Events NEWS AND EVENTS News and
VOICE
The International School of Amsterdam’s Student Paper
Keys to the Pink Castle: New
Security System Hits ISA
Big changes are coming to ISA this year,
not the least in recently heightened safety
measures around the school. The new
security system, which includes the
installation of gates and the hiring of
added guards, is finally up and running
after delays in January and early
February, and should be fully online in
March. As always, the VOICE has the latest
updates.
ISA is no stranger to security, having a
team of guards employed at the school in
past years as well as extensive ID badge
systems in place for parents and teachers
to access the school. But new changes are
far more extensive than previously,
including all new gates where students
and parents must swipe their ID cards to
enter. Additional developments include the
hiring of additional guards and plans in
place for bulletproof glass to be installed
by the front desk/entrance area. Why?
Though no official statement has been
made, one can speculate as to the benefits
of the new system, including improved
mechanisms to track those people within
ISA, and improved safety measures for
students. Interestingly, the project was
funded in part by a grant from the
American consulate in Amsterdam,
reportedly to “protect American citizens”
ALSO
INSIDE:
Hating Valentines
day
attending the school. The initiative has the
full endorsement of ISA’s board of
directors, with board member Aris
Economon saying “the new card entry
system is serving to augment the school’s
security by forcing all members of our
community to scan their ID card in order
to enter the school”.
But not everything has gone smoothly in
the system’s rollout. Eminent congestion
worries have to some extent materialized,
with many students and parents
struggling to locate their key cards in the
morning, especially in the crowded space
of the new entrance. This of course fosters
long lines at the security window, where
parents can pick up guest passes to escort
their children to their classrooms for the
day. Strategies for coping with the issue
have so far included opening the back
entrance on crowded mornings and
afternoons, as well as opening up one
gate for lower school students to pass
through without a card. Also notable are
teacher concerns regarding new ID card
holders, which students have been
donning increasingly to facilitate scanning
in at the gate in the morning. The problem
with these is that they include an
expandable string, which can be
lengthened when scanning in so as not to
Choir
Voice Volume 7, Issue 3, March 2016
have to awkwardly bend toward the
scanner, but can also be used to spin an ID
card at high speeds. This behavior that
has lead to confiscations and minor
injuries, as well as warning from teachers
to students.
For now, however, it seems as if the new
security measures are here to stay, and
most people are positive about it. Said
one student “they make me feel safer”,
another “I like them”. Regardless of
personal opinion, the new system will
likely be finalized over the coming months
and then developed going forward into
2016.
Talent
Show
Students scanning ID badges
at the new front gates.
By Roos Creyghton and Ari Economon
Personal Project
1
Editor’s Note
Dear ISA,
That was quick! After two breaks and a few
months of school, we’re finally back with this
year’s third issue of the Voice.
It’s been an eventful time. Yearly traditions like
the talent show, where students showed off their
incredible skills, and Global Village Day, where
the ISA community came together to celebrate
their intercultural diversity and tolerance, were
certainly a focus, and are discussed extensively in
this issue. But even more important to me are the
new and exciting things happening around school;
including our recently installed security system
and first ever Share Scottish Ceilidh. These events
and transitions prove that ISA is moving forward
and improving with time.
Who We Are...
VOICE is the International School of Amsterdam’s upper
school student publication. We are grade 6-12 students who
meet each week at lunch on Thursdays for publication
planning and development – there is no journalism class that
supports the project. We commit our time and energy to
support our school, our community, and our own growth as
thinkers and writers.
We welcome your letters. We welcome your article contributions. We welcome
corrections that you wish to alert us to. Send all communications to Ms. Sabine
Henrichsen-Schrembs ([email protected]), the project faculty advisor, Editor-inChief Ari Economon ([email protected]), or drop a note into the VOICE
“suggestion/question” box outside room 189.
Our sports teams have also been doing well. Over
the winter, they have been competing against both
regional and international rivals in basketball and
swimming, traditionally strong sports for our
school. And just a few days ago, ISA’s U12 and
U14 basketball teams went off to their final NECIS
tournament, performing commendably (the U14
girls even made it to a nail biting 2-point loss in
their final). For more commentary and
photographs of the performances of the JV/V
basketball teams and the swim team at their
respective tournaments, be sure to check out our
next edition.
Finally, I’d like to address our 12th graders.
According to their prominently posted calender in
George Junior’s, Senior Sendoff and all its
festivities come in a mere three weeks time, after
which they will go off to study every day for a
month before their final exams. Then college and
beyond. So if you know anyone who is about to
embark on this new and exciting journey, wish
them luck.
Enjoy our third issue, and have a great Spring,
Ari Economon
Editor-in-Chief
VOICE Team: Moses Ochs, Clara Fast, Rania Khan, Trinabh Banerjeree, Evie M. Portier, PB Balakrishnan,
Ari Economon (editor-in-chief), Robert Brighton, Roos Creyghton, Luca Santarelli (layout) & Gabriele Cepparulo
(layout). Missing: Lisa Klaassen.
Want to improve your writing? Report on ISA issues and events? Get your name in the paper? If, so join
VOICE! Meetings for 2015 are every Thursday at lunch, and we welcome any new applicants from
grade 6-12. Remember, you can also send in specific articles to Ari Economon or Sabine HenrichsenSchrembs.
VOICE is published on 100% post-consumer waste recycled paper, by MultiCopy of Amstelveen
(www.multicopy.nl/Amstelveen).
We ask our community to join us in a “read and share” approach. Once you have read an issue of
VOICE, if you do not wish to keep the edition, return it to the Voice display rack outside room 189 so
others may read it. This is environmentally and fiscally responsible.
VOICE is available as a digital download (PDF) on upper school Final Site link.
Voice Volume 7, Issue 3, March 2016
2
WHY I HATE VALENTINE’S DAY
By reading the title of this article, you might
suspect me to be a somber, lonely girl with thick
glasses that will drown herself with Sylvia Plath
and do not much more than playing with her
insanely impressive number of cats. I wish for
you to not define anyone who hates Valentine’s
day as this stereotype, because it is simply not
true.
I will spare you a paragraph of self praise and
names of those who have sent me Valentine’s
cards and gifts, but let’s just presume that I am
not unloved and that is not the reason for my
colloquial rant.
First of all, I do not enjoy the 14th of February
since public displays of affection are not
valued...not any day.
Secondly, why do we have to be appointed a day
to tell the person we love, that we do? Are we
really such cowards? Why not tell him or her on
the 5th of May, or two days after the beginning
of school? Sing them a song when they deserve
it, tell them you think they are beautiful in a
cheesy card when you want to see them smile
and give them stuffed animals, well, anytime you
feel appropriate. Life is short, people die and
planets shatter and so if you love someone, you
have to let them know, and not wait for the 14th
day of the second month, because, frankly, the
world will not wait for that day so you can muster
up the courage to express your affections.
Also, the cornucopia of cards and poems printed,
purchased and distributed on this day defy the
idea of romance if you associate it with the
amount of trees that have died just for you to
share with your ‘boo’ that you love them more
than Kanye loves himself.
Furthermore, you cannot win this day. You get
penalized if you love someone and you get
penalized if you don’t – it is simply just a day
where people openly criticize your relationship
status. If you are single everyone feels bad
because they believe that your self-worth should
be defined by the amount of flowers you receive
(which are expensive and die anyways) and if
you have a Valentine everyone hates you and is
utterly annoyed by your apparent happiness.
Lastly, there is an awkwardness this day brings
upon a new relationship. For there is no card that
says “I like you but I don’t love you yet but
happy Valentine’s day anyways” or a bear that
states “We went on that date that one time and I
haven’t really called you after but I like you a
little bit”, which to be honest are more frequent
romances than “I love you” (which people are
often forced to say prematurely because of this
holiday).
The one benefit of Valentine’s Day however, is:
the next day, all chocolates, half off.
By Anonymous
Courtesy of pixabay.com
Courtesy of quotesgram.com
Voice Volume 7, Issue 3, March 2016
3
Let’s All Sing!
Every year at ISA students have the chance to
join the school choir. The lower and middle
school have the opportunity to be lead by
Fabian Galli (music teacher for lower school)
and the upper school by Kelly Webber (theatre
arts teacher).
When I joined the Upper School Choir for my
first rehearsal, I was glad to be greeted so
kindly by the other members, who already
knew each other for quite some time. I got to
sing with some of my fellow grade companions
who also greeted me well.
I recently joined The Upper School Choir, since
singing is an activity I like to do which lets me
express my emotions and take out all the
‘voice’ I have in me. You can use choir to show
others that you’re good at singing and aren’t
afraid of singing in front of many people. Choir
is good for making people speak up, since you
have to sing loudly otherwise no one will be
able to hear and listen to your voice.
Kelly’s way of teaching us to sing is very
pleasant and fun, since for her choir is not only
important, it is also an activity which she is
highly dedicated to and interested in. For our
first vocal warm up we did some voice exercises
and then got the scripts and started singing.
The lesson was fun and exciting, I immediately
connected with the singing of the scripts thanks
to not only Kelly’s help, but also from the other
members.
I must say that the passion I used to have in
choir became even bigger thanks to this first
lesson. I’m looking forward in participating to
all the rehearsals and concerts every time there
is one.
If you are also someone who likes to sing and
wants the others to hear how good you are
don’t hesitate a second longer and come join
us. You’ll be able to experience how a real choir
works together with all its members that are
eager to sing and help you out.
By Luca Santarelli
Courtesy of zionpres.org
Talent Show
It has been a while since we have come back
from the holidays, which are now a long gone
memory. However, some time in that remote
past once upon a time there was the last day of
school before the holidays.
Everyone had been waiting for that day for a
while and everyone was thrilled to go on a
relaxing break. On the last period of that day,
we had the opportunity to end such a great day
in an even better way by witnessing the talent
show.
First of all it is essential to underline the
importance of having a passion, independently
of one’s talent, and being able to carry it out
along one’s “duties”. Passions are what drive
the world. The key to happiness is having time
to devote to one’s own passions.
Having the opportunity to showcase one’s talent
is a great reward for the time spent in this
passion, which more importantly was not
mandatory. More significant, is that everyone
had a great time and it was very entertaining
both for the audience and the performers. For
this reason, the talent show is a very important
event which maybe is undervalued for its
importance.
By Gabriele Cepparulo
Courtesy of res.ramonausd.net
Voice Volume 7, Issue 3, March 2016
4
The Grade 10 Personal Project
Evening
By Evie Portier
Recently the 10th graders completed their over sixth month long endeavour with the personal
project. The finalization of that journey was held at ISA on Thursday the 11th of February, and
attracted over a hundred visitors. In case you missed it, the following photos and captions will
show you exactly what they came for.
I built a wakeboard winch, it uses a
go-kart engine to pull a spool of
rope in at 30 kph. The idea is that
my winch is portable so it enables
someone to wakeboard on any
canal.
-Milo Grade 10
My project is about Eco houses,
which are eco friendly because
of the shape that they are made
of. I 3D printed a design I made
myself for an eco house.
-Javier G10
I made three mirrors that
depicted various scenarios in
which people are not granted
freedom of speech.
-Blanca G10
For my project I made a photo book
I made a photo book
on how the friendly media impacts
reminding people of the
teenagers and their perceptions of
beauty of nature.
themselves.
-Andreas G10
-Annie G10
Voice Volume 7, Issue 3, March 2016
I choreographed a dance to the
song “Like Real People Do” by
Hozier and made a video of it.
-Caroline G10
5
How To Survive Out in the Woods Summer Camps
Whether you’re staying at home or eager to make full use of your
two months, you may choose to partake in a summer camp for a few
weeks this summer. While your friends count the days till the end of
school, you can count the days till the first day of camp. Summer
camps provide you with a great way to meet all kinds of people
from across the globe, allow you to become a more independent
individual that prepares you for a life away at university, and serve
as a means of stimulating creativity, passion and confidence.
professors and to improve and rediscover my intrigue to literature.
Furthermore, I met people from around the world who became and
continue to be my close friends. The experience was unforgettable.
After classes we could explore the local shops and stores near the
college campus, while the camp coordinators also organized
bonfires, outdoor games, and trips to the Mall of America.”
But what camp to attend? At the end of 9th grade, I attended a
summer program in Scotland called ISSOS. ISSOS has several
campuses, including locations at St. Andrews, Cambridge and Yale
university campuses. The programs are all three weeks long, and
where you share a room with at least one other person and take
part in games, competitions and clan callings (exceptional heated
cheering). Upon arrival, you are put in one of four clans; Wallace,
MacGregor, Stewart or MacDonald. Throughout your stay at the
camp, there are team games and competitions almost every night,
where teams accumulate points. At the end of the three weeks,
everyone competes in the ‘Highland Games’, a tournament where
the clans compete to obtain the coveted ‘Clan Cup’. Other than the
most enjoyable clan competitions, each student is to choose an
elective and academic. They offer the following academics and
electives:
As the director of the camp has said, “ISSOS is all about balance;
creating a balanced summer program for students and creating a
balance in all that we do. Academic subjects, elective classes,
activities, sport and the arts should have equal waiting. This balance
educates the brain and the heart.”
Estelle, another former student at ISA, attended the Kingdom
Education program in Amherst Massachusetts. Kingdom Education is
unique in the respect that it focuses heavily on preparing students
for university.
For more information visit: https://www.issos.com/
Alma, a former student at ISA, attended the Carleton Summer
writing Program in Minnesota. She too, has utmost enjoyed her
experience at a summer camp.
For more information visit: https://apps.carleton.edu/summer/
“Kingdom Education programmes are designed for high school
students. They will help you to develop the skills and knowledge
which you need to make good applications to top universities.”
Academics
Electives
English Language
Tennis
Debate
Golf
Youth Leadership
Film
Business and
Entrepreneurship
Outdoor Leadership
International Baccalaurate
Theatre
Pre-IB
Art
Creative Writing
Photography
Journalism
Fencing
“I attended the Carleton Summer Writing Program for three weeks
of my summer vacation—three of the best weeks I spent between
tenth and eleventh grade. During those three weeks, I stayed in the
college dorms of Carleton (Minnesota) with other students my age
who were passionate about English Literature. This program gave
me the opportunity to participate in college lectures with inspiring
Voice Volume 7, Issue 3, March 2016
Continued on page 7
6
“The program that I attended was called Kingdom Education and I went to Amherst (Massachusetts) for two weeks. We did several activities
such as university visits, beach walks, sports and other events. The best part was all the amazing new people I met and the classes which
were great! We had a choice of various classes and they were taught by professionals so you really learned a lot. If someone wasn't up for
university visits there was always another program available. We had practice interviews with various people to help us prepare for the
experience. We had many lectures that were helpful and based on guiding us to applying/choosing universities. I made amazing friends to
which I still talk to. The mentors/adults who were supervising and with us most of the time were incredibly nice as well. At the end of the
week groups made presentations filled with lots of pictures and great memories.”
For more information visit: http://kingdomeducation.com/
It is always a good idea to think about attending a summer camp. You have a chance to meet great students, teachers and instructors whom
you will continue to keep in touch with, and possibly look to for advice and guidance or help with future assignments/activities. Students who
took part in the session I attended back in 2014 are still meeting up today. Whether you are attending an educational or sport/activity based
camp, you will always learn a great deal from the people around you, and from stepping outside of your comfort zone.
Happy Camping!
By Clara Fast
Images courtesy of summercampstl.com and lifestyle-blog.org
Voice Volume 7, Issue 3, March 2016
7
Global Village Day
ISA’s community gathered together this month in what can
be seen as a testament to international cultural
understanding and awareness: Global Village Day. Events
took place on Wednesday February 10th, and included more
than 1000 students, teachers and parents volunteering,
performing or watching the proceedings.
The program began as in previous years with the cultural
performances by a select group of countries. Notable acts
included a fierce rendition of the traditional “Haka” by
students from New Zealand, a spirited dance act by the
American delegation, and the moving performance of an
ancient fisherman’s ritual by the Japanese community. Yet
these performances, though grand, paled in comparison to
what came next: the parade of nations. Long a hallmark of
Global Village Day, the parade this year stood up to
expectations, including hundreds of students from a wide
range of nations. Donning national gear and traditional
costumes, countries large and small shared small pieces of
their cultures to the ISA community, a testimony to our
school’s international understanding and awareness.
Brothers Ruben and Rico Riviera parading for Puerto Rico.
-Curtesy of Ari Economon
There were also new developments for this year’s GVD. Due
to high crowds in previous renditions, especially in terms of
numbers of parents, the IT department was for the first time
able to implement live HD streaming of events directly to the
cafeteria annexes, where parents who were unable to find
seating stood by and watched. Also a first was the sheer
volume of students and cultures participating, with hundreds
of performers from 50 different countries taking part.
By bringing the ISA community together for a day of
intercultural fraternity and international understanding,
Global Village Day serves as a statement of our school's open
mindedness and awareness, and so may this great tradition
live into the future.
-By Ari Economon
Donning togas, sisters Anna and Athina Economon raise the
Greek flag.
-Courtesy of Ari Economon
Voice Volume 7, Issue 3, March 2016
8
Scottish Ceilidh- A SHARE Event
The Scottish Ceilidh run by SHARE (a charity organization
run by ISA parents) took places on the 13th of February,
2016 and was an exhilarating event for parents and
students alike!
First, some history. Simply put, a Scottish Ceilidh is an
informal dance party. The term “Ceilidh” is a Gaelic
term. It means “a visit”. At this party, people can hear
the Ceilidh band play. This kind of band usually has five
people. These are:
Accordi
Fiddle
Drums
Occasional Flute
Occasional Guitar
With the raucous atmosphere created by these
performers, guests are then given the opportunity to hit
the dance floor and perform traditional Scottish dances
such as the Domino Five and the Cumberland Square.
But there our event had more! Along with a good time
dancing on the dance floor, there were also Scottish
snacks and drinks, graciously provided by ISA’s Scottish
community. There was also Whiskey tasting (adults only),
raffling and an auction, with a few lucky guests walking
away with great Scottish prizes. Guests didn’t even need
to know how to dance, with a skilled caller helping people
with the dance steps and making sure everybody had a
good time.
We were able to secure a brief interview with a volunteer
at this year’s event, Evie Portier:
Curtesy of www.globalcafeleeds.org.uk
dances and made sure that everyone knew what they
were doing. There was also a live band and all the staff
were good with distributing the food.”
(I): Would you recommend this event to other people next
year?
“I would recommend attending the dance next year
because it is fun in a way that you would not normally
expect.”
As you can see, this year's SHARE Scottish Ceilidh not only
benefited a great cause, but was also a lot of fun, so don’t
forget to attend next year!
-By Prabhanjan Balakrishnan
(I): What kind of things happened at the event?
“There was a raffle and people spent the entire night
dancing. There was also a caller who taught everyone the
Voice Volume 7, Issue 3, March 2016
9
Diplomacy in Climate Change
Climate Change has been officially around since the 80s and
has finally come to the forefront of global concern and
negotiations in the last two decades or so. The Climate Change
Conference, popularly referred to as COP (Conference of
Parties), was held from 30th November to 12th December in
Paris just last year. The two week conference was an
opportunity for the “Parties” signatory to the 1994 United
Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, to hammer
out the specifics of the actions they would ask themselves and
each other to take regarding the scorching global issue in the
next few decades.
As with most events that require nations and regions to actually
agree on something, it was gruelling and took a surprisingly
short time considering the variety of agendas being pushed.
Different countries wanted to make different financial
commitments or simply wanted those to be made to them
instead. Some countries wanted stricter provisions applied for
the clauses that dealt with temperature control, while others
felt that they were too strict. Like most things, climate change
deals are equally, if not more, about what your country needs
and wants as it is about saving the world from impending
doom.
Basically the agreement dealt with temperature, carbon
emissions, finance, transparency, mitigation and ambition. That
sounds like a mouthful, but the principal clauses are not really
that complicated. On temperature, the deal calls on countries to
use 2℃ as an absolute limit on the rise of temperature, and
strive to limit it to 1.5℃. This poses a direct inconvenience to
small island countries who had wanted the latter to be used as
an absolute limit. For finance, the deal legally obligates highly
economically developed countries to continue contributing to
the climate related endeavours of developing countries, and
simultaneously encourages other countries to contribute
voluntarily, striking a skillful balance within the two very
polarizing views. The steps that the agreement takes on
mitigation and ambition go hand in hand. Recognizing that the
current national policies make it almost impossible for the
temperature goal to be achieved, the deal asks governments to
make every subsequent pledge more ambitious, and to keep
updating and establishing more and more links in between
their long-term and short-term goals through periodic
gatherings and conferences. The deal cuts developing countries
Courtesy of newdaypost.com
some slack in relation to transparency, however establishes
that countries would need to issue reports of their progress
regularly. The European Union and the United States of
America lobbied particularly for a clause that alluded to a
“facilitative, non-intrusive, non-punitive” review system,
highlighting their concern that the People’s Republic of China
also adhere to the deal. All this was well and good, but the
clauses that proved to truly be controversial were the ones
targeted at decreasing carbon emissions. At first read they
sound perfectly good, but many experts do not share the same
interpretation of the clauses, indicating the vague wording of
them.
5 days before the conference, The World Meteorological
Organization announced that 2015 may have been the
warmest year recorded, whilst confirming that 2011-2015 was
the warmest 5 year period. The author will stop short of
illustrating her point with a picture of a polar bear on a tiny
fragment of a glacier. The point is that while it is easily
recognizable that the Paris deal was definitely a step in the
right direction, the steps taken in it are way to vague and
flexible after taking into consideration how bad the problem
has already gotten and the scientific projections of how bad it is
going to get. One would think that if world leaders had truly
come to terms with the disastrous implications of climate
change they would be willing to invest more in our global
future than in their national and regional presents. One would
be wrong.
Voice Volume 7, Issue 3, March 2016
-By Rania Khan
10
Endangered Animals:The Vulture
When you think of vultures you probably think of bloodthirsty, greedy
creatures who have nothing better to do than eat dead animals. Yes,
vultures eat dead animals. And yes, they fight for the food. Vultures have
an important job; but they’re being killed.
Vultures do what most animals don’t do. They clean up carcasses left over
from lions, leopards and other predators. Better yet, they eat the
carcasses quickly. A vulture can pack 907 grams (2 pounds) of meat in
one minute; a wake of vultures can wolf down a zebra, nose to tail in 30
minutes.
Without these birds, the carcasses would linger longer, attracting more
bacteria and insects. Without vultures, diseases might spread to livestock,
other wild animals or even humans. This is a job that is very underrated,
yet crucial to the functioning of our eco-systems. Still, people are killing
vultures.
Today, only 7 vulture species out of 23 remain in the “Least Concern”
conservation status. 9 other vulture species are critically endangered,
another 3 are endangered and 4 are near threatened. Africa, with its
endless safari parks such as the Serengeti, has 11 vulture species, yet 7
are critically endangered. Even in protected areas, many of these birds
are dying. The prospects don’t look good for the vulture, vital to our ecosystem. But why are these birds being killed?
One reason vultures are killed is for their heads and brains. As revolting
as this sounds, traditional healers in Africa pedal these heads, claiming
they cure various ailments, while vulture brains are thought to give
visions of the future, although this has never been proven. Poachers also
benefit from killing vultures. Vultures fly high and can see dead animals
from a good distance away. A large group of these high-flying vultures
might attract park wardens to a poacher's activity. As a result, poachers
poison the carcass, killing any vultures that eat the carcass.
Many angry tribe members also have their reasons. During the night,
lions attack the bomas (livestock enclosure with thorny brush walls). The
lion's roar, causing the cattle to stampede, breaking the boma. The guard
dogs bark, alerting the tribe, but usually by then it’s too late. To the
Maasai tribe, each lost cow means $300 (30,00 shillings) lost. As
revenge, the tribe put poison in the carcass, so if any lion returns to eat,
it dies. Whole lion prides have been lost this way. Any vultures that spot
the dead carcass eat it and then die. This poison, meant for worms and
other ground pests, kills many lions and vultures. Lions are a star
attraction to many safari adventures in Kenya. Killing them, firstly
damages the ecosystem in the Serengeti. Secondly, tourism takes a big
hit, as lions slowly die out. 61% of Kenya’s GDP is based on tourism. If
star attractions are killed, this industry would take a huge hit, causing
unemployment, more poverty and other lasting consequences.
In India, the white-rumped, long-billed, and slender-billed vulture
populations took a turn for the worst: 96% of the vulture population
Curtesy of The Peregrine Fund
declined in just 10 years. India has a big cow population, but many
Indians don’t eat beef. As a result, once a cow died, it was treated with a
drug meant for arthritis and other pain, but in 1992 allowed for
veterinary use. This drug was lethal in vultures, causing kidney failure.
The consequences were shocking: as millions of vultures died, dead cows
usually eaten by vultures started piling up. Then, the stray dogs, not
challenged by vultures for food, ate the meat, as the dog population
skyrocketed: 7 million to 29 million in just 11 years. This meant an
additional 38.5 million dog bites. Rat populations soared, causing
30,000 deaths a year from rabies, and $34 billion in treatment expenses
for rabies and other expenses. Finally, researchers proved that the drug
diclofenac was to blame for the havoc, and the drug was banned in India
in 2006. This meant that vultures would no longer be poisoned by the
drug.
Yet, many vultures are still killed all over world. These birds provide a
vital job to our ecosystems, yet are being needlessly killed by humans.
Something must be done to save these birds from extinction.
Thankfully, something is being in done. In Kenya, the Peregrine Fund is
working to raise awareness and help conserve vulture populations. Also,
governments have raised awareness. In December 2013, the Kenyan
government passed an act that imposed a fine of up to $200,000 (20
million shillings) or life imprisonment for killing an endangered animal.
If you want to help, you can donate to SAVE (Saving Asia’s Vultures from
Extinction) or the RSPB (Royal Society for the Protection of Birds), which
are both organizations set up to help the endangered species of vultures.
Raise awareness of the consequences of the diclofenac drug, and raise
awareness of the alternative to diclofenac: meloxicam, which does the
same as diclofenac, but is harmless to vultures.
Some work is being done to raise awareness, and save these birds, but
much more needs to be done to ensure their future. Without these birds,
there would be far more disease, death and famine. Vultures need our
help; they provide a vital job. We don’t have a choice. Save the vultures!
Voice Volume 7, Issue 3, March 2016
Courtesy of flickr.com
-By Trinabh Banerjee
11
The Voice
Movie Column
Most Anticipated Films
of 2016:
Suicide Squad (August 4th, 2016)
A secret government agency recruits imprisoned
super villains to execute dangerous black ops
missions in exchange for clemency. The movie stars
Will Smith, Jared Leto and Margot Robbie.
Batman V Superman Dawn of
Justice (Match 24th, 2016)
Fearing the actions of Superman are left
unchecked, Batman takes on Superman, while the
world wrestles with what kind of a hero it really
needs. With Batman and Superman fighting each
other, a new threat, Doomsday, is created by Lex
Luthor. It's up to Superman and Batman to set
aside their differences along with Wonder Woman
to stop Lex Luthor and Doomsday from destroying
Metropolis. This film stars Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill,
Jesse Eisenberg and Gal Gadot.
Hail, Caesar (February 18th, 2016)
A Hollywood fixer in the 1950s works to keep the
studio's stars in line. The film stars Josh Brolin,
George Clooney, Channing Tatum, Scarlett
Johansson, Josh Brolin and the film is directed and Monthly Movie Facts, Alan Rickman
written by the Coen Brothers.
Edition:
1. His first movie he was in was Die Hard
Captain America: Civil War (April
where he played the main villain.
28th, 2016)
Political interference in the Avengers' activities
2. He was J.K. Rowling’s personal favourite to play
causes a rift between former allies Captain America
Severus Snape in Harry Potter.
and Iron Man. The movie stars Chris Evans, Robert
Downey Jr, Elizabeth Olsen.
3. He turned down the role of the villain in the
Bond film, Goldeneye, because he was sick of
Snowden (May 19th, 2016)
playing villains.
CIA employee Edward Snowden leaks thousands of
classified documents to the press. The film stars
4. For the shot where Hans Gruber falls from the
Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Shailene Woodley and Scott
top of the building in Die Hard. He was
Eastwood.
Courtesy of mrsteiners.deviantart.com
actually dropped by a stuntman from a 6 meter
high model onto an air bag. To get a genuine
surprised look, the stuntman dropped him on the
count of two instead of three.
5. J.K. Rowling told Alan Rickman about the
meaning behind the word “Always” in Harry
Potter and The Deathly Hallows
seven years before The Deathly Hallows
ever came out in book form.
Rest in peace Alan Rickman.
A Movie You should see: Labyrinth
Labyrinth came out in 1986 and stars DAVID
BOWIE and Jennifer Connelly. The story revolves
around a young girl trying to find a baby in a
mystical Labyrinth in the Goblin Kingdom which is
ruled by the Goblin King played by David Bowie.
The film is a cult classic but is not watched enough
by the younger generation but it is worth checking
it out for the musical moments that are great
because of David Bowie. It would be fitting for you
to watch this film now after the legend's passing.
The film also has a fun tone and a good story.
Rest in peace David Bowie.
By Moses Ochs
Courtesy of nabilstevieg.deviantart.com
Courtesy of owsigraphichs.wordpress.com
Voice Volume 7, Issue 3, March 2016
12