s e o u l i n t e r nat i o na l s c h o o l
Tiger Times VO L U ME X LV I I I
September/October 2016
ISSUE 2
TT O N L . O RG
DMZ Eco Club Discovers New Biomarker Written by Angela Choe Photos courtesy of Nuri Choi
After years of civil war, a strip of land along the 38th parallel was used to divide North and South Korea. Although initially created as a buffer zone, this 160-mile long and 2.5-mile wide territory, called the demarcation line or De-militarized Zone (DMZ), now serves more than a political purpose. Free from all human intervention, the DMZ has evolved into what researchers deem a biodiversity-rich area. Recently, a group of students from SIS conducted research in this area, discovering and publishing findings on the local water pollution and evaluating potential solutions. The DMZ Eco Club is composed of five to six students per grade level who are given the opportunity to explore the DMZ terrain firsthand. Members mainly collect background information and take photos in their freshmen year, then transition into research during sophomore year, when they begin learning laboratory and research
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News
techniques. Collected data is published during their junior year, after they complete their research. “I think the DMZ club requires a lot of dedication from all of the members because going into the DMZ itself is a very burdensome task,” said Jeffrey Heo (11), a member of the DMZ Eco Club. “The background information that we collected during our freshmen year paid off as the information was very useful to the research we did in our sophomore year.” The members of the club have discovered an abundant amount of suspended pollutants and total organic carbons (TOC) in the streams in the tong-bat of Tongil-chun. The members have determined that the pollutants can cause differences in the gene expressions of organisms. The Daphnia magna gene, is one of many genes that can be used to monitor ecological conditions and water quality. According to
Family Fun Day 2016
Harry Kwon (11), member of the DMZ Eco Club, the club measured the gene expression for 15,000 Daphnia magna genes and compared them to the expression of genes found in other areas. With enough background research, members were able to discover a new gene amongst the Daphnia magna sample. “The research process is very complex because it involves the handling of fragile organic molecules such as DNA, RNA, and enzymes in a lab environment,” said Sohee Ahn (11), member of the DMZ Eco Club. “A lot of precision and time is required for the data to be accurately processed.” Members of the DMZ Eco Club also collected photos of the DMZ, which were displayed in the school atrium for students and teachers to view. The display was held for a week, during which members explained to teachers the implications of the photos and the ways in which the local
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Lifestyle
ecology differed from the environment outside of the DMZ. The photo exhibition also informed to teachers and students about the progress of the research paper. However, according to Harry, the turnout was lower than expected. According to Sohee, only one or two teachers came by, disappointing members of the club. “I think the DMZ exhibition is a good way for students to understand the necessity of nature,” said Alyssa Shelby, environmental science teacher. “The discovery of a new gene amongst the Daphnia is very intriguing and surprising. I hope the best for the members of the DMZ Eco Club.” At this time, no results have been released or published regarding their experiment, but all members are optimistic about their study’s future prospects. Club members are diligently working to complete their research and are looking forward to publishing their findings.
Brooklyn The Burger Joint
Editorial
Hereonafter By Jaeha Kim and Ariel Lee Co-Editors-in-Chief
Ten years from now, you walk into your expensive office in New York/Singapore/Hong Kong/Chicago/ London. You find a young man/woman sitting in your office. When you ask your assistant who that could possibly be, he/she tells you that there is a person from “your old high school” who would like a job opportunity. How likely would it be to hire that person? (A) This person shares with me the bonds of true love and friendship through our connections with SIS. Hired of course! (B) Only as likely as any other person in the universe. (C) No. If the answer to the following question is either B or C, then you are probably a typical SIS alum. To criticize the SIS alumni network would be difficult, because such a system does not exist. At some foreign language Korean high schools, students come back 5, 10 years down the line and give students advice, interviews, food, internship opportunities, career insight, etc. Yes, when you meet an SIS student somewhere 20 years from now, you might be surprised and feel a weak sense of bonding. However, it is often questionable whether the relationship rarely extends beyond this point. Why do we even need an alumni network? A strong alumni network provides a variety of benefits for both students and the school. Facilitating an increased sense of “community,” alumni networks can increase school spirit and pride. Having a readily accessible pool of alumni means that students are able to better assimilate and form a tight-knit connection outside of the school environment. Through such interactions, students can gain insight into job opportunities as well as what life is like in the real world. So if such a network was to be constructed at SIS, should the school manage the system for the students? Should the students organize it outside of the school? How would the school/students even make this happen? Would students even use this system once in place? As usual, there are no definitive answers we high school students can give. Yet it is clear that school spirit and pride are on SIS’s list of ways to improve. Few students come back, and even if they do it is for their friends or teachers still at SIS. In such a culture, is it reasonable to look to long-term relationships with past students before relationships with current students are strongly built? Perhaps both problems can be solved simultaneously. By sending out weekly or monthly newsletters to all current and past students, SIS could encourage students to notice and take part. Alumni benefits could be thought up somehow. Students themselves could initiate small efforts outside of school. Mark Kim (’19), current junior at Northwestern, recently launched through his website and his Facebook page a campaign to facilitate communication between past and present SIS students. Perhaps these types of efforts, although not as grand or thoroughly organized, are the first steps towards a more unified SIS community . What is certain is that, if we want SIS to be more than just a place where students take tests and fight over GPA, measures have to be taken to create then strengthen the bonds between the students, past and present, and SIS.
Let yourself be heard. If you have any responses to articles published in the Tiger Times or original contributions, please send them to tigertimes@gmail.com
2 VIEWPOINT Trip regulation changes lead to increased security
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photo shoot in a deserted amusement park for design class, an educational visit to the national museum for a world history project, or a trip to a Chinese restaurant to experience China closer to home: With the transition to high school, field trips have started to come back, although with strings attached. While the experience may feel unchanged, especially for students in courses where teachers are willing to go through the paperwork, security regulations regarding SIS’s approved field trips has changed a lot behind-the-scenes. According to Hye Yong Min, Chief of Communications, though paperwork and validity checks were performed on locations prior to the changes, the administration has now set up a specific checklist of documents and elements that must be checked before an excursion can be approved. Notable changes include pre-visits of locations by the administration, along with a bilingual chaperone in charge of emergency and evacuation procedures. While these new changes may slow down the approval process of an event, such policies are necessary to verify the authenticity of host companies and eliminate excessive
variables in the “controlled” setting of a planned activity. After all, there is a limited amount of information that can be gleaned from a simple call and some paperwork. A short visit to Taejon Christian International School (TCIS) or the local fire station would not require examination, but a two night’s stay at a resort in Gangwon-do would require a detailed background check to be conducted. That being said, checklists have their own problems. The list will
“A definite agenda of targets diminish the dangers that an outing necessitates, but those categories won’t eliminate them. ” contain certain goals, but just that; general, wide details should be adjusted to meet every instance. What’s to say that the administration could pay too much attention to the specificities, and miss unnamed yet equally important ones? A definite agenda of targets diminish the dangers that an outing necessitates, but those categories won’t eliminate them.
Not only that, but being caught up in the bureaucratic processing of these events could derail the trip of its primary objective of providing students with more real-life experience. In a system where Life Sports no longer allows students to choose a sport they can play outside, “lab sciences” don’t really include much lab time, and hands-on learning is replaced by a 6 minute video in the test-based system today, students will definitively experience difficulty in pursuing their education in the real world. Being caught up in too many safety guidelines, having to avoid and plan around every un-expectable and un-plannable incident is both unproductive and ultimately more harmful for the enlightenment of students. Safety always comes first. The new regulations could drastically help ensure the safety of the field trip experience, but only if the guidelines are treated as a set of broad goals that are tailored to match each situation. The first and foremost goal should not be to check every item on a list but a joint effort to ensure that students get a safe but also memorablxperience. By Dawn Kim Sophomore, Reporter
The Marred, Mangled Banner Amongst the red, white, and blue-stained stands of the stadium, amongst the garish face paint and flailing custom jerseys, a palpable aura of patriotism pervades players, fans, and hot dog vendors alike. Everyone within earshot is obligated to stand as the band prepares to strike the first note, instinctively placing a hand over their eagle hearts while their eyes fill with eagle pride. Those who (God forbid) do not conform will be branded as an enemy to the state and everyone who occupies it. This mentality is pervasive in the ever-jingoistic America. Thus, when Colin Kaepernick, the African American quarterback of the San Francisco 49ers, sat during the anthem in protest modern racism in America, the nation proceeded to crumble into a state of nationalistic hysteria. Triggered patriots took to Twitter tirades against Kaepernick, barraging him with death threats and racial slurs for his supposed “betrayal of the nation.” While there has been support for Kaepernick through various media outlets and fellow athletes, the hate has rung the loudest. For a country that deems itself land of the free, such responses are ironic at the least. America was built on a foundation of grievances with an authority and was the product of fighting for the right to express those grievances. Protests, especially peaceful protests such as Kaepernick’s, do not threaten this nation but instead uphold its most fundamental values. Therefore, a man making a political statement
in defiance of a country that routinely persecutes men like him should not be considered a national embarrassment, especially by Americans—but somehow, it is. Many of those admonishing Kaepernick claim that, although Kaepernick’s grievances are well founded, his method of protest was disrespectful to those who have died for the nation. However, veterans do not get spiritual sustenance from standing athletes at football games–they have much bigger fish to fry than that. Also, Kaepernick himself has since been kneeling instead of sitting to show that he respects the veterans of America but not the racism it has nurtured. It is hypocritical of politicians like Ted Cruz to reprimand Kaepernick for disrespect when he and the conservative public have consistently voted against veteran aid themselves. Unfortunately, this mentality undermines the point behind the
protest by shifting focus to the legitimacy of its medium. America has a lot going for her. She has birthed many of the most influential minds of this century and has a rich melting pot culture. But deeper into this skillfully spun anecdote lies a country with many flaws. Citizens howl in support of a certain orange-skinned, borderline white-supremacist candidate, they call for the systematic persecution of Muslims, they routinely spit homophobic and misogynistic slurs. These flaws need not be uncontested; protests like Kaepernick’s are essential to bring about change. If, for any reason, an individual wishes to express dissatisfaction with this nation, to quote a certain, seemingly forgotten Declaration of Independence: it is their God-given right to do so. By Jeremy Nam Sophomore, Reporter
Tiger Times
September/October 2016
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Extended Viewpoint: Are rankings that go down to the 100th and 1000th places really significant? Let’s turn our obsession with numbers back to passion for learning.
Cartoon by Soomin Chun
The Illusions and Delusions of Rankings By Justin Chang
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midst the hush-hush and the palpable tension in the senior class this time of the year, there is still one thing that all seniors are obviously talking about: class rankings. For some it’s triumphant victory; for others it’s devastating defeat. But for me? It’s just plain wrong. Rankings lie at the core of the central issue that concerns both students and faculty: the adapt-or-die, hardcore, Spartan academic competition. We students have been told one too many times to “stop being competitive” and “stop worrying about grades.” But how can we not be competitive if the system in place rewards those who are competitive and punishes those who aren’t? How can we “value education over grades” when every point matters in a GPA system where up to the fourth decimal is counted, and an unweighed GPA means that students aren’t rewarded by doing well in harder classes? Our current system makes use of unweighted GPA calculated as a percentile rather than a weighted GPA on the 4.0 scale. This basically means that at SIS, harder AP level courses are considered equal to easier courses, say, Work Study, where it is harder to get a 99 than a 100. Also, there is
a huge difference between a 94 and a 100 (which are both A’s, technically). As such, those who revel at the idea of learning new concepts are hesitant as they are in a rather perplexing quandary: do I really want to learn about Psychology when there is a chance that my average will drop me down a few places and therefore prevent me from attending a better college? Adding fuel to the fire is the uncomfortable truth that a gap between the GPAs of two students hardly exists. It’s truly a sad reality when a student with a 98.2533 can graduate in the top 10% and a student with a 98.2145 is relegated, even though both have excelled. When the fight to be the top 10% depends on the ten thousandths of a percent (a situation which did occur to a student last year), its hard not to be competitive, stressed our, and confused. Granted, since most SIS students are intelligent and do excel at even the most seemingly impossible tests and assignments, it’s possible that GPAs will still remain high even if the school adapts to the 4.0 scale. Still, a weighted system would increase GPA gaps between students and help the battle for the grades to diverge away from the strategic campaign of shrewdly planned schedules, coercive interrogation of teachers, and the seizure of GPA assets. It is also important to realize that it shouldn’t be SIS-and that one point on that one quiz in your worst class- that deter-
Tiger Times Tiger Times exercises the right to report on and editorialize all topics, events or issues, including those unpopular or controversial, insofar as they affect or interest the school, community, nation, and world. We refrain from publishing material that advertises illegal products or services, is obscene, libelous, or invades privacy. We refrain from publishing material that creates a clear and present danger or the immediate material and substantial physical disruption of the school.
mines who goes to what college; college admissions officers are paid to do that job. What this means is that the decile rank should not decide for colleges who is fit and who is unfit: that decision should be made solely by the college after thorough review of a student’s application. According to a counselor at a Californian High School, since getting rid of rankings, “acceptance rates at restrictive colleges soared” because the high school could no longer provide grounds for a college to reject an applicant. The colleges had to weigh their options themselves. As such, colleges have begun to move away from using rankings as a major factor in their decisions. According to the National Association for College Admission Counseling, “colleges have de-emphasized class rank as a factor in the admission decision over the past decade.” It is, however, also true that doing away with rankings will bring unintended consequences. Our current ranking system does serve an alternate but nevertheless important role in the college admissions process: determining where to apply. Most students usually use their rankings to determine what colleges they should apply to, and the decile rank does a sound job as an indicator. The ranking system currently in place, however, is plagued with issues. The decile rank was developed to be used for public schools whose graduating class size num-
ber in the thousands (around 1300 is seen as “average”). Even smaller schools usually have a graduating class size of around 300, over three times the number of graduating seniors last year. If so, why is our petite little school- whose 10% rank this year numbered a whopping 9 students- employing a system suited for monstrosities where the top 10% number as many as students in SIS’s graduating class? Here is a solution to consider. GPAs should be weighed on a 4.0 scale so that students who take a challenge can do so without the fear of losing an opportunity to apply to their dream school. Let’s report the rankings to students, not colleges. Such a radical change would surely cause uproar, but to shy away from a solution to an issue because a few battles may be fought is illogical. Even then, those who agree that changes need to be made outnumber the select few who find the status quo acceptable, for it is obvious that this change would be favorable not only to students but to teachers, to parents, and especially to colleges. We students can once again enter school enthusiastic about the things we would learn. Parents can worry less about “can my child go to a college.” And the school would be able to report the reduction of conniving competition and see students engaged in healthy competition. We come to school to learn, not to compete. So let us learn.
Tiger Times Staff Paper Editors-In-Chief Jaeha Kim Ariel Lee Website Editors-in-Chief Claire Kim Eric Song Paper Managing Editor Andrew Ham
Website Managing Editor Nicholas Kim Production Editor Grace Lee Graphics Editor Rachel Kang Photo Editor Daniel Shin
Copy Editors Sarah Kim Diana Nakyoung Lee Soomin Chun Alice Lee Layout Artists Joyce Lee Soomin Lee Amy Jungmin Kim Dawn Kim Yejune Park
Graphics Artists Jina Kim Michelle Cho Youngseo Jhe Photographers Ryan Jang April Kim Angela Choe
Reporters Junie Kah Michelle Lee Jeremy Nam Marie Park Grace Yang Justin Chang Andrea Kwon Adviser Mr. David Coleman
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NEWS
News Briefs by Grace Lee
AP Art students gain inspiration from field trip
Korea experiences record breaking earthquake Graphic by Youngseo Jhe
EARTHQUAKE in ko
Source: Korea Joongang Daily, The Korea Hera ld, Yonhap News TV, Korea, Ministry of Publ Stripes ic Safety and Security, Naver
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253 cases of property damage Kakaotalk service down for 2 HOURS 6 civilians injured tips during earthquake: Min. of
5.8
magnitude earthquake Photo Courtesy of Sophie Park
Students enrolled in AP art classes went on field trips to various locations to explore how artists use different types of art to express their creativity. On Sept. 29, AP 2D Design and AP Drawing went to Yongma Park, an abandoned amusement park. Also, AP 2D Design, AP Drawing, and AP Art History students all went to Leeum Art Museum on Nov. 2. The field trips served as an inspiration for many young aspiring artists. “It was certainly a very unique experience to be at an amusement park with rides no longer in use,” said Erin Noh (12), AP 2D Design student. “It felt like I time travelled back 20 years because all the rides there had been installed long time ago. Taking pictures of the amusement park and its rides certainly made me feel like a little child again. I am very excited use the photographs I took at the park for my future design projects.”
New policy for international AMC registration in place The policies for American Mathematics Competitions (AMC) administered outside the US have been modified in an attempt to implement a better organized test delivery system. Previously in Korea and other non-US countries, the AMC 10/12 was administered through international schools, hagwons and Korean high schools. However, this August, the Mathematical Association of America (MAA) and notified previous test centers that it was looking for “international group managers.” The international group manager for Korea, that would be responsible for overseeing the entire test preparation process, is yet to be chosen. Although SIS students planning to go into STEM fields in college are concerned about the possible cancellation of AMCs in Korea, Peter Valerio, Mu Alpha Theta advisor and HS math teacher, is positive that the tests will take place. “In the past decade, there has been a great increase in the number of people who take AMC outside of the US, which may have led the MAA to look for a more secure test delivery system,” Dr. Valerio said. “I was highly doubtful that the AMC 10/12, scheduled for Feb. 2017, will be cancelled in Korea.”
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n the evening of September 12, an earthquake with a magnitude of 5.8 struck the city of Gyeongju. Following this earthquake, multiple aftershocks ensued around the nation. In light of these recent shocks, questions emerged regarding the safety of the peninsula, along with concerns regarding the efficiency of the government in responding to such events. Geographically, according to the Korea Times, Korea has long been considered a haven from major earthquakes because of its distance from the “Ring of Fire,” where 90 percent of the world’s earthquakes occur. In fact, according to the Straits Times, the Gyeongju earthquake beat the previous record for magnitude, set by a quake of magnitude of 5.3 that struck Euiju in 1980. Korean records for earthquake magnitudes begin from 1978. “Korea is not very close to the fault lines which makes Japan and other coun-
ZEITGEIST REBOOT
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xactly five years and six months ago, the Syrian civil war began in the midst of the Arab Spring. Ignited by the sparks of freedom, Syrian protesters marched into the Syrian capital city of Damascus, demanding democratic reform and the release of several political prisoners. Violent repression of these protests eventually led to an armed conflict amongst what would become known as the Free Syrian Army (FSA) and the official government. What started out as a fight for freedom seems to now have evolved into a complex conflict that even the U.N. struggles with. How did this happen, and why? More importantly, is there a solution? For starters, it is important to understand that the Syrian civil war in its current state is essentially a zero-sum game. What this means is that the victory of one party in the war translates to the death of the other. As peaceful protests transitioned into armed conflict, warring parties realized that there was no alternative to war. The government’s primary goal is to put an end to all
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aftershocks of the 5.8 earthquake as of 9/28
Source: The Noun Project
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tries vulnerable to earthquakes,” said Sara Brodhead, environmental science teacher. “However, the latest earthquakes were caused by a strike-slip fault, in which rock strata are displaced parallel to the line of the fault. Moreover, a release of energy from one side of the fault line led to the quakes that were felt around the country.” According to Yonhap News, citizens have voiced concerns regarding the current earthquake alarm system which took nine minutes to notify the public of the emergency disaster. As a result, according to the Korea Herald, citizens have taken matters into their own hands by developing a smartphone application called Ji Jin-hee Allim that sends users alarms within two minutes. “I think that the government response to these events, like the series of earthquakes happening right now, is inadequate,” Chloe Chung (11) said. “The gov-
ernment has to make official notices and inform the people of such happenings, but nothing of that sort goes on.” Recent events shed light on the fact that the Korean peninsula is no longer a safe zone from earthquakes. According to the Korea Times, Korean buildings are generally not built to withstand earthquakes of a magnitude of six or above. In order to deal with these situations, the Korean government must first and foremost establish strong infrastructure. “In general, I do not think that Korea is ready to handle natural disasters just yet,” Mimi Yoo (12) said. “To fix this problem, the Korean government has to become more active on educating the Korean public about evacuation procedures, earthquake shelters, or any other relevant information.” By Jina Kim Junior, Staff Writer
The conflict in Syria and how we can end it by Jaeha Kim rebels, and vice versa. According to Benedetta Berti, International Policy and Security Consultant, such cases led to the reinforcement of mutual distrust amongst the parties involved, leaving no space for negotiations. To make matters worse, several sectarian communities including the Sunni Arab majority, Alawite, and Ismaeli have also started viewing the regime’s fate as deeply connected to their own, devoting themselves to the pro- or anti-regime forces and adding to the magnitude of the conflict. However, these sectarian communities are not the only ones that have invited themselves into the Syrian conflict. Several other countries such as the US, Russia, Iran, and Saudi Arabia that have majorly involved themselves and possibly even exacerbated the hostile dynamics of the Syrian war. Iran and Saudi Arabia specifically have invested in supporting and opposing the regime in order to secure regional hegemony. In essence, the Syrian war, just like the war in Yemen, is a proxy war for these two nations. Given the fact that the US and Russia are similarly interested
and invested in the Syrian regime, it is highly unlikely that the conflict is purely a “Syrian” war. So how do we even start to straighten out what seems to be such a snarled up, tangled and messy issue? Peace in Syria must begin with a look that reaches beyond the proxy wars and focuses on the immediate de-escalation of armed conflicts. While a great number of players discuss on and meddle with the Syrian chessboard, countless civilian lives are lost due to non-discriminatory barrel bomb attacks and aerial strikes. Prioritizing and maximizing local ceasefire regions must come as a priority within the U.N. as well as the Geneva Conventions, which will slow down the civilian mortality rate, the biggest concern amongst the international community. Governments and international organizations must strictly adhere to policies that protect these areas, as Russia’s violations of the initially placed cease-fire regions almost pushed peace talks to the brink of failure. Only after such measures are taken, can we guarantee a brighter future for the state of Syria.
Tiger Times
September/October 2016
5
Family Fun Day
Safety regulations and protocol changes improve annual event
Photos by April Kim
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n event that attracts nearby 1500 attendees every year, the annual Family Fun Day (FFD) was held on Sept. 24 this year, with students, staff, and parents from all grade levels participating. The High School Parent Group (HPG) and the High School Student Council (HSSC) hosted the FFD as usual, with 29 booths distributed amongst various clubs. On this seventh annual FFD, significant measures have been taken for the sake of improved organization, safety, and entertainment. According to Kendall Sadler, HSSC adviser, the HPG implemented a stricter system of operation in order to bolster safety. Last year, none of the booths had age restrictions, leading to safety issues. In order to prevent similar problems from reoccurring, the hosts designated age restrictions that were enforced through a color-coded “level” system: orange activities were open to all students, red to only high school students, and green to only elementary school students. “There was an issue with safety at last
year’s FFD,” Ms. Sadler said, “Someone got hurt and the new system was to make sure everything was clear and that everyone is not eligible for certain rides.” Furthermore, in order to distribute the more popular booths in a fair manner, every year, the stations were assigned to clubs by lottery. Although the process could be described as more egalitarian, some larger clubs were not able to host booths, due to the lack of the number of stands relative to the number of clubs. Instead of a booth, Global Issues Network (GIN) brought food from the food area to the soccer field and sold them. “Every year, we have a random raffle system for the booths so even the smaller clubs could get bigger booths,” said Soon Mi Kwon, HPG member. “There were seven clubs added this year so there were some clubs that were not able to get game booths. So we made sure that these clubs could work by adding them to the food and to the ticket booths as well as activities that could be done walking around the soccer field.” The new activity booths that were added
also garnered much attention from the attendees. From the Splash Target hosted by UNICEF to Face Paint and Hair Salon hosted by the National Art Honor Society, these additions proved to be a popular success: UNICEF alone earned 625 tickets. “I really had a great time with this year’s new FFD booths,” said Michelle Choi (11). “It was interesting to see how the new booths gained much popularity.” Although there were positive opinions on the new changes, some argued that changes were so small that they were disappointed, bringing silent sighs of attendees who came to last year’s event. A major factor in this sentiment was the consistence in the popular booths. These popular booths stayed the same due to their ability to gain a large number of tickets; having these booths every year ensured the gain of tickets with no risks involved, but with same booths every year, lack of creativity and originality makes the event more predictable. “One of the biggest disappointments I had was how all the booths were same as
last year,” said Sarah Cho (10). “Ever since the beginning of the event, none of the big booths changed. I feel like the minor changes help add new things to look forward to but I think that FFD would progressively become more boring if we don’t try out new booth ideas.” Nevertheless, the modifications made to this year’s FFD seems to have been effective in satisfying the attendees overall. This year’s FFD bolstered the spirit of unity among not only the SIS community but also the Bokjeong community, some of which attended the event. “I thought it was really fun. It was the first school that I’ve been to, that incorporated everyone and that really encouraged everyone to participate,” said Megan Lee, teacher in the English Department, “It was nice to see the high school kids helping the elementary school kids. It was a really nice experience and it was well organized. Everyone was there to have fun.” By Andrea Kwon Sophomore, Staff Writer
Should capitalism play a r
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artin Shkreli, labeled by the BBC as “the most hated man in America,” earned notoriety in 2015 for jacking up the price of Daraprim, a drug that treats toxoplasmosis (a parasitic infection that is especially dangerous for pregnant women), by 5,000 percent. After initial public outrage, Mr. Shkreli promised that he would lower the prices--then did not, much to the ire of an increasing number of customers, politicians, and bystanders. Mr. Shkreli’s defense for his actions was that he considered them technically legal despite social stigma, and cited John D. Rockefeller’s methods as support, however controversial. Predictably, this defense did not help salvage his deterioating reputation. Recently, yet another pharma-crisis has hit the industry: this time, with EpiPens. Heather Bresch, CEO of Mylan, Inc., which holds control over 90 percent of the commercial market for EpiPens, faced a congressional hearing last week to justify
her company’s history of raising the price of a single EpiPen from $50 in 2007 to over $304 in 2016, putting these critical medical devices out of reach for many low-income households. What confounded the politicians and citizens in the hearing room was the revelation that Bresch had increased her salary by $17 million over that same period of time. The reaction has been particularly pointed on this very issue, as the consequences have affected children, pregnant women, and others whose lives depend on acquiring the medicine that the companies have made largely inaccessible. Naturally (as it has in the US) the question arises: to what extent should capitalism, and corporate interest, play a role in medicine and medical technology? The following are different viewpoints on the issues, each focusing on a separate controversies surrounding the pharmaceutical industry, that attempt to weave a complex picture of the current debate involving medical research in the US.
Research and Development Despite recent increases, drug prices only account for 10 percent of the US’s total healthcare spending, according to the New York Times. Yet the issue of inflating drug prices has recently come into the spotlight, with pharmaceutical industries being accused of corruption. However, one must acknowledge that corruption is not the major cause of inflated drug prices. Rather, one must take into consideration the billions of dollars spent every year on the research and development of cures for diverse, chronic illnesses along with the drug discounts pharmaceutical companies are expected to grant insurance companies and the government. The range of money spent researching and developing new drugs is simply stunning. According to Forbes, AstraZeneca, a pharmaceutical company responsible for such widely-used drugs as Prilosec, Nexium, and Crestor, spends a reported $12 billion in research for every new drug approved, while Amgen, another pharmaceutical company, spends approximately $3.7 billion per drug. With investments in the billions, it is a challenging task to make any profit, according to industry leaders. Putting the billions of dollars for research and development of new drugs aside, the pharmaceutical industry runs into yet another obstacle. According to the International Business Times, pharmaceutical companies are required to give a certain range of discounts to insurance companies and the American government. Such insurers include the government-run Medicaid program, which receives a 15 percent discount off the list price of any drug for providing insurance to low-income people. The Department of Veterans Affairs is also entitled to discounts of 25 to 50 percent, based on federal law. Such discounts also affect drug prices, as pharmaceutical companies struggle to make up for all the money lost. Another cause that computes to high drug prices is the fact that FDA cuts off all competition
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among pharmaceutical companies by giving monopoly rights on highly coveted drugs, usually lasting from eight and a half to fifteen years. Such lack of competition gives pharmaceutical companies the freedom to decide on drug prices without having to take prices of other similar drugs into account. In fact, according to Bloomberg, the monopoly rights pharmaceutical companies have over all new drugs account for 72 percent of drug spending in the US, although they only represent 10 percent of the prescriptions. Furthermore, In-Sue Na, manager of Kyongbo Pharmaceutical Company in Korea, understands the pharmaceutical company perspective, stating that inflated drug prices can actually reflect a selfless image of those companies. “Speaking from the perspective of [American] Big Pharma corporations, such high costs spent for research and development of new drugs is spent for altruistic causes,” Mr. Na said. “For example, 14 years ago, when the Gilead Harvoni, the cure for AIDS or the hepatitis C virus, was first put into the market, there were many protests due to its expensive cost. However, despite its expensive cost, Gilead Harvoni succeeded in curing not only Americans but also people around the world.” Of course, cutting down the inflated prices of drugs would be rather challenging after factoring in the billions of dollars spent only for research and development along with the specific regulations put forth by the FDA. However, the problem could be alleviated to a certain extent, if the FDA shortened government-granted monopolies to about five years or if the pharmaceutical industry could set a limit for the amount of money a company could spend on developing new drugs. In other words, encouraging competition between pharmaceutical companies and setting up a stable financial plan would compel researchers to be more efficient in terms of budgeting money for further research.
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Pure motives in science By Andrew Ham
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According to Richard Horton, editor of The Lancet, scientists can be bought: “No [scientist] is incentivized to be right. Instead, scientists are incentivized to be productive.” It is a weighty statement, and rightfully so. Science is simply one of those things that, like justice and politics, suffer when corrupted by money. Unfortunately, the question today is not on the existence of financial influence in scientific research, but on the extent of its impact. There are some scientific minds, such as Jeffrey M. Drazen of the New England Journal of Medicine, who will argue that the quality of research matters more than the source of funding. Experts like Mr. Drazen write that as long as research integrity is not compromised, whether the study was sponsored by the Obama administration or McDonald’s does not matter at all. The problem with this argument, as outlined by advocates of the other side of this debate such as Gretchen Goldman of the Union of Concerned Scientists, is that the quality of research is precisely what is under fire by the source of funding. The conflict of interest created by a corporation giving money to scientists to test one of their products, according to Mr. Goldman, is against the nature of science and research. Take consideration of the past: Thomas Edison did not try and fail a thousand times with the light bulb because he wanted to publish in Science magazine, a top scientific journal. Jonas Salk did not patent his polio vaccine (and forgo a staggering $7 billion in potential profits) because he elected instead to make the crucial medicine available to all those in need of it. No financial reward was offered to anyone who could find a way to communicate across seas instantly, but the telegraph was invented anyway.
The question, then, that researchers ask is this: when did science become more about commercial gain than intellectual pursuit? The answer may be the impact made by corporations on the results of affiliated scientific studies. Researchers Paul Ridker and Jose Torres in 2006 found that 65.5 percent of studies sponsored by the pharmaceutical industry showed results in favor of new treatments, while only 39.5 percent of independent studies on the same topic showed those results. The significance of this is the fact that newly-developed treatments fetch higher prices on the market, benefiting pharmaceutical corporations, whether or not they are, in fact, legitimate improvements over old models. Apart from the pharmaceutical industry, any corporate sector can get involved in scientific research. According to the New York Times earlier this month, “the sugar industry paid scientists in the 1960s to play down the link between sugar and heart disease and promote saturated fats the culprit instead,” according to newly released historical documents. Specifically, three Harvard scientists were paid $50,000 in today’s currency by the Sugar Association to publish favorable reviews of sugar’s impact on the American diet, derailing a crucial scientific discussion on the harmful nature of sugar for nearly 50 years in the process. Is it justified to claim that all science should work under the umbrella of federal assistance when so much more research can be done with the financial support the private sector provides, especially when the stakes are so high? Only if that extra money boost actually leads to productive research. However, evidence suggests that the overall scientific discussion is not only unassisted, but even harmed, by corporate-backed research.
Insurance and big pharma **The controversy does not end here. While the main players may be the large pharmaceutical companies, one third of Americans with medical insurance accuse insurance companies that demand high prices for healthcare every year of major wrongdoing. The following is a translated article from a recent interview conducted in September of this year with Jeon Sunggi, manager of the SamCheonDang Pharmaceutical Company, explaining the role of insurance companies in this debate. Recently, there has been controversy regarding the rising prices of drugs in the US. Originally, the US has had a very diverse medical system and a strong lobbying industry, so it is the only country in the world that does not regulate drug prices. Also, countries like Canada or Australia that have overall costs similar to that of America’s sell drugs that are half of American prices. Such overpricing should be taken care of by insurance companies and these costs will also arise with inflating drug prices. In other words, it
By Jeon Sunggi
is inevitable that insurance companies will have to raise health care fees in order to pay for a portion of the list price of such expensive American drugs. Taking such an approach is more practical than leaving two-thirds of Americans (without insurance) to deal with the burden of overpriced drugs. With regard to the perspective of pharmaceutical companies, it takes a lot of time to research and develop new drugs. If the drug turns out to have negative consequences, it is reasonable to assume that the pharmaceutical companies would be legally responsible for their drug’s negative effects. Therefore, drug overpricing is rather necessary. Often, two pharmaceutical companies get together to produce less-expensive versions of drugs that are often considered to be proprietary. Therefore, it is necessary for the government to encourage pharmaceutical companies to invest in generic versions of existing drugs and allow competition to exist, in order to actually decrease drug prices in the future.
8 LIFESTYLE
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By Ye Joon Kah
ou’re standing in the lunch line, starving because you forgot to have breakfast and you had no money to buy a snack. You’ve already spent nearly four prolonged hours in class waiting for lunch to start. Unfortunately, while waiting in line, a couple of people “join in” with their friends and come in front of you. “Couple” meaning not one, not two, but a group of “friends” cutting in line. People might think: does it really matter if I get my JJ’s lunch 10 minutes late? That’s not the point. This issue isn’t just about the fact that some people are simply rude; the core of the problem is that SIS students often have multiple facades that they put on at different times. How come all we see on Facebook are posts of people complimenting each other: “Oh you’re so pretty and so smart,” while people in real life don’t even have enough respect to wait in line? We all have to take certain steps in life that help us mature into adults. Such steps may be riding a bike, getting your first boy/girlfriend, and, inexplicably, keeping your place in line without cutting others. How can people expect good teacher recommendations and hope to “go to Harvard” when they are unable to follow such basic manners? The irony is that many students are willing to sacrifice hours to please teachers and receive good grades but absolutely cannot waste their “precious” five minutes, waiting in the lunch line. If we’re not even capable of waiting for a couple of minutes, we can’t expect much of our future posterity either. Perhaps the cafeteria line-cutters are simply ignorant. However, ignorance is clearly not the only root cause of this social disease: we have been too lenient upon those who cut lines. Most people—as long as they are not cut in front of—are not willing to take any action against cutters. So how do we educate high school students to not cut in front of other people? Maybe having mandatory manner classes will help. Or maybe we should have harsher punishments: after all, the basic tenets of civil government state that when someone inflicts harm upon someone else, there must be some form of relief. But come on, do we really need to have lessons on keeping manners as high school students? That in and of itself is quite pathetic. All we really have to do is be able to wait. Students merely have to stand still, move occasionally as the line slowly crawls to the front, and receive their food. This is not a complaint but more of a caution. If you happen to cut in front of me, expect some sort of “reaction” for your disrespectful action. Beware, you have been warned.
Traveling back in time to the 70s: LEFT: Among the various options of the Brooklyn Burger’s menu, the Brooklyn Works, paired with the Nutella and Burnt Marshmallow Milkshake, is among the most popular options that continue to attract customers. RIGHT: Rising in popularity, the Brooklyn Burger restaurant is the new hotspot for teenagers. Customers are met with a blazing neon sign from even before they step foot into the restaurant itself. Photos by Angela Choe
Opening the metal doors, I wasn’t expecting much; the exterior was pretty bland and only an antiquated neon sign indicated the restaurant’s existence. But I was proven wrong the moment I stepped in. Even brighter neon lights flooded the entrance, and I felt as if I had travelled back in time to the 1970s – everything around me had a retro vibe, from the Star Wars video game next to the entrance, to the long counter with green diner chairs, and finally the groovy music that kept the whole atmosphere upbeat. I wanted to start exploring the place right away, but unfortunately, I went around 6 p.m., so I had to wait for 15 minutes before I was given a seat. While waiting, I decided to try out the video game just to see if it was still functioning, and
it was! This pleasant surprise led me to the realization that, though its lackluster entrance may have hinted otherwise, Brooklyn the Burger Joint actually did take the time to pay attention to all the little details, ranging from the decorated, vintage water glasses to the one-paged menu similar to that of American diners. Through some research, I found out that the Garosu-gil diner was in fact the fourth addition to a chain of Brooklyn the Burger Joint restaurants and had opened back in 2015. The largest of its four twins,
Brooklyn the Burger Joint Garosu-gil serves customers 24-7. Its owner, Hyun Park, had been inspired from the start to create a diner meant for anyone and everyone, regardless of the time. Aside from the timelessness of the restaurant, Brooklyn the Burger Joint has one more appeal: its simple, easy-tofollow one-paged menu. On the left side of the column is a long list of the different hamburgers offered while the right column has the fries, side dishes, drinks, and milkshakes. At first glance, you
Two Rising Suns, Two Different Paths
Recently, two dramas of the same genre and airing time have been receiving public attention. A fan of historical dramas could most likely fall in love with one or both of the two series: “Moon Lovers, Scarlet Heart Ryeo” and “Love in the Moonlight”. Airing every Monday and Tuesday at 10 p.m., both weave a fictional tale set in ancient Korea and expand on an already popular genre of historical fiction. Based on a Chinese novel, “Moon Lovers, Scarlet Heart Ryeo” illustrates the story of a woman from the 21st century traveling through time and living as another person in the early Goryeo dynasty that was founded on 918 C.E. She is whirled into a life full of action and romantic relationships with various princes. On the other hand, “Love in the Moonlight” deals with a matchmaker, disguised as a male, who ends up as the crown prince’s assistant. According to an article in Dailian News, the two were expected to have similar ratings and be conclusive rivals due to their similar nature. Yet currently, “Love in the Moonlight” is
leading in ratings by nearly ten percent. According to Weekly for You, there were considerable differences in how two dramas approached the historical elements to their plots. Because “Moon Lovers, Scarlet Heart Ryeo” was originally a Chinese novel, it adapted to the setting of the Goryeo dynasty to appeal to Korean viewers. This resulted in the absence of much of the historical facts as well as minimal similarities between the characters and actual historical figures that they were based on. For instance, the third prince, Whang So, is depicted as an aggressive ruler, while historically he was a notable ruler. On the other hand, “Love in the Moonlight” has a more realistic correlation with actual events, such as the revolt of Hong Gyeongrae, but with some modifications. “I feel like ‘Moon Lovers, Scarlet Heart Ryeo’ has an interesting plot but it is a little lacking in the historical aspects of it,” said Michelle Choi (11). According to an article on Dailian News, casting had a strong role in determining the popularity of the two
dramas. Although Moon Lovers initially seemed to have the edge due to a more well-known cast, having hired EXO’s Baekhyun, pop singer IU, and famous actor Hanul Kang, it could not beat the collaboration between the lead actors of “Love in the Moonlight.” “‘Love in the Moonlight’ is currently is known for being a very heart warming drama,” said Jessica Cho (10). “However it is also known for being very child-like… some say that it is too child-like that they can’t focus on the actual story but just the actors themselves, but some do enjoy watching those scenes…they want to see the actors take those heart-warming actions.” Their differences aside, both series have received significant amounts of media and social media coverage. Though both have received criticism, it is important to note that both series have increased awareness of Korean history in the mainstream media. By Andrea Kwon Sophomore, Staff Writer
Tiger Times
September/October 2016
9
Visiting Brooklyn The Burger Joint
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D might be a little overwhelmed because the place offers such an extensive list of burgers and milkshakes, but don’t be. Each item has a description of the ingredients, so you can read each one of them before ordering. I ordered the Brooklyn Works hamburger with a side of cheese fries and the Nutella and Burnt Marshmallow milkshake—one of the best decisions I’ve made this year. First of all, the visual of the meal as a whole was very aesthetically pleasing – a perfectly stacked hamburger with a juicy, handmade patty and fresh vegetables on one side and
golden fries on the other. As soon as I bit into the hamburger, I was met with a burst of flavors from the patty, the texture of which intertwined perfectly with the crispy vegetables and the soft bun. The fries were delicious as well. The soft insides complemented the crispy outer layer well, and in a matter of minutes, I was done devouring them down and craved more. And, of course, the milkshake. Their milkshakes were really something else. The Nutella and Burnt Marshmallow milkshake I ordered was just as visually appealing
as the hamburger and fries, with puffy marshmallows roasted brown to perfection. I could taste the nutella right away, but it wasn’t overpowering, so I was also able to note the thick yet smooth texture. The Brooklyn the Burger Joint I went to on Garosu-gil is almost always crowded, especially during lunch and dinnertime, so I advise going around 2 to 3 p.m., when most people begin to file out of the restaurant. Also, the hamburger patty I ordered was medium well-done, but it can be cooked to your preference, so don’t forget to ask.
Brooklyn the Burger Joint, overall, is a diner that seems to have been made for the sole purpose of satisfying not just a few individuals but rather anyone looking for a place to eat with a memorable atmosphere. The many distinctive facets the restaurant has and will surely appeal to each and every one of you, so call up your friends and family and save a date for a visit to Brooklyn the Burger Joint! By Soomin Lee Junior, Staff
Technological advancement as reflected in electronics Ever since Samsung released its Galaxy Note 7 on Aug. 19, Apple has also been planning its comeback featuring a waterproof iPhone 7, a new Mac OS X, and an iOS update. Amazon has also introduced Amazon Echo, a wireless speaker with voice recognition software. Though these corporations are working to incorporate the most recent technological developments into their products, whether these alterations are truly innovative remains a question. Although the iPhone 7 reflects contemporary trends, there still has been disapproval among buyers. One of the major complaints about Apple’s new iPhone concerns the removal of the earphone jack. According to Forbes, this odd elimination allows the phone to become more water resistant, providing stronger waterproof qualities also enhanced by the no-longer-mechanical home button. “The waterproof modification is Apple playing catch-up with other companies,” said David Richie, technology support teacher. “Samsung has that function in the Galaxy S7, and other high-end smartphones already have that too. As for the headphone jack removal, Apple loves selling their buyers adapters, and most people do buy them, so it’s another way for them to make some money.” In replacement of the missing earphone jack, Apple has introduced a new product of wireless earphones called AirPods, which in fact do not come complimentary with the phone. These small, simple wireless earbuds are sold at a retail price of $159. “I personally do not feel very positive
about the replacement, including the design of the AirPods,” said Edward Cheong (9), previous iPhone user. “I would suggest buying something that is less overpriced instead. To be honest, I am actually quite satisfied with my Samsung phone that I got a few weeks ago, especially since I no longer have to deal with Apple’s complicated update processes.” The fact that the AirPod has become subject to jokes on humor sites and social networking services alike suggests that Apple has only attempted to meet the demand for innovation with subtle modifications to its products. “As someone who has used three different versions of the iPhone, Apple’s recent products haven’t been living up to expectations,” said Lena Park (10), current Galaxy Note user. “In the beginning, newly released iPhone models were groundbreaking, but after Jobs’s death there have not been many ideas or changes of the sort.” Changes such as water resistance and improved camera functions that companies like Apple and Samsung have made to their products are surely experimental and inventive. It is true that there is a circulation of trends, but according to Time, largely innovative changes are not necessary for smartphones these days, so Apple may be steadily going in the right direction. Whether these circulatory trends are also going to provide a foothold for future innovations remains to be seen. By Youngseo Jhe Sophomore, Staff Writer
10 SPORTS Sports Briefs
Fall teams fall into place, start seasons strong
By Amy Kim
Doosan Bears continues to dominate On Sept. 22, the Doosan Bears triumphantly grasped the title of 2016 Korean Baseball Organization (KBO) League Champion, winning 9-2 in their last match against team KT Wiz. This is the first time the team won the championship in 21 years. The Doosan Bears is now eligible to compete in the upcoming Korean Series and will be vying for first place with whichever team that survives. “As a fan who has been supporting the Doosan Bears for over 12 years, I am certainly proud of the team’s recent wins and am especially privileged to be involved in the Bears’ community,” Isaac Lee (10) said. “Though they struggled to win the Championship for the past couple of years, their hard work paid off when they won the Korean championship the last season. I think Doosan’s recent victories reflect their perseverance and show that their hustle certainly paid off.”
Varsity swim team starts preseason practices The varsity swim team announced that they would begin their preseason practices from Sept. 28. The practices, which provide an excellent opportunity for students to prepare for tryouts and become familiar with other SIS swimmers, are to take place either every Wednesday or every other Wednesday depending on how many swimmers decide to participate. “Last year, the varsity swim team performed better than previous years, and I think this was because everyone got along with each other,” said Jaywon Yi (10), varsity swimmer. “We wanted to bring back that spirit so we decided to create preseason practices. We definitely want more freshmen to join and get closer with the upperclassmen. Also, because we want better results than previous years, we wanted the varsity swimmers to have a chance to get back in shape earlier.”
BIFS joins AISA tournament league This year, the Association of International Schools in Asia (AISA) will welcome Busan International Foreign School (BIFS) as a new member school. According to Ivan Atanaskovic, athletics and activities coordinator, the conference had been seeking to include schools from other nations such as China and Myanmar but had failed. Nevertheless, the addition of BIFS marks a unique milestone in their development. “The whole goal behind AISA is to get an international conference going which is a little bit different from KAIAC,” Mr. Atanaskovic said. “We wanted to add more cultural and social experiences to AISA. Although BIFS is in Korea, it brings a lot to AISA with students of more than 30 nationalities, so it will be good for our students to meet those families and play with them as well.”
Looking forward to good results, Sabin Macklin (12), Michelle Lee (10), and Ryan Hyun (9) (left to right) practice in preparation for upcoming tournaments.
W
ith the loud bang of the starting pistol and roaring cheers from spectators and coaches, varsity cross country athletes began their first official meet of the year at YISS on Sept. 7. According to Daniel Kim (12), boys varsity cross country captain, despite the hilly course at YISS that many of the runners were not used to, each athlete tried their best to beat their own personal records. Kevin Kim (10), a first year varsity cross country athlete, finished with a personal record of 19 minutes and six seconds, placing fifth out of almost 70 athletes.
Photos by Daniel Shin
“I was so excited to be able to start off the season by beating my personal record, which was one of the goals I had set for myself from the summer,” Kevin said. “While I was running, I tried my best not to obsess over the time, because the more self-conscious I am about my record while running, the slower it ends up being. I hope that I can continue to control my mentality in the same way during meets with stronger teams.” Likewise, the varsity volleyball teams set their season sin motion with two successful games. They hosted their first home game on Sept. 7 against GSIS. According to Brian Kim (12), varsity
boys volleyball co-captain, many of the sets involved especially intense plays because the GSIS volleyball team is one of the SIS volleyball team’s greatest rivals. However, both the girls and boys varsity volleyball teams emerged victorious, defending an undefeated record for the girls team. Both teams did just as well when they travelled to APIS on Sept. 23, achieving victory without giving a single set to their opponents. “GSIS has strong individual players as well as good team chemistry, so they were always strong opponents,” said Julie Hwang (12), varsity girls volleyball co-captain. “For our first home game, we focused on making sure our players had the basic skills necessary to play with consistency. For the APIS game, we focused on getting the new players on court.” On the same day that the volleyball players played against GSIS, varsity tennis teams travelled to TCIS to play their first official match of the season. All six singles players and four doubles pairs won. Varsity girls tennis players won with a score of 5 to 0, while varsity boys tennis players improved from a 3 to 2 win in their friendly match to a 5 to 0 win against TCIS. However, both teams lost on Sept. 23 in their SFS game, with both teams losing with scores of 0 to 5. “Our biggest concern was having the new players work well with each other,” said Jonathan Ames, varsity girls tennis coach. “During practices, we focused on having the doubles players communicate with their partners. However, when it comes to more competitive teams, our players in general have difficulty playing to their full potential.” By Sarah Kim Senior, Copy Editor
Less coverage on the Paralympics shed light on ableism
E
very four years at the Olympics, considered by many the final stage of physical prowess, athletes compete in various sports, represent their countries with pride, and capture global attention. This summer, the media covered the shortcomings and successes of the Rio 2016 Summer Olympics in copious detail. On the other hand, the 2016 Rio Paralympics, the third largest sporting event in the world, suffered a severe lack of media coverage compared to its more popular counterpart. The Paralympics took place from Sept. 7-18 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil with 4,342 athletes representing 159 nations. Though these demographics were similar to those of the Olympics, the Paralympics received less press coverage. For example, the quota for accreditations at the Paralympics was estimated to be around 2,200, compared to the 5,800 issued for the Olympics. According to the Guardian, the smaller number was the result of many major news networks feeling reluctant to send reporters and other media personnel to the Paralympics. Additionally, it was only in 2014 that the Paralympics committees felt confident enough to actively seek and receive commercial sponsors and digital media coverage by major
news networks, according to reports published by the Australian Paralympic Committee. “To be honest, I think that people, including me, are generally more interested in Olympic events because they are more commonly covered in the media,” Hannah Lee (10) said. “However, I believe the Paralympics provides a new perspective on competitive sports, and should receive more exposure.” In addition, according to research on media portrayal of female and male Paralympic athletes conducted by the University of Kent, substantial evidence supports the conclusion that the disabilities of female Paralympic athletes are often sensationalized by the media and presented in ways that suggest the athletes are aesthetically unpleasant or even genderless. The media also tends to portray male Paralympic athletes as childlike, emotive, trivial, or infantile. “Disabilities are only a small factor when it comes to athletic ability,” said Tamara Atanascovic, physical education teacher. “People should not discriminate based on disabilities and instead just recognize athletic talent as it is.” The absence of media coverage, however, did not detract from the spirit of the Paralympics. According to the Economist, many of the athletes fea-
tured in the Paralympics succeeded in not only overcoming their disabilities, but also in exceeding the records set by Olympians in some areas. For example, the top four athletes of the 1,500-meter T13 category in the Paralympics, a race for the visually impaired, were all faster than Matthew Centrowitz, who won gold in the event at the Olympics. Although there have been concerns regarding the neglect of the Paralympics in the news, the media have made attempts to improve coverage on the events. NBC and NBCSN produced a total of 66 hours of coverage, an increase from their 60.5-hour coverage of the 2012 London Paralympics. The British television network, Channel 4, has also been lauded by The Guardian for its continuous efforts to increase viewership of the Paralympics as well. “I never really had an interest in the Paralympics before, but after seeing the handicapped athletes overcome their disabilities really inspires me,” Julie Jang (10) said. “I think learning about the feats of Paralympic athletes presents a more positive perception of the disabled that really shows there are no limits to what humans can do.” By Michelle Cho Sophomore, Reporter
Running FOR Freedom Students participate in 24 hour run Get ready, get set, go! 136 students lined up at Cheonggye Plaza on Sept. 12-13 to participate in a race that would last for 24 hours. Students from SIS, SFS, KIS, and GSIS divided into teams of six to eight and took turns running throughout the night. By morning, the students ran 2919 kilometers total. The race was held as a fundraiser to help address and raise awareness about the issue of human trafficking. By the end of the race, runners had raised 6.7 million won for their cause. “Modern day slavery is such a big issue in Korea, and yet not a lot of people know about it,” said Sara Kim (11), a participant from KIS. “I think this race is a great way to raise awareness about the prevalence of slavery in “developed” South Korea. The fact that so many of
my friends went to and participated in the race is a big indicator of success of the race. Being able to have fun and change the world at the same time is something that is going to appeal to a lot of people, so I believe the race is going to be more successful as the years go on.” Though many believe that slavery came to an end in the 1800s, slavery is still prevalent in the modern world. According to the Global Issues Network, human trafficking is more widespread today than it ever was. With 93,700 people being trafficked every year in South Korea alone, this issue is one especially pertinent to Korea. The 24 Hour Race in Seoul was one of many such races hosted by students around the world in order to combat
human trafficking. However, all these events and races follow similar procedures to be able to come into existence. First, there must be individuals who are passionate enough to take a step to change the world. Then, administrators of regional races partner with small lvocal organizations concerned with human trafficking in order to help raise funds on behalf of those organizations. For example, in Hong Kong, the 24 Hour Race partnered with Justice Centre, an organization dedicated to protecting migrants’ rights. In Seoul, the Race partnered with HOPE Be Restored, an organization that works to save men, women, and children alike from illegal prostitution facilities. HOPE Be Restored provides prayer guides, job training, and safe houses,
and has made great progress in guiding victims to protection and safety. “Hearing the founder of HOPE Be Restored Eddie Byun speak with such passion about stopping human trafficking really inspired me,” said Youngjun Yoon (11), another participant of the race. “I think that this race was a really great event that was brought to Korea. All the fun and games served to make the event interesting and worthwhile, and I will definitely remember this experience later in my life. I will be definitely be telling my friends to join since I had fun and was able to raise awareness regarding human trafficking at the same time. ” By Ryan Jang Junior, Reporter
Photo courtesy of Keren Ben Shoshan (12, SFS)
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SMALL TALK
idealog: Anthropocentrism For as long as we have lived in communities, we as a species have told creation stories about ourselves to explain our place here on earth. In Sumer, legend says that humans were first made from clay. In the Old Testament, Adam and Eve— the first humans—were born into the Garden of Eden. In Greek mythology, Prometheus sculpted the first-ever human using mud. In Korean folklore, the first woman was a bear that turned human that eventually wed the sky god. As far off as these stories seem from each other, they in fact share a surprising number of commonalities. For example, Sumerian, Judea Christian, Hopi, and Polynesian myths all include stories of a cataclysmic flood that nearly wipes out the human species. These commonalities reflect one shared truth: humans were derived from nature. We were defined by nature. For centuries, our populations flourished and crashed within the boundaries set by the environment. And then came the Industrial Revolution. At the time, we considered ourselves revolutionaries because we opened up new and efficient ways to manufacture goods and to maximize profit—and boy, were we wrong. We had not
FAUX NEWS
By Diana Nakyoung Lee
only redefined production; we had redefined time. In the stinking coal fumes of London, we created a new geological era: the Anthropocene, the human age—the epoch of unprecedented human influence over ecology and geology. In many ways, the Anthropocene is an extension of a much older human tradition: anthropocentrism. (The prefix anthro- means “human.”) According to the philosophy of anthropocentrism, humans are the most supreme and significant entity in the universe. We are, in essence, the center of the world. Over time, the concept has garnered mixed reactions. Some see it as narcissism blown out of proportion. Others see it as a natural and helpful way to navigate the world. Both sides, however, agree on one point: humans are staunchly anthropocentric. We love center stage. Unfortunately, staring straight into the spotlight for too long can blind a performer. And since the Industrial Revolution, we have made that mistake over and over again. According to a study from Brown University, 100 out of every 1 million species currently go extinct every year, and in the past 30 years, Arctic ozone levels have declined by nearly 30
Lack of trigger warnings leads to gun-related injuries
percent. While we were standing in the limelight performing the wonders of industrialization, chaos was brewing in the seats. On the stage of the Anthropocene, we play the prima donnas. But if we want to continue that role, we have to get our act together. It is so easy to step up to the plate. Some philosophers argue that one could even support environmentally friendly practices while adhering to their anthropocentric beliefs. Some scholars say that the problem lies not in anthropocentrism but rather in shallow interpretations of it. They say that there is nothing wrong with pursuing what is best for us—but that, as a caveat, we must carefully examine what really is best for us: an acidic earth with green waters and grey skies, or a clean earth founded on sustainable environmental practices? Anthropocentrism, they say, need not be our demise. And they’re right. Our creation myth need not be our obituary. Our crowning achievements need not be our downfall. We can still turn this around. This is our age, after all. This is our era. And the curtains have only just begun to rise.
SIS Tigers vs. KIS Phoenix Sept. 28, Seoul International School
Fair and Balanced On Oct. 11, several gun-related injuries occurred in Liberal, Illinois when two men started to shoot at each other. The two men, as well as two bystanders, were injured in the incident. All four were immediately transported to Liberal General Hospital, where they were kept overnight. One shooter cited the lack of a trigger warning on the trigger of the gun as the cause of the accident. While trigger warnings are now required by law, investigations have shown that a local college student organization named Everyone Deserves It: Tears (EDIT) has recently gone around the neighborhood pulling trigger warnings off guns to fuel their belief that “trigger warnings restrict everyone from being able to use these violent devices freely. In a society where freedom of speech is guaranteed, this should not be the case.” “I can’t believe that people would do such a thing,” said Indig Nant, one of the bystanders injured in the accident. “Without warnings on dangerous things, especially guns, people are more prone to being harmed from them. This is clearly not the world that we want to live in, where a lack of a simple trigger warning almost kills people. Just look at me, I almost died yesterday because some jerks went around taking them all off ! The lengths that people go for their “freedom of speech” and “liberal arts education,” honestly.” According to studies from the American School for Sustainable Statistics Studies (ASSSS), 87 percent
of gun related incidents in the last year have been attributed to the lack of warnings: of which two percent believed that the warnings genuinely helped them remember to not shoot the gun, and 98 percent involved believed that they were entitled to their opinion that guns do not harm people, people harm people. “If a gun is dangerous, then manufacturers should warn us about its potential dangers by writing a warning on the gun itself,” said Berry Rational, a local student currently attending Liberal College. “I should be advised to not pull the trigger on a gun, isn’t this obvious?” Activists of trigger warnings, however, have expressed their frustration regarding the reckless behavior of the two men. While they have been fighting for the rights of those who need trigger warnings for valid reasons, such as “constant amnesia about the danger of guns,” the activists believe that this accident only perpetrates how the majority of the populace takes this issue as a joke or political agenda to push. “Those who are constantly pulling the trigger, even without a cause to, are only harming the two percent who actually need it,” said Soc Justice, president of the activist group Rational Individuals Going Hard at It (RIGHT). “The other 98 percent can go shoot each other for all I care, but as a member of the two percent, we believe warnings on gun triggers are essential, as they are necessary for our own daily lives.” Tossing up the ball, Nick Yeo (12) serves the ball for the first point of the second set. The team would go on to win the set, however eventually lost two sets to three against KIS.
BY JOYCE LEE
Photo by Angela Choe