theSingapore American High School October 21, 2005 Vol.25 no 2

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Singapore American High School October 21, 2005 Vol.25 no 2eye

Senior Michael Palomaki waves the SAS fl ag during the boys’ championship game against Jakarta International School while a crowd of high school students followed the Eagles progress towards the goal. Photo by Laura Imkamp.

IASAS soccer scores big points with players, fans

For the SAS IASAS Soccer players, the biggest difference between this year and previous years is the plain fact that this time around, IASAS was at home. Both boys ̓captain Tarik Stafford and girls ̓captain Sara Calvert agreed that, as well as sleeping in their own beds at night, having the crowds on their side affected their game.

“It was just an adrenaline rush the whole time,” Stafford said.

Reviews of the crowd were mixed. There was a noticed trend in the level of support: those games played on Thursday or Friday morning had substantially more support than those played evenings or `Saturday. It was no surprise, however, because it was during those times that teachers dismissed students to watch the soccer games. Even players from other teams noticed the pattern.

“It was really surprising,” Jakarta International School player Lindsey Pewitt said. “SAS is dominant in most of their sports. [Their school] should be more supportive.”

Boys ̓ captains Stafford and Gonzales Carral said that even though there was a surprisingly good crowd at the 4:30 p.m. game against ISB, the best spirit still came from onlookers at 11:30 a.m. games – especially when the younger students (including middle school students in their spirit day dress-up) cheered just as much as the high school students.

Instead of cheerleaders, the Eagles were accompanied in every game by a percussion section that tapped away at every game in the fi rst two days. The core group of drummers – Richard Bates, Ethan Bates, David Lee, Michael Palomaki, Francisco Diaz, Sang Ho Lee and Ranjeev Mahtani – borrowed their noise-makers from the Individual Performing Artists Union.

“The drumming hyped us up because you knew [the fans] were there,” Carral said.

Calvert said that though she personally enjoyed the drumbeats, some of her team members thought it made communicating on the fi eld too diffi cult. Competing teams thought that the drums were irritating and distracting, but most complaints

came from parents in the stands and team coaches.

“It was a pain in the ass,” ISB girls ̓coach Tim Harrison said.

Still, the SAS boys ̓ team requested the drums for all of their games, including the championship.

“Itʼs the fi rst time that Iʼve genuinely felt there was an SAS spirit that was tangible,” Combes said.

The teams were not the only ones who noticed the trend. Sophomore Byron Barrett – well-known around SAS for his after-school and weekend job delivering food in the Woodlands area – said that more people ordered food when SAS was playing a game. It was not uncommon to see Barrett cycling onto the track, a bulky bag of McDonaldʼs and hawker food hanging off each handlebar.

On a regular day, Barrett said he has around fi ve or six customers, but in the fi rst two days of IASAS he had a total of 42, some of which called two or three times. His average income of $10 a day jumped to $40 each of the fi rst two days and almost doubled to $71 on the third day alone.

Over the weekend Barrett did not have the advantage of help from his assistant, eighth-grader Clinton Wagner, because Wagnerʼs bike broke.

“This was the weekend I didnʼt want any problems,” Barrett said.

Though other schools ̓ teams ordered food from Barrett during events last year, none of the teams at IASAS soccer did.

“Itʼs bad, but itʼs good at the same time,” he said. “SAS is keeping me busy as it is, but then itʼs kind of disappointing that other schools donʼt believe in me.”

Visiting teams got to play on the stadium fi eldʼs brand new turf. Through all the rain and back-to-back games, the fi eld held up. The same could not be said for the south fi eld.

As the weather got worse, so did conditions on the lesser fi eld. Grass gave way to mud pits and sand while the white lines marking the boundaries gradually disappeared. Carral said that the ball had a different bounce on the south fi eld and the sand made play more diffi cult. Team members from other schools agreed.

“It doesnʼt favor any team because theyʼre both playing on it,” JIS captain Tomas Landes said. “But people with injuries are more prone to injure their ankles or knees.”

ISB player Crystal Fam said that while the new turf was nicer to play on, it was also more intimidating.

“It feels very big, and thereʼs more pressure when the whole school is standing around us, watching,” she said.

Aside from the actual soccer part of the tournament, Combes, Criens, and Athletics Director Mimi Molchan were responsible for most of the organization behind the event. Combes said that the hardest thing to coordinate were the details for 200 people, details such as housing, transportation and food that seem trivial but “are a bit mind-boggling.”

“Sometimes what people remember most are the little things that arenʼt part of the actual tournament,” Combes said.

Throughout the three-day event, there were no less than four or fi ve photographers at a time – often more – running around taking pictures of every game. Junior Peck Yang and computer coordinator Judy Ridgway posted all the results and photos on the soccer website as soon as they came in, while other students videotaped the games.

All the while, Criens was responsible for Athletic Council and made sure each of the 116 student volunteers knew where to be and what to do. Criens said that though some people left their posts when they were not supposed to, the Council as a whole was “par excellence.”

“It shows that the old saying ʻmany hands make light work ̓ is true,” Combes said. “Everybody chipping in is what made it work.”

by Laura Imkamp

Pouring rains and a misfi ring lightning alarm were no match for determined soccer players and fans at the SAS-hosted IASAS soccer tournament Oct. 13-15.

IASAS soccer scores big IASAS soccer scores big GOAL!

2 October 21, 2005 ❁ the Eyenews

By Joseph SarrealJunior Peck Yang spends four

hours a night working on Advance Placement assignments for his fi ve AP classes. Despite the heavy course load, Yang does not believe he made a mistake in signing up for fi ve APs.

On the other side of the AP spectrum is senior Julius Maramot. Maramot is not taking any AP courses.

“I wanted to take it easy this year,” Maramot said. “I can take those classes in college.”

Participation in the Advance Placement program has skyrocketed. In 2005, 1.2 million high schoolers in the United States took AP exams, compared to 1980 when 134,000 students took the exams.

According to College Boardʼs website, nearly 15,000 schools worldwide are involved in the AP program, including 60 percent of U.S. high schools. One in three high-schoolers take an AP course.

Philips Exeter Academy, an elite private school in New Hampshire, has 1,056 students and offers 14 AP courses. In comparison, SASʼs 1,028 students can choose from 24 AP courses. While some private schools are reducing their AP program, SAS teaches 24 out of a possible 35 AP courses -- 17 percent of all classes taught at SAS. Last year, one third of SAS high schoolers were in an AP

class, a statistic in line with the U.S. national average.

Skepticism about the expanding AP program is surfacing. A small but growing movement of U.S. educators is questioning the value of the AP program. Calhoun School, Dalton School, Fieldston School and other elite private schools, are reducing their commitment to the AP program. These schools say APs are not reliable predictors of college success, and that many students are taking APs because of the academic status associated with them.

In a recent Newsweek article “Is AP Too Good To Be True?” Northwesternʼs economics and biology departments only give credit to students who earn 5s. Harvard only gives credit for 5s in all AP classes and Stanford does not give credit for relatively new AP classes such as Environmental Science and World History.

A recent report published by the Center for Studies in Higher Education at the University of California-Berkeley found “that in California, there is little to no correlation between simply taking an AP course and students ̓fi rst and second-year college GPAs.”

AP courses were originally created for earning college credit. Today, some take AP courses to impress colleges.

Elite schools drop APs as SAS adds AP World HistorySenior Doug Chu is taking AP

Physics this year. Chu hopes that it will appear positively on his transcript

“Because itʼs an AP it will improve my GPA and impress colleges,” Chu said.

Senior Alyssa Finchum also sees APs as an admissions boast for college.

“They look better on your college transcripts and they raise your GPA because theyʼre weighted.”

Many colleges simply do not care about how many AP courses a student has taken. The Newsweek article said

Breaking up is hard to do

Senior Alyssa Finchum also

College Admissions are

a driving factor to take APs. Parents who

come here expect their kids to

take APs because public schools in the U.S. have

APs.

- Dr. Dale Smith

that some colleges are responding by changing their admissions standards.

The article quoted Daniel Walls, dean of admissions at Emory, on the new criteria his university is taking.

“Weʼre very careful in training [admissions offi cers] to be wary of the fact that this person who has six APs is not obviously better than someone who has two or three.”

The AP controversy has resonated at SAS as well.

Social studies teacher Dr. Dale Smith believes that most students no longer take APs for the right reason. The original intent of the AP Program was to allow a few students at a school to take college based work and earn credit at the same time. In Smithʼs opinion, this is not the primary reason students are taking APs.

“College Admissions are a driving factor to take APs,” he said. “Parents who come here expect their kids to take APs because public schools in the U.S. have APs.”

Smith cites three factors for why SAS students take APs.

“Some take them because they want to learn. Some take them for college admissions. Some take them because they donʼt want to be the only one not taking APs.”

Smith said that good AP scores are an indicator of success in college only if the students do good work in college as well. But he agrees with

the critics who say that AP scores alone are not necessarily accurate indicators of college performance.

Science teacher Michael Cox avoids limiting himself to the recommended curriculum and instead focuses on exploration rather than memorization. Cox says that while he follows the APs teaching syllabus “pretty closely,” he does not limit himself to that.

“I cover the more than just than just the syllabus,” Cox said. “I am not teaching only to the examination.”

Despite his efforts, Cox sometimes feels pressured by the time placed on teachers to cover the necessary material.

“Time constraints are the biggest problem,” Cox said. “I need to be on top of my game. Itʼs like trying to go between point A and point B in a certain amount of time. “

Whatever reason students identify for taking APʼs, the number participating in the program is increasing not only in the United States, but at SAS as well.

According to Saul Geiser, a researcher at the University of California-Berkeley, “AP courses were originally developed to place students into higher-level college courses. It is now being used in admission decisions, a purpose for which it is not intended and for which it has not been validated.”

39 Peace Concert hopefuls audition for nine spots in show

The German band, “Es War Einmal” from the German school, had a unique style of screamo was new for many in the audience during auditions. Photo by Laura Imkamp.

SAS’ very own Six on the Beach, a rock band with a brass bottom, proved to be a hit with the judges. Photo by Laura Imkamp.

By Amber BangThirty-nine hopeful bands showed

up at the Oct. 7-8 auditions for only nine slots in the Peace Concert, a bigger turnout than ever before. The Nov. 19 Peace concert is organized by Peace Initiative, and has been held annually since 1993 to raise money for charity. Last year the concert drew an audience of 800-900 people, and Peace Initiative hopes for similar or greater numbers this year.

The auditions on Friday and Saturday went on for a total of 13 hours, with only seven bands not showing up.

Only three of this yearʼs hopefuls were all-SAS bands.

“There were a whole lot of inexperienced local school bands there, which really shows that Peace Concert has become a national event rather than just an SAS thing,” junior Sean McCabe said.

There was discussion among the 20 to 30 students who watched the auditions, as to the kind of music that should be performed at Peace Concert.

“I think there should be a little bit of everything except death metal because thatʼs sort of against Peace Concert,” senior Ben Spalter said.

Judges sat through hours of screamo on the fi rst day. This fairly new style is emo with a screaming vocalist, fast beat and dark mood. It wasnʼt a hit with most of the judges and the student audience.

“The bands on the second day were better because they werenʼt

screamo,” sophomore Larissa Hardesty said.

Peace Initiative judges recognized that since the revenue brought in by Peace Concert goes to charity, if a style of music is not performed, a certain group of people might be left out because their preferred music is not being played.

After three hours of deliberation on Saturday night, the Peace Initiative judges decided on nine bands. Judges were counseling secretary Ilse Veenbaas, junior Aaron Pavone, senior Alex Lloyd, junior Rachel Witt and senior Vrutika Mody.

“There were a lot of people shooting for only three slots because we could only have so many bands of a certain kind of music,” Mody said.

Mody explained that bands were judged on a mixture of sound clarity, quality of performance and stage presence. If all aspects of performance were equal for two bands, the band with best stage presence was chosen.

The nine bands chosen were Ronin, Saw Loser, Set for Glory, Breakfast Club, Rafe, Once Upon a Time, Six on the Beach, Summerʼs Over and Elemental. Saw Loser includes two members from the popular band Pug Jelly that recorded with Universal; Ronin is also another band signed with Universal. Summerʼs Over has a contract with Singapore-based Snakeweed Records. Some of the bands however, have never performed before a large

audience.SAS bands See Spot Skank, Six

on the Beach and Oedipus auditioned for Peace Concert, but only Six on the Beach was chosen to perform. The all-seniors band includes guitarists Ethan Bates and Richard Bates, trombone player Francisco Diaz, trumpet player Ben Spalter, vocalist Erica Szombathy and drummer David Lee. Spalter said that Six on the Beach plays alternative rock.

Peace Concertʼs theme this year is “The Power of One”. The nine band sets last 20-30 minutes each, and the time between will be fi lled with peace interludes. Peace interlude auditions will be held for students wanting to perform skits, dances, acoustic and vocal performances, poetry reading, speeches or fi lms. Food will also be sold at the stadium by four or fi ve school clubs.

Peace Initiative sponsors hope that holding Peace Concert on a Saturday this year will draw more people than the traditional choice of Friday. The money they raise in gate receipts, T-shirt sales, and corporate sponsorship will be given to charities involved in educating children around the world.

“Each year we raise about $15,000, and with that money we educate about 5,000 children,” Mody said.

Each Peace Concert ticket will cost $10, and it is hoped that at least 1,000 people will come, raising even more money than last year.

3the Eye ❁ October 21, 2005 news

By Alex LloydThe recent Hurricane Katrina

relief drive raised $33,000 school-wide, $8,000 higher than the original target.

“We really made an effort to get everyone enthusiastic about donating,” senior Kristin Liu said. “It really helped during the last couple of days when we had more donations than we expected.”

Peace Initiative members wandered the cafeteria with collection boxes and the Morning Show included a short piece every day to remind students to contribute. Speakerʼs Corner discussed who was at fault, and IPAU members crooned tunes to encourage donations.

While the total amount collected was greater than expected, the $33,000 was dwarfed by the $110,000 raised by the Tsunami Drive of last year.

“I think the visibility was larger for the tsunami so people were a little more generous,” sponsor for Peace Initiative Roopa Dewan said. “It seems ironic since weʼre an American

school but it just meant that we had to find more creative ways to raise money and put in a more concerted effort.”

Clubs chipped in for the drive. BOSS, Art Club and Global Giving, all of which donated over $400, were only a few of the clubs that made significant donations. The Cross-Country team spent a Wednesday morning practice raising money, donating a dollar for every lap each member of the team ran over 15 minutes. They raised $337.

A committee is being formed to decide where the money is being sent. It will be made up of students, faculty, administration and parents. The committee will be headed by Director of Business Affairs Rhonda Norris who headed last yearʼs Tsunami committee.

“Weʼre open for ideas on where to send the money but we want to make sure it goes to where the money is most needed,” Liu said. “Weʼll probably split it up between a number of different organizations.”

By Joseph SarrealA team of four SAS faculty

members completed the 3.5-mile JPMorgan Chase Corporate Challenge in New York City. Annika Ferrell, Judy Ridgway, Katherine Hallam and Vicki Rameker placed 24th out of 33 teams for the Oct. 1st womenʼs race.

The SAS womenʼs team qualified after securing first place in the JPMorgan Chase Corporate Challenge in Singapore in April. The women were invited to participate in the championship held in New York City, with travel expenses covered by JPMorgan Chase.

The race was established in 1977 when 200 runners representing 50 companies ran in Central Park.

Back then the race was called the Manufacturers Hanover Corporate Challenge. While the name has changed, the raceʼs intent to emphasize the importance of physical fitness has not.

Finishing with a team time of 1:42:35, Judy Ridgway, an SAS computer coordinator, was thrilled by the experience.

“It was fantastic running down Park Avenue with international runners. The weather was perfect and there was a great atmosphere,” she said.

The team actually had five members. Annika Ferrell, a PE teacher in the middle school, was five months pregnant at the time of the race.

SAS finishes 24th in JP Morgan Chase race

By Alex Lloyd When junior Peck Yang entered

the ISKL auditorium for the closing ceremony of IASAS leadership, he noticed he was the odd one out. Instead of the rainbow of colors there should have been, there was a sea of maroon.

“I completely forgot that we were supposed to wear our travel uniform to the ceremony,” Yang said. “I wasnʼt allowed to go on stage with everyone else because of it.”

Along with Yang, Laura Imkamp was out of uniform. Both faced the IASAS punishment, a week of detention during all frees and breaks, and then both were required to leave school at 3 p.m.

While some might say that the punishment was excessive, Activities Director Mimi Molchan who has fronted the crackdown on travel dress code feels that it was justified and necessary.

“Itʼs a privilege to travel and kids should dress respectably,” Molchan

said. “The students that travel are projecting an image of our school, so when we look sloppy at other schools, people will get that kind of image about our school in general.”

Molchan points out that only 23 percent of the student body travels at some time during the year, and of that 23 percent, only two percent do multiple trips.

“So when you look at it that way, the schoolʼs image is really dependent on a few people,” Molchan said. thatʼs why we take it so seriously.”

Violators will, like Yang and Imkamp, face the IASAS punishment. If caught before leaving school for the exchange, the students will not be allowed to travel. The punishment may vary however, depending on the situation.

“Weʼre not out to prevent kids from traveling,” Molchen said. “But when itʼs something thatʼs so easily avoidable we have to make sure the consequences are clear so kids donʼt push the limits.”

By Amber BangA group of girl scouts, boy

scouts, football players, parents, middle school teachers and children dressed in costumes or group uniforms will march around the high school stadium track at halftime of the football game that will be held at Homecoming on Oct. 21st.

Homecoming will open with a pre-game picnic from 4:30 to 6:00 p.m. on the lower soccer fields with music and games.

The game between the high school football teams, the Vikings and the Bulldogs, will kick off at 6:00 p.m.

Halftime festivities will consist of a homecoming parade, a dance routine by the SACAC cheerleaders and the announcement of the Homecoming King, Queen, Prince and Princess.

On Saturday night, there will be a homecoming dance in the high school gym for adults only.

Homecoming will be held this year to celebrate the schoolʼs 50th anniversary, as well as SACAC footballʼs 30th anniversary.

Homecoming, held annually by many high schools in America, usually features a football game between two rival schools.

“We hope that the whole school will come out for the game,” PTA president Susan Murray said. “This is a great way for us to get some real school spirit going.”

Homecoming will help raise money for the SAS Annual Fund and Endowment, which is used to support financial aid, scholarships, community service, athletics, visual and performing arts, as well as helping to keep school fees down.

Because of the alcohol that will be served, the dance will be restricted to adults only; students will not be

allowed to attend.“Homecoming dances in the

States are not for the adults,” a Booster Booth mom said. “I think the dance should be for the kids, not adults.”

The PTA said that many high school students they talked to did not express interest in going to a homecoming dance.

The dance will be for parents and alumni to relive their high school dance days.

The question of whether Homecoming is a one-time event or one that will continue in the years to come will depend on the outcome, according to Murray.

“Thatʼs pretty much up to the school and to the community. If it is a success, it could be done again,” Murray said.

SAS celebrates 50th year with Homecoming

By Nicole SchmitzSeniors and juniors scrambled for

the more coveted continents, Europe and Africa, letting the sophomores dominate the Australia and New Zealand trips while the Freshmen made do with Asia and in-Singapore trips.

As expected, the European trips filled up first, with Switzerland in the lead followed swiftly by Czech Republic and Polandʼs Krakow and Prague trip. One European trip that had openings for nine freshmen was the French Immersion in Nice course which was only open to students currently enrolled in French classes.

Some of the trips cancelled last

year were the Tasmania and Hawaii trips. Myanmar, a trip proposed by math teacher Don Adams, was axed due to political turmoil in the country.

Sophomor Vysaik Venkateswaren looks forward to Housebuilding in Cebu, Philippines.

“Itʼs a once-in-a-lifetime sort of thing,” he said. “Any chance to get away from school for a week is pretty good.”

The biggest worry seemed to be deciding if the country of choice or friends ̓took top priority.

“I might go on a trip with my friends, but I donʼt care if I do,” Junior Kelly Fan said. “Interimʼs

Europe proves a choice destination once againabout going to places where you probably wonʼt go for the rest of your life.”

Senior Tisha Devlin was the first person to pick the trip bound for Vienna and Budapest.

“Iʼd like to go on it with my friends, but if I donʼt [get to], Iʼll just go without them,” Devlin said. “Iʼll go where I want to go. Iʼll see what I want to see. Iʼll make new friends on the trip anyway.”

For others, friends and top choices go hand in hand.

“Itʼs like wings on an airplane.” Senior Doug Chu said. “You wonʼt have a fun trip if one of them is missing.”

Katrina gigs encourage donations

Above: Juniors Gabriel Yip, Peter Vaz and Kyu Hyun Lee study the sign-up board to see what is left while discussing their interim options. Left: Summer Beinhorn and fellow serniors double check their sign-up papers before picking their numbers from a hat. Photos by Laura imkamp

Annika Ferrell and Judy Ridgway compete in New York City. Photo by Jullian Han

Teammate Katherine Hallam competes her leg of the relay. Photo by Jullian Han

Students and faculty watch the Hurricane Katrina break gigs on the third day of fundraising. Creative ways of encouraging donations such as this helped to raise the donation totals. Photo by Laura Imkamp.

IASAS dress code riles some

4 October 21, 2005 ❁ the Eyefeatures

participation.English teacher Elizabeth

Bynum is one member of the Stress Committee.

“We are hearing over and over again that students have more stress than they can handle,” she said. “I teach freshmen and that s̓ a big change for them. Defi nitely, you can see it.”

Dr. Roopa Dewan, another committee member and AP English teacher, agreed.

“We are in an environment which is high-pressured – maybe sometimes it is good to slow down,” Dewan said.

Dewan said student stress mainly stems from the limited time students have to pursue the many opportunities at the school.

“Speed defi nes our lives today. If you are speeding all the time, you have no time for introspection or refl ection, and you really donʼt get much out of life,” she said.

Dewan believes each person has a unique way of de-stressing. “I donʼt think we can mandate one particular way to manage stress,” she said.

Despite their concern, both Bynum and Dewan said that stress is benefi cial in limited amounts.

Burnett said. Sophomore Byron Barett, on the

other hand, said that “homework should be done away with, giving students a chance to enjoy [their high school years]”.

Barettʼs complaint is echoed by sophomore Jonathan Zaman, who said that ambitious course syllabuses are to blame for the homework load.

“Teachers do not have enough class time to ensure that students know the concepts taught,” Zaman said.

Zaman contended that shortened syllabuses, or the lengthening of class periods, would allow students to do the necessary work in school and leave them free to do what they will when at home.

Chemistry teacher Michael Cox said that to do away with homework would be “nonsensical.” He said that if he had more time in his class, he would spend it teaching, rather than allowing students to do their homework.

“The purpose of class is not to prepare for class,” Cox said. “Preparation should be done at home, hence the name ʻhomework.ʼ”

Cox acknowledges that many students have activities that ensure that they get home late, but he said that the “role of the student is to be able to balance his or her time,” and that “too much homework is an inability to balance time wisely.”

But even if, as teachers contend, eating into the free time of students is necessary, students like Barrett feel that teachers at SAS are doing so too frequently.

A sophomore member of two clubs and the school tennis team estimated that he spends an average of three hours a day on homework.

“The amount of homework I get keeps me from joining more clubs,” he said.

In the story, “The Homework Hassle,” from the March 7, 2000, Detroit News, scientists at the Institute for Social Research in Ann Arbor said that studying does not have a linear relationship with how well students do.

“Presumably, doing some homework is good, but doing a whole lot is not better,” Hoffeth said.

“In every grade there is a law of diminishing returns,” Harris

Cooper, a homework historian at the University of Missouri, said.

Studies have found that more than two hours of homework a day for high-schoolers does not necessarily translate into higher test scores, according to the Detroit News article.

One other key area that has been of much concern to academics in recent years is the possibly detrimental effect that homework is having on family relationships and the social abilities of children, concepts dealt with in detail in the book “The End of Homework.”

Arizona State Universityʼs Kathleen Rutowski, in her review of “Homework Success” for the journal “Education Review,” said, in talking of the program recommended by the book, that one of the things participants would fi nd hard to resolve was the maximum amount of time set for homework. She predicted school teachers would fi nd it diffi cult to adhere to such restrictions.

The only way to develop homework policies suited to individuals was for teachers and parents to work together, supporting childrenʼs schoolwork without upsetting family relationships, Rutowski said, referring to the book.

Some SAS students interviewed said that homework was depriving them of family time, for the time they got back from school was around the time their parents returned from work. One said that on many days he eats his dinner while “slumped over a computer screen desperately trying to fi nish an assignment due the following day.”

Social Studies teacher Ellen White said that some teachers donʼt take students ̓ social lives seriously, and some may be guilty of not thinking of the other classes that students take.

White said that some parents have to accept a share of the blame for an excessive homework load, for “parents demand homework.”

In “The End of Homework,” the authors said that homework allowed parents to keep in touch with their childrenʼs lives, and allowed them to feel they still had a measure of control. White echoed those sentiments.

“Parents exert pressure and allow their ambition to get in the way [of their childrenʼs lives].”

Homework pile-ups drag kids downShoulders slumped under the

weight of a textbook-laden backpack, an SAS student stumbling home at the end of a long day can expect to see three times the amount of work he or she would get in the U.S.

Teachers at SAS are often available for students after school, with many sponsoring clubs or taking charge of activities. On some days teachers do not get home until fi ve or six at night. With the amount of homework they assign, students might think that teachers relish the prospect of spending their evenings grading papers.

The U.S. Department of Education suggests that 10-12 graders get a maximum of 2.5 hours of homework every day, while according to the Brookings Institutionʼs Report on American Education, the average U.S. high school student spends less than an hour a day on homework. An informal survey of SAS students revealed that many of them spend over three hours nightly on homework.

English teacher Nanette Ruhter said that she only gives homework to ingrain concepts learned in class, and that the grade she gives is a “responsibility grade.” Ruhter said that she does not give more than thirty minutes of homework a day.

Social studies teacher Eric Burnett said that homework teaches students to be responsible, besides allowing them to learn skills necessary for college, such as research.

“Teachers wonʼt be around to carry students ̓ backpacks for life”,

By Ravindra Shanmugam

Visualize yourself on the typical weeknight, battling sleep while scaling a seemingly endless mountain of homework, caught at the same time in a tug-of-war of commitments to clubs and activities. Seem familiar? It does to some faculty, who are attempting to alleviate such stressful student lifestyles through the recently formed Stress Committee.

The Stress Committee is a group of nine faculty members which emerged after last year s̓ Wellness Week and met for the fi rst time on Sept. 5 of this year. Its purpose, according to Chairperson and high school Principal Paul Chmelik, is to generate some recommendations to lessen student stress.

“The committee s̓ charge was to come up with something concrete,” Chmelik said. “What this is about is keeping stress to a reasonable level. We want to be sure weʼre not being oblivious to stress issues.”

Among the recommendations of the committee were meeting-free fi rst breaks, homework-free thanksgiving break and interim, and limits on student club

By Sam Lloyd

Every Student’s Never-Ending Story

Summer Beinhorn Sean McCabe Ben Fowler Markus Bech Anushka Bharvani

David LeeAlexandra Kirwin

5the Eye ❁ October 21, 2005 features

“Iʼm not pro-stress, but some of that stress is good to keep you challenged,” Bynum said. “Is it because of stress we have such hardworking students? Are we preparing students for the stress of college?”

Senior Josh Velson, president of Animation Club and SAVE Club, and participant in seven other activities, criticized the committee s̓ suggestions, especially the club limit.

“Some people crash and burn and there s̓ a certain point where we have to stop it, but the way theyʼre doing it is insane,” he said. “Their aim is good but their method smacks of authoritarianism.”

“The Stress Committee shouldnʼt restrict students but should show them what they can do,” Velson said. “Why the heck is the school targeting extracurricular activities when most stress comes from classes and homework?”

Junior Chandrika Chandran agreed, but said she only suffers from stress occasionally.

“Teachers need to cut down on homework, maybe by doing more in class,” she said.

Chmelik is still optimistic about the recommendations.

“My hope is that some of the

By Amber Bang

The typical SAS student lugs along with them a bag overfl owing with binders, notebooks and the textbooks that most of their classes require. The weight of those textbooks on adolescent backs may be setting them up for adult back problems.

Studies done by the Childrenʼs Spine Foundation show that people should not carry more than 10 to 15 percent of their body weight on their backs. Carrying more can result in permanent neck, shoulder and back problems including distortion of the natural curve of the spine. One remedy would be for students to leave books at home and use classroom sets.

Some teachers have complete sets of textbooks strictly for classroom use. However, since the 10 percent growth in the student population this year, it has become harder to keep up with the demand of so many textbooks.

A few teachers attempt to lighten that load by making photocopies of some chapters in the textbook and keeping those in their classrooms. Others with fewer than a class set have students share.

Buying more textbooks seems the obvious solution but the cost of buying enough textbooks to put class sets in every classroom would be approximately $400,000.

“Buying enough textbooks for every classroom is not the best use of the schoolʼs tuition money,” social studies teacher Dr. Dale Smith said.

“The school has made the decision that it is too expensive to buy complete class sets,” high school principal Paul Chmelik said.

Keeping those class sets in the

classroom is another problem. Students often remove textbooks belonging to class sets and leave them in the cafeteria, the library or other classrooms. Some even take them home.

Several solutions have been suggested to help fi x this problem, such as having textbooks available in the library and having textbooks on CDs for students to take home. The library keeps three copies of every textbook on its shelves, two that students can use during free, break, or after school and one that can be checked out for up to 48 hours. Students complain that not every textbook is represented.

“The problem is that since itʼs fi rst come, fi rst serve, people hide them or steal them,” said Ron Starker, the library media specialist.

Starker said that the library staff has even found textbooks hidden behind books on other shelves.

“In certain U.S. schools, they have started to give CDs to students with textbooks on them,” said junior Tarang Agarwal.

“Eventually publishing companies in the future will have textbooks on CDs, but we wonʼt have them for a while,” Chmelik said.

Students could also take actions to alleviate the stress of having to haul so many books around with

recommendations of the Stress Committee will go into place by the end of the second quarter,” he said.

The next step for the recommendations is review by the executive student council. None have yet been established as enforced rules.

The committee also generated a list of topics it deemed “worthy of further discussion in future years,” including a limit on AP courses, classroom copies of textbooks, study skill sessions and morning meditation for students and faculty.

“These are things we just threw out on the table,” Bynum said. “This is our brainstorm list.”

Chmelik emphasized that the committee is not endorsing this list, but is merely considering it for discussion in future meetings.

As for the date of these future meetings, Chmelik is unsure.

“It depends on feedback from the faculty,” he said, “I havenʼt heard offi cially from the Stress Committee yet. If there is a need, weʼll meet.” But, he admitted, “this is an issue we need to continually take a look at.”

them. “There is a workable solution in place.

You can use your locker and minimize back problems by getting a backpack on wheels,” Dr. Smith said.

But students say that lockers are too far away from their classes, and some do not have enough time during breaks to go to their lockers due to club meetings.

“I donʼt use my locker. I donʼt know how to open it,” sophomore Clarissa Wong said.

While backpacks on wheels may eliminate back pain, students say that they are not stylish.

“They look really stupid, and you canʼt wear them on your back even if you wanted to,” junior Nathan Choe said.

Big bags here to stay, health risk or not

Every Student’s Never-Ending Story

Devonne Edora Taka Miyauchi

Sophie Greene

Vanessa Nguyen

Dan Tsukuda

Karyn Suwito Brian Riady

Jane Hurh

6 October 21, 2005 ❁ the Eyefeatures

Students and faculty aim for healthier food alternatives

By Priyanka Dev Senior Sara Calvert accidentally placed her baby in a puddle of water in the girls ̓bathroom. Calvert picked the child up and the baby wet her, dripping water down the front of Calvertʼs pants.

Calvert sought a babysitter for the exchange weekend. Nobody wanted to haul around a six-pound bag of flour or take tender loving care of a hard-boiled egg. Luckily, airline travel restrictions made child abandonment acceptable. Calvert stuffed the flour baby in her locker and ran off to catch the bus to the airport.

The 18 students of Jeff Devens ̓psychology class each had their own problems over the duration of a two-week long Parenting Project. On the first day of the project, September 6, each of Devens ̓ students randomly drew gender assignments from a hat. Then, they used tape to attach an egg to the flour sack. The egg was

branded in order to prevent students from accidentally breaking the egg and replacing it. Students were required to supply a name, height, weight and ethnicity.

“I really wanted to assign twins to a few students,” Devens said.

He said he would have done this by marking a few of the cards students drew on the first day with a special sign. Students that drew these select cards would be required to carry two flour babies for the project.

Devens expected students to carry their flour babies in their arms and not in bags. Students were also required to keep their babies with them throughout the duration of the exercise, nurturing them as they would their own children. The goal was to educate students about developmental psychology, parental responsibility and parenting styles.

“Hopefully, it will influence the way they bring up their own children in the future,” Devens said.

Requirements for the projects were strict. The consequence for misplacing the baby or damaging it was a five-page research assignment on child abandonment or abuse. Over the span of two weeks, one student left his flour baby at home and confessed while another forgot his in the cafeteria. Devens said there was no way of knowing every slip-up that occurred but he did recall some funny stories.

“Iʼll be walking down the street, and kids without their babies will turn and run,” Devens said.

In Beijing, where Devens began using this assignment as a teaching tool, one student constantly forgot her flour baby everywhere she went. Devens took the abandoned flour baby home and used its ingredients to bake cookies for the psychology class. As the students munched on the cookies, Devens revealed that a flour baby was used for their ingredients.

“I told them it was a lesson on cannibalism,” Devens said. “The girl was shocked.”

Several of Devens ̓ 18 p s y c h o l o g y students had their own complaints.

“ T h e hardest part is the weight,” senior Cynisha Fernandez said. “Itʼs just so heavy.”

Devens said

the weight of the six-pound flour sack simulated carrying the weight of a real baby.

Senior Tarik Stafford was the student that left his baby at home. He said he was in a rush in the morning and left the flour baby in his room.

“It was a pain in the butt carrying it around,” Stafford said.

The semester-long psychology class focuses on scientific processes in combination with practical applications. Devens said it was important that the class be as practical as possible. The same students will be testing cogni tive development of kids at the Early Childhood Center

and creating commercials to learn about the psychological effects of advertising.

“I wanted the course to be rigorous and intellectually challenging,” Devens said.

Flour Babies Kept Close, Parenting Lesson Learned

Students carried their egg babies everywhere. Above: Senior Katie Crocker’s flour baby Lola sits on a cafeteria table. Right: Junior Sylvia Chew sits and chats with her flour baby in her lap. Far Right: Senior James Tuppen hugs sophomore Amanda Cain goodbye while clutching his dear flour baby in his left hand. Photos by Laura Imkamp.

AP Language Teachers Welcome Native Speakers

By Jeff HamiltonDo not be alarmed if over the

next few months those french fries and Cokes that many have come to enjoy are replaced by fruit salads and green tea. It is just the food committee at work. Over the past few years, parents have expressed concerns over the quality of food offered on campus. Parents say there is too much oil in food, or that there is a lack of healthy options, too much Asian-style food or not enough Asian-style food.

“Stop all junk food and soft drinks on school premises,” one parent wrote in a food services survey. “Why encourage obesity?”

Parents have also complained that students pay too much for what healthy food is offered.

“Prices in the cafeteria are too high compared to other local schools where a cooked meal with rice, meat and vegetables cost about $2.00 or

$2.50,” one parent wrote.With these concerns in mind, the

Leadership Team, which includes the superintendent, assistant superintendents and the principals and deputy principals of all four schools, decided to create a separate committee responsible for overseeing food services on campus.

“At our next few meetings, we will be identifying specific issues to be addressed by the committee along with criteria on how to evaluate each of these issues,” committee chair Rhonda Norris said.

The committee will assess the food served on campus and make appropriate suggestions to the administration.

One of the most frequent complaints parents have with food services on campus is the amount of caffeine available in all four schools.

“Younger kids should not be

drinking Coca-Cola, but I am not against Coke for high school students,” Elisa Chan, school nurse and committee member, said. “The committee has recently approved the installation of healthy-snack vending machines on campus,” Daksha Rajagopalan said.

Rajagopalan is one of the student representatives on the committee, said.

Several students have shown concern over the possible implementation of the Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) system, which would require students to pay for food using a card rather than actual cash. This system would give parents access to an online list of what their child purchased to eat or drink.It would be a mechanism for parents to observe and critique what their kids are eating. “Itʼs unreasonable,” junior Abhinav Kaul said. “When our parents give us money we should have the right to spend it how we want.”

Other students agreed with Kaul.“Weʼre old enough to know what

is good or not good for our bodies,” sophomore José Acevedo said.

“We’re old enough to know what is good or not good for our bodies.”

“It was a pain in the

butt carrying it around.”

By Nicole LiewAP Language classes are

tough courses, but imagine what paradise it is to be a native speaker in AP Spanish or French. There are a number of students who are native Spanish or French speakers that enrolled in AP Spanish and French courses. AP Spanish teacher Mike Norman and AP French teacher Laurence Patrick both enjoy having native speakers in their class.

“These students have a positive effect on their classmates because they encourage the class to speak more during the period.” said Patrick.

Patrick said in AP French, it is important to speak French the entire period and these native speakers boost the classʼs confidence to speak more.

Native speakers often choose to take these AP classes to improve their written skills and master the language. These students can speak fluent Spanish and French but may have written skills below the standard of the class.

“There is sometimes a gap between [these studentsʼ] oral and written skills,” Patrick said.

Sohpohmore Siddhartha Chattopodhyay was born in Montreal, Canada and attended a French school. French is his second language, but he learned to read and write it correctly. Chattopodhyay is in Patrickʼs AP French course. He said the class was easy for him.

“I know I have an advantage over other students,” Chattopodyay said. “Itʼs like Japanese kids taking Japanese 4. I donʼt really learn anything useful. [There is] no point, itʼs just getting an easy A in AP.”

These native speakers are treated equally in class. They are not required to do any extra work or studying. Patrick said she often asks these students to assist her in teaching new material.

“I donʼt feel an obligation to change the curriculum in my class for them,” Norman said.

Norman said he does not normally curve test grades in his AP class, but that if he did, the native speakerʼs score would not be counted.

7the Eye ❁ October 21, 2005 op/ed

By Catherine WardA student slumped forward

in his chair, arms and head on the table, sleeping during a recent class.The teacher woke the student with a tap on the shoulder and handed him a quiz. Without acknowledging that he had done anything wrong, the student took the quiz and started to work.

It is common courtesy to pay attention during classes. No matter how much students dislike a subject,

they should be respectful to their teachers by at least pretending to listen.

Teachers also have a responsibility to inspire students to learn. Class time should be engaging so that students do not feel as if they have the option of catching up on lost sleep.

Five simple words. Respect. R e s p o n s i b i l i t y .

Honesty. Kindness. Tolerance.The SAS cornerstones are

supposed to be the foundations of

Editors-in-chief: Laura Imkamp, Alex Lloyd News editor: Joseph Sarreal, Ted Ho

Op/Ed editor: Jeff Hamilton, Denise HottaFeatures editor: Priyanka Dev

A&E editor: Amber Bang, Rhoda SeverinoSports editor: Kelsey Heiner

Photo editor: Sam LloydReporters: Amber Bang, Priyanka Dev, Jeff Hamilton, Kelsey

Heiner, Ted Ho, Denise Hotta, Laura Imkamp, Simreen Kaur, Michelle Lee, Nicole Liew, Alex Lloyd, Sam Lloyd, Barbara Lodwick, Karan Parikh, Joseph Sarreal, Nicole Schmitz, Rhoda Severino, Ravi Shanmugam, Catherine Ward

Adviser: Mark Clemens Assistant adviser: Judy Agusti The Eagle Eye is the student newspaper of the Singapore American School. All opinions stated within these pages are those of their respective writers and do not necessarily refl ect the opinions of the Singapore American School, its board of governors, PTA, faculty or administration. Comments and suggestions can be sent to the Eagle Eye via the Internet at eye@sas.edu.sg. At the authorʼs request, names can be withheld from publica-tion. Letters will be printed as completely as possible. The Eagle Eye reserves the right to edit letters for reasons of taste and space.

Editors-in-chief: Lau

eyethe

SAS belief - belief that students will not cheat on tests, that teachers will treat students like they themselves would want to be treated, that everyone will be sensitive to the feelings of those around them.

These values do not apply only to students, but to everyone - students, teachers, staff and administrators.

When a Gay-Straight Alliance organization was proposed last year to administrators, they turned it down. They turned it down because they feared the community would be hostile towards students, straight and gay alike, gathering to discuss issues faced by gay students in high schools around the world.

A teacher read a studentʼs homework aloud during a class as an example of sub-standard work. The humiliated student, embarrassed and frustrated, began to cry. She asked to go to the bathroom. The teacher said no.

Few students possess the confi dence to confront teachers for fear that they will pay a price. Any time teachers are disrespectful and unkind, it is awkward and uncomfortable for students to defend themselves.

Students have the right to challenge behavior of anyone, friend or teacher, when that behavior is disrespectful or unkind.

If students are going to buy into SAS values, they need to see that the rules apply to everyone.

Posters alone will not change behavior. Things will change only when students start paying attention during class and stop copying homework. Change will come when teachers and administrators not only hear, but listen to what students have to say.

Respect. Responsibility. Honesty. Kindness. Tolerance.

These fi ve simple words are meaningless until we practicing them. Only when people begin to base their actions on these values will SAS become the school that it wants to be.

Words empty unless everyone walks the walk, talks the talk

By Denise HottaBefore I had even placed my

order, the lady behind the Subway glass began making my BLT, a sandwich I had been ordering four times a week for the past month. Thatʼs about 16 BLTs, and I did not even know her name.

The Subway ladies make about 33,000 sandwiches a year, or 180 sandwiches every day according to Subway supervisor Lin Shuping. Lin, who has worked at SAS for fi ve years, said that students are friendly but only a few greet her by name.

Does it even matter? The food servers do not expect students to greet them, but donʼt we all feel good when a friend, a teacher, Mr. Chmelik or Mr. Norcott greets us by name in the halls or in the classroom? Food servers, custodians and cleaning staff will not know this feeling until more of us learn their names.

Perhaps nametags could solve our problem.

In the article “Everything I Need To Know about Business, I Learned From My Nametag,” Scott Ginsberg, a motivational speaker, describes how

a nametag changed his life. After attending a seminar, Ginsberg decided to keep his nametag on for the rest of the night, eager to see if anything would happen. Throughout the night, students approached him more, and strangers yelled, ʻHey, Scott, ̓ from across the room. His nametag single-handedly increased his approachability.

Ginsberg has worn his nametag ever since and vows to wear it for the rest of his life. Since then, Ginsberg has become an author, speaker, publisher and small business owner. He credits it all to that nametag.

Wearing a nametag alone will not lead to success or promise a career as a motivational speaker, but Ginsbergʼs life-altering night may have a lesson for us. He noticed an “increase in both [his] own and other peopleʼs willingness to communicate – all because of a nametag.”

Imagine that. The solution to a lack of approachability is a cheap, plastic nametag.

Some of the cleaning staff members do wear nametags, but the small metal badges inscribed with indistinct names are not easy to read unless one squints from a foot or two away. Names should be written clearly and large enough for students to actually see.

The administration, teachers and board members want to create a close-knit school community. Presumably, this includes every single person studying, teaching and working in these buildings. The issue is not necessarily about amiability. Lin and other cafeteria servers tell me that the kids at school are very friendly. Itʼs more about recognition. Names would be better than such labels as ̒ that lady with the glasses ̓ or ʻthat man with the beardʼ. Nametags would identify those that feed us, those that clean up our messes, or those that drive us to school.

After two years of attending the high school, and after over 500 interactions with these staff members, all I am able to offer them is a simple smile or an impersonal thanks. A ʻpersonalized ̓ thanks would show staff members a geniuine appreciation for their services.

There is nothing sweeter than the sound of your own name.

Respect: the name’s the thingstaff editorial

Denise Hotta

By Laura Imkamp

To the players, the fans, the organizers, To those who ran up and down the fi eld, waving the SAS fl ag,

To those who turned a lobster-red from the sun, To those who let their students support teams during class,

To those who stayed seated as the rain soaked through their shirts, To those who drummed booming beats,To those who created catchy rhythms,

To those who made posters for their favorite players, To those who cheered, even after a missed goal, To those who spent hours updating the website,

To those who heard the shutter click a thousand times over, To those who spent Saturday up at school,

To those who inspired the young ones to keep playing,To those who did not understand what ʻoff-sides ̓meant,

but yelled ʻbad call ̓anyway, To those who lost their voices, screaming for our teams, To those who strung together a tunnel for our players,

To those who shrieked names, both known and unknown,To those who created personalized cheers,

To those who sang along to ʻOle, Ole, Ole, ̓ To those who nearly got hit by stray balls, To those masterminds behind the events,To those who entertained, rain or shine,

To those who brought home gold and silver,To those who housed the competition,

To those who yelled instructions from the sidelines, To those who led their teams to victory,

To those who stood up in anticipation for the fi nal whistle, To those who stormed the fi eld to congratulate the champions,

To those who helped create the magic,Thank you.

Spirits soar at home

Catherine Ward

8 October 21, 2005 ❁ the Eyesports

By Kelsey HeinerBoth the boys and girls ̓ varsity

soccer teams won gold medals in the 24th annual IASAS soccer championships held at SAS October 13-15.

The SAS Boyʼs Varsity Soccer team stormed through the qualifying round with a perfect record of 5-0.

During the fi nal against JIS, the Eagles looked to continue their IASAS dominance after beating Jakarta 4-1 earlier in the

tournament.“We were pretty confi dent going

into the game,” Gonzalo Carral, All-tournament junior Co-captain, said. “We had the home crowd and we were really motivated to get the gold back this year.”

SAS created opportunities throughout the game but was unable to capitalize until junior Marcus Bech put the Eagles ahead 1-0 early in the second half. Carral sealed the victory with his sixth goal of the tournament to make the fi nal score 2-0.

“It was fantastic as we came so close to winning last year, and then going 6-0 this year on our own fi eld,” senior Scott West said of the championship.

FIRST SEASON IASAS - 5 GOLD, 1 SILVER

By Cat WardAn ISKL server sent the ball fl ying

over the net and straight to junior Co-captain Clay Crawford. Crawford who passed the ball to junior Adam Schwarz. Schwarz set the ball back to Crawford who hit it through the other team s̓ block straight to the ground. The Eagles erupted into noisy cheers.

After the match a parent remarked that he thought Crawford could have killed an opponent with the power of his last few spikes.

The boys ̓ team took gold and

By Alex LloydFirst. Second. Third. Still there

was no sign of the Eagles. Then, rounding the last bend of the course, Warren Ho came into sight with Alex Lloyd closely on his tail. Behind them, Kris Danorwayan pulled ahead

After a slow start Thursday, the defending champions Girls ̓Varsity Soccer team picked up momentum with convincing wins over ISB, ISKL and TAS to secure a spot in the fi nal.

“The team was focused before the championship game,” Sara Calvert, All-tournament senior Co-captain, said. “We knew Manila would be physical, but we still had to play our game.”

Sophomore Alex Shaulis opened the game up with a fi rst-half goal, slotting the ball into the right-hand corner of the goal, and the Eagles entered half-time with a delicate 1-0 lead. All-tournament junior Co-captain Kelsey Heiner added a second goal with a free-kick in the

53rd minute to ensure an SAS victory.

“The crowd and all our fans kept us pumped up the whole time, right down to the fi nal whistle,” All-tournament sophomore Natalie Knowlton said.

This was the third consecutive IASAS gold medal for the girls ̓team.

“IASAS was an experience that the players, coaches, parents and fans will be able to look back on.” said All-tournament senior co-captain Tarik Stafford.

“It was an unforgettable way to end the season and our careers,” added Calvert.

the girls ̓silver in this years IASAS volleyball tournament in Bangkok. The boys extended their winning streak to six consecutive years.

GIRLS1. SAS2. ISM3. ISB

4. ISKL5. JIS

6. TAS

FINALSAS 2 ISM 0

RECORD4-0-2

All-Tournament:Kacey Whitaker

Natalie KnowltonKelsey HeinerSara Calvert

BOYS1. SAS2. JIS3. ISB

4. ISKL5. ISM6. TAS

FINALSAS 2 JIS 0

RECORD6-0-0

All-Tournament:Marcus Bech

Kyohei MoritaTarik Stafford

Gonzalo Carral

The boys ̓ volleyball team was undefeated in IASAS play,and lost only one set to Kuala Lumpur during the championship game.

Junior Mitch Samson, defensive specialist for the boys ̓team described their play through out the tournament as “clean,” making few errors and playing consistently.

“When we asked Coach Bruno how we played, he said we were one of the best teams he has ever coached,” Crawford said.

The girls ̓ team made it to the fi nals, losing to ISB 3-1.

“We left everything on the court and I feel like every team respects us for that,” said Lexi Koch of the championship match.

During the fi nal match, the SAS the girls won the third game and made a come back during the fourth game, but it was “hard to keep momentum with the crowd,” said sophomore Barbara Lodwick.

of ISKL runner Tom Boyd to fi nish sixth. After Boyd fi nished, Jakarta snuck in one more runner before the next four places were taken by SAS runners.

The boys ̓team, while having no runners fi nish in the top three, won by merit of having all seven runners fi nish in the top twelve places.

“We all really ran together to keep the other teams out of the top places,” junior Warren Ho, who placed fourth overall, said. “I had

expected it though, because we had done the same thing at all of our exchanges.”

The girls ̓ situation was similar, except for Renuka Agarwalʼs expected fi rst place victory. Running the three-kilometer course in 12:06 when most girls struggle to break 13 minutes, Agarwal fi nished 37 seconds ahead of second place.

The girls had all seven runners in the top fourteen.

Coach Paul Terrile emphasized the solidness of the team, saying that

heʼs never coached such a good team in his 10 years with the cross-country program.

“I think the reason we won was because we had so much depth to

VOLLEYBALL

GIRLS1. ISB2. SAS3. JIS

4. ISKL5. TAS6. ISM

FINALISB 3 - SAS 1

RECORD5-1-0

All-Tournament:Andrea Long

Joanna Tu

BOYS1. SAS2. ISKL3. TAS4. ISM5. ISB6. JIS

FINALSAS 3 - ISKL 1

RECORD6-0-0

All-Tournament:Clay CrawfordDavid BywaterAdam Schwarz

Junior Co-Captain Clay Crawford jumps to spike a ball against ISKL while his SAS teammates look on. The boys’ volleyball team went undefeated in IASAS. Photo by Martha Began

BOYS1. ISKL - William Siemer2. JIS - Sami Badri3. ISM - Markki Stroem4. SAS - Warren Ho5. SAS - Alex Lloyd6. SAS - Kris Danorwagan7. ISKL - Tom Boyd

BOYS1. ISKL - William Siemer2. JIS - Sami Badri3. ISM - Markki Stroem4. SAS - Warren Ho5. SAS - Alex Lloyd6. SAS - Kris Danorwagan7. ISKL - Tom Boyd

GIRLS1. SAS - Renuka Agarwal2. ISB - Paulette Stewart3. ISM - Olivia Zingg4. ISKL - Mamiko Naguchi5. SAS - Kim McKinney6. SAS - Deron Hardee7. TAS - Bonnie Chien

BOYS1. ISKL - William Siemer 2. JIS - Sami Badri3. ISM - Markki Stroem4. SAS - Warren Ho5. SAS - Alex Lloyd6. SAS - Kris Danorwagan7. ISKL - Tom Boyd

our team, not because we had any big stars,” Terrile said. “We had so many people of similar ability that they really pushed each other throughout the season.”

Spirited home crowd cheers SAS to championships

SOCCER

Boys’ volleyball clenches sixth consecutive gold

Team unity leads cross-country to double gold

CROSSCOUNTRY

SAS Girls’ Team celebrates a second-half goal against ISB. SAS went on to win the game 4-0 and advance to the fi nals.

Juniors Sara DeNoma (#12) and Kelsey Heiner (#22) fi ght for the ball in a game against Jakarta.

All photos by Laura Imkamp, Brian Riady, and Kristin Liu

Junior Paul Charbonnet challenges a Jakarta player in the air for a ball during the championship game. The Eagles defeated Jakarta 2-0 in the fi nal.

GOLD&SILVER