tHE INTERNatioNAL I n t e r n a t i o n a l S c h o o l o f t h e S a c r e d H e a r t

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

FOCUS..............1

NEWS................2

VIEWPOINT.......4

PEOPLE............6

SMALL TALK....7

LIFESTYLE.......8

Volume X Issue II June 2011

he lack of a cafeteria and gymnasium has affected daily school life and

school events, but nevertheless, the students and faculty of Sa-cred Heart have found creative ways to make sure that school life proceeds as smoothly as possible. Construction of a new part of ISSH has been going on since August of last year. Major aspects of school life have been affected by the ab-sence of the gym and PE classes this year are consequently very different from previous years. Students first began to feel the change when the field near the Music Room could no longer be used for PE classes since March 2010. Instead of a double lesson on one day of the week and a single period on another, students had to have three con-tinuous PE periods once a week. These classes are held on the playground outside the school, in front of the site of construc-tion of the new gym, or in the former cafeteria. “We have to be very flexible and adapt our PE lessons to be able to do it in the cafeteria. We cannot do sports that involve very high ceilings. The three periods allow us to leave campus and go to a nearby stadium and have the students do activities such as swimming,” said PE teacher Mr. Lambert. New activities were also intro-

duced, such as bicycling around the playground, Yoyogi Park, or the Sacred Heart University campus. Sports teams are even more affected than PE students. In-stead of practicing in the Sacred Heart Gym, student athletes had to travel to a variety of plac-es outside the school such as the nearby Sacred Heart University gym or the Nishimachi Interna-tional School gym. Mizuki xxxx, Vice President of the Sports Council and an active student athlete expressed, “It’s tiring, and I feel like I’m losing a lot of time travelling. I get home re-ally late, and I don’t always have time to do my homework.” Bal-ancing schoolwork and athletics has always been difficult for stu-dent athletes, and the absence of the gym has made it harder. However, all the students have been coping very maturely and are excited about the new gym. “We get into a state of mind where we expect that everything is given, but there are places in the world where people do not have a gym. This experience will definitely remind everyone that we are very, very lucky,” said Mr. Lambert. The soccer team has managed to find places for prac-tice around the school such as outdoors, the tennis courts, and the mini field which is the “size of a postage stamp” according to soccer coach Mr. Eyre. “The

spaces we’re using are quite small, but the team spirit works very well. They know that they have to work harder than all the other teams. We concentrate on things such as control and pass-ing, because that’s all we can concentrate on,” said Mr. Eyre. In previous years, the Sports Council sold food and drinks during home games to raise money. This year, there have been many more away games and the home games took place in the university gym, which does not allow food and drinks. This spurred the Sports Council to find other methods of fundraising such as bake sales, healthy food sales, and sportswear sales. Despite the difficulties, students and faculty have been working around the problems patiently and crea-tively because gym or no gym, the show, or game, must go on! Various school events, such as One World Day, Spirit Day Assemblies, February Show, and Graduation also tradition-ally took place in the gym, and other events such as Family Festival, Japan Day, and Bingo relied on it too. These events had to be relocated this year. Spirit Day assemblies took place in the AV and MP rooms, and February Show, One World Day, and Graduation took place in Marian Hall, the university auditorium. “We didn’t have as wide a stage as we usually do

A Year of Creative Adjustments

afterwards. Japan Day became an opportunity to take action for Japan relief. In the assem-bly, the entire student body filled handkerchiefs with candy and tied them with hair ties to send to victims of the Tohoku earthquake. “I was very happy with the way that Japan Day turned out, given our limited time, resources, and available space. I was glad that people still had the chance to experi-ence the mini courses,” said Ms. Niedorf, sponsor of the Academic Council, which works with the Japanese department to organize Japan Day. Other areas of the school were also affected by the con-struction. AP exams could not take place in room 401 for it had to be used as the drama room in the absence of the Duchesne room. Most exams took place in room 402 and the AP Calculus exams which are usually in the cafeteria had to take place in the AV room instead. The College Board has specific regulations about the spacing between desks during an AP exam, which had to be applied to the smaller room 402. The reaction of prospective students and families has been very positive. According to ad-missions registrar Ms. Hisaoka, the general number of students applying for admission has not changed sig- nifi-cantly since the construction has started. The prospective students and families have ex-pressed how they look forward to the new buildings and quite a number of them have noted how surprised they were that it was so quiet despite the large trucks outside. While it has been a busy year of creative adjustments for the ISSH students and faculty, we get a lesson in structural engineering every day outside our windows. The impossibly tall trucks and cranes that have become a part of our daily view remind us of the new facilities

to come.

and we weren’t able to decorate in Marian Hall, or label the seats for the Parade of Nations. But it was nice to have a proper stage, with proper lighting, and although it was difficult to get everything organized on the rehearsal day, in the end One World Day turned out really well,” said Erica xxxx, President of the World Council.

eee

For Japan Day, the lack of a proper cafeteria as well as a gym led to se-rious readjustments. The Ennichi Lunch that everyone looks forward to could not take place. The earthquake also made things difficult by tak-ing away planning time. The students had a normal school day until lunch time, after which they attended one mini course and an assem-bly

Photo by Yearbook staff

Annual Japan Day bon odori dance in front of a new background of the construction.

by Sneha xxxx & Joanna xxxx

T

Illustration by M. xxxx

Page 2

NEWSJune 2011

Shaky After the Quaky? The aftereffects of the March 11 earthquake are felt months later; most tangibly in the form of “aftershocks”. Most after-shocks are so minor that they are more annoying than terrify-ing, making us groan, “Is this gonna go on forever?” But a few aftershocks, like the 7.1M on April 11, 2011 cannot be ignored and bring up the question: “Is another big earthquake com-ing?” Seismology cannot give us a definite answer to these ques-tions, but it can compare seis-mic trends and give us a rough estimate of what to expect after a major earthquake. Aftershocks follow two trends which were discovered by Japanese geophysicist Fusa-kichi Omori in 1984. Firstly, the number of aftershocks decreas-es exponentially after the main shock. Secondly, the maximum magnitude of aftershocks also decreases. Japan is following both of these trends at the mo-ment. The number of after-shocks above 4M on the Richter scale has dropped from 80 per day to an average of five per day within a period of four months and the maximum magnitude has dropped from 7M on the Richter scale to around 4M. The recent main shock, on March 11 led to a major change in pressure between the Okhotsk

Plate and the Pacific Plate. The aftershocks occur because the plates slowly recover from this pressure change to arrive at a stable position. This might take many months since the tectonic plates move at a very slow pace, so most scientists agree that Japan will experience after-shocks for anywhere from a few months to a year. Since the magnitude of these earthquakes will most likely decrease, the aftershocks will not be that consequential after four to five months. Foreshocks, on the other hand, are smaller earthquakes that precede a major earth-quake. A 7.4M foreshock startled the residents of Japan on the morning of March 9, 2011. This foreshock was pre-ceded by a number of minor, es-calating earthquakes which kept building in magnitude for the mega-quake of March 11. Many big earthquakes are preceded by foreshocks, but according to The Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, foreshocks have to increase in magnitude if a larger earthquake is going to occur. Japan how-ever shows no indication of an impending mega-quake arising from the same fault line since aftershocks are decreasing in magnitude and do not follow the trend foreshocks do.

S haky Foundation

Help for the Earthquake Victims

by Pounomi xxxx

by Joanna xxxx

The March 11 earthquake hit quickly and unexpectedly on what seemed to be an ordinary Friday afternoon, and the shift-ing tectonic plates shook the construction of the new gym, which was taking place at the time of the earthquake. An in-terview with Yoshioka Hidekatu and Nakao Kouzirou of Nakano Fudou Contruction revealed what was taking place behind the white wall when the earth-quake hit. The workers were pouring concrete when the quake hit, and while they had emergency procedures for events such as heavy rain, typhoons, and earth-quakes, they were still thrown off by the magnitude of this earthquake, which was different from any kind of disaster the workers had ever experienced on their jobs. The operator of the crane was especially appre-hensive. As soon as the workers felt the shaking worsen, they stopped the concrete mixer and evacuated to the platform above them. The workers later moved into the temporary house on the construction site and could

not go back to work for an hour after the earthquake. However, thinking another earthquake that strong would not happen in the near future, they resumed pouring concrete. At 4:30 p.m., two hours after the earthquake, the workers were asked to stop working and return to their homes. Unfortunately, going home was not an easy feat for the citizens of Tokyo that day. Some drove for 8 to 12 hours, and those who had to commute by train stayed with friends living nearby or spent the night at the construction site, in the temporary house. Those who stayed at the site watched over the construction. The effect on the work situ-ation was unclear to the work-ers. Due to the media focus on the Sendai-Tohoku region, no one was certain about the situation in the Kanto region. There was also the possibility of another big earthquake, as well as power outages, so the next day’s construction was limited, and after that construction was cancelled for about a week. The workers were able to return to the construction on March 21,

ten days after the earthquake. They surveyed the damage and concluded that there were no major problems. The crane and other equipment were also fine. However, it took two weeks for the work situation to get back to normal. Construction was slowed down due to shortage of power and gasoline for the equipment and fewer workers being able to report for duty because of transportation issues. The building of an elevator that they were working on in the new building had to be stopped. Unlike students and faculty, the workers could not take it easy and recover. They had to keep going, and work harder to make up for lost time and meet dead-lines. Luckily, there were no major changes to the design of the school building, and the con-struction is back on schedule. Editor’s Note: Though the March 11 earhquake has inflicted many losses on the nation, we can look out the window and find inspiration in the sight of the workers who keep going, just as they kept going on that fateful day. Our heroes are working hard to ensure the completion of the school gym construc-tion that we have all been looking forward to, and the entire Sacred Heart community appreciates their efforts.

When the clock struck 2:46 p.m., our world shifted— liter-ally. The planet Earth’s usually uninterrupted rotation around the sun was disturbed: the earthquake, shifting the planet’s axis by 17 centimeters, increased the speed of the rotation result-ing in shorter years (a loss of 1.8 microseconds a day) due to the redistribution of the Earth’s mass. The quake’s geographical impact was immense not only in Japan, but in areas of the world thousands of miles away from the epicenter. According to geophysicist Ross Stein, parts of northeast Japan were pushed towards North America by an approximate of 2.4 meters, stretching out portions of Hon-shu Island, making the country’s landmass “wider than before.” In Antarctica, the massive seis-mic waves were reported to have

caused the Whillans Ice Stream to slip by about half a meter. The U.S. Geographi-cal Survey reported a number of changes seen in underground water levels in vari-ous places within the United States. The earthquake’s waves of raw power sent ripples through

the economy as well; the world’s mineral supply was greatly af-fected after Japan’s electricity shortage disrupted the country’s iodine refineries. As the sec-ond biggest supplier of iodine, Japan produces roughly 33% of the world total. The short-age in iodine greatly affects the electronic device market around the world, since iodine is used primarily in liquid-crystal displays for screens along with X-ray contrast media. The four prefectures most affected by the quake and the tsunami (Iwate, Miyagi, Fuku-shima, and Ibaraki) account for about 8% of Japan’s GDP. Many factories were left with no other choice but to suspend production; mainly because of the physical damage, or power shortages. Shortly after the disaster, an abrupt and some-

what illogical fear of food and supply shortages emerged in Tokyo and Yokohama; by the time a week had passed, the aisles of supermarkets were emptied as long snaking lines of people formed to buy goods such as bottles of water, batter-ies, instant noodles, and baby diapers. The quake illuminated both the best and the worst in people around the globe. An estimated amount of 40 million U.S. dol-lars was donated by celebrities and major entertainment and-fashion companies from the U.S. and E.U.. In Japan, thousands rushed to their local govern-ments, asking to be sent over to areas around the epicenter for any volunteer work. On the other hand, a surge in crime was seen when a number of frauds, all claiming to be collecting donations for earthquake relief, were exposed and followed by a few arrests. In our ISSH community, when the earthquake hit, all were shaken both physically and emotionally. A few days after the earthquake, the community was seemingly dispersed and scattered across the globe. In the end, almost all members returned, creating a stronger sense of unity acquired through

the crisis that we all endured.

HIGH IMPACTby Momo xxxx

by Sneha xxxx

The devastating 9.0M earth-quake that hit Japan resulted in a restless and worried two weeks off from school. Once we were back, many students were eager to start helping those affected most by the earthquake. The high school Student Council decided to donate all the money in their Emergency Fund for the earthquake victims, and the Social Service Council also an-nounced that they would donate all money raised throughout this year in fundraisers such as Thursday morning cafes to the earthquake victims. The high school Student Council has also sold socks donated by Sanskriti xxxx and held a pizza sale to raise money. The Student Council’s big-gest project was the Earthquake Drive, in which the whole school cooperated to donate items needed by the victims of the earthquake, with specific items requested each day for two weeks. The eagerness of the stu-dents wanting to help could be seen as cardboard boxes loaded with items such as food, baby supplies, and toiletries stacked up and filled the area outside Ms. Young’s office. Once fully packaged, the items were sent to the Second Harvest offices in Tokyo to be distributed to affect-ed areas in the Tohoku region. After the Earthquake Drive, a school supplies drive was organized for Omose Elemen-tary School in Kesennuma. The

school was disastrously affected by the tsunami that followed the earthquake and was in desper-ate need of new supplies as the school reopened for the new school year. After the success of the first two weeks, students continued to show enthusiasm through their donations and large numbers of boxes were shipped to Omose Elementary school. Even with school out for the summer there are ways to help. People who have been displaced from their homes either because of the tsunami or radiation are in desperate need of supplies and money. Through the organi-zation Second Harvest Japan, food, supplies, and money can be donated. Information con-cerning donations and how to contact them can be found on their website. Hands on Tokyo, a volunteer organization, also receives donations and provides opportunities to volunteer. By registering at their website, one can easily sign up to volunteer in projects such as helping to sort the items that will be delivered, or writing encouraging messag-es to the children that have been affected by the disaster. Money can be donated easily through Facebook on a campaign set up by the Red Cross. The generous donations and help offered will surely contribute to the gradual recov-ery of affected areas so close to home.

Photo tumblr.comThe disastrous tsunami that followed the earthquake

Page 3

NEWSJune 2011

Artscapearound; you have to think about a lot of things fi rst.” The main issue at hand was maintaining a balance between shade, styles, and schools represented on a panel. “We tried to put lighter paintings with the darker ones,” Aline ex-plained. The balance in each of the panels unifi ed it and made paintings shine as a whole, not only as individuals.

Arranging pottery pieces was equally challenging

for the AP Pottery stu-dents. They consid-

ered the tones and textures of each sculpture and ar-ranged everything tastefully. “We put artwork with similar textures in one place even

if they weren’t the same project,” ex-

plained Charlotte xxxx, an AP Pottery junior. The

3D quality of the artworks also

by Pounomi xxxx

by Pim xxxx & Soumya xxxx

Spelling bees used to be seen as dull events in which “nerds” publicly humiliated themselves by showcasing their knowledge of spelling. This has changed. With the recent revival of the spelling bee in schools and in popular entertainment, the event has taken on new mean-ing. More academically oriented members of society seem to be rising in popularity. At ISSH, the spelling bee is making a comeback. The Scripps National Spelling Bee is a world-wide school event where one student is selected from each of the participating schools to represent the school’s spelling talent: an event that ISSH took part in this year. A spelling bee took place at ISSH to decide which participant would go on to The Japan Times National Spelling Bee, and ac-cording to Ms. Fish, the crowd was at “fever pitch.” Ms. Fish

recounts that as a representa-tive from each grade stood at the front to spell a word, the room fell into a dramatic silence, and erupted into a thunderous applause as the speller fi nished correctly spelling the word. Ms. Fish often had to ask the audience to settle down and to refrain from cheering at every single word spelled correctly. At the end of the bee, Nana xxxx was the winner. “I studied very hard for the spel-ling bee and practiced saying my words out loud every day,” said Nana. “As the teachers read out the words from the list, I felt confi dence gradually overcoming my nerv-ousness, so I was able to spell the words until the very last round confi dently.” Nana went on to represent ISSH at The Japan Times National Spelling Bee on May 14. Spelling bees have recently begun to cast their spell over the

entertainment industry. With the emergence of spelling bee themed movies such as “Spell-bound” and “Akeelah and the Bee”, it is clear that their popu-larity is extending beyond the classroom. This year’s annual Joint Musical, starring ISSH students alongside students from St. Mary’s International School and Seisen International School, was “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee”, a musical comedy that follows six young spellers on their journey to realizing their shared dream of winning the spelling bee. This musical reveals the stories of the individual competitors, their problems, and the obstacles they overcome. The story won a Tony Award for Best Score and was a nominee for Best Musical, but rather than the prestige, it was the simple, yet meaningful plot of the musical that inspired musical director Mr. Wall to

recreate it. The musical performance took place on April 15, 16, and 17 at St. Mary’s and featured Sacred Heart students Mio xxxx, Annette xxxx, Juhi xxxx, and Yayoi xxxx. Many ISSH students were involved backstage as well, namely Clara xxxx and Nina xxxx on the Costume/Makeup Committee, Jessica xxxx and Kaoru xxxx with the Publicity Crew, and Sanskriti xxxx and Vera xxxx as stage hands. It was a much smaller scale produc-tion than that of previous years, but in many ways more relevant to the audience. “This musical really speaks to anyone who is a student nowadays,” said Mr. Wall. “The students who are a feature of the show each have their own quirks, specialties, neuroses, and pressures. The audience can identify with these crazy characters and sympa-thize with what they’re going

Every year the Symbas var-sity basketball team goes to a different country to participate in the Far East Basketball Tour-nament and to enjoy the host country’s culture. Coach Rose, the varsity basketball coach, decided this year it was time not only to deepen the team’s cultural understanding, but also to experience philanthropy, thus the reason the basketball team visited St. John’s School in Dae-gu, Korea—a home and orphan-age for mentally handicapped children, youth, and adults. On February 22, 2011 the team and their coaches made the trip to St. John’s School. Mrs. Tootell describes the visit

Symbas Gives Back

The Bee is Back

On February 25, 2011 setting up the 31st year of Artscape let students and teachers display their exceptional artistic talents and skills. Industrious AP Art and Pottery juniors helped set up the paintings and sculptures and the Food Technology class of ISSH catered for this event. The main attraction of Artscape 2011, the artwork, was “an exceptionally good show,” according to pottery teacher Mr. Tootell. A big contribution to Artscape 2011 was how it was set up by AP Art and Pottery stu-dents. Arranging paintings on walls is not as easy as it sounds as Aline xxxx, an AP Art junior, realized: “You can’t just put stuff

by Pim xxxx

made lighting more useful, “We used light to emphasize some of the pieces that would not be

prominent otherwise,” said Charlotte

pointing to a glass sculp-

ture. The Food Technology class, Mrs. Mehta, and the ISSH kitchen staff

prepared a delicious

spread of snacks for the opening

night which included meat balls, brownies, and cook-ies. “Ever since Artscape started, ISSH has been very involved in everything, especially providing the food,” said Mrs. Mehta, the Food Technology teacher. Artscape takes place every year but avoids monotony since new schools participate and new ideas are introduced each year. The hard work of the set-up crew and the caterers helped to emphasize the uniqueness of Artscape 2011 and made it a fun, food-fi lled work of art.

as “phenomenal” due to the joy the athletes gave the children. The team donated 250,000 yen and toys to the school. At the end of the day, Father John, the head of the school, who calls the children his “little angels”, thanked the team by dubbing them his “big angels” and giving them each a box of soap which was homemade at the school. The connection between ISSH and St. John’s School was established through Ms. Suji Park, owner of Suji’s restaurants in Tokyo and Seoul. The budget for the trip came from a fund-raising dinner at Suji’s restau-rant, morning break-time food sales, and hot dog sales.

through.” The performance was a great success, and the large audience turnout was an unex-pected surprise. The comeback of the spel-ling bee may just be a small part of a much larger movement. “Recently there has been a large focus on this specifi c type of out-cast,” said Juhi. “For instance, the TV show “Glee” is very pop-ular nowadays, and it’s basically about a group of people who aren’t accepted for the things they like to do who fi nd a place where they belong.” Juhi put it simply, “The nerds are taking over.” The reason for this para-digm shift cannot be explained, but perhaps hypothesized. “We all want to root for the underdog and hope for ourselves if we feel ourselves to be the underdogs,” said Mr. Wall. “We think that if they can do it, so can we.”

Photos by P. xxxx

The varsity basketball team at St. John’s School

Photo by J. xxxx

Photo by M. xxxx Photo by K. xxxx

The Bee is BackThe Bee is Back

Page 4

VIEWPOINT

by Nikita xxxx

Arranged Marriages

This 9.0 magnitude cata-strophic earthquake shook Japanese citizens along with ISSH students. At 2:45 p.m., ISSH high school students had fi nished attending the 2011 Tal-ent Show, and were dismissed for the day. ISSH juniors were in their best moods. After all, it was a week to spring break! Our exuberant behaviour soon turned woeful. Within the next minute our school building shook violently, and the deadly earthquake killed, injured, and orphaned thousands in Sendai, Miyagi, Iwate, and Fukushima prefectures in the east coast of Japan. Who would have thought the country known for its develop-ment and advanced technology would have shortages of food and power? Or would have to deal with so much loss? Within a few months, the infrastructure will be repaired, the nuclear plants will be replaced, food sources will become abundant once again, but the countless lives lost will never come back. This quake has left a strong, painful impact and agonizing repercussions on Japanese citizens.

Whenever we held earth-quake or fi re drills in ISSH, all of us found them tiring, an-noying, and redundant. But on March 11, we saw, we felt, and we knew that these drills were necessary. We were thankful that we had practiced drills before, so that we knew where to go and what to do. After this quake, we also realized

the faults in our drills, such as not having enough accessible helmets or microphones that were not loud enough. Many of us were not able to get in contact with our parents, and many were frightened for their families and also themselves. With the guidance of teachers, and assistance of each other, all ISSH members were safe and were given aluminium blankets, food, and gym mats for the night. Reminiscing about this event makes people melancholic, pan-icked, and angry. However, this

earthquake did not affect Tokyo as gravely as prefectures such as Miyagi, Sendai, Iwate, and Fukushima. Thanks to Tokyo’s strong infrastructure all of us were safe and the earthquake did little damage to Tokyo. It could have been much worse. At the beginning of the quake all of us, for a second or two, wondered whether this was how our lives would end. While tak-ing cover, hiding under tables, ducking our heads, and tightly holding each other for comfort, we were scared as never before. We cursed, we prayed, and we told ourselves and each other that we were strong and could get through this. And we did. We were there for one another; we hugged those who needed comfort, wiped the tears of those who were weeping, of-fered food to those to whom we had rarely spoken, helped those who were anxious and worried, and showed our concern and love to everyone near us. For this, I am proud to say I am part of ISSH. The care we showed one another on March 11 is something that none of us will ever forget.

Many imagine arranged marriages as something people are forced into, and think that people who have their mar-riages arranged don’t know their future spouses before their weddings. Though these conceptions might have been part of reality a century ago, it is not true for all 21st-century marriages. Arranged marriages are not forced marriages. In modern-day arranged mar-riages, parents do not drag their child to the wedding altar and force him or her to marry a stranger. In fact, one wife, Layla, (not her real name), said, “I chose to have my parents arrange my mar-riage. I trusted them enough to know that they would fi nd different suitors with care.” Conservative parents are like any other parents—they have their child’s best interests at heart. Parents fi nd prospec-tive suitors that share the same political, socioeconomic, and religious backgrounds, to better chances of develop-ing a mutual understanding between the couple. Then the two meet a few times before deciding whether they want to get married. A person who has chosen an arranged marriage usually undergoes this process several times before fi nding a suitor he or she likes. Parents tend to respect their children’s decisions. It is also a common belief

that in arranged marriages, men tend to dominate the relation-ship. This again comes from the belief that the conservative ideal of a woman is someone passive and obedient. The advantage of having two people who are just beginning to know each other is that they start at the same place and level. They have to work

together and make equal sacri-fi ces to overcome the initial hur-dles of married life. This mutual dependence develops into a mu-tual respect. When asked how

3/11/11by Sanskriti xxxx

her initial relationship with her new spouse was, Layla said, “It was an interesting experience. I learned something new about my husband almost every day.” Wouldn’t it be awkward to slowly get to know her life part-ner? “At fi rst. But the thing is, since we didn’t know too much about each other, we didn’t have any unattainable expecta-tions of each other either.” This is another reason for arranged marriages. Conservative socie-ties believe that “romantic love” leads to false hopes and dreams of a perfect life that can never come true and people who have arranged marriages want something practical and real. They believe “romantic love” is too turbulent for a practical lifestyle, and leads to too much pain and heartache. Choosing an arranged marriage is like choosing one college major over another, or choosing to live in an apartment instead of a house—it is simply a way of life. It is not always suitable to everyone, certainly. Then again, each person’s personality and background in-fl uence their marriage choices. People who accept arranged marriages are as happy as the people who do not accept them. In the end, it does not matter how two people were brought together—all happily married couples have similar confl icts, similar values, and a similar cute, cheesy intimacy we all make fun of and love to watch.

Illustration by P. xxxx

Following the massive earth-quake that hit eastern Japan on March 11 this year was a chain of catastrophic events, the most sensationalized being the failure of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. Though the nuclear reactors automati-cally shut down after the quake, a hydrogen explosion at the unit resulting from the failure of the cooling systems led to many complications from fi res to threats of radiation leakages. Spreading faster than the radia-tion are the rumors started by panic-stricken residents with little knowledge of the situation and even less of nuclear physics, and perpetuated by exagger-ated reports by the media. The stories have resulted in a wave of panic within Japan and out-side it. Though the rumors have spread to Tokyo, much of the radiation has not, or at least not an amount signifi cant enough to seriously impact its residents. Despite the general hype centered on nuclear disasters, in Tokyo the risk to public health remains fairly low at present. Radiation levels are still below that of many other major world cities, and these levels are far too small to adversely impact human health. It cannot be denied that the situation in the immediate vicinity of the plant is very grave, with radiation levels much higher than is safe for human exposure. In the days following the explosions at the facility, sharp increases in radioactivity levels in neighbor-ing cities were observed (some of which were due to increased background radiation caused by the earthquake), including Tokyo. However, these dropped just as quickly. The spread of radiation depends greatly on factors such as wind, and this radiation loses energy quite quickly. The current readings in Tokyo tend to fall in the range of 0.07 to 0.09 microsieverts, and the marginal increases in radiation levels do not pose a serious health risk to humans, so the amounts of radiation people in Tokyo are exposed to are well within safe levels. Japan’s battle with the nu-clear power plant

continues, so in order to stay calm and informed it is neces-sary to seek information from reliable sources such as the WHO and the IAEA (Interna-tional Atomic Energy Agency) instead of the foreign media. There are also many knowledge-able sources at ISSH. The Sci-ence Department, in particular, can put many worried minds at ease with simple explanations backed by scientifi c reasoning. For example, the word “nu-clear meltdown” brings many terrifying images of melting power plants to mind, but the true meaning is not as bad. “All a meltdown is, is that within the reactor core itself, the fuel rods or the control rods start to melt so that the reaction can-not be controlled,” explained Ms. Niedorf. “It doesn’t make the reaction any more power-ful, it just speeds it up so the temperature is higher, caus-ing other areas to melt.” Some of the reactors have partially melted down, but as long as the excessive heat does not cause the steel containment vessel to melt, the situation is not at its worst. Mr. Griffi ths, HOD of the Science Department, draws on his fi eld of expertise, physics, to explain that the earth’s rotation about its axis ensures that wind tends to fl ow from west to east, towards the sea, so wind pat-terns keep much, though not all, of the radiation away from To-kyo. Also, as Ms. Niedorf said, “The types of radiation being released are not likely to reach Tokyo.” As of now the situa-tion at the nuclear plant keeps changing, but TEPCO aims to have the reactors under control within six to nine months. As trying as this situation is for the Japanese government and TEPCO, it is not the worst nuclear catastrophe that Japan has ever faced. “A nuclear reactor could never become a bomb!” said Ms. Niedorf when asked if the situation at Fuku-shima could be compared to the nuclear bombing of Hiro-shima. “A nuclear bomb has to have a very high percentage of concentrated uranium. The fuel rods of the nuclear reactor are not as pure, so it could never ex-plode like a bomb.” As of now, the situation with the reactor remains serious, but according to the IAEA the radiation levels will not rise much more before the reactors are brought under control. “All of the attention on the nuclear reactors is taking away from the people up north who need reassurance at the moment,” said Mr. Griffi ths. “Most of us are worrying about something that shouldn’t really affect us.”

Radiation vs. Rumorsby Soumya xxxx

Illustration by P. xxxx

June 2011

Page 5

VIEWPOINT

On March 11, nobody in ISSH imagined that there would be an earthquake, completely disrupt-ing the long-awaited weekend. Instead of preparing for Bingo Night, drinking a grande-size frappuccino at Starbucks, or catching some desperately needed sleep, students had to stay at school for hours until their parents picked them up. Wrapped in emergency blankets and heads covered with yel-low helmets, students hud-dled together in small groups, anxiously waiting to hear the teachers call them and say,

“Your parents are here. You can go home.” Some people stayed overnight at school, due to the cancellation of metro lines and the impossible traffic on the roads of Tokyo. One would think it was an uncomfortable night for them, separated from their families and trapped in a dauntingly large AV room that kept trem-bling every few moments. But after hearing that the earthquake hadn’t done much damage to Tokyo, the students who stayed overnight made the best out of the worst. Some

treated the whole experience almost like a sleepover. “There was good food, teachers were there to help, the room was kept warm, and I had a friend with me to talk and play games with,” said Erika (9). ISSH has safety plans for natural disasters, which meant that everything ran smoothly and without chaos. The presence of the calm, optimistic teach-ing staff reduced the students’ anxieties. “The teachers are very well-trained in knowing what to do in case of an emergency,” said Ms. Young. The teachers also kept the students updated on the magnitudes of big after-shocks, casualties, and public transportation schedules. The movie “Shrek” was shown in hopes of livening up the almost too calm and rather dull at-mosphere in the AV room. The dialogue between Shrek and Donkey drew regular chuckles from the audience, even during heart-quickening aftershocks. Nobody fretted or worried too much—schools are the best places to be during natural disasters, since they are stocked with food, blankets, and capable teachers willing to sacrifice their

The Overnight Experience

Overpackaging

time. But even order and optimism could not make the students’ experience a perfect dream. On several occasions, students in the AV Room were told to drop everything and immediately evacuate to the car park. Ru-mors of tsunamis and earth-quakes circulated around the shivering students. “I was rath-er confused at the time,” said Reina (10). “I didn’t know what to do when we had to evacuate, or what to take.” Even inside the warm AV room, students were plagued with thoughts of their families. Contacting parents or siblings through the uncooperative network was out of the question. Students tried to have fun with their friends while simultaneously hitting speed dial on cell phones, hop-ing to hear that comforting “Hello?” on the other end. At night, students slept in their jackets, helmets, and shoes, since there was a good possibil-ity of another evacuation during the night. Frequent aftershocks kept rudely awakening the light sleepers in the room. By the next morning, five girls were still at school. They

were woken up around 6:30 a.m., and handed juice cartons, fresh onigiris, and soup made by the kitchen staff. The trains had started again, so the girls were able to return home. Once outside, it was evident that the earthquake had left very few traces in Tokyo. “Even the trains and the traffic were back to normal, and I got home in the same amount of time I usually do,” said Miki (9). But after reaching home and hugging their families, the students switched on the televi-sions. “The things shown on TV, like the tsunamis and burning buildings, made me recognize how bad the situation was,” said Erika (9). All over Facebook, there were statuses such as, “Couldn’t sleep a wink” or “That was the scariest experience of my life,” but in reality, our experience was not the biggest story. Never in my life had I felt so lucky to have been at school, my life perfectly safe between the PE mat and an unfamiliar blanket. Editor’s’Note: This article was also published in quakestories, a wiki for student writers to document earth-quake experiences. Visit http://quake-stories.wikispaces.com to read more.

by Nikita xxxx

by Lisa xxxx

The first time my mom went to the supermarket in Tokyo, she was astonished by the huge amount of packaging. She went to buy food, drinks, and season-ings. The moment she put those items on the counter, the clerk began to package the items. The clerk wrapped the wet milk carton in plastic bags, protected the glass containers of season-ing with soft styrofoam cush-ions, placed the fish that was well wrapped with styrofoam in plastic bags with two packs of dry ice, and finally arranged all the items into a two-layer paper bag. Japan is a country that stresses environmental protec-tion, and they have established a comprehensive recycling sys-tem. Yet, it seems contradictory that they pay more attention to classifying garbage than any other country while half of the garbage should not be produced at all. What contributes to unnecessary garbage? Over-packaging has become a huge obsession in Japan. Super-markets do this because they hope to offer thorough and satisfactory service; they believe that more packaging equals better service. This considerate service, however, is inconsider-ate for the environment. Ac-cording to Japan For Sustaina-bility, a non-profit organization, Japan consumes approximately 31.3 billion plastic bags per year. That is 260 per person per

year. Despite this astonishing statistic, people do nothing but continue to use plastic bags for their own convenience. What are possible solutions? Reusing the plastic bags may decrease waste. Nevertheless, reuse will not cure the problem of extra plastic bags completely, so part of a fundamental solu-tion is to decrease the usage of plastic bags. Charging for plastic bags, using reusable bags, or abolishing the use of plastic bags altogether may be possible solutions for reducing the number of plastic bags that are distributed in Japan. According to the BBC News, the Irish government forces all outlets to charge 0.15 euro for each bag they use. One billion plastic bags are sold each year, and the proceeds from the sale of plastic bags amounts to 180 million euros. A spokesman for Lawson claims that, “Charging customers for plastic bags will show that we do not provide good service.” This indicates that requirements of the service industry in Japan and the need for environmental protection are difficult to reconcile. If the provision of plastic bags is made more difficult, the demand for such bags may decrease. Even though considering customers’ feelings is thoughtful, service providers should consider the environmental impact. Using eco-friendly bags decreases the need for plastic

bags and may eventually reduce the production of plastic bags. While there are companies that design beautiful reusable bags, their use is not widespread in Japan. The trend has not yet caught on as it has in Australia. It seems unwise to abol-ish an item that is used every day, because it might cause a lot of incovenience to custom-ers. Plastic bags, however, are generally made of polyethyl-ene, which takes 500 years to decompose. Plastic bags that have been discharged into the ocean have harmed marine life. In addition, according to Clean Seas Coalition, a coalition that pushes California to enhance laws on reducing trash in Cali-fornia’s seas and beaches, five Californian cities have adopted some type of ban on plastic bags. Japan can learn from this by limiting and eventually ban-ning the use of plastic bags. The environment will be better without plastic bags. We need to advocate the reduction of packaging from the service industry. Service providers should abandon the idea that they are being inconsiderate if they do not offer plastic bags or additional packaging materi-als freely. People buying items from supermarkets or conven-ience stores should accept and encourage the idea of charging for plastic bags or using reus-able bags.

Photo by Y. xxxx

It all started when I was play-ing football with my friends, enjoying the first day of the winter holidays. I tripped on a tree root which caused my ankle to swell up like a ball and from then on I had to depend on crutches and a wheelchair. My family weighed the conse-quences and decided to take the risk of going on holiday to Sydney as planned. While tour-ing the city, I encountered many inconveniences while navigating the public facilities, trains, and buildings. Stairs and escalators are a major problem for the physi-cally disabled because those on crutches or wheelchairs find it very difficult to travel up and down them. The hotel my fam-ily was staying in had a flight of stairs at its entrance which became a nuisance for me. Fur-thermore, not all train stations in Sydney have elevators that go to the ground level and those that do have very complicated and inconvenient systems. Ar-riving at the bus station next to the train station took ten minutes using various eleva-tors. Such an inconvenience is not acceptable as it makes the already difficult lives of the disabled even more strenuous. In addition to the hassle while using public transporta-tion, buildings were not very accessible to the mobility impaired. Every afternoon was a challenge for me at the hotel because I had to use a stool in the shower room as I could not

stand with my crutches while taking a shower. I also could not stand on one foot and wash myself without any support because it was too tiresome; therefore, I sat on a plastic chair which was brought in every afternoon. Being in a minority position, I felt the need for aspects that improve the convenience for the mobility impaired and realized the importance of Universal Design: architectural planning ideas meant to produce a world that is flexibly accessible to everyone. Modes of easy transportation should be installed on all large and small public staircases such as the horizontal wheelchair ramps that move along stair-cases in Japan so that a wheel-chair can easily be transported. In homes and hotels, a place to sit should be installed in every bathroom. Such improvements will assist the general public if they have objects that are dif-ficult to carry on stairs such as strollers. Also, one can never know when an injury might temporarily impair mobility. My perspective toward the mobility impaired changed over our trip and I learned that for the disabled, physical inconven-ience is very prominent despite being resolvable. Aspects of Universal Design can be im-plemented very easily and will improve the lives of not only the physically impaired but also the general public.

The Need for Universal Designby Shikha xxxx

Students staying overnight in the AV Room after the earthquake

June 2011

New Teachers

How many years have you been at Sacred Heart?This is my eighth year here.How is the transition from being a teacher to a princi-pal?My day is less predictable. I don’t get to know the students.How is being a principal different from being a teacher?

I never know what will happen next.Do you ever miss being a teacher?Yes. I miss being in the class-rooms. I really miss cooking with the students in Food Technology and getting to know them through Personal Educa-tion. In the past did you ever want or plan to be a princi-pal?No, I didn’t think of it in Aus-tralia as I was busy with my

Interview with Mrs. Griffiths

by Caroline xxxx

Favorite book: I have many: In Search of Lost Time by Marcel Proust is profound and amazing. Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert is tragic. War and Peace by Tolstoy is thought provoking and epic. The Tall Man by Chloe Hooper is chal-lenging and depressing. Canter-bury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer is playful and hilarious. The Bible is encouraging and full of

adventure.Favorite movie: Pulp FictionBest gift: A family

that loves me and a happy marriage. I

am very thankful for both. What attracted you to teach-ing? I liked the idea of being able to work all around the world and be able to make a difference in people’s lives. Message to

readers: Read as much as you can, be kind to people, never be late, and don’t be afraid to try.

Favorite sport: Favorite sport to play is soccer or swimming. Favorite to watch is college basketball. Favorite school event: Family FestivalBiggest fear: Not meeting my own expectations.Favorite book: Of Mice and Men by John SteinbeckFirst thing you would do with a million dollars? Contribute to schools in which I have worked.Hobbies: Playing sports, travelingWhat attracted you to teaching? I love being around kids and their different per-sonalities and attitudes. As a teacher no day is the same. If you have a bad day outside of school, the students can help lift your spirits. Also, I don’t have a boss to answer to each day.Message to readers: High ex-pectations are only met by those who choose to fulfill them.

Mr. Gray

Ms. Seed

compiled by Soumya xxxx

Mr. Sharp

Mr. LambCelebrity crush: Naomi CampbellFavorite high school sub-ject: Tight race between English and Biology.Childhood dream: It was something terribly clichéd like being a fireman. Though I do remember saying at my high school interview (I was 12) that I wanted to be a plumber.

What attracted you to teaching? It can be a celebra-tion of the all-rounder while in the job. You get to be academic in the classroom, coach, and be involved in music and hopefully at all times prove to be a good role model who students can relate to and learn from.Message to readers: Set yourself what may appear a near impossible destination but be prepared to get there in very small steps and take each of those steps one at a time.

naughty students. However, after my experiences with stu-dents in ISSH, I changed my mind.Is there anything new that you have learnt from be-ing a principal that you wouldn’t have known if you were a teacher?Not yet, but I’m sure there will be lots of things to learn.What makes your job chal-lenging? Do you enjoy it?I really enjoy it. The challenging part is completing all the things on my agenda each day.Do you have any specific goals for this school year?One of my main goals is to find out more about middle school education, and also to work with the Student Council.What do you hope to achieve during your career as a principal?I hope to be a good role model and be fair to everyone. I would also like to make a positive con-tribution to ISSH. What are you hoping the middle school will do to work towards the current school theme, “Be aware, show you care?”I’m hoping that the students will contribute to the fundraisers, and that they create a positive

Photos by P. xxxx

Favorite color: The entire light spectrum amazes me. Without light there can be no photosynthesis, and hence no life on our planet. But purple is a bit of a standout for me.

Favorite superpower: Flight. Sometimes I drive to the rain-forests or beaches back home just to see the birds and insects dancing through the air. I wish I could fly too.What attracted you to teaching: Teachers have such an impact on people’s lives. It is humbling to bump into students years after they have left and hear the things they still remember, or the impact you had on their lives. I’ve even had students thank me sincerely for working them so hard!Message to readers: Spend some time regularly to reflect on where you are in your life. If you aren’t happy, think about something you can do to change

things. And then act on it!

Page 6

PEOPLE

Photo by P.xxxx

Risa Morimoto and former kamikaze pilot Takeo Ueshima, who visited ISSH last year with Ms. Morimoto’s documentary “Wings of Defeat”, returned to impart even more knowledge on May 17. It happened to be Mr. Ueshima’s 88th birthday as well. Mr. Ueshima has outlived his companions by 66 years and has lived to spread the message of peace and reconciliation. During the presentation, Mr. Ueshima responded to vari-ous questions about his life as a kamikaze pilot, such as the rigorous training he underwent, and his life after the war ended. Mr. Ueshima has had the oppor-tunity to travel to Georgetown, Stanford, and other universities in the United States to speak to American university students. One of the things he says he enjoys most about talking to students is sharing his experi-ences, and reaching out to a younger generation. He was a university student before joining the kamikaze, or special attack forces, and he understands the value of education and knowl-edge, and encourages students to study hard. An ISSH student asked Mr. Ueshima if he felt war was ever justified. Being a sol-dier, Mr. Ueshima feels that war is wrong but defending one’s

own country is different from attacking another, just as the kamikaze were different from terrorists. “Wings of Defeat” and “Another Journey” are docu-mentaries that offer a broader perspective on the kamikaze attacks. Ms. Morimoto talked about how her upbringing in New York led her to associate the kamikaze with fanaticism and suicide. Filming the docu-mentary made her understand the true story of the kami-kaze attacks. “Wings of Defeat” showed that in reality a large number of kamikaze pilots, including Mr. Ueshima, were young university students who were ordered by the govern-ment to fight for their country— effectively an order to die. They avoided talking about their experiences after the war, and often didn’t tell their families. “Another Journey” docu-ments how the former enemies shared time and buried the past behind them as they resolved misunderstandings and mis-conceptions. The kamikaze and two war veterans from the USS Drexler, a warship that was attacked by kamikaze pilots, had a lot in common. When the USS Drexler survivors met the kamikaze survivors, they

found that they both felt the same guilt and sadness for their friends, and shared the same desire for peace. During the presentation, Mr. Ueshima wore the USS Drexler cap that he had exchanged for his uniform cap. The exchanging of caps was symbolic of the reconcilia-tion between the World War II veterans. Ms. Morimoto’s work encour-ages people to reject a one-dimensional view of the kami-kaze, and encourages students to see Japan and its history in a new light. The relationship between the United States and Japan introduced in “Wings of Defeat” is further illuminated in its companion film “Another Journey”. Ms. Morimoto con-nected this theme to the recent events in Japan, namely the tsu-nami and earthquake disasters, and talked about the support she saw in the United States for Japan. According to Ms. Mori-moto, students in schools raised funds, sent donations, and even made paper cranes to show their support. To find out more, or to watch “Wings of Defeat” or “Another Journey”, visit www.edgewood-pictures.com.

FILMMAKER AND FORMER KAMIKAZE PILOT RETURN TO ISSH by Sneha xxxx

Mrs. Griffiths in her new office

June 2011

SMALL TALKPage 7

In the old days before 2009, the poor seniors had to walk all the way to Hiro-o Street to buy lunch. Half of their lunch periods were wasted just walk-ing to a store. Now we have a Family Mart right next door to cater to the hunger urges of ISSH students before, during, and after school. Family Mart embodies the real meaning of a “convenience store” for all ISSH students since it provides us with the bare essentials of everyday school life. Many a time, I have walked into Family Mart intending to buy just a salad and ended up coming out with a bag of chips and two bars of chocolate. Many among the crowd simply follow their friends into Family Mart. “I go to Family Mart because you go there,” my friend, Sou-mya xxxx, tells me. The follow-ers also come out with bags of Family Mart goods. “I overbuy when I go to Family Mart. But I store the extra food in my locker,” explained Yui xxxx

cheerfully. Other people go into Family Mart out of necessity, like Ola xxxx. She goes into Family Mart every morning to buy Red Bull. She got into the habit of buying Red Bull because it was so effec-tive in keeping her awake during classes, and it is so convenient to get from Family Mart. “It is an addiction, like coffee,” said Ola. By being so close, Family Mart ensures that Ola gets her basic necessities every day. We, the students of ISSH, will forever be grateful for the bless-ing that is Family Mart. Such is our devotion that not even the strictest ban can keep us away from Family Mart. To show our full support for Family Mart, we end each day ceremoniously by asking our friends “Wanna go to Family Mart?” and a herd of girls wearing green and blue plaid skirts, myself included, are seen wandering into Fam-ily Mart before entering Hiro-o station.

by Pounomi xxxx

I*heart*FamilyMart The road to college may seem like a long and impos-sible process, but fortunately numerous aids are available to all students. One major guide is the college fair. College fairs are a chance to learn about different colleges, familiar as well as new, and help to form a clearer idea about where you wish to spend the next chapter of your life. With the knowledge I have gained from personal experience and expert advice from our guidance coun-selor, Mr. Zink, the intimidat-ing college fair will hopefully seem more approachable, and maybe even exciting. First, before going to a col-lege fair it is important to be aware of which colleges will be present. Go through the list of colleges and try to familiarize yourself with the schools by doing some quick searches. After this step, mark the col-leges that you wish to learn more about and prepare spe-cifi c questions, ranging from questions about the application process to what colleges look for in a student. Going through their websites beforehand can

by Joanna xxxx

by Lisa xxxx

Tohoku Earthquake

how to approach a college fair

Facts

Photo by P. xxxx

Magnitude: According to a report pub-lished by the British Geological Survey, a natural environment research council, the magnitude 9.0 earthquake that occurred in Japan was the fi fth largest in history since 1990.

Aftershocks: According to the British Geo-logical Survey, by 6:30 a.m. on March 18, there had been 315 aftershocks greater than magnitude 5; 37 greater than magnitude 6; and one greater than magnitude 7. Aftershocks in Japan could last for months.

Displacement: According to the Deutsche Welle, a German international broadcaster, the Tohoku earth-quake shifted Japan’s main land, Honshu, over two meters to the east. Scientists also say that the earthquake shifted the earth on its rotational axis by almost 17 centimeters.

Change in length of a day:According to NASA, the earth-quake may have shortened the length of day by 1.8 microsec-onds, because Japan’s earth-quake made the Earth rotate a little faster.

Tsunami data:According to a report by the Scientifi c American, the top speed of the tsunami was about 800 kilometers per hour.

Kyodo News initially reported the highest tsunami run-up as ten meters, then upgraded the number to 38.9 meters in Mi-yako. According to BBC News, the tsunami waves reached ten kilometers inland in some places.

Increasing bicycle sales:According to Bloomberg, a website that provides informa-tion about business, fi nance, and government, Japan’s Asahi bicycle sales doubled after the disaster. Many commuters decided to cycle to work due to suspended subway service, fear of additional earthquakes, and increasing fuel prices.

Facing shutdowns-Toyota and Ford:Forbes, a website for world business, reported that Toyota halted production in Europe for eight days because the earth-quake and tsunami caused a supply shortage; Ford Motor Company shut down its factory in the Philippines for 18 days. Yen strengthened:Economist Mary Saso ex-plained that the yen temporarily strengthened “due to speculators demanding yen, because they thought a lot of yen would be repatriated and the yen would strengthen in the future. It was a self-fulfi lling prophecy.”

help to prepare questions that are not answered online. Here are some sample questions:• “Which SAT subject tests do you recommend I take?” • “What type of student would have the most successful experience at your college?” • “How would you describe the atmosphere of the campus and the student body?”• “What is the general relation-ship between professors and undergraduates like?”• “What is the rough faculty to student ratio?” At the college fair, focus on the colleges you have marked and visit their booths. Collect brochures or pamphlets and ask questions. Sometimes the representatives are alumnae, but sometimes they are admis-sions offi cers who may be the fi rst ones to read your applica-tion. The alumnae representa-tives can give a good idea on the college atmosphere and student personality. It may be a good idea to contact the admissions offi cers through email after the fair to thank them for their time. This way, you can make a good impression on them. More

importantly, since they may work closely with your appli-cations in the future, this will allow you to keep in contact to ask questions that come up in the application process. It is good to target a set group of colleges, but don’t completely neglect the other colleges. The fact that you have never heard of a college’s name does not make it a bad college. Claire xxxx for example had not considered Loyola University in Louisiana until Mr. Gram-ling, a representative from the school, came to visit ISSH. Claire explained, “I decided to look into the college some more, and I realized how cool Loyola is. They have a student org-anization that is like the World Council, and they even host an International Week.” So once you are at the college fair and have gone through the booths that you had planned to visit, try some colleges you are unfamiliar with, go through their materials, and ask a few questions. Learning about the varied choices available can help to clarify what you are looking for in a college.

June 2011

Editors-In-Chief Joanna xxxxSneha xxxx

Sponsor Ms. Shull

The International is a student-produced newspaper from the International

School of the Sacred Heart, Tokyo, Japan. The opinions expressed in The

International are those of the writers and do NOT reflect official school

policy or views of the school’s administration.

Page 8

LIFESTYLE

Why do people tan? It’s difficult and dangerous. Turn instead to the much better alternative: skin bleaching. There are a wide range of products to help people achieve light, glowing skin that shines like the moon. What better way to enhance your natural beauty than by saturating your skin with chemicals? Why be one color when you can be all the colors of the rainbow? People think white is the absence of color, but when you think about it, white is actually seven colors. Show off your colorful personality with bleached white skin! You may think that the desire for light skin, particularly in Asia, is inspired by Hollywood, but that is not necessarily true. What about the white porcelain dolls in China and white marble stat-ues of Greek gods and goddesses? It’s amazing—we have the modern science to achieve an ancient beauty ideal! We also have it easier than the ancients: we in society no longer need to decide what “beautiful” is because the advertising industry has it covered! Who wouldn’t want white skin when it’s soldin a bottle labeled “Fair and Lovely” or “Porcelana”? With names like that, we can overlook the fact that these bottles also contain banned cosmetic chemicals such as mercury and hydroquinone! Why spend hours baking in the sun

and risk being sunburned to a crisp? To tan, you have to wait till the summer, or find a tanning salon, but you can bleach right in the comfort of your bathroom! Also, once you lighten your skin, it stays light. A tan will fade, but light skin, like a diamond, is forever! If you tan in a dif-ferent bathing suit each time, chances are you’ll end up looking like a Picasso paint-ing. Would you rather re-semble a piece of postmodern art or a deli-cate, feminine ice sculpture? If you want to go to the beach and fry in UV rays, don’t waste your time. Work instead on achieving that pearly white look! It may take more than a summer at the beach, but it’s worth the long term skin damage. After all, isn’t beauty only skin deep?

What to Do in Case of an Earthquakeby Esmë xxxx

Staff W

riters

by Sneha xxxx

No Beach, Just Bleach

Disaster always seems to strike when it is most inconvenient. The March 11 earthquake hit right between classes, when everyone was scattered throughout the school trying to get to her next destination. So in case an af-tershock hits when you are not in a classroom, here are some things you can do to stay safe.

If indoors:• Find cover under a desk or ta-ble, and hold onto its legs. If you happen to be in a hallway at the time, try to go into a classroom and make sure you keep the doors open. If you still can’t get to a desk, crouch down in a cor-ner and cover your head with your hands or a book, or stand in a doorway that doesn’t have a window over it (as it could

shatter and fall on you). Make sure to hold the door or brace yourself against the hinges to avoid the door hitting you.• Avoid being near windows or under light fixtures. Also stay away from shelves; the things on them could fall on you.• Stay indoors until the shak-ing has stopped and wait for instructions, no matter how tempting it is to run outside. You are safer where you are in-side.

If outdoors:• Stay outdoors, and get as far away from buildings, telephone poles, power lines, and lamp-posts as you possibly can. If you can’t get out of the way, crouch down and cover your head with your hands or a sturdy object.• Do not try to go indoors even after the shaking stops; there could be an aftershock. Most importantly, listen to directions and try to stay calm. It will keep the people around you calm, and will help you to keep a clear mind about get-ting to safety once the shaking stops.

Surviving Economy Classby Nikita xxxx

Let’s face it—Europe and Hawaii are great once you actually get there, but how are you going to survive the painfully long hours in economy class, cramped in your seat, next to a drooling stranger? Here are a few tips on how to deal with airplane flights:

Dress: When looking into your closet to dress for a flight, you should be thinking, “In which of these can I be the most comfort-able?” Dress in layers, since the higher the plane elevates, the colder it gets. Also, don’t wear your best “I look so good in this” outfit, since sitting in one posi-tion for hours will wrinkle it in an unflattering way.

Hand Luggage: Pack light. Take an emergency pair of jeans or a jacket, your passport and other papers, a couple of food items, a book, a cell phone, and a wallet. If you carry too much luggage, there might not be enough space in the overhead compartment, and you will be forced to place it beneath your

seat, minimizing your already cramped space.

Entertainment: If you’re counting on watching mov-ies-on-demand, I recommend watching movies that you normally don’t watch back at home, such as foreign movies. It’s also better not to watch a movie you’ve been wanting to see for a long time, because the tiny screen, the cheap quality headphones, and the movie pausing every few moments for the pilot’s announcements might take away the effect.

Meals: Every time I pull back the tin foil covering the main dish, I always think, “What ex-actly is that? Is that supposed to be rice, or pasta, or mushed up peas? It looks like someone sat on it.” If you are picky about food, and want to eat food that isn’t bland or rubbery, bring your own. Take dry snacks like granola bars or Marie biscuits, but nothing that could melt on the plane, such as chocolate. If you’re too busy packing to make

sandwiches, take instant ramen or noodles and ask the flight at-tendants for hot water. (Be ex-tremely polite!)

Washrooms: Most of the time, people on airplanes put off go-ing to the washroom, until they desperately need to go. Either they have gotten so accustomed to their seats that they’re too lazy to get up, or they dislike the washroom itself. My advice to you is to go when you need to. Otherwise, it won’t be too pleas-ant when you have the desperate urge during airplane turbulence. Keep in mind you have to sit in the same seat for the rest of the flight! If you can’t stand the washroom, hum a little song or concentrate on something else when you go.

Airsickness: If you get nau-seous on airplanes, I would sug-gest taking a few spices (e.g. cloves, ginger, cardamom) in a Ziploc bag, and chewing some when you feel nauseous. (Don’t swallow, just chew for a while.)

What is so appealing about looking like you’ve just seen a ghost? Or worse, like you are one? Instead of draining your skin of life and color by bleaching it, fry your way to beautiful. In other words, tan. Get that gold-en glow you’ve always dreamed of simply by

heading to the beach or the tan-ning salon and lose your childish innocence to the scorching heat of the sun (or tan-ning bed). Un-mask your dark side with myste-rious, seductive tanned skin. Pale skin may have been the trend back when all women did was sit at home, but the modern, i n d e p e n d e n t woman doesn’t need to hide from the sun. Abandon

the pale ghostliness of the past and break through to your new, dark and delicious fu-ture. Tan for a sun-kissed glow to match the strong woman that you are, and of course, appeal more to the fancies of other tanned men! After all, would you rather go out with

Edward Scissorhands or Jack Sparrow? Chances are you’ll have better luck with tanned men if you look just like them. Also, if you expose your skin to enough UV rays, they will knock the electrons out of your skin giving you the slim, supermodel body you’ve always wanted. You can lose electron-weight and become more POSITIVE as a result! Our POSITIVE role models in Victoria Secret catalogs define beauty for us, and we being the dutiful slaves to the whims of fashion that we are, must obediently comply! People will tell you that tanning is a dan-gerous practice, but is it really so much worse than slathering on skin-bleaching chemi-cals? Stop wasting money on expensive, chemically manufactured, “recommended-by-scientists” skin whitening products and soak in UV rays. Instead of damaging your skin with man-made agents you can do it in natural surroundings, at the beach or the tanning salon. It’s as easy as pie, quite lit-erally! If you can bake, you can tan. All you need is some tanning oil and a reasonably sized oven. You’ll find that the process isn’t so different from barbequing. With beautiful tan skin, irresistible as chocolate, make men eat their hearts out over you. The risk of skin cancer, the speed-ed up onset of wrinkles and dark spots, these pale in comparison to the benefits of becoming more attractive to the opposite sex. What better way to feel validated than to conform to unrealistic societal ideals?

Tan for a Man by Soumya xxxx & Sanskriti xxxx

Ms. FishMr. GeorgeMr. GriffithsMrs. GriffithsMrs. HayesMr. Levine Mr. McCrightMs. Niedorf

Sr. Olson Mr. Robey

Mrs. RobinsonMs. TajiriMr. Wells Ms. Young Mr. Zink

Pim xxxxSoumya xxxxPounomi xxxxLisa xxxxSanskriti xxxxMomo xxxxNikita xxxxEsmë xxxx

OR

Illustration by P.xxxx

Spec

ial T

hank

s

June 2011