Sunday, December 22, 2024

Thailand's 1st Interscholastic Student Newspaper

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the union international

Is the GDP Statistic the Metric for the Future?

The GDP is a buzzword that is ubiquitous in modern-day media. It is a term that is spewed around in both political and economic...

A Deep Dive on Mental Health and Suicide Prevention

It is no secret that there is a correlation between mental health and suicide. The thing about suicide is, there are a variety of reasons and triggers that can cause one to take their own life. Many of these reasons however, relate to our mental wellbeing. As humans, we have all experienced some type of negative life event or feelings of frustration and despair. These negative emotions can heavily contribute to our mental health, raising the question: How do we focus on our mental health to prevent the risk of suicide?

Seoul Femicide Fury

A plaque on a restroom wall reads “Women Friendly Seoul.” This seemingly assuring phrase turns out to be a lie after a young woman is murdered at the Sindang subway station. The once blank wall below the plaque is now flooded with numerous messages on post-it notes from members of the South Korean community voicing their sorrow, fright, and anger.

An Interview with Two Club Presidents from Ruamrudee International School

Like many other schools, Ruamrudee International School has a wide variety of clubs, and for each of them, a team of executives who work hard to direct it. Many challenges come with having a leadership position, and many of you may be unsure about having one. Gavin from EducatoryX and our very own Editor-in-Chief of The Union International (currently independently-run), Pear, have answered some questions relating to their experience in leading a club.

18 in a Collapsing World: My Views on Current Matters as a Young Person.

I just turned eighteen and to be honest, nothing has really changed. I just woke up being one year older than the day before. Physically I haven’t changed much since my last birthday, mentally I have evolved for sure but otherwise nothing really incredible happened when I turned 18. Legally though, many things have changed, I am now considered as an “adult” even though being adult means many different things. If I haven’t changed much, there is something that constantly moves: our world. That is why I wanted to tackle three important matters (according to me) in today’s world. I truly believe that young people such as me should reflect upon the various situations and events happening across the globe. We have a voice so let’s use it.

Honor Killings in Pakistan

Qandeel Baloch was a 26-year-old Pakistani celebrity. Dubbed “the Kim Kardashian of Pakistan,” she was an activist for women's rights in the Middle East, challenging Pakistan's patriarchal norms and the government for their inequalities and corruption (Alam). Qandeel Baloch inspired thousands of young girls to advocate for themselves in Pakistan. With over thirty-six thousand followers on Twitter, she was a beloved but also a controversial figure, and her controversy led to her death. After her name reached large media companies, people began to wonder who Qandeel Baloch and her family were. On March 29th, 2016, her real name was revealed as Fouzia Azeem, and according to CNN, her family began to receive backlash for “not controlling” (Saifi, et al). Eighteen days later, on April 16, 2016, Qandeel Baloch was found strangled to death by her youngest brother, Khan Baloch. Her brother willingly admitted to the murder saying Quandeel Baloch had brought “shame” and “dishonor” to the family name (Sadiq). Her brother, later on, said he did not regret killing his sister, claiming it was his responsibility to hold his family accountable and make sure the family name was not tarnished. Khan Baloch was given life in prison for his crimes. However, three years later, he was acquitted of all charges due to a loophole in the Pakistani legal system (Sadiq). This is only one of the thousands of cases in Pakistan where victims of “honor” killings were failed by the justice system and their own government.

Horsin’ Around Guilt, Responsibility, and the Consequences of Our Actions in Bojack Horseman S1

Even when most of the analyses I write are surrounding music, I would say that the field in which I have the most knowledge and experience in analyzing are stories. No matter what piece of art I’m analyzing I tend to focus on the narrative side of it and what it’s trying to convey; after all, my first approximation with writing was creating short stories so that I didn’t get bored in school. And when it came to reviewing my first heavily story-based art piece for the newspaper, I couldn’t have chosen a better one than the first season of Bojack Horseman.

Empathizing with Suicide

I remember that day. A few years ago, in the fall, our local community received the unfortunate news: a teenage girl had taken her life. Almost instantly, a thick dark cloud crept into the city and for a moment, everything seemed to stop. Perhaps, in solidarity for the life we had lost. But, that silence only lasted momentarily.

Daycare Attack in Uthai Sawan, Thailand

On October 6th, 2022, a daycare was attacked in Uthai Sawan, Nong Bua LamPhu province, Thailand, by former police officer Panya Khamrab. As a result, 37 people died and many more were injured, most of whom were children.

The Problem With “That Girl”

Who is “That Girl”? Back in 2020, when everybody was stuck in quarantine, a sweeping trend resurfaced and conquered millions of for-you pages on social media platforms such as Tiktok, Youtube, and Instagram. Yes, everybody knows “That Girl”. All influencers desperately tried to become her. She wakes up at 5 am every day to meditate and does yoga, only drinks green smoothies and eats salads. She has a luxurious 10-step skincare routine, gets things done and plans ahead. “That Girl” is simply successful and perfect.

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