By Nadia Vaillancourt, Year 11
We have calcium in our bones, iron in our veins,
carbon in our souls, and nitrogen in our brains.
93 percent stardust, with souls made of flames,
we are all just stars that have people names.
-Nikita Gill, ‘93 Percent Stardust’
Space. The final frontier. The overly romanticized vacuum that could probably kill you in more ways than anything on Earth.
The embodiment of humanity’s inability to sit still and be content with what we already have.
Every year, new and exciting advances are made in humankind's exploration of outer space, challenging us to see beyond the observable universe and, quite literally, reach for the stars. 2017 has been no different, so strap in, because we’re going on a trip in our favourite rocket ship down memory lane as we explore the most fascinating and awe-inspiring cosmic events this year has offered us so far.
I’m sure most of us (myself very much included) have wondered what it would be like to live on a planet other than our own. Earlier this year, NASA made a discovery that reinvigorated this hope for many. 7 Earth-sized exoplanets were found orbiting one star, TRAPPIST-1; more importantly, 3 of them are located in the ‘habitable zone’ near the star where life could potentially exist. All 7 of the rocky planets have a high potential for water on their surfaces, meaning the chance of finding alien life in the TRAPPIST-1 system is high. Unfortunately, reaching the TRAPPIST system is an achievement that is still years away - 40 light years, to be exact. For scale, space shuttles that orbit the Earth at nearly 30,000 km/h would take around 1,488,000 years to reach the TRAPPIST system. TRAPPIST-1, named for the Transiting Planets and Planetesimals Small Telescope in Chile, is still a dream somewhat beyond our reach. Nevertheless, what we already know about the TRAPPIST system is fascinating in its own right. Despite its similarities to our own cosmic neighborhood, the scale of the far-off system is completely different to our Solar System. All 7 exoplanets are closer to the TRAPPIST-1 star than the planet Mercury is to our Sun. That means if you were to stand on one exoplanet’s surface, and the others were relatively aligned, you’d be able to see other planets more easily than we can see the Moon from Earth! Although the TRAPPIST system is significantly smaller than our own, it could be nearly twice as old: researchers suggest that it is probably between 5.4 and 9.8 billion years old, compared to our system’s mere 4.5 billion years. (Side not: should we start celebrating our Solar System’s birthday? Discuss.) At the moment, TRAPPIST-1 and its 7 exoplanets are a perfect example of ‘so close yet so far’. Spotting it was the easy part. Nonetheless, for all the knowledge we might or might not be able to gain from home, I can’t wait for the day when Earthling tourists are running around the TRAPPIST planets, snapping selfies with whatever passes for a phone in the distant future. Of course, we’ll all be long dead by then, but we can dare to dream.
A ladybird is around 400 times smaller than a human. A human is around 400 times smaller than the Burj Khalifa. The Burj Khalifa is around 2000 times smaller than the Moon, which in turn is around 400 times smaller than the Sun. What makes this interesting is that the Moon also happens to be around 400 times closer to Earth than the Sun, meaning that when the two celestial bodies align in the sky, the Moon blocks out the light from the sun, causing an eclipse. The annular eclipse, often called the ‘ring of fire’ eclipse, shone down on the South Atlantic Ocean on February 26th of this year, visible from Patagonia, Argentina and Angola. However, this wasn’t the eclipse that was featured most prominently in headlines and on social media during 2017: that was the Total Solar Eclipse experienced by the USA on August 21st. Along a strip of 60 - 70 miles stretching across Oregon to South Carolina (called the path of totality), the Moon fully eclipsed the Sun, momentarily interrupting the day with up to 2 minutes of night-like darkness. The rest of North America saw a partial eclipse, where the semi-obscured Sun looks like a crescent in the sky. #Eclipse2017 was watched by 88% of America’s adults - meaning more people watched the eclipse than the the Super Bowl, the Game of Thrones season finale or the New Year’s Eve ball drop in Times Square - and was celebrated on Twitter by an onslaught of #EclipSelfies. The next eclipse that we’ll be able to see from the Philippines will be a partial solar eclipse on July 17th, 2019, so mark your calendars and get your wacky eclipse safety glasses ready!
It’s not easy to say goodbye. The only thing worse than a goodbye is a goodbye that you know will never be followed by a ‘hello’. Quite honestly, I hadn’t known much about the Cassini spacecraft before I learned that it was going to die. I’d seen images from Cassini without realizing it - if you’ve ever seen a photo of Saturn or its rings, then there’s a good chance that you’ve seen Cassini’s pictures too. The spacecraft was launched in 1997 with a 20-year mission of exploring Saturn, and transmitting data back home as it wandered the moons and rings we ourselves can only dream of seeing up close. Other than being a literal space robot photographer (how cool is that?!), Cassini has discovered new moons, helped a space probe land on Saturn’s moon Titan, found oxygen on two of its moons (the first time oxygen has been found beyond Earth!), and even discovered water on the moon Enceladus. The question we’re left with, I suppose, is whether knowing all the incredible things Cassini achieved makes its Grand Finale a little bit more joyful or a little bit more heart-breaking. Cassini’s final action was a swan dive into Saturn’s atmosphere in order to destroy itself, which not only collected and transmitted new data until it had completely burned up, but also ensured that any microbes from Earth that might stayed with Cassini couldn’t contaminate any of Saturn’s potentially life-bearing moons. At 3:31am on September 15th of 2017, Cassini transmitted its final farewell, and 1.2 billion kilometers away on a little planet called Earth, I shed a tear for a friend I had never met. I hate goodbyes, but when I think about Cassini, I can’t help but smile. (And get a little misty-eyed, but that’s neither here nor there.) Cassini may have been metal and circuits, but through its discoveries something came alive, and though Cassini’s life well lived has come to a close, that something lives on in us. So, dear reader, I ask this of you: tonight, when you look up at the night sky, blow a kiss to the stars for Cassini.
For as many stars as there are in the sky, there is someone on our planet who wants to know more about them. (Don’t think about that math.) It would be impossible to recap everything NASA and other astronomical researchers have discovered this year, but here’s some other awesome space stuff that people a few hundred years ago would probably suspect was witchcraft:
- The Hubble telescope has spotted a galaxy that is nearly 10.7 billion years old. Believed at first to be a mistake, what surprised scientists the most was that this galaxy appears too perfect to be real. Compared to galaxies of a similar age, BX442 is an unusually ordered and symmetrical spiral galaxy.
- On October 26th, Pope Francis spoke with astronauts on the ISS. Tell me that is not a hilarious mental image.
- The Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite, or TESS, is set to be launched this December to study the planets around the 200,000 stars closest to us.
- China’s Chang’e 5 lunar exploration mission is also set to launch this year. Although Chang’e is a sample mission, collecting lunar rocks and soil, it is only a cog in a bigger machine: China’s plans to land on the dark side of the moon by 2018.
- The next Supermoon, an occurrence where the Moon appears over 12% bigger than usual due it being at its closest point to Earth whilst also being a Full or New Moon, will happen on December 3rd. Get your telescopes and cameras ready (and don’t count on your smartphone cameras for this one folks; that is, unless you want a photo of a blurry blob).
- Star Wars: The Last Jedi premieres this December! Get hype!
- And you know what, as long as we’re talking sci-fi, you should go watch Star Trek: Discovery. Whether or not you’re a fan of the older Trek, there’s a lot to love in this reboot, from refreshing diversity to thrilling, gritty storylines.
Space is possibility and impossibility. Space is all around us, but space is also somewhere most of us will never go. Space is poetry and beauty, space is maths and logic. There’s a reason that both writers and astronomers have been enchanted by the stars since the earliest light of humankind. The need to touch, to feel, to experience what we hold so dear yet can never attain is what makes us human. Throughout history, outer space has driven us to learn and to imagine. To ask ‘what’ and ‘why’ and ‘how’, even when there is no answer. In the grand scheme of the universe, we’re all just cosmic dust, forgotten by a universe that doesn’t care for us or our questions. And yet. There is so much beauty in the world. Through the good days and bad days, the planet we live on and the solar system it inhabits and the universe we all exist in will be there, endless and endlessly beautiful. When the darkness in your life eclipses the light, remember to look up, look around you, and realize that the only things worth fixating on are the good ones. Remember that in this universe, anything can happen, and the possibilities before us all stretch to infinity (and beyond).
By Patrick Kho, Year 11
Last Sunday, Broadway superstar Anthony Rapp told Buzzfeed News that he had been sexually assaulted by Kevin Spacey in 1986. According to Rapp, Spacey had invited him to his apartment for a party, and at the end of the night, he picked up Rapp, placed him on his bed and climbed on top of him. This all happened when Spacey was 26, and Rapp was 14 - under the age of legal consent.
Kevin Spacey is especially known for his enthralling portrayal of South Carolina Congressman turned Vice President turned President: Frank Underwood in the layered, fictional political drama: House of Cards.
Last monday, Spacey responded on Twitter, saying that he “deeply apologizes for drunken behaviour” and owes “the sincerest apology” to Mr. Rapp, failing to take personal responsibility for what Rapp says happened.
However, drunkenness wasn’t the only excuse Spacey used to deflect Rapp’s sexual assault allegations: he also decided to come out as a gay man in the same statement.
“This story has encouraged me to address other things about my life,” Spacey wrote. “I have loved and had romantic encounters with men throughout my life, and I choose now to live as a gay man. I want to deal with this honestly and openly and that starts with examining my own behaviour.”
Coming out is a huge leap of faith. Everyone who self-identifies as LGBT may or may not choose to take it in their life. Doing so is generally considered an act of bravery, as LGBT people do not receive the same treatment as straight people in many countries, both legally and socially. Hence, coming out is normally met with compassion, kindness, and support by many, from straight and queer individuals alike. However, despite having enchanted the hearts of many through his fascinating work, Spacey’s coming out received a different reaction; it was deemed by many other as “the first bad way to come out”, an appropriation of the marginalisation the gay community faces today and among other things. But it wasn’t either of these - despite how shameful they may be - that should be most concerning. His untimely “coming out” adds fuel to the fire of something bigger. By coming out and apologising for allegations of pedophilia in the same statement, Spacey reinforces the myth that equates gay men and women with sexual deviancy.
Historically, disliked minority groups are often labeled by societies as dangerous to the most vulnerable members of a majority. As an example, Jews in the Middle Ages were accused of murdering Christian babies in ritual sacrifices. African American men in the United States were often falsely accused of raping white women and put to death for it. And in a very similar fashion, gay people have often been portrayed as threatening towards children - to the point where many have associated homosexuality with pedophilia.
Back in 1977, Anita Bryant, an American singer, formed a coalition called “Save Our Children, Inc.” as a response to a legislated county ordinance that banned discrimination in areas of housing, employment and public accommodation on the basis of sexual orientation. She warned that “a particularly deviant-minded teacher could sexually molest children.”
Likewise, the Boy Scouts of America only changed its historic policy that banned gay leaders and employees a few years ago.
Although the myth has died down in recent years, internet troll and former writer for the right-wing news source: Breitbart, Milo Yiannopoulos falsely suggested that such a connection between homosexuality and pedophelia is factual, in spite of the number of studies (and common sense really) that have proven this belief to be false.
This fear mongering tactic has been used for years on end to alienate the gay community from the rest of society. And despite its faulty logic, it has still persisted even though multiple investigations have found zero evidence to associate homosexuality with pedophelia.
It’s not clear whether or not Spacey knew about the historic demonisation of gay people. But one thing is definite: his untimely coming out will be taken advantage of by a number of individuals in the anti-gay movement. They will continue to preach their destructive narratives, relentlessly spreading the dogma that associates homosexuality with pedophelia. His tweet will prove to be devastating and detrimental to the LGBT community as a whole.
By Crissia Po, Year 10
Released in November 11, 2008, Fearless is the sophomore album of American pop singer, songwriter, and 10-time Grammy winner Taylor Swift. This country album contains thirteen songs about falling in love, experiencing heartbreak, and finding love again. Fearless is about facing one’s fears, fighting for one’s beliefs, believing that someday everything will change for the better, letting go of people who treat one poorly, and having the courage to love again despite the numerous heartbreaks that one may have experienced. Some well-known songs in this album are “Fearless,” the title track about taking chances in love; “Love Story,” a very romantic song based on the William Shakespeare classic Romeo and Juliet; and “White Horse,” a tear-jerking song about breaking up with someone who is unfaithful in a relationship. Fearless is the best album released in 2008 because this album is full of meaningful songs. People of different ages can relate to the songs in Fearless. The beautifully-worded songs and pleasant melodies clearly show that Swift gave effort into creating this album.
The songs in Fearless encourage those who are heartbroken to love again and those who feel like giving up to never stop chasing their dreams. The lyrics “And when you're fifteen/ Don’t forget to look before you fall” from the song “Fifteen” is a reminder of the importance of thinking before acting. Hurtful actions or words have destroyed relationships and changed others’ lives forever. “The Best Day” tells us to appreciate what our parents are doing for us. All our parents want is the best for us. They work hard everyday to provide our needs and wants. They support us in our dreams and endeavors. We should always show them our love and care. “Change”, the last song on Fearless, inspires us to fight for what we believe in and never give up on our dreams even though the path to our dreams is filled with hardships.
The songs in Fearless are relatable to people of different ages. Adolescents can relate to “Fifteen,” a song that describes some of the things that high schoolers experience, like having crushes and feeling disappointed. People in relationships can relate to “Fearless”, “White Horse”, “Breathe”, “Tell Me Why”, and “You’re Not Sorry”; these songs are about taking risks for love and the challenges of being in a relationship.
Swift put her heart and soul into the creation of Fearless. She wrote all the songs in Fearless; the songs are based on her own experiences. Swift composed beautiful melodies to her songs and sang with emotion. This shows her honesty and genuineness that makes her loved by millions of people around the world.
In Fearless, Swift wrote beautiful songs that people of any age can relate to. Swift showed her creativeness in producing Fearless. Through Fearless, she shared what she learned about life, friendship, love, and heartache. Because of these reasons, I give this album a 5/5 rating.
By Patrick Kho, Year 11
Tomorrow, BSM will be celebrating Bonfire Night, an annual event celebrating the story of Guy Fawkes, a man who stood up against the persecution of the Catholic minority in 17th century England and was not afraid to fight for what he believed in. The event has become a huge part of the school’s community, bringing teachers, parents and students closer together through food, music, a bonfire and a magnificent show of fireworks.
At Winston, we decided to talk to three PTA members and discuss why the event is so significant in the BSM community and why we celebrate it annually.
“Guy Fawkes was only one of a group of people that were standing up for the Catholics that were being persecuted at that time. He just happened to be the one that was caught,” explains Ms. Carolyn Daunt, “So we can look at Guy Fawkes as the bad guy (which they have done for a long time), but sometimes people can look at him as the person who stood up for his beliefs and we can celebrate the fact that he was a rebel.”
“It’s a tradition; something that’s gone through generations and has brought families together, something that people often see as ‘very British’,” Ms. Lisel Binns unfeignedly states. “It brings the community together; teachers, governors, families; it’s the only time we really come together to socialise.”
“Growing up as children we always celebrated it. I would imagine that the school adopted it because it’s a British thing to do; it’s something we would celebrate.” Ms. Emma van Niekerk adds.
Bonfire Night has become an event of utmost significance to the BSM community. It has played and continuously plays a vital role in shaping the childhood of many students who have ever walked the halls of this school.
So on the 3rd of November, come and join the rest of the community to celebrate the British tradition of Bonfire Night and the inspiring story of Guy Fawkes through a variety of food, music and fireworks that will undoubtedly bring the students, teachers and parents of British School Manila closer together.
Tickets will be on sale for 600 PHP tomorrow.
By Gabby Uy, Year 11
"Five, six, seven, eight!"
Numbers were hollered countless times as the BSM Cheer team held its first ever open training session last Friday afternoon. With nerve, laughter and nervous laughter, ten honorary cheerleaders danced and stunted along with the squad, flooding the sports hall with noise and enthusiasm. A first straddle jump, a first stunt, a first split-related cramp - the day was one of many beginnings, and we’re thrilled to say that a few girls left excited to sign up for varsity. But as the team looks forward to another year of growth, we can’t help but look back with a touch of nostalgia.
We aren’t the biggest sport here at BSM and we certainly aren’t the oldest. Like everyone else, I was thoroughly, spectacularly clueless when I first joined the squad as a flyer in January. I was aware of the consequences in a vague, abstract sense - according to the Internet, a flyer is “a person or thing that flies” - but I didn’t know much beyond that. I had never even seen Bring It On.
I was terrified.
See, cheer shouldn't exist. We shouldn't be standing on teetering wrists held at eye-level. We shouldn’t be tossing hundred-pound girls in the air or catching them with fingers, elbows and the occasional inch-thick mat. Essentially, we have one (surprisingly effective) health and safety rule: “if anyone starts falling, give them a bear hug.” This is ridiculous. This should be impossible.
This is freaking awesome.
There’s something oddly liberating about throwing yourself into something head first without any expectations or reservations. Cheer has pushed our team to its limits - and I’m proud to say that we’ve pushed right back. With every passing week, our jumps get higher, our stunts get cleaner and we inch closer and closer to what should be unachievable. Euphoria radiates from our tiny corner of the hall, sending me home exhausted yet electric with the adrenaline still clinging to the sweat on my skin.
But I read something interesting the other day: apparently, it takes 10,000 hours to master a skill. If my calculator works, that’s over a tenth of the approximately 87,600 hours I’ve been awake for so far. That’s a lot of hours! On days when stunts topple over and we stumble home disheartened, such figures can humble me into a state of quiet internal panic. We barely have 2000 hours between us (I counted) and it’s easy to feel like that isn’t enough. I know overgeneralized theories can’t possibly be accurate. I know I shouldn’t be so impatient. Still, it worries me.
After all, whether you cheer or you don’t, there’s this creeping sentiment I often sense sitting on the backburner of our collective subconscious. It simmers away as the calendar turns to August and we blearily, begrudgingly pull on white shirts and blue ties. As September rolls around and a dizzying array of ASA options come flooding in, yet we carefully select last year’s handful.
It’s this universal, inexplicable fear of beginnings. Somewhere in between years seven and thirteen, the idea of a fresh start becomes frightening instead of reassuring: we begin to feel that we’re somehow behind, too old, too late to venture into the unfamiliar, to audition for that musical or try out for that sports team. That others are somehow ahead in their academic endeavors, athletic pursuits, relationships, college applications and lives in general, and starting from scratch is a waste of the little time we have left. So we settle. We stop stretching.
Alone on my laptop, binge-watching NCC videos late into the night, such thoughts can scare me more than any stunt, dance or tumble ever will. Ultimately, BSM Cheer is an amalgam of many beginnings and there will only be more of them as the new year approaches. The mere idea of the steep climb ahead is exhilarating at times and nauseating at others.
But I think we can make it. In the past year alone, we’ve conquered so many firsts: our first basket toss. Our first varsity team. Our first fractured ankle. And if there’s one thing I know for certain, it’s that nothing begins more beginnings than catching a person from a ten foot high trust fall - except being squashed by that person, together. Our collective cluelessness is as comforting as it is worrying: nobody has nailed both their heel stretches yet. Nobody is completely unafraid of walkovers. We laugh and we sweat through pain and uncertainty, warmed by the breathless enthusiasm reflected back at and around us.
I’ve been searching for a word to describe this phenomenon. Some call it “spirit”, but spirit can’t launch girls ten feet in the air. Spirit can’t sustain bruises for others. Spirit can’t literally dive, terrified, into something the school has never seen before. No, the determination that binds us is a powerful, unbridled energy. It’s more than just trust and it’s more than just passion. It’s through cheer that I’ve found fire, steel, sunlight and grit: in myself, in the people surrounding me and above all in the wonders we work as a team. We can’t afford to lose this stubborn idealism; this indefinable sense of togetherness - at the end of the day, it’s all we have.
Coach Mavy, Coach Mark, Coach Kaycee and Coach Dico - thanks for believing in and catching us no matter what. We know we’ll make you proud one day.
Riana, Nikki, Nikki, Ella, Ella, Chloe, Darra, Min and Audrey - I’m so incredibly honoured, scared, humbled and thrilled to be stuck in this bittersweet beginning with you guys. But above all, I’m hopeful: I want more impossibles for us. I want little impossibles. I want enormous impossibles! Maybe we’ll fall. (We’ll probably fall.) But if next year is anything like this one, no way in hell can we possibly fail.
