Gilli Eco Trust Shark Release

In December of 2014, three juvenile sharks were rescued by Bali Sharks. Bali Sharks is a non government organisation that helps to rescue sharks from fish markets and waters that are threatened by fishermen and corporate fishing companies. 

These sharks were then flown to Gili, a small island off Lombok. 

On the island, a woman named Delphine Robbe runs an organization called the Gili Eco Trust, a community of islanders and foreigners that work together to help sustain the coral reefs by planting biorock to help the flora grow, run a glass workshop that recycles old bottles and has weekly island wide beach clean ups. 

Gili Eco Trust is a global concern here at United World College and also a service trip we do every year.

Last year, these sharks were released at the biorock coral reefs off of Gili, and students from Middle School got to witness the experience first hand.

Here is a quote from a student who went on the trip and saw this amazing and once in a lifetime opportunity. “This experience was very eye opening. I got to see how even a small change can create a big chain reaction, especially out in the wild.” says Isis Savage, a former UWC student.

These sharks have been tagged and are being monitored and are currently doing very well in their new home.

By Francesca

Outbreak At Mumbai Airport Baggage Claim

It’s not often that you see two women fighting in the middle of a baggage claim belt, over a piece of luggage.

On October 10th, 2015, two women started fighting at Mumbai Airport after one accidentally hit another with her bag, creating a massive havoc in the airport. This was after a 5-hour long flight to Mumbai from Singapore. 

As the box rolled along to reach its owner, a lady picked up her box, hitting another woman standing next to her while trying to load the large box onto her luggage cart. 

As if she had been punched, the woman feel over, screaming with grief, as many heads turned their way. Once getting up, she firmly commented, “I am being careful, so why aren’t you?”

After suggesting that she should have asked for help, the other woman responded saying, “I didn’t need help, it was a very light box!” The injured lady then went on to show her friends and relatives nearby her many injuries from the incident.

Spectators nearby ignored the argument, however watched with intent to see if it would escalate. Fortunately it did not, and the two women went on to collect their pieces of luggage and depart from the airport. 

This drama seems to beg the question that, are baggage belts safe? This light box caused an injury, so what would the injuries be like with a bigger box? With bigger populations of people coming off flights and crowded around one belt, there seems to be a high potential for injury.

In other places, there have been instances as well where the issue has occurred. With bigger bags, people have swung them off the belt in a rush to make sure it comes off in time, hitting other people nearby in the process. 

We usually think of weapons as the greatest things that hurt us, but increasing populations may have us thinking otherwise.

By Om

Haze Affecting Singapore Citizens

Hazy mornings, evenings interrupting our daily lives, can’t go outside and we are not allowed to play our sport and have our liberty all because of people in Indonesia burning down trees thus creating haze. People are in misery, trapped inside a city where people walk around wearing face masks for protection. Tourist come to Singapore expecting that Singapore is a great place and away from any natural crisis but in reality they have to deal with the haze.

The main reason why the haze is caused is because loggers in Indonesia are burning down palm trees for their job. Acres and acres burn every single day. Indonesia and Malaysia have dozens of space filled with palm plantations. It is challenging to put the haze to rest as the haze comes from the burning of the roots of the tree. Meteorologist predict that the haze will continue to travel to Singapore until the monsoon season meaning that could mean November throughout January.

PSI is the reading that is used to show the level of the current haze outside. Depending on where you are currently located, mostly countries surrounding Indonesia will be effected, one of the countries does include Singapore, Malaysia and the south sides of Thailand. The psi at the moment ranges from 900-1000 in Indonesia and 130-160 in Singapore and Malaysia.

There are different categories of danger when the National Environmental Agency releases the level of the haze using psi. 20-80 means moderate, 100-150 means unhealthy. The danger keeps rising and once it reaches 300 or above, the category that with the 300 or above is hazardous. Hazardous means that you should avoid being outside for too long. Lucky for people living in Singapore, people can continue with their daily lives and routines but people located in Indonesia need to stay indoors and stop most of the things they would do in their life.

Haze can be very critical and dangerous and we could get asthma and other respiratory illnesses. People with existing problems should seek immediate medical attention and safety mask for protection from the airborne haze particles.

By Adhvay

Is the haze worth bearing for the economy?

The haze is a commonly debated topic, A topic which has aroused many different viewpoints, mostly which are negative. But are there some plus sides to this too?

Many concur that the haze does spread many harmful toxins and is an impediment to many normal day to day activities. But can the haze be beneficial in the long run? Most deforestation happens so that palm-oils can be produced hence the production of plastic.

Plastic is necessary for every household. Almost everything is made from plastic. From your containers to your blenders, everyone uses plastic. So if we take a look at the haze that way, does that mean what we are doing is actually beneficial to us for survival? Another solution is to find a replacement but scientists have been working on that for multiple years, don't expect that anytime soon.

In conclusion the haze is possible needed for our long term sustainability.

By Shrishti Khetan

The Conversation

On Monday the 4th of October a man had a very unusual experience on his way to work. The man went over and sat next to a old man with a frown on his face.

The two began to get into a conversation however it quickly escalated when the overweight man began talking about how he had lost everything due to a sickness him and his wife were diagnosed with.

He then said he lived with his daughter but was abused as he was believed to be bad luck due to his sickness. He said “I am only fed rice, and my daughter makes me sleep on the balcony”. He also showed the other man his empty wallet saying he was on his way for treatment. The other man seemed to be listening with empathy and when it was time for him to get off the bus he kindly handed the man twenty dollars.

However the poor man did seem incredulous as it also did not make sense that if he was only fed rice he could be overweight. It is unclear if the man was tricking the businessman or not however with the countless number of cheaters there are, he may very well be one.

By Kimia

Haze in Singapore

Since the burning of the palm trees began in Indonesia the countries surrounding it has been affected by the smoke being blown from the sites of burning.

The pollution from the burning from the palm trees or “the haze”has been cause by the palm tree farmers that are over in Indonesia.

the farmers there are burning down the trees because the field of palm trees that are not making a lot of income for them are being burnt in order to create more fertile soil to plant the next batch of seeds that they hope would better results for them. The indonesian has refused all help from neighboring countries like singapore who have offered their military forces to fly over the sites while pouring water to put out the fires, which is what the indonesian government has been trying to achieve. The psi readings (the reading for air quality) have been raised over 3 thousand in indonesia and has killed lots of wild life already. In singapore the psi reading are from 100-200 (Considered hazardous)on average and this has caused most outdoor activities to cease to a halt while the haze hangs about singapore.

While the Indonesian does it efforts to put out the fires all the neighboring countries can only standby and wait for the haze to stop.

By Chien Yu Huang

Round Square

It wasn’t often UWCSEA East welcomed an abundance of visitors, let alone a large group of infants, but with the Round Square conference, today was different.

Students from Persatuan Pemudi Islam Singapura visited 8 DSz at the UWCSEA East campus. Warming the hearts of the 8th grade students, they enlightened the classroom and engaged in various activities prepared by the students. One of the more favoured activities was a Playdoh station, which allowed the infants to play with the homemade Play-Doh. The reaction the infants garnered during their entrance was a synchronised “Awh...”. A sound that was rarely heard during regular school days. Although most of the activities had received a positive response from the infants, Jenga was received poorly, “One of the kids kicked me!” expressed station organizer, Aditya Bhanap. Overall, the children were said to have had an excellent time on campus and were impressed by the class’s hospitality and the extensive size of the international school, and the conference illuminated a new path for connections.

By Philip Haryanto

Cellphone Zombification

Are cellphones hypnotising the human race? On Monday the 5th of October, 4 round square delegates from the round square conference visited the class 8SMD but just end up on their phones, bored, for majority of the time. Sydney, one of the delegates was constantly engrossed with the contents of her phone, instead of participating in the activities planned by the students.

Every now and again the other 3 would take a glance at their phones as well, but it was mostly Sydney. At one point she said “this is so weird!” to the other delegates before a game of musical statues, then went back to texting on her phone. Her facial expression mostly looked like she was unfocused and bored. Rhea, one of the students from 8SMD said “I thought it was a bit rude because we were supposed to be bonding but she was just ignoring the activities we were doing”

But Sydney isn’t the only one. People everywhere are attached to their phones. On the MRT, almost everyone on there is on their phone playing games, listening to music, calling someone, texting and more. One woman, most probably a helper, with a local child about 3 years old were aboard the MRT. The woman was concentrating on a game on her phone, not keeping an eye out for the child. Afterall he is her responsibility and she was hardly paying attention. It just shows how immersed we are in technology these days, are we becoming programmed into becoming phone zombies?

By Isabella G

High School Students Under Pressure

High school can often be imagined as a group of friends racing to finish their latest assignments.

At around 10am on the 30th of September, Wednesday, a group of high schoolers could be seen in the library of UWCSEA East on their laptops, urgently discussing the homework, due to stress levels.

High schoolers are often seen discussing school and how it disrupts their lives. Many are visibly stressed about school, sports, relationships, and what they want to do in their lives, as well as what is preventing them from doing so.

“I’ve still got 160 words to go, and my citations are really messed up.” was one comment from the group in the library.

Stress is a big issue in high school, and UWC is one of the schools that try to relieve as much of this pressure as possible. But why are students still stressed?

A few problems arise when asked this question. As kids move into high school, many parents start pushing them to get better grades, and most students are not used to the kind of pressure high school puts on them. And this is only one part of the problem.

Many students have other hobbies they want to work on and perhaps build into a career. The problem is, with so many other subjects they need to excel at, it’s difficult to work on those hobbies, and they eventually fade away, leaving the kid with uncertainness about what they really want to do in the future.

Finally, most high schoolers just want to get through this phase of their life.

“I wish I could go back home.” is a recurring statement heard in high school. High levels of stress is a common factor of high school, and that needs to change.

By Rhea Anne Goyal

Sentosa Beach Destroyed

Sentosa Beach is to be a place of pleasure, a place to savor the view of the ocean. Well, that’s what it was. On the 16th of October 2015, Christian Foo and his parents arrived at Sentosa Beach, to find that it was trashed and dirty, due to the frequent littering issue that is occurring in Singapore. All members of Christian’s family were surprised by the abolished beach they looked at.

Camille Foo, Christian’s mother was quoted saying, “This beach is so dirty, with all the plastic and metal cans on the ground.” She was disgusted by the heap of trash found in both the water and that washed up on the shore.

People at the beach were seen avoiding the garbage like tightrope walkers crossing a frayed rope. Christian was noticed to have cut his toe on a piece of debris while walking along the shore.

The problem of littering in Singapore has been accelerated as people in Singapore have been now littering out of convenience.

Based on a survey done by the National Environment Agency, 4 out of 10 people will litter out of convenience or if they were able to get away with it.

The littering problem, that has been leniently disciplined, has intensified in Singapore. Mr Liak, the Chairman of the Public Hygiene Council stated, “Over the year, we have become more forgiving, with more emphasis now placed on education.”

Mr Liak and his organisation plans to inform people of the hazards and how they are putting the public’s and the environment’s safety in jeopardy.

Moving forward, it was suggested that for future generations to come, informing our progeniture about the dangerous risks of littering. It was mentioned by Mr Tham, a teacher, that the anti-littering enforcement at big events should also be stepped up.

Littering has been a growing problem not only in Singapore, but also in the rest of the world. Even though efforts are being made right now, it will not be enough. Future generations will learn and know about the horrible effects of littering once it reaches to an unstoppable amount.

By Christian

Hungry

A group of Sodexo employees were having an early lunch at the canteen of uwcsea when it all went down. The salad bar lady asked another for some cantaloupe, but was furious at the small portion she had been given, “small don't want, bigger for me” she exclaimed.

A few moments later the manager arrived speaking in a foreign language, our reporters were unable to understand. “Thats the cleaners job, not mine!” replied the salad bar lady pointing to the cleaner.

On the other hand, they were eating food from home. Why doesn’t UWCSEA supply food for them? UWC being a school huge about giving back and service why don't they supply food to their workers. Especially those who serve almost 2000 people on campus.

By Alessia

School Bus Catches on Fire

The smoke infiltrated the bus as it came to a stop. In early October, bus T65 caught on fire as it was leaving UWCSEA East Campus due to an engine malfunction.

The bus had stopped in the middle of the street. All the students on board looked around in bewilderment and fright. Some started to cry and scream as smoke billowed out of the front of the bus. The bus Auntie and Uncle quickly sprung into action, however they didn’t speak english so the students remained confused. Quickly, the older students took charge and got the younger students together. The manual door override was quickly activated and everyone promptly fled the bus.

Soon later police and fire trucks arrived and teachers ushered the children back to school, where another bus was arranged to take them home.

“I was so scared. There was so much smoke, I didn’t know what to do.” Said one Grade 2 students in tears.

This incident raises the question. In the event of an emergency on the school bus, the children would have no idea what to do. It is hoped that after this accident, students will be advised in what to do in the event something else happened so if another accident were to take place they would be prepared.

By Isabella D

The Juggling Life

Middle schoolers studying in UWCSEA has been telling reporters that one of the challenges for middle schoolers is being able to balance school work, sports and on top of that a social life. 

One individual tells reporters that sometimes she simply cannot meet deadlines due to the high expectations of the school. Others are saying that the expectations are not there and that it is simply pressure put upon the student himself to be their utmost potential in all 3 aspects. Middle school students feel that education, athletics, and a social life is important because those are the bases to having an enjoyable time as a middle schooler.

Teachers are aware of this issue seeing that some athletics students are not meeting the homework expectations, however some say that teachers are just simply handing out too much homework. Is it possible for middle schoolers to keep juggling these 3 aspects?

By Jasmin

Haze Conditions Worsening, Stay Indoors!

It’s back. The haze conditions started to worsen as Indonesia continued their burning of forests.

People at large are affected by this act and the haze is turning out to be a catastrophe. The routine lives of Singaporeans will be impacted if the haze continues. Should the unhealthy levels of haze continue, Singapore’s economy is likely to be adversely affected. Tourists would want to avoid visiting Singapore during the haze and consumers would want to avoid shopping and dining crimping small businesses. “ I love going to the outside breathing in the fresh air but now”, stated by Philip Haryanto. People get affected by breathing in excess pollutants in the air and by doing that, it increases the risks of respiratory problems. The haze doesn’t only impact humans, it impacts the environment causing some plants and trees to die due to the extreme air conditions. This can lead to disruption in the environment putting animals in danger. The incidence of the haze has changed a lot. Short and long term consequences for the haze started to occur for example, may have fallen sick due to the haze and it is not only sickness that is spreading around, but also diseases. If the sickness continues, the economy will be impacted as no one will be able to go for work.. Indonesia claims that this shall halt by December but how can we be sure. This might just be an inception.

By Aditya

Is bullying just an issue in schools?

Bullying is not just a crisis in schools, at the beach in Krabi Indonesia a girl was suffering through what was supposed to be a vacation.

Saraiah seemingly a very nice girl had been criticising a smaller girl, Anna, on almost everything in Anna’s life.


Saraiah, “What is that shirt?” Anna, “Umm” Saraiah “I had one like that like three years ago”

None of the people around seemed to notice the bullying going on and Anna kept quiet. The girls were brought together by a group of friends they were with. Anna started going off for 10 minutes at a time and came back with her eyes all red.

The group of friends were too busy playing volleyball to notice the girls constant disappearances. However, a lady sitting nearby knew exactly what was going on.

“Don’t you notice your so called friend is getting extremely hurt by this nasty girl???” The lady yelled at the kids. After clarification with the friends they got to terms with what was happening with Anna.

The friends spoke, “We didn’t know what was going on or we would have done something as soon as Saraiah started. We feel horrible that we let this happen to our friend and that we introduced her to Saraiah. We completely cut Saraiah off now and hopefully Anna will get over this.”

By Eloise