Tiger Times Volume 34 Issue 7

Tiger Times seoul international school

volume xxxiv

fe b r u a r y 2011

issue vii

w w w

Faculty FriendSongs of Love: Valentine’s Concert held by choirs Feb. 16.

Page 5

.itigertimes.com

Photo by Jessica Song

GIN to tackle global issue on local scale

By Angela Cho

Photo by Jessica Song

Evaluating club renewal proposals, Bryan Keith and HSSC executives Rachel Nam (12) and Diane Rhim (12) listen to Scientia members talk about the publication’s accomplishments on Feb. 8 during activity period in the auditorium.

Clubs present proposals to HSSC and admin

By Jessica Song

Every club needs to be renewed

by Peter Corcoran, high school principal, and Bryan Keith, activities and athletics director, to be active the next school year. The administration and the High School Student Council (HSSC) held club renewal meetings on Feb. 7, 8 and 14; proposals for new clubs took place Feb. 9-10 in the auditorium during activity period.

Last fall, Mr. Corcoran and Mr. Keith allowed a maximum of 17 clubs in order to prevent students from overcommitting by joining too many clubs. This limit affected

smaller clubs such as the Baking Club, the Chess Club and the Guitar Club, which were not renewed.

“One reason the administration put a limit to the number of clubs was because when a new club forms, many people start to join but later their interests die out,” said Mr. Corcoran. “Therefore, Mr. Keith and I approved clubs that provide services for SIS and the community.”

The club renewal presentations required club leaders to reflect on their progress throughout this school year, highlighting their accomplishments and areas for improvement.

“The process was time con-

suming,” said Eunice Kim (11), North Korean Human Rights (NKHR) president. “But I think it was good to have those evaluations because they prevent us from being lazy with our clubs and also help us plan for next year.”

Executive members of the HSSC oversaw the presentations as well, as representatives of the student body. Members filled out charts with notes and suggestions for each club as they presented.

“I wanted student voice in the process and I don’t think adults should dictate without the feedback of students. HSSC is a perfect stu-

dent body representation,” said Mr. Keith. “I hope this process continues. It is a valuable learning experience and [I] hope to get good feedback from HSSC students and make [the evaluation process] better.”

HSSC members also felt honored to be part of the new club renewal process.

“This is the first year for HSSC to evaluate clubs,” said Jeffrey Chun (10), sophomore class president.

“This is a privileged position to be in so honor follows responsibility. If I misevaluate, then that might have a huge impact in certain clubs so that puts pressure on me.”

cial aspect that gives light to journalists,” said Jaimi Kim (12), vice president of Q&S. “There is English Week, Math Week, World Languages Week and Spirit Week, so why not put aside a week for journalism?”

Since each publication has its own focus, events varied from one publication to another. For instance, members of Kaleidoscope, the literary magazine, and Seoulite, Seoul Model United Nations Press, gave presentations on how the magazine and newspaper are published. The Scientia staff displayed science experiments and past issues of the science magazine.

“We are also planning to have interactive activities such as mythbuster demonstrations,” said Stacy Yun (12), editor-in-chief of Scientia.

“We want to show that we have been trying to apply our knowledge inside the classroom to real situations.”

The Tiger Times organized an informational session showcasing

its print and online newspaper, including individual presentations for different aspects of the publication: article writing, photography and layout design. Tiger’s Eye held a bake sale in which the goods had short messages or quotes relating to journalism or hints to the yearbook’s theme for this year.

Journalism Week’s goal was to shed light on the major publications at SIS and bring greater awareness about journalism to the student body. Students not only learned about various aspects of school publications, but they also had plenty of opportunities to ask questions and quench their curiosity about the process of publishing the final products.

“I think [Journalism Week] will give us a better idea and view of important publications in our school, which some students still do not know much about,” said Bona Koo (9).

Minji Suh (9) listens to the Tiger Times presentation.

SIS publications localize Journalism Week

By Kristine Oak

To celebrate the freedom of the press guaranteed by the First Amendment of the United States Constitution, high schools in America dedicate one week to journalism every year. In the same spirit, SIS publications organized their own Journalism Week for the first time in the school’s history from Feb. 21-25.

Journalism Week was held on the same week it is traditionally held in high schools in the US. During the five days, members of SIS publications and the SIS chapter of Quill & Scroll (Q&S), the international honor society for student journalists, put together sessions and presentations during lunch and after school to showcase the main publications in SIS: Tiger Times, Tiger’s Eye, Kaleidoscope, Scientia, Harbinger and Seoulite.

“Freedom of [the] press is a cru-

Photo by Linda Heeyoung Park

Despite Korea’s expanding economy, water deficit—lack of clean water—remains a serious problem. In fact, the country ranks ninth in the severity of freshwater pollution, according to the World Development Indicators. Thus, the Global Issues Network (GIN) club localizes and raises awareness on 20 global issues, including water deficit.

In the beginning of the year, four core members—Yeeun Chun (11), Gene Park (10), Ryan Oh (9) and Christine Lee (9)—began a project on the issue of water deficit.

They gave a presentation in Japan to GIN members from other international schools. As a follow-up, GIN decided to continue to work on the same issue in the SIS community.

“Some issues aren’t applicable to our local community,” said Yeeun.

“For issues that are applicable such as access to water, we try to raise awareness and show that we can do something about them. We also chose the water issue because Korea has one of the most polluted water supplies in the world.”

To update students on the water crisis, the 17 GIN members divided into groups to organize various relevant projects including selling tumblers at the school store, inviting a keynote speaker and teaching underclassmen about water deficit.

“Our group is trying to integrate programs into the middle school enrichment curriculum,” said Sohyun Kang (11). “The programs aren’t entirely educational; they should also be interesting. Incorporating lesson plans found on the internet is one idea.”

The club is also working in a collaborative effort with the Habitat for Humanity (HFH) club in assisting the Hwahyeh Maeul have access to clean water. The only water source to the 360 people living in the slum village, located a five-minute walking distance from SIS, is that of a polluted stream with the highest toxic level.

“We have issues right here in our backyard,” said Donna Spisso, GIN and HFH advisor. “There has to be goals, a plan and a budget. We have to take action and GIN and Habitat are taking steps.”

Before taking any steps, however, GIN believes that it first needs to raise awareness of the issue in order to attempt to find appropriate solutions.

“When I didn’t know anything about water deficits, I used water bottles all the time,” said Gene. “But after the presentation in Japan, I try to get water from water tanks. I hope that the water projects we initiate at SIS bring about the same effects.”

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Homestaying helps foster global citizens

helps the host students grow leadership. The guests are, after all, relying on the hosts to experience a new Whether they are lazy, reluctant culture and stay at a safe and secure to let strangers into their homes or environment. By homestaying, the simply unfamiliar with hosting, host hosts also reflect on their own culture students often feel initially uncom- as they introduce it to their guests. fortable about homestaying. This Host students also get a rare opattitude changes, however, as stu- portunity to learn about other culdents realize and enjoy the numer- tures. They learn more about other ous benefits home staying offers. cultures and also look at their own Despite the fact that students culture from a different perspective. only have three occasions per year to This, in turn, helps them to underhomestay, according to Bryan Keith, stand the foreigners’ perspective activities better and and athletWithout a doubt, homestay- respect the ics director, differences ing fosters global citizens. the learning in cultures. experience is When tremendous and unique compared Yokohama International School to the usual classroom curricu- (YIS) students travelled to Korea in lum. Through the system, students January for a basketball tournament, become global citizens and thus they homestayed at SISers’ homes, fulfill a SIS learning expectation. while their parents stayed at a hoIn contrast to the diverse global tel. This was purposely done for the society, SIS is not a melting pot be- YIS students to experience the locause an overwhelming majority cal culture and complementally alof the school population is ethni- lowed SISers to interact with foreign cally Korean. Its population is also students and develop friendship. small enough for most students Without a doubt, homestayto know each other. Homestay- ing fosters global citizens as host ing offers an opportunity to inter- students value rules that concern act with and befriend those who not only themselves but also othgrew up in different backgrounds. ers, show responsibility for homeTaking the initiative to homestay staying and respect the diversity.

By Angela Cho

february 2011

Editorial Administration needs to make first step to resolve club chaos The 2010-2011 school year should be deemed the year of “club chaos.” The school year commenced with confusion about the club renewal process, which made headlines in the Tiger Times’s October issue in 2010. This month, students continued to express their frustration with the administration’s lack of effort to communicate with students about the new club renewal process.

The new club renewal process required club executive officers to present their clubs’ accomplishments and goals for next year to Bryan Keith, the activities and athletics director, as well as the High School Student Council (HSSC) who evaluated the clubs. What upset students though was not the opportunity to create a PowerPoint and share their passion for their clubs, but the administration’s lack of effort to inform students about the reasoning behind the changes to the original club renewal process.

As stated in the October issue’s editorial, the administration needs to first engage in a dialogue with students about each part of the club renewal process.

However, a dialogue is not a

one-way conversation. One daily bulletin announcement about the new club renewal process does not suffice as an effort on the administration’s part to communicate with the student body. While many students are at fault for not reading the daily bulletin every day, the fact still remains that the administration did not inform students why these changes were taking place or ask for the students’ opinion on how to improve the club renewal process any time this school year.

Changes to the original club renewal process are insignificant if students find the modifications to the process unwarranted. Since the administration has not discussed the process with students earlier, students did not know why Model United Nations (MUN) and HSSC were exempt from giving presentations, why HSSC members were evaluating students and why Mr. Keith was the only member of the administration present during the proposals.

Without this information, club leaders, including HSSC members, are led to believe that the administration are allowing the fate of current clubs to be held

in the hands of HSSC members and the administration does not care enough to listen to club proposals, although the administration has told the Tiger Times that they have the students’ interests at heart and therefore involved the HSSC in the evaluation process.

With so many club leaders and conflicting meeting dates in the school, it is difficult to set up a meeting date for the club leaders and administration to discuss the issues with the club renewal process. Nonetheless, the confusion with this entire process is not going to wait to be resolved at the next open assembly.

There needs to be a separate meeting with club advisors, the administration and student club leaders to discuss, not only inform students of the modifications in the club renewal process and the administration’s plan to improve it.

It is time for the administration to present its accomplishments and future goals to students.

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

Expanding counselors’ roles in school is a step forward

By Stella Kim

In the past, most students who had academic, emotional or social problems had to approach the counseling department for help. This year, high school counselors are trying a new method by approaching students first. The program’s success must be evaluated in the years to come, but in its beginning year, the outlook is bright; by approaching students first rather than waiting for them to walk in to the office, the counseling department is setting an important precedent.

Since the first semester, the department has been meeting with students individually for brief conferences. These individual meetings began with the freshmen at the end of first quarter. Currently, counselors are almost through with the sophomores. With freshmen, counselors mainly talked about adjusting to high school academically and socially. Conferences were more future-oriented for sophomores, who discussed their hopes and plans for college and beyond.

The program does have some minor flaws. Meetings sometimes do not last for much longer than five minutes—these students are those Editors-in-Chief Yuri Han Chris Kim Managing Editor Peter Moon Production Editor Kristine Oak Graphics Editor Stephanie Song

Photo by Stephanie Song

During a meeting, Jacob Cha (10) answers background questions for Mercy Jesudass, high school counselor. This individual conference is just one out of many that have been conducted as part of a new program implemented this year. who simply answer “no” to whether or not they have problems in school.

Sometimes they consist of five minutes of conferencing and ten minutes of miscellaneous chitchat. Students were sometimes uncomfortable with talking honestly with counselors whom they were not wellacquainted with yet. And other students take advantage of the meetings as yet another way to get out of class.

Regardless of how seriously students are taking the department’s actions so far, the effort itself is commendable. The department in the past presented itself as a resource that waited idly for students to seek help, but for the first time, it has become an entity that appears to actively help them. Although SISers with academic problems utilize counseling resources, most emo-

Copy Editors Angela Cho Eunice Lee Stella Kim

Photographers Joshua Kim Linda Heeyoung Park Jessica Song

Reporters Lydia Kim Michelle Kim Elizabeth Song

Marketing Director Jasmine Park

Layout Artists Jason Huh Elizabeth Kim Lucia Minah Yang Jonathan Yun

Advisor Ms. Carolyn Brown

Cartoonist Daniel Lee

tionally or socially troubled teenagers do not take the initiative to ask an adult for help. These teenagers choose indirect signals over the verbal, hoping an adult will notice their actions and approach them first.

The best thing about the individual conferences, however, is that it has potential to revive the counseling department’s presence in the school. Once students get the “taste”

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

of counseling, they may in the future consider school counseling as a viable option for tackling not only academic but also social and emotional problems. Unlike teachers or friends, high school counselors are qualified to help with students’ problems, and this will become clearer to the students who are fortunate enough to have two or more years of 1:1 counseling ahead of them.

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.

February 2011

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Students should exhibit self-control in displaying affection

By Jason Huh

Couples often want to show that they are in love at school but those actions are better fit in either Apkujung or Gangnam because there are fewer underclassmen who look up to the upperclassmen as role models in those places. Also, by engaging in public display of affection (PDA) at school, they put future ones at risk because there is a rule in the student handbook that forbids all type of PDA. However, not all hope is lost.

Although the school outlaws all PDA, the school administration understands the students and Peter Corcoran, high school principal, defines PDA as “over-the-top displays of affection that make other people feel uncomfortable” and actions that adhere to the “commonly held expectations about what is appropriate and inappropriate.”

For example, holding hands, hugging and kissing are okay but engaging in extended period of hugging and smothering are not. The couples themselves can distinguish between the two. So, saying goodbye

and kissing for a brief second is perfectly fine.

The problem is that SIS is not just a high school; it is a combination of all grades. The school is shared with the middle school students and when couples go over to the middle school side to hide from the high

school students, they expose the middle school students to behaviors that are above their age. This, in turn, could provoke complaints from the middle school parents and could even force the administration to tighten its existing policy. Thus, staying at the high school side and

toning down would be the best option not only for everyone but also for the future.

High school students, especially the friends of couples, have a big role in trying to help the couples from overexerting themselves. For the benefit of the future couples,

students need to be more assertive when they see couples engaging in excessive PDA. When a couple has been kissing for five minutes, politely remind them that it has been five minutes and do not be hesitant because everyone is in this together.

If there is a couple that is engaging in over-the-top PDA in the middle school area, gently remind them to tone it down and go back to the high school side because middle school teachers and counselors do not welcome them there. But when there is a couple engaging in PDA, do not just ignore them and walk past them without telling them anything because an increase in the number of couples not toeing the line and an increase in the number of complaints filed signals the time for the administration to enforce the rule.

Be rest assured, loving and wanting to hang out is a natural process of growing up. However, share that love with control at school so as not to make others uncomfortable. and. There are students here who are studying and they do not want to be disturbed.

Repeated SAT taking does not ensure college admittance Last January, hagwon instructors Kim and Jang made headline news for stealing SAT sheets and sending answers to students in the US. Korea’s record of numerous SAT scandals shows that achieving outstanding SAT marks tops most students’ priority lists. Perhaps this mentality explains the growing trend of taking the SAT more times than is necessary simply to obtain everhigher scores. This practice, however, is a waste of time and money.

It is unwarranted for students to take the test over again without good reason. For example, some who do not feel confident about a certain subject take the test even when they know they will rescind their scores before receiving them.

Instead of wasting $21 every time they take the SAT Subject Test, they should take their time to more fully prepare themselves. According to

Fredric Schneider, director of pupil personnel services, students should finish the highest level of a class— Advanced Placement (AP)—before taking the SAT Subject Test for it.

This way, students will be much more knowledgeable and prepared.

Other students take the test several more times just to replace their already impressive 780s with even more exceptional 800s—but is a 20point difference truly significant?

Perhaps so, at the lower extreme of the scoring spectrum, but at the other extreme, which is where Korean students usually place, it is not.

Colleges are more concerned about the percentile, not the actual score.

Thus, with most tests, a 760 and an 800 for reading and writing are weighed the same because they both fall under 99 percent. Besides, some colleges may wonder if students who retake the test despite attaining a serviceable result the first time have anything better to do.

Teachers have reiterated that

SAT scores are not the sole indicators of academic success, yet students continue to place too much emphasis on these tests. Instructors should hammer into students’ brains that records of academic achievement and the challenges one has accepted in his high school career are more important. For instance, students taking many AP courses while maintaining admirable grades demonstrate to universities that they have taken many challenges. US colleges also examine teacher recommendations, college essays, class rankings and extracurricular activities.

So before students regret being confined in institutes learning grammatical rules and analyzing excerpts, they should realize that they can put their time to better use by trying to raise their school grades. Efforts such as this can make the difference between admittance to a community college and an Ivy League, not scores that are 20 points better than the previous best.

What’s the difference?

By Elizabeth Song

Graphic by Elizabeth Song

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FEBrUARY 2011

NEWS BRIEFS Six representatives to partake in SEAMC in late February PETA holds raffle to raise money for students’ school supplies Members of the Primary English Teachers’ Association (PETA) are preparing to hold a raffle in March, of which its profits will be used to purchase books and supplies for the students they teach at the Bokjeong Community Center every Friday. The winner will receive a 32G iPod Touch.

The club is also raising funds through bake sales, and hopes that they will be more successful than the Raindrop Sale it hosted last fall, in which members sold gummy bears and raindrop cards on which students wrote to flood victims in China and Pakistan.

Photo by Jessica Song

Jenny Han (12), PETA president, informs her club members about the upcoming bake sale.

Female students vaccinated against cervical cancer To avoid the risk of cervical cancer, more than twenty female students and mothers have received vaccinations for the disease. One must receive three shots over six months before the vaccination is complete; doctors also advise that the shots are taken before the first time a woman has sexual intercourse.

While the vaccine prevents cervical cancer for at least four years, students suffered from its side effects.

“The needle is tiny, but it hurts a lot the day after you get the shot,” said Minji Kim (11).

“It hurt so much I couldn’t move my arm the next day. My arm has been swollen for a long time.”

Band directors holds first-ever auditions for high school band Although students were never required to formally audition for the high school band, Dan Riley, band director, held auditions for prospective flutists, clarinetists, saxophonists and percussionists Feb. 14-18.

“I have over 60 band students,” he said. “I’m holding auditions to cut down the size to about 40 students. I want students that play decently, who really want to play [instruments as part of the band]. I also need a better balance between the woodwind, brass and percussion instrumentalists.”

By Elizabeth Song

While some students prefer literature because they like to analyze and infer, Yuree Kim (8) enjoys math because it provides definite answers, which helps her feel in control.

Luckily for Yuree, she will be able to indulge in this subject for two days straight in the South East Asia Math Competition (SEAMC) from Feb. 24-27 in Brunei.

SEAMC is a competition for students aged 14-15 from schools in South East Asian nations including South Korea, Malaysia, Japan, Thailand and China to compete in individual and team rounds of mathematical challenges. Chosen for scoring the highest in a series of math tests, the participants this year are Min Ji Suh (9), Edward Ahn (9), Jenny Lee (8), Yuree, Daniel Choi (7) and Ji Whan Moon (6).

“I feel thankful to another friend,” said Jenny. “He was one of the volunteers and I don’t know if I am talented [enough] to take up a spot he could have won. However, I really am grateful that he took it in a cool [way]. My parents were thrilled to find out that I had been chosen and have asked me to buy presents.”

Since SEAMC is the first international competition for a majority

Korean Mathematics Competition-1st place

of the participants, they expect it to offer new social opportunities.

“SEAMC is different because it is my first MATh [Mu Alpha Theta] international competition,” said Min Ji. “It’s my first chance to go abroad and come into contact with other people from Asia and understand their levels of math and combine

their skills with ours in order to cooperate and compare our different skills.”

Parts of the trip the students anticipate are making new friends, experiencing a new culture and solving math problems all day. “[SEAMC] is special because it will allow me to learn more about

another country’s culture in a fun way, and I can enjoy making new friends around Asia,” said Ji Whan.

“Even if we do not [win], having a good time and learning lots of cooperative skills [will be] the most significant.”

However, with the advantages come the disadvantages. Along with a five-hour flight back and forth and two days of rigorous work, Min Ji feels burdened because of the leadership she will have to display in Brunei.

“Both Edward and I are captains of the [subsection] MATh Theta so we have great responsibility in taking all of the middle school students abroad,” said Min Ji. “I’m hoping to help them listen to what we have to say [during the competition].”

Just like the students hope to collect meaningful memories from the trip, Michael Castellani, math teacher and SEAMC advisor, would like them to gain not only mathematical skills but also social experiences.

“I hope they get a deeper math understanding and see a different side of math—a fun side,” said Mr. Castellani. “I hope they can make friends from other countries and experience different types of competitions.”

MS and HS students show interest in Google Science Fair

By Lydia Kim

A chance to win a $50,000 scholarship and a trip to the Galapagos Islands with National Geographic Expeditions is not too far away for students who enter the 2011 Google Global Science Fair. Entries for the competition began Jan. 11 and will continue until April 4. Students of ages 13-18 are eligible to participate in the competition, and both middle and high school SISers have shown interest.

Students may participate in the event either individually or as a team. There are currently 17 eighth grade students who have shown interest. Allan Algar, grade eight science teacher, holds meetings every week to guide students through the experimental design process.

“My partner and I want to see which areas of Seoul receive the most acidic rain,” said Paige Shin (8D). “That means we will be spending a lot of time outside. It may take

up a lot of time, but that doesn’t matter because we’re doing something that’s fun, and we’re learning at the same time too.”

In addition to providing a learning experience, the competition offers a variety of prizes including scholarships from Google Inc., internship opportunities with European Council for Nuclear Research (CERN), Google Inc., Lego or Scientific American magazine and the newest gadgets such as the Android phone or the Google Chrome Notebook. Phillip Lee (10) said the prizes motivated him to participate in the competition.

“One of the prizes is a Cr-48 Chrome OS netbook which they are currently testing in only the US,” said Phillip. “To restate that, you would be one of the only people in Korea besides from people who work at Google Korea to own a Cr48. Also, going to CERN and seeing the [Large Hadron Collider], which is one of the greatest technological

research tools in existence, would be a great experience.”

While most SISers plan to participate in the competition in teams, Phillip enters alone. He began his research process ahead of time by asking questions on his Tumblr for people all over the world to answer.

“I find that behavioral science is one of the less popular subjects when it comes to science fairs, often falling behind chemistry or biology based experiments,” said Phillip.

“My project will probably be on either the effects of anonymousness on how people act online or how people perceive cultural aspects which have been labeled as bad.”

Jimmy Park (11), James Ham (11) and Eric Ahn (11) also plan to compete in the science fair.

“During class, [Jim Horn, science teacher] asked if anyone was interested in the Google Science Fair,” said Jimmy. “James decided to participate in it, and he asked me and Eric to join him in the project. We’re

not certain, but we’re thinking about presenting ways of using electricity or energy efficiently at schools.”

Mr. Horn offered advice to those participating in the competition.

“This is real science,” said Mr. Horn. “Come up with a real problem you want to solve and the procedures to solve that problem. That’s how real science works. That problem is something you should be interested in. When students come up with an idea on their own, they feel more ownership.”

Phillip agreed that the learning experience of the science fair comes first, even though prizes may serve as incentives for participating.

“You get to not only compete, but view the work of people your age around the world,” said Phillip. “The cultural differences account to different experiments and viewpoints, which should be interesting to see.

There’s nothing to lose from simply competing but so much to potentially gain.”

꽃 피 네

Beautiful flowers on sale!

For friends and family Seoul International School

Photo by Jessica Song

Chungho Suh (10) plays the xylophone at his band audition.

By Eunice Lee

Bokjeong Station Exit 2

명인만두

꽃피네

PH: 019 356 3537

FEBrUARY 2011

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Expanding choir program helps students build musical passion

By Elizabeth Kim

After singing “Send In the Clouds”, the Ambassadors received loud applause for a successful Valentine’s Concert. Dennis Darling, choral instructor, aims to broaden the school’s choral program through a men’s choir. He hopes that more students will join next year’s choir programs by signing up for auditions that will take place during the week of Feb. 14. He strongly encourages students to participate in the program and believes that it will connect them with international students in college who have also participated in choral events.

Currently, Dr. Darling is looking for more freshmen and male singers to become a part of the program next school year. “[Fredric Schneider, director of pupil personnel services] asked me to talk to the ninth graders about choir,” said Dr. Darling. “I probably have about 40 to 50 names [of freshman who are interested]. I think that SIS needs a men’s group too. It needs to be less informal and put into place [in the schedule].”

Also, Dr. Darling recruited three

Photo by Jessica Song

Singing “Send In the Clouds,” the Ambassadors follow Dennis Darling’s conducting during the Valentine’s Concert on Feb. 16 in the atrium after the Concert Choir performed. seniors, Andrew Song, Theodore Kim and Peter Moon, after the early graduation of Martin Park (12), a former Ambassador. Mr. Schneider

helped them adjust their schedules.

“Normally we don’t change schedules,” said Mr. Schneider.

“That’s also hard to do. It was a mir-

KAIAC serves as Dance Club’s outside debut

By Michelle Kim

Bridget Kang (12) and Ilsoo Yang (12), co-presidents of the Dance Club, love to dance and are participating in this year’s KoreanAmerican Interscholastic Activities Conference (KAIAC) dance competition with the rest of the club to demonstrate their passion for the sport. The competition will take place in mid-April at Gyeonggi Suwon International School (GSIS).

The Dance Club received notice of the competition, a new event, through a number of sources.

“Just like KAIAC soccer, basketball or other sports, KAIAC dance is just another event within KAIAC that is being held by GSIS for the first time this year,” said Ilsoo.

“We learned about the competition through Mr. Rider, our supervisor.”

In preparation for KAIAC, the Dance Club has been practicing every week after school on Tuesdays and during activity period on Wednesdays in the fitness room.

The practices are devoted to creat-

Clothes Drive

Photo by Joshua Kim

Bridget Cho (12) leads the Dance Club during practice.

ing new routines, fixing errors and working on making the final performance a success.

“After our performance at Tiger Idol, we talked about what to change so our performances improve,” said Nari Rhee (11), Dance Club mem-

NOW!

ber. “We realized that too many people had been on stage at once, so for our next performance, we are splitting into separate groups. Our practices are to help everyone get used to the changes.”

For its performance, the Dance Club will be incorporating multiple dance styles in its routines, in which dancers will dance to various wellknown American pop songs.

“We plan to focus on hip-hop and on a bit of breakdance,” said Ilsoo. “We like to dance to famous pop songs such as “Poker Face” by Lady Gaga and to other upbeat songs with good flow and rhythms.”

At times, the practices may be rigorous and the routines complicated, but for the Dance Club members, the prospect of doing what they love makes the weekly rehearsals worth the effort.

“I’ve danced for a long time and I really like to dance,” said Aileen Park (9), Dance Club member. “I learned ballet, jazz and many others.

During practice, some routines are really fast, but that’s part of the fun.”

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acle that it could work. First semester, they needed Study Hall. Dr. Darling recruited them later. Dr. Darling was very positive too. They like the

course now.”

In particular, Dr. Darling helps students improve and learn more about music by creating an enjoyable class atmosphere.

“I found the class to be much more difficult than I first expected,” said Theodore. “As a complete musical ignoramus, I had a hard time keeping up with everyone else and I sometimes felt bad for bothering those who could sing well. But it got better later on and knowing most of the people in the class helped me settle in faster as well.”

Dr. Darling expects that students’ time in choir will become a valuable part of their future. He considers their experience to be beneficial to students’ college social lives.

“I think that the most important element in any program is not size but quality,” said Dr. Darling. “So, the most important element of the choir program is to continue providing students with a quality musical experience—provide students with engaging rehearsals every day and make sure to connect each rehearsal with daily life, and with the next educational journey—college and university life.”

Zeitgeist Seoul prepares campaign against smoking Smokers in South Korea would spend about 36.5 million won if they smoked a pack of cigarettes every day for 40 years, according to The Korea Herald. Moreover, hospitals spend 2.7 trillion won yearly treating smoking-related illnesses, according to The National Health Insurance Corporation’s estimates.

In a bid to reduce the city’s smoking rates and second-hand smoking health risks, the Seoul Metropolitan Government plans to tighten regulations on public smoking.

Last year, parliament required regional governments to make laws on public smoking stricter.

Starting next month, the Seoul city government will ban smoking in Seoul, Gwanghwamun and Cheonggye Plazas. After a three-month grace period, violators will be fined 100,000 won.

“Banning smoking in Seoul and Gwanghwamun Plazas seems [over-the-top] because they’re big areas and get a lot of visitors, but I’m more for this change than I am against it,” said Suhyun Kim (11).

“I’m against second-hand smoking and if this is the only way for me to avoid inhaling smoke unintentionally, then I support it.”

The city government will also designate 23 parks and 295 central bus stops as non-smoking areas by the end of the year. The city has chosen to expand non-smoking areas based on a Ministry of Health and Welfare survey which found that adults preferred this measure over others, for instance, raising cigarette prices and holding public

campaigns.

Although adult smoking rates have decreased in recent years, smoking continues to be a problem in Korea. According to the Ministry of Health and Welfare, 39.6 percent of Korean adults were smokers in 2010—12.3 percent higher than the 2008 average of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) members. Studies from the Seoul National University show that the number of teen smokers is on the rise—almost half of Korean teenagers have tried smoking and over half of teenagers who smoke regularly smoke every day.

“The law in Korea that bans minors from smoking is a positive move, but adult smoking is still socially acceptable and that sends the wrong message,” said Peter Corcoran, high school principal. “The medical, social and family costs are so great, so there has to be sanctions on adult smoking.”

Smoking is permitted in most public places such as streets, restaurants, and internet cafes. By contrast, California has had a statewide smoking ban for over 15 years and in England smoking is prohibited in any kind of public area.

“Korea is one of the few countries in the world where you see so many people smoking, especially men,” said Mr. Corcoran. “[Smoking bans] in North America have helped people decide whether they should quit or not—it’s easier for smokers to quit when they know they can’t smoke in public places.”

By Stella Kim

[No] Time to sleep

P.

Graphics by Jason Huh

7:0

Sleep: not a priority

0-1

Sleeping is not an option.

However, teenagers around the world are forced to commit to all-nighters, which lead to serious repercussions. Students in Korea have been victimized by the fast paced culture that demands endless effort to sacrifice sleep in favor of ambitions to succeed academically and socially.

One major reason most SIS students lack sleep is because of the inefficient block schedule. Although teachers are guaranteed 45 teaching days per semester, most end up getting about 30 because classes are set aside for non-instructional activities such as tests a n d project work days.

This type of schedule not only encourages cramming of material but disallows any sort of flexibility regarding class plans.

“When you look at [how teachers plan the unit] and zoom out, it makes sense, but when you zoom in, you start really analyzing,” said Gray Macklin, counselor. “You do the math, and you can see why everybody is so tired, because all teachers have essentially 30-days to get all their tests, assignments, and everything due. And because those units are approximately the same length, everything seems to be falling in at the same time”.

Students’ high academic expectations and the general competitiveness of Korean education also force many to sacrifice healthy lifestyles with adequate sleep in favor of study hours late into the night.

“Even when it’s late into the night, I want to visit my Facebook page,” said Shawn Kim (9). “I procrastinate to the point where I feel no pressure even when I’m working at 3 a.m.”

Technology is a third factor that keeps students from sleeping. Social networking sites like Facebook and chatting venues such as MSN serve as distractions for students finishing their homework, especially in a school where most students have access to these kinds of distractions.

“I felt that it was useless to spend my time on Facebook, because it was unproductive,” said Suhyun. “To a certain e x te nt , it’s okay because you can connect with people, but it becomes a problem when it takes away your sleep time.”

Teachers, who are not as exposed to new technology as the current generation, are more able to handle the difficulties brought on by technological distractions and a rigid schedule. Most of them enjoy some degree of flexibility in deadlines for things such as grades, and are less involved in distractions on the internet.

“When the teachers sit down to grade, they’re not sitting there listening to their iPods and chatting on Facebook,” said Mr. Macklin. “Their papers are all they’re looking at. When students are doing our assignments, they’re doing at least one other thing.

While the explanations to why students are deprived of sleep are clear, what goes on inside one’s head while sleeping remains nebulous.

0:0

0 p .m.

Photo by Linda Heeyoung Park

Exhausted from school, Minho Song (10), takes a three hour nap before tackling his homework.

10:00-12:00 p.m.

A. t M. h

g i n

Photo by Linda Heeyoung Park

Taking a break from the work, Jason Park (10) sleeps with his face down.

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Photo by Linda Heeyoung Park

After finishing his US Literature homework, Jae Min Baek (10) takes a short nap in the morning before first period.

P.M.

Sleeping Science

0 0 : -9

Contrary to common beliefs, the brain is busiest during one’s sleep. A multitude of problems follow as a result of sleep deprivation for teenagers. According to Benjamin Paulson, biology teacher, sleeping is especially important to teenagers because of various hormones that are released overnight.

“Growth hormone, which is the major molecular control of your growth is primarily released while you’re sleeping,” said Mr. Paulson. “Melatonin is also another major kind of hormone associated with the sleep cycle.”

Rapid Eye Movement (REM), the most important part of sleep, is also not achieved because teenagers are not asleep long enough for their REM schedules to be activated.

“REM is the most important part of sleep, and you spend about the quarter of the night during your sleep cycle,” said Damon Six, psychology teacher. “It starts out small and gets longer as the night progresses, and your brain is working faster and more furiously than when you are awake. It’s replenishing all the chemicals and all the energy you used up throughout the day. Your body is paralyzed during REM, which allows all these stuff to happen which you couldn’t really take if you were awake. REM seems to be the time when we make good memories, and it’s when you dream.”

Students face a never-ending battle against sleep deprivation because the enormous amount of work to be completed never end. According to Mr. Six, sleep debt can be made up with a completely new schedule. However, lost REM cycles cannot be made up even when one is sleeping more on weekends.

“I feel myself getting more tired as the week progresses,” Jaimi Kim (12). “My work gets set back when I take breaks and naps throughout the day, so by Friday I’m sleeping really late compared to Monday.”

Despite the load of work, school serves as a haven for students who are stressed.

“Honestly, I think the time that students waste at school is well spent,” said Mr. Macklin. “You’ve got to have time to blow steam and chill for a little bit, and hanging at home, you don’t have all your friends, so this is your chance to be around your friends and relax and not be distracted from what your work is, so I think the social time, which is a critical time at school is well spent.”

Yet, what concerns students the most is their grades. Believe it or not, sleep deprivation is one of the main sources of academic struggles.

“When you deprive yourself of sleep, your mental performance rapidly suffers,” said Mr. Paulson. “I’ve read where somewhere that after one allnighter, your reaction time is on part with someone who has a blood alcohol concentration above the legal limit, meaning if you were driving a car, you’d be as bad a drunk driver. So, when you pull an all-nighter, not only is your ability to form new lasting memories impaired, but the quality of your performance the next day.”

Parents have always advised their children to sleep early.

As the old Irish proverb says , “A good laugh and a long sleep are the best cures in the doctor’s book.”

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By Jonathan Yun and Joshua Kim

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. m . p

0 0 : 7

Melatonin secretion begins....

9:00-12:00 p.m.

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Photo by Joshua Kim

Having acquired sleep debt over the week, Kevin Han (10) “makes up” his REM cycle before his first class.

Photo by Linda Heeyoung Park

After listening to his music, Winston Yoo (9), doses off on the second floor bench.

lifesTYLE 8

February 2011

By Linda Heeyoung Park

Wh

at

is the “Real World”

?

e k i L

Andrew Han, Class of ‘10, shares his experience in attending Swarthmore College.

Courtesy of John Hurt

Tony and Shanna Hurt pose for a picture with Taylor Swift after the concert held Feb. 11 at Jamsil Olympic Stadium.

Singer Taylor Swift holds “Speak Now” concert

By Eunice Lee

While history teachers Shanna and Tony Hurt cheered on American pop country singer-songwriter Taylor Swift at her concert with a poster that read “Taylor’s got Seoul,” the singer’s mother asked if they wanted to meet Swift backstage. After the concert, the Hurts found themselves with Swift, her crew and family at a party celebrating her first successful tour in Korea.

“I gave [Taylor Swift’s mother] a poster my work study made, and she invited us backstage,” said Mr. Hurt.

Swift’s concert, held Feb. 11 at the Olympic Gymnastics Stadium, was part of a world tour launched to publicize her most recent album “Speak Now.” Mr. Hurt bought tickets as a Valentine’s Day present for his wife.

“I don’t hate country music, but I’m not as big of a fan as my wife,” said Mr. Hurt. “My wife really loves both the genre and Taylor Swift. I don’t even know the names of the songs she sang, but the concert was good.”

The Hurts were joined by elementary teacher Lindsay Mountain,

high school principal Peter Corcoran’s daughter Jillian and elementary physical education teacher Jeff Hritzuk’s daughter Kayla, who also met Swift backstage.

“I had a poster that said ‘I want Taylor to meet Kayla,’ and my wish came true,” said Kayla. “[The tickets] were my Christmas presents, and Jillian’s birthday presents. I still have my wristband from the concert.

I even wear it in the shower.”

At the afterparty, Mr. Hurt, Mrs. Hurt, Kayla and Jillian were able to talk to Swift in person. Mr. Hurt also received an autographed poster and took pictures together with the singer.

“Taylor Swift said that Kayla and I were the cutest girls in the world, and she called us sweetiepies,” said Jillian. “She wrote back to us on Twitter, and she said that we could go backstage for free again at another concert.”

Other students such as Kevin Park (10) went to the concert as well, although they did not meet Swift in person. Swift finished her tour in Asia on Feb. 21 in Hong Kong, and will be touring in Europe until she returns to the United States in late May.

1) Why did you choose to go to a liberal arts college? Why did you choose Swarthmore College?

Anyone who plans to go to graduate school and pursue a career should consider applying to liberal arts colleges. The low faculty to student ratio in most liberal arts colleges makes individual attention to each student possible.

The same goes [for] me. I personally aim to attend medical school, and since outstanding GPAs and abundant experience in the medical field are things that probably all candidates applying to a school have, I felt that attending a small school and finding professors who truly understand who I am will help me achieve my goals.

Not only does Swarthmore have strong science departments, but it also provides many opportunities related to the sciences that most first-year students cannot experience.

Also, as a graduate from Seoul International School, I felt that attending a big school will be very overwhelming. Since it was my first time living outside of Korea by myself, I felt that a small, welcoming community will fit me and benefit me the most. I already have three different advisors—an academic advisor, a pre-medicine/career advisor and a student advisor who all help me in different ways.

2) What are the disadvantages of attending a liberal arts college?

Some disadvantages of liberal arts colleges are the lack of school spirit and the small community. In contrast to other big schools and universities, liberal arts colleges don’t seem to have as much school spirit when it comes

By Jasmine Park to sporting events. I guess this is inevitable because it is so small. I also realized that because it is so small, the area around the school is not as developed (although Swarthmore is very close to Philadelphia) and lacks a lot of exciting activities.

Also, the size of the school seems to correlate with the quality of facilities. For example, in comparing the lab facilities of universities and liberal arts schools, the university lab facilities tend to be bigger and have more equipment. However, students from liberal arts schools do have many opportunities to work in such facilities.

3) Any words of advice for SIS students?

It’s funny how I say this myself, because I was one of those students who wanted to attend Ivy League schools.

However, I really want to say that big name schools are definitely not “good” schools. By “good,” I mean schools that fit your personality, character and help extract every bit of talent in you. I am very happy to be at Swarthmore right now, despite the fact that it may not be as well-known as Harvard, UPenn, Yale or Dartmouth. I have found a school that is “good” for me as an individual because I am at a place where I can have fun and definitely receive an education that is worthwhile. The point I want SIS students to take home is that everyone should make an effort to find a school that will make them feel at most home, but at the same time challenge them to help further their education and career.

Courtesy of Andrew Han

Valentine sweets can offer health benefits in small amounts

By Lydia Kim

As much as receiving chocolate from loved ones on Valentine’s Day is exciting, girls want to avoid eating the sugary delicacies. However, according to the University of Copenhagen, dark chocolate can slow digestion, making the body feel full for a longer period of time, which can lead to weight loss.

According to The Diet Channel, chocolate is unhealthy only when extra sugar is added; the site recommends that people consume chocolate with a cacao content of at least 70 percent.

Stephanie Yi (10) tried the chocolate diet for two months and lost 8 kilograms, relying on one full meal and two 200-calorie chocolate

bars a day.

“I was shocked when I heard that [singer] Dambi Son succeeded the chocolate diet,” said Stephanie. “I tried it because I already loved eating chocolate, and I felt that chocolate would give me sugar and energy to last an entire day without eating a lot.”

Furthermore, flavonoids, an anti-oxidant that chocolate contains, can also clean blood, prevent skin cancer and improve memory.

Flavonoids are also found in green tea, grapes and berries.

“People might not want to eat the chocolate they receive from Valentine O’Grams,” said Stephanie.

“However, as long as you don’t eat all that chocolate at once, it won’t affect your weight. Chocolate is yummy and you may even experience the health benefits that it offers.”

Graphic by Lydia Kim

February 2011

Freshman overcomes deafness, hears world through left ear

By Isaac Kim

Having to sit on the left side of everyone is a difficult aspect of her lifestyle. However, Soo Kim (9) has learned to live with it, as she is halfdeaf.

Despite this, Soo does the same things as any average student. She likes to dance and draw, and is on the junior varsity cheerleading team.

Soo found out that she was halfdeaf in first grade after her annual physical checkup.

“I heard the first beep in my right ear,” said Soo. “I raised my right hand, but the second beep didn’t come until around 15 seconds later in my right ear. I began to worry and my leg started shaking because I couldn’t hear from my left ear.”

The school nurse looked worried and the test came to an end. She left the room to inform her parents about the situation.

When her parents found out about her disability, they were shocked.

“They were constantly getting on my back, telling me to be careful with my ear,” said Soo. “There was even a day when I was listening to

music and my mom pulled out my ear phones. I lashed out at her, but [when I] think about it now, I know that she did it because she loved me.”

In school, Soo has had trouble hearing teachers.

“It was reading class in fourth grade,” said Shawn Kim (9). “Soo and I had to share the book because I forgot to bring mine to school.

Our class was going around reading a paragraph each. It was Soo’s turn, but she wouldn’t read. Mr. Dufault called out her name 4 times but she still couldn’t hear him. I finally tapped her shoulder and she began reading.”

Her condition also affects her social life. When she is with her friends, she always tries to sit on the left side of them, so that she could hear what they are saying.

Soo’s partial deafness comes as a surprise to some as a result of her strong character.

“When I first heard about her disability, I was shocked,” said Milton Yoon (9). “Never had the thought of her being half-deaf ever crossed my mind because she was always so brave and enthusiastic.”

9

Lifestyle

DJ Lee’s Monthly Mix

February is the month of romance

Surely, through the countless number of popular bands, the music industry in Korea is overwhelmed by singers who tend to sing about three things: unrequited love, falling in love and falling out of love. When all the lyrics in the mainstream music talk about love, the topic may become understated. Even worse, vocalists’ passion and sincerity are usually lost in heavy beats and electronic sound engineering.

So where are we supposed to look to find genuine songs about romance? Well, there is nothing more romantic than the songs of some of the legendary jazz vocalists of the 1940s and 1950s: Julie London and Frank Sinatra.

No, the songs are not necessarily inspiring or lyrically original; however, the honesty and emotions are found the most in these vocalists, who easily make us believe in romance. Julie London: she never had the range of Ella Fitzgerald, but she took the maximum advantage of her smoky, soft and mesmerizing vocal style. This made her version of

“Cry Me a River” one of the most popular vocal songs in the 1950s.

On the other hand, Frank Sinatra displays a more confident, lighthearted and playful fashion; however his songs never lose the necessary gravity and seriousness we look for in love. In “Come Fly With Me,” “I’ve Got You Under My Skin” and “Something Stupid,” the sounds are fun and even jumpy; however, Sinatra’s words overpower the sound and create tender, romantic tunes.

I am leaving out other musical giants such as Nat King Cole, Louis Armstrong, Bessie Smith, Peggy Lee and Duke Ellington, who could deliver the same kind of feelings as London and Sinatra. Of course, one may empathize the most romantically with contemporary pop songs. But

the copy can almost never be better than the original; and the original romantic songs were sung by the jazz vocalists decades ago. These are the singers you want to listen to if you want to know how unrequited love, falling in love and falling out of love really sound like.

Students show interest in attaining dual citizenship

By Stephanie Song

Last year, the Korean government enacted a law allowing dual citizenship for foreign-born Korean citizens. Male students do not shy away from attaining dual citizenship because of the mandatory military service of 21 months; instead, they believe that the service is a small price to pay for the benefits of dual citizenship.

“Compulsory military service is like trading off two years for the rest of your life,” said Sean Kim (11).

According to dongA.com, in addition to compulsory military service for males, the law specifies certain conditions such as a written oath relinquishing all privileges as a foreigner. Prior to this law, foreignborn Koreans were forced to give up their foreign citizenship to preserve their Korean citizenship.

Although Sean’s parents decid-

ed that he will complete his mandatory military service and attain dual citizenship for him, he says that it will not hurt him to have dual citizenship and he expects to receive benefits from both the United States and Korea.

A benefit that students expect is being able to exercise their political rights in both countries.

“I think being a dual citizen would be beneficial because you would be able to vote for leaders in both countries,” said Grace Song (9).

“My parents are American citizens so when Lee Myung-bak ran for president they weren’t able to vote. I thought this was sad because my dad is interested in Korean politics but he wasn’t able to voice his opinions.”

Others support becoming dual citizens because of their future goals; attaining dual citizenship provides more future job opportunities and flexibility for students.

“Dual citizenship is a privilege that only certain people can get,” said David Lim (11). “I always wanted to work for the government and now I can probably work for both [the Korean and US] governments without any barriers. I probably would have chosen to be a US citizen if the immigration reform did not pass, but now I’ll be eligible to work for the Korean government. Military service is worth it for such a gift; at least for me.”

Some students have already acted on this policy.

“I chose to have dual citizenship because I feel like I belong to both groups [American and Korean],” said Stacy Yun (12), a citizen of the United States and Korea. “I feel that I can contribute to both groups as a Korean-American studying at an international school. I believe that I should transmit this diverse cultural experience to others as well.”

Say Ciao to Caffe Tiamo Waffle, Sandwich, Gelato, Espresso Caffe Tiamo Bokjeong Station Exit 2

Italian Gelato & Coffee

Seoul International School

sPORTS 10

FEBRUARY 2011

Debater competes on international level

By Peter Moon

In the midst of a stressful and hectic junior year, Yeeun Chun (11) manages her extracurricular commitment to debate and speech, and she is headed to New Zealand, Australia and Scotland to compete on an international level as a representative of Korea.

Following in the footsteps of Janice Yoon, Class of ’10, Yeeun went through a rigorous tryout process and became a member of Team Korea, which will compete in the World School’s Debate Competition (WSDC) in Scotland this August.

Before the official competition, the team is first headed to New Zealand in mid-February to participate in a practice tournament against eight to 10 other national teams.

“I first made the top 24, and then we had a video tryout that narrowed the pool to 12,” said Yeeun.

“The top 12 had weekly practices for five months and based on another video debate, the coaches got together and ranked the top five, which is the current team. For the past month, I’ve had to attend almost daily practices.”

Her involvement in forensics, however, extends beyond WSDC. At the Korean round of World Individual Qualifier (WIQ), an international competition that requires participants to give speeches, act and debate, Yeeun finished first overall and became one of the five representatives from Korea to earn a trip to Brisbane, Australia, for the WIQ international round in April.

“It was a really tiresome event, but the tournament showed my creative side,” said Yeeun. “My topic for impromptu speaking was ‘Maturity is a state of mind.’ I had no idea what to talk about and I only had a minute and a half to [prepare]. I talked about Kim Possible and about my grandmother being mentally young.

I had nothing better to say and it was a lot of embarrassing rambling.”

Contrary to Yeeun’s opinion, Sandra Goldsborough, parliamentary debate coach, who was a judge at the WIQ tournament, was impressed by her performances.

“I think about what’s different [about the speaker] when I watch someone who’s a gifted speaker,” said Ms. Goldsborough. “I can teach the science of speech but the art must be developed on your own. Some people just have that spark and [Yeeun] does. She was a good public speaker since her freshmen year. I’m excited to see Yeeun have these opportunities [to compete internationally].”

Despite her recent successes, Yeeun is worried about balancing her extracurricular commitments with schoolwork. She feels ambivalent about her international trips.

“I’m anticipating [the trips] but I have a lot of school to miss,” she said. “I have a trip almost every month [this semester] and there’s a lot of material I’m going to miss for Advanced Placement classes especially. I’m worried about the make-up work but again, how many chances do I have to compete on the international level? It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity and I just have to accept it.”

Correction: In issue 6 of Tiger Times, we reported that athletes have to participate in AISA, KAIAC and regular games. This is incorrect because athletes only participate in AISA and KAIAC games. We regret this error.

Wealth of practices benefits varsity soccer teams

By Angela Cho

Even before soccer season started, interest in the sport boomed as morning practices and indoor intramural play began early in the second semester.

To promote sports spirit, Erik Custer, PE teacher, introduced the SIS Intramural League (SISIL). Students were encouraged to form coeducational teams and compete with each other for a t-shirt and a chance to play against a team of teachers.

For varsity soccer members, the new league was also an opportunity to train for the season.

“It was especially a great opportunity because the teams were coeducational,” said Hannah Kim (12), varsity girls soccer player. “We became more familiar with the game procedures and also learned a lot from the way guys played.”

SISIL was not the only means to increase playing time. Starting early February, the varsity teams organized soccer boosters in the morning from 6:30-7:30 a.m. for prospective varsity soccer players. By playing indoor soccer, participants became more fit.

Photo by Joshua Kim

Concentrating on stopping Hiro Watanabe (11), Jacob Cha (10) chases him down the field.

The varsity boys are preparing for their first match against the TCIS Dragons on March 4.

“Before the practices started, I was really out of shape and I got chubby,” said Mark Lee (12), varsity boys soccer player. “But since the

morning practices I’ve been more in shape.”

In addition to getting in shape prior to the season, the athletes also

learned to manage their time.

“I used to procrastinate a lot with homework,” said Mark. “But now that I’m doing soccer, I’m man-

aging my time more efficiently since I know I can’t waste time. I’ve been getting better grades since the soccer season started.”

Unlike SISIL, which focuses on promoting interest in a particular sport, the boosters, which mainly focus on solidifying varsity soccer teams, helped build relationships between prospective team members.

“SISIL only lasts for 30 minutes every so often,” said Sue Yeom (11).

“But morning boosters were about building relationships and getting to know each other. You get to learn more about soccer and make friends.”

Meanwhile, there was concern regarding the need for additional practices.

“The practices did help but you’re not supposed to rely on them,” said Eugene Kim (10), varsity boys soccer player. “You’re supposed to play by yourself as well as watch the games.”

Thanks to the practices and the intramural play, nonetheless, the varsity soccer teams are set to begin the new season and are confident about their first games—at home on March 4 against Taejon Christian International School.

FEBRUARy 2011

11

sPORTS

Synchronized skater harbors Olympic aspirations ule.

By Helen Song

Think back to the Vancouver Olympics, in which Yu-Na Kim dazzled the world with her fancy footwork, flawless jumps and complex routine. Now imagine not one Yuna Kim, but sixteen, all trying to skate to the music on ice.

That’s how Sydney Ko (9), a member of Ariel, the Korean national junior synchronized skating team, describes her sport. It is a rigorous and relatively new sport that requires a team of skaters to perform a routine in which they create different formations and perform skills like turns or lifts.

Sydney has been a member of the team since seventh grade, which consists of sixteen girls below the age of 19. Since she joined, the team has won first place at the Asian Figure Skating Trophy held in Bangkok for junior synchronized skating, and has performed at dozens of exhibitions and rink openings.

“At the [Skating] Grand Prix 2008-2009 in Goyang, we even got to personally meet Yuna Kim,” said Sydney. “We performed a Korean traditional fan dance routine and she was really impressed with our performance.”

However, for these events, Sydney was forced to miss many days of school. This is not only because of the days of the actual events, but because of her intense training sched-

“There are midnight practices, which start at 11 p.m. and end at 2 a.m.,” said Yunhee Ko, Sydney’s mother. “Those are the hardest because I have to wake up, drive, sit at the cold rink and then drive back home again. By the end of it, we’re both so exhausted that getting up for school is impossible.”

Because of her schedule, Sydney has little time to finish her homework and make up for the work she misses during class. However, she is willing to sacrifice aspects of her social life to continue to stay on top of her schoolwork and skating.

“What always kept me motivated was when I would judge myself, and then I’d want to prove myself wrong,” said Sydney. “There were so many moments when I’d get so mad at myself and just wanted to just quit, like when I couldn’t land a jump or disappointed the team.”

Indeed, to get this far in her skating career, there were hardships that Sydney had to overcome.

When she first joined the team, she struggled to keep up with the more experienced skaters. Also, being unable to speak Korean, she struggled to communicate with her teammates and coach.

The coach of the team, Sooja Bang, also acknowledges Sydney’s hard work throughout the years and sees her as one of the most dedicated members on the team.

“I can always rely on Sydney to

Courtesy of Sydney Ko

Sydney Ko (9), far left, poses with the Korean national junior synchronized skating team in Taipei, Taiwan, before the synchronized ice skating competition held Feb. 17-20. show up to practices and help the new members,” said Ms. Bang. “She is one of the few who really care about the team and is really dedicated.”

As synchronized skating is not yet recognized as an Olympic sport,

Sydney’s team has the chance to introduce the world to the sport. It is planning to exhibit synchronized skating at the 2014 Olympics, and if all goes well, compete in 2018.

“I don’t know if it will happen, but it really gives her a goal to work

towards and a reason to get up at 5 a.m. for practices,” said Ms. Ko. “It’s inconvenient and it’s hard, but I think it’s amazing that she gets this opportunity and she really enjoys it, so I always encourage her to continue.”

Basketball season ends on high note after ups and downs

By Lydia Kim

“Miss! Miss! Miss!” The fate of the varsity basketball team’s final game against Seoul Foreign School (SFS) of the season depended on Seung Yun’s (10) two foul shots. Both go in, and the boys defeat SFS, 5856, for the first time in seven years.

Basketball season officially ended on Feb. 12 after the Korean-American Interscholastic Activities Conferences (KAIAC) tournament. All four teams experienced much more improvement from last year.

Though the season has ended, the junior varsity (JV) boys continues to bond. Captains Chris Lee (10) and Jay Koo (10) ordered “Bie-

ber” shirts for the team, which have prints of Mark Lee’s (9) and Justin Bieber’s faces.

“The team was just teasing me, saying that I liked Justin Bieber, and Chris and Jay thought it would be funny to make ‘Bieber’ t-shirts for the entire team to remember our season,” said Mark Kim (9). “Even though we were fooling around and having fun, it shows how close we got together as a team as the season progressed. We’re going to wear it as a team to the KAIAC sports awards ceremony.”

This season, the JV boys were dubbed “undefeatable” because of their successful performances against the teams that they tradi-

tionally lost to, such as SFS. They finished second overall.

The JV girls also experienced much more success compared to last year. Last year they did not win any games; this year they won five.

“Winning the very first game against GSIS [Gyeonggi-Suwon International School] that set us up on a different path from last year,” said Alexia Yang (10). “Once we knew the feeling of winning, we practiced really hard to keep winning.”

While the JV teams experienced a stable season of improvement, the varsity teams experienced a season of ups and downs. For example, three varsity boys were cut from the team by the end of the season.

“Sometimes we would win and sometimes we would lose,” said Seung Yun (10). “But the last game at KAIAC was especially difficult because we lost three of our big players. We had to change the usual lineup, which affected our teamwork.”

Shannon Hambleton, Varsity Girls Coach, also said her team had difficulties throughout the season. “[The season] was like a challenging roller coaster ride,” said Coach Hambleton. “It was the most challenging season for me because many students were overcommitted, which led to a lot of missed practices. [However], basketball requires daily practice for players to reach maximum potentials both as an in-

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dividual and team.”

Nonetheless, Coach Hambleton said that the season ended successfully and that she witnessed everything a coach can ask for in the final game against Korea International School (KIS)—her players performed their roles on the court, cheered for their teammates off the court and realized the importance of striving for full potential.

“There were 11 seconds left, and we were losing by two points,” she said. “Jasmine Park (11) gets the opportunity to make two foul shots.

Both go in, and we get into overtime and beat KIS by five points. It was the last game of the season, but our first victory against KIS.”

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Bokjeong station, Exit 2 Walk straight towards Seoul International School

Small Talk

12

february 2011

Photo of the Month

Photo by Jessica Song

Demonstrating one of the properties of gases to his class, Raymond Slapikas, chemistry teacher, uses vaccum cleaner filled with flour to create a fireball on Feb. 18.

Waffle, Sandwich, Gela

to, Espresso

Caffe Tiamo Bokjeong Station Exit 2

Seoul International School