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FootprintEDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Kavya Gopal

COPY EDITORMeghna Seshadri

TECH EDITORIvan Iskandarsjah

JOURNALISTSSrishti AgarwalSonja AlbrechtBalim BarutcuJae Yoon ChoNikita CowlagiBronte Cullum

Carlos FernandezMehak Gauba

Amay IyerHana Kim

Soo Min KohNidhi Mathur

Karla McDougallPooja Mehta

Samyukta RavishankarSadie Rittman

Letter from the TeamWith the beginning of a new school year comes the prospect of exciting new changes moulding our lives. Whether we’ve stepped up a grade within High school, made the big jump from Middle School, or even leaped across countries and continents to be a part of the student body here at OFS today, change has definitely been a predominant factor in all our lives this quarter. As students, we’ve definitely stepped it up a gear in terms of making a difference. From changes in terms of our newly elected Student Voice to exciting events such as the Back to School Carnival, innovation has been at the heart of all activities. Even so, the world at large seems to be stirring and brimming to the idea of changes. With revolution in countries such as Egypt and Libya and the increasing participants in worldwide events such as Global Truce day, transformations towards tolerance, peace and freedom seem to be reflective of a definite victory for positive change.

Essentially the responsibility of change, whether in our very own school, community or perhaps even the world as a whole, falls upon each and every one of us. Keep that in mind the next time you feel it’s easier to hide in the shadows and be complacent. It’s always easier to leave the work to the bigger, authority figures in our lives, and find contentment in what we receive. The challenge lies within taking a stance in what we believe in and in our own little way propelling the direction of the change. Find inspiration in the smallest of things and become a part of the changes you see at school rather than just being a clueless bystander.

Being outspoken and being actively involved has definitely been an integral part for all of us who were involved in this issue of Footprint and we sincerely hope that you too will realise that change is not just a momentary fluctuation, but one of the only constants in our lives. Remember, that soon enough it’s going to be us, our generation that is going to be driving force behind all the changes happening our world. We are the future leaders, we are the voices driving the evolution of ideas and thoughts into a better, brighter future. Let us remember to carry this ideal forward throughout our High School experience and more importantly, long after we’ve graduated. As Gandhi once said “Be the change you want to see in the world”.

Kavya Gopal

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Contents:School Life CAS Student Life UN 2011 Collage LifestyleLighter Side

4-7 8-9 10-11 12-13

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School B ra n d N e w S t u d e n t Administration

As most of you are well aware, our previous school presidents have initiated a change in the student voice structure. Instead of having different committees be ing supe r v i se d by the presidents, today ’s student voice has 3 core members: the p r e s i d e n t ( M a l a v i k a N a i r ) , J o h a n n a Marten dal ( S o c i a l C o n v e n e r ) , G e n e r a l s e c r e t a r y ( M a n g a l a Dharshini) and N i kh ita Jo sh i (publicist). They execute the plans a l o n g w i t h t h e g r a d e representatives. Instead of having permanent committees we now have temporary ones according to each up-coming event which would not only lead to an efficient system but would also give new students the opportunity to take up leadership roles in areas of their interest.

It is a lot of work and the key is to be well organized and meticulous in the work as there are very few people present in the committee this year. The ir re spons ib i lity

includes planning, organizing and executing various events in the school and also to fill the student – administration gap. They str ive to fulfill the necessities and wishes of the students and work towards building a merry and joyful atmosphere. Despite large quantities of work involved, Mangala Dharshini, the general

secretary of student voice says ‘There is a lot work and effort that goes into these event on our part

but it’s all worth it when you see the event coming t o g e t h e r beautifully and b e c o m i n g a success’. This new change in t h e st u d e nt

vo ice structure is expected to bring in new ideas and thereby a brighter future for our school.

Although it is ultimately the responsibility of the student voice members to organize the events, it is also up to us students to take part in these events they tirelessly organize for us and make it a huge success. So, await future open mike concerts and a spirit week organized by our new student voice committee.

Samyukta Ravishankar

Becoming Bilingual

If English isn’t your first la n guag e , t hen yo u w i l l probably have to become bilingual.

BEING part of an international school is being part of a multi-language co l lect i ve. Yo ur friends, teachers, me or even you speak in more than one language. But how did we get t o t h i s s t a g e o f s u c h complicated communication? When we were born our language was in the form of cries; we cried if we were hungry, we cried if we were cold. At the age of about two we started to talk, making sounds which formulate more sense. Then we enter the educational system, there we are being taught how to write, read and speak in different forms of language or even languages.

I, myself speak two languages: Czech and English. My mother tongue is Czech; when I am at home this is how I communicate with my family. When I was supposed to start school, we moved to a different country: Tanzania. There my sister and I were the only Czech people in

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the whole school. We didn’t speak their language and they didn’t speak ours. Yes, it was difficult, especially when you are trying to learn how to read and write in two different languages at the same time. Nevertheless, we managed to communicate the basics and through extra help after school and pictures we managed to learn. Overall, it took me a total of four years to be able to fully speak, read and write in English. This is a much shorter time period than it is taking me to learn French as a third language. However, language is not only about different languages spoken in different countries, it is also in different forms. These can be persuasive, descriptive and many more. We learn more of these forms as we grow older. When we were children all we focused on was if we could read the book and if it contained lots of pictures to look at. Later on in our lives we become more aware of the power which language holds and we explore it in more depth as we make our way through the educational system. After a few years in this system and I am on my way in becoming fully bilingual; I am an IB higher level first language English student. Through my journey to get here I have faced a lot of challenges with language. If it wasn’t the understanding of the vocabulary then it was one of my (and I think a quite a few of yours as well) biggest challenges: spelling. We all have that word which we will constantly misspell.

Even though language is constantly changing around us

(new slang is created and added to the dictionaries along with words which are hardly used anymore being classified as old English) I am sure that I will get over these challenges.

In a few more years I won’t be facing the same challenges as I am today. In a few more years I will be fully bilingual and won’t have any trouble with neither of the two languages.

Learning a new language is a time consuming task, but it is a very valuable acquisition.

Tereza Safarova

Ready to Help!

During the first two weeks of school, you might have noticed nearly 40 ardent high school students taking part in the ‘Peer Helpers’ program. Though due to their characteristic, and rather striking attire, they were more commonly referred to as ‘the red shirts’. They, as you might be aware, were present to help the new students settle into this p a s s a b l y i n t i m i d a t i n g atmosphere.

H o w e v e r , o n d e e p e r investigation, their job was a lot harder than what might have met the eye. In a few w o r d s , o n e o f t h e volunteers described it as a ‘hard and tiring job’. They were all required to carry out tours of the school, and to make their new friends feel as welcome as possible. Also, to make the change that their co unte r parts we re g o in g through as effortle ss as possible.

Though difficult at first, most of the peer helpers I conversed with said that their experience resulted on a positive note. Most mentioned, that their exposure to these new students enabled them to become a lot more outgoing. Jacquiline Blok of grade 11 also mentioned that it he lpe d he r make new friends. She said that the experience she had was both “ fu lfilling, an d enr ich ing”. Pridarshana Kapadia, of grade 11 also mentioned that “I w o u l d n ’t n o r m a l l y b e approached by these new people, it was nice to know that I was helpful in any way”.

And as for the new students, it was evident that they were a lot more accepting of the change that had been brought upon them, especially because of the invaluable support from the High School Peer Helpers.

! Meghna Seshadri

UN Behind the Scenes

“Different”, “fun”, “cultural”, “fantastic”, “exciting!”, “awesome” are just some of the words that students from different country groups used to describe their United Nations experience right befo re they began the ir performances on September 15th. After stu dents an d

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teachers had put in hours of work shaping a performance that would be worthy of representing their country, it seems appropriate to have such a positive response to their experience.

The United Nations night is the most important event in OFS high school. Every year, the school takes great pride in showcasing talent from as many country groups as they can. Even though it is a yearly event, both teachers and parents are continually amazed by the enthusiasm of the students. Their passion is certainly evident once you go back stage, and watch them p r a c t i c e relentlessly.

Some d o ub te r s

may think that th i s i s a l l abo ut

g e t t i n g C A S h o u r s . However, many seniors such as

those spoken to from the Indian and British UN groups mentioned that they have all their credits already but they were still very ready to give up their time for rehearsals, even on weekends, ju st to make their countries proud. Their teachers, in particular, were extremely pleased with them. Many country groups were present at rehearsals, call backs, Saturday rehearsals and it is amazing to note the perseverance and zeal in all the students and, even some of the teachers, who performed!

Eventually, all the effort paid off. The UN concerts were again hugely successful. A parent who was amazed by the performances after the first UN concert summed it up accurately-

“I am amazed by how so many different countries can represent their cultures on one stage and on one night.” ! ! Nidhi Mathur

Tackling University Applications

October. It has once again reached that time of year when universities and colleges flood into OFS and students scramble to find the “right” paths for their lives after high school. For many of us, this means applying to university and completing our university applications. I asked one of our tireless Academic Advisors, Mr. Hornbuckle, for advice in compiling a list of helpful “dos” and “don’ts” when applying to university, for those of you who are just beginning the process:

Stay calm. Your university application should not be a frightening affair which you avoid at all costs. You are seeking

the opportunity to study something which you enjoy and are

passionate about at a higher level of education. Look forward to it!

What are you good at? What subjects are you interested in? It is never too early to think about this. To study at university level you will need to be committed to your course and have a solid work-ethic, so make sure that you choose a course which you know you will enjoy and want to put the time and effort into. Otherwise, you will be less motivated and this could hinder your ability to achieve success in your degree.

Where in the world do I want to be? Living in Singapore and attending an i nte r nat i o na l scho o l w ith an international student body has its benefits – we are privileged enough to have the opportunity to apply to schools all over the world. Take advantage of this! Speak to your friends about their home countries and where they are considering

applying, to get ideas. You may find that it is also helpful for you to research together and share and discuss your findings. Furthermore, be sure to speak to your academic advisor about applying to different countries because each country may have different systems and different requirements which may/may not be

the best fit for you.

Start thinking and researching early! Work hard to keep your options open. This one is tremendously important. You need to always try and be the best you can be ! If you are considering applying to a “top” university then they may have entrance requirements not only for your IB grades, but also for your IGCSE results. Other universities may require you to send your high school transcript to them with all of your high school grades included. There are many possibilities. If you work hard and maintain a positive attitude and good work ethic, you are already on your way to having a successful application!

The best of luck!

Karla McDougall

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Choosing IB Courses 101

Suddenly, near the end of tenth grade, students are confronted with a choice that can change their lives: what classes do I take for IB? Attention all tenth graders: sure, the end of the school year seems miles away at this po int, what with Personal Project and IGCSE exams to get out of the way in the meantime, but heed the following advice. Don't leave it until the night before to choose the courses you will take for your next two years! The reason as to why your IB decisions should be addressed not in a single night, but instead throughout the year, is simple: your IB classes will probably define what you study in university, which will probably define what you do for the rest of your life. Don't worry, it’s not as daunting as it sounds!

Some students choose balance in their IB course load, while others, who are perhaps more sure of what they want to do in the future, may take a more narrowly focused array of classes. Whatever alternative you pursue is entirely up to your interests, and where you're planning to go to university. But, beware of some university courses, which may have some course requirements for your higher levels.

The fact is that all IB higher level classes are difficult, and this is a fact that cannot be escaped. This is why, the best thing to do is to choose the subjects that you love the most to take at higher level; that way, the work load is bearable because you are

learning about what interests you. “I chose my IB courses according to my interests,” says Rhiannon of grade 11 in what she defines as a positive feedback cycle, “and therefore, I am more engaged in them, which means that I perform better, which makes me only like them more.”

In summary, the IB course selections are nothing to be scared about as long as you take them seriously and begin your thought process early. If you, with an eye on the future, choose the courses that you love, you're sure to be heading in the right direction.

Sadie Rittman

Welcome Our New Teachers

This year, as usual, we have new teachers in OFS. New teachers, like new students, bring in new ideas and talents, both curriculum-wise and in general aspects of school life.

“The greenery is very soothing and having the trees around is ve r y p lea sant,” says Mr. Holloway a new HS English teacher who has just changed schools and city, coming from Tokyo to Singapore. Although Mr. Holloway is amazed about the “vastness and diversity of school”, he also appreciates “the welcoming

nature of his colleagues.”  Mr. Holloway believes the key to creating a g o o d c l a s s r o o m l e a r n i n g environment is to “better understand the students” instead of enforcing stringent rules on them. Like Mr. Holloway, there are many new

teachers not only from different schools but also from a different cultural background.

Newcomers help us to both appreciate what we have and to look around us for things that can be changed.

! Samyukta Ravishankar

Three Legs Better Than Two?

The three-legged race, a traditional British game organized by Alyssa Valubuena and the UK and Ireland UN group, was held one lunchtime in the lead up to the big OFS UN night. In this race, one person ties their right leg to a partner’s left leg with a rope and then they try to run together. There is no limit to how many people can join in and you win by crossing the finish line first. The pair who won were Gabriel Tolesani and Jean-Pierre Soso. They were very happy that they won and they said they weren’t sure how they were going to share the trophy. They also received a bag of marshmallows. The organizer, Alyssa Valbuena, said she organized the race by putting up posters and she hoped that there would be more of these lunch time events at school.

! ! ! Jae Yoon

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A Different Kind of Four-String Orchestra

For the past few weeks, progressing slowly but gradually, ECAs have been running on their designated days. Their members are well known and everyone feels like they have found their perfect activity to participate in. Even though we are coming towards the end of the quarter, new ECAs have sprouted around the school due to UN Concert night ending. One of these exciting and new ECAs is the Ukulele Orchestra.

Regardless of the fact that the Ukulele Orchestra existed last year, it is still a new and fascinating club for many newcomers to OFS or High School. Due to the ukulele being quite the peculiar instrument, it is usually looked down on as an ins t rument for inexperienced children. This is the point where the Ukulele Orchestra comes in to prove the majority of people wrong – the ukulele is a delicate instrument that can produce a large range of music. The ukulele is stereotypically dubbed to be an instrument only created to play Hawaiian-esque music yet that, like all stereotypes, is wrong - the ukulele can play anything ranging from Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen to Love the Way You Lie by Eminem.

So, you may ask, what exactly does the Ukulele Orchestra do? Obviously enough they practice and perform pieces using ukuleles, yet they also teach new comers how to play the uku le le . The fi rs t ass ignmen t /homework of the club was to purchase or have access to a ukulele. Most ukuleles were purchased at the only store in Singapore specializing in Ukuleles called Ukulele Movement.

Starting from the second lesson, basic songs are taught that the whole orchestra can easily understand and p lay. Even though the Ukule le Orchestra has players that have never picked up a ukulele before joining the club, they still produce music pleasing to the ear.

The orchestra is all about people who are willing to pick up a new instrument, create music together, and most of all: have fun. 

" " Sonja Albrecht

An Insight Into RDA

One of the popular social service activities among students today at OFS is Riding for the Disabled. RDA is a unique organization which provides horse riding opportunities to disabled children and even teenagers at no or minimal costs. As students it is an interesting activity to get involved in as it not only gives us the chance to connect with disabled children but also gives us an insight into how these charitable organizations work. Students volunteer in this activity for initially for different reasons be it positive past experiences, affection towards animals , CAS components or even because of their friends. However, over time they are now successfully completing any task they are assigned with a lot of pride and dedication.

As for the student volunteers, there is a leader and two side-walkers. The leader’s responsibility is the horse and the child is the side-walker’s responsibility. Both these roles require the students to put in a lot of efforts with their individual roles. It is admirable to see how both the trainers and the students are keen in performing any activity for this organisation. ‘It is interesting to connect with the horses especially in a country like Singapore where the opportunities for horse riding is very low’ says Arthur one of the leaders among the student volunteers. To add to this, one of the side-walkers, Armaan says that ‘The

efforts seem worth it when we get to see the smile on the rider’s face’.

So on a whole, RDA is an interesting opportunity for students to venture out of their regular school life and engage themselves in a challenging activity. This activity inspires us and makes us realise our role in giving back to the society in whatever way we can.

! Samyukta Ravishankar

Game Time

Looks like the school’s sports teams have and are continuing to performing astoundingly well this quarter at OFS. For instance, the school’s Basketball A Team has had an undefeated season so far with 7 wins and no losses which in fact has been a success for our school. "" "The students too have put in countless hours of hard-work and dedication and this has proved essential in the winning steak that OFS seems to be upholding for almost all its teams. The final result of the girl’s badminton team of OFS vs. The Tanglin Trust School that was on the 13th of September 2011 was 3-2. This was excellent performance by the girl’s badminton team and on the other hand the boys badminton team have performed extremely well by winning with a score of 5-0. "Even the girls basketball team is putting it’s best foot forward with a current match score of 1 win and 1 loss which we hope in the future will only augment by an increased amount of wins. The school’s volleyball team has stayed undefeated quite consistently in

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the past and the boy’s team at the moment is performing reasonably well in volleyball with 2 wins and 2 losses.

Despite the confusing numbers of wins and losses, essential ly what is important is putting our best foot forward and all the teams here at OFS seem to be doing a great job at doing so.

! ! ! Amay Iyer

A Helping Hand

As a middle school student finally graduating into high school, the first few fleeting days were spent getting acquainted with the changes in the MYP presented to a freshman such as myself. One thing caught my eye, however, and I know I am not the only one happy to see the sheer quantity and variety of extra curricular activities. But something new was presented as well, options for community service. Knitting for Charity, School for the Blind, and an amalgam of other things that the ordinary student could partake in in order to help others in need. I was amazed at what we now could do for our fellow man, our environment, and the future generations; which we had limited means to do in the past, and within our educational facilities no less! For me, i t real ly put things in perspective of how good I have it, and how that now that me and other students are finally seen as old enough and responsible enough to band together for the benefit of others given the opportunity to do so. If I had been a newcomer to this school, I would be in absolute shock at the generosity of the student body and the teachers of this institution; as a matter of fact I am still in shock to this day. But I think we can all agree that the tenacity and will that the school has put into taking action in helping one and other for the benefit for all has left even the best of us with our jaws open. As a student body each one of us should do our part in this movement of philanthropy and lend those in need a helping hand.

" " Ivan Iskandarsjah

Knitting For Charity, Stormed Sign-ups!

Were you ever thinking about joining this compulsive lunchtime activity?

Knitting for Charity is an ECA activity preceded by Ms. Christie and Ms. Maritz from the Senior High School. It is currently conducted Tuesdays and Fridays weekly, at lunchtime from 1.40pm to 2.30pm and has shown overwhelming success!

Over 60 students signed up for it, overtaking the l imi t which was approximately around 20, showing the school community that knitting certainly isn’t mundane for us students! After investigating on the issue on why students joined this appealing club, it has been found out that many simply did so as they enjoyed the idea of knitting at school, and the fact that it could be perceived as a ‘social chat time’. Jessica Samuel of grade 11 remarked that she joined this activity unambiguously due to the fact that she was quite interested in knitting. She enjoyed the “calm, serene and relaxing music played in the course of the activity”, and she especially was excited for a “wonderful and righteous” cause which would be just ified positively from it.

This brings us to the charity fragment of this club. After interviewing teachers and students, it has come to our knowledge that each student is required to sew, using wool, a patch about the indefinite dimensions of your hand. After the activity finishes, each patch is attached, finally producing an indulging and satisfying blanket. This ultimately gets dispatched to an orphanage in India as a gift from Overseas Family School.

Who knew knitting, purely about 45 minutes a week would help our communi ty so generous ly ! The Footprint team hopes for the further success of this stimulating activity.

" " " Pooja Mehta

On Spotlight

Our Spotlight On column focuses on shedding light upon students who have made a positive contribution to the society we live in. This edition our spotlight shines on Fransiska Pandik, a student in Grade 12 who spent a large majority of her summer making a positive difference to the lives of children in an orphanage.

Tell us a little about your summer experience Fransiska:I spent the summer working in an orphanage called Komunitas Anak Maria Immaculata in Besaki, Indonesia where I spent about a week or so working with children between the ages of 2 and 13. With the elementary school students I mostly taught them simple english and math using fun games that would sustain their attention. The younger kids of course I tried more fun activities with which usually included reading them story books and playing with them in any way that would make them happy.

What was the driving force behind you being a part of this experience?Mostly it was the fact that I really love children and also the fact that I wanted to give back to people and to a community that has given me a so much and just share happiness with people in need.

W h a t d i d y o u l e a r n f r o m t h e experience?I learnt a lot of lessons throughout this activity. The first lesson that struck me the hardest after helping out the children was that I definitely need to learn to be more grateful about everything I ’ve been given and appreciate what I have. I realised after seeing all the children who’ve grown up without parents, without ever knowing who they were. In general we’re lucky to have parents that love us and who are willing to sacrifice so much to give us the best. I do realise that I definitely need to respect my parents more and perhaps more broadly learn to better respect people for who they are despite their differences. I’d highly recommend this experience to everyone; you can definitely feel the difference you’ve made in the lives of the children as well as your own.

! ! ! Kavya Gopal

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Student LifeAround the World and Back Again

When the final bell rings in June each year, many international students scatter across the globe to enjoy a diverse array of summers. However, whether we're globetrotting, visiting family, or staying in Singapore to finish up Extended Essays, there's always a good story to tell once we regroup in August.

Many students seem unable to sit still, and they spend their summers hopping across country borders. One grade 12 student, Julia, says ecstatically, “I loved spending my summer in Spain, Portugal and Sweden”, arguing that she would have been bored staying in one place for too long. “In Sweden I visited family and friends, in Spain I went to tourist sites and concerts, and in Portugal I stayed with my friend,” she elaborates, as she discusses the beauty of the balance in her travels.

However, another grade 12 student, Ben, argues that he couldn't have hoped for a summer better than the one that he had staying for two months in Israel, surrounded by friends and family whom he only has one chance each year to see. “I miss them a lot over the year,” says Ben of his friends and family in his home country, “so I like to spend my whole summer hanging out with them.”

At least Ben stayed in a different country; what may seem worse on the face of it is staying for too long in Singapore. Yet, even this can provide a wonderful summer, as proven by excited remarks from numerous high school students. Kevin, of grade 12, who spent one month in Singapore, identified that his local summer

allowed for him to rediscover what makes Singapore special, visiting sites such as Clarke Quay and the Night Safari.

Because we each spend our summers in vastly different places, doing vastly different things in vastly different cultures, trudging back to school as the new year starts doesn't seem so bad. Half of the fun of summer is sharing stories, and learning from our friends' experiences!

Sadie Rittman

Meeting The World the OFS Way

As we all know, our school, Overseas Family School is a multicultural school, filled with students from all over the world. It is home to 3580 students from 75 countries in total. People get a chance to make friends with others from the other side of the world and these friendships are sure to help us in our future professional life.

However, did you know that there are some people in our school, who are the sole representative of their nation? For example, Ioana from Grade 9 is the only Romanian person in the whole school. “It feels lonely at times, not having anyone who speaks the same language as you. But the good thing about this school is that you know that other people are going through the same difficulties as you are and they’re there to support you,” says Ioana.

This is probably why the UN night is such a success every year. Parents and students get to see that there are many nations present at this school and they also get a ‘taste’ of these cultures. Through the food, the performances, the posters, the games - everyone really gets a chance to share some of their cultural treasures and present their land to others.

The largest country groups at OFS this year are Korea, India and Japan. The least numerous groups include Romania and Turkey, with only one each! Still, I can not think of a better way to improve one’s awareness of global cultures, and to learn about foreign traditions. In addition, we are e x p o s e d t o a m u l t i c u l t u r a l

environment while also enjoying the Asian experience!

From Africa to America, we learn new things each day and with socializing, we become used to different traditions and practices, in an easy way. We are all very, very lucky to be a part of this school.

Balim Barutcu

Dance Your Nerves Away

It was Carnival time on September 3rd as Overseas Family School’s annual welcome back dance for the high school students began. A great amount of effort was put into the preparations for the event by the Student Voice and their supporting teachers.

My fellow Footprint Newspaper journalist Balim Barutçu and I had the opportunity to interview one of these very busy people in their downtime - G r a d e 9 ’ s n e w S t u d e n t V o i c e Representative, George Rogers. In our brief interview with George before the event, we asked him how he was feeling. As this was his first official job as a Student Voice Representative, he said that he “was slightly nervous”, but he was “still really excited”. When asked how he thought the night would go, he predicted confidently that, “it should be great fun for all the students.”

Later that night, the music was thumping and the strobe lights flashing as students from all over the high school danced the night away to the latest songs. We pulled a few students away from the dance floor to ask them their opinions. To this they answered that it was “so much fun”, and that

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“the band was good, the songs were good, and the dancing was good.” Judging by the laughter heard throughout the night, and the number of people dancing until their feet were sore, the Overseas Family School Welcome Back Carnival certainly was a massive success. Congratulations to the Student Voice Committee and everyone e l s e w h o w a s i n v o l v e d i n t h e preparations for the night for creating such a great night for all of the students!

Bronte Cullum

Three Cheers for the Seniors

I remember my first day of ninth grade at OFS as if it were yesterday. Iwas stylishly dressed in a spanking new uniform, and I was nervous aboutall of the hard work that lay before me, as well as about all of theolder, taller, smarter, more mature and more glamorous 'seniorhighschoolers' that surrounded me on the stairwells. I thought the daywould never come where I would become one of them.

It did.

This year, as I sat in Homebase for my final first day of high school, Iwas able to reflect upon how far we seniors have come. In addition tohaving developed a remarkable ability to withstand bucket loads of stressand work, consolidated by our first draft extended essay completions,we've also grown into a wonderful community of young adults.

If someone had asked me in ninth grade what my classmates were like, Iprobably wouldn't have been able to come up with the answer that I cantoday. We're relatively mature, globally minded and empathetic people. Wecross social boundaries in a way unheard of in most movies and televisionshows; their definition of 'popularity' is foreign and has no meaning tous, and this is something that we take great pride in. Most importantly,though, we're ready, like we never thought we would be, for our final yearof high school.

Sadie Rittman

Where’s Your Blue Slip?

Hurrying into your new school, you realise there is no one in the corridors and you are late! Being absolutely new, you just walk to class as you have no idea what you should do in this kind of

situation. This is a very common experience for new students so do not feel upset if you have made this mistake. “Being late and then forgetting to go to the high school office is one of the most common mistakes made by the new students,” Mr Williams, one of the deputy principals told me. He has this suggestion for students, “If you are running late, ask your parents to make a call so that the school knows. Ms. Priscilla, the attendance secretary in the High School office, added, “ Students need to be polite, even when they are stressed because they are late. A nice smile can make life better for everyone.” Ms. Priscilla gives out the ‘blue slips’ which you take to class to explain lateness.

Two extra things to know about lateness are firstly - watch out for the weather. When it rains, it suddenly becomes much harder to get to school on time because of all the traffic. When it is wet, the “lateness window” is extended to 9.05 or sometimes even longer. Secondly, late students are asked to copy out the School Code of Conduct at break and lunchtime.

If you need help with OFS rules, you should refer to your Parent/Student Handbook as all the rules and regulations are stated there. If you need clarifications, you can always go to your very helpful Homebase teacher.

Mehak Gauba

Evolution of Education

In Middle School, everything was easier. Extra Curricular Activities and Community and Service weren’t compulsory, less homework, lessons were simpler and concepts were learned faster and easier. Though in High school, its just like Middle School, except times 3. The notes are tripled, the work and exercises are tripled, the focus of the lesson and things we are learning about are three times more difficult, and homework, don’t get me started on homework! Basically, imagine Middle School as “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone”, the first book in the Harry Potter series. Everything was quiet, not as much magic and action, and

Voldemort wasn’t as powerful. Then think of High School as “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows”, the last book. There are giant battles, dragons, death, sorrow, and Voldemort is way, way harder to defeat. I interviewed a few students from Grade 9, and asked them to give me a single word that defines High School for them. I got answers like ‘a leap’, ‘mellow’, ‘interesting’, ‘over hyped’ and even ‘hell’. I also asked about the biggest change for them in the transition from Middle School to High School. Some interesting replies were: ‘different subjects’, ‘the need to check the Homework Website every hour’, ‘more homework’ and ‘ECA’s and CAS are compulsory’. As you see from the answers, a majority of the newbies came to a similar conclusion- High School is much harder. However, I still can’t wait to see what is in store for us in the coming year in High School.

Carlos Fernandez

Popular Subject Choices!

Seven classes of Biology, seven classes of Business and the one and only class of Mandarin are all full. In an interview with an academic advisor at OFS, Ms. Lavin-Peters, she mentioned that students who now want to to take up these subjects have to be turned away.

Biology classes have been large for s e v e r a l y e a r s b e c a u s e t h e I B curriculum requires students to take a science. The standard classes include many students who take it up because they prefer this choice to Chemistry or Physics and not because they are planning a career in Biology. Ms. Lavin-Peters mentioned that the ones who are truly interested in Biology take it up as a higher level and mostly combine it with Chemistry in order to apply for medicine once they are done with high school. However, there are other reasons too. A student in a higher level Biology class who doesn’t take Chemistry, told me that she wants to take up Psychology in university and Biology is the closest subject to Psychology that the school offers.

Apart from the subjects mentioned above, many other classes in the IB programme have been boosted in numbers this year because of the move away from offering OFS Diploma courses and the start of new IB courses. An example of a new course which has proved very popular with grade 11 is the IB Language and Literature Course in Group One.

Nidhi Mathur

UNITED NATIONS 2011

October 12

October 13

UNITED NATIONS 2011

By Srishti Agarwal

14October

LifestyleA Summer to Remember

Ever dream of going to an Ivy League school? Perhaps your dreams could come true, for the summer. Over the course of the month of July, I spent three incredible weeks at Columbia University in New York City. Those three weeks were possibly, the best three weeks I have ever s p e n t ; t h e y w e r e t r u l y unforgettable.

The Columbia University High School Summer Program, has been held every summer for the last thirty years. After a rather strenuous application process, the acceptance letter that I received was a ticket to an amazing three weeks of learning.

From an extensive variety of courses to choose from, I chose ‘The Science of Psychology’. The transition between my 10th grade c lasses, to university level lectures was at first intimidating, but eventually I was a lot more comfortable. Furthermore, the information divulged to us in those 4 hours everyday, was exceedingly interesting. Psychology as a subject may seem dry at first, with a lot of information to take in, but t h e c l a s s e s a t C o l u m b i a encouraged student participation as much as possible. After a while it felt as though not only were we learning, but we were learning through ourselves.

The program also enlightened both me and my new friends on

what college life might be like. We were introduced to dorms, all-nighters and, of course, to one of the most vibrant cities in the world.

Overall, this summer was empowering, exciting and above all enriching. It was one o f t h o s e l i f e - c h a n g i n g

e x p e r i e n c e s , f r o m which more than a n y t h i n g e l s e , I learnt about myself.

Meghna Seshadri

Peace One Day

Imagine a world free of violence, of war; a world where peace is t h e p r e v a i l i n g emotion. Now, this to y o u m i g h t s e e m

i n fa n t i l e , a n d qu i t e n e a r ly i mp o s s i b l e . T o d ay, i t s e e m s i mp o s s i b l e fo r u s s t o p t h e bloodshed due to the fact that now, war has now become important, it has become a way of life. But what if, one day of every year, the fighting stops. Every year, on the 21st of September, the United Nations celebrates ‘Peace Day’. This year, it had been decided that ‘Peace day’ would be celebrated as ‘One-day Ceasefire’.

One-day Ceasefire is a start. A start of a change that can lead to the world as described above.

In lieu of the upcoming OFS Model Un i t e d Na t i o n s c o n fe r e n c e , perhaps this is a subject we as the n e x t ge n e r a t i o n s h o u l d b e thinking about. Effecting a change in our society, and effecting a world truce. In the news today, we are bombarded with so much information about the most violent of acts performed in consequence to the most inconsequential of things. So often blood is shed when it is most unnecessary.

As the next generation, it is our responsibility to change what needs to be changed. This is one of them. One-day Ceasefire this year, wasn’t as successful as we would have liked for it to be. The Philippines, and Burma declared ceasefire on the 21st, and they were the only countries that did.

However I am sure that, as the founder of One-day Ceasefire, Jeremy Gilley said, “By working together there will be Peace One Day.”

Meghna Seshadri

15October

The Girl Effect

Clare Booth Luce (famous playwright, j o u r n a l i s t , c o n g r e s s w o m a n ) once said ‘Because I am a woman, I must make unusual effort to succeed. If I fail, no one will say “She doesn’t have what it takes.” They will say, “Women don’t have what it takes.” Since those words were said, to me at least it seems that women have come a long way. Especially in an international environment such as in OFS, we girls are given equal and ample opportunities to make the difference that our predecessors once had to fight for.

We were lucky to have Amy B e n s o n , t h e d i r e c t o r o f a documentary titled ‘Girlworld’, visit our school on September 2nd to show us the changes in the lives of women that are occurring on a global scale. Girl

World is an intimate, in-depth portrait of three Nepali girls (Pragya, Shanta and Karuna) struggling to go to and stay in school.

Ac c o r d i n g t o A my B e n s o n , ‘Empowerment is the first step to eradicating poverty. You can see the difference in the girls who go to school. The way they walk, talk and laugh; everything about them

is dif ferent. They exude confidence’. As students, those of us who watched the film heartily agreed. The l o g i c b e h i n d educating girls isn’t merely statistical. Compared to their non-educated peers, these girls will be getting married older, h a v i n g f e w e r c h i l d r e n . T h e i r families’ standard of living will rise; their

homes will improve. It’s not just the idea of increasing the literacy rate. It’s about empowerment.

And with the empowerment of women occurring on a global scale, it got me thinking about our very own school. Right down from our principal of High School to the majority of our teachers as well as the many of the leading figures in our Student Voice, women seem to

be the leading figures of every movement.

Rhiannon Wiley, Deputy Secretary General for the u p c o m i n g M U N O F S I V conference too feels similarly. She says ‘ From what I've learned in history, I can definitely say that women are a treated a lot more equally than say 50 years ago. In this international environment, I h a v e n ' t s e e n a n y r e a l barriers to women taking on leadership roles - in fact, if

a ny t h i n g , i t s e e m s a s though men a r e m o r e u n d e r -represented, at least in the n u m b e r s o f s t u d e n t l e a d e r s . ’ I n fact she states t h a t ‘ T h e e n t i r e e x e c u t i v e committee for t h i s y e a r ’ s M U NO F S I V ( e xc e p t fo r Mr. Taylor) is female which I

think shows that, at least in this society, women have just as much opportunity to lead as men.’

Abhishek Balaji, the Grade 11 representative in the Student Voice believes that ‘ Being on a t e a m w i t h w o m e n i s v e r y interesting and provides a great platform for a male to learn. Since I am of the opposite sex, I have a chance to see close at hand the way women think - which, mind you, can be very different to the approaches of men. One major difference I’ve noticed is their broader, holistic approach to decisions as opposed to us men who are usually much more rash or single-focused’.

Obviously our world is changing and with change comes the responsibility to respect and understand one another. Where one’s weaknesses lie, lie someone else’s strengths and in that grows the fact that we should be always

16October

learning from each other. The Girl Effect isn’t about women growing in importance in society nor is it meant to be degrading to men. The Girl Effect is meant to be a movement towards freedom. It celebrates the fact that after all these years the gender gap is narrowing and that essentially we are all the same.

Kavya Gopal

Exciting Spots in Singapore

Are you new to Singapore? Have nothing to do this weekend? Singapore is one of the busiest short stay tourist locations in the world and there is plenty to do h e r e . Yo u c o u l d c o u l d t r y something adventurous like the following activities. At Clarke Quay there is one reverse bungee jumping that you should do if you are a person who loves to take a risk. It’s a great way to challenge yourself to try doing the reverse swing! “It was so fun and a little dizzying too,” said an Australian tourist after doing a reverse bungee ride. Another exciting place in Singapore for nature lovers is the OCBC tree top walk in MacRitchie Reservoir. This is a 7km walk to the top from where you can get a bird’s eye view of the beautiful surroundings. It is a great way to exercise and be in the natural world at the same time. If you come to Singapore and don’t go to the Universal Studios you will have missed a huge amount of fun. Universal Studios opened in Singapore in 2010. It offers many fun and thrilling rides and a lot of adventure. All the rides have different themes and ideas to entertain the Sentosa crowds. Universal Studios is a great place to spend your weekend with your family. I hope this weekend you get out there and experience the thrills of Singapore!

Mehak Gauba

W h a t i s T h e o r y o f Knowledge?

On the 13th of September two representatives from each of the Grade 12 Theory of Knowledge classes attended a conference on Epistemology at the German European School. The students l istened to a content-heavy morning lecture which consisted of some very in-depth looks at the various areas of knowledge and ways of knowing. During break, students were chatting about what they learnt from the University of London professor that morning. “He had a lot of very good ideas,” said Soukaina from M r. H o m e w o o d ’ s class who was still taking it all in. “He was very good at e x p r e s s i n g a n d communicating his ideas,” added Ryan from Mr. Glover’s c l a s s . A f t e r t h e students returned from break, they sat down to a lecture c o n t a i n i n g s o m e m o r e h a r r o w i n g t r u t h s . O u r generation is coming into a world that “is defined by money” and “this will be a problem for your generation,” said the professor in regard t o t h e c h a n g i n g conditions of the world economy. So what is the purpose of talking about the world economy at a T h e o r y o f K n o w l e d g e C o n f e r e n c e ? According to the professor, it seems t h a t T h e o r y o f Knowledge is as important now as it is ever going to be. Some students said that education should “make us into well-rounded people that are able to produce new ideas and become world leaders”, and not to “become robotic and live an average Joe lifestyle.” There is no

d o u b t t h a t t h e T h e o r y o f Knowledge course is a great tool to be able to help us in our abilities to achieve these things. Theory of Knowledge causes us to think critically and not to accept claims at face-value which is vital in a society such as ours that is bombarded with information. As a whole, it seemed that the general impression from the students was that taking and engaging in Theory of Knowledge is a course that allows us “to become more humane.”

Karla McDougall

17October

Lighter SideHave You Stuck With Harry Till the End?

For some of you who don’t know: Harry Potter is a half-blood wizard. He is the only child of James and Lily Potter, and he is undoubtedly one of the most popular wizards the magical world has ever known.

We have recently witnessed the last chapter in the Harry Potter series. Some saw this day as a horrific one, cursing the fact that it represented the last new Pottermania experience they could ever really look forward to, and others say it as an almost auspicious day, marking the day they had been looking forward to for years.

When looking for Harry Potter die-hard fans all over High School, we came across one girl w h o s t o o d o u t . D a n i e l l e Cutiongco from Grade 11 tells us a little something about her views on her favorite movie series finally being over. “Personally, I am not the biggest fan of the Harry Potter books. But what I do know is that I am the biggest fan of the movies! I've been watching Harry Potter since the first movie. When The Sorcerer's Stone came out, I was hooked!”

On the 13th of July, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 was released, marking the end of the Harry Potter series. On this

day, another exciting event was held in the Golden Village cinema in Vivo City, a 25 hour Harry Potter Movie Marathon. It showed all the Harry Potter movies from the first, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, till the very last which was the premier of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2. Enthusiastic fans like Danielle, came dressed up as the characters in the movies and were out and about throughout the whole marathon!

“I'll have to say, it was a phenomenal experience sitting in a movie theatre for that long, but I felt that it was a great way to watch the development of Harry from Day 1. It was also like a celebration for fans by dressing up and getting together as one to watch the very last edition to the amazing movies,” said Danielle.

N o w t h a t t h e m o v i e s a r e complete, many had to own up to having caught the famous "Post Harry Potter Depression" which made everyone quite upset about it all being over. But as many say, Harry Potter will always be with us, no matter what. The world will definitely miss the hype of recent releases of Harry Potter movies. Let’s face it, we were on the verge of tears at the end, when Hedwig's Theme was playing, and the camera focused in on the older Harry's face. Finally, as the screen

faded, we felt like our entire childhood soul faded with it.

But don’t forget folks! We have to keep strong and know that Harry Potter will be with us forever. In our world, in our minds, and in our hearts, because the stories we love best, always live in us forever. And as Rowling has ever so thoughtfully said, “Hogwarts will always be there to welcome you home!”

Pooja Mehta

18October

Ask Aunty (but not really)

I’m here to help, a little. Perhaps the answers I give won’t be as useful as I would hope for, but for what it’s worth, I hope they put a smile to your face. And if you ever h a v e a n y q u e s t i o n s whatsoever, send them to iprobablyamnotgoingtocheckthis@advice.com.

Since this edition of Footprint is the first of the year, the questions p icked are centered around any changes that t h a t y o u m i g h t b e experiencing, whether you’re new to our school, or new to high school.

How do I stop eating t h e f a n t a s t i c f o o d provided for us at the school canteen?-Anonymous

You don’t. The food is just too delicious, and magni f icen t to tu rn down. One meal is all it takes to keep your mouth watering for the rest of the year. Trust me, you wi l l cont inue to be spoiled for choice and

dumbfounded by the f l avor some de l igh t s served at the school cafeteria.

What should I do to stand out of the crowd at school? How can I be different?-Anonymous

If you are a senior, c o n s i d e r w e a r i n g a chicken costume and running around the field with it on. Perhaps even climb a tree looking like one those tree climbing goats that have been spotted in Morocco. But on a more serious note, take many leadership roles, be active in class discussions, be confident. That should get people talking about you.

How do I keep up with al l this work? It’s definitely a lot more than last year!-Anonymous

An all-nighter and a couple cans of ‘Red Bull’ should do for those of you who are too lazy and incompetent to be organised. But if you are willing to be responsible and organized, consider a day planner, where you

can write down what you have due and when. Start to work on your big assignments early, and try to keep as far away from procrastination as possible.

After a long night of homework, I am usually tired and sleepy. How do I keep awake during class when I am so fatigued?-Anonymous

Sticks to pry your eyes open, or tape maybe, anything! But do not fall asleep in class, that’s what annoys teachers most. It shows that either you are disinterested in the subject, or that you find your teacher boring. Neither will sit well with your teacher when it comes to your grades or y o u r p a r e n t - t e a c h e r conferences. My best advice for this one would be, sleep early. Or the easier option- drink lots of coffee!

Meghna Seshadri

19October

RIDDLES

1. What is that which we swallow and live, but when it swallows us, we die.

2. How many prisoners can you put in a empty cell?

3. Big creatures can get in, but No! Tiny creatures cannot.

4. What is it that is seen better as it grows darker?

5. What takes dried clothes off and wears wet ones?

6. Why did Johnny put some sugar under his pillow?

7. What is it that dies when it drinks water?

8. Why did the outlaws sleep on the ground after they robbed a bank?

9. I see him but he does not see me.

10. What 4 letters would frighten a thief?

11. Why did the outlaw steal the deck of cards?

12. The longer I stand, the shorter I grow, who am I?

Answers:

1. Water

2. One, after that, the cell isn't empty anymore

3. Mosquito net

4. A star

5. A clothesline

6. To have sweet dreams

7. Fire

8. They wanted to lie low

9. Mirror

10. O I C U!

11. He heard there were 13 diamonds in it

12. A candle

20October

Change It Up Wordsearch!

Find the 10 words in the list below that we associate with change. Don’t forget to look diagonally and backwards. Good luck!

ACCOMMODATEREVOLUTIONISECONVERTEVOLVEFLUCTUATEINNOVATIONMODIFYREFORMTRANSFORMVARIATION