Tiger Times Volume 48 Issue 1

s e o u l i n t e r nat i o na l s c h o o l

Tiger Times VO L U ME X LV I I I

September 2016

ISSUE 1

TT O N L . O RG

The Summer Olympics Athletes shine despite Olympic controversies

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illions hovered in front of their TV screens from Aug. 5-21, with mixed emotions of anxiety, disappointment, excitement, and pride. On their screens were 11,544 different athletes from more than 200 distinct countries, showcasing their abilities and talents. As there are in many large events, there were various ups and downs throughout the games. According to various news sources, sometimes it seemed like the Olympics would not transpire because of various obstacles. However, despite these impediments and doubts, the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Summer Olympics can be considered a platform that gave athletes, individuals, and nations the opportunity to interact with each other.

As a developing nation, two of the problems Brazil faces are crime and corruption. Because of these issues, many were opposed to the idea of hosting the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, initially delaying construction. Existing political instability coupled with a lack of police enforcement were additional aspects of concern for many overlooking the games. Multiple protests that were held across Rio de Janeiro before the opening ceremony of the Olympics escalated to the point of violence, which resulted in the use of tear-gas and other peacekeeping measures.

“For months leading to the Olympics, I always read news reports about the problems on the streets of Rio,” Steven Cho (11) said. “There were so many problems that I, along with many others, doubted that the Olympics would even take place this year.

Even though there might have been some rocky situations, I think the games should be considered a success, taking into consideration the poor social and political situation in Brazil.”

Reports of unsafe facilities,

subpar accommodations, and uncomfortable living conditions led to the creation of a hashtag: #IOCLuxuryLodging, which sarcastically poked fun at the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) unpreparedness in Brazil. This hashtag shed light on the complications in Rio, and led to further amplified complaints regarding the IOC’s decision to let Brazil host the Olympics.

Although various drawbacks plagued the games, the Olympics was still a platform for excellence, sportsmanship, and entertainment.

Throughout the course of two weeks, there were many instances that characterized the essence of sportsmanship and camaraderie. International, national, and societal boundaries all dissolved as the world united in response to the athletic talent that was showcased throughout the games. The dedication, passion, and geniality of these athletes served to motivate some watching at home, creating an atmosphere of philanthropy that resonated throughout the world.

“Though the Olympics is meant to rank people according to their athletic talents, I realized that [the games] brought people together,” Harry Shin (11) said. “I think that the sportsmanship that was displayed showed people that there is more to sports than winning. I believe that though winning first place is nice, it is also important to win respect, and that is what a lot of athletes achieved this year.”

Being hailed as one of the most iconic photos of the games, the selfie that united North and South Korea accurately represented the spirit of the Rio Olympic games. Un-jong Hong and Eun-ju Lee of North and South Korea, respectively, posed for a selfie during their training sessions before their performances. While both failed to claim the championship in their rounds, their actions alluded to unity that the games represent. Though the two nations are still at war, small actions like these show that individuals and cultures have to capability of bonding in the most tumultuous situations.

Although many of these valorous actions go unrecognized, there exists a fourth medal to reward the best of them: the Pierre de Coubertin medal, named after the founder of the modern Olympics.

Continued on page 10

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Profit vs. Pain Privatized Prisons

Get Ready, Get Set, Get Smart

Globalization:

Things forgotten, things lost

Pokemon Go: Reality in a new dimension

VIEWPOINT by Soomin Chun

NEWS by Jeremy Nam

FOCUS by Diana Nakyoung Lee

LIFESTYLE by Amy Jungmin Kim

The Road(s) Not Taken “So wait, are you pre-med, engineering, business, law, or arts? You have to be one of those five.”

With this question we know it has begun: yes, college apps are now in season.

Even before the extended investigations that characterize this time of the year, we all know we have pretty similar stats – test scores, one sport, one instrument, one volunteer club, etc. But we gloss over the fact that even our intended areas of study/academic interests are heavily centered on a few, select fields.

Is this because our Korean instincts tell us to go for the stereotypically “high-earning” jobs, a.k.a. doctors, lawyers, engineers, or businessmen? Well, partially. It is only natural for us to aim for jobs that pay well, in this capitalistic society – this isn’t just a Korean problem.

But the issue goes beyond that, frankly.

Regards to SIS specifically, we’ve been trained to be test-takers and problem solvers. Students are used to goals that they can reach with very specific milestones: you can become a doctor by taking the doctor test, a lawyer by passing the bar, a businessman by getting an MBA, etc.

When it comes to paving a unique path, the reality is simply filled with too many variables and not enough constants to disregard the odds and take that leap of faith.

And then again, many say that the reason for a lack of declared job diversity is a lack of job awareness. Not many in SIS have probably heard of becoming an urban health planner, fragrance chemist, or even a lobotomist. But despite the fact that the school attempts to raise awareness through “career week,” declared job diversity does not seem to have improved amongst the student body.

This is because the negative perceptions of “unconventional” jobs confine us into the five job categories that we feel we have to choose from. When we are conditioned to hear words like “curator,” “lawyer,” and “businessman” and automatically gawk at their achievements, we are bound to be disappointed when jobs like “city planner” or “wedding planner” are discussed.

Ever since we stepped into the education system we heard countless cliches about life: Live life to its fullest!

Be passionate! Your income is not what matters! As we get older and hear more and more of these we just pass them off as cliches and nothing more. But when it comes to sayings, there is always a grain of truth in each: What matters is your passion for the job, your eagerness to advance in the field, and your will to make a change in the lives of others, big or small.

By Jaeha Kim and Ariel Lee

Let yourself be heard. If you have any responses to articles published in Tiger Times or original contribution, please send them to tigertimes @ gmail.com

VIEWPOINT

Closing Pandora’s Box & other gifts

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Editorial

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The initiative of the National Assembly to confront corruption head-on is commendable, but the various clauses included undermine the efficacy of the policy.

e Koreans are a gracious people. Imbedded within us is the instinctive need to give gifts. In the Western world, gifts are most often given during birthdays, Christmas, and bridal showers; in Korea, showing up with a bundle of gifts to eat lunch with someone who had offered assistance is often customary. We express our thanks not with a thank you note but with a thank you present. Our generosity, however, has far reaching consequences.

The ubiquity of magnanimous giving and gracious receiving has often blurred the boundary between simple appreciation and duplicitous bribery. It is not at all uncommon for “a gift” to be used as a euphemism for “a bribe.” A parent generously gifting a teacher a Rolex watch can be taken as either sincere gratitude or a crafty incentive. Even in the political arena, politicians, in a number of cases, have been found or suspected to have surreptitiously accept gifts from their peers, inciting much scrutiny from the public.

Whether this is causation or mere correlation, one can only speculate.

Deeming bribery a serious threat, the National Assembly ratified the Anti-Corruption and Conflicts of Interest Act, dubbed the Kim Young-ran Law, on March 27, 2015, in effect by September 28, 2016.

Under the law, giving gifts valued in

excess of one million won to government officials, the media, and private schools is a criminal offense.

Though the law is a step forward, it is a step in the wrong direction. The initiative of the National Assembly to confront corruption head-on is commendable, but the various clauses included undermine the efficacy of the policy. One such fatal flaw is that the law sees offerings of one million won and five million won as distinct. But if both offerings have malicious intent, why would the amount of money have any effect in determining whether or not the offering is a bribe? Wouldn’t the bribe still be a bribe whether or not the offering is the keys to a 2.4 million USD Aston Martin One-77 or a brand new iPhone 6S? Indeed, the One-77 may and will have a greater impact on swaying a politician than a cheaper and less expensive gift. But the purpose of both the more expensive and the less expensive gift is insidious: both are still bribes no matter the price.

The implications of the law for the country are significant, especially because as many as three million people may be prosecuted-- and some may not even be the perpetrator. Under the law, the family of the recipient is criminalized as well, a clause that is both unjust and unnecessary. Such does not stray far from North Korea’s practice of forcing the families

of defectors into labor camps, even if the family was innocent.

With all its clauses, however, our politicians attempts at cracking down on corruption is, simply put, ineffective. The law’s failure to differentiate between a gift of appreciation and a gift of manipulation is its downfall and its unnecessary severity is its Achilles heel.

But what of SIS? With its far-flung impact, however, the ramifications of the law for SIS are minimal. Due to pre-existing guidelines on gifts, which instructed teachers to kindly reject or return gifts from parents, bribery has been of little to no concern. According to Michael Colaianni, Director of Schools, and James Gerhard, HS Principal, SIS has already cracked down on bribery.

To the credit of the lawmakers, however, the solution to the issue of bribery is one that cannot be easily found. Gifting is so deeply rooted in Korean culture that showing gratitude without a wine bottle and a gift card to Lotte Department Store could elicit a passive-aggressive glare.

Gifting has become the norm in our society, and its ubiquity makes differentiating between a gift and a bribe without eliminating the very culture of gifting next to impossible.

By Justin Chang Junior, Staff Writer

Action plans post-THAAD deployment The South Korean government’s decision in early August to deploy the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) has aroused strong opposition for its disregard for citizens’ rights. North Korea is, of course, dangerous in that they occupy nukes that can potentially cause harm; but how far is our government willing to go, just to keep a particular agreement with the US, and how is that going to affect our nation in the near future?

For one, the decision to construct the system was made unilaterally by the government, only opening up to the public after it was already confirmed. For people residing in Seongju—where the system is to be placed—this was an incredibly unfair decision. The people that would be most affected by the enormous missile system in their backyard did not even have a notice before the construction actually began; while in a democratic society, the optimal answer should have been a referendum that considered the opinions of its citizens. Allowing the government to continue with the amount of power they were given is not only by principle against democracy but may also allow for future abuses of power.

But even if you were someone that did not care about abstract democratic principles, it is important to consider whether or not this is even going to protect us from the notorious weapons of the North.

The inherent purpose of the deployment was to implement a defense system against North Korea’s arsenal of nuclear weapons and missiles, and supporters argue that it is necessary for security.

However, the system is only a starting point, as THAAD has not been proven in actual battle and needs many developments. Also, it is known that North Korea has already prepared a variety of methods to dodge these systems and there is no guarantee that the missiles will be enough to combat the North's artillery. THAAD is ineffective even on the most basic issue of practicality, giving us no reason to sacrifice the sanctity of democracy and neglect the rights of our citizens.

Korea also has conflicts in its diplomatic relations with China. China has urged the relocation of the system so that it would not reach their borders, claiming the system is too close for comfort. Our alliance with China is extremely important on both economic and political terms, but China has started to show hostility, threatening our close ties. According to the Joongang Daily, China has cancelled

both entertainment and culture festivals designed for Chinese tourists in Korea, and have even gone so far to ban the online streaming of Korean dramas for their citizens. Although these measures may seem insignificant, the enmity that China is giving off may lead to more opposition within the international arena.

It seems clear that THAAD has greater consequences than the government probably anticipated. In a democracy, when such policy causes weeks of riot and opposition from the people, the only answer should be to respect citizen voices.

Continually neglecting the protests in the name of protection is simply granting the government too much power and its ineffectiveness is not worth the tradeoff between the system and our citizens.

By Michelle Lee Sophomore, Staff Writer

Tiger Times April 2016

Tiger Times 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.

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Tiger Times Staff Paper Editors-In-Chief Jaeha Kim Ariel Lee Website Editors-in-Chief Claire Kim Eric Song Paper Managing Editor Andrew Ham

Website Managing Editor Nicholas Kim Production Editor Grace Lee Graphics Editor Rachel Kang Photo Editor Daniel Shin

Copy Editors Sarah Kim Diana Nakyoung Lee Soomin Chun Alice Lee Reporters Junie Kah Michelle Lee Jeremy Nam Marie Park Grace Yang

Justin Chang Andrea Kwon Photographers Ryan Jang April Kim Angela Choe Graphics Artists Jina Kim Michelle Cho Youngseo Jhe

Layout Artists Joyce Lee Soomin Lee Amy Jungmin Kim Dawn Kim Yejune Park Adviser Mr. David Coleman

Extended Viewpoint: American prisoners seen as a way of lucrative business and Korean prisoners discriminated for religious preference: these are merely a few of the many examples of what the incarcerated face. A look behind-the-scenes of the criminal law system can tell us a little more as to why such phenomena are occurring.

Privatized Prisons Profit: A Closer Look at Reality

By Soomin Chun

While the real Korean law system is hidden away in the inner folds of the Ministry of Justice, on TV screens all over the nation, citizens see corrupt businesses torn down, dishonest judges fired, and manipulative billionaires executed. At least justice is achieved in the realms of fantasy, since the strings of justice are not always untangled in real life.

Recently, the American legal system has sparked controversy for its criminal law system. As well as being known for winning the most medals overall at the Rio 2016 Olympics and being the global first in wine consumption, the US also holds the title for the highest incarceration rate, at 710 inmates per 100,000 residents. So why does the land of the free have so many people locked up? A behind-the-scenes look into the system tells us a little more.

According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, violent crime in the US has continued to decrease since the 1990s while the incarceration rate has inversely quintupled over the past thirty years to reach staggering new heights.

Wait, what?

Aren’t more people in prison supposed to scare the public into reducing crime? And isn’t less crime supposed to mean fewer prisoners?

Not if prisons are perceived as a lucrative business rather than terrifying places of murder and chaos, which charac-

terizes the recent evolution of the system due to the millions of people around the world working in the prison industry, now the third largest employer in the world. The privatized prison industry complex has worked hard to bring and retain more prisoners. One way they do so is by entering into malicious partnerships with companies who benefit from the cheap prison labor and in return lobby for longer sentences and harsher legislation, which inevitably creates a vicious cycle of mass incarceration.

Only recently, on Aug. 16, did the Department of Justice announce the end of privately owned prisons. But this isn't as great as it seems—the decision was not due to the lower pays, higher turnover rates, or appalling conditions of the prisons, but because of a small decrease in the federal prison population, which opened up space for those locked up in privatized institutions.

There are some things that should be placed in the free market, like how technology companies are constantly driven by the capitalistic competition to innovate their products and capture the hearts of their whimsical customers.

But correctional services are not and should not be businesses. Once money is involved, people find loopholes and cut corners, but in the legal system there are no shortcuts whatsoever to morality and justice. Justice is not a race to see who can give Bob the longest sentence or squeeze the most labor out of him, but rather a careful step-by-step process to help prisoners correct their behavior and

get back to their normal lives.

Privatized prisons follow the laws of economics—to increase profit, you must decrease costs, and so they minimize the number of guards and maximize the number of prisoners. But prisoners deserve to receive correctional treatment unscathed by exterior, private motives, which now takes the form of profit.

Now let’s travel all the way around the world to Korea where, unfortunately, similar problems exist. Although its prison system is radically smaller with only one private prison, the Somang Correctional Institution in Yeoju, Gyeonggi, partial motives are still imbedded into the Korean prison system culture.

According to the Korea Joongang Daily, at this institution, the “warden hands out warm hugs instead of threats of punishment,” and meals include “panbroiled squid, sea jelly soup and braised scallions.” Sounds like the perfect progressive prison, right? Wrong. The prison, which was founded by Protestants, faces criticism for infringing on prisoners’ freedom of religion, as the institute stated it would “only accommodate prisoners who agree in advance to fully abide by [their] Christian guidelines and reform programs.” Must prisoners lose their basic rights in order to be able to serve their sentences in a decent facility?

There seems to be no altruistic motive to just help prisoners. Without the federal government holding the reigns, other motives such as profit and evangelism inevitably seep in below the rusting halo.

The examples are endless. In Korea,

where extreme importance is put upon military service, Jehovah’s Witnesses that refuse the mandatory service due to their beliefs are sentenced to an 18-month jail service in addition to the social stigma they must face when they come out. On the other side of the world, African Americans make up 12-13% of the US population, but 35% of total jail inmates, according to the US Department of Justice. Not that these incongruencies and flaws were completely unexpected, since it is much easier to find a target or scapegoat than stay completely impartial. But how should we then expect the criminal justice system to rehabilitate those who have made a mistake in society when the justice system itself must be rehabilitated?

The first step toward a better system is to get rid of privatization and treat criminals not as a source of income but as people who need help from the government and have the right to receive it. While this might shrink the prison industry and vaporize many jobs, citizens will instead save much tax-money as it costs roughly $20,000 per year for every inmate in prison. Not only that, less people locked up means more valuable active members of society—something everyone can profit from.

When did prison become a means to achieve selfish ends, rather than encourage repentance and learning? Beware— you might be the newest member of the prison industry, which is always keen to welcome newcomers. Your odds are not as slim as you might believe.

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NEWS

NEWS BRIEFS

feminism edition

Brief introduction to feminism Traditionally, feminism was considered a movement supported only by leftists discontent with men having power.

However, with popular celebrities like Ellen Page and Beyoncé supporting the movement, feminism has now become mainstream. Feminism now refers to the thought that both men and women possess equal potential. As TIME Magazine puts it, this new era is “less about asking for equality, but more about proving and showing that it has been earned.”

However, many still consider feminists as man-haters, and they are often dismissed. Recently, numerous events have been debated over their retrogressive aspects, causing controversies all over the world.

New York legislature lifts tax on feminine hygiene products Andrew Cuomo, governor of New York, agreed last May to sign into law a sales tax exemption for feminine hygiene products. Many women were angered by the fact that tampons were taxed while other medical products such as bandages or condoms were not.

“Countries around the world that support equal treatment of men and women are headed in a positive direction,” said Jonathan Ames, high school social studies teacher. “But legislations like the tampon tax still do exist in many places. Reaching a level of equality that is advocated by many feminists cannot be accomplished in an instant. It is a gradual but meaningful process that everyone should be taking part in together.”

Gaming company Nexon fires feminist worker Megalia, a Korean feminist group, criticized Nexon, one of the largest gaming companies, due to its overtly sexualized depictions of female game characters. When Jayoun Kim, a voice actress who worked for Nexon, spoke out about this by posting a photo of herself wearing a shirt saying “Girls Do Not Need A Prince,” she was immediately fired, and Nexon replaced her role in games such as “Closers” or “Hero Warz.”

Shortly after her replacement, Kim released an official apology explaining her stance as a feminist.

“Although I am a gamer myself, sexually portrayed female characters sometimes make me feel uncomfortable,” Ryan Hyun (9) said. “This only reinforces the already-condescending perception that many conservative Korean men have on the women around them. With one of the nation’s representative industries supporting sexualized female characters, it is almost impossible for the country to become completely pro-gender equality.”

By Sarah Kim

Seoul experiences record number of heat waves

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ccording to the Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA), Seoul had the hottest summer this year since the government started keeping records in 1907, with temperatures reaching a peak of 36.6 degrees Celsius. According to the Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPC), the total energy price this August was 1.5 times the average price for fall and winter months.

The Korea Herald points out that the Heat Island Phenomenon, a process that traps in heat, has been partly responsible for the high temperatures. Additionally, they claim that for a city as densely packed as Seoul, the “Heat Island Phenomenon” can raise the temperature from one to 12 degrees Celsius higher than that of the surrounding rural areas.

“The Heat Island Effect happens when you replace a natural ecosystem with buildings, as is the case with Seoul. Turning on air conditioning adds to the effect because heat is wasted by the air conditioning system,” said Mrs. Brodhead,

Environmental Science teacher. “Natural landscapes are important, because vegetation reflects more solar energy than buildings and paved surfaces, and helps maintain a cool microclimate by providing shade and moisture.”

According to Korea Times, the heat waves have also prompted controversy over electricity rates as citizens voiced discontent at the current electricity rates.

The industrial utilities rate, or the electricity rates for customers such as companies, has been found to be much cheaper than the rates for individual households.

“In July, my family had to pay an electricity bill of about 520,000 won,” Taeyeon Kim (11) said. “We are expecting an even higher cost this August, because the persistent heat makes us turn on the air-conditioning even more. Last July, the heat was not as bad, so we paid around 400,000 won.”

However, some point out that, compared to other developed countries, Korea’s electricity rates is still very low.

According to the KEPC, the rate is 97.98 won per kilowatt-hour, less than half of Japan’s 215.91 won rate, or Denmark’s 323.72 won rate. In fact, according to the Korea Herald, Korea has the cheapest electricity rate among the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development countries.

“Although electricity in Korea is cheaper than other countries, the system of higher electricity rates for households is unfair,” Irene Lee (11) said. “It does not take into account months, like July, when the energy usage goes up dramatically.”

Nonetheless, the KMA predicts that the heat waves will subside by August 26, and temperatures will cool down to at least 27 degrees Celsius in September. According to the KMA, Seoul’s temperature in August 25 fell to 24.8 degrees Celsius, marking a transition from summer to autumn.

By Jina Kim Junior, Staff Writer

Government issued comfort women negotiations stir controversy amongst citizens

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n Aug. 26, a group of comfort women and their advocates contended against the Korean government, which recently approved Japan to substitute a million yen accompanied by issuing an apology for the historical crisis of Korean sex slaves.

Although the comfort women claimed that such exchange of money was not a form of genuine apology and condemned this billion yen trade as just another course of path Japan undertook to deny its historical “crime,” the Korean government still accepted to comply with Japan’s proposal on Sept. 2.

“It is hard to believe that we have to fight our own government,” said Alix Kim (12), a supporter of the comfort women.

“It is ironic that the victims, those who really need support from our government and hold the right to demand a true apology from Japan, are actually denied any backing from their own country. In essence, the Korean government killed the victims twice by accepting this billion yen exchange.”

Comfort women and their supporters have long been working to spread awareness about the plight of former sex slaves.

Not only did they hold rallies in front of Japanese Embassy in Korea every Wednesday, but the supporters also actively commemorated Hak-soon Kim, who first publically testified as sex slave, a few days before Korean Liberation Day on Aug. 15.

“I have actually seen the protest movement around embassy,” said Andrew Lee (11), another supporter of this issue. “The large scale of its movement, with thousands of complaints on sticky notes plastered over the Embassy wall and groups of advocates yelling for real compensation, shocked me in a way. There were far younger people as well as more international helpers participating in this protest than I expected. With an overwhelming number of security guards on scene, the whole story seemed to appear way more truthful and intense in a real setting.”

In addition to its submission of a billion yen instead of some sincere words of apology, Japan requested that the girl statue, which represents purity of comfort women, in its embassy in Seoul to be removed. In response to this demand, Korea said it would discuss the consequences with the women. All women and supporters even from abroad, however,

firmly stated that the statue should not be removed. For instance, the US court ruled in favor of keeping the comfort women statue in Glendale, California while another statue was unveiled at Croydon Park in Sydney recently in memory of the victims. Despite the tense dispute between two countries, support for comfort women seems to continue as the statue in Sydney adds up to the twelfth memorial statue overseas.

“I am disappointed at both the Korean and Japanese government for agreeing upon these terms,” said Yunah Han (11), an advocate of comfort women. “Both parties are clearly aware that measures proposed by Japan are not what these women want, that these victims are seeking a genuine apology rather than financial compensation. The Korean government should also take blame as they have failed to communicate with the women while only working for their political benefits.

Less than 50 victims are alive at this point and it is about time for some respectful, two-direction conversation to happen.”

By Grace Yang Junior, Staff Writer

Tiger Times September 2016

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School play begins: get ready, get set, Get Smart both of whom are tasked on a mission in

affirms that it will play a crucial role to the play.

“We might take it for granted at times, but any kind of theater without music is very boring,” said Mr. Ganus. “Even though this play is not a musical and has therefore significantly less music than previous plays, the music is still important to set the mood and the scene. Especially when you have live musicians as opposed to recorded ones, it’s just a better experience for everyone.”

The lead role of Maxwell Smart will be played by James Park (10). Although James has been part of many previous school productions, he has filled the roles of secondary characters. This year, he is the theatrical face of the entire cast and crew.

“I have worked with most of my fellow cast members before in various drama productions such as previous plays, and I’m incredibly excited to work with them again for this year’s production,” said James, “I’m also delighted to see new faces among the cast and crew joining and realize just how wonderful school productions can be.

“Get Smart” is not only a way for actors and actresses to express their enthusiasm for drama, but also a medium for students to work together in making one massive Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt Photo by Angela Choe production. With the addition into the play ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. of organizations such as Blue Note, a new style of theater, and a refreshed cast and he satirical spy television show the days of the espionage-dominant Cold productions have all been primarily very crew, it is as imperative as ever to ensure a “Get Smart” will be adapted and War. The play pokes fun at prevalent issues somber, but we want to stray away from that flawless cohesion between individuals and put to the SIS stage on Nov. 3-4. of the time period, referring to habits of this year. “Get Smart” was a television show systems.

The play will be brought to life anti-communist sentiment. with slapstick comedy and cleverly placed “The cast and crew ranges from as young by both middle and high school students Although previous school productions humor, and want to create a production that as 6th graders to as old as 12th graders, but as usual, and the new drama department have all been musicals, this year Mr. Arthars emulates that. Hopefully this year’s produc- it isn’t hard for us to work cohesively while supervisor, John Arthars, will overlook the has decided to focus on the genre of comedy, tion is one that is overall more enjoyable enjoying ourselves,” said Yoobin Lee (10), overall production of which he has brought thereby giving opportunities of lead roles to and entertaining.” the female lead of the play. “Starting from subtle, yet noticeable variations to fundathose who might be proficient in acting but Although the production is straying from the art department, jazz club, the crew, the mental theatrical facets. not necessarily singing. Mr. Arthars notes its musical roots, this does not mean that cast, to the director himself, there are so Although the play gets its namesake from that the change in the style of theater will there is not a musical aspect to the produc- many who have worked to make this play the famous 1960s television show, save a few see fundamental changes in production to tion. This year, SIS’s own jazz ensemble possible and I hope the audience enjoys character traits and premise, not much else fit the mood of the play. from the club Blue Note will accompany what we put on.” is similar. The school production follows “The angle that we’re trying to go for this the play. Michael Ganus, Band Director and an incompetent secret agent by the name of play is a comical look at a very serious topHead of Music Department, will overlook

By Jeremy Nam Maxwell Smart and his partner, Agent 99, ic,” said Mr. Arthars. “Previous school the ensemble for rehearsal, and strongly Sophomore, Staff Writer

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The More You Know

What elite athletes have in common: their brains

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Athletes aren’t just faster, stronger, and better—they’re also smarter.

ntelligence dominates athletes on the fields, the courts, and the pools.

Take pistol shooting, for example.

It seems simple enough; doesn’t Virginia Thrasher, Olympic gold medalist in the 10m air rifle event, merely raise a gun and pull a trigger? No. In that split second she has to calculate the angle of her elbow, the contraction of her forearm muscles, the twitching of her wrist, and all this while struggling with the towering pressure of a nation’s dreams and the mental pitfalls an unfocused mind may impose on an athlete’s psyche.

According to researchers Reza Shadmehr of Johns Hopkins University and John Krakauer of Columbia University, the brain is like an adaptive muscle that molds a path to perfection through successes and failures. Shadmehr and Krakauer found that when the brain’s advised course of action turned out to be

less than optimal, it revised—in other words, the brain is a fluid entity, capable of flexibility and forging new solutions to problems. In the process, unnecessary bridges between neurons are destroyed, accelerating the speed of thought.

This may be why the mantra “practice makes perfect” works so well for sports, not only because muscles develop with repetition but because each time a mistake is made the brain revises and creates neural pathways that are more effective and efficient in what they do. Athletes are, in essence, glorified problem-solvers— chess players who hit the gym, if you will.

According to “The Quest for the Perfect Athlete,” a documentary detailing the new role of neuroscience in athletics, the best weightlifters in the world can visualize their lifting routine in detail with little or no distracting activity in the other areas of their brains. Those who were

unable to craft a mental image of their success did not perform as well physically—a phenomenon labeled as the forward model, or the ability of the body to mirror what is first created mentally.

This research is significant today because athletes are quickly approaching physical perfection in many sports. Maybe this is what’s most ironic about this phenomenon, the fact that traditional views of “jocks” and “nerds” are incorrect; that is, if the distinction between intelligence and mental capacity can be blurred.

The brain is an untapped commodity that has the ability to confound researchers time and time again. Perhaps with this new field of research athletes can begin laying off the doping and hitting the research lab instead.

By Andrew Ham Junior, Managing Editor

s d a o r s s o r C a At

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So here we are, standing at this vibrant intersection of ideas, a generation chosen to experience this second stage of globalization firsthand.

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SYNCRETISM IN LAW: THE NEW CONTROVERSY

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By Diana Na Kyoung Lee

n the path to globalization is a vibrant, colorful, and clamoring intersection. Everyday, people from hundreds of different countries reach this crossroad and meet a wave of ideas completely novel or foreign to them.

It is too early to tell whether globalization will be beneficial or not, but the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the Cato Institute agree that globalization has already redefined many systems of thought, behavior, law, and government. These new, mixed systems are born from fusion: take the f. A type of sashimi wrapped a burrito-sized blanket of rice and seaweed, the sushiritto is a fusion of Japanese and Mexican cuisine, and it is dominating food trucks across New York and California. It is delicious, and frankly, innocuous. But when it comes to laws and policies, globalization has posed much more intricate challenges.

What happens when “new and diverse” ideas are inappropriately incorporated into an old system? Can mixed systems, if mismanaged, become a liability?

A major clash in this intersection is a debate on how women “should” dress. At its epicenter is the French burkini ban that was passed after the Nice terrorist attacks in July and was overturned this August.

According to the Washington Post, the burkini is a mix between Muslim and Western cultures. It twopiece mix of a burka and a bikini designed for “modest Muslim women.”

“In Western liberal democracies, values like freedom of speech and religion are foundations,” said Jonathan Ames, Government and Politics teacher.

“However, they can shift and be altered depending on the political climate. Many European countries are now arguing that to guarantee protection, certain rights can be taken away. And yet other people argue

that these foundations of Western thought should be inflexible. Look at the burkini ban. Personally, I think the ban is ridiculous. Political actions that aren’t fully thought through or made without thorough understanding can definitely have huge consequences, on ideals and on people. ” But the rise of burkinis was not an isolated incident: take the Chinese “face-kini.” According to the Washington Post, Chinese beaches are full with women sporting “colorful, full-face masks” with eyes-andmouth holes. Face-kinis are supposed to help women maintain fair and pale skin. In an interview with the New York Times, a Qingdao beachgoer posed a question to the French government: what would it do to her if she decided to wear a face-kini to a Nice beach?

A single act of face-covering can be interpreted in a myriad of ways, depending on the context. In it, some see conservatism or oppression. Some see empowerment. Some see a beauty routine or protection from UV-rays. By inviting cultures that have never crossed so directly with each other into one courtroom, globalization has made all of these nuances fair game.

“Laws stand on principles, and these principles need to be clear and concrete,” said Juhyung Park (12), vice-president of the Model United Nations club. “You can’t say that a founding principle or law applies to one case but not the other. Globalization is creating a lot more of these cases, and many of them are extremely unique. They’re going to be posing interesting challenges to legal systems around the world.”

East-Asian countries are also facing similar predicaments. According to the Chosun Ilbo, President Park Geun-Hye of South Korea implemented a “Free Semester Policy” in 2016 to “free middle school students from examination pressures and to allow them explore their dreams and talents through career

studies and discussions.” The new law applies to one of six middle school semesters. The policy is designed to emulate New Zealand’s system.

“I have a little sister in middle school, and I’ve found the policy an interesting effort and an attempt in progress” said Junbeom Lee (12), student at Hanyoung Foreign Language High School, where students study Korean curricula during the day and American courses at night. “Even in middle school, young Asian students maintain their GPA meticulously to enter top high schools. It’s undeniable that this pressure needs to be lessened. But I was surprised that the law only applied to one semester. That’s too short. I appreciate the principle and the initiative for change, but the policy itself needs some fine-tuning.”

Asian education has long been famous (or infamous) for being methodical, practical, and rigorous. According to Aminuddin Hassan, professor of educational studies at Universiti Putra Malaysia, such values are characteristic of a Confucian education. Because the values planted in students in school often grow to define their worldview as adults, many scholars see South Korea’s shift in policy as a sign of a bigger long-term pivot.

So here we are, standing at this vibrant intersection of ideas, a generation chosen to experience this second stage of globalization firsthand. Look around: systems of thought, behavior, law, and government are colliding and bonding and clashing all around us.

These products of fusion are still young, still imperfect, and still shifting—mixed systems will continue trying find the right balance point for quite some time. Nevertheless, they have already posed momentous questions to ideas taken for granted, entered novel variables to old equations, and tested old systems against brand-new liabilities.

LOST IN DIVERSITY: WHAT WE HAVE FORGOTTEN

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lobalization – humanity has obsessed over this idea of worldwide interaction involving the politics, economies, and cultures of different nations. Globalization has often been linked with westernization, as globalization has come to mean the spreading of western ideals and thoughts. However, now the focus has shifted to a new question: What aspects of our unique identities and culture are we losing in globalization?

An example of the effects of globalization lies in the formation of Australian culture, which was born from large-scale international interaction. Ever since the arrival of Europeans in late eighteenth century, many of the aboriginal tribes in the area have been impacted by the unintended consequences. According to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), more languages have been lost in Australia than anywhere else on the planet. Additionally, in the name of progress, Europeans who populated the land have continued to push the aboriginals to barren corners of the continent. This has led to massive poverty, inadequate education, and insurmountable employment problems in many native communities. In fact, suicide rates among aboriginals have increased. A 2014 article by ABC reported that indigenous suicide rates exceeded 100 times the national average. The causes were reported to be a result of both poverty and cultural identity crises, revealing to some the detrimental effects of westernization on native cultures.

“It’s a shame [that the world is losing so much tradition] and I don’t think a civilization should be complete without its culture,” said Morgan Miller, a

By Andrea Kwon

social studies teacher. “It seems to be that if a nation does not assimilate into the western culture, you tend to be left out [of the global network]."

Singapore is also reported to experience similar problems regarding cultural identity. From its British colonization era, the country has been influenced greatly by westernizatiobn. To this day, Singapore remains a highly diverse nation, with ethnic Chinese, Malay, and Indians all peacefully coexisting in the state. The country also hosts a range of multinational companies. However, according to Global Ethics Network, a website dedicated to awareness of ethics, Singaporean traditions have been fading away due to influence of globalization. Increasingly, people have been on the lookout for pizza or Starbucks instead of traditional Singaporean food.

Perhaps the loss of certian cultural elements and traditions is a long-term effect of colonization.

Post-independence, many of these countries may have strived to quickly assimilate into the now heavily Western-dominated society of fast food chain restaurants, ripped jeans, and heavy emphasis on capitalistic business ventures. Eager to build up coutries economically, many may have forgotten their unique cultural and historical elements.

In response to the disappearance of indigenous culture, many have tried to revive lost traditions.

Particularly in Australia, efforts have been made to revive the aboriginal experience. For example, songs were written in the native languages of Australia to increase awareness. According to Micheal Silber, high school social studies teacher, University of British

Columbia is attempting to preserve indigenous languages through additional research and coursework at local schools.

“It has become more challenging to preserve identity and culture," Mr. Silber said."Identity and culture sometimes just becomes a tourism thing. It’s something like some trinket that is sold in West Africa.

There are ways to resist; there are ways to preserve.

But it takes effort. It takes money."

Loss of culture may be synonomous with loss of identity. However, in some cases, a progressive attitude may be more beneficial for a society. In India, westernization has altered the inflexible caste system to include more open mindsets. Although the social hierarchy still does exist, there are many more opportunities and protection for the lower classes.

According to BBC News, India is slowly progressing, making new laws protecting the Dalits, also known as the untouchables, as well as having them in positions of power.

“I think we have to put things into perspective," said Jeffrey Park, an advocate for progressivism. "We have to identify the harms of globalization but we don’t want to say ‘lets go back to a pre-globalized age’ where there is a definite preservation of culture, but less democracy, more famine, more problems."

Globalization indeed has become a fact of life, with the advent of technologies such as the internet.

However, humanity now has to answer the bigger questions about the balance between global culture and tradition, community and individuality, progressivism and conservatism.

8 LIFESTYLE

No Guac

For All:

99 Complaints Against the World IMDB: Rotten Tomatoes:

You go into a supermarket, desperately trying to find some avocado to make guacamole or some cilantro to season your dishes. Unfortunately, your chances of finding any of these vegetables in a Korean market is close to zero. Surely many previous US residents have once in their life suddenly been filled with a desire to eat some nice, homemade guacamole and set on a quick excursion to a nearby market, only to be disheartened to find that the closest thing to avocado is broccoli.

Exotic vegetables include produce like avocados, artichokes, cilantro, and basil.

The reason why such vegetables are an everlasting hit in Western countries is not only because of the mouth-watering taste but also because of the variety of foods you can make with it. Whether it is for seasoning purposes or to make some nice rolls with avocados, these vegetables have enough potential to make any type of dish.

I know as a fact that many others face the situation of supermarkets not having vegetables we see everyday in the US, such as bell peppers. The integration of such “exotic vegetables” is necessary in widening the diversity of Korean culture. With a growing population of foreigners who immigrate to Korea, we must accommodate for these people and have supermarkets sell

6.8/10 4.7/10

NAVER Movie:

7.6/10

a much wider range of vegetables. As international citizens who know the uneasiness of being stripped away from everything we once knew, we have an obligation to introduce new types of vegetables into our markets.

However, what is the clear-cut line for something to be considered exotic? For the average American, when they hear that bell peppers are considered “foreign” items, they will most likely elicit an interesting response. In some aspects, Koreans avoiding vegetables like basil or cilantro is like Americans avoiding food like kimchi.

Although the foreignness of such foods cannot be avoided, people can make an effort to close off that gap of unfamiliarity and embrace it into their culture.

Thus, the main problem is that Koreans consider avocados and cilantro as “exotic” when most people in the world see it as a common, everyday vegetable. So how do we integrate such vegetables into the Korean market so that the demand for them is substantial enough to actually be sold? The slow introduction of such vegetables is key to the acceptance of them. Perhaps another root cause is the xenophobic mindset instilled in the majority of Koreans, which might be the reason why there was not a big move to incorporate exotic vegetables

into Korean markets for the past few years.

Although there are many vegetables that can be imported into Korea, it is just that Koreans do not really accept these foreign shrubs into their society.

If that is indeed the case, our job as the bridge from Korean to Western culture is to alleviate the xenophobia that is persistent in society today. Also, the fact that there exists a large population that appreciates produce like bell peppers and parsley in and of itself is a legitimate reason for markets to stock such vegetables. Or just maybe, I’m analyzing this too deeply. Nonetheless, that does not mean that we can simply brush off this problem.

However, even if we succeed in bringing nonnative vegetables to Korea, beware: once you dive into the world of avocados and artichokes, there is no turning back to the safe lifestyle of fermented cabbage.

So why do we not have these vegetables available for the general public? It is time for Koreans to immerse themselves in the joy of eating such vegetables. Hopefully, I’ll soon have the proper ingredients to make some tasty guacamole to dip my tortilla chips in.

By Junie Kah Sophomore, Staff Writer

Production budget: $175 million Release date: August 5, 2016 Box office grosses: $636,721,066 (worldwide)

Graphic by Amy Jungmin Kim Source: kpopmap.com

Suicide Squad: Closer to suicide than success

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year earlier, the action-packed snippets of the Suicide Squad trailer featuring everyone’s favorite DC Comics villains left fans on the edges of their seats out of excitement. However, when the widely anticipated movie finally came out, it is safe to say that many exited the cinemas unsatisfied with an itch unscratched by the mediocre movie.

Suicide Squad, written and directed

by David Ayer, entails the mission of an antihero team composed of famous villains such as Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie), Deadshot (Will Smith), El Diablo (Jay Hernandez). The unlikely team tries to stop the Enchantress, who possesses the body of June Moone (Cara Delevingne) and is trying to destroy and take over the mortal world.

The squad is led and supervised by Colonel Rick Flag (Joel Kinnaman), who acts under the orders of Amanda Waller (Viola Davis).

Throughout the movie, the Joker (Jarod Leto) appears sporadically to retrieve his beloved Harley Quinn back to his side.

Despite having a high profile cast, Suicide Squad felt like an extended trailer.

The plot was clichéd and lacked complexity,

progressing in a series of choppy scenes with some dialogue sprinkled through.

Instead of being focused on the progression of the plot and the flow of the scenes, the film seemed to be more focused on its ambiance, or its “vibes,” leaving the impression that it was trying too hard to seem cool and different from other superhero movies.

However, the plot is far from the biggest downfall of Suicide Squad: the majority of the character development was dismal.

Most of the characters’ backstories, if they were even given one in the first place, were not developed enough to be properly relevant to the storyline. Without well-written, three-dimensional characters that the audience can empathize with and relate to, a movie can only do so much.

For example, one character—it is difficult to even remember his name (Slipknot) from watching the movie alone—is barely introduced before he is killed off. Another character, Katana (Karen Fukuhara), is given a tragic backstory that has no relevance to the plot, and exists as one of Flag’s hackies, upholding the stereotype of submissive Asian women. Still other characters, such as Killer Croc (Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje),

are so insignificant to the plot that they could be omitted from the movie and nothing would change. Even the most infamous character, the Joker (Jarod Leto), could be completely omitted from the film with minimal damage to the plot.

However, not all characters were sohastily characterized. Take Margot Robbie’s Harley Quinn. The actress successfully captured the charismatic yet crazed personality of Harley Quinn. Perhaps due to the phenomenal acting, or perhaps due to Quinn’s distinctive character traits, most can probably agree that the memory of the bubblegum-blowing character lingered long after the credits rolled. Will Smith’s Deadshot and Jay Hernandez’s El Diablo were better characters compared to the rest, too: Deadshot’s obvious love for his daughter and El Diablo’s all-consuming guilt from killing his loved ones gave context, suggested some of the motives behind their actions, and provided some depth to their personalities.

That being said, with the exception of a choice few, too many of the characters in Suicide Squad are little more than two-dimensional stick figures flopping around in

a grungy atmosphere full of action.

However, despite its faults, Suicide Squad was not completely without merit.

The aesthetic appeals that the film makes contributed to the novel idea of a protagonist team composed of supervillains, leaving a somewhat badass impression not found in other hero-based action movies. The music selection, which included songs such as “Without Me” by Eminem and “Bohemian Rhapsody” by Queen, was composed of songs that the audience would surely know and enjoy, and contributed to the aforementioned chic atmosphere that complemented the film. While watching the scenes with those songs, it was easy to sit back and enjoy myself, watching the antics of the protagonist villains and bobbing my head to the beat.

Overall, though Suicide Squad was entertaining to watch due to the bold, flashy themes and a complementing soundtrack, it probably is not worth the money to watch in theaters due to its confusing yet simplistic plot and mostly lackluster characters.

By Marie Park Junior, Staff Writer

Tiger Times September 2016

9

Pokémon Go sparks interest and confusion in Korea

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opping onto the trend of virtual reality (VR) entertainment, software development company Niantic released its augmented reality (AR) game “Pokémon Go” in selected countries on July 6. A real world spin-off of the timeless Nintendo game Pokémon, the smartphone application has been released on both iOS and Android platforms and has already stirred up significant anticipation worldwide.

From its initial release, Pokémon Go was a huge success, ranking first on the US App Store. Users were intrigued by the integration of reality and the world of Pokémon, as the application provided location-based service.

Another acclaimed feature was its promotion of physical activity, for players had to walk around to hunt the Pokémon, definitely a characteristic unique to the game compared to previous versions.

“Some features that interested me were the Pokéstops and Gyms,” Brian Lee (10) said.

“They can be found at various locations in the real world and used to gain items that will help you catch more Pokémon or battle other trainers, giving an additional level of ‘augmented reality’ to the game.”

However, Pokémon Go certainly brought negative consequences as well. For the first few days, the servers of the game continuously crashed due to the overwhelming number of players. Absurd accidents also occurred while people were playing Pokémon Go, interpreted by many as representations of

R

the excessive craze over the game. According to CNN News, in Baltimore, a driver crashed into a police car while hunting for Pokémon.

Additionally, USA Today reported that in St. Louis, four teenagers were found attempting to rob people by installing lure modules, which attract Pokémon to a certain area, in a parking lot and waiting for players to approach them.

So far, Pokémon Go is available in 69 countries, but South Korea is not one of them.

This situation is a result of the relationship between Google Maps, the main maps service collaborating with Niantic, and the South Korean government. The government has refused to provide its detailed map data to Google Maps, prioritizing national security as the nation is technically still at war with its northern neighbor. For a compromise, the government offered to share its data if Google Maps agreed to blur out politically and militarily significant areas on their satellite map. However, Google Maps declined the offer, seeing no reason why South Korea should be made an exception given that all other nations were providing them with full data already.

“While I am not completely familiar with the exact reasoning behind Korea’s policy on limiting the release of domestic maps for international use, I understand the Korean government’s stance on this issue,” said Juhyung Park (12), MUN vice president. “I think that the government is exercising caution considering the fact that we are, technically, still a

With fame comes heavy responsibility

ecently, there have been heated discussions about celebrities’ inability to understand even the very basics of Korean history. On Aug. 14, Tiffany Hwang, a member of the well-known Korean idol group Girl’s Generation, received bitter comments after she posted the Japanese war flag, or rising sun flag, just a day before Korea’s National Liberation Day. Seolhyun Kim and Jimin Shin of the girl group AOA were also attacked with harsh criticism after they failed to recognize the face of the famous Korean independence activist An Jung-geun. Why have these surfaced as such big issues? Many feel that being a celebrity comes with a burden and with responsibilities. As public figures, celebrities have to watch their every action and step with caution. Insensitivity to their national history could be dangerous for celebrities who depend on the love and support of their audience.

These celebrity history scandals are often centered on provocative topics, since being ignorant about Korean history clashes with the sentiment of the country. Shin Chae-ho, a historian and activist from the late 19th to the early 20th century, once said that there is no prominent future for the people who have forgotten the history of their country. He provides a rationale behind the need to study and acknowledge history. History is an important aspect of any culture; without our past, we would not have a present. The inhumane treatment Koreans received during the period of Japanese occupation certainly is the past, but its essence endures in our national character: forgive but never forget. Celebrities should not be exempted from this consciousness just because they pursue a special field.

Compared to the basic responsibilities given to celebrities, historical consciousness may

seem like a heavy load. Nonetheless, celebrities are cultural representatives of our country. They played a significant part in spreading the “Korean Wave”, otherwise known as “Hallyu”, so it would seem hypocritical if the driving forces behind this wave had no knowledge of fundamental Korean history. As people who stand for our country, it is important for celebrities to not consider being oblivious to history as such a trivial matter.

Nevertheless, there is a definite line between constructive criticism and blatant bashing. Everybody makes mistakes, and no one is perfect. People can’t be judged solely based on their blunders, so continuously bombarding celebrities with malicious comments is unnecessary.

Still, celebrities should be conscious of the big role they play in society and take on the obligations that follow. It doesn’t seem very sensible to make learning history a prerequisite for becoming a celebrity, but what can reasonably be done is raising awareness and setting standards for responsibilities. As for the rising sun controversy, some people see the flag as merely an aesthetically pleasing design, which is why the filter was on Snapchat in the first place. It’s true: celebrities already deal with a bundle of duties, but the historical element should be taken into consideration nevertheless. They should be held more accountable, since they are, in fact, both public and cultural figures.

By Youngseo Jhe Sophomore, Staff Writer

country at war. I am, quite honestly, happy to see the government being cautious when releasing this kind of information for international use. It shows me that the government is adamant in doing what is best for the Korean people.”

Due to such reasons, service for Pokémon Go was to be denied in all areas of South Korea. Nonetheless, the nature of GPS gridding has allowed for unique exceptions. It was reported that in the region of Sokcho, the game was available. Niantic had divided up the earth in cells to discern service areas, and Sokcho, being on the northeastern edge of the peninsula, was miraculously excluded from the no-service zone. For local businesspeople, their city’s new stardom proved to be a

A

win-win situation; they were able to increase their sales by taking advantage of the dramatic numbers of tourists who came to play the game.

“I traveled to Sokcho at the end of my summer vacation to play Pokémon Go,” Alex Oh (10) said. “People were playing the game everywhere out on the streets. There were also shops that were using lure modules in the game to attract customers, which I feel positive about since both customers and workers can receive benefits. I hope that we could experience this at not only Sokcho but all over Korea someday.”

By Amy Jungmin Kim Sophomore, Staff Writer

In defense of stardom: Tabloid Blowup

single mistake, especially what could have been a split-second lapse of judgement should not result in a loss of friends. We are more compassionate than that. When we, normal people, make an insensitive comment, we acknowledge what went wrong and apologize for our actions.

Most of the time, people accept your apology, and life continues. But when a celebrity does so, we forget to be civil. We urge celebrities to stop appearing in shows. We doggedly poke at them until they issue a “genuine” apology. `We ruin their careers, and shift our perception to forever crucify and brand them, all because of a single mistake.

Contrary to what the opposition may say, I am not saying that their jobs serve as leeway to not know as much about the world today. If anything, a good deal of celebrities probably know more about the dirty work. Whether it’s the “popular” clique led by Taylor Swift, or the “emo” outcasts fronted by Lorde, the tabloids paint a picture of a bigger, richer high school, filled with exaggerated relationships, love stories, and plenty of drama. But even Hollywood is an industry of its own, made of brands who market themselves as cute, sexy, mature, or smart without revealing every word, expression, and action already programmed.

After all, a single Dispatch article is all it takes to destroy your career.

It is well known that the ideas and thoughts of celebrities influence a wide range of people.

All celebrities know of their public status, and how important it is to their jobs. However, once entertainment reaches a point where its contents are directly political or offensive, most

of its audience is mature enough take the ideas with a pinch of salt. No matter how much I watch Star Trek, Zachary Quinto supporting Hilary Clinton will not make me automatically support her as well. My thinking process is different from his, and I can form my own opinions based on my individual thoughts.

Of course, this is not the case for some issues, especially when it pertains to younger audiences. It is no revelation that perhaps the younger generations of the world wield more power in the depths of Twitter. The idea proves itself multiple times, including but not limited to the instances when One Direction fans lead a crusade on Twitter to fire a particularly “disrespectful” journalist or battle haughty K-Pop fans who like to butt in. But if a star makes a mistake, and the audience unknowingly pick it up from their idols, is it entirely the star’s lack of common sense, or a complex issue that not only involves the celebrity’s misgivings but also a lack of personal judgment, and in most cases lack of parental supervision?

Celebrities lead lives that are vastly different from ours. That being said, there’s no justifying the common knowledge or plain civility a celebrity may lack. But that shouldn’t alienate them from the majority, and force them to go through repercussions far worse than the standard norm. It is time to go beyond our starstruck blindness, and get rid of the filters that make these people seem more heroic or perfect than they are. Celebrities are prone to mistakes, just like anyone else. It is our responsibility to treat them as equals, not an involuntary tribute to the metaphorical Hunger Games of the tabloids.

By Dawn Kim Sophomore, Staff Writer

10

SPORTS

Athletes shine despite Olympic controversy

SPORTS PHOTO OF THE MONTH

(Continued from front page)

This rare and sparsely awarded medal is given to Olympians who epitomize sportsmanship or contribute significantly to the games. Though these athletes may not come in the top three, their actions place them in a category of inspiring and passionate people.

Past Pierre de Coubertin medal winners include Canadian sailor Lawrence Lemieux, who saved two fellow competitors from drowning in the 1988 Seoul Olympics by turning back in the race to help, sacrificing his silver medal in the process.

This year, two athletes were awarded the Pierre de Coubertin medal. Track and field athletes Abbey D’Agostino from the US and Nikki Hamblin from New Zealand became the 17th and 18th recipients of the medal after their inspiring joint performance in the 5,000-meter race. In the course of the race, the two athletes collided with each other and fell, but both Hamblin and D’Agostino took the time to help each other up and finish the race even though D’Agostino had injured her knee in the fall. The two reached the finish line side by side, sacrificing any chances at a medal but exemplifying the notion of sportsmanship and comradery in the face of hardship.

“The notion of the Pierre de Coubertin medal is really interesting, and I never even heard of it before the Olympics in Rio,” Austin Jeong (10) said. “I think that the winners of this medal really exemplify what the Olympics are supposed to be about. The sisterhood I saw between [Hamblin and D’Agostino] was inspiring to watch, and they completely deserved the medal.

I hope that later on, more athletes will focus less on their race and look at the bigger picture like these two did. Surely, people will learn from these examples of sportsmanship and apply them to their own daily lives.”

Sprinting towards the finish line, Justin Chang (11) finishes strong in the friendly cross country race between SIS and KIS. The race, hosted on Aug. 27, was one of the many friendly meets between the

Photo by Daniel Shin

New coaches improve team chemistry

By Ryan Jang Junior, Reporter

F

illing in the spaces of the coaches who left the previous year, Morgan Miller, history teacher, joined the girls varsity volleyball team as its new coach. Tyler Miller and Jennifer Miller, both science teachers, were welcomed to the varsity and junior varsity cross-country teams. In addition, Jonathan Ames, history teacher, took the position of the girls varsity tennis team’s new coach.

The new coaches brought new rules to each of the sports. According to Joe Kim (10), varsity boys cross country member, Coaches Jennifer and Tyler Miller brought a new sense of fairness to the member selection process, an improvement that was unexpected before the new coaches had taken leadership.

“In contrast to last year, our coaches have decided to take our time records from our first friendly meet to choose the varsity members,” Joe said.

“In practices, the new coaches push for more team unity and safety. For

example, [during practice], instead of going ahead individually, all members crossed the road together as a team, and would also wait for the last member to catch up to the group during runs outside of the school campus.”

Similarly, the girls varsity tennis team has taken a different approach to training during practices. According to Jocelyn Lee (10), varsity girls tennis player, Coach Ames runs the practices in a way that is most comfortable and suitable for the female athletes in terms of respecting and following most of the team member’s suggestions. Compared to last year in which the athletes were restricted in terms of sharing their thoughts, they now have no boundaries. Thorough reflections on past games and player feedback on team plays are common in teams with a strong track record.

“Our coach had previous experience coaching for volleyball in other schools,” said Ashley Sohn (12), varsity girls volleyball captain. “This makes it beneficial for us because it

means that we get to try out a new rotation system that we haven’t already tried already so far. He also makes sure that there’s more communication among the players as he highly emphasizes name calling to reduce risks of missing the ball during a game.”

Along with having three senior captains, the volleyball team this year is also taking a more positive yet competitive approach to this season. Since the captains have experienced four years of volleyball at SIS, they have a significant role in making sure the team members fit the new practices, are boosted with team spirit, and that they put a lot of effort into their play.

“Throughout the games and the whole season, I am looking forward to attitudes of persistence, enthusiasm, and commitment from my team,” Coach Morgan Miller said. “I can already imagine this season to be full of improvements, chemistry, and fun.”

By Yejune Park Sophomore, Reporter

Tiger Times September 2016

11

Welcome to Varsity: Sunhee Bae, Lauren Kim, Hannah Kim Girls volleyball players transition into the Big Leagues

Eyes fixed on the ball, (from left to right) Sunhee Bae (10), Lauren Kim (11), and Hannah Kim (10) warm up during practice in preparation of the upcoming volleyball game.

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Grace Lee

ump, set, and spike. Volleyball players repeat this routine every time they receive a ball from over the net. After an intense day of try-outs, Lauren Kim (11), Hannah Kim (10), and Sunhee Bae (10) were welcomed as new members of the varsity girls volleyball team. They have now joined the team effort in getting to the top. Although they may seem harmless at first sight, they transform into fierce, eager players on the volleyball court. By going after every single ball during the try-outs, the girls showed that they were ready to give their best shots on the volleyball court this season.

Lauren, the former co-captain of the junior varsity girls volleyball team, performs consistent accurate sets that belie her modest height of 5’ 2’’. A sports fan her entire life, she decided to pursue volleyball starting from sixth grade. On the first day of try-outs for middle school volleyball, she instantly fell in love with the dynamic plays of volleyball. It has now been more than five years since Lauren started volleyball, and she is thrilled to start a new chapter in

her athletics career as a high school varsity Although she initially joined the program volleyball player. without much thought, the thrill of hitting “When I found out that I made it to the ball mid-air and watching it shoot down varsity this year, I was unbelievably happy, onto the court drew her to the sport, and but a bit downhearted at the same time bethat excitement still continues to captivate cause I would no longer be able to play with Sunhee today. Although she is the youngmy friends in junior varsity,” Lauren said. est player on the team, Sunhee is also the “However, I am excited to engage in more tallest player and uses her height to her advanced set plays in varsity. My favorite advantage, spiking the ball from high above part of volleyball is the relationships I am the net. able to build within “I love the feeling the team. It was very of my spikes when But as soon as I stepped nerve-wracking to leave my hands onto the court, all the other they be a new junior on and go directly down players encouraged me and to the other side the team, but my worries disappeared of the court,” Sunhelped me so much that after our first pracsaid. “Also, the soon, the butterflies in my hee tice. Whether you self-satisfaction I restomach were gone. are a freshman or a ceive from seeing my senior, a setter or a improvements over hitter, good or bad, nothing matters once the years is very exciting. Although I lacked you are part of the team. Everyone accepts confidence to be entirely happy about makyou for who you are and is always so willing ing the varsity team at first, I was still really to help with anything. All the varsity playthrilled at the opportunity to play with ers are so supportive and try their best to upperclassmen. I could not believe it for a work with each other.” few days, since I never expected myself to Like Lauren, Sunhee discovered her become a varsity player. Now, I feel a greatpassion for volleyball through the middle er responsibility to improve my skills.” school volleyball program in sixth grade.

Because the varsity girls volleyball team

“

”

Photos by April Kim

placed second in the KAIAC Conference last season, the players are aiming for first this season. In the process of achieving this goal, the three new varsity players each have individual goals they are striving to reach this season. Lauren wants to test and improve her mentality while playing with the varsity team and be able to overcome mistakes with optimism. Sunhee also hopes to gain confidence by constantly reflecting on her plays and quickly recovering from mistakes. Lastly, Hannah is looking forward to improving her hits over the season. In the Korean Classic Pre-season Tournament on Aug. 27, these girls played on the court for the first time as varsity players.

“When Coach Miller called me over to put me in the game, my heart started beating so fast that my hands were shaking,” Hannah said. “But as soon as I stepped onto the court, all the other players encouraged and helped me so much that soon, the butterflies in my stomach disappeared.

Although there were moments when I struggled, I made many strong serves and spikes overall. This tournament increased my excitement for the season even more, and I cannot wait to see how our season unfolds.”

12

SMALL TALK

idealog: Optimism “The world is a scary, unfair place built to squeeze every little bit of energy out of students.”

by Diana Nakyoung Lee The optimist. A person who calls the glass half-full. A happy-go-lucky, don’tworry-be-happy kind of guy or girl. A mysterious—almost mystical—creature rarely found in SIS hallways.

In the context of everyday conversation, the word “optimist” has become somewhat of an umbrella term for generally upbeat, cheerful, hopeful people. But in the realm of philosophy and sociopsychology, there are very specific types of optimism. According to a seminal paper by psychologist Michael Scheier, the word optimism, in a philosophical sense, encompasses several different types of positive worldviews.

The first is dispositional optimism: a worldview that expects positive outcomes of any situation. An true dispositional optimist could be handed nine empty glasses of water in a row and still expect a full glass the tenth time around. Explanatory

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optimism, on the other hand, explains past events in positive ways. If an explanatory optimist were handed a full glass of water, he or she would attribute it not to “pure luck” but to, say, how patiently they had been waiting for the full glass or to his or her waiter’s innate human geniality. In short, dispositional optimism pertains to how an individual views the future, whereas explanatory optimism pertains to how an individual views the past.

On the flip side of the coin is explanatory pessimism. This philosophy might strike a chord with some frustrated and worn out students. The explanatory model uses three big criteria to decide whether someone is a pessimist or an optimist. Does the individual attribute events to internal or external causes? Does the individual believe that the event is caused by “stable” (permanent) or “unstable” causes? Does the

Plague outbreak causes mass school exodus

individual believe that the event occurs at a global level or a local level? If one stood at the door of a classroom and interviewed all the students stumbling out, shaken from an especially horrible test, one could most likely collect examples for the pessimistic side of all three spectrums. “I’m so stupid,” is an example of internal attribution. “Life is a series of failures and it’s downhill from here,” shows a belief in “stable” causes.

“The world is built to squeeze energy out of students” shows a global situation view.

In fact, pessimism in class is a big problem. Studies published by the Australian Institute for Research in Education, the National Center for Biotechnology Information, and the Journal of Social Behavior and Personality all found relationships between pessimistic attitudes in students and lower academic performance, higher levels of anxiety, lower self-esteem, and more

loneliness. The last of the three studies mentioned also found that Asian-American students exhibited much higher rates of pessimism than their Caucasian-American counterparts. And like most psychological traits, pessimism is even inheritable.

In many ways, we stand in front of a grim picture. But the explanatory optimist would remind us that this structural failure need not be permanent. Most psychological traits are inheritable and are inherited—but many of them are also learned.

People can learn optimism. Students with pessimistic mindsets are struggling in school—but studies are also exploring new motivational models that might better suit these students. What we need most now is an understanding of both optimism and pessimism. Even an empty glass can be filled; pessimism need not be a permanent problem.

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Fair and Balanced In response to a breakout of Streptococcus powerschoolia in the chemistry room, AP Chemistry students have migrated to various parts of the school, filling in other available AP classrooms instead.

S. powerschoolia has been identified as a Biohazard Level 4 disease, along with diseases such as the Ebola virus and smallpox. As such, the majority of AP Chemistry students flocked to the counseling office to change their classes to one that does not contain an outbreak of S. Powerschoolia. However, refugee-status students have met with resistance at various stages of their migration.

“Our discussion class used to be so small and cozy,” said Intol Errant (12), an AP Seminar student. “Now all of these students from AP Chemistry come and take our discussion-based class. Make Seminar Great Again, is what I say. Everyone knows AP Chemistry students are drug-dealing loons.

We should build a wall to keep them out, and use their drug money to pay for it.”

In an effort to rebuild the destroyed AP Chemistry community, the administration has informed migrant students that S. Powerschoolia has been eradicated from the AP Chemistry classroom. However, students are reluctant to return to the chemistry classroom.

“How can administration confidently say that they have removed S. Powerschoolia from the classroom?” Sin Ickal (11) said. “I mean, I love science, so I really do want to return to AP Chemistry, but I love my new home in AP Psychology. Turns out I like learning about how the human mind works

more than calculating the theoretical yield of a combustion reaction! Also, AP Psychology doesn’t have an outbreak of S. Powerschoolia, so it is safe to learn in AP Psychology without being worried about being contaminated by the disease.”

Currently, the AP Chemistry community is experiencing a horrifying population decline, going from over 80 students to less than 12 enrolled students over the last week. Global organizations fear severe consequences: in the short term, scheduling problems, and in the long term, cultivating future generations of chemistry-despising students.

“It’s not like I enjoyed taking chemistry,” Diz Gusted (12) said. “But with the added danger of catching S. Powerschoolia, I have decided to never study chemistry again. I told my teacher that I have problems balancing my schedule when I left, but honestly, I don’t think I’ll go within a 100 meter radius of that infected lab again.”

Sadly, many students are experiencing deportations. Because of various cultural conflicts between the refugee-status chemistry students and the original populace of the classes that they populated, many escapee AP Chemistry students had no choice but to return to their old home in the chemistry classroom.

“We’re devastated,” Deb Pressed (11) said. “I thought the AP Environmental Science class was welcoming to our group of twenty escapees, but evidently not, because ten of us were forcibly returned to this contaminated room.

Hopefully I don’t catch S. Powerschoolia, because it’s such a horrifying, fatal disease.”

BY JOYCE LEE

Addresssing the recipients of the SIS Scholarship Foundation, Dr. Kim Hyung Shik recounts his past experiences, and how they have inspired him to contribute to the organization.

Photo by Daniel Shin