Environmental Love Being Launched at BBS

On Saturday, February 14th 2015, Bina Bangsa School Bandung has launched a special environmental project. The students in Secondary 3 were told to do gardening on the school's backyard as a part of their major project. It is also part of the IAYP(International Awards for Young People) activity. The purpose of it is to protect the environment, as well as to become more responsible for the students in their daily lives.

“The environmental project is of course important because the main object is to protect the environment and also add more responsibility for the students in Secondary 3, and yes, this is the school's environmental project. I really hope that the students will change after they had done their project.” said Mr. Jason Yogawin, the principal of Bina Bangsa School Bandung.

The students are given a duration of 6 months to complete their project, they will also get rewards like Gold, Silver and Bronze at the end of their project depending on how well they do it. Students can also choose the types of plants they want to plant such as potatoes, tomatoes, chilli or cabbage.

“I really cannot wait for my plants to grow! Believe it or not, this is actually my first time doing some gardening, I feel very optimistic.” Andy, a student from Secondary 3, said. “This environmental project makes me realize that we have to be caring to our environment. Not only that, but it teaches us how to be more responsible and patience. So, there is actually a moral behind this environmental project.” said Vincent, the class monitor of Secondary 3.

The project has positive results on the students since it was launched. Mr. Joemel, the form teacher said that the students in his class has become more responsible and ambitious. He, as well as all the teachers in Secondary, happily support the students in Secondary 3.

Descend to the Underworld

The fundamental goal of the cave was for students to explore and venture more into the underworld on 13th November 2014, a group of 7 students from Bina Bangsa School Bandung descended into the cave, Goa Cerme in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. They all encountered an experience to the underground world they have never been to before. A professional photographer, Kusmatiya Sharakya, from India, who has entered the cave a few a times before, also went with them.

The three-kilometer long Goa Cerme cave is located at the South of Yogyakarta. Inside the cave, it has all the beauty filled with rocks with a huge variety of shapes and sizes. Under the guidance of the Department of Geology, they have provided the students with safety equipments such as head lamps, rubber boots, helmets and ropes before entering the cave itself.

Sharakya and the students also encountered a bit of a problem. “The tunnels were very narrow and we always had to keep our head low to prevent the sharp stones formation from the ceiling which could have easily hurt our heads.” said Vincent, a student from BBS Bandung. However, the problem did not stop them from venturing deeper into the cave.

“The interior of the cave was amazing! I've never been to a beautiful place like Goa Cerme, the stones were all colourful and vary in different shapes and sizes. There was even a small river inside.” commented Andy, another BBS Bandung student. The total time to walk through the cave was an excruciating seven and a half hour walk. Unfortunately, the students did not have enough time to complete the cave.

The area of Goa Cerme has lately become a popular destination for tourists and as a result, commercial buildings and food stalls have started to appear and the naturally quiet atmosphere of the cave has disappeared. The entrance itself to the cave now even has concrete walkways which destroy the natural appearance of the place.

Additionally, the massive numbers of visitors going through the cave have caused some damage to the interior. For example, the black soot of visitors' oil lamps that covers up the cave's walls and ceilings, and undisciplined tourists that left rubbish and illegally took valuable stones as souvenirs.

But overall, the students enjoyed their educational field trip to Goa Cerme. There were many positive comments from them. “I really like going to caves, but I've never been to a cave as unique and beautiful as this. It was really a good experience.” commented Albert, a prefect from BBS Bandung.

Through the Lens of Chris Guillebeau

For most people, traveling to different places is just a dream. Well, a person from Portland, Chris Guillebeau has visited 193 countries around the world and 193 countries is a lot. The reason why Chris likes to travel is because he is a travel blogger, a person who blogs about his traveling trips. Chris wrote guides for travel and small business topics under his own website which is called Unconventional Guides.

He is not only a travel blogger but also an American entrepreneur, non-fiction author and a speaker. He wrote books like “The Happiness of Pursuit” and “The $100 Startup”, he is also best known for “The Art of Non-Conformity” blog and book. Chris has hosted an organization called World Domination Summit in his hometown and Pioneer Nation. He is indeed a successful person.

Most people would only dream of traveling around the world. Chris Guillebeau has successfully achieved it before his 35 th birthday. Traveling is very important, especially for Chris and it has changed his perspective. “Traveling is disruptive and forces you to think differently. I live a fairly routine life and I like the element of adventure that traveling brings. When I'm on the road, I feel like a different person.” Chris quoted. He fly around the world every month or two and said that he likes the mash up of the different cultures.

When Chris was traveling on a small island in East Africa, he has a story of an unexpected generosity. He ran completely out of money and had to pay 50 euros to reclaim his passport, a stranger came to him and loaned him some money. Faith in humanity restored. Chris learnt a lot from his traveling adventures. For example, he used “travel hacking” tactics to keep ticket costs low. But he has learnt more than that. He quoted, “Traveling gave me confidence. I learned that most of the time, everything would be alright. The more I travelled, the more I feel relaxed and stopped stressing out.

On Chris's travel plans in the future, he is going to be setting a Guinness World Record and inviting a lot of people to join him for the fifth

anniversary of the World Domination Summit. What's more, Chris is also planning on more trips.

Principal, guests, teachers and fellow students, good morning. Have you ever wondered how it feels like to be a headmaster in school? Not just any headmaster but to be the youngest headmaster in the world. Sixteen-year-old Babur Ali proved that it can be done.

Babur has been running his own school since he was 11 in a small village in West Begal. Running a school at a very young age is out of this world! It is unbelievable! He shared his knowledge to the children of poor families, that were desperate to learn new things. The school that Babur runs began in the open air, but today, it has been renovated.

Amazingly, after five years, he is acknowledged by the district education officials as a 'headmaster'. He really deserves it. Babur has a really busy life. Five in the morning, he wakes up for morning prayers, does household chores, then takes a bus to school in a village 5 kilometers away. From 10 AM to 4 PM, he focuses on his own education, then he races back to his village to welcome his students at 5 PM. Can you imagine how busy he is?

He teaches 4 subjects, which are English, Bengali, History, and lastly, Maths. He teaches his pupils, ranging from 16 to 19 years old until 8 PM. Yes, he has a very busy schedule, but yet, he can cope with it. “I never feel tired. In fact, teaching gives me more strength.” Babur stated. Surprisingly, the teachers that work at his schools were unpaid, and the books and desks are financed through donations. Like each and everyone of us, we have our own dreams. Babur's dream of official status for his school moved closer, he was honored for slashing illiteracy rates in his district.

Babur, I think is a very powerful and successful person. His plan is to enroll for an open anniversary degree so that he will be able to do so without deserting his pupils. Babur has a strong quote for us: “The secret to success is to be motivated, dedicated and determined.” Thank you for your cooperation.

Lost

The scorching heat of Dubai shone upon my face. It was so hot that it could melt anything in its way. “We will arrive in the airport in about 5 minutes.” the bus driver said. Five minutes passed and we have arrived. “Help me with the luggages, mate.” said my friend, Alex. We stepped out of the bus and took out our bags which were as heavy as an elephant.

My two London friends and I walked into the airport. It was massive. People I saw from a distance were like a colony of ants, some of them running like a cheetah, trying to not miss their flight. We did not waste a second, we swerved through the small spaces to the check-in counter. “Here are your tickets, Sir. Your flight will be at Gate 7 and depart on 2 PM. Gate will be closed 20 minutes before departure. Have a safe flight!” said the women. Immediately, we went to Gate 7. On our way, we checked the flight schedule. “Alaska.. Gate 7.. 2 PM..” It was not a long walk. People were lining up in a disciplined manner. “Flight QZ360 to Alaska is now boarding. Please proceed to Gate 7.” We went through security checkpoints and made our way to our flight. While waiting for others to climb aboard, we sat quietly on our seats. “Welcome aboard! This flight, QZ360, will be going to Alaska. It will be a long flight, probably about 13 hours. So sit back, relax, and enjoy the flight!”

I slowly opened my eyes. Blurred vision. I heard a voice. “Wake up, mate. We have arrived. Let's go!” said Gordon, my other mate, in a very low voice. I stood up, took my bags and went straight to take my other luggages. After everything is complete, we went outside the airport to call for taxi. The temperature was so cold, it made us shiver. “Bloody hell! I have never been to any place as cold as this.” cried Alex. The streets were wet, pavements and trees were covered with white snow, skies were sapphire blue. A taxi drove by. “Taxi!” I shouted. It pulled over and we all went in. “Can you take us to the famous forest in Alaska, please? I forgot what it's called but you know where it is, right? We'll be going on an adventure.” said Alex to the taxi driver. He nodded and drove off.

Not long after, we have arrived and stepped out. What we saw was unbelievable. Massive trees covered in white snow lined up perfectly, a big mountain was standing tall in the background, which made everything majestic. “Holly Molly, now that is what I call a view!” shouted Gordon. We excitedly ran through the thick mysterious forest, not thinking of anything else.

The next thing that happened was beyond our expectation. Alex, who ran faster than me and Gordon, almost fell off a deep cliff that we did not see earlier. Amazingly, Alex was holding tightly to a branch of a tree, strong enough to support his weight. We stared at him. Looking terrified, Alex shouted, “Oh God, please help me! I do not want to die now, please!” Luckily, I brought a long rope and threw it to Alex's hand. He pulled and pulled until he was in safe hands. “Alex, you moron! What in the world were you thinking? You could've just fallen off the cliff! You utter idiot!” yelled Gordon. Alex did not say a word. His hands were shivering, shocked. Meanwhile, I just stood there and said, “Now, where the hell are we?”

Lost. It was the word. The Alaskan sun was setting to a rest. The blue skies turned into black. We were still in the exact same spot, not knowing what to do. “Alright, here is what we are going to do. We'll set up our tent and make fire to attract attention. If this doesn't work, we'll do Plan B.” I explained. “What is Plan B?” asked Alex. “Oh shut up, Alex.” said Gordon. And so, we sticked to the plan. Gordon, who bought a lighter, lit the dry leaves we collected and made fire out of it. It was so bright that it lit up the whole world. We waited for ages until....

Rough footsteps were heard, coming towards our camp. “Mate, did you hear footsteps? I think we could be rescued!” cried Gordon excitedly. The sound of the footsteps grew louder and louder until we saw an old man who was wearing a thick furry vest, black long pants and boots. And what we were scared most was he had a pump shotgun in his right hand. “What are you kids doing here at night? Go home! Oh, I forgot to introduce myself. I am Vince, a local hunter.” said Vince. “Sir, we are lost. Would you mind to take us to the airport?” said Alex bravely. “Oh sure! Follow me to my car, I will take you there.” So, we took our belongings and followed him to the car.

“Here we are, kids. The airport.” said Vince. We waved him a goodbye. “Guys, that was really an experience!” laughed Alex. From that experience, we still like to go on an adventure. But next stop, we have got to be more extra careful.

The Unexpected

It was late at night, the sky was dark and black. I was driving home from work and felt really exhausted. On the highway, I didn't see a lot of cars because maybe it was midnight already. The bright headlight of my car was shining over the deserted highway.

I was listening to a music in the car, it was very chill and slow. Suddenly, I saw this bright beam of light right in front of my car. It was getting closer and closer. My eyes went wide open. Shocked, I don't have time to avoid it. It was too late, that was when both our cars collided head to head. Boom! It was like a C4 bomb being detonated.

I felt a peaceful moment of silence. When I woke up, I tried to get out of my wrecked car. I couldn't open my safety belt. I was really stuck. I realized my legs were between the pedals of my car and I forced myself to get my legs out. Ears were bleeding and my head felt dizzy, like someone punched me on my head. I managed to get out and opened the door of my car, there were pieces of glass on the ground everywhere. I dragged myself because I was too weak to walk. Everytime I dragged myself, I felt an excruciating pain in my whole body.

Through my blurry vision, I saw my car and the car that hit me. Both of them were crushed like crumpled papers. Thick smoke was coming out of the bonnet of both cars. I felt blood rushing down my head, it was bloody red. I saw the driver who hit my car, his head was lying on the steering wheel. Motionless. Full of blood. My vision began to become very blurry, that was when I fainted.

I opened my eyes, everything was clear white. I thought to myself, “Am I dead by now?” But, I heard a sweet voice calling my name. It was my wife! I then looked around my surroundings and realized that I was in the hospital. I saw my left leg, it was splinted because of the accident. After I had recovered after about a month and a half, the police told me that the driver who hit me was drunk. Don't drink and drive.

Hot Pursuit

The wailing siren of the police car went on in both of my ears. It was so loud as if my eardrums will pop. My dispatch said on the radio, “Stolen black Toyota Supra, speeding up on Highway 110. Suspect's name is Carlo Rodriguez. Do you copy?” I replied, “10-4, roger that.” I then speed up my car on my way to Highway 110. On my way there, I was thinking of the suspect, Carlo Rodriguez. He is a pro street racer and also has an appalling criminal history, he was just released from jail but now he's back on living the criminal life again. I remember when...

I remember when it was the second week of me being a policeman. I was with my buddy in the police car cruising on the highway. When suddenly, a car passed us with a very high speed. We immediately chased him and called back up from our base, “We need back up!” We turned on the siren and overtook every car on the highway like a boss. Our backup is behind us, about 10 police cars chasing the suspect.

After a while, we saw the suspect's car. Believe it or not, the car is still speeding up. I thought to myself, “Man, this guy is brave.” My buddy was going full speed. We managed to go side by side with the suspect's car. Knowing that the our cars were so close to each other, we decided to ram the car. So we did. Pieces of glass from the door shattered into pieces. I pulled my gun out and successfully shot one of the rear tires of the car. Pop goes the tire. Bright red sparks of flame appeared from the shot tire.

It was a very hot pursuit. Finally, the suspect's car started to slow down. But suddenly, the suspect pulled out a gun and shot the bonnet of our car. My buddy was so mad that he rammed the car again. This time, he rammed it so hard that the rear bumper of the suspect's car went off and the car spun out of control. There was a thick cloud of smoke and the car finally came to a stop on the middle of the busy highway. We smiled.

Our backup surrounded the suspect to prevent it from going again. “Go! Go! Go!” my buddy shouted. We all went out of our cars and ran towards the fully surrounded suspect and pulled our guns out for safety. “You're

surrounded! No where to go!” said one of our backup. My buddy opened the door of the suspect's car and quickly pulled the suspect out of the car with rage. He then pushed the suspect to the ground and handcuffed him tightly. Three hours of hot pursuit had passed and it was all over. It was a thrilling experience that I will never forget as a policeman.

“Suspect's lost. Suspect is lost. I need an immediate backup. Suspect last seen heading west of Highway 110. We need a perimeter.” A friend of mine who was patrolling the highway replied, “I saw him on Highway 111. I'm on the chase.” I then switched on the siren and went pedal to the metal.

Life's A Race

Silent, the crowd went as the runners positioned themselves perfectly on the starting line, their hearts beat a million miles an hour as they waited for the race to start soon. The man in black pulled up a gun and aimed it high up in the skies. Bang! As soon as it fired, all the runners accelerated unbelievably quick like a cheetah chasing its prey. They ran so fast that the earth started rotating in the opposite direction.

The cheering and chanting of the massive crowd grew louder and louder like the sound of a jet engine, their eyes focused on each of the runners they support, flags of their countries were raised up high. Very energetic, it was. Five seconds have passed and Ussain Bolt was already halfway down the 100 meter sprint, while the rest of the runners were just a few milliseconds behind him. Litres of air was sucked in the runners' noses for every long step they took, their hands swung back and forth and their heads down to achieve top speed and maximum momentum.

Six seconds. Alex Trojan, the runner behind Bolt started to speed up and managed to go side by side with Bolt. No mercy whatsoever. Bolt's supporters began to sing their anthem, which gave bolt an extra boost. It was a very intense situation. All the runners were just meters away from the finish line and milliseconds from each other. The shiny gold trophy was waiting on the side of the finish line, covered in a thick transparent glass box.

Bolt was a very determined and energetic kid, he always dreamed of being an olympic sprinter and want to win the race. He is very passionate in what he is doing and kept on motivating himself, in order for him to do his best, to get the trophy. Last 20 meters and Bolt is still in the lead. He could see the trophy. Winning was all that he thought of. Without any doubt, Bolt gave all the energy he had and went for it. Fifteen meters.. Ten meters.. Five meters.. Zero. Bolt crossed the finished line and his dream finally came true, won the first place. He sprinted so fast that his shoe laces came off. Bolt did not only finished first, but he broke the world record for being the fastest man to finish the 100 meter sprint in 10.8 seconds.

Bolt completely ran out of breath. He smiled wide. Tens of thousands of colourful flowers were thrown at him for his dramatic victory and his supporters were all thrilled. The trophy was given to him, tears of joy went down his cheeks and the shiny gold colour reflected off both his eyes. Finally, he raised his trophy above his head, high up in the skies. Glorious, it was. Bolt did not only won the trophy, but he has also won our hearts.

The Only Solution

It was evening in the majestic city in France, Paris. The night sky was filled with stars, shining brightly. The lights of the skyline shone bright, which lit the whole world. “Bonjour. To Louvre Hotel, please.” said Finn to the taxi driver. Not long after, he arrived at the lobby in the Louvre Hotel. He brought his luggages out of the taxi, paid the taxi driver and went straight to the concierge. “One room, please.” He then got his room key and smiled. As he walked backwards, he accidentally crashed into a blonde haired lady. She was tall, slim and has a body like a supermodel. Finn looked into her beautiful blue eyes, they looked at each other, shocked. “Oh my, I'm so sorry!” shouted the blonde lady. Finn replied her with a wide smile. “Nope, it's fine, it was my fault anyway. Oh, what is your name by the way?” She said with her French-English accent, “My name is Emma, nice to meet you.”

They talked and talked. A few days later, they got to know each other and became close friends. It was until one day, Finn finally confessed that he actually likes her and wants a deeper relationship with her. Amazingly, Emma accepted him. One evening, Emma invited Finn to have dinner in her house. Finn came and knocked her front door. Emma opened it and invited Finn to come in. “Hurry, dinner is ready!” said Emma cheerfully. Emma's mother gave Finn a smile. “Your father will come in a minute, he's on the way home from work.” They all waited for her father patiently. Five minutes past and suddenly, the front door opened and came a tall and muscular man with a goatee. It was Emma's father. He looked at Finn in a furious way and said, “Who is this young boy? Who invited him here?” Finn, looking frightened, pointed his finger at Emma. His mother interrupted, “I'm sorry, he's just feeling stressed from work.” “Emma! Is this young boy your boyfriend?” yelled her Emma's mother. Emma nodded her head. “Why didn't you tell me about it? I do not allow you to have a boyfriend right now, I do not like him!” Finn was shivering. “Get this young boy out of this house right now!” banging his hands on the dinner table. “But father, I can explain.” Emma's eyes were filled with tears, she didn't expect it to happen. Finn, shivering scared, stood up and went straight outside. He didn't look back.

Back in Finn's hotel, he tried to call Emma several times but he didn't get any response. He started to feel hopeless and said, “Oh my, what have I done wrong?” Finn waited for a ages. He was heart-broken. It was until a month that Emma finally texted him. It says, “I am very sorry. My father sent me to England for my college.” Finn was utterly surprised, but he replied, “I'll be there for you.” For Emma's sake, he wanted to go to England to meet her. That very night, he quickly packed his bag.

It was a beautiful morning and the birds were chirping. Finn made his check-out and went outside the hotel lobby, then he called out, “Taxi!” He got in and said, “To the airport, please.” He was going around the roundabout on the Arc De Triomphe and suddenly saw a big crowd. Feeling frightened, he asked a man in that crowd, “Hey, what happened?” The man simply said, “Car accident.” Finn squeezed himself through the crowd to get a better view of it. He expect the unexpected. Smoke was coming out of the bonnet of the car and pieces of glass were scattered on the asphalt. It was a complete mess. He saw a body of a muscular man with a goatee covered in blood, lying on the street. He instantly recognized him. It was Emma's father. Without any doubt, he quickly ran to help Emma's father. He punched the numbers on his cellphone and called the ambulance.

Emma's father was treated in the hospital. Finn, who was in the same room with Emma's father, immediately called her daughter. “Emma, your father had a car accident but he is now treated in the hospital. Please, quickly come back!” He sat there for hours. Emma's father gained consciousness and said in a very low voice, “Young boy, thank you for saving my life. I really appreciate it. I am also very sorry of what happened last time. For that, I will reward you for your heroic action.” Finn, who was confused, said, “Reward me, Sir?” Emma's father replied, “I allow you to have a relationship with my daughter again. Do take care of her. Once again, I am very sorry of what happened.” Finn was feeling very excited, he hugged him and shouted, “Thank you so much, Sir!” The conversation ended and suddenly the door blew open and it was Emma. She ran to Finn and her father and hugged them.

Dear Editor,

In my opinion, I believe that marine mammals should not be kept in captivity. They are part of nature and should not be sold, bought and kept in aquariums. I also believe that they should be kept in their natural environment.

There are many reasons to support my statement. Life for captive whales and dolphins is nothing like life in the sea. It is almost impossible to maintain a family group in captivity. Whales and dolphins are known for living in groups called pods. Places like Seaworld routinely separate mothers, brothers, sisters, babies and all other family bonds to accommodate its performances. Tanks limit their movements so they are not free like they are in the wild waters, they are forced to move in tight circles. In addition, the water in the tank can cause skin problems, and as a result, their dorsal fin can collapse. Aside from those, captivity can also cause them to behave violently or aggressively, they can be depressed. Captivity is torturing the marine mammals both mentally and physically. Orcas have died prematurely or in their teens in captivity, compared with their life span of 60 to 90 years in the wild. They do not breed well in captivity, that is why marine mammals on public display in the wild still come from the wild. It is said only one percent of Orcas are left in the wild.

What must life be like for this intelligent, complex creatures who suddenly find themselves in an isolated small tank? It violently disturbs social groups and splits up families, it is an utterly unnatural event. The act of capturing has an incredibly traumatic ending to the innocent and joyous marine mammals. Keeping marine mammas in captivity is inhumane and it changes their perspectives of living in their natural environment.

Greetings fellow ambassadors,

The world we live in today is very harsh and rough. I have come to represent the people in Kenya, continuing the discussion on War on Terrorism . Recent events of terror have brought us all to pay attention on what is happening to the world.

In 2011, the Kenya military took part in a coordinated operation with the Somali military against a group of insurgents from Al-Shabaab, a group linked to Al-Qaeda that pursues in the making of an Islamic state in Somalia. The group has made several collaborations with AQIM and Boko Haram in order to achieve their goals.

There have been at least 17 attacks in 2011 and 2012 according to the US Embassy, at least 48 people have died and approximately 200 injured. Nine of these attacks occurred in the North Eastern Province which is the Muslim Territory.

Dear Editor in Chief,

The internet has made life much easier for the people in our world. Today, a vast majority of people use the internet in their daily lives for online shopping, sending letters through emails, graphic designing and many more. Yes, there are many advantages of using the internet. For example, sending letters is much faster today because we just have to email them. However, there are also many disadvantages of using our later technology, the internet. I believe that the internet is more harmful rather than being helpful.

There are many reasons to support my statement. The internet is harmful, especially for the youth. Teenagers may become addicted and waste their time the whole day playing games instead of studying or playing sport. This could lead to an unhealthy lifestyle. There are websites that are inappropriate for children, sites that have a pornographic content, which may drastically affect the children's minds. There are also many frauds or fake sites for online shopping. The internet can affect us mentally. Frequent internet users may become loners or an anti-social and lose their skills they need for socialization.

Worse still, the internet give terrorists and criminals advantages. Modern terrorists today rely on the internet for them to communicate with their friends and also use them to spy on their enemies. This could lead to chaos in the future. The internet is unsafe for you, me and everyone else in this world. It is inevitable. Millions and millions of people have used the internet to make their lives much easier, but most have used them for unnecessary purposes.

In conclusion, I really hope that the internet in the modern world is much more controlled. Who knows you are next in the line?

Yours faithfully,Marco Sunaryo

Dear God,

We thank you for your goodness, your mercy and your grace. Help us to carry these wonderful gifts in our own hearts and lives. May we minster these to all the world.

Amen.

Author's Profile

Marco Sunaryo Bandung, Indonesia

He is a student from Bina Bangsa School Bandung. He is very passionate and very dedicated in doing things that he love such as writing stories. The book that he write is full of action and suspense, which has the element.