Volume XIII Issue I February 2013

Quinoa Unites Nepal and Sacred Heart’s Rooftop GardenISSH strives to raise awareness of “miracle” crop quinoa by Pim xxxxxxxxxxxx(11)

  From  December  15-24, 2012,  eight  students  and  two teachers  braved  the  bitter Nepalese weather and difficult treks in order to gain a deeper understanding  of  Nepal SEEDS  (Social,  Environmental, Educational  Development Services).  The  students  also contributed  to  the  quinoa-planting  project  started  by Maya  XXXXX,  Executive Student  Council  President, and a participant in the first SEEDS trip in December 2011.   In  2011,  as  well  as  2012, students  embarking  on  the trip  were  asked  to  choose  a SEEDS  development  focus. They were to research its main issues,  and  develop  solutions feasible  for  the  time  and budget of the trip. Inspired by a speech from Mr. KP Kafle in 2010,  Maya  chose  agricultural development  as  her  focus.  Maya  found  that  half  of 

Nepal’s children suffered from chronic  malnutrition.  Chronic malnutrition  stunts  children’s physical  and  intellectual development.  The  main  cause of  this  problem  is  the  lack  of nutritious  grains  and  protein--mostly  due  to  Nepal’s  harsh climate and lack of  fertile soil.   After  cross-referencing  the nutrients  the  children  were lacking  and  the  nutrients quinoa  offered,  Maya    agreed with  many  others  who deemed  it  a  miracle  seed. Not  only  does  quinoa  offer almost  all  vitamins  and nutrients  essential  to  a  child’s development,  but  the  plant is  able  to  thrive  in  arid  lands and  at  extreme  temperatures.   After  speaking  to Nepal’s    Tokyo-based  trade commissioner, Johnny Dasala, Maya  received  permission  to carry  one  kilogram  of  quinoa into  Nepal.  At  the  end  of 

the  2011  SEEDS  trip,  Reyes planted  the  quinoa  seeds  in Mr. Kafle’s personal garden.  This  year’s  group  of  Nepal travellers  visited  various SEEDS  sponsored  projects  in Pharping and Kafleni. They also visited Mr. Kafle’s garden to find that, unfortunately, runoff  caused  by  a  monsoon had  washed  away  the  crop.   To lessen the chances of the quinoa  being  washed  away again,  the seeds will be sowed in a different field in March 2012.  SEEDS  organizers  Mr. Bhetwal,  Mr.  Hari,  and  Mr. Kafle will oversee the quinoa planting  project.  If  the  seeds manage  to  grow  well,  SEEDS will  begin  recommending quinoa to the dwellers of Kaflini, a  village  in  Nepal  where  most residents  have  small  gardens.      In order to build a stronger connection  with  the  project in  Nepal,  Maya  started another  project  at  ISSH  this year named “Quinoa Unifies Communities”.  The  currently unused  Junior  School  rooftop space  will  be  converted  into a  garden  for  quinoa,  as  well as vegetables and flowers.  After the ISSH administration approved Quinoa Unifies Communities  in  September 2012,  Maya  and  the  2012-2013  International  Relations class  started  working  on  it. Collectively,  they  arranged a  presentation  to  a  Parents’ Association  representative, Mrs.  Tomoyo  Bernal,  who then  agreed  for  the  Parents’ Association to provide a 65,000 JPY  budget  for  the  project. 

  The quinoa seeds used for the 2012 Nepal trip, and designated for  the  rooftop  garden  were given to Mr. Mark   Felstehausen by  his  father,  Dr.  Hermann Felstehausen,  a  retired professor  from  the  School  of Agriculture  at  the  University of  Wisconsin,  Madison.  He sourced  the  seeds  from  a  US-based  organic  seed  supplier.   Each  quinoa  plant  can produce  up  to  six  ounces  of seeds  if  planted  in  good  soil.  Therefore,  compost  must be  made  before  planting  the seeds. Two compost bins have been  purchased,  and  ISSH  is working  with  National  Azabu to  create  good  compost. Members  of  the  junior  school environmental awareness club, Roots  and  Shoots  will  assist Maya  in  carrying  biomass material  from  National  Azabu every  Friday  after  5  p.m..  The biomass  will  be  put  into  the compost bins at ISSH, where it 

can decompose, and eventually be  used  a  fertilizer  and  soil amendment.    The  ISSH compost  bins  will  be  placed outside  of  the  Garden  Room.  There  will  be  a  Planting Party held  in early April, when the first quinoa seeds will be sowed  in  custom-designed 50-centimeter  deep  drainable boxes.    The  Administration and  the  Parents’  Association will  then  choose  a  design  to be  sent  to  a  woodworker.  The  plan  is  to  plant  7-8 quinoa  plants  in  each  of  the two  custom-designed  boxes. The  boxes  will  be  placed under  a  covered  area,  on  a slanted  portion  of  the  roof. This  will  prevent  the  plants from flooding in the case of rain,  and  the  slanted  roof  will help  lead  the  excess  water  to a  drain.  Along  with  quinoa, the Roots and Shoots club will plant flowers and vegetables on  the  rooftop  garden.  

The quinoa field lies behind KP Kafle’s (the founder of SEEDS) house.

News (2-4) Viewpoint (5-6) Lifestyle (7-8)

Middle School Students Tackle Global Issues

  From  November  9  to November  11,  six  students  from grade eight were picked to attend a Global  Issues Network  (GIN) 

Conference  at  Singapore. The  purpose  of  this  trip was  to  become  aware  of global  issues  so  that  young 

middle  schoolers  could  start something  small,  perhaps  in homeroom,  and  gradually make  a  small  difference  in the  world.  The  Sacred  Heart delegation listened to activists who  changed  the  world  and received  inspiration  from them.  The  students  learned to  create  a  small  action  plan for  our  school  and  bring back  those  ideas  to  Tokyo.   On the first day, the students went  to  Wallace  Environmental Learning  Laboratory  (WELL). They  split  into  G.A.N.G.s or  Global  Action  Network Groups,  and  enjoyed  many 

environmental-learning activities and a sustainable lunch.   Later,  they  attended  an opening  ceremony   at  Singapore American  School  and  listened to  keynote  speakers  such  as John  Wood,  the  founder  of Room  to  Read,  and  Scott Hammell,  a  magician  and  an escape  artist.  They  learned that  John  Wood  quit  his  job in  Microsoft  to  help  children in  developing  countries  who don’t have books at schools or libraries in town. He started off with one small school in Nepal and  then  expanded  to  many more  countries  in  Southeast 

Asia.  Scott  Hammell,  a  world record holder, combines social activism with the art of magic to  inspire  people.  “Find  your passion and make  it happen,” he said.   On  the  second  day,  the students  went  to  the  United World College of South East Asia (UWCSEA) campus and heard more  inspirational  speakers such  as  Rob  Dyer,  founder  of Skate for Cancer (who will also be skateboarding across Japan in May), Louis NG, founder of ACRES  and  Joel  Simonetti, founder  of  Fintegrity.  continued on page 3…

(From left) Ashita X., Mizuki X., and Caroline X. participate in the hunger banquet and enjoy rice on banana leaves.

ISSH plans to be part of the SEEDs project by growing quinoa on its rooftop. PHOTO//N.Mizuide

PHOTO//STAFFPHOTO//Maya.R

by Darya xxxxxxxx(8)

PHOTO//C.GRAY

ISSH NewsPage 2 February 2013

Graduation Moved to MayNew date shakes the system by Yasmim xxxxxxx(10)

  Sacred  Heart  school librarian,  Mr.  Mark  Rennick, and English teacher, Ms. Megan Collins, welcomed Edith Couper Rennick, a new addition to their family on August 18, 2012.  Edith joins  her  older  sister,  Harriet, who  is  now  in  K3  at  Sacred Heart.  We  can’t  wait  to  see adorable  Edith  in  the  library!  

  Sacred  Heart  English teacher,  Mr.  Ben  Eyre,  and his wife welcomed their first child, a boy, Soma David Eyre, on August 3, 2012. “He’s very cheeky  and  smiley!”  said  his proud dad, Mr. Eyre. Perhaps Soma  will  join  his  dad  on the  soccer  pitch  one  day!   

Ms. Takizawa is ISSH’s middle school Social Studies and Values teacher. She left the school for three years, and now she has returned to ISSH. 

Where are you from?  Ireland. Favorite ice-cream flavor?ChocolateWho (dead or alive) would you like to meet and why ?Queen Elizabeth of England from the Tudor period, because she ruled during a time when women were not in politics. What is your biggest Pet Peeve? I can’t stand a room that doesn’t have windows.   What made you move to Japan?I just wanted to go overseas, and I didn’t really care where.  One Interesting thing about yourself :When I was a little girl, I needed to have things laid down on my desk a certain way. I was a little OCD about it.

Ms. Davis is a new teacher at ISSH. She teaches fifth grade Math, P.E., and coaches Track and Field.

Where are you from?Toronto, Canada Favorite ice-cream flavor?Cookies and cream, caramel, and anything with cheesecake. Who (dead or alive) would you like to meet and why?Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Barack Obama. What made you move to Japan?Change. What is your biggest pet peeve?Socks with sandals.  What advice will you give today’s teenagers?Never give up! What are your main track event and times?For 200 meters, it’s 24 and a half seconds; for 400 meters,  it’s 57 and a half seconds.

by Miyu xxxx (10)

(left) Symbas pose with the U-20 team and the US ambassdor John Roos. (right) Defender Stephanie Amack autographs a soccer ball for our players.

  Unlike  other  international schools  that  hold  their graduations by the end of May, the  Sacred  Heart  graduation has been held on the last day of school  in June for many years. This  year,  the  Sacred  Heart administration,  along  with  the 12th grade homeroom teachers, have decided to change the date. The new graduation date is May 26,  2013--two  weeks  earlier than usual.  Previously, after ISSH seniors finished their AP exams, they had  two  weeks  off  from  classes while  the rest of  the student body took their final exams.“That two weeks was a long time for them to  be  just  sitting  around  and 

waiting  for  the  last  three  days of  school,”  said  Ms.  Niedorf,  a senior homeroom teacher.   Another  key  factor  in  the decision was accessibility. Some parents  and  students  from other international schools had already  left  for  the  summer before  ISSH’s  June  graduation date.“The  new  graduation  date is around  the same  time as St. Mary’s  and  Seisen’s  graduations, so  it  will  be  easier  for  them  to attend  our  graduation  and  for our  students  to  attend  their graduation.” said Mr. Baker, also a senior homeroom teacher.   Some  working  parents found it difficult to attend the graduation  on  a  Friday  night 

after a long day at the office. “Sunday is family day. It’s a nice day  for  parents  to  go  to  their kid’s graduation,”  said Annette xxxxx  (12).  Even  though  it  is not  easy  to  change  traditions, everyone is optimistic about the new  date.  “Now  that  we  have two weeks after graduation, and our  siblings  are  still  at  school, we can use those two weeks to travel  with  our  friends,”  said Summer xx (12). Also, the new graduation  date  allows  the students  more  time  to  prepare for moving abroad. “I’m glad we are  graduating  earlier  because we can leave earlier,” Yuki xxx (12). 

Symbas Soccer Team Becomes TOMODACHI with Pros

  Excused  from  Options  class on September 6, the high school soccer team accompanied by Mr. Eyre, Mr. Bowler, and Ms. Davis piled  into  the  US  ambassador’s foyer.   ISSH  high  school  soccer players walked into the meeting room  to  meet  the  US  U-20 women’s soccer team, who would later  go  on  to  win  the  World Championship.  Ambassador John Roos gave a brief speech to the US soccer team and ISSH team, emphasizing  the  importance  of  the event  as  a  Tomodachi  initiative, which  was  established  after  the Great  East  Japan  Earthquake  to deepen  the  relationship  between the United States and Japan.   After  multiple  photographs 

together, the two teams chatted and  bonded  over  20  minutes of  soccer  activities.  Stephanie Amack,  a  defender,  directed  a piece  of  advice  to  busy  high  school students: “Getting into a routine is really important. It helps you to build and manage your time. You can figure out what you need to do and your priorities.”   What  surprised  the  ISSH soccer team was how similar the U20 players were to them. They found  that  they  could  relate  to the  professional  players  easily. “I was honestly surprised to find out that every single player on the team was so friendly. It was such an  honor  to  kick  around  with them a little and to even just talk with them!” said Chaelim xx (11).  

by Joanna xxxxx (10)New Babies on the Block

ISSH meets US U-20 Women’s soccer team

PHOTO//STAFF PHOTO//STAFF

PHOTO//B.EYRE PHOTO//37 FRAMES   Former  physical  education teacher  Mr.  Brendan  Doherty and  his  wife  welcomed  their fourth  child,  Aya  Honora Doherty, on September 9, 2012 at  7:08  p.m..  “She  is  very  cute and  clings  to  me  like  a  koala when she is sleeping,” said Mr. Doherty.  We  hope  to  see  the Doherty  family  back  in  ISSH very soon.

PHOTO//B.DOHERTY

New Teachers Spill the Beans by Bernice xxx (10)

PHOTOS//STAFF

NewsPage 3 February 2013

  When  Jasvinder  Sanghera, a British girl from a Sikh fam-ily,  saw  the  photograph  of her  future  husband,  she  im-mediately  protested.  But  her objections  and  pleas  meant nothing  to  her  parents.  “You will marry him,” they told her. “You  will  uphold  our  family honor.”  Bombarded  with  such threats  in  her  own  home,  she decided to flee. She was fifteen.   About  three  decades  later, Sanghera  is  independent  and has  three  children.  More  im-portantly, she is the founder of Karma Nirvana, an organization based in the United Kingdom, a country with one of  the  largest South  Asian  communities  in Europe.  She  is  also  the  best-selling  author  of  Shame and Daughters of Shame, in which she exposes how many conser-vative  parents  abuse,  violate, and  threaten  their  own  chil-dren if they do not comply with their traditional standards. The charity  aids  victims  of  honor-based  violence,  or  abuse  done in the name of familial or com-munity honor. Like her, many of  these  victims  are  escap-ees  of  forced  marriages  and have  suffered  some  extent  of verbal  and  physical  abuse  at home. Like her, many still feel a  keen  sense  of  connection  to their  parents  or  siblings,  even after  years  of  estrangement.   Current  news  experts  re-peatedly state that South Asian communities  are  becoming more  globalized  and  modern. Unfortunately,  the  medieval 

mindset  still  continues  amidst stridently conservative families in the United Kingdom, and to a lesser extent, the United States and Canada. According to BBC News, figures show that hun-dreds of pupils from ethnic mi-norities have disappeared from school.  When  some  MPs  from the  Home  Affairs  Select  Com-mittee  investigated  these  dis-appearances,  they  found  that many pupils had been removed from school  to be married off, or  sent  back  to  their  home countries.  In 2012,  the Forced Marriage Unit  in the UK dealt with 594 cases from January to May,  but  researchers  estimate that  about  8,000  forced  mar-riages  take  place  every  year. Such practices are based on the rigid  honor  code  held  in  high esteem  by  many  South  Asian communities.  Teenagers  are often forced to marry for hon-or, and sometimes even marry their cousins to tighten familial connections.  For  ultra-conservative  fami-lies, any action that is too “West-ernized”  or  strays  too  far  from tradition  violates  the  honor code.  In  her  book,  Daughters of Shame,  Sanghera  lists  the numerous  violations  that  sup-posedly tarnish a family’s repu-tation: “Wearing lipstick, own-ing  a  mobile  phone,  cutting your  hair;  any  of  those  things could be said to bring dishonor on  a  family  because  those  are all  signs  that  a  girl  is  getting westernized,  which  is  what Asians fight so hard against.” 

  Karma Nirvana mainly focus-es on finding refuges for British citizens  who  have  no  sanctu-ary. Receiving about 300 calls a day, it is always busy finding refuge  for  desperate  teenagers who  fear  for  their  lives.  After she  created  the  organization, Sanghera  found  many  who shared  her  experiences.  She created  a  safe  space  in  which victims  could  share  the  hor-rors  of  their  pasts.  She  visits comprehensive  schools  with the  largest  number  of  South Asians,  and  gives  talks  con-cerning the usually clandestine nature of forced marriages and domestic abuse.   Although many of these vic-tims  turn  to  local  authorities for help, they are often turned away,  told  to  “set  aside  dif-ferences”  and  “reconcile  with their  parents.”  Sanghera  be-lieves that while the police have good intentions, they are often ignorant  of  the  honor-based code by which so many ethnic families  live.  As  it  is,  they  of-ten send escapees back to their families, who are equipped with more threats and violence.   Although  Sanghera  believes that  changing  the  mindset  of many conservative South Asian and  Middle  Eastern  families will  take a very  long  time,  she believes that there is significant progress. “My vision continues to grow as the need for Karma Nirvana’s work becomes more and more obvious—my comfort is that I am no longer working alone.”

Karma Nirvana: Haven for Victims of “Honor”-based Violence

Inspiration and Experience:GIN Delegates Gain Wisdom

      The  2012  London  Olympics has ended and the 2016 Summer Olympics is being held in Rio de Janeiro. It is time to choose the venue for the year 2020. On May 24,  the  International  Olympics Committee  (IOC)  announced that Madrid, Istanbul, and Tokyo have made it to the final stage of the  bid  for  the  2020  Summer Olympics  host  city.  Each  city has advantages and drawbacks. Which one would you choose?

Madrid, Spain•In Madrid, 27 out of 36 venues for the 2020 Games have already been constructed.

•The biggest drawback is that the Spanish economy is in recession with  rising  debt  costs  and  the highest  unemployment  rate  in the European Union. It is a con-cern whether they will be able to finance the upgrade of some fa-cilities and infrastructure.

Istanbul, Turkey•Turkey  is  the  only  country  of the  three  to  have  never  hosted the Olympic Games. If selected, it will be the first country in the Islamic world to host the Olym-pics. •One problem is that Istanbul is also  bidding  to  host  the  UEFA European  Football  champion-

ships  the  same  summer.  The IOC  would  not  allow  Turkey  to host both events.

Tokyo, Japan•Tokyo would greatly benefit from the Games to stimulate an economic recovery, and alleviate psychological  wounds  from  the Great East Japan Earthquake on March 11, 2011.•The nation itself does not seem to be enthusiastic about the bid. From a nationwide poll taken in January, only 65.7% favored the bid,  the  lowest  out  of  the  three bidding cities. 

  Inspired, they split back into their G.A.N.G.s and discussed a global issue. They learned more about the issue and tried to find out its root causes.    That  night,  the  students participated  in  a  hunger banquet, where  they were split into  three  groups.  Out  of  the 300 students, about 10 were put into  the  rich  people  category, and  were  allowed  to  have  a nice  buffet  dinner.  About  30-40  students  were  the  middle class  people,  and  had  rice  and porridge for dinner. The rest of the  students  had  to  sit  on  the 

floor and eat just a handful of rice on a banana leaf.   The  last  day  was  also  spent on the UWCSEA campus. They heard the  last Keynote speaker Justin  Bedard,  founder  of the  JUMP  foundation.  They participated  in  activities  that simulated  physical  disabilities  in  order  to  understand  the challenges  of  disabled  people.                              After  lunch,  the  delegates rejoined    their  school  groups to share what they had learned throughout  the  two  previous days  and  start  coming  up  with Action  Plans  for  their  own schools.

continued from front page

Chinese Students Forced to Supply Their Own School Desks

A mother takes her daughter to school with a desk.

by Nikita xxxxxx(12)

by Kiko xxxx (11)  On  September  3,  2012, Wangyi  News,  a  Chinese news  network,  reported  that in  Shunhe  Town,  Macheng, Hubei  China,  approximately 3,000  out  of  5,000  students had  to  carry  their  own  desks and chairs to school on the first day.  Some  students  brought filthy, aged dining tables while others brought desks that were forcibly  borrowed  from  their relatives or neighbors.  Wang Han is a 6-year-old girl who became a first grader this September.   The  night  before school  started,  her  50-year-old  grandmother  prepared  a “new” desk and chair for Wang Han. The desk used to belong to Wang Han’s father, and was given to his cousin, and then it came back to Wang Han.  On  the  morning  of September  1,  grandmother Wang  carried  the  “new”  desk that  weighed  approximately twelve  kilos  to  the  village, where  Wang  Han’s  school resided.  Though  the  distance was  barely  a  kilometer,  she paused  for  a rest  three  times within the first four minutes.   Macheng  is  not  a  wealthy city;  however,  in  August, the  city’s  bureau  of  statistics announced that the first half of

2012’s  government  economic indicators  showed  Macheng as one of the wealthiest places in  the  Huangang  area.   The municipal  building  resides  in the  middle  of  the  city,  which the  local  people  refer  to  as “Macheng White Palace”.    This  disparity  raised  the question  of  government’s reliability  among  the  Chinese citizens.  Many  citizens concluded  that  while  the government  can  fritter  away vast  amount  of  money  on extravagant  buildings,    they are unable to satisfy the simple demand  of  purchasing  school desks that cost 50 RMB each.   In  October,  the  Prime Minister  of  China,  Wen Jia  Bao’s  family’s  hidden assets  were  estimated  to  be at  least  $2.7  billion  RMB, while  poverty  is  still  a  crucial issue.  The  Chinese  education system  in  urban  areas  is  still highly  dependent  on  how much  a  family  has.  Students with  wealthy  parents  can enroll  in  prestigious  private schools  even  with  poor grades.  Students  with  less wealthy  parents  don’t  receive attention  in  school  unless  the parents  bribe  the  teacher, reported the New York Times. 

PHOTO//WIKIPEDIA

PHOTO//WIKIPEDIA

PHOTO//WIKIPEDIA

by Miyu xxxx (10)Three Cities Compete for 2020 Torch

PHOTO//HEXUN.COM

NewsPage 4 February 2013

  Entering  its  fifth  year  of recession,  the  Greek  economy remains  unstable.  Its  GDP  has declined  by  6.2%  in  the  second quarter from last year, and the 23% unemployment  rate  is  still  rising. Europe  interminably  provides bailouts,  but  the  Greek  economy shows no progress.  While  Europe  suffers  from debt    crises,  economists  predict that it is conceivable for Greece to abandon the Euro, and return to the drachma, its old currency.    “The  situation  is  very  tense,” said  Nicolas  Sarkozy,  the  ex-president of France in a meeting with  Angela  Merkel,  the Chancellor  of  Germany.  France and  Germany,  the  two  largest countries in the European Union (EU),  have  provided  bailouts  to Greece totaling more than €240 billion.  European  Central  Bank (ECB),  EU,  and    International Monetary  Fund  (IMF),  also known  as  the  troika,  have  also been loaning billions of Euros to Greece.   The country is highly dependent on  the  loans  since  default  is inevitable without them. ECB, EU, and IMF have loaned €110 billion in 2010, and a second €130 billion package in 2011. According to the IMF, the bank loaned €28 billion to Greece as part of an overall finance package in May.  Over the last decade, the Greek government  has  accumulated massive debts causing the reces-sion in Greece to become more se-

vere than any other European na-tion. Billions of Euros were poured into  high-profile  projects,  such  as the 2004 Athens Olympics.  Another  problem  is  caused  by  tax evasion. “In Greece people got the idea that they didn’t have to pay taxes, and could still enjoy govern-ment benefits,” explains Ms Saso, the  economics  teacher  at  ISSH. With  Greece  generating  little  tax revenue,  the  government  racked up huge deficits.  “Now the Greek government  is  compelled  to  raise taxes in order to pay for the bail-out,” says Saso.  Since  the  debt  crisis  decimated the  Greek  economy,  the  govern-ment  has  been  forcing  harsh  aus-terity measures on the civilians. To meet the monthly installment ob-ligation, the government has been engaging in tax increases, and ex-treme wage cuts for civil servants and government officials.  The government has drastically cut  spending  on  health  care  to nearly €14 billion. Public hospitals have seen more than 25% increases in  patients  because  civilians  can no  longer  afford  private  clinics, reported the New York Times.  American Banks Merrill Lynch and JPMorgan Chase have started to prepare for the Greek currency shift.  “The  future  of  Greece  is very  bleak,”  says  Saso.  To  Greek civilians,  whether  to  remain  or abandon  the  Euro  is  no  longer important;  salvaging  the  Greek economy  has  now  become  the new task. 

Protesters bring back the nuclear debate:An exclusive interview with two anti-nukesby Yuhki xxx (11)  Anti-nuclear  power  move-ments  gained  momentum  in Japan after the Fukushima nu-clear  incident.  Rallies  against the  use  of  nuclear  energy abound  streets  in  Tokyo,  in-ducing  media  and  political  at-tention.  The  rally  participants claim  to  be  ordinary  citizens fighting for the safety and sta-bility of their nation. Contacted through their online blogs, two ‘anti-nukes’  rally  participants reveal their thoughts on nucle-ar reactors.Interviewees:1 Anzu T, 38, female 2 Hajime H, 37, male 

Why are you against the nuclear reactors? A: I am against the use of nuclear reactors  because  it  can  cause harm to the environment, and we  require  a  source  of  energy that is more eco-friendly.H:  I  think  many  people  now know  the  dangers  of  nuclear reactors  from  the  previous tragedies in Three Mile Island, Chernobyl,  and  most  recently in Fukushima. The thing I hate most  about  nuclear  energy is  the  way  it  harms  small children the most. The people who support the use of nuclear reactors  should  never  be forgiven  for  the  damage  they have  done  to  small,  innocent children. What made you feel this way towards nuclear reactors?A:  I  never  questioned  the safety of nuclear reactors until the  incident  on  March  11th, and from that day on I started to realize that the government was not informing the public of the dangers regarding nuclear reactors. The way the Japanese government  tried  to  hide the  fact  that  cities  and  foods were  polluted  by  radioactive chemicals  made  me  feel  this way towards nuclear reactors.H:  I  personally  see  my profession as a job that protects my customers from harm. I also believe that being an adult, you have to protect the health and wellness of  those around you. Being a carpenter, I sacrifice all

of my energy in making a safe home,  but  nuclear  pollution defeats my purpose completely by  harming  people’s  health.  I think  it  is disrespectful  to  the people who sacrifice all their time  and  energy  to  protect people’s health.Have you ever participated in the anti- nuclear reactors rallies going on in Japan? If so, what is your impression of it? A:  There  were  many  people who I considered to be a little over  the  top  and  strange. However,  I  feel  like  joining rallies is better than taking no action at all.H: Yes, I have. It is an amazing experience to spend time with people  who  share  the  same ideas  and  values  with  you.  It inspired  me  to  work  harder and  get  involved  in  these rallies more often.What do you do for living?A:  I  make  a  living  by  working as a trimmer, and sometimes I work part time in another work place.H: I work as a carpenter.If you were the Prime Minister of Japan, what actions would you take?A: I would listen to the voices of my country’s people, instead of  being  swayed  by  other countries’ decisions. H: I will immediately stop the use  of  nuclear  reactors,  and find a safe way to get rid of the  radioactive  waste.  Then, I  would  lessen  the  wages  of politicians and use that money to  evacuate  the  citizens  of Fukushima. I will also want to change the overall structure of the  Japanese  government  so more money is spent on those in  need.  This  list  could  go  on forever, but I think you get the point.Do you think nuclear reactors will someday disappear from Japan?A: Yes.H:  We  have  no  choice  but  to stop the use of nuclear reactors immediately.  Further  use  of reactors  will  destroy  this country. However,  it will  take a  very  long  time  (perhaps  a hundred  years)  to  shut  down 

all  the  reactors  in  Japan,  and getting  rid  of  the  chemical waste  polluting  Fukushima will take even longer.It is said that stopping the reactors and relying fully on an alternative source of energy will leave Japan’s economy crippled. With these consequences in mind, do you think it is still worth it to stop the use of nuclear reactors?A: I personally think that that theory is a lie. I believe Japan’s economy  will  fully  function, even without nuclear reactors.H:  First  of  all,  the  reason why  the Japanese economy  is already  crippled  is  because  of the power plant in Fukushima.If  there were no power plants there,  the  tsunami  and  the earthquake  would  have  been the  only  damage  done  to  the prefecture.  Damages  done by  these  natural  disasters are  reversible  to  an  extent, but  the  damage  done  by  the nuclear reactor is irreversible. If  there  was  no  power  plant, there  would  be  many  tourists visiting  Japan,  and  the  food produced in Fukushima would still  be  safe  to  consume.  Any sane politician in Japan would understand that, but they still refuse to end the use of nuclear reactors,  which  just  worsens the problem. Do you have a message to the readers of this newspaper?A:  I  want  students  to  learn the  truth,  not  lies.  Bullying and other social problems will never  go  away  until  Japan provides  truthful  information and education to its young.H: The sole purpose of our lives is to bring new lives to this world to  continue  our  human  race. Nuclear  power  is  something that  does  the  opposite;  it destroys  innocent  lives.  This kind  of  uncontrollable  power should  not  be  handled  by humans.  Everybody  deserves to  live  a  happy  life  with  their loved  ones,  and  we  cannot let  nuclear  reactors  take  that away from us.

Greek Economy Sinks

TEDxYouth@Tokyo

  On November 18, 2012 students and adults gathered at Tokyo Inter-national  School  (TIS)  for  TEDxY-outh@Tokyo 2012 to invent, inno-vate, and inspire.  The  emcees  for  the  event  were Maya xxxxx (12) from ISSH , and Ashy  xxxxx (12) from KIS.  The speeches and performances were  divided  into  three  sessions, and each session consisted of vari-ety of speakers.   ISSH’s Nikita xxxxx (12) present-ed a speech on the misrepresenta-tion of women in the media. Nikita stressed that the media portarys fe-male politicians, athletes, and sing-

ers in magazines a sexual way rather than focusing on their success or ac-complishments.  Speakers from sections two and three focused on social and econom-ic issues. Leona xxxx (10) from ASIJ focused on the exploitation of child labor used in making chocolate  in African  countries.  She  promoted fair trade chocolate in order to pre-vent further exploitation of child la-bor by the chocolate industry.  Joseph Tame, an inventor, artist, and  an  enthusiast  for  change  en-tered the stage with a bewildering, vivid,  and  high-tech  costume.  On the stage, Tame spoke about how he overcame epilepsy and how epilep-sy motivated him to try new things in his life.    “The day went productively, and I think it was a blast for everyone. This day, doesn’t only represent the ideas  the  speakers  or  performers had presented, but also gives inspi-ration to viewers to get up and do something,” says Ashy. 

Adults and students gather to share ideas by Kiko xxxx (11)

Japanese citizens protest against nuclear plants and weapons in Ginza, Tokyo.PHOTO / /Y.TAMAI

Nikita (12) speaks about media’s portrayal of women.

by Kiko xxxx (11)

PHOTO//STAFF

PHOTOS//Y.TANAI

ViewpointPage 5 February 2013

Reducing Food Mileageby Summer xx (12)            The  term  “food  mileage” may  sound  unfamiliar;  it  is  a simple  measurement  which takes  the  product  of  the  mass of  food  and  the  total  distance it  travels.  Japan,  in  fact,  has the  highest  food  mileage  in  the world.  According  to  Newton Science  Magazine,  an  average resident  in  Japan  consumes 7,100  ton-km  worth  of  food mileage per year. Food mileage accumulates  everyday  at  a rapid  rate  as  we  choose  what to  eat  without  thinking  about the  food’s  place  of  origin.    Take  the  school’s  hot  lunch service,  for  example,  that  is provided  by  the  Cezars  Kitchen every  day.  Although  about  a third of the whole ISSH students eat  hot  lunch,  the  majority  of students do not pay attention to where the ingredients come from. Research  on  Cezars  Kitchen’s 

website reveals that 100% of the beef  is  from  Australia  and  the pork  is  imported  from  the  USA, Canada, Chile, and Mexico. The sum of distances between Japan and all  these countries amounts to roughly  a  distance  equivalent to 1.3 times the circumference of  the  globe.  In  addition  to school  lunch,  we  also  consume food outside  of  school,  at  home and  at  restaurants.  Fruits  and vegetables,  such  a  grapefruits and  lettuces,    and  chickens  are imported  from  faraway  nations such as Turkey, Spain, and Brazil.       It  is  important  for  us  to know  that  the  effect  of  eating food  produced  in  a  faraway nation  is  detrimental  to  the environment.  Excessive  energy  is consumed to freeze or to chill the food, and in addition, fossil fuel  is  used  for  transportation such  as  shipping  or  freighting. During  these  processes,  an 

(100 million km * ton) 2000inordinate  amount  of  carbon dioxide  is  released,  thereby speeding  up  global  warming.       I  would  like  to  encourage everyone in our school community to help reduce food mileage in their  daily  lives  by  gradually changing our pre-eating habits. Before  we  buy  food,  we  should also  evaluate  the  food’s  origin along  with  its  price  and  taste. The  best  way  to  reduce  food mileage  is  to buy  local  food  as 

4000 much as we can. I recommend buying food produced in Japan, rather  than  imported  food. Also,  choosing  to  eat  Japanese meals  more  often  than  western meals  will  naturally  increase the  demand  for  traditional Japanese  local  products  such as fish and rice. If there exist no other  options  but  to  buy  foreign goods, then priority must be given to  imports  from  geographically nearby  countries  such  as 

6000                 8000Comparison of Nations’ Mileages of Imported FoodGRAPH//NEWTON

China,  Russia,  and  Indonesia.  As students, we may exert  lit-tle  control  over  the  the  amount of fossil fuel or energy we use in our lives. However, every one of us can easily decide what to eat three  times  a  day,  and  this  is our opportunity to make a big difference over a long time.

Christians at ISSHLearning, discussing, and appreciating Christian valuesby Mio xxxxx (11)        It certainly feels odd to call myself,  as  a  Christian,  a  part of  the  minority  in  a  Catholic school.  There  simply  doesn’t seem  to  be  very  many  people who aren’t afraid  to  tell other people  that  they  love  Jesus.     However,  it  may  be  the  fact that  we  are  in  a  Catholic school  that  girls  are  inclined to  rebel  against  any  sort  of spiritual  faith.  It  may  be  that these  girls  do  want  to  talk  to others  about  their  faith,  but are too afraid that they will be judged by others, or that they will  look  “uncool.” The school should  create  opportunities for  Christian  girls  to  talk about  their  faith  and  what  it means  to  live  as  a  Christian.            The Christianity class that is  offered  in  high  school  is more  like  a  history  lesson, and I was disappointed by the fact  that  there  was  so  little discussion  about  each  of  the 

students’ faith. The prayer and meditation  class  has  much more  emphasis  on  secular meditation  than  on  prayer. This class would be an excellent opportunity  for  students  to pray  with  and  for  each  other. The power of prayer is so great, and yet we do not talk about it at all. If anything, the subject of religion is deliberately avoided, not only in Values classes, but in  personal  education  and academic  classes.  Students should  be  encouraged  to  talk about  their  faith,  and  to  pray together,  especially  in  Values classes,  where  the  classes  are designed  to  dig  deeper  into our spiritual lives. There are so many ways that these sorts of things  could  be  implemented in  our  curriculum,  yet  we deliberately  avoid  the  subject to  avoid  the  slight  risk  that someone  would  be  offended.   I  understand  that  we’re 

an  international  school,  and I  really  love  that  our  school has  girls  representing  all sorts of cultures and religions. We  are  blessed  to  have  such a  loving  and  understanding environment.  This  is  the  very reason  that  girls  should  be allowed  to  talk  openly  about their faith and not be afraid of being judged or laughed at for it. Fellowship  is an  important part  of  growing  spiritually, and  should  be  encouraged  by the school. After all, Matthew 18:20 says that “For where two or  three  are  gathered  in  my name, there am I among them.”   At  a  Catholic  school, opportunities  to  talk  to  your peers  about  your  faith  should be  created.  How  we  grow spiritually  is  an  important part of our lives, and should be emphasized  and  encouraged by the school.  

Reaching OutIntegrating immigrants into Japanese societyby Orie xxxxxxx (12)

    Japan  is  facing  a  demo-graphic  crisis;  the  population is  declining  and  aging,  lead-ing Japan to a path of debase-ment. There is only one effec-tive solution: a mass immigra-tion  of  both  high-  and  low-skilled  labour.  This  will  not only  strengthen  the  Japanese economy, but will make Japan a  more  diverse  and  interna-tional  nation.  The  multicul-turalism will attract even more immigrants,  which  will  bring about  new  ideas  and  improve national unity as different cul-tures  learn  to  work  together. However,  multiculturalism  is not  encouraged  or  supported in Japan. As Taro Aso, the for-mer  prime  minister,  stated, Japan  is  a  nation  with  “one civilization,  one  language, one  culture,  and  one  race.” Sadly, this is the consensus for many  Japanese  communities.     Let’s  take  Minato-ku,  a district  near  the  ISSH  cam-pus, as an example. Ten per-cent  of  the  residents  are  for-eigners,  and  it  is  considered to  be  one  of  the  most  inter-national and diverse  districts in  Tokyo.  However,  accord-ing  to  a  survey  conducted  by Minato-ku, more than 50% of them  have  a  hard  time  read-ing, writing, or understanding the  Japanese  language.  This is  not  the  case  for  foreigners who have resided in Japan for many  years,  but  the  majority of  foreigners  who  have  been in Japan for fewer than three years. Japanese is a hard lan-guage  to  master,  so  the  lan-guage  barrier  will  certainly make  the  process  of  building 

a  multicultural  community a difficult task, impeding Ja-pan’s road to a brighter future.     This  is  where  our  com-munity can come in and help. There  are  families  from  all over  the world, and most are bilingual, if not trilingual. The ISSH community should reach out  and  welcome  any  new-comer,  regardless  of  whether their children attend ISSH or not. If a new family moves in to  your  neighborhood,  don’t just  limit  your  relationship with them to a small hello ev-ery now and then. Take them out  and  show  them  around the  neighborhood.  Introduce them to new people that they can  socialize  with.  The  ISSH community can make the con-nections that will shape our so-ciety into a multicultural one.   Achieving  multicultural-ism  in  Japan  through  immi-gration  will  be  essential  for a  successful  improvement  of Japan’s  decaying  economy. People  from  different  cultures will  be  able  to  work  together peacefully and efficiently and make  innovative  changes.   Immigration and immigrants will be a significant change in Japan’s  highly  homogenous culture,  and  communities  like ours  have  the  responsibility  to make the newcomers welcomed and integrated into Japan’s so-ciety. In the words of a previous school  motto:  “United  starts with you”. 

Every Thursday afternoon, a liturgy open to all students and faculty is held in the chapel.

PHOTO//STAFF

ViewpointPage 6 February 2013

Appearance over Accomplishments: Media’s Misogyny by Nikita xxxxxx (12)

  Sexual  assaults  are  some-thing  that  can  happen  to  any of us, not just that one girl on the  news.  Many  of  these  as-saults  can  be  prevented  if  we have  the  proper  skills  to  de-fend  ourselves.  The  statistics from  the  Darkness  to  Light organization,  which  actively works to help end child sexual abuse,  show  that  one  in  four girls will be sexually assaulted before  the age of  18, and  that “one  in  four  women  will  be  a victim of sexual assault at one point in their lives”.      However, according to Lou Nemeth, a personal safety ex-pert  who  has  written  about and  given  presentations  on numerous  self-defense  topics, studies  have  also  shown  that “women  who  have  had  some 

type  of  self-defense  training have  only  a  1  in  25  chance  of being assaulted”.

Step 1: Project Confidence   When you’re out with some-one you know, be firm and clear about what your bound-aries and guidelines are.  Don’t be  afraid  to  say  “no”  clearly and  mean  it.  Avoid  looking nervous  and  fearful,  espe-cially  when  you  are  alone.  If you  think  someone  is  follow-ing  you,  turn  and  look  them directly  in  the  eyes.  Remem-ber, most of these attackers do not  want  to  get  involved  with someone  who  is  not  an  easy target or someone that will be likely to put up a fight.

Step 2: Be aware of your surroundings  Being cautious and alert will help you avoid areas where you may be vulnerable to surprise attacks.  You  should  also  keep an  eye  out  for  cars  that  may be  following  you  or  circling around  the  general  area  that you are  in.  If you are walking alone,  avoid  listening  to  loud music or talking on the phone, because they will become dis-tractions  that  tell  a  potential attacker  that  you  are  preoc-cupied  and  unaware  of  your surroundings. Try not to walk alone,  especially  at  night  or in isolated areas. If you must, be ready to defend yourself by carrying  a  whistle  or  pepper 

spray  and  dressing  comfort-ably. It is hard to run or fight in heels and a tight skirt, or de-fend yourself when your hands are full from holding shopping bags.

Step 3: Be Smart  The third step is to be smart. If  you  are  going  out,  let  an adult  know  where  you  will be, who you will be with, and when  you  will  be  home.  That way,  if  you  are  not  home  by a  certain  time,  someone  will suspect  something  is  wrong. Also avoid wandering aimless-ly, especially when it is late at night.  In  addition,  make  sure that you dress  smartly.  If you know you are going to be with just  one  friend  out  at  night, don’t wear flashy clothing that could attract unwanted atten-

tion,  such  as  glittery  clothing or  long,  dangling  accessories that  could  get  caught  on  or tangled  with  something.  You also  want  to  avoid  giving  off wrong  messages  to  strangers by  wearing  tight,  revealing clothing at night.

Step 4: Trust your instincts  We  women  are  very  intui-tive, so if you are in a situation where  you  feel  that  you  are unsafe,  then  trust  that  feel-ing.  Wait  for  the  next  eleva-tor or move to another seat on the  train  if  it  helps  you  avoid someone  that  makes  you  un-comfortable.    

Why Women Live Longer Than Menby Miyu xxxx (10)  Why  do  women  live  longer than  men?  Biology  teacher,  Mr. Michael  Robey  jokingly  claims, “women  have  easier  lives.”    Generally,  women  tend to  be  more  cautious  about their  health  than  men.  A 1998  Commonwealth  Fund survey  revealed  that  24% of  men  in  comparison  to 8%  of  women  did  not  visit a  physician  in  the  past  year.   Besides  lifestyle  factors, a  newly  suggested  theory 

about  why  women  live  lon-ger  has  been  published  in the  journal  Current  Biology in  2012. It  has  to  do  with  mi-tochondria,  which  converts food  into  energy  in  our  cells.    A  child  solely  inherits  the DNA of the mitochondria from his/her  mother.  Genetic  mu-tations  in  the  mitochondria harmful  to  females  tend  to  get eliminated before being passed onto  the  child,  while  the  ones harmful  for  males  are  un-

touched. This means that if the child  is  a  girl,  all  the  harmful genes have been taken out, but if  the child  is a boy,  the harm-ful  mutations  for  him  remain.    These  mutations    build  up  in the males’  mitochondria,  increas-ing  their  chances  of  getting  ill, and  resulting    in  earlier  deaths.   Another  theory,  which  Mr. Robey  poses  is  that,  “Women have  two X chromosomes and men only have one.  If  there  is a mutation on a single X chro-

mosome,  women  may  have a  normal  copy  of  the  gene on  the  other  one.  While  men have no back up and are more prone  to  certain  mutations.”    But  just  because  women have  a  higher  average  life  ex-pectancy,  they  cannot  slack off  and  expect  to  live  long effortlessly.“Good genes, good luck,  good  diet,  exercise,  and being happy!” is the key to lon-gevity according to Mr. Robey.

Protecting Yourself Against Sexual Assault by Rene xxxxxxxxx (12)

  Popular  culture  has  no boundries  when  it  comes  to shaping young people’s choic-es in life.      This is clearly evident in Sa-cred  Heart.  During  lunch,  iP-ods are tuned to Rihanna and Nicki Minaj.   Between classes, students  take  the opportunity to  fervently  discuss  the  latest episodes of “Vampire Diaries” and “Gossip Girl”.       At  home,  students  take  a break  from studying  to  watch the  latest  music  videos  on YouTube.  However,  very  few students at Sacred Heart  look at popular culture with a jaun-diced eye.    Nobody  asks  themselves: Why  are  the  women  in  mu-sic videos so sexualized? Why are  female  characters  on  TV shows  throwing  themselves all over guys when they could be doing something more use-ful?  Why  does  almost  every rap song hint at a female body part,  successfully  turning  a fully capable woman into a sex object?     Then again, not all teenagers are  obsessed  with  popular culture. Some prefer to watch 

the  news  or  read  articles about  the  current  political atmosphere.  Unfortunately, misogyny  simmers  under  the professional  appearance  of serious  journalism  as  well.During  the  2008  presidential elections, the media constantly bombarded  Hillary  Clinton with  insidious  comments about  her  appearance  or her  “overbearing,  scary” personality.  Meanwhile,  the male  presidential  candidates were  touted  and  constantly praised by the media.   Unfortunately,  this  was  not the first time such dispropor-tionate media coverage has oc-curred.  Media  has  always  de-graded  powerful  women  like Nancy  Pelosi  and  Condoleeza Rice.  Politics is not the only field in  which  women  are  unfairly represented.  Surely,  someone has  noticed  the  obvious  lack of women’s sports coverage in the  media.  Media  Awareness Network  states  that  only  9% of airtime focuses on women’s sports.  In many cases a female ath-lete  has  to  use  her  physical 

appearance  to  gain  media  at-tention.  The  Feminist  Truths Blogspot  says  that  fewer  than 10% of Sports Illustrated pag-es are devoted to women’s ath-letic achievements.      This poor media representa-tion may have something to do with the lack of women within the  media  industry.  Women hold only 3% of clout positions in telecommunications, enter-tainment, publishing, and ad-vertising,  and  only  16%  of  all writers,  directors,  cinematog-raphers,  producers,  and  edi-tors are women.                   In the news media, less than 30% of all reporters and jour-nalists are women. With such a  skewed  gender  balance  in the  media  industry,  how  can one expect a proper represen-tation of women?  According  to  the documen-tary  “Miss  Representation”, both young boys and girls receive up to 10 hours and 45 minutes of media consumption a day.   This  means  that  the  media basically acts as our alternative parent; its influence determines our  choices  and  mindsets  in life.  In  an  age  where  women 

are  still  struggling  to  reach the same social and financial status  as  men,  the  media  is detrimental  to  young  girls’ lives.   A  film  that  should  be incorporated  into  our  curriculum is  the  “Miss  Representation” documentary,  which  explores how the media contributes to the current  under-representation of  women  in  the  media.  The documentary  is  recent,  and includes  analysis  of  popular culture with which today’s ISSH students are familiar. For years to  come,  ISSH  must  continue to  upgrade  its  curriculum  on media effects.

Editor’s Note: Sacred Heart will host a screening of the documentary “Miss  Representation”  on Friday, February 15. The documentary mainly focuses on how the media represents women in politics and sports, and how that affects young girls everywhere. It is also available for download on iTunes. Ana Ivanovic (above) is

portrayed differently from Lebron James (below).

LifestylePage 7 February 2013

That’s why I chose......

Hagwon: Harvard Prep Seoul, Korea

     Hagwon is a Korean term for private  educational  institute. For those who speak Japanese, it  is  also  known  as  “Juku.” There  are  myriad  types  of Hagwons  in  Korea,  offering preparatory  courses  for  exams such  as  AP,  IB,  and  language proficiency. I signed up for a five-week SAT course offered by H-Prep Academy, located in the downtown  area  of  Seoul.  The course  provided  two  two-hour lessons: one on Critical Reading and the other on Writing, taught by  teachers  who  specialize 

Smartphones: blessing or curse? by Summer xx (12)   A  girl  passes  by  a  corridor, typing texts on her smartphone. In  the common room, a group of  students  gathers  around a  smartphone,  guffawing  as they  watch  a  viral  video.  Most people used to glance wishfully at  smartphone  advertisements until  three  years  ago,  but  now this  button-free,  internet-accessible  technology  is  an everyday  occurrence.  According to a recent survey, 70% of high school students at ISSH own a smartphone. What is so attractive about this palm-sized machine?  “Smartphones  have  a  lot  of functions,”  Olga  xxxxxxxx  (10) explains. “Wherever I go, I can brainstorm  about  my  essay, look  up  words  I  do  not  know, and  read  newspaper  articles online.”  Smartphone  users  agree that  the  greatest  advantage of  owning  a  smartphone  is that  it  provides  students  with instantaneous  information.  Anna xxxxxxx (12) comments, “When I want to confirm one small  piece  of  information,  I do not have to have to open my computer  or  open  a  textbook.” In  addition,  students  have incorporated  smartphone technology  into  their  learning by finding educational apps that  generate  quizzes  and flashcards. Olga testified, “I  learned  some  vocabulary definitions through playing Chicktionary.  I  also  downloaded geography  apps  to  train  for Brainbowl competition.”  Yet,  most  smartphone  users admitted  that  not  all  aspects of  owning  a  smartphone  are beneficial. Anna xxxxxxx confesses,  “My  smartphone is the first thing I check in the morning  and  the  last  thing  I check before I fall asleep. I feel uncomfortable  when  I  do  not have  it  on  me.”  As  illustrated by  Anna’s  confession,  with which  most  smartphone  users concur, one negative influence on  lifestyle  is  that  students become  attached  to  their smartphones.  In  some  cases, students  struggle  to  break  free from their smartphones. Hanabi xxx (11) agrees: “When I do my homework, I get so distracted. I 

have to turn my phone off and physically keep it far away from me.”  Johee    xxxx  (12)  postulates that  the  reason  students constantly  want  to  check phones  is  that  “students  fear they will be socially left behind if  they  are  not  updated  with news  about  their  friends  or celebrities  they are  interested in.”  The  prevalence  of  smart-phones  across  the  school  has also caused some non - smart-phone  users  to  feel  excluded at  times.  “In  the  cafeteria, everyone’s  using  smartphones because  they  have  internet connections. So I just sit there, while  everyone  else  has  their phones  out,”  complained  Ka-lin  xxxxxx  (10).    She  adds,  “I can’t  check  my  Facebook  dur-ing school. I’m kind of  jealous of my friends who do.”  Fortunately,  not  all  students without  smartphones  felt  that they  were  at  a  disadvantage. Esme xxxxxxx (12) even denies her  need  for  a  smartphone. “I  don’t  need  to  have  more distraction than I already have.” She  continues,  “Smartphones are  expensive  and  I  can already check my email on my Chromebook. It’s basically like a laptop, but I can only go on the Internet. It has everything in the same place. I use it at home and I can carry it to places.”   Like Esme, students without a  smartphone  have  found alternative  gadgets  such as  iPods,  iPads,  and  digital cameras that partially perform a smartphone’s functions.  Owning  a  smartphone  in Japan,  a  leading  nation  in technology,  is  becoming  an unavoidable  trend.  In  various aspects, owning a smartphone can  be  advantageous;  it  can increase  our  productivity,  be used  as  an  educational  tool, and  allow  us  frequent  access to  a  social  network.  Yet,  ex-cessive  use  of  smartphones can  also  lead  to  detrimental effects: wasted hours and less personal communication with school friends.

    Yale Explo

New Haven, Connecticut    

in    SAT  preparation.  Students completed  given  assignments during  a  two-hour  study period, and ate out in the town during lunch. Despite its heavy workload,  Hagwon  turned out  to  be  an  optimal  place  for me.  It  not  only  helped  me  to accomplish a specific academic goal, but also provided me with opportunities  to  make  friends who  shared  the  same  goal.               Another  advantage  of  going  to Hagwon is that unlike summer schools  abroad,  it  does  not require  students  to  live  there, hence  there  is  more  freedom. Some  days,  I  returned  home to  spend  quality  time  with  my family.  Other  days,  I  attended dance  classes.  Although  many people  imagine  Hagwon  to  be a  stressful  place,  I  found  it  less stressful than school.  

PHOTO//P.MEHTA

PHOTO/ /WHICH?

Joanna and Karen (10) pose with a friend at Yale Explo.

PHOTO//STAFF

Summer program recommendations from ISSH students by Joanna xxxxx (10) Summer xx (12) Pim xxxxxxxxxx (11)

Atsumi (12) receives a snack from a student.

already know my way around. I  also  already  knew  most of  my  colleagues.  I  strongly encourage  students  over  the age  of  sixteen  to  apply  to  be teaching assistants next year.

PHOTO//STAFF

ISSH EFL ISSH, Tokyo

Summer (12) and her friends pose for a photo at Harvard

   The  ISSH  EFL  Summer Program  is   designed  to give  Japanese  students  the opportunity to learn English in an international school setting. The  staff  body  consisted mostly  of  ISSH  students  and teachers,  but  instructors from  other  schools,  like  St. Mary’s,  were  also  present.  As  a  high  school  student,  I could  apply  to  be  a  Teaching Assistant in different subjects. 

The subjects offered were Math and Sciences, English, Cooking, Crafts, and Sports. The program runs  for  three weeks,  but I could choose  the  number  of  weeks best  suited  to  my  schedule.  The  job  description  is quite  simple:  make  copies, distribute  handouts,  help  with class  activities,  and  escort  the students to their next class.   Though the kids are so much fun  to  play  with,  they  can sometimes  get  over-excited and  aggressive.  Occasionally I  took blows  to  the head  from folders, fans, and lunch boxes, but  that  was  the  worst  part.  The  experience  was  extremely rewarding as I got to see what itit is like to be at the front of the classroom and  to plan lessons. It  was  also  very  comfortable to  work  at  ISSH,  because  I 

PHOTO//Yale

PHOTO// ISSH

PHOTO//Seoul surfer

Awkward....compiled by Bernice xxx

“When hotmail starts sending inappropriate spam to your teacher,

and he has to send you an e-mail asking to you

stop.” Anonymous

  The summer program Explo (short  for  Exploration)    takes place on the beautiful grounds of the Yale University campus, in  New  Haven,  Connecticut. The  program  is  three  weeks long,  and  students  entering grades  10-12  are  eligible  to apply.  At  Explo,  students  are able  to  choose  from  over  90 interesting courses from Intro to  Philosophy,  to  Sustainable Fashion  Design,  to  Pop  Op-era.  Along  with  two  academic courses, Explorers choose two workshops  from  categories such as sports, performing arts, 

global  issues,  and  business. Explo  also  offers  college  prep classes for students who want to  practice  the  PSAT,  SAT,  or TOEFL.  Fun  events,  like  Car-nival  Night,  are  organized every  evening;  and  on  week-ends participants choose from a  range  of  interesting  trips, such as a  trip  to Broadway or Six  Flags  amusement  park. The  staff  and  faculty  consist of bright recent college gradu-ates  who  really  care  about making  your  summer  epic.  During  my  three  weeks  at Explo, I explored forensic sci-ences, created my own movies in  Film  Editing,  and  boosted my  tennis  skills.  The  week-end trips gave me a chance to go  zip  lining  at  Brownstone National Park, and I was able to  attend  the  “Spider-man: Turn Off the Dark” musical on 

Broadway.  Also,  by  living  in a dorm without my parents,  I got a glimpse of college life and became  more  independent.  I  highly  recommend  Explo summer  programs  to  anyone who  is  looking  for  a  summer filled with unforgettable, new  experiences.

LifestylePage 8 February 2013

Sweets Tokyo by Nikita xxxxxx (12) Pim xxxxxxxxxxx (11) & Yasmim xxxxxxx (10)

Ladureé Ginza

http://www.laduree.fr/

  Set  in  one  of  the  busiest shopping  streets  in  Shibuya, Sweets  Paradise  teems  with women  tired  from  a  long  day of  shopping  and  high-school students  looking  to  chew away  their  stress.  A  long  line awaits  those  who  wish  to  be granted  access  to  this  haven, but it is worth the wait. Sweets Paradise definitely lives up to its  namesake.  The  restaurant is  tucked  away  in  an  alcove shaped like a soufflé, the walls are  embedded  with  colorful gumballs,  and  a  soft  pink glow  caresses  every  part  of the  room,  from  the  waiters’ candy-striped  aprons  to  the diners’ tottering pile of plates. Even  the  lamps  that  hang over  tables  are  shaped  like broken  eggshells,  lighting  up the  diners’  delighted  faces  as they  take  in  giant  mouthfuls of  lemon  frosting.  For  1500 JPY  you  can  dine  for  ninety 

Sweets Paradise Shibuya

http://www.sweets-paradise.jp/

                            Laduree, Ginza 

  It’s always the tea party of the 19th century at Ladureé.The  moment  you  step  in,  it’s as  if  you’ve  been  transported to a tea house fit for French royalty.  The  reception  area’s walls  are  painted  a  gorgeous aquamarine,  while  the  inside is  lined  with  multiple  shades of  blue  wallpaper.  Paintings of  ladies  in  beautiful  gowns adorn  the  walls  and  chande-liers  ornament  the  ceilings.

HARBS Roppongi

http://www.harbs.co.jp/harbs/

  Harbs  is  a  cozy  cake  shop that  offers  all  types  of  cakes and pies on its menu for those addicted  to  sugar.  Over  the past  thirty  years  the  number of Harbs’ shops in Tokyo  has increased from one small store 

minutes.  Once  in,  you  are free  to  gorge  yourself  on  the various  treats  that  crowd  the refrigerated  shelves.  If  there is  one  downside  to  dining  at Sweets  Paradise,  it  would  be the seemingly infinite stream of  choices  that  lie  before  you, and the little time you have to taste them all. On one side, the creamy  cheesecake  glistening with decadent raspberry sauce beckons  you.  On  the  other, the  triple-fudge  chocolate cake,  topped  with  pillows  of white  cream,  is  irresistible. Oh,  but  the  pudding!  And who doesn’t want to sink their teeth  into  the meringue,  taste buds  discovering  layers  and layers  of  new  sensations  -the strawberry  jam,  the  gritty nutty bit, the disk of chocolate? In  the  end,  you  will  probably end up piling your entire plate with everything you can grab, until your plate is overflowing with brownies, cups of parfait, and  slices  of  fruit  tarts.

  Macaroons  in  pink,  red, brown,  beige,  and  white  are set at your table on shiny, sil-ver dessert platters, decorated with lace doilies. Biting into the beige macaroon, the sweet, firm coating begins to crumble, and a  stream  of  heavenly  caramel fudge flows into your mouth.   As the waitresses place white, gold-lined ceramic tea pots  in front of you, the exotic aroma of the “Joséphine” tea fills the room. A beautiful blend of jas-mine, citrus fruits, and Chinese black  tea  is  an  excellent  way to end your feast at Ladureé.

Captured on Lens from left to right: Pepura, Shigeo, Tomoyuki Tanaka , Aki, Juju, Amiga, Anna Tsuchiya, and Ai Tominaga.

Fashion’s Night Out 2012by Bernice xxx (10)

Should you ask him out?

in  Sakae,  to  28  throughout Japan.  One  of  the  easiest  to find is on the first floor of the  giant  Roppongi  Hills.     Another  Harbs’  specialty  is their  seasonal  selections!  In September,  for  example,  the special  option  is  a  delicious Banana  Cream  Pie  prepared with  a  delicate  custard  cream spread  across  the  crust,  lined with  large  succulent  bananas slices, and covered with a soft chocolate  whipped  cream.      If  you  are  not  in  the  mood for  a  sizable  slice  of  pie,  you can try Harbs’ tasty teas made of  fresh  fruits  and  herbs,  or their  healthy  sandwiches.  

NO.  

  I  think  boys  should  be  the ones  to  ask  girls  out.  As  far  as tradition  goes,  it  has  always been this way and I don’t see a reason to change it. If you start a relationship by being the one to make the first move, you are  basically  taking  his  role. Let’s say you ask a boy out on a dinner date. This will mean that you are the one who is going to pay for the meal. If it looks like you  will  always  take  control, you  may  intimidate  him.  “If  a girl asked me out on a date and paid,  I  would  think  it’s  weird and it would definitely make me  feel  less  manly,”  said  Jack, a sophomore at SMIS.  “When I ask a girl out and she says yes, it  makes  me  feel  accomplished and  super  manly.  But  if  it  was the  other  way  around...  that would just be strange.”    A  third  reason  why  girls shouldn’t  ask  boys  out  is  that it  allows  boys  to  be  gutless.  I am  not  saying  that  you  aren’t allowed to flirt and hint to the guy that you like him and want him  to  ask  you  out.  Of  course 

that’s fine, but then he should follow these moves by officially asking  you  out.  So  don’t  stick around for a guy who is expecting you  to  make  all  the  moves.  Go out there and find someone better who will! 

YES. 

  Girls  should  be  able  to  ask boys out without any restrictions. Being straightforward cuts to the chase and avoids all unnecessary drama.  From  where  did  this ridiculous  sexist  practice  even originate? This is not the medieval times;  empowered  women  are no  longer  feared,  but    highly 

respected. So when a girl gathers the  courage  to  ask  a  boy  out  ,it shows a certain kind of appealing confidence.   Additionally,  there  are two  people  in  a  relationship. Sometimes one person takes the lead,  sometimes  the  other.  And that’s fine, because you can’t always rely on the guy to do all the heavy lifting. If  that  is the constant dynamic  of  a  relationship,  it  won’t last  long,  because  cracks  will  soon surface  under  all  that  one-sided pressure.  “Well,  honestly,  I  don’t  even know  where  the  rule  that  only guys  can  ask  people  out  came from, and it’s stupid because it’s hard on the guys,” said Ken  from SMIS.  “When a girl is forthcoming, I get a sense of thrill knowing that she’s into me,” said Destery  from ASIJ.  If  you  like  the  boy  and  you think the feeling is mutual, go for it  before  the  opportunity  passes you by. Second guessing yourself every  step  of  the  way  will  only increase your paranoia and make yourself go crazy. So go pick up the phone and just call him. 

Editor-In-Chief Nikita xxxxxx

Ms. Shull

Bernice xxx

Joanna xxxxx

Kiko xxxx

Miyu xxxx

Pim xxxxxxxxxxxx

Summer xx

Yasmim xxxxxxx

Yuhki xxx

Ms. Davis

Mr. Felstehausen

Mrs. Griffiths

Ms. Hayes

Ms. Hisaoka

Ms. Mehta

Mr. Migmar

Ms. Nagasawa

Mr. Robey

Ms. Saso

Ms. Seed

Ms. Takizawa

Mr. Wehrle

Ms. Young

Mr. Zink

PHOTO//GuideToWomenNK

by Joanna xxxxx (10) and Bernice xxx (10)

  The  global  phenomenon, Fashion’s  Night  Out,  has  yet again  graced  Tokyo!  For  three consecutive  years,  Fashion Night  Out  has  brought  designers, celebrities,  and  Vogue’s  top editors from around the world.       Audacious Japanese fashion lovers  ornamented  the  streets with  neon  stockings,  rainbow-dyed  hair,  and  unconventional 

coutures.          The  streets  of  Omotesando, Aoyama,  and  Harajuku  were thronged  with  eager  shoppers awaiting  top-notch  designers such  as  Michael  Kors,  Marcus Wainwright,  and  Derek  Lam to  show  their  faces.  Over  400 boutiques  hosted  exhibitions and parties  to promote  limited edition products. 

PHOTO//STAFF

PHOTO / / STAFF

PHOTO / / STAFFHarbs, Roppongi Hills, Branch