GLOBAL GAZETTE February 2019

~Contents~

Sightseeing

P.1 Student Stories

P.2 Editorial

P.3 Faculty Profile

P.4 International Cafe

P.5

Mr. Mac’s Top 5

P.6 Ping Pong Rankings

P.7 Philosopher’s Corner

P.8 International Holiday

P.9

Student Profiles

P.10-13 Hillside Gossip

P.14

Cultural Dinner

P.15 World Mysteries

P.16 Student Book Review

P.17

Int’l Trivia Teasers

P.18 The Traveling Translator

P.19

1.

Hillside’s

~ Global Club ~President Harrison Wolfsberg & Vice President Jerry Feng

This club was created to foster a continued strong

connection between our international students and

American students and faculty. We are intent on sharing

our international cultures with the Hillside population

as well as learning about other cultures.

Host to the 2022 World Cup

Home to world’s largest and first underground stadium

Included in Fortune’s 15 best new cities for business

Doha

Sightseeing

Page 1 Global Gazette Hillside School

Sightseeing

Doha, Qatar

Doha is the capital and most

populated city in Qatar. The city is

located on a man-made island in

the Persian Gulf. It has a

population close to two million

people and over fifty percent of the

country’s citizens live in the city

proper, or in the surrounding

suburbs. The city is a bustling and

serves as the financial heartbeat for

this Arabian country. It is an ultra-

modern and rapidly developing city

that, considering all of the money

being poured into construction, is

poised to become one of the cities

that take center stage in the Gulf.

Doha, as you can see, possesses a

spectacular skyline. It also happens

to be host to the 2022 World Cup.

Not only does the future look good

for Doha, but its glorious past has

not been forgotten. The city is

steeped in tradition. Citizens

practice falconry and, if you are

lucky, you can see camel races

across the desert against the

backdrop of modern skyscrapers. In

the harbor float dhow or traditional

wooden boats. Doha also has a

splendid Museum of Islamic Art,

trendy cafes, first-rate restaurants,

and a burgeoning arts scene. As The

Lonely Planet states: “In any given

day you can sample a portfolio of

sophisticated restaurants, then

watch the sun set over sand dunes

that seem to spring from a fairy

tale.”

In terms of places to visit in the

capital, there are many. The Souq

Waqif is a centuries old outdoor

market. The Doha Corniche is a

spectacular waterfront promenade.

Katara Cultural Village is a

seaside development that has an

amphitheater, museum, convention

center, shops, and eateries. Aspire

Park is a large tree studded

recreational area located in the

heart of the city. There is a ton to

do in this magnificent city. If

you’re in the Persian Gulf, Qatar is

a must place to visit.

.

1. 1.

Cool Facts about Doha

Student Stories

Premier League by Rowan Tarbox Premier League is a professional British football league, it is known as the toughest

professional football league in the world. In Britain, football is different than most

places. There is much more contact. You are allowed to check people as long as it is

shoulder to shoulder. It is also the biggest sport in the UK, so everybody has a

favorite team. At the games, there are specific sides for the home fans and the away

fans because they have so much more passion for the game than fans do in other

countries so they sometimes try to fight each other if they sit together. Premier

League is much more interesting and exciting than leagues in other countries.

Anybody can beat anybody in Premier League. There are specific teams that win

more than others, but they can still lose to the lower level teams because all of the

teams are so good. In England, there are four top leagues; which are much more than

other countries which usually have one or two. If teams finish in the top two in their

league they get promoted to the next league up. The third through fifth place

finishers play in a mini-tournament and whoever wins also gets promoted to the next

league up. That is the same in every English league except for the Premier League

because the Premier League is the highest league in England. If you finish in first

through fourth you play in the UEFA Champions League. If you finish in first

through fifth you play in the UEFA Europa League. At least in England, if you finish

in the bottom three you get relegated to the next league down. I believe that the way

that my dad and I watch Premier League is very complicated. My dad has this app on

his MacBook called Sports Gold. He then mirrors the screen onto our TV. We watch

Premier League every weekend. I am a Tottenham fan and my dad is a Leicester fan,

so we argue a lot about which team is best. He says that he likes Leicester because

they are underdogs. I say that I like Tottenham because I literally like everything

about them. To watch Premier League people need to know how much they want to

pay. If they are willing to pay for the subscription they need to know what to watch it

on. When they start to watch Premier League they need to know when it is on. They

will need to make room in their schedule to actually watch the games. After that,

they need to figure out what teams they want to watch. About two years ago, my dad

just started watching Premier League for fun. That motivated me to start watching

Premier League. I had never really watched football before this besides the World

Cup, so I was getting pretty excited. We were watching Premier League, but we were

not really very committed fans. We would watch it some weekends, but we did not

watch it every weekend. I started wanting to watch Premier League every weekend

more and more and my dad finally agreed to start watching Premier League at least

almost every weekend. I started to like Tottenham. I love the gaffer, Mauricio

Pochettino. His tactics have led us to win a lot more than we used to. I love all the

players on the team. They are all very hard-working. Now my dad and I watch

Premier League as much as we can, which sometimes means multiple games at once.

Most Americans that I know have never heard of the Premier League. In England,

everybody not only knows what Premier League is, but has one or more favorite

teams. In my opinion, English people might be the most passionate fans in the world

about any sport. In America, people have favorite teams in their favorite sports, but

most people would not beat up somebody just for being a fan of another team. In

England, at games, there are sides for the home team fans and the away fans. If they

sat together there would be too many arrests for the police to handle. For instance,

my dad is a Leicester fan and I am a Tottenham fan, so we have to sit on opposite

couches.

Page 2

Page 3 Global Gazette Hillside School

Editorial

Some call it the “ME factor” while others call it “the epidemic of Self.”

Whatever “it” is called, narcissistic behavior in human beings has been

observed and talked about since Ovid, the Roman poet, wrote The Legend

of Narcissus nearly two thousand years ago. It is a story about a handsome

Greek hunter who wanders by a calm pool of water one day, sees his

reflection in it, and becomes obsessed with his own beauty. He eventually

falls into the pool and drowns. The story is full of symbolism and stands as

a warning against the dangers of self-obsession. In the twenty first century,

with the advent of social media, narcissism has skyrocketed taking the

forms of endless selfies, conversations where the focus seems to constantly

reside in everything that has to do with “me,” shallowness, a pre-

occupation with self-image, and an oversensitivity to criticism. Hey, let’s

face it—to some extent we ALL exhibit this behavior from time to time but

narcissism is all about degree. A rather natural form of narcissism exists in

teenage competition. We hear it repeatedly around these parts: “I beat him,

yesterday. I should be ranked number one! There’s no way he’s as good as

me.” This particular form of boasting is not particularly troubling. Teens

typically engage in this type of activity. It’s a way they use to assert

themselves on a group stage. But, what about that more troubling insidious

preoccupation with “self” that some of us never lose as we age? Like when

you want to share a wonderful occurrence or a difficult experience you had

with someone and that listener inevitably remarks not on your situation but

on an experience that he or she has had that was similar. In fact, no matter

what topic you seem to share, the modern narcissist is always turning the

subject back on himself/herself. The result is that conversation feels

dissatisfying, empty, and one directional. You needed an ear and instead

got an earful. It happens in phone conversations all the time. You try to

have a 50/50 sharing of thoughts and you end up listening to the narcissist

redirect every topic towards “me” and dominate the conversation with

endless anecdotes and details about his or her life. Now, don’t get me

wrong. It’s not as if narcissists fall into neat categories. You’re a narcissist,

you’re not, you are, you’re not, etc. We all have narcissistic tendencies. I

have caught myself on several occasions either consciously or

subconsciously promoting my self-perceived “talents.” The important thing

is to not play the blame game nor beat yourself up about this behavior.

Instead, use other peoples’ narcissistic tendencies as a moment of self-

reflection. Do I do that? Then, when you catch yourself having self-

centered moments, try putting attention on your conversation partner. After

all, narcissism isn’t a genetic predisposition, it’s a mental habit. Often, we

don’t recognize our own narcissistic habits because we’re so used to them.

Those habits certainly don’t define whether we are a good or bad person

BUT don’t be fooled into thinking that the person listening to your self-

indulgent comments is enjoying them. I can assure you that a) they’re

noticing and b) they probably don’t like the direction of the conversation.

Editor’s NotE: Narcissism is Alive

and Well by Staff Reporter Michael Brown

-by staff reporter Mr. Luke Steere

1.

The “ME” Factor

Look who’s numero uno

Page 4 Global Gazette Hillside School

Nova Voice Room in Japan

The olden days

Café Talk

The International Café developed out of a

confluence of ideas. First, during my early days

teaching in Japan, we teachers had to do an

hour of instruction in what was called a “Voice

Room.” This involved directed discussion so

that students could practice their conversation

skills. Some remarked that we should have

snacks or drinks. After all, it would contribute

to creating a positive and relaxing environment.

Another idea that emerged was taken from the

internet in the form of Dave’s ESL Café;

basically a blog for EFL teachers to talk about

their work and living experiences as an expat.

So, in 2010, we combined these ideas at

Hillside to form what has become a popular

recess option on Friday mornings. The

International Café typically has over forty

students attending. It has been going strong and

we want to keep it that way!

Dave’s ESL Cafe

The early days

International Café

Origin of the

Mr. Kelly

Page 5 Global Gazette Hillside School

Faculty Profile

Sean Kelly is Hillside’s excellent

second year music teacher. He’s the

Band Director, a dorm parent, and

coaches golf and cross country.

He’s one of those low profile types

who flies under the radar in a

quietly positive way. Then, when

his name surfaces, everyone agrees:

Yes, he’s doing a great job and he’s

been quite a find for our small

school.

Mr. Kelly was born in Rhode

Island but grew up in Blackstone

Valley, Massachusetts. He has two

younger brothers Chris (Georgia)

and Matthew (North Carolina). Mr.

Kelly attended UMass Lowell

where he majored in Music

Education. He married his college

sweetheart two years after

graduating. Mr. Kelly’s wife, Bec,

teaches violin and viola to some of

the Hillside boys. She is currently

expecting a baby in mid-August.

It’ll be the young couple’s first

child. So, Hillside will have another

new addition to the community for

the 2019-2020 school year.

Mr. Kelly says that he has always

aspired to teach. “I wanted to

become a teacher because I felt it

was the best way to share my love

of music with others.” Mr. Kelly’s

career choice is not that surprising

since he comes from a family of

teachers. In fact, Mr. Kelly’s family

jokingly refers to teaching as “the

family business.” Why Hillside,

Mr. Kelly? Well, he says, he was

working at the Apple Store in the

Solomon Pond Mall when a certain

Ms. Lucey wandered in to buy a

watch. The two struck up a

conversation and Mr. Kelly ended

Sean Kelly

up sending his resume to her the

next day and, as the story goes, the

rest is history or should I say

music? Mr. Kelly loves Hillside’s

“culture and global diversity.”

In his spare time Mr. Kelly has

several interests. For one, he

collects vinyl records. He has

thousands. His all-time favorite set

is Beethoven’s Bicentennial

Collection. He plays instruments

ranging from the piano to the flute

to percussion, guitar, and drums.

He also likes to compose his own

music. Believe it or not, Mr. Kelly

and Mr. Steere had been DJ’s on

the same radio station: 91.5

WUML Lowell. Well, it’s been

interesting to get to know more

about you, Mr. Kelly. You’re a

class act and a valuable addition to

our community. Bravo maestro!

_________

Cool Facts about Mr. Kelly

Going to be a first time dad in mid-August

Visited the Grand Canyon and Yosemite National Park

Used to be a repair tech at the Solomon Pond Apple store

Room #7

Mr. Mac’s Top 5

#2. Raisin Bran

1.

1.

#3. Honey Bunches

of Oats

#1. Frosted Mini-Wheats

#4. Cheerios

#5. Cap’n Crunch

1.

Page 6 Global Gazette Hillside School

Feel like you’re getting to know Mr.

Mac? Well, the fun doesn’t stop here

as the information about his existence

on the little blue planet third from the

sun continues to grow. In this

segment, we break down the big fellas

top 5 favorite cereals of all time. Read

all about them because Wheaties is

not the only cereal of champions.

1.

1.

1.

Cool Facts about Mr. Mac

Mr. Mac’s Top 5 Cereals

Uniforms

Used to teach history in Room #7

Ran the International Café during JumpStart

Appears in the Global Gazette every month

Ping Pong Rankings

Page.7 Global Gazette Hillside School

February Ping Pong Rankings

1. 1.

1.

1.

1.

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Page 7 Global Gazette Hillside School

Rising Stars 1. Ollie Eschelbacher (USA) 2. Josh Levine (USA) 3. Henry Eckert (USA) 4. Diego Galindo (MEX) 5. Adam Pinstein (USA)

Top 10 at Hillside “Hillside’s Best this Month”

1. Joe Calo (USA) 2. Luke Spinner (USA) 3. Harrison Wolfsberg (USA) 4. Aidan Punch (USA) 5. Terry Xu (CHN) 6. Jaden Simeonidis(USA) 7. Pedro Roca (MEX) 8. Will Guillette (USA) 9. Santiago Graf (MEX) 10. Luis Eduardo Medina(PR)

Philosophy

Page 8 Global Gazette Hillside School

The Philosopher’s

Corner

Solipsism Have you ever had the thought: I wonder if all this (life) is just a product of

my mind? I wonder if ONLY I exist and am living a fantasy that has been

created in my imagination? If so, then you’re likely subscribing to solipsism.

Solipsism is the philosophical position that states that external worlds and

outside minds cannot be known and might not exist outside of MY mind. As

a philosophical movement, it began in the late nineteenth century when

British idealist, F.H. Bradley, characterized the solipsist view in his work

Appearance and Reality (1893). In proposing a solution to the problem of

explaining knowledge of the outside world, Bradley stated: “I cannot

transcend experience, and experience must be my experience. From this it

follows that nothing beyond my self exists; for what is experience is its [the

self’s] states.” For the solipsist, existence IS everything that I experience.

Physical objects, other people, events and processes, anything that would

commonly and traditionally be regarded as co-existing in space and time

with “me,” is necessarily construed by the solipsist as a product of his or her

own consciousness. On the surface, this proposition seems absurd. It would

seem to deny any acknowledgment that there are other beings and

existences. Think of the moral consequences of such a viewpoint; we’d have

to deny the joys, pains, accomplishments, failures, etc. of others. Imagine,

for example, trying to tell victims of the Holocaust that their pains and

sufferings are merely a product of MY imagination. Or imagine taking credit

for Einstein’s Relativity Theory, Quantum physics, the harnessing of

electricity, controlled flight, music, landing on the moon, the internet, cures

for all sorts of diseases, etc. Imagine being responsible for the advent of any

form of knowledge you know little about: technical writing out of a manual,

mathematical formulas like Langland’s Problem or Irrational Number

Theory, obsolete foreign languages, financing, the nuances of the stock

market, etc. Imagine that YOU are the source for both religion and science,

Evolution and Flat Earth theories. Imagine if the person you dislike and the

person you adore are all products of…you guessed…YOU! This position

seems like an extreme form of narcissism. But, and here’s the big but: Can

any of us prove that this is not the case? After all, we only know the universe

that’s inside of our own minds. Any laws, and feelings, any experiences that

we have had have ALL manifested within the constraints of our own

craniums. Yikes! That’s both a scary and empowering thought. Is it possible

that I’m creating this article for myself or that YOU, the reader,

manufactured it out of YOUR mind? We may never know!

What is real?

A solipsist joke

The “me” centered universe

International Holidays

Chinese New Year At Hillside

Chinese New Year came to Bulldog

campus on Super Bowl Sunday. It

was February 3rd and we had quite a

large number of students present.

Ms. Lucey purchased a wide

assortment of Chinese-American

foods from local favorite Ginger

Garden in Marlborough. She

brought in trays of teriyaki chicken,

Kung Pao, Moo Goo Gai Pan, Lo

Mein, and more. We also bought

three trays of food from local

authentic Chinese favorite, Sichuan

Gourmet. Mr. Mac drove out to

Framingham to pick up the food.

When it was time to eat, we had

more food than you could possibly

imagine. It was a happy occasion

and the boys enjoyed themselves

tremendously. Mr. Lanciani had put

on some traditional Chinese music

in the dining hall. Earlier that week,

the Chinese boys received their

allowance in red envelopes. Red is

used in China to signify good luck.

As you can see from the dinner

photos on the sides, the boys kept

coming up for seconds, thirds, and

even fourths. When all stomachs

were satisfied, we passed out fortune

cookies and the boys read about

their good fortunes for the upcoming

year. Finally, we settled into

watching the Super Bowl. The

Patriots easily handled the Rams and

all was well in New England. A

special thanks to all who helped out

on this special night. Each year,

Chinese New Year at Hillside gets

bigger and better. Until next year

folks: “Gong xi fa cai” (wishing you

great happiness and prosperity).

Page 9 Global Gazette Hillside School

Let the celebrations begins

Dig In! Enjoying the spread

Fireworks

Will & a plate full of noodles

More food!

New Jersey

Spotlight…Student Profiles

Owen

Page 10 Global Gazette Hillside School

brothers makes a wrong decision,

instead of going immediately to a

teacher we try to help each other

out.”

Owen likes pizza, the movie Daddy

Daycare, and watching football.

However, his big love is playing

basketball. Besides playing power

forward for Hillside varsity, he also

plays AAU basketball for a team

called B2L. He says that

“basketball has always been my

favorite thing to do. I want to

continue with basketball in high

school and hopefully college.” His

role model is Jimmy Butler, the

6’8” shooting guard for the

Philadelphia 76ers. He admires

Butler’s perseverance as the Philly

star had a rough childhood. He was

kicked out of his home at 13 then

bounced around foster homes.

Eventually, Butler turned things

around playing college ball for

Marquette before getting drafted

and becoming a star for the 76ers.

But Owen’s career aspirations have

nothing to do with basketball. He

loves animals and wants a job

related to that field. He doesn’t

want to be a vet though because he

doesn’t like blood. Marine biology

is his current interest. Well young

man, my guess is that you can do

anything you put your mind to. The

marine world will be lucky to have

you as is Hillside and your

upcoming secondary school.

Owen was born in New Jersey. He

shares this honor with fellow

Hillside student Jaden Simeonidis.

Owen moved from New Jersey to

Massachusetts at any early age.

Currently, he resides in Hopkinton.

His father, Chris, works for Stanton

Chase and his mother, Valerie, is

Head of Resources at Fidelity

Investments. Younger brother Luke,

as most know, attends Hillside and

was featured in the Global Gazette

two months ago. If you read that

article, you know that Owen and his

family foster dogs in Puerto Rico

with the Sato Project.

Owen came to Hillside because he

“needed a change from public

school. I felt that I needed smaller

classes and a better learning

environment.” Owen goes on to say

that Hillside has given him the

opportunity to learn better and in

different ways. It seems like it’s

working for young Owen Arnold. I

had the pleasure of observing Mr.

Hayashi’s English class earlier this

month. Owen was focused and

engaged. The boys were taking

turns reading passages from Lord of

the Flies and analyzing the novel.

Owen really seemed to enjoy

himself in the classroom and he

looked energized by the discussion.

I guess this is the better learning

environment that Owen sought. He

also likes Hillside for its emphasis

on brotherhood. “If one of our

I first remember seeing a rather

big, bulky kid playing basketball

at Morning Recess in the gym. I

called him “Big Country” as he

looked like one of those heartland

type products who just came off a

farm in Iowa, ready to play for

Fran McCaffery. You could tell he

loved the sport! Then, later that

year, the big kid played JV

basketball with his little brother.

He was that reliable, clutch player

inside who was always collecting

an important rebound or scoring a

key bucket when we needed it. As

time moved on, I watched Owen

grow even taller and become more

and more comfortable at Hillside.

He has become a popular figure

around these parts. It seems that he

has many friends on Bulldog

campus and really enjoys being

here. He’s a young man with a

warm personality and good sense

of humor. And, from what I hear,

he’s an above average student.

Today, Owen Arnold stands at

what has to be 6’1.” He’s a

towering figure around campus

and a delight to be around.

Owen Arnold

Jimmy Butler

Hong Kong

Spotlight… Student Profiles

Sidney Crosby

Page 11 Global Gazette Hillside School

Bryan

became hooked on hockey.

Bryan says that the best thing

about Hillside is its prestigious

sports program, while the most

challenging thing is Mr. Mandell’s

English class. His favorite food is

Dim Sum and he loves the movie

Miracle On Ice. He’s been to a

whopping thirty eight countries and

says that someday he would like to

visit the Arctic. When I asked him

if he’d like to share any unique

facts about himself, he simply

replied: I don’t like cats! Well, that

makes sense. After all, you’re a

Bulldog!

When Bryan is older, he wants to

play Division I hockey then,

hopefully, make it in the NHL. If

that doesn’t pan out then Bryan

wants a career in business like his

mom and dad. Bryan’s hero is Nova

Scotia native Sidney Crosby who is

widely considered to be the best

hockey player in the world. Bryan

likes Crosby because “he is a great

leader, an amazing hockey player.

I’m trying to model my game after

him.” Well Bryan, maybe someday

some young man will be modeling

himself after you in either the

hockey or business worlds. Can you

imagine that? A little Tanger II

somewhere out there in the world

shaking hands and working the

room at a local day care center?

populated city. It is also the

financial hub of the People’s

Republic. Bryan’s father, Ian,

manages an ice cream company

called Kampati. It’s a special brand

made from New Zealand cow milk.

His mother, Beatrice, manages the

Oceanic Region for JDE (Jacobs

Douwe Egberts), a privately owned

Dutch based coffee company.

Bryan’s mom and dad both attended

Hong Kong University where they

first met. Later, they attended a

small university in London where

they got their MBA’s. Shortly after

graduating, they moved back to

Hong Kong where they married.

So Bryan, why did you decide to

come to Hillside? “Because I knew

hockey wasn’t an option in China.”

This answer, in itself, begs another

question: How did a young Chinese

national living in Hong Kong come

to fall in love with a sport often

associated with North America or

Scandinavia? The answer Bryan

says, had to do with his health in

his youth. Because he lacked

strength and was getting sick, his

doctor in Hong Kong recommended

becoming involved in a sport. One

day, Bryan and his father went to a

rink in the city and Bryan was

instantly in awe over the uniforms

which he thought made the players

look like Transformers. He knew

that he had to wear a uniform like

that and from that day on, Bryan

During meal times at Hillside,

Bryan Tang bounces from table to

table conversing with students and

faculty alike. “How are you doing

Mr. Rowlett? Good to see you

Omela. How are the wife and kids,

Mr. Evans? Hey Jason! When am I

going to be in the Global Gazette,

Mr. Brown? Wouldn’t you say it’s

about time for an article about a

really interesting Hong Kong-er?”

And so the ever affable Bryan

Tang works the room. One

wonders if politics is in store for

this social creature. When I first

met Bryan, I noticed a guy that

stood out athletically. He seemed

to do everything well. As I got to

know him better, I realized that he

was a fun-loving, playful,

humorous, and kind young man.

So, ladies and gentlemen, let’s

learn more about this young man

that some call “The Tanger.”

Brian was born in Hong Kong,

China but grew up in Shanghai.

Shanghai is on China’s central

coast and is the country’s most

Bryan Tang

Mexico City

Spotlight… Student Profiles

Fernando Botero

Page 12 Global Gazette Hillside School

Felipe

student who is committed to his

studies. His language skills and

grades have improved significantly

since coming in September.

However, speaking English all of

the time is not so easy for young

Felipe. “Speaking Spanish feels so

natural. When I’m with my Spanish

speaking friends it’s hard to force

myself to speak English.”

Felipe likes to eat barbequed ribs,

crepes, and tacos el pastor. His

favorite sport is soccer and he

admires Portuguese football star,

Cristiano Ronaldo for his prolific

scoring ability. He’s not too big on

American television but he does

enjoy watching Club de Cuervos

(Club of Crows), a Mexican

comedy drama web TV series that

centers on the football club Cuervos

FC and two siblings who fight over

the ownership and direction of the

team. Speaking of two siblings

fighting, Felipe says that he enjoys

his winter sport wrestling precisely

because it allows him to square off

against his older sibling, Pedro.

“It’s a chance to fight with my

brother.” When he’s older, Felipe,

like his brother Pedro, wants to be a

professional soccer player. Could it

be that the Roca de Togores

brothers’ lives will mirror the TV

series? We’ll see! In the meantime,

Felipe is enjoying middle school at

Hillside and doesn’t want to grow

up too fast. We feel the same way!

thought you said…oh, never mind!”

Felipe was born Felipe Roca de

Togores in Mexico City in 2005.

His father, Pedro Sr. is a

restauranteur in the capital. His

mother, Natalia, runs a business

called “Body Bright”; a hair

removal center that uses pulsed

light. Felipe has an older sister,

Cayetana who is going to college in

Berlin, Germany. And of course,

Felipe’s older brother, Pedro,

attends Hillside and is in the eighth

grade. The family has an eight year

old Beagle named Sultan of whom

Felipe says he misses very much.

The Roca de Togores’ are a tight

knit family and, at the beginning of

summer, mother Natalia can be

spotted on campus. The boys are

very proud to say that she is the

granddaughter of a very famous

Columbian figurative artist and

sculptor named Fernando Botero.

Grandfather Botero became famous

for depicting people in large,

exaggerated forms as a method of

humor or political criticism.

Felipe decided to come to Hillside

after his brother, Pedro, had a

successful year here. The Roca de

Togores’ felt that Hillside would be

a good fit for their youngest child.

Since coming here, Felipe says, “I

have learned so much English.” In

class, Felipe is a hard working

Before young Felipe Roca came to

Hillside, the word was spreading

that this young man was the

“difficult” brother. That word, by

the way, came from one source

only: Felipe’s brother, Pedro.

That’s right, Felipe’s brother whom

also attends Hillside and carefully

analyzed the situation, determined

that he was the “good” brother. So,

the Hillside community held its

collective breath and braced for a

challenge. And when Felipe

arrived, we waited…and waited!

We, on occasion, would look up

from our proverbial foxholes, for

the onslaught. Nothing! We gave it

some more time and…nothing!

After about two months or so, some

of us huddled and asked: Has Felipe

done anything bad yet? Nope was

the answer. Not only is it obvious

that we do NOT have a “difficult”

boy on our hands; we have a rather,

sweet, hard-working, and highly

respectful young man. Felipe is a

pleasure to be around, a true

delight. So many of us have started

to turn to Pedro and say: “Hey, I

Felipe Roca

Beijing, China

Spotlight… Student Profiles

Dale Caregie

Siyi

Siyi “Daniel” Yang

“Question teacher: What is a

property asset?” Young Siyi Yang

will occasionally throw out

questions such as this. “A what?” I

responded. “So, you don’t know?”

“I suppose I don’t really have a

good idea…” Then, he’d interject

seemingly dissatisfied with my lack

of knowledge on the subject.

“Question: Who was Andrew

Carnegie?” “Andrew Carnegie?” Is

Siyi really asking me about Andrew

Carnegie? “Well Siyi, I know that

he’s a name often associated with

business and some say he built

Pittsburgh.” Upon uttering this

desperate attempt to sound vaguely

knowledgeable, I intuitively know

the response would not be

satisfactory. “So, you don’t really

know anything about him?” Got

me! “Well, not that….” And before

I can finish, Siyi’s launching

another question: “Question: Can

we purchase the book How to Win

Friends and Influence People for

our ESL class?” To which I’d

answer: ”Oh Dale Carnegie, I

have…” Then Siyi would interject

again: “Yeah, so you know him?”

“Well, I..” Another interjection:

“So, we can get the book?” And

this is how most of my interactions

with the very engaging and affable

Siyi Yang go! He’s one of the most

entertaining and interesting kids

you are going to want to meet.

Siyi was born in Beijing, China.

Beijing is China’s sprawling capital

and the center of government. It is

here, in a city of over twenty

million inhabitants, that young Siyi

Yang was raised as the middle child

in a family of five. Siyi’s father,

Ping, works in the computer

business. His mother, Xiuyan, is a

homemaker. Siyi also has an older

sister who attends a university in

Manhattan and a younger brother

who goes to school back in the

homeland. But, if you want more

details about them, you’re going to

have to approach Siyi himself. He

says that “I don’t like offering

details about my family as I prefer

to maintain a level of discreteness.”

Then, in typical Siyi fashion, he

starts to laugh his head off when he

sees my evident disappointment

with that answer. “Really?” I retort.

“Yes! You’re going to have to work

for this interview, Mr. Brown.”

Again laughter and the other

students around the room laugh as

well and so do I. The ever

unpredictable Siyi enjoys

implementing humor when

conversing.

So Siyi, if you don’t mind my

asking: Why did you decide to

come to Hillside? Expecting

silence, he once again surprises me.

“Well, it’s a small school with a

small population. I don’t like large

groups of people, like in China. In

China, a classroom has about forty

students. That’s too big!” I see! So,

is there anything hard about

Hillside? “Yes, I have had to learn

to save money and be responsible

with it. Also, in China I can sleep in

as late as I want. Here I can’t!”

Although Siyi would not tell me

about his favorite movies or types

of food, he did say that he likes to

hike and enjoys building rockets

and writing “normal” literature. He

also said that he fancies life in the

United States because of the “fresh

air” and the fact that “people are

open.” Currently he’s reading

George Samuel Clason’s The

Richest Man in Babylon.” It’s a

book that dispenses financial advice

through a collection of parables set

in ancient Babylon. At this point it

seems appropriate to finish the Siyi

Yang story by stating that he is a

wonderfully unique young man

with many fresh perspectives to

offer the world. So, let’s end by

citing existentialist Friedrich

Nietzsche and Siyi’s favorite quote:

“The surest way to corrupt a youth

is to instruct him to hold in higher

esteem those who think alike than

those who think differently.”

Page 13 Global Gazette Hillside

School

It’s the sulfur-based gas in onions that makes you cry

Has anti-inflammatory effects for asthma

New York City was once known as “The Big Onion”

Hillside Gossip

February: Lowest Reported

Incidences of Spilled Ice This

Year

The dining hall reported less ice is

being spilled per table over the last

month. “It’s not very noticeable, but I

chalk it up to less people being

waiter,” said Jaylani Woolridge, who

has been known to say “waiter” after

a spilled ice incident on occasion.

Carter Richardson disagrees.

“This term has a lot of tough sports so

people are just better at holding

things,” he said.

Other students cited reasons such as

less ice being put in the pitchers,

changes to pitcher type, and that the

weather is cold so students are trying

to keep warm by keeping the ice in

the pitchers. Even more bizarre are

those at lunch citing lunar effects.

“It’s definitely got something to do

with the moon,” said Mr. Falanga.

iLab Team’s Plans To Build

Death Star Pushed off Until

‘19-’20 School Year

With a laser that can wash laundry,

a hangar full of microwaves for

cooking noodles, and a row of

detention blocks for late

homework, Hillside Death Star was

one of the most anticipated projects

of the year, but plans have been

tabled. “Winter iLab team had

some technical readouts to go off of

but we couldn’t get the project off

the ground,” said Mr. Perry. The

former site of Williams Dorm was a

perfect staging area, said Perry.

Phase I of construction is the

bottom half of the spherical

behemoth. This half houses gravity

drives, repulsorlifts, and rocketry

components. “This would lift off

sometime mid-term, and the iLab

team would be conducting

experiments, continuing with their

own projects, and spending free

time gaming,” Perry said.

Academics, according to Ms.

Lucey, posed a little bit of concern,

but the plan to have the team in

orbit next fall is “moving forward.”

“We were hoping the super laser

could be used for grading or taking

attendance, but we are willing to

work with project managers,” said

Miss Lucey.

Nighttime Thermal Map of

Hillside Shows Whittemore

Tech Box Hottest Spot on

Campus

Administrators rented a drone to

create a Thermal Map of Hillside last

week for a national art project on

energy consumption. The hottest heat

signature? The Whittemore Tech

Box.“It makes sense,” said Dorm

Parent Mr. Mandell. “We have a lot

of boys with a lot of tech.” Mandell

added that he’s seen the map, and the

tech was all turned in. “We are trying

to keep it in the box in the evenings as

best we can,” he added.

Boson Kwan, the boy responsible for

checking in the technology said the

box is certainly warm, and said he

was not surprised it would register so

brightly on the thermal map.

“After the dorm turns their tech in,

Mr. Steere lets me chill for a bit and I

have noodles,” he said. “I can boil

water right on the top of the box.

Mr. Lanciani could not be reached for

comment.

.

Cool Facts about Onions

Hillside Onion

Page 14

Cultural

Dinner

Cultural Dinner

• Worked for the United Nations

Page 15

The Hillside Global Club loaded up the

buses on Saturday evening in early

February and made its way to the Chinese

Super Buffet in Marlborough for a feast.

Joining the group was Hillside faculty

legends, Mr. Mac and Mr. Ribeiro, along

with alumnus and current St. George’s prep

student and Ukrainian national, Dima

Piskun. President Harrison Wolfsberg met

us at the restaurant after his AAU

basketball game. Once we were seated, the

boys ordered their drinks then quickly

rushed to the buffet lines where it was an

all-out food fest and a night of good eating.

The boys were treated to all you could eat

and menu items included: sautéed salmon,

sea bass, hot and sour soup, egg drop soup,

roasted beef, pork, satay chicken, crispy

duck, sushi, wontons, dumplings of all

sorts, shell fish, squid, prawns, fresh

veggies, noodles, egg rolls, broccoli, and so

much more. Rumor had it that several of

the boys had over three plates of food. Mr.

Mac was quoted as saying: “There goes my

diet. I’m off to the gym tomorrow.” Once

the boys finished their main courses, they

lined up at the dessert counters. Good food,

drink, and friendly conversations were in

abundance. After we ate, the boys thanked

their servers and we headed back to

Hillside. The next cultural dinner event

will be in late-March. We don’t have any

set destinations in mind. If you have any

ideas, please send an email to Mr. Brown

mbrown@hillsideschool.net or President

Wolfsberg. Thanks to all who came and

hope to see you at the next dinner!

President Wolfsberg

Eating some good food In the buffet line

Group shot

Happy eating Chinese food

World Mysteries

Flight MH370 A Case of Pilot Suicide?

9 ESL held a mock Victorian Inquest into the murder of London

resident and the first purported Jack the Ripper victim, Mary Ann (Polly)

Nichols. She was killed in the wee hours of August 31st, 1888. The boys

each played a role as witnesses and police constables showed up at the

Working Lads’ Institute (Room #18) on Whitechapel Road, to give their

statements to coroner Wynne E. Baxter (played by Sibo Tuyishimire).

Just who did kill Polly? The first witness at the scene, Charles Cross

(Terry Zhu), came under heavy suspicion. The second witness, Robert

Paul (Steven Wang) seemed to support Cross’ version of events

went into action. The search began in the Gulf of China and the South China Sea and concluded in the

Indian Ocean where an analysis of satellite communication between the aircraft and Inmarsat’s satellite

communications concluded that the flight ended at 8:19 AM deep into the Southern Indian Ocean. As most

know, after an exhaustive search, the strewn wreckage and crash site was never found. The widely

accepted theory on the case is that the crew and passengers were unconscious from a mechanical failure on

board and the plane ran on auto-pilot until it ran out of fuel and crashed somewhere in the Indian Ocean.

However, there’s a problem with this theory. Debris washed ashore suggests a controlled landing into the

ocean and the flight pattern indicates the pilot weaving in between the radar of two countries in order to

avoid detection. Flight MH370 also dips its wing over Penang, the hometown of pilot Shaw. Canadian

accident investigator, Larry Vance is convinced that it was a pilot-suicide mission. We may never know.

Charles Cross (Lechmere) Investigated

Page 16 Global Gazette Hillside School

Malaysian Flight MH370 took off a little after midnight on March 8th

,

2014 from Kuala Lumpur International Airport headed for Beijing,

China. It never made it! Less than an hour into flight, pilot Zaharie

Ahmad Shaw last made contact with air traffic control before the plane

disappeared off Malaysian Air’s radar. The military had tracked it as it

deviated westward off its planned course over the Malay Peninsula and

was last tracked somewhere over the Andaman Sea some 200 nautical

miles northwest of the island of Penang. A multinational search force

went

….airport.

The day was…

Paul seemed to corroborate Cross’ version of events but others weren’t so sure. Christer Holmgren (Diego

Galindo), a modern Swedish journalist, teleported back in time to present his case against Cross. Police

constables Mizen (Ken Yu) and Neil (Thomas Wang) testified to how they found the body. There was a

heated argument as to what Cross allegedly told Mizen. The constable claimed that Cross told him: “You

are wanted down there by a police man,” while Cross adamantly denied ever saying that he used that word

“because I did not see a policeman in Buck’s Row.” Cross also denied that he was standing over the body

like London’s Lloyd’s Weekly wrote after interviewing Robert Paul the night of the murder. He claimed that

he had arrived a few seconds before Paul and was in the “middle of the road.” A bombshell hit the Inquest

when it was discovered that Cross’ real name was “Lechmere.” Nevertheless, Coroner Baxter felt there

wasn’t enough evidence to pursue a legal case against Cross and the Inquest ended.

International

Book Review By Oscar Xia

interesting thing is that the Red Knots are losing a lot of

its population because of humans. For example, every

year, the Red Knots stop at Delaware Bay to eat

horseshoe crab eggs. There are thousands of them on the

beach. However, during the last century, humans began to

use those eggs as medicine and a lot of fishermen killed a

significant amount of the crabs. This contributed to the

Red Knots’ malnourishment. Also, the beaches are

starting to get too crowded. Although scientists have

made efforts to try to save the seabirds as much space as

possible, the growing population of humans on the

beaches has made life very difficult for the Red Knots.

This book is similar to an article about the

declining population of whales. The decline is caused by

human whaling, and this book also has parts about how

the Red Knots are losing its habitats because of humans. I

do think that this book has an important story to tell

because the Red Knots population is declining. By talking

about their behaviors and how great but fragile they are,

this book might inspire readers to protect these fantastic

seabirds. Personally, I’m inspired by the author and

reading this book make me consider how walking too

close to these seabirds can be harmful to them, and that I

should definitely not chase them. The beaches are their

habitats and they deserve to live peacefully there.

This book is generally pretty easy to understand.

This book did bring up some questions for me. For

example, I was wondering about what makes this

Moonbird so special that it can survive for such a long

time. This book is different than a fiction book because it

doesn’t contain any imaginary elements. It only talks

about the facts of the Red Knots behavior and how they

are threatened by humans. In conclusion, the book talked

about the special and incredible skills that the Red Knots

have when they are migrating, the damage that humans

are causing them, and we should try our best to save these

seabirds. The book also talks about a lot of fantastic

things about these little fragile creatures and I would

recommend it to people that like science and people that

would like to learn more about seabirds.

How well do you think you understood the non-

Moonbird By Phillip Hoose

My book is a nonfiction book called Moonbird. It

features a bird that flies the distance of the Earth to

the Moon and back during its lifetime. The bird is

called “B-95” because of its tag on its leg which

scientists use to observe it. The book talks about how

the Red Knots migrate, find food, and navigate.

Another thing that the book talks about is how the

Red Knot population is declining, and this is due to

humans and the loss of habitat.

One interesting thing in the book is that it

talked about the Red Knot’s ability to adjust its

position in mid air. This is actually important for

them because they always encounter storms when

they migrate, especially in the tropical areas. When

they face the storm, they would fly away from it until

it is safe. Then, they would adjust their navigation

system in mid-air and find the fastest route to their

destination. This allows them to save energy. What

this also suggests is that scientists might have

underestimated the distance that the Red Knots can

travel. Because of all the effort that they put into

flying away from the storm, they might actually

travel way further than we thought. Another

Another interesting thing is that the Red

Knots are losing a lot of its population because of

Student Book Review

Page 17

10 Int’l Trivia Questions for the Month of February

1) What year did human beings first set foot on the moon?

a) 1964 b) 1968 c) 1969

2) Who said: “You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take”?

a) John Wooden b) Lee Harvey Oswald c) Wayne Gretzky

3) In which country can you find the Petronas Towers?

a) Malaysia b) Indonesia C) Qatar

4) Which NFL team picks first in the 2019 draft?

a) New York Jets b) Arizona Cardinals c) San Francisco 49ers

5) What does the word “ambivalent” mean?

a) not interested b) presence of two emotions at the same time c) irate

6) Which author created James Bond?

a) Dan Brown b) John le Carre c) Ian Fleming

7) Which of Japan’s major islands is Tokyo located on?

a) Honshu b) Shikoku c) Kyushu

8) What is the capital of the Canadian province of Saskatchewan?

a) Saskatoon b) Regina c) Prince Albert

9) Which actor IS American?

a) Tom Cruise b) Keanu Reeves c) Ryan Gosling

10) If you were eating bulgogi, you’d likely be in THIS country?

a) Iraq b) South Korea c) Slovakia

Answers: 1) c 2) c 3) a 4) b 5) b 6) c 7) a 8) b 9) a 10) b

Int’l Trivia Teasers

Page 18 Global Gazette Hillside School

Page 19 Global Gazette Hillside School

Cold from around the world

English -cold

Spanish -frio

Korean -gamgi

Japanese -

Hindi -sardee

French -du froid

Chinese -Leng

1.

samui

The Traveling Translator