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Upcoming events 2/12 Valentines Grams" 2/13 Healthy Heart Walk"
2/13 Parents Night Out" 2/18 Senior Portraits"
With the new dress code being enforced, I felt as if I was on
TLCs What Not to Wear. However, Ive begun to realize that this
dress code is not as bad as it sounds. The SIS dress code isnt
designed to make students buy a new wardrobe or make students feel
insecure about what they wear. Having this dress code is just
another way for
to be continued on page 4
Uniforms? Yes or No?
Dress Code:
Girls High School Volleyball
Friday, January 23, 2015Once a Gecko, Always a Gecko!
Life in High School
This year, SIS instituted the dress code, and along with that, a
new round of discussion on whether students should wear uniforms
has become a main topic in students daily life. There are some
proponents of uniforms in SIS, including the other j o u r n a l i
s t s , p o i n t t o t h e misinformation that uniforms are
beneficial in many different aspects: such as the limited
enhancement of a school spirit, formalities, and the idea that
students will not be ostracized.
to be continued on page 5
High school is not what it seems: courses are harder and school
days seem astoundingly longer. Once graduated from middle school,
your view of school will change drastically in a positive and/or
negative way. Spending 4 years of life preparing yourself for
college can be painful, but it will definitely benefit you in the
future. Everything begins in freshman year; you are introduced into
new courses and new teachers. The change of pace may be a little
intimidating; but with a little time, you will adapt. Unlike middle
school, once in high school, you are responsible for your own work.
No one will tell you what work you are missing unless you ask the
teacher and you are required to answer any in-class questions. The
biggest and only concern once entering high school is the workload.
You are given more than twice as much work than that of middle
school. Though it may seem as difficult, freshman year is actually
the easiest year of high school. This is the year
to be continued on page 4
This years volleyball season has been full of excitement,
unexpected losses, and much deserved wins. At the start of the
season, there was a two week try-out session for girls who were
interested in playing volleyball. Girls were to show up to
practices and participate in all the drills that were being run by
Coach Athena. At the end of the try out, players were picked, two
teams were formed, and captains were chosen. The varsity team has
eleven players with all senior girls and one unexpected freshman
name Julia who made the cuts. In the Junior Varsity team, there are
14 players ranging from freshman, sophomore, and junior girls.
Emily Frink, Sakura Imaya, and Cerinn Hwang are the three players
that share the position of Captain. They lead to victories in the
season so far. As the captain of my team, I was prepared to train
and lead my fellow teammates through a very competitive volleyball
season.
At the beginning of practice, all the girls were very rusty and
had not played volleyball in a long time. Training began with a jog
to the airport, and after the run, both teams stretched
continued on page 6
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#sisgeckosSaipan International School- MP, 96950
Basketball: SIS Boys are
Defeated by MCS, 44-39
The rate of senior absences is going up quickly, not just in
SIS, but in High schools all over the CNMI and United States
mainland as well. Is this a result of underfunded school systems;
or a new fad amongst unmotivated teens? No, this is something much
worse. This absence of students marks the annual arrival of the
midterm epidemic, leading to dozens of lazy and indifferent
seniors, grudgingly dragging themselves from class to class.
What is this disease that has infected the senior class? What
many may call a case of second semester is formally known as
Senioritis. Symptoms include a drastic loss of interest in anything
academic, dark circles under the eyes, sleeping in class,
superabundant yawning, lack of book bags and other school supplies,
sleeping during lunch, a fixation on wearing only oversized baggy
sweatpants and hoodies, sleeping in the car, excessive swearing,
sleeping in the bathroom, extreme emotional changes , sleeping in
the hallway, constant eating, and, in extreme cases, missing
school.
Nicole, a SIS senior suffering from the disease, describes her
life with senioritis: I try so hard to get to do something but I
end up procrastinating. Its horrible but lovely. Yong Kwang,
another to-be-graduate describes his experience of living with
senioritis as My senioritis started the moment I was a senior. When
I heard former seniors say how senioritis can hurt and can't be
avoided, I didn't believe them. Now I know. I'm not different than
any other seniors. It's not that I'm not doing homework; it's just
that I'm sleeping late. It's just the way it is I guess.
While no one is safe in the long run, for the meantime only 12th
graders seem to be affected. The only known cure is graduation.
Though there is much research going on, we have yet to find a
vaccine against the disease or an immunity booster to help people
get through the disease with minimal damage. The closes solution
that studies have been able to come to find is that solid study
habits and an academic drive may help lighten the affects of
senioritis.
Save yourselves underclassmen, establish good study habits now,
and strive for excellence. Only then will you have a chance of
living a senioritis-free life.
BY: VICTORIA CHENTSOVA
The Unavoidable Epidemic
Saipan International School failed to withstand Mount Carmel
Schools relentless attacks and lost the game in 39-44 during the
2014-2015 MISO Boys Basketball games at the MHS Gymnasium.
Even though the Geckos were without the dominant center, Jehn
Joyner, absent due one of his soccer games, for the first two
quarters, all the starters did a very great job in organizing their
offense and consolidating their defense with the strategies that
they had practiced for days. Constantly taking advantage of
turnovers made by MCS and performing nice passes, our players
focused on the intensity of the defense and quality of the offense,
quickly gaining a 6-point lead with Chris Cepeda and Bob Kim on the
attack.
However, in the second quarter, MCS started their full-court
defense which overwhelmingly added pressure on SISs
maneuverability. Thus SISs offense was gradually halted. MCS, after
initiating relentless fast breaks, finally retook the lead 22-18 by
the end of the second quarter.
Later, in the second half, SISs pace was efficiently increased,
and they made an excellent offense. On the other hand, MCS,
successfully resisted the offense and kept the lead with fantastic
teamwork until the end of the game.
If we could have had more successful layups, the results for the
two games we lost wouldve been very different, said Mr. Beyer, the
coach of SIS. Apparently, the SIS players still did not reach their
best conditions then. In order to avenge our defeat at the hands of
MCS, our teams emphasis has changed, and players are practicing
their jump shots and layups.
BY: JIABAO XU
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When was the last time you watched a good movie? The year 2014
was filled with inspiring and thrilling motion pictures that
received praise from audiences and critics and had much success in
the box office. Movies such as Godzilla, The Fault In Our Stars,
Transformers Four: Age of Extinction, Guardians of the Galaxy,
Annabelle, and The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies, are among
the many that were played in theaters nationwide and were top picks
to see throughout the year. The following recommended movies are
for those who still want to entertain themselves with quality films
that were aired in November and December of 2014. Unbroken (PG
13)
Directed by the Academy Award winner Angelina Jolie, the film
Unbroken documents the life of Olympic runner and war veteran Louis
Zamperini, played by Jack O Connel. The film features his Olympic
victories in his early years and his
struggles in World War II when he and two other crewmen
experienced a near fatal plane crash, survived on a raft for 47
days, were rescued by the Japanese Navy, and were later
incarcerated in a prisoner-of-war camp. Actors Domhnall Gleeson,
Garrett Hedlun, and Takamasa Ishihara are featured in the movie. If
you are interested in war and survival themed movies, this is the
movie for you. Senior Victoria Chentsova highly recommends this
movie because your heart will race, tears will fall, and you will
be thankful for your life. This movie portrays an original
narrative of a war heros experiences. It is also credible to our
Saipan community since we are closely related to the World War II
influence. Big Hero 6
Big Hero 6, rated 89% on the movie site Rotten Tomatoes, is a
film about a young robotics prodigy
#sisgeckosSaipan International School- MP, 96950
Movie Recommendations specialist robot Baymax. He creates a band
of six heroes with Hiros friends GoGo, Honey Lemon, Wasabi, and
Fred to defeat the evil man in a Kabuki Mask in the
American-Japanese fused metropolis. Crit ics praised i t for the
phenomenal graphics; hence, this film was nominated for a Golden
Globe Award for Best Animated Feature Film. Baymax is a very iconic
character that tenderly captured the hearts of many fans especially
senior Sophia Tenorio, who proudly says Baymax is bae. The
anime-inspired movie lets viewers enjoy the action-packed,
tear-jerking, and laugh-inducing plot of goofy yet relatable
characters. Camp X-Ray
Starring the Twilight Saga icon Kristen Stewart, Camp X-Ray is
about a female soldier assigned at Guantanamo Bay. Her station at
the detention camp brings about various struggles with the Muslim
inmates, and also a wary friendship with an incarcerated young man
who was unjustly arrested for eight years.
This somberly realistic movie does not have a class happy
ending, but it enlightens viewers about the happenings at
Guantanamo Bay and the tough situations made out for female
soldiers. The film details how difficult but worth-while it is to
connect with someone who is not on your level. This dramatic action
movie brings out the best of Kristen Stewarts acting career, and
she does not disappoint. Camp X-Ray received a respectable 72%
rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Now that you know some good movies to watch, grab a bag of
popcorn and sit back while you enjoy a good quality film. These
films will not only appeal to your visual senses but also pull at
your heart strings and enlighten your mind. Enjoy!
BY: TIANA M. RANJO
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Dress Code: continued from page 1 !for SIS to ensure that
students are more cautious about what they wear. Unlike previous
years, the line now between acceptable and please change your
clothes has been concretely established. Several SIS faculty
members, as well as various students, have agreed that we needed to
have a dress code. Headmaster Mr. Bray feels that this dress code
is an appropriate balance between casual and studious. However, the
majority of students find the dress code to be ineffective. After a
month of enforcing the dress code, several students believe that it
isnt being followed. Other students believe that the new dress code
is offensive to parents since they are the ones who see what we
wear first. Female students even feel a bit uncomfortable in class
because they want to avoid male teachers checking them out.
Obviously, no dress code is going to be perfect but having no dress
code is not the solution. I know everyone is all about that bass
but please, no trouble.
BY: MINORI YOSHIDA
Life In High School: continued from page 1 ! to express
yourself, and let your true personality show. You will make more
friends, go out more, and actually have fun. The best advice you
should take into consideration as a freshman is to enjoy yourself
because once you become a sophomore you will be introduced into
your first AP course. Sophomore year is where all the difficulties
begin; this is the year when you take your first Advanced Placement
course (AP American History). You are introduced into a college l
eve l cou r se and a r e expected to understand the material that
you are reading. For those of you who are still trying to learn
English, you do not have to take the course; however, you will
still take a regular his tory class . Though sophomore year is a
lot harder than freshman year, sophomore year is a lot more
exciting. Depending on who your homeroom teacher is (We had Mrs.
Ayeras), you will have a really fun year! Junior year... There are
two things I can say about junior year; study and do your work!
Junior year is the hardest year in high school! You are required to
take two AP classes and your workload is significantly increased.
The teachers are somewhat friendly and your friends are always
there but the workload is exhausting! The best advice as a junior
is to listen to your teacher and maybe hire a tutor or ask your
friends if you don't understand what you are learning. If you take
that advice, youll probably survive junior year. Now for senior
year: the last year of high school. Compared to junior year, senior
year is far easier in course work and youll definitely have a lot
more time to study for your classes. The only problems that you
will encounter during your senior year is the stress to find a
college and something called SENIORITIS. It is the last year of
high school and your will to continue will constantly decline. The
only way to avoid senioritis is to actually believe that its worth
doing all your workthis might not work though because most everyone
gets senioritis.
BY: HATSUKO BEARDEN
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Uniforms? Yes or No? continued from page 1 !However, uniforms
advantages are completely outweighed
by the disadvantages since uniforms cannot show students
personalities, the majority of students in SIS do not approve of
uniforms, and uniforms will cause inconveniences.
F i r s t and fo remos t , wearing uniforms might sometimes
limit students personality. Students would like to be able to have
their own dressing s ty l e s , and the reby
express themselves with how they dress. Most of the students do
not want to wear the same clothes as others every day. Students
want to show their differences but not similarities. Also, some
designs of school uniforms are often old-fashioned and ugly, since
clothes that are designed to be worn by all shapes and sizes of
student fit no one really well. By instituting a uniform policy,
schools are taking away students individuality.
Secondly, the majority of students in SIS do not approve of
uniforms. If SIS requires uniforms, the cost of parents sending
their children to school will go up. Since students are constantly
growing, parents need to buy different sizes of uniforms along with
the growing of their children. That will be a huge amount of money.
Even with uniforms, parents would still need to purchase regular
clothes for students when students are not in school. So why dont
we let parents only pay for students regular clothes and let
students wear those clothes to school? Furthermore, most students
at SIS dont even approve of uniforms! When students do not like or
want something, they are not going to take good care of it. So why
dont we let parents not waste of money and use the money to buy
something that their kids would like?
Meanwhile, uniforms bring unnecessary inconveniences to
students. If uniforms are required in SIS, students will be
inconvenienced when they have the class change between regular
classes and P.E. or yoga classes. As we all know, uniforms for
girls are usually skirts and for boys are pants. Students need to
change when their classes are changing from regular class and P.E
or yoga. But when students wear uniforms to school and need to
change during the short 5 minutes break during classes, the
restrooms will be overcrowded. Restroom is the only place that
students can change because SIS does not have special locker room
for students. It would not only spend class time but also bother
other students who actually have to use the rest room.
To sum up what weve discussed above, requiring uniforms is not a
smart thing for SIS to do. It takes away students individualities,
ignores students feelings, and causes students inconveniences.
BY: IVY YANG
Math CourtThe final regional round for CNMI M a t h c o u r t
2014~2015 will t a k e p l a c e o n January 31, 2015. The venue is
yet to be de te rmined . Any high school student who has
placed in this school years regular events are qualified for the
regional round and are required to group into teams of three. There
are 6 of our students representing SIS: Donggu Hyon, Dong Hee Im,
and Jee Hyun Lee in SIS Team A and Daniel Lim, Kyle Chung, and
Myung Jae Cho in SIS Team B.
This competition will be divided into 4 rounds. In the Sprint
round, students are given 60 minutes to solve 30 multiple choice
questions individually. Four points will be awarded for each
correct answer and one point will be deducted for each incorrect
answer. No points will be deducted for unanswered questions.
In the Team round, a team of three will work together to solve
10 questions in 20 minutes. Ten points will be awarded for each
correct answer and no points will be deducted for unanswered
questions. In the Target round, students will be given 4 sets of 2
questions to solve individually. Ten points will be awarded for
each correct answer and no points will be deducted for unanswered
questions. They are given 10 minutes for each set.
In the Relay round, a team of three will work together to solve
five sets of relay questions. The first person will pass his or her
answer to the second, who will use it to solve the second question.
The second person will then his or her answer to the third, and
this answer will be used to solve the third question. Answers are
collected twice. If the team submits a correct answer in 3 minutes,
they will be awarded 20 points. If the team gets the answer correct
in 7 minutes, they are given 10 points. No points are deducted for
wrong answers.
BY: JEE HYUN LEE
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Girls High School Volleyball continued from page 1 !and
underwent conditioning. After conditioning,
players would find a partner and pepper. Drills were all based
on footwork, bumping, setting, and spiking. We began the training
with simply the basics of bumping. Once we were finally getting
that, we moved to setting and then finally to spiking. There were
many girls who improved their skills in just the very first week of
training!
Both teams had been training with each other at the beginning of
the season; but when Christmas Break came, the teams were split up
so that they could start practicing and flowing with their actual
teammates. Both teams had their first game the week school started.
Varsity played Saipan Southern and won. Junior Varsity played
against Kagman High School and won. As of now, all the teams have
played each other and we are now going into our second round of the
season, where all the teams play each other again so coaches can
rank teams for the championships. The team to beat right now is
Marianas High School (MHS) which is ranked at the top. Saipan
International, Grace Christian, and Mount Carmel are battling for
the second position in the championships, since GCA beat SIS, MCS
beat GCA, and SIS beat MCS. To me, going to the gym is the best
time to bond with my teammates. We go to the gym, hang out, and do
each others hair. When we warm up before a game, we go outside and
have fun with, but we also practice seriously.
All players have improved a tremendous amount. Varsity began
training with a different court formation than they were used to,
which caused confusion and frustration at first, but now the team
has become more synchronized. We are getting better at giving a
good bump to our setters so our spikers can crush the other team.
The main aspect the Varsity team has improved on is communication.
Our communication is great and we are all keeping our tempers in
check. We love encouraging and cheering for our teammates.
Junior Varsity has amazed me on their improvement. Many of the
players on JV have never played before but they can already make
great passes and spikes. At the beginning of the season, JV just
learned the game of volleyball and also learned how to play with
one another. Playing in the gym was a new experience because of the
noisy crowd which caused much discomfort for JV; but now all are
comfortable with the noise and are ready to begin the second round
with more wins.
Both teams have played tremendously well. All the players have
improved their skills since the start of the season. Both teams
have many wins against other schools and hopefully the season
brings more wins for Saipan International School.
BY: PHALAI FRINK
Whether you are reading for your AR class or for the sole
purpose of enjoyment. Here are a few book recommendations that
never seem to disappoint the readers. And luckily for those who
take AR class, these books are found in the AR. !
1. The Maze Runner s e r i e s b y J a m e s Dashner- A post
-apocalyptic trilogy that follows sixteen year old Thomas, who
along with a group of other boys are trapped within a mysterious
intricate maze band together to form a group called the Glade
dedicated to finding a way to escape the madness that is the maze.
Grade Level: 5.3 Points: 15 !
2. The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini- A heartbreaking story of
the devotion and friendship between a wealthy child and his
servant. Grade Level: 5.2 Points: 16 !!
3. The Fault in Our S t a r s b y J o h n G r e e n - A
heartwarming love story between two cancer patients H a z e l G r a
c e L a n c a s t e r a n d Augustus Waters. Grade Level: 5.5
Points: 10 !
Now with these recommendations, sit back, relax and PUT DOWN
YOUR PHONE AND PICK UP A BOOK!
BY: SOPHIA TENORIO
Book Recommendations
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Although we do it every day, we still cannot like waking up to
drag ourselves to school. To mitigate this suffering, maybe we need
to shake up our time table for a change, or not. There is no doubt
that Saipan International School follows standard workday schedule
of the morning person; we are expected to come to school by 7:45.
Ideally, students would sleep from 23:00 to 7:00 and come to school
well-rested, but for some people this routine is more dreary since
they are so-called night owls. !
C i r c a d i a n Rhythm ! Why do so many of us s t r u g g l e
t o wake up early a n d s t i l l remain night owls? It may be due
to the
fact that our duties as students often keep us doing our
homework late at night or due to circadian rhythm. Circadian rhythm
is an internal clock in our body that tells us to go to sleep and
wake up according to its cycle. Unfortunately, this internal clock
does not take into account our school schedule. According to
University of Washington Medicine Sleep Centre, our circadian
rhythm is dictated by the suprachiasmatic nucleus in our brain. The
morning persons cycle would be shorter than 24 hours and the
evening person's schedule would be longer than 24 hours. It is
known fact that many CEOs are morning people, and a study from the
University of Texas at Austin shows that a morning person has a
higher GPA than others. Although it is possible to change our sleep
cycle with the right method and patience, it is difficult to defy
our natural rhythm. These scientific facts may justify why SIS
needs to start its classes later than 7:45. Mr. Bray was not averse
to the idea, recognizing Teenagers naturally tend to have an
evening persons sleep cycle. Their brains dont wake up until 10.
However, the change is unlikely to happen anytime soon, since the
schedule school is designed so that the parents can drop off their
children early and go their ways to work, etc. Nonetheless, if the
class time actually changes, students may be able to work more
efficiently with a wiggle room on their schedule.
BY: JINY YANG
Set the Alarm Clock Later
One of the most exciting events at SIS for high school students
is Prance. Prance is a big event in which all high school students
can gather together and make good memories. This event is held in
the second semester, typically in March or April. This year, prance
will be held on April 11th. This year, our theme will be the Oscar
Awards. !!!!!!!!!!!!! The excitement is real. Students are actively
talking about Prance and what they are going to wear. Several girls
have already purchased their dresses including me! Prance, however,
is not only for high school students. 8th grade students are
allowed to attend this event if high school students invite them as
partner. People also can bring other high school students, however,
prior authorization is needed. There are lots of people who think
the ticket for Prance is expensive. But they can get discount if
they come as partners. Student Council (STUCO) is trying its best
to make Prance an enjoyable time for everyone. They list what
students want and do not want and discuss them together to make
Prance better. If students want to know more about or have
questions about it, then they are free to attend Thursday STUCO
meeting.
BY: ESTHER JIN JOO
Prance
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Happy New Year! Here comes another year of experiences and more
good memories! According to the tradition, one of the things we
always do is make New Years resolutions. I asked around the high
school to see
w h a t s o m e people were up to. One of the s e n i o r s Ti a
n a Ranjo, said her N e w Y e a r resolution is to graduate, make
new memories, and stay friends with everyone in the school. How
sweet! Another senior, Chris Park, had an educational resolution
which was to get a 4.0 GPA. Vince, currently a sophomore, wants to
be a contestant on a television show called Show me the money.
Sakura Imayas resolution is to make new friends in her trip to Peru
with the sophomore class. And lastly a freshman, Inpas resolution
is to get a date to the prance this year. Well I hope everyone may
follow their resolutions, and happy New Year everybody!
BY: LYNETTE VASQUEZ
New Year. New Resolutions
Seniors suffer from Senioritis
Juniors get scolded by Mr. Bray
Sophomores poke at a fish theyre dissecting
Freshmen model their hoodies
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The Gecko Times was brought to you by the students in the
Digital Journalism
class taught by Mr. and Mrs. Bray. !Supervisors: Mr and Mrs.
Bray !News Paper Editor: Joey Nigh !
News Paper Layout Design: Nicole Arenovski !Writers:
Jia Bao Xu Jiny Yang
Victoria Chentsova Phalai Frink
Hatsuko Bearden Sophia Tenorio Lynette Vasquez
Tiana Ranjo Ivy Yang
Minori Yoshida Jee Hyun Lee Esther Jin Joo
Saipan International School PO Box. 503121, Saipan, MP,
96950
Tel: 670 2889660 Headmaster:[email protected]
