Sports Tournament Scheduled Dates

Greetings everyone, we bring you an update directly from the Student Government:

The Sports festival/tournament/event/thing which the Student Government had originally intended to hold in May has been rescheduled.

The new scheduled dates correspond to the week of the 7th-12th June. (The week after Exam Week)

We'll keep you updated. Once more, stay tuned!

The Hive

Yet another of Alejandro Mora’s (4A) flights of creative fantasy; this time on the wings of an ill-fated bee, who discovers that all that glitters is not necessarily gold.

I was walking down an empty dusty road. I don’t know why I was doing so; I had no place to go.

The winding path lead to a coniferous forest. It was lush and green, but there seemed to be no animals there. After a while of exploring and wandering about, I heard a faint buzz behind me. I rapidly turned around, excited to have found an animal in this seemingly empty road. I saw what it was: a bumblebee.

As soon as the little bee saw I noticed it, it flew away in the opposite direction. I followed it, evading the countless trees along the way. After a period of incessant running, an odd feeling came over me. I suddenly felt, well, lighter. And shorter. And fatter. I looked down. Instead of having two running legs, I had six of them, none of them moving. Yet, I was. I then looked up. Two wings as thin as rice paper stuck out from my body. It became all very obvious: I had turned into a bee.

After a rather long and dramatic nervous breakdown, I finally decided to follow my fellow bee. We reached the beehive. I have to admit; it was nothing out of the ordinary on the outside. The inside, however, was a different story. When I first flew in, a wave of honey-scented air pierced into my lungs and warmed me up like a summer’s day. Then, I noticed the walls that sparkled with the color of gold, shining like the morning sun. In the intricate architectural wonders that were the honeycomb rested luminous gems of all colors and shapes: pollen. It was funny in a way. People have searched for the city of El Dorado since the dawn of time, when it has been inside a hive all along.

Unfortunately, it was all too good to be true. I realized only a few bees were up and moving. The rest of them were lying in the honeycombs or even on the floor, gasping for air and coughing vigorously. They crawled towards me, begging for help. I tried to aid them by bringing them honey and water, but whatever malady they had was too strong. I then started feeling weak and dizzy. I had to escape. I ran towards the exit. I left and flew between the trees. In a matter of minutes, I was just the decaying carcass of a sick bee falling down on an empty dusty road.

Diary of a Tech-aholic

By: Brenda Peralta S7

At a time where teens have never been so hooked to communications technology, the challenge for a large group of BSCR students and teachers to go ‘tech-free’ for the week, was always going to be difficult. One of those committed to the cause was Brenda Peralta of Senior 7. Here is how she remembered those 72 hours of tech-free pain and gain. Thanks again to Mr. Ross for spearheading the charity event.

During the last few days, we did a project named "Tech Free." This project involved having no technology for 72 hours. This meant no cellphones, no computers, no Internet, no Facebook, no Twitter...well overall, anything that would connect you to the world. The task was difficult to plan and harder to still to get through those long hours. Not only was the project meant to create awareness but also raise some money to send half to Camara and the other half to a school in Corcovado.

Day 13th, 14th and 15th:

This entry is set in 3 days since

It’s break time and the crowd begins to come. Mr. Ross is eager for tech free to start and suddenly he starts shouting: “THREE, TWO, ONE…TECH FREE STARTS!”

[Here my days are more or less the same, therefore the days are kept in the same diary entry].

Well, say good-bye to technology for the next couple of days. Good-bye cellphone, good-bye Internet, Twitter, Messenger, Skype…and yes even television. Come on I can make it. I can make…can I? My life depends on technology…I have become so used to having technology in my life. The bell rings and it’s time to go to class. Yay…Information Technology class without technology… ironic. Class actually goes bearably without technology. I actually think I can now make it! The bell rings and it’s time to go home. My usual ritual when I arrive home is now broken for these days. No television when I get home, no texting my boyfriend or my friends when I need to ask them something…when I get home…no technology. Panic start’s running through my veins again…what will I do?!

I usually have the thing of eating with the TV on; however not this time. Eating dinner without any technology is quite soothing. You actually enjoy the meal and focus on the meal. I hadn’t had lunch like that in quite a while.

I’m now at my room staring at the ceiling…what will I do now? This question is repeated in my mind for the next 20 minutes until I suddenly fall asleep. Being without technology made me have naps. I then started thinking on how long it had been since I took a nap…months, years! I woke up and my body felt rested. Heard that quote that says:

“This is IB, you may pick 2 of the following:

1. Good Grades

2. Enough Sleep

3. A Social Life”

Having no technology made my decision easier, but now I could have 2 choices! I could now have enough sleep and do some homework. I realized having no computer or no cellphone made me be more productive. My homework was done days earlier than the due date that and having no TV made me have more time, than I usually have, to read a book.

It’s now 7 o’clock. Night. The usual time I call my boyfriend on Skype and talk to him for a while. Urges suddenly come. The computer is next to me, the cellphone is next to me, and the remote for the TV is next to me. The fact that my Internet has been gone for a couple of days has made my life easier. Nonetheless, the fact that Facebook, Twitter and Messenger are prohibited now makes them more appealing. Never heard of the quote: “You want what you can’t have?” Well, that’s exactly how I felt at that time.

However, the cellphone. The cellphone. I’m now imagining it starts ringing even though it’s off. I stare at it for a while. My hands start to reach the cellphone…I can’t control them. I’m about to fall into temptation but I focus my mind on something else. I grab my book again and start reading. After a while I get bored. I head downstairs and see the kitchen. My cooking instincts start to come again. I know I want to study cooking later on but with school and homework I haven’t had the time to bake something. No technology has actually start to bring benefits. Even though I’ve had some breaking points I manage to get over them and set my mind in something else.

The day is now over and it’s time to go to sleep. Good night.

Day 16th:

Yes!!! Last day of tech free. A few more hours and I can connect to the world again. I want to turn my ipod…but then I remember I can’t use the ipod. Great…but…come one…a few more hours and I’m past those long agonizing days. I hope we are going to get a lot of money to donate.

I get to school and get the cake to Mr. Ross’ office. Come one a few more hours…First class Maths…I can make it I don’t need technology in that class. The fun Maths hour goes by [yeah right] and then literature class. Mrs. Wolff makes my mind forget the fact that I’m not using technology, when we start having a discussion during class. The hour has now gone by. 10 o’clock and now I need to go up to help Mr. Ross on the tech free final hours.

Mr. Ross has set everything for the reconnect. There is music, candy, cake and a lot of posters to make the reconnect…that wonderful time where we can send now messages and get onto messenger. Those 3 days without technology has accumulated the repression of no technology…Mr. Ross starts counting again: “10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1!!!” YEEES!!! I turn my cellphone on and send the first message I can from the last 3 days. Finally I’ve been wating for this moment.

Entertaining Success

We apologize for this late submission, it took a bit long to get to our online publisher. Enjoy an amazing summary of what we experienced in the international fair.

Last Saturday March 20th, the school hosted another International Fair. Many had already decided not to attend what they may have considered to be a boring affair, but this time they were wrong. This time it was quite entertaining.

Fun attractions, games and activities were not scarce. Even if some of them were similar, or the same, as past years, this time they were better advertised and frequented by the young ones. Meanwhile, the adults were content with talking, eating or enjoying the good music.

The usual games included the classic ones involving throwing balls into holes, tumbling down a coconut and searching inside a chest for a ‘treasure’. There were also some things to do for the small ones, such as the petting zoo and the inflatables.

One of the activities with the highest expectations was the mechanic bull. This was new in the fair, and many were waiting excitedly to ride the beast. In the end, the bull was smaller than everyone expected and was used mainly by children. It amused many, though, especially Mr. Holborow’s scintillating commentary.

Another thrilling moment during the fair was when, unexpectedly, the siren announced the arrival of the competitors. The Great Race, always present and always supported, is the soul of the fair. It is one of the traditions that still remains, and will never be forgotten. Just like every year, many students, teachers and parents ran the celebrated race. Then, prizes were given to the winners, including an impressive runners-up debut to Mr. New, who like those before him, had to be content for the minor prize, given the invincible presence of three-time winner Mr. Ryan.

Along with the race, the diverse selection of world food is a time honoured tradition now. Even if this time there seemed to be fewer kiosks than other years, the ones that were there offered a varied group of foods from different countries. These included Italy, Spain, Costa Rica, England, Peru and some others. France was the only one we really missed, for it was the one with delicious desserts!

The music stage has already been included in the Fair’s activities for a couple of years now. Different bands played both covers and original productions that gave the fair a cheerful mood. The bands were formed by very talented members of our school. Teachers and students showed their talent and effort during the entire fair. The highlight was the teacher/student finale – a lively rendition of Pink Floyd’s ‘Another Brick in the Wall.’

To conclude, the International Fair was not disappointing. It was an undisputed success. I do think that there are some things that could be done to make it even better. For instance, the music couldn’t be heard well from all the parts of our big fair. The stage could be more integrated, to get the attention of more people and some of the music could be better. In addition, I don’t think there should have been printed maps, for they were a complete waste of paper. They are not necessary because the idea of a fair is to wander about and discover its mysteries.

The International Fair will always be a tradition in this school and we should all try to improve it. We should not forget that it is for a good cause, and it is worth it. It is also a great way to spend a good time with teachers and schoolmates and for our families get to meet each other.

SERENASE

Alejandro Mora of 4A has only recently arrived at BSCR. Judging by the first chapter of this fantasy series ‘Serenase,’ we are privileged to welcome a creative writer of unique talent. Prepare now, to enter his bizarre imagination.

Hello. My name is Lev, and, until recently, I had had a relatively normal life. I used to have a brother, a mother, and a dog, but that is all gone. Don’t feel sorry for me, though. While I may have lost some things, I have gained many, many more. I have a world of my own now. I have a place where I belong.

Let me explain further. I was born in December 23rd, 1959 in Moscow, Russia. Growing up in the sixties was interesting to say the least. At that time, the space race was going strong, and the U.S. had just detonated its first nuclear bomb. The Klu Klux Klan was killing African Americans in Alabama and the Hippie movement brought up a whole new batch of STDs. Yeah, definitely not the best times Earth had seen. But oh well, the USSR wasn’t so bad, at least not from my point of view. I had a pretty normal life, that is, before December 23rd, 1970: my 11th birthday. That’s when I discovered the best place ever. The amazing, incredible, fantastic world called Serenase.

Have you ever read Alice in Wonderland? Well, Serenase is like Wonderland. Only bigger, crazier, and way, way cooler (plus, there are no annoying queens or ugly food that makes you shrink or swell up like a balloon). Serenase is the best place in the whole world for a kid like me to have lived in. I could run around everywhere, use pretty much everything, and just do anything; I had nothing to worry about except for one tiny, tiny exception. No matter how many ice-cream scoops I gobbled from Sweets Valley, how many round, red, scrumptious bonbons I tasted, or how many French Fries I swallowed, I always had to get my daily dose of Fairy Dust. If I didn’t (and I don’t really understand why yet) I might disappear from Serenase. And that is truly my worst nightmare.

Fairy Dust was found inside the petals of this very strange flower that grew in the Plains of Need. The plant was beautiful; its small blossoms were light blue, and their petals made them look like stars fallen from the skies. The plains were full of them, and the Fairy Dust was not hard to get. You just had to touch the inside of the flower with your finger and lick the shimmering powder.

I had gotten used to eating fairy dust by now, because it was a routine for me, but for any of you out there that have never tried it and want to come to Serenase, I must tell you that it is not a pleasant process. Not for me, at least.

Very few people outside Serenase have dust. Don´t ask me how they get it, because I can’t answer that; from what I’ve been told by Serenatians, you can only get the dust from the Plains of Need, like I do, but for some reason these guys have it. They are called “hobos.” They wear old, muddy, stinky clothes and like to hang out at Moscow’s dark alleys.

I met my “hobo” one Friday, when I was coming home from school. I was running down the streets, singing a song about pigeons, when I heard him. I hadn’t noticed him at first; he was hidden in the shadows, and looked like the trash bags around him. He was coughing quietly, but I am a good listener. I stopped, and hesitated. Mom always told me not to talk to strangers, but I was so close to home I could just run away if something happened. I decided to ask the man what he was doing, because I had noticed something else: his greasy hand was holding a shiny white powder.

“What’s that?” I asked, getting a little closer. I saw the man move and heard him groan. He looked at me and smiled. His yellow-brown teeth were crooked, and many of them were missing.

“A newcomer!” he said, and tried to stand up but couldn’t. I was now so near him that I could see a couple of flies flying over his head.

“Is that ‘sshh’ dust?” I questioned, staring at the thing in his hand.

“Huh?” he replied, curving one eyebrow, visibly confused. I felt a little embarrassed, because I knew that wasn’t its name. I meant that dust that came with lollipops, the one that goes “sshh” on your mouth, but I couldn’t remember what they called it. The man raised his hand and, to my astonishment, stuck his nose into it and sniffed the bright particles. They didn’t “sshh.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking ‘bout, kid,” he said sleepily. He coughed again and suddenly seemed to have more energy, like when I get a sugar rush. “But whatever that is, I can assure you this is better. This, my friend, is Fairy Dust.”

He held his palm out for me to see. I was amazed. The Fairy Dust was so sparkly and pretty I wanted to take some. I did, and held a handful in my own palm. The man laughed.

“If you sniff it, the fairies will come and protect you from the horrible ogres that hide in mailboxes. They want to eat you.”

“There are no ogres in my-” I began to say, but the man stood up all of a sudden and covered my mouth with his other hand. His face was dead serious.

“That’s what you think, that’s what you think, but they’ll come out eventually. Unless the fairies are here to protect you,” he said, his yellow eyes wide open, staring at mine. He started smiling again, sniffed some more dust, and coughed. “You take that home and sniff it. You can also lick it, but the dragons will wake up and open a hole down there,” he told me, nodding and pointing at his belly button. I nodded with him and then ran home.

That night, in my room, I got out some dust from my backpack and looked down at it. I had hid it because if I showed it to my mom she would ask where I got it, and I would have to tell her I had talked to a stranger, so better not make her angry. I let some of the dust go down between my fingers and fall on my mattress. It shone with the streetlights that came through my window, making it look magical. I didn’t think there were ogres on my mailbox, but I wanted to try the dust. What was it really? I looked around me and, not knowing what to expect, I sniffed.

Nothing happened. I coughed, because my nose tickled from inside, but that was all. I got more dust from my backpack, much more this time, and got ready to sniff it. Then it hit me. I didn’t feel I was falling until my head hit the pillow. The impact did not hurt, of course, but I felt my brain would explode. My nose was burning, and I couldn’t open my eyes because the tears stung. My legs were moving violently, and my neck was rigid. I was holding the fairy dust tightly with my fist. My only reaction was to swallow it, and I did. A wave of calmness went over every corner of my body, and I felt I was floating. Then I felt grass on my back, and when I opened my eyes, I was laying on the Plains of Need, surrounded by blue flowers.

…And that’s how I got to Serenase. I will now share my story. I’ll tell you of my adventures, my journeys, and my experiences in this magical place. So grab a handful of Fairy Dust and meet me in Serenase.

Avatar - Totally Bioluminescent!

By: Katherine Melbourne S3B

Avatar (2009), directed by James Cameron, has made the most money out of ticketing sales since the movie Titanic (1997), also made by James Cameron. It has been twelve years since that happened and Avatar has been the most watched film ever.

The colorful world of Pandora is definitely an eye-catching sight and everyone wonders what kind of technology it took to make this world that’s very different from our own. In fact, James Cameron had to invent the technology to make his movie as eye-striking and bright as it is. It took four years and a rough total of four-hundred million dollars. He hired some technicians from 20^th Century Fox, gave them a lot of money and told them to figure out a way to make the world that we know today as the mystical Pandora.

It was very difficult to make the world of Pandora, and there are so many little details put into it that at first glance, we don’t notice them. For instance, everything in and on Pandora has what is called a ‘bio-luminescent’ quality. For example, at night, when anything walks on the grass, the small area of grass they just stood on will glow for a second or two. Such little details add to the wonder and beauty of this made-up world. To add to the quality of the film, the story line is easy to follow. It gradually gives us information to the point where we know the whole background story; for example, the war with the humans.

The beauty of this made-up world is amazing and is certainly eye-catching, but perhaps a little too amazing. There have been cases where the beauty and colors of Pandora have actually caused depression in some people. Some people realize that Earth will never be quite as beautiful as Pandora and that is the centre of most of the depression cases. To that, James Cameron said, “If this movie is causing you depression now, you were not happy before.” Nevertheless, he has also promised to make a sequel to Avatar to calm those people.

When making the 3-D version of Avatar he wanted the illusion of reality, but he didn’t want to have items intentionally thrown at the screen for a 3-D effect. All he wanted to do was add a 3D affect to the normal movie, so that he didn’t make the film cheesy by throwing stuff at the screen to try to make people see that it is a 3-D movie. Instead, James Cameron gives each item a certain distance in the screen and he also give each item certain clarity in the screen. When we look at things, each thing has a distance it is from your eye and clarity depending on what you are focusing on. That is what he did with his movie.

James Cameron has won multiple awards as well as money for his master-piece movie. He’s won a total of nine nominations and a total of six Oscars that he has won. All in all, Avatar was a very successful movie and it will go down in movie history, if it hasn’t already.

House Updates: Irazu

BSCR News did not get any submission from Irazu (Yet, we'll update as soon as we do). Boo! Come on, you won the bimester! Tell us how it feels to stop Barva from having yet another Green Day. That's right, it's YELLOW DAY this Thursday April 29th. Congratulations Irazu! Remember it's yellow or uniform, your choice!

House Updates: Poas

During the past years luck hasn’t been on our side, but this time we won’t need any. This year Poas has a renovated squad and working team. Poas has the attitude, motivation and potential to run over every single team. Ms. Tugwell as head of house, Virginie Fostroy and Dari Seo as House Captains and all the star players are hungry for victory. We have a new mascot, SQUIRTLE! It is an innovative image which represents our spirit. Come on, it’s a Pokemon - everyone loves Pokemon.

Poas has proven to be 100% girl power this year. Undefeated all the way in both football and volleyball, the girls have proven to be invincible. The boys have been doing well too. One loss and one win each in football and undefeated in volleyball. Can you ask for more?

What can we expect for the future? We predict a Blue Day! It’s the first time in years that the Poas team will have the privilege to do so, and we definitely have the correct attitude (and skills) to gain it. Additionally, our merit count is super. We are the smallest house and for the first time our merits are going to be proportional to numbers!!!

Keep on working hard Poas, we are definitely on the right road for Victory.

Dari Seo and Virginie Fostroy (house captains)

House Updates: Barva

As expected Barva is doing quite well so far - no surprise here as we have the incredible Mr. Posterino as our new head of house and all the enthusiastic “Barvies”.

Despite a slight set back involving spilt paint all over the art room, our board looks great and we thank Javier for his awesome design. Although Barva didn’t win first place, the board caused the most people to stop and stare with mouths gaping, unable to believe the fact that Barva had done it again – with creativity, imagination, humour as well demonstrating that we are the ‘Master of Puppets’!

Sports wise we continue to compete hard in the usual Barva manner. Let’s keep up the team spirit by participating in the house activities.

Keep the merits rolling!! (Let’s have yet another Green Day!)

-Alysha W. and Clare H.-

House Updates: Arenal

Good news for Arenal members, as we won the best mascot and board! Well done to Tatiana Ng Fung and Mariana Gonzalez for their hard work and creativity for coming up with the idea of Jessica Rabbit in Las Vegas.

There has also been much enthusiasm and good effort by each Arenal member at all of the sports tournaments. Congratulations to the teams that won and Arenal members that have contributed to the merit count. Let’s keep up the momentum so that we can win more games! And let’s make sure Barva does not get another ‘Green Day’! GO ARENAL!

- -- Sue Lyn Stubbs, Arenal House Captain

BSCR Government

Since we're working hard to network all of the school's media and communication systems, we'll be posting certain events (in English) taken from the Student Government's page.

May 4th: All S5, S6 and S7 students are invited to participate in a brief presentation during Lunch Break given by the organization "Un Techo para mi Pais!" More Info

May 7th: The Student Government extends an invitation in the name of Fundaction Giamala to participate in a BINGO at the Costa Rica Tennis Club. More Info

The Talent Show's Theme candidates have been unveiled: Harry Potter, Fifa World Cup and Pokemon! Expect a referendum soon enough. Remember the Talent Show is scheduled for Thursday June 17th.

We'll be stalking Ariel Dickerman (S6) regarding upcoming events and such. Stay Tuned!