THE OVERACHIEVER

November 2011

Vol. 8 Issue 2

International Academy

1020 E. Square Lake Road

Bloomfield Hills, MI 48304

Thankful for the friends we’ve made.

Cover Design

Photo by Federica Risi Description The first Powderpuff game in recent history! Seniors, Juniors and Sophomores competed for the victory. Congratulations to all classes for their effort, and to the Class of 2013 for being victorious!

In this issue...

Royal Wedding! .…..…….…..3 Giving Thanks.............…..…5 Entertainment…………...……7 Sports……….....…..…............9 Beyond Teaching…………..10 Crossword..............Back Page

Staff Principal

Ms. Lynne Gibson Associate Principal

Mr. Michael Giromini

Faculty Facilitator Ms. Sarah Clancy

Editor-in-Chief Sarah Khan

News Editor Swathi Shanmugasundaram

Features Editor Sneha Edupuganti

Entertainment Editor Nancy Huang

Sports Editor Karam Hadid

Perspectives Editor Nisreen Salka

Back Page Editor Abby Strub

Contributors Allie Stehney Mina Lee Liz Mandapathil Tiffany Loo Sneha Edupuganti Mariam Anwar Nancy Huang Karam Hadid Nisreen Salka Abigail Strub

by Allie Stehney

3 November 2011 News

A Look Inside the Royal Wedding

There was an excited

buzz throughout the air as the

whirlwind of media across the

globe was at its peak. As April

29, 2011 rolled around the cor-

ner, millions of people grew

anxious to witness the wedding

of the century! Crowds gath-

ered around Westminster Ab-

bey in hope of stealing a glance

of commoner Kate Middleton,

the bride to be, and her fiancé

Prince William.

As guests arrived, the

public took note of their outfits.

From bizarre hats to Kate Mid-

dleton’s wedding gown, fashion

played a dominant role on the

day of the ceremony. Princess

Beatrice’s pale pink hat was a

superb example of what not

to wear! On the opposite end

of the fashion spectrum,

however, Kate Middleton’s

ivory wedding dress—

covered with lace—blew the

crowds away. Designed by

Sarah Burton, a creative di-

rector for Alexander

McQueen, this unique dress

set the standards high!

So where are they

now? The Dutch and Duch-

ess of Cambridge, Catherine

and William, have returned

from their lavish honeymoon

that they took at an unknown

destination , and are remain-

ing out of the spotlight.

Needing time to adjust

FASHION ALERT!! On the right, Princess Beatrice strides confidently with her pale pink garnish resting on

her head.

to the hustle and bustle of

the Royal life, the queen has

allowed for Kate and Wil-

liam to stay shy of the cam-

eras. Prince William stays

busy working on his piloting

skills, and Kate is adjusting

to her life as a royal figure.

And who knows, Kate’s

younger sister, Pippa, may

find her Prince Charming

next!

News The Overachiever 4

by Mina Lee

North Korea - Nuclear Developments

With the stakes of war increasing with time, so have the weap-ons. Nuclear arms are one of the most devas-tating types of weap-onry. Most would agree that regulation needs to be in place. However, this brings to question the right of a nation to hold these kinds of weapons. How is it de-cided who gets to have nuclear weapons and who does not? Re-cently, North Korea and Kim Jong Il have been brought to the spotlight with their conflicting statements and actions concerning nuclear weapons. Ever since the Korean War, strong op-position began to emerge between Amer-ica and North Korea.

Quite recently, North Korea launched a nuclear missile test, despite the fact that they had consented to an act which prohib-ited the promotion and action of such nuclear practices. A few years earlier, they had launched yet another nuclear test as well. This erratic behavior caused much concern to America, as they were conscious of South Korea’s precari-ous situation, consid-ering that it is within the vicinity of North Korea.

The United States is currently sending forces to impede North Korea from ini-tiating further illicit actions, and attempt-ing to establish a con-sensus with North Ko-rea on its nuclear pro-gram. Perhaps a advi-sor from the United States is necessary in order to make sure that North Korea is following the rules they had agreed to.

To the left is a picture of Kim Jong Il. http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://list-verse.files.wordpress.c

Giving Thanks! by LIZ MANDAPATHIL Thanksgiving – the fourth

Thursday in the month of Novem-

ber where no one holds back on

their feasting. Filled with delicious

dishes all around the table, it is the

best time of the year to just “pig

out” and feel no guilt. But Thanks-

giving is not only about feasting,

but also about the time spent with

family through a unified meal. But

ever wonder what really sparked

this holiday? How this delectable

day came about?

When the Pilgrims first arrived

in the New World, they made nu-

merous attempts to find suitable

land for themselves, where they

could harvest. The harvest of that

summer was very successful, and

the Pilgrims wanted to

thank the Indians for helping

them. So, a celebration inviting

90 people was held in order to

give thanks. Although this first

“thanksgiving” was not an offi-

cial holiday yet, it became a

gathering that was very common

throughout the colonies after fall

harvests. It was in October of

1777 that all 13 colonies cele-

brated Thanksgiving at the same

time, and in 1789, George Wash-

ington officially declared

Thanksgiving an official holiday.

Although very few people

know about the true origins of

Thanksgiving, many, however,

keep in mind all the blessings

they received throughout the year

while celebrating such a day.

Thanksgiving is heartwarming

holiday when families have the

opportunity to unite and share a

meal in a form of giving thanks.

So next time you see that turkey,

stuffing, mashed potatoes, ham

and many more delicious foods

fill your dining table, just take a

moment to reflect on the past and

remember the true history of

Thanksgiving.

Tips for Going Green! Every issue, the Overachiever will be sharing a new idea to help you live an eco-friendly life. So, keep a look-out for more green tips in future issues!

Tip for November: Rather than using new plastic water bottles daily, use a tin water bottle instead!

by SNEHANJANI EDUPUGANTI

November 2011 Features 5

by MARIAM ANWAR

6 Features The Overachiever

Eating Healthy Eating healthy is not about

strict dietary restrictions, being

extremely thin, or even depriving

yourself of the foods you love.

Eating healthy is about feeling

great and enjoying what you are

eating. It may seem like it re-

quires a lot of work, but it can

actually be easily be achieved by

learning the basic habits of

healthy eating, which in turn can

boost your energy, sharpen your

memory and stabilize your

mood.

1. Eat your breakfast! Eating a

simple but healthy meal at the

start of your day can jumpstart

your metabolism and energy, so

you are ready for anything

throughout the day!

2. Eat slower! Studies show that

just by eating slower, fewer calo-

ries will be consumed. The rea-

son behind this mystery is that

our brains take around 20 min-

utes to register that we are full.

So, by eating slower, you are

giving your brain more time to

recognize that you’re full so you

will stop on time.

3. Eat in variety! Always eat a

variety of fruits and vegetables

as they contain higher concen-

trations of vitamins, minerals

and antioxidants. Aim for a

minimum of five portions each

day.

4. Avoid refined foods!

Choose healthy carbohydrates

and fiber sources instead. This

is a better option as it provides

long lasting energy. Studies

have actually shown that peo-

ple who eat more whole grains

tend to have a healthier heart.

5. Add calcium to your diet!

Calcium is an essential build-

ing block and it helps our

bones become stronger. Like

always, the more, the better!

6. Drink more water! Incorpo-

rate a higher intake of water

into your healthy life style. It

is common to mistake thirst for

hunger,

so staying well hydrated will

also help you make healthier

food choices and help you cut

down on unnecessary calorie

intake. As a bonus, drinking

more water helps flush out the

system of waste products and

toxins more, so you’re less likely

to become ill!

7. Exercise! Find something ac-

tive that you like to do and add it

to your day; the benefits of life-

long exercise are abundant and

regular exercise may even moti-

vate you to make healthy food

choices a habit.

7. Avoid sugar and salt! This

would include sugary drinks like

pop or salty snacks (such as po-

tato chips) as they can become

obstacles to your way of a

healthy lifestyle.

Most importantly don’t ever

think of this as restricted diet but

a lifestyle you enjoy and follow!

Picture:

http://www.myfoodcamp.com/wp-content/

uploads/13_4_orig.jpg

7

by NANCY HUANG

November 2011 Entertainment

Horror Movie Marathon

Image from http://www.games4guys.com/

index.php/2011/09/13/10-movie-cliches-horror

-films/

Halloween—the greatest

time of year for horror movies. Hon-

estly! Now that I have been reduced

from my former fairy/witch/elf/doctor/

Hermione Granger-costumed glory

and forced to hand out candy to chil-

dren the size of my little brother, I

must take drastic action to make

sure that Halloween still contains

some ounce of fun. My lack of candy

-hunting this year must be compen-

sated. I hunger for justice! I hunger

for fun! I hunger for candy.

And what better way than

with horror films?

I will admit it—Saw III made

me queasy. And though I vowed to

myself that I would be extra, extra

careful in public bathrooms after

Rest Stop, I still ended up becoming

paranoid every time I came within

walking distance of a toilet (maybe

that DVD-extra alternative ending

could have prevented that…). Not to

mention bathtubs after Nightmare on

Elm Street, or TVs after The Ring.

Heck, even Zombieland had me

checking the backseat of every car I

entered, which was really, really em-

barrassing whenever it was my turn

to drive during Driver’s Ed.

The point is—I am abso-

lutely terrible at watching horror mov-

ies. When doing so, I find myself

flinching at every sound that is not

immediately identifiable. There is

simply no reason—or, no good rea-

son—to let me watch anything that

has blood, gore, screaming, or pi-

geons. Every horror movie I’ve ever

watched has been a bad idea. My

friends have even made it a point not

to invite me on their horror movie

outings anymore—something which I

am simultaneously offended and

relieved by.

But this year will be great,

because I will give it no other option.

This year’s Halloween horror movie

will be fantastic. It will be the bloodi-

est, goriest, scariest movie I can find.

It will make me lose so much sleep

that—well, actually, I already lose a

lot of sleep. But that’s beside the

point. Though these movies are terri-

fying, I always, always make myself

do things that scare me. Hence the

purpose of tonight: to scare myself.

There is, of course, the prob-

lem with choosing a horror movie.

Earlier today, I made a list of what

terrifying movie was the best for me

to see. My results were as follows:

A) Nothing NC-17

B) Nothing with a sequel—

The Ring series had already ruined

me enough.

C) Charlie and the Choco-

late Factory does not count as a hor-

ror movie.

D) No spoofs allowed—none

of those Scary Movies, Vampires

Suck, or Beetlejuice productions. I

am not going to let myself wimp out

of this one, you guys.

I have now been getting up

and handing out candy to the small

children of my neighborhood for an

hour. It’s almost time. Once curfew is

set, I will use Netflix (hey look! Unin-

tentional advertising!) and plug my

laptop into the television. From there,

I will select the scariest movie I can

find.

And while you will be read-

ing this past Halloween, let’s ac-

knowledge that Halloween is proba-

bly one of the most enjoyed holidays.

Which is reason enough to kick

back, and watch those horror movies

in November (or anytime, really).

Entertainment The Overachiever 8

Horror From Overseas by NANCY HUANG

I have Jenny Kim (a Junior) to

thank for this article. Without her, I

would never have been introduced to the

delightful concept of Korean horror.

Thanks, Jenny!

Jenny showed me (and a bunch

of my friends) a very, very scary comic

online. I know what you’re thinking:

“Oh Nancy, Superman isn’t scary!” or,

“Nancy, Batman isn’t THAT bad”, or

“Nancy, get real—the graphic novel of

Twilight is not scary!”. But I’m not talk-

ing about any of those (well—maybe the

Twilight one). I’m talking about Korean

comics.

Being an Asian comic geek, I

have grown up with Japanese and Ko-

rean comics. I’ve read all the great man-

gakas and manhwas that have im-

mensely impacted the Asian industry. I

am part of Anime Club. I regularly read

manga. And although I prefer Japanese

comics to Korean ones, I thought I was

quite familiar with the manhwas and

their Korean artists.

Boy, was I wrong.

If any of you remember the day

a whole bunch of Asians gathered

around a single computer in the IA li-

brary simultaneously jumped back,

screamed, and rolled around on the floor

(no, we did not just lose a Starcraft tour-

nament), then I apologize. I was part of

that group. In fact, for a while, we de-

cided that Jenny’s horror comic was so

terrifying that we made a gentleman’s

pact never to speak to her again in the

foreseeable future. The pact ended in

about five minutes, in case you were

wondering.

The two comics, whose links I

have included in the conveniently-

situated gray box above (I’m pretty sure

I’m supposed to use that box for some-

thing more relevant, but oh well) are

called Oksu Station Ghost and Bong-

cheong-Dong Ghost. I have taken great

pains to find the English translated

works. You’re welcome.

Keep in mind, though—these

comics are not for the light-hearted. If

possible, grab an earphone or turn your

speakers on for the best watch. One last

warning: THESE COMICS ARE NOT

FOR THE WEAK-HEARTED.

I sent these to a couple of my

friends and told them it was a cool

comic I wanted them to read. Here is

some of their feedback:

“!!!”

“This is the worst thing ever.

Do you know how many things there

are? A lot. And this is the worst one.”

“I WILL BLAME YOU FOR

MY FUTURE HEART CONDITIONS.”

“You have ruined my life. Fore-

vaaaar.”

“NOT FUNNY, NAN. NOT

FUNNY AT ALL.”

“Omg I hate you.”

...Happy reading!

Oksu Station Ghost-http://comic.naver.com/webtoon/detail.nhn?titleId=350217&no=30& weekday=tue

Bongcheong-Dong Ghost- http://comic.naver.com/webtoon/detail.nhn?titleId= 350217&no =31&weekday=tue

by Karam Hadid

by Sophia Huq & Vani Bhatia

November 2011 Sports

IA Athlete of the Month Tony Petit, a junior at the Inter-national Academy, does more than just his homework each night. Petit stays connected with his home high school friends by participating in Varsity Swimming at Seaholm High. His main events in swimming are the 100 meter backstroke, freestyle, butterfly, and 200 meter individual medley. I interviewed Tony to ask him what he thinks of the IA, and how he maintains a relationship with students from his home high school. Q: When did you begin to swim and what inspired you to join varsity swim-ming? A: I've basically been swimming since I was born. My parents signed me up for classes when I just a baby. I just love being in the water all the time. I started swimming competitively in 5th grade, and I've swam ever since. I decided to do varsity swimming not only to get in shape, but I really wanted to take my swimming to the next level. Q: Is it difficult to leave IA and go to another school each day that is com-pletely different socially and academi-cally? A: No, not really. I mean, it's a different environment with different people, but I get along with everyone. It's like any other team, everyone is just really close, which makes it so much more worth it. Q: Explain to the readers how you are able to balance your time and fit swim-ming in your busy schedule. A: I don't really know, it just kind of happens. I usually come home and eat, then leave for practice which lasts up to 4 hours. After that I just come home, eat again, and hit the books. I get some long nights, but like I said, it's worth it in the end when you’re competing with others and spending time with the team. feels good. You just get into the swing of things. It helps me focus more with school too.

Q: Would you recommend a sport for other students? A: Definitely. It's fun to compete in something besides academics. Doing sports just gives you good vibes. Yes, it's tough sometimes, but having some-thing to put some energy towards just feels good. You just get into the swing of things. It helps me focus more with school too.

A photo of Petit swimming in a meet against an opposing school team.

**If you would like to be listed as IA’s athlete of the month, please contact the sports editor, Karam Hadid, for details.

Students Against

Distracted Driving

The new club called “Students Against Distracted Driving”, created by Vani Bhatia and Sophia Huq, has a goal to build awareness for the risks of dis-tracted driving as well as to teach differ-ent, creative ways to prevent distracted driving. The club meets on the first Thursday of each month to discuss new

ways to

prevent

distracted

driving. Now, although this may sound

boring, it’s done through fun activities

involving food, music and games! Each

day, the world is seeing that distracted

driving is turning into an epidemic. A

simple task, such as using a cell phone

can ultimately be the reason for an acci-

dent that could easily be prevented. Ac-

cording to the U.S. Department of

Transportation, using a cell phone while

driving, whether it’s hand-held or hands-

free, delays a driver's reactions as much

as having a blood alcohol concentration

at the legal limit of .08 percent. An

alarming fact to many is that in 2009,

5,474 people were killed in U.S. road-

ways and an estimated additional

448,000 were injured in motor vehicle

crashes that were reported to have in-

volved distracted driving, according to

the U.S Department of Transportation.

The International Academy, and the

world need people who are willing to

fight for the lives of others. This is a

national problem that does not seem to

be getting any better. However, through

the help of students and faculty, people

will be able to become informed about

this topic and have the knowledge to

prevent this from happening to them and

their loved ones. If you find any of this

interesting or concerning, join our cause

and join Students Against Distracted

Driving.

by NISREEN SALKA

Perspectives The Overachiever 10

Beyond Teaching: Discovery

The core classes of a high school curriculum contain what many consider the basics of an essential educa-tion; learning not only content, but also the methods by which to study, critically analyze, and form perspectives about that content for future use in specified fields. However, arguments have been sprung against the power of the high school cur-riculum in teaching the skills most appli-cable in real-life situations. Employment and internship opportunities, some claim, provide much more insight into the sub-tle relationships of various professions, and grant students with a much wider perspective of the world in which they live. However, this argument is de-rived from the assumption that classes are not taught through discussion and debate, but rather in a limited lecturing format that highlights no more than in-disputable facts. The most widely used example is History, for although it relies on certain dates and events, its parame-ters extend into the murkier, more con-troversial disputes of causes, motiva-tions, intentions of historical figures, the validity of historical documents, and so on. History could be taught through two widely differing methods, and their con-sequent outcomes are correspondingly varied, for the integration of sociology and deliberation in historical disputes creates an atmosphere of analysis and inquiry rather than base acceptance. The previously conceived argu-ment of the inability of reciprocating real-life situations in a classroom setting also fails to consider the aspects of each core subject that links it to other fields of study. Economics, for example, is heav-ily based in business management theory, marketing and public relations, sociology and other sciences of human behavior, history, and even literature. The topics presented by the class cannot be fully comprehended by the students without

allusions to other fields; the teacher must present the implications of their own subject to other professions in order to expand their students’ perspec-tives and to aid them in developing first cross-curriculum, then cross-ideas, links of their own accord. These en-counters with the subtle relationships between core subjects and their corre-sponding applications beyond the class-room will prepare students sufficiently once the time at which they must leave the lecture hall forever finally arrives. At this point, it is also essen-tial to note that varying teaching meth-ods lead to varying results: teachers could reconstruct any given curriculum based on their own interpretation of the material and their personal beliefs in presenting such information to their students in a method that is both

memorable and beneficial once they stretch their journey beyond that of school. It could be argued that there is no possible way that an interpretation of the curriculum, through the introduction of multiple debates, discussions, socratic seminars, and other similar activities, could possibly influence a student’s preparation for future employment. How-ever, expanding the curriculum beyond what is necessary into what is possible is the first step into overcoming such a bar-rier, so that students emerge with the necessary tools in order to be successful in whatever path they choose. That first step has already been taken by many schools, the most relevant example at the International Academy being the introduction of the Theory of Knowledge class by the International Baccalaureate curriculum, so that one

Photo courtesy of Iowa State University

by TIFFANY LOO

11 November 2011 Perspectives could truly scrutinize the content taught in class not as factual material, but rather as flexible information. In such a way, International Academy students have learned how to shape their perspectives through what is taught as much as they are taught the information itself: and it is that additional angle that students use to

form their own path on the road to colleges, university, professions, and beyond.

Stressed About School?

Try a Smile!

According to several members of our IA community, October was the most nerve-racking month of the year. We stressed through Extended Essays, college applications, and internal assess-ments, not to mention the various extra-curricular activities that we all take part

in. We could all feel the anxiety build-ing up, beginning to affect all of us in some way, shape, or form. But a select few were able to maintain their compo-sure. How did they do it? You might be surprised at how simple the answer is.

Smile. Studies have shown that smiling

increases your body’s ability to produce serotonin, a hormone that helps with sleep, memory, learning, and appetite control. It is often used to treat nausea, depression, anxiety, and pain. In addi-tion, smiling increases the production of endorphins, which relieve stress and motivate the body to exercise.

So the next time you are feeling down, try slapping on a smile! Some-times smiling can trick the body into changing your mood, relieving stress, boosting your immune system, and lead-ing to an overall improvement in your physical and mental health.

Moreover, smiles are known to be contagious! A smiling person spreads a blanket of happiness. With a pleasant expression, you can immediately lighten the mood of your environment. This simple act can make one appear uplifted and confident, instilling stress relief all

around. Whether genuine or not, a smile

may be the key to maintaining one’s san-ity in this stressful IB-induced period of time.

Live. Laugh. Smile.

Photo courtesy of The Good Men Project

Photo courtesy of Cutcaster

Back Page by ABBY STRUB

I got a Facebook so I could please my grandma (and compete with her on Farmville, which by the way was a dismal fail-ure – she’s the corn queen). And so I could communicate about homework and quizzes and stuff. Most of my news feed is random stuff from IA students, some of whom I’m sure I don’t really know all that well. Am I the only person who gets a little weirded out when they see a name on their news feed and thinks, “I have no idea who that is! How’d they get to be on my friends list?”? . . . I guess so.

What is my news feed full of?

In reverse chronological order: A photo of a book titled Malice!. Notifications of new friendships between friends of mine and people I don’t care about. Two people making near-identical-but-unrelated comments about the short-lived Kardashian marriage. A poll about “the best Pokémon” that has a made-up Pokémon and one genitalia reference. An angry post about trick-or-treating. A photo of people with small pumpkins with matching names. Someone freaking out about it possibly not being a no-homework weekend. Someone claiming they have “DEM MOVES LIKE JAGGER”. A video of talking twin babies, 11 people changing their profile pictures, several funny videos of children under 2 doing silly things . . . I could literally go on forever.

Sometimes I wonder . . . does everyone post to everyone? Or do they set their posts so that only their friends and peers can see? Because half the stuff I see on Facebook, I am glad my family members are not forced to see along with me. I have to assume most everyone is also making use of the privacy settings, unless everyone’s family is just cool with whatever they do. Facebook can be convenient. Sometimes my dad is online as late as I am, and he asks me (via IM) why I’m still on. I say “Homework”, but if he wants to verify that he has to come upstairs and knock, and it takes but three seconds to change my page to match my cover story (if I’m not *telling the truth the first time). And now for something—completely different. (Well, not really).

Clues 1.Comedy video stars. 2.Star of a popular anime about catching animals. 3.A common element of statuses. 4.That thing you say you're on Facebook for. 5.The reason you enjoy setting who can see your posts. 6.The other reason you use the privacy settings. 7.The best part of Halloween. 8.The people it's awkward giving candy to. 9.A sign of greed or imaginary greed. 10.Those which should not be trampled in a candy-rush. 11.The number of topics focused on. 12.That place online that needs more love. 13.The forgotten password to Halloween treats.