Writers' Fortnight 2022
Stories that need to be told right now
by Gauri Varma
As of mid 2021, there are approximately 245,600 Foreign Domestic Workers working in Singapore. It is well-known that they play a vital role in Singapore’s workforce and economic development. Some advocates like Transient Workers Count Too (TWC2) believe that foreign workers in Singapore are being charged unfairly in the employment process while some employment agencies may think otherwise. This may leave many perplexed: Is it time for Singapore to take firm action and mitigate high maid agency fees? Or rather: are already fair enough and therefore need no change?
by Aadit Saha
Sixteen years after the US-led military intervention that ousted the Taliban government, more than 2.2 million Afghan girls were unable to attend school as recently as last year, which, according to The World, is 60% of the total children out-of-school in the country. But with the Taliban back in parliament, the progress that had been made toward the goal of getting all girls into school may be heading in reverse. The Taliban justifies its actions in the name of Islam, but there is no mention of not allowing the education of girls in the Quran. Is the Taliban spoiling these girls’ futures justified?
Modern Education: Is Change Required?
By Ranak Jaiswal
The modern education system has been around for over 100 years now. Over the recent years several debates have been sparked on modern education and its viability in the modern world. This video above will go over several different perspectives and answer the question at hand.
By Ethan Stephen
When I was younger, I was in a foreign land with my father on a trip. I rarely had any memories of this trip in the years to come, but something about this very moment was so vivid. He went to a little stall in a train station where we were waiting and bought something. When he came back with a colourful book, I was immediately enticed. I wasn't the biggest fan of reading— but this was different. I opened up the cover page to a massive picture of Spiderman and I was hooked. I later went on to appreciate comics as a medium of literature, and went on to find manga, which was the final nail in the coffin. That's what’s led me to believe that panel-based mediums of literature are undefeated.
By Eva Crowe
With plastic surgery procedures increasing by 200% since the year 2000, the world is seeing a dangerous cycle that could impact the society we live in forever, conveniently coinciding with the rise of social media sites such as Instagram, Snapchat, and more recently Tiktok.
By Mysha Khan
According to the US Census Bureau before the pandemic, there was an average of about 3.3% of American households homeschooling. By the fall of 2021, the percentage had jumped to about 11%. Many parents said that because of covid, flexibility to shape the child's learning experience at home and the lack of proper attention in schools and other factors they would much rather prefer to have their kids were homeschooled, However, there are still more than 30 countries banning homeschooling and many countries making it impossible to get permission in the first place. So why is that?
By Ronit Saha
Health and medical experts have hailed vaccines as being one of the greatest achievements of the 20th century. Multiple Nobel Prizes have been given to vaccine designers, showing just how prominent the vaccine is. However, in the past few years, the opposition to vaccines is becoming a more notable topic. Concerned parents are opting to forgo the vaccination process because of many different reasons. In 2019 and 2020, there has been a surge of highly infectious diseases that were nearly eradicated. Microbiology expert of Oxford, C. Rodrigues believes that the relation of these two topics is no coincidence. So the question to ask is do the benefits of the vaccine outweigh the objections against it?
by Akeelah Marx
Out of the 7.753 billion people in the world, more than 60 percent have access to technology in their daily life. The daily technology we live with helps us in completing our daily tasks such as; getting where we need to go through GPS systems, receiving information through our phones, even helping us write articles like the one you are reading now. These daily technological uses enhance our way of life and productivity, but some would like to argue not necessarily our intelligence.
By Sanjana Krishna
As humans, we have evolved into a species over many millennia, proven to have the capability to understand the unique differences between individuals. While society is quick to acknowledge this, the stigma faced by individuals of various genders is an ongoing issue desperate for recognition. Many subtle, but profound lifestyle changes are made by these individuals to constantly avoid or minimise discrimination. Yet, this further decreases their sense of societal acceptance over time and consequently leads to concealing their identities or authentic selves.
by Gabrielle Winarta, FIB
UWCSEA’s scholars. Serving the reputation of being perfect, accomplished students who earned their place here on merit alone, many fail to recognize their struggles. But is that who they really are? I came to find out for myself. Here are the unique and compelling stories of three of UWCSEA’s scholars.
by Andria Chen, FIB
With futsal becoming an increasingly popular sport, this video focuses on the story of Ms. Siti, a high school maths teacher at UWCSEA East. Following her journey as a futsal player, the wider implications of the sport are explored. At the end of the day, what does futsal really mean to those who play?
by Hayk Aslanyan, FIB
Cars in Singapore: a whole world of fun, money, danger and mods. Cars in Singapore can seem cheaper than they are, but there are several other hidden costs.
by Yuzu Murase, FIB
For years, Sid Choudhury struggled to come out of the closet in a country where his sexuality was considered an abomination, and could have cost him his life. Now, in a safer place to express himself, he is able to say he is comfortable with who he is.
by Liv Altarac FIB
The environmental problems of our increasingly sedentary society are numerous and possibly fueled by recent rapid societal development as well as the recent outbreak of Covid-19. Never have we been as stationary as we currently are, yet our current lack of action is having consequences.
by Yura Kishida G9
With today’s fast-paced and highly competitive society, students strive to gain and win awards, acceptance and self satisfaction within the walls of a seemingly unforgiving society. Establishing academic superiority as individuals and schools have become more prevalent. Findings from Harris Interactive and APA have shown that teens report their stress levels to be much higher than what they believe is to be healthy (5.8 vs 3.9 on a 10 point scale). Younger and younger generations are progressing and complying with the pace and pressure of what we earn and what we achieve.
by Karl Ghannam, FIB
A short video about the swimming community at UWCSEA East and our lifestyle as a competitive swimmers