Admin changes cafeteria’s take-out menu rules
On Aug. 16, J&J Catering began offering students a new lunch menu option: take-out. This menu allows students to take a pre-packaged box of food, leave the cafeteria, and eat it in the atrium.
Gray Macklin, high school principal, notified students on Aug. 30 that they must only eat in the atrium, starting from Sept. 4, where there will be foldable tables, chairs, and trash cans available. Students who fail to follow these rules will no longer be able to opt for the take-out lunches. This new rule has been created due to the immense amounts of waste not
properly disposed of.
The freedom to eat the new take-out menu in any location benefitted many students, but it also caused problems with waste around the school. The take-out option produces significantly more waste in the form of plastic containers and juice boxes and could also cause mess around the school.
“There’s a lot of waste produced from the take-out lunches,” Julie Koh (10), take-out lunch eater said. “There are stacks of plastic cases daily in the atrium and also a lot of food waste. I hope our school can change these packages to a more eco-friendly choice or make students bring their own reusable containers.”
In previous years, students were given the choice between three different categories of foods—Korean, Noodle, and Grill—and students were required to eat in the cafeteria. However, this year, J&J moved the noodle option to the salad bar and is using the noodle section for the take-out option. However, the menu for the take-out lunches are largely unvaried, typically only serving either tacos or sandwiches, resulting in some students preferring the in-cafeteria lunches.
“I don’t really like the take-out lunches,” Jimin Son (10), Korean food enjoyer, said. “There is only one option everyday and it’s usually sandwiches or tacos, and I personally don’t like
these kinds of meals. I would rather just eat in the cafeteria with more varieties of food.”
Other students also mentioned how the boisterous environment and long lines often made it difficult to eat in the cafeteria.
“It’s too loud in the cafeteria,” Stella Eu (10), frequent take-out lunch eater, said. “I prefer eating in a quiet environment, like a classroom, with a few of my friends. Also, the lines in the cafeteria are way too long and you have to wait for about five minutes to simply get your meal.”
The take-out lunches have particularly benefited busy students, as it now allows them to eat lunch while studying. The current rule on no backpacks in the school cafeteria has made it hard for some students to study for tests or catch up on their homework during activity period.
“I used to skip lunch to study for tests,” Winston Chen (10), food enthusiast, said. “Now that I can take-out lunches, I can study for tests and eat lunch in the atrium at the same time.”
By: Chloe Kim Sophomore reporter
Counselors start off school year with grade level meetings
Counselors and principals have been conducting an increasing number of grade-level lectures since the start of the school year. Counselors began utilizing the Tuesday Activity Period for these meetings as clubs that were held during that time have been moved to other days.
The three counselors, Amy Kuhn, Arnette Scharf, and Nydia Hernandez, each take approximately one-third of a grade into three designated classrooms to teach their lessons, sharing slide presentations and asking questions related to the information to keep the students engaged. The counselors set up these meetings to help students adapt to SIS’s often competitive and academically challenging environment from the start of the year. They have covered topics on how students can maintain healthy sleeping habits and discussed how to effectively plan schedules and balance school with outside activities.
“Our goals during these meetings are basically to help you all set good habits, coping skills, and life skills early on,” Ms. Kuhn said. “We know SIS can be a very academically challenging environment, so we hope we can provide some takeaways and life lessons.”
Although these lectures would all be be neficial to the students, many were reluctant to attend these meetings as they wanted to enjoy their free Activity Period. Many also conceded, however, that the topics of sleep, time management, and discussing with trusted adults were much needed talks for the
layout by David Kim
student community.
“At first I didn’t want to go because I thought the topics would be repetitive from last year and it would just be a waste of time,” Lucy Park (10), counselor meeting attendee, said. “But after I went to the meetings, I thought it was pretty fun and I learned new ways to be mentally healthy.”
Although there was some positive feedback for the meetings, many students also pointed out how there are some aspects of the meetings the counselors could improve on. Some students hoped that the counselors would be more interactive and base their lessons on what the students want to learn about, rather than what the counselors think are important for each grade level.
“The counselor meetings were a bit awkward at first, so I think it would have been better if the meetings were more interactive,” Yongjun Jo (9), freshman attendee, said. “The counselors help break down the fundamentals of social skills, but I wish they would provide us with examples on how we can use them in real life.”
The counselors have already begun planning for future meetings to be held throughout the entire school year. The topics for these following meetings have been dictated largely by the guidelines of the International School Counselor Association and the needs of each grade level.
“We plan on doing a digital citizenship, refraining negative thinking, and
unhealthy coping strategies class for 10th and 11th graders,” Ms. Hernandez said. “For 9th graders we are doing the personality test and 4-year academic planning again.”
As students progress into the school year, the counselors are hoping to make the high school community a welcoming, safe, and harmonious environment in which students can be more open to each other and be prepared for the future.
“My hope is that students would feel empowered to handle whatever business they need to conduct in a kind, encourag-
ing, and supportive manner to increase the joy of the school, increase the love of learning, and increase a stronger sense of community at SIS,” Ms. Scharf said. “I also hope that wherever our students go, the lessons from us would have made an impact, and they could take these lessons anywhere.”
By: Yeonjae Kim Sophomore, reporter
Photo by Lucy Jang (11)
Administration implements new grading system
The administration has replaced the old grading system with a new total point system starting from this year, saying that it will allow students to interpret their grades more easily and have more control over their grades.
“I understand how the new point system
works as it was relayed to us clearly at the start of the year,” Woosung Choi (10), high school student, said. “But I’m still a little unclear of the purpose of the new grading system as well as how the grading system will directly influence my grades .”
In previous years, grades were deter-
mined through weighted categories such as “Interpretation Application” and “Synthesis, Analysis and Evaluation” that took up a certain percentage of students’ total final grades. Now, the grading system has changed to a total point system, in which teachers must declare the total number of equally-weighted points that can be earned in each semester of a class and how many points are allocated to each assignment and test.
“Conceptually, it’s not very different as students have always had points given to them.” Gray Macklin, high school principal, said. “But the difference is that previously, the points were partitioned from each other in categories, therefore making it harder for each assignment to influence the other categories, either positively or negatively.”
In previous years, whole point categories and weights were relayed to students, and many students and parents had trouble calculating and comprehending their grades.
“Last year, I remember having some confusion because I got a good score on a test but it didn’t change my grade as much as I expected it to,” Julie Koh (10), high school student, said. “Now, I think it’s much easier for me to predict my grades and see why I got them.”
SIS installs larger and simpler lockers
The school administration installed new lockers with more space and customizable four-digit padlocks over the summer, benefiting many students who had struggled to effectively utilize them. Such significant changes to the school seem to be part of the high school administration’s push to address student concerns and create a better high school experience.
“The reason for the installation of the new lockers is because students were complaining that the lockers were too narrow and that the padlocks were complicated,” Gray Macklin, high school principal, said. “Size and accessibility are essential for student locker use, and that was something that was not being provided with the old lockers. So, we decided to implement bigger lockers with an easy-to-open customizable padlock.”
Students have expressed parallel sentiments, as a survey of 70 high school students showed that a majority of the students, no longer feel pressed for time when attempting to open their lockers, as, in the past, it was common for students to forget their locker password or for the locks to jam.
“Last year, it was a hassle opening the lockers because I had to memorize a random 6-digit locker combination, and
even when you clocked in the proper password, the padlock did not always open,” Minjae Choi (10), survey respondent, said. “Thankfully, the new lockers have a simple padlock that I can customize and easily open. Also, instead of trying to squish in a backpack and worrying about it falling out or becoming compressed, the new lockers allow me to comfortably drop off my backpack and umbrella, with space for my textbooks on the bottom.”
While many students seem satisfied with the new lockers, a portion of the student body has expressed concerns that the new lockers, which cost 67 million won according to Mr. Macklin, were an unnecessary burden on the school’s yearly budget.
“We used 67 million won on this, and I think this could have been used for something better because it does not address the root of the problem,” Donghyun Kim (11), attribution, said. “Our lockers are sometimes not on the same floor as our classes, so we still hide backpacks behind plants, benches, and couches. We still carry our backpacks around the majority of the time.”
Despite the hefty cost, Mr. Macklin seems proud of the school’s effort to address student concerns, which he felt was the next step in improving the quality
SIS practices civil defense drills
Announcements could be heard overhead as students followed their teachers down to the cafeteria, patiently waiting for the radio broadcast to start.
On Aug. 23, SIS prepared for the first civil defense drill issued by the Korean government in six years.
Photo by San Schwede (10)
The development and firing of Hwasong-18, an intercontinental ballistic missile, raised concerns over North Korea’s military expansion, causing South Korea and the US to resume joint military exercises. After North Korea launched over 23 ballistic missiles on July 24 to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the Korean War Armistice, the Korean government issued a regional emergency civil defense drill instructing pedestrians to evacuate to underground shelters.
The national Korean civil defense drill includes four types of alerts: security alerts;, air raid alerts;, chemical, bacteriological,
and radiological (CBR) alerts;, and dismissal alerts. These alerts inform civilians of potential attacks. On the other hand, students are expected to follow a special evacuation procedure issued by Korea’s Ministry of the Interior and Safety.
“When the school is notified of a possible threat, we will issue an evacuation announcement after which students will follow teachers to the cafeteria,” Gray Macklin, high school principal, said. “Students should take the instructions and practice drills seriously in the event of an emergency and follow the directions of their teachers— they know what they are doing.”
Although SIS was able to evacuate efficiently under five minutes, the drill was not free of complications.
“I was really surprised when we were told to go down to the cafeteria,” Raymond Kwon (9), a participant in the school drill, said. “I have not even adjusted to high school life,
“The new system will make it much easier for students to understand their grades while giving them more dictation over their grades as they have more opportunities to make it better but also lower it.”
Additionally, the total point system also allows students to more easily improve their grades in subjects that they excel in.
Teachers have begun revising their class plans and tests to align with the total point system, which also brings benefits to the teachers.
“There are two main advantages in a teacher’s perspective: the first advantage is that by assigning points, teachers also have a more clear understanding of how much each assignment is worth because they don’t have to convert the grade to the weighted category like they did previously ,” Mr Macklin said.
“I definitely agree with Mr Macklin,” Morgan Miller, US history teacher, said. “Assigning points helped me as a teacher understand where and why I want to make the assignment be more important than another, and I think in the long run will help increase my understanding even more.”
By: Carey Kim Sophomore, reporter
of school life here at SIS.
“The furnishing of the lockers was a direct response to the complaints of the students, and this year, we wanted to focus on addressing student concerns and allow the high school to become a more pleasant place,” Mr. Macklin said.
“The new lockers were a considerable
and we are now preparing for the bombing of our school out of the blue.”
While the school drill served to get everyone in an “emergency mindset,” some felt as if it exacerbated concerns over the school’s safety.
“The drill made me feel as if even school was not safe,” Yool Choi (10), an ideologue, said. “When I saw rows of students lined up to leave the classroom, my image of school being a safe haven of learning was destroyed. I do understand that we need to get into an emergency mindset, but I do not think a hasty evacuation drill is the way to do it.”
As students made it down to the cafeteria, they were instructed to take a seat and listen to the radio, as it broadcasted guidelines necessary to ensure safety.
“When I was walking down to the cafeteria, everyone around me was talking about what would happen if North Korea invaded,”
investment on the part of the school, and finding a vendor, designer, and funds was difficult. But if this helps students, then the efforts are worth it.”
By: Sean Kim Sophomore, reporter
Chong Min (11), an avid news reader, said. “Even I was a bit worried seeing things I read in the news actually impact me.”
The broadcast was simple: immediately follow a teacher when alerted of an invasion and calmly make it to a designated underground facility. Lasting a few minutes, the broadcast ended with a message to stay strong from the announcers.While inconvenient and frightening for few, the importance of the civil defense drill could not be more stressed.
“It’s all about getting students into an emergency mindset,” Mr. Macklin said. “Here at SIS, we want to guarantee your safety, and the only way to do that is if you understand the importance of our drills.”
By: Carson Park Sophomore reporter
Photo by Gyusung Lee (12)
Photo by Gyusung Lee (12)
InRetrospect: What happened to Oceangate?
The search for the missing Oceangate submersible in June left the world hanging on the edge. The submersible carried five people: CEO of Oceangate Stockton Rush, businessmen Hamish Harding, Pakistani billionaireShahzada Dawood, his son Suleman, and French diver Paul-Henri Nargeolet. Despite intense rescue efforts, the search eventually concluded that the Titan had imploded only 30 minutes into its descent.
But the destruction of the submersible was less of an accident than an inevitable result of neglect. Shortly after the discovery of the wreckage, the US Coast Guard led an investigation to\ analyze whether the deaths of these five individuals could have been prevented. What was initially an investigation to assess the company’s performance on the day of the incident became
News Brief
SCOTUS overturns affirmative action
an uncovering of years worth of safety complaints, concerns from employees, worried phone calls, and private conversations revealing that the submersible was doomed to fail in the first place.
One such complaint was regarding the submersible’s hull, an essential part of the vehicle’s structural integrity.
While most hulls are built with titanium, Oceangate took a more innovative approach by designing a carbon-fiber hull, against the advice of many of the industry’s well-established engineers and scientists.
Oceangate also faced concerns regarding the way in which the submersible was controlled.
Despite the many complications that could occur in a deep-sea situation, a noticeable portion of the submersible’s navigation system, such as its controller, relied heavily on Bluetooth tech-
On June 29, the US Supreme Court voted to overturn affirmative action in the college admissions process. Affirmative action is a set of procedures aimed towards correcting racial imbalances by providing advantages to underrepresented groups. In the context of admissions, this means considering a candidate’s race or ethnicity.
Newly-discovered superconductor sparks fierce debate
In late July, South Korean researchers Kim Ji-hoon and Lee Sukbae from Quantum Energy Research Centre, a start-up firm in Seoul, claimed they discovered the world’s first room-temperature superconductor: LK-99. While the fascinating claim sparked the interest of many scientists, failed attempts to replicate their findings have cast doubt on whether LK-99 is truly a superconductor.
“I think a room temperature room conductor could possibly exist based on the recent claim from Korea,” Glen Monaghan, AP Physics 1 teacher, said. “Although it turned out the LK-99 was not actually a room-temperature superconductor, I definitely think we are getting close towards finding one.”
Donald Trump profits off mugshots
On Aug. 20, former US president Donald Trump was arrested at the Fulton County Jail in Atlanta, Georgia, for over a dozen charges related to his efforts to overturn the 2020 election. The mugshot taken of him has flooded the internet, with Trump capitalizing on its virality by profiting off of his photo. Trump has raised $7.1 million through products including shirts, mugs and other products emblazoned with the phrase “election interference never surrender!”
“Based on what I have seen and heard, it would seem that popularity for Trump has increased from his core supporters in response to his legal case,” James Kowalski, US politics enthusiast, said. “Whether or not that means he would win an election is a different question, but to the extent that there is an undecided nettle on the political spectrum of the US, it would also seem that they are increasingly disinclined to supporting him if for no other reason than the fact that being consumed in legal wrangling whether running for president or being president would significantly influence election results.”
Meta faces off against X with Threads
Threads, Meta’s challenger to X, is an app that allows users to share text updates and join public conversations. Threads launched on July 5, becoming the most rapidly downloaded app ever, breaking the record set by ChatGPT. The platform now boasts 2.3 million active users in the first week after its launch. However, due to its similarity with X, engagement with Threads decreased by 79 percent, leaving only 576,000 users as of early August.
“I usually use social media as a platform to share my artworks, but I have noticed that Threads is more used to share peoples’ opinions on certain topics including news,” Alex Lee (11), Threads user, said. “I have not seen many friends actively use the app, and I do not tend to use it a lot either but I think it can be a useful feature as it is directly connected to Instagram.”
nology. This left the submersible liable to damage in case of Bluetooth failure. However, all of these complaints fell under deaf ears and were quickly dismissed.
“Implosion is when something collapses in on itself,”
Glen Monaghan, AP Physics 1 teacher, said. “As you go deeper in the water the pressure increases substantially due to the force of gravity pushing the water down towards the center of the earth. Every 10 m adds about one atmosphere of pressure and the Oceangate submersible went to about 4000 m, so you do the math. For such a device, I would guess you would use materials that are able to withstand the effects of intense pressure and are resistant to rusting. But carbon-fiber was obviously not a wise choice.”
Investigations also revealed that the construction of the
submersible was put on a tight schedule, making the process unreliable and risky. In an interview from 2021 that quickly resurfaced after the incident, CEO Stockton Rush was seen saying that he had “broken some rules” when it came to the construction of the submersible, with “logic and good engineering.” However this decision has been questioned after the implosion and many people have criticized the company on its risky procedures.
BY: Lucy Jang Junior, reporter
layout by David Kim
In an article from The New Yorker, Ben Taub listed five important tasks and priorities that a submersible must have—the first one being “to not implode.” But looking at the outcomes of the Titan submersible, it seems that Oceangate has failed on task 1.
Fast forward to the present, Oceangate has now suspended any and all operations for exploration in their website. However, given the scrutiny of the investigations and unorthodox construction of their failed devices, it seems difficult to say that they will be returning.
“Engineers in Canada are usually provided with a ring upon graduation to remind them of the importance of their profession as many lives are in their hands.” Mr. Monaghan said. “According to Wikipedia, ‘The Iron Ring is a ring worn by many Canadian-trained engineers, as a symbol and reminder of the obligations and ethics associated with their profession.’ Never forget your ring, especially when lives hang in the balance.”
South Korean government tackles fertility rates
On Aug. 27, the Seoul Metropolitan government announced that it would allocate an additional 500 billion won towards programs supporting current and future parents such as “congratulatory allowances” and monthly salaries for women on maternity leave . The South Korean government has also announced plans to reduce mortgage rates for new parents, which have often been cited as a cause for declining birth rates in the past.
While some people are in favor of the new policies, others are more skeptical of how effective these policies will be.
“I am aware of multiple policies introduced by the government like subsidies for education,” Robin Ibbotson, biology teacher, said. “I’m glad the issue is being addressed, but as to the effectiveness of the policies, I largely believe that the data will reflect whether the policy worked or not.”
Some instances of the government fertility policies are the subsidized egg-freezing initiative introduced on Aug. 28, an extension of last July’s policies through which the government subsidized all couples who wished to receive subfertility treatment, an option thatwhich
had only been reserved for only low-income couples in the past.
South Korea has the lowest fertility rates in the world, with a national fertility rate of 0.78 children last year. Thise declining fertility rate can be attributed to many different factors including higher living costs, lower marriage rates, and changes in societal mindset, as the pressure to have children has considerably decreased, and women are now prioritizing their personal life and careerswork. Such low birth rates are harmful as they lead to rapidly aging populations and influence the viability of the nation in the long term.
“South Korea’s low birth rates are an important issue,” Dyne Kim (10), female Korean citizen, said. “But as a future citizen, I’m not sure if it would motivate me to because I want to pursue my own passions and interests and think that having a child is a bit of a burden because of the high living costs.”
Other female Korean citizens share a similar opinionsentiment on having children in South Korea.
In previous years, South Korea has introduced over a thousand different policies aimed to address the low fertility rates, such as low-income families receiving free diapers and baby or pregnant women being offered free nutrient supplements. However, tUnfortunately, they have yet to bring significant change.
“I think the policies such as the subsidies are definitely a move in the right direction, but I do not think they are enough to bring significant change to the low birth rates,” Carolina Paglialunga, mother of two, said. “I think the government should also turn their concern to alleviating concerns about workplaces such as increasing maternity leave with job security guaranteed, as it was one of the most difficult concerns I had myself because of the pressure of having to sacrifice either my work or childcare.”
“I also agree with this sentiment—; having a child is not my first priority,” Sarah Kim (10), female Korean citizen, said. “ I also don’t really feel the pressure or need to marry and have a child as soon as possible, and I think my own personal interests and wants are being more prioritized.”
BY: Carey Kim Sophomore, reporter
Bronny James suffers cardiac arrest
For top athletes, pushing one’s limits is often considered a prerequisite for improvement. Whether in the weight room, the athlete’s team practices, or in actual games, coaches expect athletes to give nothing less than 110 percent of their effort. This story was no different for Bronny James, the eldest son of basketball player LeBron James, when he suffered a cardiac arrest on July 24. Only 18 years old, James collapsed during basketball practice at the University of Southern California (USC).
“I remember being shocked when I saw a post about Bronny’s heart attack on Instagram,” Ben Lee (9), avid basketball fan, said. “It’s weird that someone so young and athletic as Bronny suffered a heart attack, but I hope he recovers quickly.”
USC’s medical personnel resuscitated Bronny James at the scene, after which he was hospitalized in the intensive care unit of the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. James quickly recovered and was discharged from the hospital three days later.
Although James suffered no major neurological problems, he was diagnosed with a minor congenital heart defect. This defect had changed the anatomical structure of James’s heart, hindering blood flow.
Sources close to James and his family expect him to return to playing basketball in the near future. However, the National Basketball Association (NBA) requires prospects to play at least one season in college or the NBA’s minor league to be eligible for the NBA draft. For Bronny James to have the best chance at playing in the NBA with his now 38-year-old father LeBron James, he must meet this one-year requirement by the end of the college basketball season next spring.
“Almost all NBA fans want LeBron and Bronny to play together, including me,” Seowoo Choi (10), JV basketball player, said. “LeBron said that it’s his dream to play with Bronny in the league,
so Bronny needs to recover quickly so that they can play together before LeBron gets too old and retires.”
Bronny James is not the only athlete who has experienced such health scares. A year earlier, on July 1, 2022, USC basketball player Vincent Iwuchukwu was hospitalized at the same medical center after collapsing during practice. Unfortunately, some are not as lucky as James or Iwuchukwu in their recovery.
On Aug. 10, just 17 days after James’s heart attack, a top high school basketball player from Alabama died after suffering cardiac arrest during practice. The player, Caleb White, was just 17 years old.
The widespread phenomenon of athletes suffering heart complications exists outside the basketball world. In 2021, famous soccer player Christian Eriksen collapsed during a match between the teams from Finland and Copenhagen. Anderson’s heart stopped beating for five minutes, meaning that he technically died on the pitch before medical personnel resuscitated him.
“[Eriksen] was just running down the side of the pitch to collect a throw-in when he suddenly collapsed face-forward onto the ground,” Henry Hatridge (12), varsity soccer player, said. “I was really concerned for him when I saw the video… His heart just stopped working.”
Many believe that Eriksen’s story provides hope for athletes like Bronny James. Eriksen returned to playing professional soccer a year after this incident, and now plays for Manchester United. As medical technology improves, athletes like Bronny James have recovered faster and at higher rates from health scares.
SIS creates new varsity golf team
for
were announced on May 3 by Jonathan Ames, the previous Athletics and Activities Director. However, due to the cost-heavy nature of golf, requiring a field and special equipment to practice, it was not until this year that a golf team was offered at SIS.
“We had one golf match last year at Camp Humphreys before the team was made, and surprisingly there was a lot of interest,” Steve Nave, varsity golf team coach, said. “Interest for golf has always existed, but as golf is an expensive sport to reserve in South Korea— no one really brought up an idea for an official team.”
Coach Nave and Jinnie Hu, the other varsity golf team coach, discussed their expectations and procedures with the team. As a new varsity sports team at SIS, the coaches emphasized setting a positive tone for the rest of the season.
“I think my job as a coach is to prepare the team to represent our school and help them do the best they can,” Coach Hu said. “Especially since we are a new varsity sport, it’s important that we establish ourselves as an official sport which means we have to be professional and mindful on the field.”
Coach Hu emphasized the rules of golf, assigning a selfmade EdPuzzle video briefing the team over the essence of golf and quizzing them to test their improvisation skills.
created without any specific tryouts, the team consists of both beginners and more experienced players. While some students joined the team because of their affinity for golf, others joined due to its lenient practice schedule that still provides an opportunity to learn a new sport.
“I joined the team because I have always wanted to contribute to a sports team at our school that also can flow well with my schedule,” Jasmine Cho (11), varsity golf team member, said. “My major goal for this year is to get used to handling the golf clubs well as I am still a beginner learning.”
BY: Jason Lee Junior, Copy editor
Practices for the team take place twice a week at Dong Seoul Driving Range and GolfZon Park, a screen golf center in Wirye. Saturday matches are planned to take place at Camp Humphreys and Osan Middle High School, both of which have internal golf courses. In addition to these official games, screen golf matches between KIS, SFS, and Chadwick are scheduled for the season as well.
On the first day of practice,
Lizzo accused of sexual harassment
On Aug. 1, Lizzo, a popular plussized singer in hip-hop and R&B, was sued by three of her former dancers—Crystal Williams, Ariana Davis, and Noelle Rodriguez—on accounts of creating a hostile work environment and engaging in sexual harassment. Famous for not only her artistic abilities but also her inclusivity campaign, Lizzo is a prominent figure in mainstream music.
Hired for the aforementioned size inclusivity campaign, her employees sued her for allegedly paying plus-sized dancers less and making offensive comments regarding their bodies. They claimed that she forced dancers to enter topless clubs and explicitly discuss their sex life, and she was accused of creating overly rigorous schedules and
unannounced on-set auditions even after initial qualification rounds, leaving them constantly on edge.
“My first reaction to the news was ‘Oh my god,’” Elena Kim (12), music enthusiast, said. “I’ve heard many of Lizzo’s famous songs and was aware of her support for plussized musicians due to her personal experiences, which is why this was really unexpected. Many of the incidents mentioned in the news were really visceral too.”
The three dancers sued Lizzo, her company Big Grrrl Touring Inc., and her dance team captain Shirlene Quigley on numerous other accounts: explicit indoctrination of personal religious beliefs from Quigley; instillment of fear from being constantly evaluated, to the point where one dancer soiled herself on
set; and coercion of participation in uncomfortable environments, such as eating a banana from an explicit body of a performer.
These claims were corroborated by other past employees, resulting in six other plaintiffs joining the case. Many others, including former videographers, dancers, and employees also joined through social media to speak about the mistreatment.
“I don’t want to support anybody that puts other people down,” Amy Kuhn, music enthusiast, said. “I’m not sure if I’ll see Lizzo the same even after the results of the lawsuit.”
This lawsuit displays the common circumvention of responsibility in the entertainment industry, where prominent figures can often dodge issues such as poor working conditions and employee
“As I have played golf for a very long time, I’m mostly excited about going out to fields for matches,” Junho Kim (10), varsity golf team player, said. “However, I am aware that not everyone on the team is familiar with how to handle certain situations when they are out on the field alone, and our first meeting provided clear expectations and rules to keep in mind when playing.”
As the varsity golf team was
Though the team is still in its early stages, Coach Nave and Coach Hu are striving to create a strong basis for representation in golf in the years to come.
“Our goals for this season are to make sure to build a team community for next year,” Coach Nave, said. “By the 2024’-25 season, hopefully we’ll be a foundational and well acknowledged team at SIS.”
BY: Lucy Jang Junior, reporter
abuse. This implication placed further public pressure on Lizzo, whose campaign and integrity was heavily criticized for being hypocritical.
“I was really horrified by the whole situation,” Jason Kang (9), a former Lizzo listener, said. “She had many claims against her and I can’t believe she fat-shamed her own dancers. It’s a bit ironic, seeing her campaign.”
Despite the numerous plaintiffs submitting evidence concerning her harassment, Lizzo has denied all allegations. Her rebuttals included social media callouts of false statements as well as evidence of the dancers’ enjoyment of the “forced” situations, dancing with topless performers they testified to feeling uncomfortable with. She also vowed to take on a counter lawsuit of mali-
cious prosecution in response.
“I know a lot of people are suddenly against Lizzo, but I want to wait to hear the results,” Jenny Park (10), R&B music lover, said. “I was unsure about the facts because of a claimed counter lawsuit and photo evidence, which is why I decided to wait.”
It is difficult to determine who is in the right and in the wrong, especially with a case that is growing by the second. With the scale of the trial and immense media coverage, much of the Internet is attentively waiting for updates on the situation.
BY: Jian Hong Sophomore, reporter
The SIS Athletics Department welcomed a new varsity golf team to their roster for the fall sports season. Plans
the team
Exiting subway stations, Koreans are met with a rather unusual sight: automatic rifles, matte black vests, and tank-like armored vehicles. This is the result of the government’s first implementation of Special Security Activities (SSA)—the intensive armed police unit for public order—to prevent stabbing incidents following the July 21 event near Sillim station.
“When I got off the subway at Pangyo station, I saw police lined up at the exit,” Luna Moon (11), Bundang resident, said. “Seeing the police made me feel safe and protected, knowing that if a stabbing were to occur, they could come and stop it from happening. This really helped because after the stabbing in Bundang, I was scared that it might happen to me.”
SSA has not only provided citizens with a sense of security, but it has also yielded practical benefits. Although the prolonged SSA period may have also instilled fear, it has proven to be effective: Korean police swiftly quashed both actual and potential stabbings, with over a month since the last stabbing incident.
Despite such countermeasures, many criticize the government for its lack of intensive action. Could the government not have announced SSA at an earlier date? Could they not have prevented further stabbings? These questions primarily take issue with Korea’s relatively weak police system. Though there is truth to that statement, the physical harm created by stabbings is not limited to the realm of security; rather, the problem seems
to lie in Korea’s culture itself, too.
Since the 1982 mass shooting by policeman Woo Beom-Gon, which left 62 people dead, such cases of impulsive public violence are colloquially categorized as motiveless crimes, or mutjima beomjoe in Korean. As the name implies, a primary aspect of these crimes is that they lack a specific purpose. Criminals that commit motiveless crimes do not seek fame, wealth, nor the death of a certain person; rather, they kill and injure purely for the sake of crime. But the lack of purpose or motive does not equate to a lack of cause.
Investigating the regions in which motiveless crimes occur provides us with a glimpse into the cause. Globally, motiveless crimes are unique to more developed countries, occurring mostly in Korea, Japan, and the US. In Korea, the stabbings and false alarms were focused in urban areas like Gangnam, Hannam, and Bundang. Motiveless crimes’ concentration in developed areas supports various experts’ claims that accumulated self-perception of inferiority in hyper-competitive communities fosters acrimony. When enough anger builds up, people are less considerate of consequences and act impulsively.
“Competitiveness can lead people to be angry,” Chris Bracciano, AP Psychology teacher, said. “There was an experiment studying the connection between the competitiveness of video games and real life violence. “What they found was that the violent aspect of the video game didn’t seem to influence aggressiveness as much as how
competitive the game was. If [this] anger is suppressed for long enough, it can come out in a large burst.”
This burst, however, is unfortunately often channeled toward innocent pedestrians as highlighted by the recent stabbing cases. Thus, as anyone could possess a weapon and arbitrarily attack, motiveless crimes are virtually impossible to predict beforehand and prevent.
To incite tangible change regarding motiveless crimes, then, the hyper-competitiveness of our society needs to be considered: though representative of Korean culture, it is the bane of the country’s criminal justice system. The culture of competition is deeply ingrained within Korea, most evidently highlighted by the existence of hagwons. Hagwons are not only primarily unique to Korea and other East Asian countries, but they have more than tripled in value in the last decade. Coinciding with this growing industry, motiveless crimes have also occurred more frequently; in fact, although motiveless crimes in the past were forgotten outliers, recent stabbings have caused copycat cases, instilling widespread fear across the country.
While pondering methods to improve domestic security are important, deploying more police will only provide a temporary top-down solution. To tackle the problem at its core, Korea should instead reconsider the competitive culture it cultivates.
...underbelly of hyper-competitiveness
By ERIC KIM (11)
...ineffectiveness of its police force
By JASON LEE (11)
As special force police officers patrol the Korean subway system with assault rifles in hand, one can only wonder how Korea, considered one of the safest countries in the world, arrived at this state. What is perhaps more worrying is that this police presence does not ensure complete security—stabbings around Seoul and its neighboring cities continue to terrorize citizens. Even as more law enforcement officers fill the streets of Seoul, Koreans flock to self-defense stores, purchasing anything from tasers to batons in bulk. Korean citizens do not see the police presence as an indicator of safety, and instead tighten their grip on pepper spray in what has become a far cry from what Seoul is perceived to be.
On July 21, a man stabbed one person to death and injured three others at the subway station in Sillim, Seoul, which set off copycat stabbings in turn. Just 13 days later, on Aug. 3, another assailant killed one person and injured 13 more near a shopping mall in Bundang. Following these stabbings, Korean social media sites were flooded with aspiring terrorists threatening to kill at popular locations such as the Hyundai Department Store in Apgujeong-dong, one of the most high-income, popular neighborhoods in Seoul.
“While the [Aug. 3] Bundang stabbings were happening, I was studying at home ten minutes away from where the crime scene was,” Andrew Kim (11), Bundang
resident, said. “When I saw the news about the stabbings, my heart dropped. My mom and dad had just been at that mall the week before, so I imagined the worst of what could have happened to my family and the people in my neighborhood. Many SIS students live in Bundang, so we were all texting each other to check that everyone was safe.”
The ineffectiveness of the Korean police force is by no means a new issue. Due to Korea’s legal structure, police officers are very susceptible to lawsuits for using weapons while on duty. As such, police officers often remain passive in high-pressure or violent situations. For example, in May 2018, a 31-year-old man was assaulted by seven people for getting into a taxi that the group had reportedly called first. Even as the group assaulted the man, eventually blinding him in one eye, the police officer at the scene hesitated to use a weapon to help the man.
It would be disingenuous, however, to say that Korea’s law enforcement agency is inept compared to its international peers. In the US, the police are protected by qualified immunity, which protects officers from legal ramifications for unconstitutional actions committed in the line of duty. For example, officers under the protection of qualified immunity can kill a perceived threat without being indicted for murder.
This protection, however, has often
resulted in the US’s police being too extreme with its use of force. Caused in part by qualified immunity, US police officers have infamously exerted excessive force without fearing serious legal ramifications, with the killings of Breonna Taylor, Eric Garner, and George Floyd, among others, serving as reminders of this reality. In the summer of 2020, police squads donned riot gear and guns, fired tear gas and rubber bullets, and even aimed sniper rifles at citizens protesting George Floyd’s death across the US. Where Korea lacks proper law enforcement, other liberal democracies mistakenly impose too much force upon their citizens.
“When I lived near Los Angeles for a few years, the Black Lives Matter protests against police brutality were starting to gain popularity,” Chong Min (11), former resident of Irvine, California, said. “I remember seeing a lot of coverage on the issue in the news, and Irvine is close to Los Angeles so I heard a lot of people talking about protests and the police brutality problem in the city. It was pretty messed up… to hear stories about cops killing unarmed teenagers without facing jail time.”
In a society usually free of violence, recent terrorism has reignited decades of doubts about how capable Korea’s police are as people increasingly doubt the government’s ability to handle such threats.
Joonmo Ahn: SIS’s crouching tiger
Born and raised in Kansas, Joonmo Ahn (10) transferred to SIS this year. Joonmo is best known for his athletic talents, as he is currently on the cross country team and plays a variety of other sports including swimming, flag football, and soccer. However, Joonmo has also caught the attention of many with his journey in martial arts. Joonmo is not your typical karate or mixed martial arts fighter—he is a certified instructor trained in Krav Maga. Unlike other martial arts suited more for the ring, Krav Maga is widely considered to be one of the most practical self-defense martial arts in real-world combative situations.
“I first started Krav Maga in early 2020, just after COVID-19 started,” Joonmo said. “I trained at a local gym in Korea, where my team and I started to learn the basics of Krav Maga, which involved learning how to dismantle your opponent when they are trying to tackle or
layout by David Kim
stab you. At first, it was difficult to learn how to respond to an attacker’s first move, but I soon picked up the pace and really got into it.”
Krav Maga was first established in Israel in the 1930s to train the country’s special forces in handto-hand combat, though it later evolved into a self-defense martial arts system for civilians. To connect with the origin of Krav Maga, Joonmo traveled to Israel last summer, enrolling in a rigorous self-defense training regimen involving knives, guns, boxing, kickboxing, wrestling, and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.
“In Israel, I handled a real gun and knife,” Joonmo said. “We then moved on to sports like grappling, where two people fight using various close-quarters techniques. However, striking in Krav Maga is different from other mixed martial arts because instead of trying to continue a dangerous engagement, what we aim to do is to get out of
a situation and a threat by effectively disarming and disengaging an opponent to the point where we could kill our opponent.”
At the same camp in Israel, Joonmo also trained to become a certified martial arts instructor and learned how to teach Krav Maga to others while continuing to hone his fighting skills.
“It is vital to know the essentials and commit them to muscle memory so you can react to disengage an opponent immediately,” Joonmo said. “Attacks are usually sudden, so your reaction also has to be instinctive. The instructor certification I received in Israel is only valid for a year, though, so I go back every year to renew it. As an instructor, we train others and learn how to teach Krav Maga to all fighters of any level.”
In light of the recent stabbings that took place around Seoul over the summer, several SIS students concerned about traveling alone
on public transportation might consider learning Krav Maga. For Joonmo, Krav Maga has not only equipped him with practical self-defense physical skills, but also profoundly affected his confidence and outlook on life.
“I used to be afraid to go into narrow alleys, especially at night, but now, I know I can protect myself and others around me,” Joonmo said. “I gained a lot of confidence in myself, especially in tense situations because I know that I can control myself and my opponent. Also, Krav Maga has taught me that violence and conflict should be avoided at all costs, but that it is important to be prepared for any situation that could endanger yourself.”
Joonmo also shared numerous other motivations to learn Krav Maga, including seeking an enhanced cardiovascular workout to lose some weight or trying to become a martial arts instructor
and pass on the knowledge of different complex self-defense techniques. However, Joonmo emphasized that for most, the motivation is rooted in the desire to both safeguard themselves and create connections with others.
“The sense of camaraderie shared amongst fellow students and our engaging coaches adds to the sustained enthusiasm,” Joonmo said. “We often journey to Israel, bridging connections with other Kravists all the way from Europe, America, and Asia. These training trips are not just about learning but also about experiencing the sheer joy of the art, a kind of pleasure that’s rare in typical settings.”
BY: Sean Kim Sophomore, reporter
Photo by Jason Jihoon Shin (11)
New Teacher Feature
With the start of a new school year, SIS welcomes a diverse array of new teachers from around the world. The high school in particular, has welcomed eight teachers from a variety of backgrounds. Although students have already had classes with many of these teachers, those not taking the subjects may not yet be familiar with them, making it certainly worth getting to know them better.
“Korea is my 35th country to visit. I love to travel and do anything outdoors such as snowboarding, hiking, and mountain biking. I’ve previously lived in Turkey and Spain. I also like to read and my favorite book is The Road by Cormac McCarthy. It is a story about a man and his son in a post-apocalyptic world. If I could be any vegetable in a salad, I would be an arugula, because of its prominent and slightly spicy flavor.”
- Ms. Sarah Corder
“I enjoy cooking and growing my own vegetables. My ceramic and drawing practice are also important to me. Most of all, I enjoy being outdoors, in the natural world, with my family. If I were to describe myself as an animal, I would be a grazing animal, like an antelope or a goat. My favorite tree is the persimmon tree, since in the fall it is full of treasure.”
- Ms. Ammons
“I taught for 23 years in a public high school in Mississippi. I enjoy riding my motorcycles. Besides that, I really enjoy traveling, learning new cultures, and meeting new people. I want to go to Vietnam, the Philippines, and Taiwan. I would choose teleportation so that I could go where I want to go without airlines and long distance travel.”
- Dr. Mize
“I was born on the biggest ranch in California, so I guess you can say that my whole upbringing was in places in the west where there were more cows than people. I also teach at a Native American school called Anahuacalmecac. I’m their physics teacher this year, and I meet with them a couple of times a week virtually. I love cooking, reading, and traveling, and I am currently trying to learn Korean.”
- Ms. Angela Campbell
“I like to do nature photography, scuba-diving, motorcycling, and reading. Although my favorite book is The Bible, my favorite novel is Moby Dick. I’ve probably read it at least six or seven times. When I was young, I used to be in the airborne infantry in the US Army. I’m also from Seattle, in what we call the “Pacific North-wet.” Probably why you’ll see me drinking coffee all the time.”
- Mr. Chris Blendheim
“I love teaching because I enjoy working with young people and seeing them grow, learn, and develop. I taught math and computer science for most of my career. Math is awesome—I mean, come on. I am also excited about coaching and seeing the JV volleyball team bring home the gold medal. An animal? Obviously a tiger, roar.”
- Mr. Nelson
“I grew up on a farm, and I started working on the farm when I was ten. I used to work as a field biologist, ecologist, and scuba diver. I’m planning to go scuba diving in Indonesia during Christmas. I’m not sure what I’m excited about for this year. I’m not a very optimistic person.”
- Mr. Fiess
“I love looking for good places to eat, and I enjoy spending quality time with my dog. I can eat an entire family size pizza by myself. I want to write a science fiction, apocalyptic book in the future. If I were a food, I would be wheat bread. You can add any type of topping such as jam or fruits, and that’s the kind of person I am; I go along with anybody, and I don’t really have a strong personality.”
- Ms. Lee
BY:
Jason Jihoon Shin & Yeonjae Kim Junior and Sophomore reporterS
Editorial
SFFA v. Harvard: what Asian Americans stand to lose
by Junseo Lee & Daniel Shin editors-in-chief
Affirmative action, a blanket title for programs providing advantages and special consideration to historically disadvantaged and excluded groups, was struck down by the US Supreme Court on June 29.
For the majority of SIS high schoolers planning on applying to US colleges and universities, the Supreme Court’s decision to strike down affirmative action left many questions unanswered, including how Asians and Asian Americans should navigate the application process that is sure to look much different. But in any case, the Court’s decision to end the practice of race-conscious admissions will only hurt—not help—Asian Americans.
The ruling followed years of intense public discourse and controversy, with those in support asserting that these policies would counteract the lack of opportunity and history of systemic discrimination against racial minority groups, whereas opponents, including Asian Americans affiliated with Students for Fair Admissions, claimed that providing advantages to racial minorities was a discriminatory practice that went against meritocracy.
College admissions, however, was rarely a meritocratic system. The end to affirmative action will not make applying to college merit-based, either, given the existence of preferential treatment toward legacy students and donors. And as much as we tend to believe that highly-qualified and privileged students deserve an offer of admission at a US college, they do not, including us SIS students.
Pointing fingers at affirmative action for allowing the admission of a “less-qualified” applicant over the valedictorian who seemed to do everything “right” only blinds ourselves from the fact that Hispanics and Blacks are often disadvantaged due to a history of systemic racism.
While SIS students approaching or already deeply entrenched in the college application process may be tempted to celebrate the end of affirmative action, it is critical to understand the repercussions of the Court’s ruling.
This decision will undoubtedly drive down diversity on US college campuses, hurting everybody, including whites and Asian Americans. The fact that SIS is an ethnically homogenous school only makes it more important for SIS graduates to eventually learn to thrive in an ethnically diverse environment and learn to appreciate people and cultures outside of Korea.
Furthermore, the limited scope of the ban on affirmative action ultimately prevents it from even achieving its intended purpose. College essays, through which students can express their own identities and aspects of their background, have become an important legal loophole by which universities will still be able to consider race in admissions.
As a result, minority students who would rather write their essays in the ways in which they were meant to be written—on a topic of their choice that they think best demonstrates their unique character and achievements—would be tempted to write about their racial background, contributing to the tokenization of racial minority groups and leading to a heightened emphasis on racial differences.
Affirmative action was by no means a perfect solution. In fact, there is a degree of merit towards the claim that it limited opportunities for qualified students. However, it was a step in the right direction and a far better means of achieving equality than further siloing minority groups from the opportunities that US colleges offer and amending a flawed system. The end of affirmative action is not a victory for Asians but a major defeat for all racial minority groups.
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
layout by Eric Kim
K-Pop 10 VIEWPOINT
Let’s put the ‘K’ back in
“I’m super shy, super shy…”
As you plug in your earphones, just a snippet of the simple, light-hearted melody instantly captivates you. Watching the rejuvenating, summery music video starring NewJeans, you continue to hum along the bouncy lines of the song ‘Super Shy.’ Yet while the chorus and post-chorus repeat, you realize that the entire song is in English—with just a tiny, almost unnoticeable tinge of Korean lyrics.
Is this K-Pop?
Over the summer, songs such as ‘Super Shy’ by NewJeans have become increasingly visible on global summer playlists. Climbing up the Billboard charts, many current K-Pop groups brought great international popularity and exposure to the genre. Large K-Pop companies also increasingly target Western audiences to increase profit and solidify a global fanbase.
Yet, such efforts to westernize for international success have encountered controversies especially among local Koreans, with many netizens expressing disapproval for the K-Pop industry losing its core identity. In light of these changing dynamics of the industry, K-Pop groups should strive to maintain the distinct color of K-Pop by reducing their reliance on English lyrics and western pop styles.
“Having more Korean lyrics actually resonates significantly more with me whenever I listen to K-Pop songs,” Ann Lee (12), K-Pop enthusiast, said. “I love to support groups like Big Bang that continue to bring connections to Korean identity in their music because this also helps to promote Korea. But I think the way in which many groups today are primarily targeting the international audience leaves Korean
fans out.”
As such, the key reason why K-Pop groups should not rely on westernization is the possibility of losing the strong support of the domestic Korean audience. Born in the early 1990s, K-Pop music—or “Korean popular music”—targeted appealing domestic audiences. Though influenced by Western music such as hip-hop, jazz, R&B, and swing, the industry had nonetheless maintained a robust connection to its unique Korean identity and fanbase, stemming from the creative use of Korean lyrics and extensive choreography.
Amid a rapidly globalizing world today, many may argue that K-Pop groups should naturally prioritize appealing to global audiences for financial success. However, if international fans are the only audience, the Korean identity of K-Pop groups lose its shape, blurring the lines with western pop artists.
One primary example of this phenomenon comes from the K-Pop group Fifty Fifty. Fifty Fifty went viral overnight with their Billboard-hit ‘Cupid,’ even releasing a twin version of the song that was entirely written in English lyrics. The group’s explosion of popularity overseas, nevertheless, was contrasted by a less enthusiastic response from Korean audiences, leaving Fifty Fifty with no music show wins in Korea. While being a new group from a relatively unknown company may have contributed to this response, another reason some Korean audiences did not quickly find attachment to the group was the English-heavy, western-pop style of music. Such an effect has made it difficult for the group to establish a solid domestic fanbase that
The futile search for fun at the World Scout Jamboree
From Aug. 1-12, the Korea Scout Association hosted the 25th World Scout Jamboree at Saemangeum, North Jeolla. The World Scout Jamboree, held every four years, was created to promote cultural exchange among teenage scouting communities. Approximately 43,000 participants from 158 different countries initially attended this year’s event. However, the Jamboree went south extremely quickly. Soon after participants arrived, hygiene, transportation, and infrastructure became major issues, as the site flooded due to a lack of proper drainage before the opening ceremony. There were also food shortages and unhygienic basic facilities, such as toilets and showers. To make things worse, unusually hot weather in Korea caused more than 1,000 scouts to visit hospitals on Aug. 4, while the
supports endeavors for greater international success.
Though it might be easy to assume that expanding worldwide is the best option with the vast size of the global audience, many major K-Pop companies have earned similar profits from both international and domestic sales of CDs, albums, and other goods. According to Yonhap News, 51.4 percent and 47.8 percent of total sales came from the Korean market for YG Entertainment and JYP Entertainment respectively. Despite the significantly smaller population, Korean audiences play a vital role in financially supporting K-Pop. This is not to say, however, that K-Pop groups should prioritize their Korean identity entirely over westernization. In the case of BTS, who is arguably the most successful K-Pop group in the global market, some of their songs, like ‘IDOL,’ smoothly integrate Korean culture and elements of American pop together, effectively drawing in both domestic and international audiences while retaining their identity.
Drawing clear boundaries on how K-Pop groups should best incorporate both styles is difficult, for every group brings their unique sound to the industry. Yet within each of their individual colors, the connection with the genre of K-Pop since the early 1990s should not be broken by today’s hasty globalization. Otherwise, K-Pop groups will continue their aimless race of catching up with global trends, unable to retain a Korean audience disillusioned by their English-heavy “K-Pop” songs.
entire site had to be evacuated on Aug. 7 due to Typhoon Khanun. Participating nations like the UK Scouts withdrew from the Jamboree merely three days after the opening ceremony.
The main issue is rooted in the government’s unpreparedness. The Jamboree brings up serious questions and underlying issues about Korean politics that have been prevalent throughout the history of the nation. Everything is done behind closed doors, and citizens are unaware of where their taxes are going; recent controversies of bribery and tax evasion by Park Geun-Hye and Lee Myung-Bak serve as evidence that there is a clear issue with how money is handled in the government. Economic controversies have plagued the Korean government since 1976, with Koreagate and the Lee-Chang scandal under former Pres-
ident Chun Doo-Hwan. Such historical examples demonstrate how economic controversies have been rooted in Korea’s politics since it gained independence from Japan, only making the suspicion around mishandling taxes in the Jamboree seem more reasonable.
The event was not only a domestic failure but also a huge embarrassment for Korea on the global stage. As a nation that had grown exponentially in soft power and tourism in the last decade due to cultural exports, the Jamboree marred Korea’s image as a place of successful cultural exchange.
Though the Korean government provided some responses, issuing air-conditioned buses, arranging tourist programs for relocated scouts, and holding a largescale K-pop concert as a closing ceremony, it was far too late to effectively mend damage already done. The K-pop concert was especially controversial, as it seemed as though the government was strong-arming the “Avengers” of K-pop in an attempt to distract people from their tragic failures.
“The event was fun, but only from a K-pop fan’s perspective,” Dana Chung (11), Jamboree concert attendee, said. “I don’t think it was a great remedy, as although the scouts seemed to have fun, it did not directly address any issues with the Jamboree or the Korean government itself. It felt like a cover-up.”
It seems as though Korea is consistently ineffective at holding international events, exemplified by not only this Jamboree but also the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics, which had messy scheduling and security issues with North Korean participation. Fortunately, such failures have been covered up by the brilliance of K-Pop and K-Dramas that have taken the world by storm and kept the nation’s reputation as a cultural leader. However, this pattern continues to stimulate questions about future international events held in Korea, such as World Expo 2030 in Busan. Another failure may be the tipping point in the decay of the nation’s soft power, and a change is undeniably necessary to prevent such measures.
by: John Kim Senior, SoCial media manager
by: Yoon Choi Junior, Copy editor
A house system for SIS: revamping school unity
SIS’s current situation is a goldmine for those looking to improve school spirit—though there have been numerous past attempts from the administration and the student body to foster school unity, most if not all have been abortive. In a school where spirit days are not given a second thought and instances of schoolwide activities are rare, perhaps the most crucial but overlooked strategy is implementing a house system for our school. From separating the student body into categories like locker numbers or bringing to life the four houses of Hogwarts, the house system can look like anything—as long as it separates the student body into friendly, collaborative competition.
But why houses? The obvious answer is that they can foster school unity by encouraging competition between students. By implementing point systems to each house and holding regular school competitions, students are incentivized to participate more actively in the school community for rewards or privileges. Considering the popularity of competitive events such as Assassins, a similarly intense event could be successful.
A house system can also be a tool for teachers to encourage good behavior. Too often do students leave leftover snack wrappers lying on the floor and skip “useless” grade-wide meetings. House teams can be a tradition in SIS that promotes camaraderie, activity, and good behavior, with the focus always centered on the school. Students would no longer be just students of SIS—they would be students of a specific house of SIS, which
would make students feel a sense of increased belonging, responsibility, and devotion.
Additionally, freshmen who are nervous about high school can now ease into the school through friendly competition with peers. Given that the middle school also has a similar house system, with houses based on historical Korean kingdoms like Goguryeo, Baekja, Shilla, and Gaya, maintaining a continuity in house systems could help ease the transition for students as they first enter high school. With the fun and collaborative environment friendly competition fosters, this can also be an opportunity for upperclassmen to get to know the incoming freshmen in a friendlier environment—different houses can include members from various grades, inspiring inter-grade teamwork and communication.
But several obstacles have prevented the house system from coming into fruition, primarily stemming from the very competitive and divided nature social environment within our school. In an international school where high academic expectations are imposed upon students, the common narrative that many students follow is doing whatever it takes to get the highest grades possible.
“It is very hard to motivate SIS kids,” Gray Macklin, high school principal said. “When you talk about extrinsic motivators in SIS, the only things that motivates students directly are grades—grades and friend groups. If we have a house game that takes the friend group and splinters it into four different
groups, I don’t see SIS students participating in it.”
Mr. Macklin’s doubt is not completely unfounded. To say that previous attempts at school unity have been unsuccessful is an understatement: the only chance of school-wide unity SIS shared last year was the pep rally, which many students simply saw as a way to skip their fourth period class. Efforts for grade-wide unity only came in the form of the late nights, which are also being reduced to an only-freshman event starting this year.
Despite these difficulties, Mr. Macklin believes there is one approach that could lead to a successful SIS house system—inducing foundational change.
“Instead of trying to emulate the school spirit that exists in other contexts, let’s try and figure out what it means for us to be spirited,” Mr. Macklin said. “What is it that we really want? What is it that we are excited about?”
For school-wide spirit, SIS students need to understand what it means to care about something in the first place—something beyond just ourselves and grades. And a house system is the perfect way to start. By practicing spirit in our own teams, we can grow a stronger SIS culture that emphasizes caring about the broader community.
To bypass difficulties in friend groups and participation, house games can be mandated to get students to actually play—the problem does not lie within the activities themselves, but rather students’ reluctance to take part in them. As
Viewpoint Feature:
When was the last time you truly felt spirited in our school? Our current ways of inspiring school spirit are not effective, and does not motivate students enough to go above and beyond. This is why we must have a House system that will inspire competition, belonging, and school spirit.
What are some current ways of inspiring school spirit right now and have they been successful?
What are some ways to creatively motivate students to care about the school?
SIS has a competitive and divided student body even among their peers, pitting them against each other can be an easy way to inspire engagement. Referring back to Mr. Macklin’s statement, splintering friend groups is the ultimate end goal. By dividing students more with house teams, students are encouraged to go against a common enemy—other houses—and be better than their peers. If anything, this is the way to utilize SIS’s worst weakness as its biggest strength.
Grades should never be the spearhead of a school. Yet in SIS, students’ entire conceptions of school stems from academic performance and social relevance. When students are overwhelmed with summatives and the administration leaves no consideration for student schedule and time, perhaps this is the sign to radically change our school community. Hogwarts is not so romanticized because of its magic but rather the living community that it fosters among the student body. With this system, SIS can be something more than summatives and social cliques—a place of activities, friendships, and celebrations.
by: Jason Jihoon Shin Junior, reporter
12 SMALL TALK
Point Counterpoint
By Eric Kim and Sean Kim
Affirmative Action...
aims to benefit minorities in the college admissions process and preserve opportunities for historically marginalized ethnic, gender, and other minority groups. Earlier this year, however, the US Supreme Court struck down the policy in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard (SFFA v. Harvard) over concerns regarding the constitutional principle of equality. Though proponents argue affirmative action provides underrepresented groups with greater opportunities, critics argue that it instead reinforces “positive” discriminatory practices.
…is fair toward Korean international students.
…does not solve systemic oppression.
The Course Code: AP Sciences
By Yoon Choi (11)
Out of all the AP courses that SIS offers, the five AP science courses—AP Biology, AP Chemistry, AP Environmental Science, AP Physics I, and AP Physics II—make up the majority. Though considered rather difficult among the student body, each course has specific responsibilities, resources, and strategies that can help students excel.
AP Biology is one of the three AP courses available to sophomores. Often considered one of the more challenging science courses, it is a pronounced jump in academic rigor and pace from freshman year. Though AP Biology requires memorization skills due to its dense content, a significantly important vessel of the course is that students need to apply such content to real examples in FRQs and demonstrate their deep understanding.
Some great resources for AP Biology are the YouTube channels “Bozeman Science,” which broadly covers nearly the entire curriculum, and “The Amoeba Sisters,” which explores more specific concepts, such as cellular respiration and epigenetics, through engaging animations. With AP US History now unavailable to underclassmen, AP Biology has seen a significant surge in popularity amongst sophomores; if you are a freshman, asking any current sophomore or junior would be insightful.
AP Chemistry, similar to AP Biology, is a huge leap from its pre-requisite course— Chemistry & Physics. A major difference between Chemistry and Biology, however, is that AP Chemistry requires mathematical knowledge, as concepts like stoichiometry require the use of algebra. Useful resources include “Bozeman Science” and the online education platform Khan Academy, both of which allow students to learn or review content that they did not understand in class. AP Chemistry is also a course with a large number of current and former students, so seeking advice from them will likely serve students well.
“I think practice is key for AP Chemistry,” Steven Kim (12), former AP Chemistry student, said. “Do as many practice problems as possible to reinforce your understanding of concepts and equations. It’s especially important to solve all of the formative work-
sheets that are handed out in class. I personally used an online resource called ‘Ultimate Review Packet’ by Professor Dave that really helped me to practice key concepts.”
AP Physics I and Physics II are often considered difficult courses at SIS. AP Physics classes may not have hundreds of slides worth of content, but they still require proficiency in math, as applying complex equations and formulas is an essential skill for solving free response questions. Great resources, again, include Khan Academy and YouTube channels such as “Crash Course” and “Flipping Physics.”
Although AP Environmental Science covers a heavy load of content, the course has concepts that are somewhat easier to understand, as it does not go into the molecular levels of life and matter like AP Biology or AP Chemistry does. Instead, the course focuses on the application of content from other science courses to real life. Similar resources are available for AP Environmental Science: Khan Academy and “Bozeman Science.” One thing to note for AP Environmental Science is that the number of students enrolled is significantly fewer than AP Biology and AP Chemistry, which may make finding student opinions more difficult.
“I think AP Environmental Science is definitely less rigorous than other science APs but mostly because it draws content from those subjects,” Jay Choe (11), AP Environmental Science student, said. “Mrs. Lee also makes the course less stressful by putting in collaborative activities and projects that reduce the pressure of traditional tests.”
Overall:
AP Biology and AP Environmental Science cover a wide range of content, AP Physics requires algebraic applicational skills, and AP Chemistry requires a mix. Use the resources available to you—Khan Academy, “Bozeman Science”, Albert.io, and AP Classroom—to improve your chances of excelling in the AP Science courses and ask upperclassmen about their experiences with each course for input on course selection.
Many Korean students are known for overexerting themselves academically, normalizing 4.0 GPAs and SAT scores above 1500. SIS students, for instance, opt for an expensive academy-based private education system to maximize their chances of acceptance into elite universities. While it is a stereotype, many Asians solely strive for stellar academics and extracurriculars to pad their resumes, forgoing character development that is equally, if not more, important. Seldom do these students pursue a genuine passion project unaffected by their consulting firm and parents. This trend has not gone unnoticed by college admissions officers, reinforcing stereotypes that Asians are void of uniqueness and genuine academic curiosity.
“I feel that students sometimes do extracurricular activities mainly because they know it will enhance their resumes, and not necessarily because they are following their own passions,” Caro Paglialunga, a teacher with 20 years of experience, said. “Even for languages and other classes in general, I feel that sometimes the decision to take them doesn’t necessarily stem from a genuine interest.”
While affirmative action seems to unfairly bolster minorities who do not have comparable statistics or extracurriculars to their peers, this practice is fairer than it seems. Despite the common misconception that affirmative action includes specific racial quotas, such rigid quotas in the college admissions process were outlawed in 1978.
Furthermore, affirmative action is not the sole reason why some competent applicants fail in the college admissions process. Colleges are increasingly seeking to create a campus with intellectually curious and emotionally intelligent students from a variety of backgrounds that better prepares them for the real world. Consequently, admissions panels are increasingly wary of the academically stellar students.
“High schools are basically a preparatory stage for college, so I understand the emphasis on academics in high school,” Alex Kim (11), a student who is currently pursuing several of his passions, said. “But building relationships and good manners are lifelong skills that are constantly being developed. Focusing entirely on academics deprives you of the ability to make genuine connections that will be essential in college.”
Affirmative action is a warning to all students that colleges are sick of the same academically “stellar” and bland student resume. Colleges want honest students. So be honest with your life passions. Be different. Be you.
Though supporters of affirmative action claim it provides more opportunities to the underprivileged, the truth is that a few more minorities receiving college education does not eliminate the problem of systemic oppression that is ingrained deeply within society. As long as the current system continues, discrimination will persist.
Despite good intentions to boost those from disadvantaged backgrounds, affirmative action is simply a band-aid solution that takes away opportunities from hard-working students. Of course, inclusivity is important, but affirmative action dismisses the immense amount of effort that students put in during high school by prioritizing inclusivity instead.
“I am frustrated that institutions are biased toward minorities at the expense of individuals born into circumstances beyond their control,” Sean Kim (11), an Ivy League aspirant, said. “Such bias severely undermines the efforts of those who do not enjoy this exclusive treatment, and with the excruciating competitiveness involved with college applications, selections should not be based on uncontrollable circumstances but rather the academic prowess and holistic character of the individual.”
Even if one family enjoys prosperity thanks to their college degree—though many affirmative action students often do not even finish college, with less than 40 percent graduating—as long as we live in a society that fosters poverty, another family will simply replace them in a vicious cycle.
However, hope exists. A successful bottom-up approach that Scandinavian countries have adopted, social democracy, holds the key. A system that both recognizes the impossibility of a completely communist country but also the flaws of capitalism, social democracy strikes a compromise by permitting the government to actively participate in the open market to maximize public welfare services. Though wealth gaps still exist, it is far less extreme. Even the poorest of people have access to free healthcare and often food in the majority of countries with such systems. That there exists a safety net for the marginalized to fall back on provides a sense of security. Further, due to advanced public services, social democracies foster a relatively level playing field, eliminating the need for affirmative action.
While affirmative action is a mere stroke on the canvas of societal issues, social democracies paint a more equitable composition.
Concentrating on working on her Chemistry and Physics worksheet, Sarah Kim (10), thoughtfully writes a short-answer for her homework.
Photo by Jason Jihoon Shin (11)
photo of the month