Tiger Times Volume 42 Issue 10

volume X X X XII

M AY 2 0 1 2

issue 10

Tiger Times s e o u l i n t e r nat i o na l s c h o o l sistigertimes.com

Students become certified in CPR and First Aid

By Min Ji Suh

Eighty-four SIS high school students obtained Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) certification from May 1-4 as part of a newly introduced Life Sports curriculum.

Students learned how to perform CPR, administer basic First Aid to patients and operate Automated External Defibrillators (AED), a device that diagnoses cardiac arrest through electrical therapy.

To become certified in CPR and First Aid, trainees are required to take classes for three to nine hours.

Qualified CPR teachers Melissa Hubley, Ji Min Kim and Christopher Moore created this opportunity for Life Sports students through a rigid 10-class schedule.

“Mr. Kim, Mr. Moore and I all received our license around the same time,” said Ms. Hubley. “We have offered the course to teachers here at SIS, and we thought it would be a good course to offer to the high school students since the [construction of Tiger Gym 1] lent itself to another unit in the classroom.”

In the first two classes, all students learned primary instructions used to assess different CPR and First Aid situations. Then, they were broken up into two groups for three classes: one group learned how to conduct CPR and AED and respond to choking emergencies, while the other group learned how to care for various First Aid emergencies ranging from nosebleeds to strokes. After three days, the groups switched.

The final two days of class were dedicated to carrying out assessments.

The purpose of this initiative was to prepare students for any emergency. Due to the absence of

By Jonathan Yun

Photo by Mark Kim

Cautioning other students to stand by, Kevin Choi (12) demonstrates Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) on a dummy in a practice simulation. From May 1-4, Life Sports students trained to obtain a CPR license.

Tiger Gym 1 and the limited facility space students could use, teachers found this to be a viable alternative.

“Originally, this plan came to be the last spring for teachers to become confident in getting involved if anything were to happen—especially with all the isolated incidents in field trips and the overnight excursions,” said Mr. Moore. “By issuing this certification card to students, they would gain the opportunity to help out in real-life situations ranging from allergic reactions to diabetic emergencies instead of standing on the sidelines.”

Students had to go through a two-part test to become qualified: a series of multiple-choice quizzes

on First Aid throughout the course as well as three 5-point scenarios in which students would have to simulate situations where they needed to give First Aid, CPR and AED. Though the test is difficult, Jueun Chung (10) said that it was worth her time and effort.

“Learning CPR and related skills was really fun, and the teachers were so easy to approach,” she said. “But more than that, I think it is really fortunate that we could be enrolled in a class like this at school, where we gain the immeasurable benefit of being able to save a life.”

Mr. Moore plans to continue this curriculum for Life Sports students next year. Other options, such

as certification for lifeguarding, are still open but are expected to require more physical strain and time. Regardless of the knowledge itself, he hopes that this activity will reduce the amount of fear that students have when helping out others in an emergency.

“Students may run into emergency situations in which they could be the only knowledgeable person there,” he said. “That is invaluable knowledge. When I was a high school student, I lost two of my four grandparents to cardiac arrest. If I was around them when it happened, I am not sure I would have known what to do, and that is the fear I want to make sure students do not have.”

No surveillance to be installed for one-to-one MacBook initiative

By Joanne Lee

After five years of discussion and preparation, the middle school was the first to experience the oneto-one MacBook program this year, as every student was required to purchase a MacBook for class.

With the program’s success, the high school is now preparing its students for the implementation of the oneto-one program into its curriculum next year. Letters were sent to parents in early April outlining details such as the Macbooks’ prices.

One key detail that was left out of these letters, however, was how the school will keep surveillance

Facebook block lifted after close consideration

over individual students’ computer activities. This year, the middle school accounts used LanSchool, a classroom monitoring system.

Through LanSchool, teachers could keep tabs on and also freeze each student’s screen. Though this will continue for the middle school, no surveillance will be put in place for high school students’ laptops.

“I think it’s better that teachers are trusting students,” said Kelly Cho (10). “Back at [Korea International School], where we had the one-to-one program, the surveillance would only push certain students to sneak around more to go onto Facebook or play games.”

Skip Day: Seniors go on an outing to Everland on Tuesday, May 15. Page 3

Many teachers, such as English teacher and department head Mr. Roger Gribbins, already use Macbooks in their curriculum and have seen both the benefits and disadvantages of laptops in the classroom.

“Ultimately, there’s a bigger issue here,” said Mr. Gribbins. “When you go to college, there will be no surveillance. When you go to work, there will be no surveillance. Implementing an ineffective surveillance system that students are eventually going to find ways around is not teaching a good life lesson. Instead, we should teach students to be responsible digital citizens.”

Jarret Lambie, high school prin-

Trending: Are you up to date with the newest Korean slang? Page 6

cipal, believes that for the majority of the high school population, unrestricted learning on the Macbooks will further rather than hinder their education.

“The purpose of laptops in classrooms is to provide kids with more education tools,” said Mr. Lambie. “There’s going to be an expectation for high school students to be mature enough to manage that responsibility. There are parents and teachers who are worried. I’m not.

It’s only a couple kids who are not on task on their computers. I’m not going to take away that privilege from the majority of students that can handle having a laptop.”

Facebook is now unblocked.

Since mid-April, students no longer need to use proxy servers or their 3G Wi-Fi hotspot to access the popular social networking. Administrators agreed that Facebook does not pose as a threat to the classroom environment.

A year ago, Facebook was blocked after the middle school inaugurated the one-to-one laptop program as a number of parents were concerned that students would be engaged in activities, such as Facebook, that could interfere with the learning process. This year, administrators saw that social networking websites were not an issue and that Facebook actually has educational advantages.

“There are some real educational things we can do with Facebook,” said Peter Corcoran, Director of Schools. “There are a number of activities that will allow classroom teachers to either connect with other schools or set up work groups for students to collaborate online.

Facebook is a social media site on one hand, but it can also be used as a legitimate learning tool and place to exchange information.”

Ever since the unblock of Facebook, the high school has been planning to utilize the website by setting up a page on Facebook where students and school alumni can reconnect with each other. This group is being organized by Victor Cho, high school counselor.

“Our current administration believes that it is very important to have technology that currents students are using,” said Mr. Cho. “[The school realized] the potential to reach out not only to current students but also alumni through Facebook applications. Even if the page allow one or two alumni to come together to create something for the current SIS community, I will be very happy.”

According to Mr. Corcoran, the administrators were surprised by the lack of reaction from the students.

Likewise, students stated that the news of Facebook being unblocked was not alarming.

“I’m thankful that the school unblocked Facebook,” said Jean Koo (11). “But honestly, it doesn’t make such a big difference because many of [the students] were already using other networks to get on Facebook.”

Tradition: Teachers organize the seventh annual triathlon.

Page 7

VIEWPOINT 2 Editorial

Privilege to use non-surveillant Macs requires responsibility In light of the one-to-one Macbook program which will take into effect starting next year, the administration had considered installing LanSchool, a computer software program that allows teachers to monitor students’ online activities. After much deliberation considering the violation of privacy and other controversies, however, the Board has decided not to surveil high school students’ Macbooks. With increased freedom that the initiative allows, students must use the technology to their educational advantage, now that the administration has granted them its trust.

In preparation for the initiative, the high school has been making a transition by switching all computers in classrooms and laptop carts to Macbooks and by requesting that all high school students purchase Macbooks.

Though the initiative is yet to be implemented, some teachers have already approved the use of Macbooks during school hours by allowing individuals to utilize their laptops in class. Yet this privilege has largely been exploited by those who do not focus on their studies and use Macbooks for reasons other than education. Students have already fallen into the temptation of using Facebook, Skyping with friends across the room and checking Tumblr updates.

While it is understandable that it is easy to fall prey to distractions while using computers, students should not take advantage of the privilege that could just as easily be taken away. After all, students and teachers have a give-and-take relationship based

on a series of compromises. By endowing students with their trust, teachers establish expectations of maturity and self-responsibility.

Yet once the freedom to use personal laptops without surveillance is exploited, students breach the ideal teacher-student relationship, on which healthy education bases itself. This creates a lose-lose situation and decreases the chances of the administration granting more privileges to students.

The use of Macbooks for reasons other than education could also hinder the learning process.

When students engage in temporary pleasure and relief, they are ultimately putting their own educational values at stake. As they are part of a college preparatory school, students should develop study habits that will benefit them in the long run.

It is therefore up to the students to monitor their own online activities and utilize the opportunity wisely. Instead of falling prey to distractions, students should learn to distinguish between the appropriate and inappropriate uses of the technology, at least while they are at school. Granted, students should live up to the trust and use the privilege more wisely rather than invite undesirable regulations that break the healthy teacher-student relationship and allow the administration to intervene in their online activities.

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.

MAY 2012

Facebook unblock provides classes AP mock exams benefit students with useful communication tool

By Milton Yoon

By Helen Song

Early last year, Facebook was blocked on the school wireless Internet because it was deemed distracting for students in class. However the school lifted this restriction on April 16. The administration was justified in unblocking Facebook, as it can be a helpful classroom tool and a beneficial communication device.

Students and teachers were initially dubious of the decision to allow access to Facebook because they believed that Facebook was detrimental to class productivity.

Especially with the new one-to-one Macbook Initiative program to be introduced next year, a large portion of the student body claimed that unblocking Facebook was unwise.

However, lifting this ban could actually teach students how to manage their time more efficiently, as after graduating from high school, students will have to be able to use their laptops in classes and the workplace without being distracted

by Facebook. If the school had continued to block Facebook, students would have been in an unrealistic study environment. The block was also effective only on computers,

as any student who owned a phone with 3G internet was able to log onto Facebook.

Facebook is also a better communication tool among students, teachers and even the administrators. Instead of sending out information via student emails, creating a school page and posting the information on Facebook could be more effective. This is because students check Facebook more often and would consequently receive the information more quickly. Although Facebook is not yet being used by the administration for these educational purposes, it is a valid option that the administration should explore.

Some classes, for example, are now utilizing Facebook for assignments. Graphic Design has been using Facebook to receive quick results for different surveys. Literature classes are now open to create Facebook pages for book characters and role-play on Facebook.

Facebook, if used properly, can actually be a valuable tool for communication and education. As long as students do not take advantage of this unblock, it will not create distractions and will help students continue to learn in different ways.

Student school emails warrant positive outlook

By Marcus Lee

Firstname.lastnamegraduationyear@stu.siskorea.org.

Familiar?

Maybe. Used frequently? Nope.

This year, the administration introduced the student email initiative to assist teachers in communicating with their students on schoolrelated material. By creating and distributing standardized domain names for students, the technology board expected the service to give teachers quick identification and easy access to students online.

To a certain extent that was true. The technology department grouped student emails into grades for teachers to easily select from and also provided monitoring whenever technical errors occurred throughout the year. Furthermore, by using a private server within the lightest

cloud platform in Gmail, the student emails ensured the fastest data transfer rates possible.

Despite such efforts and expectations from the Information Technology department, the school email system has proven to be largely ineffective as most teachers prefer to use viable alternatives which disincentivize students from using their official school emails in replacement of their personal ones.

Foreign language teachers such as Spanish teacher Paloma Julian and Chinese teacher Estella Duan, for example, have their own home pages where students can access online material and receive instructions regarding their class assignments. Both teachers have already established working alternatives to the student email initiative as they alert students to check these web-

Editors-in-Chief Angela Cho Lydia Kim

Graphics Editors Jeffrey Chun Linda Heeyoung Park

Managing Editor Elizabeth Song

Copy Editors Alison Chang Mark Kim Helen Song

Production Editor Jonathan Yun

Website Directors Joshua Kim Joanne Lee

Cartoonist Christine Lee Photographer Jessica Song Reporters Marcus Lee Min Ji Suh

sites in class and find other forms of online communication unnecessary.

As a result, these classes do not require the benefits provided by student school emails.

Since the school began distributing official emails to students, the shift from personal to official emails lacked a smooth transition. For example, science teacher Jane Fritz, who regularly sends links of online resources to her students, collected and used a separate list of personal emails at the beginning of the year before school student emails were introduced. Such late announcements and a general lack of awareness behind the initiative left much to be desired. The school should first provide an official statement behind the specifics regarding its policy for students to fully adopt their respective emails. Without

Layout Artists Yong Gun Choe Milton Yoon Adviser Ms. Carolyn Brown

providing a clear understanding of when and why they should use their school emails, it is premature for school to expect students to buy into the initiative.

The administration should further invest in more Internet-based curricula to promote the use of school student email accounts. Requesting finalized AP course selections through school emails was a smart way to require students to use their emails. Such actions must continue if the administration wishes to promote a smooth transition into the official use of student emails next year. With the hopeful introduction of more technology-heavy courses through the implementation of the one-to-one Mac initiative, it is viable to expect official student emails to achieve a substantial increase in usage entering its second year.

Tiger Times seoul international school Songpa P.O. Box 47 Seoul, South Korea 138-600

Students taking AP courses often complain about the AP mock exams that some teachers require.

Teachers’ decisions to make these exams mandatory and include the scores in the students’ GPA adds on to students’ stress. Despite these complaints, students should realize that the mock exam system is created for their own benefit.

Mock AP exams simulate the real testing environment and therefore give students a unique opportunity to acquaint themselves with the test conditions prior to the actual exams. Students can learn to deal with the often-stressful conditions and manage their time more efficiently based on the mock exams, which demand as much physical and mental endurance as the real exams.

This is important as the simulation provides an invaluable experience that lectures or prep books cannot provide.

In addition, making the mock AP exams mandatory is essential to making sure that the students’ efforts do not go to waste. Having students take the mock AP exams allows teachers to ensure that their students fully understand the different components of the AP exams prior to the actual exams. It is also beneficial to students in that should the mock exams be optional, not as many students would dedicate their personal time to go through a complete AP test with the exact testing environment. Experiencing the real test-taking environment is important for students to perform well on the actual test.

Teachers’ decisions to count the mock AP exams as classroom grades are also justified. Throughout the school year, teachers have been grading tests, quizzes and homework that are based on the AP material. The mock exams are no different from these assignments. The exams may be more strenuous to complete and more difficult for students to obtain high AP scores, but the very reason that they are more challenging does not provide a valid argument to why they should not be included in one’s GPA. Moreover, making mock exams mandatory and counting them as part of the GPA will force students to take them more seriously. Thus students will have to understand the material more completely. Ultimately, these mock exams are given to the students in order to benefit them and help them review the material before the real exams in May. If well executed, this method will benefit the students’ GPA, AP exam scores and eventually, the students themselves.

The 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.

MAY 2012

3

NEWS

Seniors celebrate end of year with school-chaperoned skip day to Everland

By Joshua Kim

Completely done with the college application process and the stress that came along with it, seniors were able to enjoy a day of fun at Everland Resort on May 16 from 9:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Primarily organized by the senior council, the senior skip day was funded with money that was collected by the senior council throughout the school year.

“Most of us were excited that we were going to [Everland Resort] for a day,” said David Lim (12). “It’s the best amusement park that Korea can offer because it has a lot of exciting rides such as the T-Express, Rolling XTrain and The Castle of Oz, but because it’s located a bit far from Seoul, it’s hard for any of us to go as frequently as we’d like to. The trip was enjoyable but a lot of the seniors

Photo Courtesy of Stephanie Song

Squealing as the seatbelts come down, Amy Choi (12) and Giwon Lee (12) wait for the steepest rollercoaster, T-Express, to start. Seniors went to Everland Resort on May 16 to enjoy their last moments at SIS. were tired by the time they got back to school.”

Although the trip was mandatory, some seniors had to skip the

trip due to conflicts with schoolwork and exams. AP exams throughout the week also forced some students to stay at school and forgo senior

skip day.

“My academic excuse was that I had AP exams to study for,” said Amy Kim (12). “The timing for this

trip wasn’t the best. There were too many scheduling conflicts; it doesn’t make sense to schedule a ‘ditch’ day during the week of AP’s, after an entire year of telling the seniors how they should finish strong.”

Another frequent complaint was the lack of say the senior student body had on deciding where and how to spend the only skip day of its high school.

“This year’s ditch day mandated seniors to go to Everland, a place we didn’t even vote on,” said Michelle Lee (12). “There’s no doubt that [the seniors] all enjoyed themselves, but given the choice, I don’t quite believe that all of [the seniors] would have chosen Everland to make the most out of their only ‘ditch’ day of their entire high school career. Even though most of us did enjoy the trip to Everland, fewer of us would have been disgruntled if there were more options.”

Clubs face difficulties in organizing trips overseas during summer

By Min Ji Suh

SIS Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) vice president Alex Son (10) announced to members on May 2 during their club meeting that their trip to a conference in San Antonio, Texas was cancelled.

Club members interested in the activity were planning to leave for a four-day trip from June 29 to July 2.

Established as an official club last year, FBLA has participated in different activities such as Family Fun

Day, the SIS Parent Association Bazaar and bake sales, thus expanding its presence in the SIS community.

Plans for the trip began to fall apart earlier this year for different reasons. Due to lack of preparation, the club decided to forgo the conference in San Antonio and attend a different leadership conference at the beginning of next year.

“One question is whether or not such a trip would be an official school trip or an individual trip outside of the organization,” said Tony

Hurt, FBLA adviser. “Since all members are members of FBLA in the US, it would be great for the entire group to attend the FBLA annual conference next year and start preparing earlier in first semester.”

Similarly, a group of student volunteers whose purpose was to help Chinese orphans and children in need had planned a one-week trip to China for the last week of June.

These students also faced difficulties coordinating the trip due to a lack of members interested in travelling.

DMZ program teaches students about ecology

By Alison Chang

Though Ik Joon Choi (10) has lived in Korea for most of his life, he has never taken the time to visit the De-Militarized Zone (DMZ), part of Korean history he felt he knew very little about. Starting last year, Ik Joon, along with sophomores Alex Son, Mark Kim and David Lee, joined a program with the Ecology Research Institute that takes monthly trips to the DMZ to allow students to learn about the area surrounding the border.

“The program mainly teaches us about the ecology of the DMZ,” said Ik Joon. “Since it’s closed off, the place is really unique and you can see a lot of animals and plants

you can’t really see anywhere else.”

At the end of the program, all participants must write an essay detailing their experiences throughout the trips. Ultimately, all essays will be scored as part of a final competition and winners will be able to compete internationally in Turkey.

“At the end of each trip, we have to write reflections and [the program supervisors compile] them into this big book,” said David. “We can use that to help write our essay which has to be about the environment, and we are going to use our experiences to write about the DMZ.” Though initially, the main purpose of the trips was to learn more about the DMZ, the experience turned into a charitable cause.

While on the trips, the boys noticed the condition of the public schools in the area around the DMZ. Taking this opportunity, they decided to raise money to help the schools.

Unlike the North Korea Human Rights club, this program is not affiliated with aiding defected North Korean refugees, but rather aims to inform students about the ecology of the area along the DMZ. “We don’t get to interact with any North Koreans,” said David.

“We’re just helping students at the South Korean public schools near the DMZ. It’s something we just wanted to do on our own because we were going to be in the area every month and it’s nice to know we can accomplish this by ourselves.”

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“Juniors and sophomores in the summer are usually busy preparing for SATs in hagwons or going to internships elsewhere,” said Gene Park (11), a volunteer. “Furthermore, in total, $1,445 is required, [which does not include] the airplane ticket, but includes the hotel, transportation [and] sightseeing fees.”

Though students are unable to attend the trip, they have expressed both concern and admiration for the cause and believe that the trip will help promote a humanitarian goal.

With the inherent values that lie in these trips, club members are suggesting different ways to encourage active participation in the future.

“Especially for FBLA, students in America can easily make visits to places like San Antonio, but living in South Korea complicates things,” said Kevin Kim (11), next year’s FBLA president. “Though many of us know a lot about foreign situations, few are aware of the domestic issues. It would be valuable to make the best out of what we have here.”

NEWS BRIEFS

kony 2012 from film to action

March 21st African Union announces international brigade of 5000 soldiers to hunt Kony

March 5th March 30th Invisible Children Inc. Video reaches over 86 releases “Kony 2012” million hits on Youtube

April 20th "Cover the Night" Supporters around the world put up posters overnight

April 5th Invisible Inc. releases follow up video after criticism from the first Graphic by Joshua Kim

KONY movement spreads beyond school walls Ever since its release on March 5, the Youtube video about war criminal Joseph Kony went viral.

To raise awareness at SIS, history teacher Shanna Hurt purchased KONY action kits, which consist of a t-shirt, bracelet, action guide, badge and posters. After the UNICEF teacher talent show on April 20, Mrs. Hurt gave posters to students who participated in “Cover

the Night,” an event where people put KONY posters around the city.

“I went around my neighborhood trying to put up as many posters as I could and [used] chalks to draw the Kony symbol on walls,” said Tiffany Kim (9). “Although it was tiring, I felt content knowing that my actions would spread awareness to individuals [outside] of SIS.”

WASC representatives evaluate student-faculty relationships Two Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) representatives visited SIS on April 19 to discuss student-faculty relationships at a meeting involving Heather Purcell, Director of Curriculum & Staff Development and Sue Choi, sophomore council adviser. The WASC representatives also held 30-minute interviews with HSSC members about stu-

dent-faculty communication.

“We discussed what measures were taken to ensure the teacher surveys’ effectiveness [and] how it has facilitated communication between teachers and students,” said Suhyun Kim (12), HSSC secretary.

“From these interviews, both the faculty and students were able to mutually contribute to building a greater learning environment.”

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Eating and remembering: an unlikely romance

By Christine Lee

The average short-term memory span, or the number of patterns the human memory can hold at a time, consists of seven structures. Especially for students, this memory capacity can determine whether or not students receive a passing or failing grade. However, research shows that certain types of food can help improve memory and reduce the chance of being diagnosed with memory-related disorders.

“Memories do not exist as parts of the brain, but are rather a complex network of nerve cells [or neurons] that communicate with each other via connections called synapses,” said Naomi Brown, biology teacher. “When you learn or experience something, your neurons stimulate other neurons in a particular pattern.

So when you remember it, the brain fires neurons in that exact pattern and the more you recall that moment or skill, the stronger [the pattern] gets.”

There are certain types of vitamins and minerals that can help improve memory.

For example, found in salmon, walnuts and kiwis, Omega-3 fatty acids help increase the plasticity—the ability to change connections—of the synapses in the brain and carry out critical functions. This increased plasticity allows the brain to think more quickly and also exercises the brain.

These acids also help prevent mental disorders such as dyslexia, dementia, depression and schizophrenia.

“I remember when I was little, my mom used to make me eat small nutrient pills that were supposed to make me a healthier person,” said Caroline Kim (10). “Looking back

now, they were actually Omega-3 fish oil pills that would supposedly make me think better. Though I haven’t really felt the effects, I’m sure that the pills I ate are healthy for me in one way or another.”

Blood sugar is also an important factor that is associated with memory. According to a study conducted by the Columbia University Medical Center, spikes in levels of blood sugar can hurt the memory by causing the brain to send less blood to the dentate gyrus, an area of the brain that aids in the formation of memories. Thus, foods that contain whole grains like brown rice or oatmeal can also help maintain a healthy brain and memory.

However, people remain skeptical of such information because nothing has been set in stone in terms of how different foods can positively or

negatively impact the brain’s activity.

“I have heard that there is something in fish that makes people more intelligent because there are certain important fatty acids [in fish oil] that are [crucial] to brain development,” said Ms. Brown.

“However, the jury is out if these foods are actually good for our memory because as far as I am aware, some research has been done, but nothing definitive.”

According to Wolfe Clinic, an average person will eat about 32,000 kg of food every year. The human body will process these foods and extract substances that are beneficial to bodily functions.

Though nothing completely conclusive was determined, research will continue to discover foods that will further improve the capabilities of the human memory.

Technology proven to have negative impact on human memory

By Elizabeth Song

Ever since the Age of Exploration in Christopher Columbus’ time, human beings have constantly been making technological breakthroughs that revolutionized people’s lifestyles. However, research suggests that the advent of such inventions may not be entirely positive, as they limit the capacity of the human brain to think and remember.

A study conducted by psychologist Betsy Sparrow has shown that the Internet affects humans’ memories.

Results revealed that humans tend to resort to transactive memory—the reliance on family, friends or reference material to store information.

With search engines such as Google and Yahoo readily available, people are less inclined to store pieces of data in their own brains because they know that they can find the same information online.

“Whenever I do my homework, instead of trying to remember the materials reviewed that day, I rely on Google to find [answers] to my assignments,” said Lina Chang (11). “If the Internet weren’t such a big part of my life, I would have to force myself to rely more on my memory based on what I learned and studied during class.”

Especially because the brain’s structure is subject to change over time, external factors such as technology can

Cellphone: removes the need to remember basic numbers TV: reduces ability to remember vocab words and homework Internet: results in trans-active memory

-

have a significant effect on cognition and brain function.

“Your brain has plasticity,” said Damon Six, psychology teacher. “From an evolutionary point of view, it makes adjustments to the environment and repairs itself to a greater degree than thought before. Things like technology, which can cause us to divide our attention, influence our ability to put something into memory effectively.”

The Internet is not the only external storage system that people take advantage of. For example, cell phones store data such as phone numbers and memos, removing the need for users to retain the information in their brains.

“It’s so hard to memorize

the numbers on the board [in a math classroom],” said Eugene Yang (9). “Technically, students can write the homework in their agendas, but in my class, all the students take out their smart phones and take a picture of the homework assignment instead.”

Another study revealed that large amounts of television viewing lowered sleep quality, causing a decline in the ability to remember homework and vocabulary words.

Although this area of study remains largely unexplored, according to Dr. Sparrow, one thing is for certain: technology is a double-edged sword that allows people to expand their scope of knowledge while making them less

reliant on their own mental capacities.

Despite the challenges that technology poses, Jarret Lambie, high school principal, claimed that these effects should not solely be attributed to technology and remained optimistic about next year’s Macbook one-to-one intiative.

“The more access to technology we have, the more students are encouraged to think on their own,” said Mr. Lambie. “By having such quick access to information, students will get more used to having multiple perspectives about a topic and deciding which are the most reliable. If we use technology, it will encourage more independent thinking [instead of] hindering it.”

Many nutrients in the brain food contain substances such as anthocyanin that help reverse the process of memory decline.

+ Source: symptomfind.com

Graphic by Jeffrey Chun

LIFESTYLE 6

MAY 2012

Korean Slang Dictionary

ㄱ ㄴ

Either ranting on Facebook about projects, or panicking the night before an exam, these words have become the most popular terms among students.

에•바 adj. (eh-ba)

be outgoing or energetic to the point that it bothers people or causes other people harm.

빡•쎄 adj. (bbak-sseh)

1. very challenging or rigorous, often used to describe classes. 2. very hardcore or intense.

EXA MS!

p ro

je c ts !

1. used to describe a situation or statement that is disagreeable or unfair. 2. used to express disbelief.

Swiss Fondue on the Hills of Namsan

ㄷ

나•대 v. (nah-dae) 1. to ㄹ

s!

n. (men-boong) 1. short for 멘탈붕괴, mental breakdown. 2. used when something shocking happens that is difficult to accept, causing a mental breakdown, often used by students under extreme stress.

AP

멘•붕

The World at the Tip of My Tongue

Graphic by Helen Song

ㅁ

By Marcus Lee

Veer into a twisting back alley and climb up Namsan from Itaewon’s main road. Continue going upward and before you know it, you’ve arrived in front of “Alt Swiss Chalet,” the lone Swiss fondue restaurant nationally honored as a cultural heritage for the past 26 years. For those unfamiliar with fondue, it is a cooking and dining style where you skew pieces of food on long, thin prongs that you dip in melted cheese of your choice within a little hibachi-like open flame pot gizmo.

Let me turn your attention to the line-up of dishes. First up was the goulash soup, my dad’s favorite dish while he was living in Germany in the 70s. Whenever he yearned for spicy dishes in the potato and meat-laden Deutschland, a rare glimpse of hope would appear in the form of imported Hungarian goulash soup. After a brief tasting my palettes suggested dad must have been really desperate to think this either tasted good (dad insisted the real goulash in Germa-

DANIEL KIM’S SEARCH FOR

HIDDEN GEMS In an age when only singles can get airplay and recognition, many quality songs brush by people’s attention.

In an effort to introduce these songs, this column looks through the latest albums from the hottest pop stars.

Jason Mraz released his new album, “Love is a Four Letter Word,” yielding his best commercial success. However, his singles, most notably “I Won’t Give Up” and the “The World As I See It,” are stealing most of the attention. This happened to Jason Mraz with his last album “We Sing. We Dance.

We Steal Things” as well; “I’m Yours” sold a whopping six million copies while the album only sold a million.

After a couple of listens to the album, it is not difficult to figure out the reason for the discrepancy in sales. Many of the album tracks excluding the singles, such as “Who’s Thinking About You Now,” are redundant to the single “I Won’t Give up”—only with weaker melodies and immature lyrics such as “I want to be the one to help you move from Mr. Loneliness living in the kitchen of your home.” However, the album definitely holds hidden gems that suggest that the rest of the album is underrated.

Turning away from his signature bright pop style, Mraz experiments with progressive rock in “5/6,” a six-minute ode to conformity. As the title suggests, the song is set in an odd time signature: an alternate of 5/8 and 6/8, contrasting with the typical 4/4 signatures in pop music. Even instrumentalwise, the stabbing organs and groovy drum backbeat show Mraz coming out of his comfort zone and experimenting with a new style.

In “93 Million Miles,” Mraz emulates Elton John’s “Rocket Man.” Regardless of whether it is deliberate, there is a thematic link to homecoming and space exploration in both songs. They rely heavily on choirs and synthesizer pads for a space-like effect as well, creating undeniably catchy tunes.

There is also a physically “hidden” gem at the end of the album—the 13th track. The actual title is “I’m Coming Over,” but the song is not listed on the album. Instead, it is titled “Hidden Track” on

online stores such as iTunes. In this song, Mraz shows off his falsetto and range of his tenor vocal, reminiscent of soul singers such as Robin Thicke and Al Green.

The sentimental harmonies in the chorus, matched with the bright, upbeat rhythm, add an eccentric twist to the album’s unity of optimism.

Jason Mraz’s singles are unquestionably the main dishes of the album, but their success masks the true holistic value of his album. In “Love is a Four Letter Word,” Mraz pushes his sonic and lyrical boundaries, providing a wide array of dishes tantamount to his hit singles.

Buy the album “Love is a Four Letter Word” at the iTunes store.

ny was far superior) or was a viable substitute for something like a traditional Korean Yukgejang.

Another one of my dad’s childhood fantasies, the Bratwurst (grilled sausage) with Sauerkraut (German kimchi of sorts) ensued.

The tender hunk of meat actually made my day. If I were the restaurant owner, I would call it the “Roger Federer” due to its juicy flavor and texture that gives the sausage an overwhelming edge over other wannabe US hot dogs as well as the traditional local soondae.

After the scrumptious appetizers, anticipation built up for the actual fondue dishes. First, we ordered the “Valais” cheese fondue. Inserting bread cubes into our skewers, we spun them in the hot, gooey cheese and swallowed them.

“Interesting” was the first word that came to my mind and “cheesy” a close second. Then came the very tender sirloin meat cubes, an obvious improvement over the bread cubes, and I could definitely see why the cold Alps evenings could

be made bearable with this type of communal, hearty dish. Finally, a seafood dish with fresh scallops, shrimps and mussel arrived to top off the meal, but the portions were way too small to justify the price.

Our brief stint at “Alt Swiss Chalet” was definitely a refreshing experience but one that lacked the entire package. One should truly enjoy the experience including the eye-catching exterior and interior décor, which included plenty of Swiss cuckoo clocks and cowbells.

If you are dating, girls will be highly impressed with a guy who takes the bold step into the fondue territory, especially considering the above-average meal price. Most importantly though, the dishes were selectively impressive, but as a collective experience, left an extremely neugeul-neugeul (Korean equivalent to cheesy and buttery magnified ten times) impression.

In the end, our whole family ended up ordering hot, spicy tacos at Taco Amigo to finish off our adventurous evening.

Fad fever stirs excitement among high school students

By Jeffrey Chun

With Tiger Gym 1 under construction, students spend most of their leisure time at school playing Pokemon or Tetris Battle. Although these games were widely popular when students were in elementary or middle school, they have been growing increasingly in demand among high school students nowadays. While games such as Sudden Attack and StarCraft are already starting to die out, other games are regaining their popularity.

“I haven’t played Pokemon [in] over two years, but I just recently started again, as a fad,” said Jun Ryu (11). “The reason [why so many kids play Pokemon] is that it’s a part of almost every SIS student’s childhood, and everyone wants to go back to their simple childhood, especially when things are stressful with the exams coming up.”

Although the Pokemon fervor hit Jun when he saw Justin Kim (11) playing Pokemon during lunch, he feels that the trend is already ending.

“Only a handful of people are still playing [Pokemon] just so that they can finish it,” said Jun. “But, I think that there is a chance that other classic games may become popular, like Tetris or Mario.”

In fact, there has been a Facebook Tetris Battle boom recently, especially after the school decided to unblock Facebook. The Tetris Battle had lost its color, but with its increased accessibility at school, it

has picked up its popularity recently.

“Although many students were able to access Facebook prior to this change, now that it’s unblocked, students are more inclined to play Tetris [Battle], [and the students] feel more justified and secure,” said Sean Kim (12). “Also, as many classes are starting to have review sessions as it is supposedly down week, students are given more leisure in class to study, which we take for granted to relieve our stress by playing Tetris.”

Recently, 9gag, a memes-based social media site that posts jokes about current events regarding sports and movies, is also a part of the fad fever at SIS. It has been the focus of students’ conversations at school, as they often share the jokes that they viewed on the site.

“My friends always talk about memes,” said Gary Kim (10). “I noticed that they all come from 9gag.

Most of the memes are very funny, so it is a good stress relief. Also, most of the conversations between my friends are about 9gag, so it is good to keep an update on 9gag if I want to understand what’s going on in our conversations.”

Although online games and entertainment sites are the current trend, this fad is just one of the passing fixations among students.

“Things like [Tetris and 9gag] are always around,” said Damon Six, AP Psychology teacher. “The form it takes may change, but people are always engaged in, particularly here with computers, doing non-school stuff during break.”

MAY 2012

7

SPORTS

Young teams grow as Teachers organize friendly triathlon one in spring season

By Jessica Song

By Alex Son

Though the spring sports season began with young and inexperienced teams, Tony Hurt, varsity boys soccer coach, Melissa Hubley, varsity swimming coach, and Erik Custer, varsity girls soccer coach, all noticed the growth of the athletes.

The boys’ soccer season ended with a record of 8-11-2 (win-loss-tie); the girls’ ended with a record of 0-121; and the swimmers finished third overall in the KAIAC conference.

Varsity girls soccer captains Brenda Myung (12) and Stephanie Song (12) were essential to the team’s growth, according to Mr. Custer. The improvement of the players’ skills and teamwork was especially apparent in the final game of the season in Japan.

“We were first down by 1-0 against KIS, but we caught up with a penalty kick,” said Brenda. “Then in the final minutes, we made a move that was not a set play, but was absolutely beautiful. The girls’ passes were well-executed and then they were rewarded with a well-deserved goal by Dahyun Lee (10).”

Furthermore, the varsity boys

soccer team was able to improve from a 0-3 start to 8-11-2, a feat Mr. Hurt accredits to the leadership of captains Hiro Watanabe (12) and Andrew Eom (12), who upheld the team’s optimism.

“We were gutsy,” said Mr. Hurt.

“Our biggest advantage was that we were able to have so many freshmen and sophomores get better as the season went on. Gary Kim (10) received all-tournament at the KAIAC tournament while Milton was able to get AISA all-tournament.”

The swim team was also able to finish its second year under Ms. Hubley, who felt the team’s biggest strength was the underclassmen.

“Having so many hardworking freshmen really brought a fresh attitude to the team,” said Ms. Hubley.

“Of course, the upperclassmen were important in keeping everyone organized.”

Varsity swimming captains Chan-Jun Park (12) and Joanne Kim (11) were both able to obtain MVP honors in the KAIAC tournament. In addition, DongGi Park (10), a new student, was able to set a new school record for the 50-meter breaststroke, capping yet another season for the SIS swim team.

Amber Hutton, first grade teacher, has been pregnant for three months, but her pregnancy proved to be no obstacle, for she was able to win the swimming category of the triathlon. This was an event organized by first grade teacher Jeff Harrison, second grade teacher Manon Harrison and sixth grade teacher Amy Valerio on May 13.

The triathlon has been a tradition for the past seven years between SIS and Korea International School (KIS) teachers as a means to socialize through sports events. This year, participants completed the race by swimming 300 m, biking 15 km from SIS to the Tancheon River and sprinting 5 km back to school.

There were three separate winning categories: team, individual woman and individual man. Roger Gribbins, English teacher, Raymond Slapikas, chemistry teacher and Tim Gardes, elementary librarian, won the team category award. Melissa Hubley, swimming teacher, won the woman individual award and Sean Feller, KIS teacher, won the men individual award. Though winners received participation certificates and Starbucks gift cards, Mr. Harrison said that the experience itself was

Photo by Jessica Song

Running to the parking lot, Leona Tank, fifth grade teacher, dashes to her bike to complete the second leg of the triathlon on May 13. more valuable.

“The triathlon is not about winning,” said Mr. Harrison. “This is all for fun or people who want to get in shape. It’s a good social event to finish the school year and bring everyone together.”

Before the triathlon began at 7:45 a.m., there was a kids’ triathlon exclusive to SIS teachers’ children, including those of the Nelsons, Darlings, Piscioneris and Valerios. It included a 50-m swim, three laps on the bicycle and another three laps running around the field. Jillian Corcoran, fourth grader, won the kids’ triathlon.

After the triathlon, the participants celebrated with a barbecue party organized by Christopher Moore, physical education teacher.

Ms. Corcoran and the Sunshine Committee, the school’s social committee that organizes every school event, also provided additional food such as cookies, vegetables, hamburgers and drinks.

“The barbecue party was a great chance for teachers and their families to get together,” Tiana Nelson, Spanish teacher. “It was a really fun event where we could celebrate the day and see each other outside of work.”

Champions League matches spark interest

By Yong Gun Choe

During the final stages of the 2012 Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) season, it is not uncommon to see soccer fans, students and teachers alike, staying up until 4 a.m. to watch live games.

An annual competition for the top European football clubs, the UEFA Champions League is the most prestigious football competition in Europe. Students looked forward to the highly anticipated semifinal matches, during which Chelsea played Barcelona while Real Madrid played Bayern Munich.

“Luckily, I did not have much to do and I quickly finished my homework by 10 o’clock just to watch the first leg for Chelsea v. Barca game,” said Charlie Lee (11), soccer fan. “I went to sleep quite early, so waking up at four in the morning was not that difficult. It was definitely worth

it as the match was one of the most interesting games I had ever seen.”

Afterwards, semi-finalists Chelsea and Bayern Munich contested for the champions league trophy at Allianz Arena, Germany on May 19.

The final match drew more than 178 million viewers around the world, making it the most viewed sporting event globally.

“I was strongly hoping that Real Madrid face Barcelona in the finals,” said Eugene Kim (11). “Unfortunately, it came down to the penalties and I was disappointed when superstars such as Cristiano Ronaldo and Ricardo Kaka missed their penalties.

However, I still think that Madrid has one of the best team bonds and this can be shown in many matches where they make comebacks through great teamwork.”

Many student fans showed support for their favorite football clubs by wearing soccer jerseys to school; students also frequentily discussed

the UEFA matches. Some even made bets to predict which teams would make to the finals.

“As a very strong Chelsea fan, I heavily anticipated the UEFA final match,” said Andre Lee (10). “I wear jerseys to school whenever Chelsea wins because I feel so happy and want to show my friends that Chelsea is really one of the best teams.

I always participate in predicting scores by using the Chelsea score predictor and I also [joined] two Chelsea Facebook fan pages.”

Varsity boys soccer coach Tony Hurt, who also follows the champions league matches, believes that passion for soccer at SIS is more visible than schools in America.

“People here are very interested, certainly the boys involved in school soccer,” said Mr. Hurt. “Maybe it is because there are many Korean players abroad playing in Europe. But SIS students really know what’s going on in European football.”

This column is a short commentary on sports events that are happening around the world. The commentators, Mark Kim and Milton Yoon, express their opinions about these sports events. This particular episode is about the NBA playoffs, which started on April 28.

Mark: Welcome to the first-ever episode of M&M’s sports commentary.

Milton: Indeed. It is a pleasure to be the hosts of such a warm and welcoming audience. Well, the NBA playoffs have captured the attention of sports fans all over the world.

It is important that NBA players stay healthy and play competitively.

Mark: Speaking of health, did you hear about Derrick Rose’s seasonending injury? He’s out of the playoffs with a torn ligament in his knee!

Milton: Yes, his injury is unfortunate news to all of his fans.

Mark: But don’t panic yet! Brian Scalabrine, arguably the best player in the NBA, will replace Rose as the starting point guard.

Milton: All Chicago fans can breathe a sigh of relief now that one of the greatest players has decided to step up in the absence of Chicago’s star player. The Bulls have almost certainly punched their ticket to the finals with Scalabrine in the lineup!

Milton: Indeed! Scalabrine is the league leader by a wide margin in the number of minutes on the bench—quality essential to being one of the best players in any game.

Mark: And with us today is the Chicago Bulls’ head coach Tom Thibodeau! Coach, what were your initial thoughts when you saw Derrick Rose in that tragic injury?

Thibodeau: Well, my initial thoughts were like, “How are we going to get

past even the first round of the playoffs?” But then I looked over on the bench and saw Scalabrine all suited up and ready to go and knew it was time to bring out our secret weapons. I mean, I just won the Coach of the Year award last year, so I definitely know what I’m doing.

Milton: Well, you are definitely lucky to have Scalabrine on your team.

How are you planning on beating the Miami Heat? With Scalabrine in the lead, it is almost certain that you will face them in the finals!

Thibodeau: Yeah, I’m not too worried about facing them because we have Scalabrine. I mean, when he was with the Boston Celtics a couple years ago, they won the championship, and now, because he’s with us, we have the league’s best record!

Mark: Did you also hear that New York Knicks’ starting forward Amare Stoudemire suffered a laceration when he punched the glass case of the fire extinguisher in the locker room after they had lost the game against the Miami Heat?

Thibodeau: Well, Stoudemire obviously had trouble dousing the “Heat” with the fire extinguisher!

Mark: Hahaha… That really was funny. Oh, but how unfortunate, we have run out of time!

Milton: It’s amazing how time flies.

Thank you again Coach Thibodeau for your time! Well then, until next time, enjoy your summer, folks!

Source: Bleacher Report Disclaimer: Although this column is based on facts, the interviews are entirely fictional.

SMALL TALK 1 F F U ST STU

BEFORE EXAMS

2

3

I’m never going to need to know this in the future. Why do I have to know it now?

Because you take the class.

By Jiho Kim

FAUX NEWS

MAY 2012

(A week before the exam) I’m going to start studying just a little tonight.

When was the last time this happened. Honestly.

. . .

Y A S S T N DE

4

8

I didn’t study at all.

We go to SIS, so of course everyone eventually studies. We like to say we didn’t because it gives us an excuse if we do poorly. Or, we like to tell others this, hoping they won’t study to improve our chances of a better curve. If you really haven’t studied, good luck with that.

We never learned this.

Chances are, we probably did learn it – we just weren’t listening. But again, it gives students the chance to convince our teachers that it is not fair to put ridiculously hard material on the exam. If we really didn’t learn it, teachers, have mercy please.

5

I can’t; I have to study.

Please. Let’s be honest. Five minutes after you gave your parents this excuse, you were on Facebook or Skype.

Students discover solutions to global issues just a click away

Recognizing the existence of poverty a few weeks ago, John Na (11) realized what had to be done once pictures of starving children began popping up on his wall.

Behind what seemed to be a facade of laziness, students displayed a true moment of initiative and moral responsibility when they found the solution to nearly all of the world’s problems: liking photos on Facebook.

“I couldn’t just sit there and do nothing like I always have done,” said John. “The description said that if I liked the photo, the child in the photo would get food. Immediately, I liked the photo to get the child some help. Afterwards, I went back to chatting with my friends and doing nothing.”

The exact science behind this technology is currently unknown. Through an intricate plan of likes and shares, Facebook has managed to create an entirely no-effort system to provide all necessities, such as food, water and shelter, to third-world countries. Facebook has denied explaining exactly what makes this system work.

“I don’t know how Facebook does it, but it’s a huge relief,” said Bun Kee Doon, United Nations Secretary General. “It’s not as if we have tried to solve those issues

As a rising senior, Alison Chang, without a doubt, is the wisest guru at SIS.

PHOTO OF THE MONTH

for the past three decades. I’m really glad someone has found a solution that involves absolutely no drawbacks.”

In order to keep the program running at school, John and his Facebook friends created a group dedicated to looking up photos to like and share. The group managed to gather 5.5 million zealous students who were determined to isolate and exterminate all of the world’s problems.

“I really think that the world has become a better place thanks to the group,” said Brock Bashama, an active group member. “So far, I’ve liked and shared over 500 photos of starving children. I’m pretty sure those children are now living happy lives.”

The group’s meetings are held at random times that cater to the club leaders’ schedules. Evidence of their success can be found on every single person’s wall, which is covered with the aforementioned photos.

“We hold meetings whenever John wants to have them, which was like once so far,” said Stace Esemom, secretary of the group. “Sometimes I think he forgets that he’s the group’s leader, but it’s okay since he founded the group. He doesn’t really need to do anything now anyway.”

Photo by Jeffrey Chun

During the Spring Concert on April 26, Dennis Darling, choral director, introduces the song “He’ll Make a Way.” Concert Choir members Justin Han (11) and Kevin Choi (12) were given the opportunity to sing solos.