85Magazinewells-school.com / vol. 02 / no. 03 / april 2011

Senior boys dominate the competition in tisac football

Wells students become world champions

on World Math Day

85 Magazine is student-designed and student-produced.

Advanced Placement courses offer a higher level of achievement to Wells students

Wells Student Receives SCholar-ship offers and University acceptances Worldwide

3. Mr. Ray 4. Mr. Jared 6. Primary Department 7. Sports Day 8. Senior Trip to America 9. Social Studies Department 10. Science Department 11. Math Department 13. Arts Department 14. Seahawk Football 15. Thai Culture Page 16. Chinese New Year 17. Student Life 18. Counseling Department 19. Overnight Camp 20. June’s Cartoon 21. Student work 22. Outlook 23. Field Trips

Nick : Lead writerJune : Lead DesignerMind: Creative DesignerDarling: Creative Designer

May T: Creative DesignerMay S: Creative DesignerTee Tee: Graphic DesignerHom: Creative Designer

Shivam: Creative DesignerSaran: Creative DesignerMr. Joseph: TeacherMr. Jared: Lead Editor

Table of Contents

Letter From the Headmaster

Mr. Ray

Academic achievement, or the lack thereof, has always been a hot topic for debate on both the national and international stage. Whether in the U.S. or here in Thailand, there seems to be an endless stream of articles in the

media today criticizing the establish-ments responsible for the education of our youth. In this issue of 85 Magazine we would like to go against this trend and offer our community that the mass media sometimes fails to offer: hope. From math to sports to the performing arts, we actively encourage our students to enter competitions in any field of study or training. However, “winning” is not necessarily being the ultimate goal. Our focus isn’t on accumu-lating as many awards and trophies to fill up our display cases. First and foremost, our coaches and mentors are instructed to focus on the experience of the competition, emphasizing the parallels such experiences have with situations in the real world. Hence, the success of our students at a debate competition, talent contest, or international academic chal-lenge, doesn’t hinge upon whether or not our students take home the top prize. It depends on the answer to one very simple, yet profound question: win or lose, did the student(s) learn something?As you read through the articles in this

issue, I would like to empha-size that the students featured represent only a fraction of the students here at Wells that have entered competi-tions through the course of the academic year. And, though our scholars and “world champi-ons” most certainly deserve the praise and attention they receive, we must not discount the efforts of those who participated but did not bring home a prize. They, collectively with our “winners”, need to be congratulated. So, to all our students – whether athlete, artist, or academic all-star – congratula-tions … and thank you for giving us hope that the world ahead of us is indeed much brighter than what some other news sources might lead us to believe. Happy Reading!

-Mr. RayHeadmaster

Changing the World One Student at a Time...While schools often receive recognition for their teachers, academic content, and sports and arts programs, the true measure of their success—of-ten forgotten in the constant struggle to thrive in an ever-more competitive environ-ment—is their students. We at Wells have been fortunate to experience rapid growth over the past few years far beyond that of most other interna-tional schools in Thailand, and though the entire school com-munity has played a part in that progress, it is ultimately the Wells students who have allowed us to shine through their remarkable accomplish-ments. It is thus with great pride that we focus on those achievements in this issue of 85 Magazine. In an increasingly globalized world, competition for students has become far more robust than in the past, and the multitude of awards and trophies passing the doors of Wells this year is testament to the diligence, drive and enthusiasm of our students. Even more remarkably, these triumphs have come not only through challenging rivals in Thailand, but also against students worldwide. From the Johns Hopkins Center for Tal-

ented Youth program to the top of the World Math Day competition to acceptances to top universities around the globe, Wells students continue to make their mark. Yet what impresses us the most as their guides in learning is the grace, dignity and community pride they demonstrate when doing so. As in all other things, educa-tion must be grounded in humil-ity and charity, and we hope to continue fostering that attitude

-Mr. JaredVice-Headmaster

Lower Primary Awards Traditionally, primary students at Wells have been recognized for excellence in each subject area, including the core subjects of math, science, social studies and language arts. But this year, the Lower Primary Awards not only include student accomplishments in academics, but also on such areas as “Most-Improved,” “Best Speller,” “Best Writer,” “Best Handwriting,” and the Expected School-wide Learning Results (ESLRs). Focusing on six areas—ICT Proficiency, Critical Thinking, Health and Hygiene, Effective Communication, and Responsible Global Citizenship—the ESLRs provide students with tangible goals that they can focus on throughout the year. During our Wacky Wednesday periods, each of the Lower Primary teachers chose an ESLR to concentrate on. Every week, different grade levels come to our classrooms and took part in activities based on our assigned ESLR. Ms. Maneka was in charge of teaching children how to be Responsible Global Citizens. Ms. Margaret focused on Health and Hygiene. Mr. Aaron had some Critical Thinking activities. Ms. Mary practiced with the students on being Effective Communicators, and Ms. Rekha used her Smart Board to work on the students’ ICT skills. The children came to their Wacky Wednesday ESLR classes with passports, in which they received stamps or stickers after completing the ESLR activities! In this way, the students not only learned more about the subjects taught in class, but were also able to learn about other aspects that form a well-rounded learner. In addition, many were recognized for excellence in meeting the ESLRs. Keep up the good work, Lower Primary!

On March 1st, 2011 Wells International School’s On Nut Campus held its first lower primary sports day. Students in Grades 1, 2 and 3 had a chance to show their physical prowess and compete in a number of track and field events. Each first, second and third placement earned points for their respective teams. The Blue Team was headed by Ms. Margaret, the Yellow Team by Ms. Mary, the Red Team by Mr. Aaron and the Green Team by Ms. Rekha.

The morning kicked off with a spir-ited pep rally that gave way to the first event, team cheering. Each team took to the field and let the audience know why they were to be feared. Then students took turns participating in one of six events: the spoon race, the long jump, the sack race, the high jump, the broad jump and the dis-cus toss. There was fierce competition at all grade levels as each of the junior ath-letes strove to do their best. After lunch, students competed in the 50-yard dash, 100-yard dash, relay race and three-legged race. When the smoke cleared and the dust settled, the Green Team came out on top, with the Blue Team coming in second, and the Yel-low and Red Teams tying for third place. The awards ceremony was held in the au-ditorium at the end of the day, and victori-ous students received medals representing their wins. Trophies were given to each of the teams, and the day ended with stu-dents being tired, but happy.

Sports Day

How did you like Sports Day?

Kirti (Grade 1): “I loved it, ‘cause I like to run a lot!”

Samiya (Grade 1): “It was fun! I like to jump!”

Prasanth (Grade 2): “I liked the high jump best. I got first place!”

Corey (Grade 2): “It was very fun!”

Cotton (Grade 1): “It was fun! I want to do it again next year!”

Jeirah, Elle, and Yu Jin (Grade 3): “It was super-duper fun!”

by Mr. Aaron

Senior Trip to America The senior year of high school is a bittersweet experience--the end of one era and the beginning of another--filled with both wonderful memories of the past years, and the hopes and expectations of the years to come. Celebrating their imminent departure from Wells, the Class of 2011 spent just over a week in the United States, visiting numerous museums, landmarks and historical sites in and around Los Angeles and Chicago. Accompanied by members of the Wells staff, the seniors briefly left the stress and uncertainties of university admissions and final exams behind, focusing instead on the joy of sim-ply being in one another’s company for one last time. From Six Flags Amusement Park to Beverly Hills and the Hollywood Strip to Chicago’s famous Field Museum, the upcoming graduates captured the joy,

laughter and friendship that has lasted for years. As you move on to your new lives in university and beyond, do not forget the lessons you have

learned, the guides and friends who have helped you along the way, and the community that has helped you become

the unique individuals you are. Good luck, Class of 2011. You will be missed...

Social Studies by Mr. William

· To practice important English reading, writing, speak-ing and listening skills that students will need in their lives.

· To teach basic geography and mapping skills.

· To impart to students knowledge of the past and pres-ent to help them make predic-tions about the future.

· To encourage a sense of wonder, imagination and cre-ativity.

· To encourage personal responsibility in many areas such as their school work, social relationships, personal finances, etc.

· To get students to express their feelings and ideas in Eng-lish.

· To require students to demonstrate logical reasons for having their own thoughts and ideas.

· To encourage them to reflect on their own ideas and feelings.

· To promote critical think-ing and decision-making skills.

· To get the students to plan or envision how they might apply what they have learned to their own lives.

· To motivate students to become better global citizens who will positively contribute to society.

· To make students curious and aware of the world around them that is beyond their scope and experience.

· To challenge students to question and possibly change their thoughts and feelings about the world if they have been un-aware of social injustices.

· To make students aware of current issues affecting the world.

· To give students a sense of their place in this world and their moral responsibility to-wards their fellow human beings and other living creatures.

· To promote tolerance and understanding of people from other cultures.

· To encourage students to respect and celebrate differences in ideas, cultures, traditions and beliefs.

· To learn “life lessons” from the past experiences of others in order to avoid some of the great blunders of the past such as war, slavery, prejudice, mistreatment of others, etc.

· To pass on knowledge about the past for hope of a bet-ter future for all.

“Why We Teach Social Studies at Wells International School”

AP Biology AP Chemistry1. Can you describe your AP science course to prospective students?The AP Chemistry course is a fast-paced, in-depth study into chemistry. AP Chemistry requires a lot of self-motivation and self-dis-cipline, as there is not enough time to cover all of the material in class. The course is designed to give high school students an idea of what a university-paced class is like. A normal student may feel overwhelmed and frustrated at times, but once the course is over (regardless of the score achieved on the AP Chemistry exam), will feel glad that s/he completed the course. 2. How does your AP science course benefit students?The AP Chemistry course benefits students in three ways. First, students experience what a university sci-ence course is like, labs and all. This helps them be better prepared for university. Studies show that students who take AP courses in high school (regardless of AP exam scores) do better, on average, than students who do not take any AP courses. Second, students have the chance to attain college credit while still in high school. Scor-ing a 3, 4 or 5 on the AP Chemistry exam and providing an AP Chemistry lab portfolio can be counted as 1 or 2 semesters of freshman chemistry credits. This not only alleviates the pressures of the freshman year, but can also reduce the costs of university tuition. Third, taking AP courses shows universities that you are willing to accept challenges. Under-standing that AP courses are not easy for high school students, universities take that factor into consideration (regardless of AP exam scores) when considering whether to accept those students. The challenges of AP courses are a good way to show universities what you are capable of.

1. Can you describe your AP science course to prospective students?AP Biology could be the last general biology course a student could ever take. It’s a compre-hensive survey of general biology that includes biochemistry, cellular biology, molecular genetics and heredity, biotechnology, diversity, structure and function of organisms, and ecology and evo-lution. The topic outline is so broad that you have the chance to include everything you ever wanted to know about general biology. It is designed as a university course, and its extensive range and depth make it a really challenging experience.

2. How does your AP science course benefit stu-dents?Universities in the United States and countries worldwide accept a passing grade in the course as the equivalent of first-year biology at those universities. For any student wishing to study medicine, zoology, biochemistry or any of the other disciplines in biology, this could mean tak-ing pressure off themselves once at university. Beyond actually having less pressure and work at university, students may want to simply take the course for the experience of studying higher-level biology, and also to decide which aspect, if any, of the biology course most interests them. 3. What kinds of students should take on an AP sci-ence course? Hard-working, committed students who have at-tained at least a B in the biology course in Grade 9 are most welcome. But prospective students should also aspire to learn biology at university level, as that is exactly what they will be doing. AP courses should not be taken lightly; the drop-out rate this year was almost 50%.

4. How are current students responding to the AP classroom environment and the workload?I am lucky in that the students I have are all tal-ented and hard-working. There is stress in an AP course, and AP biologists have to come back to finish labs after school and have regular, difficult assignments, so they are dealing with constant stress. However, they are all strong, committed individuals, so I am proud of each one of them.

MathematicsWorld Math Day

After placing 30th during the 2010 World Math Day, Wells’ Math Department resolved to improve on last year’s performance. At this year’s competition, a team of Wells’ best primary school math students, representing both the On Nut and Thong Lor Campuses, pushed their way all the way to the top, defeating teams from across the globe. World Math Day is a two-day event that pits individual students in head-to-head competitions in basic math operations (addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division) across five levels of difficulty. Over 5.3 million students and over ten thousand teams per division, representing 218 countries, participat-ed in this year’s math competition. This year, the school held a special overnight “camp” for World Math Day, making the event even more exciting and fun than the previous years. Lingering among the top five teams throughout the event, our strongest primary school team found themselves trailing a team from the U.S.A. with just under an hour left in the competition. However, good planning and strategizing paid off as the determined group of twenty Wells 4th and 5th graders, led by Samuel Ghandi (Gr. 5), surged ahead in the end to come out on top.

Congratulations to the Wells teams, our very own

WORLD CHAMPIONS!

Performing Arts Department Building on a strong reputation established through successful public performances over the past few years, our students have been taking part in even more exhibitions and competitions with other inter-national schools. Ranging from dance competitions to the an-nual Battle of the Bands, Wells performers have been showing off their skills for appreciate audiences around Bangkok. Even individual students have been singled out for their tal-ents, including Amira (Grade 9), who was a finalist among vocal soloists at the Battle of the Bands. During Chinese New Year, a beautiful Chinese fan dance, choreographed by Ms. Pae, was performed by some of the younger students. A striking exhibition of kung fu skills, combining strength and beauty, was performed by Mr. Aaron, Jacob and Lisa. As was the case at the recent Taiwan-ese Education Fair at Paragon, where the Glee Club also per-formed, the performances were very well-received by students and guests alike. Meanwhile, much activity and excitement mounts as we prepare for upcoming events, including our next in-house as-sessment performances for the-atre, music and dance courses on Wednesday, April 20th and Tuesday, May 3rd. In addition, another TISAC Battle of the Bands is set for Monday, May

9th. The two main productions this semester are exciting ad-aptations of the musical Dream Catcher, to be performed by the primary and middle school students at the spring con-cert on Thursday, May 12th. This promises to be a colorful and dynamic show, not to be missed. Finally, for the first time the high school theatre students will be per-forming a version of William Shakespeare’s comedy, A Mid-summer Night’s Dream. This is a first for us and it promises to be a lively production. Parents and friends interested in seeing this show are welcome to join us on Thursday, April 28th and Friday, April 29th. The Performing Arts De-partment depends on collabo-ration, and the success of our productions is founded on the growing enthusiasm and talent of our students, and the close teamwork of the teachers in the department.

-Mr. RhysHead of the Arts Department

Wells Sports

SEAHAWKS

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This second semester was full of challeng-ing sporting events, including games in the TISAC Football League, the Khao Yai Basket-ball Tournament, games in the Senior Basket-ball League, and U15 volleyball games.

Basketball NewsThe P.E. Department would like to congratu-late the U17 Girls Basketball Team for finishing second place at the Khao Yai Tournament. This was the first time that one of our athletes, Kanny Smith (G9), received the MVP (Most Valuable Player) award.

Football NewsBoth the U13 Boys and the Senior Boys foot-ball teams had an amazing year, finishing first in their respective TISAC league groups.

Volleyball NewsThe U15 Girls Volleyball Team won their very first game against International School of Bangkok (ISB). Though the game was very tense, the girls didn’t show any fear as they fought ferociously to earn their 3-2 win.The U15 Boys Volleyball Team was almost undefeated this season. With only one nar-row loss, they continue to grow stronger and stronger. As they build up their confidence and skills in the game, they should become an even more competitive team in the fu-ture.

Upcoming EventsThere will be two major events in May: a swim meet and a badminton tournament. We still have friendly matches left to play for the volleyball, basketball and football teams. Keep training, because the sports season is not finished yet! -Mr. Antonio

Head of PE Department

14 Vol. 2 No. 2 85 MAGAZINE

SEAHAWKS

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Thai CultureWhat is going on with the Thai Department?

Last semester the Thai Department showcased the “Love Reading with the Pizza Company” contest, and we would like to congratulate all the students who won.

Primary School

Yong (Gr.1)

Aashish (Gr.3)

Boss (Gr.4)

Sunisa(Gr.5)

Pu (Gr. 2)

Elle (Gr.3)

Praewah (Gr.4)

Mickey(Gr.6)

Marwin (Gr. 3)

Kong(Gr.4)

Pie (Gr.5)

Secondary Students (Non-Nat ive)

Arlindo (Gr.7)

Kitty (Gr.9)

Radhika (Gr.9)

Angelo (Gr.7)

Chariya (Gr.9)

Jorge (Gr.10)

Singh (Gr.9)

Maria (Gr.9)

On the day of February 3, 2011, of this current year, a day of celebration was hosted around the world to commemorate the most important traditional Asian holiday: Chinese New Year. This glorious oc-casion was established to represent the end of the cold, harsh winter and the beginning of the warm and sunny spring. It is also unique in that every year an animal is selected to represent the New Year, with this year being the rabbit. Wells International School also follows the tradition of holding a Chinese New Year festival every year to celebrate the beginning of the New Year. This year was no dif-ferent; hosted by the Chinese Depart-ment on February 3rd, there were many performances such as cultural dancing, a kung fu meditative dance, singing and mask parades. Chinese teachers also provided students with gifts for the event; one such gift was oranges, which in China symbolize

good luck or good fortune. Another gift that the Chinese teachers showed the students was fish. Fish in this Chinese New Year occasion symbolizes a good harvests and an overall good year for farming. Besides these two gifts, the school also provided the most common traditional gift for every student: the red envelopes. The red envelopes were historically given from married couples to unmarried young adults, usually their children. On this festive day it is typical for Chinese people to mainly wear red or any other bright-colored dress or costume. However, nowadays everybody, regardless of culture, wears bright color outfits to fit the occasion. The Chinese were the first group of people to believe that red could scare away evil and bad fortune. As the Chinese New Year festival started from midday and lasted to the end of school, the Chinese De-partment fulfilled their goal in making this year’s celebration the best one yet. With most of the performances ar-ranged by students, the rest of the high school sat mesmerized by the talents of their classmates. From Mr. Aaron’s kung fu fan dancing to Cathy’s singing, the event was memorable due to the efforts of everyone involved.

Chinese and Korean New Year

-Mook and LakshyaGrade 7 Students

Student Life During the past school year, Chalisa (Lisa) Brothers, Grade 6, received a notification in the mail from an organiza-tion called the Center for Talented Youth (CTY). Unbeknownst to her, she had been invited to join one of the most pres-tigious youth programs in the world. Coordinated by Johns Hopkins University (JHU), one of the leading universities in the United States, the CTY program offers summer courses

to the most gifted students around the globe in areas such as language arts and the sci-

ences. To qualify for the on-site summer program, students must rank among the top 2% of students worldwide. Lisa was invited to join the science courses, as well as those offered online.

Having enrolled in a course en-titled Introduction to Robotics, Lisa will study in the United States from June 26 to July 15, living in a student dorm at California Lutheran University in Thousand Oaks, California. Good luck in your travels, Lisa, and we look forward to hearing about your experi-ence!

Surachaet (Nick) Charaschanya, Grade 12, is a brilliant and hard-working student who will leave a lasting impression on Wells International School. He joined the Wells family in 2005 when the On Nut campus was first established. Nick is talented learner whose potential was most recently recognized by Mahidol University after successfully completing an internship during the past summer. Nick has also re-ceived a scholarship for academic achieve-ment from Wells for the past three years, which reflects the effort that he puts into his studies. His talent and love of science and learning has ultimately paid off, as he has now been offered the prestigious Presidential Scholarship (worth US $36,000) by Colorado State University

in the United States. While Nick continues to seek other

opportunities, he has received acceptances to

several other prestigious col-leges around the world.

Congratula-tions, Nick!

Vol. 2 No. 2 85 MAGAZINE 17

Counseling DepartmentCommunity Service

Habitat for Humanity

We would like to congratulate ALL the students who have taken the initiative in order to make a difference in the lives of the community around us. So far Wells has organized volunteer opportunities to the Queen Sirikit Children’s Hospital and Camil-lian Home in Ladkrabang. Many of you have participated in individual services and have passed the annual 10-hour Wells community service requirement. More and more students are interested in helping out in a meaningful way. Keep up the great work!

Our next community service project is with Habitat for Humanity. What should you expect when you join a “build”? A build is a 9:00am to 4:30 pm event at a site that allows volunteers to offer their labor at no cost to the beneficiaries. The build begins with a short orientation for the volunteers by skilled and experienced Habitat workers. Volunteers are assigned to a number of basic tasks, which may include mixing cement, carrying and laying hollow blocks, grass-proofing metal columns, digging, etc. Volunteers are not expected to have constructions skills, but only a willingness to learn as they go along.

LOCATION: AyuthayaDATE: 30th of AprilDONATION: THB 1000 includes a donation fee, welcome pack and lunch THB 750 includes a donation feeTRANSPORTATION: Wells school vanPROCEDURE:STEP 1 – Sign up for the build date.STEP 2 – Hand in your signed Habitat registration form along with the donation by the 1st of April. Collect the Habitat registration form from the Counseling Department.STEP 3 – Collect your Wells community service log sheet and reflection form.STEP 4 – Students will leave from Wells on the 30th of April. (A full schedule will be posted up at your homerooms ASAP) STEP 5 – Complete your log sheet and reflection form to earn your hours for the Wells Community Ser-vice Program.

STUDENT RESPONSIBILITIES Students are currently required to submit reflections and verification of 40 hours of community service throughout their high school careers. While students may complete this requirement by partici-

pating in a single week-long activity, we have high expectations that students will participate in service learning projects provided by Wells.

- Ms. NickiHead of the Counseling Department

Over Night Camp OverNight Camp Sattahip, a district twenty minutes from Pattaya, served as the destination for the annual Wells Overnight Camp. Featuring attractions and activities ranging a Thai naval base to outdoor challenges, it offers a variety of opportunities for fun and learning. On the first day, the high school students visited the “Go Gibbon” activity, while the middle-school students enjoyed the neighbor-ing “Flight of the Gibbons.” We then had lunch at a famous seafood restaurant in Pattaya named “PuPen.” Checking into our amazing hotel rooms was a treat, but we had way more fun watch-ing Mr. Pok’s fire-spinning show. Although the evening activities were enjoyable, the dinner left something to be desired… The next day was tiring but fun. We played our part in helping the environment by clean-ing up the beach during a charity project. Then it was onto Samesarn Pier and a brief cruise to Koh Karm, where we had fun enjoying recreational activities like snorkeling, volleyball and kayaking. The teachers were supportive, and the students all had a great time. Heading back to our hotel, we relaxed for a while before a quaint dinner and more outdoor activities. On our final day, the students were happy to stop off to do some shopping and grab lunch. Everyone was exhausted by the time we reached school and delighted to resume our normal lives, but we all had fond memories of the time we had on our over-night trip.

Bridging the gap between language arts and social stud-

ies, the class of 2011 visited the United Nations headquarters

here in Bangkok to increase their knowledge about terror-

ism, human rights, freedom of expression and genocide. The

field trip was a good experience, as it taught us more about

how the U.N. works and about the contributions it has made

around the world. There were a lot of international U.N. workers who sac-

rificed their valuable time to describe their roles. We also had

the opportunity to look around the U.N. Meeting Hall. After

exploring the premises, we had a delicious lunch in their caf-

eteria. We all took notice of the diverse people from around

the globe, and it felt great to see them working together to

create lasting, positive changes.

The United

Nations

-May T.Grade 12 Student

The United

Nations

Student WorkStudent Work

My Trip to the Taj MahalBy Akhil

built by Shah Jahan for his beloved third wife Mumtaz, who he loved very dearly, after she died during childbirth. The supervisor of this project, Ustad Lahauri, ensured that the Taj Ma-hal would be one of most beautiful buildings in the world. When you enter, you see a beautiful lawn next to you, which is as exquisite as majestically organized carpets. As you continue on, you can hear the water sprinkling near the water fountains built on the pathway. Then when you enter the building itself, you are stunned by the fabulous tomb of Mumtaz, decorated with the most extravagant designs. The tomb is sheltered by a giant marble dome and framed with four giant, ivory minarets. All the pillars are designed to make the viewers as-tonished at the striking designs and their organized, intertwining pat-terns. The interior and exterior of the Taj Mahal are so enormous, yet so delicately designed. As I entered, I could see that the Taj Mahal was indeed a fabulous thing. It looked a little bigger than I really expected. I could smell the damp, air as it was raining quite heavily

As I rode with my family in a car through Agra to the Taj Mahal two years ago, I felt the beginning of a magical experience. Surrounded by a beautiful landscape, the Taj Mahal is one of India’s most prized possessions. The Taj Mahal is one of the Seven Wonders of the World, and more than 3 million people from all over the world visit it every year. The Taj Mahal was built for the ancient Indian em-peror Shah Jahan after his wife passed away in the prime of her life, and it is covered with beautiful designs. The Taj Mahal is incredible because of its history and its architecture, and It was a magnificent trip and a spectacular experience for us. The Taj Mahal is more beauti-ful than the morning sunrise. Construc-tion of the structure began in 1632 and was finished in 1653. It took thousands of craftsmen, artisans and laborers thousands of hours to build. Many people lost their lives building the Taj Mahal. It was ordered to be

that day. I heard a lot of noise and excitement from the people around me as my family and I walked to the Taj Mahal’s main entrance. As I passed around the path inside this outstand-ing structure, I sometimes reached out to touch the limestone that was used to make it. I felt thrilled because this material was touched by people three hundred years ago. I knew millions of other people put their palms on the stone to capture the beauty. I tried to explore the whole Taj Mahal as care-fully as I could. I gaped at each center point of the attraction, tried to take in each mythological scene on the walls and tried to slowly breathe in each breath. The Taj Mahal, built as a tribute to love and life, has to be one of the greatest buildings on the earth. It is also believed that all the people involved in building the Taj Mahal were mysteri-ously ordered to be killed by Shah Jahan shortly after; no other structure in the world can be made to match the love and tragedy of the this monument. My experience at this exceptional monument changed my view of the world forever.

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