NEWSFLASH

The Official ISM Community Publication

Magazine

ISM’s Staff - Do Rules Really Matter? - PSDC -

Post-Morrison Basketball - Yogi Chef - ISTA -
THIMUN Gone!? - A Lasting Impression - IB P.E. 1
LETTER FROM THE
From the American and International School Indians to ISM Bearcats, Spirit at the International School
Manila is a long established tradition. Spirit is not merely defined by the IASAS Sports or by the Battle of the
Bearcats, but it can be seen through both individual and collective efforts as well. The recent 90th celebration
was a stunning display of such spirited participation, with all sectors of the ISM community working to ensure
success. The pages of this magazine are filled with photos and articles that embody this most important as-
pect of the ISM experience: Spirit. What is it? Who has it? How do we express it? How do we share it?

It was the potent, effervescent team spirit that brought the American Indians to a national championship
at the National Basketball Tournament in 1957. It was this same spirit that catapulted the ISM Girls’ Rugby
team to number one at IASAS 2010. ISM spirit has manifested itself through community endeavors, such as
our PTA Governing Board and volunteers that host numerous events throughout the year; our parent and fac-
ulty members that volunteer their free-time for Saturday Service Learning and our alumni base that keep this
Spirit alive in their reunions and events held all over the world. It is this Spirit that the Newsflash team seeks
to capture and display within this issue.

Spirit has always been an important aspect of the ISM student body. From the podiums of debate to
the field in sport, ISM students have proven themselves to be adept team players and collaborative speakers
who always seek a way to involve everybody, whether in scoring a goal or in tackling pressing global issues.
“Bayanihan”, the Filipino word for communal unity, is a good way to express our school’s Spirit. With IASAS
Basketball and Badminton being held this year at ISM, we at Newsflash have worked hard to give you a pre-
lude of the key events happening on campus as well as a reflection on ISM’s 90th anniversary, all of which
showcase the stunning bayanihan spirit of the school.

This second issue for school year 2010 -2011 is a tribute to the school and to its spirited individuals, to
the delegates, debaters, athletes, artists, musicians, custodians, alumni – and the list goes on – to all who con-
tribute to the atmosphere here at ISM. Indeed, being part of the ISM community does inject one with a sense
of happiness, which can only develop into a fiercely, loyal sense of team spirit – it is what makes a Bearcat
truly roar!

Yours in the Bayanihan Spirit of ISM,

Editor-in-Chief: Anthony Gerard Lee Gokianluy Managing Editor: Isabel Martel Francisco
EDITORS EDITORIAL BOARD:
Editor-in-Chief: Anthony Gokianluy
Managing Editor: Isabel Martel Francisco
HS Coordinator: Laura Lehmann
MS Coordinator: Kaye Kagaoan
ES Coordinator: Minsoo Woo
Layout Director: Jonathan Moran

Layout Team: Samata Pandey

Denise Francisco

News Editors: Katie Thompson

Shloka Sharan
Perspectives Editors: Nicole Calo
Chris Ong
Features Editors: Michi Ferreol
Krystal Kang
Photography Editor: Angel Feliciano

Staff Writers: Gaea Morales

Alyzza Acacio
Andrea Ayala
Sofia Benares
Akshar Bonu
Louisa Cotterhill
Kimberly Go
Michaela Limcaoco
Esther Park
Amanda Saban
Mahek Tulsiani

Contributing Writers: Bianca Fuentes

Audrey MacCormac
Julia Saubier
Frances Tanchanco
Jessica Ellice Tordesillas
Claudia Willnow
On the Cover:
Online Editor: Ian Luo
Basketball Photos by Nicholai Go Staff Photographers: Audrey MacCormac
Rugby Photos by Vincent Ching
Katie Thompson
MUN Photo by Chris Ong
MS Sports Day Photo courtesy of Mr. Steve Dodd Business Manager: Samantha Ramsey

Newsflash Volume 5 Issue 2 SY 2010-2011 Adviser: Ms. Stephanie Hagedorn

 Perspectives p. 15

CONTENTS

12 PSDC: The Philippine IASAS?
By: Gaea Morales

14 Do Rules Really Matter?

By: Kimberly Go

33 Teen Troubles: The Battle

With Oneself
By: Esther Park

37 A Lasting Impression
By: Audrey MacCormac

p. 16
p. 22
p. 20

p. 38

p. 32

Features
6
News
David Toze
7 ISM Staff Members


Voted Superintendent
of the Year
By: Andrea Ayala

10 Yogi Chef: An Inspiration

6 IASAS MUN
By: Samantha Ramsey
By: Laura Lehmann

16 Post-Morrison Basketball
9 IASAS Basketball
By: Julia Saubier
By: Claudia Willnow

22 THIMUN: The Fairytale that

13 ISTA: A Weekend of Musical
Theatre
Had to End
By: Louisa Cotterhill
By: Akshar Bonu

26 Reading this will get you

15 HS Play Aftermath
By: Minsoo Woo
CAS Hours!
By: Mika Limcaoco
18 ISM Gala at Polo Club:
30 Is School too Cool for
A Photo Spread


Pressure?
By: Alyzza Acacio 20 Rex Navarrete:
At the 90th Anniversary
35
Fine Improvements for the
By: Sofia Benares


Fine Arts
By: Mumba Dodwell 27
IASAS Touch Rugby
By: Andrea Ayala
39
All Grown Up
27 IASAS Tennis
By: Amanda Saban
By: Kay Yang
42 P.E. in the I.B.
30 Pista sa ISM
By: Mahek Tulsiani
By: Frances Tanchanco

32 The Tradition of ICARE

Art Corner
By: Shloka Sharan

38 Where Charity Begins at

Home

44 Poetry By: Leandro Leviste

40 ISM Defends Title as HS

Academic Bowl Champions
47 K-12 Art By: Alexei Acacio

41 K-12 Dance Recital

By: Sofia Benares
 News David Toze
Voted Superintendent of the Year
ISM Superintendent, David Toze was recently voted 2011 Super- • Fosters networks of personal and professional relationships
intendent of the Year by the Association for the Advancement of
International Education (AAIE). This auspicious award was pre- The Dr. Ernest Mannino International Superintendent of
sented at the 45th AAIE Annual Conference last February in San the Year Award is named after Dr. Mannino, the first director of
Francisco, CA. We are all very proud of David’s accomplishment the Office of Overseas Schools in the US Department of State. Dr.
as it underscores his years of leadership at ISM in strengthening Mannino served in that position from 1964 until his retirement in
the school across a variety of areas including curriculum, test 1997. In recognition of his outstanding contributions to interna-
score performance, IB participation, college acceptances while tional education, AAIE has named its scholarship program as well
managing the facilities of our beautiful campus. as the prestigious Superintendent of the Year award in Dr. Man-
nino’s honor.
David Toze receiving 2011 AAIE Superintendent of the Year Award
from Dr. Ernest Mannino Please join me in congratulating David for this very well
AAIE is the oldest and premier professional organization of inter- deserved recognition.
national schools throughout the world. It is focused solely on the
mission of achieving “excellence and innovation in education by
creating a dynamic, global community.” Sincerely,
The mission of AAIE is to, inspire and support international edu-
cational leaders to achieve excellence and innovation in educa-
tion by creating a dynamic, global, community that:

• Provides forums for discussion and resolution of common is-

sues Wilfred Steven Uytengsu
• Promotes advancements in school leadership, educational President
research, and best practices International School Manila
• Develops partnerships with institutions and associations Board of Trustees
worldwide

IASAS MUN

By: Samantha Ramsey,
Grade 11
2010 marks yet another successful year for Model ing governmental and environmental issues and tried to make
United Nations. As a simulation of the United Nations, MUN their country’s voice heard. On the last day of the conference,
is an activity that enables students to embody the perspec- the ISM delegation created a MUN music video to the song
tives of various countries around the world, and debate on “Dynamite” by Taio Cruz. After being shown during the closing
the most pressing global issues. This school year, the Inter- ceremony of the IASAS conference, the video has now found
scholastic Association of Southeast Asian Schools (IASAS) its way to Youtube, Vimeo, and Facebook. It has received over
Model United Nations was hosted by the Singapore Ameri- one thousand six hundred hits, and has been viewed around
can School (SAS). the world. ISM has undoubtedly left a lasting footprint, leaving
everyone more than simply excited to see what our school has
The ISM delegation, a team of sixteen students, trav- to offer next year when we will be hosting IASAS MUN 2011.
elled to Singapore to participate in the three day event that
took place from November 11 to 13 2010. The Singapore http://vimeo.com/16792590
American School delegates warmly welcomed the five other
IASAS schools, as well as other schools from the region
such as the Hong Kong International School (HKIS) and the
American Embassy School (AES) from New Delhi. The con-
ference consisted of fifteen different international schools
from around Asia. Throughout IASAS, students came to-
gether to collaborate on creating resolutions which catered
to the differing polices from all the nations, and aimed to
find solutions to topics of various viewpoints. Six of the ISM
delegates mainly submitted resolutions intended to estab-
lish feasible and effective commitments to instigate positive ISM Delegates speaking and preparing
change in our world. Students were devoted to overcom- during debates in their respective com-
6 mittees Pictures by Chris Ong
6
 David Toze
Voted Superintendent of the Year

David Toze receiving 2011 AAIE Superintendent of the Year Award from Dr. Ernest Mannino

Features

ISM By: Andrea Ayala,

Grade 9 Photo of: Hazel Diate
Position: Bus Marshall

Staff Members
In between classes, the halls of ISM are regularly
flooded with students. Easily identified as mismatched pat-
terns of green, black, yellow and white, Elementary, Middle
and High School kids alike weave through their days at ISM.
Undeniably, this student body makes up a majority of the
school population. However, amongst them, other people
similarly make their way around the school. This includes not
only teachers, but also coaches, guidance counselors, par-
ents, librarians, accountants, admission officers, nurses and
lest we forget – the teacher assistants, substitutes, tech of-
ficers, cafeteria staff, bus mothers, custodians, gardeners
and security guards – all of whom contribute and play integral
roles in our school community.

These are the men and women who we can thank for
creating and maintaining the safe, clean, and well organized
environment that we call school. Oftentimes, only students
and teachers are associated with a school’s success and im-
age, and thus the hard work of these individuals may be taken
for granted. It is these employees who operate the whole
school in its everyday hustle and bustle as behind-the-scenes
workers. Most of them work with efficiency day in and day out,
even including the days when students no longer roam the
campus.
Every school year, ISM students attend 181 days
of school, while faculty members attend 187. However,
contrary to popular belief, the campus is monitored every
365 days of the year, whether classes are in session or
not. During October break, Easter, winter, summer vaca-
7
 tions and national holidays, there are people improving
and safekeeping our school grounds. Even the office staff Picture by Jae Woo Park
continues to work during our two months of summer vaca-
tion, planning the upcoming school year and fixing student
schedules. Just recently, over the October break, the Infor-
mation Technology office also had to come in and improve
the school’s Internet and website servers, while the faculty
members and students were away. Like those who work in
the other offices of the school, these employees are loyal
and will come to the campus when they are called.

Over weekends and long holidays, the custodians

serve somewhat as magical elves. But rather than hiding
presents underneath our ISM Christmas tree, they vacuum
the classrooms, clean the pool water after typhoons, and
pick up trash after sports events. The summer holidays
provide an opportunity for them not to relax, but to com-
plete the general cleaning of the school. So during the two
months that students take time off, the custodians are often
busy at work. And when we step back into ISM in August,
the pristine appearance of ISM is the obvious testament to
their continuous efforts.

In the same light, the gardeners also contribute

heavily to the campus’ physical appearance. In order to
sustain the beautiful flora that surrounds the 12 hectares
of our school’s campus, the gardeners must come in five
days a week, if not more. Some of these gardeners have
even been part of the school since the campus was based
in Bel-Air. Today, they regularly work alongside students
from Elementary School with projects that aim to improve
our carbon footprint, such as the Community Garden.
However, above all the departments at the school,
it is the security that contributes the most effort during holi-
days and weekends. As it is their responsibility to go through
the safety measures of keeping ISM under surveillance,
they are the ones who spend the longest time at school,
vigilantly monitoring everyday actions twenty-four seven.
According to Mr. Flynn, Director of Operations and Security,
Photo of: Raymundo “Big Ray” Suyat
Position: Special Project 1
(all-around ISM guard and marshall)
the guards achieve this by rotating between a three-shift op-
eration during school days and a two-shift operation during
holidays. At night, watchmen protect the building for twelve
hours at a time. As unnecessary as this may seem, their labor
is certainly worth it, as all of those with malicious intentions
surrounding the city would not dare to harm our school. The
security forces go the extra mile, keeping the school safe
even during Christmas day and Holy week. This is why, if Mr.
Flynn is in town on Christmas day, he normally comes in to
school in the morning, “Just to bring some tokens or food for
the guys who are having to work on Christmas day.”

Just like Mr. Flynn, we should be extremely grateful

for the service provided for our benefit. ISM support staff are,
in some ways, the backbone of our education, and without
them, our school wouldn’t be able to function in any way.
The time that they put into operating the school deserves our
gratitude. As students, teachers and parents, we must take
the time to thank these stewards of our education, and to
respect their everyday duties as office staff, custodians, gar-
deners, and security guards. Whatever job each individual
may have, we must remember that they too make up the
Photo of: Verlen Sordilla large community that is the International School Manila.
Position: Security Guard
Picture courtesy of Leandro Leviste

8
IASAS Basketball News
By: Julia Saubier, Grade 11
The varsity squads are training hard to fulfill the Picture of Girls Varsity Co-Captain Julia Saubier
high expectations set by fellow Bearcats, seeing that in
January 2011, IASAS basketball, the most anticipated
event of the year, will be held here in the International
School Manila.

Yet, despite the loss of crucial players and a

“sizeable” decrease in height, girls co-captain Clau-
dia Willnow says, “the teams look more promising this
year.” Karen Soriaga, 4-year IASAS participant and
girls’ co-captain says, “Every practice they run suicides
to get faster and fitter in order to win games.” The girls
have been trained to be disciplined and strong, since
every time they miss practice, they run 10 consecutive
suicides. Suicides, horses and 4-ways have become a
regularity in basketball practice – a true testament to
their hard work and dedication.

The boys team has been up to the same rigor-

ous fitness program, Alexander Gill, one of the three
boys’ co-captains says, “We have a lot of potential.”
Jonathan Moran, another boys’ co-captain adds, “Al-
though we are a small team, we are probably the quick-
est and fastest team ISM has seen in many years. Look
for exciting defensive plays and high-speed fast-breaks
in this team’s play.” Senior co-captain Miguel Olfato
says, “We’re a talented bunch and we try to use our
speed to make up for our lack of size. As seen from the
first few games, we are adjusting to the new style of
play but I think that we’ll all peak at the right time.”
Pictures by Nicholai Go
Additionally, this year there are also new
coaches. Will the loss of legendary Coach Morrison
negatively affect the boy’s game? Jonathan says, “The
basketball legacy she has brought to ISM will not be
discontinued. Expect head coach and ex-professional
basketball player Trent Peabody and assistant coach
Carey Nourse to create a legacy of their own.” Jona-
than adds that the coaches are “injecting their wealth
of basketball knowledge into the young players’ minds
very, very quickly.” According to Miguel Olfato, with the
new coaches’ expertise plus “the torture from Mr. High-
land’s deadly fitness Fridays”, the Bearcats unquestion-
ably have a shot at the gold.

This year’s basketball IASAS is one event that

is highly anticipated and is sure to attract a large puls-
ing crowd of green and yellow cheering, energy-packed
Bearcats. Jonathan says, “Having the crowd on the
side of our team is like having 100 more team-mates
on the floor with you.” Miguel says that “they help build
momentum.” In the words of Claudia: “the home crowd
is our team’s Red Bull.”

With the teams’ sheer dedication, perseverance

and teamwork, they will unquestionably rise above our
expectations.
Picture of Boys Varsity Co-Captain Miguel Olfato

9
 Features

Yogi Chef: An Inspiration

By: Laura Lehmann, Grade 11

Amid the hustle and bustle of a day’s workload and refines his unique style of cooking by using only organic
comes a prime necessity for all living creatures—food. materials as ingredients. He adds, “we cook the food the way
Whether it is a fancy French dinner plate or an informal jam nature would want us to eat it.” Remaining true to its name,
caked on toast, the human meal has long been a center the food chain merges the essence of “yogi”, someone who
of attention. Food brings out our most natural expressions is one with the universe, with that of a “chef”. In fact, it serves
and it is undeniable that a hearty meal fulfills our appetites eco-friendly dishes with all-natural ingredients— not even the
and makes our day. For students, the same rule applies: coffee is processed!
the cafeteria is the ultimate place to be.

Throughout the school Picture by Audrey MacCormac In retrospect, Yogi
day, a cafeteria hosts important Chef began as Mr. Dam’s
meetings and periods of respite, part-time endeavor. What
becoming the hub for social gath- began as a small humble
erings. Though snack and lunch movement to save the envi-
break are inarguably the busi- ronment in the form of a veg-
est times of the day, it is anything etarian food stall in the well-
but unusual to find the same long renowned Saturday Salcedo
lunch lines at the end of the day. Market, spiraled quickly into
Afternoon munchies are typi- a huge success. Dam’s ad-
cal, especially in the high school, mirable motives soon trickled
where college-bound students re- down the grapevine. Investors
fuel for the homework load ahead. across Manila approached
But according to recent polls on him with business offers but
our increasingly monstrous eat- nonetheless faced persistent
ing habits, students are indulging rejection. Being the faith-
too often with the unhealthy, to the ful advocate and vegetarian
extent that the situation has been that he was, Mr. Dam refused
deemed an ‘epidemic’. As sup- to put a price on his cause.
porters of this epidemic, school In fact, he even hesitated to
cafeterias are largely at fault. So have his picture taken for the
the question arises- are deep-fried purposes of advertisement in
hamburgers, greasy finger-foods, this article, arguing that Yogi
and other ‘junk’ foods, really the Mr. Dam Chef was not about his orga-
meals that a school should be us- nization, but rather the envi-
ing to fuel their students? The answer resounds with a sim- ronmental message that it strived to convey. “Yogi Chef is not
ple no. Fortunately, the International School Manila has not business; it is a movement”, he claimed passionately. “It is the
fallen into this subculture, and has rather taken an alterna- seed to a chain of environment reform.” Clearly, expanding the
tive route toward a healthy option. The brand new inclusion chain into the commercial realm was never his intention. But
of the widely renowned “Yogi Chef” is a prime example of when an ISM representative approached him one morning, Mr.
its success, and it has successfully satisfied our appetites. Dam saw nothing but the perfect opportunity towards a further
step for his cause.
Introduced by Ahbra Dam, the Yogi Chef food chain
was formed with two core motives—to promote healthy With hopes of spreading healthy eating habits, Dam
eating and a healthy environment. According to Mr. Dam, and his team found a welcoming environment here at ISM. The
the organization was initially difficult to name, admitting Yogi Chef food chain saw no better way to promote its cause
that his team “couldn’t kill animals and call themselves than through an education system. Not only could it share its
‘yogi’, nor avoid cooking and call themselves ‘chefs’ oth- beliefs to globally educated citizens, but also to students, the
erwise”. But with a firm determination for both cooking and future leaders of the world. Strongly adhering to his cause,
the environment, Mr. Dam skillfully unifies both concepts, Dam reiterated his intentions and requested a few provisions

10
before his entry; in no case would Yogi Chef succumb to
an industrial category. With the open embrace of the ISM
community, the Yogi Chef was granted the right to deviate
from the typical cafeteria regulations. Deviation, however
was anything but the result, and Yogi Chef has instead
brought significant influence in the ISM cafeteria system,
setting a high caliber for other food chains in the school to
follow.
compassionate attitude towards both its environment and
customers is one that all food-chains and other retailers
can learn from. The movement to the healthy option is well
underway, and the attempts of a humble Yogi Chef are
an inspiration to us all. The inspired and practical strive
towards environmental protection is one that all schools
should incorporate.

Unlike any other organizations within the high

school cafeteria, the Yogi Chef uses materials that are
especially environmentally friendly. “Everything that goes
down the sink is biodegradable,” Dam remarks, “we don’t
use bleach or any other typical cleaning chemical. Instead,
we use vinegar and organic soap.” But the choice of ma-
terials should in no case be misinterpreted for a lack of
cleanliness, given that vinegar has been scientifically veri-
fied as an excellent cleaning ingredient. “Vinegar works
just as well or even better than other materials. Unlike
harmful cleaning substances, it flows down the sink and
disintegrates into the drainage system. It doesn’t dirty the
water and thus keeps the rivers and oceans clean. It’s bio-
degradable and does no damage to the environment.” In-
deed, Yogi Chef has moved far beyond a matter of cuisine,
and it is no wonder that the food chain has exceeded Mr.
Dam’s humble expectations.

Today, Yogi Chef is among the hand-picked choic- Picture by Audrey MacCormac
es for students in the ISM cafeteria. According to eleventh
grader and frequent customer Jonathan Moran, “Yogi Chef
has broken the popular student misconception that healthy
means less delicious.” Its wide array of dishes is not only
nutritious and tasty, but also entirely homemade. “When
I introduce a dish to my employees, I spend two to three
weeks working on it with them. I want to make sure that
they master the dish, so I cook beside them ten times until
they can manage on their own.”

The dedication and passion behind the smallest of

meals is incredibly heartwarming, but when put in a larger
context, Yogi Chef embodies an international aspect that
ties well into the values of an international community.
From salads to coffee, the food chain produces dishes from
different cultures for the entire community to indulge in. Of-
fering bread, pasta, rice, salad, soup, and many variations
from different cultures proved that the Yogi Chef has really
showed their perseverance. Their foods explore a wide va-
riety of spices and sauces that are fresh and homemade.
Tea is organic, coffee is fresh, and to top it all off, dessert
with a cherry on top (literally!). The Yogi Chef has even
established a yoghurt treat that is made naturally with fresh
organic milk. With fruit toppings like strawberry, banana,
kiwi, mango, raspberry and blueberry, it is the ideal dessert
option on any menu. Mr. Dam evens plans to add choco-
late to the list—“all-natural with fresh milk, homemade of
course!” His adherence and dedication to his sincere mo-
tives are among the many factors that have led to his suc-
cess.
Indeed, Yogi Chef has set a fine example for the Picture by Audrey MacCormac
students at ISM: the ideal model of a global citizen. Its

11
 Perspectives
PSDC: The Philippine
Picture by Anthony Gokianluy
A prestigious event held in high regard.
A competition brimmed with the air of competitiveness
and rivalry.
An exhibition of dexterity, talent and skill.
Sound familiar, anyone?
No, no - not IASAS!
Here’s a new acronym: PSDC!
PSDC stands for the Philippine Schools Debate
Championship, one of the most reputable national debate
tournaments in the Philippines. It is a nationwide com-
petition held annually at the Ateneo de Manila University
where students from local schools around the Philippines
gather for the opportunity to exhibit their eloquence at the
podium.
This year a new school joined in – the Internation-
al School Manila! Helped along by the venerable coaches
of the Forensics Club, ISM’s debaters took the challenge
of competing and experiencing the dynamic British Parlia-
mentary-style of debate. This year, ISM elected to partici-
pate in the Philippine Schools Debate Championship for
the first time.
PSDC began on the morning of November 4,
2010, Thursday, at Leong Hall, Ateneo. Upon entering
the hall, the diversity of the crowd was noticeable. While
the participants were all Filipino (with a few exceptions)
and were all from local Philippine schools, the tournament
also played host to students coming from as far off as the
Visayas and Mindanao provinces. The ISM students had
12
IASAS?
By: Gaea Morales, Grade 9
the opportunity to experience firsthand local culture and
issues.
So how did the “international” students feel partici-
pating in a “local” tournament? After several debates com-
menced, the ISM participants came to recognize the many
different aspects of PSDC that made the tournament a
“Philippine IASAS” event. During most IASAS events, ISM
students are exposed to a different school environment.
Be it, Singapore American School (SAS), Taipei American
School (TAS), International School Kuala Lumpur (ISKL),
International School Bangkok (ISB), or Jakarta Interna-
tional School (JIS). At PSDC, one is pitted against local
schools such as Xavier, Southridge, Woodrose, La Salle,
and Ateneo.
One of the major similarities to IASAS is that the
competition consists of student participants – students
varying in degree of skill and knowledge but all aiming to do
the best that they can and demonstrate their capabilities.
The ultimate goal is the learning experience that the event
will bring…and of course, first place and best speaker! The
effort and determination was evident in the hall, abuzz with
conversations about previous debates, talks about strate-
gies and oral adjudications. The debates went by slowly
at some moments, and quick at others. It did not always
go as smoothly, especially with 117 teams present, each
with two members. As many were also unfamiliar with the
campus grounds, getting to debate rooms was difficult at
the beginning. But the students were all able to manage
and were able to get a lot out of the event. “It definitely ex-
ceeded my expectations. It was a worthwhile experience
despite the competition being at an untimely moment of
the year. I learned so much about dealing with pressure
and persevering till the end,” said Moonie Sohn, another
sophomore participant from the ISM contingent. Whether
different from or similar to IASAS, PSDC ultimately aided
 ISTA:
in the growth and brought new experiences for those
that participated within it, just like any other competi- News
tion or tournament would.

Yet, obviously, an IASAS event and the PSDC

are not entirely parallel. One of the major differences
A Weekend of Musical Theatre
is the span of the demographic locations of the partici- By: Louisa Cotterhill, Grade 8
pating schools. IASAS involves (and is held in rotation
in) six international schools across South-East Asia.
In contrast, the PSDC starts with ‘P’ which stands for
Philippines, and the single tournament is held in At-
eneo de Manila. Also, an IASAS event could involve
music, drama or dance, specifically if it is during the
Cultural Convention, whereas the PSDC is specifically
a debate event (taking into account the ‘D’ in the acro-
nym).

This diversity became clearer when the actu-

al debates commenced. The accents and manner of
speaking were most easily detectable. But the ideolo-
gies and arguments were strikingly new to many of the Picture by Charlene Mamaril

ISM students. An example would be the debates held
The International Schools Theatre Association (ISTA)
on the topic of fraternities. Students framed their argu-
is an international arts organization and registered charity,
ments from the perspective of the Filipino fraternities,
based in the south west of England. ISTA organizes an an-
many of which could be found in the local universities.
nual festival for students to further explore their interest in
As ISM students come from international backgrounds
drama. This year the International School Manila hosted this
and many of the participants were not Filipinos, they
festival for middle school, joined by six visiting schools from
knew little regarding the specific debate topic as com-
within South East Asia, with a theme of ‘Musical Theatre’.
pared to those coming from local schools.
From various countries, students filtered into ISM for
When asked specifically about the debate
the weekend of November 19th to 21st. The visiting schools
styles in IASAS and PSDC, Mariella Salazar, a sopho-
were British School Manila, Singapore American School, Tai-
more and an octo-finalist in the tournament said that, “I
pei American School, Western Academy of Beijing, Shang-
feel that IASAS has a higher quality of debate, because
hai American School, and the American International School
you have time to prepare your arguments and gain suf-
Dhaka. Between 10 and 26 middle school students from each
ficient evidence. PSDC, however, requires thinking on
school had come to visit and join in the ISTA experience.
the spot, quite like extemporaneous speaking.”
According to Ms. Vicki Close, Fine and Performing
It was a brand new experience working with
Arts Director, this year’s ISTA festival was special because it
students from schools in the Philippines, and the par-
was different from the usual format and included core work-
ticipating students tackled matters as relevant as learn-
shops where the students would spend most of the week-
ing more about the Filipino culture and how Filipino de-
end, learning about certain aspects of musical theatre. These
bates go about, to getting more friends on Facebook.
workshops included vocals, dance, acting, and technology for
When Michael Keppler, a sophomore participant, was
the arts department. There were also short ‘taster workshops’
asked about his thoughts on this issue, he said, “I liked
lead by ISM teachers and their students. This consisted of
it. I got to talk to people from the local schools, learn
more of an introduction to the “ways of ISM performance”.
about what life for them was like, make some new
At the end of ISTA, the students performed based on what
friends, speak in the local dialect, and on the whole,
they’d learned in the different core workshops, ending the
further immerse myself in the country I live in.”
festival with an unforgettable exhibition!
It may not be IASAS. It may be the first time ISM
Victoria (Tori) Hewitt, a participant from ISM in this
has participated. It may have been intimidating from
year’s ISTA said, “ISTA was so much fun, better than last
all vantages that ISM was the only international school
year. This year was a lot less stressful and I learned to con-
involved. But, regardless of the initial experience, the
quer my fear of singing and acting in public.”
form of debate, nationality, or institution, it is safe to
say that the ISM contingent departed from PSDC on
For more information about ISTA go to www.ista.co.uk or
the evening of November 6 with newfound knowledge
ISM’s own ISTA blog at www.ista.ism-online.org
concerning not only the world of debate, but also the
diverse world of people of our generation living in the
Philippines.
13
 Perspectives
Picture by Isabel Martel Francisco
Do Rules Really Matter?
“I’m a physics teacher and one of the things that I
have to teach is the notion of “entropy” - that, is that the world
tends to naturally move to a state of more disorder and NEV-
ER the other way around unless an external influence (a rule,
perhaps) is applied.” – Mr. Michael Dickinson, High School
Assistant Principal
Imagine a world without rules.
Everyone could do anything they wanted. People
could drive carelessly down any lane and scenes of bloody,
unfortunate collisions would be your typical morning view.
People could run freely across the streets, wearing anything
or perhaps even nothing at all. People could barge into your
home at any given moment, at the break of dawn or in the
middle of the night. People could steal whatever they desired,
with no repercussions. People could do anything they want-
ed, absolutely anything at all.
Rules are guidelines for conduct and action; they are
instructions to be followed in order to create a refined soci-
ety. “When everyone knows the rules and plays to the same
rules,” declares Mr. Dickinson, “the game is a known quantity
and everyone is able to succeed.” Since we were young, we
have been guided by authority figures. On many occasions
we have all had one simple question running through our
minds: Why? It is because rules are necessary for a com-
munity to run effectively. People have created rules to reflect
the expected way of living for the world to function with mini-
mal difficulty. Senior Jolene Oh proclaims that, “rules exist to
maintain peace and order” and that without them, “the world
would become even more chaotic than it already is.”
14
By: Kimberly Go, Grade 9
The ISM Code of Behavior is a set of rules that pro-
mote “good citizenship” and encourages “the individual to
develop desirable qualities of self-discipline”. It explains the
responsibilities that all peoples should have, such as being
“intellectually honest” which promotes fair play and “treating
all property with respect”, as theft can upset others and lead
to complicated arguments. These rules are enforced to pro-
mote healthy relationships with others, as trust issues may
arise and reputations may be ruined if respect is not given.
Respect is a two-way street, imperative in any society and is
the basis of any working relationship. Without rules, nations
would be susceptible to disagreement and hostility towards
each other, which could lead to anarchy and possibly war.
Anarchy, according to Dictionary.com, is “a state
of society without government or laws.” Mr. Michael Flynn,
Operations and Security Director, believes that “the absence
of rules can lead to conflict, the lack of consideration for the
general well being of others and dangerous behavior.” When
asked why, he expresses that “the reality is that some people
will at times be thoughtless or selfish” and that if there were
no rules, this behavior “would become more common.” 9th
Grader Mia Kawazu agrees, saying that people “would have
nothing in the back of their minds” telling them not to behave
in an uncivilized manner. After all, humans are imperfect, and
it is only natural for sinful temptations to cloud judgments.
Are all rules beneficial? In many cases, regulations
may have been questioned or debated against because they
can limit freedom and independence. While rules may exist
because of tradition or religion, one can argue that they pro-
hibit individuals from showing their true identities; conversely,
is it a lack of understanding by those making the judgment? naïve to think that all rules are fair” which is why people
Schools have uniform policies that may reduce peer pres- should “question [a] rule that is thought to be unfair” in-
sure and bullying as everyone is wearing the same thing. stead of automatically obeying them because they are told
However, this does not stop students from claiming that or taught to. In other words, everyone should use their
it prevents them from ‘expressing themselves freely’. In own judgment and question the existence of a rule, asking
cases like these, collective groups and individuals should themselves if something is really ‘right’.
try to reach a consensus and determine if the benefits out-
weigh the disadvantages.

Essentially, a balance of rules is needed. People
create rules with the intention of preventing anarchy from
corrupting our world and for a society to work properly. Yet,
they must exist only to a certain extent as some may con-
strict one’s liberty, or as Mr. Flynn states, may be “coun-
ter-productive or simply foolish.” He adds that “it would be

HS Play Aftermath By: Minsoo Woo, Grade 12 News

Picture by Minsoo Woo

“Insightful, inspiring, and invigorating,” says Ga- by Jaime de Venecia), the teacher of the prep school
briela Pascuzzi, the assistant director of the High School students. However, as apologies and handshakes
play staged last October 14 to 16, 2010. come and go, the “juvies” and prep school students
eventually learn from each other. Hence, Ms. Monsod,
Directed by Ms. Tami Monsod, the 38 cast mem- the director, says that “the theater has transformative
bers, composed of Dance Company, B-Boys, athletes, powers” not only for the characters within the play but
singers and actors, showcased their talents both individ- she herself underwent artistic transformation, learning
ually and collectively whilst contributing to the coherency that the most absurd ideas (quite often from Jaime de
of the play. Venecia) can be the best ones.

A play within a play, The Book of Antigone includ-
ed both the drama and the comedy needed to keep the
audience engrossed. With juvenile delinquents tasked to
stage a play performance of the classic, Antigone, our
students effectively blended the modern and the ancient
by showing their individual understanding of rather unfa-
miliar lines and roles. While Act I characterized the juve-
niles and showed their preparation process for the play,
Act II presented a wonderful outcome of their practice
(what the characters worked for during the entire Act I).
Act I focused on the conflict between the prep
school students and the juvenile delinquents that they
were supposed to “help” as part of their community ser-
vice program. As their interests are disharmonized, the
teacher of the juvenile delinquents, Brian Franco (played
by Aadam Mohammed) disagrees with Dr.Castillo (played
While audiences were sensually impressed in
Act I, they were thrilled by the powerful staging of the
play in Act II, with Kristine Crouch as Antigone. Like-
wise, the play within a play has strengthened the effect
of the anachronistic style: Street Meets Greek.
When the casts restaged Act II for the ISTA fes-
tival, they approached their roles with inspired clarity
and maturity. With some changes in roles, they showed
twice the strength they did in the first run. Ms. Mon-
sod especially points out how Dinesh Mohnani played
the original Creon with a kind of reptilian grace while
Tae Wan Kim played the new Creon with a lion heart.
Hence, as Gabriela rightfully recognizes, the “effects of
the play [go] beyond [their] last performance.”

15
 Features

Post-Morrison
Last year, the head coach of the ISM basket-
ball Varsity Boys team was a woman who held high
expectations for her team. This year, the new coach-
es seem to be following in those same footsteps.

Ms. Mona Lisa Morrison, a JV Boys coach for

two years and the Varsity Boys coach for six, has left
quite large shoes to fill. But luckily for Mr. Peabody,
with his 6’4 stature has had no trouble so far at fill-
ing the coaching void. This year, 13 boys are on the
varsity squad, all hard working and dedicated for the
upcoming IASAS tournament to be held at home this
January.

Miguel Olfato, the senior captain, says “The

biggest difference from this year’s team and last
year’s would be the major height difference.” What
with the absence of last year’s fairly tall senior for-
wards like Patrick Reed and Alex Oosterveen, this
year, the boys will have to make up for lack of altitude
with speed, effort, and intensity. Jonathan Moran, the
junior captain, is more than confident with their com-
pensation, claiming: “We are a lot quicker and faster
this year.”

The team is comprised of six rookies, who

have only ever been exposed to this year’s new
coaches, Mr. Peabody and Mr. Nourse. But what do
these newbies expect from the remaining season?
Gio Panlilio, a new player from Hong Kong, says that
“the season started off slow.” He expresses concern
that a surprisingly large chunk of the team had got-
ten injured during the course of season, but Gio still
maintains the faith that the team will “recover from
[their] injuries, and surprise a lot of people at IA-
SAS.” Then again, there are veterans that have had
a taste of both coaches and their different styles. For
instance, all three captains, Alex Gill, Miguel Olfato
and Jonathan Moran have all practiced under Ms.
Morrison. These boys would all agree that this year’s
team focuses on defense, contrasting from Ms. Mor-
rison’s focal point of offense. The consensus would
be that Mr. Peabody is a detailed coach who empha-
sizes the basics of basketball. “He understands the
game from both a coach’s and player’s perspective,”
says Gio, who also admits that this is a quality that he
admires about his coach. He can also be seen as the
type of coach who shows the boys how it’s done by
involving himself during his practices. On the other
hand, both coaches maintain the expectations of win-
ning and growing as a cohesive team.

16
 Basketball By: Claudia Willnow, Grade 11
By the time IASAS comes around, the
heart of the boys’ game will be defense, but what
Pictures by Vincent Ching and Nicholai Go
will they bring to the table that differs from last
year’s coaching? “Players from last year’s var-
sity team under Ms. Morrison learned respect for
the game and the concentration and patience re-
quired to play games at the extremely competitive
level,” replies Jonathan. No doubt, this same pas-
sion for basketball will continue under the guid-
ance of Mr. Peabody and Mr. Nourse. The team
will surely prove this to the entire ISM community
at this year’s IASAS. Come and witness for your-
self what this fresh team has to offer on January
27th – 29th. Let’s go Bearcats!

(Pictures by Vincent Ching and Nicholai Go)

17
18
19
 Rex Navarrete
News

at the 90th Anniversary

By: Sofia Benares, Grade 11
“Filipinos and Irishmen—we’re the same. They
have a diet based around starch; they eat potatoes. We
have a diet based on starch too; we eat rice. And what
is rice? Tiny potatoes,” joked Rex Navarrete—master
of accents, observer of people, and an all around funny
guy. His jokes sent the entire audience in the Interna-
tional School Manila’s, Fine Arts Theater on the night
of November 11th, into fits of laughter. He had every-
one clutching their sides and gasping for breath, and
no, that’s not an exaggeration!

Rex Navarrete was invited to ISM to perform

during ISM’s 90th Anniversary celebration show. Sav-
ing the best for last, Rex performed after ISM’s Show
Choir, Jazz Band, and a 20-minute performance by
Dance Co. It was a night that definitely showcased stu-
dent’s talents, culminating to Rex Navarrete’s fantastic
set, all in all creating a spectacular show.

Picture by Angel Feliciano

Rex Navarrete, the one and only “Premiere Fili-

pino-American Comedian,” was born in the Philippines
but raised primarily in the United States. Through his
jokes though, he is still very much in touch with the
culture of the Philippines and his heritage. All of his
jokes come from real-life experience, so called “Rex
moments;” and relying on past events has truly made
him a master storyteller. But the mastery of Rex Na-
varrete comes not only in his humor but his versatility
as he manages to get people of all races to laugh at
jokes that are so inanely… Pinoy.

This show was a perfect way to celebrate a

fantastic 90 years and will be a wonderful memory in-
grained into our minds!

Picture by Stephanie Hagedorn

20
Pictures by Nicholai Go

21
 Features

THIMUN:
The Fairytale that
22
Had to End
 By: Akshar Bonu,
Grade 10
Picture by Mr. Hobbins

Every season of Model United Nations (MUN) always

begins with a basic orientation – a time during which the fresh
faces of MUN can speak to their more experiened upperclass-
men. I can remember my first orientation, almost a year and a
half ago, in which a veteran said to me: “Probably one of the big-
gest reasons for doing MUN is The Hague International Model
United Nations (THIMUN) – the only foreign trip which allows
you to go outside of Asia – to the Netherlands! It has been the
defining moment of my High School so far.”

Just the thought of going to Europe sounded great

enough, but I soon found out that THIMUN was far bigger then
that just an opportunity to travel. THIMUN is currently the big-
gest Model United Nations conference in the world, attracting
4,500 delegates from all over the globe. Over the course of the
nine days, THIMUN guarantees a delegate new friendships,
incomparable fun, and most importantly, possible solutions to
global issues. Held in the World Forum Convention Center in
The Hague, The Netherlands, it is one of, if not the most, real-
istic UN simulations in the world. It is so prestigious that it even
holds actual consultative status with the United Nations Eco-
nomic and Social Council. In layman’s terms, that means that
the real UN may actually consult THIMUN’s passed resolutions!
In addition, the level of debate at THIMUN is unsurpassed, with
a place for both hardcore and soft debaters. Even though I have
yet to actually experience this trip for myself as of yet, I am more
than willing to believe former delegates’ assessments of the
nine days: an experience of a lifetime indeed.

However, even despite all of these amazing opinions

and benefits, this year will be ISM’s final year at THIMUN. Af-
ter almost two years of deliberation, weighing the positives and
negatives of the change, the ISM administration finally came to
a conclusion that THIMUN was to be no more. For delegates
both new and old, this was heart stopping. Arguably the best
and most cherished trip provided by ISM was being terminated.
The ISM administration, however, will not leave the delegates
empty-handed, offering a replacement trip – Beijing International
Model United Nations (BEIMUN). Having been able to hear the
administration’s backing of their decision, it is clear that remov-
ing THIMUN and replacing it with BEIMUN had practical and
altruistic reasons.

23
Picture by Mr. Eamonn Hobbins
 Features

“
with the decision. “BEIMUN is no THIMUN, and the experi-
ence will be far worse on all accounts from debate to over-
Yet, even after both sides have put their all fun,” says a disgruntled delegate who prefers to remain
anonymous. In a conversation with this delegate, they
cards on the table, no one knows claim that unlike THIMUN, it is nearly impossible to get top

”
what BEIMUN will offer...
In explaining their decision, the school cited the envi-
ronmental costs and implications of the trip. Thanks to various
“green-minded” teachers and students alike, ISM has begun to
spearhead the go-green movement. Arguably one of the most
environmentally friendly schools out of the six IASAS schools,
ISM’s Model United Nations program wanted to support the en-
deavor. Traveling to the Netherlands and back is almost 21,350
kilometers, which translates to an excessive amount of carbon
emissions. Traveling to BEIMUN, on the other hand, reduces
this amount by almost 75% with only around 5,500 kilometers.
If Model United Nations is about solving global issues, isn’t it
contradictory to propagate one by hurting the environment to
go to the Netherlands? An anonymous delegate however ar-
gued: “Well, the planes would fly anyway, wouldn’t they? So
what difference does it make if nineteen kids go or not?” This
is a valid point, but if not for having a huge global impact, this
move symbolizes MUN and ISM’s willingness to make sacri-
fices for the environment. Who knows what kind of inspiration
may sprout from this? The removal of a cherished trip in the
name of the environment will, without a doubt, send a message
within ISM and ISM-affiliated schools.
chairing positions in BEIMUN. This year ISM got a record-
breaking haul of chairing positions in THIMUN. Multiple
presidents (the top position in a committee) amongst other
high-profile positions reflect ISM’s incredible reputation
at THIMUN. BEIMUN, on the other hand, sees all these
positions filled by delegates of the International School of
Beijing, who sponsors the event. There is a silver lining
however, as ISM has received word from the BEIMUN or-
ganizers that ISM delegates will be given officer positions
in its first year.
For most delegates, the biggest reason they are
unhappy is that BEIMUN cannot provide the holistic expe-
rience that THIMUN can. THIMUN is hosted in the World
Forum Convention Center. The level of debate and pres-
tige can’t be matched. It is in the Netherlands, one of the
most beautiful and interesting countries to possibly be in.
Everything about THIMUN gives an aura of professional-
ism and an experience of a lifetime. “Being in the Nether-
lands, standing on a podium which was used by real UN
speakers before is really just something else,” says a del-
egate. In the minds of ISM students, Beijing and BEIMUN
really can’t match that. With only around 1,000 delegates,
hosted in a far more modest environment – delegates can’t
expect much with this change. Though in defense of Bei-
jing, there are exciting tourism opportunities such as The

Even so, the ISM administration also had pragmatic

reasons in backing this move. THIMUN generally has a cap
of 18 delegates, mainly because traveling to The Hague is ex-
pensive. BEIMUN, on the other hand, will increase this cap to
25 delegates. That means that seven more students will have
the opportunity to experience an international trip every year.
Just like what the policy of limitations offers, this means more
opportunities for more people, which really is a great thing. De-
spite this, many delegates still remain unconvinced. “This year
we have Model United Nations Assembly (MUNA) which is a
pseudo-international conference open to everyone. Isn’t that
enough opportunities?” Although it sounds selfish, it is true that
MUNA is a conference open to all delegates. However, there is
a reason why it is a pseudo-international conference and does
not deliver everything IASAS MUN or BEIMUN could provide.

Arguably the biggest advantage for a typical stressed

out ISM student is that BEIMUN, is only five days long, unlike
THIMUN that spans nine days. Given the timing of THIMUN,
right before mock IB exams, the week of jetlag following the
conference, and the nine days of catch up that needs to be
done post-conference, is incredibly stressful. Though most del-
egates would argue they choose to do THIMUN knowing they
can cope with its responsibilities, BEIMUN is forcibly making
the student’s lives much easier.

Picture by Katie Thompson
Ultimately however, MUN participants remain unhappy
24
Great Wall of China, The Bird’s Nest and other exciting historical and modern sites. It may not be the Netherlands,
but it surely has its own experiences to offer.

Yet, even after both sides have put their cards on the table, no one knows what BEIMUN will offer. For now,
delegates can only look at YouTube videos and see beimun.net for more information. Until a delegation goes for
sure, everything is merely speculation. Delegates’ reactions to this change are understandable – a cherished tradi-
tion is being scrapped for a wildcard conference. Something secure is being replaced by something yet to be discov-
ered. Granted, the ISM administration has provided tangible benefits for scrapping THIMUN. However, only time will
truly tell if they shall succeed. With optimism, the “THIMUN gamble” may pay off and, at the expense of a cherished
tradition, a new and stronger one may be born. Students will have to keep an open mind.

Picture by Katie Thompson

Picture by Mariella Salazar

Greetings from the Hague!

THIMUN 2011
Picture by Chris Ong 25
 Features
Reading this will get you
By: Mika Limcaoco, Grade 10
As a student body, we are reminded practically ev-
ery Wednesday to do three things:
1. Fill up your CAS hours.
2. Give up four hours of your time for someone else
(yes, that means you freshmen and sophomores).
3. Get out there and do something.
Yet, only a minute fraction of the high school has so
far completed their required CAS hours.
CAS represents three things: Creativity, Action
and Service. Granted, not everyone can be the next Hol-
lywood star, the future all season athlete, or the successor
of Mother Teresa. Fortunately for us students, CAS does
not need that. All they ask is that we sacrifice a few hours
of our lives for a good and productive cause, whether it be
on the field, on the stage, or inside a shelter.
Living in the Philippines establishes a variety of op-
portunities to fulfill the Creativity, Action and Service as-
pects of CAS. Attending the International School Manila
provides even more. It’s simply a matter of breaking the
typical “go-home-go-to-school” routine through a bit of
sacrifice and affirmative action. The International School
Manila offers several different afterschool sports, clubs,
publications, productions, and service trips to its students.
Everything has already been organized and preset by staff
and student councils; the most difficult aspect of joining
an activity for the everyday student is, ironically, choos-
ing one. Several students agree that they actually have
no trouble “going out there and doing something.” In fact,
several students already have their required hours (unof-
ficially) fulfilled. However, the issue of a lack of CAS hours
could be the time it takes to in log in and write the reflec-
tion.
Most students—believe it or not—don’t impul-
sively do their homework as soon as they get home.
The CAS form, an assignment with a flexible deadline, is
no exception. According to lead CAS organizer Mr. Neil
Woods,“some students are not always involved as much
as we would like for a wide range of genuine reasons, such
as work, sports and family commitments. Often when there
is alot going on, students postpone completing their ser-
vice hours to semester two. The problem is that there may
not be enough spaces left in semester two for all students!”
This may be why early into the school year most of the
preliminary CAS hours are still yet to be completed. It is
only when the school year approaches its end that most
students finally realize that those CAS forms do eventually
require completion because in the end, those hours are the
key to graduation (especially for seniors!).
26
CAS Hours!
Picture by Minsoo Woo
However, logging in those hours does provide
valuable time to reflect. Reflecting encourages students to
build on their strengths as well as provide an opportunity to
identify their weaknesses whether it is inside or outside the
classroom. Most of all, reflecting exposes the true value
behind those hours because ultimately, CAS reflections
are a way to record a worthwhile activity.
What bothers several very CAS-oriented students
is the lack of acknowledgment given to the value behind
the hours. When questioned about her dislikes towards the
CAS system, sophomore Mariella Salazar explained: “In a
sense, people do service because it’s compulsory, and I
find that although this exposes people to service and may-
be gets them to change their views, it can also bring about
a mentality that service should only be done to “look good”
on college applications or to fulfill the requirements of IB,
which entirely defeats the purpose of service. If you want
people to care about the world, you must not force them
to. But I suppose it’s a chance ISM should take, because
we’re not losing anything per se by exposing students to
service and other multi-faceted activities.”
Indeed, there are still several students who would
rather sleep in than visit a nearby GK community build.
However, they are still forced to do so, despite their disin-
clination from Service Learning. The downside is that this
“forced” system could cause a student’s dislike of the CAS
system to grow even more. However, there is still the small
possibility of a service trip changing the students’ lives on
at least a small scale. I do agree that one’s personal value
system does play a large part in the meaning of CAS. Ulti-
mately, from a purely practical perspective, all that anyone
really has to do is get the hours done. Whether or not the
hours were genuinely valuable to depends solely on the
student.
As the semester comes to a close, academic pres-
sures will continue to intensify. As the new semester be-
gins—one with even more challenging academics and a
more demanding workload—convenient and available
CAS opportunities will slowly decrease. Take the initiative,
get those forms in!
 News
IASAS Touch Rugby
By: Andrea Ayala, Grade 9
For the past three years, ISM has held a strong
reputation against other IASAS competitors in the field
of girl’s Touch Rugby. Our school boasts two consecu-
tive silver medals and one gold, and will expected to do
well this season too. Much of this success can be ac-
credited to the coaches, Craig Wislang and Steve Dodd,
both of whom have seen players come and go. Last
year has been both a rewarding and sad season for the
coaches. After finally winning the championship in 2010,
four seniors graduated and four others moved away,
leaving the team with only four returning IASAS play-
ers. Coach Wislang comments, “It changes the whole
dynamic of the team, obviously this year’s [players are]
much younger, but it is good because we can start fresh
and carry on.” While this loss of experience poses a dis-
advantage for the team, it does allow an opportunity for Picture courtesy of Sarita Morris
young and upcoming underclassmen to get a chance
at playing varsity level. Under the coach’s policy of se-
lecting at least four freshmen as part of the squad, a Whether these players can make it to IASAS
majority of this season’s team is made up of 9th and is still in question, but in the words of one of the cap-
10th graders. According to head coach Wislang, “The tains Chelsea Ferguson, “I think we’ve got a lot of
six freshmen [and three sophomores] aren’t just there young people who are fit, we can go so much further
because it’s our policy, it’s because they can play.” than we’ve gone at Pre-IASAS.”

News
IASAS Tennis By: Kay Yang, Grade 12
With five returning upperclassmen – three Se- American School – a dominant force in Tennis IASAS
niors and two Juniors – and four new faces on the Varsi- – was defeated 6-2 as well. In the local tournament,
ty Girls Tennis team, many would say that new additions ISTA, ISM also lead with three wins and only one loss.
to the team would pose as a disadvantage; that perhaps ISM’s consistent winning streak is creating a
training new players would be ‘difficult’. This is not the buzz and excitement among the tennis community
case for this year’s girls Varsity Tennis Team. and is fueling expectations to medal both locally and
in IASAS. A great start to what we know will be a great
Jasmine Tan Ho, sister of famed Joshua Tan Ho season!
– the only player in the history of Interscholastic Asso-
ciation of South East Asian Schools (IASAS) to win all
his matches in four years (20 wins, 0 losses, without
dropping a single set) – has entered the stage as ISM
Girls first singles player. The pressure is on to live up to
her brother’s legacy, but Jasmine, a national player who
has dominated the Philippine tennis scene at the age
of 15, is sure to play a consistently prominent role in an
already strengthened team of girls. “We definitely have
the potential to medal this year,” smiled Maansi Vohra,
captain and an all-tournament player in IASAS Tennis
2009. She has every reason to believe so as this year’s
tennis season started with a bang. Pre-IASAS was host-
ed in the very heart of Manila, and both of ISM’s teams
played with absolute ease. Jakarta International School Picture courtesy of Alex Roquey
was defeated 8-0 on both occasions, while Singapore

27
 Pista Sa ISM

By: Frances Tanchanco, Grade 11

Fund.
For over thirty years, it has been International
After the endless planning process and count-
School Manila’s tradition to celebrate Pista sa ISM. An
less meetings, PCC did not let the heavy rains stop the
annual school wide celebration highlighting the culture
Filipinana celebrations held last October 22nd 2010. This
of the Philippines through an array of cultural displays
year’s set up reached new levels with its Barrio Fiesta
such as, the Barrio Fiesta, and many spectacular per-
booths all laid out in the courtyard, truly giving it a more
formances. This event is organized by the schools
“fiesta feel”. Instead of having all the food under the balco-
very own Philippine Cultural Club (PCC): Mara Javier
nies, next to the garage, PCC decided to do things differ-
(President), Rence Pazcoguin (Vice President), Kristine
ently in honor of IS Manila’s 90th celebration. Bahay ku-
Crouch (Secretary), Sarina Samson (Treasurer), and
Frances Tanchanco (Public Relations Officer). Working Picture by Minsoo Woo
alongside them were the honorary officers, including
Alonzo Virata, Isabel Martel Francisco, Bianca Rome-
ro-Salas, Enzo Razon, and Natalia Pena. Their hard
work would not have paid off without the help of parents,
especially major sponsors Leonardo “Sandy” Javier of
Andoks and Maritel Nievera of Cabalen. Other parent
liaisons who contributed selflessly to the Pista include
Camille Samson, Gianna Montinola, Marianne Pratte,
Libet Virata, Junie Pena, Tina Maristela Ocampo, and
Irene Martel Francisco. The proceeds from this event
were generously directed to the ISM Disaster Relief

Picture courtesy of Frances Tanchanco

bos represented each of the different food stalls, including

new additions: such as a Cabalen buffet and a Sari-Sari
store. Like previous years, Andoks managed to attract a
large crowd in the corner of the Middle School courtyard.
Another component added to this year’s Pista was the col-
lection of dancers hired to dance in the Barrio Fiesta and
throughout the day. Dancing different native numbers and
playing a variety of native instruments, they were surely a
great addition to the enthusiasm and spirit.
Picture courtesy of Frances Tanchanco Fortunately, the heavy rains that initially shrouded

28

the festive atmosphere were not detrimental to the an-
nual traditional parade. The rains began just prior to the
parade, spreading panic amongst the PCC officers and
participants. However, the problem was quickly solved as
the parade took to a new route around the inside of the
school. Two bands enclosed the parade from the front and
the back, while student dancers taught by Yek Barlongay
lead the way. The dancers were a new addition to the pa-
rade in commemoration of ISM’s 90th year anniversary.
Moreover, another great aspect this year was that our
Picture by Minsoo Woo
Picture courtesy of Frances Tanchanco
Hermana Mayor was none other than Taguig City’s mayor,
the honorable Maria Laarni Cayetano.
Like every year, the Filipiniana assembly was
opened with a speech by PCC President, Mara Javier,
and closed by High School Principal Mr. Bill Brown. The
performances, hosted by Manu Gonzales and Kimi Ro-
driguez, included the HS Orchestra’s “Rosas Pandan”,
Dance Company’s “Biyahe Tayo”, Jazz Band’s “Katawan”,
Advanced Dance’s “Probinsyana”, and many more by the
News
regular High School dance classes and Show Choir.
Yet another change accompanying this year’s
Filipiniana was the different location given for the Fear
Factor program. Instead of being held in the Little
Theater, PCC relocated the event to the High School
Courtyard. The program is a contest where participants
compete against each other by eating exotic Filipino
cuisines. New additions were made to the selection of
foods offered in this event, including the battue or frog.
However, like previous years, dishes such as balut, be-
tamax, dinuguan, and adidas were among the challeng-
es. The winner was Freshman Dachan Park, winning
various prizes including gift certificates from Havaianas,
Rustan’s, and a pair of Skullcandy headphones.
Undoubtedly, Filipiniana truly exuded the Filipino
culture, allowing students and teachers alike to bask in
the history of not only the Philippines, but our school as
well. It was the perfect celebration to commemorate the
last ninety years of ISM.
Picture courtesy of Frances Tanchanco
29
 Features
Is School
“Don’t give in to peer pressure”—a common phrase
that has been reiterated to all students at the International
School Manila from the fantasy world of kindergarten up
until our stressful high school life. This phrase is repeated-
ly played to students in wellness classes and during guid-
ance assemblies, teaching us how to react when faced
with certain situations. However, it is not the only type of
pressure that lingers around the campus; there are many
others that exist but are not explored to the wider extent.
Take, for example, the pressure of achieving good grades,
to meet standards, the obligation to join sports clubs and
especially in high school, the ‘need’ to get into a presti-
gious university. Mr. Steve Ayling, high school guidance
counselor, states that, “There are two main types of pres-
sure, one that you put on yourself, the other being all of the
‘external’ pressures and expectations which people can
feel are hanging over them.” Believe it or not, these pres-
sures are not wholly detrimental as they can instead serve
as the building blocks of motivation for better performance.
Fortunately, here at the International School Manila, deal-
ing with pressure is taken seriously and it is in the best
interest of the school to prevent severe cases of students
feeling isolated and insignificant.
The International School Manila is considerably
one of the best learning institutions in the Philippines. One
of its many missions is ‘to advance the value of learning,
growth and self-awareness as life-long endeavors.’ The
success of this mission can be reflected with the general
performance of students with their GPAs, SAT scores and
*Mr. Birchenall gives a demonstration
30
Too Cool for Pressure?
By: Alyzza Acacio, Grade 9
many other indicators. At the end of the semester, when
Power School is updated for the last time and the grades
become a trail of past achievements and even minor fail-
ures, many tend to forget how their grades came to be. No
one dares to remember the struggle, the lack of sleep, and
of course the pressure that had once been so potent to the
final result. The main pressure involved in this situation is
that of academic pressure, wherein a student feels as if he
or she needs to attain a certain grade due to the expec-
tations that have been set by peers, parents and teach-
ers. Fifth grader Katherine Go describes the academic
pressure she experiences due to the legacy of her family
as she adds, “Because my siblings have a reputation of
getting into honors classes, my parents also set goals for
me of what I should achieve.” The pressure of getting into
honors classes such as in Mathematics and English, and
the acknowledgement for outstanding GPAs can serve as
a motivational tool for students. But if too much pressure
on grades dominates students, other responsibilities such
as maintaining a well-balanced life become neglected. In-
stead, they should channel their motivations as an inspira-
tion to reach their goals. Who can resist the vision of them-
selves at the end of the year with countless certificates
of their own achievements? Not only would this make the
student proud, but also he or she would attain a sense of
achievement in reaching a goal that once seemed impos-
sible.
Picture by Audrey MacCormac
 Not everyone’s strength is academics and so not
all pressures are academically inclined. A wide variety of
clubs are offered at ISM from sports activities such as vol-
leyball to clubs that promote culture such as the Philippine
Cultural Club. In essence, these clubs entertain interests
and enhance student’s potential to excel in a certain area.
For example, the Interscholastic Association of Southeast
Asian Schools (IASAS) is an event in which six member
schools compete against one other in activities including
athletics and the performing arts. With the many talented
individuals in the school and the limited slots in IASAS,
the pressure is heightened yet again. Unfortunately, since
it is considered a competitive event, there is a limit to how
many students can join, consequently exerting pressure
on all the students that desire to be included in the promi-
nent IASAS events. Sometimes, students also feel the
need to satisfy someone else’s expectations before their
own. Freshman Shivani Phadke says, “I feel pressured
with IASAS because I really want to get in, but there are so
many others much better at what they do than I am. Sports
are something that I’m not very good at, so I’m afraid to
try out because if I happen to get in, I might disappoint my
teammates.” This is potentially harmful to a student’s mind
frame because they may entertain feelings of inferiority
due to the pressure of their surroundings. But if a student
doesn’t make it to these events, he or she should not be
discouraged because other opportunities will always ap-
pear.
Students try to excel—for themselves, their parents
and teachers, and of course, for college applications. Es-
pecially for high school students, the pressure of getting
Picture by Minsoo Woo
Weighed down by College
accepted into universities and figuring out the future has
always been a ton of bricks on one’s shoulders. Once in
a while, overseas universities and colleges visit ISM to in-
troduce their schools in college talks. Senior, Jolene Oh
believes that college talks are helpful, but at the same time
add onto the pressure. “College talks are really helpful but
the main problem is that most of the talks are only for col-
leges in the States. Overall, the school does pressure us to
some extent to join a ‘good’ university because most of the
college talks that I get invited to are basically Ivy League
schools.” But though this may create an intimidating aura,
it is important that students are not discouraged and rather
encouraged to strive in fulfilling their desires.
Though some perceive pressure to be so over-
whelming, it actually assists students in setting higher
goals for themselves. From simple attempts to improve a
low grade to major decisions like choosing universities that
suits an individual best, any type of pressure should not
hinder a person’s potential to be unleashed. High School
Guidance counselor Mr. Douglas McQueen offers a word
of advice for students who feel intimidated, “The most im-
portant way to cope with pressure is too have someone
you trust that you can openly talk to whether it be a friend,
sibling, parent or guidance counselor. Another important
point that students should remind themselves of is that we
are all human. We all make mistakes and none of us are
perfect. That understanding and belief alone can help put
many things into proper perspective.” If ever any student
feels intimidated, there are people around that are willing
to give support such as your parents, teachers, and peers
because isolation is never an option.
31
 iCare
News
The Tradition of
By: Shloka Sharan, Grade 11

The start of every year is always wearisome, characterized by sleep deprivation and unnatural amounts
of stress, yet the light at the end of the tunnel brings, ICARE. The one week experience is enough to compensate
for the weeks of work, leaving us with great memories that easily overshadow any bad ones. This year, ICARE
will be held from December 7 to 11, 2010, and will be hosted in over thirty sites all over the Philippines.

As always, classic sites like Caliraya and Stairway will remain, while some new sites like Pedro Palacio
will offer new possibilities. The seven hundred plus High School students will pack their bags and commit them-
selves to a week of service, whether it is right here in Manila or all the way in Banaue. From working with kids
from other local schools to literally building communities, students will be put in situations in which they actively
respond to the environment, fulfilling the learning objectives of CAS along the way. This is also a great opportu-
nity for students from different grades to collaborate and create long- lasting friendships.

Matthew Borja, a Junior about to go on his third ICARE trip comments, “ICARE is going to be a great
experience! Finally, a chance to unwind from school, and do something fun. We’ll get to teach kids, spend time
with new people in and out of our ISM community, and even build homes (and definitely a little character on the
way too)!” Undoubtedly, the expectations for ICARE continue to rise as excitement escalates as well. Just like
every year, it can be assured that the unforgettable and anticipated week will not disappoint.

A typical ICARE Day:

Pictures by Rhea Schmid

32
 Perspectives

Teen Troubles: The Battle with Oneself

“Life sucks, school sucks”, the phrase most com-
monly uttered by stressed out students, upperclassmen
and underclassmen alike. Burdened by an overload of
responsibilities and duties to fulfill, we too often hear this
exaggeratedly gloomy statement from exasperated teen-
agers. Obviously, they do not really mean that as their
resolute definition of life – it is merely a way of venting or
complaining to let off steam caused by stress. Not only
that, the natural tendency for teens to feel insecure plac-
es a lot of us in a pit of confusion. Ironically, as growing
members of the community, teenagers should be prepar-
ing to become positive, responsible adults and getting
ready to achieve success – but what is stopping them
from embracing a brighter future with a positive attitude?
Let’s face the facts: growing up is a hard and arduous
journey. We impulsively tend to rebel against grownups,
or anyone who seems to be “intruding” into our personal
matters. J.D. Salinger, an American writer from the 1950s,
portrays this aspect of teenagers through Holden Caul-
field, an exaggerated version of the typical “independent”
teenager. We want to be independent, and we feel that
we are being encaged in places we don’t want to be in.
By: Esther Park, Grade 10
Furthermore, with the expansive use of the Internet,
present day teenagers are exposed to more negative
influences than what their school environment might in-
advertently provide. Movies, songs, and advertisements
that refer to stereotypes can potentially diminish one’s
self confidence; too many teenagers are pressured to
think that skinny girls or muscular men are the “popular,”
“well-accepted” individuals of society, setting a false re-
ality that an individual’s value is measured by how they
look. Not only does this mental obsession with one’s
physical appearance take up a large portion of a teen’s
focused thoughts, it can inadvertently affect schoolwork
and extracurricular activities.
Yet ironically, teenagers are preparing themselves
for a harsh reality, a world that one cannot survive in
without “advertising” him or herself to the people around
them. Today, it is difficult to get promoted at work with-
out connections with co-workers in the system. Hence,
it is considerably counterintuitive to expect teenagers to
grow up and be able to reach the highest success in a
career that thrives on putting aside one’s real self, and
adapting to society.

External factors present in the environment also Yet despite the countless external factors that po-
heavily influence the teenage mentality. Peer pressure, tentially disrupt one’s path towards true success, almost
for example, can work both ways; a friend can encour-
age you to try out for the soccer team or MUN; or the
existence of social groups can make you feel the de-
sire to “fit in” that soon transforms into an obsession.
Worst case scenarios include teens abandoning their
true morals and values in order to hop on the bandwag-
on, not thinking of where the “bandwagon” is headed.
Peer pressure can be a subtle but powerful force. It may
cause one teen girl to acquire an unhealthy diet to “look
beautiful” and feel accepted, or it may force a teen boy
to tell his mate the answers to a math test to stay a “bro”
of the clique. These examples may be generalizations,
but there is some truth to a teenager’s deep and crucial
need for social acceptance. Especially during the forma-
tive years, while teens are developing a more mature in-
dividual identity, an identity different from the one formed
by family and environment during childhood. Peer pres-
sure can be a social binding element but it may also lead
to more detrimental behavior, such as teenage drinking
and drug abuse, of which peer pressure is a determining
cause – according to the volunteers from the Freedom
from Chemical Dependency (FCD) organization who
visited the ISM community a couple of months back.
Picture by Audrey MacCormac

33
 everything depends on the individual. Does he or she
have the ability to overcome these temptations and re-
main faithful to one’s values? It is also a matter of a
mentality test – how teenagers perceive certain things,
such as advertisements, and how they can control the
influence on themselves. Strong, determined teenagers
will be able to overcome such obstacles and be able to
appreciate what was gifted to them in the first place –
their unique identity as an individual, naturally fulfilling
a role of adding a little variety to a collection of humans
that are already more similar than different.
ISM holds responsibility for the growth of more than
700 teenagers, and it successfully creates a “teenage
friendly” environment that boosts their confidence, helps
them become more independent, and increases social
skills. With the wide array of activities to participate in,
students learn their hidden strengths and unknown in-
34
terests. Students also gradually understand that they
have the independent responsibility to prove themselves
worthy of the academic subjects and extra-curricular ac-
tivities, or “mini careers.” Most importantly, our school
has long promoted a unified spirit of pride, which helps
everyone feel love, instead of being pressured to fit in
to the “coolest cliques,” similar to the school environ-
ment that appears in the movie Mean Girls. Our school
has shown its extraordinary ability to unite a culturally
diverse school and limit the presence of cultural discrim-
ination. Let us all hope that ISM continues to remain as
an abode of acceptance, that expansive vestibule wel-
coming our population of inwardly-fragile teenagers --
that mother figure that perpetually exceeds our cynical
expectations of the possible amount of love and accep-
tance that can exist in a community. We are all in this
together, no cliché intended. Go Bearcats!
Picture by Brandon Hoover
 Features
Fine Improvements for the
Fine Arts
This new semester has been a very busy time for
the Fine Arts. If you have had the privilege of attending the
numerous non-stop events such as the 90th Anniversary,
ISTA, The Book of Antigone, PISTA and the K-12 dance
recital, you would have seen the new and improved Fine
Arts Theater. Whether I was watching or performing, I was
always surprised to see the FAT’s newest installations.
The Fine Arts has also gone through a change of
technology and staff. We were sad to see Ochie Gampon
and Denis Lagdameo leave earlier this year, as they had
been a tremendous help to the Fine Arts. Though we shall
see Denis every now and again, both he and Ochie will
Picture by Katie Thompson
be sorely missed. To replace these two outstanding peo-
ple, however, we have Ms. Malou Talens and Mr. Dougie
French as wonderful additions to our Fine Arts family. Ms.
Malou has taken up Ochie’s position, and Mr. Dougie is
our new stage manager. Dougie is enthusiastic and full of
life. He comes from Australia, is very easy to talk to, and is
full of interesting stories. He has been involved in the Arts
for many years, and when I asked how he got into stage
managing, he responded, “I accepted an invitation from
the wrong person”. Despite this humour, I believe it was
the right person Dougie met, as, since then, he has worked
on many famous sets such as the Matrix. Dougie also en-
By: Mumba Dodwell, Grade 11
lightened me about his times on the set of the Matrix and
said “It took two months to build an office set, and then
some explosive experts came from America to help shoot
a scene. We watched them blow up the set in two minutes,
and then we were told to build the set again”. Dougie has
also worked on the “Elephant Room” from Moulin Rouge.
Not only has he worked on movie sets, he has also man-
aged tour sets with many famous names and has taken
part in the Australian music festival Big Day Out. I am sure
Dougie will be able to help out a lot in the Fine Arts, and
in fact has already done so with the fantastic K-12 dance
recital and the recently concluded ISTA.
son
Picture by Katie Thompson
During ISTA, the lighting and set was done very
well. The show had floor lights just as you would have seen
in Broadway’s version of Chicago, as well as a great colour
wash creating a silhouette in the cell block tango.
Malou is replacing Ms. Ochie Gampon, and has
been very busy this semester planning the numerous
events that have been taking place. Malou is from the Phil-
ippines and is very helpful when it comes to finding infor-
mation about the Fine Arts. She has said that she thinks
the FAT stage is beautiful, is very well equipped, and that
her favourite event so far has been the High School Play.
35

If you attended the High School play, The Book of Antigone, you would have seen the new and amazing light-
ing that was recently purchased by the FAO. The lights swiftly guided the audience’s eyes to the brother Etocles and
Polynices to represent the past. The play also had a well constructed set which framed the stage. The scaffolding was
versatile, original and something that many of us had not seen in theater at all.

Another addition to the FAT is the hydraulic stage, which was used in the 90th anniversary. When I attended the
90th, I was personally awed by the new hydraulic stage which was used for the Jazz Band entrance. In fact, the FAT is
said to be nearly complete with stage equipment, and is much more advanced compared to other schools in the Philip-
pines. When I inquired a new staff member, PJ, about working in the Fine Arts, all he could say was that it was “amaz-
ing”. The technology found in our theatre is something you don’t always see in a High School. We should feel privileged
to have such sophisticated technology.

It is clear that the Fine Arts this year is very busy, and is something that everyone should be part of. There are
lots of things happening, and improvements are certainly creating better experiences for those taking part in the Fine
Arts.

Picture by Paulina Sotto

Picture by Nicholai Go

36
 Features

A Lasting
Impression By: Audrey MacCormac, Grade 11

In such a closely-knit school environment, getting to
know each other as Bearcats becomes second nature. As
ISM students we strive to do our best for those around us:
for our community, for school, our families, our friends, our
peers, and for ourselves. With every school day opportunities
are presented to us students wherein we show who we are to
the world around us with the choices we make. But does this
translate across to students outside the ISM community?

One of the priorities for students at ISM is academics.

There is no denying that we dedicate a large amount of time
to our school work and extra-curricular activities, as well as
frequently sacrificing much of our personal time to truly ap-
ply that extra effort to every assignment. One home schooled
student, Christina Potenciano, says that “ISM students are
very determined, motivated, and proficient. Despite the de-
manding workload of the IB curriculum, they still manage to
finish everything, get good grades, and engage in other ex-
tra-curricular activities.” A senior from Poveda explains how
she admires ISM students as we are required to undertake
the rigorous IB program – “ISM’s IB program allows students
to grow holistically, and this is evident as they are generally
skilled at things which encompass a range of areas of learn-
ing: from dance to computer studies.” This particular attribute
of ISM students seems to be depicted fairly prominently as Picture by Chris Ong and Anthony Gokianluy
noted by a comment from Christina: “ISM students know
when to be serious when the time comes for getting things
done, and they know when to be witty and enjoy themselves Most importantly, coming from an international school
during times of play.” It is important that we are taken seri- with such a large integration of cultures yet which celebrates
ously by others, not only in our work but with everything we diversity and being able to work with different people from
do. all over the globe, ISM students share certain traits when it
comes to interacting with others outside of school. As an ISM
With ISM adopting the CAS system for Service Learn- student, I personally find it quite easy to be around students
ing as well as IB’s graduation requirements for service hours from other schools as well as work collaboratively with peo-
for students involved in both the certificate and diploma pro- ple, and I believe this is due to having attended ISM for 11
grams, our school is arguably one of the best in Asia when years; having grown up in its international environment. Anika
it comes to service learning, and Bearcats are always eager Leongson, also a senior from Poveda , mentioned that ISM
to help. A senior from La Salle Greenhills comments on how students are outgoing and amiable: “Students from ISM are
ISM students seem to be involved with numerous charitable one of the kindest! You value your friends a lot.” Christina
events and organizations throughout the country which ad- also adds, “With students coming from all over the world, you
dress and work to improve a variety of issues within the Phil- each have unique personalities and provide interesting per-
ippines. “Whenever a charity trip is held involving teens from spectives.” Anika adds, “Sometimes you like to stick with each
schools all over Manila, you can guarantee that an ISM stu- other, but you are not exclusive.”
dent will be there, especially for trips such as those for Habi-
tat for Humanity Philippines and Gawad Kalinga (just to name It is excellent to know that both on and off campus,
a few).” ISM students are representative of what we strive for as a

37
 cohesive, international community; helpful, eager to please,
focused, and dedicated. As we grow together, we continue
to show our true selves through our actions, and really show
the world what it means to be a Bearcat.

Charity Begins at Home
By: Leandro Leviste, Grade 12
They are the unsung heroes of Metro Manila’s elite
private schools — the custodians, gardeners, canteen la-
dies and security guards who represent each school’s life
and blood. Some of their names we know, others we don’t.
Yet they serve us on a daily basis just the same. As they
work long hours without want of recognition, one can’t
help but feel that they don’t get the credit they deserve.
But at the International School Manila, there’s
an extra spring in their step. On October 2, 2010, stu-
dents from the ISM High School senior class thought
that the best way to show appreciation for the school’s
contractual employees was to organize a day of fun,
games and prizes for eighty-five of their kids. With
games like “The Boat is Sinking” and “Simon Says,”
programs with students as emcees and Chicken McDo
for lunch, it wasn’t much different from a traditional Fili-
pino children’s party. Students prepared this whole day
in honor of those who deserve a moment of recognition.
News
the 50 of us ISM students present that our school’s
employees are far more than the careers they lead.
As a high school senior at ISM, I couldn’t be more
proud to go to a school that’s taking positive steps to al-
leviating these issues of national concern. Celebrating
its 90th anniversary this year, ISM has kept true to its
mission of promoting a spirit of community service and
social responsibility within the student body. This year’s
senior class alone has initiated partnerships with Habi-
tat for Humanity, Gawad Kalinga and Hands on Manila,
in addition to this event in recognition of those in our
own community. It’s encouraging to know that a school
that has educated so many of this country’s leaders has
adopted such a socially conscious approach to learning.
This country would be well served to have more like it.

For many of them, it was the first time they had

ever visited the place where their parents work. The
10-year-old daughter of one of our school’s dedicated se-
curity staff, Jayzel Marie, didn’t let distance keep her from
attending the event. She took a six-hour bus ride, south
from La Union the night before to arrive at our campus
just in time for the event. Jayzel joined the others who all
had made the most of their weekend. It being a Saturday,
a number of ISM contractual employees were having their
day off. Yet they reported to school that day, instead of
taking their day of and spending the weekend with their
kids at home. We were so used to seeing them in uni-
forms and at their posts that it was a refreshing change Picture by Rachel Riker
of pace to see everyone in casual clothing. It reminded

38
 Features
All Grown Up
Transitioning from Elementary to High School
Picture by Angel Feliciano
The International School Manila comfortably accommo-
dates Preschool students through to Grade 12 students. This
transition seems quite daunting, particularly since students
spend approximately 15-16 years in school growing and
developing. With each stage of school, students are faced
with different challenges that they must overcome. With each
phase of development great lessons are learned, which in
turn, builds the foundation for who they are as people.
One of the first lessons very young students must learn in-
volves interacting with peers. According to guidance counsel-
or Mr. Derek Selander, “One of the big social issues for ele-
mentary school kids has to do with friendship, simply because
kids are learning about friendship. They’re learning how to get
along with each other, how to delay gratification of their own
needs, and not getting their way.” The Elementary School
program is an inquiry-based program and the educational
system promotes learning through play and builds upon units
that help students understand age appropriate skills. Gaps in
students’ learning may be influenced by a number of factors.
For example, “you can live in a place where they don’t teach
reading, until 1st or 2nd Grade, and so you know there will be
some kids that started reading at [age] 4, while others may
have begun in the 1st Grade.” Despite that, Mr. Selander as-
sures that it’s “basically adjusting to a new style of teaching, a
new environement – there are many factors to consider,” and
gaps are not necessarily an indicator for Learning Support. It
could very well be a period of adjustment.
When students approach the 4thGrade, however, they
face another change in which they must learn ways to adapt.
Mr. Selander explains with a smile that “the p word – puberty”,
marks the transition between Elementary and Middle School.
Recently during the school year of 2009-2010, the adminis-
tration had come to a solution regarding the issue of easing
the transition between Elementary and Middle School. Grade
5 is now part of Middle school. Mr. Marc St. Laurent, the
Middle School guidance counselor, believes that the addition
and integration of Grade 5 into the Middle School program is
beneficial. When viewed academically for example, a mod-
ern language is introduced at an earlier age, thus increasing
second language proficiency as studies have shown that the
earlier a new language is learned, fluency will be more easily
reached.
By: Amanda Saban, Grade 10
“In the old system, 5th Grade students were going from
one teacher to eight in the span of a few months,” says Mr.
St. Laurent. Certainly, it is an undeniable fact that big chang-
es occur at this stage for students both physically and aca-
demically. To alleviate the possible impacts of these sudden
changes, team-teaching proved best – Social Studies and
English have now been combined, as with Math and Science
classes: “It’s more what you call a Junior High School,” Mr.
St. Laurent adds. Department leaders and administration rec-
ognize the challenges faced by the students, especially the
large age disparity between 5th and 8th Graders. Mr. St. Lau-
rent explains, “It’s basically a question of creating an age-ap-
propriate environment.” There is a distinct difference between
a 10 year old and a 14 year old. Mr. Selander indicates that
the initial drawbacks are “more of an adult issue” in terms of
scheduling and logistics: “Ultimately I don’t think that having
10 year olds in MS is bad for kids in the long run, it just takes
some extra logistical planning for adults.”
There are several issues that begin to arise during the
years of middle school, such as new social troubles and aca-
demic challenges. There are issues that arise with new friend-
ships and in determining where we all fit in and as well as the
blooming pressures of achieving good grades. According to
Mr. St. Laurent, intrinsic motivation is particularly common in
girls. “They tend to be perfectionists, leading to pressure on
themselves,” he says. Boys on the other hand, have organi-
zation issues, which corresponds with becoming familiar with
having more than one academic teacher. Surprisingly, paren-
tal constraint becomes an issue already at this stage. “We try
to educate parents on the learning process,” explains Mr. St.
Laurent. “But sometimes it ends up being over the top.” Thus,
over-scheduling becomes a point of contention. “Parents sign
their child up for tutoring, piano lessons, violin lessons and
more”. As a result, the basis for High School stress begins to
develop at this stage.
Come freshman year of High School, academia quickly
replaces social and identity issues. Katrina Gavino, a soph-
omore who is an active participant in ISM’s varsity sports
program, spends 30 to 45 minutes per subject, adding up
to roughly between 1 and 3 hours per night of homework.
Academically immersed, Akshar Bonu, another sophomore,
averages 2 to 3 hours per night, due to the strenuous cours-
es available in ISM. Juniors and seniors, particularly those
choosing the International Baccalaureate (IB) program, will
inevitably have heavier workloads. “There is the ‘pressure’
to get good grades, the ‘pressure’ to join lots of after school
activities and get heavily involved in school community, the
‘pressure’ to fit in with fellow students, the ‘pressure’ to gain
places at some of the top colleges and universities in the
world,” states Mr. Ayling, HS guidance counselor. Mr. Ayling
still feels that there are some benefits. “[There] can certainly
be increased levels of motivation and determination to suc-
ceed (although defining ‘success’ is another issue altogether).
It can help students set personal goals, lead to greater col-
39
 laboration, since when people work together, they can generally
overcome obstacles and periods of difficulty. Thus, this brings
Picture from gettyimages
to attention the drawbacks to the desire for success – the issue
of being “grade obsessed”. “This can lead to a whole number
of problems; decreased involvement in after school clubs/activi-
ties, reluctance to join service trips, disconnection from friends,
poor diet, lack of sleep, increased stress, poor judgments/ deci-
sion making and poor grades, thus further increased anxiety and
the cycle goes on.” There is, however, a way around this. Mr.
Ayling suggests balancing studies with a number of things, such
as exercise, socializing, collaboration with peers, involvement
in classes, as well as effective communication. He advises stu-
dents to “remember [that they] have a great network of friends,
family member, teachers and counselors who are all looking out
for you in some way.”

“Any change takes a little while to get used to, plan around,
but after you’ve worked with it for a little while, you know what to
expect, and it becomes much easier as you get your systems in
place,” notes Mr. Selander. This could not have been said any
more explicitly. The premise of coping with change is funda-
mentally time; as over time, the change will eventually become
the norm. Perhaps the metamorphosis from Elementary to High
School isn’t as strenuous as thought out to be. It’s just a matter
of time.

News
ISM Defends Title as HS Academic Bowl
Champions By: Alexei Acacio, Grade 9

The High School Academic Bowl is a biannual
interscholastic competition in which students compete
in a general-knowledge competition. Four teams rep-
resenting different schools come together for a day, to
participate in a “Battle of the Brains” wherein participants
must answer a variety of questions from different subject
areas. The teams join the competition to represent their
schools, and ultimately to fight for the gold.
13th consecutive time ISM won gold with a score of 680
points and a large 196 point lead over Faith, its closest
competitor. Brent Manila and Brent Subic placed third and
fourth respectively.
Picture by Will Vankoughnett

Coach of the ISM team, David Birchenall ex-

plains that the Academic Bowl has “four rounds of toss-
up style [questions], buzz-in questions, an envelope
round, a Math/Logic round and a penalty toss up.” Teams
use a set of buzzers, and buzz in if they wish to answer
a toss-up.

Each team consists of ten members in total, with

only five members participating in each round. Team
members were selected in a rigorous try-out session,
in which aspiring participants must complete a quiz of
twenty general knowledge questions, and must score in
the top ten in order to be part of the team.

The most recent competition was hosted by ISM

on November 9, 2010. Participating schools were Brent
Manila, Brent Subic, Faith Academy, and ISM. For the

40
K-12 Dance Recital News
By: Sofia Benares, Grade 11
The 90th anniversary of ISM has been a recur- Pictures by Paulina Sotto
ring theme in almost every significant event in ISM this
year. There was the creation of the ‘Sharing a History,
Creating a Future’ art mural that now decorates the first
floor halls, the 90th anniversary celebration show, and
then there was the K-12 recital.

To celebrate 90 years of ISM, the dance teachers

applied the same theme of ‘Sharing a History, Creating a
Future’ in order to commemorate ISM and all its glory in
each dance.

The K-12 recitals happen every year, twice a

semester. It is a special event, which incorporates all
dance classes, ranging from Elementary School all the
way up to Advanced Dance and even Dance Co. This
year, each class was assigned a decade, and thus an
extravagant visual timeline was presented onstage.

Dancers showed up at ISM at 10 in the morning

on the day of the recital, for a full run-through. Legend-
ary Yek Barlongay, dance teacher extraordinaire, and
the stage crew made a giant “SMILE” sign and waved it
around from the lights booth during both rehearsals and
performance as a reminder to all the dancers. The sheer
ludicrousness of it managed to bring smiles to all danc-
ers’ faces!

The K-12 recital, like every year, was most defi-

nitely a success as it allowed all ISM’s dancers to show-
case his/her talent. Congratulations to all the dancers
and dance teachers! There is no better way that ISM
could have asked its 90 years to be represented.

41
 Features
P.E. in the I.B.
By: Mahek Tulsiani, Grade 11
When I was a freshman, I positively dreaded Physi-
cal Education (PE) class – not only was it an eyesore on
my PowerSchool record, but it was also one of the only
classes in which hard work didn’t necessarily pay off. I’m
the type of person who is known more for intellect rather
than physical strength or skill. Although I was relative-
ly competent at PE, I never excelled either. Still, as I go
through the final weeks of my first semester of IB, I have to
admit that I kind of miss it. I miss that feeling that I get after
finishing a mile run – tired but exhilarated at the same time;
I miss chatting with my friends while throwing a rugby ball
around the field; I even miss that biathlon we had to do that
one time (well, maybe not that part).
However, at the same time, would I be happy going
back to doing PE three times a week, every week? Sadly, I
wouldn’t. I appreciate everything that the class has taught
me and I have to admit that it wasn’t completely terrible,
but it’s certainly not an experience I’d like to repeat. The
bottom line is that it’s just not something I like or am good
at, and so I for one am glad that the IB doesn’t require a
Physical Education component. “I think that it’s good that
ISM requires two PE credits,” agrees Alessandra Panares,
a junior, “but the thing is that not everyone is good at it or
finds it enjoyable. The IB already has such strict course
requirements and doesn’t allow much flexibility as it is. If
a PE component were to be introduced, then IB Diploma
students would be unable to have study halls or participate
in other electives like choir or orchestra, which would be a
huge blow to ISM’s stellar arts program.”
42
Other students find it disappointing that PE isn’t
a part of the IB curriculum. “I think that PE teaches you
about things that are useful in real life but aren’t neces-
sarily taught in academic classes – and not anything to
do with sports either,” says sophomore Moonie Sohn. “It
teaches you about teamwork and perseverance. That said,
though, I don’t think that PE is the only class that can teach
you these things. Classes like Dance or Show Choir, which
I’m both a part of, can also teach you these same things.”
“I think that the IB’s structure is way too rigid in gen-
eral,” says Krystal Kang, another junior. “It doesn’t leave
a lot of room for people who excel in multiple fields in the
arts, for instance, or for those who really like sports but
also really want to take AP US History or non-IB Psychol-
ogy or something. I don’t think the problem is that it doesn’t
leave room for PE, but that it doesn’t leave room for a lot of
things in general.”
The absence or inclusion of PE as a component
of the IB Diploma gives us all something to think about.
Maybe someday the system will change, but in the mean-
time, at least I won’t have to do another biathlon any time
soon.
Picture by Minsoo Woo
The Newsflash
A r t C o r n e r

43
43
 POETRY
Burnings
by Claudia Zuluaga (ISM alumna)

Flags and books do burn together,

like two birds of a feather.

Two birds of hate and despise,

do burn before the enemy’s eyes.

The Stars and Stripes,

reduced to ash,

and Holy text,

left a glowing ember,

Two religions,
do fight and clash,

Grieving family,
do remember

their dear ones Dead,

for nothing more,
than a differing belief,
in their God above.

44
44
 Sunset
by Anthony Gokianluy

The late sun,

The darkening sky –
Nature’s Kodak moment,
warranting sighs.
Larger than life, A sight of hazy colors,
the beginning of the end, temporal beauty
contemplation of the sight captured through the lens –
the painter’s last call before the night. ‘tis a statement meant to last!

Rays of valedictories, A merging of bodies,

The final cycle of Helios’ chariot – Ere returneth the Son!
Fire turn to ash, Heaven and Earth
The death of a world. as one.
Bloody red,
the death of a god –
the sinking of a giant
into the Earth.

The Owl
by Anthony Gokianluy

A soft coo,
a flutter of wings –
above the grassy dew,
silent and swift as the wind.

She flies on high,

feathers light as air –
a shadow, moving amongst shadows,
the silent spectator of the night.

The sky is dark, Nyx’s paradise – White against black, a sight

Her amber eyes pierce the hallows reflecting the luster of the light
a hoot… almost a cry her gaze piercing the gloom –
for the hunt to follow. a mirror of the moon.

Athena’s pet
about Mother Nature’s heights –
all in the dark pupil of her eye,
The wise songbird of the night
45
45
 Three Languages, One Poem
by Nicole Calo

Fragile Love

I am like a leaf blown in the wind,

the trickle of moisture down a plant.
I am the flower that withers in your hand
after I have given you all of my fragrance.

You are the wind that blows through the earth,

the sun that summons the moisture into its palms,
the hand that picks off my petals one by one Maantak na Pagibig
to determine the fate of one lost such as I.

Animo’y dahon ako, ipinapadpad ng hangin,

Hamog na humahaplos sa halaman.
Ako’y bulaklak na nalanlanta sa’yong kamay,
Matapos mabigay ko sa‘yo lahat ng aking halimuyak.

Ikaw ang amihan na umiihip sa buong mundo,

Ang araw na humahalina sa hamog patungo sa’yong palad,
Ang kamay na isa-isang pumipitas sa aking mga talulot,
Upang maitadhana ang buhay ng isang nawawala tulad ko.

46
 K-12
ART
Katherine Go, Grade 4, pencil

Stephanie Kubota, Grade 12. Mixed Media

Lillian Holt, Grade 3. Paper Collage

Natasha Zobel De Ayala, Grade 8. Musical Instrument Whistle

Cathy Kelly, Grade 8. Musical Instrument Whistle Devang Bisen, Grade 5, oil pastel
Lynn Kwon, Grade 6. Pastel

Lynn Kwon, Grade 6, oil pastel

Katherine Go, Grade 4, Pencil Drawing 47

47
Sarah Kim, Grade 8. Functional Lidded Vessle
 Martin Narciso, Grade 6, Mixed Media

Paulina Sotto, Grade 12. Mixed Media - Keyboard

Bea Elizalde, Grade 6

Kei Matsunami, Grade 11. Sculpture

Rhea Schmid, Grade 12. Oil Pastel

WHAT IS ART?

48 Cindy Chen, Grade 11, Graphic Design

Bea Elizalde, Grade 6

Isabel Sicat, Grade 12. Pencil Drawing

Christine Cabigao, Grade 12. Dress

Paulina Sotto, Grade 12.

Photography

49
 Chris Ong, Grade 11. Photography: An Amsterdam Canal

Frances Tanchanco, Grade 11. Photography Rabia Shakeel, Grade 11. Jewelry

Zaina Ahmed, Grade 11. Photography

50
50 Ariana Mapua, Grade 9. Photography
 Chris Ong, Photography

Monica Seet, Grade 11. Sculpture

Jaqui Pisano, Grade 12. Mixed Media

Christine Cabigao, Grade 12.

Sofia Benares, Grade 11. Mixed Media Photography and Sculpture
51
51
University Parkway, Fort Bonifacio, Global City
1634 Taguig City
P.O. Box 1526 MCPO Makati City 1255
Trunkline: (632) 840-8400/ Fax (632) 840-8405