by Lucy Jang
RALLY REPORT
While often seen as one of the less flashy sports in modern entertainment, track and field was a sacred rite at the original Olympics in Ancient Greece, glorifying the physical prowess of the human body and its physical achievements in the image of the gods. Spectators would witness the best athletes compete in the most physical and grueling competitions, including racing, jumping, and throwing. Each competition defied the limits of gravity and humanity, a symbol of strength and human spirit. While track and field has been a high school sport at SIS for a significant period, it was only since last year that it became a varsity sport. Entering its second year, track and field has not enjoyed the same popularity or acclaim that other sports have at SIS; while every newly implemented sports program goes through a
growth and development process, even amongst track and field teams in other schools, SIS’s track program has significantly lagged behind in both roster size and yearly accolades.
“Last year, the track program only had nine varsity players and struggled to compete with the size and skill of the other teams,” Alex Lee ’25, three-year track and field member, said.
“Schools such as Humphreys, YISS, and KIS had anywhere from 20-35 kids competing at events, and even smaller schools like CDS still had over 15 athletes competing. So naturally, we were dead last in conference ranking and 7th out of 8 places in the KAIAC tournament. To put that in perspective, Humphreys, who received first place in the tournament, gained 180+ points while we had 20.”
Led by head coach Joe Gallagher
and former high school track and field athlete, Jarod Henderson, this team is looking to move on from last year’s struggles by increasing the intensity of practice, which will hopefully transform a small group of kids into a respectable and formidable team.
For the first two weeks of the track season, I was fortunate enough to attend practices, observing the intensity, enthusiasm, and attitude the players had towards the team. After two weeks of observation, it is safe to say that this team is ready to transition into a new age of relevance and excellence. Veterans aim to cement a legacy for themselves, while new players show a necessary level of excitement and engagement that contributes to intense and positive practices. Meanwhile, the coaches continue to refine workouts and aim to gain additional players, citing the
SIS hosts third iteration of NHD Korea
On Feb. 24, 522 students from across Asia gathered at SIS for one of its largest in-person events—the 50th iteration of the National History Day (NHD) Korea competition. Students completed research projects on a topic that aligns with this year’s annual theme, Turning Points in History.
In preparation for the event, NHD council members and volunteers lined up banners in the hallways, hung posters on the walls, and divided themselves into groups to aid participants unfamiliar with the venue.
“I was in charge of setting up rooms and guiding participants on the third floor,” Joon Ho Kim ’26 , NHD volunteer, said. “We were informed that 27 schools were showing up, so we did our best, whether it was helping students connect to the wifi or find their room assignments.”
The competition started off with opening remarks from Dr. Martin Grossheim, associate professor of Vietnamese history, on what he believed to be one of history’s most important turning points: the fall of the Berlin Wall, in which he identified the far-reaching impacts of the end of the Cold War and encouraged students to explore similarly personal and transformative moments in history.
“As this is my first year participating in NHD, I decided to choose a topic that impacts our daily lives: the metric system, a standard of measurement that revolutionized foreign trade and unified measurement,” Peter Yoon ’26, NHD exhibit finalist, said. “Despite not having participated last year, the competition was not only procedurally friendly but also allowed me to explore subjects beyond the classroom.”
Following the opening ceremony of the 2024 NHD Korea competition, students waited outside their respective room
layout by Jason Lee
assignments, preparing for the interview. Consisting of two to three teachers, each judging panel asked participants questions regarding their interpretation of the theme and resources used to create the final product. Despite only lasting a few minutes, this interaction served as a platform for students to articulate their perspectives, share insights, and demonstrate understanding of their historic event.
“There are a few quality of life changes to the competition this year,” Steve Nave, NHD Korea organizer, said. “This year’s iteration of the NHD competition will see more hands-on leadership from the NHD student council, new activities, solutions, and a new digital judging procedure to hasten the process.”
With this being the third time SIS has hosted NHD Korea, there were several improvements from last year. One new addition was the history-bowl tournament put together by the History Club. Arranged by James Kowalski, History Club adviser, the quiz tournament tested participants on general historical knowledge from medieval to modern history.
Moreover, through collaborations with D$Q, the MP3 Music Club, and the Blue Note jazz band, participants enjoyed several performances alongside a historical-cutout photoshoot opportunity. Unlike last year, students were also given the opportunity to view documentary submissions in the senior lounge, enabling them to appreciate the films on a large screen.
“Though this year it comprises the crux of the theme, in fact every year NHD invites students to carefully consider what makes an historical turning point, and how societies change, or seem not to,” James Kowalski, head NHD organizer, said. “In
cross country program’s recent success in both performance and recruitment as indicators of a bright future for it.
“Even though there are very few people and even fewer girls in track, I wanted to do it for my own health and improvement,” Kate Kim ’26, first-year track and field runner, said. “I don’t know what I can add to the team, and I think the team and I will struggle but ultimately grow a lot throughout this season, especially since we have four practices a week now and more people.”
Popular or unpopular, painful or enjoyable, fun or mundane, members of the track and field team constantly repeat that they are looking forward to a successful and event-filled season, with hopes of generating some love and positive recognition both within and outside of SIS.
doing so, students are compelled to think in exactly the kinds of ways professional historians do, considering contextual details and how events unfold according to different perspectives.”
By participating in the competition and exploring various turning points in history, students were able to develop life-long academic skills applicable to both their high school careers and beyond. With topics ranging from the Moon landing to advancements in labor rights, students gave weight
to certain events, identified turning points, and interpreted history, fostering a deep insight into monumental events, which still play a role in shaping the world today.
By: Carson Park Sophomore, reporter
Sean Kim
Photo by Eric Kim (11)
SIS secures another victory at AISA Math
From Feb. 1-4, the AISA Math & Leadership Conference was held at Senri & Osaka International Schools (SOIS). SIS’s math competition team traveled to Osaka, Japan and secured first place in the competition, maintaining their previous year’s ranking when SIS hosted the conference.
SIS
The competition team consisted of members from Mu Alpha Theta. The advisers, Nathan Warkentin and Corrine Brown, handpicked six members to travel to SOIS based on their club commitment, performances in competition team meetings, and competitive records in the High School Mathematical
holds second Staff Art Show
From Feb. 28 to March 7, the SIS Art Department held a Staff Art Show in the atrium. Co-hosted by Min HyeYong, head of communications and Virginia Ammons, design teacher, the show invited teachers, SIS staff, and faculty members to create and display their own original artworks including paintings, drawings, photography, sculptures, ceramics, fibers, and woodwork.
The Staff Art Show provided SIS staff the opportunity to unleash their creativity and showcase their works to the SIS community. The diverse artworks displayed in the atrium ranged from fiber works to video art.
The goal of this event was to put focus on the SIS community in general, not only the faculty and staff, but their spouses and family members as well. The hosts hoped participants could showcase their artistic capabilities within the community as adults, and also wanted to give hidden talented artists the chance to unleash their skills through original pieces.
“We started to organize an art show for the staff three years ago,” Ms. Min, co-host of the Staff Art Show, said. “But the first show was canceled due to COVID-19 and distance learning at SIS. The first actual show was held last year. We started organizing a bit late due to the busy schedules of staff and faculty members, but the artwork
will be displayed late Feb to early March.”
One thing the hosts for this event kept in mind was the busy schedules of the participants. They did not want any overshadowing with scheduling and certainly did not want any conflicts with student and staff schedules, and scheduled accordingly so that the event can take place before spring break.
This year, 12 participants signed up for the show to display original artwork including gel print, scrapbooks, photography, watercolor, folk paintings, drawings, acrylic on campus, yarnwork, and video artwork.
An artist meeting finalizing the artworks that will be submitted to be showcased was held on Feb. 23, and the final projects were put up on Feb. 28.
“This year, we were rushed for time so we didn’t give everyone an early notice,” Ms. Min said. “We made an announcement a few months back, gave the participants deadlines, but weren’t really strict about having check ups in between as we didn’t want to pressure the staff members. It was the sort of thing where you either submit it by the final date or not.”
With the Staff Art Show continuing for two years, the hosts also considered a collaboration with student art groups including National Art Honor Society(NAHS).
“We also hope to expand the Staff Art
Contest in Modeling (HiMCM).
“Because of our history with the competition, our expectation was honestly to win,” Ms. Brown, AISA math team adviser, said. “I definitely expected some of our members to get individual awards as well. I didn’t necessarily expect that five of our six [members] would be in the top ten of all the contestants though, so I was really pleased that they did well both as a team and as individuals.”
Each event in the two-day competition was split into two rounds: team and individual. Each round consisted of various activities aside from solving math, including riddles, in which students had to solve puzzling word problems unrelated to math, and coding, where students used the program Scratch to solve arithmetic equations in a limited amount of time. After the competition, the awards ceremony revealed yet another win for SIS.
The team did not come short of any individual awards, either. Russell Jin ’26 received third place overall in the competition for his individual results, while Joey Chun ’24 won Top Mathematician and secured a place on the Math Mania All Competition Team.
“I was very delighted to see that our team had phenomenal results throughout the competition,” Joey Chun ’24, AISA Math
Mania Individual Award winner, said. “Everyone in our team worked extremely hard, and the results clearly showed that. It felt good to be rewarded for our hard work, both individually and as a group.”
This AISA trip was also personally meaningful to many for several reasons. For Joey and Ms. Brown, this was their final AISA Math Mania conference at SIS, and the two freshmen on the team gained valuable experiences during their first international trip.
“I’m thankful to already be a part of our school’s strong math team,” Kayla Kim ’27, AISA math team member, said. “My teammates did not fail to amaze me, once again, with their fantastic teamwork, energy, and intelligence. I was motivated to keep our winning streaks going. I didn’t find the other strong teams too intimidating, as I had full confidence in my team’s abilities.”
The AISA Math & Leadership Conference is set to be held next year at KIS Jeju, and Mu Alpha Theta hopes to defend their title as reigning back-to-back champions. With key members of the team leaving next year, the team may need to re-tool their roster for the upcoming conference.
By: Yoon Choi Junior, Copy editor
Show further next year,” Ms. Min said. “Students most likely wouldn’t take part in the planning process of the show, but we might ask for those who are interested to submit their own artworks to be displayed along with the staffs’.”
The 2023-24 Staff Art Show not only allowed SIS faculty members and family
New courses change academic plans for students
Starting from the 2024-25 school year, nine new or modified courses will be added to the SIS curriculum. During the month of February, each grade had gradelevel meetings with the counselors during activity period and office hours to learn about the new changes.
Photo by San Schwede (10)
New courses include the two-year College Algebra & Trigonometry (CA&T) and AP Precalculus program, Design Thinking and Engineering, and Advanced Functions and Modeling. Other courses such as Studio Art, Design, Writing 10 & 11, Drama I, II, III, and Communications have also been modified into Painting/Drawing, Foundations in Art and Design, Advanced Grammar and Composition, Drama, and Seminar in Practical Ethics respectively.
“We always try to update classes and stay current with the new programs, so it’s a natural process in response to student and parent interests,” Gray Macklin,
High School Principal, said. “We want to create classes that provide meaningful skills. We realized a more individualized and rigorous math class like CA&T will allow people to take math without feeling they are drowning.”
Similar to AP Capstone, CA&T would comprise the first half of a two-year program during which students take the class their junior year and AP Precalculus their senior year. This program is tailored toward students who wish to avoid difficult math courses or do not feel ready to take AP Calculus their senior year.
“I want to take the CA&T course next year,” Jimin Son ’26, new course supporter, said. “I wanted to learn the math skills we are learning in Algebra right now at a slower pace. I also heard that the Precalculus course was challenging and fast, so I didn’t really want to do it. I want to learn at my own pace.”
Courses from previous years have undergone changes as well. Art and design are now combined to allow for flexibility and diversity in the curricula. The new changes target the freshmen, as they are now able to change their paths in terms of arts. Students can now experience studio and design in their first year, so they do not have to determine their future at a young age.
Although many of the changes have received support, some students are not particularly interested in taking the new courses. Having already received advice from upperclassmen on course selection, many report feeling hesitant to sign up for classes they are unfamiliar with.
“Though the new courses add choices on what we take, I think they won’t impact me personally as much because I will be skeptical about taking a new course and instead, take existing courses,” Ellen Ryu
to showcase their artworks and projects to the school, but it also provided participants with an opportunity to unleash their inner creativity and take a break from their busy schedules.
By: Lucy Jang Junior, reporter
’25, contemplating student, said. “If there is a clear syllabus or description explaining the merits and content of each course, I think more people will be interested in taking the courses.”
The new courses are sure to impact the paths of many students in coming years as well as helping to reshape paths for many students.
“My best case scenario is that we start to see students with very different schedules,” Mr. Macklin said. “In the past, everyone graduated with similar classes, so transcripts looked similar, so we are hoping to see some range. New things are hard to factor in because they are unknown, but the classes should reflect them as individual students and allow them to be able to differentiate themselves.”
By: Yeonjae Kim Sophomore reporter
Photo by Jian Hong (10)
Photo by Chloe Kim (10)
4 GLOBAL NEWS
Lee Jae-myung uses 10 million won with corporate card and COVID-19 budget
On Feb. 6, the Prosecutor’s Office announced that Lee Jae-myung, the leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, will be prosecuted for using nearly 10 million won with their corporate credit card in addition to the government’s COVID-19 budget on purchasing fruits.
The fruits are suspected to have been for personal use, which violates clause 1.1 of the decree enacted by the Korea Industrial Complex Corporation, Korea’s organ overseeing all private businesses, that prohibits corporate money to be used for personal reasons. This news has been a shock for many, as Lee Jae-myung and his party’s motto revolves around rooting out political corruption and strictly abiding by the law.
“It was a bad, selfish idea,” Ms. Park, a taxpayer in Korea,
said. “It was all about him. He should be held responsible. He bought those fruits with the taxes I paid for the COVID-19 budget and the corporate card tax exemptions. I don’t have any personal feelings, but my tax should be paid for something more decent, not so much for his personal use. He should definitely be investigated to see if he is actually clean.”
The report was originally filed in the fall of 2023 by public officer Cho Myeong-hun, a secretariat under Lee. However, after the Prosecutor’s Office refused to look into the case, Cho protested alone in front of the Suwon District Court on Nov. 21 last year, questioning why the office did not investigate. When the office ignored him yet again, Cho provided evidence that revealed that Lee and his wife Kim Hye-gyeong
Nine AP exams go digital starting 2025
In January, The College Board announced that nine AP exams will transition to a digital format by May 2025. This change will mark the end of the traditional paper test format used for AP exams since its creation in 1952. The nine exams slated to go digital are AP African American Studies, AP Computer Science Principles, AP English Language and Composition, AP English Literature and Composition, AP European History, AP Psychology, AP Seminar, AP US History, and AP World History: Modern.
Students will take tests through the Bluebook platform, College Board’s digital lockdown testing application that automatically grades tests, times students, and assists those with disabilities. The College Board claims that the change will enhance exam security, increase test accessibility, and increase the efficiency of the test-taking and grading process.
“We haven’t had any logistical problems so far with the online AP exams,” Marc Montague, head of the IT Department, said. “In a rare moment of success for The College Board, we haven’t had any technical issues with their Bluebook program since we start doing online SATs last year… and there shouldn’t be any bandwidth problems with the online APs, but I can’t say the same for all other schools around the world.”
Reactions to this announcement have been mixed. Some are not surprised by the change given that The College Board already internationally digitized their other popular exam, the SAT, in 2023. In fact, some students prefer taking digital exams over their paper counterparts, often citing the relative ease of typing responses quickly via keyboard or not having to clumsily flip through test papers.
“Being able to go through questions without having to flip back and forth between pages made me way faster while taking the digital SAT,” Rachel Cho ’25, digital SATtaker, said. “Also, the digital SAT was slightly shorter than the paper SAT, so it was easier for me to stay
layout by Eric Kim
had used their corporate credit card to purchase a variety of fruits.
The swaths of text screenshots and phone call recordings made it clear that Lee and Kim had required Cho to send seasonal fruits amounting to three hundred thousand won every two weeks. Following much disapproval from the public, the Prosecutor’s Office announced they would investigate the case in February.
While there has been no substantial evidence that affirms the fruits are for personal use, the People Power Party has supported these allegations, claiming that Lee had used the government’s COVID-19 budget to buy fruits from 2019 to 2020, adding to Cho’s evidence from 2021 onwards—a wrongdoing regardless of the circumstances in which Lee bought the fruits.
For the corporate card usage, some suggest that Lee and his wife could have used the fruits for work-related reasons, but considering the frequency of fruit deliveries, others claim that those chances are slim to none.
“I don’t think there was any chance that all that budget of 10 million won was used in a way it should have been,”
Andrew Ro ’25, avid follower of Korean politics, said. “I think even if there is a chance that he actually bought fruits only, it would still be a problem. Whether or not he used the money in the correct ways, it’s his job to not make this a big issue and clarify it.”
Many political experts agree that this will impact the upcoming parliamentary elections. With the party’s leader being involved in such a scandal, many anticipate that the Dem-
ocratic Party of Korea will be negatively affected, as shown by how the People Power Party has taken 43.8 percent of the popular vote to the Democratic Party’s 34.1 percent.
“I think it shouldn’t matter that the elections may potentially be affected,” Joonmo Ahn ’26, political science enthusiast, said. “As much as he could be affected negatively, if he is proven to be not guilty, it may have a potentially positive effect. However, I do think people should wait it out until the prosecutors make a decision before they start pointing fingers.”
By: Eric Kim Junior, Copy editor
Dartmouth reinstates standardized test mandate
focused during the entire test. I don’t know if the online APs will be shorter, though.”
Others have reservations regarding the incoming change. Teachers, for instance, may find it frustrating to change their course structure to accommodate the shift in test protocol. Digital exams mean that traditional test preparation strategies like in-class paper summatives or Barron’s AP exam preparation textbooks no longer prepare students for the online format. Some students also find reading texts online restrictive compared to the freedom of annotating on paper.
“While I think that [the change] is in line with the reality with conveying ideas that students are mostly accustomed to at this point, I think that the biggest problems are likely logistical in nature,” James Kowalski, AP Capstone and former AP US History teacher, said. “I’m not sure that going completely digital aligns with The College Board’s stated mission of accessibility. With that said, I hope that [the change] is a smooth transition for schools and students moving forward.”
In response to such anxieties, College Board has increased the availability of digital practice exams on their AP Classroom platform to familiarize students and educators with the changes. Still, teachers will have to revise their curricula to prepare students for the new protocols, and students familiar with the traditional format must adjust their preparation strategies for future tests.
The slated alterations to these AP tests are likely only the beginning of a trend toward digitizing all standardized testing. It is possible that exams administered through paper will become obsolete in the future, even in the everyday classroom setting.
In a reversal of their test-optional policy implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic, Dartmouth will require applicants from the Class of 2029 onward to provide standardized test scores in their applications. This decision sets a notable precedent, as Dartmouth is one of the first Ivy League schools to re-mandate standardized test scores despite over 80 percent of colleges—1,900 schools—remaining test-optional.
“This decision wasn’t foreseeable, but neither was it unexpected because colleges generally announce policy changes around this time of year,” Kelcey Edwards, college counselor, said. “The decision itself is a convergence of separate, but interconnected, influences. These include the release of the digital SAT in the US next month and recent changes to the US News college ranking formula. Other factors include the Supreme Court overturning affirmative action in higher education, new pipeline data to inform institutional research on enrollment and graduation, and concerns about high school grade inflation.”
enhance inclusivity, particularly benefiting underprivileged students who had “low” SAT scores and were therefore discouraged from applying.
“In the past, numerous studies have shown that standardized tests favor wealthier students over poorer ones, and, based on the income demographics by race in the US, these disadvantages often disproportionately affect African American and other minority students,” Russell Jin ’26, well-versed in secondary education, said. “But new studies from the College Board and certain colleges found that not requiring standardized test scores is actually a missed opportunity for admission officers, as they could use those scores to help identify qualified students from less-resourced backgrounds.”
that requiring everyone to submit scores again is the right solution. That more seems like a convenient justification for going back to the way things were rather than a catalyst for Dartmouth to step up and solve a pervasive issue that’s highlighted by their own rationale, which is the inequity of knowledge about the college admissions process and lack of access to accurate information and guidance.”
However, for most SIS students and families, these policy changes are unlikely to alter their college application strategies.
By: Jason Lee Junior, Copy editor
Four years ago during the pandemic, according to the Washington Examiner, 625 schools went test-optional. One motivating factor for this change was to promote a holistic admissions process that prioritized essays, recommendations, and extracurricular activities. Additionally, institutions like Dartmouth anticipated such a method would
One such study is from Dartmouth, in which statistics for acceptance under the two different test requirements were compared. Analysis revealed that standardized tests accurately predicted college GPA and graduation rate. Additionally, it was found that test-optional application policies harmed disadvantaged students’ chances of acceptance, in contrast to the widely held belief that test-optional policies leveled the playing field for them.
“The data and explanation provided by Dartmouth make a lot of sense in isolation,” Chris Del Vecchio, former college admissions officer, said. “But that doesn’t mean
“SIS kids have always been hyper-fixated on getting the best possible SAT score, which is usually anything above 1550, even though the 10 point increase that students are working for doesn’t impact their college acceptance chances,” Donghyun Kim ’25, said. “So Dartmouth’s decision won’t have any effect on SIS students nor will it affect the use of those test results in admission decisions for SIS applicants.
So far, MIT and Dartmouth are the only Ivy-Plus schools to reinstate standardized test requirements. Other schools have continued to stick with a test-optional policy, although many, including Yale, have publicly stated that their standardized test policies are provisional and being reviewed.
By: Sean Kim Sophomore, reporter
Culture Behind the Runway: The History Behind Uggs
Ugg boots, a winter staple now widely popular among all ages, were not always cozy shoes that provided warmth for our feet. According to the company Deckers’ latest statistics, Ugg sales totaled $610.5 million during the past year, a jump of nearly 56 percent of Deckers’ total sales.
Ugg boots, originating from an abbreviation of “ugly,” were commonly known as “surfers’ shoes.” But even before Ugg boots were popular amongst surfers, pilots wore them during World War 2 to prevent their body temperature from dropping to dangerous lows.
Later, in the 1960s, Australian surfer Brian Smith thought of using sheepskin to line his old boots to keep his feet warm in the water. This idea soon became popular amongst surfers, and the word about this new footwear spread quickly. The boots also started gaining popularity quickly in the US when Smith started to sell them from his car trunk in California.
In 1978, Smith founded Ugg Australia with his business partner, Doug Jensen. Then, in 1995, the American shoe company Deckers Outdoor Corporation acquired the company for $1500, establishing the Ugg brand that is known today. However, in 2016, a company named Australian Leather filed a lawsuit against Deckers, challenging the name “Ugg,” which refers to an everyday fleece boot in Australia, as a brand name. After five years of litigation, the court ruled in favor of Deckers Corporation, saying that Ugg was not a generic term in the US and the Doctrine of Foreign Equivalence did not apply here.
“I think like how vintage clothes have recently gained popularity, old styles coming back is a common phenomenon,” Seohyun Park ’25, said. “And I think Uggs gaining popularity is a similar phenomenon.”
The rise of Uggs can be highly
credited to the paparazzi. In the early 2010s, celebrities including Kate Moss, Beyoncé, and Cameron Diaz were often seen wearing Ugg boots in paparazzi photos, leading the public to perceive these boots as high-quality and comfortable shoes. From then on, many started incorporating Uggs into their everyday fashion. In Korea, Uggs became famous after being worn by Lim Soo-jung in the Drama “I’m Sorry, I Love You,” which aired in 2004.
“Honestly, peer pressure did influence my decision to buy a pair of Uggs this winter,” Kate Kim ’24, said. “I bought a pair for myself because I wanted to wear it now that everyone else is wearing them and I feel like they’re a basic necessity because it goes with everything.”
Although Uggs started to disappear in the late 2010s, the boots recently— around 10 years later—reappeared with the rise of Y2K fashion, reaching its second heyday. Meanwhile, Ugg models such as Bailey Buttons and Bailey Bows were trending in the early 2010s, including Ultra-Mini and UltraMini Platforms, which became popular.
Although these designs have higher heels than Uggs that were trending previously, they became well-known to the public for being lightweight and comfortable. Uggs have become a stylish staple for those in their teens and 20s to add to their wardrobes.
“I think Uggs are very comfortable and easy to style,” Avin Im ’25, said.
“Sometimes they might not be the best shoes to wear for days that require physical activities, but I think the shoes are still both cute and functional especially as winter footwear, and I don’t think Uggs will go out of trend anytime soon seeing so many people wearing them.”
By: Lucy Jang Junior, reporter
TikTok removes UMGlicensed songs from platform
On Feb. 1, hundreds of songs were removed from TikTok’s music catalog due to the platform’s failure to renew its contract with the Universal Music Group (UMG). UMG revealed that TikTok had allegedly attempted to force them into an agreement that lowballed them and their artists, resulting in a falling-out between the two companies.
“It’s very unfortunate that all these sounds got removed,” Lina Hwang ’24, avid TikTok user, said. “A lot of my favorite songs and artists, especially ones that I was planning to make TikToks to, got just straight up deleted. There was a mix of frustration and regret for not making them sooner.”
UMG is one of the largest music corporations in the world, holding the music licensing rights to world-famous artists, including Taylor Swift, BTS, Billie Eilish, and Kanye West. The company is responsible for the production and distribution of music, but also for licensing and copyright agreements.
The removal of UMG songs has dramatically impacted the viewing experience for TikTok users. For one, all TikToks originally posted with UMG-licensed music had their sounds either completely removed or replaced with random songs that did not fit the context of the post. Additionally, removing these audios means they can no longer be used in future TikToks, ending many of the platform’s most popular trends.
“I was surprised to see that all of my favorite Taylor Swift songs suddenly disappeared from the platform,” Celine Yang ’25, fan of Taylor Swift, said. “I think TikTok is often also a place where people get to discover new music, and so the inability to do that and create future Swifties made it very disheartening.”
On the other hand, removing UMG-licensed music has also led to
National soccer team continues 64-year Asian Cup drought
Despite the addition of superstar Son Heung-min, the South Korean national soccer team lost 2-0 to Jordan in the semifinals, extending their 64-year Asian Cup championship drought. The fallout for the Korean team after their loss has also involved controversy, as a fight between Son and Lee Kang-in during the tournament was revealed to have strained internal relationships. Additionally, Head Coach Jürgen Klinsmann faced criticism over his tactics and was promptly fired after the tournament on February 16th
Every four years, South Korea’s national soccer team competes in the Asian Cup, a tournament composed of 24 Asian teams. This year, Korea was ranked 27th in the global FIFA rankings and was the third-highest-ranked team in the Asian Cup.
“Throughout the tournament, all three lines had major issues, but we advanced far considering how horrible our tactics were,” Henry Hatridge ’24, varsity soccer player, said. “Our woes started when we drew two consecutive games against Malaysia and Jordan, two teams we should have easily beaten. We then barely beat Saudi Arabia through penalty shootouts. Against Australia, we conceded a goal first due to poor defending and team chemistry, but Son earned Korea a penalty during extra time, resulting in Hwang Hee-chan scoring and sending the game to overtime, which Son won with an unbelievable freekick curler.”
After their excruciating overtime win over Saudi Arabia, South Korea advanced to face Jordan in the semifinals. While
Jordan, ranked 84th in the FIFA rankings, was considered an underdog, goals by Jordan’s Yazan Al-Naimat and Mousa Al-Tamari, combined with dominant defense, resulted in Jordan advancing to the finals. Korea was unable to create goal opportunities despite dominating possession time.
“I think the individual members were really good, but the system of our team was unable to harness everybody’s talents,” Joonmo Ahn ’26, avid fan of Son, said. “It seemed like everybody was playing individually, and there wasn’t a team plan, especially for passing. In my opinion, they played okay, but Korea should have been a much more dominant team.”
During the tournament and after Korea’s loss, many fans expressed disappointment and
the spread of new trends on the platform, with users leaning into the lack of mainstream music and utilizing lesser-known songs in their videos. A great example is the audio “Fluffing a Duck” by Kevin MacLeod, a song often used in YouTube videos due to its non-copyright ownership. However, the song has recently replaced the audios of many TikToks originally posted to UMG-licensed songs, creating a massive internet phenomenon.
“The new trends that were created from the removal of sounds are hilarious,” Noah Ko ’26, avid TikTok user, said. “I think that it’s a breath of fresh air from all the other trends that are focused on famous songs and dances. The [videos with] more goofy audio is much more entertaining to watch.”
Not only have old videos been positively received by the community, who have welcomed videos with mismatched audio as entertainment, but TikTok users have utilized the song creatively. People have created dances, edits, and remixes to “Fluffing a Duck” and many other non-copyright songs to fill the gap created by the absence of UMG-licensed songs.
The removal of UMG-licensed music from TikTok still leaves questions for the future of the platform. For one, the possibility of a rejoinder still remains, as the two companies can still hatch out a new deal. However, if a new deal were not to happen, then music promotion on the platform would continue to take a heavy hit, as one of the largest social media platforms has lost its ability to be a marketing campaign.
By:Yoon Choi Junior, Copy editor
disdain towards Head Coach Klinsmann, who was recently fired. Reasons for his firing include his failure to manage infighting within the team, most notably a fistfight between Son and Lee that left Son with a dislocated finger, and the squad’s shaky performance.
“Klinsmann’s tenure with the team has been met with criticism because of his lack of tactical strategies and his supposed lack of commitment—he has long been accused of not spending enough time with the team,” Chris Ahn ’27, a disappointed Korea soccer fan, said. “His approach lacked cohesion and relied heavily on superstar players, which made things tough for the team. Honestly, I think my father could do a better job.”
As the Korean Football Asso-
ciation (KFA) looks to build a national team capable of making a championship run in the 2028 Asian Cup, there are major players and holes that need to be addressed before Korea has a realistic shot next time, as well as a potential redesign of the KFA and its soccer infrastructure.
“Our rival, Japan, has a great system when it comes to developing young players and creating teams,” Minjae Choi ’26, said. “This is proven by their higher FIFA rank compared to us, despite their loss in the Asian Cup. The first order of business for Korea is to ensure the return of Son and Lee, which is imperative but difficult because of the major strife between those two.”
By: Sean Kim Sophomore, reporter
For a country the size of New Jersey, South Korea has exceeded all expectations in terms of its global influence and presence. Once in the rubbles of a destructive civil war, Korea is now a first-world country, spreading its culture through its food, pop, and technology.
However, Korea is grappling with a crisis that threatens its future: a plummeting fertility rate. Recent projections from Statistics Korea predicted a fertility rate of 0.72 for 2023, the lowest amongst Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development countries and well below the 2.1 replacement rate necessary to keep populations stable. As a result of such low birthrates, South Korea’s population decreased by 123,800 in 2022—the largest-ever decrease recorded.
Korea’s fertility rate statistics are a reflection of deep-seated societal shifts. Before, family and societal traditions often followed Confucian influences—so women were primarily expected to marry and raise children. This tradition is no longer the norm, however, as both the number of registered marriages and couples birthing babies are at an all time low. These cultural shifts can also be seen in prominent feminist movements such as 4B. The 4B movement encompasses women who reject traditional marriage, childbirth, romance, and sexual relationships.
Women not bearing children, however, is not primarily due to a collective rejection of the idea of marriage and child bearing; rather, economic circumstances that have been worsening since the 1960s have been the biggest deterrent. Raising a family often coincides with homeownership, but housing prices in Korea have increased by nearly 20 percent since January 2020. In some areas,
prices have risen by six times as much over a period of four years. A house in Korea’s metropolitan areas can now cost more than ten times the average annual household income. Naturally, the unaffordability of these houses makes it unrealistic for many to start a family.
“In Korean culture, when you have a child, it is expected that you are married and stable,” Robin Ibbotson, father of a 10-monthold boy, said. “But it’s difficult to have those two things because in terms of marriage, it’s already assumed that there’s a home to move into. But that’s the prohibiting factor for many couples because the housing market is very expensive and unaffordable. So, the prospect of marriage becomes difficult and raising a child becomes even less realistic.”
One phenomenon observed in countries suffering from unrealistic housing costs has been doom spending. As young people realize that buying a house is out of reach, they have instead begun spending money traditionally saved for family expenses on luxury items. With the continued decline of fertility rates, such trends highlight the harsh economic realities faced by potential parents.
The number of families struggling to own or rent a house could fall if the job market offers well-paying and opportunistic jobs, but such cannot be the case in Korea’s restrictive economy. While ranked 13th by GDP in 2022, the economy is dominated by large conglomerates known as chaebols, which are concentrated within a few sectors. This can make it difficult for smaller businesses and startups to thrive, limiting job opportunities. Meanwhile, potential youth workers— who have already been put through one of
the most intense education systems in the world—have to apply for a limited number of positions in chaebol-owned companies. This leads to lower average jobs, pay for workers, and chances for career advancement.
“It’s interesting to see how fertility rates vary between different countries,” Sarah Kim ‘26, Korean student, said. “I think it all comes down to things like cultural norms, government policies, and social attitudes towards family. Some Western countries seem to have figured out ways to support working families better, which makes me wonder why we can’t have things such as more affordable childcare options or better parental leave policies? If we can create a more supportive environment for young families, maybe more people would feel confident about starting a family.”
There is no obvious solution to Korea’s disappearing population because the root of it all starts with how Korea’s being succeeding—through the international affluence of chaebols. These chaebols, which offer the majority of prestigious and well-paying jobs, are located in metropolitan areas, and naturally, the prices of those houses rise and become unaffordable. This vicious cycle of job limitations and rising housing prices victimizes Korean families and potential ones alike, and with such financial issues, marriage and raising children becomes a distant thought when compared to feeding yourself. Maybe, when the population drops to a certain level and economic circumstances become more reasonable, fertility rates will become sustainable again.
Jobs, houses, and philosophy: Why are all the babies disappearing?
By SEAN KIM (10)
Birth in dearth: a race to face the case
By ERIC KIM (11)
With 0.72 children per nuclear family, South Korea has the lowest fertility rate in the world as of 2023.
To some, this statistic may not mean much, but to put into perspective, it means that Korea’s population will plummet from 51.74 million to lower than 36 million in 50 years. While a birth rate of 2.1 is necessary to ensure a stable population, for over two decades, Korea’s has remained below 1.3—the critical line for severe population decline. Attempting to tackle this crisis, experts have pinpointed various structural flaws and their subsequent solutions.
Although an official census of Koreans in their 20s and 30s point to financial challenges as the primary barrier to marriage, experts emphasize that this is largely false and money seems to only be a superficial reason. A government report in August 2023 found that there have been subsidies worth over 20 million won for each child in their first year and nearly 250 trillion won spent on plans to heighten fertility rates since 2010.
Experts claim that beneath the superficial reason lies Korea’s socio-cultural emphasis on competition and productivity. Funds—unless a substantially larger amount than the present—would thereby not relieve this fear. The same government report noted that subsidies were virtually ineffective because of their limited nature: parents were unable to shoulder the monetary burden once those funds were depleted.
“Childcare is very expensive, because Korean parents put such a priority on education, and along with that comes very
expensive hagwon bills,” Chris Bracciano, father of a child in Korea, said. “Women, despite the government’s attempt, feel like if they have a baby, it might affect their status at work and career advancement. The company might feel like they are choosing family over work. This needs to be fixed.”
As such, some have argued that helping parents achieve financial stability by better enabling them to settle into secure, well-paying jobs is more important than merely providing funding. Taking these opinions into consideration, the Presidential Committee on Aging Society and Population Policy announced on Dec. 17 last year that job stability will be their primary concern in the upcoming revision for their policies in 2024. While specifics are to be announced by the end of spring, experts believe this renewal is crucial and have voiced their thoughts on what the policies should look like.
One way is through adjusting the present system of protected maternity leaves. Currently, pregnant women are only granted 90 days of maternity leave for both before and after childbirth. Many hope that this will be extended, which would allow mothers to retain their jobs all while having more time to care for their children. However, this conflicts with many companies that view maternity leaves negatively, as they are required to pay for 60 to 75 days of the hiatus—only increasing with the number of children the mother has. In an attempt to reconcile the needs of both companies and potential parents, fertility rate experts say that a portion of their budget could be
routed toward helping companies pay for maternity leaves.
Another potential solution involves incentivizing companies to increase permanent employment, which would ensure a higher degree of job stability, as they provide more legal protection than term-based contracts. This solution comes amid most employees suffering under the constant anxiety of being fired and replaced any time by a better applicant. By addressing this problem, employees that are forced to choose between their career and their child would not be pressured as much.
Such solutions may not successfully increase Korea’s fertility rate. In fact, they may not even be part of Korea’s 2024 action plan. But considering how funding-based policies have failed in the past, many urge the government to look in different directions to tackle the structural issues behind a low fertility rate. Whatever the situation is, it is imperative to find solutions now.
“It’s very problematic,” Steve Nave, Asian Studies teacher, said. “We have the lowest fertility rate in the world. It’s urgent not because we need to see the effects right now. We’re not going to see the effects tomorrow. But it is urgent in that we’re not going to see the effects for 10 to 15 years, and when we start later as we see the effects, it will be too late. We’re going to have a large aging population that is unable to depend on younger workers because they’re not going to be there. It’s a major problem that needs to be solved now.”
8 STUDENT SPOTLIGHT
Hanjoo Lee, the buzzing beekeeper
Extracurricular activities of students range from competitive squash to tanghulu making— but even among the unconventional, one senior in particular has found his talents in the most unexpected of places. Known only as the beekeeper on SIS’s senior Instagram page, Hanjoo Lee ’24 has dedicated much of his time toward saving the bees.
“I’ve been doing beekeeping since freshman year,” Hanjoo said. “My grandfather has a farm, but since COVID-19 started, he got really interested in bees, so he started a bee farm. Basically what I do is I go and check if the beehives are okay, harvest the honey, and sell honey at local farms. ”
Despite only being a high school beekeeper, Hanjoo did most of what professional beekeepers do, including market activities. Although he initially could not visit the farm often due to the pandemic, he has since been consistently helping out his grandfather at the farm every week. Because he was helping at his grandfather’s farm,
Kim
he felt a deeper connection and responsibility, able to provide his own unique perspective on how beekeeping has affected his life.
“I think beekeeping affected me as a person,” Hanjoo said.
“Before beekeeping, I didn’t know about the importance of bees and how bees affect the environment. But after doing beekeeping, I noticed how bees are a really important factor of our environment.”
Learning about other related issues, such as how bees interact with the environment and why they are necessary for the ecosystem, was something that opened up other opportunities for him as well related to beekeeping.
“I joined an organization called the Urban Bee Seoul,” Hanjoo said. “This was a great opportunity because I was able to work with other people who were into bees and help the bees and the environment in several ways. For example, we installed urban bee infrastructure on rooftops and raised funds up
to $3,500 by working with ESG companies such as LeBean Korea.”
His ability to engage in diverse organizations due to beekeeping was something he enjoyed. But as a graduating senior at SIS, Hanjoo says that beekeeping also helped shape his character into the person he is now by building patience and perseverance throughout his buzzing journey.
“Beekeeping requires patience, as many processes cannot be rushed,“ Hanjoo said. “Whether waiting for the right time to harvest honey, allowing the colony to grow, or simply observing bee behavior without interfering, beekeepers learn the value of waiting and the importance of timing. This led me to be more patient in my real-world life too.”
These lessons learned in a rather unusual way helped Hanjoo in the long term. But even though beekeeping has its benefits as a unique experience, other factors are important to consider as well when it comes to extracurricular activities.
One common question of those who pursue such unusual interests is regarding how sustainable they are. An important part of all extracurricular activities is how it fits into other time commitments as a student and how much time they should be investing in each activity. Hanjoo explained his situation and frequency, showing strong effort, and outlining how much of a large commitment must be made.
“The last time I visited the farm was two weeks ago,” Hanjoo said. “During my school year, I would go during Saturdays and stay for around three hours, but during summer break, I used to go four to five times a week, also for three hours each.”
Even during test season, he committed to a regular schedule, being able to manage his time in a way that allowed for a balance. He expects to continue during his final summer break before college as well, and although college can often become hectic, Hanjoo still plans to continue to enjoy pos -
sible moments of beekeeping as much as he can, through methods like volunteering at nearby apiaries, because it has now become a fundamental part of his life.
“It’s just fun to do,” Hanjoo said. “At first, it was kind of scary, but the more I do it, it’s fun. I would say the process of extracting honey is the most enjoyable because you can really see the depth and the detail of how the honey is being extracted. Selling the honey to local farmers makes it even better because I get to see other people enjoy the honey I extracted.”
By: Jian Hong
Sophomore, Copy editor
layout by Yeonjae
Photo by Chloe Kim (10)
Love is in the SIS air during Valentine’s Day
In the weeks leading up to Valentine’s Day, the buzz of anticipation among students is practically palpable. Many eagerly prepare thoughtful gifts, affectionate messages, and loving dates for their significant other. However, the celebration of Valentine’s Day not only embodies the thrill of teenage romance, but also reflects the deep friendships that have continued to thrive on campus. Some, for instance, went out with friends to celebrate the colloquially dubbed “Galentine’s Day.” Through shared personal stories and experiences, this article explores how students enjoyed their Valentine’s Day. And for those who spend their Feb. 14 envying their cuffed peers, you may want to take some notes.
“Even though it was a school night, my Valentine and I had a really nice pasta dinner together. He also got me a lot of flowers so the entire night was very enjoyable! It was pretty funny, though, cause when I got home with a huge bouquet, my mom asked me where I got all of the flowers from and it was kind of awkward.” - Sijeong Bang ’25
“For Galentine’s, me and three of my girl friends matched pink tops which we thought represented our friendship and love, and we also gave each other chocolates to show our appreciation. Hanging out that night was really fun overall.” - Ellen Park ’26
“Feb. 13 is actually Mrs. Ganus’ birthday, so each year I have to decide whether or not I should get her stuff and celebrate her birthday or celebrate Valentine’s Day. Usually, her birthday wins, and it was the same this year. So I got her a birthday gift and we went to Apgujeong to have a really nice dinner at Texas de Brazil. Afterwards, we went to the TWG in the bottom of the Andaz Hotel to have some tea and pastries, which Mrs. Ganus loves doing.” - Mr. Ganus & Mrs. Ganus
“For Valentine’s Day, I met up with my boyfriend to celebrate our one month anniversary. As a gift, he got me a cross necklace. Later that day, him and I went to go get dinner at a fancy Italian restaurant in Jamsil as well and had different tasty pastas.” - Yura Yoon ’ 25
“Mr. Yanna gave me a big bag of chocolates and candy which was really nice. But yeah no even though we had a nice meal at home, because it was a weekday this year we couldn’t go outside and do that much. But Valentine’s Day is like every single day for us!”- Mr. Yannakakis & Ms. Paglialunga
By: Jason Lee Junior, Copy editor
Editorial by Junseo Lee editor-in-chief
An absence today keeps the doctor away
Hacks and coughs and sneezes galore in the hallways of SIS as students and teachers alike are struck by the full force of the Winter flu season. Coupled with numerous international trips, rapidly fluctuating temperatures, and a far more relaxed attitude to mask-wearing than in the past, illnesses have become a serious problem for SIS in the past two months, causing dozens of students to miss classes and the HS office to send out an official reminder to parents regarding the school’s flu and sickness policies.
As one of the many students who not only fell victim to influenza and high fever but is also suffering through a severe cold as of writing this editorial, I noticed several aspects of both school policy and the student body that must be changed to mitigate the impact of illnesses at our school.
Firstly, a clear set of policies must be established for students coming back from international trips—particularly annually scheduled events such as the MUN Club’s THIMUN and UNISMUN trips or UYSC’s Cambodia trip. A week full of constant, strenuous activities sandwiched between two dozen-hour flights is enough to leave any person’s body susceptible to sickness, especially when the person in question must return to school the next day to be bombarded by all of their overdue assignments and missed summatives.
While offering students a free school function the day after an international trip and actively encouraging them to stay home if they feel ill may lead to a short-term increase in missed classes, the policy would ultimately aid in limiting the spread of foreign diseases to the rest of the SIS population, preventing far more absences in the long term.
Furthermore, the guidelines for what students should do when diagnosed with specific contagious illnesses such as the flu or COVID-19 must be made clear and accessible, and consistent reminders should be sent out to the student body and teachers to help identify any students with symptoms of such diseases to ensure that they are following such regulations.
Of course, equally as important are the choices of the student body during such trying times. One of the largest hurdles to overcome for a student with a serious illness is the numerous deadlines and assignments to keep up with while recuperating at home—allegedly the result of a lack of leniency from teachers toward sick students. Yet, this attitude is largely a consequence of the actions of students, rather than the unreasonable standards of teachers that many in the school population make it out to be.
It is no secret that a common strategy for those overwhelmed with summative assessments or severely unprepared for a test is to fake an illness to delay their fate for just a few days longer. However, one student’s momentary salvation ultimately leads to a system of mistrust under which students who are truly suffering from an illness struggle to differentiate themselves from those seeking an unofficial extension for their assignments.
Teachers will only be able to trust their students enough to be lenient with their assignments when they miss school if all students are willing to let go of this age-old practice for the good of our school’s collective health, reserving sick days for those that are actually sick.
Ultimately, it is only through the combined efforts of the administrations, teachers, and students to ensure that SIS remains a healthy community. So please—if you’re feeling particularly under the weather—wear a mask, stay socially distanced, and, most importantly, stay home.
School policies for international trips and illnesses
From the MUN club’s THIMUN excursion to the United Youth Service Club’s (UYSC) visit to Cambodia, several student organizations have embarked on trips entering the second semester, bringing some much-needed rest and a break from ordinary school life for many. However, despite all the fond memories and meaningful experiences formed, one significant downfall to these trips have become increasingly prominent: people getting sick.
Students, advisers, and chaperones alike have been picking up illnesses from around the world.
According to the Amity Institute of Biotechnology, after COVID-19, people have become more susceptible to illness after the pandemic, and it has become evident that SIS students and faculty are no exception.
“Especially the main sites [three schools built by NGOs] we went to was not that protected,” Joshua Han ’27, UYSC Cambodia trip member, said. “Many people who came back from the trip coughed for a while, even if they weren’t sick, due to dust build-up. I think having more common health products when we were there definitely would’ve helped the situation.”
Sometimes trips themselves provided unsanitary environments, such as the THIMUN World Forum’s airtight cafeteria with no circulation. One concern borne from such health risks was the possible contamination of students back in Korea, as well as the deteriorating health of students who went on such trips, who had initially gone looking for a valuable experience.
Many health precautions such as masks could help prevent such unfortunate situations, especially during international trips, when sicknesses that Koreans are not as resistant to are often collected in one space. Specific sets of guidelines for students who return from international trips should be set, including mandatory testing for common illnesses, extended opportunities for missing school as a method of quasi-quarantines, and the return of mask regulations at school for a certain number of days after their return.
“It’s not good when students miss classes,” Chris Bracciano, MUN adviser, said. “Sometimes I’ve seen people miss a big chunk of the unit and don’t do as well on exams. I did get sick, and it seemed like a few of the students got sick. I don’t think everyone’s going to want to wear masks but that could
Overlooked Importance of Black History Month at SIS
Ask the average SIS student about the first thing that comes to mind when they think of February, and they will likely respond with something related to Valentine’s Day. If you chance upon a student who immigrated from the US, perhaps they will mention President’s Day. Yet, one important month-long celebration missing from the collective school psyche is Black History Month (BHM).
Racism towards those of African or African-American heritage is nothing new at SIS—in fact, in a previous article, the Tiger Times has commented on the reprehensibly ubiquitous use of the “n-word” on campus. A major factor that causes this racism is a lack of awareness of Afrocentric culture and history among the predominantly Korean student population. It is high time that SIS, a school that strives to produce “global citizens,” actively pushes to remember and celebrate Black history on campus. A timely and applicable way they could do this lies in BHM.
be a possibility. I did suggest everyone wear masks on the plane, though.”
Advisers in particular were concerned with the frequency of illnesses as they felt it was partially their responsibility. A school-wide set of policies, instructed through pre-trip meetings often held by advisers, will also allow them to add specific clauses that better address their concerns and set flexibility after certain trips.
Although there may be increased complications because of scheduling with teachers, a short term implementation of rest periods may be more effective in preventing large-scale contaminations as we have seen in the second semester with the flu. Teachers also benefit from making sure their classes are safe, and being able to take on a flexible schedule after they act as advisers on a tiring trip.
Small sacrifices from individuals to protect the larger well-being of the student body are ultimately more meaningful than memories made at the expense of dangerous illnesses and even more absences.
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
by San Schwede
Bringing BHM to SIS requires more than simply acknowledging its existence. During February, social studies classes across the elementary, middle, and HS could assign projects exploring the past achievements of Black
scientists, artists, and leaders that are not always covered in textbooks. Such influential yet often underrepresented figures could include George Washington Carver, who transformed agriculture by promoting alternative crops to cotton and methods to prevent soil depletion, or Gil Scott-Heron, who helped lay the foundation for modern music through his spoken-word performances.
Understanding the grievances committed against a historically oppressed minority group through changes to class curriculums could mitigate the distinct lack of knowledge regarding racial diversity at SIS. Celebrating BHM at a school with almost no Black students would educate otherwise unaware or borderline racist students on the significant contributions and struggles of Black individuals throughout history, broadening their perspectives beyond their immediate surroundings.
Of course, there are limitations to the extent to which SIS could integrate BHM into its curriculum. First, considering the lack of Black teachers at SIS, it is unclear how motivated or qualified most teachers would be to teach Black history. Furthermore, the process of integrating new units into class curricula, particularly at the high school level,
is oftentimes dissuaded by administration because teachers would have to be educated on the new changes and new class materials would have to be prepared. As a result, implementing BHM in the classroom could be a potentially lengthy and expensive process.
While this line of reasoning is valid for other potential topics to introduce to school curricula, the relative importance of Black history offsets some of the argument’s legitimacy, as the importance of this education outweighs the necessary investment. Not only would this normalization encourage more inclusivity for SIS’s on-campus Black population, but it would also prepare SIS alumni for working in diverse environments by fostering racial empathy and understanding.
Furthermore, at the elementary and middle school levels, class curricula are seldom as rigidly structured as they are for high school courses. Black history themes could thus be implemented in a digestible format in elementary and middle school social studies classes, or even in the 9th-grade World History class curriculum. Not only would this enable most grade levels to spend at least a few weeks in the month of February exploring Black history, but the integration of BHM at simpler levels would also mitigate the concern of teacher re-education.
“I can’t say that I ever experienced blatant discrimination at SIS, but there’s definitely an unfamiliarty in Korean society with African-Americans in general,” Amber Watkins, an African-American elementary school art teacher, said. “If we placed more of an emphasis on Black culture, it might help curb some of those issues. But I do think that a lot of the racism that exists outside of campus would continue.”
By educating students on the richness of African cultures, traditions, and historical contributions, celebrating BHM could help challenge common prejudices among students from a young age. Celebrating Black history is a crucial yet frequently overlooked step to fostering legitimate global citizens at our otherwise racially homogenous campus.
By: Jian Hong Sophomore, reporter
By: Jason Lee Junior, Copy editor layout
The trouble with having an A day, B day Thursday club
Problems from the previous school year in which counselor and grade-wide meetings were at odds with existing club schedules brought the high school administration to change the system entirely by removing Tuesday club blocks and introducing a bi-weekly A day and B day Thursday club schedule, in which the rotation would be decided on each Thursday’s letter day. However, as many students navigate through these changes in the current school year, they have been forced to adapt to the various new challenges posed by a revised system that some consider disadvantageous to Thursday clubs.
Since the beginning of the school year, navigating the removal of the Tuesday club has been a problem for some students. Many clubs changed their meeting times, often cornering students to leave one club over another as previously separate clubs overlapped onto the same weekday. While compromises were made and a solution was found for most clubs, a majority of club members still had little autonomy over what date their clubs would change to. Furthermore, the introduction of various new clubs also posed an additional complication to having a smooth transition to the new system, as some executives opted to change their club dates to what was most convenient for them or any spot that was most available. Few clubs considered club members’ perspectives, and many students were forced to lose a club in the process—a particularly harmful consequence not only for members who had intentions to apply for executive positions in the following years but also for community engagement in clubs as a whole.
Perhaps more importantly, however, the new system has also been uniquely disadvantageous to Thursday clubs. Most fundamentally, the idea of a club having a meeting every other week often makes it nearly impossible to see any progress in organizing activities and events. While older clubs who opted for fewer meetings exist, this was still disadvantageous for the numerous newer clubs who were not given the option to take this factor into consideration. In response to this, Chris Del Vecchio, HS Vice Principal, has spoken about this at length.
“After the rounds of feedback on the new club schedule were completed with all the renewed clubs, there was more capacity both in terms of number of renewed clubs and also total enrollment of those clubs on Thursdays than any other day,” Mr. Del Vecchio said. “We didn’t think this was necessarily a bad thing. Planning and running successful meetings takes a lot of work, and many of the students who submitted new club proposals would be first-time club execs. Only meeting every other week does have drawbacks, but it also increases the likelihood of high quality meetings, which are essential for establishing the value of a new club and gaining momentum. New clubs did not necessarily have the option in their first year, but they can request a change during the upcoming renewal period.”
While this does indicate a significant amount of consideration for Thursday clubs coming from the administration, higher quality club meetings can also only be achieved from experienced club execs and advisers, making it less likely for high quality meetings to exist if the majority of Thursday clubs were made more recently.
Additionally, though meeting every other week can indeed increase the “likelihood of high quality meetings,” it also introduces the host of problems that come with meeting every other week. Club progress is naturally more difficult, member-to-exec interactions become minimal, and many members may start to drift away from their Thursday clubs as a result of a lack of a consistent schedule.
The fact that the number of Thursday club meetings between A day and B day weeks are also unequal only exacerbates this issue. Not every week of the month has an equal A day and B day week balance when considering holidays, breaks, and other disruptions that exist throughout the month. Examples of this happening were seen throughout the first semester. In October, there were only 3 B day weeks and 1 A day week. In November, there were two A day weeks and one B day week. And then again in December, there were only two A day weeks and one B day week. For the second semester next month in March, there will only be three A day weeks and one B day week again, and only one B day week in May.
Indeed, disruptions from holidays and other events are inevitable and known realities of the school calendar that clubs must contend with. But that understanding was only viable back when all clubs were allowed weekly meetings. If meetings for Thursday clubs are held every other week, the consequences of these holidays are only exacerbated. Regardless of how high quality a single meeting may be, it is uncertain whether a Thursday club will be able to make the same amount of progress as other clubs when they are occasionally forced to meet only once a month.
Viewpoint Feature:
Why did the school implement a Thursday A day and B day club system, if meetings on those club dates could barely be kept? Since the start of this school year, a new club system was implemented that the removed Tuesday club block and introduced a bi-weekly Thursday club system. Yet this introduced a host of problems. This is why we must revert back to the old system.
Why do Thursday clubs have fewer opportunities to meet and thus participate more in the school setting?
How have students adapted and have been negatively affected by the sudden change in club schedule?
As a result, the high school office has continuously discussed and attempted to resolve this issue in collaboration with club executives. Though the new club system admittedly does carry some benefits, including the implementation of a club calendar and an innovative bulletin board system on the second floor, many of the disadvantages of this system have yet to be mitigated.
A helpful direction would be increased communication between students and the administration. This type of communication is currently being seen in the effort by the HS office to coordinate and hold discussions with club execs across different dates. While certain issues with the administration’s policy can best be tackled from a top-down perspective, no policy will be successful without the efforts of student leadership in negotiating the club schedule and effectively planning meetings. Student leaders should reciprocate these efforts from the administration by strengthening communication between their club members , and with the office as well. A way to do this is by encouraging stronger adviser involvement in club activities, to create a more structured form of communication and club activities.
Ultimately, efforts from administration to communicate with student leadership is a positive change, and it would be encouraging to see more of this communication contributing to improvements in the new club system going into the next school year.
By: Jason Jihoon Shin Junior, ViCe preSident of SpeakerS of SiS
Practicing interview responses to their judges interview, two contestants prepare to present their group exhibit for the NHD
The ONIYOON
By Yoon Choi
An extremely contagious virus has been spreading throughout the school as of late—no, not COVID19 or B-type influenza. Identified as the deadly “Senioritis” that appears every second semester, seniors are particularly at risk, hence the name. However, cases among underclassmen have also been on the rise.
“I think I started seeing symptoms for the disease around November of last year,” Joseph Park ’24, Senioritis patient, said. “I started to feel a bit weary and tired, and I went to the nurse to get a check-up. There, she confirmed that I had unfortunately tested positive for Senioritis.”
Those infected with Senioritis show multiple symptoms, with the most common being a lack of overall effort and a notable increase in laziness. Additional side effects include a lack of formative work completion, reduced club meeting attendance, and increased visits to the “bathroom.” The virus is indeed quite lethal, as exemplified by many seniors frequently stopping by the nurse’s office or calling in sick for first period classes.
“I’m going insane. I’ve been itching to play Fortnite all day,” Brandon Cho ’24, Senioritis patient, said. “I realized that the opportunity cost of studying is not worth the hours that I can devote to Fortnite. Also, I was curious to see how smart I am without studying, so I decided to take tests with zero preparation, to challenge myself.”
The current Class of 2024 is not the first to test positive for Sen -
ioritis: it has been a genetically inherited trait for nearly all senior classes. The root cause of the disease was originally pointed towards a single gene: the Com-App gene. A shortened version of the Common Application, the Com-App gene is usually dormant, but it becomes expressed among most seniors while entering their first semester. One of its intrinsic side effects is the conduction of Senioritis.
“It seems to be a highly contagious disease once it fully replicates,” Niko Lambert, AP Biology teacher, said, “Once it fully replicates among one individual senior, it seems to spread very quickly. I hypothesize that there’s an external factor in students’ senior year that triggers the particular expression of Senioritis.”
However, new studies have found a virus with similar symptoms to Senioritis among underclassmen, especially the juniors. Due to its similarities with its senior counterpart, the virus has been dubbed “Junioritis.” The direct root of Junioritis still remains unclear, but experts hypothesize that Junioritis and Senioritis have a direct correlation with each other; as more and more Seniors test positive for their virus, Juniors are likely to do the same.
“I think the Junioritis got to me really bad,” Sungwook Kim ’25, Junioritis patient, said. “I’ve been conducting a lot of symptoms that the seniors seem to have, and I have no idea how to find a cure or where the disease came from. I am cooked.”
Ask the Alumni
By Jian Hong & Yeonjae Kim
As the weather starts to clear up and the days get warmer, it has become more obvious than ever that February is here. During this time of year, one thing occupies students’ minds: love. Teenagers hurry to find a date before Valentine’s Day, not wanting to miss out on the heart-shaped chocolates and smell of love in the air.
“As it became senior second semester, I started to have free time and worry about the upcoming prom,” Seungkyu Han ’23, alumnus, said. “This is when my current girlfriend approached me and came to my attention. I thought that it would be worth it to date my girlfriend even if it meant forgoing certain opportunities that I can only experience as a high school senior or a college student.”
But before students start dating in high school, there is always one important question they have to ask themselves: am I ready to date?
As classes get harder by the year, students must figure out a way to balance their academics and love life. Parents often worry about their children not having enough time to study or being distracted from school, sometimes even preventing them from dating entirely.
“I personally had better grades when I was in a relationship,” Erin Choi ‘23, alumnus, said. “I don’t know if dating made my grades better, I think it was more of the fact that because I knew I was in a relationship and because I wanted to make sure that my relationship wouldn’t affect my studies in a way, I made sure that my time management and everything else was on top of my game, just to make sure I wasn’t letting my personal life affect my academic life.”
Despite the amount of work it takes to be in a healthy relationship while maintaining stable grades, high school relationships can actually teach teenagers valuable lessons.
“I think dating in high school definitely made me more mature because I was able to gain more experience,” Yoonseo Kim ’23, alumnus, said. “I was also able to learn how to understand and fix my mistakes so that I wouldn’t continue to do them in the future. Dating also helped me learn how to be more considerate about others’ feelings; this made me become a better individual.”
Contrary to popular belief, having a partner during one of the most stressful
times of students’ lives can be very beneficial. Especially when these relationships extend beyond high school into college, it can be comforting to have someone who understands you more from the shared time in high school, helping you to adapt to this big change.
“There are so many benefits for dating in high school but the most outstanding one is that you get to see your significant other very frequently,” Seungkyu said. “Seeing each other every day might not sound so special but there aren’t many other opportunities in the future where you can share a part of your life with your partner.”
“Dating in high school is a learning curve, it’s an experience, and you have a lot you can learn about yourself and learn about other people, when you’re in a relationship,” Erin said. “If you’re dating someone from a different school or a different grade you get to know more people.”
There are still some hurdles to get through, however. With issues related to strict parents, tight schedules, and awkward potential breakups, high school dating comes with the challenges of emotional immaturity.
“All the talk that happens when you first start dating and when the relationship ends, the international community is very small, so rumors get around quickly,” Erin said. “I guess if you don’t know how to deal with it, it could be damaging to your mental health.”
“This didn’t apply to my senior year relationship [the current one] but during my previous years, I was often in a dilemma,” Seungkyu said. “I could prioritize my relationship, which is happiness in the moment, academics and self development, which is investment for my future happiness.”
Relationships are not just interesting for the couples, of course—the mood of February affects the rest of students and faculty as well. This may sometimes lead to distractions from classes
“Something that’s worse than dating is sleeping in classes so I guess if having a significant other will keep you awake, it’s better than other things you could be doing,” Matthew Halter, high school teacher, said. “Sure, sometimes it may be distracting, but it keeps you awake because it’s distracting.”
contest.
Photo by Sean Kim (10)
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layout by Yoon Choi