The Islander // Issue 09

issue 09 // autumn term 2014

ISLANDER TEAM WRITERS

Chelsea Park, Y10, Mulchat Gemin Bang, Y10, Geomun

WRITERS

EDITORIAL Mr Gray Mr Maher Mr B Brown Jillian Chun, Halla Diane Jung, Halla Charlie Park, Halla

Sharon Park, Y10, Geomun

Selene Lee, Halla

Gyuri Kim, Y10, Sarah

Scott Oh, Halla

Amy Cha, Y10, Mulchat

Jiwon Moon, Halla

Jimmy Park, Y10, Sarah

Jiho Choi, Halla

Thomas Lee, Y10, Sarah

Justin Cho, Halla

Kyung Joon Jang, Y10, Jeoji

Sam Seo, Halla

Won Jun Choi, Y10, Jeoji

Jackie Lee, Halla

Rachel Cho, Y9, Mulchat

Ashley Park, Y11, Geomun

Claire Oh, Y9, Sarah

Lina Kim, Y11, Mulchat

Gabriella Kim, Y9, Mulchat

Mr Friend

Jinn Park, Y11, Sarah

Cion Choi, Y9, Geomun

Mr Waterson

Celene Tae, Y11, Sarah

Kay Nam, Y9, Jeoji

Mr Long

Diane Lee, Y11, Sarah

Shunto Shigatomi, Y9, Noro

Donghyeon Seo, Halla

June Song, Y11, Mulchat

Eunice Lee, Y9, Noro

Jay Lee, Halla

Hannah Cho, Y11, Jeoji

Justin Cho, Y9, Mulchat

HanNa Lee, Halla

Minha Kim, Y11, Jeoji

Nancy Kwon, Y9, Mulchat

Justin Lee, Halla

Laura Moon, Y11, Geomun

Sarah Kim, Y9, Mulchat

Chris Chi, Year 11, Sarah

Esther Song, Y11, Jeoji

Gina Hooton, Y9, Mulchat

Diana Lee, Y11, Sarah

Joanna Song, Y11, Noro

Cindy Kim, Y8, Noro

Chaee Kim, Y11, Noro

Raina Kim, Y11, Mulchat

Sydney Kang, Y8, Noro

Judy Song, Y9, Geomun

DESIGN Mr Taylor Jiwon Moon, Halla Jiho Choi, Halla

CONTRIBUTORS

by Stella Lee, Year 11, Geomun Communication, our major source of connection and the link between different people from different backgrounds, is pivotal in everyday life. In order to express ‘Communicator’ I have drawn an image of two people, a speaker and a listener. I used tangled lines between the listener and speaker to demonstrate the complexity of communication - how it can be in numerous forms. Moreover, as our school is an international one that encourages multicultural society and global relationships, I chose to include a world map covered with words from different languages that all mean ‘communicator’, hence representing a global link between people from different backgrounds that is created by communication.

Welcome Mr FRIEND, our new principal, welcomes you to his first issue.

It is a great pleasure to write this, my first welcome to the Islander magazine, and in doing so I have the opportunity to reflect on my first term as Principal at NLCS Jeju.

I write this on a wet Monday evening, after a day that has been, in so many ways, a microcosm of the term for me. The day has been filled with an overwhelming array of those administrative tasks that typically occupy a school principal’s desk. Many of them are important, some of them are essential, but all of them involve emails, paper reports and computer screens – in truth it gets a little bit dull and often quite lonely.

But this has been a special day, because interspersed with those mind-numbing admin tasks have been some special moments that have genuinely inspired me, and only serve to reinforce the feeling that I’m incredibly lucky to be here, and that we have a very special school.

I’ll do my best to capture those moments here and invite you to reflect with me on the rich and unique environment that we enjoy.

Last Friday I enjoyed a lunch with a group of students and a particular issue that they raised niggled at me all weekend. Today I met with some of those students and invited them to make the change happen if they felt that strongly. They left my office in high energy and exuding gratitude, because their mindset didn’t allow them to see this as a challenge, but rather as an opportunity.

At break time I met with a group of students who, some time ago, spoke of a dream to publish a book on their experiences at NLCS Jeju. They are now before me with a copy of the published book in front of them and I largely sat stunned at the entrepreneurial spirit and solution focused attitude that these students were displaying, way beyond their years.

At lunch time I saw the Staff Jazz Band entertaining an audience made up mostly of our students. I was then visited by the Junior School Council, as I wanted to thank them for decorating a display board in my office for me. Through our conversation they discussed the need for citizenship and friendship and described the plans that they have to raise money for good causes.

Two members of staff called in to see me, to hear of an idea that I have to bring a major event to our school. I sat in front of these two staff members, nearing the end of term one and only too aware of the huge energy that our staff expend on their day to day work – and yet here I was suggesting a significant amount of additional work for them to take on. Their reaction is probably predictable given that they’re staff at our school – they simply highlighted the huge opportunities that this would provide to our students, and confirmed ‘just do it’.

And so the day neared its close and there was just enough time for me to call in to witness the sensation that is CAFERUBATO and all I can say is “wow”. What a superb display of talent and what superb entertainment. For those that couldn’t make it, you missed a treat.

And so, that’s why today has been a microcosm of my first term at NLCS Jeju. Yes I have lots of admin, lots of paperwork, lots of reports and an insane number of emails. But amongst all of that there are inspirational teachers working with inspirational students with everyone engaging in exciting activities and challenges.

What a great school we are and how lucky we are to be here.

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Welcome

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Welcome

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Welcome

A letter from the Editor For those who have been to London, UK, you would be aware of how busy the London underground is. Not only are the pathways tangled like mazes, but they are also crowded with tons of commuters. Last year, when I travelled to London alone for my internship, I got lost in this chaos. As a foreigner lost in the heart of London, I was already under pressure to not be late for my first day at the office, and to make matters worse, my phone didn’t work.

So, there I was, an outsider standing in the middle of the busy crowd, about to cry. Then, a man bumped right into me, causing me to burst into tears and, for him, a huge coffee stain on his white shirt. I was so terrified about how the man would react that I couldn’t even look up and offer a single apology.

When I took a peek, the man was frantically trying to brush off the coffee, grumbling under his breath. He was just about to spit some vicious words at me, I imagined, until he saw my face, which made him quiet for a second or two, before letting out a sigh. Then, he politely asked whether I was alright, and when I explained the situation, allowed me to make a phone call from his phone. As I handed his phone back, I apologised twice and thanked him for helping me. He didn’t say anything back, but simply gave me a faint smile, and walked away into the busy crowd.

Sometimes, empathy is about the simple, trivial things in life. Although that man wouldn’t have realised, and probably would never realise, he saved me that day, my first day. And all he did was be polite and lend me his phone, just because he empathised with my situation as a foreigner. Empathy comes in many shapes and sizes, even a small gesture that may seem insignificant to you can change someone’s whole day. Saying thank you to a cleaner is no less important than donating money to Africa. Smiling to a person passing you is just as powerful as offering your phone to a stranger, which is why empathy is so small yet significant.

I hope you enjoy our focus on empathy in this issue – maybe you will be inspired to be ‘that’ man for someone else.

Da In (Diane) Jung, Halla

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Welcome

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Definitions Cindy Kim & Sydney Kang, Both Year 8, both Noro

‘Empathy’ was the theme of the first half term. There were assemblies and PSD lessons on empathy but nobody seemed to understand what empathy exactly meant. People seemed as if they were just pretending to know how to empathise with somebody!

In our eyes, we could tell that they knew the idea of being in somebody else’s shoes but didn’t know the importance of empathy in our daily lives. We wanted people to realise how much difference could be made simply by empathising with others. For example, sitting next to a friend sitting alone in the canteen and chatting with the person could be an easy thing for you to do. However, the short moment of chatting may have encouraged him/her to be positive for the rest of the day.

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The definition of ‘Empathy’ varies depending on what the person has been through in his/her own life. Since empathy is a word related to a person’s reaction towards someone or something, it’s difficult to give an answer to the question “what is ‘Empathy?’ We were curious about the types of answers people would give to this elusive question.

O x f o r d D i c t i o n a r y, t h e font of definitions The ability to understand and share the feelings of another.

Flora Cho, a previous NLCS Jeju student You know what it feels like to be in the person’s shoes. I have been talking constantly with a student who is attending NLCS Jeju right now. She asked me what she needed to prepare, how the school was when I was in NLCS Jeju, before starting her new year. She told me the big changes that happened after I left this school. By talking with her I was able to empathize with her.

I felt as if I was back in the time when I was preparing to go to NLCS Jeju.

Wikipedia, the modern font of knowledge A capacity to share or recognize emotions experienced by another sentient or fictional being.

Mark Ruffalo, the actor in Sesame Street Empathy is when you’re able to understand and care about how someone else is feeling.

Mr Nesbit, the senior school librarian

M r M a h e r, t h e Economics teacher

John Green’s book, ‘The Fault In Our Stars’ gives a good example of empathy.

The boy and the girl in the book are both suffering from cancer. And they both know that they will die. That gives them a lot of natural empathy.

Empathy means that when I see somebody having difficulties or experiencing changes in their circumstances, I take a step back and consider how they are feeling before I talk to them. I try to figure out what emotional state they might be in and consider what I am going to say before actually saying it. It also means that I tend to listen a lot rather than talk.

B e c k y M o o n , Ye a r 8 If I am showing empathy to my friend, I would say “I know exactly how you feel.” If I see a random cat trying to eat a random mouse, I would say “How would you like it if the mouse did that to you?”

Barack Obama, President of the USA Learning to stand in somebody else’s shoes, to see through their eyes, that’s how peace begins. And it’s up to you to make that happen. Empathy is a quality of character that can change the world.

M i n s u n g S o n , Ye a r 8 Empathy is the ability to be able to understand the feeling of others.

It is distinguished from sympathy, which is feeling sorry for someone when they didn’t even ask you to. 황 현 , Ye a r 1 3 p h i l o s o p h y student Well, that is a very deep question.

What do you think the question thrown to the interviewees was? A simple question such as ‘What do you think empathy is?” and “What is your definition of empathy?” Well, we started off the interview by asking these simple and common questions. Without setting specific targets of the interview, and without knowing the question we were going to ask them, we began wandering around the school. We stopped almost every single person we met, asked that question and waited for an instant answer. However, it was possible to notice perplexed faces from each of the interviewees. Imagine - if two girls from your school suddenly stop you in the corridor and require a definition of ‘empathy’ from you, how would you react? Could you give them a nice simple answer straight away? Probably not. Our first interview turned out to be a huge failure. The number of clear definitions received was so small when compared to the number of questions asked.

SOLUTION

Before coming up with a solution to this problem, we came up with a few reasons that that prevented our interviews from succeeding. The first reason considered was the appropriateness of the question asked, in terms of the level of difficulty.

As mentioned previously, most of the interviewees were unable to give a response to our inquiry. Many of them even found understanding the question hard. We had to give a Year 4 student in junior school a word for empathy in Korean since it was his first time coming across that word. Introducing easy synonyms of ‘empathy’ to interviewees, to help them get the idea, would be a good way to solve this problem, we thought. So the original question - What do you think empathy is? - changed into

‘What do you think empathy is? - Synonyms of empathy are affinity, compassion, and appreciation’.

In order to solve the second problem, receiving similar answers, a new form of question was designed. While still asking for a definition of empathy, we also decided that the question should be more personal and detailed. We started by making a list of things that could be added to the question. Some examples of the things added to the the list were personal experiences of having empathy, the importance of having empathy in daily life and books that encompass the theme of empathy. The original question was converted to a longer question - “What do you think empathy is? Have you experienced any situation where empathy was felt or required? If yes, can you relate your definition to the experience you had?” or “What do you think empathy is? Can you tell us the importance of having empathy in your daily life?” or “What do you think empathy is? Have you read a book that encompasses the theme of empathy? If yes, can you relate your definition to the book?”

A sucessful interview

And lastly, because we wanted a variety and wide range of answers, we selected specific targets, before taking the second interview into action. Asking random targets around this school was also a problem. Age was considered as a factor that could work effectively at getting this problem solved, since it is believed that different ages of people tend to have different ways of thinking and approaching a subject. Starting from Junior School students to Sixth Formers, Sixth Formers to teachers, teachers to parents, we considered the age of people before setting questions for interviewees. We also considered the position of the interviewees were in, Sixth Form, Boarding House Mistress, Junior School student and medical staff, for example.

With the changes we made from the first interview, the second interview was carried out.

This time, since we had specific targets chosen after considering their age and position, it was much easier for us to hear words from interviewees and took less time to complete. Our original aim was to solve our curiosity about people’s definition on a word that many different meanings to many different people.

A new form of question was designed

Do Animals Have Feelings?

ASHLEY PARK, YEAR 11, GEOMUN

‘What we call the beginning is often the end. And to make an end is to make a beginning. The end is where we start from.’

T.S. Elliot

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E

motions are powerful and exist in all living things, as they respond to internal or external events that might have a particular significance. Emotions allow us to communicate, perceive and understand others, and most importantly, emotion is a key way of expressing ourselves. Emotions have led us on numerous journeys in the past: conflicts, expeditions, challenges and so on‌ If all these happenED because of one thing, emotion, then would other creatures have been granted with this gift as well?

Animals, for example, have aroused a lot of attention in this regard. Do they or do they not have feelings? I personally believe they do have emotions, as they are a parent of their own young, as well as a friend to another. People train animals to make them become belongings but there is one thing that most owners might have neglected; they also have feelings. Animals feel sad or even

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pain about someone’s death. They feel isolated when abandoned and can also feel delight when praised. Animals and humans are alike.

We can split our emotions into two parts: basic and complex. Humans have classified basic emotions into six categories: anger, disgust, fear, happiness, sadness and surprise. Complex emotions include jealousy, contempt, sympathy and empathy.

We refer to these as human emotions, but the distinction is difficult to maintain and animals are often said to express even complex emotions.

Charles Darwin was one of the first scientists to write about the existence and nature of emotions in non-human animals. His general hypotheses supported the claim that non-human animals may feel emotions and that human emotions evolved from the same mechanisms. According to his test, cognitive biases, feelings of optimism and pessimism have been shown in a wide range of animals including rats, dogs, cats, rhesus macaques and sheep.

“Animals have distinct personalities and, very likely, some type of subjective ‘selves’, even if those selves may be very different from human inner experiences.”

Connor Wood PhD

Research has suggested that some animals may have experienced “emotional contagion”, the basic mirroring of another individual’s painful or pleasurable experiences. Mice, for instance, lick their paws after seeing their compatriots’ paws being pricked by researchers’ needles. However, nobody has yet to find evidence showing that animals can truly understand others’ feelings, a quintessential definition of true empathy.

That was until University of Chicago neuroscientist Jean Decety and colleagues Peggy Mason and Inbal Bartal discovered that rats do empathize with their fellows. The researchers introduced unacquainted pairs of rats to each other and placed them together over a two-week period.

Then they placed one of the rats in a cell, not much bigger than the rat itself. Over the course of a week, three quarters of the free rats with trapped partners learned how to unlatch the enclosures’ doors to free their peers. Meanwhile only about one in six of the rats whose partners were not trapped learned how to open the doors, strongly indicating that the rats were learning to unlock the traps specifcially to free their comrades.

It is important to point out that these rats were not genetically kin. Thus, the usual evolutionary argument for altruistic behavior that it assists family members does not hold. The evidence suggests that the rats’ altruistic behaviors were directly in respond to their partner’s distress, the high-pitched squeak, which is heard by their free comrades. Decety and his colleagues say that their work evidently demonstrates that rats and other rodents are able to display a form of empathy that requires both experiencing another’s pain and having a sophisticated understanding of what that pain means.

Non-human animals can sometimes be just like humans - we are, after all, classified by science as animals. Animals have friends, parents and children of their own. Therefore, neglecting their feelings or emotions should be regarded just like ignoring humans and can have the same negative impact. People have their own pets and they treat them as their friends, a part of their own family. Animals should be respected and should be recognised as an equal member of our society.

Welcome

The Contagion of Yawning Selene lee and scott oh, both halla, dare you to not yawn while reading this article.

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ART BY DIANA LEE, YEAR 11, SARAH

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ave you ever yawned during an assembly and realised that the person sitting next to you is yawning too? There’s a high chance that wasn’t coincidence because yawning can be contagious. However, visual occurrence of yawning is not the only cause of you yawning. Yawns are still contagious when you hear someone else yawn. There’s also a chance that you’ll probably yawn at least once while reading this article (yawn!).

Empathy is a cognitive process and it’s about having an intellectual and emotional understanding of others. When we empathize, we use our facial expressions, actions or language to show that we feel the empathy. Then, is yawning likely to be another method that human beings use to display empathy towards one another?

Do other animals also show empathy in ways we do too?

Yawning has it’s own purpose. We yawn to consume a larger volume of oxygen and to remove a greater amount of carbon dioxide. This sometimes gives hints as to people who are sleep deprived or nervous, because our heart beats faster when we’re anxious, so we need a greater supply of oxygen. Apparently a yawn tells us more about humankind. It’s also a sign of empathy.

Neuroscientists have found out some connections between empathy and yawning with brain imaging. Contagious yawning takes place in the same position in our brain that is associated with empathy. That area of our brain is called the precuneus and the posterior temporal gyrus, located at the back of our brain.

We could be unconsciously empathizing through contagious yawns, which implies that humans may have an irrepressible need to understand and share emotions.

Biologists claim that contagious yawning is involuntarily copying facial expressions.

In this case, the mirror neurons are responsible, which is also an area of social behaviour. This also illustrates that contagious yawns are a way of social interactions.

Empathy is a cognitive process and it’s about having an intellectual and emotional understanding of others.

We have looked at human’s contagious yawn, but do other animals exhibit it?

In 2008, scientists from the University of London carried out an experiment with domestic dogs on contagious yawning. One experimenter, who was a total stranger to the dog, attracted the dog for its attention and genuinely yawned. This was repeated for 5 minutes. In another condition, the experimenter initiated a fake yawn, where there was no vocalization and only the action of yawning. Out of 29 dogs, 21 dogs (72%) yawned in response in the first condition. However, none of them yawned in response to the experimenter’s fake yawn in the second condition. When a similar experiment was performed with humans, it reported a higher percentage of 45% to 60% of people yawning.

Dogs have been added to a list of animals that exhibited contagious yawning that already includes chimpanzees and baboons. Nonetheless, would this still mean they’re showing a sign of empathy like we do? Animals certainly do have a moral compass and express emotions.

When a family member dies, elephants bury the body with grass and leaves, which is an action of respect. Yet, I think it’s still a question left to discover whether other animals’ contagious yawns would be a sign of empathy or not.

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ART BY HANNA LEE, HALLA

The Temptation of Soap Operas

막장드라마 JINN PARK, YEAR 11, SARAH EXPLAINS THE VORACIOUS APPETITE FOR SOAP OPERAS IN OUR MODERN LIVES.

It is generally agreed that a storyline consists of a beginning and an ending, with reasonably sensible events that connect the two together. But there is always an exception. Take Gossip Girls. Can you count how many girls Chuck slept with? If you can, I reward you with a heartfelt recommendation to break away from your monitor for a while.

TV soap operas, especially the morning ones, are famous for having overwhelmingly dramatic plotlines. One of the most famous would be ‘Temptation of the Wife’ (a.k.a 아내의 유혹). In this drama, the husband fakes an accident to kill his wife because he falls in love with another woman. The wife, however, magically survives the ‘accident’ and comes back for revenge with a special new spot beside her right eye to conceal her identity (which is successful!)

This show received a tremendous amount of criticism. As a matter of fact, a survey taken in 2008 showed that audiences picked this particular drama as the 3rd craziest soap opera of the year. Ironically, its highest percentage share of audience was 40% - the highest in nearly a decade.

It seems paradoxical, but the figures show that a large number of people chose to watch this supposedly ‘rubbish’ show, all the while criticising the nonsensical storyline and awkward acting, becoming increasingly addicted to it. Why is this?

In Greek theatre, the writers used catharsis as an element to satisfy the audience. Catharsis is defined as “purification of emotions —especially pity and fear — through art or any extreme change in emotion that results in renewal.” Ever since the dawn of civilisation, people have been required to oppress their emotions in society.

Ancient theatre used to serve the purpose of comforting the audience by setting free these emotions. In modern times, in place of the old

Greek theatre is the crazy soap opera - and this is perhaps what allows catharsis for our generation.

The melodramatic nature of these shows makes even the most unrealistic events possible.

When the show depicts one of these dramatic events, the audience has great empathy for the characters. This empathy is drawn from the fact that they too have the need to deal with their stress, and by taking it to the extreme the show offers the audience a stimulus to ‘let out’ their emotions. It might make them rant, swear or even weep as they become synced with the dynamic lives on screen.

As the empathy builds up, it generates sympathy.

Thus, as well as feeling empathetic towards the unfortunate characters the audience compares their current crisis or situation, and is comforted.

This is due to the relative happiness they feel when watching someone faring much worse than them. It might sound extremely selfish but human minds, always seeking comfort, find relief in the fact that they are still much superior than those on screen with deteriorating lives.

As a society, we have become desensitised to emotion.

The reason why soap operas thrive so well despite their awkwardness is obvious; they offer the audiences the chance to release their emotion as the drama unfolds. As a society, we have become desensitised to emotion.

By creating an extreme storyline these soaps are reviving the emotions we kept hidden.

Therefore we are, in a way, indebted to this oddly fascinating addition of drama to our monotonous, daily lives.

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em pa thy /ˈempəTHē/

Is Empathy Necessary?

Gabriella Kim and Nancy Kwon Both Year 9 Mulchat

We define empathy as the ability to see the world from another person’s point of view, to share and understand other people’s feelings, needs, concerns and emotional states. They are mentioned in novels such as “To Kill a Mockingbird”, as well as numerous authors and politicians. Most people argue for empathy, and say that it is a very important factor in our lives. However, some argue against empathy: is empathy really necessary? This is our question for you. Here we investigate, and provide two sides of the story, for every story has two sides to it.

By the end, we hope every one of you would have come to a definitive conclusion.

Welcome a world without

empathy Imagine a world without empathy. There are people walking up and down the streets, seeking their own paths, minding their own business, never feeling any specific emotions for the people passing by, neither pity nor happiness; all they care about is the place they are heading to, and they just go straight.

There are babies crying in the streets.

Not one of their parents understands why they are crying. They slowly starve to death, completely ignored. As their mothers think of them as a bother they are disposed of, thrown away, or given to local hospitals to take care of. No one looks after them, nor do they make them feel at home; Doctors and nurses can’t understand why their patients feel pain, and they aren’t able to look after them, since they cannot empathize with their patients.

With no one to trust, no one asks for help.

With no one to trust, no one asks for help. For example, people just feel immense pain if they get stepped on by another person. They still do get sort of angry, but they don’t understand the emotion that they are currently feeling.

The emotions that they feel can’t be deciphered by anyone. No one has any friends that can help them answer simple questions about how they feel. How can anyone be friends with anyone else when they only care about themselves? No one is able to socialize.

They don’t know what they need to do to make friends, they have no one next

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to them; no one to talk to, no one to solve problems with. Everyone seems to live in a totally different place, where there are only robots, with no emotions.

They never smile, nor do they know the true meaning of tears and sorrow. They seem as though they are wearing a mask of blankness upon their faces, where no one is able to figure out what they are feeling.

No one feels anything. However, as they feel fear, they always carry something, such as a hammer or a small sword, to protect themselves. This can either be a guard or a weapon. There is no such turning point after the first murder.

After it, they don’t feel any remorse for their actions. No one is afraid of harming another human being, and they butcher anything that comes across their path, blocking their way. They turn into psychopaths, that can do anything.

Bullies are also part of a very small subgroup of psychopaths (please note that not all bullies are psychopaths), as they intend to stay at the very top of the hierarchy for good. Bullies always make sure that there is a victim who is at the very bottom of the hierarchy, to ensure their positions. They haven’t come to the stage of being able to kill but still they strain to survive in this horrible life cycle. Although they are in groups, gathered around as though in the same team, they are always aware of the fact that they aren’t actually friends. They are future enemies, whom you can never lean against.

You can trust no one. No one is next to you. You are totally, completely alone.

What would you do in this world, without empathy?

Welcome can there be too much

empathy

We hear words related to the significance of empathy everyday in our schools, from our parents, from basically everybody.

We even see it a lot. Empathy can be seen when comforting people, being able to be happy and sad with others, even when it’s actually none of your business.

However, is empathy really necessary?

of other people, they cannot focus on their own work, since their minds are preoccupied with what their peers feel.

That is certainly not the right thing to do; what will you do if you ruin your life in one go just because you felt too much empathy? No one will be there for you to blame. After all, the person you empathize with hasn’t asked you to - they Emotions are weird things - they can cannot be responsible for your life. It was control your body in one short moment, your choice. without you even noticing.

“On many issues, empathy can pull us by having empathy, in the wrong direction. The outrage that comes from adopting the perspective people are letting of a victim can drive an appetite for themselves down. retribution. (Think of those statutes named for dead children: Megan’s Law, Jessica’s Law, Caylee’s Law).” Paul Bloom Psychcentral, an independent mental health social network, investigates “The problem comes when we try to turn the topic “Is There Such Thing As Too feeling into action. Empathy makes you Much Empathy?” The website gives a more aware of other people’s suffering, few examples of it, leading to negative but it’s not clear it actually motivates you consequences - Codependency is when to take moral action or prevents you from a person finds themselves lost too taking immoral action.” David Brooks much within their relationships, and is In a way, these quotes from Paul Bloom desperate to solve their peers’ problems, (a professor of psychology and cognitive control them, or meet their every need. science in Yale University) and David As time passes, they grow resentful, Brooks (an American conservative angry, lonely, and sometimes they even political and cultural commentator who become relationship addicts. Peoplewrites for The New York Times) are true: Pleasing is when a person is usually why are people considered to be kind motivated at first either by empathy or when making an effort to understand and a selfish desire to be “accepted” into share the emotions people feel? Can’t a clique. They frequently feel hatred people just keep emotions to themselves? towards themselves since they sacrifice Why do they have to share, and why do themselves too much. In addition, they the listeners have to understand? Many base their self-worth on how well they people in the world are already busy are liked, or how much they do for others. enough; it is hard for them to keep their Like these examples, empathy often own feelings to themselves. Why should brings negative consequences. People they listen to their peers’ feelings, which start to lose trust in themselves, lack will only distract them even more? confidence, and judge themselves in the In a way, by having empathy, people wrong way. Empathy may lead you into are letting themselves down. If people the wrong way. Do you still think that concentrate too much on the emotions empathy is necessary?

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what do you think about

empathy

Now, what do you think? We have provided you with both sides and we hope both were very persuasive. Of course there are many opinions, but we say that we will not take sides. Although we cannot entirely eliminate empathy in our world, neither can there be too much.

However, note this: too much, or too little can both be poison. If there is too much the world would be full of people who care for others too much, when they can’t even manage themselves, but if there is too little, there would be people minding their own business, even using violence in some cases, like psychopaths. Now, what will you choose?

e m p a t h y

Enter the inner part of your mind

maintain that state

patiently wait for a while

and remind yourself of

the one standing next to you.

Hold it in your mind for when

you need it most.

The

blueprint for empathy CION CHOI, YEAR 9, GEOMUN

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New, and a bit alarming! Who would have ever known that this could be?

Empathy isn’t all that serious and hard to achieve, nor can it only appear in real life between real people. Empathy comes in many different forms that we don’t often acknowledge. So in this article, I decided to present empathy in a quite unexpected way – empathy in Disney!

frozen One of the most obvious examples where empathy is embodied in Disney is “Frozen”. At the beginning of the movie, Anna couldn’t empathize with Elsa because she didn’t understand her situation. However, as Elsa reveals her secret by accidentally freezing the whole kingdom, Anna is immediately able to understand that Elsa didn’t mean to shut her out, she was just afraid that she might hurt her. It was the empathy that Anna felt towards the loss and pain that Elsa would have felt her whole life which encouraged her to be brave enough to climb over the dangerous, snowy hills and help her sister overcome her worst fears. This example shows that you can’t have empathy unless you understand the situation of another person.

Beauty and the beast It is obvious that anyone would be scared and frightened if a vicious-looking beast kidnapped him or her. They would also loathe the beast, partly due to the kidnapping, and probably because of its hideous fangs and claws. However, who would be brave enough to discover, or even think about the beast’s personality beneath its appearance? As Belle discovers the true beauty and love hidden beyond the repulsive vision of a beast by getting to know him in the short amount of time they share in the castle, she falls in love with him and turns him human again. Throughout the story, Belle learns how to empathize, whilst the beast learns how to love, which results in a wonderfully happy ending.

Empathizing can often be difficult because of obstacles (such) as looks that interfere and disturb one from viewing the other without any bias; once you look into them through the veil, the moment of empathy will be amazing.

the little mermaid On the other hand, this is a very famous Disney story where the consequences of not having empathy cause a disaster. The king of the seas, Titan, can’t empathize with Ariel and doesn’t understand why she wants to become a human so much. He doesn’t know that Ariel has a huge cavern with so many human belongings.

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We can face this thing together, I finally understand!

Betcha on land, they

understand, that they dont reprimand their daughters

Neither does he realize that Ariel is old enough to wander around herself with the curiosity and initiative of a young woman. Also, Ariel can’t understand why it is dangerous to be on shore.

She isn’t aware of the fact that her mother died because of a collision with a fishing boat.

Therefore, she doesn’t know the reason why Titan loathes humans so much. Since they can’t explain their situations to each other without fighting, Ariel goes to the Sea Witch who is a tentative listener to Ariel’s wish. The Witch lures Ariel to sign a contract by saying that she has helped many unfortunate souls and can help Ariel too. Unfortunately the Witch is persuasive enough to make Ariel sign the horrible contract that bigins all the trouble.

This story shows that when people feel that they are not being understood, it is natural for them to be tempted by other things that make them feel better. This could be the reason why some people live alone in a house with ten cats because they like the kind of friendliness that cats give, which the people around them don’t.

It also explains why some lonely teenagers spend hours on their computers trying to make friends online because they don’t have any in real-life. This example shows that all people need empathy for happiness and it is our duty to make sure that the people around us are not experiencing that loneliness and frustration when they are not understood.

Pocahontas The last, but possibly the best example where empathy is expressed in Disney is “Pocahontas”.

“Pocahontas” is not a completely made up story like the others, but the Disney film of it emphasizes the empathy that Pocahontas and the English colonists discover rather than the

historical part of the story. In the Disney version of “Pocahontas”, she helps the English colonists to empathize with her own Native American tribe and prevents a whole war from happening and destroying her beautiful world. She teaches them about the life and the beauty that the earth possesses and tries to persuade them that it is not just a dead thing you can claim. Pocahontas’ empathy that she shared with the English colonists changed the whole world for them and for her. This lets us realise how powerful empathy can be if everyone understands it.

The ability to put yourself in someone else’s shoes is so important to our lives that it even plays a vital role in fairytales and made-up stories. We read these stories to youngsters, telling them to think more about others rather than the candy that their friends are eating or the rainbow unicorn doll that they are hoping to get for Christmas. It might seem strange and cryptic to view Disney in this way, but learning about this fantastic power of empathy from a young age through an easily accessible source is actually quite important. We, as children, have been thoroughly hypnotized by the amazing characters of Disney, and therefore are able to understand the examples of empathy subtly embodied in them without even knowing, which now helps us to successfully adapt empathy to our real lives as we grow up.

This powerful skill that can change the world - ingeniously portrayed in Disney - shows just how empathy has permeated into our own personalities without us even knowing, and all we have to do to make that empathy shine is to bring it out of our little minds and share it with the wide world.

if you walk the footsteps of a stranger, you will learn things you never knew you never knew.

HUMANS OF NLCS JEJU Sam Seo, Justin Yun & Jackie Lee all Year 12, Halla, were so impressed with Brandon Stanton’s ‘Humans of New York’ that they decided to create their own version.

Portrait by Justin Cho, Year 9, Mulchat

Youngim Shin What do you find hard?

Everything, since I’m still adapting to my work. Senior School Reception is the first point of contact, so a wide variety of work is concentrated and comes in sudden bursts. To deal with these I need the ability to multitask and quickly respond. When work is hectic, and when a student’s parents are upset, I sometimes struggle with my job. However, I like this dynamic situation.

I like this dynamic situation.

Portrait by Justin Cho, Year 9, Mulchat

Counsellors communicate with students fully before giving advice to them.

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SUNAH CHOI What was your previous job?

Before I came to NLCS Jeju, I used to lecture at university about Psychology and I found talented students and held consultations with them for 20 years.

If you taught psychology, did you study Psychology in university?

Yes, I did my PhD in Psychology and I tried to find the students’ strengths and give them advice to improve their abilities and help them tackle their weaknesses in academic skills.

What was your stimulus in coming to this school?

A student from my previous school is now Admissions Manager of this school. So, she asked me to help her identify talented students; therefore, I accepted the role of taking charge of your entrance examinations. I worked in Seoul at that time. Then, last April, I came down to Jeju to take the job as a counsellor for Korean universities admissions, and did counseling on emotional and social problems that requires an understanding of Korean culture.

This is a bit of an abstract question, but do you still have a ‘big dream’?

The reason why I came to this school is to guide Korean students along the tha pathway to good Korean universities as the competition is so vigorous. I think by taking the IB diploma a student can have a lot of advantages. Some Korean students struggle at University as they don’t know anything else but studying. So, I thought it would be great if I could guide a student to find their way to university. That’s my final goal. I’m not sure if I’m going to accomplish that goal in this school or not, I will still try.

What was your happiest moment of life in this school?

You know I did social/emotional counseling and university counseling together. Last year a student was thinking about dropping his course, but he was excellent: he was a good academic student, in terms of both reputation and grades. However, he had a trauma about exams so he couldn’t adapt both to the school and to his colleagues. He often visited the counseling room because of his personal problems for approximately four months, once a week, for about two terms.

We met at the school after the break. He overcame his trauma and completely changed. When I look at students like him, it is very worthwhile. I personally think that even though there are some English counsellors in Korea who deal with this kind of problem, Korean counsellors have some advantages. Sometimes I notice differences between counsellors and students, as British counsellors cannot understand the student’s mind fully, due to differences in culture and perspective. Therefore, I think it is good to have people like me.

What has been the hardest moment?

Counsellors communicate with the student fully before giving advice to them. However, sometimes a student might want to do Liberal Arts while he has academic talents is in natural sciences. When this kind of situation happens, it is hard to give advice that would lead to more academic accomplishment, or more personal satisfaction. There are plenty of risks when choosing between them. Personally, as I have seen lots of students who struggle and change their subjects, I strongly advise choosing what you are talented at.

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KAYE MILES were you doing this kind of job before coming to our school?

No, I’ve never worked in a school before. I worked for the BBC in London, doing some production work.

Can you tell me some experiences; The most unforgettable one?

I guess it was bumping into Beyoncé backstage at a concert she was doing at the BBC. That was quite cool; it wasn’t planned, but I was doing my job and I bumped into her and a large crowd of people, so I guess it was an exciting experience.

What was her response?

I didn’t have time to ask her a question, I just said “hello”, and told her to have a good show, as she was literally about to go on to stage.

Do you have dogs?

Yes, I have two dogs.

How much time do you spend with them?

As much as I possibly can; I leave work and go home for a nice walk so that they can have a good play, and spend my evening with them. And I give them very good cuddles.

Whom do you like more: Mr. Miles or your dogs?

Whoah, that’s a tricky one! The dogs don’t answer back and do what I tell them to do. It’s tricky, very tricky. I don’t think that I could answer that without getting into trouble, to be honest!

Do you have any difficulties in your job?

Difficulties, doing this job? Not enough time to do what I need to do. It is a very busy job, and it is a very important job in school because if I get it wrong all of the students will suffer. I need to be sure that I do my job properly so that when you do your IB exam you have everything that you need, so it is a quite stressful job, and it requires lots of responsibilities. But it’s an enjoyable job as well. It’s quite nice having a kind of stressful job to do, sometimes, to keep my mind busy. I think I would go slightly mad if I stayed in Jeju, doing nothing.

Do you have your own motto?

My personal motto is just to be easy going; just don’t over think things. Don’t sweat on small stuff.

Sometimes you‘ll be facing a massive issue and yes, you might be stressed about it, and then there are little things. Life is too short to worry. You know, it’s just not in my mind; it’s not worth getting stressed out about that little thing. There are bigger things in the world, than someone going “Oh I want to change to Higher Level”. There are bigger things in life to worry about. That’s my motto.

Portrait by Justin Cho, Year 9, Mulchat

Who do you like more? Your dogs or Mr Miles? “Whoah, that’s tricky one!”

G House Performance

allery

GEC Cross Country Race

IGCSE Celebration

Arts Festival 2014 Double Spread

Pictures from some of our school events since the last issue

House Performance Photography by JuSTIN CHO, YEAR 9, MULCHAT & DONGHYEON SEO, HALLA

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GEC Cross Country Race Photography by JUSTIN CHO, YEAR 9, MULCHAT

IGCSE Celebration Photography by DONGHYEON SEO, HALLA

Arts Festival

Arts Festival

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Welcome

Obsession I am obsessed with smell.

I can smell everything, in this cold street where I belong. The street is a container for a mixture of scents. Depending on their size and looks, different types of people give off different smells. I group these into three types.

Tall people with dark clothes. They smell like a cup of coffee, heavy perfume blended with the warm scent of different people they meet; and of cigarette smoke, puffing away their bitter life.

All the small people contain the essence of a cup of milk, of sweet morning toast. The honeyed scent of their mom’s hug, sealing their body.

People who bend over when they walk. They smell like ‘air’, blended with a scent of their deep breath of loneliness and sorry. As if they belong to the street.

Every day, I wonder how I would smell. It’s a sad fact that one can’t recognize their own unique smell.

However, above all scents, the one that I love the most is her.

I can sense her when she is near, like a bee attracted to a honey.

I can tell that it’s her smell, because she used to live in a house with a garden full of daisies. Every morning, a floral smell would fill up the whole garden and blast through her room and wrap her up like candy.

I can smell her.

Bark!

Bark!

Bark!

‘I’m here! Can you see me?’

I’m obsessed by her smell.

There is a dog that is always in front of my flower shop.

I guess he is waiting for his owner. I don’t understand why, when he barks, a fresh wind blows through. His eyes look like a dead fish, and his fur is matted like a porcupines’ thorn.

Obsession of a blind dog.

words and art by Chris Chi, Year 11, Sarah

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Welcome

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Kyung Joon Jang & Won Jun Choi both Year 10, both Jeoji and Jimmy Park & Thomas Lee both Year 10, both Sarah, find out mre about our new catering company - Hyundai Green Food.

Design by Jiho Choi, Year 11, Mulchat

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Da Ye Kim

NLCS Jeju Cafeteria Manager, Hyundai Green Food

What processes have you gone through to settle into NLCS Jeju as the new catering company?

We have deep ties with NLCS Jeju. We were interested in coming to the school since the school opened. From the English Education City and from the whole of Jeju, we had the greatest affection for this school. This May, we participated in the competition for choosing the new catering company; passed the proposal evaluation, site inspections and the presentation test, and were finally chosen to serve NLCS Jeju. Our own food service expertise, operating philosophies built up over the last forty years, the trust and true devotion to the customer has been recognized in our successful bid.

Why did you choose a marine design for the cafeteria?

Marine Court comes from adding “Marine” and “Food Court” to form “Marine Court”. We considered the shape of the sailboat on the school logo as well as the fact that the UK and Jeju are islands. We chose the concept of marine waters to give you a wealth of inspiration and to stimulate creative thinking.

Moreover, we want students to have creative feelings and thoughts to inspire them for the whole school day.

If there are any problems, how will you solve them?

We have been aiming to get the basics right. Our major goal is to cook a variety of delicious food giving everyone an opportunity to taste it. In addition to this, Hyundai Green Food aims to give a balanced meal and to fix the eating habits of students and staff. In order to satisfy the students and staff of NLCS Jeju, our biggest problem at the moment is communication and developing a close relationship with the students and staff. We want to communicate and empathise in order to be a good catering company for the best school.

Do you have any plans to improve anything?

Currently, we are learning how to run the cafeteria based on NLCS Jeju’s calendar. When we finish learning, we will try to deliver the unique culture and style of Hyundai Green Food. We would appreciate any suggestions that would help us improve.

If there are any complaints, how will you solve them?

First of all, we want to listen to the students before any complaints come in.

Just as the students are curious, Hyundai Green Food is also curious and open-minded about the students. We like to communicate with you, so please feel free to come and talk to us at any time. The Marine Court of Hyundai Green Food is always open. Come along at any time and talk to us!

Mr Waterson

Vice Principal, Pastoral, NLCS Jeju

Why did the catering company change? Are there any financial reasons for changing the company?

It is normal in schools such as ours to change the catering company at some point. It’s like staff staying or leaving the school that had contract with school.

We had security by having contract for a certain amount of time with J&J, which is a good thing. So as this contract ends, we had a competition to pick a new catering company and though J&J was in the competition, the Hyundai catering company won the contract. In the end Hyundai were chosen because they offered a good service at a good price.

Did you have empathy for the students about the food?

Food is important to everyone. We have an expression in English, “an army marches on it’s stomach”. Mr Monaghan and I began the Food Committee because we empathise with all staff, students and the catering company. We wanted to establish a forum where conversations could focus on improving all matters relating to catering. The success of the Food Committee does not rely on empathy, however. We need to make sure we actually understand the issues and make decisions based on facts, not feelings. Mr Monaghan and I have strong empathy for students because we remember being boys at school! We know that people who make decisions about timetables and dining times must remember what it is to be a hungry Year 8 boy!

What are your plans for the food committee?

In relation to being empathetic, the Committee should put themselves into the students’ and the catering company’s shoes. We use empathy to prioritise the important needs for dealing with the catering company and the students.

The Food Committee asks the catering company to understand students (put themselves in the students’ shoes) and asks students to use empathy when dealing with the caterers. This way students and caterers should all be happier. The Food Committee also works with teachers on duty and school administration staff to the make the catering experience better for everyone.

If there are any complaints, how will you solve them?

This was not in my decision. The decision for changing the time is not related to empathy, but factually based. I believe that the snack delivery time has now been moved back to an earlier more convenient time.

Welcome

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Welcome

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Design by Jiwon Moon, Halla

Empathy Towards Myself Kay Nam, Year 9, Jeoji, tries to find a sense of inner peace.

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Empathy is the word that has been in around almost every single classroom this term since it’s the theme for the term. To be honest, I wasn’t that interested in the theme at first, but because the teachers repeatedly mentioned it. It came to a point where I found myself giving it some real, deep thought; almost without even noticing myself do it.

I don’t really know if thought affected me in any way but I found myself reflecting everyday about how I behave towards other people, finding that everyone else treated me in the same way when they found out that I was extra understanding of them. Then I had an epiphany: this was empathy. I felt satisfied that I was growing up to become a more caring person.

However, the problem started from this point. As the term went on, everybody was lacking energy and being overly sensitive due to lots of exams, assessments, projects, meetings, assemblies, sports fixtures, etc. I realised that I had to be a lot more careful about what I did or said to the people around me. Even though I was tired, feeling more and more weight on my eyelids day after day, I kept my temper and tried my best not to affect other peoples’ feelings just because I was feeling stressed out.

Therefore, I did not experience any conflict with my friends and I was also respected for my attitude.

A few days later, when I shone a light on my inner soul, I felt like I was living my life for someone else. My identity went missing. I started having doubts such as: “Am I really myself?” and “Can I trust myself?” It seemed as if I was trying too hard for the benefit of others, ignoring my well being and my own needs.

The truth was like this: I wasn’t looking after myself, I was giving out more energy to lead other people towards well-being. I knew that I also had assessments and that I was tired on a daily basis. Yet, I neglected myself; ignoring the stress cumulating inside me, leading me to complacency saying, “I should be okay.” When I finally figured out I was experiencing difficulties, nobody was on my side, and it was too late to restore the situation because I was already suffering from a bad cold due to severe physical and mental stress.

That night when I figured out that I was not at all okay, I couldn’t do anything but repeatedly apologise to myself that I was sorry promising that I will care for myself from that time on. Tears of guilt fell on my face, I tried to calm myself down, apologising with all my heart. I had to understand myself first, in order to feel empathy for others.

In a busy school life, I think that it is very easy to lose interest in oneself because it is already beyond one’s capacity to catch up with school work, activities, healthy eating and sleeping routines. So, when one feels like falling apart, one has to grab those pieces and pull oneself together. This is because other people cannot help one to the deepest part of one’s heart. I have learned how to love and understand myself, to handle the obstacles coming ahead. Empathy towards others is a good quality to have, but you can only truely help others after you have looked after yourself.

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What do you think is the most important value that a school needs to have?

RACHEL CHO, YEAR 9, MULCHAT AND CLAIRE OH, YEAR 9, SARAH LOOK AT THE EFFECTS THAT EQUALITY AND INEQUALITY CAN HAVE IN SCHOOLS.

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raduates going to the best universities?

A high quality of food? A large variety of after school activities?

Well, the most basic value that every school should have is, maybe surprisingly, not listed above. In fact, it is equality. Every student in the school should be treated equally. There should be absolutely no segregation in a school community. However, lots of schools don’t recognize its importance and this can lead to bullying.

Although most bullying and taunting takes place in school, teachers and administrators often tend to consider it a minor issue. “There’s an attitude that ‘We all go through it’ or even that it toughens you up,” says Seattle psychologist Dorothea Ross, Ph.D., author of Childhood Bullying and Teasing. Many parents agree: In a recent National Crime Prevention Council survey, 50% of parents responding said bullying wasn’t a serious problem for kids.

However, “children take bullying seriously,” says Derbra Pepler, PH.D. director of the LaMarsh Centre for Research on Violence and Conflict Resolution at York University in Toronto: “The impact can be tremendous,” she says. “There are people who carry these concerns throughout their lives.” At worst, bullying has led to suicides. The two shooters in the Columbine High School tragedy were bullied youngsters who retaliated.

In addition, the affect of bullying is not only on the victims. Bullying can affect everyone; those who are bullied, those who bully, and those who witness bullying. For instance, some research done by Stopbullying.gov revealed that children who are bullied can suffer from depression and anxiety, increased feelings of sadness and loneliness, changes in sleep and eating patterns, and loss of interest in activities they used to enjoy. These issues may persist into adulthood. They also can have decreased academic achievement— GPA and standardized test scores—and school participation. They are more likely to miss, skip, or drop out of school.

Bullying is like a snowball; it starts small, or at least seems small, but it gets bigger and bigger, and one day it becomes too big and is out of control.

Even though this is an extreme case, a very small number of bullied children might retaliate through extremely violent measures. In 12 of 15 school shooting cases in the 1990s, the shooters have had a history of being bullied. For the children who have been bullying others, they can be abusive and violent to family members, and also become addicted to drugs at an early age. Bystanders also get affected by bullying. They can also be afraid to go to school, because they are afraid to be the next victim. According to Dosomething.org, over 3.2 million students are victims of bullying each year in America, and 1 in 4 teachers see nothing wrong with bullying and will only intervene 4% of the time.

There have been lots of serious cases of bullying. For example, in September 2012, a 13-year-old student dressed as the Batman villain Two-Face shot and killed himself with a hand gun at an Oklahoma junior high school, just minutes before classes were due to start. Horrified students many of whom were similarly dressed for the school's Super Hero Day heard a gunshot before 8am and found eighth grader Cade Poulos lying in a hallway, according to classmates speaking to KOCO. According to this example, it is obvious that bullying is like a snowball; it starts small, or at least seems small, but it gets bigger and bigger, and one day it becomes too big and is out of control. However, bullying is actually easy to stop. Bullies usually have a lack of understanding of others. They know it would hurt the victim, but they don’t know exactly how it feels.

For example, some people might bully a kid who wears weird and dirty clothes everyday, not realizing that he/she has a family that can’t afford good clothes. However, when you have empathy, you can fit into his/her shoes. You can understand the pain of being bullied.

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EQ The Empathy Quotient is measured in the scales of strongly agree, slightly agree, slightly disagree, and strongly agree. According to the official marking scheme of the questionnaire, the marks are in total of 80.

00-32 33-52 53-63 64-80

In order to measure empathy, psychologists have developed the Empathy Quotient (EQ). The empathy quotient is a 60-item questionnaire designed to measure empathy in adolescents and adults. It is believed to be one of the most reliable and accurate measurements of

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You have a lower than average ability for understanding how other people feel.

You have an average ability to understand how other people feel and respond appropriately.

You have an above average ability for understanding how other people feel and responding appropriately.

You have a very high ability to understand how other people feel and respond appropriately.

As an additional experiment, we investigated the empathy of NLCS Jeju students during the third and the last week of September. 48 students took part in this experiment by answering a survey that gave us their scores as measured by the Empathy Quotient.

Before the experiment, we expected that the general data of the result would be higher than average. Even though there were more ‘Lower than average’ students than those who had a very high EQ, the pattern of the result was as expected.

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KENNEDY, CLOUDS & EMPATHY An assembly by Mr Waterson

E

mpathy is simply the ability to understand or share how others feel. It means you have a good idea of what it is like to be in their place or ‘in their shoes’. It doesn’t automatically mean you feel sorry for them or agree with them (that you feel sympathy for them). When you pass a homeless person, you might feel sympathy or you might not. It’s unlikely, however, that you can fully feel empathy for them unless you have been homeless yourself.

You can be empathetic without being sympathetic and you can be sympathetic with being empathetic. However, sympathy and empathy are not opposites, and you are likely to feel both empathy and sympathy at the same time.

A developed sense of empathy is a very, very useful skill in life. A developed sense of empathy allows you to be more supportive of others. It also allows you to anticipate the reactions of other people and thus to predict how they will act. This can make you more successful in leadership positions.

President Kennedy showed such leadership in 1962, during the Cold War. Fidel Castro had recently taken power in Cuba, just 90 miles from the USA. To defend Castro from American aggression, Soviet premier Khruschev shipped Soviet nuclear missiles to Cuba.

President Kennedy ordered a naval blockade of Cuba to stop more missiles arriving and the world held its breath as the threat of nuclear war grew closer than ever. However, President Kennedy’s empathy allowed for a peaceful solution, not just because he understood the Soviet perspective but because he understood how the Soviets would react to further American actions.

He was supremely empathetic of Khruschev’s position. Whether he was sympathetic doesn’t matter. Kennedy withstood pressure from his military leaders to invade Cuba or call airstrikes.

He explored every perspective and hence every possible solution. Kennedy knew Khruschev was seeking a peaceful solution but had to find a way for Khruschev to back down without ‘losing face’. This he did by offering the withdrawal of US missiles from Turkey (actually, they were due for withdrawal anyway). Khruschev could claim some success as he backed down.

It is doubtful that a leader with a less developed sense of empathy than Kennedy would have led the Cuban Missile Crisis to such a conclusion.

It can be impressive when you deal with someone who has a particularly refined and developed sense of empathy. Empathy, though, is not a sense that is found in equal measure in all people. It can be surprising when you meet someone who has very little capacity to be empathetic.

I wondered if some of us are simply born more empathetic than others? Perhaps, but there are other factors that make for this difference in people.

Age is a factor. When we are very young, we are not empathetic at all. Have you tried reasoning with a one year old? “Milo, try looking at it from my point of view”. It just doesn’t work! So, can we become more ‘empathetic’? Well, the ability to empathise also comes from experience. The more we experience, the more empathetic we can be. The more we experience, the more we can draw upon when we are trying to understand how others feel. As I said, it is easy to feel empathy for the homeless if you have once been homeless.

Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, a greater degree of empathy can be gained by taking time to think about others and their lives. We can also use our imagination and intelligence to be more empathetic. It takes time and effort. Some people may be naturally ‘empathetic’, or as we say, can read people well.

Just like problems, any one storm cloud can appear very different from different perspectives.

However, usually the failure to be empathetic is because we rush, act on impulse and don’t allow or push ourselves to think. And when I say ‘think’ I mean exploring other perspectives. Perhaps the key to developing empathy, is to take time and free your mind to see something from different perspectives.

Storm clouds allow us to illustrate the point.

Storm clouds are called cumulonimbus clouds. Just like problems, any one storm cloud can appear very different from different perspectives. Not only that, but different people can have different reactions to the same perspective. So, all at once, a cloud can cause alarm, awe, fear, excitement, relief, tension, panic, curiosity or a sense of peace. It’s hard to imagine anyone feeling fear when viewing the storm from afar and it’s hard to imagine anyone feeling a sense of peace if they are running from the torrential rain. However, if we remember that the same cloud is experienced in many different ways by many different people, we can push ourselves to find more perspectives to any given problem.

A community composed of people who practice empathy should be more successful, caring and happy. By focusing on empathy this term, I hope we have pushed ourselves as individuals, and as a community, to be more empathetic. I hope this will allow us to be better leaders and more supportive of each other. From the most serious matters of international relations to the seemingly insignificant problems that affect us in our daily lives, the start of the resolution often involves empathy.

Empathy is crucial for art appreciation. Reading a book and muttering “It’s all just a made-up story” or watching a movie all the while thinking “It’s just people acting out” is no way to approach art - art is all about walking into a made-up realm and exploring it, so that by the time of departure one carries back messages, inspirations and ideas that are relevant in worlds both real and fictional. The small Islander group this term has done exactly this. Each member has delved into an area of interest, and established links with empathy.

From a deep sense of pathos evoked by Mozart’s lofty requiem to a sense of delicious joy at a bite of a particularly well-roasted canteen steak, the students have reviewed music, movies, theatre, novels, advertisements, songs and even food. They have portrayed an array of colourful emotions - traumatic character deaths, reminiscences about forgotten lyrics, a no-nonsense criticism on a musical performance. I hope you can read the stories of their myriad moments of empathy… and empathise……

Jillian Chun, Halla

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Elly Jung, year 10, Geomun takes a look at Esperanto, the world’s first synthetic language.

FILM REVIEW LINA KIM YEAR 11, MULCHAT Silver lining – the white edge of clouds – can be seen as a sign of hope and a bright prospect in an unfortunate or gloomy situation. Pat Solitano, the lead male character in this film, is not able to control his emotions by himself, and yet he strongly believes in silver linings. To speak metaphorically, Pat’s situations are like gloomy clouds without a glimpse of silver lining. They are as follows: 1. He struggles to control his emotions.

2. He was separated for several years from his family, hometown, and his wife.

3. Pat is still in denial of the fact that his wife, Nikki, left him. He unrealistically believes she will come back soon, when he finally reacquires the ability to control his emotions.

4. His father, Pat Solitano Sr., never treats him with affection. He rarely talks to Pat. 5. All of these situations result in Pat losing part of his memory – about an incident between him and Nikki – and his sense of time.

Everyone else except Pat thinks there is no hope for him; indeed, they are busy trying to hide from Pat that Nikki actually left Pat because he had physically and verbally abused her. However, Pat strongly believes in silver linings, and trusts that someday Nikki will come back to him.

As individuals, we have many concerns, regardless of our social stances and circumstances. This is why we need families, friends, and mentors; we need someone to empathize with us. However, most people sympathize rather than empathize, often deluding themselves that they are being empathetic. Yet, there is a big difference between empathy and sympathy: having sympathy ends up by acknowledging another person’s emotional hardships and providing comfort and assurance.

Empathy shows an understanding of what others are feeling as a result of experience or putting oneself in their shoes. In ‘Silver Linings’, people

“If clouds are blocking the sun, there will always be a silver lining that reminds me to keep on trying.” around Pat only sympathize with him. They regard Pat as being vulnerable so they simply try to protect him from the real world, which prevents Pat from facing reality and overcoming his pain. This turns Pat into a secluded person who does not know how to express his opinions and emotions in an appropriate way. Therefore, having sympathy can only protect a person from getting exposed; it does not improve the situation any better.

There is, however, only one person who empathizes with Pat. Tiffany, who is introduced to Pat, is in a similar situation with Pat. She has also moved back home after losing her job and her husband.

At first, Pat does not acknowledge that Tiffany is his ‘silver lining’; instead, he tries to avoid her when Tiffany keeps tracking him down. He even gets furious at her when she forges Nikki’s letter to help Pat end his deluded marriage. However, he soon realises that she has acted for his own sake – that she empathises with him. Tiffany knows what Pat needs the most: someone to be with. Tiffany at first tries to get away from him, afraid of falling in love with him, but she eventually stays next to him; she neither encourages him nor protects him, but she is always there whenever Pat looks around.

She laughs when Pat laughs and she cries when Pat cries. Eventually, Pat faces reality, ends his marriage, and overcomes the pain by himself. Then he realises that the one who empathises with him is Tiffany, who is his silver lining and his love.

At the very end, Pat says, “I think I need you too.” to Tiffany. A small sense of empathy can change one’s life; we need someone who can empathize and stay with us. Have empathy, and be someone who is needed.

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With an introduction to our new cafeteria team , Hyundai Green Food, appearing in this term’s issue, Hannah Cho decided to pay some close attention to the dishes being served.

Food REVIEW Hannah Cho YEAR 11, Jeoji CHICKEN CUTLET The chicken cutlet appears simple at first with just three pieces of chicken covered in translucent brown sauce. Upon looking at it, I expected the taste of a dried, hard meat with tangy sauce. However, when I took my first bite, it was different from what I had expected.

The chicken cutlet was well blended and harmonized with the teriyaki dressing. The luscious sauce dribbled off the crunchy bread coating that burst in my mouth.

I decided to try the fish cutlet as well, expecting a fine delight. Well, to be honest, I was sorely disappointed. There was no doubt that the dressing was the same, but it just didn’t seem to harmonize this time.

떡갈비 The 떡갈비 or Dak-kalbi was just a lump of rectangular meat with a small amount of salad alongside. Its unappetizing look made me think that it would only function as ‘food’ to fill my empty stomach, nothing more. I was not expecting anything special about 떡갈비, but as I had the first bite, it was actually not bad. Not bad at all. The sauce was exceptionally sweet and enveloped the meat very well.

As I ate it with kimchi, it was even better as the spiciness blended well with the syrupy sauce.

The meat itself was tender as well without being overtly dry or stiff.

It was just right, as I did not have to spend my time trying to slice the stiffened meat. However, one slight disappointment was that there was an undeniable taste of processed, frozen chewiness in the meat.

설렁탕 Unlike other items on the menu , I was absolutely excited about 설렁탕 or Solongtang - the noodle beef soup. I could not wait to taste the deep, salty soup with the silky noodles inside. The school’s 설렁탕 was as palatable as I imagined. The first sight of it made my mouth water. As soon as I sipped a spoonful of soup, the salty, but mild taste filled my mouth with delight. Moreover, with 깍두기 or Kakdugi - chewy pickled kimchi, as a side dish, it was even better.

As I had a mouthful of 설렁탕 with 깍두기, it was just astonishing.

The soft noodles slid down my throat and the crunchy 깍두기 burst in my mouth. The spiciness also added more flavor to the soup, which allowed me to experience a variety of taste in one 설렁탕.

Overall, this meal was the best by far.

book REVIEW yaesung lee HAlla

The novel “Blue Fish,” by Pat Schmatz is the perfect book for us modern teenagers. It is a book that you can’t let go of until you finish. It is exciting, romantic, but also very meaningful and tragic. One of the best things about this book is how it links to the theme for this term in NLCS Jeju, “empathy.”

The main characters in the book are teenagers with whom we as teenagers can fully empathize.

The characters have very distinctive, idiosyncratic, and special characteristics and personalities. In the book, two eighth grade students (a girl and a boy) create a relationship together that can be expressed in the phrase “best friends forever.”

Both the girl and the boy have big secrets that they keep to themselves and protect. Like two reclusive stars, they are alone and behave as complete hermits. However, as the story develops with the boy’s story told in the third person and the girl’s story written in a first-person narrative (in a form of a diary), they bring their sadness out and share them these things with each other.

The two characters meet while they are both in painful and hurtful situations from losses in their lives. This similarity is what builds such a strong bond between the two. The boy and the girl are both very reclusive, but just can’t stop being interested in each other. The way that the author expresses the heavy feelings that they both have is amazing. Undergoing many conflicts, with each other and with themselves, the two finally end up by confessing their secrets.

They share the stories of their losses, and because both of them know exactly how each other feels, they feel empathy towards each other and they become best friends. The author expresses how empathy can bring one to completely understand others, and conveys that eventually, the people who can empathize with others’ feelings can create the best relationships. The book explains meaningful things in a beautiful way using two simple characters that come to life on the pages.

Not only does the author convey empathy in the book, but he also expresses how restorative justice amends relationships. Other than the two main characters, there are extra characters in the book that show how empathy can also bring restorative justice. The story shows when people empathize with one another, restorative justice takes place, and the act of forgiveness and remorse amends the relationships among people no matter what they have gone through.

The message of empathy and restorative justice mentioned and emphasized in the book explains why this book is just the right book to read (especially this term). It will fulfil the reader’s understanding of what empathy and restorative justice is and what huge power it has on people’s relationships. Feel the excitement and joy as well as the tragic catharsis, and have a truly meaningful experience by reading the book, “Blue Fish” by Pat Schmatz.

music REVIEW Charlie Park Halla

The song for the others Mozart’s Requiem Requiem, by definition refers to a ‘composition related to mourning of the death’. They are usually performed in funerals or memorial masses to provoke an elegiac mood. Due to this functional aspect of the composition, most requiems tend to be in a minor key and written in relaxed tempo, in order to best induce the audience to mourn for the dead. As ‘Death’ is something inevitable in life, thousands of western composers have written requiems, sometimes for themselves and sometimes for others. Among those requiems, I would like to introduce one significant piece composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, which is both musically and historically interesting due to its perfection and a dramatic story behind it.

In 1791, Mozart received a request from an anonymous man, asking him to compose a requiem. Mozart gladly accepted even though, at the time, his health was severely deteriorating due to overwork. After several months, Mozart died because of a rheumatism complication at a tender age the 38 - personifying the phrase ‘Genius is to be short-lived’. Eventually Mozart’s Requiem, which was to be composed for someone else’s death, became his last work and at the same time a ‘Requiem’ for himself. Even though Mozart failed to complete the composition, his devoted student Franz Xaver Süssmayr finished

the piece according to Mozart’s last instructions.

This is the version that people nowadays generally acknowledge as ‘Mozart’s Requiem in D Minor’.

Because of its musical significance, Requiem in D minor has a multitude of recorded versions, performed by a variety of orchestras from all over the world. But above all I would like to recommend the 1972 version conducted by Karl Bohm and performed by Vienna philharmonic orchestra, where the sorrowful and tragic mood of the piece is highlighted with great interpretation of dynamics as well as the grandiose choir melody, which brilliantly conveys the beauty of this masterpiece.

Personally, I consider ‘Requiem’ as a musical form which aligns itself the most with the basic purpose of the art; induction of an audience’s empathy. The value of the music does not reach the acme when the audience simply feels a piece to be ‘beautiful’. It is best appreciated when the music is capable of moving and touching the audience, allowing the audience to empathize with and participate in the emotion that the composer has intended to convey. I believe that ‘requiem’ is a genre which best serves this function of music, because of its ability to affect the audience deeply and convey the sorrow and tragedy of death.

ART BY JAY LEE, HALLA

Food REVIEW Shunto Shigetomi Year 10, NORO

Macaroons.

This is a food of exquisiteness, ardor, and romance. It is a creation of ultimate sweetness and delight, and no one can resent this taste of sacred justice. It resonates in the deepest elements of your heart. It is a symphony of sugar and cinnamon. It is the blend of eccentricity and ecstasy, as it twirls tenderly around your tongue like a ballerina in a spotlight of profound sensation. It swirls and spins, hops and skips, lunges and thrusts, and falls gently down your throat as softly as snow.

This is the world, the taste, the feeling a macaroon can present to you.

A macaroon is a type of miniature cake, usually made from various ingredients. First created in Italy in the 9th Century, it was then improved in France in 1533 by two Benedictine Nuns: Sister Marguerite and Sister Marie-Elisabeth. It was stuffed with diverse materials with different sorts of tastes and smell to create a delicious harmony.

Macaroons are usually very sweet and sugary, and melt in your mouth like cotton candy.

The greatest asset of macaroons, however, is that any taste can blend with different components to create unique tastes. For example, you are able to create a Bacon Macaroon by blending olive oil and meat into an Almond Macaroon. In my personal opinion, this adaptability is what makes macaroons radiate gloriously, outshining all of its other virtues. The outcomes are infinite, no matter how infinitesimal the possibility may be. Anything can occur, and any kind of taste can be born due to this. Anything can taste divine, and any type of Macaroon has its own greatness, its own supremacy, their own flare that sets them apart.

Eunice Lee, Year 9GN, Noro said: “I truly think that a macaroon are lovable. It is sweet, it is deep, and not only is it tasty but it also comes in many different shapes, sizes, and flavours. A macaroon can reach deepest into the hearts of the abject, the sad, and the troubled.�

This statement truly resonates in my heart, because I love macaroons. I fall in love with it over and over again.

Everyone, go grab a macaroon, and taste its beautiful truth.

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musical theatre REVIEW joanna song Year 11, NORO A poor soldier is deeply in love with a woman. Luckily, she feels the same. They get married and have a son. Their love is so deep that no one can break their bond. Woyzeck would do anything to make his wife, Marie, feel happy. He is so poor that although he can generally support his family, some days, they starve. Then, one day, there comes a chance for Woyzeck to earn a lot of money. He can earn a lot of money if he donates himself to a biological experiment.

Obviously, he applies for the experiment, and is then forced to only eat a common bean for all meals until he becames crazy. Even though he does all of this for his wife, Marie, she betrays him, and leaves with a rich men. At last, devastated, Woyzeck murders Marie.

During this summer vacation, I went to Seoul to watch a musical called ‘Woyzeck’, a tragic piece of musical theatre set in 1994, created by Georg Buchner. As I am a IGCSE drama student, one of my hobbies is to see drama performances that are available whenever I go to Seoul. Up until now, I have seen many different musical theatre performances, such as Lion King, Marie Poppins, Billy Elliot, and a few Korean musicals, such as ‘The Heroes’. One thing I felt was that this musical was not as good as some of the other musicals I have seen, but it still contained great quality performers, as well as great stage settings and songs. However, I personally believe that one thing that disappointed me was the story line.

The stage setting of this musical was very effective, due to the use of the side wall in a proscenium stage prop. This means that a huge part of the house came in and out through the walls, as well as the small market stalls. Since these places can be moved back in, providing the stage with more space, they are very useful for a performance that needs altitude as well as space on the actual stage. Also, the lighting was pretty interesting as well, since in the particularly chaotic atmosphere, the lights all overlapped over one another, creating a confusing kaleidoscope that enhanced the tense atmosphere. In contrast, in really calm moments, the lights were turned onto the stage with a wash (a type of smooth lighting), creating a calm atmosphere. Also, since an actual orchestra played the music under the stage, the music filled

the stadium much more easily, and had more effect on the experience, as it provided a realistic and fulfilling harmony. The timing of acts, songs, and the music was also very precise and accurate, so I believe all performers must have practiced intensely for the production. The last aspect of the stage I would like to mention is the body painting.

After the scenes portraying Woyzech’s intensive diet on soy beans, Woyzech was depicted as having serious difficulties standing up. At this point, the body painting of Woyzeck was very interesting, since he actually seemed ill and weak, with expertly painted bruises all around his body.

My favorite part of the musical was when the doctors approached Woyzeck vigorously to check the reaction within Woyzeck’s body, and sing a song that clearly had a perfectly interesting and disturbing rhythm, using cacophonous sound effects. The movements of the actors were sharp, without any clumsy gestures.

After I saw this musical, I got to thinking a lot about the people around me, the people who influence me, as well as the people I influence.

When we live in a society in which we have to interact with each other, negotiate with each other, and influence each other, we have to be able to control ourselves, and think once more before we act or say something. Woyzeck had great trust in Marie, and Marie also trusted Woyzeck, but once this chain of trust was broken, everything fell apart. I feel that it is the same in modern society. Our school, for example, runs on the basis of ‘trust’. If there is no such thing as trust in this society, it would be nearly impossible to have dormitories, house captains, house mistresses, assistant house mistresses, or even teachers. This society would just be wobbly or unstable, and hardly exist. Therefore, one thing I learned from this performance was to act in a way that can help everyone believe in you, and to think once more about what I am going to do before doing things for real, since it could cause harm to others either directly or indirectly.

This musical has given me the chance to reflect on myself, and it would also be great for the other students and teachers to watch in their spare time.

Woyzeck

music REVIEW Yoojin song Year 11, Jeoji

The moment

I started pondering on the concept of “empathy in music”, there was one song that came to my mind right away: Mariah Carey’s “Bye Bye”.

Now, before you music maniacs out there start panicking over the fact that you have never heard of the song and start questioning the validity of your ‘musical knowledge’, let me tell you this; the song was never particularly popular when it first came out in 2008, and its fame hasn’t boosted dramatically over the last few years either. In fact, I have never, up to this day, met another person who knows this song.

However, despite the fact that “Bye Bye” isn’t necessarily one of Mariah Carey’s top hit songs, I believe that it is definitely one of her most meaningful works. Lyrically, the piece contains a dialogue between Carey and her deceased father in the verses, and a universal salute to departed loved ones, including family members, lovers and friends. Subsequently, the piece not only reaches out to all the people out there who have lost loved ones, but also gives a chance for the listeners to ‘empathise’ with Carey’s grief.

Even now, I can still remember the first time I listened to the song. The very first line, “This is for my people who just lost somebody” grabbed my attention at once, even though I wasn’t really at an age where I had experienced a “real loss”, the song did make me think of all the people who were going through these losses, and to a certain extent, helped me empathise with them.

This is for my people’s who just lost somebody Your best friend, your baby, your man or your lady Put your hand way up high, we will never say bye Mamas, daddies, sisters, brothers, friends and cousins This is for my people’s who lost their grandmothers Lift your head to the sky ‘cause we will never say bye, bye I never knew I could hurt like this And everyday life goes on I wish I could talk to you for awhile Miss you but I try not to cry As time goes by And soon as you reached a better place Still I’ll give the world to see your face And I’m right here next to you It feels like you gone too soon The hardest thing to do is say bye bye.

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media REVIEW minha Kim Year 11, Jeoji

The One and Only Key to Successful Advertisements: Empathy In a world where everything is possible through the Internet and mobile services, we are often overwhelmed by the amount of information at our fingerips. As we dive deeper into this sea of content, people are more exposed to different kinds of advertisements that constantly pour out from different companies and organisations. It is true though, that many commercials are ignored and neglected because we encounter so many of them.

People often consider ‘ads’ as either ‘annoying pictures or videos that randomly pop up everywhere,’ or an ‘unavoidable but irritating prerequisite in watching YouTube videos or TV programmes.’ In other words, people do not value ads much, considering how frequently we see or hear them. However, advertising is one of the most important factors of successful marketing. It is very important for companies that their advertisements are appealing to their customers. Only a few years ago, people valued only ‘catchy messages.’ However, companies cannot win the battle of overflowing adverts with just clever messages. Nowadays, EMPATHY is the appeal that makes advertisements successful.

The other day, I was watching a television programme. As expected, a number of advertisements were on. I got bored watching never-ending advertisements relay and almost turned off the TV. That was when I caught a glimpse of an empathy-inducing advertisement, and later I watched the same advertisement a few more times. I found it very interesting.

It was an advertisement of a famous

Korean insurance company. It showed a man who sees all these mottos and messages saying “Be crazy about” things such as success, study, English, creativity and money. It is very famous in Korea to express a passion towards something as being “crazy,” in a positive way. And then it goes on to the man thinking, ‘why can’t people just live ordinarily without being madly interested?’ The narrator in the advert then encourages us to be ourselves and enjoy living, saying “Don’t be crazy, be sane.”

This advertisement conveys the basic message that their insurances will support the customers to live a happy life, just like other insurance ads. The key factor that made this advertisement stand out wss the fact that it was empathising with the audience. People are always exposed to, and secretly critical of the messages that society gives, such as “Be Crazy.” This ad not only makes the audience realise how thoughtless they are in accepting society’s messages, but also criticises the tendency in society to drive people crazy in every aspect of life. The company and the audience share a thought of “until when and why de we need to be crazy?” and this creates a sense of empathy.

Advertisements that attempt to invoke empathy enable the audience to directly relate the situation to their own lives, and make them feel positively towards their products.

Many adverts try to sell their products, but others try to deliver a message for public benefit.

This photo is part of an advertisement series released by Crisis Relief Singapore, a volunteer disaster organisation. It is a real photo showing people giving ‘thumbs up’ to an injured child, possibly the young victim of a toe popper – a particularly vicious form of landmine. The copy says, “Liking isn’t helping.” The thumbs represent the ‘Like’ button in Facebook and other similar functions in other SNS. Recently, posts of pictures or stories of less fortunate people have become famous on Facebook by urging users to ‘like’ the posts.

Most Facebook users and numerous non-users will easily empathise when looking at this image. CRS understood the psychology of Facebook users; a desire to support those in need, coupled with a lack of interest in actually physically helping them. This advertisement directly criticises how ‘liking’ is not helpful at all for the people who need real help, and implies that users are ‘sympathising’ rather than ‘empathising’ with the people in the posts.

Like the insurance advertisement, this also uses empathy to persuade the audience

to directly help CRS organisation or the people who need help, rather than just ‘liking’ the posts and being apathetic. This advertisement series won a respected award for its originality and effectiveness through the use of empathy. The message is both clear and effective, enabling the audience to relate themselves to the photo more easily.

It is essential for adverts these days to be remembered by the audience. When an advertisement is empathetic, people relate to the content more easily and are more influenced by it than by other commercials. Empathy does not just happen. It needs a deep understanding between the two who wish to empathize.

Thus, in order to produce a successful advertisement, companies should develop a relationship with consumers, interacting and communicating to find the bond. No matter how creative, emotional, funny, provoking, beautiful, epic or grand an advertisement is, if it does not show empathy, it won’t be as powerful as a small advertisement that truly empathises with the audience.

film REVIEW raina kim Year 11, mulchat

“What truly is logic? Who decides reason? My quest has taken me to the physical, the metaphysical, the delusional and back.

I have made the most important discovery of my career – the most important discovery of my life. It is only in the mysterious equations of love that any logic or reasons can be found.”

John Nash Mathematics may have won the war.

Mathematics may have broken secret codes.

However, it will perhaps be very little help in trying to figure out why your girlfriend slapped you in the face, or why we should help the old, or why you should give a helping hand to a starving African child.

Unfortunately, John Nash, a young gifted mathematician just accepted to Princeton, does not see how this works. He takes his intelligence for granted: At the age of twentyone, he had successfully questioned one of the oldest existing theories of economics, far exceeding friends who often snorted at and made fun of him. His life seems to work well – he easily tops the class, gains a prestigious post at MIT and settles down with a beautiful, understanding wife. In spite of his quirkiness in character, he appears destined for greatness.

However, once he finds himself mired in mental disturbances, his life rapidly plummets into an endless chasm. The greatest drawback of John Nash which renders his collective myopia is his absence of empathy. As he becomes increasingly obsessed with his ‘topsecret code-cracking project’, he detaches himself entirely from the outside world and even from his own wife. Firmly believing his intelligence, he denies the fact that what is happening around him is merely a product of imagination. When he finally recognizes that he is delusional, he makes an attempt to

control his disease. However, just like when he solves a complex Maths equation, he attempts to solve his problem by taking a mathematical approach. Purely based on logic, he decides he should figure out an answer for his situation, like a Maths question.

What he does not perceive is that the mind and the heart are in fact, interconnected. They are so closely linked that a true human with an empathetic heart simply requires both of them to operate wholly. It is our mind that causes the rhythm of our heart, but it is our heart that guides our mind in the true direction of ourselves. Logic and reason cannot always provide an answer to every single question or a wondering though you may have. If you persist in adhering to logic, practicality, and benefit, it is impossible to answer questions as simple as “Why should I feel sorry?” to more profound questions like “Why should we send aid?”

This is why we need common sense. One cannot always act upon emotional standards, ‘by your guts’ on every single matter. However, as John Nash’s wife tells him whole-heartedly in order to get him out of delusion, “Perhaps it is good to have a beautiful mind, but an even greater gift is to discover a beautiful heart.” Love may not be something you can easily substantiate with a definite proof, but it still remains an answer to troubles otherwise unsolvable.

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jiho choi, halla, explores where empathy comes from. She wrote and designed this article.

Developing Empathy

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4 year-old child cries, “Look! That woman has such a swollen nose!”

His mother will quietly shush his mouth putting her hand over his lips and a man will probably ignore the child. At the age of 4, it is difficult to accept other people’s flaws and empathy is not fully developed until adulthood. Lack of empathy at an earlier stage is not an extraordinary behavior, it is obvious and understandable.

Understanding what others feel and an ability to stand in another person’s shoes is known as empathy. Unlike physical strength, empathy is a skill to be learnt and developed. More empathetic children tend to behave better at school and among friends. It might even have a positive influence on their future career. Empathetic children have a greater possibility of becoming leaders among their group of peers or in the class.

Where do children learn this ability of empathy?

Parents are the most influential part in this. Young children are influenced by their parents’ behavior the most and often mimic how they act.

It is never late to begin the education of empathy; the sooner the better. It might be suitable to teach them as they begin to talk.

The personal expression of empathy is more influential and effective than what you say to them. Like a parent of a 4 year-old child at the beginning, stubbornly shushing them without any explanation is pointless. It is much more meaningful to explain his mistakes and why he shouldn’t behave in that way. Quietly and patiently explain why his saying might hurt someone’s emotions. Try to give an understandable example related to his daily life. For example, ask him about any moments when he felt bad because of his friends.

At about the age of 5, a child can learn more about empathy by relating to hypothetical problems. How would you feel if someone took your toy away from you? How would your friend feel if the same thing happened to him? Then what should you say to your friend? Is there anything you can do to help your friend feel better?

When a child is 8, he is now more capable of making complex decisions, and

understanding that not everyone feels and thinks in the same way. He or she can now consider what it might be like to be in other person’s shoes and be open minded.

Why is it so important to have the skill of empathy?

The most important reason is that you will be able to build a more positive and stable relationship with others. Either at school or in the workplace, empathy plays an important role. Without empathy, the opponent might find that you are ignorant and indifferent to what they say. Naturally, a lack of empathy might lead people around you to leave.

In order to become an empathetic person, try to listen to others rather than expressing your own opinion all the time. By listening to the end of the conversation, it gives you a time to formulate a response, which the other party might expect to hear. Although you might feel like spitting out the words, force yourself to listen and concentrate on each word of the conversation.

If you are not an empathetic person, why not try to develop a sense of empathy? An ability to empathize will open up a healthy relationship with people around you. The continuous practice of listening and walking in other person’s shoes will definitely change you into an empathetic person.

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March 8th, 2014. 3:15 A.M...

#1 You are a middle-aged unemployed man. You’re standing in front of a stranger’s door. You take out a worn-out pin.

The pin goes into the keyhole as if it’s magnetically drawn to it, and after a few seconds of familiar rattles, you see a neat row of shoes welcoming you. Not bad, you think, for a first attempt. You close the door behind you in complete silence, and you’re pleased again as the silence continues to keep you company. Now it’s the easy step. The living room is pretty small, but you don’t need to explore any further. You lightly tip-toe towards a wooden drawer by the TV. Everything so far is just as planned. You open the top drawer, but nothing catches your attention. You open the next one. There we go. But you realize it’s too dark to make any movements. Then, a light comes on. You almost say thanks, and then freeze.

“Who are you?” He asks.

You’re not sure if an answer is wanted. You turn around, and a punch knocks you down. Somehow relieved by this sudden burst of sense, you add a scream to it. But it doesn’t stop. Punch, punch, and then a kick, you beg and shout as loud as you can but your voice is not heard. There’s a pause, and you try to run, but a cold, hard sensation hits the back of your neck. You’re back on the ground, have given up, but it doesn’t stop. You feel the warmth of your blood wetting your hair. And that’s the last thing you will ever think.

#2 You’re twenty years old, and you’re enlisted in the Korean army for the next two years. You’re back from your send off party, quite drunk but not too much. You never knew early dawn air could be so cold, and you can’t wait to get into your bed. You’re at your door, and you open it silently.

You’re not too proud about being out this late. You wrestle to get your shoes off, but they won’t budge - not easily. I should have listened to mother, you think, she was right about these shoelaces. You try a few more times, but the house is pitch-dark, and you can’t see anything. Great, you sigh, and turn the light on. Then you drop your bag, and your shoes lose your attention. There’s a stranger ransacking your living room. Your grandparents and mother are sleeping in their rooms.

“Who are you?” You ask.

No answer, and he turns around. You don’t know what to do, but your fist does. He falls to the ground. Good job. But it’s not over. He screams, and you punch again to quieten him. You punch again, and kick, another kick. He tries to run, so you grab whatever you can to keep him on the ground.

You can’t let him go. You touch something cold and hard, and the only thing that comes into your mind is attack. You hit him with it, and he falls again. You carry on nonetheless.

He is dangerous; my family are in danger. You can’t stop.

Your heart pounds in your head, neck, wrist, everywhere.

You’re in danger; you can’t think.

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A

lthough I did use a little bit of imagination, this is pretty much exactly what happened on the 8th of March, 2014, in Wonju, Gangwon-do. A twenty year old man found a thief rummaging through his drawer when he got back home past 3 a.m., and attacked him with a laundry rack for twenty minutes until he fell into a coma. The thief’s older brother committed suicide a few months later because he could not afford the hospital fees, and the thief’s nephew is currently demanding the twenty-year-old be punished severely. The prosecutor prosecuted the twenty-year-old for excessive self-defense, and the judge sentenced him to one and a half years of imprisonment for the charge of physical assault.

After this incident was reported by YTN, a Korean 24-hour news channel, a controversy rapidly arose. The defence argues that what the twenty-yearold had done was mere self-defence, while those that empathize with the thief insist that twenty minutes of attack should be categorized as physical assault, or at least excessive self-defence. The weapon that was used, an aluminum laundry rack, is also a matter of controversy, as it was claimed to be a ‘lethal weapon’ by the prosecutor when it is in fact very light and thin.

On the 27 of October, Congressman Park Minsik brought a similar laundry rack that was used to show that it should not be classified as a “lethal weapon,” lifting it up with his little finger. He also claimed that this incident shows how the Korean law is on the side of criminals. The fact that the definition of self-defense in Korean law is rather vague does not improve the situation either. It is stated that self-defence is legal to a certain extent, but mere commutation is granted when the defensive action is excessive, while at the same time if the action was carried out under a situation where extreme anxiety could be caused, for example in the dark, no punishment should be given.

Arguments from the prosecution and the defence are both valid and well supported by the people. It’s very natural for people to take sides when there is an outbreak of national controversy, like this one. Some agree with the prosecution - it was self-defence. You wouldn’t welcome a tramp to rummage through your living room. Who knows what he would have done if you didn’t attack first? Plus, it was a laundry rack. Come on, what can that pathetic thing do?

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No one can say that there is a “right” way to empathize in a circumstance.

Others agree with the defence - the man is in a coma. It doesn’t really matter what weapon was used. Yes, ransacking through drawers in someone else’s living room isn’t exactly acceptable behaviour, but nothing was actually stolen. And the thief was beaten for twenty minutes. A few minutes might be explained as self-defence, but twenty minutes should definitely be classified as violence.

In a debate, people tend to agree with the side that’s much easier to empathize with. Empathy, in many debates and court cases, definitely comes before logical validity. Similar patterns were shown in this particular case - people supported the side that they found easier to empathize with.

We can easily see that people empathize differently in a single circumstance. What people can empathize with is closely related to their past experiences, their values, and their perspectives, so no one can say that there is a “right” way to empathize in a circumstance. Like the damn English essay question, there is no wrong answer. But just like an English essay, there is a hierarchy. Empathizing with a side in a problem is definitely a good answer, but it isn’t the best one. The main idea of empathy is understanding others’ feelings and emotions, so why not try and empathize with the other side as well? It’s easy to find a side that you agree with, so why not go a step further?

The main idea of empathy is understanding the feelings and emotions of others - and the “others” bit of that definition isn’t restricted to the circumstance itself. So let us all acknowledge that understanding and appreciating a perspective that’s completely opposite to your own view is the answer that we were looking for. This is the act that demonstrates true empathy.

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A PHOTO ESSAY BY JUSTIN LEE, HALLA

SOMOSOMO

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Somosomo District School, Taveuni Island, Fiji

p rologue I have never been to Fiji before in my life. In fact, this will be my first time going to the southern hemisphere. I had heard a little about this project, as it was held initially last year. I saw some photos taken last year in Fiji in an assembly that seems decades ago, and it looked very interesting.

Kids with happy faces, jumping from a high waterfall, snorkelling — it looked awesome. However, I wouldn’t know how fun it would be unless I actually went there. Fortunately, I was selected to be one of the participants in this year’s Fiji Service Trip! In other words, I obtained the chance to actually go to Fiji and observe and experience Fijian culture. I waited and waited. I finished my IGCSE exams and completed my pre-IB. Now, the time has come. In a few days, I will be on the plane travelling to Fiji.

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a r r i va l Yes! I am now here in Fiji. As it is in the southern hemisphere, it is very hot whereas in Korea it is almost winter now. We are now waiting for the plane that will take us to Taveuni island, our destination.

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Nadi International Airport

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A typical street in Fiji

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with the kids We met the children of Somosomo District School. They looked very happy to see us. All the children had happy faces and we were very excited to see them. We followed them as they walked to the sea. We skimmed rocks and competed to see who could skim stones the furthest.

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The local beach at Somosomo

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Our new students!

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at t h e s c h o o l For three days, we taught the students in Somosomo District School a wide range of subjects that we had studied and planned before we travelled to Fiji. This was my first experience teaching others, especially kids.

We were a bit worried about the effectiveness of our planned lessons.

However, the children were so clever, and they loved our lessons. They made happy faces throughout the day and were eager to solve questions we provided. Thanks to their support, we tried to teach them with more passion and energy to make lessons even more fun and enjoyable.

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Lesson time

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Play time!

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More lessons

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We made some signs

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Arts & crafts

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FAR E WELL!!

We were about to leave the village. We had a farewell ceremony in the auditorium and enjoyed numerous dances and activities students displayed beautifully. We also practiced K-Pop dances before the ceremony to scare the kids with our terrible dancing skills.

We received lovely presents from the school and had a short time of silence to recall all the good memories in Somosomo Village. Before the van arrived to take us to our next destination, five students came to say their final goodbyes. We were so touched by the fact they came all the way to Chottus Motel. The picture below shows the five students who came and said their last good-bye. This may be my favourite photo I took all trip.

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A tradition Fijian performance

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All together

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fun free time For the last six days, we stayed at the Garden Island Resort where the ocean can be seen. On the first day, we rode on a boat to reach the middle of the ocean. We booked snorkelling kits and used them to dive into the sea. It was indeed deep, but it wasn’t too bad as we floated well in salt water. In fact, we saw a variety of different sea creatures in the ocean that astounded us rather than intimidated us. I sadly got an injury on my foot due to the tight flippers, but I didn’t care because the scenery underwater was amazing. On the second day, we hiked for 90 minutes to see three magnificent waterfalls. We also jumped from one of the waterfalls, which was about 5 meters high.

We got our trainers and trousers wet due to the rough weather, but it was the most memorable time on this trip. On the third day, we rode on the boat again to reach the wild uninhabited island. We arrived on the shore and played volleyball and snorkelled around the island. We also brought kayaks and paddled them. Some of the idiots pushed us into the water on purpose while I was on the kayak. It was still fun though.

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Our snorkelling trip

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Wild island!

ep ilogue We were kind of scared when we first started teaching the students, but they were so enthusiastic and happy all the time which encouraged us to teach them all the more energetically. Also, the place was filled with happiness and joy everywhere as I saw people’s happy faces throughout the village. The kids were so lovely that I will miss them for a long time. The atmosphere and the landscape of the entire island were like art. When we snorkelled and looked into the sea, I was astonished by the incredible view of the ocean and the creatures that inhabited it. It is sad that we had to leave the island, but this trip has improved our thoughts towards the world and has left us extraordinary memories that we will cherish in our future lives.

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Sarah Kim & Gina Hooton, both Year 9, both Mulchat try the impossible. Is it possible to persuade an islander reader to have empathy for someone considered one of the greatest monsters of all time.

DESIGN BY JIHO CHOI, HALLA

HITLER. What words come into your mind when you hear his name? Probably notorious, cruel, and merciless. When we were thinking about our topic for this term, we came up with this crazy idea of convincing you, the readers, that Hitler deserves more empathy from you.

We felt very confident at first because we thought if we did enough research, there would be some interesting and convincing facts. However, it wasn’t as easy as we thought. At some stages of our research we felt very strong empathy with Hitler. At other stages, some facts made us confused as Hitler made some strange decisions which weren’t coherent at all with his previous actions. As we take you through our journey, empathising with one of the most horrendous people who walked the earth, we would like you to feel not sympathy, but empathy for Adolf Hitler.

People generally see what they look for, and hear what they listen for.

To Kill A Mockingbird

Like this quotation from ‘To Kill A Mockingbird’ says, we tried to find moments of his life where we could empathize with him as a person. We started by looking at some quotes and the biography of Hitler.

We felt very enthusiastic because we found out that a lot of his quotes linked to his personal experiences. We then thought, maybe we could convince you, the readers, by linking quotes to his experiences and explaining how he might have been affected by these. One of the arguments we had at this point was that he lived on the streets of Vienna, a city known at this time for its anti-semitism*, after his mother’s death. It is likely that Hitler picked up the idea of antisemitism from here. *Anti-semitism: Hostility to or prejudice against Jews (Oxford Dictionary)

Klara Hitler’s death After the Hitlers moved to Germany, Adolf’s mother, Klara Hitler, was diagnosed with cancer following the discovery of a lump in her chest (1907) by their family doctor, Eduard Bloch. When he discovered that she had breast cancer, he didn’t tell Klara but Adolf about his mother. Klara’s condition rapidly got worse and Adolf requested the

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help of Dr. Bloch. They found out that the treatment was pointless and Klara Hitler died without complaining, as she strongly believed that God had chosen her destiny.

What makes this event particular is the fact that the family doctor, Eduard Bloch, was Jewish. This fact suggests that it might have affected the decisions and values of Hitler later on in his life.

“Sooner will a camel pass through a needle’s eye than a great man be ‘discovered’ by election.” Mein Kampf Hitler’s negative opinion towards elections can be seen from this quote. It is a big mystery why he would hate elections when he was the ‘great’ leader of the Nazis. However, before he became the great leader, in the presidential elections in 1932 in Germany, Hitler came second by a difference of 16.2%. He was feeling confident that he would win the election, as more people were joining his party and he became more and more popular.

However he was very disappointed. This suggests that he might have felt betrayed by the people who supported him, and was the reason why he believed that elections cannot discover a great man.

“I do not see why man should not be just as cruel as nature.” Adolf Hitler This quotation perhaps can be traced from several experiences Hitler had in his lifetime, as it shows his emotions towards society and people. Firstly, when Hitler was young, he wasn’t very good in school and was not even that popular. However, he really liked art and wanted to go to study art at university, therefore he moved to Vienna after his mother’s death. However, he was rejected from the art university in Vienna. He then applied for two art universities which were ‘Vienna Academy of Art’ and ‘The School of Architecture’ but again he was rejected from both. Secondly, during WWI, Hitler was blinded temporarily by a mustard gas attack. After that, as mentioned above, he didn’t get chosen in the presidential election. He was really disappointed about this news and instead became a leader of the Nazis. These factors suggest how Hitler might have felt - rejected - and this could be one of the factors that made him care even more for himself and the people who supported him.

The Nazis and Heinrich Himmler When you think of the Nazis, you would probably have the thought about Hitler controlling them and how cruel they were to the Jews. The truth is, not only did Hitler participate in this idea of exterminating the Jews

but also Heinrich Himmler, the Chief of the SS and a lot of others participated in this appalling idea. Himmler was the architect and Hitler the master builder of the plan. Hitler was the one who made adjustments to it and put the plan into action, which means he is one of a number of people entirely responsible for the holocaust.

Towards the end of our research we actually felt less empathy towards him than we did in the middle of it, mainly because of his cruel actions which we read about. However, strangely, we still felt more empathy towards him than we did before we did our research; which suggests to us that going through his life (biography) has actually helped us empathise with him. It did not make us feel a lot of sympathy, but empathy. We learned how to empathise by standing in someone’s shoes - even if it is a person whom everyone thinks was merciless and inhumane - which brings us to this quote...

You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view... Until you climb inside of his skin and walk around in it.

To Kill A Mockingbird

Junior Islander Team Sophie Yu, Y6 Elysia Bae, Y6 Sarah kim, Y6 Yeonju Shin, Y6 Esther Yun, Y5 Jeremy Kim, Y5

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how dogs show empathy Sophie Yu, Year 6, Harubang Empathy is a very important word to understand and not only do we, as humans, show empathy, but dogs experience it too. Dogs have the ability to understand us.

For example, when you are really miserable, dogs can cheer you up.

We always know that dogs are our best friend. Recently, a study from Goldsmiths College in the UK has the scientific evidence to prove it. They took 18 dogs and they did individual tests. They were in three scenes: two people talking, a person “humming in an odd manner” to make the dog curious, and a person crying or pretending to cry. The experiments were both tried with the dog’s owners and with a stranger. Surprisingly, the dogs approached the strangers just as how they would approach their owner. From this experiment we found out that dogs can show empathy to most humans, they can feel our pain and sorrow.

Did you know that if you try to yawn next to your dog, she might do the same back?

This action may seem very simple but only a few animals can do that. Recently, we found out that dogs yawn even when they just hear the sound of us yawning.

In the language of the dogs, yawning was usually used as a calming signal. It’s a way of saying “ I have had enough and now I am running out of patience!” They might yawn repeatedly when they are at the vet to show their nervous expression, sometimes dogs yawn for something enjoyable, like going out for a walk. So now you can understand that dogs yawning actually has a meaning, and it is not a simple reaction to being tired perhaps.

Now some of the owners didn’t even have time to take care of their pet. The pets just sit there for a day, waiting for their owner to come back and pet it.

“Such short little lives our pets have to spend with us, and they spend most of it waiting for us to come home.”

John Grogan, ‘Marley and Me’.

Even if you are very busy, you should spend some time each day to take care of your pets, don’t make them feel so lonely. Be empathetic to the pets the same way they are to you!

Model: Poppy MIles

ALFRED ALDER (1870 - 1937) “Empathy is seeing with the eyes of another, listening with the ears of another and feeling with the heart of another.”

The Meaning: To be empathic, you have to use different things from what you usually use. Alfred thought that being empathic is being able to be another you.

Mother Teresa (1910 - 1997) “If you judge people, you have no time to love them.”

The Meaning: If you judge people by their skin colour, religion or how they look, you won’t be able to see the good side of them. You also won’t be able to empathise how they might feel.

Abraham Lincoln (1809 - 1865) “When I get ready to talk to people, I spend two thirds of the time thinking what they want to hear and one third thinking about what I want to say.”

The Meaning: You should put other people’s interests ahead of yours. You should care what other people might want to do.

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Albert Einstein (1879 - 1955) “Peace cannot be kept by force; it can only be achieved by understanding.”

The Meaning: Peace isn’t meant to be forced. You cannot wage war to receive peace. Peace can only be kept when everyone understands the feelings and thoughts of others.

Henry David Thoreau (1817 - 1862) Elysia Bae , Year 6, Harubang took a look at some inspirational people through the centuries, and found quotes from them that showed that empathy has always been in the consciousness of great men and women throughout time.

“Could a greater miracle take place than for us to look through each other’s eye for an instant?”

The Meaning: He said that it’s a miracle when people understand each other and also it doesn’t take a second to look through people’s eyes, although not a lot of people do this.

BARACK OBAMA (1961 - ) “Learning to stand in somebody else’s shoes, to see through their eyes, that’s how peace begins. And it’s up to you to make that happen. Empathy is a quality of character that can change the world.”

The Meaning: When you know how to empathise, that’s when the peace begins. When everyone cares for others, the world can change.

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George Orwell his time of empathy

Jeremy Kim, Year 5, Harubang

George Orwell got his experience of empathy in the 1920s while working as a police officer in Burma (Myanmar). He was appalled at the cruelty of imperialism which he witnessed first-hand, and promised on his return to Britain to step into the shoes of everyday workers to experience what their lives were like. He felt that he had to escape not only from progress but from every form of man’s command over other men. He wanted to submerge himself within the lives of the abused; to be one of them and be on their side against the dictators. That’s when he decided to dress up as a beggar and live among beggars on the streets of London; a time of his life described in ‘Down and Out in Paris and London’(1933).

e mpathet ic a n ima ls Sarah Kim, Year 6 & Esther Yun, Year 5, both Harubang meet the world’s most empathetic animals.

With over 8.74 million species on Earth we wanted to write an article about a few animals that are thought to be empathetic.

We are going to talk about dogs, chimpanzees, orangutans, mice, elephants, chickens, ravens and dolphins.

Dogs have human-like social skills, unlike chimpanzees who are the closest related species to humans, and do not. Dogs know if you are sad or not. In one study, they found out that dogs go to a man who is crying, rather than a man who is humming. From new experiments, the results tells us that dogs react uniquely to tears (Animal Cognition, University of London study). Dogs feel empathy most for their owners. When the owner cries the dog might lick your face or do something to their owner to make them feel better. Dogs feel empathy most for their owners, but can also feel empathy for other dogs and other animals. For example, there was a dog named Leo who rescued new born kittens from a fire. Also, dogs can be a best friend if a man or woman is distressed, even though the man or woman is a complete stranger.

Chimpanzees and orangutans are empathetic because after a fight they try to console the victim by hugging, grooming and kissing. A study at the Liverpool John Moores University School of Biological S c i e n c e s found that chimpanzees use relationships to calm each other, and use the 3 methods mentioned to achieve this. The present study shows that

chimpanzees are similar to peopleand hese 3 actions tell us that chimpanzees are indeed empathetic.

Mice can also feel empathy. One scientist put two mice in a box and locked one of the mice in the cage inside the box. After six or five days, the mouse who was outside unlocked the small cage and the white mouse inside the box was free. On the last try, the speed got faster.

Although somebody will think mice are worthless, these acts convey that mice are empathetic.

Through years of research, researchers have found that elephants are capable of deep feelings. When a baby elephant was stuck in mud, three adult elephants tried to save the baby elephant. Two of the elephants even went in the mud to save the baby. As a result, the baby elephant was rescued and all the elephants went home.

This is how much elephants care about each other. Also, elephants can be empathetic in a different way. When an elephant from their group dies, elephants bury the dead elephant by putting leaves and soil on it. These examples show us how empathetic elephants can be.

Chickens are empathetic too. One chicken was very sick when it was young, so her master decided to not take care of her. Then, one family found her and live with her in one room. Years and years later, the chicken ate food which that family would eat and came when her family call her name. When this family went to the cage full of chickens, the family tried to find that chicken. Then one chicken in the cage began to fly a little bit at a time.

When the family shouted her name again, she came to them. Even though chickens and people are different, they could feel empathy for each other.

Finally, dolphins are also considered to be empathetic.

We can know this because one person found out that dolphins actually encourage and support people. During 25 years of dolphin communication studies, researchers have found many examples where dolphins have shown empathy towards people and other animals.

For example, dolphins practiced being kind by rescuing swimmers from hammerhead sharks. Another example was that when a dog fell into the water and started drowning; dolphins came out from the water and pushed the dog to the shore, using their noses.

As we have found out through our research, humans are not the only creatures with the capacity for empathy.

Bullying, Bystanders and Contributors ‘It is often overlooked that in 85 per cent of school bullying episodes there are onlookers and bystanders’ (Pepler & Craig, 1995) YEONJU SHIN, Year 6, Harubang.

When thinking about the meaning of ‘Empathy’, we all know that it means ‘to understand and relate to how someone is feeling’. Bullying is something that happens when negative emotional empathy is felt, because if you truly understood how someone was feeling, why would you bully them? Although in most cases of bullying, it is one person against another, there are circumstances that include onlookers or bystanders. This is why I have included the quote above. I want to help people understand that it is not just the bully that affects the victim’s life, but also the people around them that choose to do nothing.

Where does bullying take place?

In my experience, bullying most commonly occurs at schools. However it is also true that bullying happens universally.

During the process of searching for data, I found a video called the ‘Bystander Revolution’. From the point of view of celebrities and ‘everyday’ people, this video tells you all about the bystanders, and their psychological effect as a witness. The aim of the video is to help promote and stop the occurrence of bystanders who do nothing. The video aims to teach people about how to make someone feel good about themselves and how by doing this you can learn to empathise and treat people equally. Kenny Ortega stated that

“It’s like a hand when somebody is drowning. We don’t need fifty hands. All you need is one hand. To be yanked up so that that person can catch a breath.’

Using this quote, what I want to say is that a single word from the people around us, however small, has the ability to bring us back from how we are feeling. “If one person in the group says ‘wait a second we shouldn’t do this,’ all of the sudden, the thing completely changes,”John Green affirmed.

This reinforces the idea that once one member speaks out, there is a chance that the attitudes within the group can change, hopefully for the better.

By the courage of a single bystander the situation has the opportunity to change. This is the very moment when the bystanders change from being contributors of pain and sadness, to unexpected saviours, ‘because when you take action, you have a ripple effect’ Dr Zimbardo from correctly states. Like this, a single action can help people become courageous and stand up for what is right. However, you can also help out the bullies. “If you can look at them (the bully). Not see the attacker, but see the wounded person who must have been so unhappy, in so much pain that they feel they have to lash out to someone weaker, you have a chance of affecting the situation’, Amanda Palmer quoted.

Salma Hayek articulated that “It comes from someone else in their house. Their mother their father, their brother, their sister says to them ‘you’re nothing’.So they need to go do it to someone else so that they can feel that maybe they are something.”

From this article, I hope that you have learnt that bullying doesn’t always involve two people, but also all the people surrounding them.

In accordance with this data, I figured out that the only way to cure this wound is love. Why don’t you be the first one to cure this wound?

Why don’t you be empathetic and try to understand the feelings of other people? One person can change the world. Wouldn’t you like to be the very one?

“Change does not begin, unless I change first.”

Teen Times, 2014

Design by Jiwon Moon, Halla

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ALS ICE BUCKET CHALLENGE

Amy Cha, Mulchat, Sharon Park, Geomun and Gyuri Kim, Sarah all Year 10, literally dive into the biggest fundraising trend of 2014.

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An Experiment Recently, I was nominated by one of my friends to participate in the Ice Bucket Challenge, and I had been given exactly 24 hours to do it! Looking at all the videos posted online, I honestly wanted to avoid doing the challenge and truly did not want to get soaked in iced water. On the day of my challenge, I sat down inside the shower booth, waiting for my roommates to pour a bucket full of water onto my head. As the water splashed onto my hair, I could sense nothing; I literally froze. The

Ice Bucket Challenge allowed me to feel what the sufferers of the Lou Gehrig’s disease felt, limited movement and incapability in doing anything.

Every little droplet of water had been poured on me and, because of its iciness, my muscles could barely move, not even an inch. However, after a moment of extreme coldness, I was left with the question: how is a huge bucket of ice water thrown on my head going to help the patients of Lou Gehrig’s disease?

ICE BUCKET CHALLENGE Log into Facebook and you could probably have found millions of videos of people getting soaked from a bucket full of water on their heads. You would have watched them and thought they were bizarre, but as a matter of fact, it’s a new way of donating. This is called the ‘ALS ICE BUCKET CHALLENGE’, and it spread all around the world through a wide range of diverse people from different places in just a few days, like wildfire.

The Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), also known as the Lou Gehrig’s disease, is the name of a disorder where there is damage in the motor neurons of the brain and the spinal cord. Named after this disease, the ALS Association discusses issues pertinent to ALS and provides assistance for the people who are suffering from this tragedy.

Where does the money go?

But let’s think for a moment about the scenes behind this challenge. Although many people loved getting involved in this meaningful and charitable event, we still have questions about the money that has not yet been given to the patients.

Donations have nearly reached 100 million dollars, but where has all that money gone?

As the challenge has become more popular, the people who have been participating in the challenge have also donated their money to the ALS organisation. With the ALS receiving $500,000 a day, the organisation has become affluent.

According to the ALS, only 19% of their revenue goes to the patient and community services. 60% of the revenue goes on educating the public and professionals (that is people like doctors) about the disease and research about the disease.

People may think that when charities raise money for good causes that all of it goes to the sufferers of the disease but this is not the case here. Sufferers will benefit from the research and may find they get better care from doctors but should research and the education of doctors be funded through charity or by the government? Is this Ice Bucket Challenge really a charity event for patients?

was it just a fad?

People have done the Ice Bucket Challenge for “fun”. The first person to start this challenge asked people for a sense of empathy. However, most of us uploaded our videos for entertainment on SNS, searching for famous celebrities without any increased awareness of Lou Gehrig’s disease.

Now that several months have passed, no one seems to be passing on the baton because the craziness and popularity of the bucket challenge has suddenly disappeared. The ALS Ice Bucket Challenge is nothing but a trend, not even a consistent donation event; we think it will soon be forgotten as a temporary trend that only lasted a season during the year of 2014.

The challenge had a positive influence on society, which has awakened some people about Lou Gehrig’s disease, was this justifiable for raising awareness of a very rare disease? The ice bucket challenge was only a passing fad leaving us just that bit warmer towards the patients but a bit cooler in asking whether rare diseases justify the raising of so much money.

Welcome

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Welcome

the Korean immortals Mr Long reports on a highly successful rugby tour to shanghai for our high school boys team

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he High School Rugby trip travelled to Shanghai to participate in the ACAMIS Rugby Tournament at the end of November. They left mere boys and returned as making the whole school very proud in the process. The team deserved the Sportsmanship Award that the ACAMIS committee gave them and this trip gave students so much more than just sport. They made new friends, spoke English, Mandarin and French and gained a genuine insight into a different culture.

In the words of the students and staff of BISS Pudong, “The Korean immortals” represented NLCS Jeju, Korea and themselves with the highest degree of professionalism and sportsmanship. Unlike the other teams, the boys played 4 games back to back, a herculean effort in itself but not only did they play 4 games with no rest, they also won all four, raising the standard of the event.

Following the victories in the group stage, the boys had their first break of the day, and then went on to play BISS Pudong in the semi final. Understandably, tiredness was beginning to drift into the team’s performance but the boys held strong and were convincing winners, 27-17. They had achieved what appeared to be the impossible - the final beckoned, with only 30 minutes to recover before our 6th game of the day.

BISS Puxi had only played 1 game that day and so were very fresh and up for the challenge. The game was close and came down to fine margins. NLCS Jeju applied the early pressure but a loose ball gave BISS a breakaway try - a bitter blow for the already tired bodies. The score remained 7-0 and NLCS Jeju started the second half strong again with a great choke tackle in midfield. The game continued to be an intense affair and the tiredness of NLCS Jeju was visible. BISS finished eventual winners, 19-5. The boys were disappointed with the result, but upon reflection realised that what they had achieved was exceptional. This was also recognised by all the other teams at the awards ceremony when they stood to applaud NLCS Jeju for their incredible display.

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“This tournament gave us a perfect chance to prove our skills, fitness and sportsmanship to the outer world and we did.”

“This trip was different to other trips. All of us did our best in the tournament and enjoyed ourselves.

Not only playing rugby but socially, making new friends was also very exciting.”

“First proper tournament after injury. Not perfect, but satisfying. We’ll train more ad get the gold the next time. We are amazing, like Ironman.”

Team Thoughts “It was one of the most tiring tournaments, however we proved our ability. I am proud of our team.”

“Intense, yet good quality.

It was our first HS rugby tournament and I am very proud of our team who played like pro’s.”

“So unlucky, the next time the gold medal is our! Why am I the only injured person?”

“It was nice to see the sights of Shanghai.”

“It was short but efficient and one of the most fun trips I’ve ever had. It was a very nice experience for our team and myself.”

“Intense but priceless experience. Extremely proud of the performance and discipline we’ve shown. What a great way to start the year’s rugby.”

“Lots gained and a lot given. This tour set the standard of what rugby tournaments should be like.”

“The atmosphere was very different. I made new friends ‘after’ the rugby match, unlike Korean rugby. Specially liked the friendliness of the people.”

Sports Desk is back to bring you all our latest sporting news and achievements.

This term has been a busy one for our sports teams, with external fixtures in rugby, soccer, volleyball, cross country and badminton. Our teams’ performances have only served to enhance our reputation further as a talented sporting school. They have also been gracious, and learned from their defeats as well as victories, which is something we should proud of.

This term has been an active one for the cross-country runners and many students have represented the school. We have had three races against KIS and BHA, a KISAC race, and have taken runners to compete in the 5 km race at the Jeju Mandarin Marathon.

In the races against KIS and BHA, a pattern was quickly established. We have strength in depth in the boys Middle School race. Hyunchan Ahn has won all three races, Jun Hyun Park has come third in two of them and other boys have filled other leading positions. We also have a very strong team in the girls’ High School races.

This was highlit in the most recent race organised by NLCS where the girls HS race was separated from the boys HS race. Dyan Jeong, Chloe Sung and Debbie Lee took the first three positions, Dyan showing her ability with a clear margin of victory.

Our top performer in the MS girls’ races has been Cion Choi. Similarly, Ryan Lee has been our top runner in the HS boys’ races. They are both strong runners but I would like to be able to enter more students in these races in the future.

Busan KISAC Red Volleyball Trip Traveling to Busan with a great team and playing in a challenging tournament was an incredible experience.

First day at the tournament we had to go to the school really early. It was so cold outside when we had to play the first game on the outdoor court. We played another game straight after that and it took us all day to warm up again. We lost the first two matches against the varsity teams and then went on to play one of the Branksome Hall teams and beat them by at least 15 points on each set, which lifted our spirits.

That night we went to Shinsegae to do some shopping and then went to a Korean barbeque, Baekjung, near to the department store. We all ate as much as we could and hoped that we could use this energy for the game tomorrow. Our first game was at 9am - we lost a set, won a set and then Lucia won a game single handedly by serving 15 points in a row. It was awesome!

We won the rest of the games that day and came top of the silver league. We were so tired we slept all the way back to Jeju and then all of the next day as well!

Chaee Kim, YEAR 11, NORO

Five students won medals at the KISAC event in October. For the boys, Jacob Long won bronze in the ES race, Hyunchan Ahn won bronze in the MS race and Ryan Lee won bronze in the HS race. In the girls HS race, Dyan Jeong won gold with Chloe Sung finishing second for silver.

In the final event of term, five Senior School students and one Junior School student ran the 5 km race at the Jeju Mandarin Marathon, starting and finishing at the Seogwipo World Cup stadium.

Hyunchan Ahn finished just a few metres ahead of Dyan Jeong, who was the first lady finisher. Jacob Long from the Junior School also ran a very strong race.

This season was very eventful for our football squad.

We played several games against Branksome Hall Asia, and many against Korea International School, and we had mixed results, winning some games, drawing some and losing some. In our very first game with KIS, we had excellent results of 2:0 and 4:0. We also competed in the KISAC tournament, where we played almost 10 games in one day. There were blisters and bruises on our legs and feet and although we faced some tough competition from BIFS from Busan, who we played first, we persevered and won lots more matches. Unfortunately we did not make it to the final but everyone tried their best, and we all had a great time.

I’ve improved my football skills a lot throughout this season. Playing a lot of games and practising every Wednesday and Sunday has helped me to gain many skills, like better tackling, and more effective team-work. The first time we practised, we were all inexperienced but thanks to our coach Miss Jones and our dedication, we’ve become much better as the season has gone on.

Playing football makes me feel alive. By joining the football squad, I have realised how much I love the game. I have learned so many skills and I’ve felt so many emotions during the season; I’ve laughed a lot and I even cried when we lost in the KISAC tournament.

I have so many memories from this season and our team, and I don’t think I will ever forget what we have been through altogether. Thank you to everyone for trying so hard and to our wonderful coach!

It’s been a great season!

JUDY SONG, YEAR 9, GEOMUN

As a new year started, my friends and I took on a new challenge, which was to try out for badminton. There were over 50 students at the try-outs, but luckily we won our games and were successfully selected!

MS badminton squad sessions were on Thursday evening and also Saturday Bryant. Mr Machin and Mr Graham coached us. Mr Graham enjoyed torturing us with his morning stretching session. We learnt how to play doubles and singles and practiced a lot of different shots and strategies. My service improved the most!

During the season, we played in 3 JISAC tournaments against KIS and BHA. Two of the matches were at KIS and we hosted 1. At first, we rarely won any games.

However through really intense training, one by one, we started to win more games.

We improved all the time and over the season became good badminton players. We are really looking forward to next year when we will be playing in the HS squad.

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