Tiger Times Volume 38 Issue 4

volume X X XVIII

november 2011

issue 4

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

CCC hosts street performance at Rodeo

Administration plans to revise test format

By Helen Song

By Stephanie Yi

A rumor spread among high school students in November that the administration was planning to enforce a “no multiple choice questions” policy due to cheating instances in the freshman class. Yet this was only a rumor.

Rather, the administration set a long-term goal ever since the visit by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges three years ago: to improve the quality of assessments by cutting back the number of textbook-generated multiple choice questions. “[By implementing this goal] we’re not fixing a problem but [rather] we’re trying to make assessments better,” said Jarret Lambie, high school principal. “Hopefully [through this goal] we’ll have more assessments that [generate] deep thinking and writing.”

In response to the changes, Chan Jun Park (12) said he preferred free response questions, but for reasons different from those of the administration. “[If] you write anything relevant to the topic [in free response questions], you can get more points [as opposed] to multiple choice questions,” said Chan Jun. While every educational department has a different schedule as to when they plan to make changes to the assessments, the science department has already changed the format of assessments.

“For Introduction to Chemistry class, I try to ask more free-response questions and concept- based questions that are more open-ended,” said Raymond Slapikas, chemistry teacher. “But one of the pitfalls is that students are [simply memorizing the format and wording of the questions instead of understanding the concepts].”

The administration hopes that this goal, which they plan to be fully implemented by 2014, will encourage students to change the way they think. “[The reform] is not just a fad or something new that the school is trying out,” said Peter Corcoran, director of schools. “This comes out of research that has been around for 10-15 years and is a part of every school’s vocabulary now. There are statistics that show that the benefits are just too significant for us not to be doing this.”

Photo by Linda Heeyoung Park

Scooping up spoonfuls of handmade ice cream, Anna Joo (11) and Nadya Kim (11) enjoy the Science Week event. Students made ice cream out of salt, sugar, milk, ice and vanilla extract on Oct. 15.

Science Week requirements revised to encourage honest attendance

By Michelle Kim

S

eniors Suhyun Kim, Alice Lee and Minji Kim vigorously shake a plastic bag containing ice, salt and a Ziploc bag of milk, vanilla extract and sugar. After ten minutes, the milk solidifies and becomes ice cream.

This event, ice cream making, was one of five events held during Science Week from Nov. 14- 18. The other events were the bottle scavenger hunt, jeopardy and two guest speakers, one of whom did not get to talk due to schedule conflicts with the High School Student Council (HSSC) Scavenger Hunt. Each event was hosted by Scientia, Science Club or Green Club.

Major changes were made to Science Week this year, particularly in the participation requirements. Students last year received extra credit for their science classes by collecting stamps from all the events. This year, they were offered participation points for attending at least one event, proven by writing their names on an attendance list. Venue doors were also locked at 1 p.m. to discourage students from taking advantage of the system as

Libya liberated: Does Qaddafi’s death necessarily signal a promising future? Page 2

they did last year.

“The science teachers didn’t agree on using extra credit as an incentive,” said James Horn, Science Club adviser. “There had also been students who cheated by copying other students’ cards and handing them in. Attending Science Week should not be an incentive for a grade.”

As the week progressed, students thought the new system was more effective than last year’s stamp system because they did not have to worry about losing their cards.

“Last year, I remember some people losing their stamp cards and by doing so, they lost their chance of receiving credits,” said Kevin Park (11). “This year’s signing system did not require us to keep track of our stamp cards, so I thought it was way better.”

The events also underwent change from last year’s Science Week. There were more educational events. For example, speaker Art De Filippo, elementary school principal, educated students about green schools. Jeopardy tested students on their scientific knowledge.

On the flipside, students recycled bottles during Green Club’s bottle scavenger hunt, during which they

Caffeine overload: Popular energy drinks can have adverse effects. Page 8

searched for hidden bottles in the science wing and placed them in a recycling bin.

In total, 314 students participated in Science Week. Jeopardy was in the lead with 161 participants.

Although there was a high overall turnout, some students did not believe that issues from last year’s Science Week have been completely solved.

“I think cheating incidents may have decreased, but the new system might not be able to stop it completely, since people seem to find ways around it,” said Mintaek Lee (12), Green Club treasurer.

After Science Week ended, students agreed that although there were some improvements from last year, it still could have been improved, as a schedule conflict led to the cancellation of the second speaker event.

“There had been a lot of last minute conflicts last year because it was around Earth Day, and then there were AP exams,” said Mr. Horn. “That’s why we had Science Week earlier this year. But we still had schedule conflicts, so we can make sure that there is no conflict next year by looking at the school calendar more carefully.”

On the streets of Rodeo, China Care Club (CCC) members encouraged pedestrians to watch Joon Kwon’s (9) magic tricks and the Dance Club’s performance. Although many ignored them, they were not discouraged and continued to collect donations.

CCC worked with the Dance Club on Nov. 6 at Apgujeong-dong to attract donations for Chinese children with birth defects. Despite bad weather and technical difficulties, with the help of various performers, the fundraiser amassed around 200,000 won.

“We’re trying to prove that, as a non-school sponsored club, we can succeed with fundraisers outside of school,” said Linda Park (11), CCC founder. “Our goal currently is to earn 600 dollars to save a young Chinese orphan with birth defects.”

As president, Linda worked to organize the performance by securing equipment and earning permission to perform in front of stores on Rodeo street. Joon, along with the Dance Club and Augustine Kim (11) were recruited to garner interest.

“There weren’t many people on the streets because of the rain, but I did my best to interest people by involving them in magic tricks,” said Joon. “I was able to attract their attention enough for them to listen to club members explain the fundraiser and persuade them to donate.”

The Dance Club, responsible for the main performance, also experienced setbacks due to the audio speakers malfunctioning. The group improvised by using car speakers.

“It was awkward at first because there weren’t many people and the music wasn’t loud, but it was cool to dance to just express yourself on the street,” said Nicole Chun (10), Dance Club president. “It was a fulfilling experience, and I was happy to see strangers watch us perform.”

After the performances, CCC members went around Rodeo street selling bracelets and collecting donations to raise more money.

“Soliciting donations from individuals worked the best as we got their attention through performances and then asked for donations,” said Ally Chung (11), CCC vice president. “Our first fundraiser went well, even though it was rainy and cold because everyone was enthusiastic and worked hard.”

Varsity soccer: Preseason boosters focus on improving overall fitness. Page 11

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November 2011

Editorial

Letter to the Editor

Dear Editors, Jonathan Yun’s article in the October issue of Tiger Times, “Schools react to Arabian students at KIS” is certainly thought provoking. There are obvious reasons how families make the decision on what school their children will attend. Among them are the location of the school, the program the school offers and then, there are more subtle considerations.

Rather than asking SIS admission staff why there is little or no ethnic diversity in SIS, it might be more appropriate to ask current students and parents why they think this is the case. In all honesty, do we welcome students from different backgrounds? Also, what is the perception of the school in the international community? I have heard it said too often that there is almost unhealthy competition among the students and that the school actually serves a wealthy clientele in which most students are “hagwon-ed” to the maximum.

If this stereotype of our community is accurate, then it would not be a welcoming environment for any student who does not fall into those categories.

When we enrolled three new seniors in the Class of 2011, I was thrilled because they had real in-

ternational background. I had extensive contact with the applicants and with the counselors in their previous schools. The agreement was made to have all the supporting requirements for university come from the school each left. I provided only an SIS transcript with senior grades along with my recommendation. It was disappointing to learn very shortly after they enrolled that there was opposition in the community over admitting them due to the misconception that they would be taking university slots away from students who had been here longer.

All three of those highly successful additions to our Class of 2011 seemed to adjust here perhaps due to their Korean ethnicity but I wonder if they or their parents felt resentment.

Let’s ask ourselves: do we really want to be international and embrace students of different backgrounds? It is obvious that we have little diversity when it comes to race and ethnicity. It is difficult enough to be individualistic in this student body much less to be “an outsider”.

From Fredric Schneider, Director of Pupil Personnel Services

Letter to the Editor Dear Editors, club-related activities but a wide In reading HSSC Executive range of student-driven events President David Lim’s recent Letter such as the Lock-In, Thanksgiving to the Editor regarding Family Fun Feast, Tigers Got Talent, Snowball Day (FFD) in the October issue of and Prom. Without FFD, our stuTiger Times I found myself taking dents might be devoting signifiissue with a number of his obser- cantly more time than one Saturvations and conclusions regarding day to fundraising—at the expense FFD. of their studies.

The essence of David’s arguBut perhaps the bigger point ment appears to be David misses is that that SIS Parents AssoThe real value of sometimes the most ciation (SISPA) mis- FFD doesn’t reside important things in informed or misled life can’t be meaclubs regarding both in the money raised sured solely on the the voluntary nature but rather in the basis of dollars and of their participation tremendous sense cents. The real valand the amount of ue of FFD doesn’t of community spirit reside in the money money they’d receive for their volunteer ef- the day generates for raised but rather forts on FFD. in the tremendous our school.

Having attended sense of commuevery planning and organizational nity spirit the day generates for our meeting leading up this event, my school. perspective is that nothing could What I saw on FFD were parbe further from the truth. ents, students and teachers workFurther, by focusing almost ing side by side to host an event exclusively on what he perceived that united our community, raised to be a limited financial return money for student activities and for a Saturday’s worth of commu- was enjoyed by everyone, David nity service, David has missed the included. much larger fundraising implicaFrom Peter Corcoran, tions for his fellow students.

Director of School Revenue generated by SISPA through FFD not only supports

“

Editors-in-Chief Stella Kim Eunice Lee

Managing Editor Lydia Kim

Production Editor Jasmine Park

Graphics Editor Stephanie Song

Copy Editors

Alison Chang Angela Cho Elizabeth Song

Layout Artists Yong Gun Choe Jason Huh Joanne Lee Milton Yoon Jonathan Yun

Marketing Director Jeffrey Chun

Cartoonist Christine Lee

Photographers

Joshua Kim Linda Heeyoung Park Jessica Song

Multiple-choice questions should be used as diagnostics, not assessments Though the multiple-choice section on an AP test often accounts for half of the overall score—and the SAT is almost entirely multiplechoice—the overuse of multiplechoice questions for school examinations, albeit efficient, may not be the most effective way to assess students. As current educational trends continue to place a greater emphasis on higher-order thinking, schools must reconsider the value of multiple-choice tests.

SIS is a college preparatory school, which means that students are encouraged to challenge themselves academically beyond the high school level. This requires that students engage themselves in complex thought processes that rank higher on Bloom’s Taxonomy.

As opposed to free-response exams that force students to analyze material, multiple-choice questions often test students’ abilities to recall information without requiring the application of learned material.

Hence, multiple-choice exams are not accurate measures of assessing

a student’s knowledge or ability.

This is not to say multiplechoice questions cannot test critical-thinking—harder questions administered by College Board on an AP or SAT test are challenging because they entail a level of application. Nevertheless, these questions are the result of numerous hours, weeks and even months solely set aside for crafting the questions and the answer choices that follow. College Board also administers sample tests to make sure that the tests are fair and of appropriate difficulty, meaning that the scores achieved fall along a general bell curve.

The majority of questions given on school exams are from test banks provided by textbook publishers, who formulate questions using a process similar to that of College Board. Ideally, when a teacher takes questions from these test banks, the exams should be fair; however, when students have access to these questions through hagwons, memorize the answers, and ace the test the next day, they

distort the accuracy of the tests.

The question now becomes that of who goes to hagwon and who does not, rather than that of who has studied and who has not.

Despite the problems associated with multiple-choice examinations, it is essential that students are still exposed to such testing formats to prepare for APs, SATs and future college assessments.

Perhaps teachers can give students multiple-choice quizzes without attaching a grade to them—this will eliminate incentives to cheat, and also give students the practice they need. Multiple-choice exams can be used to diagnose a student’s areas of strengths and weaknesses in recalling information, but their validity as academic evaluations remain in question.

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.

Qaddafi’s death foreshadows Libya’s bleak future

By Lydia Kim

In a viral cellphone video on the Internet, former Libyan dictator Muammar Qaddafi, drenched in his own blood, is dragged by rebels into a frenzied crowd—his limp body is passed down from one abusive hand to another as he begs for mercy in a mob chanting “God is great!”

After eight months of civil war, Qaddafi died at the hands of Libyan rebels on Oct. 20. Three days later, the country was officially liberated, allowing for the development of a new constitution and government.

Without a doubt, Qaddafi’s death marked the end of the oppression of Libyan citizens, but it did not necessarily inaugurate an era of liberty and stability.

While insurgents rebelled against their deprivation of human rights, they too violated Qaddafi’s own rights by committing a gruesome act of public murder. Rather than victimizing him in a mobabetted execution, they should have given him a proper trial. Though the cause of his demise is still unclear, he was beaten, spit on and stomped on until the final seconds of his life.

Leaders of this inhumane execution will be the next leaders of the nation—what does that tell the world about Libya’s future?

Now, of particular concern is how the interim government—the temporary, provisional government led by Mustafa Abdul Jalil—will

Reporters Mark Kim Michelle Kim Marcus Lee Helen Song Min Ji Suh Web Designer Stephanie Yi Adviser Ms. Carolyn Brown

Cartoon by Christine Lee

treat loyalist sects. Down to the last days of Qaddafi’s 42-year-long regime, Libyans in certain regions remained loyal to their leader. Already, there have been numerous reports of atrocities committed by rebel leaders against civilians living in these regions. As of now, current leaders display hardly any more tolerance than Qaddafi did.

It is also unclear how much authority the interim government actually wields. Because there is no centralization of power, various rebel leaders still hold vast influence. As a result, the possibility of in-fighting between these rebel sects over power control and past regional loyalties threatens to rip apart Libya’s already unstable environment. Qaddafi’s death did not put an end to a totalitarian regime; instead, it simply led to the rise of new leaders fighting for power. In fact, Qaddafi’s death may mark a new chapter to a continued

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

civil war in Libya.

In order for Libya to have a stable, effective and lasting government, rebel leaders must be willing to compromise and cooperate with one another. It is imperative that they ignore past grudges and display the same teamwork they did in their fight against Qaddafi. Cooperation on their part, however, is unlikely, as democratic practices have been scant in the past four decades. Taking this into account, Libya’s leaders must also be open to advice from foreign powers, while making sure they do not become wholly dependent on them.

For now, it is too soon for Libyans to be celebrating—true liberation will only come with the success of the interim government. Not all is bleak if this new government makes sure that it protects its people and strives for the nation’s greater good, not for itself.

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.

November 2011

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Weeklong shutdown of PowerSchool well-intentioned but misled

By Joanne Lee

A “site-under-maintenance” notice greeted students who attempted to log onto PowerSchool from Oct. 17-24. Students immediately began complaining about the temporary shutdown, which coincidentally occurred just before first quarter grades were finalized. Administrators said that the weeklong maintenance was necessary for teachers, but they have failed to consider the situation of the students, whose only access to grades were cut off during one of the most crucial weeks of the quarter.

According to Jarret Lambie, high school principal, closing the student and parent portals of Pow-

erSchool down was the most effective way to deal with the necessary system updates that had been made available by Pearson Education that week. Each system update brings changes to the teachers’ grade settings such as curving and weighting scales, consequently altering students’ grades. Administrators chose to close the portals to avoid a stream of student complaints on the temporarily skewed grades. During this time, teachers had the chance to fix these setting changes as well as input remaining grades.

Despite the administration’s good intentions, an entire week without PowerSchool right before the end of the quarter was unreasonable to students, as the last week of

the quarter is arguably the most decisive of the nine weeks in determining final grades. During this time, students not only double-check that their grades are correct and all assignments are turned in and marked but also discuss any disagreements over grades with teachers. It is up to students to maintain their own grades, but the administration shut down the only tool they had to check grades.

Administrators have emphasized that finalized grades can be changed, but the impracticality of the situation for both students and teachers has been ignored. The process to change finalized grades is an extraneous and tedious step for students and teachers, who should be

Administration emphasizes importance of class time For a high school of less than 400 students, the extracurricular activities program at SIS is extensive, with students often involved in more than four or five activities. With so many commitments to juggle, it is inevitable that students miss class for different functions.

However, the problem began to surface when students were receiving unexcused absences for events such as debate competitions, which they viewed as legitimate reasons to miss school since they are learning even when they are away.

According to the SIS Handbook, if students have unexcused absences for more than 20 percent of the quarter—seven A days and seven B days—the student will lose course credit. Students are excused in a case of a legitimate illness, school-sponsored event or death in the family.

However, students are not excused for non-school-sponsored events such as debate competitions. With students being involved in school events and out-of-school extracurricular activities, student absences were piling up. The school felt the need to regulate the number of absences.

The administration believes that the school already offers sufficient extracurricular opportunities for students to broaden their horizons. Though KAIAC competitions may not be at the same scope as an international competition, Jarett Lambie, high school principal, said that the basic learning values are the same. The school’s goal is to send students to elite universities and foster well-rounded individuals.

They are not looking for individuals that are specialized in a single area; meaning, if an Olympic figure skater wanted to attend the school, considering the amount of school he or she may miss, the school would decline their admission.

Furthermore, the emphasis on class time has to be made. Schoolwork should come first at all times and the learning experience gained from classes is irreplaceable. Though it may seem cliché, it is true that

the interaction students have with teachers and their classmates is vital to the learning process. When students make up work, they are finishing individual assignments, not the discussions they may have missed.

Ultimately, the administration has to draw a line. Of course, some of these experiences, such as going abroad to compete with debaters worldwide, are invaluable. But if the school were to look into every case, it would have to decide which event is more meaningful to a student, insinuating that certain activities are more important. Acording to the administration, the school is applying the same rule to everyone, no matter the event. For example, the administration cannot say that competing in the World Schools Debating Championships is more important than a regional competition just because it is on a larger scale. Having the same set of rules, though some may see it as being unfair, is the best way to eliminate bias.

The school is not discouraging students from exploring interests outside of school. But students should use their breaks more wisely because they have so many opportunities to participate in activities outside of school without actually having to miss school. They have winter, summer and spring vacation, Thanksgiving and Chuseok holidays, just to name a few. However, many students choose to go to hagwons during that time instead of engaging in activities they claim are important to them, which questions their true level of commitment.

The administration is not looking to penalize students. There are rare opportunities that students should take advantage of. The problem arises when students miss too much school. Mr. Lambie is hoping to change the policy next year so that students are allotted a certain number of days they are excused from class each semester. At that point, students need to prioritize their activities. When absences become too frequent, the school needs to make sure that students take what happens in class as seriously as what they do outside of it.

continue. Though parents were sent text messages as well as emails, students, who are the primary users of PowerSchool, were never informed separately. Administrators could have easily notified students through either the Daily Bulletin or a public address announcement, but their failure to do so has caused great confusion and misunderstanding for the student population.

The administration’s actions were well-intended, but misled. Cutting off communication is not the answer, and students have the right to know and maintain their grades.

To avoid tensions during future Powerschool updates, better communication between the administration and students is key.

School should encourage extracurricular activities

YES

By Alison Chang

focusing on the new quarter rather than fixing easily preventable mistakes of the previous one. Teachers themselves cannot change quarter grades after finalization. The teacher must hold a conference with the student, fill out a grade revision form and send it to the administration for review and approval—a potentially long and complicated process.

Though the administration’s intention was to make the grade finalizations easier and more efficient for teachers, closing the student and parent portals may have caused even more conflict.

The lack of communication only made matters worse as students did not understand why and for how long the maintenance would

VS. Is the absence policy

{reasonable} or not?

NO Tiger Times investigates the school’s attendance policy due to recent complaints from both sides.

Cartoon by Christine Lee

By Mark Kim

SIS students, in addition to being academically driven, are also well-rounded, participating in numerous extracurricular activities.

However, due to the new attendance policy this year, students involved in non-school-sponsored activities have been marked unexcused for participating them. While there are valid reasons for the current absence policy, the administration should revise it to give students more freedom to pursue their interests.

The SIS Handbook states that all non-school-sponsored activities, private vacations and unapproved college visits are unexcused unless a student is bereaved of a loved one or is excused by an administrator. This includes debate and sports competitions that are not sponsored by the school. The Handbook also states that students must attend 80 percent of their classes to receive credit for that semester. According to Jarret Lambie, high school principal, SIS does not focus on nurturing specialized students whose priorities do not lie with the education provided at SIS. Instead, the administration believes in providing an elite academic experience for all students, and that means attending most classes.

Many students are involved in activities outside of school such as debate, sports or music. For example, there are students who are invited to prestigious competitions such as the World Schools Debating Championship as representatives of Korea. The administration should allow students to participate in these

events, not only because they reflect positively on the school’s reputation, but also because the scope of these international competitions is incomparable to smaller ones like those in KAIAC. Furthermore, some activities are not even offered by the school. Hence, the administration should encourage students to pursue their interests and passions.

Granted, the administration cannot permit absence after absence.

Getting the full academic experience is important for all students.

For the most part, however, students involved in non-school-sponsored activities do not miss too many days of school to miss the academic benefits provided at SIS. On average, with the exception of select individuals, most students miss around three to four days for non-school-sponsored events a semester, not too much to impact a student’s academic life.

The administration has also been inconsistent with their enforcement of the attendance policy, allowing some students to miss school for certain activities while prohibiting others. Perhaps the administration should be clearer to the student body on what activities or trips are considered excused.

Instead of limiting students from participating in non-schoolrelated activities, the administration should develop its policy regarding the absences of students. Although the attendance policy ensures that students do not miss too many days of school, the school should develop a different attitude towards extracurricular activities and be more supportive of students’ interests.

nEWS 4 NEWS BRIEFS School rebuilds gazebos as part of reconstruction plan

Photo by Joshua Kim

Administrators convene on Nov. 15 to celebrate the completion of the deck stairs and a gazebo.

In addition to reconstructing Tiger Gym 1 and the elementary school building, the school completed building gazebos on Nov. 15 to provide a space for students to take a break. In addition, the construction crew built deck stairs and gardens and moved the elementary school playground across the soccer field to improve scenery.

“I will make use of the gazebos and the garden when the weather gets better,” said James Ham (12).

“But the school could invest more in other facilities such as better insulation for the coming winter.”

Administration restricts high school students’ field usage Though high school and elementary school students previously shared the soccer field equally, administrators decided to restrict high school students to a third, starting November. This was because there are more elementary school students playing outside during break; however, if more high school students use the field in the future, the administration will consider expanding their portion of the field.

“I still think the policy is really unfair because elementary school students have three breaks and we only have one,” said Patrick Chin (10). “And since we’re [physically] bigger, we need more room to play.

A lot of people are mad about the policy and we tend to ignore it— it’s ineffective.”

Korean government updates laws in response to hagwon scandal

In the wake of the arrest of hagwon teacher Richard Kim for identity theft and attempted murder, the Korean government amended the current law on hagwon instructors. From now on, foreigners who apply to be hagwon teachers will be subject to screening on their police records, medical reports, diplomas and doping tests. The national Board of Education also recommends that applicants receive training sessions on Korean culture to acquaint themselves with Korea.

“I think the government went a bit overboard with updating the laws,” said Jessica Lee (9).

“Some foreign applicants might feel offended by the screenBy Angela Cho

NOVEMBER 2011

SIS community funds victims of Thailand floods

streamlining all of SIS’ donations directly to the Thailand Red Cross.

“In looking at all the different non-governmental organizations we felt like the Red Cross was the most legitimate right now,” said Mrs. Hurt. “[It’s] giving people tents and clean water. [It’s] the one on the ground actually mobilizing units to save people from floods chest-deep in Thailand. Not to mention, last September my parents lost their

house in a flood—they almost died in Austin, Texas and the Red Cross was the only group that helped them. Even to this day, they check up on my parents.”

Former SIS teachers who have moved to Thailand are also learning to cope with the recent flooding.

“Mitchell Waters and his wife are in Bangkok and they’ve been displaced since Oct. 21,” said Ms. Hurt. “Their entire apartment has

flooded, their school has shut down and everything’s gone. They’ve just globe-trotted because they never know when this’ll end.”

Floodwaters have just begun to recede and according to Caitlin Lopez, art teacher, students should expect to receive their rice bowls around the same time that officials predict the flood to wash away entirely, in January after Christmas break.

Though the tangible harm that Thailand has experienced has been quantified by numbers, the damage done to the nation’s morale and the citizens’ daily functionality calls for further relief efforts. In contributing to these efforts, SIS has demonstrated its much questioned ability to cooperate as an entire community.

“Building a sense of community is very important,” said Lyuh Kim (12), Community Service Club president. “And by our community coming together in a common group for a common cause in order to help other people I’m reassured that this event has already made us more appreciative of our surroundings.

It was a really great opportunity to bond and interact that we might not have otherwise.”

north from Gangnam to Yongsan station, and will be completed in 2018.

On the day of the opening, commuters took the subway free of charge. The standard price, however, is 1,600 won for adults—600 won more than the regular price of a subway ticket—and 1,280 won for teenagers. Commuters, however, found multiple benefits from riding

the Shinbundang line that made up for the price increase.

“I was actually relieved that the ticket prices were free [on the first day],” said Jeanne Han (10). “When I rode it for the first time, I got lost and it was really hard to get to the actual Shinbundang line. But I really like the new seats and the idea of having a pole in the middle of the subway so that many people could

hold onto the pole [for stability].”

Many commuters like the new subway line for simpler reasons.

“I like to ride the Shinbundang line often,” said Chungho Suh (11), Jeongja resident. “There are many times that I need to travel to Seoul for whatever reason, and [the Shin Bundang line subways are] clean, open and fast. I plan to take the subway more often.”

By Marcus Lee

An estimated 537 people in Thailand have died after heavy monsoon rains led to floods of historic proportions in July. Another 113,000 have been relocated to shelters throughout the country.

In an effort to raise awareness and aid the humanitarian relief for the leading rice-producing country, the school hosted a fundraiser from Nov. 21-23, in which students either paid 10,000 won to paint their own rice bowls in the art room or entered a Freerice.com competition with 1,000 won to answer the most questions for an undisclosed prize.

“People in Thailand will get just $120 to rebuild their lives,” said Shanna Hurt, initiator of the event.

“That’s all the government is willing to give them. So anything that we can raise through the Red Cross is going to compensate for a much needed effort. It just so happens to fall on Thanksgiving too, so I feel the need to express my thanks for not being in that situation and have the moral obligation to help those in need.”

Hyung-Shik Kim, headmaster, funded the entire rice bowl event,

Photo by Christine Lee

Painting rice bowls, Kristen Park (9) and Ashley Kim (9) participate in the fundraiser to help victims of the Thailand floods.

New addition to Seoul subway improves public transport

By Stephanie Yi

After playing with her friends at Lotte World, Jeanne Han (10) rushed to the subway station to get home in Jeongja on time for a tutor session. Fortunately, she was able to take the Shinbundang line. The ride only took her 16 minutes.

Opened on Oct. 28, the line connects Gangnam station in Seoul to Jeongja station in Bundang. It consists of six stops along a 18.5-km distance, which can be covered in 16 minutes as opposed to the 44 minutes it took before. This line solved the inconveniency of having to leave earlier to visit Seoul from Bundang.

“Transferring multiple times to go to Gangnam was so troublesome,” said Cora Shim (11). “But now when I go to Gangnam to go to hagwons and play, I only transfer once.”

There are three phases to the construction of the new line. The first comprises the recently-built six-station line. Currently under construction, the second and third phases, which connect Jeongja to Gwanggyo and Gangnam to Yongsan, respectively, are expected to be completed in 2016 and 2018. The third phase extends the line farther

ing, especially if they have a clean record.”

Phone: 031)723-8210

Address: 677-8 Bokjungdong, Soojungku, Seungnam, Kyungkido

NOVEMBER 2011

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nEWS

Quill & Scroll diversifies High school orchestra places first in KAIAC Large Group Festival at YISS journalism program

By Helen Song

The gym is crowded as middle and high school students scramble to photograph the cheerleading practice on Nov. 11. This activity is part of the middle school journalism workshop, in which students learn how to write articles, take photos and create layout spreads. It is one of the many semester- or year-long projects the SIS chapter of Quill and Scroll (Q&S), an international high school journalism honor society, is working on.

Each Q&S member is required to be a part of one project. This year’s projects include video journalism, SIS Intramural League (SISIL) Times and elementary and middle school workshops.

“Our goal this year is to spread journalism to as many grades possible and promote journalism as a career,” said Yeeun Chun (12), Q&S president. “There is an increased interest this year and we have more enthusiastic volunteers for our projects, making it easier to create more diverse and effective programs.”

The video journalism project, which has been attempted many times in previous years, has begun to make progress. Its staff is current-

ly covering the Thanksgiving Feast and Tiger’s Got Talent, and have already filmed auditions as well as rehearsals.

“One thing we’re going to do to publicize our video is post it on Youtube and have all the members post a link on Facebook,” said Yijung Tae (11), head of the project. “We’re also considering sending the link to all the teachers for them to show to their first period classes.”

Another project that has made progress is SISIL Times, a newsletter that covers SISIL sports games and management. It has published two issues so far—a volleyball edition and an off-season edition. Although the staff initially had commitment issues, the production process has become smoother throughout.

“Because SISIL Times is only part of an extracurricular club, staff members sometimes lacked the dedication,” said Lydia Kim (11), SISIL Times editor-in-chief. “However, once staff members saw their first issue in print, they were more motivated to produce quality work.

Widening our circulation and printing in color helped too.”

This progress will continue as Q&S plans include hosting journalism week and elementary school workshops.

By Jessica Song

Though students do not have classes on Parent-Teacher Conference days, high school orchestra (HSO) members came to school on Oct. 27 to prepare for the KAIAC Large Group Festival For Orchestras held Nov. 1 at Yongsan International School of Seoul. The SIS HSO won first place in the competition.

“It was good that we won because it gives [the orchestra] motivation,” said Kris Richardson, HSO conductor. “For the Nov. 1 competition, the group performed well. I was pleased with the effort but there is still room for improvement.”

Starting this year, SIS music teachers agreed to coordinate more music-related events. This festival was one of such new events introduced by KAIAC international schools.

For the festival, the HSO prepared two pieces called “Carnival of the Animals Suite” by Charles Camille Saint-Saëns and “Dance of the Comedians” by Bedřich Smetana.

Two judges used four categories— platinum, gold, silver and bronze— to evaluate each ensemble. All the orchestras earned the platinum category but the HSO received the highest score, 27 out of 28, placing first.

HSSC releases SIC and Snowball progress updates

By Jonathan Yun

Last year’s themes were theft and evaluation of teachers’ performances. This year, the Student Improvement Committee (SIC), a branch of the HSSC, has brainstormed possible ideas for a brand new goal, but it has not yet finalized its decision.

Members of the SIC have come up with possible goals for this year, including increasing school spirit, giving more leeway to athletes with make-up work, helping students get accustomed to Powerschool and allowing varsity sports to be used as physical education credits. However, the SIC has not yet come up with a decision, causing several of the members to feel uneasy about the situation.

“I feel quite uncomfortable about our progress so far,” said John Han (11), SIC member. “I suppose we’re still in the brainstorming process and we have another six months to implement some of our ideas.

Even so, it would be better if we come up with a goal sooner because that would allow us to do more throughout the school year.”

While the SIC has not made much progress so far, the sophomore council is busy planning Snowball.

The sophomore council will host this year’s Snowball at The Raum, a wedding hall located in the heart of the Gangnam district. “[Snowball] is taking place in The Raum this year,” said Adrian Kim (10), sophomore council president. “The Raum is pretty much the most high-end venue that the sophomore council could find. Not

many high school students get to go to places like The Raum, let alone borrow the whole place just for students.”

The sophomore council’s goal for Snowball this year is to increase participation. They plan do to so by organizing a flash mob and inviting Astro Voize, a Korean electronica DJ duo.

As planners of Snowball last year, members of the junior council reflected back on last year’s productive winter ball to anticipate the success of this year’s Snowball.

“Last year’s Snowball was really successful, so I think it really set an example for this year’s sophomore council,” said Jay Koo (11), junior council level representative. “I think Adrian had an easier time arranging the location, the food and the tickets.”

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Photo by Jessica Song

Sight-reading Tchaivosky’s “The Nutcracker” for the winter concert, Amy Kim (12) practices pizzicato on her cello during rehearsal.

“We’re all very strong individual players,” said Suhyun Kim (12), HSO concertmaster. “But when it comes to cooperation we are new [to] this experience because we’re unfamiliar with playing with each other and we’re just so focused on the music that’s in front of us.”

Suhyun believes that this year’s orchestra has been making more progress compared to last year’s by being involved in competitions. In addition, Mr. Richardson assigns weekly playing tests and encourages sectional practices so that each

member can improve.

Mr. Richardson is now focused on preparing for the upcoming winter concert in Dec. 8. From now on, his three main goals are to continue to develop as an ensemble, improve intonation and enhance the musical maturity of the group.

“HSO members realized that they were getting [better],” said Mr. Richardson. “It comes from pride and success which encourages them to work really hard since being part of orchestra is something to be truly proud of.”

Zeitgeist Dispute over FTA causes havoc Mayhem broke out in 2008 as thousands of South Koreans took to the streets, claiming that the Korea-US Free Trade Agreement (KORUS FTA) brought in US beef imports tainted with mad cow disease. This same rumor has been making its rounds again, making citizens suspicious of the KORUS FTA, which is supported by the Grand National Party (GNP).

“People opposed to the FTA spread false information about the dangers of American beef to the public,” said Gray Macklin, counselor. “People support or are opposed to the FTA without having any more facts than they are told.

They don’t confirm those facts to see if they are accurate. There’s no foundation for the mad cow disease rumor at all.”

Other rumors argue that the FTA will wipe out the Korean rice industry. Some also claim that the agreement will bring about foreign-owned hospitals with medical bills as expensive as 9 million won, instead of the current 300,000 won, for an appendectomy.

Incensed by such stories, members of the Democratic Party (DP), as well as students, labor activists and farmers, have voiced their disapproval of the passage of the bill. On Oct. 28 in front of the National Assembly Building in Yeouido, riot police had to disperse

a crowd of 2,500 protesters by resorting to water cannons and detaining 67 people. Angry citizens also participated in candlelight vigils on Nov. 4 in front of Kookmin Bank in Yeouido.

FTA chief negotiator Seokyoung Choi advocates ratification because South Korea’s imports and exports account for about 88 percent of the gross domestic product. Yuree Kim (9) agrees with Mr. Choi that the benefits of the agreement outweigh its potential drawbacks. “[The FTA] should be ratified because South Korea is pushing for global recognition, and to do so the government should make sure that our goods can be exported out into the world,” said Yuree. “Despite the fact that some companies could suffer from the ratification of the FTA, overall it would positively influence both the country’s economy and its [reputation].”

The GNP technically has the power to pass bills unilaterally, but due to opposition from the DP, negotiation meetings have been postponed several times. Despite the GNP’s urgings and President Myung-bak Lee attempts at compromise, the DP shows no signs of softening its stance, and according to President Lee, it will take more than one conference session to completely settle the issue.

By Elizabeth Song

Billio

Layout Photos

Danica May Camacho, born in Manila, Philippines is one special baby. On Oct. 31, the and the United Nations (UN) chose Danica as the 7 billionth baby of the world. Just 12 billion, the world has achieved another milestone, and the population is expected to co projects the population to hit 8 billion by 2025 and 10 billion by 2084. Yet, the increa about social, economical and environmental problems—problems that we as members

Nadya Kim (11)

Feb. 16, 1995 When Nadya was born, the world population was

5,730,000,000.

William Son (7)

July 20, 1999 When William was born, the world population was

6,050,000,000.

Brandon Kim (JK)

Oct. 9, 2005 When Brandon was born, the world population was

6,510,000,000.

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

Attempts at improving quality of life gone awry

By Mark Kim

Seven billion people now inhabit this planet—that is enough for the global population to fit in Los Angeles. In just 200 years, the world’s population has grown exponentially from 1 billion to 7 billion and will continue to rise.

“The reason that we’re growing fast right now is because there are so many people,” said Shanna Hurt, history teacher. “The population is a ‘J’ curve: it stays flat and then goes up because once the bottom people start having kids, [the population] just starts exploding.”

Advancements in technology and communication during the 1700s Industrial Revolution spurred an exponential growth in world population. Recent breakthroughs

in medicine have also increased life expectancies—compared to a life expectancy of 52.6 years in 1961, the average life expectancy increased to 69.4 in 2009. In just 50 years, developments in public health have allowed people to live 15 years longer.

“One of the things that has helped spawn the growth is medical transfers like smallpox and polio vaccines to places like Cambodia and Vietnam,” said Mrs. Hurt.

“Twenty years ago those kids would get a simple cold and that would be a death sentence.”

Ironically, the world’s attempts at improving the quality of life have backfired. Resource allocation problems have only increased the gap between the rich and poor.

The gap between the rich and poor, especially between developed and less developed countries, is of-

ten attributed to the lack of food in the world. However, the United Nations (UN) Food and Agriculture organization stated that one-third of the world’s food goes to waste—a whopping 1.3 billion tons that could be distributed to the poor. Although the unequal distribution of resources contributes to the widening gap between the rich and poor, Yeeun Chun (12) said that the world has only a limited supply of resources.

“It comes [down] to what some scholars have called ‘the race to the bottom,’” said Yeeun. “The world only has a finite amount of resources, yet the population keeps increasing without any signs of stopping For the less economically developed countries without natural resources and with very little infrastructure and numerous political factions fighting over resources, it’s a race to

who gets to the bottom first, and it doesn’t look pretty.”

Part of the unequal distribution of resources and wealth can be blamed on the governments of poor countries that often hoard money and resources to themselves. In 1996, an estimated $30 billion of aid to Africa ended up in foreign bank accounts. According to Forbes magazine, a large portion of the annual $500 to $600 million of donations to Cambodia is “lost to unofficial fees, an informal system of patronage, and illicit facilitation payments by businesses and individuals.” To this day, corruption remains a serious problem especially in countries such as Somalia, Nigeria and Cambodia.

“People put lots of effort to reduce [corruption] and I think the level of corruption in countries will reduce to acceptable levels,” said

John Han (11). “It’s different from the past, when we didn’t know each other, [but] now with all of the communication [between countries] it’s become inevitable for countries to take action against corrupt nations.”

Despite the world’s projected growth, the world faces problems created by humans’ initial attempts to increase global population.

Whether such growth will improve the quality of people’s lives is in the hands of the current generation.

“Now is the time that we, especially those of us who have decent lives [with] food, clothing and shelter, need to become more empathetic to the cause of people who are less fortunate,” said Mrs. Hurt. “It’s our duty to do community service and [to] try to give a glimmer of hope.

[If] you help one person in a village, you help the village.”

on

Fredric Schneider, Deputy of Pupil Personnel Services

t by Jonathan Yun s by Christine Lee and Stephanie Song

Nov. 13, 1942 When Mr. Schneider was born, the world population was

Raymond Slapikas, chemistry teacher Oct. 18, 1981 When Mr. Slapikas was born, the world population was

2,300,000,000.

4,530,000,000.

e world population reached 7 billion, 2 years after the population reached 6 ontinue to grow at a fast rate. The UN ase in global population has brought of the next generation must face.

Population growth launches environmental chain reaction

By Milton Yoon

Countless times, populationrelated events have affected the lives of ordinary citizens, just as the sharp decrease in Europe’s population caused by the Black Death impacted the economy and daily lifestyles of European citizens. The global population officially reached 7 billion this Halloween, and as in other population-related turning points in history, many consider it a warning that the population is rapidly growing.

“Who doesn’t know that human population has been rising rapidly?” said Dennis Park (12). “But when I found out that it finally reached 7 billion, I realized how serious the issue was and the mere fact that the statistics went from [6 billion to 7 billion] just has so much influence.”

The 7 billion mark raised concerns for environmentalists with regards to whether or not the Earth will be able to sustain such a large population. One of the major concerns is deforestation. Although forests provide humans with environmental benefits, about half of the entire tree population has been reduced due to humans’ active interaction with their environment; today forests cover a mere 27 percent of the entire globe, compared to 50 percent 10,000 years ago.

The primary reason for deforestation was population growth. People cut down trees to make space for agricultural land as the demand for food increased. However, the lack of trees meant that soil was not rich with nutrients, leaving the farming land unusable after a short period of time. This problem resulted in a

repeating cycle of events as humans needed to cut down even more trees to make up for the lost agricultural land. Even though 2011 has been designated the International Year of Forests, deforestation still remains an issue, and approximately 80,000 acres of forests are destroyed per day. Unfortunately, the environmental problem goes beyond the issue of cutting down trees.

“Deforestation sets off a chain of environmental problems,” said Jane Fritz, science teacher. “It causes erosion and flooding, and it even affects the quality of our air and water.

This highlights the importance of trees on Earth; and if trees get cut down at the current rate, then even more serious problems will arise.”

Ecosystems can drastically change without trees; the sun and rain directly affect the soil due to the

lack of a physical barrier that trees provide. The sudden change makes cultivation impossible, resulting in useless land. The water cycle also depends on forests, and without them, ecosystems will eventually be affected on a global scale. Not only do forests constantly stabilize the climate, but they also contain a large portion of Earth’s living species: rainforests contain 170,000 of the world’s 250,000 known plant species as well as about two-thirds of all living animal species.

The continually growing human population aggravates environmental problems. Each human releases nearly six tons of carbon dioxide into the air annually. A tree of at least 15 years of age is able to absorb about 8-13 kg of carbon dioxide a year, and younger trees absorb much less. However, humans con-

tinue to cut down trees, despite the fact that trees are the main converters of carbon dioxide, and are necessary to combat global warming.

According to Richard Hilderman, former Founding Chair of the Department of Genetics and Biochemistry at Clemson University, the atmosphere’s limit is about 700 billion tons of carbon, and the recent rise in population indicated that Earth is rapidly approaching that limit.

“People don’t realize how essential rainforests are,” said Ms. Fritz.

“But even though humans are trying to find a solution, human population is growing so quickly that it would be hard to solve the issue.

Even in the cases of other [environmental] issues, because humans are the only source of the problems, the increase in global population means worse and worse for the ecosystem. ”

lifesTYLE 8

november 2011

Korean business practices overwhelm customers

The World at the Tip of My Tongue

Taco Amigo: Mexican cuisine all day, any day

By Marcus Lee Nachos and salsa. Tacos and burritos. What else is there to Mexican cuisine other than the dishes on the Taco Bell menu? It’s a question that students rarely venture to answer. For those stuck at a crossroads with this inquiry, give Taco Amigo a try next time you visit Itaewon.

With a maximum capacity of

By Jason Huh twenty-five people and a compact interior, Taco Amigo may not have the space to deliver many a wholesome meal but for those lucky enough to savor the experience it sure packs a mighty punch. Though the more famous burritos and tacos are on the menu, less familiar dishes such as the huevos con chorizo y papas and the chimichanga jump out.

The huevos con chorizo y papas, is a traditional Mexican breakfast that includes ground sausages, eggs, and potatoes as a spicy, primary feature. Served with soft nachos and salsa as well as tomato rice and beans, this dish leaves a spicy yet pleasant impression on diners and is highly recommended for those less inclined to extreme tastes. In addition, the cozy feel of harboring the grounded combo with the soft nachos and beans closely resembles the packed yet welcoming interior.

Students babysit teachers’ children

Photo by Marcus Lee

How else to account for the breathtaking ethnic diversity? In the tight space Taco Amigo occupies one can see a Pakistani woman, an African American, a Korean-American couple and a solo Korean all enjoying genuine Mexican cuisine on any given day.

Next came the chimichanga.

As peculiar as it sounds, the chimichanga is essentially a fat, fried burrito covered in guacamole sauce without the vegetables inside.

Though the dish does resemble a plump version of the burrito on the outside, the inside is what matters.

And when it comes to taste the bur-

rito is simply outmatched in spice and outclassed in what I like to call the “yum-yum” factor. Last time I checked, Taco Bell didn’t have a chimichanga.

When it comes to representing traditional, genuine recipes Itaewon’s restaurants never seem to falter and the same rules apply to Taco Amigo. With its own cozy twist, Taco Amigo just might be the only form of red, white and green within Seoul’s boundaries worth the trip. Don’t miss out on the opportunity when you have it, and for once, try to think outside the bun.

Think Taco Amigo.

By Jeffrey Chun

Nov. 11, 2011. This day is especially special to Koreans who have come to know it as “The Millennium Pepero Day.” Created by Lotte Corporation in 1996, Pepero Day was meant to encourage consumers to purchase boxes of Peperos, for their friends. However, Jimmy Ryoo (11) feels that in a free-market nation where consumers can buy products of their own choice, these marketing strategies that heavily encourage customers to buy products often go overboard and overwhelm consumers.

“Last year, I bought tons of Pepero for my friends to celebrate the day,” said Jimmy. “However, these days I feel that it is very unnecessary to spend money on such things because you can clearly see the business’s strategy—to [persuade] customers to spend money by specializing Nov. 11 as Pepero Day. I do not want to fall into that trap.”

Another international business powerhouse, Samsung, likewise pushed its newest cell phone model Galaxy S2 LTE before the launch of iPhone 4S on Pepero Day. Samsung, like Lotte, has tried to change consumer culture with heavy emphasis on marketing; however, the Korean conglomerate has gone even further by attempting to erect trade barriers so that foreign competitors, especially Apple, will not be able to enter the Korean market.

“After three years of using

[Samsung] Haptic, I planned on changing my phone to the new iPhone 4S,” said Eugene Kim (11).

“But when there was a rumor about Samsung blocking iPhone 4S from coming to Korea, I was frustrated.

I feel like Samsung is intentionally trying to block the flow of iPhone 4S into Korea so that more people will use its Galaxy S and as a reaction to recent court decisions in Europe and Australia.”

These exploitative business practices were also prevalent in the late 1900s, when the Korean government imposed tariffs on foreign companies in order to foster internal development and protect the markets of domestic corporations.

In a free-market economy, theoretically, consumers should be able to make their own choices on how they spend their money and what they buy. However, consumers often find themselves at a loss because of profit-oriented business practices that discourage healthy capitalistic competition.

“I think trade barriers only hurt the poor people because it raises the cost of the products,” said Shanna Hurt, AP Micro- and Macroeconomics teacher. “This sixth grader [that I was tutoring] lost his laptop and he was like ‘Oh my god. I should get another one.’ If that was the case of someone at a Korean public school, their parents probably saved a year to buy a laptop, so free trade will certainly make goods cheaper because everyone will have had a chance to enter the market.”

Energy drinks rise in popularity despite health issues

By Joshua Kim

Red Bull was released nationwide on Aug. 18, lifting a ban that had previously prohibited imports of the popular energy drink. It simultaneously reached the number one spot for sales and revenue in various convenience stores around South Korea.

“There were a lot of nights when I had to stay up late studying and finishing homework because a volleyball game ended late,” said Jungsoo Kim (12). “Red Bull has a decent reputation as a better tasting alternative to coffee; it tastes like Mountain Dew and other carbonated drinks.”

Energy drinks such as Red Bull, Monster, Bacchus and Hot Six generally use similar cocktails of stimulants such as caffeine, taurine and natural herbs such as ginseng, ginkgo biloba and acai. In combination, these chemicals have proven to temporarily speed up one’s heartbeat, increasing one’s oxygen flow and as a result, ‘revitalizing’ one’s body and mind.

Much like other chemicals such as alcohol and caffeine, the contents of these energy drinks cause different physiological reactions for different people based on factors such as weight.

“I know that there was a lot of controversy related to energy drinks because of the high caffeine content,” said Eunice Kang (9). “I make sure I don’t drink too much too fast because if I do that, I’ll crash really hard later.”

According to Dr. Yifrah Kaminer, psychiatry and pediatrics professor at the University of Connecticut, teenagers are especially vulnerable to adverse effects of energy drinks, including caffeine intoxication and dehydration.

“I try to avoid energy drinks like Monster,” said Bryan Cheun (10). “Though it seems as if some of

my friends show no side effects to [energy drinks], I start shaking and can feel my heart pounding really hard against my chest when I drink Red Bull.”

The effect of energy drinks on the body has often been the subject of controversy. After the death of an 18-year old French basketball player was linked to overconsumption of caffeine from Red Bull, France quickly moved to pull energy drinks off of its markets. Countries including Britain and South Korea followed suit with similar bans, citing evidence that energy drinks exceeded the legal limit of caffeine and

sugar.

“I ignore the health warnings,” said Justin Lee (12). “Monster is effective and it works. For teenagers, it doesn’t really matter if energy drinks like Red Bull have caused controversy. We need something to keep us up late into the night, and I don’t feel energy drinks are harming me much at all.”

Indeed, the increase in foreign competition has significantly impacted the domestic energy drink market. For example, as a reaction to the decision by the South Korean government to reverse its ban on Red Bull, Lotte pledged to vig-

orously pursue advertisement and marketing campaigns in an attempt to increase the revenue brought in by their energy drink Hot Six by 3 billion won.

“It’s actually quite interesting,” said Andrew Eom (12). “You have so many different options to keep you awake, and I think corporations have picked up on the fact that students are consuming a lot of [energy drinks] to help them study late into the night. Especially because of Red Bull, these types of high caffeine drinks are becoming more and more common in our culture-almost like coffee.”

november 2011

Junior publishes webtoon on Naver

By Michelle Kim

Students enjoy themselves as they read the weekly online comic “God of Bath,” while others ponder over the psychological comic “Dr. Frost”. Such online comics, or webtoons, have wide readership and are becoming prevalent among students. Augustine Kim (11), unlike other avid readers, not only wanted to read webtoons but also publish his own.

His motivation to make a webtoon stemmed from his interest in writing and sharing his stories with other people.

“My dream is to publish a book,” said Augustine. “I like writing stories and reading webtoons, so I decided to publish a webtoon because it is a lot like publishing a book.”

His webtoon, “Oon Ooeul Gwee,” or “Ghost that Surpass Clouds,” was first published on Naver on Nov. 7. It is an oriental fantasy about Han Jung, the grandson of a deceased exorcist, a girl and a goblin who go on quests to exorcise ghosts.

Augustine wrote the story in three months, collaborating with HaeJin Yang, a sophomore at Kyonghye Girls’ High School who offered to Courtesy of Augustine Kim amd Hae-Jin Yang do illustrations.

The opening scene of “Oon Ooeul “It was really difficult to find an Gwee”, a webtoon produced by artist,” said Augustine. “Many peo- Augustine Kim and Hae-Jin Yang. ple answered my advertisement on my blog, but I could not find some- If a webtoon gains enough popularone skilled. After a year, I found ity, determined by the number of Hae-Jin. She was great at drawing, readers’ comments, Naver permits so I immediately recruited her.” it to go from the Challenge stage Aspiring comic artist Hae-Jin to the Best Challenge stage. “Oon had attempted to make a webtoon Ooeul Gwee” is currently in the of her own, but because she had Challenge stage because it was redifficulty creating a storyline, she cently released, but Augustine hopes searched for someone creative who that it will gain enough popularity could come up with an engrossing to become commercially serialized. plot.

However, more than receiving in“He wanted to write the story come, Augustine believes that the and I wanted to draw, so it was per- feeling of achievement is more valufect,” said Hae-Jin. “When we first able than earning money. started, I wanted our first webtoon “Of course I will be happy if to be an oriental fantasy because I my webtoon becomes popular and could be as creative as I wanted to brings in income, but I think the best and most important part about be.”

When webtoons are published publishing your work is knowing on Naver, they go through two stag- that people will read and enjoy it,” es before commercial serialization. said Augustine.

9

Lifestyle

What is the “real world” like?

By Linda Heeyoung Park

Julie Kim, class of ‘97, graduated from Cornell University as an undergraduate and attended Duke Law School. She currently works for a legal research institute in Seoul National University and is pursuing a doctoral degree in Juridical Sciences.

1. What was your experience like at Cornell University?

My undergraduate experience at Cornell was the best three and a half years of my life. I graduated half a year early, because I had enough credits. After I graduated early, I went to my friends’ schools. I also went to Italy to go on a cooking trip. It was like a reward to myself for working hard for three and a half years.

While at Cornell, I really tried to challenge myself. A lot of students, when they first enroll at American universities, feel the sudden, increasing independence. But I really wanted to feel accomplished academically, so I worked hard to end up being in the National Honor Society. I think one of my greatest college achievements was when I was asked to join Phi Beta Kappa, which is a national honor society that includes the top ten percent of undergraduate students. Meanwhile, I tried to enjoy myself and become well-rounded.

2. What is your work philosophy?

I definitely had a clear work motto in college years: aim higher than the stars. The reason behind this was because I really felt like if I aim higher than the stars, at least I can get the stars. It was very ambitious, but it really gave me the strength when I felt tired in college.

Now, it is just more of becoming a well-rounded person. I realized now that being a well-rounded person is more difficult than investing all your energy to one path.

3. Is this what you wanted to study in high school? If not, how did you find your interest in field of law?

In high school I did not know what I wanted to do, but I was pretty strong in the sciences, so I thought I would become a doctor. But after I went to college I realized that I was stronger in the political science field. I became more interested in how people lived and people’s roles in social communities. During my junior year at Cornell University, there was a professor—he was actually a lawyer, but he went to University of Chicago to get his Ph.D. in sociology. He was one of my research mentors, and he influenced me a lot in getting to know the field of legal sociology. And that ultimately made me pursue my interest in law.

4. Any words to SIS students?

I think SISBystudents fortunate to have [Fredric Schneider, DirecJasmineare Park tor of Pupil Personnel Services]. He has been well-tested and well-rounded. He’s a legend. Before, I mentioned that you just need to find well mentor to guide you—you have Mr. Schneider. When you go to college, I hope you find another mentor to guide you to the next stage of life.

Oh, and Good luck.

Photo Courtesy of Linda Heeyoung Park

sPORTS 10

November 2011

Varsity basketball coach has previous experience in Spanish national league

By Alison Chang

The squeaky screeches of an experienced player’s skillful steps can be heard along with the fast-paced, controlled dribbling of a basketball.

These dexterous steps belong to Paloma Julian, Spanish teacher, who has previous experience playing in a Spanish national league.

Ms. Julian began playing basketball when she was eight years old.

Though soccer is the most popular sport in Spain, it was not considered a “girl” sport. Since most children in Spain play on at least one sports team, she joined a basketball team.

Though her basketball career started as a hobby, it had a huge impact on her life. Because universities in Spain do not have team sports, she tried out for a local club that was part of a national league, for which she sacrificed her free time and missed out on peer activities.

“I practiced at least two hours every day,” said Ms. Julian. “But it was my choice. You have to know what your priorities are and commit. Even though it meant one less hour of Facebook or partying with friends, I don’t regret it.”

The amount of discipline required at that level was immense, and there were days she had to play when she was not in her best condition. But she learned the importance of dedicating herself to a team.

“One time, I scored the last

SportsPhotoofthe Month

Photo by Jessica Song

During basketball practice on Nov. 21, Paloma Julian, varsity coach, and Jonathan Mueller, junior varsity coach, discuss game strategies. three points and won the championship game,” said Ms. Julian. “Even though there are hard days, there are times you feel really healthy and walk onto the court like a queen.”

However, Ms. Julian never saw herself playing professionally.

Spain’s women basketball team is competitive, ranking 15th in the International Basketball Federation.

Instead, she earned her coaching certificate and pursued a career in teaching.

“I always loved teaching,” said Ms. Julian. “I like to think that I can make a change in people and seeing positive change is the best feeling.”

Ms. Julian coached basketball while teaching in Taiwan and recalls seeing the SIS team play at the Association of International Schools in Asia (AISA) tournament two years

ago. She was impressed, especially when she learned that this could be her future team. Likewise, students were impressed with Ms. Julian’s skills on the court, despite being a little intimidated at first.

“When I heard that she used to play at such a high level, I was worried she would be really tough,” said Alexia Yang (11), junior varsity player. “But every time we’re exhausted, she lets us catch a breath instead of pushing us too hard.”

As the coach of the varsity girls basketball team, Ms. Julian is excited to play basketball again.

“I don’t think my experience makes me a tougher coach,” said Ms. Julian. “In fact, I can put myself into the players’ shoes because I know how they feel best. It’s really about loving the sport.”

Photo by Jessica Song

Tossing Scarlett Kim (10) into the air, the varsity cheerleading team performs a twist-up stunt at half-time during the first home game against OSAN on Nov. 19.

Senior athletes quit team Students compete with one another in sports due to academics fantasy football league during free time

By Jasmine Park

Students and coaches alike expect that veteran athletes will participate in sports until the end of their high school careers. However, an increasing number of seniors are choosing not to continue their sports. Whether it is for academic or physical reasons, the lack of veteran players is affecting sports teams.

Although some believe that the so-called “senioritis” causes seniors to study less, academics is one of the primary reasons athletes have decided not to return.

“I felt pressure from the workload of classes such as AP US History and World Literature,” said Eunice Kim (12). “Along with maintaining my GPA [Grade Point Average], I had to finish up some tests, specifically my SATs. With pressure to finish my tests so that I could send my scores to colleges, I felt I had to choose between cheerleading and finishing strong. I chose the latter.”

Ruby Huh (12), former cheerleader, also felt pressured by college applications and schoolwork.

“I like cheerleading and wanted to join,” said Ruby. “But, I noticed that I was too busy trying to balance out the time I put into college applications, my portfolio and homework. I felt if could not fully commit

to the team, I should not join at all.”

Academics aside, some students such as In-Won Chang (12), realized they were not in good shape to play.

“I went to basketball [try-outs] the first day and felt exhausted,” said In-Won. “I had only played once during the summer because I had two internships; I couldn’t find time to play. Rather than trying to compete against those who had trained over the summer, I decided that it was reasonable for me to drop out.”

The loss of veteran players has affected the rest of the team as well.

“Seniors not joining the team does affect the team,” said Paloma Julian, girls varsity basketball coach.

“They have been preparing since middle school to make a good senior team, but this is not possible.

Also it feels like we are playing with a junior varsity team rather than a more mature team with the lack of seniors.”

Although these seniors chose not to join, many of them still wanted to, especially those who had been on teams for several years.

“I still miss cheerleading,” said Eunice. “I [was on the cheer team] since middle school so I know how fun and challenging it can be at the same time. I wish the best of the luck to the team this year and hope to be cheering on the benches alongside the cheerleaders.”

By Jason Huh

As the 11th week of the National Football League (NFL) drew to a close, many students either cheered in joy or groaned in dismay, not because their favorite teams had lost or won, but because they had lost in their fantasy league while expecting more points from their own fantasy football teams.

Fantasy football is a game for football fans in which any ten users, either random people around the world or a group of friends, create a league of their own and compete with each other. Each user can draft as many players as he or she wants and can gain points based on how

starting 11 players perform in real life. The main challenge of this game is that the players on the bench do not gain any points, and not all players who are good in real life necessarily do well in fantasy football.

“In this game, you can pick your own players, and compete against friends, and basically win by trying to get more points than the other team,” said Gary Kim (10). “It is fun because you never know which players will do [well] and who will do badly each week, so there is a risk to who you choose to put in your lineups.”

Gary is competing in a league with five other sophomores, and with the season reaching its midpoint, many students have racked

up losses. However, they were not discouraged from playing the game.

Students are also further attracted to playing fantasy football, mainly because they do not have to invest a lot of time into it—after they personally select their starting 11 with careful deliberation, the rest is up to their chosen players’ real-life performances.

“Just two weeks ago, I lost to Gary Kim because one of my players could not run seven yards,” said Adrian Kim (10). “[However], I still think it is a perfect game to play for students because you do not really get addicted to it since all you need is around 20 minutes a week and you get bragging rights about your team if it beats your friends.”

SCOREBOARD Varsity Basketball

Junior Varsity Basketball

Nov. 16 vs. TCIS (AWAY) V Boys: Loss, 43-57 V Girls: Loss, 25-39

Nov. 19 vs. OSAN (HOME) JV Boys: Win, 41-21 JV Girls: Win, 22-6

Nov. 19 vs. OSAN (HOME) V Boys: Win, 42-38 V Girls: Win, 36-24

UPCOMING GAMES Nov. 23 vs. YISS (HOME) Nov. 30 vs. SFS (HOME)

results as of Nov. 23

Graphic by Min Ji Suh

November 2011

11

PUMP, PUMP, PUMP

sPORTS

THAT TIGER SPIRIT UP!

1 2

“Tigers, let’s hear you yell orange, orange! Tigers, let’s hear you yell black, black!Tigers, all together yell, orange and black, orange and black, orange and black! ” “What time is it? It’s time to pump it up, pump it up.

The Tiger team knows what’s up. Not much, it’s time to P-U-M-P-I-T-U-P. Whaaaaat? Pump it up!

Source: SIS varsity cheerleading team

Graphic by Joanne Lee and Christine Lee

”

*

Show your Tiger spirit at upcoming basketball games and memorize these school cheers to support the teams with the cheerleaders.

Lack of confidence in games affects athletic performance

By Min Ji Suh

Tim Munro, boys varsity basketball coach, still remembers a game from three years ago, when his junior varsity (JV) basketball team collapsed in the final minutes of the fourth quarter against Seoul Foreign School’s (SFS) team, bringing the initial five-point lead down to a loss.

He had attributed the narrow defeat to a lack of strong sports mentality among his players. Unfortunately, he continues to notice that problem today, which causes teams to lose matches they should otherwise be

winning.

Varsity girls volleyball captain Jungsoo Kim (12) has also noticed that poor performance often stems from players’ sudden lack of motivation to win towards the ends of their games. She has been observing this trend in all sports ever since her freshman year.

“If one person is ‘down’ by the end of the game, it brings the other five members on the court down, completely slowing the momentum of the game,” she said. “That is when the coach calls a time-out. Throughout all my four years here at SIS, I have noticed this phenomenon not

just in volleyball, but in all types of SIS sports in general.”

Mr. Munro agreed, stating his observations of students who gradually lose the mental capacity to pull themselves into the game. He said that, as a result, they collapse under the pressure to win and lose enthusiasm for their sport.

“Players just sometimes do not know how to lose as a means of learning, but rather, many of them truly do not dedicate themselves to basketball and sports as a full commitment,” he said. “I remember that game from three years ago so clearly, because the players just collapsed

under all sorts of pressure [to win].”

As the girls JV volleyball captain, Rosemary Ahn (10) has dealt with similar problems regarding students who are too easily wound up by losing points and are unable to focus on the game.

“I played for the varsity team just for the AISA [Association of International Schools in Asia] tournament, and felt my ‘original’ team was more relaxed in terms of winning games,” she said. “Towards the end of every game, my team focused more on having fun and did not blame one another for losing potential points.”

To get players motivated, Ivan Atanaskovic, activities director, said that it is essential for athletes to understand that sports should not always be about winning.

“Winning the game is not a must, especially when going against an opponent that is tougher than us,” Mr. Atanaskovic said. “But for sports that require cooperation, players care too much about the points they have lost. You lose one point, and instead of diving for more, you lose the next five points. Students should realize that they should burst with energy out on the court and feel good about their performance.”

Boys varsity soccer team shapes up before upcoming season

By Yong Gun Choe

Whether one is as skillful as Lionel Messi or Wayne Rooney, success in soccer always begins with consistent training. To achieve more success in the prospective soccer season, the boys varsity soccer team will hold regular pre-season boosters, organized by senior captain Hiro Watanabe (12), every Thursday after school until the start of the March season.

“The primary goal of these boosters is to give the players some conditioning with their ball control and fitness,” said Hiro. “Since leagues in Korea are not as competitive as those in the US, many players are not that proficient in skills. It is crucial to have ball control and fitness covered before the season starts so that we can work on tactics and game plans during practices.”

According to Hiro, many stu-

Photo by Joshua Kim

Vying for the ball, Eugene Yang (9) and Justin Yoon (9) compete in an afterschool booster to prepare for the upcoming soccer season. dent athletes do not practice their skills enough during the off-season.

He decided to organize these booster sessions because he believes that this lack of commitment does not fulfill one’s role as a member of a

varsity team.

Nevertheless, the idea of preseason boosters is not new—it is not uncommon to find prospective soccer players scrimmaging on the field. The difference between this

year’s boosters and those of previous years is that Hiro will organize specific drills, workouts and friendly matches with other international schools.

“Some people think that they are going to be ready for the season if they just have a little ‘kick around’ with the ball,” said Tony Hurt, varsity boys soccer coach. “The problem with ‘kick arounds’ is that it is just like street ball and players would do very little to prepare themselves for the season. It is important to have consistent training that involves fitness sessions and working on lifting, strength and speed.”

To make sure that the team is up to par with fitness, Coach Hurt gave the players a fitness schedule during the first soccer meeting. It outlined diverse fitness exercises, such as swimming and laps, that they had to perform in their own time. The players will then be tested on their fitness levels during the tryouts.

“This rigorous practice will strongly enhance our ability to endure out on the fields,” said Tim Cho (11). “All of this extra practice will exhaust us but it will definitely shape us up for the season.”

Coach Hurt, along with assistant coach Shanna Hurt, will help Hiro supervise the team during the boosters. As a veteran coach, Mr. Hurt hopes to institute new skills he found successful in the past, such as progressive practice, which involves focusing on one particular skill during a practice session.

“Mr. Hurt worked with the team last year as well, especially with me, and he even set me up with some summer soccer camps to attend,” said Hiro. “He has been coaching for 17 years in Colorado, and I am sure he knows what he is doing. His expertise is part of the reason that I am looking forward to my last year and I hope to win future tournaments with Coach Hurt.”

브라운 스튜디오는 ‘편안함’을 드립니다. 브라운 스튜디오는 ‘즐거움’을 드립니다. 브라운 스튜디오는 고객의 ‘친구’가 되어드립니다.

See you everyday at 9:25 in the Atrium

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CART Aren’t you hungry?

studio Information Family Mart

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Telephone/Fax: 031) 755-9578 Email: brownstudio2011@gmail.com Homepage: www.brownstudio.co.kr Address: 691-3 B1 Bokjungdong, Soojungku, Seungnam, Kyungkido

Small Talk

12

november 2011

Audience involvement at recent drama production best yet

Photo of the Month

By Angela Cho

The fall production was like no other production that drama club adviser Michael McDonald had seen in 10 years. In light of Halloween, the drama club adapted Tim Burton’s version of “Alice in Wonderland”, which included special effects and mature content. An unprecedented number of students watched the play in order to get the extra credit offered in literature classes by analyzing the drama club’s characterization of Alice.

“The fact that I fell asleep in the middle of the play is justified because Burton’s version of the story is so dreary,” said Kevin Joomba (12). “But I just had to get the extra credit, so I did the extra work of watching both Burton and Disney’s versions of the movie and reading Sparknotes on Carroll’s original book several times at home to compare the characterizations of Alice as a feminist.”

While Kevin struggled to stay awake, others relied on soft drinks and popcorn, which they sneaked in and threw away on the floor to prove that they watched the play. As a result, the drama club members voluntarily stayed after the performances to

clean up the mess.

“The feeling that we get from seeing all the trash laying on the floor is simply ineffable,” said Felicity Jones (10), who played Alice. “We redeem ourselves by seeing our audience’s involvement in our arts program, which is evident by the amount of garbage they leave behind.”

The audience involvement intensified whenever the Red Queen yelled, “Off with their heads!” Expecting a decapitation scene, the audience replied with giggles and expletives that distracted several audience members from concentrating. In response to the immaturity, the drama club decided to take out all the decapitation scenes and revise the queen’s storyline in performances to come.

“We sincerely thank our audience for helping us to determine what is appropriate and what is not,” said Mr. McDonald.

“Some say that it wasn’t the scenes that were inappropriate but rather the audience, yet still we never blame them; after all, we would not have come this far without our audience’s feedback and unwavering support.”

Cartoon by Angela Cho

Photo by Linda Heeyoung Park

Lifting their shirts, Hiro Watanabe (12), Taejin Kim (10), David Nam (9) and Steve Kim (11) compete for the Best Abs at the scavenger hunt on Nov. 16 .