WPeople Behind

the Scenes

BSM Spirit Week 2012

Prom 2012:AphroditeW

IN

ST

ON

Editorial Board

Editor-In-Chief

Thomas MacDonald

Managing Director

Brendon Go

Layout Editor

Janelle Ashley Sy(Assisted By: Kimberly Que)

Features Editor

Patricia Tan

News Editor

Kyle Tinga

Commissioning Editor

Alyssa Elasin

in thisissue

on the coverTrue Spirit Bleeds BlueA look back at BSM Spirit Week 2012

6

People Behind the Scenes

BSM Prom: Aphrodite

Meet four special people behind everything BSM

Relive the magic of Prom 2012

11

28

2

From The Editors 4

Mixtape 18

Service Spotlight 24

The Top 5 34

Lit Corner 40

Feeling too mainstream? Check out these tunes!

Classical Movies: From romance to comedy, these are a must watch!

Our very own senior school entry to the FOBISSEA competition!

Check out the Year 12 CAS Week trip to Tagaytay!

features

5

9

17

21

22

30

31

32

39

Young and Sleepy

The Walking Dead : A Review

BEIMUN 2012

Intercultural Exchange with MJS

Lord of the Flies

BSM Fete and Talent Show 2012

Activities Week: Lago

BSM Unplugged

The Hunger Games Quiz

How do you sleep?

Catch up on this popular new series!

The great Mulligan production!

Beijing Model United Nations 2012

Fun at the Olympics!

A fun learning experience with the Manila Japanese School

Fun in the sun during Activities Week!

Celebrating our own homegrown talents

Are you Katniss, Peeta, or Gale?

3

We did it.

I am so proud of the entire team with regards to this issue of Winston Magazine; it was definitely the most difficult one to produce yet. Not only did we have the pressure of creating a follow-up to the excellent  début  of Winston last term and an extremely busy final term, but the majority of the Year 11 writers were unable to contribute due to their GCSE exams. However, I am very pleased to say that we have pulled through, and I'm happy to present this second issue to you. I hope that you enjoy reading it as much as we have enjoyed working on it.

This issue does not have as tight a focus as it's predecessor, meaning that it was difficult to choose a cover. We wanted to retain the iconic black-and-white cover whilst doing something different from the previous issue. As Winston is named after the BSM lion, Winston, we've put a lion on the cover, settling on a black-and-white statue. The image itself is eye-catch ing , and I fe l t i t was appropriate given the challenges we've had to overcome.

As the school year draws to a close, I think it's important to reflect on the past. This year has been a big year for Winston; both the complete change of editorial team and the reboot of the Newspaper into the Magazine you see today happened just over the course of a year. I would like to say a big thank you and a fond farewell to the founders of Words of Winston, Anica Villamayor, Mansi Prakash and Toya Singh. Winston wouldn't be what it is today without their guidance and ambition. I hope that we continue to make you proud of Winston.

So, without further ado, I'll let you start reading. You'l l f ind a variety of interesting articles here, including some contributions from new writers. I won't go on about them too much, as you should really read them for yourself, but they are all of the high standard we've set for ourselves at Winston - a standard that I hope we'll surpass as we continue.

Enjoy,Thomas MacDonaldEditor-in-Chief

FROMT H EEDITORS

The pressure was on. In our first issue, we proved that Winston Magazine could stand on its own two feet. For our second issue, we had to prove that it could walk.  Difficult. That word pretty much sums up this issue of Winston Magazine. In all actuality, the difficulty we encountered was partly my fault. When planning out the schedule we would follow for this issue, I underestimated the damaging effects of the GCSE and end of year exams. The former basically cut our writing team in half. As these would be my first end of year exams in BSM, I did not expect the latter to be so taxing and time consuming. I am certain that Thomas has mentioned how difficult it was to produce this issue, but I would like to show just how difficult it was. A week before publication date, we had close to nothing. We lacked a handful of articles. We had no cover page. We had no photos. In all honesty, we were freaking out. The editorial board even considered scrapping this issue all together. When I mentioned this to one of our writers, she asked a simple question: “What about the article that I wrote?” We wanted to give up, but we knew that we couldn’t. Our few remaining writers used their time and energy to give us the building blocks of the magazine, and we owed it to them to piece them together. In the last issue, I thanked you, the readers, for taking the time to open our magazine. While I still thank you for supporting our student publication, there is one particular person that is in need of recognition: our Layout Editor: Janelle Sy. She was the one who put up with my crazy deadlines. She was the one who took unrelated articles and weaved them into the coherent magazine you now see in front of you. She was the person who breathed life into the magazine. This issue of Winston Magazine definitely walks. It might even be running. Enjoy.

Brendon Go,Managing Director

4

Dozing o!, snoozing o!, catching some z’s.

No matter what you call it, SLEEP is a

crucial part of students’ l ives - yet

unfortunately many of us don’t get

enough of it. Rather than waking up and

feeling energised, all too often, we wake

up feeling lethargic. In fact, eyebags seem

to be the fashion in student circles.

Despite this, many teens still refuse to go

to sleep early, but why? There are three

main reasons that have been identified as

the leading cause of sleep deprivation in

teens.

Firstly, living in an era filled with eclectic

sources of entertainment, it is no surprise

that adolescent distractions cause teens

to stay up late. Among these include,

computers, TVs, cellphones, and friends. Think about how many times, you’ve been

tempted to stay up late to play computer

games such as COD or Minecraft. When

it comes to homework, many of us have

a terrible habit of procrastinating due to

addictions such as Facebook and 9gag.

Hence, the familiar last minute, all-nighter

cramming that compounds the problem

of teenage sleep...

Secondly, you’ll be interested to know

that teenagers need more than the

average person’s eight hour sleep a night.

So, this means that students are not just a

lazy bunch of good for nothings – we

actually have a scientific reason to be

tired. The average sleep senior students

get on a school day is about seven hours,

w h i c h i s t wo h o u r s b e l o w t h e

recommended amount of sleep that they

need. Next time a teacher catches you

snoozing, you could remind them that

‘Teenagers need more sleep than

everyone else – it’s a biological fact.

Lastly, recent studies have shown that

teenagers have later biological clocks, known as circadian rhythms, meaning that

they’re programmed to sleep later and

wake up later. This may be the reason

why teens often feel that they perform

better in the afternoon than in the

morning. Early school starting time is

thought to have detrimental e!ects on

student performance, so it would actually

make sense for us all to start school

around 10 o’clock each morning, and

catch up with those much needed z’s.

Young and Sleepy

Interesting Fact: Lack of sleep lowers the body’s immune system, which has been known to cause acne.

Helpful tips to get enough sleep:

1.) Learn to take catnaps. A 30 minute catnap after school would be highly recommended.

2.) Reduce the brightness of the lights as sleeping time approaches

3.) Reduce use of TV, cell phone, and computer before sleeping as these activities tend to

stimulate the brain and prevents one from sleeping immediately

4.) Don’t eat anything three hours before you go to bed. Digestion interferes with your sleep.

BY KENJI SIY | YEAR 12http://www.mathgoodies.com/articles/teens_sleep.html

During the last week of April 2012, British School Manila found that real lions do bleed blue.

Spirit. What is it? According to the Apple Dictionary, it is “the quality of courage, energy, and determination or assertiveness” of a person. With the introduction of BSM’s first ever Spirit Week, these are the qualities that the student council hoped to bring out of each and every lion. Starting at 12:50pm each day, one could smell the raw energy in the air. Stepping into the Hard Covered Court, all that could be seen – or not be seen, rather – were ninja’s. Looking around Level 0 one could catch a glimpse of highly trained assassins ripping at the lives of others. Step onto the field and a three-way war was brewing. This was the inter-house event of the year – the culmination of months of inter-house rivalries.

Spi!tBlue

True

Bleeds

BY VICTORIA KONGOASA | YEAR 12

The first ever spirit week was host to four main activities. The three-way tug of war was held at the football field. Here, students pulled for honor, house points, and, of course, bragging rights. In the game known as Assassin, students were given ID tags that corresponded to their house colors. They then had to use stealth, speed, and strategy to grab hold of their rival’s IDs. The students then knocked wits in the scavenger hunt. Armed with their cameras, they set of to photograph everything on their list. Last, but definitely not the least, was Ninja. The game tested the students’ agility and reaction time. They quickly traded calculated blows until only one remained standing.

The four activities required brawn, brains, speed, and, stealth. Everyone had a part to play and everyone surely had fun. Yet, much like in the well-known Hunger Games, there could only be one victor.

The points were quite close and two houses were neck to neck in their bid for the honor and glory of coming in SECOND place. From the very beginning the Mindanao house had a clear lead. It dominated day after day in the younger years, whizzing around the

campus like golden snitches. In the end, the Mindanao house won with a whooping 358 house points. They left Luzon and Visayas to fight for the runner up trophy. Visayas triumphed over Luzon with 251 and 225 house points respectively.

A full summary of the scores can be found in the Student Resources Site, accessible through Google Sites. It will be exciting next year as Mindanao fight arms to defend their title, and Visayas and Luzon fight to steal it from them.

However, in the light of victory one must not forget what lies at the core of Spirit Week: everyone is a winner in his or her own right. To highlight this, students dressed as superheroes on the fourth day of Spirit Week. Whether it was a fictional character – there were countless Batmen and Supermen – or a role model close to their heart, the spirit embodied in our students is parallel to the spirit of true heroes. All in all it was a very successful week. All students seemed to thoroughly enjoy the activities and show their true BSM Spirit. BSM is lucky to be filled with such a passionate student body.

The

dead

BY SEPI MADAMBA | YEAR 12

walkingA R E V I E W

Ever since the first grey faced, blood-caked ghoul limped onto the silver screen decades ago, the modern audience has been fascinated by this amazing, grotesque and s o m e t i m e s e v e n c h e e s y c u l t u r a l phenomenon known as the zombie. Intrepid made-for-TV heroes have beaten them away with their double-barrelled shotguns and their devastating and oh so timely one-liners.

Our nameless, faceless video game heroes have massacred them by the thousands, w i t h i m p r o v i s e d e x p l o s i v e s a n d unrealistically powerful arsenals of almost certainly insane weapons. For decades, comic book artists and movie directors have employed them as the cannon fodder of the horror genre, dispensing enough gory entertainment for generations. And yet, despite the torture they receive at the hands of B-Movie film directors and gore-obsessed video game designers, they patiently shamble back to their places, all for our enjoyment.

The living dead are an inextricable part of our modern pop culture; it is impossible to imagine a world without the ever-loveable groaning, shambling phenomenon known as the walking dead. But, at the same time, no one really wants to hear about zombies anymore. We sigh with boredom at the latest instalment of some trite video game franchise where we mow down line after line after line of the grey fiends… just as we did in the last few dozen games, and we wince in embarrassment when we see yet another B-Movie wherein some square-jawed action hero spouts clichés left and right, as he ‘saves the girl’ from the crowd of aimless cannibals with his improbable armoury of Hollywood-issued firearms.

But, a new reinvigorating take on the undead menace has been sweeping the world. AMC’s The Walking Dead brings a new, refreshing take on everyone’s favourite brain-munching troglodytes. An adaptation of Robert Kirkman’s stunning series of graphic novels of the same name, this TV series has received critical acclaim.

9

It follows the tale of Deputy Rick Grimes, a man struggling to survive in a world inhabited by the living dead. When he suffers severe wounds in the call of duty, Grimes wakes up alone in a hospital that has seemingly been forgotten by the world. Emaciated and disoriented, the man stumbles onto the streets, which are deserted, save for scenes of death and chaos, all unexplainable to him.

But when he stumbles upon a stranger, he is horrified to see not a fellow human but a groaning, empty-eyed monster. He stumbles away and into the arms of a fellow survivor, who fearfully explains to him that, against all the laws of science, the dead are roaming the streets, seeking the warm flesh of the living.

Despite learning this terrifying piece of news, Rick rides off in search of his family, his jaw set. Along the way, he confronts not only the living dead, but the challenges and problems posed by his fellow survivors, ranging from dealing with a bunch of gun-toting gangsters to the ethics of treating with those infected with the terrible plague.

The Walking Dead is more than just a TV series focusing on these shambling creatures of the night—it focuses on the faith and perseverance that are required of people in any crisis, be it natural or even man-made. The survivors are as much as a problem to each other as the living dead are; they bicker and argue and fight, debating

on whether their ‘humanity’, the ethics and guidelines that their old world valued, are of any use in a world dominated by the living dead.

For a show about zombies, The Walking Dead asks quite a few hard questions about living. In one episode, when confronted with the problem of a group of hostile survivors, a character named Dale laments on the callous inhumanity that his friends are debating about killing him, simply because he knows where they are. “The world we know is gone, but keeping our humanity? That's a choice,” he says, daring his fellows to challenge him. Such issues and more are dealt with in the show, making it as deep and thought-provoking as it is a fright-filled bonanza for any horror fan.

Unfortunately, the finale of the second season aired several months ago, with a heart-stopping end that was raved about by critics. But fans craving more must only face a long wait; the series has been renewed for a third season, due to air in October of this year.

In short, The Walking Dead is more than a show where people run from zombies; it is a commentary on the modern world, and on how humanity struggles to survive in any crisis. And at the same time, it breathes new life into the living dead, making them as foreboding as the first time they stumbled into the world of fiction.

10

People Behind the

Scenes[ [By: Hosanna Jireh Calo

Photos By: Savannah Russell

Year 12

There are amazing individuals in BSM who have worked behind the scenes. Their hard work, contributions, and commitment to the school deserve our appreciation.  For many of us, we know them by name and face and what they do but now it's time to get to know more about what they like.  For this issue, I have interviewed four different BSM workers who I've known personally and whom I believe deserve to be known.

Angelito Boyet Cervantes Sabas

What is the favorite part of your work? Why?

Boyet:   "Concerts, music, and concerts.  Why? Well, simply because I am

a musician and I want to perform also.   I want to hear the students

perform as well.  It's normal to make mistakes but how they handle the

mistakes makes it interesting."

What is the hardest part of your work?

Boyet:   "Well, everything we do is hard; nothing is easy.  So you just have

to do your best in everything."

What would you like to experience in BSM that you haven't experienced

before? 

Boyet:   "Hmm, my dream? To have a full concert here in BSM with all

my 100 students for 1-2 hours." 

[By the way, Kuya Boyet, aside from working in BSM, has a brass and

woodwind band called Band 31 based in Bulacan that he trained years

back.  They often play during Winter Concerts and Summer Concerts in

school and their performances never fail to leave audiences breathless

with amazement. Needless to say, a full concert with all 100 of Kuya

Boyet's band members would completely blow you away. Guaranteed.]

Did you know what you wanted to be when you were young?

Boyet:   "No--well, I did want to become a dentist when I was in

elementary and in high school and when I went to college, I chose

dentistry."

Really? So when and why did you switch to music?

Boyet:   "Well, my family was not rich, we were just a simple family. My

mom and dad could not afford the tuition fee and there was no

scholarship grant, so the dream of becoming a dentist was... hanggang

pangarap lang (only in my dreams).  

But even before graduating from high school, I had been playing the

trumpet, since grade 4, so I auditioned for UST as a trumpet player.  

Unfortunately, they only offered me a 50% scholarship.  I talked with the

music professor and asked, 'Sir, ano ang paraan para makapasok sa UST

na libre ako?’.   (Sir, is there a way I can get into UST for free?) The

professor was quite surprised at my brazenness.  He even told me, 'Why

don't you go to UP (University of the Philippines) instead?'

But I didn't want to go UP, I wanted UST because at that time UST had

produced a lot of good brass players.  Luckily for me, there was no tuba

player at UST then so the professor told me, 'If you come back tomorrow

to audition for tuba and pass, I will give you a 100% scholarship.'"

But you had never played the tuba before that?

 Boyet:  "No."

Wow.  So, what did you do?

Kuya Boyet, as most people call him, is BSM's

Creative Arts Technician, meaning he does a big

chunk of the technical stuff in music, visual

arts, and drama departments.   But Kuya Boyet is

not just your ordinary school technician; he is

also an outstanding musician of 25 years, an

inspiring teacher, and an extremely talented

conductor.  He himself graduated Bachelor of

Music, Major in Music Education from UST

(University of Santo Tomas) in 1998 and is one

of the most amazing people I've met in BSM.  

Boyet:   "I practiced for the rest of the day, from 12 noon until 11pm.  Then

went back to UST the next day at 9am to do the audition.  Luckily this

time, I got it.  That's the story of how I got the full scholarship for college.

After that, I got to be part of the Manila Philharmonic, then San Miguel

Philharmonic, then back again to the Manila Philharmonic, then here

(BSM)."

Cool!  So, how did you form your band called Band 31?

Boyet:   "Well, in Bulacan, if you wanted to learn an instrument, it was for

free.  If you wanted to learn brass band music, it was for free.  We have

four bands in Sta. Maria: Band 85, Band 88, Band 31 (my band), and then

there's another Band 31 which is another group.  So I signed for free when

I was 10, grade 4. 

When I was second-year high school, I became interested in teaching

bands and young kids. So I taught trumpet, trombone, tuba, then flute,

clarinet, and saxophone. Eventually, my first batch of students graduated.  

Iyayabang ko, dahil mahal ko mga estudyante ko (I'll boast about this,

because I love my students); seven of them graduated ‘cum laude’ in

music from UST and one from UP.   And I have this one student, a

euphonium player, who graduated ‘magna cum laude’ from Trinity

College. 40% of my students are now professionals."

That's amazing.  What would people be surprised to learn about you?

Boyet:   "Ikaw ang tatanunging ko, pagkat nakikita mo ako dito, ano ang

napapansin mo sa akin?” (I'll ask you, whenever you see me, what do you

notice?)

Hmm, parang mahinhin ka, tahimik lang, at mapakumbaba (You seem

meek, quiet, and very humble).  Unassuming.

Boyet:   "Aah, dito kasi tahimik lang ako, pero sa mga kasamahan kong

support staff, mga kapwa Pilipino ko, medyo maharot ako. Syempre, dito

tahimik ako kasi kung all-out ka, baka mapagalitan ka.  Pero sa labas, mas

maharot ako kasi mga kabarkada ko mga estudyante ko.  Maingay din ako

pero minsan serioso ako. Normal lang sa mga artist o musician na magka-

mood swing.”  (Here, I am quiet but when I'm with the other support staff,

my fellow Filipinos, I'm quite playful.  Of course, I'm quiet here because if

you go all-out, you may get told off.  Outside, I'm more playful because the

people I hang out with are my students.  I can also be noisy but there are

times I am serious.   It's normal for artists and musicians to have mood

swings.) 

What is the most important thing in your life? 

Boyet:   "My family, especially my two-year old daughter.  Second most

important is my group (Band 31), because I've devoted a lot of time

teaching those kids.  My work would be my third priority."

Nickname:Age:  

Works in BSM as:

Boyet36Creative Arts Technician

(for 4 years)

Juffel Moamer Rabena

Ano ang 'first impression' ng mga tao sa iyo? (What is the first impression that people get of you?)Juffel:   "Natatakot siguro kasi malaki akong mama.

*chuckles*   Pero mabait ako; kaya nakatagal ako dito. (They get scared, most probably, because I'm quite a big man. *chuckles* But I'm a nice person; that's why I've lasted long here.)Ano ang pinakagusto mo sa trabaho mo? (What do you like most about your work?)Juffel:   "'Friendly' yung mga tao dito. (The people here are friendly.)"

Ano naman ang pinakamahirap na bagay tungkol sa trabaho mo? (What about the hardest thing about your work?)

Juffel:   "Kapag may event, medyo mahirap. (Whenever there are events, it rather difficult.)"Alam mo, naalala kita kasi ikaw yung nag-offer na

buhatin yung bag ko sa Year 12 Subic Trip. (You know, I remember you because you were the one who offered to carry my bag during the Year 12 Subic Trip.)

Juffel:  " *smiles* Ahh, naalala mo pa yun.  (Ahh, you remembered that.) Ano ang pinaka-gusto mo sa paaralang ito at bakit?   (What do you like most about BSM and why?)Juffel:   "Yung mga tao-- supporting staff,

teachers...kayong mga studyante; hindi mababa yung tingin niyo sa 'min.   (The people-- supporting staff, teachers...you students; you don't look down on us.)Nung bata ka, ano yung pangarap mo? (When you

were young, what was your dream?)Juffel:   "Maging 'marines' o 'seaman'.  (To be in the marines or be a seaman.)"Ano ang gusto mong maranasan sa BSM na hindi mo pa nararanasan ?  (What would you like experience in BSM that you haven’t experience before?) Juffel:   "Halos lahat naranasan ko eh.  Katulad sa

mga trip ninyo, napupuntahan namin yung mga lugar na pambihira sa ordinaryong tao.  So okay na okay ako dito.   (I've experienced almost everything already.  During your trips, we get to go to places that extraordinary for ordinary people.  So I'm quite okay here.)"

Juffel Rabena, the guard with that subtle but constant smile, is a man of a few words, unassuming and quick to offer help when he sees the need (like during the tiring Year 12 trek in Subic when he offered to carry my heavy bag for the rest of the trip).  He may look big and tough but I assure you, this man is one of the nicest guards you'll ever meet in BSM.

Ano ang pinaka-importanteng bagay sa 'yo?  (What is the most important thing in your life?)Juffel:  "Pamilya." (Family.)What would people be surprised to learn about you?Juffel:  "Komedyante ako.  (I'm a comedian.)"

Ano yung 'motto' mo o yung pinaniniwalaan mo? (What is your motto or what you believe in?)Juffel:   "If you want to see the real truth, wake up."

Nickname:Age:  Works in BSM as:

Juffel34Security Guard (since 2001)

Bonifacio Ranara

Unang tanong, ilang taon ka na?  (First question, how old are

you?)

Bonie:   "*laughs* Medyo matanda na ako (I'm kinda old

already)--50."

Talaga? Parang ang lakas mo pa ah. (Really? You still look

quite strong.)

Bonie:   "Yun ang hindi nila makapaniwala sa 'kin, eh.  Tanong

nila, ano ba sekreto mo?  Sinasabi ko, 'wag lang masyadong

serioso sa buhay, o sa trabaho. Lagi ngumiti at maging

palakaibiganin (That's what people find it hard to believe. They

ask me, what's your secret?  I just say, try not being too serious

in life or in work.  Always smile and make friends.)"

Gaano katagal ka na dito sa BSM?   (How long have you been

here with BSM?)

Bonie:  "Tagal na (It's been a long time), 1998 until now. 

Wow, 1998? That means I was only 3 years old when you

started in BSM.

Bonie:  "*laughs* Syempre, 'pag magaling ka sa trabaho mo at

mapagkatiwalaan, tatagal ka. (Of course if you do good in your

job and are trustworthy, you'll last.)"

Anong ang paborito mong bagay tungkol sa trabaho mo?  

(What is your favorite part of your work?)

Bonie:  "Lahat ng ginagawa ko, na-e-enjoy ko.  Pero ang pinaka-

da-best ay tuwing kunwari nagpupunas-punas ako at

kumakanta-kanta ako, yung nararamdaman mo na tapos ka

na. (Everything I do I enjoy.  But the best would be when I'm

singing while cleaning, and that feeling when you know your

work is finally done.)" 

Masaya ka sa trabaho mo? (You happy with your work?)

Bonie:   "Oo, syempre.   Ang dami kong kaibigan dito, mga

teachers din at mga studyante.  Nakikipag-apiran din palagi

yung mga studyanteng lalaki sa 'kin. Palakaibigan kasi ako eh.

(Yes, of course.   I have a lot of friends here, teachers and

students included.  I also get a lot of high-fives from the male

students.  I'm very friendly, you see.)"

Ano naman ang pinakanahirap na bagay tungkol sa trabaho

mo? (What about the hardest thing about your work?)

Another amazing person I got to interview is

Bonifacio Ranara, more commonly known as

Kuya Bonie. He has been with BSM for 14

years and is known for his cheery and friendly

attitude.  He loves to sing while working and

he never fails to greet the people around him

with a smile and a bright "Good morning! " or

"Good afternoon!" as he bustles around with

his broom or duster.

Bonie:   "Window cleaning. Kasi, syempre, delikado. Nasa labas

ka eh. Konting mali, malalaglag ka. Pero obligado pa rin namin

na gawin yon at kung umikot yung supervisor sasabihin niya,

'Good work, Bonie.'  (Because, of course, it's dangerous.  You do

it outside so you if you make one mistake, you fall.  However,

it's our obligation to do our work and when the supervisor does

his rounds he will say, 'Good work, Bonie.')"

Ano ang gusto mong maranasan sa BSM na hindi mo pa

nararanasan ?  (What would you like experience in BSM that

you haven’t experience before?)

Bonie:  "Gusto kong matuto mag-komputer.  Sa tagal ko nang sa

Bristish School, ang alam ko lang ay ang 'open' at saka 'close'. (I

want to learn to use the computer.   After all these years in

British School, I only know how to open and close it.)"

Ano ang pinaka-gusto mo sa paaralang ito at bakit?   (What do

you like most about BSM and why?)

Bonie:  "Pinaka-number1 na gusto ko dito ay yung pagka-ingles-

speaking. Masaya ako dahil pwede kong maaply yung

pagsasalita ng ingles sa trabaho ko at nakakatuto ako.  Isa pa

din yung mga sport dito kasi kompleto sila. (The number 1

thing I like about it here is the English-speaking environment.  

I'm happy because I get to apply speaking English in my work

and I get to learn.  Another thing is the sports facilities because

here they have everything.)"

Nung bata ka, ano yung pangarap mo? (When you were young,

what was your dream?)

Bonie:   "Unang-una, makatapos ng high school. Hanggang dun

lang muna yung pangarap ko kasi mahirap lang kami.  Yung

pangalawang pangarap ko ay makapunta sa Maynila para baka

sakaling mahanap ko yung kinabukasan ko.  (Firstly, to finish

high school.  That was as high as my dreams could go because

we were poor.  My second dream was to go to Manila so that I

could find a future.) *laughs* Yun lang. (That's all.)"

Ano ang pinaka-importanteng bagay sa 'yo?  (What is the most

important thing for you?)

Bonie:   "Pinaka-importante ang pamilya ko, na masuportahan

ko sila.   Kaya nagsisikap ako sa trabaho; lahat ng mga

pagsusubok kinakaya ko, para lang sa pamilya ko.  Para makita

nila na, 'O, si Papa, talagang masipag to. Hindi kami

pinapabayaan.   Kahit mahirap kami, sinusuportahan tayo.

(The most important is my family, that I support them.  That's

why I work hard in my job; I take all the hardships, just for my

family.   So that they can see that, 'Oh, Papa is really hard-

working.  He has not neglected us.  We may be poor but at least

he supports us.)"

Nickname:Age:  

Works in BSM as:

Bonie50Janitor (since 1998!)

Michael Charles Callado

Anong ang paborito mong bagay tungkol sa trabaho mo?  (What is your favorite part of your work?)Mike:   "Masaya yung nakikita mo araw-araw yung

mga bata;   sa morning, binabati ka at sa afternoon ganun din.  Makita lang sila na safe, naglalaro sa loob ng bus, medyo complimenting na sa 'kin yun.   (It's nice to see the kids everyday; I get greeted in the mornings and in the afternoons as well.  Just to see them safe and having fun in the bus is a compliment enough for me)."Ano naman ang pinakanahirap na bagay tungkol sa trabaho mo? (What about the hardest thing about your work?)

Mike:   "Yun mahirap na part ay yung wala kaming parking. *laughs* Pero sa mga drivers sa BSM, wala namang masyadong mahirap. (The hard part is that we don't have parking.  *laughs* But for the drivers in BSM, nothing is too hard. )"Ano ang pinaka-gusto mo sa paaralang ito at bakit?   (What do you like most about BSM?)Mike:   "Ang pinakagusto ko dito ay isang chaperone...

pero i-edit mo yan, ha? Joke lang yun! *laughs*  (What I like most here is this one chaperone...but edit that, okay? I was just kidding!) [Haha, sorry Kuya Mike, I'm putting it in.]Totoo ba yan? (Is that true?)Mike:   "At isang teacher din (And a teacher too.) Joke!"

Serioso.  (Seriously.)Mike:  "*laughs* Ang pinakagusto ko dito sa BSM ay yung 'working with foreigners'. Pag-uwi ng bahay, medyo dinadala ko din yung attitude sa trabaho.  Example, instead na sabihin ko sa anak ko na, 'Oy, huwag mong gawin yan,' nasasabi ko, 'Hey, don't do

Kuya Mike, as everyone calls him, is one of the most endeared bus drivers in BSM, notorious for his easy-going character and corny jokes that never fail to make people laugh.  When I asked for an interview he agreed right away, saying that he was used to getting interviews anyway. [Psshh, as if.]that!' na may pagka-English accent. (What I like best here in BSM is working with foreigners.  When I go home, I kind of bring with me some of my attitude from work.  For example, instead of saying to my kid, 'Oy, huwag mong gawin yan,' I end up saying, 'Hey, don't do that,' with an attempted English accent.)

Also, here in BSM, foreigners treats us Filipino workers as equals, kahit na hindi kami sa parehong level (even if we aren't on the same level)."Nung bata ka, ano yung pangarap mo? (When you were young, what was your dream?)Mike:   "*thinks long and hard* Hmm, nung bata ako, pangarap kong maka-establish ng isang pamilya na nakatira sa isang malaking bahay, parang yung mga nakikita ko araw-araw tuwing hinahatid ko yung mga studyante. (Hmm, when I was a kid, my dream was to establish a family that would live in one big house, just like those that I see every day when I drop off the students.)"Ano ang pinaka-importanteng bagay sa 'yo?   (What is the most important thing in your life?)Mike:  "My sons. Yung mundo ko nagre-revolve sa paglalaki ng mga babies ko. Lahat ng ginagawa ko, kahit nakakapagod, ay para sa 'king pamilya.  (My world revolves around raising my babies. Everything I do, even if it's tiring, I do for my family.)"

What would people be surprised to learn about you?Mike:   "Serioso ako sa buhay ngayon, lalong-lalo na may sarili akong pamilya.  Ang nakikita kasi ng mga tao sa 'kin, makulit o mapaglaro pero actually, serioso ako...  Serioso ako sa pagloloko! *laughs* Joke. Serious talaga ako 'pag sa pamilya.  (I'm serious with life now, especially since I have my own family.  People usually see me as naughty or playful but actually, I'm serious... serious in playing around! Just kidding.  I'm really serious when it comes to family.)Last question, what is your motto or what do you believe in?Mike:  "I believe... *long pause* in world peace."

Nickname:Age:  Works in BSM as:

Mike31School Bus Driver (since last year)

To end this article, I would just like

to thank the four people I interviewed

for willingly giving their time and for

being open and sincere in the interview.  

I would also like to sincerely thank

the rest of the people in BSM who

work in the support staff, operations,

bus service, and school maintenance

for their commitment to the school

and the hard work they put into jobs.

Mabuhay!

On March 5, fourteen BSM students from Year 9, 10 and 12 embarked to Beijing for the yearly MUN conference. BEIMUN is the third largest conference of MUN in the world behind THIMUN Singapore and THIMUN in Netherlands. The topics ranges from Environmental to Terrorism for students to create resolutions solving issues that would benefit many countries.

The first day, we promptly arrived at NAIA at 8:00am with the exception of our esteemed delegate of the OPCW Paco Litonjua who had arrived an hour late. Despite having this additional time to prepare, Paco still managed to carelessly forget his cellphone in the cup holder of his car. After arriving in Beijing, the group headed towards a restaurant, hungry to eat after a three-hour flight despite eating at the airport and plane. The group had a variety of Chinese food ranging from dumplings, to the original Peking duck. As soon as the group was bloated from the food, the group waddled to the bus to the Grand Skyline Catic Hotel next to the jaw dropping Bird’s Nest stadium.

The next day we travelled to the Great Wall to try and climb the steepest point of the Great Wall. In the words of our guide Steven, we were to become “Heroes” if we were to climb the whole Great Wall. Determined, as soon as the group stepped out of the bus, the group immediately, led by Miguel Ayala ran up the stairs even though he tripped from the first step to begin the tiring journey. Only Miguel Ayala, Miguel Vera, Anton Vera and Mr. Doran were able to reach the highest tower, which was the first tower. Paco Litonjua on the other hand claimed that he had climbed to the third tower. In truth, Paco Litonjua had not climbed since he was tired walking to the Great Wall whilst Kenji Siy and I had partially climbed then turning back to meet Paco at the bottom.

After a heavy lunch, the group travelled to the breezy Summer Palace. Dominated by the Longevity hill and Kunming Lake, it expands to 2.9 square kilometers of three quarters being water. The group walked from the bronze Qilin statue, through the long corridor to reach the Marble boat. A thirst quenching Miguel Ayala sought to drink Milk Tea for it marveled his taste buds. After discovering a Lipton Milk Tea the group had exited the Summer Palace to search for the bus. After the tour, Miguel Ayala attempted to purchase a Russian hat. Unbeknownst to him, this was no ordinary vendor. In fact, this was a member of the species of low lying, unworthy heathens known as con men. After his companions abandoned him on the cold street, isolated, vulnerable and helpless, he was swarmed. Scores of vendors circled him like vultures, waiting to go for the kill. Then, while being harassed by the rogue horde the con woman proceeded to swindle poor Miguel. The modus operandi was to switch valuable Yuan bills with similar looking but worthless Russian Rubles and Taiwanese Dollars. This heinous deed took advantage of a tourist’s unfamiliarity with the language and the currency. Cruel yet effective.

On Wednesday, the group left the hotel at 9:00 am to go to Tiananmen Square. From a long, tiring, grueling yet enjoyable walk, we had travelled from Tiananmen Square to enter the Forbidden City. After being escorted around the Forbidden City, looking through amazing rooms, the group rode the bus and went to a mall filled with stalls. However similar to the incident Miguel Ayala faced, Paco Litonjua had faced a severe problem. Paco had desired an “I love Beijing” shirt since noticing it at the Great Wall. However the stall he went to buy was no ordinary stall for it contained two smart sellers who knew

BEIMUN 2012

BY MATTHEW CAMPOS | YEAR 10

how to trick and mess with the minds of shoppers. Paco had tried with full potential to lower the price of the shirt starting from an insane 330 yuan. Paco and the sellers had agreed at a price of 215 yuan, which was still a silly price. As paco handed 300 yuan the sellers asked for 315 yuan because that is what Paco “said”. Troubled, Miguel Vera tried to help; however, one seller silenced him and Paco had continuously complained finding ways to earn change however in the end received an extra shirt free. Coincidentally Paulo Vera had the same experience however was saved by Sam Boughton because Arsalan Shamsuddin had forgot the code for help “what do you think about this colour?”

Thursday the group travelled to the Temple of Heaven. A beautiful place where the emperors of the Qing and Ming dynasty visit for annual ceremonies and where earth and heaven is represented at the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvest. After visiting the site and having lunch, four people from the group visited the Birds Nest to see the inside of the Olympic Stadium. Miguel Ayala, Paco Litonjua, Kenji Siy and I entered the Birds Nest with jaws dropped staring at the national stadium. A stadium that can fit the almost the population of Manila just to see athletes compete. Although it was tiring to walk to the top of the stadium, it was long enough to know that Ms. Shih was waiting for us outside the entrance. Filled with sadness, we left complaining to see other parts of the village for the Olympic village is a place that cannot be removed from the experience of many.

Friday, Saturday and Sunday were the occasion of BEIMUN proper. Friday we entered quietly not attracting attention knowing that delegates came from all around the world. Friday was when representatives from each school in each committee presented their opening speeches to other delegates. After that was at least a five-hour lobbying where delegates come together to discuss resolutions or even make one. Saturday and Sunday were the busy days where we discussed resolutions based on different topics. Delegates had numerous analogies, which kept the delegates entertained and esteemed guests and representative teachers glued to their seats . Sunday was when al l the representatives of the General Assembly committee gathered to debate resolutions that have passed in their respected GA’s.

On Monday, we had woken up with a stiff body, droopy eyes and weak legs to arrive at NAIA at night. BEIMUN was a different kind of MUN conference compared to others. Visiting sites, meeting new people, making friends, eating diverse dishes and watching Paco bargain, BEIMUN is certainly my favourite conference yet.

17

MIXTAPE :the dubstep

BY MAXINE YAO | YEAR 10

An alternative to pop mus i c and mos t l y h e a r d i n t h e u n d e r g r o u n d , t h e dubstep has become increasingly popular in the mainstream since the late 2000’s and ear ly 2010’s . The dubstep is a genre of electronic dance music centering on bass, which originated from South London. The elements of break beat, two-step (a style with soaring melodies resembling American R&B), grime (similar t o h i p - h o p w i t h a g g r e s s i v e , s t i f f beats), drum and bass (jazz-influenced, up-tempo form) and dub ( f r o m r e g g a e emphasizing heavy bass and reverberated sound effects) are integrated into the dubstep. Its music ranges in style from m e l o d i o u s instrumentals to dark, techy and distorted numbers.

18

Most agree that the dubstep emerged in Croydon, South London dur ing 2002 . Many influential artists such as Magnetic Man, Benga, Skream, DJ Hatcha and EI-B gathered at Big Apple Records shop to create some of the first dubstep records. DJ Hatcha began performing dubstep tunes at London’s club Forward ( o f t e n r e a d a s F W D > > ) . Ammunition Promotions, which ran t he c l ub , c o i ned t he t e rm “dubstep” in an XLR8R magazine story during 2002. The club was the first venue dedicated to playing music from the genre. Forward (FWD>>) ran a radio show on “Rinse FM” hosted by Kode9 to premiere the music. Dubstep spread from there to DMZ Records, and online discussion forums about the dubstep. In January 2006, John Peel and Mary Anne Hobbs, who were DJs at the BBC Radio 1 radio station, started championing the dubstep, starting a t w o - h o u r s p e c i a l s h o w dedicated to it called Dubstep W a r z , s i g n i f i c a n t t o t h e introduction of the dubstep to the world.

19

The dubstep incorporates several important structural elements that differentiate it from other music genres:

1. A heavy, persistent low-pitched bass line is the principal feature of the dubstep, best known as the “wobble.” An extended bass note is manipulated rhythmically using a low frequency oscillator to con t ro l cer ta in parameters o f a synthesizer. This results to a timbre that is punctuated by rhythmic variations in volume, filter cutoff, or distortion. Traditional dubstep also includes sub-bass, which are tones at the lowest audible frequencies (20Hz).

2. The rhythm and tempo of the dubstep move at 140 beats per minute (bpm) although half-time rhythms of many songs make it seem as if the tempo is 70bpm. The drums also assimilate syncopation, a technique in which the accent of the rhythm is not emphasized.

3. Another feature is the key and song structure. Chord progressions and melodies are usually in minor keys to convey a dark tone, and sounds are filled with reverb in order to create an illusion of space. Song structures often progress from an introduction to a bass drop to a repeated main section into an outro.

4. The dubstep has a bass drop. After the song builds for several measures during the introduction, the music pauses or fades momentarily. When it kicks back in, added layers of bass give the beat a fuller, more powerful sound.

Here are some recommended tunes from Humanperception.Hubpages.com.

1. Skrillex-Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites

2. Nero-Innocence3. Excision and Datsik-Swagga4. Rihanna-Rude Boy (Chrispy Remix)5. La Roux-In For The Kill (Skrillex Remix)

What struck me first was that each of the rows couldn’t have been more different. The same way you can immediately see that alternating lines of planted tomatoes and carrots have different leaf shapes, colours, and heights, so it was with the students neatly formed into queues down in the Cluster F Hall. The lines wearing black PE shorts spoke a language that was ut ter ly incomprehensible to me; it sounded incredibly formal – maybe a little harsh, but very elegant. The other queues were clad in shorts of a very familiar blue. They spoke English, and were as familiar to me as the others were unknown. Whether they were speaking in Japanese or English, I could hear the excitement in the voices around me - and it was contagious: the opening ceremony for the British School Manila and Manila Japanese School Intercultural Exchange was about to begin.

As a component of International Week, BSM and MJS invite students from the other school to participate in activities designed to experience the other culture. This year it was our schools turn to give the Manila Japanese School students a taste of British culture. We kick-started the day with an interactive presentation on British culture, where we sang ‘Yellow Submarine’ by the Beatles, matched different cuisine to different regions of the UK on a map, and even re-enacted some Shakespeare, in which a strapping young Romeo from BSM professed his undying love for a lovely MJS Juliet.

The drama didn’t end there; in order to learn about the folklore from around the UK, everyone picked a fairy-tale character out of a hat, and had to produce a play involving every elf, gnome, boggart, brownie or hobgoblin that you found in your group, with the best presentation winning an array of prizes. We also had a few sports matches, wherein our classmates and guests demonstrated their finesse in every cricket or rugby ball that arced through the air.

We ended the day with scones, clotted cream, and strawberry jam, washed down with English breakfast tea. What really fascinated me was that by the end, gone were the rigid lines of this morning. Instead, blue and black PE uniforms mixed into large clusters, chatting, laughing, and spreading jam.

BY PAOLO ZALDARRIAGA | YEAR 13

intercultural exchange with theManila

JapaneseSchool

Lordof thef l ies

is impressive considering how young they are.The cast included students from year 7-9. They are talented, intelligent and charming, true, but they are children nonetheless. Still, that makes them more appropriate for the play than any group of professional actors could be. These are real children of the same age as Golding’s group: children who have read and dissected these characters in class, and lived through the experiences that make a child truly naïve.

The cast comprised of Sheena Troemer, T i a R i c h a r d s o n , Kayleigh Currie of 7AK; Emma Wensley of 7NM; Tara Currie of 7PD; James Pratt a n d M a r c o Schonengerger of 8SF; Pao lo Vera , Jeremy Churchi l l , Sam Boughton, Amy Wooster, and Jamie Young of 9IS; Luis Recto, Kevin Kuo, Zara Ahmad, Eleisha B a t e s , B e t h a n i e C h o n g , K r i s t i n a Fernandez, and James Tutton of 9IR; Jae W o n J a n g , L e e l a W i g n a r a j a , a n d Ayesha Baloch of 9MS.

A handful of students clearly stood out. EJ

Lao 9IS works as a larger than life Jack Merridew who drastically shifts from petty teasing to brutal bloodlust. Kai Stroem 9IS performs admirably as Piggy, the petulant voice of reason. Martine Velasco 9MS fully realizes the twitchy and almost messianic benevolence of Simon. And a round of applause must be had for David Wensley 9MS, who manages to fully realize Ralph’s start of darkness and descent into the pits of a metaphorical hell.

All in all, the Lord of the Flies was an amazing spectacle to behold. Night after night, every actor gave his all, and that effort definitely showed in the quality of production each and every night.

On March 26-29, 2012, students from Key Stage 3, under the direction of resident author Mr. Andy Mulligan, performed an adaptation of William Golding’s Lord of the Flies.

Lord of the Flies is a classic tale of the savagery versus society; order against chaos; or, in less enigmatic terms, a story about a group of boys [and girls, in this case] who cease to be a mere group of students and start to lose their grasp on rules and order.

The lights dim, but there are no curtains o r e l a b o r a t e beginnings to this p lay. Instead, we have a c rowd o f outsiders peering in. A l m o s t l i k e t h e gladiator battles of old. Watching and o b s e r v i n g t h e performers in the middle of the ring, they look on with expressions of horror and shock as the play unfolds.

The play begins in an a l m o s t c l i n i c a l l y white setting. From the clothing to the floors to the walls, everything is white. Later we see that the brightness does not equate to goodness, as children cross the stage in fits of panic, devolving into insanity and anger. There are doctors on hand, of course, but their assistance does nothing. These children cannot be helped right now.

There is a drumbeat. A savage sound, that brings the children together if only for a moment. And then we move backwards in time. The children shed their hospital gear and return to their uniforms, thus bringing us to the beginning of the novel. Each scene is acted with as much professionalism and decorum as these students can muster, which

B Y K Y L E T I N G A | Y E A R 1 2

23

CAS Week

2012

BY ANTON VERA | YEAR 12

While tests, homework tasks, and IAs usually dominate the school calendar, one highlight students look forward to is a school trip. These outings are planned to help student experience or learn something new, but they are so much more: they give us memories that define our time in high school. CAS Week was special because it was our last trip as a year group. We had big expectations for the trip and it definitely didn’t disappoint.

Every year, the children of Year 12 go out of town and take part in a charitable project. This year was special because the charity selected for this year’s CAS Week was one many students in the year group were involved with: Empowering Brilliant Minds. Mr. Crowley and the CAS Committee decided that the entire year group would go to Tagaytay from May 6-11. We were going to help construct a new EBM playground for Tagaytay Central School and also teach young children in the same school and in another school called Pagasa.

In true IB fashion, we also had a little competition within the year group. We were divided into four teams to partake in several creative and action challenges set by our teachers throughout the trip.

After arriving in Tagaytay, we quickly checked into our Hotel and immediately got into the group competition. We first had to come up with group names, and came up with the extremely creative monikers: The Ultimate Woman, smart, sassy and sexy; No Direction; The League of Friendship; and, Tribe Hulolulolulolulo… Hwah! Our big task was to creative a ‘Peak Performance’ showcasing what it’s like to be an IB student through song, dance and drama by the end of the week. We’d spend a large portion of our free time during the week working on these performances, and some groups became extremely competitive.

The first day of the trip was our ‘action’ day. We partook in exciting but tiring series of activities like hiking up Taal Volcano, racing Kayaks, and going wind sa i l ing . The competition was a great bonding experience for our year group. During the grueling trek up Taal, many students had an extremely difficult time getting up the mountain but were ultimately helped by members of their group: everybody, save one, was able to brave and complete the hike. My team, League of Friendship, learned a pivotal leasson: win as a team, lose as a team .We stayed together as a

26

team even when one team member had to carried down on a horse. The day really encapsulated how working as a team, staying persistent and helping those in need can lead to individual and group success in even the most difficult of tasks: a fitting metaphor IB.

The majority of our trip was spent teaching and building, both exhausting tasks. During the construction, we performed tasks such as mixing cement, carrying gravel, and pounding the ground. Each student worked extremely hard on the construction site and though we were thoroughly outworked by Mr. Esswood, we were able to create a sturdy foundation for the court. The teaching activities were equally successful, with the Year 12s teaching, reading and playing. The kids were a pleasure to work with, we worried at first due to the language barrier, I personally was a little self conscious of my tagalog. But we all powered through, through teaching the kids we realized that every kid should have the opportunity to succeed in life, no matter the circumstances of their birth. It was truly an amazing experience and we came home with a better appreciation of how hard construction workers’ and teachers’ jobs are.

The final exclamation point to end our trip with a bang was the presentation of our ‘Peak

Performances’. They told stories about heartbreak, exams, and friendship with plays worthy of Broadway. Many of our Year Group’s usual actors had their talents on full display, but to me, it was the unexpected performers who stole the show. Sepi Madamba, in particular, was a source of enormous amusement with his unforgettable dancing. The performances were a fun and fitting ending to an amazing week. The long awaited reward of seeing “the list”, pairs of names the teachers thought should go to prom together. This was the biggest practical joke, revealing only two genuine names: Miguel and Patricia, and the rest of listed fictional couples such as Romeo and Juliet, Anthony and Cleopatra.

Though CAS Week is a trip where the students give their time and effort to something, I felt that all of us received a lot by the end of the trip: the Year Group became closer, we learned how to overcome challenges, and we got an opportunity to help amazing causes. I am so grateful to Ms. Fisher, Mr. Crowley, Mr. Esswood, Ms. Mouqet, Ms. Taylor, and the entire CAS committee for organizing the trip. It was one I’ll always look fondly upon and one that will always remind me just how great being in high school is.

27

BSM Prom:

Aphro#te

Every year, the PTA organises the BSM fete to create a fun filled day for students and parents of all ages. I have attended 4 BSM fetes in my life, and this year was the best. The fete was not only filled with a range of activities with an Olympic theme for the students but also provided different charities to sell their produced goods to raise funds for their projects.  Included were charities  such as the PCF livelihood program, Gifts and Graces and the EBM charity foundation. The activities undeniably challenged the physical skills of the students of all ages. For the younger students, the giant slide, obstacle course and lego inflatables provided  an ample test whilst for the older students, the trampoline rebounders, rappel wall, climbing wall, and zipline/flying fox  were thoroughly enjoyed.  Most of these activities certainly required courage, strength and a good sense of balance, which most of the students displayed. However, what really struck me were the broad smiles painted on their faces  - in  an age of technology, these fetes are much appreciated to get children away from their laptops and exercise.  Seeing those smiles on their faces reminded me of the importance to take a few days off to go out and play and have fun, without technology.

This year  there were also many student organized booths that mainly raised funds for their chosen charities. The student council, for instance, raised funds for the year 7-10 CAS week wherein they shall embark on different community service projects, and the fete allowed for  the BSM annual talent show. There were, as usual, a multitude of talented performers doing a myriad of different acts. The show consisted  of singing, dancing, and playing musical instruments which brought a lively and energetic spirit amongst the audience who were happily singing along to the musical performances.  I’ve been informed that some audience members were enlightened by the show because they never knew that so many people had the confidence and talent to be part of the show. Without a doubt, the judges had an incredibly hard time

BSM Fete andtalent show

BY PATRICIA TAN | YEAR 12

choosing the winner of the P5000 cash prize, but  the choice was made, and congratulations are in order for David Wensley.  David also donated  it to help build the EBM covered court for the children in the Tagaytay Central Elementary School. This really illustrates the generosity of BSM students and the positive effect the fete has on the students.

The food was a wide array of scrumptious food from different countries. There were booths selling Indian food, Filipino food, British food, American food and food from other countries. Furthermore, some of the famous snack shops were invited to come and sell their products in BSM.including  the recently opened Jamba Juice, Kenny Rogers and Yoshi’s Ice Cream. The fete also had its annual raffle which gave away  numerous  prizes such as  2 n ights  at  the Amanpulo Resor t , the E l N ido Resort,  the Shangri-la Boracay and others. The raffle has certainly made many lucky people very happy. There was also a  silent auction  running  through the day which offered great deals. The BSM fete surely makes me proud to be a part of the BSM community; it truly amazes me how many charities are being helped through fun activities that students can partake in.

BY PAOLO VERA | YEAR 10

On May 7th, 2012, 30 students and 3 teachers embarked on a 5-day trip to Lago de Oro to tackle the new challenge of wakeboarding. We all met up early on Monday morning at 8am in school. The range of luggage size was impeccable, from small duffel bags to huge suitcases that were nearly a meter by a meter. This prompted Ms. Simpson to ask some students how long they were planning to stay there. As per every school trip, at least one person was late and this time it was Melissa. Once she arrived however, we hit the road straight away and began our two hour bus journey. We kept our moods high and our adrenalin going by blasting out music. By the end of the bus ride we all were singing Nicki Minaj’s Starships and humming along to Call Me Maybe. Finally, we reached our destination and quickly got into rooms. Once we unpacked and had lunch, we went straight to the wakeboarding course. Some of us started in the little lake, or the ‘self-esteem pool’ as we called it, while the more daring began in the big lake. The first day was full of epic face plants and extreme wipeouts. Wakeboarding is a sport that needs perseverance and the will to keep on going no matter how many times you crash into the water. By the end of the day though, all of us made miraculous progress and were excited to wake board again.

We were already getting sore by the next day but that didn’t hold us back from wanting to wakeboard. After some breakfast and an early morning dip in the pool, we headed back out onto the course with newfound focus. People in the smaller course improved immensely overnight and were promoted to the big lake. Some students in the big course began to get the hang of it and a few were even doing laps! Slowly throughout the day more and more moved to the big course and more progress was being made. Every turn we had, we all made some distance and began to go further and further down the course. Occasionally, Mr. Beamish and Ms. Simpson would wakeboard with us to show us all how it was done. After a long day of wakeboarding, the teachers organized some team building games. They put us into groups of 6 and led us to our first challenge. As there were many sheep being grazed on the resort, our first challenge was to become shepherds and herd them into cages. We quickly learnt that sheep were a lot faster than we thought they were. Afterwards, we had an egg throwing contest. Needless to say, many of us were covered in egg yolk by the end of the activity. After dinner we were all exhausted and went to bed.

The third day we, surprisingly, wake boarded again. We were all doing extremely well and most of us were reaching the first corner. A few wakeboarding professionals were practicing on the course which somewhat lowered our self-esteems. All of them were doing flips, jumping off ramps and pretty much putting all of us to shame. Some, were kind enough to give us tips and we from then on we aspired to be as good as them. After another evening of team games, where we had to count sheep and memorize over 200 random objects, we went to bed. On the fourth day, we all had our own personal targets. Whether it was to make a lap or make the first corner, we all were determined to accomplish our own goals. After a long successful day of wakeboarding, we finally got off the course and were sad that it would be our last night.

We woke up bright and early once again, ate breakfast then headed out to the course for our last wakeboarding session. It was amazing to see how much better we all had gotten since only a few days ago, we couldn’t even stand up on the board. We ate lunch, got all of our stuff packed and left the resort at 2:30. I would like to thank Ms. Simpson, Mr. Beamish and Coach Anton for organizing such an amazing trip.

ACTIVITIESWEEKLAGO

BSM

UN

PLU

GG

ED

BY ALYSSA ELASIN | YEAR 12

Good friends, Good food, good music; the three ingredients to a great night and the three elements showed off at BSM Unplugged. Months of planning finally materialized on the 18th of April. A musical event like no other . I was always mesmerized by the musical talent of the students and Mr Crowley had always wanted an acoustic night- and so BSM UNPLUGGED was born.

Unplugged is defined as of pop or rock music Performed or recorded with acoustic rather than electrically amplified instruments. Finally, a musical event where the talent of the student could be showcased in a chill and familial atmosphere.

Minutes till we opened I was shaking with nerves, running around, well staggering on the count of my high heels. Kat Yu had to resort to breathing exercises to stop me from hyperventilating, which is ironic since she was the one performing.

One direction was a central theme of this acoustic night. Nicki Perret, Mykie Conception, Toya Singh, Audrey Stockinger and Nancy Zuang kicked off the night with One Direction’s “One thing”- a splendid crowd pleaser. Toya Signh conquered her lost voice and sore throat and despite illness managed to give a hauntingly good performance of “Video Games”.A comical moment, when the piano mysteriously stopped working. After much investigation we realized it became unplugged. That was my queue for a terribly cheesy joke. Mykie Conception, Matt Young, Nicki Perret, Vitto Tagle and Kris Young performed an eccentric rediton of Gotye’s Somebody I used to know. The audience was perplexed and amazed, watching 5 people play a song on one guitar. Each member controlled a part of the guitar, everyone huddled together simultaneously playing. Vitto knocking the beat, Mykie strumming, Matt plucking the notes, Kris singing- everyone in perfect synchronisation.

Personally, I have such a strong connection with music, I adore the way it celebrates the friendships and relationships we have. A heart warming sister act: Mykie and Isabel Conception playing a mash-up of Coldplay’s ‘The Scientist’ and B.O.B’s ‘Nothing on you’ . The culmination of their angelic voices accompanied by the ukulele and acoustic guitar was simply amazing. Teachers cheered as Dominique Cojuangco, Savannah Russell, Nikki Tay, Jireh Calo and Sam Olondriz took us back decades with Jackson 5’s “I want you back”. Singing as a group exhibited heir great chemistry, and it was easy to see that they were all good friends. Music has a healing quality, and sometimes it can help ease the deepest wounds. Several songs were chosen to celebrate the life

of Natalie Arriens. Pink bands were worn by all performers as a tribute. We hope she heard her favourite songs from the peaceful she rest in. Know that your friends will never forget you, and that you are missed and truly loved.

The voices of Jireh Calo and Nikki Tay will never fail to take my breath away, their rendition of “Your love is extravagant” had the audience silenced in awe. The year 10 youngens held their own; Aileen, Kazuya and Elijah performed ‘with out you’ another testament to the wide spread talent of bsm students. I applaud Kyle Tinga for having the courage to take the stage accapella, stunning the audience with her mighty performance of Queen’s “Somebody to love”. What I loved about the event is how It exposed new talent, such as the wonderful voices of Riane Puno, Jeewon Lee and Chelsey Singson. Riane and Jee’s vocals on “It girl” and “gotta be you” were the best surprise, they killed those songs with ease, astonishing their friends with their talent. The incredibly talent athlete Chelsey Singson showed her softer side with “Only Hope” and “White Horse” both were hands down remarkable.

The crescendo of the night was definitely the debut of BSM Direction, a imitation of the British boy band One Direction. Crowds of girls screamed excitedly for the long awaited performance by Vitto Tagle, Phillipe Palma Gil, Mark Yao, Kris Young and of course Thomas Pickering. The lads took the stage by storm in true One Direction fashion, all sporting matching preppy outfits. This was the ultimate crowd pleaser, at an instant every girl in the room evolved into a ecstatic fan screaming and cheering the lads on. The intro music for “What makes you beautiful boomed through the speakers- and with that the crowd went wild. Slick, smooth, and swag are the words I would use to describe their performance. Every cliché boy band move executed perfectly, every vocal note conquered.

As if that wasn’t enough, the boys rewind time with the classic backstreet boy’s track “I want it that way”. The teachers reminded of their youthful days eagerly joined in the singing, getting into the true spirit of unplugged. The student body all celebrating and dancing together to a classic song brought tears to my eyes. It made all the hours spent organising completely worth it.

When the house lights came up and the crowds dispersed, my heart sank. Unplugged had been like a baby I’d be taking care of and now it was over I felt a little emptier.Organising BSM UNPLUGGED was a wonderful, although often stressful, learning experience. It exposed to the world of professionalism, having dealt with a diverse range of people, I

learned the true value of manners and the immense power of a simple thank you. So, I want to take this chance to show my gratitude to all the performers – thank you for redefining acoustic music for me. Thank you to the supervisors: Miss King, Mr Reed, Mr Esswood and of course the amazing Mr Stapleton. Thank you to the people behind the scenes that make such an event possible: to Diana, the Janitors, Donald and of course the technical god, Bless. And last but not least Mr Crowley, without his unfailing support of the Prom Committee this would not have been possible. And finally, the lady at the top, Ms Hawtree, for approving this event and supporting this student led initiative.

BSM Unplugged was a chance for everyone to forget about IA’s , forget about homework, forget about exam and just kick back to amazing music in the company of great friends. I could never have been prouder of the Unplugged team! You guys will forever mesmerize me. It was great event for the senior school, it proved the uniting power of music.

BY KATKAT CHUA | YEAR 12

The Top 5:

classicalmovies

Every girl hopes to experience that magical feeling called love. That’s why every girl, at one point in

time, has fallen in love with a romantic movie. Although they differ in their plot, gorgeous leading man

and sentimental music, these films have one thing they never fail to do: to touch our hearts. Romantic

movies create a bridge between our soul and the character's, which transports us to another time and

place. For those few hours, we get to step into that character’s shoes and believe that we are the leading

ladies.

It’s undeniable that films such as Titanic, The Notebook or even Moulin Rouge have brilliantly executed

what I’ve mentioned above. However, these films have become overrated and mainstream. Thus, it’s best

that we look back and watch classic (some are still in black and white) romantic films that have been the

foundation of the Hollywood romantic films we have today.

(Note: these are ranked in no specific order)

Gone with the Wind, adapted from Margaret Mitchell’s Pulitzer Prize

winning book and first released in 1939, swept the box office charts at

that time. With an outstanding honour of winning 10 Academy Awards,

Gone with the Wind ranked 4th in the American Film Institute's 'Top 100

American Films of All Time'.

A tale of love, war and healing, Gone With the Wind reveals the

struggles of surviving and overcoming the obstacles brought about by

the American Civil War. Moreover, it deals with finding love and holding

on to the wrong man when the right one is right under your nose. The

story revolves around Scarlett O’Hara, a beautiful, white and rich 17

year old, who’s in love with a man named Ashley Wilkes. Before the

war commences, Scarlett meets her counterpart, a middle-aged

debonair named Rhett Butler who’s shunned by society despite his

wealth. Rhett and Scarlett share the same qualities of being cunning,

clever, deceitful and strong-willed, refusing to have anything get in

their way. Regardless of their similarities, Scarlett clings on to the typical golden boy, Ashley Wilkes.

But misfortune strikes when Scarlett discovers that Ashley is engaged to his cousin, Melanie Hamilton.

As the story progresses, Scarlett finds herself dedicating her entire life to serving Ashley and his new

wife, while conflicted with her feelings towards Rhett.

Gone With The Wind isn’t limited to love and romance but also contains glimpses of American society at

that time. The movie gives us a strong female character that makes them proud to be one, considering

the gender inequality in the19th century. Ironically, Scarlett despite being the protagonist of the story,

acts as the villain between the relationship of Melanie and Ashley. While Ashley, clearly one of the

conflicts or barriers to Scarlett’s happy ending, is a sweet-natured goody two shoes. As an audience

member, I find myself hating Melanie and rooting for Scarlett. Scarlett, despite being selfish, is an

epitome of female power and feminism.

1. Gone With the Wind (1939)

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We step away from the romance-drama film and move to romantic comedies. Serving as Audrey

Hepburn’s break-through film, Roman Holiday is light-hearted, cheerful and a bit idealistic; though that

may not be a completely bad thing. This movie is for girls who like to dream big and truly believe in

"happy endings.” Roman Holiday is one of the original royalty-falls-

for-commoner movies, and most probably the best.

Princess Ann (Audrey Hepburn) is overwhelmed and tired of all the

royal obligations. One night, she finally decides to breakaway from her

duties and runs away from the palace. Along the way, she gets picked

up by reporter Joe Bradley (Gregory Peck). Bradley, knowing that

she’s the royal princess, takes advantage of the situation by

pretending to be unaware of her true identity and using this situation

to write the story of a lifetime. Ann, oblivious to Bradley’s deceit,

enjoys his company and soon falls in love. But Bradley’s pretense

might get in the way of the budding relationship. It’s impossible not to

love Audrey Hepburn in this movie. She’s innocent, cute, bubbly and

charming; while Gregory Peck, on the other hand, is handsome,

brooding and suave. The playfulness and fun chemistry between Peck

and Audrey set in the beauty of Rome, will definitely win your heart.

2. casablanca (1942)

Casablanca. Whenever we talk about romance movies, it’s difficult not to allude to Casablanca. Everybody

knows Casablanca. It won 3 Academy Awards and was nominated for 8. Although its accolades are

nowhere near that of Gone With The Wind, most people associate Casablanca as the best romance movie

of all time. It's excellence is indisputable. With a great ensemble, a perfect plot and good hearted

characters, Casablanca has proved itself a timeless, classic film.

Similar to Gone With the Wind, Casablanca is set in Casablanca during a

war-era, more specifically, World War II. The movie starts with Nazi

soldiers searching for the stolen “letters of transit". A prized item, these

letters serve as tickets to freedom, to escape to Portugal. However,

these letters of transit fall into the hands Rick Blaine (Humphrey Bogart),

an American who owns a popular nightclub in Casablanca called, ‘Rick’s

Café Americain’ Rick Blain is portrayed as a bitter and cynical

businessman, perceived as unfriendly towards customers and resolute in

his beliefs but under this hardened demeanor is a man who is scarred

and torn. Questions circulate in our heads as we wonder what ever

happened to Rick Blaine. A mystery that only unravels when Norwegian

Ilsa Lund (Ingrid Bergman) comes into the picture.

In terms of cinematography, Casablanca offers nothing extraordinary.

But the realistic portrayal of passion between these two characters will

enchant us all. The pain from their previous separation is evident

between them and we are ecstatic to see these two protagonists slowly

rebuild their relationship. Like most movies, there are events or characters that create conflict in the

story – in this film, it is the rekindling of Rick and Ilsa’s relationship. What makes it unique from others is

the redeemable quality of the obstructing characters. In the end, the audience finishes the movie with a

satisfied, if not glorified, feeling.

3. roman holiday (1953)

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4. grease (1978)

From Footloose to High School Musical, today’s mainstream involves a

lot of singing and dancing but among them, Grease tops the list. Some

may find the plot a cliché, but Grease is one of the few films that has

gained positive critical reviews and is a successful film.

In the summer of 1958, Danny Zuko (John Travolta) and Sandy Olson

(Olivia Newton-John) part ways as their summer romance ends, with

Sandy going back to her home country, Australia. When senior year

begins, Danny is surprised to Sandy attending the same school. Like

most high school films, Grease is filled with exaggerated stereotypes.

Danny acts as the school’s bad boy and leader of the gang called, T-

Birds. Sandy, on the other hand, is the typical high school sweetheart.

The story continues with Danny and Sandy’s efforts to rekindle their

summer romance, but not without high school drama along the way.

Grease is energetic, fun, and dynamic with its 1950s disco feel. Grease’s

catchy and memorable tunes will keep you singing along for a lifetime.

5. when harry met sally (1989)

Note: Parental Guidance is advised

In the movie, ‘When Harry met Sally,’ we are constantly faced with the question, ‘Can men and women

really be friends?’ This Academy Award nominee revolves around Harry and Sally’s complicated

relationship as friends/lovers. The story starts with Harry Burns meeting Sally Albright in the year 1978.

After a few years, Harry and Sally meet again. The movie takes place in a span of nearly half a decade

and takes us through the lives of Harry and Sally with their friendship being the rock that each can lean

on during troubled times.

A lovely story about the complicated realms of a relationship, ‘When

Harry Met Sally’ switched the trends and popularised adult romantic

comedies without the clichés: old flames trying to destroy the current

relationship, jealousy towards affection for another person, interfering

and unsupportive friends who manipulate the protagonists. The film,

'When Harry met Sally' discusses love, friendship and the contrasting

beliefs of men and women. What I’ve always loved about ‘When Harry

met Sally’ is its realism: the absence of ‘love at first sight’, ordinary

and mundane characters and friendship as a foundation for a good

relationship. It’s a movie that everyone could relate to that it’s

possible to say, “I’ve had a Harry and Sally relationship with her.”

Ultimately, When Harry Met Sally is a unique romantic comedy that

transcends the stereotypes of love and friendship with the

incorporation of a number of witty jokes. The movie stays faithful to

its genre: romantic comedy.

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1.Which of the following do you like the most?

a)Drawingb)Singingc)Sports

2. Would you rather be a regular/career tribute or a mentor?

a)mentorb)regularc)career

3.An avox spills a drink, you:

a)watch them clean itb)help them clean itc)shrug and walk off

4.Describe yourself:

a) kind / sensitiveb) a leader / outgoingc) strong / determined

5. Your ally is shot, you:

a)don’t know what to do so leave

b) cry and give them a proper burial

c) leave them and try to escape his/her killers

6. Would you kill people to win the Hunger Games?

a)no! you try to save people, not kill them!

b)when the time comesc) if they try to kill you first

If you got mostly A ’s then you’re Peeta! You’re k i n d a n d s w e e t a n d always try to see the positive side o f t h i n g s and wouldn’t hurt a fly!

If you got mostly B’s then you’re Katniss! You s t a n d u p f o r w h a t you believe in and no one knows what to do with you!

If you got mostly C’s then you’re Gale! You’re a stubborn, s t r o n g , c o n fi d e n t athlete and e x t r e m e l y l o y a l t o your family

BY SIMONA GEMAYEL, ESTHER MINC, AND EMMA PRIDEAUX | YEAR 8

CompassTheBY JEEWON LEE | YEAR 11

It is a proven scientific fact that 55% of the characters in an average male’s dream are unfamiliar. This provides the dreamer with some comfort, as we humans feel safe and at home when we are surrounded with familiarity. But there is an exception.

I learned about this exception during my second year at Johns Hopkins University as I studied medicine and health. There are reportedly rare instances wherein the percentage of unfamiliar characters in a person’s dream heightens to 95%, causing the total immersion of the individual into a completely abstruse environment where he faces confusion and slips into a state of insanity for the time he is dreaming. The dreamer is lost. The dearth of such dreamers has made this concept of dreaming a rather nebulous one. Nonetheless, it exists. Of all the “lost dreamers” in this world – which is about 2% of the total human population – 0.3% experience delirium to the extent that when they wake up, their brains are brutally marred. They consequently enter a state of what they call “amissit in vita,” which translates to “lost in real life.” I was able to observe am-vita up close when I worked with a professor of the Oneirology department for a whole semester. What exactly happened during Hamish’s dream remains recondite, but the 23-year-old man woke up in a state of panic, fixated on events that happened in his dream, unaware of reality. He suffered for days – mumbling nonsense and uttering something about “finding the needle.” He expressed his agony physically and verbally; he tore his hair out and dug restlessly at anything with depth or volume – a stratum of flint, wooden furniture, his bed – and threw fits, occasionally remembering some names or places from his life before the dream. After days of incoherent, disoriented behaviour, the graph of Hamish’s energy rapidly decreased until he entered a state of depression. Only a few hours after this new phase, he calmly walked out of the hospital and into a nearby lake. He waded further and further in until his head disappeared beneath the water, and drowned to his death. “The compass” – those were his mysterious last words. I enjoyed my work at the Oneirology department; I was a docile student and Professor Mac was a silent man but a passionate teacher. It was in late March when I was called in to the professor’s office on a Saturday evening to discuss an “innovation.”

“Would you like to experience lost dreaming?” “Not with the risk of am-vita, sir, I wouldn’t.” “No?”

“Guaranteed death is not a nice thought.” “It’s not exactly guaranteed.” “The past cases of am-vita daunt me.” “No, nevermind am-vita – what about simple lost dreaming?” The professor stood up. “We’ve found a new….experiment, which would enable us to explore lost dreaming in detail.” I nodded, prompting him to continue. He walked around the room while speaking. “We stimulate the conditions for a lost dream to occur in a person’s mind, and we follow the dream trail with advanced technology so that we can see the dream exactly how the individual is seeing it, except with more control.” He looked at me. “I’m asking if you’d like to volunteer to be the individual.” I let the offer sink into me. “For what benefits?” The taciturn man thought for a while. “For greater good.”

‘We are, when the cause is sufficient, insane.’ Orson Scott Card’s words never seemed more truthful to me as I felt the needles enter my skin. I knew the risks of this new “experiment,” but I believed in and loved science too much. I myself had always been frustrated with the significant lack of data on Oneirology, and would be a hypocrite if I turned down this opportunity. “You’re ready now.” The nurse smiled at me, and through the transparent window I could see Professor Mac, who was standing outside with a team of scientists. “Good luck,” he mouthed. I gave a thumbs-up. I opened my eyes to noise.I was in a bustling city full of strange faces and bodies that pushed past me repeatedly like waves, and I felt myself enslaved to their current. Foreign voices whined and chattered in cacophony. The sunlight caused an ephemeral blindness to my eyes, and my sense of confusion heightened as I slipped into an unexplainable state of trance: I was desperate to break free, yet too tired to fight the mob; my mind was wishing for one thing and my body doing another. I eventually gave in to the movement of these people. I allowed myself to be pushed to whatever destination these people were heading to – I had lost both my mind and the strength to escape the crowd.All of a sudden, as though in a dream, the setting changed rapidly and I was alone. It was nightfall now, and I found myself swimming in an unfamiliar lake with a blond girl. I couldn’t see her face amidst the foggy night. Her laughter echoed, resembling the fickle ripples which gently quivered across the water. “Follow me,” she whispered, and I was drawn. Upon noticing that her golden locks were no longer visible, lost in the aqueous abyss, I took a deep breath and submerged myself into the depth of the lake. When I opened my eyes underwater, the girl was nowhere to be found. Instead, I noticed faint rays of light which seemed to be escaping from a wooden box. The glistening of the light lured me in like a cascade of spells; I swam towards the source, and lightly caressed the box before opening it. Inside the box was a compass, with its edges glowing. I took the compass and carefully examined it in my hands. I realised a curious fact: it had no needle. Suddenly, I realised that I was lost. I did not know where I was, and I needed to get back – but this compass had no needle to guide me home. The needle… I needed to find the needle.