Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it. If everybody thought before they spoke, the silence would be deafening. Silence is one of the hardest arguments to refute Speech is power: speech is to persuade, to convert, to compel. Even a fish wouldn't get into trouble if he kept his mouth shut. Success is never final. Failure is never fatal. It is courage that counts. To speak and to speak well are two things. A fool may talk, but a wise man speaks. Speak when you are angry and you will make the best speech you will ever regret The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams. Words are, of course, the most powerful drug used by mankind. Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen.If we did the things we are capable of, we would astound ourselves. What the heart thinks, the tongue speaks. Speech is the mirror of the soul; as a man speaks, so is he. He who does not understand your silence will probably not understand your words.Sometimes when I'm talking, my words can't keep up with my thoughts. I wonder why we think faster than we speak. Probably so we can think twice. Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to others, even to the dull and the ignorant, they too have their story. Be yourself and speak your mind today, though it contradict all you have said before

Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it. If everybody thought before they spoke, the silence would be deafening. Silence is one of the hardest arguments to refute Speech is power: speech is to persuade, to convert, to compel. Even a fish wouldn't get into trouble if he kept his mouth shut. Success is never final. Failure is never fatal. It is courage that counts. To speak and to speak well are two things. A fool may talk, but a wise man speaks. Speak when you are angry and you will make the best speech you will ever regret The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams. Words are, of course, the most powerful drug used by mankind. Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen.If we did the things we are capable of, we would astound ourselves. What the heart thinks, the tongue speaks. Speech is the mirror of the soul; as a man speaks, so is he. He who does not understand your silence will probably not understand your words.Sometimes when I'm talking, my words can't keep up with my thoughts. I wonder why we think faster than we speak. Probably so we can think twice. Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to others, even to the dull and the ignorant, they too have their story. Be yourself and speak your mind today, though it contradict all you have said before

OFS

Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it. If everybody thought before they spoke, the silence would be deafening. Silence is one of the hardest arguments to refute Speech is power: speech is to persuade, to convert, to compel. Even a fish wouldn't get into trouble if he kept his mouth shut. Success is never final. Failure is never fatal. It is courage that counts. To speak and to speak well are two things. A fool may talk, but a wise man speaks. Speak when you are angry and you will make the best speech you will ever regret The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams. Words are, of course, the most powerful drug used by mankind. Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen.If we did the things we are capable of, we would astound ourselves. What the heart thinks, the tongue speaks. Speech is the mirror of the soul; as a man speaks, so is he. He who does not understand your silence will probably not understand your words.Sometimes when I'm talking, my words can't keep up with my thoughts. I wonder why we think faster than we speak. Probably so we can think twice. Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to others, even to the dull and the ignorant, they too have their story. Be yourself and speak your mind today, though it contradict all you have said before

Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it. If everybody thought before they spoke, the silence would be deafening. Silence is one of the hardest arguments to refute Speech is power: speech is to persuade, to convert, to compel. Even a fish wouldn't get into trouble if he kept his mouth shut. Success is never final. Failure is never fatal. It is courage that counts. To speak and to speak well are two things. A fool may talk, but a wise man speaks. Speak when you are angry and you will make the best speech you will ever regret The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams. Words are, of course, the most powerful drug used by mankind. Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen.If we did the things we are capable of, we would astound ourselves. What the heart thinks, the tongue speaks. Speech is the mirror of the soul; as a man speaks, so is he. He who does not understand your silence will probably not understand your words.Sometimes when I'm talking, my words can't keep up with my thoughts. I wonder why we think faster than we speak. Probably so we can think twice. Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to others, even to the dull and the ignorant, they too have their story. Be yourself and speak your mind today, though it contradict all you have said before

volume 3, issue 2 November 2010

Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it. If everybody thought before they spoke, the silence would be deafening. Silence is one of the hardest arguments to refute Speech is power: speech is to persuade, to convert, to compel. Even a fish wouldn't get into trouble if he kept his mouth shut. Success is never final. Failure is never fatal. It is courage that counts. To speak and to speak well are two things. A fool may talk, but a wise man speaks. Speak when you are angry and you will make the best speech you will ever regret The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams. Words are, of course, the most powerful drug used by mankind. Courage is what it takes to stand up and speak; courage is also what it takes to sit down and listen.If we did the things we are capable of, we would astound ourselves. What the heart thinks, the tongue speaks. Speech is the mirror of the soul; as a man speaks, so is he. He who does not understand your silence will probably not understand your words.Sometimes when I'm talking, my words can't keep up with my thoughts. I wonder why we think faster than we speak. Probably so we can think twice. Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to others, even to the dull and the ignorant, they too have their story. Be yourself and speak your mind today, though it contradict all you have said before

F tprint

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Ash Rao

COPY EDITOR

Kirsten Buckmaster

LAYOUT

Kavya Gopal

REPORTERS

Malavika Nair

Avita Vaidya

Artem Zinin

Soo Min Koh

Aline Bougard

Mangala Harikrishnan

William Ixer

Gabriel Jaeger

Hana Kim

Priyanka Kumar

Frances Kusuma

Yoon Sang Moon

Sadie Rittman

Meghna Seshadri

Meita Singgih

Mallika Sriram

Alyssa Valbuena

SPECIAL THANKS

Tamana Chanrai-Hills

Richard Glover

Jon Homewood

December 2010

Letter from the Team

This quarter at OFS we are all about speaking up and out with a bigger and bolder Student Voice, that has worked tirelessly to provide us ways with which to unify as a student body. As a result we the students have had more opportunities to make ourselves heard through events like Spirit Week, the third annual MUNOFS Conference, the Grade 12 drama presentations, the Grade 10 personal projects, and even through Footprint itself. Communication seems to be at the forefront of attention not only in OFS, but in the world at large. The recent debut of the movie The Social Network, seems to be showcasing issues of poverty, censorship, speaking out against bullying on a more populist platform, and the recent release of Aung San Suu Kyi, speaks of a definite victory for freedom of speech and democracy.

Ultimately, however, the responsibility to speak up and speak out falls upon each one of us. This is something we should remember every time we feel it’s easier to be complacent. Increasingly, it will be our generation who will be the ones who must take a stand for what we believe in. While we can and have left it up to bigger, more powerful people, like politicians, to speak for us, we often overlook the small, but powerful impact we can have in our own communities. If we were to support the issues that matter to us, we could and would make our voices heard. So become inspired by everything that’s been happening around us this quarter and make guts and a voice the new new must-have item. Take a cue from everyone here at Footprint and get behind the causes you care about. Perhaps by even scribbling a few articles or ideas for your newspaper yourselves!

Being outspoken and expressing our opinions is not purely idealistic, nor should it remain a high school hobby we look back on once we graduate. Let’s make doing what we believe in more than a fad for the young. This issue of Footprint is the last, for many of the seniors, who have witnessed its evolution, yet we sincerely hope we can take what we have learnt from it far beyond our four years of high school. This quarter has no doubt been successful, covering new ground, which should make us all proud that we have continued to take action and develop our voice here at OFS.

Ash Rao

2

FOOTPRINT

Contents

December 20103

School Life: 4-5

Creativity, Action, Service: 6-7

Lifestyle: 10-12

Lighter Side: 14-16

Collages: 8-9

December 2010

SCHOOL LIFE

4

Behind the scenes at OFS Movie Night

On October 29th the Student Voice Events Committee held its first ever Movie Night. Overall, the night was a success, with crowd pleasing movies and an abundance of food and drinks to satisfy the hungry crowds. However if someone were to look behind the scenes, they would see a very flustered crew running back and forth between the staff room and the drama studio, making sure the audience had enough popcorn and beverages. The night took a lot of planning and to find out just how much planning, who better to ask than the very people who made the night possible, the Events Committee leaders:

What made you decide to have a movie night?“We wanted to do something different, something that hadn’t been done before.”- Jessica Aman

What were the main problems that arose?“We were unsure of the number of people planning to attend, and the night of the event we had computer issues: the computer in the Drama Room refused to play the movie.”- Jessica Aman

Were you happy with the results?“Yes it was very successful, I’m happy with what we achieved.”- Virti Mulani

What would you recommend to future Student Voice leaders, if they want to have another movie night?“Plan ahead! Planning is KEY.”- Jessica Aman

Avita Vaidya

How to get the most out of your exams

With the semester exams fast approaching, everyone is bound to feel the pressure. However, that doesn’t mean cramming a semester’s worth of work the night before the exam! Here are some tips that may help you to prepare for your exams:

1. Make a revision timetable about three weeks in advance and stick to it. Set aside some time every day and you’ll be amazed at how quickly you can cover topics. During the week before the exams, try not to overwhelm yourself by studying too much. Revise the main

points instead so that they are fresh in your memory.

2. Make sure that you bring all the necessary equipment for your exam. (E.g. If you have a Maths exam, bring your calculator and geometry set.) Making colourful posters, flash cards or even post-it notes are very effective in helping you remember certain things, and are much better than reading from a textbook.

3. A good way to learn information is to move around the room and say the points out loud. Acting out things and making songs is also useful. Have a good night’s sleep before the day of the exam. Remember to drink lots of water and have a good breakfast too since you will need to use up all your concentration during the day.

Finally, don’t let your nerves get the better of you! Aim high and be positive – your efforts will surely pay off in the end.

Priyanka Kumar

The Unsung Heroes

They lurk around during break, lunch, and after school saving us from clutter, crime - one classroom at a time. If you ask them what their agenda is, you’d get a response, mixed in Hokkien and English, but their smiles would reveal all. These wonderful ladies who having been kind enough to pick up our slack (and dirt) have come into the limelight, and we’d like to say thank you for all they’ve done.

“One time I told one of the aunties I had lost my phone in one of the classrooms in K block, but I wasn’t sure which one it was since it was one of my first days in school. They opened each door helping me look through the desks until she found it. I can’t believe that they’d do so much for me,” Avita Vaidya says.

Leela Ganesh said,“Whenever we have a huge in-class project, we end up creating so much litter that most of us don’t even bother to pick up, considering we’re the ones who made it all in the first place. But whenever the Aunties come in to clean up everything they’re always doing it with a smile on their faces.”

“As I was growing up, they’d always comment on how much I’d grown, and always give me food and goodies like apples and they used to spend time with me. They’re more than what we think they are,” says Michelle Kang.

Sadie Rittman says it beautifully. “The school would be an absolute junkyard

without them and all their help.”

So the next time you pass on the aunties in a corridor or a classroom, acknowledge them with a friendly smile and a kind word. You know you wou ld wan t t o be recognised for all the hard work you do, so why wouldn’t they?

Malavika Nair

December 2010

Think up, Think out

Before you get to speak passionately about your opinions and views on anything and everything that goes on in the world, it is imperative that you form an unbiased opinion using both sides of the story. Sounds TOK-ish to you, Diploma students? Perhaps a real life situation requiring critical thinking is closer than you think.

Imagine two of your friends are arguing:

Step 1: Look at the situation, closely.Chances are you would first listen to them and draw an opinion based on what they say. Then you might judge them – based on what you think happened. You would then think - is it possible one friend used language to their advantage? Is what was culturally and morally wrong to one friend acceptable to the other?

Step 2: What went wrong?The question isn't who was at fault, but what went wrong? So the answer is not that Friend A insulted Friend B, but that there was a conflict of opinions or a miscommunication. Leave your personal opinions behind, because that is when you start analysing the people and stop analysing the situation.

Step 3: Keep it to yourselfWhy go through all this trouble, just to keep it to yourself? No one likes anyone who has grand theories about why they do what they do. Keep them to yourself, but try to solve the problem by bringing up WHAT went wrong not who went wrong. Remember though, some things just can't be changed! Or can they? Think for yourself!

Malavika Nair

School Spirit-O-Meter

There's something different in high school this year. What is it? It's an increased abundance of school spirit! Take this short quiz to find out how far YOUR school spirit goes. Give yourself 2 points for every 'a', 1 point for every 'b' and 0 points for every 'c', and then check your ranking on the official OFS Spirit-o-meter.

What comment would you match with OFS?a) It's the best school I've ever been to --

I feel so lucky to be here!b) It's a great schoolc) It's alright, but it has its pros and cons

What's your favorite part of the school day?a) I love everything about going to

school: the classes, seeing my friends, my ECAs, etc.

b) The classes are good, but seeing my friends is still the best part of the school day.

c) When the bell rings, telling me that I can finally go home and take a nap!

Did you participate in the first ever spirit week?a) Yes! I was in the winning team!b) Yes, I participated in one way or

anotherc) Spirit week? When was that?

How many extracurricular activities are you involved in at school?a) Over 5 b) 2 to 4 c) 1 or less

What do you usually do after school?a)Participate in one of the m a n y e x t r a c u r r i c u l a r activities, and then go home and do homeworkb)Hang out with friends and then do homeworkc)Go home and sleep

Did you go to movie night?a)Yes, I watched both of the movies and stuffed my face with popcornb)Yes, but I only watched one of the moviesc) Movie night?

If you could change one thing about the school,

what would it be?a) I'd declare a spirit week once a month!b) I'd lighten up the homework load just a bitc) I'd make the school day shorter

Now, add up your score!

10-14: Brimming with school spirit!You love OFS and are always the first one to par t i c ipa te in the many extracurricular activities and student voice events. You feel happy that you go to OFS, so happy, in fact, that you'd form a cheerleading squad to announce our school's greatness to the whole world. 6-10: A hint of school spirit. You've definitely got the school spirit within your soul, it just doesn't always show. You feel proud to go to OFS, to the point that going to school each day is an enjoyable activity and you also think that what the Student Voice is doing in terms of raising school spirit this year is great. 0-5: Where is your school spirit!?Your school spirit is so deeply hidden that most people would believe that you have none at all! However, we know that this is not the case -- every student at OFS has potential for school spirit! Sign up for a Student Voice committee now, and get yourself an emergency dose of pep and vigor.

Sadie Rittman

5

December 2010

Creativity Alternatives to fulfill CAS

As an IB student, CAS is one of the important criteria that must be fulfilled. OFS offers a wide range of activities to choose from; however you might not find them suitable for you or your schedule. This is where doing outside school CAS becomes useful. We can choose different activities, as long as they fall under the basic rules given by the IB CAS board.

Fransiska Pandik (G11) is a student who is doing an outside school CAS activity this semester. She joined a fitness class to get an Action component.

“My friends and I decided to join a gym for CAS. I really like it because we get more knowledge about fitness while also having fun, because they offer various classes. The time can be very flexible to my schedule too.”

Anasthasya Mathilda chose to gain CAS hours from the French tuition she has done since last year.

“It’s nice because I don’t have to do additional work to fulfill my CAS component. It also motivates me to learn another new language (Dutch), which I am enjoying very much now.”

To start, you should find out about the activities that you are planning to do, ensuring you can meet the time requirements (15 hrs per component) to gain credit. Then make sure you have a supervisor to sign your attendance. After that, go to our CAS coordinator, Ms Mares-Manton, to fill a CAS application sheet.

Interested in doing this for next year? For more information, approach Ms Mares-Manton.

Meita Singgih

Student Voice just got Louder

Student Voice has been an OFS institution, but just how does it ensure every student is heard? This semester, our dedicated Student Voice team has tried to put everyone’s words into action.

It would be easy to let your opinions go unheard, if it wasn’t for Tamsin Chen, and Iara Rios, our Student Voice Presidents. They have made it a priority to actively fulfill many of their campaign promises. When asked about the ways in which Student Voice has enabled people to voice their opinions Lara replies, “Student Voice has tried to address the needs and wants of all students - the information gathered last year, such as the concern of insufficient vegetarian options in the cafeteria, is constantly kept in mind regarding our choices as presidents.” She also mentioned the valuable Facebook page which has allowed and continues to allow students to ask questions about specific student voice initiatives and events.

For the Student Voice, this has undeniably been a semester of change, with the introduction of new committees, and the introduction of events such as Spirit Week, which will hopefully become an OFS tradition. Unfortunately, this dynamic duo will only be leading for just for this semester. However, Lara discloses plans for the existing student voice team to assist the newly elected team in putting together future events, like an Arts Week, and a Junior Formal, stating, “[We] have tried to set a good example and have initiated many traditions that may be continued after our term is over. We have tried to leave behind a positive legacy. The whole team is looking forward to seeing a committed Student Voice group next year, and we hope that they continue to improve our school community.”

Ash Rao

Why you should go to THIMUN Singapore?

Have you ever considered the prospect of going to an MUN Conference and then dismissed it quickly, as you thought about how hard it would be? If you have, then think again. You are missing a wonderful opportunity! I f you have already participated in MUNOFS, you wouldn’t have any problems with THIMUN. It is a professionally run conference with schools from al l over the world participating every year, which shows how credible THIMUN actually is. The fact that the conference is held in Singapore makes life even easier for you, and also means it is cheaper.

THIMUN is a five day conference held at Hwa-Chong Institution and for the price you pay, you will be provided with first-class facilities, connections from all over t h e w o r l d , l u n c h e v e r y d a y , t r a n s p o r t a t i o n , a c e r t i f i c a t e o f participation from THIMUN, (an added bonus to your CV), as well as a dinner/d a n c e s o c i a l e v e n t o n F r i d a y. Furthermore, you will get valuable experience, unforgettable memories, and perhaps make a lifelong friend.

If you are thinking about a career in in ternat ional re la t ions or publ ic speaking, then MUN is perfect for you. As well as being immensely fun and enjoyable, it also helps you develop vital skills, which may help you later on in life.

If you have already missed the deadline f o r p a r t i c i p a t i n g i n THIMUN or BEIMUN, there’s always next year. If you don’t think that you can wait that long, why not try for the upcoming SIMUN Conference? You have nothing to lose and everything to gain!

Priyanka Kumar

6

December 2010

The Write Stuff

Ever felt the need to put fingers to keyboard and type out those thoughts buzzing round in your head? Or felt the desire to indulge in pure creation, by constructing your own intricately detailed reality? If so, then NaNoWriMo could be the month for you!

NaNoWriMo, or National Novel Writing Month, is designed to encourage aspiring writers to pen the novel they’ve always wanted to write. Described on its website as, ‘Thirty days and nights of literary abandon!’ and ‘…a fun, off-the-seat-of-your-pants approach to novel writing.’ The movement encourages writers to sign up to an online database and share their work on a plethora of forums, by the end of November, completing a 50,000 word work of fiction.

NaNoWriMo recruits novelists through the Internet, word of mouth, through l i b r a r i e s , u n i v e r s i t i e s , s c h o o l s , bookstores, and book clubs. The movement began in 1999, when a group of twenty-somethings in the San Francisco Bay Area devoted an entire month to writing a novel (mainly for ‘getting dates’ and ‘making noise’.) Yet by the end of the month, they discovered something monumental. The month had been gruelling, filled with crippling self-doubt and periods of alienation from the foo l i sh endeavour, bu t the f i rs t NaNoWriMo-ers discovered this: It was fun ! Accord ing to a founder o f NaNoWriMo, “Novel-writing, we had discovered, was just like watching TV. You get a bunch of friends together, load up on caffeine and junk food, stare at a glowing screen for a couple hours, and a story spins itself out in front of you.”

The movement then spent eleven years developing from something a group of friends did on a whim one warm July, into a non-profit organization, providing writers with motivation. Today the NaNoWriMo website sports the badge of around 200,000 amateur writers who have written, as of the second day, 200 million words.

If the whirlwind of putting your ideas into plot lines and character constructs hasn’t been enticing enough to sign up for this literary landslide, perhaps the benefits of completing your work will. NaNoWriMo sends certificates, t-shirts and other memorabilia to ‘winners’, emphasizing writers should partake in the month. To actively participate in one of our era's most enchanting art forms! “To write without having to obsess over quality. To be able to make obscure references to passages from our novels at parties. To be able to mock real novelists who dawdle on and on, taking far longer than 30 days to produce their work.”

Picked up your pen yet?Kirsten Buckmaster

The Worst Part of Censorship

In March of this year, the world watched as Google China was shut down, offering its Chinese language services only to Hong Kong, after a two-month s tand -o f f w i th the g o v e r n m e n t c o n c e r n i n g t h e restrictions Beijing put on the Internet search giant. The Chinese government prevented users from viewing results to searches for state-sensitive words such as “Tiananmen Square 1989.” The event acted as a reminder to the international community of China's past as well as the ubiquity of the censorship problem.

Though the censorship debate in China may seem far off, censorship in the West is much more common than one may think. Take, for example, the removal of profanities from publicly distributed music.

Some kinds of censorship, like bleeping out swear words or blurring certain things on TV you didn't want to see in the first place is justified. It's reasonable to want to protect children from the crude or profane, and after all, some people are sincerely offended by it.

But where does censorship infringe on creative expression? When is it no longer respectful removal of the rude, and the smothering of freedom or the stifling of liberty? Although bleeping over David Letterman whenever he gets a little carried away may seem harmless, it can easily turn into the manipulation of the media, the oppression of non-conformist views or disagreeable opinions, and control over what the world sees and listens to.

Some form of censorship will always be found in any media forum, including this very newspaper. But if we want the power to restrict or remove things we don’t want other people seeing, we need to accept the consequences of a slightly

limited creative freedom. And I’d like to take this chance to say sdhiy oudld are sdf;lauhisd, the sdoulhk is sdfjous, and sdoulhay are sdou;jsd. Wouldn’t you agree?

Kirsten Buckmaster

Go for Gold

The U19 Girls Basketball team participated in the ACSIS League Championship finals on Saturday November 6th. The finals were fought against Chatsworth International School their adversaries in this season’s quest for gold. It was a very intense match with drives, fouls and non-stop three pointers!

Mr. Connors, the coach for the U19 Girls team, put them through tough training in biweekly training sessions, to help get them into the finals. No pain, no gain, eh? The girls competed hard against other international schools in their the road to the finals!

The girls battled GESS for their first match of the season, winning a close contest 26 – 25. They then emerged victorious two weeks later in an intense match against UWC, winning 27 – 26. The October break came and went as the training continued. The finals drew nearer with two games left against GIIS and Chatsworth. The U19 girls won both of these matches, easily and guaranteed a shot for gold in the final championship match played at SAS.

The final was intense and it was time to get serious. Would the techniques and skills taught by their awesome coach be enough to ensure victory? Drives, fouls, and three pointers a plenty punctuated the game. OFS emerged victorious winning the gold medal match 43 – 26! A moment to savour.

This was an outstanding match for the U19 Girls Basketball Team, leaving them unbeaten for the Division 2 of the ACSIS League. Make sure you see them play next season as they defend their title!

Frances Kusuma

7

Personal Project

December 20108

OFS School

December 20109

10 December 2010

LifestyleIn the Dark Corners of the City

Every country has its stories that are passed down for generations. Today, the stories have evolved into mythological beliefs that we call ‘urban legends’. These can either be extremely amusing or creepy and spooky. Of course, as a multi-

cultural city, Singapore has its own set of urban legends. Interested to learn a few? Here are some known legends of the city we live in.

UFO SIGHTINGS: UFOs have been claimed to be spotted in different places around the city, often supported by pictures or even videos. Unfortunately, this evidence has not been enough to support claims of UFO sight ings. Investigator teams like the Singapore Paranormal Investigators suggested the ‘shiny circular objects’ might actually be a laser beam shot from a building or LED lit kites.

SPOOKS AND HAUNTED PLACES: Singapore’s chilling ghost stories come f r o m v a r i o u s c u l t u r a l b e l i e f s o f Singaporeans’ countries of origins such as Malaysia, India, and China. The Malay community brought the legend of ‘Pontianak’, a ghost form of a young lady who has high thrilling laughs and can move around trees at a high speed. And of course, who hasn't heard of places like Old Changi Hospital or Fort Canning Park, famous for their post-WWII haunting?

Various teams of investigators, such as the Singapore Paranormal Investigator and Society of Paranormal Investigators Singapore, have researched these legends, proving or disproving some of

them. Stories have also been told by primary sources that actually experienced the events. However, in the end, whether you believe these legends is really all up to you.

Meita Singgih

More than Just Words

Most of the time words are just easy to say compared to taking an action. “Save the earth!” we all say. We see people from all walks of live, including ourselves, chanting powerful slogans like, 'Combat poverty,' 'Save the Planet,' and 'Never give up'. But how many of us actually do what we say?

It is challenging to act upon what we say out loud, because we tend to rely on others to be responsible for our words. We seem to think one person cannot

possibly make a difference. Compare this with the personal promises we make to ourselves. Sometimes when we have an important assignment due the next day, we promise ourselves that we will try our best. 'I am going to do a great job on this lab report,' I tell myself. Sometimes I stick to my promise, but most of the time, it is not always easy to do what I promised just an hour ago. When we start breaking promises we make to ourselves, it becomes easier and easier to break other promises.

'More than words is all you have to do to make it real.' This is a phrase from the well-known song More than Words by Extreme. Remember, your individual actions are what make the huge difference in the world. The power to transform words into action is hidden inside you.

Soo Min Koh

Music, the universal language

Do you listen to music? You probably do, whether its jazz, pop, rock or other genres. You may notice that cheerful music from other countries might sound good to you. So it would seem music is a

universal language. Hana Kim, has been a member of the school orchestra since she was 10, describes the various types of music. “We played a piece called Lord of the Dance last year,” she says. “It is one of my favorite pieces of orchestral music.” Lord of the Dance is a cheery old song that one can also tap dance along to. Wherever you're from, music can convey a similar message to people of various backgrounds. If you do not play an instrument, why don't you try to learn one? Learn to speak the universal language of a globalised world.

Soo Min Koh

November, Movember

Walking down the hallways you may have noticed new additions to the faces of the men in the school. Yes, I am talking about the mustaches. So what exactly is causing them to willingly allow fur to grow on their face? Well, it’s because of ‘Movember’, a month long event where men grow mustaches to raise awareness for men’s health.

The event was said to have been started in 1999 by six men from Adelaide, Australia. As of 2010, the event raises a w a r e n e s s f o r p r o s t a t e c a n c e r, depression, and testicular cancer.

If you look really carefully at the people taking part in Movember you may notice some s imi lar i t ies . Tak ing par t in Movember has rules just like any other game or event.

1) On Shadowe'en (October 31st), the complete mustache region, including the entire upper lip and the handlebar zones, must be completely shaved.2) For the entire duration of Movember (November 1st - 30th inclusive), no hair shall be allowed to grow in the goatee zone - being any facial area below the bottom lip.3) There is to be no joining of the mustache to sideburns.

Next year take part in Movember (if you are a guy that is), it is a great organization that raises awareness for illnesses that are usually over-looked, just remember to follow all the rules so that you don’t make any mistakes that could get you disqualified.

Avita Vaidya

December 201011

When Words Kill

On October 20th, a phenomenon was created on Facebook - one that caught on with millions around the world. It echoed the voice of the youth against the recent LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender) attacks worldwide. Referred to as ‘Spirit Day,’ October 20th universally announces one thing, ‘We are here for you’ for all victims of the hate. The idea behind Spirit Day, created by teenager Brittany McMillan started as a mere Facebook event and grew into a worldwide event with over 1.6 million Facebook users participating.

Spirit Day honors the teenagers who have taken their lives due the endless bullying they faced in the community around them. The idea was simple; everybody wears purple, which symbolizes ‘spirit’ on the rainbow flag, a symbol for LGBT pride created in 1978. But more than just the symbolism, it reaches out to teens that face the same pressures and say that there is a huge communi ty who cares.

Spirit Day came as a wakeup call to the entire world. It is more than just the amount of people who come together. Spirit Day is a reflection of treating people the right way and

removing the seemingly harmless prejudices from our lives to accept people just the way they are despite their differences. It reminds us that the next time we casually throw around a couple of words, think twice. After all, words are powerful. Sometimes words can even kill.

Kavya Gopal

Open your Eyes and Ears

Do we actually want to see the truth? Or do we just want to justify what we want to believe, to make our lives easier? We can control what we want to see, but we cannot deny the truth. We seem to avoid the real situations that are right in front our eyes. We ignore them as if we have blinders over our eyes. Read on to find out how to acknowledge the truth, and perhaps help others do the same.

Mi Rim, Grade 11, commented on this. “I watched a video about factory farming, I knew it wasn't going to be pleasant to

watch it, and I also knew it was going to be cruel and inhumane, but the situation was beyond my imagination. I felt sick and I found myself criticizing myself for backing away from the current industrial farming situation.”

It can sometimes be very tough to face the truth when you could just live easily and not face reality. However, it is the guilt that we feel deep inside our hearts that should make us open our eyes and ears.

Hana KimSpeak Up for Poverty

Most of us have at least one outfit that we love to such an extent, that we have no qualms about committing the ultimate fashion crime. Wearing the same outfit over and over again. However, Sheena Matheiken, the founder of the Uniform, has proven that it is possible to wear one dress for an extended amount of time and still be fashionable.

The Uniform Project is a fundraiser she organised, where she would wear the same dress (design-wise, not literally the same dress) for a year, accessorising it uniquely every day. All contributions wou ld go towards the Akanksha

Foundation, an organisation in India, which raises funds for the education of slum children. Her designer friend, Eliza Starbuck, created 7 identical, versatile dresses for her and true to her word,, she wore them for 365 days, starting in May 2009.

She documented her daily ensemble on her website (www.theuniformproject.com) and recieved comments from people worldwide.

At the end of 365 days, on the 30th of April 2010, she raised US$103, 374 - enough to educate 287 children.

Her feat inspired many others and a spin-off of her Uniform Project was born. Where one girl would wear the same LBD (little black dress) for a month and the funds raised would go to a charity of her choice. The photos were uploaded on the same website, under ‘Pilots’. Each girl raised around a thousand dollars as well.

The world could use more people who combine their passions with philanthropy – truly making a difference to other people.

Mallika Sriram

The Shanghai Expo

This year, the World Expo was held in Shanghai, China. The Expo began on the 1st of May and ran up until the 31st of October, attracting over 73 million people. The theme of the 2010 Shanghai Expo was “Better City – Better Life,” which looked at Shanghai in the future becoming the, “…next great world city.” It created a strong image for its nation, and shows a strong impression of cultural diversity.

Many expos are held all around the world each year and a few of these are held here in school. At OFS we have a few exhibitions each year, such as the Art Exhibition and the Personal Project Exhibition. Vicky Grueber from Grade 10 said, “I'd like to see a science exhibition, because I think it could be very interesting and it would generate more interest in the science subjects.”

Johannes Jaeger, also from Grade 10, said that he would like to see an exhibition put together by the Arts department. He thinks that it would be very interesting to see what the art, drama, music and dance students could do if they all worked together to put on an exhibition. However he feels that with our academic workload, it would be quite hard for students to find the time to for such an exhibition.

These are just a few of the ideas for exhibitions that people would like to see in OFS, which you can expect and look forward to in the future.

William Ixer

12 December 2010

The World We Inherit

On the 8th and 9th of November, the 1 2 t h G r a d e I B B i o l o g y a n d Environmental Systems and Societies students travelled to the Dairy Farm Nature Reserve in Bukit Timah and an area on the coast, where experiments were conducted on Singapore’s wildlife.

One student described the trip:

“We split into four groups, and walked around the reserve with one of the biologists, who pointed out species of plants and animals. It got muddy and quite steep at t imes, but it was interesting. A couple of times our biologist, Matt, picked up a giant ant, or a centipede, to show us. We went to two survey sites to take recordings. The second site was denser rainforest, so it was harder to conduct our experiments.”

Yet the ecology fieldtrip had a more meaningful impact than the seniors anticipated, with one student stating:

“Walking back f r o m t h e second survey sight we went through a lot of rainforest, then a b e a u t i f u l clearing with a s h e e r r o c k face, lo ts of grass and trees at the edge of i t . When we n e a r e d t h e road, we saw a b i g a r e a o f d e f o r e s t e d l a n d . T h e r e w e r e t r e e stumps and the s o i l w a s disheveled. It w a s r e a l l y depressing.”

Here lies the message of the trip. Students could observe the brilliance of nature and all its complexities, but were subjected to the reality that the world's rainforest are being depleted. The quality of rainforests today is incomparable to the early 20th Century. The world we inherit is a world where tropical rainforests become rarities. As Matt told students, we are lucky to see a mature rainforest, an opportunity our children may not have. It is our job to speak up for rainforests and ensure this grim possibility is not realized.

Kirsten Buckmaster

What does that mean?

More than 750 million people use the English Language. An average English dictionary has a vocabulary of over 450,000 words. An average educated person knows about 20,000 words using about 2,000 words in a week. But, have you ever stopped and wondered whether English covers it all? How many times have you searched around in vain for a word in English to express how you’re feeling? Here at the OFS Footprint, we bring you a list of wonderful and crazy words that cannot be translated into English.

L’esprit d’escalier: (French) the feeling you get after leaving a conversation, when you think of all the things you should have said. Translated literally it means “the spirit of the staircase.”

Meraki: (Greek) Doing something with soul, creativity, or love.

Jayus: (Indonesian) Someone who tells a joke that is the absolute opposite of funny but you can't help laughing.

Creerse la ultima Coca-Cola en el desierto: (Central American Spanish) To have a very high opinion of oneself. Translated literally, "Think one is the last Coca-Cola in the desert."

Then, of course, there are a couple of hilarious phrases that, when translated, make you wonder what context one would use them in.

Vrane Su Mu Popile Mozak: (Croatian) Crazy, literally, "Cows have drunk his brain."

Gattara: (Italian) A woman, often old and lonely, who devotes herself to stray cats.

Layogenic: (Tagalog, Philippines) A person who is only good-looking from a distance.

Physiggoomai: (Ancient Greek) Excited by eating garlic.

These are just a few examples from a long list of words that descend from all sorts of cultures and countries. Apart from showing our excitement from eating garlic, such words really do just show how many ways there are to express ourselves. Are you game to stretch your vocabulary skills?

Kavya Gopal

13 December 2010

14December 2010

Lighter SideDare to Watch

Halloween is a holiday and an event for everyone to dress up, act crazy, and have fun! This time of year is celebrated by all ages, dressing up – a time of year you can act unlike yourself. Trick or Treating is a classic way to celebrate Halloween, but nowadays scavenging for horror movies is most common.

This year’s Halloween brought up Paranormal Activity 2, The Last Exorcism, Piranhas, and other thriller movies in the c inemas around Singapore. Although some might spend the night at home watching horror movies on DVD’s, it is time to share your favorite Halloween must see!

Fingal Olsson from Grade 10 says the horror movie, Mirrors, really makes you think about what you see. “Do you know how scary it is when your own reflection controls you, forcing you to do whatever it wants? Your reflection controls what happens to you in reality and that really scares me.”

Grade 11 students have various horror movies in mind. Ryo Sprott said My Bloody Valentine is one of his all-time favorites. “It was very gory, and there was a huge twist into the plot on who is the killer. There is a huge suspense throughout the whole movie.” Charles Kaufmann brought up a classic horror movie, The Ring. “It was very terrifying and awesome at the same time!” he said.

For those of you who didn’t dare to watch on Halloween, there’s always next year; or even tomorrow! You could always find a reason to, as Nova Halley says, “…watch them for the adrenaline rush or to hide in someone’s arms.”

Frances Kusuma

A Review on Due Date

Due Date, a newly released movie by director Todd Phillips, who is also the director of the popular movie The Hangover, is jam packed with antics, sure to keep you in stiches. Actor Zach Galifianakis is just as absurd, nutty, and immature as ‘Alan’ - the character he p lays in The Hangover. Zach Galifianakis' presence in the movie is certainly the mINl reason why Due Date is as funny as it is. He is definitely the life and soul of the movie.

The story is clear and simple, and very easy to follow. Peter, the father-to-be, is trying to get home to his heavily pregnant wife, however things don't quite go according to plan for him and he winds up being stuck with a wannabe Hollywood actor who is quite the annoying partner in crime. They both face crazy incidents, all of which are accidental, as well as extremely entertaining to witness.

If you're in a bad mood, or are feeling bored, then this movie is a great way to cheer yourself up and give you something to laugh about. It’s a really fun movie and will surely keep you

bo th gasp ing and chuck l ing hysterically, probably at the same time!

Alyssa Valbuena

Is this the end?

With the upcoming release of ‘Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows’ movies over the next couple of months, Potter-mania is a running wild everywhere. People all over the world are gearing up to bid farewell to this phenomenally successful series of movies in this the final chapter of the Harry Potter saga, and of an era.

For many of us, this is what our childhood was built upon. We’ve waited for our Hogwarts letters, we’ve gone around calling Harry Potter haters ‘Muggles,’ we’ve craved the taste of a chocolate frog, We’ve had fake wizarding duels, we’ve pretended to own the marauders map, we’ve always wanted brothers like Fred and George and in our hearts we were members of Dumbledore’s Army. For us, queuing outside bookstores the minute the last book came out was necessary and crying uncontrollably after every chapter in the Deathly Hallows was inevitable.

The movie franchise of Harry Potter coming to an end is a devastating blow to everyone who has loved the world of Harry Potter as it came alive on the silver screen. The movies made us laugh, cry, fear, love and blew us away, animating a world that was only a figment of our imagination. But the question is, is this really the end to the world of Harry Potter?

Ask any Potter fan and their immediate answer would be ‘No’. As Mallika Sriram very clearly puts it, “Harry Potter will always be a part of my life. It’s one of those things that you can never forget you know, because you find

yourself in it. Our world is nowhere near perfect, but at least we had Harry Potter to get through it all.”

Kavya Gopal

15 December 2010

Money, Money its so funny in a rich mans world

Bruno Mars’ line from his catchy easy-to-remember song,“I wanna be a billionaire so bad,” captures my exact feelings about money.

Like most girls, I love to shop! I can spend a whole day in the mall shopping and I usually find myself buying something I perhaps do not need. However living this lifestyle in one of the most expensive countries in the world, on a high school student’s allowance, is not the easiest task in the world. As a proclaimed shop-a-holic I can say with certainty that there have been times when I have opened up my purse to find nothing by cobwebs.

So what do you do if you find yourself strapped for c a s h a n d s p e n d i n g money you do not have? I f i n d t h a t s e t t i n g boundaries is good. Try and only go shopping ever so often, once every two weeks and during long weekends. This will a) allow you to save money and b) the space i n b e t w e e n y o u r shopping trips allows new clothes to get into the store allowing for more variety also c) long w e e k e n d s m e a n s holidays and holidays mean sales, which in turn means cheap stuff! And cheap stuff means more money to spend on more things! Now just what’s wrong with that?

This is by no means a perfect solution and by no means am I saying “DO THIS”, instead think of this more of a guide. It has worked for me, now just find what works to tame the shop-a-holic in you.

Avita Vaidya

Things to do in the Semester break

The thought of a long break after a gruelling week of exams is enough to make anyone excited. However, that excitement could subside into boredom due to a lack of things to do, inevitably spoiling the well-earned holiday. So make sure you have planned a tight schedule packed full of things to do – you don’t want to waste away the holiday on the computer and the TV!

Even if you don’t celebrate Christmas, you can st i l l make your hol iday worthwhile. Invite family and friends over to your place to perhaps celebrate New Years Day with them. You will hardly

miss your friends at school when you have an apartment buzzing with people!

Spend a weekend away in some of Singapore’s neighbouring countries. Malaysia and Thailand have plenty of places to see and there is nothing better than travelling and seeing new things. Indonesia is also a good place to visit, especially since Bintan and Batam are only forty minutes away by ferry.

If you are not that keen on travelling to another country, there are still heaps of attractions to see in Singapore. Popular tour is t a t t rac t ions inc lude Sentosa, Wild Wild Wet, Escape Theme Park, Singapore Zoo, and much more. However, if you have seen enough of Singapore, there is nothing wrong with relaxing at home and perhaps watching a movie or two on TV. Christmas and New Years Day a r e b i g c e l e b r a t i o n s i n Singapore, so you should d e f i n i t e l y c h e c k o u t t h e

decorations in Orchard Road, as well as the spectacular fireworks!

Priyanka Kumar

Slang-tionary

Ever use words like ‘bromance’ and ‘frenemy’ and then had someone tell you to go look it up in the dictionary? It is a fact that new words are being added to the dictionary very often.

I’m sure we have all used the phrase ‘chill – pill’, now in the updated 2010 version of the Oxford dictionary with the meaning “something that calms nerves

or induces relaxation”. The word ‘bromance’ has also b e e n a d d e d t o t h e dictionary to mean “a close but nonsexual relationship between two men”.

The contemporary world of I n t e r n e t a n d m o b i l e messages has changed the way the languages have been used by the newer generation. In fact, these two mediums have seen the evolution of a whole new set of popular jargons and abbreviations. Words like ‘unfriend’ and ‘facebook’ (as a verb) have been used so often that they will be in the new edi t ion of the Oxford American Dictionary.

Unfortunately, on the other side of the approved list of words, lies a number of ‘non-words’ which failed to make it into the official English lexicon – such as “Furgling” (act of fumbling in your pocket for keys), “Wurfing” (surfing the internet at work), “Earworm” (a catchy tune that frequently gets stuck in your head) and “Nonversation” (a worthless conversation) among millions of other words.

The world and our language are changing rapidly and the dictionary is doing its best to keep up. Who knows, one day in the year 4038, people may think we speak Old English!

Meghna Seshadri

16 December 2010

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Nostradamus

Some people believe the world will end in 2012 and others don’t. But what if it really ends in 2012? What would you do if it was your last day on Earth before the end of the world? Here are some response:

“I would spend an entire day with my closest friends on a snowy mountain, skiing and drinking hot chocolate.” – Ayala Ples.

“If it was my last day, I would probably spend it with family and friends.” – Gabriel Kwek.

“I would go to the most extreme theme parks, call all my friends and family, and have as much fun as I possibly can.” – Lara Tay

“I would get on a small plane and fly until I run out of fuel. I would watch the clouds, the sun, the sea everything from the sky; and hopefully be able to fly at night and see the stars. Or I would just spend my last day on a beach watching the sunset on an island with the perfect girl next to me.” – Charles D’Artagnan.

“I guess I would go on a plane with friends and family and see things I haven’t seen before and do things I haven’t done like bungee jumping and sky diving.” – Sanjanaa Achar.

“I don't really care if I die tomorrow. I'd just live it normally.” – Eric Hung.

“I would for sure not go to school (if it was a school day), I would see all the people I love and my family and wish them the best. I would try to go where ever I always wanted to go and tell people what I think about them and in the end of the day I would go to the beach and just die there.” – Romi Regev.

“I guess I would spend time with friends for a starter, do all the things I wanted to do and chill with friends. Then spend the rest with family, cause they will always be there for you, and that my life would impact more on them than my friends, cause blood is thicker than water.” – Ryo Sprott.

“I would shop all I want, spend all my money. Including beauty services (nails, spa, etc) then spend the rest of the day with my family, and loved ones.” – Shannen Dermawan.

“Steal a Lamborghini, spend all my money, and have fun with the rest!” – Nicholson Liman.

So…what would you do?

Frances Kusuma

Meghna Seshadri