A Newsletter totally created by the Senior Class of Saipan International School

1. Upcoming events…
‣ 5/22
Commencement
Ceremony"
‣ 6/5 8th Grade
Promotion"
‣ 6/10 Typhoon Make
up day (Half Day)"
‣ 6/11 Summer
Holiday Begins
To Bring or Not to Bring to College
New SAT
That time of the year where
running becomes competitive.
Track and field is the season to
run not only as a hobby but as a
sport as well. This year the
seniors Victoria Chentsova and
Nicole Arenovski competed and
both qualified for the finals.
Congrats to both of you!
Not only seniors but everyone in
the high school is invited to
participate in the track and field
competition. This year more
students have participated than
any other year. Final competition
is this Friday, May 22.
Come and support Saipan
International School Geckos!
BY: LYNETTE VASQUEZ
SAT is one of the most formidable obstacle in preparing for a college. Many
high school students are probably familiar with this test already; however, for
better or worse, some major changes in format are coming to SAT starting
from 2016. Freshmen and sophomores and juniors who still need to take the
exam should be concerned about this change.
What is SAT?
According to The College Board, an organization administering the SAT, “The
SAT is a globally recognized college admission test that lets you show
colleges what you know and how well you can apply that knowledge… one of
many factors that colleges consider when making their admission decisions.”
Students may also take the ACT, another standardized test, instead of SAT.
Should you take it?
Majority of colleges require SAT or ACT score to judge your academic
strength as to predict your success in the college.
…to be continued on page 2
“To pack or not to pack? That is the question” a play on the words of
the infamous “To be or not to be” quote from William Shakespeare’s play,
Hamlet, pretty much sums up the question that clouds every upcoming soon-
to-be college students’ mind.
There are many things that a student needs to be aware of before they
start packing, such as that they need to check what their school already
provides for their dorm so they are aware of what’s given to them and then
they could begin their planning on what other things they may need that the
school doesn’t provide.
There are obvious things that students should bring to their dorms,
such as: Bedding for the bed, blankets, pillows, febreeze spray, an ALARM
CLOCK, a coffee mug (They’re gonna need it when finals being to roll
around), laundry baskets, a printer, and a lamp (for those late night cram
sessions). Then there are some smaller necessities that they need to bring
such as: their cellphone, laptop, their chargers, a USB or hard drive, clothes
(For EVERY SEASON, don’t wear shorts and flipflops during a blizzard
because it was the only thing you packed. Dress accordingly to match the
weather!), fancy formal clothes (Never know when it will come in handy),
! …to be continued on page 2
Track and Field
2015 Qualifiers
Friday, May 22, 2015

2. #sisgeckosSaipan @SaipanGeckos
The New SAT…continued from page 1
!
Although some colleges does not require applicants to submit
standardized test scores, I strongly recommend you to take it, then
decide whether to submit the score.
!
SAT is not to be confused with SAT subject tests, which are less
required by colleges and are specific to each subject of the tests such as
Literature, U.S. History, World History, Math, Biology, Chemistry,
Physics, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Latin, Chinese, Japanese, and
Korean.
General format of SAT consists of questions on reading, math and
writing, with an essay part to test students’ writing skills. Students read
passages and answer multiple choice questions interpreting the passage,
matching in appropriate vocabulary in a sentence, solving geometrical
and algebraic problems, and revising grammar and writing issues. From
2016 March Test, however, many aspects of this test will drastically
change.
Changes in 2016 SAT
• Essay part is now optional. It also doubled its designated time
from 25 minutes to 50 minutes. Students also have to read and
analyze a provided text in their essay.
• From 3 hours 45 minutes to 3 hours + (50 min for Essay)
• No ¼ point deduction for wrong answers
• The test now focuses on real-life problem solving and skills
important to success in college. Vocabularies questions now
places importance in recognizing context and nuance than just
knowing the meaning of obscure words.
• Expect science and history related questions, passages and essay
documents. (And having to analyze them )
• The Critical Reading and Writing sections are no more. Instead,
the new Evidence-Based Reading and Writing section comprised
of Reading test and Writing and Language test replaces the two.
• The test is now graded on a scale from 400 to 1600. Evidence-
Based Reading and Writing section and Math section each 800.
• There are calculator-free math parts in math section
• More time per questions.
Preparing for SAT
To get their best possible result, students should take the exam more
than once, with significant time to practice in between, and take a lot of
practice tests.
For those unnerved by the new and daunting SAT, Mr. Lee assures us
that not much changed in the new SAT, that Calculator free sections
have existed from before and we have to read a lot to succeed in SAT. If
you want to familiarize yourselves with the new SAT, you can go to the
websites below--read about the new exam and find sample questions to
practice.
BY: JINY YANG
To Bring or Not to Bring to
College… continued from page 1
!
plates and utensils, and maybe even
a small refrigerator, a microwave and an
electric kettle (These are some things that
can be bought together with the
roommate). Some useless things but still
slightly important items include: tape (To
stick all of your pretty pictures of friends
and family on the wall to remind you of
home), pens and pencils, and probably a
piggy bank (Desperate times may call for
desperate measures. And remember for a
broke college student, every penny counts).
Also, an interesting piece of advice coming
from a fellow graduate of SIS and current
college student, Joon Lee, “Make sure you
have quarters, you’re gonna need it for
laundry”
Lastly there are the completely
unnecessary things that are NOT needed
such as: extra chairs, sofas, and couches
(One chair is all a student really needs and
those other things just take extra space,
settle for something like a bean bag chair),
hot plates, toasters or toaster ovens, a
skillet, blender, pancake/waffle maker,
PETS (With the exception of fish
depending on the school’s dorm policies).
With school coming to a close and
summer quickly approaching, it is only a
matter of time before the senior student
graduates and finally transforms into a
college freshman. Hopefully these tips can
give students some ideas on how to pack
for college.
BY: SOPHIA TENORIO

3. The graduation date of this year’s seniors is rapidly approaching. While the lives of our 12th graders may be juristically
changing, the lives of the teachers will be changing too. Our high school faculty have spent the last four years getting to
know the wonderful graduating class. From mid-term exams to pizza parties, the teachers have spent many of their
brightest moments with the seniors. As a sort of tribute to the graduating class, the Gecko Times has decided to
approach each of the teachers and ask them what last bit of advice or good words they have for
the students. So without further adieu here are the words of some of the high school faculty.
Mr.Tessen: “When these guys were adorable little freshmen I remember thinking, "I'm gonna
love spending four years with these people." And was I ever right. Thank you for four goofy,
funny, touching, wonderful years, my lovely seniors!”
Ms.Andrews “The purpose of life is to make connections: with others and with the Earth. Be
mindful always of your intentions and your actions, and be the best YOU you can be!. It's been
a pleasure watching you all grow and change over the last two years. As you disperse into the
world, please keep in touch with your Saipan family!”
Mrs. Bray: “Carpe Diem” (“Seize the day”)
Ms.Peterson: “Be YOU, Be REAL, Be LOVE! Don’t let others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. Have the
courage to follow your heart and intuition.”
Ms. Jang: “I hope you cherish the following four years at college. That’s the best time of your life, not only inside class
but with new friends and experiences. Enjoy the school life and the school activities. Inside and outside the classroom
there is so much to do, try it all! Have great fun!”
Mr.Lee: “Per angusta ad augusta” (“Through difficulties to honors”)
This year’s seniors will be dearly missed by faculty and students alike! But don’t fret too much. They’ll be back to tell
you all about what their college experience is like! Good Luck Seniors!
BY: VICTORIA CHENTSOVA
Teachers Last Words to Graduating Class of 2015
Life as A Senior: May Edition
Decide on a college? Check. Make the housing deposit? Check. Pass the final semester? Uhhh…
It’s finally May, the month that all Seniors are waiting for – and dreading over. May is when our glorious
graduation countdown begins, as well as the month that AP exams, major papers, and final
assessments decide to show up all together. In short, May is our juxtaposition of euphoria and
chaos. From the moment I wake up in the morning, I freak out about the amount of homework
I’ve received from teachers, whether or not I should study more for AP exams, and when my
Housing Application will be available. However, I also get ecstatic over the fact that I’m a day
closer to graduating from high school and the fact that I’m going to be on my own in a very
different area! May, for Seniors, is full of stress and excitement – but it also reveals the
heartbreaking concept that we are finally grown-ups pursuing our own individual paths once
high school is over. And that day of bittersweet freedom, in the words of Headmaster Mr. Bray,
“is not very far”.
BY: MINORI YOSHIDA

4. As the graduation date closes, some of the seniors become quite excited about it and distracted from the courses
they are currently learning in the last two weeks. Most of the AP exams have already finished and people are no longer
stressed out after those perplexing exams. However, the seniors are not supposed to immediately stop focusing on some
of them like physics sine it’s not finished yet. Here, for people who intend to take the major of science and engineering
in college, I would like to point out how greatly the physics will influence your college learning.
Craig Ferguson once said, “Other than the law of physics, rules have never really worked out for me” As a
matter of fact, the physics studying is essentially important among the college courses if some of the students have
already decided to get into the field of science and engineering. As one of the fundamental courses, the sophisticated
knowledge of physics is required to fully master in order to explore the higher level of professional part of your field.
Some topics like electricity, force and magnetism are continuously being talked
about in college. Therefore, we cannot do well in the majors of science and
engineering unless we consciously grasp the concepts well in high school.
Ultimately, despite the graduation and the end of high school, people have an
unfinished path on physics if they make their minds becoming a successful
engineer and scientist. Do not give up on this interesting and practical subject too
early and try to finish that with satisfying grade, seniors!
!
Why Do We Keep Studying Physics
Favorite Things Seniors are Going to Miss
The seniors are leaving! And it’s definitely a very bittersweet time in all our lives right now. We’re at that last
stretch of our high school life where we just want to graduate so bad, but at the same time we still cannot believe that
we’ve made it this far in our lives. It’s incredible to think that in just a few short months most of us will be uprooted
from our tiny island and be living somewhere far away. Many of us are going to the states, but some students are going
to exotic places such as Hong Kong and Taiwan. BUT ENOUGH OF THE SAD STUFF FOR NOW, for the time
being, we are just cherishing the precious time we have left here. I went around the classroom and asked my fellow
classmates the question, “Besides friends and family, what will you miss most about the island?”
FOOD: of course is one of the things that will be missed. Local food is essentially a
very important part of all of us because we grew up eating local food. Sophia Tenorio quotes
“I’m going to miss red rice and spam because red rice is a part of my Chamorro identity and
I eat it almost every day.” Another senior named Hatsuko says “I’m really going to miss coco
and apigigi.” Coco is pickled mango or papaya that has been marinated in vinegar sauce. It’s
super crunchy and sour when it’s eaten and it should be eaten with white rice. Apigigi is a mixture of coconut and rice
that has been molded into a paste, which is then wrapped into a circular shape with banana leaves. Coco and apigigi are
a few of the local dishes of Saipan and both are so very good to eat. Even restaurants are going
to be missed because most of the restaurants on Saipan are not chain restaurants, so people in
the class will have to come back to Saipan just to be able to eat the food there. “I’m deeply
grieved that I’m not going to be able to eat at Shirly’s and have their famous fried rice or at the
restaurant called Jehms. It serves great Sinigang soup. In the states there won’t be any local
restaurants like that, so I’m sad,” Chris Park quotes.
…to be continued on page 5

5. Favorite Things Seniors are Going to Miss… continued from page 4
!
Beaches, Hiking, and Weather: Saipan is famous for its beautiful white beaches
and all the wonderful hikes people can go on. There is absolutely nothing better than living the island
life. I live where people want to vacation. Jehn Joyner quotes “I go hiking almost every weekend. My
favorite spots are Forbidden Island or Managaha. Every weekend there’s something new to explore or
a different site to see. I just don’t know how I am going to be able to have this kind of life in the
States.” We are so used to having the warm sun shining on our faces and the constant lovely weather.
“Just sitting on the beach all day is one of the best things I love to do. Families come out with their children and people
are able to play volleyball and soccer. It’s just a great life,” Nicole Arenovski, “I’m going to be heartbroken for a while
when I leave.”
Community: For me, this is what I am going to miss most: the sense of
community. Saipan is so small, so almost everyone knows everyone. I feel so comfortable to go
out into the town because I usually run into people I know and even if I don’t know them, I
have probably seen the person before. I always feel safe on Saipan, and when I leave, I’m going
to lose that security because it won’t be there where I am going. Community is something
ALL my classmates are going to miss. We all have grown up together and we’ve grown up
with other teenagers on the island and when we leave we are going to have to start all over and
make new friends, and I bet to some of the seniors that’s just a scary idea.
Island life is just easy living. We always have friends around, we always have the sun
shining, and we are always safe here. We eat great food and we have beautiful scenery that surrounds us and all these
things are going to be truly missed when we leave.
But Saipan is home and one way or another everybody makes it back home because home is where the heart is.
BY: PHALAI FRINK
Our Plans for the Future
The school year has come to an end and the senior class of Saipan International School are up and ready to continue
their journey to a new life. The dreams to become civil servants, business men, engineers, teachers, architects, etc. are
slowly becoming a reality for many of the students. College is a big step to achieving these dreams and the majority, if
not all, of the senior students have decided on what college/university they will attend. Please Congratulate the
students who have been admitted to their colleges.
Colleges come in many shapes and sizes, populated with
multiple different ethnic groups. As the senior class enters a new world and new environment, they will learn a whole
new different aspect in life. Already having plans for the future and already decided on a college, the seniors are up and
ready to become adults.
Congratulations Seniors! BY: HATSUKO BEARDEN

6. May Birthday Shout outs: Early Summer Celebrations!
As we near the end of the school year, there are two things running through every student’s mind: summer and
final exams. For some students, the countdown for summer began in May- or for the seniors, since the first day of
school. As we go about studying for the dreaded AP and cumulative final exams, we let stress overtake our minds and
actions. We begin to forget deadlines and upcoming events, such as birthdays, which many people tend to easily
overlook. With either our eyes glued to textbooks or our minds dreaming of summer vacations, we easily disregard the
calendar to see whose birthday is just around the corner. For this month, it is best we do not aim for summer just yet,
and we also should not let our studies cloud our minds in forgetting the importance of special days that are designated
for our classmates. We students may
want to rush the next couple of
weeks in order to reach the last
day of school, but we need to
consider the present and show our
appreciation to our friends, for it
is their day to feel fully
appreciated! May is a time of
anticipation and stress; let us also
include moments of happiness
and kindness to our fellow
classmates that have birthdays
leading to the summer!
This month we have a total
of twelve birthday celebrants: 6
from elementary, 2 from middle
school, and 4 from high school. Let us not misplace their birthday dates in the midst of our mind as the events of May
busy ourselves with procrastinated presentations or exams that count for 50% of our grade. If all we can think about
these last few days is the excitement of the end of school, take a moment to realize the beauty of a beginning in
someone’s life. Writer Jonathan Lockwood Huie wrote, “Celebrate endings – for they precede new beginnings.” As we
face the end of the 2014-2015 school year, we must also celebrate new beginnings of life – or more accurately an
addition to the years – of our celebrants’ lives. Happy Birthday, May celebrants! And have an exciting, fun-filled
summer, SIS!
BY: TIANA RANJO

7. Nicole Arenovski
University of Nevada, Reno
Hatsuko Bearden
Norwich University
Chris Cepeda
Northern Marianas College
Victoria Chentsova
Williams College
William Fong
Santa Clara University
Phalai Frink
University of Portland
Da Hae Han
University of Portland
Andrew Johnson
California Polytechnic State
University
Jehn Joyner
University of San Francisco
Hwan Ho Kim
Suny: Stony Brook University
Nam Ki Kim
University of Portland
Yong Kwang Kim
Hong Kong Polytechnic University
Yuta Kitami
University of Hawaii at Manoa
Byung Chan Lee
A Korean University
Seoung Hyun Lee
Northern Marianas College
Chris Park
University of Portland
Tiana Ranjo
Temple University in Tokyo, Japan
Sophia Tenorio
University of Washington
Lynette Vasquez
Lynn University
Yuqing Xing
University of Nevada, Las
Vegas
Jiabao Xu
Northern Marianas College
Li Zhou Xu
Northern Marianas College
Fusheng Yang
University of
Massachusetts
Jiny Yang
Union College
Minori Yoshida
Barnard College
Joey Nigh
Providence University,
Taichung
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