The Spirit 2017 August by Seoul Foreign School

SPIRIT =TH

SEOUL FOREIGN HIGH SCHOOL

STUDENT LIFE Club Constitution Introduces Three-Strike Policy

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OPINIONS Our Fashion Fallacy

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Welcome Back to School! A Message from Mr. Holcomb

SPORTS To This Year’s Athletes: A Word from the Wise

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photo courtesy: ashley won

Mr. Jeffrey Holcomb HS Principal Welcome to an amazing school year! This year is historic - the last year we will inhabit our current High School building, the last year the Class of 2018 will grace our campus, the first year of the IB Diploma for the Class of 2019, the second year of two-year IGCSE courses for the Class of 2020, and the first year of High School for the Class of 2021! Thank you for all you bring to our community—your unique talents, experiences and

Michelle Yun and Andrew Chung Co-Editors-in-Chief Hello, Spirit readers! We know you guys are all very enthusiastic about starting the school year after a long, relaxing summer, and The Spirit is here to accompany you on that journey. We’re excited to introduce a new and modernized look this year, so please feel free to come up to any of The Spirit members and let us know that you like it what you think!

In the beginning of my freshman year, my friend and I had decided to apply for the Spirit together. Although I wasn’t entirely sure if it was something I wanted to do, I didn’t intend on inventing some excuse to pull out of our agreement. Later, I figured out that my friend hadn’t even submitted his application. And so when I saw that I had gotten in by myself, my anxiety only multiplied. As timid as I was, I hated reaching out to strangers—especially seniors—and requesting them for interviews for my articles. But trust me, it changes. There’s so much more that comes out of the Spirit than a mere ability to talk to strangers. I have neither the linguistic magic nor the allowed word count to describe these things—they’re things you experience yourself. Michelle and I are here now for a reason, and I’m sure that reason applies to you too. To learn more, come to our informational meeting on August 21!

From Harbor to Holcomb: S= PIRIT Through the Ages =TH

Oct 1978

volume iii no. i: october 13, 1978

Surprising as it may be, the 2017-2018 school year marks the 40th anniversary of The Spirit’s publication. Needless to say, with such an extensive history comes both drastic changes and iconic moments—some of which I plan on sharing with you right here, right now. October 1978: According to our librarian Mrs. Kim, the 1978 Spirit was most likely printed via ditto machine. Just like any other piece of old paper, the newspaper has a distinct parched look to it. I was shocked at the longevity of this thing—the clear-pocket portfolios in the library do an amazing job of preserving these issues. The two main front page headlines from this issue read “Mr. Harbor Speaks” and “1878-79 Class Election Results”. Mr. Harbor had come into SFS as the new principal that year, and apparently his average score for one game of bowling was 160—wait, what? Better step up your bowling game, Mr. Holcomb! February 1987: I’ve been looking through a few issues from 1986-1987, and the name “Elbert Youn” keeps popping up over and over again (people should start naming their kids Elbert again). This time Elbert wrote an article detailing stats from the Crusaders’ wins during the basketball season. On the top right corner of this article is a photo of a student… dunking?! “J. Owen slams in two points.” Guessing dunks were

volume xii no. iv: february 9, 1987

Andrew Chung Co-Editor-in-Chief

an everyday thing back then. Other notable features include “Teacher of the Issue” and a mysterious man named “Mr. Blunt, M.A., B.S.” giving advice on how to relieve a “jock itch” (does anyone know what this is?) and how to ask a guy to homecoming. Legend has it that this man is still alive. Fall/Winter 2004-2005: What? The Spirit has become a booklet! And on the staff list—our very own Ms. Susan Kong, Opinions Editor! There’s a table of contents, two columns of non-justified text, poetry interspersed throughout… not my personal favorite design-wise, but hey, to each his own. At least the pictures are in color. According to the article on page 10, it seems that “boolio” was a popular slang term coined by a teacher named Mr. Wild who used to always stand outside of his doorway with a meter stick in his hand for no apparent reason. April 2011: The most important feature of this issue is the gigantic International Bac-

Feb 1987

pg. 6

Letter from the EICs: Our Journey

Andrew Chung

interests. We would be poorer if you were not here—dive into High School life and make the most of the opportunities in front of you this year. Be a part of something bigger than yourself. You are in for a great year—school years in the High School at SFS fly by in a blur of activity, friends, games, concerts, performances, classes, assessments, service, clubs, lunches, DW, CT and more. The best part all of this takes place in the best setting - an amazing community. Our community. 우리 집. Our house.

ARTS Summer Playlist

calaureate logo on the very top of the front page, representative of an era in which SFS students received massive socio-educational benefits from the unspeakably light workload of the IB. All jokes aside, the newspaper has definitely become a lot more similar to what it is now. Titles like “Contributing Writer”, photo credits and vertical dividers between articles can all be found in this August 2017 issue as well. To be honest, I probably don’t know what it really means to be an editor-in-chief of this newspaper. There’s no way that Michelle and I have full control over something that’s 22 years older than us. Entering my fourth year with the Spirit, I’m forced to take into consideration the countless hours put into building the 40-year legacy of this publication—let’s just say that what you see before your eyes right here is our (hopefully worthwhile) attempt to pay our elder on print a little respect.

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Apr 2011

Michelle Yun

I missed The Spirit informational meeting during my freshman year because I didn’t pay attention during homeroom announcements. So, I called my friend Daniel and asked him to send me the application. Instead, he gave the phone to his sister, Sarah Hahm, EIC of The Spirit, who proceeded to scold me harsher than my own mom does. I finally got the application link, and was sweating two days later as I submitted all my forms at 11:58PM, two minutes before the deadline. Ever since then, I have been terrified of Sarah Hahm. All this to advertise that our informational meeting is on August 21. You’ve seen what happens when you miss it!

photo courtesy: christine yun

red, black, and white

Crusader Pride Jacob Lee Contributing Writer The fourth quarter. The last 8 minutes are grueling and nerve wracking for both players and coaches—especially in a tight basketball game. Fatigue is apparent in every player’s face, and by this point, even running up one length of the court is a marathon. In a matter of seconds, momentum can rock back and forth between the two teams like a seesaw, and even foul play becomes rough as each possession has the respective teams on edge. Amidst all this chaos and weariness, the crowd’s cheer plays a huge part in boosting team morale. ...continued on page 5

the spirit: Co-Editors-in-Chief: Michelle Yun and Andrew Chung News: Alyssa Choi Sports: Janet Lee Student Life: Daniel Hahm Opinions: Sarah Pyo Arts: Janice Hahn and Joan Gwak Design: Ashley Won and Ina Kim Advisor: Ms. Susan Kong

SEOUL FOREIGN HIGH SCHOOL

NEWS Editor’s Note

The News Page is like a cage. You are confined behind the bars of traditionally accepted journalism—a fate that writers should accept and expect. You will oftentimes find yourself sitting inside a cage, helplessly watching as the world catches on fire. At times you will be frustrated, defeated by the unbending rules of news writing. Beyond bars seem foreign and blurry, and for a long time, you may flounder to grasp anything within arm’s reach. But what you don’t realize is that the News Page is not a steel cage per se but a semi-permeable, imaginary chamber in which you can either decide to stay put and enjoy the safe confinement it provides or leave to explore the world with free spirit. The key to the lock is within you: confidence, curiousness, fearlessness. Fear no one, question everything, and use your instincts. My job as this year’s Editor of the News Page is to help you find the master key to every cage you can possibly imagine. Sail away to the Baltic Sea to scrutinize China’s naval drills or pave your way through the 38th parallel to peek inside the most secretive regime in the world. The cage is yours.

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Alyssa Choi News Editor Email|alyssa.choi.18@seoulforeign.org

DPRK Can Now Strike the U.S. Anytime Audrey Kim Contributing Writer On July 28, North Korea successfully test-launched the Hwasong-14 missile, an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) that has the potential to reach major cities in the US. The announcement had the world grappling with what to do next, prompting frantic diplomatic activity across the globe. This was a follow up to an unsuccessful launch on July 4th. North Korea’s first ICBM was launched at an extremely steep trajectory and flew around 2800 kilometers above the Earth before landing in the sea 930 kilometers from its launch site. After analyzing the altitude, distance, and flight time of the launched missile, experts theorized that at a “flatter trajectory the Hwasong-14 could quite possibly have a vast range of 6500 kilometers or more”. In response to North Korea’s first ICBM launch, the US and South Korea conducted a joint drill. It signified that the US and South Korea have no intention of halting joint military exercises, as China and Russia had previously suggested in a joint press release that called for concessions from both sides. The second test, hailed by Kim Jong-Un as a “precious asset”, travelled around 1000

Qatar @ Crossroad Jaehee Cho Contributing Writer On the 5th of June, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, and Bahrain severed all political and economic ties with Qatar, accusing their neighboring country of financing regional terrorist organizations and destabilizing the Middle-East region. Their announcements stipulated that all travel to and from Qatar would be halted and that all Qatari citizens would be ex-

percent and several Asian shipping companies have suspended services to the nation. In response to the recent developments, Qatar has accused its neighbors of violating its national sovereignty. It has refused to accept the ultimatum, prompting a diplomatic stalemate. The international response to the crisis has been mixed. In a series of tweets, US president Donald Trump praised the actions of the Gulf nations and credited himself for orchestrating the crisis. On the other hand, Turkish president Recep Tayyip

pelled from their borders within 14 days. A 13-point ultimatum was presented to Qatar two days later, which contained demands including the closing of the state-funded Al Jazeera media company, reduction of ties to Iran, and the ending of all contact with suspected terrorist organizations such as the Muslim Brotherhood. By the 10th of June, five more countries had severed ties with the Gulf state. The halting of trade between Qatar and its neighbors was swift to cause an initial shortage of foodstuffs and a rise in resource hoarding. Since then, Iran and Turkey have pledged to provide food to the Gulf state, which had predominantly relied on imports from its neighbors for the majority of its food supply. Although the nation is likely to survive the economic pressure, damage has already been dealt to its stock market and trade with other nations; The value of the Qatari stock market has dropped over ten

Erdogan condemned the treatment of Qatar. Turkey has played an integral part in helping Qatar mitigate the majority of its losses; however, the presence of a Turkish military base within Qatar has reduced its ability to act as a mediator to the conflict. While there has been no official admittance of fault to fully substantiate the accusations that Qatar has been financing and supporting terrorist groups, evidence has indicated the existence of leniency towards terrorists residing on Qatari soil. Qatar is known to be a supporter of the controversial Muslim Brotherhood and it also maintains close relations with Iran and groups such as the Taliban. The oil-rich nation officially possesses a designated list of terrorists which, to date, remains empty. Ironically, two other nations which have faced accusations of directly or indirectly financing terrorism are Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

kilometers before landing into the East Sea. Kim Jong-un said that this test should be taken by the US as a “grave warning”. Missile experts from South Korea, Japan and the US suspect the missile’s estimated firing range to have had increased significantly since the first launch, with an estimated range of at least 10,000 kilometers. More concerningly, the Union of Concerned Scientists predicted that the missile could “easily reach the US West Coast and a number of major US cities.” In the past, North Korea’s missiles might have only had regional implications, but with the development of the ICBM, the implications have now expanded to global ones. In response to the second launch, the US sent two B-1 bombers over the Korean Peninsula. The bombers were teamed up with Japanese and South Korean fighter jets to test “combined capabilities” during the mission in a show of force. China and Russia have been urged by several nations including Australia and the US to do more about North Korea’s accelerating nuclear and missile program. China is believed to carry much leverage over North Korea as it accounts for almost 90% of the country’s total trade volume. US President Donald Trump had previously tweeted his frustration with China’s lack of action, say-

ing that he was “very disappointed” in China and that the country does “nothing” for the US’s relations with North Korea. Contrary to Trump’s tweets, however, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang issued a statement after the second ICBM test, asking Pyongyang to “respect the UN Security Council’s regulations” and to “stop taking actions that would escalate tensions” on the Korean Peninsula, which has been their long-standing stance towards the North Korean nuclear/missile program.

D-Day

Thrill Seekers’ Worst Nightmare Comes True Sydney Chun Contributing Writer Whether it’s coming face to face with a grizzly bear in a dark forest or catching a glimpse of glimmering teeth underwater, the human body’s instinctual response is simple: fight or flight. It is a phrase that has been widely used ever since its emergence in the 20th century. But what happens when neither of the above responses occurs in a life-threatening situation? On July 26th, 18-year-old Tyler Jarrell was flung approximately 20 feet (6 meters) into the air by an amusement park ride called “Fire Ball,” and pronounced dead on the site of the accident. The incident took place at the Ohio State Fair, an annual event held in Columbus, Ohio. The Fire Ball is similar to Everland’s “Hurricane,” and can reach a maximum height of around 50 feet (15 meters). What would normally have been a thrilling ride ended in devastation as the mechanical malfunction cost the life of one person and

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severely injured seven others. “This is a design technical issue with the ride,” says Dennis Speigel, president of the International Theme Park Services. The ride

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“This particular ride was inspected multiple times...” - Ohio Governor John Kasich

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manifested telltale signs of “fatigue of a bolt or connection,” but the specific malfunction is yet to be discovered. Described as a “good kid,” “funny and great to be around,” and an “absolute delight” by those at the Marine Corps Columbus recruiting station, Jarrell had enlisted to the Marines just last week. He was to begin basic training after his high school graduation. This is not the first of grotesque amusement park accidents. In 2016, a 10-year-old boy was decapitated while riding a waterslide. That same year, three girls fell off a ferris wheel. Despite these horrific incidents that captured national headlines, injuries and fatali-

One in nine million ties of this nature aren’t very common when it boils down to exact statistics. “The likelihood of being seriously injured requiring overnight hospitalization on a permanently located amusement park ride in the U.S. is one in nine million,” revealed Colleen Mangone, a representative from the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions. Taking safety precautions, such as following the operator’s instructions and ensuring that proper seating can be attained, prevent ride mishaps from transpiring. They protect riders from becoming a number—the one in nine million. After all, there are times when your seatbelt can save you when your intrinsic fight or flight response can’t.

SEOUL FOREIGN HIGH SCHOOL

Daniel Hahm Student Life Editor Email|daniel.hahm.18@seoulforeign.org

STUDENT LIFE

Attention High School: A Message from a Senior Letter from

the Editor

Min Cheong Kim Contributing Writer “We’re seniors now.” The phrase everyone longs to say. The phrase everyone is tired of hearing but can’t help but keep saying once they can say it. I mean, we’re seniors now. So being at the top of the food chain means one thing: I only have myself and my peers to ask for advice because, frankly, somehow I have become a respected veteran of high school life. This article will not exactly be an episode of “Ned’s Declassified School Survival Guide”, but I do have a message to spread. I am not a tri-varsity athlete nor am I the valedictorian. However, one thing I can guarantee is that, despite the ups and downs, at the end of the day I know how to appreciate each moment. I retain memories I know I will dearly value in the days to come. If there is one piece of wisdom I can share with you guys, it would be on how to find bliss between the cracks that lead into the dark abyss ahead of you. Whatever background you come from, we have at least one thing in common: time—or rather, a lack of it. As we watch sappy videos on YouTube about long-distance relationships, we learn we have little time left with each other before parting ways. As we watch our cousin’s baby grow out of her lime-sized shoes, we learn we have little time left until we grow. As we watch the grey hairs form on our parents’ heads, the wrinkles that form after each blink, we learn we have little time left with the ones we love. Especially at an international school, the hands of the clock are chasing us down.

PHOTO COURTESY: INA KIM

High school is only four years of your life (well, hopefully). In that time, you learn that your peers and teachers, the ones you shared your laughter and tears with, might be here one day and gone the next. Conversely, you might befriend a totally unexpected person tomorrow. There is no such thing as “another normal day at SFS” — whether that’s for the better or the worse. Yes, I complain about high school, about how I hate going there everyday (everyone does). And with the IAs, paper number whatevers, labs and the transformation of your body composition to an Americano of 70% water and 30% caffeine, at times it’s difficult not to. But here is my philosophy that helped me through the downs of the SFS hill: enjoy everyday like it’s the last. Hey, no, don’t give

me that sigh—everything cliché is what it is because there’s a bit of truth to it, right? Think again before you spit out that roast—imagine that those are your last words to them. Compliment someone—a simple comment on their hair could uplift their spirits for the whole day. Appreciate your teachers—they’re humans just like us and they truly do care. Mend broken relationships—but make sure to distance unhealthy ones. Run or audition for that position you want—what’s to lose in trying? We only have so much time; it should be spent spreading love to others and yourself. Live everyday as that one person in your utopia. Cherish every second you have until you can throw your graduation cap screaming, “Mama, we made it!” Countdown starts now.

Unless I end up failing my final year in Seoul Foreign High School, this will be the last time I’ll work for The Spirit. It’s been a thrilling three years being a part of this publication as both staff writer and editor for Student Life. Nothing feels better than distributing the newspaper during homeroom every month and seeing students read the material your staff created (probably to find the issue’s Quotes in the Hallways segment). Student Life is fundamentally centered on one concept—providing an intriguing, yet accurate, spotlight on the high school community. This page will bring a range of topics, from developments on school-related changes to recaps on seasonal events. Student Life aims to provide its readers a microscope in which they can use to discover more of the people around them, a type of glimpse into our school that may be rare to find. Expect top quality content in every issue, and we’ll give our best to supply it. High school life can be absolutely mundane, yet the most absorbing facet of a student’s career—we’re here to bring to paper. And yes, Quotes in the Hallways will be making its annual return this year, starting from the next issue.

Club Constitution Introduces Three-Strike Policy Daniel Hahm Student Life Editor From this school year and forward, all clubs and school functions will be under the newly devised constitution, titled “The HS Clubs Handbook”. The constitution specifies regulations that clubs will have to follow in order to remain active throughout the year, along with a strike system that allows a club three chances before being disbanded by the school. Mr. Holcomb, Ms. McMillan and club directors collaborated late spring to form the constitution and implement the three-strike system.

PHOTO COURTESY: ASHLEY WON

“We set a strike system to keep things more organized and make sure clubs are held accountable,” said Tony Kim (12), the current club director. “Last year, if you were to look at the club folders, you would see that a lot clubs were dysfunctional.” In the past, the school discontinued certain clubs mid-year due to club disorganization or inconsistency. Clubs were given simple warnings by Ms. McMillan when in violation of a school rule instead of a strike prior to the creation of the constitution. A crucial reason the school initiated the club constitution was for an increase in pressure on financial responsibility amongst clubs.

“One of the biggest rules that clubs break is fundraising without notifying us,” said Tony Kim. “If you don’t notify us that you’re fundraising, then who’s going to be accountable for that money if it ends up being used for personal purposes? I never want to get too serious, but that’s a pretty big issue.” A fundraising request form, which can be found on the high school clubs Pagoda page, is now required to be submitted before a fundraising event is to take place. The constitution also dictates certain mandatory positions must be held by club members. All clubs require a Club Secretary responsible for administrative duties, such as maintaining club agendas, and a Treasurer if a club plans on fundraising. It is possible for a single person to hold multiple positions, but the school officially recognises only four executive members. Aside from the constitution, other aspects of SFS clubs will be introduced this year, including United Through Sports. Serving as a school function, UTS is a club focused on developing younger athletes from other divisions, advised by Ms. Sell-Haynes and led by Lydia Choi (11) and Angelica Slater (10). High school students can apply to UTS for a coaching position, in addition to working as a referee or extra staff for the middle school KAIAC season and other sporting events. For those who are intrigued by filmmaking, Film/VCC (Video Content Creating) Club will be opening its membership to all interested students. The club will have several subgroups organized by different types of video content and will be advised by Mr. Searles and Ms. Moon.

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photo courtesy: daniel hahm

QUOTES in the

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Hallway

Heard your friend say something hilarious, questionable, or downright bizarre? Submit it to Quotes in the Hallways to find them featured in the next issue! bit.ly/sfhsquotes

SEOUL FOREIGN HIGH SCHOOL

NO. 1 / AUGUST 2017

OPINIONS

Sarah Pyo Opinions Editor Email|sarah.pyo.19@seoulforeign.org

Our Fashion Fallacy Jules Lee Contributing Writer

photo courtesies: jules lee

Working in high school definitely has its perks. The IB Diploma Programme can be extensively demanding, and having work experience allows you to put schoolwork into perspective. I started my internship with Vogue Korea back in 2015, and these past three summers have allowed me to explore one of my biggest passions while also showing me what life after school can be like. As part of Vogue’s digital media team, my daily work consisted of translations, Instagram posts, issue archiving, article assistance, and the occasional article writing.

Letter from the Editor Welcome to the Opinions Page! Everybody has an opinion on something, be it politics or pockets or Paris Hilton. It’s impossible for us to be completely unbiased and always in complete agreement with each other—and thank goodness. Imagine a world where everybody thought the same things and held the same beliefs. What a nightmare. What if we were stuck in colonial Massachusetts, when people thought that females with unusual moles were witches? Or even worse—the 80’s, when people thought that crinkle-cut french fry hair was cool? Opinions are important. They are often the things that push society forward, acting as platforms for ideas and improvement. They help us understand perspectives that are like or unlike our own. Teenagers, especially high school students, get a bad rep. Apathy seems to be the word that is associated with our age group. Perhaps that’s because juvenile jargon such as “duh”, and “whatever”, and “mkay” pretty much embodies the aura of indifference. However, I believe that high schoolers have a lot to say. We’re far from apathetic. The struggle to adulthood is a turbulent period, but it’s also the time when we build our identities and reach the peak of our creativity. So if you have a lot of opinions, don’t be afraid to be opinionated! Join the Spirit and share your perspective. This page exists for students to spill their thoughts about anything and everything. My objective as an editor is to bring topics to the forefront of discussion, stir some thinking, and give students the chance to relay their message to the community. Here’s my message: it’s going to be a great year! Unless you’re an IB student. Jokes aside (except it’s not really a joke), good luck to future writers.

Humans of SFHS

To say that the glamorous, cosmopolitan image of fashion didn’t tempt me would be a blatant lie. However, what really cultivated my passion for this field was the complex and interconnected nature of fashion. Fashion can mean so many different things depending on your perspective: it’s a mixture of multiple art mediums, it’s the middle ground of business and art, and it’s also a platform for promoting social change. In a way, fashion is a microcosm of our world. It has its own system of politics and social guidelines. Many people seem to have the perception that the fashion industry is composed of shallow, stuck-up individuals. Ironically,

Michelle Yun Co-Editor-in-Chief

Fashion is a microcosm of our world some of the most thoughtful, open-minded people I have ever met are people involved in this field. Office life does carry drama—and perhaps a handful of stereotypically snobby people—but that’s the case for potentially any workplace. More importantly, the pioneers of the industry have a grand scheme to

use fashion as a platform for social change. For example, Olivier Rousteing, the creative direction of Balmain, is working to use the fashion and beauty industry’s monopoly over media to promote the acceptance of diversity. I hope that more people will pay attention to why fashion really matters, without being repelled by an inaccurate stigma.

The Internet Is Broken Sarah Pyo Opinions Editor When you refer to something as “broken,” it could entail anything from a shattered screen to a shattered soul. However, regardless of whatever reason has rendered an object broken, there is one overarching principle that binds them together: they have all been stripped of the ability to carry out their functions. I recently read a New York Times writing prompt (which actually inspired this article) that asked the following question: “Is the internet broken? What needs changing on the internet?” The internet has evolved since the development of electronic computers around seventy years ago, when our laptops’ primitive counterparts first poked their noses out of the hole to survey the unexplored technological terrain. Now, it seems the culmination of the internet is social media—

something that is arguably the quintessence of the internet. In a way, it embodies the purpose of the internet: to share ideas and build bridges between screens that are miles away. It’s true that social networks are splendid things, but its splendor cannot hide its many flaws. Almost everything is shared nowadays. Social media facilitates this. In fact, we can credit social media as the creator of the culture of transparency. However, when so much is uploaded and present to the public, bad things inevitably slip through the cracks. Social media grabs humanity in all its naked glory and thrusts it into the spotlight, whether we like it or not. This includes the good, but also the bad. Murder, death, and cruelty can be uploaded with a mere tap. A few days ago, news erupted about a girl who had Instagram livestreamed her sister’s death after they both got into a devastating car crash. She showed her sister’s bloody, lifeless body. I read the comments and thanked goodness that the news site hadn’t uploaded the uncensored version. A week ago, news of teens laughing as they videotaped a drowning man dominated my Facebook feed. Around the same time, an internet “game” called the Blue Whale Challenge made headlines. The aim of the game is to complete a checklist of increasingly difficult dares—with the last of the fifty tasks being to commit suicide. The internet is supposed to share good things. But it becomes increasingly clear that people are taking advantage of this platform for publicity to upload horrible things that morbid curiosities cannot look away from. There are multitudes of instances: videos of police brutality, Facebook livestreams of murders, radical propaganda. The function of the internet is the same from years ago. But the means to carry out this function has been warped by malicious hands. Evil is spreading, not ideas. So, is the internet broken? Yes. Yes it is.

PHOTO COURTESY: INA KIM

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Many of you have probably already heard of the Facebook series titled “Humans of Los Angeles,” “Humans of New York,” and so forth. Taking some inspiration from these pages, I hope this column can become a place where contributing writers from the student body can share unique and personal life stories that they feel most people here at SFS will likely never experience. The idea of creating a “Humans of SFHS” corner has been floating around in my mind ever since the junior retreat last year. At the end of the day, we had an activity called “candle talk,” where students could come up to the center of the room and share something about themselves that they wanted their peers to know. During that time, I learned a lot about my classmates and their personal struggles, insecurities that they hid behind what I thought had been relatively perfect lives. Many of those who spoke during the retreat were people I wasn’t very close with, and I felt touched that I had been allowed a glimpse into their private lives. The opinions page launched this corner towards the end of last year —some of you may recall Timothy Covert’s article “Winter on Fire,” where he discussed what it was like to grow up in a war-stricken country and what kind of impact that has on him today. Through brief glimpses into one another’s struggles, triumphs, and otherwise unique personal experiences, I hope we can learn more about just exactly how diverse each and every one of our lives are. Parallel to my hopes for The Spirit as a whole, my vision for this column is to make it a place where we can be honest, vulnerable, and understanding towards one another—ultimately a place that draws us closer together as a community. That being said, if you have an interesting story you’d like to share, please don’t hesitate to contact any of the editors! They’re all very friendly and will help you through each step of the writing process. Just a reminder that you do not have to be a part of The Spirit official staff to write for this column (or for any of the other pages, as a matter of fact), so please don’t be shy!

Calling All Writers, Photographers, and Illustrators! The Spirit is recruiting! Whether you love the idea of reaching out to the student body with engaging, relatable articles or of capturing the perfect shot of a cheerleader performing a backflip, The Spirit could use your talent and passion. If you would like to be part The Spirit staff for the 2017-18 school year, make sure to attend our informational meeting on August 21st during activity period. We look forward to seeing you there!

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SEOUL FOREIGN HIGH SCHOOL

Janet Lee Sports Editor Email|janet.lee.18@seoulforeign.org

red, black, and white: Jacob Lee Contributing Writer (... continued from front page) Home court advantage is not limited to familiarity with the facility— hearing “I believe that we will win!” echo throughout the gym and watching everyone stand up and cheer invigorates us as athletes to push all the way to the finish line. In this way, school spirit is a core part of why our Crusader athletes are such a dominant force amongst both local and overseas teams. Feeding off each other’s energy translates into synergy and ultimately, success. Oftentimes, comebacks and buzzer beaters are luckily made because of a strong crowd cheering on our athletes. Perhaps the best example of the power of spirit is our highly anticipated Field Day. From the moment the clock strikes 8:10, each grade takes turns roaring inside the Lyso Center—showcasing confidence and the drive to win. During events such as dodgeball or elbow tag, shouts of joy and words of encouragement are audible as classes work together to earn points. Needless to say, in big events such as tug of war, everyone is huddled around the center of the field, shouting at the top of their lungs for one side to win. In high

Janet Lee Sports Page Editor As a school year comes to an end and the next one begins, our dedicated student athletes walk into the gym, excited not only to showcase their improved selves, but also to take on leadership roles and form friendships with new members of the team.

CRUSADER PRIDE intensity moments like these, it is ultimately spirit that sets apart true champions. Varsity players drenched in sweat and limping in pain stand shoulder to shoulder and bow in front of the teachers, students, and parents for a reason none other than appreciation for showing support. We couldn’t ask for more than a crowd with unfaltering spirit. At the end of the day, win or lose, each game is played for our beloved friends and family in the stands.

Letter

As the 2017-18 school year begins, I want to encourage all students to attend multiple sports games and cheer on all teams. While one voice may seem feeble, our school as a whole can move our Crusader athletes to do the unthinkable. I bring up field day to prove a point: that we as athletes perform above and beyond what we believe our mental and physical capacity is if we are ‘hyped’, if you will, by none other than the crowd.

PHOTO COURTESY: INA KIM

FROM THE

Editor

As the 2017-18 school year begins, I want to encourage all students to attend multiple sports games and cheer on all teams. While one voice may seem feeble, our school as a whole can move our Crusader athletes to do the unthinkable. Welcome back to the page that embodies the true “spirit” of our school! Home to all things athletics related, the sports page will be serving as the one-stop shop for our Crusader athletes and ardent supporters alike. Whether it be juicy quotes and stories from APAC tournaments or important changes in certain sports, the sports page will be the place to read to stay up to date. My job as the editor of the sports page this year is to highlight the overlooked, celebrate the successes, and acknowledge the reality of the anything and everything sports related. An athlete and sports enthusiast myself, I look forward to representing the school in ways other than being on the court, and it is my hope that this page will cater towards the entire student body—not only to those wearing the Seoul Foreign uniform. See you on the court, field, or pool— and if not there, then on the bleachers, supporting our fellow Crusaders!

To This Year’s Athletes: A Word from the Wise For the Apprentices

For the Rookies As freshmen, one of the most exciting yet nerve-wracking moments that comes with entering high school is trying out for a school sports team. Unlike middle-school KAIAC sports that are based on a firstcome, first-serve basis, high-school athletics have a much tougher competition pool and a higher standard of performance. What used to be a fight to see whose wifi would connect the fastest is now survival of the fittest—both mentally and physically. Yes, skill matters. You do have to show a certain amount of potential for the coaches to draft you as an athlete. But talent is not all that it takes. You have to be mentally prepared: flexibility within your schedule is a given, coaches will push you to your limits, and you’ll have to be open minded towards both new experiences and relationships. Justin Chung (10), an member of both the JV volleyball and basketball team, revealed that while “the intensity, pace, and energy of high school athletics” may be difficult to adjust to, truly taking the coaches’ words to heart and hoping to learn as much as you can is really all that it takes. He also explained that “at the end of the day, freshman year is all about learning and adjusting to new things so just try your best in whatever sport you decide to try out for!” In short: don’t be afraid. Don’t be afraid of not having enough skill, don’t be afraid of being cut, and most of all, don’t be afraid of upperclassmen because they’re more than willing to help you out.

SPORTS

PHOTO COURTESY: JOHN CHANG

Sophomore year is the year to truly showcase all the talent that you’ve got. For those that stay in JV, oftentimes it’s the position of captain that is so sought after. Taking on a new leadership position is a tough but truly rewarding experience in itself. Freshman year you look up to the varsity teams and hope that one day you too can be one of the athletes with your name up on the bulletin in the gym. Though it’s possible to become one of the elite as a freshman, the cases are few and far between. The second year around, however, you can aspire for greater. Not only have you gotten a season’s worth of experience under your belt, but coaches also know you better, athletes in the respective sport are no longer foreign faces, and confidence is higher than it was before. When asked about his advice to sophomores hoping to achieve more in their second season, Varsity volleyball and basketball athlete Joonhee Lee (11) responded with “work your tail off even when nobody’s watching because the only person that should push you to get better is yourself. The amount of work you put in will correlate to the results so don’t be lazy about it!”

For the Journeymen

PHOTO COURTESY: ASHLEY WON

By the third year of high school, acronyms become your best friend. With IA’s, TOK, CAS, EE, FOA, IOC, IOP, SAQ’s, ERQ’s, EOC’s, and more beginning to trickle into your everyday vocabulary, it’s easy to lose sight of the acronyms that truly give you an outlet from the stress of IB life: KAIAC and APAC. Finding the perfect balance between managing sports and academics is something that should be a priority for junior student athletes. Around 10 afterschool hours are dedicated to sports per week, and with that comes the need for impeccable time management skills. Jisaan Chai (12), a tri-varsity athlete, offers advice for those ready to tackle IB and sports. “You should be able to distinguish between when to hang out with your friends or when you should work on homework. Junior year flies by, and if you haven’t already established good time management, it’s really easy to crash and burn.” However, this is not a reason to avoid participating in sports during your upperclassmen years. In fact, it is a chance to challenge yourself and use sports as a means to relieve stress. Lastly, keep in mind that skill definitely plays a role in determining whether you make the varsity team, but it’s not all that matters. Jisaan added that “coaches look for other extremely important qualities in their players such as hard work, respect, and perseverance.”

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For the Pros

Senior year. The last push. The final sprint. It’s time to leave your mark on Crusader history and truly make the most of your last year in high school sports. Achieving captaincy on a varsity level team is a goal for many senior athletes, so this is the time to show the coaches that you’re not only a skilled athlete on the court but also someone who fosters camaraderie and promises reliability. Last year’s volleyball and basketball co-captain Mischa Kim (class of 2017) offers the following advice for prospective captains: “You need to be the type of person who connects with the rest of the athletes (both as individuals and as a team) and the coach. If problems do come up throughout the season, you should be the one to make sure that divisions between teammates do not occur.” She also revealed that a very important part of being captain is controlling your emotions. “The team is relying on you, and even though it may not seem like it, the way the captain acts on and off the court affects the team a lot. Especially after a bad game, it can be difficult not to let your emotions get through onto the team, but always be encouraging.” For any and all seniors participating in sports this year, Mischa asks that they “remember that your actions, too, will be reflected onto the rest of the team. As the oldest athletes with the most experience, you are all leaders—regardless of whether you’re captain.” But the best piece of advice she can give is to simply enjoy your final year as a Crusader athlete. “Seniors: push hard at every practice and encourage each other. Do your best to grow as an athlete, but win or lose, have a good time with your team in and out of the game.”

SEOUL FOREIGN HIGH SCHOOL

ARTS Letters from the Editors

NO. 1 / AUGUST 2017

Joan Gwak

Janice Hahn

Arts Editor

Email|joo.gwak.18@seoulforeign.org

Email|janice.hahn.18@seoulforeign.org

Summer Playlist 2017

SFS

Playlists

Songs of the Summer

Edit

LOVE. Kendrick Lamar

The Weekend SZA

Fireflies Janice Hahn Arts Editor Hello, Spirit readership! My name is Janice Hahn, I’m a senior, and this will be my third year as an editor of the Arts column. This page has had dramatic shifts in scope and design over the years, but none so exciting as our doubling up on spread length. In the past, we have had to cut some really insightful pieces just to accommodate the space limit. Why cut it short, when you can let it thrive? Everyone appreciates something as artistic. Pardon me in advance if this is reminiscent of a “meaning of art” piece—when we create, we pursue our ideal of something, and these ideals can be very different for each individual. Expanding this page will not only diversify the page, but give you a better look into the thoughts of our whimsical writers. As the reader, your task is to find a certain ground between the ideas discussed, whether it be common or opposing. It also gets political in here from time to time, which is why it’s important to understand the role art takes on in such contexts—Aristotle once said art’s aim “is to represent not the outward appearance of things, but their inward significance.” Read it very closely, because you will be uncovering a great deal this coming year.

Joan Gwak Arts Editor Welcome to the best section of The Spirit: the Arts page! Art holds a strong presence in our lives, regardless whether we consciously acknowledge it or not. We listen to music carefully crafted by producers, admire artwork in the school hallways and watch the newest movies directed by renowned creators. Unfortunately, in the midst of our busy and fast-paced high school lives, we rarely have the time to stop and think about art. Art that educates, entertains and creates change. Our vision is for the Arts page to be a bridge connecting you to the limitless realm of art, even in the thick of all your activities and studies. I hope to leave our readers with a newfound appreciation and enthusiasm for art every time they read this section. Look forward to articles that will leave you hungry for more in the upcoming issues!

Shuffle All

Owl City

Location

Wild Thoughts

Khalid

DJ Khaled (feat. Rihanna & Bryson Tiller)

Chanel

Despacito (feat. Justin Bieber) [Remix]

Frank Ocean

Luis Fonsi & Daddy Yankee

Congratulations

Sorry Not Sorry

Post Malone

Demi Lovato

Passionfruit

Feels

Drake

Calvin Harris (feat. Pharrell Williams, Katy Perry, Big Sean)

Students Working Their H-ARTS Out in the Summer Joan Gwak Arts Editor For prospective arts students, summer break is the optimal time to hone their skills, nurture talent and learn from experts in a field they want to pursue. Annabelle Davy and Jade Teather, both seniors, participated in intensive art programs this past summer in the United States. Davy focused on interior design at Pratt PreCollege in New York and Teather focused on singing and songwriting at the Interlochen Center for the Arts in Michigan. Whether it be through researching online or through connections, finding the right arts program is the first step these students took to immerse themselves in a summer of art. “I researched on what schools offer a good interior design program and Pratt was one of them. I decided to apply since I thought it’d be a good experience,” Davy said. Teather, on the other hand, was introduced to Interlochen’s singing and songwriting course through her friend Becca Freeman (12), a former SFS student who now attends Interlochen boarding school for musical theatre. Once the students arrived at their respective programs, they were immediately a part of a small, enthusiastic community of students who were eager and hungry for art education. “I was surrounded by creative people who all want to pursue a path in art and design. I was getting an insight into what my life could look like in the future,” Davy said. Despite the intensiveness of the programs, which were tightly packed with classes, workshops and visits to local art museums, both Davy and Teather fully embraced the experience. After all, they were doing what they love — art. “I fell even more in love with music and further solidified my idea of that [music] is something I need to do for my life,” Teather

said. “Whether it be witnessing artists sketching in the grass on main camp or peeking practice rooms to hear the next YoYo Ma playing scales, the amount of talent that existed on that campus was incredible.” A drastic difference between art during the school year and art during the summer is the amount students can work on honing their own artistic abilities. “Before the program, I couldn’t focus a lot of my energy into art because of schoolwork and extracurriculars but spending a whole month at Pratt strengthened my connection with my art and reinforced who I want to be and what I want to do,” Davy said.

A summer of art is a summer of self-discovery and learning how art plays a role in society today. “Art has the power to heal and create change in the world,” Teather said. “Being an artist isn’t a commonly sought-after job because of its instability but it’s more important now than ever.” As much as the creation of art is far from simple, the creation of budding artists requires much more than mere inspiration. Rather, aspiring artists must cultivate their talents through a zeal to change the world in an art scene increasingly difficult to even enter. Summer was the prime time for SFS artists to do just that.

photo courtesy: interlochen center for the arts

photo ourtesy: pratt precollege website

6 | AUGUST 2017