Tiger Times Volume 47 Issue 7

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

Tiger Times VO L U M E X LV I I

F e b r u a ry 2 0 1 6

ISSUE 7

T T O N L . O RG

HFH FASHION SHOW

y t i n u m m o c g n i d n e l B n g i s e d h t i w e c i v r e s

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tradition that began three years ago, the annual fashion show is an opportunity for aspiring fashion designers to showcase their work and for models to walk down the runway. Everyone involved, from behind-the-scenes managers and staff to the designers and models, work in the name of community service. On Feb. 26, Habitat for Humanity (HFH) collaborated with National Art Honor Society (NAHS) to continue the event under the theme “Black and White.”

The proceeds from the fashion show, along with funds raised from other HFH events such as food sales and the World Habitat Day, contribute to an independent water project.

According to Leo Lee (12), HFH president, the independent water project will entail the construction of purification facilities and sewage systems in Sub-Saharan communities. The improvement of local water circulation infrastructures aims to enhance both the quantity and quality of the area’s water supply.

“Our decision to fund the water project was based on our sympathy for the NGO’s cause,” Leo said. “We agree that a credible, permanent water supply can trigger a chain of events that can ultimately improve the standard of living in neglected and destitute communities.”

According to Chloe Choi (12), HFH fashion show coordinator, the fashion show was first introduced as an opportunity for artists in HFH and NAHS to showcase their skills and use them for a good cause.

It continues to require the dedication of all members involved in order to put on a successful show according A continuation of past years’ efforts, this year’s fashion show also allowed NAHS and HFH mem-

D Photos by

aniel Shin

bers to show their leadership and artistic ability through the design process of the clothes presented.

“Designing is an exacting process because it requires NAHS members to start from scratch and manually create their clothing items to present to the audience,” said Sophie Park (11), NAHS treasurer. “Not only is the fashion show a good opportunity for members to showcase their artistic creativity, but it is also a chance for us to contribute to a good cause and spread awareness about our club.”

The fashion show is a popular event that is relatively successful in terms of crowd turnout.

Much of this success may be credited to the fact that the HFH fashion show is one of its kind. To the student body, the idea of seeing their fellow classmates walk the runway may motivate them to attend the fundraiser, but the fundraising event also offers an interesting opportunity for students who modeled.

“Throughout the preparation for the fashion show, I sometimes felt overwhelmed, but overall, the HFH fashion show was a great experience and I’m glad I participated in it,” said Shelley Jeon (9), model for the show. “I danced competitively before I moved to Korea so I have experience standing on a stage, but I’ve never participated in a show with an emphasis on fashion before, so it still felt pretty new to me. Backstage, before the show, I felt a mix of feelings including nervousness and self-doubt.

However, once I was on the stage, everything fell into its place. The HFH fashion show helped me become a more self-assertive person.”

By Marie Park Sophomore, Staff Writer

Jang and Ryan

Source: Inslee

2 VIEWPOINT

Editorial

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Journalism endangered: Dealing with collateral damage

o make room for the AP Capstone program that SIS will be implementing starting from the 2016-2017 school year, the leadership team has made several adjustments to course offerings. Of the classes that ended up as collateral damage, including Photography and Jazz Band, perhaps the most impactful is Introduction to Publications. Instead, the most fundamental units of the course will be incorporated into the mandatory Communications class for all freshmen, leaving students and teachers alike to deal with the unintended consequences.

The merging of Intro to Pub and Communications does make logical sense, as there is a certain synergy that the two courses create when combined. After all, many colleges that offer Communications as a major include journalism and media studies in the curriculum.

The merged class will also prove that studying journalism is not just a prerequisite for Tiger Times or Yearbook, but a prerequisite for adulthood; in the real world, individuals must be able to differentiate between trustworthy and unreliable news sources. Journalism studies will develop in students the ability to objectively analyze the information that the media provides, to pick out the nuanced biases of articles and news broadcasts, and practice concise and coherent control of language.

Thus, including the essential aspects of journalism studies into the mandatory Communications course will benefit all incoming freshmen.

From this, it seems as though merging the two classes is only beneficial, never detrimental—as though this is a win-win situation for both the faculty and the student body. But the logistics and the unintended consequences of the situation have yet to be fully analyzed.

The school is simply too unprepared to deal with the myriad of potential problems such a course could create. In order to follow through with the joining of Communication and Introduction to Publications, it is crucial to fully consider and confront the likely repercussions.

To dilute an entire year’s worth of material covered in Introduction to Publications, which is a dense class already packed to the brim with meaningful assignments, is simply impossible. Students will no longer have the opportunity to explore all the different sections and fields of journalism, including grammar and style, editing, history and ethics, layout and design, photography and writing. Students will be not be prepared to smoothly adjust to the rigorous draft schedules of both Tiger Times and Yearbook. Even with an entire year of Intro to Pub, students still

have a difficult time transitioning to the fast pace of both publications. (Trust us on that one).

When Intro to Pub was available only to students who showed a clear passion and aptitude for journalism, who voluntarily chose the course as an elective, the classroom dynamic was strong. But if those who are truly willing to learn about journalism are mixed with those who don’t display the same interest, the dynamic of the classroom may shift and create an atmosphere in which only a

elements of Communications. However, unlike other Communications courses that would only cover media studies as a smaller, less significant unit, this particular class would allot a larger portion of their curriculum to journalism studies. The curricula for this course would incorporate more assignments that require students to go through the drafting process currently incorporated

by Tiger Times and Yearbook. In turn, this would mean that the students in this class would be better prepared to

“When you attempt to transform

the journalistic experience into something more ‘academic,’ the process will likely become a hunt for grades.

”

few students value the education they are receiving while most are “doing it for the grades.” Introduction to Publications is a unique course in that it is less “academic” than other classes. With that, we mean that the course is less about memorization, content knowledge, and numerical grades; rather, it is more about the full experience of creating a full-length publication. It is about the interactions between the journalist and the editor, the journalist and his or her colleagues, the journalist and the article subject. When you attempt to transform the journalistic experience into something more “academic,” the process may likely become a hunt for grades.

In order to address all these potential problems, the most viable and logical solution seems to be this: offering students a journalism-oriented Communications class. This course would be led by the Tiger Times adviser, who is the most qualified to teach the prerequisite to potential Tiger Times and Yearbook students. Having one faculty member teach the journalism-based curriculum would eliminate the potential of bias in the application process, as the advisor would be able to see firsthand how a student engages in class with their peers as well as individual strengths and weaknesses regarding journalistic skills, without having to rely on teacher recommendations or having to deal with the problem of subjective standards for assignments.

This journalism-orientated class would count as a compulsory English credit, as it would still include the major

join the publications of our school.

Moreover, if a tight group of journalism students were gathered through the creation of such a class, the members of publication clubs, Tiger Times, and Yearbook would directly interact with these students and further encourage their pursuits by offering them specific information on what being a part of a publication entails. Students could be given the option to have an internship as a member of a publication of their choice and get a feel for the level of commitment that goes into each respective club or class. The editorial staff of each publication could easily directly contact freshmen who have displayed interest in participation and allocate to them different assignments that would not only provide these prospective members with an insight into the work of the publication, but also serve as an indicator for the staff to use to see the level of skill each member possesses. For further support, members of Quill and Scroll, the National Journalism Honor Society, could offer after school journalism classes and workshops for students who want more of the learning that used to be offered in Intro to Publications to ultimately enrich their journalism experience. With the cooperation and dedication of the current and prospective members,

the journalism experience may still be able to live on without an official Introduction to Publications class.

The problem is not necessarily with the merging of the courses, as journalism is no longer just a subject relevant to a select few. The media has become a significant aspect in daily lives of everyone; knowing more about the inner workings of journalism offers valuable knowledge and skills to all students.

As long as all logistics are dealt with, as long as students are guaranteed the quintessential journalistic experience, a mandatory Communications course that involves journalism is a logical and commendable step toward exposing the importance of media.

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

Tiger Times February 2016

Tiger Times 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.

Tiger Times Newspaper Editors-In-Chief Jean Cho Christine Seo

Copy Editors Jaeha Kim Ariel Lee

Managing Editor Jungho Daniel Choi

Reporters Andrew Ham Sarah Kim Diana Nakyoung Lee Marie Park Grace Yang

Production Editor Sang Ho Lee Graphics Editor Eunie Jang Photo Editor Kelly Kim

Advertisement Claire Yun (Rep.)

Tiger Times Online Photographers Ryan Jang April Kim Daniel Shin Layout Artists Justin Chang Rachel Kang Grace Lee Joyce Lee Soomin Lee

Editor-In-Chief Heejin E. Hong

Graphics Editor Yeaji Park

Project Editor-In-Chief Michael Kim

Copy Editors Eric Song Claire Kim

Managing Editors Hareem Kim Dahyeon Kim

Reporters Soomin Chun Nicholas Kim Alice Lee

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Tiger Times Magazine Editors-In-Chief Sarah Y. Kim Nagyon Kim Managing Editor Angela Yoon Production Editor Patricia Song

Graphics Editor Yeena Yoon Copy Editor Cody Kim Photo Editor David Choe

Adviser Mr. David Coleman

Educational Idealism: defining our generation

By Diana Nakyoung Lee

For as long as there have been generations, there have also been generational gaps. Until the day the earth stops spinning, parents and children will inevitably grow up in different environments, overcome different challenges, and aspire toward different values.

It is too early to predict what our generation’s values will be. Yet, one thing is clear: in Korea, and especially at SIS, parents and students stand across a wider generational gap in viewing education than other communities do in this day and age. Two factors catalyze this schism: first, in only the past half-century, Korea metamorphosed from war-trampled rubbles to industrialized economic juggernaut.

Our generation is the grandchild of miracles. Our grandparents built the Miracle of the Han. They bled and struggled late into the night at factories, then later again under oil lamps, burning low, at their desks.

For most born or left poor, excellent grades were the only escape. Climb, and one could be scouted up to a government school in Seoul where public schoolteachers were trained.

Climb, and one might have even passed the Bar Exam. Climb up, up, and up—clutch onto the educational ladder of hard work, pain, and perseverance!

It was a time when being first in grades was the only way to survive.

This is not our reality anymore—at the very least, for the members of our generation here at SIS—in very large part due to the collective struggles of our parents and grandparents. Yet, we still chase it like it is some escape to an ideal, happy life. In reality, we are only drifting toward a future in we need a first-rate report card to feel fulfillment.

The hard, but evident truth is that our generation has ambiguous educational ideals. We live stuck onto a wheel that keeps on turning: in the day, we flit about frantically anticipating upcoming tests, and in the night, we go to hagwon for tomorrow’s summative assignment. On a free day, we settle down and binge-watch TV shows. Stuck under the wheel of everyday tasks, we have yet to consider the bigger picture. The greater meaning. The value in what we are doing—we will have spun around and around, having studied for a generation

for no real meaning; mere survival should no longer be, and can no longer be, the educational ideal of this generation.

Educational ideals represent our dreams, goals, and beliefs.

It is how we picture our classrooms in our dreams. Understand—to take action without ideals is not taking action at all. It is to be manipulated like a marionette by someone else’s values—in this case, ones created by generations past. Our generation will never find individual happiness or fulfillment by acting upon and chasing goals set by another. Only when we define our own ideals can we step onto our own path.

Of course, we cannot, and should not, abandon our cultural past; nor should we abandon universal moral truths—but we, at SIS, are a generation in limbo. We are the epicenter of a cultural collision. In the morning, you are a “task manager” in an Algebra 2 class based on team-oriented problem solving.

At night, you are a desk, a chair, and a flimsy paper quiz at a “GPA hagwon.” Suspended between American and Korean systems, it is no surprise that we are floating—sometimes unaware—in a pool of murky ideals and priorities.

In our parents’ generation, hagwons were banned by law.

It is no surprise that there is a lack of understanding between our two generations. Without exclusive efforts at empathy, parents and children have learned to view education from inherently different perspectives.

Our parents were raised by the generation that raised bridges over the Han River. They grew up as American shops like Starbucks settled-in and rollerskating rinks grew popular, but their bedtime stories were still far from Western fairy tales. They were of miracles—of how their parents had created something out of nothing, and everything out of hard work.

In this day and age, hard work in Korea for students has taken a new shape—in hagwons with desks in clean rows, and in a teacher whom one is to consider a savior.

Of course, there are still active supporters of the current system. Some still dream of a world in which they send their children to hagwons, in which their children value fighting for half a point, in which their children have decided on a “dream school” before freshman year—before they have even dreamt of the kinds of experiences, friends, and romances they will

By Soomin Chun

encounter beyond the name or label of their chosen college. If one has arrived at this conclusion after careful meditation, I will appreciate that as their personal ideal, and will not judge.

If we choose not to accept such a world, people may call us overly idealistic. They may call us spoiled or worse, indifferent. It is, after all, the hard-earned money of our parents and grandparents fueling the academic bonfires burning in hagwons, consulting agencies, and private tutors. Sometimes, though, such institutions are necessary—if a child is in dire need of help, and if the school fails to provide it.

But, what if, in some cases, a child doesn’t want to go to hagwon? Not because they are lazy or spoiled, but because they truly want to try struggling with, wrestling with, learning and understanding the material for themselves? What then?

Should the parents let them? How should they react? Are the children being ungrateful for the opportunity provided to them, perhaps for the first time in generations?

Of course, this generation of SIS students is privileged— some children cannot afford to go to hagwons—but this luxury should be our key to aspiration and to idealistic visions, not chains that bind us to the status quo. This luxury should be spent in opening access to different—perhaps unconventional—choices of study methods. If, with our privilege, we continue to fuel a system in we no longer believe, that would prove to be truly wasteful.

We are afraid—our generation, and our parents’. We are afraid of a national history that lies behind us in which pain was only overcome by even more pain. We are afraid of the storm of murky ideals that lie in front of us.

We must first take a step away from the chaos caused when the ideals of one generation are applied to another. We must establish a vision—a vision of how we want education to serve us.

It will be a miracle if, from a war-torn country in which education used to be a method of survival, we could bring about time in which an entire generation can view education as something that inspires vision, dreams, and hope. This will be the miracle of our generation, and of our community. This will be our generation’s educational ideal.

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NEWS

News Briefs

by Marie Park

HSSC hosts annual Snowball

National History Day participants explore new categories and unconventional topics

HSSC hosted its annual Snowball on Feb. 13, under the theme “ACE.” The sophomore council, which was the main organizer behind this event, invited a magician group and D$Q , SIS dance club, as special performers.

This year there were many improvements in decoration in order to enhance the overall look of the party. For instance, this year’s Snowball used LED lights in the back, as opposed to the usual spotlights and strobe lights, in order to generate better and more appropriate lighting for the event.

“The crowd turnout was phenomenal,” said David Yoo (10), sophomore class vice president. “This year’s crowd count was almost twice of that of last year, and the diversity of the crowd was increased as well. The grade diversity showed the sense of unity and school spirit that this kind of school event is held for in the first place.”

Potential spread of Zika virus strikes fear in Korean public Following the panic caused the spread of the Ebola virus and the Middle Eastern Respiratory Symptom virus in the past, Korean citizens are now alert of the spread of the Zika virus, which has received much coverage in the media over the past couple weeks.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the virus has been reported as a relatively mild illness found in tropical Africa, Southeast Asia, the Pacific Islands, and Brazil. Still, the spread has triggered the Korean Ministry of Health to start examinations on mosquitoes, the vessels of the virus, and with it, the possibility of the virus spreading to Korea.

“It feels like the Ebola situation all over again,” Timothy Kim (10). “The epidemic is really hyped up by the media and countries seem to be scrambling to prevent the spread before it becomes a global threat.”

Chinese classes to be introduced in elementary school Starting in the upcoming school year, Chinese language classes will be taught at the elementary level, allowing students to cultivate their foreign language skills at an earlier stage. As numerous studies have shown that younger students both learn languages and accept different cultures more easily than older students, SIS has decided to implement this new curriculum instead of teaching language classes only to students in eighth grade and beyond.

“China is an emerging country, both economically and politically, so learning Chinese will be a valuable asset for students,” said Art De Filippo, elementary principal. “But I want students to learn the culture as well as the language. Older students’ main focus is to be proficient in the language, but younger students tend to be more excited to learn and accept different cultures when given the opportunity.”

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anging from individual research papers on the Harlem Renaissance to intricate websites depicting the Watergate scandal, high school students researched topics centered around the theme of “exploration, encounter, and exchange,” in preparation for National History Day (NHD) on Feb. 27. As the fourth annual NHD competition in Korea, students from SIS and other international schools gathered at Korea International School to showcase their works, and those who placed first and second in each division will be able to participate in the “Kenneth E. Behring National History Day Contest” at Washington D.C this summer.

“I thought that the NHD competition at Washington D.C. last year was a great learning experience,” said Sohee Ahn (10), last-year participant. “It allowed SIS students to not only explore a wide range of historical issues and topics, but also experience cultural diversity first-hand. My favorite part of the event was when each

state or country held up its flags and went around the gymnasium during the closing ceremony, which felt like a celebration of everyone’s’ hard work.”

Of the five NHD categories (individual paper, website, documentary, performance, exhibit), performance has been distinctly unpopular to SIS students.

Every year, the performance division has only had one or two teams actively competing against other schools. This year, Alix Kim (11) and Ariel Lee (11) participated in NHD for group performance and took second place, both of whom participated in different categories of NHD in previous years. Jay Min (11) also participated this year under individual performance and won first place.

“I was motivated to participate in the performance division for NHD because performance allows an individual to express his or herself clearly and to understand the topic and situation of the characters,” Alix said. “Many do not aim to compete in this division in Korea not

only because it is difficult to memorize a ten minute script but also because it requires more preparation.”

Anthony Loveday, high school history teacher and NHD coordinator, expressed his hopes to encounter numerous projects that would explore new areas of history.

Although the substantial increase in the number of performances was satisfying, there were still some categories of the competition unexplored by students.

“This year competition was definitely interesting in that the number of works done in performance section increased a lot,” Mr. Loveday said. “Compared to last year, I noticed that more students decided to participate in the performance category, which takes a different type of courage. Not a lot of people participated in senior exhibitions so I hope it becomes a growing trend for students to try out this category next year.”

By Grace Yang Sophomore, Staff Writer

ZEITGEIST North Korea launches first satellite into orbit

The execution of a hydrogen bomb experiment and recent rocket launches

by North Korea have heightened tensions once again within the Korean Peninsula. According to The Guardian, the Supreme Leader may have strategically executed the launching of the North Korean satellite in order to threaten South Korea right before its national Lunar New Year holiday. According to CNN, North Korean president Kim Jong-Un’s recent radical actions seem to target specifically South Korea instead of the US, as Kim seems to be aware of the dangers of going against the U.S. “I think that Kim Jong-Un is conducting such radical actions in order to gain leverage on various issues regarding the inter-Korean relationship,” said Jeffrey

Heo (10), MUN member. “He may be using his new weapons in order to pressure South Korean President Park Geun-Hye into giving in to North Korean threats and the North Korean agenda.”

President Park has condemned the launch as an intolerable attack on the South Korean and North Korean relationship on Feb. 7. As a response to this incident, the South Korean government discontinued the Kaesong joint-industrial complex.

“The North Koreans very strategically, for a lack of a better word, ‘stole’ the Kaesong industrial complex from South Korea,” said Nuri Choi (10), Forensics member. “Bringing the military into Kaesong, they required that all South Korean workers must leave the com-

plex in a matter of 30 seconds, without taking anything but their personal belongings. South Korean machinery and other types of goods were all left behind, amounting to almost a 3 million dollar debt for companies who had been involved in the industrial complex.”

At the end of the day, the interKorean relationship has not yet recovered after this event, despite diplomatic measures taken by both sides. Although Kim has recently reached out to the US for peace talks, they have again rebuffed their offer, opening up questions of global peace across continents.

By Jaeha Kim Junior, Copy Editor

Tiger Times February 2016 FIRST: The GINers watch a demonstration about water pollution. Later, they will create their own hypotheses and will perform their own tests.

SECOND: Sky Park (10) gives a young girl her new backpack. Inside the backpack are essential school supplies, and other goods including blankets and socks.

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. 9th age Feb in Orphan

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GIN members build teamwork in Thailand

11 A.M. Many GINers are nervous, physically and mentally preparing to meet orphans from Huay Nam Rin Orphanage. The orphans, ranging from 4 to 25-year-olds, enter the courtyard, and awkward greetings are exchanged. As the day passes on and as the students and orphans swim and play basketball with one another, the two groups begin to befriend each other. After a few hours of horsing around, the children are led to a big bonfire, where pictures are taken and marshmallows roasted. The day only ends when the orphans leave due to their early bedtime, and everyone retires into their dorms. Everyone has despondent expressions on their faces as the orphans leave the bonfire area, however, the students are excited for Thursday, when they will meet the children once again.

Fe ge

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Feb Or

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7:00 A.M. Though most expected Thailand to be hot and humid, mornings are actually the exact opposite - everyone can see their own breath fog up the air, and everyone is shivering in their thin clothes. As time passes, however, the sun comes up and Global Issues Network (GIN) members are sweating in beads.

“Remember to take off your shoes!”

Three, the tour guide, calls out. The students gingerly enter a monk temple, and quietly take a seat on white plastic chairs.

Everybody sits still in an awkward silence, as nobody is sure how to react. “Hello. I am Monk KK!” the man in the orange robe exclaims. Nobody expected such a relaxed and comforting atmosphere in a religious place, but Monk KK goes out of his way to welcome the nervous students. By the end of the life-changing session, the inspired children walk out with expressions of awe and understanding. “Maybe I should become a Buddhist now,” some students say after the enlightened and inspiring session with the friendly and intellectual monk.

Feb. 9th, 2016

PR b. 10 th EM Cam pus

Photography and Article

by Ryan Jang Sophomore, Staff Writer

Feb. 8th, 2016

in

Feb. 10th, 2016

THIRD: Eric Song (11) tries to keep his balance while walking through the low ropes course challenge.

FOURTH: Timothy Kim (10) and Marie Park (10) work on building the new wall for the boys’ dormitory at the Huay Nam Rin Orphanage.

9:00 A.M. The day begins with the low ropes course teambuilding activity, where the 20 GINers have to work together to navigate through a course of unstable, bouncy ropes. As a warm up, the 20 members all work together to scale a three-meter wall, using only their bodies. The time it took them to scale the wall: an impressive two minutes and eighteen seconds.

In pairs, the GINers then use all of their

strength to kayak through a five-kilometer river, where they reach a houseboat.

Though the two-hour, five-kilometer trip was arduous and exhausting, the tired members spend a great night on the houseboat, playing games as a group and enjoying the serene atmosphere. As night approaches, the scenery compounded with the rhythmic beat of the constant waves lull the GINers to sleep.

Feb. 11th, 2016

8:30 A.M. After departing the houseboat, the GINers prepare themselves for some backbreaking work - 12 buckets of sand, one bag of concrete, four buckets of water, and a whole lot of mixing is what it takes to create the thick paste that goes between the bricks, which would eventually create the 90-centimeter wall for the new boys dormitory.

Some of the older orphans even chipped into help mix the paste together and dump it in buckets. The five-hour team effort created the foundation for a new building where orphans would sleep, safe from the elements outside.

Once the GINers finish building their walls, they all adjourn in the cafeteria of the orphanage, to meet up with the children from Tuesday night. Familiar faces seek each other out, and the courtyard of the orphanage soon gets loud with the voices of the two groups socializing with each other. Placed on the tables are gifts for the orphans: backpacks, socks, blankets, and other school supplies. One by one, GINers present orphans with their gifts, and thank you’s and hugs are exchanged all throughout the evening.

Feb. 12th, 2016

8:30 A.M. The last day of the trip starts off in the kitchen: the fledgling chefs all make a delicious papaya salad, to be consumed later. After the brief cooking session, all the GINers mount bikes to head over to Lake Lek, where reflection time and trip evaluations are held. Some members are experienced bikers, others aren’t. However, all the GINers make it to the lake. After moments of reflection and a great meal, where the cooks eat their own papaya salads, the GINers head back to their dormitories for a final time, before leaving for the airport.

The Thailand trip was a great way for the GINers to gain cultural experience, yet have fun at the same time. Throughout all six days, each GINer was able to garner a valuable experience with them, and will hopefully remember that moment for the rest of their lives.

International Culture Club hosts movie night

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n Feb. 16, International Culture Club (ICC) hosted “Secret,” a Taiwanese movie, in the auditorium for SIS’s first movie night. The event was arranged to introduce students to the variety of cultures that exist around the world through presentation of foreign languages and customs.

“Although ICC could have shown a series of boring documentaries to expose the SIS community to various customs, we decided to go the engaging way by showing one of the most popular and entertaining movies of all time, ‘Secret,’” said Sarah Park (12), President of ICC. “Most importantly, by constantly getting in contact with such divergent cultures through vivid movies, showing the distinct atmospheres of spe-

cific countries, students can get ready to go to American colleges, which are obviously much more varied than SIS which is rather monotonously Korean American.”

The main objective of ICC is to spread cultural awareness throughout the SIS community and help students learn to appreciate different traditions and varying views. As a follow-up for the previous celebration of the Day of the Dead, ICC members decided to sponsor a movie night for the first time to achieve their stated goal and purpose through frequent meetings and discussion.

“We have been brainstorming and planning out the movie night for the past few months every time our club met so that even the trivial aspects of the movie night

will be interacting and entertaining for the audience,” said Emily Lee (10), ICC member.

“Unfortunately, despite the fact that we thoroughly prepared for this event, not a lot of people came, due to lack of promotion and reminders about the movie night. Although only five people actually came to the movie night, I believe that the movie night was still efficient judging by the reactions of those who came. ” In past years, ICC has continuously worked to spread awareness of different cultures by teaching Korean to children in the elementary school and selling skull cookies to celebrate the Day of the Dead, a Mexican holiday. Currently, the ICC is planning to host the Culture Fair, yet another event to introduce diverse traditions in April.

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“I can certify that the movie night provided me with a new experience by indirectly getting in touch with the Taiwanese culture, such as the Chinese language and Taiwanese foods like Chinese cold cucumber, that I could not acquire from my daily life at school,” said Taeyoung Yun (9), an audience member. “In other words, I believe that I am privileged since I got a first-handed chance to encounter such Taiwanese culture by watching ‘Secret,’ without having to directly travel to Taiwan myself. Since the movie night was very impactful, I am definitely looking forward to the upcoming Culture Fair.”

By Alice Lee Sophomore, Staff Writer

Is it a match?

Unreal realities veiled in the media television By: April Kim and Michael Eugene Kim

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hether through situational comedy or reality television, the age-old quest for a romantic partner has, without a doubt, been altered by the advent of dating culture shown in television shows. Ever since the rise of various shows like “How I Met Your Mother,” “The Bachelor,” and “We Got Married,” public perspective on dating has taken a turn. But televised mediums aren’t the only front—online dating has also transformed the landscape of romance. Now that the romantic realms of many are constructed mainly by social media, online dating, and TV shows, are intuitions based on basic language, conversation, and social cues eroding away?

Television shows depict fantasy relationships that heighten the expectations of those looking for love. But reality TV shows are anything but real. The reason why so many young adults’ perception on dating is distorted comes mainly from the “guidance” they receive from the small screen. According to the Journal of Interdisciplinary Research, when an individual views certain actions being rewarded, their likeliness to behave similarly increases. The way relationships are presented in many of these TV programs may set the bar too high, leading to young adults feeling as if their relationships are inade-

quate. These romantic ideals teach people what to believe and what not to believe depending on the media messages to which they are exposed.

“I’ve seen a lot of clips from the show ‘We Got Married,’ and how the program represents what makes a couple happy seems unrealistic and fake,” Andrew Lee (10) said.

“They set up such a picture-perfect image for viewers, with no serious arguments between the couple. This is probably why so many of us have a certain idealistic image of what needs to happen when dating, which can be problematic if people change themselves to match what’s shown on TV.” Such trends seen on air are now seen online as well.

With the influence of dating apps, the idea of dating has become more gamified and sexualized. A survey conducted in July 2015 by the Pew Research Center reported that the use of online dating sites or mobile apps by young adults has nearly tripled since 2013. Some users turn to these apps in order to pursue one-night stands or fleeting relationships rather than long-term commitments.

For example, according to Mail Online, Edward Stern, a 62-year-old New Yorker has been an online dater for over a decade. He said that he prefers the fun of no-stringsattached relationships to commitments and that these

days, “you have to pull teeth to get people to meet you.”

Some consider such societal trends evidence of loss of sincerity, as being able to merely take out a phone and see who is in the area, is a quicker and easier alternative to looking up from phone screens and verbally talking to others.

“I think face to face communication is extremely important, especially in such a technology-infested society,” Sunny Oh (10) said. “It’s hard to tell whether or not a person is being genuine online and it’s harder to be personal through text messages and emoticons. Meeting a person in real life enhances the amount of trust and reliability you feel for a person because you get to observe more than just words; you also see their facial expressions and body language.”

In this “technosexual” era, picking out and sending an emoticon may be easier than actually making eye contact and flashing a smile. The“expectations-versus-reality” of having a lover has become twisted due to the ideals people perceive from media. The polar effects of technology in bringing people together while simultaneously distancing them truly shines in the world of dating. At the end of the day, people need to communicate with people, not just their phone screens.

Marriage: union between families?

By: Nagyon Kim and Rachel Kang

P

opular legend tells the story of Valentine as a Roman priest imprisoned after overseeing illegal marriages. Before his execution, Valentine is said to have written a letter to Julia, the daughter of his jailer, signed, “From Your Valentine” – and hence began St. Valentine’s Day, the annual celebration of true love that knows no legal or social boundaries.

Romantic, isn’t it? Perhaps too romantic to sound realistic. If Valentine had not been executed, would Valentine and Julia have had a successful marriage? Would the initial attraction between the two have been enough to cover the gaps in their religious views, social statuses, and wealth?

Statistics suggest that this would have been highly unlikely – at least in contemporary Korean society. According to the 2014 annual Population Trend Report released

by Korea’s National Statistical Office, Korea has the third highest divorce rate in the world, primarily caused by personality differences (47.2%) and economic differences (12.7%). Korea Legal Aid Center for Family Relations further reported that in the 2000s, most couples asked for divorce consults due to economic reasons.

Traditionally, Korean society has tried to ensure successful marriages by examining the family backgrounds of the couple. The old tradition of sanggyunrye – the first meeting between the two families for the discussion of the union - is one example that reflects this concept: if the parents of the potential bride and groom find the encounter frustrating, they can refuse to approve the marriage, practically ending the relationship. Families from similar backgrounds are preferred as the couple would then have higher chances of sharing similar values and opinions.

“Both parents’ support of the marriage is crucial in Korean culture because the bride and groom are expected to

participate in many family activities after the marriage,” said Jeffrey Park (11), MUN member. “Confucian values such as filial piety also stress that we seek our parents’ opinions when make major decisions.”

Since the whole process of finding the “right one,” introducing one another to one’s parents, getting permission to marry, and planning the sanggyunrye is a tiresome one, people are now resorting to new methods that promise matches between similar families.

An instance of such goal-specific matchmaking services include the services provided by as “Duo.” Members fill out a biographical form that consists of over 160 factors, including age, height, education, profession, and wage (of both themselves and their parents), which is then analyzed by experts who use the data to arrange a likely match. This method usually serves for the parents’ interests – Duo reports that 15.7% of Duo’s over 30,000 members joined because their parents wanted them to.

Duo also targets parents with free seminars and counsels.

In 2013, it began “Get-your-children-married” project.

However, this initiative has caused backlash among some young adults, who believe marriage is a personal issue and the decision must be kept private. “[Marriage] is more of a personal issue than a family issue, because [the two engaged] are the ones who would have to do everything together and influence each other the most,” Ellis Kim said. “Marriages mediated through matchmaking services feel more like a contract than a romantic event.”

These services contrast with other, more causal applications developed in the US. Take Tinder, for example, the US-based matchmaking mobile application that boasts of over nine billion total matches since it first launched in 2012. As its official website proudly declares, “Tinder empowers users around the world to create

new connections that otherwise might never have been possible” – members can view profiles of other local Tinder members on Tinder’s mobile application, and if two users “swipe” each other’s profile, they are declared a match. The profile includes a photo and a “tagline” that is maximum 500 words long. The only factor affected by the application, then, is location. Tinder is not the only one - other matchmaking services such as Hinge, Hitch, and Coffee Meets Bagel similarly promise matches by chance.

These services are also open and free for anyone.

In contrast with services that rely on luck and probability, other services are more exclusive and expensive.

In Korea, these are highly sought after for their detailed background checks on potential partners as opposed to chatroulette applications where personal information is virtually inaccessible. One matchmaking service, Purples, revealed that it uses a “VVIP membership” system that only accepts professionals in each field or those with over $82,000,000 salaries, both of whom are required to pay an initial deposit of $10,000. Baroyeon, another matchmaking service, publicized its “Secret Home-Visit Service,” which lets its counseling experts to actually visit homes to investigate family backgrounds and lifestyles and then hold exclusive parties for potential matches.

“College representatives who visited my high school emphasized that a degree from their school would grant me a higher membership and thus a more ideal husband,” said Jooyeon Kang, a Korean university student.

“Although it would be a stretch to argue that the higher social class you are from, the more ‘qualified’ you are as a spouse, I do expect to meet someone who shares lifestyles and moral values with me. In that regard, I find matchmaking services appealing because they save you the disappointment of finding out you and your boyfriend will never work out.”

Million

Americans have tried online dating services Usage of online dating services

since 2013 Romantic movies cause people to expect a

In an Australian survey........ felt that they were expected to know their partner’s thoughts claim movies made their partners expect gifts

relationship Highest Divorce Rate

due to personality differences

= due to economic differences

persuading parents to arrange their children’s marriages based on family backgrounds

layout by Justin Cha ng

8

LIFESTYLE

“Deadpool” introduces new standards for Marvel heroes Jam-packed with intense action, gripping humor, and dramatic violence, another super hero from Marvel Comics came to life on Feb. 17 in the movie “Deadpool.”

Directed by Tim Miller, the film captured the attention of over 25 million people on the first day of its release, rapidly rising to first place at a previously unforeseen speeds and successfully breaking South Korean box office records.

“Deadpool” begins with the life of Wade Wilson, portrayed by Ryan Reynolds, a former special forces operative who falls in love with Vanessa Carlysle, portrayed by Moreana Baccarin, a woman he meets at a local bar. Unfortunately, as soon as he proposes to Vanessa, he falls ill with terminal cancer. To escape death and avoid losing Vanessa, Wade decides to accept a rather mysterious offer of a cure his cancer from an anonymous program’s recruiter. Wade’s transformation for the possession of supernatural powers starts when he meets Ajax, who injects him with a special serum that leads to weeks of torture and healing powers that cure his cancer, although he becomes disfigured. The rest of the story traces Wade’s journey back to Vanessa along with his clashes with Ajax, who initially tries to sell Wade as a servant. After Wade’s transformation to Deadpool, he subsequently becomes extremely mentally unstable and aggressive, finds humility in death, and therefore does not pay any attention to the casualties as long as he gets the job done.

Marvel has produced a line of rather popular superhero movies with its previous action films such as “X-men” and “Avengers,” but Deadpool distinctly stars a talkative anti-hero, or character who lacks conventional heroic attributes such as compassion and patience, who repeatedly “breaks the fourth wall,” or is seemingly aware that he is in fact a fictional character.

According to the New York Times, Deadpool is feverishly eager-to-please as long as one can deal with dark humor featuring

fictional characters getting impaled, shot, tortured, and liquidated in their frequent conflicts. On the other hand, the New York Times complimented the engaging interaction Deadpool has with the audience in the opening credits, where Deadpool “talks” to the audience in a surprised manner: “You’re still here? It’s over. Go home! Oh, you’re expecting a teaser for Deadpool two. Well, we don’t have that kind of money. What are you expecting, Sam Jackson show up with an eye patch and a saucy little leather number? Go, go.”

Such dark and interactive humor has helped Deadpool make headlines with its substantial number of positive reviews,

in both America and South Korea. While “Deadpool” has remained first place for only the first few days since its release in South Korea, the film topped the US box office for the first two consecutive weekends and earned over 55 million dollars overall, eventually becoming the 17th biggest superhero movie and the 12th most successful Marvel movie of all time.

Despite its consistently satisfactory reviews and responses, according to Time, the violence in “Deadpool,” is not particularly gratifying due to the repetitive plot mechanism, which significantly decreases the impact the movie gives to the audience.

“Deadpool” has been bitterly criticized by

Explaining Obama “You’d have some angry people around here if you removed them.”

—a passerby in New York In the Upper West side of New York, there are still four phone booths left on the streets, odd and out-of-place scraps of a forgotten age. They resist, four relics fighting the modern order in what seems like a needless, and failed, quest for an outdated and impractical past.

These rusted phone booths have made their way into American politics in the form of conservative lawmakers, who unjustly distort the legacy of a beleaguered president. To me, it is disappointing having to wake up every morning and read through a torrent of “Obama this, Obama that” commentaries blaming the President for every conceivable wrong that could happen in this nation. To me, it is disappointing that Americans are taking Mr. Obama’s basic humanity, his exceeding elegance, his underlying respect for

Time and is not particularly recommended to those who do not enjoy vivid violence and action. However, it is strongly suggested for only those who crave dark humor.

Across the board, “Deadpool” is an other representative action movie, though distinctly separated by its choice of character.

“Deadpool” keeps the audience on the edge of their seats, builds up tension at one moment, appropriately diffuses the mood with romance in another, and in the end wraps everything up with a touch of trademark Deadpool humor.

By Alice Lee Sophomore, Staff Writer

By Andrew Ham granted, having forgotten how cold a world can be without his innate grace and political acumen.

And we have just received our first wake-up call in the circus we call a presidential election. Previous phrases that describe Obama cannot be justified to be used to describe any of the candidates who are currently locking horns in a bid to replace him. Who, among these circus performers, can we possibly envision becoming our Commander-in-chief come 2017? Can it be the scandal-ridden Hillary? Donald Trump, whose “huge, tremendous, humongous” head seems to contain every possible bit of human trash except a brain? Or Ted Cruz, who goes to sleep every night cradling a Bible in his arms?

As David Brooks wrote in the New York Times, “There is a tone of ugliness creeping across the world as democracies retreat, as tribalism mounts, as suspiciousness and authoritarianism take

center stage.” Terror has grasped Americans with its fearful grip, as right-wing politicians warn that Mr. Obama is a progressive radical hell-bent on destroying America’s traditional roots. But Obama has in fact achieved the objectives of his political opponents in a more capable fashion than they have themselves.

For those who say that Mr. Obama spends and taxes too much: government spending has increased by only 3.3 percent annually under his administration, the lowest figures since the Eisenhower years. Additionally, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, 95 percent of Americans are paying less in taxes than they did before, due to Mr. Obama’s tax cuts as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

For those who say that Mr. Obama has wrecked the economy: the United States is currently enjoying 69 straight months of economic expansion, and unemployment has dropped by nearly three

percent.

For those who criticize Obamacare for being, well, Obamacare: eighteen million more Americans have health insurance thanks to the Affordable Care Act, and although Americans fear welfare policies that require them to pay up—God forbid they help people other than themselves— healthcare costs have grown at a much slower pace than predicted.

Policies can always be debated, data can always be argued. But what is inalienable about Mr. Obama is that he carried himself with remarkable dignity, respect, and humanity, and strived to pass them onto others, even when they seemed to reject all help, on both sides of the political, social, and economic divides. You wouldn’t know it with the inflated talk surrounding Mr. Obama, but he has been a pretty damned good President—and I’m going to miss him too, especially when I tune in to the crass, single-minded soap opera we call politics today.

Tiger Times February 2016

Controversy arises after Jack Black appears on popular Korean variety show On Jan. 30, Jack Black, an American actor and comedian, appeared on the 465th episode of a popular Korean variety show, “Infinite Challenge.” Though there was anticipation among viewers for this episode, especially after Black publicly complimented the show, controversy arose after a misunderstanding about his appearance fee.

“Infinite Challenge,” a show that has been airing for over 10 years, is widely regarded as one of the top variety shows in Korea, according to Daum News.

Inviting Korean stars and global celebrities, to appear in its episodes, the show has cultivated a large viewership not only in Korea but also in countries all over the world, including China and Japan. During the episode that aired on Jan. 30, Jack Black participated in a variety of seemingly bizarre games that the show has become widely known for, some of which included pillow fighting and song matching.

“Black, as a well-known comedian, really contributed a lot to the show,” said Eric Kim (10), ‘Infinite Challenge’ fan. “It was amazing to see how well he fit in with the cast from the very beginning, despite the fact that they do not

speak a common language. It showed me that it doesn’t matter if people don’t speak the same language as long as they have similar interests and find different things to talk about.”

Prior to his the airing of his appearance on “Infinite Challenge,” Black appeared on ‘The Ellen DeGeneres Show” to discuss his experience. After describing the activities he participated in during the episode, Black complimented the show, saying that the five members of the show “sure know how to have fun.”

“I think Black praising ‘Infinite Challenge’ on a popular American talk show proves how K-pop is becoming more influential as it spreads to other cultures,” said Haily Ahn (10), fan of both “Infinite Challenge” and “The Ellen DeGeneres Show.” “Korea is usually known for its pop music, so I’m glad that other Korean entertainment genres are also gaining recognition internationally.”

However, despite the anticipation of the viewers, the aired episode experienced a fall of 1.8 percent in viewer ratings from the previous week’s episode.

In addition, when it was revealed that

Black had not been paid for his appearance, the issue gained steam among the Korean public. Later, a ‘Kung Fu Panda 3’ representative had to step up and provide clarification about the issue.

According to ETNews, the representative said that although there were talks about Black being on the show for quite some time because both sides had to make schedule adjustments for his appearance, there was nothing about his appearance fee from the very beginning.

“It was unexpected to see the viewer ratings go down because I thought there would be an increase after Black’s appearance,” Brian Kong (11) said.

“Though I believe he deserved more respect when he was here, I’m relieved that the issue is resolved because I was afraid this incident would shed bad light on Korean culture. Black was a great addition, and I hope this will break new grounds for Korean variety shows to become more globalized and see more appearances of celebrities from around the world.”

By Soomin Lee Sophomore, Staff Writer

Lack of diversity at Oscars raises controversy The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences nominated candidates for the 2016 nominees on Jan. 23. However, after several claims by celebrities and the public that the nominations were lacking diversity, the question of racism in Hollywood was raised once again. Much of the public voiced its opinions against the predominately white industry on various social media platforms. Still others have supported the Academy for its decisions despite the nature of the industry as a whole.

The last two years have been particularly noted for their lack of racial diversity. However, claims of the Oscars being biased have been around for decades. Since 1929 when the Oscars first began, only 6.4 percent of the acting contestants for the awards have been non-white.

“I believed that if racism existed within the Oscars, it was slowly fading back when 12 Years a Slave’s director Steve McQueen won an Oscar for Best Picture,” said Jihoon Yang (12), film enthusiast . “Sadly, looking at the list of nominations this year, anyone would be baffled and easily convinced that the Oscars has some lingering signs of

racism. In order to solve this problem, I think it is important to raise awareness of the issue and advocate for a more open-minded procedure for choosing the nominations.”

As a result of the controversy over diversity in the Oscars, many celebrities such as Spike Lee and Will Smith have begun to boycott the ceremony in protest. Even Cheryl Boone, the president of the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences, made a statement about the issue, expressing her disappointment and stating that the efforts to increase diversity are not coming fast enough. Academy award host Chris Rock also subtly commented on the racial dynamics throughout the show.

“I would say that the problem is not necessarily with the Academy, but more with the system behind it,” said Peter Valerio, high school math teacher. “For years the Academy has been predominately centered around white actors and there are only a handful of people of color. In order to see any changes, we need to change the system that the Oscars are recognized in.”

The public has also began to protest

the Oscars, bringing back the use of the Twitter hashtag #OscarsSoWhite along with other posts on social media that were used after last year’s event. People also posted pictures of the nominees with the hashtag, to emphasize the allwhite roster of the Oscars.

Many including President Obama have emphasized that the controversy with the Oscars is not just about acting awards. To many, it represents a much broader, underlying issue in society about equality. According to President Obama, the Academy should try to focus on offering the opportunity to channel talent to everyone.

“Although I can only assume, whether the Oscars knowingly gave awards only to whites, it is a ceremony that should not be respected like it is today,” Lauren Ahn (12) said. “More people should be made aware of the issue as it hints at an underlying problem in society. In order to lead to change, it is important to advocate for a more open-minded perspective when recognizing the talents of individuals.”

By Cody Kim Senior, Staff Writer

9

Thinking at 0m/s The Sound and the Nick Fury Science fiction has covered all the basics.

Lasers are the staple, followed by plasma, antimatter, gamma rays, neutron bombardment, flux capacitors, tachyon bursts, and whatever sounds remotely science-y. But one concept rarely explored is the role of sound in modern applications. Concepts such as ray guns are easy to explain because, ironically, they don’t really make sense—it’s hard to hear all the mumbo jumbo jargon. Sound, on the other hand, is really easy to hear because it seems to makes sense, and therefore sounds less technical for the sci-fi lover.

But is it, really?

Take, for instance, the decibel system, which measures the intensity of sound waves. People often talk about how loud things are: “Don’t use your earphones so much—it damages your ears.” Ring a bell? Of course it does. But the thing people often forget is that the decibel system is a logarithmic scale. In other words, by doubling the decibel quantity, you’re actually increasing the magnitude of the sound intensity by a factor of ten. That’s why 40 decibels, which is what you’d expect in a library, is only 80 decibels lower than a gunshot, but only one of those will cause permanent hearing loss.

The loudest sound ever recorded in human history was in 1883 when Krakatoa erupted in Indonesia. Having misplaced their sensitive measuring equipment in the 21st century, sailors on a ship 64 kilometers away resorted to reporting that the sound wave had ruptured their eardrums. It was heard 4,820 kilometers away in the Indian Ocean. By modern estimates, the 200 megaton eruption caused a sound wave of nearly 172 decibels over a hundred miles from the source.

The sound wave was caused by a rapid difference in pressure near the site of eruption, and it would have instantly demolished anything in a five kilometer radius.

In fact, the Krakatoa eruption comes extremely close to the maximum sound intensity possible in air, which is 194 decibels. At 194 decibels, the pressure deviation required to create the sound wave is exactly 101.325 kilopascals, the ambient pressure at sea level. Anything over that causes vacuums to appear between the sound waves themselves, and sound cannot travel at a higher intensity. At that point, it stops being a sound wave and is considered a shock wave.

But what does this all mean for us today? Can we wave goodbye to the golden age of lasers and plasma and usher in a new era of sound in science fiction? Will the frequency of sound waves being featured in superhero movies today increase?

Well, no. Unlike directed energy such as light and magnetized plasma, sound is rather fair in deciding what to demolish and whose eardrums to ruin—that is to say, it’s indiscriminate. Based on this, it sounds far-fetched to imagine a world where our favorite superheroes duke it out by shouting at each other. But it does strike a chord with real applications: when comparing sound waves to the newly discovered gravitational waves, is it reasonable to think that extremely intense gravitational waves can severely distort objects in space near their source?

Questions like these are music to physicists’ ears, but more importantly, exploring sound can justify the South Korean government’s efforts to blast propaganda from loudspeakers into the North. It’s a brilliant military strategy really, crushing communists with cacophony.

By Michael Kim and Sang Ho Lee Senior, Project EIC and Production Editor

10

SPORTS

Badminton team prepares for second season After its establishment last year, the badminton team is now enjoying its second season as an official SIS spring season sport.

Although not a recognized KAIAC sport as of now, many students and teachers have expressed their interest in both participating and developing the badminton program.

The basic structure of the team has stayed the same since last year, with athletes practicing twice a week on Wednesdays and Fridays. The athletic department plans on a larger, co-ed team of 20 players, an increase from last year’s team of 16 due to the large number of students who try out. James Hardcastle, fourth grade teacher, will be replacing former coach Cheryl Lambie as the only coach of the team.

“There were a lot of participants in the tryouts, much like last year,” said Jason Kim (11), badminton team member. “During the tryouts, entertaining single matches with competitors brought out my passion for badminton. I’m really looking forward to the rest of the season, especially our match against SFS, given that our match scores last season was a tie.”

Practices mainly focus on helping athletes enhance their skills, including how to properly serve, shoot, and drive. Since the practices are held only twice a week, many players enjoy the fact that they can enjoy a sport without too much time commitment or stress, according to Sooyeon Kim, badminton team member. Although Coach Hardcastle has never been coached in badminton, he finds in SIS students a helpful, welcoming community.

“I hope to bring students more exposure to badminton this season, in order to create a team that people want to be involved in year after year,” Coach Hardcastle said. “The practices support creating an atmosphere where students are challenged and able to collaborate, and students are more inclined to be involved. Although I have played tennis in my pre and mid-teens, I was never coached in badminton. In many ways, planning out the practices is a nice change from teaching fourth grade.”

There are no definitive plans, as of now, on how the program will further develop.

However, the athletics department is open to the idea of getting more schools involved in order to allow badminton athletes to gain more of the varsity sport experience.

As of now, there will be two tournaments throughout the season, where athletes from Gyeonggi Suwon International School, Seoul Foreign School, Chadwick International, Korea International School, and SIS will compete amongst each other either as singles or doubles.

“It takes a lot of time and effort trying to get more schools involved,” said Ivan Atanaskovic, Athletic and Activities Coordinator. “[Establishing badminton as an official sport] requires the cooperation of many different schools and overcoming different scheduling conflicts. So will badminton become a KAIAC sport? We’ll see in the upcoming season.”

By Ariel Lee Junior, Copy Editor

Coach Lopez—The Guardiola of SIS

Pointing across the soccer field, Alex-Barton Lopez, the varsity girls’ soccer team coach, directs Jiwoo Kim (12) during the team’s practice.

L

ionel Messi would not be Lionel Messi without his greatest coach, the famed Pep Guardiola. Similarly, the girls varsity soccer team would not have been the team it is today if Coach Alex Lopez-Barton had not implemented his “five-year plan” to encourage promising middle school athletes. La Masia, the famed youth program that helped Messi, is currently being recreated in the fields of Seoul International School, the product of years of active recruiting and coaching.

“I first met Coach Lopez in seventh grade when I was on the middle school soccer team, and at the time he constantly told me that I was a part of his ‘five-year plan,’ a list of female athletes that he wanted to help during middle school and bring on to the varsity team as freshmen,” said Diane Lee (10), varsity girls soccer athlete. “For two years he constantly talked about the ‘plan,’ which solidified my willingness to try out for the varsity team.”

During Coach Lopez’s first year as a varsity coach, the season was nearly canceled due to the lack of interested athletes. In his second year, as he

began to coach middle school soccer in addition to the high school team, Coach Lopez gradually realized that developing athletes at a young age and having them play together for a longer time would lead to better results, as did the efforts of Guardiola at FC Barcelona, Messi’s current team and developer of La Masia.

Over the years, this concept came to be titled the “five-year plan.”

“There were three reasons why I decided to launch this system,” Coach Lopez said. “First, I wanted to recruit more girls to play. Second, I wanted to mirror Barcelona’s success using a similar method of developing young athletes and helping them mesh together in a team before the real season, and lastly, I wanted my athletes to start thinking about long-term goals rather than focusing on one-year, shortterm aspirations.”

While coaching the middle school team, Coach Lopez was impressed by the command, athleticism, and industry of particular players, and after he personally analyzed and improved their techniques over a few years, he recruited them into the high school team.

“Coach Lopez always helped me with

Photo by April Kim

my shooting with regards to accuracy and strength,” said Karen Joo (10), varsity girls soccer athlete. “After class, he would sometimes take the time to show me clips of different soccer tricks or plays he wanted me to perform in games so that I could outplay my opponent.”

His enthusiasm is not limited to the field, however: Coach Lopez’s recruitment plan reveals an even greater aspect of his coaching style, one that can be described as “hands-on” and realistic.

“I work out with the girls as much as I can to make them realize that I’m not asking them to do something that I can’t do,” Coach Lopez said. “I had coaches who couldn’t do the things that they asked us to do, and there was a lack of respect and enthusiasm among athletes because of that.”

Karen agrees: “Coach Lopez is the most enthusiastic teacher and coach I have ever met, and I hope that his methods will continue to benefit our team into the future.”

By Andrew Ham Sophomore, Staff Writer

Tiger Times February 2016

SPORTS PHOTO OF THE MONTH

Pulling a heel-stretch, Eunie Jang (12) practices flying during the Korea national cheer team practice on Feb. 27

Photo courtesy of Eunie Jang (12)

11

Ambitious studentcheerleader represents Korea In the movie “Bring It On,” cheerleaders wear tight crop tops and extremely short skirts, spending most of their time putting on make up and curling their hair and dolling themselves up for the sole purpose of cheering for the guys. Much like many of the stereotypes presented by the media, however, these caricatures of the cheerleader are unfairly negative and quite false.

Many cheerleaders are celebrated for their exciting routines and gymnastics-based athletics, and the accomplishments of Eunie Jang (12), varsity cheerleading captain, is the perfect example of how cheerleading is for the strong and the brave.

Cheerleading is a sport that not many SIS students are well acquainted with. Eunie, too, had no idea what cheerleading was until the second semester of eighth grade, when she attended a cheer clinic for rising freshman organized by Mrs. Nelson, the cheerleading coach at the time. The clinic was an eye-opening experience for Eunie, and she realized how much she enjoyed performing in front of a crowd. Since then, the thrill of spreading excitement to others through stunting has motivated her to continue cheerleading despite the physical injuries that come with the sport.

“I love that cheerleading is a performance sport,” Eunie said. “Stunting is especially eccentric. If you know it, you absolutely know it. But if you don’t, you don’t know it.

Understanding stunting is a transformative experience for all cheerleaders. If you have never stunted before, you wouldn’t understand the fulfillment that it can give. I was instantly hooked to cheerleading by stunting and the whole competitive cheerleading culture.”

Ever since she started cheerleading, Eunie’s ultimate goal was to tryout and make the Korean National Cheerleading team. In her sophomore and junior years, she was not able to try out because she had to maintain her academics. The wait only made her

tryouts this January more meaningful - it represented four years of hard work and dedication. Even though the tryout process was rigorous, Eunie loved every second of it because it allowed her to meet other cheerleaders performing at a competitive level and physically challenged her to a level she had never ventured before.

“The tryouts were everything I had dreamt for,” Eunie said. “People at tryouts were people like me–passionate cheerleaders who are in love with the competitive cheerleading world. There was an instant bond between everyone when stunting, even though we were working together for the first time. When I found out that I had made the national team, I was in tears because I had finally accomplished my dream. I am extremely excited for the opportunity to train with such amazing people and compete at the world championships.”

Since freshman year, Eunie gladly took on all opportunities to convince critics that cheer is a real sport, whether it be through persuasive speeches in the classroom or morning announcements on the PA. Now, as Eunie is embarking on a new chapter of her cheerleading career as a member of the national team competing at the 2016 ICU World Cheerleading Championships in the US at the end of April, she also feels a newfound sense of duty in changing the stereotypical perceptions of cheer.

“In cheer, athletes tirelessly practice for one routine,” Eunie said. “Fancy uniforms and props are just an element of cheer, a sport that is much more rigorous and meaningful than people perceive. Also, it is my responsibility to educate the critics about real cheer. I want to share my enthusiasm with everyone because even though cheerleading is tiring, I love the sport and I enjoy every second of it.”

By Grace Lee Junior, Staff Writer

Spring sports athletes begin respective seasons

Spring season athletes began their respective seasons for the year with their first friendly matches. Varsity soccer players and swimmers met athletes from different schools for the first time this year by competing at Yongsan International School of Seoul (YISS) on Feb. 24 and Feb. 26, respectively.

According to Jane Lee (12), varsity girls soccer co-captain, the players invested time and effort in polishing their individual skills during their first week of practice in preparation for their first game. Although they lost against the YISS team by a score of 3 to 1, each of the players played to their maximum potential on the field.

“This game was very difficult for the entire team, for sure, especially because YISS is not a school in our division,,” said Joomin Chung (12), varsity girls soccer co-captain. “At the end of every game, though, we always make sure to ask ourselves if we managed to take at least one step closer to the individual goals we had set for ourselves prior to the game. Just as we have for every other game, we continued this tradition after the YISS game. All of our teammates agreed that each of us

had pushed our boundaries and tested our limits.”

The boys soccer players also lost by a score of 2 to 1. According to Jason Kim (12), varsity boys soccer co-captain, the friendly game revealed the strengths and weaknesses of the players both on an individual level and on a team level.

“Although we lost, I was impressed to see an surprisingly high level of communication between players during the match,” Jason said. “It was only our first game of the season, so there were many aspects we could improve on, especially in terms of teamwork, but I was glad to see all the boys complimenting each other and giving one another advice when necessary. This attitude will hopefully allow the team to bring back better results in future games for the rest of the season.”

The varsity swim team brought home successful results from their first friendly sprint-meet at YISS. The girl swimmers placed third, while boys placed first, allowing the team to place first overall. According to Brian Kim (11), varsity swim team co-captain, despite the team’s triumph at the meet, the swimmers could improve on

Turning for his last 25 meters during the 100 IM race, Elliot Nam (10) races to finish first in his heat and third overall in the event.

their attitude in the pool.

“This year, we had a lot of new members join the team, and many of them were not accustomed to being part of a team,” Brian said. “Especially because swimming is an individual sport, it is crucial that everyone is supportive of each other, regardless of

Photo by Ryan Jang

the results. I think that is an aspect that we could work on in the future, because the individual skill level of each swimmer is phenomenal this year.”

By Sarah Kim Junior, Staff Writer

12

SMALL TALK

FAUX NEWS Newspapers told to hire toddlers to fight elitism In a recent push to curb elitism and age discrimination, the US leadership has enacted new legislation declaring that major publications must begin hiring younger, less educated writers. Though not explicitly stated, newspapers across the country have voiced concerns, as their editorial boards must now include toddlers who have received little to no formal education.

The New York Times has led the charge against this government policy. Within a few hours of the passage of the new law, it had gathered various publications together in a group called Toddlers’ Tantrums (TT) to oppose and protest the requirement that babies who have not yet learned English must be included on publication staff.

“We are very disappointed by the actions of The New York Times,” said Hood Wink, US leadership president. “We expected that they would place enough trust in themselves and in the power of journalism to educate and enlighten, to the point that they could inspire toddlers so that they could produce high quality newspapers. It appears that they have failed in their basic purpose.”

The New York Times responded with a creatively written editorial that demonstrated the impressive control of the English language that its staff writers possessed—especially in terms of the quantity and diversity of cuss words used. The editorial will not be reproduced or quoted in this article, as there was no excerpt that could be selected in a manner that would not offend readers.

“This is a [expletive] policy,” said Fie Ontall, TT representative. “This is a clear effort on the part of the US leadership to restrict the ability of journalism organizations and publications to conduct investigative pieces and write articles. It will lead to reduced continuity, consistency, and quality within our published work. It’s really a [expletive] shame that government officials find the need to try to force us to hire uneducated interns and children to hinder our investigations of the world around us.”

According to a US leadership source who spoke honestly only on the condition of anonymity, the new policy may have actually been motivated by factors related neither to elitism nor age discrimination.

“To be honest, we got tired of having to continue to read negative reviews of our performance in the papers,” said the anonymous source. “But censorship sounds negative, so we’re just going with this.”

Faux News managed to obtain an exclusive interview with one of the toddlers who will soon take their place on the editorial board of The New York Times. Unfortunately, due to his underdeveloped communications skills from kindergarten and the fact that he is still in the process of learning how to speak English properly, most of the interview was unintelligible. However, the staff of Faux News has tried to translate the portion of the interview that included the most legitimate English words below.

“Ekdimo bleikao mommy I’m excited because,” said Stormageddon Smith, next managing editor of The New York Times. “Can I play with boolahhboo? Ekaekaboo are so good! Plans in time good.

Mommy wahhhh. News thingamajiggy going fun!”

BY JUNGHO DANIEL CHOI

I DE•A•LOG : altruism

by Diana Nakyoung Lee

A homeless woman with wrinkled hands and shrugged shoulders bends into a soup kitchen. She hopes a kind hand will pass her a bowl. Could you be that hand?

Altruism—one word, three perspectives, and three definitions. In philosophy, it is an antonym of egoism—selflessness, in other words, as coined by Auguste Comte. In science, it consists of “intentional actions that aim to enhance the welfare of another in the absence of any rewards,” according to the Cambridge Quarterly of Healthcare Ethics.

However, to George Price, evolutionary biologist, it meant impossibility.

Darwin declared altruism the “greatest single riddle” of evolution. Sacrifice is, in essence, a cost to one’s own fitness. How could a trait like selflessness evolve?

Price discovered the answer: an equation. Price’s equation explains how altruism can appear in the realm of evolution, of survival of the fittest.

Save a sibling from a fire, and one could save a half-set of one’s genes. Save two siblings, and mathematically, one could ideally save a full set of one’s genes. In evolution, the survivors pass on their genes to the next generation. Survive, reproduce,

and keep one’s DNA in the population—it is a simple game.

Compared to one’s cousin, one would more likely save one’s sister: this can be proven scientifically by Price’s equation. Proven. Exacted. Quantified.

One’s sister has a half-set of one’s genes. One’s cousin has an eighth. A half-set is a much better deal. Altruism, the equation explained, is non-existent: selfishness is an instinct, genetically programmed.

According to The Price of Altruism by Oren Harman, Price crusaded against his own discovery. He converted to Christianity, spent all his possessions on the homeless, and ultimately, committed suicide. A world without true altruism drove Price off a cliff of hopelessness. Yet, is an act of kindness meaningless if it is not completely selfless? If a mother sacrifices herself for her child, she preserves a half-set of her genes. Does that make her sacrifice meaningless?

Admittedly, she could have been motivated by a selfish instinct (a sequence of nucleotides on her chromosomes) and nothing truly altruistic.

She could, however, also have been motivated by scores of other things: love, kindness, sacrifice, endearment,

and compassion.

Price may have proven that this world will never see true altruism. Indeed, the world has instead seen villains such as James T. Reynolds Sr., indicted in 2015 for creating fraudulent cancer charities (including the Children’s Cancer Fund of America) and scraping up over 200 million dollars, which were promptly turned into Hooters and Victoria’s Secret receipts, according to the New York Times. It may see Op-Ed sections of the Huffington Post ablaze with heated arguments over whether conglomerate kings such as Mark Zuckerberg can earn the title of “philanthropist hero” through charitable donations.

However, the same nation will also see, that in 2014, 64 firefighters sacrificed their lives to rescue others from flames, as reported by the National Fire Protection Association. We may yet have a chance at believing that, for every man like Reynolds in this world, there are still 64 firefighters, courageous and kind.

Equations dictate why and how things are, not how they could be or should be.

Now, a homeless woman, with wrinkled hands and stooped shoulders, bends into a soup kitchen. She hopes a kind hand will pass her a bowl.

Would you be that hand?

snowball Ace

2/13

by photo

photo by sunhee bae

daniel

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