Naturally, we, the fans, were devastated, but over time, we grew to accept that they had moved on from the band. All the band members seemed to have gone their own way, with the lead singer, Gerard Way, writing the Netflix hit Umbrella Academy; and Frank Iero (the rhythm guitarist), Mikey Way (the bassist), and Ray Toro (the electric guitarist) all joining other bands.

So we, the fans, could not have been more surprised when, on Frank Iero’s birthday (or, as fans know it, "Ieroween" since it’s on Halloween), they officialised their comeback. It started off with teaser tweets and culminated with an official tweet that will go down in history. Since the beginning of 2019, there have been rumours circulating about the band getting back together. These rumours were somewhat confirmed when Joe Jonas said in an interview that he heard the band practicing. 

Initially, the band announced that they will only do one concert in Los Angeles on December 20, but additional rumours circulated about the band playing more shows around the world. True to their word, five more shows were announced: two in Australia, one in New Zealand and one in Japan.

#MCR was trending number 1 on Twitter that day, and the band actually made a new Instagram account for the occasion. (Currently, they have 19.1k followers.) 

So, even though they said in the song Helena, “So Long and Goodnight," it’s not goodnight yet for the band. 

For those unfamiliar with My Chemical Romance, but who might be interested in listening some of their music, these recommendations (in no particular order) are a good place to start:

• Welcome to the Black Parade

• Helena

• Teenagers

• It’s Not a Fashion Statement, It’s a Deathwish

• Na Na Na (Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na)

Anyka S.

There have been many revolutions in history, such as The First Industrial Revolution, the age of machines and steam-powered factories; The Second Industrial Revolution, the growth of science, mass production, and manufacturing; The Third Industrial Revolution, IT digital computing; andThe Fourth Industrial Revolution, happening right now, is the rise of Artificial Intelligence. 

These three industrial revolutions are a huge part of society’s growth over time. We are going into the fourth one, where we are the most advanced than we have ever been. Having more A.I. in our life has had some effects on our lifestyle. Some say the increase in A.I. is an improvement in mankind, but many don’t agree.

AN IMPROVEMENT TO HUMANITY?

A Decrease in Calculation Errors. Solving complex problems and calculating data involves difficult solutions and leaves room for errors. Having A.I. solve such problems may result in more accurate solutions in many industries.

Better Decision Making. Making unbiased decisions is very important. Using A.I. to make objective decisions may help doctors when diagnosing diseases to avoid prescribing the wrong treatment for the patient. 

Greater Risk-Taking in Exploration. In certain exploratory situations, where the safety of humans is at risk, using A.I. would be a safer alternative. Scientists are using A.I. to study extreme locations such as ocean floors where the environment is too harsh for humans. 

Working Twenty-four Seven. Humans have to have a certain (eight hours per day) amount of labor time until they need to legally leave if they have over time they are paid for the extra time. With A.I. they work continually and never stop saving money for companies from overtime pay. Making more of the product faster while the company paying less for more. 

Access to Information. A.I. allows us to easily access information and data from all around the world. Everyone benefits from more information.

Used in the field of medicine. Doctors use A.I. to make sure of the diagnosed disease for the patient and in the future may be used for surgery. Also establishing a healthier lifestyle. 

A NEGATIVE EFFECT ON HUMANITY?

Expensive. The average cost of producing an average A.I. is 300,000 dollars. 

Dependence. Humans and especially kids who grow up with A.I. may become too dependent on A.I. If ever there were a situation where there was no A.I.,  they may not know what to do.

Loss of jobs. A.I. would replace humans in many areas of work and cause people to lose their jobs.

Bias. A.I. could be programmed to have bias opinions and influence or persuade others in a negative way.

Lacks creativity. In a world where the most valuable thing is creativity, A.I.’s lack that function. It’s the creativity of the programmer that makes the A.I. unique. A.I. can not solve a problem that requires a unique/creative solution. 

Inaccuracy. If not updated frequently the data in A.I. could be inaccurate and old. The information going into an A.I. program should be checked by multiple people. If done incorrectly, thousands of people using that A.I. will have  wrong information which could have major consequences. 

Both sides have compelling arguments but at the end of the day, different people have different views about the future of A.I. depending on their identity. Either way, A.I. will become an immense part of humanity and the world will be watching its growth.

Muskaan C.

On Friday, the 16th of November, at 4:45 pm, the Leadership Retreat had begun. On this day we had a special guest who came to our school to help the MS Ambassadors with leadership: Neil Fraley. As this event was to help improve student leadership, on that night we did a few exercises to mingle and get to know our peers. There were ambassadors, people from the eco-council, and GIN members who had attended the event. Some of the games we played asked us to consider the questions, “What is it meant to be a leader," "What are the qualities of good leaders?" and, "How to be a good leader?” We then had a burrito for dinner after that, we did more activities which made us move around the room and talk to people that we might not have ever communicated with before. 

The next day, Saturday morning, all the ambassadors, GIN members, Eco Council, and Service Learning Council gathered in the Little Theater. We  split into 4 groups: A, B, C, and D. It was a random split for everyone. Each group had different rotations and went from one to another. Some of the rotations were, “Painting the Carabows, The E-Colors, Be You, and What Would You Do in These Circumstances”. In each of these, we were meant to have fun and enjoy ourselves. 

The big picture with the Student Leadership Retreat was to make better student leaders out of us so we can learn to help and support our peers, new and old. This retreat taught us that good leaders must push themselves and get out of their comfort zone to help others, make sacrifices in order to get things done, and stay open minded towards others and their ideas. The way to be a good leader is having a positive attitude even if you don't exactly like an idea, setting the right example for others to follow, and continuing to always strive to improve  your leadership skills.

Chloe R. 

Christmas in the Philippines, as most people know, is the longest celebrated holiday in the country. Spanning from late September to early January, malls and public spaces can already be decorated for Christmas and familiar carols playing even before Halloween has passed. So, why is this holiday just so popular in the Philippines?

Many people are averse to the idea of such a significant holiday being so stretched out. Some argue that it ruins the specialty of the holiday. “It’s very extra, but it’s a nice type of extra,” says ISM eighth grader, Claire.

From an international perspective such as ISM’s, those who aren’t familiar with the culture might not know the full reason for the extended holiday season. ISM student, Affan said that, “It’s because Filipinos are typically very religious.” His answer is not too far from the truth. 

Mariah Sy, a Filipino student attending ISM, informs us, “Christmas is treated as an important religious event, which is the birth of Jesus Christ. In the Liturgical Calendar, there is a period called Advent, which comes before Christmas, and it's about waiting for the Lord to come. I think we celebrate it early here because it ties with our religious beliefs and traditions.”

As quoted above, the Philippines is deeply rooted within Christianity, and it’s been that way since the sixteenth century. And while he is not excluded, Santa Claus isn't necessarily the reason people celebrate Christmas. 

As the holiday season comes closer and closer, it’s important to respect our host country’s culture and way of celebrating such a global holiday.

Kaavya K. 

Anyka S.

Wazirah W.

Affan A. , Chloe R. , Claire S.