that spanned multiple continents. Now, at the click of a button, you can find out what your friend are thinking about, what they have done recently, and what their scores are on Pirates versus Ninjas, or one of a host of other games provided by the website.

Interestingly, while the older generations have been Facebook’s harshest critics, there are also a fair number of them jumping onto the bandwagon. They use it for many of the same reasons their younger counterparts do: to keep up with each other and enjoy the interesting features Facebook has to offer. Amusingly, even a number of senior citizens have utilized it, who enjoy reconnecting with old friends, and keeping an eye on their grandchildren, among other things. However, these adults still tend to be the most critical of Facebook. “Facebook is a huge time-waster and encourages self-absorption,” said one school parent and Facebook user. Many parents complain that their children waste time that they could be using to study or build meaningful “real” friendships. Even many students (and young teachers) admitted that Facebook allows many people to bypass personal relationships and hide behind virtual ones.

Facebook should be used responsibly. The purpose of it is to facilitate the growth of already existing relationships, not replace them with shallow, virtual substitutes. Users should also take advantage of the security options which are not available on other mediums, such as Myspace. Selectivity as to who can be your Facebook “friend” and view your personal information is advised. However, if Facebook is used with the appropriate safeguards, it can be a very helpful resource.

What do I think about Facebook?

It is amusing to me how Facebook had become so controversial, and so wide spread. Usually, I've found the older generations are more wary of it, while the younger generation often refuses to see any potential downsides to it. I'm not so naive as to say that Facebook is perfect, but I love how it keeps me in touch with people. I have friends spanning the globe: old friends and new friends, who I would find it very difficult to keep track of. With Facebook, I can see what is happening with my childhood friend in London, my aunt in Houston, and my friends in Malaysia. Without Facebook, I would have lost touch with most of these people long ago. My security settings are pretty high, so I have control over who sees what, so I feel safe putting my personal information on the internet.

Besides keeping in touch with long lost friends, Facebook helps me keep track of happenings where I am. I use Facebook to ask my teachers questions, plan events with my friends, make sure I am up to date with all the news in our community. Facebook can be difficult to pull away from, and I have had trouble limiting my time on it so that I wouldn't waste my time. But the benefits far outweigh the drawbacks, in my opinion.

Test 3 Essay

I have heard many cynics say that it is far too optimistic to think that people are primarily motivated to do things out of the kindness of their hearts. To an extent I agree with them: if left without a moral compass, we would all tend toward evil, not good. To say that conscience is not as powerful a motivator as wealth or power, however, is a sweeping statement that deserves criticism. I believe that there is a Higher Power which directs our conscience, sometimes against our nature, toward good. I see it all the time in people I know; people who have given up wealth, power and comfort in order to serve others. Especially in the cases of Susan and David.

David was successful, to say the least. He was a straight A student with lots of potential. He went to Yale University and graduated with honours from their Business school. After graduation he worked for an affluent organization on a monthly salary of six thousand dollars. He was making lots of money and moving up the corporate ladder: everything was going for him. He was not satisfied with what he was doing, however. As a Chinese American he would often think of the country his family came from, of the people there and how poor and hopeless they were. So he quit his job and moved to China to work with the poor. He helped them build businesses and offered them Hope they had never had before. He gave up money and increasing power because his conscience directed him toward helping others. He has never been happier.

Susan was a well-off, comfortable woman from Seattle. She had a great job and lots of friends. Everyone loved Susan: she was warm, loving and always willing to serve others. She had lots of friends who traveled and lived all over the world, living with the natives and doing humanitarian work. Over a long period of time, she began to feel her conscience prick. She was so comfortable with her nice job and great friends, when so many people had nothing. The example of her friends showed her that there were other options for her. So she made a decision that shocked everyone: She moved to A----------. Many people thought she was crazy for going to such a difficult place, but she knew she was doing the right thing, so it did not matter. She moved to one of the most dangerous parts of the country and taught at a girls' school, to try and raise literacy among them. A year after she moved their, she was kidnapped and killed. It was incredibly hard to lose someone close to me in that way. It was the first time something like that had happened to me. But her example is very powerful to me. It convicts me that comfort and money and power are not important. Being willing to give up everything, even your life, for a higher cause is the most noble thing you can do.

Both David and Susan are significant models to me. Through their lives they have taught me what is truly important in life. And it is not money or power or fame. When those cynics sneer at the idea of conscience being more powerful, I point to David and Susan. They prove that the world may not be as hopelessly heartless as the cynics would like us to believe.

Murphy's Law

Murphy's Law states that "if anything can go wrong, it will, and at the worst possible moment." Some people (who obviously live in some sort of utopia) scoff at Murphy's Law, claiming that it absurd, unscientific and cannot be proved. I, however, have found ample proof that the Law is living and active.
When I was a little girl, our family lived in the former USSR. Life was not glamorous by any means, but we usually had most of the things we needed. The things we didn't need, we learned to live without. To make matters worse, we lived in a minority neighbourhood--the poorest in our city.

One fateful winter, the corrupt officials in our city decided that they didn't want to waste precious resources on minority neighbourhoods. Winters in our city were bitterly cold. But they decided to cut off our gas. We had to learn how to keep warm by wrapping layer upon layer of clothing around our frigid bodies. That cut was not enough for our lovely corrupt officials, however, so they decided to limit our running water as well. And our electricity. When it rains, it pours.

We got through that winter intact. It was not pleasant, but we survived. Through it, Murphy's Law was more than proven.

SAT practice essay #2

Evenings in my household generally look identical from one night to the next. Once homework and dishes are out of the way, we settle down to amuse ourselves. Fifty years ago, this may have involved gathering in the den, reading books, playing games or watching the Ed Sullivan show together. But in this glorious modern age it overwhelmingly involves individual, mindless entertainment. My Dad might be back in his study, watching a television show on his computer. My brother might be in his room, watching something on his television. In the living room, my mother and I can be found on two separate computers, checking Facebook or writing our friends or just lazily browsing the internet. On the upside, we are each caught up on what is happening in the world, whether it be the real one, or a fictional one we choose to lose ourselves in. On the other hand, we are wasting precious time.

The advances that make such high-tech entertainment options widely available, have stolen time which we should be dedicating to worthier investments. As a junior in high school, I will be leaving home in two years to go to college. I should be working hard to enjoy every last minute with my parents and brother before I leave them: I have a feeling I will regret giving up time to goof off with my brother so I could watch the latest episode of Psych. It is too easy to find that you have wasted hours on nothing when you could have spent it on the people you love.

Another drawback, for me personally, is the lessening value of the written word. Words are cheap nowadays. All you have to do is open up Google and you have millions of options at your fingertips. Maybe I’m old fashioned, but I love the experience of going to a library or a bookstore, holding a book in my hands and pouring over the rich storehouses of literary treasure. Who would have thought that turning a page with my own fingertips would be a sensation missed. Books are personal; the time and emotion put into them by the author is more tangible. Along the same lines, technology has made letter writing obsolete. I am proudly of the generation that pioneered texting, instant messaging and email but I still get a thrill when I read a note someone wrote with their own hand.

Technology is cold. It has made our lives easier, but it has encouraged frigid individualism. Family time, book-reading, and letter writing are things which we should not let die. Technological advances are wonderful, but our lives would still be good without them.