Tiger Times Volume 34 Issue 8

Tiger Times seoul international school

volume xxxiv

m a r c h 2011

issue viii

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Faculty Friend Victory: Varsity boys soccer team starts season with a win.

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Math Week introduces fun side of mathematics to participants

By Lydia Kim

While selling cake in the cafeteria in celebration of Pi D a y , Gene Pa r k

solving lecture followed by a competition. On Tuesday, professors visited to present the practical applications of math. On Wednesday, students attended a lecture on how probability applies to games of chance. On Thursday, students competed in math jeopardy.

For the puzzlesolving lecture and competition, students were divided into two teams and given a handful of irregularly stacked blocks.

They had to organize the blocks into cubes as quickly as possible.

“I was so happy when our team found the matching piece,” said Ally

Photo by Linda Heeyoung Park

(10), Mu Alpha Theta (MAT) sophomore captain, attracted spectators as he solved a Rubik’s cube in less than five minutes. Math Week, held March 7-11, included various contests, lectures and games different from those of previous years that encouraged student participation.

On Monday, there was a puzzle-

Chung (10). “We struggled for about 10 minutes trying all sorts of arrangements. Our prize was pie, but I was glad I participated in the puzzle game because I got to know more people.”

The best-attended event from Math Week was the professors’ presentations. Professor Moonil Kim

from Korea University and Professor Dohyung Lee from Hanyang University visited to discuss the practical applications of mathematics, particularly in engineering.

“I found Professor Kim’s lecture interesting because I am taking physics and calculus this year,” said Kayoung Lee (11).

“He discussed voltages and Ohm’s Law, which we’re learning in physics class right now. I was able to see real life applications of the subjects I’m taking at school.”

Students were also

able to relate math with games that they enjoyed playing.

“Last time I played poker with my friends, I lost 20,000 won,” said Alexia Yang (10). “When Gene told me that there was going to be a lecture about poker, I decided to attend so that I can learn strategies to use the next time I play.”

Gene said that Math Week also provided the opportunity to experience the fun side of math outside of the classroom.

“Math Week is probably the only week when I can solve my Rubik’s cube in public without looking too nerdy,” said Gene.

“It’s like I’m doing an act for the students. I also want to show that math

i s n’ t only about solving equations. It can be more fun than that.”

Although Math Week impressed participants with fresh events, John Han (10), MAT member, said that there was still room for improvement.

“I think we should try doing a better job advertising and getting people more interested,” he said.

“Students should explore the realm of mathematics and try to see the side that doesn’t induce students to be discouraged in striving towards mathematical success both in and out of the classroom.”

RCY engages in local, global community service

By Michelle Kim

Today, life without luxury or freedom can be difficult to imagine, such as how orphans in Somang House and deported Filipinos live.

In order to help the orphans and Filipinos, the SIS chapter of the Red Cross Youth (RCY) bought and delivered stationery with money raised from fundraisers to Somang House on March 6 and organized a petition for Filipinos’ rights.

Somang House houses at least 20 mentally and physically disabled orphans. A number of the orphans have spent at least 18 years lying on the floor, as they cannot stand or sit.

Others do not have proper hands or feet.

Not having been notified of the situation at the orphanage, the RCY members were surprised when they

visited it for the first time.

“We all knew that Somang House was an orphanage, but we had never known how bad the situation was there,” said Sohyun Kang (11), RCY president. “After seeing the orphanage for real, I felt bad for the orphans because some of them were so disabled that they couldn’t move or understand that the stationery we gave them were presents.”

Somang House is devoid of government funding. After their visit, RCY members decided to regularly fund Somang House by helping the owner sell socks that she sold for income at the SIS Parents’ Association (SISPA) Bazaar. RCY will sell cell phone key chains and magnets as well.

“The caretaker told us that the orphanage did not get any funding, so she sold socks and other house-

hold materials in order to keep the orphanage running,” said Sohyun.

“We wanted to help her after hearing that we had been the first ones in years to offer volunteer service.”

RCY will also hold a campaign to raise awareness on the plight of deported Filipinos from March 28 to April 1 in collaboration with Amnesty International, a non-governmental organization that focuses on human rights issues. RCY members will set up booths in locations such as the cafeteria and the student lounge and ask students and the faculty to sign an Amnesty International petition for the protection of Filipinos’ rights. By the end of the week, RCY hopes to collect at least 100 signatures.

“Getting these signatures will get our club and school recognized

by Amnesty International,” said

Christine Jung (11), RCY treasurer.

“This is a great opportunity for our club to not only raise awareness on a global issue, but also learn to respect the luxury that we enjoy. We can [also] get recognized internationally for a good cause.”

RCY plans to continue to hold events in order to raise awareness about both global issues and the club itself. According to Eunice Lee (11), RCY president, the club may help out with Japan’s earthquake relief efforts before the school year ends.

“We hope that these events will make RCY more prominent within the school community,” said Eunice.

“This way, we can have more members interested in doing community service next year. As privileged members of society, everyone should do at least some form of community service and help those in need.”

Photo by Linda Heeyoung Park

Disaster in Japan draws worldwide attention

By Elizabeth Song

As more natural disasters inflict suffering all over the world, people start to consider the validity of the ancient Mayans’ prophecy that the world will end in 2012. Further reinforcing the Mayans’ belief is Japan’s strongest 9.0 magnitude earthquake that struck the northeastern portion of the Japanese mainland, Honshu, on March 11, causing dozens of aftershocks and depriving citizens of their homes, friends and family.

The earthquake also triggered 10-meter tsunamis that inundated coastal areas and crippled nuclear power plants at Fukushima, sending off radiation that killed at least 20 people. The cumulative death toll is predicted to be over 10,000.

Even places a long way from Japan were affected by the calamity.

For example, people in Guam were forced to evacuate to safer areas, even though the region was not severely damaged.

“I was in Guam and we were under tsunami warning,” said Derek Cutler, sixth grade science teacher.

“We had to go to high ground and wait until the end of the warning for six hours. Guam was surrounded by trenches, so the energy dissipated, and we weren’t [seriously] harmed.”

The earthquake had a more direct effect on Stacy Yun (12), whose house is located in the area of impact.

“We had to call people to fix and rebuild all the shelves, and some of the stuff inside the shelves broke,” said Stacy.

Hiro Watanabe (11) also watched the newscast with worry, as his father currently resides in Japan.

“I first heard about the news when I was in Daegu for the soccer overnight trip,” said Hiro. “I was worried especially because Dad wouldn’t pick up his phone. The coaches were also worried about me because I had to be mentally ready for my game the next day. Fortunately, my dad called me first and told me he wasn’t injured.”

Japanese citizens far from the disaster-stricken areas do not face immediate health concerns but are still anxious about their wellbeing and optimistic about Japan’s future.

“The place where the earthquakes and tsunamis hit is pretty far from Osaka, so nothing really affected us,” said Mami Takahara (11) of Senri International School. “I feel so sorry for people up north, but the earthquake is slowly coming down to the south as well. I hope everything will be back to normal soon and Japan will recover quickly.”

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MARCH 2011

Mr. to the Editor Letter

Editorial

In response to the February editorial:

Effect of grading methods on students must be reassessed

Dear Tiger Times, I was a little disappointed to see that the opinion of the editor was that the administration had not made an effort to reach out to students when making decisions about the clubs that are given an official school endorsement. The process this year was public and transparent. Considering the process that was used last year, this system should seem like a tremendous effort to address student complaints from last year. If the problem is advertising, then that genuinely is a minor issue. I think this criticism would have been largely avoided if the HSSC had not had to cancel its open meeting the first week we returned from winter break. One of the main items on that agenda was to cover the format and the rationale for the approval/renewal process.

In terms of the HSSC role in it and the exclusion of certain groups, both of those concerns are easily addressed. First, the HSSC was asked to participate and agreed as long as the members were only making comments and not actually selecting clubs. Giving administrators feedback about the applying clubs is a reasonable form of representation. My hope is that when the elections come, students will consider if they want the person they are voting for to be in the position of providing meaningful feedback on clubs.

The HSSC was excluded from renewal because it presents itself to the student body through weekly blog posts (over 60,000 hits since

2008), monthly open meetings and regular school-wide events. No organization seeks the feedback and approval of the entire student body to the extent that the HSSC does.

Others like MUN were excluded because they are competitive programs that represent the school. I understand that there are no winners or losers in MUN, but to have them apply for renewal would be like having the soccer team apply for renewal. These decisions will be discussed in a reflection meeting after spring break which you are invited to attend.

If there has been any failure this year, it has been in the fact that there are a number of students who are interested in being more involved in SIS student life, but who were not selected by any of the clubs that they were interested in. Even more concerning is the perception that new students, students without older siblings, and quiet students are consistently rejected while more popular, energetic, well-connected students have an advantage in being admitted to a new club.

In the end, my hope is that the student body come to trust the intentions of the administration as well as trust the HSSC as representatives of the interests of all students. There is no doubt that there is room for improvement, but this year’s process is evidence of our school’s commitment to that improvement and not an example of autocratic rule or complacency.

From Gray Macklin, counselor

It has been several years since SIS adopted the grade percentage average system in favor of the grade point average (GPA) system, and students are beginning feel the impacts: very little.

Although the grade percentage average system fulfills its purpose of allowing college admissions offices to better distinguish between individual students (in light of the fact that so many SIS students have grades that are within tenths on a percent from each other), students themselves have not seen their academic lives altered dramatically as a result. Their lingo is still full of As, Bs and Cs; indeed, the old letter grade scale still appears on report cards.

This, and the advent of yet another AP recommendations season makes now an apt time to reevaluate the pitfalls of how grades are assigned here. In particular, the issue of grade curving draws an unexpected amount of complaints from students.

The crux of the problem appears to be the discrepancy between how different teachers teaching the same courses grade their students.

Hypothetical class A may have been given a more difficult test than hypothetical class B, though both are, say, French classes. Or perhaps the teacher of class A graded his test on a higher curve. These are but two ways in which two teachers teaching the same course can be inconsistent—and, in students’ minds, unfair.

The truth is, different teachers teach, well, differently. There are

bound to be at least some discrepancies with grading, even when they use set rubrics. And though the majority of what each teacher does overlaps (the curriculum is the same, after all), students only take note of what is different. Forcing teachers who teach the same course to be carbon copies of one another would, one might imagine, hinder their effectiveness as teachers in the long run, in addition to being impractical. Additionally, curving can be de-motivational.

Students will not try as hard to master the content if, in the end, their lack of knowledge and preparation is made up for by a generous bell curve.

However, disallowing curving is no solution either. Sometimes, teachers give difficult assessments and students do more poorly than they were expected to. Many courses are taught by a single teacher as well, and they, too, would be pressured to give relatively easier assessments if they had no option to curve tests that do not produce predicted results.

It comes down to the question of how students’ performances are represented. Students in the same course taught by different teachers face the challenge of comparing their performances to those of students in the other class taught by the other teacher. It is impossible to compare this accurately, yet in their eyes, that of their parents and most likely the eyes of college admissions offices, a class is a class, regardless of who teaches it. The negative backlash from this issue—

namely, students vying to choose the “easier” teacher come scheduling season—is to be expected.

However, there are implications for the school and specifically for students beyond immediate test scores and quarter grades, which, understandably, they are preoccupied with. Gradually, education in SIS is becoming too focused on getting the grades, not on learning itself. Granted, there will always be a healthy measure of the former, given the nature of Korean society, but does it not strain on the school’s collective conscience that education for the sake of learning is dying out?

The debate on how best to represent students’ performances in school, how best to educate them, rages around the world. It is certainly not something unique to SIS. But perhaps we might start change by examining how curving (which, admittedly, is more of a persistent thorn in our sides) both abets and undermines students.

For the present, it is enough that all parties involved realize that a shift from the previous “letter grade GPA” mentality to the “either above or below 95 percent and a high honor roll” mentality is occuring in students’ minds. Only once we have identified this problem can we begin to offer solutions.

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.

Students should not lose sight of meaning behind Korean holidays

By Stella Kim

Ninety-two years ago on March 1, 33 nationalists signed the Korean Declaration of Independence. Patriotic fervor spread quickly, and soon crowds of protestors all over the country confronted the Japanese police, demanding independence.

Twenty-six years later on Aug. 15, the Japanese empire surrendered to the Allies, liberating Korea from over 30 years of occupation.

Today, those dates are arguably the largest national holidays in Korea. The flag taegukki flies from verandas, adults do not go to work and students do not attend school. Sadly, the significance of these holidays has faded with time, especially for younger Korean-Americans, few of whom can recite the history behind Editors-in-Chief Yuri Han Chris Kim Managing Editor Peter Moon Production Editor Kristine Oak Graphics Editor Stephanie Song

these national holidays on the spot.

Although for students March 1 and Aug. 15 may just be days off from school, they should be obliged—at the very least—to know why they are not going to school on those days.

Most Korean-Americans know that March 1 and Aug. 15 are Samil Day and Gwangbokjeol, respectively, but that is the extent of their knowledge on those holidays.

Some may argue that it is harder for Korean-Americans to remember Korean holidays because the naming system is vague, as several national holidays are named after their dates of occurrence—for instance, Samil literally means “three-one,” referring to March 1. However, this is an empty excuse for ignorance, especially because the very students who claim they cannot remember these dates can memorize complex

Cartoon by Daniel Lee

formulas for math class.

A cool lack of interest does not work as an excuse either. SISers more in touch with their Westernized, American selves may find it more appealing to reject anything Korean, but not knowing one’s own country’s

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

Independence Day is a sign of sheer ignorance and disrespect for one’s roots. Besides, SISers who use their “American-ness” as an excuse do not even know the origins of some major American holidays such as Groundhog Day or Arbor Day.

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

Although most SISers are Korean-Americans and some will settle down abroad, they are all of Korean descent. As multi-cultural students, it is important for SISers to learn Korean history along with US history and Korean along with English.

Taking holidays such as Samil Day for granted is an insult to the patriots who fought for Korean independence.

More importantly, the events that these holidays commemorate have more or less shaped the patriotic mindset of Koreans today.

Although the independence movement did not directly lead to Japan’s surrender during World War II, it spawned some of the most significant figures in Korean history whom SISers ought to honor by knowing at least the meaning of holidays such as Samil Day and Gwangbokjeol.

The Tiger Times exercises the right to report on and editorialize all topics, events or issues, including those unpopular or controversial, insofar as they affect or interest the school, community, nation and world. We refrain from publishing material that advertises illegal products or services, is obscene, libelous or invades privacy. We refrain from publishing material that creates a clear and present danger or the immediate material and substantial physical disruption of the school.

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Students show severe lack of common courtesy

By Eunice Lee

On a single day, an average of 17 toilets are left clogged or not flushed; this number accounts for only the toilets in the ladies’ room. Students constantly complain about the putrid smell of the school bathrooms that result from clogged toilets but have not taken much initiative to resolve the issue.

The number of clogged toilets is part of a larger, more important issue students must now address: respect for both the school community and its facilities. Not taking the initiative to flush the toilet is a sign of disrespect for the next person in line. No one is—or should even be expected to be—responsible for another’s failure to flush.

Aside from the problem with flushing toilets, students fail to put away their utensils properly after lunch. This has forced J&J Catering employees to stand in line with students as they return their trays, verbally requesting that they sort their utensils. Some students still do not return their trays at all; after lunch, a tray or two are always left behind.

Photo by Linda Heeyoung Park

Washing off the leftover food, a J&J Catering employee scrubs the trays. The caterer implemented a system of making the students dispose of their own utensils and garbage.

High school students in a college preparatory school should not need to be reminded to clean up after themselves.

This lack of common courtesy results from laziness—the laziness to put trays and utensils away properly and to take that extra second to

This has become a problem because some students find the Internet is more interesting than teachers’ lectures and it is easy to get distracted from a Google search into Google surfing. During a boring class, even world news seems interesting. However, given enough self-discipline, students can fight this and reap all the benefits that technology offers.

It is all about whether students can concentrate and dedicate their attention to the lecture.

The administration however realizes that students are still teenagers and that not everyone can fight the lure of distractions in class. Thus, to help students, it plans to introduce new technology that can help.

According to Peter Corcoran, high school principal, the administration plans to use a program that allows teachers to monitor their students’ computers that are logged onto the SIS networks. The purpose behind this policy is to make sure that the students are on task in class and at the same time allow students to ac-

cess technology. The administration has a firm stance on this issue because it believes that this will not only help students concentrate and utilize the best technology available, but will also allow teachers to monitor whether students are on task or not.

There is a catch. Teachers will have to be careful with this new technology. According to Bob Havens, technology coordinator and computer science teacher, because web devices that are logged onto SIS network can be tracked and monitored, including iPhones, iPods and iPads, the possibility of technology abuse still exists. Thus, teachers should exercise control on how often they need to monitor.

The situation is no longer one in which the administration one party looks upon the other. Students need to exercise self-discipline on their Internet usage. At the same time, teachers need to use their judgment on when to monitor, how often to monitor and what to monitor.

in students’ heads. Especially a few days after having read the book, it is inevitable that students forget parts of the plot. In such a situation, they can skim over the chapter synopses and watch the 15-minute SparkNotes animations that recapitulate important events.

SparkNotes also provides extra background information about the author or the time period in which the novel was published, which can be useful. These facts, which are not included in the book itself, enable readers to picture the events of a story in its historical context and better understand the setting of the story

or the motivations behind characters’ actions.

Moreover, SparkNotes can prepare students for upcoming tests or quizzes. Of course reading the summaries without opening a page of the book does not guarantee an A plus, but students who take the extra effort to answer SparkNotes’ essay prompts—to which answers are not provided—and try the multiple choice quizzes may do better on their assessments.

At the same time, teachers should discourage students from overusing this site. SparkNotes may hinder active reading and pre-

Teachers should decide whether electronics should be used in school

By Jason Huh

For the past few years, SIS has worked hard to incorporate technology into its classrooms: computers in the library were switched to Apple Macs, teachers went to Singapore for conferences on how Apple products can be used more efficiently in classrooms and the administration held extensive meetings with parents to ask their opinions.

Yet, despite the administration’s efforts, the usage of technology in the classroom has led to both benefits and drawbacks. Although students are using technology for their school work, they are also using it to go off task. To stop this, getting rid of technology would be the wrong solution because it would be detrimental to students’ studies. They need to be able to access the most up-to-date information. Rather, it is time for the students to step up and show that they can handle technology with more dedication.

make sure the toilet has been flushed completely. And the root cause of this laziness is selfishness: students fail to see that their negligence af-

fects others’ rights to be respected at school, including those of cleaning ladies and janitors.

The “me” mentality—the notion that if something has nothing to do with “me,” then it is not worth doing—needs to be abolished. It is ironic that students should groan and walk out of a bathroom stall with a clogged toilet when they do not properly flush toilets themselves.

People ignore the importance of common courtesy because they feel that there is nothing to gain personally by showing others a sign of respect. Nevertheless, respect is not something to gain or lose from; it is an inherent part of social etiquette everyone is expected to live up to.

Although putting utensils away may seem optional, the idea of common courtesy behind it is not. Respect is a necessity.

For the opportunists out there though, here is something to gain from showing respect: a reputation.

People tend to honor selflessness and acts of kindness. Or to stretch it even further, perhaps one may feel a sense of self-satisfaction after flushing a toilet, knowing that it is an act of altruism for the public good.

Cartoon by Daniel Lee

Effective utilization of SparkNotes does not promote cheating

By Elizabeth Song

At 5 a.m. students start to wonder how to finish five chapters of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn in an hour. The solution is simple: SparkNotes.

SparkNotes has a notorious reputation among teachers, but it can actually enhance understanding of a novel as long as students use it as a reference tool after reading the book.

The most obvious benefit of this online study guide is that it helps keep the main events of a story fresh

vent students from building their analysis and comprehension skills because it lays out all information required to understand the book at the most basic level—character lists, plot overviews, chapter summaries, explanations of symbols and analyses. Once too many students start using SparkNotes’ analyses, instead of their own interpretations, on class assessments, teachers will also grow suspicious about their students’ ability to think on their own.

It is difficult to find an effective solution—there is no way teachers can monitor their students every single day to see whether they over-

use SparkNotes or not. Nevertheless, steps should be taken to attempt to solve the problem. For example, instructors can require students to finish the reading in class. Another option is to give reading quizzes with details that are not found on SparkNotes or have all students participate in discussions to confirm that everyone is forming their own opinions about the novel, instead of taking SparkNotes’ ideas. After all, one of an SIS teacher’s motives is to turn their pupils into Independent Thinkers—part of the TIGERS acronym—who do not rely on the internet to appreciate literature.

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NEWS BRIEFS NHS holds book drive for Dongmyung Children’s Home In addition to its annual toy drive, the National Honor Society (NHS) tried out a book fundraiser this year. Since mid-February, the club has been collecting books in English classrooms to be sold at the Book Fair from March 2-4, and all proceeds will go to the same orphanage that received gifts from the Christmas drive last winter. “[The book drive] is a great way for students to get rid of unnecessary items, for others to obtain items at a cheaper price and for us to help the orphanage for Children’s Day,” said Rachel Nam (12), NHS member. “It’ll be a great opportunity for students to get more involved in NHS activities and help the children in the orphanage.”

School rejects and accepts new clubs After the commotion of club cuts in the beginning of the year and renewal presentations last month, the administration, the High School Student Council (HSSC) and Bryan Keith, activities and athletics director, agreed on which clubs to accept for the next school year. They did not remove any existing clubs, which include the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Habitat for Humanity (HFH) and Model United Nations (MUN). However, they rejected three new clubs— Protection for Animal Rights, Korean Marshal Arts Club and Special Olympics—and approved the Aperture Club and the Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA).

Majority of high school expresses interest in choir Dennis Darling, choir director, visited eighth, ninth, 10th and 11th grade classes where he distributed papers that gave detailed explanations about each choral group—SIS MEN, Ladies Choir, Concert Choir and Ambassadors—and passed around a signup sheet on which students could check the classes they wanted to take. Tallies showed that 45 students want to be in SIS MEN, 53 in Ladies Choir, 32 in Ambassadors and over 120 in Concert Choir.

As a considerable number of men are intent on joining SIS MEN, Dr. Darling will request that SIS MEN become a music class. Dr. Darling anticipates teaching such a large number of students.

“There certainly seems to be some interest in choir next year,” said Dr. Darling. “I find [it] very exciting that students love singing here and want to be great singers.”

By Elizabeth Song

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March 2011

Cinema Club to participate in KAIAC film festival

By Eunice Lee

Lights, cameras, and action. Although the Cinema club has been trying to master stage lights and the camera for a long time, members are now taking action by entering the Korean-American Interscholastic Activities Conference (KAIAC) Film Festival.

Organized by Seoul Foreign School (SFS) student Alex Kim, the festival will be held on April 2. It is a first for both the Cinema Club and KAIAC. “We always wanted to participate in a film festival since last year, but Alex helped organize it for this year,” said Juhohn Lee (11), Cinema Club president. “All submitted videos must be less than 15 minutes and 30 seconds long. We were really excited when [John Rider, Cinema Club adviser] got an email about the festival.”

The club will submit two student-directed, student-made videos.

The first, written and directed by juniors Emily Koh and Michelle Kim, is a thriller version of Cinderella titled “Cendrillon.” The second is another fictional movie directed by Juhohn, about a novelist who dedicated all of his work to a deceased loved one.

“Michelle and I wrote the script during last summer, but we wrote it not knowing about the film festival,” said Emily. “When Juhohn told us

Photo by Jessica Song

On March 10 during activity period, Cynthia Rhee (11), Ju Hohn Lee (11) and Min Taek Lee (11) plan out their rehearsals for KAIAC Film Festival debut film in Mr. Rider’s room. that we would be entering the festival, it was the perfect chance to get our script produced into a movie.”

None of the members have had any formal training with filming and movie production. As a result, their efforts are based enitrely on trial-and-error and a keen interest in moviemaking.

“Basically, we try something out and if that doesn’t work, then we think up of new ways to get better results,” said Emily. “If it works, we

keep doing what we’ve been doing.

It’s more fun and rewarding because we’re teaching ourselves how to film.”

Both movies are currently in the post-production stages; members edit the film together, and decide which effects or transitions are the most flattering. The film goes through a multi-step editing process until all members are satisfied.

Earlier this January, the Cinema Club produced a historical docu-

mentary about a Korean doctor, An Joong-geun. Directed by Cynthia Rhee (11), the film was centered on the doctor’s life, and was submitted to a film competition.

“The film first competes with all the other films submitted by international schools in Korea, and if it wins it enters the finals in China,” said Juhohn. “Not a lot of films in Korea have been submitted, so it is very likely that it will directly enter the finals.”

be participating in is the Memory Project, a program part of My Class Cares, a non-profit organization in the US to help dreams of youths come true. Members will be drawing portraits for children in Mexico.

“The project is focused on 10 orphans from Mexico,” said Ms. Smith. “These portraits may be the only [items] that the kids take with them when they leave the orphanage. NAHS paid for the photographs and mailing materials, and members did the hard work of making the portraits.”

Lina Chang (10), NAHS member, said that drawing portraits and making diaries were more unique than the common bake sales because they were community service projects that only NAHS could carry out.

“Like [the name of] our club implies, we should be doing something with our [artistic] talents,” said Lina. “Making these diaries is beneficial in so many ways. I get to have fun while making them, buyers are happy with buying them and the poor get supported by the money we collect from selling them.”

The money that NAHS raises will also go to the Fourth Annual World Children’s Festival, which will be held from June 17-19 at the National Mall in Washington D.C. This event promotes children’s imagination and creativity through drawings, paintings, technology, songs and other artworks.

“There are Mexican children interested in doing art but don’t have the supplies or money to do so,” said Eunice Won (12), NAHS president.

“Through Art Week and art-related projects, we want to help others do art as well.”

Danielle Kim (10) said that NAHS’ methods of fundraising also promoted creativity in the ways that clubs raise money.

“I’ve always wanted to try fundraising activities other than bake sales in the community service clubs that I’m in,” said Danielle. “Although I’m not in NAHS, it is good to see that they are making the step and serving as examples for more creative methods of doing fundraisers.”

Now Habitat for Humanity (HFH) is collaborating with NAHS to create t-shirts for people in Hwayeh Maeul. As the HFH secretary next year, Danielle said that she hoped the club continues to do community service in creative ways.

NAHS prepares for first-ever Art Week

By Lydia Kim

For the first time in history, the school will be celebrating Art Week from April 11-15. National Art Honor Society (NAHS) will host Art Week to celebrate the visual and performing arts. At the same time, NAHS will be helping the poor on international levels.

“NAHS will be selling handmade books, ceramic glazed necklaces, pendants, and a few more surprises,” said Jennifer Smith, art teacher. “You will see an art exhibition and displays of choral music and performing arts from the drama department.”

NAHS has been preparing Art Week ever since the beginning of the year. One of the projects they will

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Chagall exhibition Chamber recital vocalist attracts students turnout revives musical spirit

By Kristine Oak

According to French artist Marc Chagall, “There is only one color in our life that gives a meaning to the life and the art: the color of love.”

Displayed in the Seoul Museum of Art from Dec. 3-March 27, his works inspired and excited SIS art students. The Chagall: Magician of Color exhibition is the artist’s first retrospective since 2004.

“It is rare to see visiting galleries in Korea,” said Maria Yung, graphic design teacher. “Students can see firsthand the rare pieces of the artist that are usually exhibited throughout European nations.”

According to Ms. Yung, the exhibition not only displayed the major pieces of the artist but also showed sketches and small things that led up to the masterpieces. Although attending the exhibition was optional, art students still went to the gallery to view Chagall’s paintings, known for their creative and distinctive colors and strokes. Most of Chagall’s masterpieces, produced during the Russian Period from 1910 to 1920, portray love and peacefulness as well as melancholy and bleakness.

“The artist’s works were very organized and well set-up with a good variety,” said Leslie Chung (12). “What was interesting was that there were not only large number of Chagall’s works but also themes set up according to the different time periods and displayed distinct styles

that inspired him. The exhibition was like a journey through Chagall’s life.”

Students gave both praises and complaints regarding the paintings displayed and the general atmosphere of the exhibition; while others enjoyed the variety, some felt the abundance of paintings gave too much repetition.

“I went during the weekdays when there weren’t many customers, so I really enjoyed the peacefulness,” said Meg Jiwoo Kim (11). “However, I wished there were less repetitive paintings; the drawings were interesting but became monotonous after a several repeated ones.”

Others did not have a vicarious experience; either their parents or adults they know outside of school attended the exhibition.

“I did not personally attend the exhibition.” said Maria Shin (12), “but my private math teacher went to it and told me about his smooth and colorful styles in the displayed paintings.”

Even so, the exhibition gave students a better knowledge of Chagall and a deeper understanding of the meaning of producing an artwork.

“Students could see a wonderful play of color of an artist who had a dream,” said Azarea Dzinic, art teacher. “Not all things need to look realistic; you have to play with colors, backgrounds, and textures. It is not about perfection but about having fun and enjoyment in creating the artwork.”

By Angela Cho

Unlike the previous chamber recitals dominated by strings and band students, the majority of this year’s chamber recital featured middle and high school choral students who performed a variety of selections from classical to popular music.

After auditions held on Feb. 28 and March 1, selected student musicians performed at the chamber recital in the auditorium on March 10.

Seven of the 15 ensembles and solos were vocalists, a rare occurrence in chamber recitals.

“Last year, I was the only vocalist who participated in the recital,” said Sophie Kim (9). “So I was surprised to see so many participating this year. I decided to participate to sing solo and to complete a choir project for the semester.”

In preparation for the chamber recital, Sophie practiced with a private tutor for five to six hours. Others, such as the treble sextet, consisting of Ally Chung (10), Shelly Kim (12), Nari Rhee (11), Jane Jun (10), Emily Koh (11) and GaYoung Park (11), received feedback from Dennis Darling, choral instructor.

“Since the song we’re singing is difficult, we wanted to challenge ourselves,” said GaYoung. “We also didn’t have a formal audition, so there was nothing to lose by participating.

The impressive vocalist turnout was also reflective of the expanding

Photo by Jessica Song

During the chamber recital on March 10, the treble sextet sings Thomas Weelkes’ “The Nightingale” in the auditorium. choral program. According to Dr. Darling, over 130 student expressed interest in joining choir, 65 of whom auditioned as of March 17.

“We need these important events to augment our choral program,” said Dr. Darling. “[Through chamber recitals] one can show vocal progress, assume leadership roles of preparing a solo or putting a small ensemble and be [more confident].”

Moreover, students were able to demonstrate their passion for sing-

ing. Julia Kim, strings teacher, believes the chamber recital has served its purpose of reviving musical spirit among SISers.

“I [used to] wish that there was a [variety of] student musicians— not only violinists and cellists but also vocalists,” said Ms. Kim. “I’m surprised to see so many choral students participating this year. One reason we’re doing this is to encourage people to watch and be inspired to sing or play an instrument.”

Zeitgeist Seoul air clearest in 16 years

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Seoul is notorious for air pollution. Smog hovers in the sky and although most Koreans are used to it, foreigners frequently experience health problems. Seoul is still near the top of the list for air pollution, but the Ministry of Environment reported that it is steadily making progress.

Air pollution is quantified by particulate matter, or dust and soot particles. This is measured in micrograms per cubic meter. Last year, Seoul’s pollution level was 49 micrograms. Disregarding the pollution caused by yellow dust from China, the figure was 47.

Seoul has come a long way.

Just eight years ago, the pollution level was 69 micrograms per cubic meter. Sixteen years ago, it was 78.

“Seoul has witnessed a lot of pro-green changes in its infrastructure and basic public transportation, including the introduction of [natural gas] buses and boosted sales of products promoted under a green image,” said Christy Kim, Green Club co-president.

However, compared to other major Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) cities, Seoul is far from green. Seoul has the third worst air

pollution just behind Istanbul, 58 micrograms, and Athens, 57. Tokyo and New York fall within the 10 to 30 microgram range.

“While the smog over Seoul might have lessened over the past couple of years, it is still an insistent presence that must be lessened,” said Christy. “I am concerned about whether the change is fast enough or if citizens are really taking the increasingly prevalent green message to heart.”

Environmentalism has been on the rise, with more citizens trying to raise awareness about pollution. Three years ago, twenty-three asthma patients sued the city and seven carmakers for failing to keep the city’s air clean. The case was rejected, but one year ago, they appealed the District Court’s ruling.

“Less than a decade ago, [my family] had to move from an apartment directly overlooking the street because it was causing my younger sister severe skin problems,” said Christy.

Pollution in Seoul is caused by factory smoke, automobile exhaust and yellow dust from China, which recently have been exacerbated by desertification and increased levels of air pollutants.

By Stella Kim

By: Jasmine Park & Lucia Minah Yang

Tunisia The Jasmine Revolution was sparked by the insurgence in Tunisia after a street vendor burned himself on the streets to protest against poverty.

A violent uprising surged in various towns and cities in Tunisia. Tunisians started the movement via Facebook, Twitter and other social networking

sites in an attempt to oust President Ben Ali, who had been heading a repressive regime, and to establish democracy across the Arab world. After toppling the government, however, the country has experienced a power vacuum, although an interim government stands in the place of the old administration.

of revolt of the Arab world in midwith small revolts in town areas, the rebels reached the state capital, Tripoli, in less than a week. The rebellion is against the regime of has been an authoritarian state for 42 years. The Libyan government enforced a “black out,” cutting off all Internet connections and banning foreign reporters from the country.

From this point on, the media and

! Disclaimer: The Jasmine Revolution is an ongoing movement. All information in this article is current as of March 17, 2011.

Internet networks spark revolution If Gutenberg’s movable type was the crucial ingredient to the expansion of the Protestant Revolution across Europe, the Internet played much the same role in the spread of the Jasmine Revolution. Twitter, Facebook and other blogs, in addition to professional journalism, have illuminated the uprisings in the Middle East.

Governments’ ardent efforts to been futile, with photographs and videos capturing the very moments of the revolution and encouraging

citizens of neighboring nations to begin their own revolutions. were organized on a Facebook event, and 90,000 people pledged online for the cause. However, whether the activities on the Web is still questioned. As quoted in Newsweek by Jason Brownlee, an expert in U.S.-Egypt relations, “The pattern in the past is that there’s a lot of Internet activism, but there’s not always a big turnout on the streets.”

Jasmine Libya Egypt

Bahrain

the outside community relied on Libyan citizens to update them via rebels, and the two forces emerged

Yemen

saw defeats and victories, but one of the most decisive defenses came on March 2, when the rebels were able to secure the city of Brega, a strategic oil town. As of March 17, forces have taken the upper hand in The protests started on the streets on Jan. 25 with a young group of citizens crying for the Mubarak regime to step down. The government attempted to prevent any further gathering from the mob, but failed. From Feb. 2-4, supporters and opponents of the Mubarak regime fought against each other with clubs, knives and stones near Tahrir Square in Cairo. As the revolt seemed to have a larger impact, the

government tried to induce reform such as a 15 percent salary increase, but it was soon clear that the public wanted nothing but Mubarak to step down. Pushed by the force of the crowd, Mubarak was ousted on Feb. 11. Since then, the military have sought to establish a stable of the people. Reorganization of the Egyptian government is still underway.

History repeats itself Throughout history, revolutions have been known to spread from region to region.

The March 1st Movement day primarily commemorates the Korean revolution against Japanese non-violent protests in Asia in the early 20th century.

Peking University’s publication encouraged the Chinese to follow the Koreans’ example and resist foreign powers, which eventually led to the May 4th Movement. Mahatma Ghandi read about the March 1st Movement, and set out to start Satayagraha, non-violent resistance

in India in April 1919. University students of the Philippines and Egypt in the summer of 1919 under the History has furthermore shown that when a revolution erupts in a nation, other nations around it inevitably get the courage to do the same; the occurrence of the French Revolution in 1789 following the American Revolution from 1770s is no coincidence. Similarly, in 1848, Italian states, France, German states, Denmark and many other European states experienced revolts that left long-lasting impacts.

Revolution: Activists, who are urging a similar uprising as in Tunisia, are

protests at the heart of Beijing. The

According to the New York Times, Bahrain’s situation can be seen as a parallel to that of Egypt, but on a smaller scale. On Feb. 16,

website called Boxun on Feb. 17.

Beijing and other city squares was full of policemen by 2:00 p.m., the planned start of the protest.

The government, anxious due to such stirrings, came together for a session to discuss suppressing these gatherings that may induce

China

instability. In an effort to deter any further progression, the government has banned the word ‘jasmine’ from social networking sites and any mentions from the Internet. An additional protest was scheduled for Feb. 20 but was suppressed by the presence of the police in the designated area. After this attempted protest,

restrictive to foreign journalist and have asserted that such protest will never happen in Beijing.

Square, as a huge mob, mostly Shiite, came together to protest against Sunni King HamadBinIsa al-Khalifa.

The government has had mixed responses to these constant revolts, at times promising negotiation and Yemen has also seen mass protests, although not as violent as those of other countries in the area.

The protesters are mostly composed of young citizens and politicians opposed to President Ali Abdullah Saleh. Saleh has tried to come to a compromise with the public but has failed in his attempt. It is reported that at least 20 have been killed since

the mob. The crowd’s size is one of the largest, blocking roads and city in Bahrain is also yet to be resolved.

‘Lost generation’ lights torch for Middle East in Tunisia when a policewoman slapped street vendor Mohammed Bouazizi across the face. Bouazizi rushed to the local governor for help, but was overlooked, and eventually burned himself and died in 18 days. Townspeople rose up in anger, and in a matter of a few months, the revolts spread to Tunis—the Tunisian captial—and later transformed into a widespread outbreak of protests against numerous Arab governments throughout the Middle East.

Most revolutionaries are of the younger generations in these Arab nations, who seek liberty, better education and more employment opportunities.

“People who lived in my generation grew up in those countries accepting the regimes that reigned over them,” said John a young generation, who feel that they never had freedom where they lived but felt it elsewhere in timing is right for them; it’s not

coincidental that these revolutions are happening all across the region. start.”

Teenagers in such countries, although not involved in the protest believe that the recent movements “I sympathize with the poor people,” said Ayman Abdullah, 17, an Egyptian student who attended Beijing Model United Nations (BEIMUN). "High and middle who were involved in the protest democratic movement and we will Some view this revolution as neither radical nor extremist; rather they see it as a popular movement of the Arab world seeking to move from the conservative culture to a more modern. However, others such as Mr. Hurt believe that the either.

“It’s radical because they’re taking over an autocratic regime that has been in the country for a

long time,” said Mr. Hurt. “It is not a mere reform but more of a drastic change to the governing system.

Some people don’t want to consider it as radical because they are scared or because they don’t know how radical it’s going to become.” revolutions other Arab countries such as Egypt, Libya, Oman protests hit Libya and Egypt especially hard. Libya has seen two factions– the army of Muammar Libyan rebels– in various bloody confrontations involving gunshots, heavy artilleries and tanks, by

student. “During those days people were scared and the atmosphere was intense because of ‘Rage Friday’ when the police withdrew from Egypt by the order from the the prisoners to get released. But the whole country was in a festive mood.”

Much as the young and fervent protesters of Tunisia did, other revolutionaries of other Arab nations are using information on the internet and social networking sites in order to organize protests and mobilize the populace.

According to an article written

by Dean Takahashi, there were

In Egypt, 18 days of violent street revolts led to the resignation of President Hosni Mubarak and the temporary transfer of power to the military before the Egyptians elect a new leader.

32,000 more groups from Egypt on Facebook since the outbreak on Jan. 25.

“In geography people talk

lasted for 18 days but only three days were actually violent,” said Aly Dabous, 18, another Egyptian

which information spreads to people who are a bit more wealthy and educated or have the ability

seems to be more of a hierarchical

“People had the technological the process.”

With the help of international communication and updates from the protesters, the global community, as well, are planning to take action.

Ban Ki Moon, United Nations (UN) secretary general, has asked nations to consider imposing sanctions on Libya. and Germany have been on the forefront of international action and have already submitted a resolution to resolve violations against human rights in Libya. is on the right track but if there is a lot of violence, which there is, the response is too slow,” said Mr. Hurt. “It was too slow to prevent the action. Also, the community has to keep in mind that getting involved militarily is sensitive and may cause more chaos.”

lifesTYLE 8

march 2011

By Linda Heeyoung Park

Wh

at

The banner of Phillip Lee’s (10) Tumblr page, which has more than 500 followers since its creation on Sept. 5, 2010.

Social networking site Tumblr gains popularity

By Jonathan Yun

Facebook and Twitter, meet your new rival: Tumblr. This social networking website founded in 2007 has garnered the interests of many students by incorporating elements of popular social networking websites, including Facebook and Twitter, for users to express themselves.

Tumblr is primarily a blogging website that allows users to post texts, photos, quotes, links and music. It is similar to Twitter in that people can “follow” another. In other words, Tumblr users from around the world may subscribe to another person’s blog.

Phillip Lee (10) created his own “tumblelog” on Sept. 5, 2010, and he currently has 777 followers, many of whom are from across the globe.

“I post a variety of things, but as my [Uniform Resource Locator] (URL) points out, my blog is a serious blog including a lot of social/ political commentary,” said Phillip.

“I do advocate a lot of activist movements on my blog, such as the Libya freedom movement, the Wisconsin protests, and many other issues.

That being said, I’m not above posting stuff to some of my followers who interact with me.”

Although Tumblr is a social networking website, it contrasts significantly from other such sites as Facebook in that it lacks a concrete system of “befriending” other users.

Tumblr users have preferred Tumblr over Facebook. “[Tumblr is better than Facebook] because while on Facebook, all you read is people talking about their lives and having private conversations, and it’s only good for talking to your friends,” said Helen Song (9),

a Tumblr user since December 2010.

“On Tumblr, you can choose who you follow so you only see posts that you’re interested in. Specifically for me, I didn’t know anyone who liked the TV show Supernatural before I joined Tumblr, and through Tumblr, I know thousands of people who love it just as much as I do, and it’s always a lot more fun to obsess over things with others than by yourself.”

Rather than highlighting friendship, Tumblr stresses anonymity. Its users may hide their own identity and posts any type of comments that would express the user’s feelings toward a certain subject. On Tumblr, the users may opt to hide real names and personal information. “[Tumblr] is a place where people don’t really have preconceived images and opinions of you and merely judge you based on what you post,” said Phillip. “Facebook, MySpace, CyWorld, most of your friends on these sites will be friends who know you at school or out of school but will still have prior ideas of what kind of person you are. Within Tumblr, there are people who are extremely popular while staying anonymous because people judge them only on what they post.”

Despite Tumblr’s growing success, Phillip believes that Tumblr will never exceed Facebook in popularity.

“Facebook has a much wider appeal as it connects us to real life acquaintances online in a much larger fashion then say, chatting programs,” said Phillip. “Also, a lot of people who do Facebook won’t find appeal in Tumblr, where as almost everybody on Tumblr has a Facebook, so I find it unlikely that Tumblr will surpass or even catch up to Facebook.”

is the “Real World”

?

e k i L

Kevin Kim, class of 2010, shares his experiences of being a member of fraternity Phi Delta Theta at Northwestern University.

1.) Why did you choose to join a fraternity? What is so special about it?

Being in a fraternity is special because you are essentially a representative of a group of elite students who unconditionally respect each other in a deep brotherhood. A member in your fraternity is referred to as a “brother.” It is amazing to have “brothers” who respect you despite your biggest flaws. Being in a fraternity helps you learn about an unconditional friendship with no strings attached. This is an experience that not [everyone] can experience.

2.) What are some interesting parties/incidents that you had in fraternity?

There is a major party in Northwestern for people in sororities and fraternities called Gone Greek Night.

On this night, the fraternity pledge brothers visit every sorority on campus and sing to them. Then, you get paired up with a sorority [member] and go to a bar with them, where you socialize and have fun. Gone Greek Night is the biggest event for all people in the Greek life, and it really introduced me to what I was getting into as a member of a fraternity.

3.) Any words of advice for SIS students?

Live your life. In college, you are alone. You never feel lonelier when you first go to college. All your high school

By Jasmine Parkas your parents. But this defriends are miles away as well velops you. College turns you into an adult because you have to live for yourself. But because everyone else in your school is in the same position, you make friendships that are invaluable. In college, you live whatever the way you want, and that is why college is wonderful. Your parents don’t pester you to keep up your grades. It is up to you to make sure that you keep your grades up because from college, your future is on the balance. In college, life begins.

You are your own person and you will meet people who will change your life.

Courtesy of Kevin Kim

BORED? SOME SWEET WAYS TO SPEND SPRING:

1

Must-Do’s in APRIL

21

FAST AND

MGMT

FURIOUS

25-5.10 28-5.01 CHERRY BLOSSOM FESTIVAL

DA VINCI

EXHIBITION

By Linda Heeyoung Park and Eunice Lee

Korean idol group members play roles in “Dream High”

By Jessica Song

Unlike other Korean dramas that use professional actors and actresses, “Dream High”, released on Jan. 3, used singers from famous “idol” groups such as 2PM, Miss A and Tiara to form its cast.

The main characters of the drama are Hye Mi Go (Suzy; Miss A), Sam Dong Song (Kim Soo Hyun), Jin Guk (Taecyeon; 2PM), Baek Hee Yoon (Eunjung Ham; Tiara), Jason (Wooyoung; 2PM) and Pil Suk Kim (IU). They are friends who attend the same high school; however, they strive to achieve the same dream: to become a famous singer. This cre-

ates conflict throughout the drama since they are competing to reach their goal.

Competition among these friends increases when some are scouted to big entertainment companies while others are left behind.

Hye Mi , Sam Dong and Pil Suk are unable to perform on stage. Instead of giving up, they work harder to achieve their goal, displaying their passion for music.

“When Hye Mi tries to help Sam Dong out when she finds out about his hearing disabilities, that inspired me to try my best in whatever situation even though you know that your goal may not be achieved,”

said Grace Song (9). “Also, when everyone finds out that Baek Hee has cheated by plagiarizing a song, that also reminded me that I should not take any shortcuts no matter what.

So, I guess this drama contains a lot of good morals.”

“Dream High” was successful and appealing especially to teenagers because it contained many such lessons. Students were able to relate to lessons regarding persistence and integrity.

In addition, students also tuned in to track the love story between Jason and Phil Suk Kim and a tangled love triangle involving Hye Mi, Sam Dong and Jin Guk.

“I think that IU and Wooyoung are really cute. I’m not sure why this couple seems cuter than Suzy and Taecyeon or Suzy and Song Sam dong, but I think it’s because as a character, Suzy seems very cold, but IU isn’t,” said Jimmy Ryoo (10).

“Also, while Hye Mi has a dilemma on whether to choose Sam Dong or Jin Guk, IU has no dilemma.”

Not only did it have an interesting storyline, but the soundtrack also had many big hits that made the drama popular, including “Someday” by IU, “Dreaming” by Soo Hyun Kim and the theme song, “Dream High.”

The songs grew to become

popular rapidly with the help of Jin Young Park, who is a singer, songwriter, dancer, record producer and the current founder of JYP Entertainment. He cooperated in making the soundtrack and even produced his own song, “If.” In addition, he was one of the actors in “Dream High” known as Jin Man Yang.

“I thought the general plot was okay but it was more interesting because the actors or singers put on a showcase every episode, so it was like watching a concert,” said Christine Jung (11). “Mostly my friends made me watch the drama but I first heard the music which made me want to watch it even more.”

March 2011

Students employ economical cell phone usage techniques

By Peter Moon

Albert Park (12) finds his iPhone 4 to be quite a convenient smartphone because it allows him to play his favorite games and save money on his phone bill. Although it is more expensive than conventional cell phones, users can run certain applications that allow them to, for example, call free of charge.

“If I just make normal calls, I have to pay the normal high price,” said Albert. “To avoid paying, if there’s WiFi [available], I use an application called Olivephone which allows me to make free phone calls through the Internet.”

Albert also accesses KaKaoTalk, an application that allows him to send text messages via Wi-Fi, a popular wireless network. He eliminates the cost of text messaging and only needs to pay for Internet use. He can also communicate with friends by accessing instant messaging via the Internet, also helping him to reduce his phone bill.

“If I’m at a café, I can just chat through my phone without having to use a laptop,” said Albert. “I don’t

necessarily have to call either. For a project, if I have to do or remember something, I use my phone.”

Students with conventional cell phones that lack applications have also developed habits and techniques to minimize the cost of their phone use. To avoid being charged extra for texting over the character limit, students use abbreviations and acronyms in their text messages, while still being able to get the message across.

In other cases, parents intervene by setting a phone usage limit for their children. For example, Helen Song (9) can only send 1000 text messages and call for 60 minutes each month. She does not complain, knowing that she has other alternatives to turn to.

“If I use over that limit, my mom extends the limit or if she thinks I’ve been using my phone too much, I can’t do anything with my phone for the rest of the month,” said Helen.

“Sometimes I run out of texts and get on MSN instead. Honestly, I don’t run out of texts that much and I just use the house phone if I run out of minutes.”

9

Lifestyle

DJ Lee’s Monthly Mix

March is the first month of spring.

By Daniel Lee

It has been a long and heavy winter. America experienced one of its worst winters as almost all the states were hit by blizzards and snowstorms multiple times. Korea was no exception. However, here is a compilation of tracks by artists from Elvis to Phoenix, which will certainly warm you up and fill your mind with sunny and flowery thoughts of spring.

“Spring Fever” by Elvis Presley is a must in any playlist related to the season. Like the title, the first verse of the song reads, “open your eyes because the sky is full of butterflies / The blossoms on the trees stir up the honey bees / Spring makes my fever right.” It’s hard not to think of warm colors when listening to Elvis’ bright, energetic and exuberant voice.

The next two tracks, “Here Comes the Sun” and “Ride into the Sun” are sung by two groundbreaking and iconic bands from England and New York: The Beatles and The

Velvet Underground. Like “Spring Fever,” these two tracks express the coming of spring through their lyrics and voice rather than their sound. Lines such as “little darling it’s been a cold and lonely winter …

I feel that the ice is slowly melting / Here comes the sun,” and “ride into the sun where everything seems so pretty,” provide us with the vivid imagery of the season; the image of a flower slowly blooming is easily put into perspective by the breezy moods of both tracks.

The final tracks convey spring through different sound variations and instruments. “Lookout Sunshine” by the Fratellis emphasizes the scratchy, staccato and fresh guitar tone that gives the song its uplifting and full-of-life mood. Similarly, “Love like a Sunset” by Phoenix is an ideal instrumental song for this

month’s theme as the seven minute tune blossoms so naturally from bass-based, cold and eerie winter sounds to lively, smooth and jubilant hums.

Although we won’t believe it until we see the flowers, insects and leaves, these songs could easily convince you that spring is here at last. As Elvis passionately sings in his song, “spring will be everywhere.”

Students suffer from colds due to inconsistent weather

By Elizabeth Kim

When temperatures rose after the unusually cold winter this year, students hoped that they would be able to welcome a warmer season.

However, temperatures again fell below zero degrees Celsius. Thus, more students began to catch colds and miss school. Students with nasal inflammation and allergies also are especially vulnerable to the pollen, dust and sand storms approaching them in the spring. They struggled more this year, since the weather fluctuated more than in previous years.

Although the temperatures eventually rose over 10 degrees Celsius later in spring, students were put at greater risk than in the previous years since they had to quickly adjust to the warmer weather.

“When students have less sleep and not enough to eat, this makes

them sick,” said Younock An, nurse.

“They also don’t wear proper outfits according to the weather changes.”

Additionally, those affected by allergies or asthma have a higher chance of becoming infected by pneumonia and other severe conditions.

“My body becomes weaker because of my allergies,” said Hyeri Park (10). “So I easily catch colds.

It’s hard for me to continue missing school because I have to make up a lot of work. When I try to do a lot of homework when I’m sick, I become more tired.”

In order to prevent the risk, the JoongAng Ilbo suggested regularly cleaning the surroundings to reduce the amount of dust present in the air.

Hospitals also offer intravenous (IV) injections. These shots supply the body with a balance of vitamins and minerals that improve

its immune system according to the Institute for Health Healing Arts Research.

Also, individuals should remember to maintain healthy lifestyles by eating nutritious snacks and taking sufficient rest.

“A balanced diet, enough sleep, regular exercise and management is

important,” said Nurse Ahn. “When you have a cold or the flu, limit exercise. Stay home if you have a high fever. High fluid intake is very important too. Most importantly, see the doctor when necessary.”

According to to CNN, a healthy body and mind is the key to treating colds, especially in spring when one

becomes easily exhausted.

“I dry my hair after I swim,” said Joshua An (9). “If I don’t [use a towel] then I’ll definitely catch a cold. I eat vitamins.”

Experts suggest that individuals pay special attention to their food in order to be resistant to the increased amount of pollen and dust in the spring.

Otherwise, nasal inflammations can become severe to the point that they prevent one from maintaining a normal lifestyle. These conditions require surgery and continual medical treatment.

“It can be very serious,” said Nurse Ahn. “Those who have asthma especially need to see a specialist and get appropriate advice. Up to now, I did not have any serious complications. The parents are very aware of students’ health conditions.

Overall, I hope the students will pay more attention to their health.”

sPORTS 10

March 2011

Volleyball players anticipate upcoming SISIL season

By Michelle Kim

After SIS Intramural League (SISIL) soccer ended with team Offas as the victors, March marked the debut of a new sport: volleyball.

Comprised of four teams, the season began on March 7 and games were played every Monday and Friday in the gym.

As it has been for previous SISIL seasons, the four teams were divided into pairs and competed during activity period. Some participants in SISIL volleyball were returning members from past SISIL seasons while others had joined for the first time. Many were content with the opportunities SISIL offered, and both current and past participants alike hoped for even further involvement from the rest of the student body.

“I’m satisfied so far,” said Brenda Myung (11). “When you get into the game mentality, you begin to want to play, even though you may have been reluctant to participate at first. In a way, SISIL is like the house games we had back in middle school, but SISIL is better—you can make your own teams and choose the sport you want to play.”

On the other hand, some participants hoped to see improvements in how the games and schedules were organized.

“I did not think that there were big problems, but I think the games can be notified to team members more effectively,” said Erica Han

(10). “The SISIL organizers had to go around during lunch and remind students that there was a game that day, which made things very confusing. I think it would be better if there were other ways of notifying SISIL players, such as sending emails to each player.”

As of March 14, a total of three games were played. The current tournament standings are with team Juniority in the lead with 3 wins, Hiro’s Heroes with 2 and followed by teams Dynamite and The Lucky Charms, which was defeated in a close game of 38 to 31 against team Dynamite on March 14.

“I was scared of playing, at first, because I was playing against my seniors,” said Rosemary Ahn (9). “But after a while, playing the games was really fun, although it was also a bit difficult. Last time, my team lost, but it was only by a couple of points so I was happy that we did well.”

Despite initial difficulty with competing against upperclassmen and players who were not familiar with one another, SISIL participants looked forward to playing future games, as they provided opportunities for them to become better athletes in a fun environment.

“Like it is for all sports, SISIL helped players strengthen bonds,” said Brenda. “We also got to know new people and meet potential team members. During games, we can see other players’ skills, learn from them and determine how they will do if we end up being on the same sports team.”

Swimmers sweep awards in Osaka

By Lydia Kim

Stephen Yang (10) returned from the Association of International Schools in Asia (AISA) Swimming Tournament in Japan the day before his AP World History test, but he said that he would not have traded his experiences for more study time.

From Feb. 24-27 the varsity boys and girls swimming teams went to Osaka to compete against two other schools—Korea International School (KIS) and Senri Osaka International School (SOIS).

“A few of our swimmers raced twelve times in two days,” said Melissa Hubley, varsity swimming coach. “There was always someone from our team in the pool. As a result, it was difficult to get best times every time they swam because they weren’t able to recover from the races before. Instead, they raced as hard as they could and tried to win their heats.”

She said that swimmers cramped up from the rigor. It was not unusual to see three or four swimmers lying down on the ground yelping in agony as other teammates helped them stretch their calves or hamstrings.

Despite facing difficulties, swimmers achieved successful results. Chan Jun Park (11) and Joanne

Kim (10) were the top male and female swimmers, respectively. Moreover, the boys placed first and the girls second in the relays, allowing SIS to take first place overall.

Swimmers also engaged in memorable activities outside of the pool. Connie Yoon (10) said that she enjoyed her time in Shinsaibashi, a major shopping district in Osaka.

“We went into the entire street with just sweets,” said Connie. “There was this one café that we heard made really good crêpes.

My friends and I had to wait over thirty minutes to order that, but we waited anyway because it looked really good. [However,] I wasn’t able to taste it because my homestay’s house was far, and I had to leave. I want to go back and taste it.”

The trip also provided students with the opportunity to get to know each other more and meet others outside of the school.

“I was new to SIS, but I got to know everyone so much better by eating together, swimming together and joking around,” said Jimmy Ryoo (10). “[The swimmers] also got to know a lot of people from other international schools. Three guys made girlfriends. If you want a girlfriend, join the swimming team next year.”

Photo by Joshua Kim

On March 14, before the start of the SISIL Volleyball game between the Dynamites and the Lucky Charms, Minah Yang (12) sets Jaimi Kim (12) up for a spike across the net.

Sports Photo of the Month

Photo by Linda Heeyoung Park

Swimming his way to the finish line, Jimmy Park (11) pushes across the pool during the Boys’ 100 meter breastroke. The meet involved teams from five different schools.

March 2011

11

sPORTS

Varsity boys soccer wins first game on home turf

By Angela Cho

Second Half

Within the first five minutes, the teams were back to square one as the Dragons overturned a two-goal deficit, evening the score at 3-3. The Tigers seemed to be stirred up by the opponent team’s constant aggression and attempts on goal. Despite an uneasy start, hopes of a comeback were revived in the 15th minute as Sam Woo (10) scored a goal, followed by Eddie’s two consecutive goals in the next 20 minutes. Invigorated by the 6-3 lead, the boys blocked the Dragons’ attempt to narrow the gap. Just before the final whistle blew, TCIS scored a penalty kick, and the Tigers beat the Dragons 6-4 in their first game.

Photo by Linda Heeyoung Park

In a huddle before the start of the game, the varsity boys soccer team gathers to discuss their strategy against TCIS. On March 4, the SIS Tigers beat the Dragons by a score of 6-4.

Preview

Fully geared up for the first game, the varsity boys soccer team warmed up on the SIS home turf on March 4. Students, players and spectators expected an easy victory against Taejon Christian International School (TCIS).

“It feels more like a practice game than a real match,” said Patrick O’Sullivan, varsity boys soccer player. “We feel prepared because we practiced a lot. It’s going to be an easy match.”

First Half

Just nine minutes after the kick-off, Hiro Watanabe (11), midfielder, opened the score sheet by scoring a free kick from the center line. He scored from another free kick within two minutes, roughly from the same spot. The Tigers maintained a 2-0 lead for almost 30 minutes, draining the Dragons’ energy with goalkeeper Patrick Chin (9) and the defensive line’s unremitting effort. With Patrick temporarily sidelined by an ankle injury, the boys worked harder to retain the defense and Eddie Cho’s (12) goal 37 minutes into the first half boosted the team’s confidence. A minute before the end of the first half, TCIS scored its first goal, finishing the half with a score of 3-1 in favor of the Tigers.

Photo by Joshua Kim

KyunghoYoon (12) and Ilsoo Yang (12) attempt to beat Jerry Promise (12) to the ball.

Overview

According to Brent Frazier, TCIS varsity boys soccer head coach, the game was impressive and intense.

“The game was aggressive and [vacillating] between the two teams,” said Coach Frazier. “Both teams played very well. Number seven [Hiro] has a good sense of direct path.”

While Aaron Elser, SIS varsity boys soccer coach, agreed that the game was satisfactory, he identified room for improvement. “[The boys could improve in] winning the ball in the air, being the first to [get] the ball and using the width of the fields,” said Coach Elser.

Photo by Linda Heeyoung Park

After scoring his second goal against TCIS, Hiro Watanabe (11) celebrates with fan Justin Jaewon Lee (11).

Senior boys enjoy recreational table tennis tournament

By Eunice Lee

Every day during activity period, a huddle of senior boys beside the entrance to the swimming pool eagerly watches a table tennis match.

The players are just as intense as the audience—the boys are sweating after a game that lasts a mere 10 minutes.

This craze over table tennis is not so much of a novelty as it is a revival—the seniors had always enjoyed the sport but never had the time or opportunity to play.

“When we were freshmen, we would always see seniors playing [table tennis] as we walked past the gym hallway,” said Sukyeon Won (12). “As freshmen, we felt awkward and uncomfortable playing alongside the seniors, so we promised each other that we would play [table tennis] when we became seniors ourselves.”

Although there are more than enough table tennis tables for the boys to use, the senior boys all crowd around a single table and take turns both playing and watching the

game.

“The games are really fun to watch, especially when you’re [rooting for] one person,” said Ilsoo Yang(12). “You are involved emotionally if your friend is playing another friend who beat you, so you have to focus. Table tennis is really fun to both play and watch, and it’s also very simple. I love watching my friends play table tennis.”

When members of the senior class were in middle school, they requested that the school support an official table tennis team. Although

their proposal was denied then, roughly five years later, the school has introduced middle school table tennis as an after-school extracurricular activity this year. The Life Sports curriculum also consists of a table tennis unit.

“My friends and I were all standing around during activity period in the hallway with nothing to do, and we saw the table tennis tables, remembered how much fun we had in Life Sports, and started playing nearly every day ever since,” said Sukyeon.

In response to the interest in ping-pong, the National Honor Society (NHS) hosted a table tennis tournament during Lock-in on March 18.

“We were thinking about hosting a table tennis tournament, and we finally decided to after we saw how popular table tennis became during lunch,” said Christine Jung (11), NHS member. “This is good for NHS as hosts of the Lock-in sports tournament, but it is also good for those who want to play table tennis all night.”

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pearl buck student association

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High Quality Korean Beef

A+ 등급 한우 buy smencils, bracelets, iphone/ipod cases!

Profit will be given to multiracial children!

PH: 031-753-0506

Bokjeong station, Exit 2 Walk straight towards Seoul International School

Small Talk

12

March 2011

Photo of the Month

1. All the department stores and malls have their new spring lines out, but we’re still dearly holding onto our winter parkas and letterman jackets. For some of us, it’s not only the temperature and outerwear that’s staying two months back in time; second semester seems to be an extension of our winter break. (Ehem, seniors!)

2. SIS is a college preparatory school but that definition seems to raise some misunderstanding. It gives us a sense that high school is merely preparation for college and that it holds no other value. High school experience is unique and should be considered a separate entity from higher education, which also means that school’s not over when our college results come out.

3. To those who complain about J&J Catering’s new policy, This is what we should have been doing all along. It’s sad that they had to actually set a new policy and have the workers demand us to do such simple jobs. It takes 10 seconds out of our lives and puts many hours into theirs.

Photo by Jessica Song

Inwon Chang (11), Junior Council president, dresses up for Hippie Day in advance to promote school spirit. Spirit Week took place from March 14-18.

Waffle, Sandwich, Gela

to, Espresso

4. I noticed that BEIMUN particpants’ main concern was whether they would have access to Facebook. I thought people would get used to it by now, with our school blocking more avenues to Facebook each day!

5. March is awesome with 2-day weeks, 3-day weekends and Spring Break, but that’s just one last wish granted to a soonto-be-executed prisoner one last wish as April is going to hit us with 20 straight days of school.

P.S. I seem to have lost my sarcasm somewhere... Please return it if you see it!

Sincerely, Lucia Minah Yang

Caffe Tiamo Bokjeong Station Exit 2

Seoul International School