Tiger Times Volume 45 Issue 8

Guest Conductor:

Voice Care Network founder teaches chorists. Page 5

Soccer Play by Play:

Varsity girls compete against the Phoenixes. Page 11

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

Tiger Times volume X X X XV

MARCH 2014

issue 8

SIS community hosts KORCOS for first time

Administration stresses risk of yellow dust

By Nagyon Kim

With the new building providing much more space than ever, SIS was able to finally host the Korea Council of Overseas Schools (KORCOS) conference on March 14. Coordinated by Irene DeShazo, admissions director and a team of faculty members, this event hosted 1,100 teachers from 31 international schools in Korea. “[The conference] went very smoothly this year because we learned what areas we needed to improve on from last year,” Mrs. DeShazo said. “This year, there was more balance between the courses that were offered, which were evenly spread out between elementary, middle and high school related content. [The attendees] were simply amazed at how everyone, including teachers, Korean staff, and student volunteers all worked together.”

KORCOS is a non-profit organization consisting of 34 international schools in Korea. It holds annual conferences, hosted by different schools each year, during which teachers share their own experiences in and out of the classroom through presentations to their colleagues.

Teachers then are expected to bring back new ideas and apply them in their own classrooms.

“The reason that you go to these conferences is to learn new things and to see how other people teach in their classrooms,” Mr. Macklin said.

“The beauty of KORCOS is that you get information from teachers that have actually done what they presented before. It’s not like someone with a Ph.D or an administrator telling you what to do.”

Student volunteers helped to facilitate the conference by assisting the visitors in any way. Some volunteers sold raffle tickets while others sold food and helped with technology. Each volunteer was stationed at various parts of the campus to ensure teachers would be able to find their ways easily.

“I thought I might as well just help out as a student volunteer, since [KORCOS coordinating staff] were in need of students willing to help run the conference,” said Togo Tamura (11), student volunteer.

“Because we never get to see what the conference is like since we miss school, I thought it was cool to see how KORCOS is actually run and what goes on throughout the day.”

ttonl.org

By Claire Yun

Photo by Christine Lee

Licking his lips, Chief Inspector Jacques Clousseau, played by Tim Kim (12), tangos passionately with drag queen Ainsley Jarvis, played by Togo Tamura (11), as he warns the inspector of his imminent death.

Drama club integrates musical elements to new production with great success

By Christine Woo-kyung Jeong

Introducing novel musical elements to a standard comedy performance, the drama club performed its new production, The Pink Panther Strikes Again, from March 2021 in the auditorium. Both middle and high school students combined their efforts to entertain the audience and introduced a new type of theater to its viewers by speaking in foreign accents and singing and dancing throughout the production.

The audience erupted in laughter as it followed Chief Inspector Jacques Clousseau, performed by Tim Kim (12), on his mission to arrest Paul Dreyfus, portrayed by Sunny Oh (8), as he clumsily managed to stumble past every attack that Dreyfus launched against him.

To truly immerse themselves into the atmosphere of Paris and Munich in the 20th century, the actors spoke with heavy foreign accents.

“This was the first time I’ve ever tried a French accent in a drama production,” Tim said. “Although I have used an English accent in the past, a French one was much more difficult because it was not at all like the American accent that I possess.

Although it helped me get more into the role, I think that my heavy ac-

cent may have been detrimental to the overall performance, as the audience may not have understood what I wanted to say.”

However, according to Elizabeth Huh (11), an audience member, the spectators generally found the accent difficult to understand only

“

[Togo’s singing] was definitely one of the highlight of the performance and I hope so see more of such elements in subsequent SIS productions,” Yeonjae Han said.

at the beginning and was able to enjoy the performance in its entirety as it got accustomed to the foreign accent. Because the audience was thoroughly immersed in colorful aspects of the musical such as the singing and dancing performances, they were unfazed by the strong accents that may have thrown them off.

“I really laughed a lot during the whole show,” said Yeonjae Han (11), an audience member. “In particular, [Togo Tamura’s (11)] singing and dancing act had me truly

amazed. I have watched many musicals up until now, but seeing such flamboyant costumes and amusing dancing at a high school play was a new experience for me. It definitely was one of the highlights of the performance and I hope to see more of such elements in subsequent SIS productions.”

To prepare for their debut of the musical performance, drama club members also coordinated trench coat outfits and practiced matched choreographies to French songs.

“The students are now starting to take many risks and are stretching their range of roles,” said Simon Williams, drama teacher. “The actors’ accents and singing weaved in seamlessly to the European music in the play and I’m glad that the audience seemed to enjoy it, which is all that really matters for us.”

According to Mr. Williams, it was the drama class’ first attempt at performing a classical piece with such a modern twist, but will definitely not be its last.

“Such an experimental production as Pink Panther Strikes Again has allowed me to recognize real talents in certain students,” Mr. Williams said. “To encourage such abilities and provide the audience with an even fresher experience, I will probably produce a piece like this again in the foreseeable future.”

Levels of yellow dust and the micro-particle pollution have been significantly increasing over the past several weeks in South Korea.

New regulations suggested by Peter Corcoran, Director of Schools, and Soon Ja Cho, school nurse, were implemented by the school administration on Feb. 28 in order to limit exposure to high dust levels.

“When I first came, no other schools knew about the extent of micro-particles in Korea,” Nurse Cho said. “I called the Korean Environmental Office and found out about all of the [dust] levels and was taught to hold activities inside, like an indoor recess. This is why we decided to make such announcements on the school website.”

According to the US Embassy in Seoul, the dust levels can cause respiratory illnesses and cause irritation in many parts of the body. Mr. Corcoran made a public announcement on the school website, which stated that “...administrators have been working with our school nurse to establish new guidelines...to limit physical activity when fine dust particle levels in the air are high.”

“There is a new pollution that we are dealing with which comes from China,” Mr. Corcoran said.

“We added some guidelines to curtail outdoor activity. KAIAC schools will be following the same policies around games and practices so we will cancel practices when those levels have passed 80.”

Because the yellow dust is unpredictable, there are only a limited number of ways to avoid exposure.

People can check the yellow dust levels online on the Korea Meteorological Society webpage, which provides a color-coded chart for different cities of Korea. However, during the yellow dust season, students and teachers are recommended to refrain from strenuous outdoor activity. “[The yellow dust] worries me because when you talk about the health hazards, it is always a percentage game,” said Brian Mellon, science teacher. “One x-ray can give you cancer and one breath of yellow dust can give you cancer. It is an additive thing where the slight chance becomes a little bit greater everytime. All we can look about the yellow dust is what is what is today and what it has been in the past.”

VIEWPOINT 2

MARCH 2014

Editorial

Letter to the Editor

Multliple Intelligences not suitable for curriculum at SIS

Dear Editors, seniors to be more relaxed during I cannot resist making a few second semester. However, there is comments about the Editorial in no justification for becoming inthe February, 2014 issue. different and unenthusiastic espeIt is a given that students at cially if one’s goal is to begin post SIS almost without exception are high school studies in one of the extremely ambitious about their most competitive and demanding post high school schools in the plans. It is eviUS. It is dangerdent that stuI think that it is natu- ous to risk all dents start in ral for seniors to be more that has been the ninth grade relaxed during second achieved during working toward semester. However, there seven semesters a goal of earnis no justification for be- by misjudging ing acceptances coming indifferent and the importance in some of the unenthusiastic especially of the final semost prestiif one’s goal is to begin mester of high gious schools post high school studies school. in the US. It is in one of the most comOne final also commonly petitive and demanding comment relates accepted that schools in the US.” to the tendency most students to say “the seare under presniors” when in sure form their parents and even fact one really means some setheir peers to be “successful.” This niors. As professionals who work pressure and drive basically accel- with you, we remind ourselves not erates through seven semesters by to say the seniors when we really which time all applications to col- mean we are disappointed with a leges and universities have been few seniors. There is statistical evisubmitted. Once second semester dence to prove that the vast majorbegins, seniors have completed ity of a graduating class completes time consuming tasks of complet- the final semester of high school at ing applications and standardized the same level of achievement that testing and thus lightened the load was true in the first seven semeswhen it comes to time consuming ters of high school. responsibilities From Fredric Schneider, I think that it is natural for Dean of Students

In 2008, SIS received the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) accreditation when representatives visited to assess SIS’s level of educational quality. While the school received accreditation, WASC representatives recommended the school implement changes that would encourage opportunities for academic differentiation and personalization while counteracting the homogenous nature of the school’s curriculum. In an effort to respond to the suggestions, several teachers have implemented teaching strategies which attempt to highlight learning differences, such as the theory of multiple intelligences.

While the administration should be commended for attempting to accommodate students’ different learning styles, the theory of multiple intelligences is not suited for SIS’s student culture and the administration should strive to create a school-wide standard that is able to meet the future expectations of WASC. The theory of multiple intelligences suggests that intelligence as a whole can be differentiated into separate categories. While the theory may hold some merit in other schools, at SIS, the curriculum is

not appropriate for the practice of multiple intelligences. Multiple intelligences are more suited for classes when teachers have flexibility in teaching the material. This is not necessarily the case at SIS. A majority of the courses taught at SIS are AP courses, which require a set, standardized curriculum to prepare students for the AP exams.

In classes like these, it is impractical to ask students to demonstrate their knowledge of the material with forms other than analysis. For example, students would not effectively learn the material through a dance interpretation or a creative song about the subject. Furthermore, math and science classes typically require logic rather than creative interpretation. Diversification of knowledge can certainly be helpful to students in the social sciences, but multiple intelligences do not specifically fit the needs of students at SIS, who are focused on achieving high scores on tests and getting into top universities.

It is also difficult to measure a student’s strength in a certain area.

Students have different strengths and weaknesses, and it is hard to categorize a student’s intelligence with surveys and questionnaires.

The tests used to categorize mul-

tiple intelligences may in fact be counterintuitive to the school’s efforts to diversify learning, as the labels placed on students may even restrict a student’s outlook on his or her ability to learn and demonstrate knowledge.

To differentiate the learning at SIS, the administration should look for more direct methods that would truly accommodate students’ different interests and abilities. For example, instead of implementing multiple intelligences, the administration can expand the arts and music programs to cater to students who are more artistically inclined. Developing the athletics program at SIS is also an option to accommodate students who are interested in sports. The administration should be commended for considering WASC’s recommendations; now, it is time the administration takes steps to respond to these recommendations in a way that is beneficial to the specific culture and curriculum at SIS.

“

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

Art-based projects prove to be ineffective in preparing students

By Rosie Dahyeon Kim

As students are faced with more challenging content, particularly in AP classes, it is only logical that the work assigned is conducive to the level of thinking required in such difficult courses. While some teachers assign questions and essays that provoke differing opinions and promote class discussions, others continue to assign art-related or video-making projects that impede the progress of students whose strengths do not lie in art or music. Instead of spending time drawing and decorating for these projects, students should be assigned work that effectively prepares them for real-life application of their knowledge.

Granted, art and technologybased projects may assist some students who are more attuned to learning visually. Meanwhile, students who are artistically and technologically inept find themselves struggling and spending hours on their projects just to make them look more appealing regardless of the content. For high school students Editors-in-Chief Jiho Peter Kim Mark Kim Jr. Managing Editor Min Ji Suh Production Editor Dasoo Milton Yoon Graphics Editor Christine Lee Website Editor Darin Son

who are already burdened with rigorous classes and extracurricular activities, it is unnecessary to assign such time-consuming projects.

In addition, artistic projects do not help in understanding content for classes that require a methodical approach to learning. For example, if students are expected to learn mathematical concepts through making

Copy Editors Celine Hwang Daniel Kim Sara Shin (Web) Helen Song Photographers Yeni Cho Hollis Hwang Kelly Kim Advertisement Amelie Koo (Man.) Claire Yun (Rep.)

Reporters Jean Cho Jungho Daniel Choi Nagyon Kim Sarah Y. Kim Christine Seo Website Reporters Heejin E. Hong Christine Jeong Hareem Kim Michael Kim Rosie Dahyeon Kim

movies, they will most likely struggle on tests because the time they should have spent on solving math problems was instead dedicated to making projects aesthetically pleasing. Contrary to coloring and making videos, writing essays and working through problems are skills that students must develop over time to tackle standardized tests and suc-

Cartoonist Yeaji Park Layout Artists Jaewon Choi Eunie Jang Bason Park Patricia Song Yeena Yoon Adviser Mr. David Coleman

cessfully continue their education in college. In a college preparatory environment such as SIS, students would benefit if they were given more opportunities to develop skills that will be useful in the future.

The necessity for fewer artbased assignments is especially true for AP classes. According to Alec Griffin, AP US History teacher, he

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

assigns such projects because he believes that they enable students, especially those whose strengths lie in music or art, to look at the bigger picture. However, assignments given in AP classes should not deviate much from what students will be tested on during the actual AP exam. Even though occasional creative projects may help students retain information and memorize content, these activities hinder students’ progress when assigned too frequently. Instead of practicing with multiple choice and free response questions that appear on the AP exams, students have to devote time to processes such as video editing and poster making.

Depending on the class’ objectives, projects based on technology and art can be helpful in fostering creativity. However, it is illogical that they make up a majority of the curriculum because they do not sufficiently serve the role of teaching students the skills they need for tests or college. Instead, students should be exposed to assignments that will effectively prepare them and appropriately allow them to expand upon their knowledge base.

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.

MARCH 2014

3

VIEWPOINT

Smoking lounge for students of Standardized guidelines for grading necessary age unfit for school environment to provide students with more efficient feedback

By Sarah Y. Kim

Teacher feedback is a valuable asset to student learning; though grades are important, grades alone are not a way to meaningfully and accurately assess a student’s abilities, let alone a way to improve them. A teacher should not be perceived as someone who merely distributes grades, but as an insightful individual whose advice should be respected and sought after, so that he or she could help maximize a student’s abilities. Students would be more willing to adopt such an attitude if teachers were given standardized guidelines to ensure a more timely grading process of both formative and summative assessments, and would thus help students to improve their academic abilities.

According to Jarrett Lambie, high school principal, ‘timely grading’ may be difficult to define. For example, a math test might take far less time to grade than an essay, as grading an essay might take more critical and analytical thinking. He does, however, affirm that when an assessment requires skills that would be employed for an assessment in the near future, timely feedback

should be given no later than five or so classes after students complete the assessment. Such expectations alone could suffice as standardized guidelines.

When a student receives a graded assignment late, the student does not have as much time to consult with teachers and receive more indepth feedback on how they can improve on a related future asessment.

For example, in classes such as AP English Language and Composition, students learn from reading their teachers’ analytical comments The students might benefit from regular, consistent meetings with a teacher that take place over a longer period of time, especially when it comes to AP courses where skills are tested cummalitvely. The student cannot be expected to improve if she does not have the opportunity to improve consistently and gradually. Consulting teachers in order to improve is expected of students, yet in the case of delayed grading this opportunity is sometimes denied.

When teachers are not always available to help students improve, and students also have little time left to consult their teachers before a related assignment in the near future, students begin to lose their grasp of the value of a teacher’s feedback. In-

stead of seeking them for meaningful advice, they may become more inclined to perceive their teachers as responsible for giving them grades, and nothing more.

Teacher feedback becomes especially important when a student fails an assignment and requires a makeup. The makeup process may extend over days, during which students are obliged to consult teachers for advice. Yet, if an assignment is, for instance, returned a week before semester finals when it was completed months before, students will be unable to find the time to consult the teacher for in-depth, longterm feedback, and will be unable to prove that they understand the assessed material.

Standardized guidelines would not call for a specific time plan by the administration, which teachers are likely to find too restrictive.

Rather, teachers should be provided some means of knowing how behind or ahead they are with their class.

Without such standards, teachers may remain oblivious of how to meet up to students’ and the administration’s expectations. Teachers may have a multitude of responsibilities, but they should be provided guidance so that they can support their students in every way they can.

Equity in judging club executive applicants needed

By Celine Hwang

By Heejin E. Hong

Drinking or smoking for underage individuals may be legally unacceptable, but for adults, the same activities are allowed. However, for certain students, those who live a double identity as both a child under the school’s care and a legal adult, or the Korean age of 20, the scope of responsibilities and privileges become ambiguous.

A few students, having expressed an addiction problem with smoking, sought a school-approved venue and means to alleviate their withdrawal symptoms. Although an official proposal has not yet been submitted, conversations between the administration, HSSC and students have been ongoing about a smoking lounge for seniors who are of age. The smoking lounge for students, however, ignores the health of students and projects a negative message.

Designating a smoking lounge for students on campus allows for an increase in student involvement in smoking. The proposal would request that the school use resources to provide, if not build, venues for students to harm their own health and overlook the potential detriments simply because these students are of age. Nicotine, the main addictive substance in cigarettes, is a toxin to any of its consumers, but is known to be more harmful and addictive when ingested from a young age.

According to the American Cancer

Society, the likelihood of smokers getting addicted to cigarettes is exponentially higher for those who start younger, the very culture that a smoking lounge would support.

Furthermore, a smoking lounge on campus spreads a negative image for the school and a negative message to the students, risks unworthy for the school to take. Schools shape the moral and academic foundation of students and thus, should be leading the fight against nicotine and the smoking culture in Korea to encourage the importance of health instead of facilitating the practice. Rather to peers and underclassmen looking up to those of age, the smoking lounge serves only to justify smoking and provide means for other students to indulge in the practice.

Indeed, the facilities would only be open to those that have legal rights to make choices for themselves and smoke, whether out of interest or addiction. However, the problem is not the legality of smoking, but in the fact that they are still students. Ultimately, a school’s function is not only to prepare students academically for college, but also protect its students, whether they are legally adults or minors, from indulging in harmful practices.

Even in the past, students who were non-smokers among a group of friends who smoked have always struggled with the burden of peer pressure. With a smoking lounge, it would become even more difficult for non-smokers of age to abstain from an activity that the school has publicly allowed.

In a school where hierarchy based on age and grade level is emphasized, younger students may be regarded less favorably as candidates for club executive positions. In fact, for many clubs such as North Korean Human Rights (NKHR), only rising seniors are given opportunities to run for president. While various factors must be considered in electing club executives, grade level should not serve as a hindrance to dedicated club members.

Important characteristics of club executives such as leadership and dedication do not necessarily depend on grade level. In various community service clubs, students display their commitment by regularly visiting local community service centers, participating in school events such as bake sales and traveling to foreign countries to provide direct relief to the needy. As a result, it is possible for younger students to gain more experience than older students by participating actively in club activities. According to Yerin Kim (12), UNICEF co-president, because UNICEF’s annual Cambodia trip is an important aspect of the club, younger applicants who visited Cambodia are looked upon more favorably than older students who have not.

Furthermore, although seniors are often treated with more respect than students in lower grade levels, it is necessary to keep in mind that younger students will be expected to lead clubs in the future. If a club

consists mostly of senior executives, younger students will lack the experience needed to lead other club members. While it is possible for younger students without leadership titles to contribute positively to their clubs, only those with executive positions can gain experience cooperating with a team of members to make important decisions.

Overall, the assumption that rising seniors are more experienced than other high school students does not automatically ensure their capability to lead clubs. In fact, seniors have numerous responsibilities during the first semester of the school year. Seniors are not only obligated to complete their college applications by a specific date but also have to devote time to schoolwork because they often take many

challenging courses. As a result, they may be too overwhelmed with other duties to fulfill their roles as club executive officers. Additionally, seniors tend to lose motivation during second semester after they have submitted their college applications, and thus are less concerned about leading their respective clubs.

Instead of simply assuming that older students are more capable of leading clubs, current club executives should keep in mind that leadership and experience are not dependent on age. To ensure fairness in election or interview processes, club executives can encourage their advisers to be more involved in club activities. By widening the scope of opinions regarding future executives, clubs can eliminate discrimination based on age.

NEWS 4 NEWS BRIEFS HFH cancels w Bali trip

Photo by Kelly Kim

Caroline Kim (12) constructs public bathrooms for the home owners in Siem Reap, Cambodia.

HFH cancelled its trip to Bali which was planned to take place during spring break. Since the national Indonesian holiday Hari Raya Nyepi, also known as Day of Silence, coincided with the date of the originally planned trip, the organization in Bali was not able to proceed with the build. Instead, HFH returned to Cambodia, where club members visited before Christmas break.

“We really liked the Phnom Penh Cambodia trip last year,” said Jennifer Huh (10), HFH trip organizer. “We went to Siem Reap, a [different place from our last trip], and since it’s near Ankor Wat, students were able to experience [Cambodian] culture.”

SAT exam to go under major change for 2016 On March 6, College Board announced that the SATs would undergo major changes that will begin in the spring of 2016. The score scale will change from 2400 to 1600, with the writing section of the exam becoming optional.

The reading section will have questions that will require test takers to cite evidence for their answers, and students will be tested on the vocabulary that they use on a daily basis. According to Fredric Schneider, Dean of Students, the original purpose of the SATs was to make college admissions fair for all students, but instead evolved into a huge prepping industry. “[Over time] the SATs created a situation totally opposite [from its] intentions,” Mr. Schneider said.

“In theory the changes are good if it levels the [fairness] between the advantaged and the disadvantaged, but the question is if they can actually do that. The changes are good but are long over due.”

HSSC prepares for cafelike food cart The HSSC plans on creating a cafe-like area for the students to enjoy. It plans on making a patio that connects the roof top of the main building and the current location of the food cart sales on the third floor, where students will be able to purchase snacks and hang out outside. The HSSC is in the process of writing a proposal for the administration for the next school year.

“The idea is to make things more friendly for the student body,” said Sean Syverson, HSSC co-head adviser. “This idea will only be possible if the student body takes care after themselves, [and if] where they use the facility appropriately.”

By Eunie Jang

MARCH 2014

Underclassmen participate in BEIMUN conference

By Christine Seo

Among the 15 Model United Nations (MUN) students who traveled to the annual Beijing International MUN (BEIMUN) conference from March 11-16, only five were upperclassmen. This year, the majority of the students who attended BEIMUN, which was held at Beijing International School, were freshmen and sophomores.

“The delegates who attended the conference were more outspoken and enthusiastic, which made the atmosphere more productive,” said Jisoo Kim (12), MUN co-president. “Our underclassmen were very engaged because they were less self-conscious about themselves and weren’t afraid to speak in front of older students. Some even prepared multiple resolutions for several different issues instead of just one.”

For the first time, all the freshmen main-submitted a resolution at BEIMUN. However, despite the underclassmen’s enthusiasm, Albert Kim (11) was the only SIS student to receive the Best Delegate award.

“In this particular conference, the chairs were keen on giving all delegates an equal chance of speak-

Photo courtesy of Courtney Caldwell

Sitting in a cable car, Bona Koo (12), Yerin Kim (12) and Joyce Kim (11) anticipate their long ride up the Great Wall of China. Students had an opportunity to explore Beijing on March 12 before the conference started. ing and therefore, the freshmen were sometimes ignored by the chairs,” Albert said. “All of our students were fully prepared for the debates, as our school was one of the only ones to require delegates to research all four of the issues that were given in each committee. Even though I was the only one to receive official recognition, which was surprising, the underclassmen have several opportu-

nities to excel in the future and will do very well.”

According to Courtney Caldwell, MUN co-adviser, the delegations that the students were assigned to represent were generally the smaller and less influential nations, such as Ethiopia and Slovakia.

“I am hoping, for the students’ sake, that our delegates will be assigned nations that are more global-

ly powerful,” said Mrs. Caldwell. “It would be better for students to participate in BEIMUN with better delegations because having a powerful delegation allows them to be better acknowledged as significant leaders in the debates. It seems that the same schools obtain the larger and more influential delegations every year, so for next year, we hope to campaign for more powerful delegations.”

GIN launches new campaign Community Service Club reaches to support minority groups out to immediate community exclusive minority group.

By Yeaji Park

Giving minority groups a voice, Global Issues Network (GIN) started a new campaign on Jan. 17, called “Equality for All” which strives to give equal representation for these groups. Unlike last year, the club members are planning to run a series of campaigns all tied to the theme of equality.

“The theme encompasses all minority groups including the disabled and the elderly,” said Julia Jeong (12), co-president. “Students at SIS are privileged in terms of education and lifestyle and aren’t confronted by these disadvantages on a normal basis. There are so many groups who do not have the necessary representation, and as privileged students I feel we need to step up help [to] give these minority groups a voice.”

GIN members are currently divided into four different groups, in which they work to promote equality for everyone in the world. The four groups—working with and teaching disabled children, supporting autistic children, elementary school expansion and nature site excursion with blind people—each address an

“Our group, ‘Autism Special Talents and Rehabilitation (AutiSTAR),’ deals with children with autism,” said Jihoon Yang (10), GIN member. “AutiSTAR sells products made by kids diagnosed with autism, and GIN sold products during the KORCOS event held at SIS. Moreover, I think that direct interaction with minority groups is beneficial as we can give help in person and can actually view the fruits of our labor instead of just sending money to a place that we will never be able to go to.”

The club has not yet decided whether or not they are planning to continue on with the campaign, ‘Equality for All’ for minority groups, although according to Eugenie Lee (10) GIN member, the decision lies in the hands of the future executive members.

“It depends on the progress we make this year and whether we are able to successfully carry out our initiative, but this issue is important [nonetheless],” Eugenie Lee (10) said. “However, I believe we will be taking on a completely different issue as we renew our causes and issues annually, and the direction of our issues will change accordingly.”

By Hollis Hwang

Flooded by nearly 500 people everyday, Anna’s House, a non-profit center in Seongnam, welcomes the homeless, the elderly and the unemployed, hosting activities ranging from counseling to medical care. To support the organization’s cause, the SIS Community Service Club (CSC) began helping out at the soup kitchen every Thursday starting from March 6.

From the beginning of the year, CSC has been looking for a project that its members could commit to and consistently be engaged in. In November, as the cold weather approached, CSC went to Seoul Station to distribute scarves and kimbap to the homeless. From then on, the club has dedicated itself to serving the homeless, and is inviting nonmembers to participate.

“Within 15 minutes, we would get rid of 150 kimbap,” said Erin Hogshead, CSC adviser. “Once the club saw how many homeless there were in Seoul and their need for help, we started looking for different avenues to help them. [By going

to Anna’s House], I want students to see the need and to see that the homeless are people too. We also do very physical work. Doing something more traditional, scraping food from someone’s tray, is a very humbling service.”

CSC will continue its Thursday trips to Anna’s House for the rest of this year. To partake in Anna’s House clothes distribution, the club also placed clothes donation boxes in SIS classrooms in hopes of inviting the entire school to participate in its volunteer work. Although there has been active participation from the teachers and staff, Ms. Hogshead and Tina Shin (12), CSC co-president, noted the lack of drive from the student body in donating clothes and hopes for greater contribution from students in general.

“I wish students would reach out to their community [through the clothes drive] not because of any requirements or expectations from their peers but because they really want to,” Tina said. “Not many people pay attention to homeless centers and instead focus their attention on efforts outside of Korea, but we should also reach out to our local community.”

MARCH 2014

5

NEWS

KASA reaches out to Busan Animal Center

By Jean Cho

Hoping to broaden their influence in the Korean community, 15 members of the Korea Animal Service Association (KASA) and three chaperones traveled to Busan from March 28 to 29 in order to help the animals sheltered at the Busan Animal Center. Since the establishment of KASA last year, this trip was the first event organized outside of Seoul.

“Unlike many of the executives, like myself, who visit animal shelters other than the ones we visit together as a club, many of the club members do not spend extra time at these centers on their own initiative,” Sarah said. “Therefore, we wanted to offer a trip for the club to come together and dedicate two full days for the true purpose and goal of this club and reduce the number of abandoned animals in various cities nationwide.”

The KASA members visited the Busan Animal Center on the second day of the trip before heading back to Seoul. They were given the tasks of feeding the animals and cleaning their homes. While working, members were able to interact with the animals and bond emotionally with them.

“Seeing so many amazing dogs cooped up in cages made me choke

Guest conductor invited to teach choir classes

By Sarah Y. Kim

After conducting the Elementary Chorus Festival on March 17, Axel Theimer, director of the of the College of St. Benedict and Saint John’s University Chamber Choir (CSB/SJU Chamber Choir) and the St. John’s University Men’s Chorus (SJU Men’s Chorus), taught the Ambassador and Concert Choirs as a special guest conductor on March 18.

Born in Austria, Dr. Theimer began his musical career in the Vienna Boys Choir. After graduating from SJU and the University of Minnesota, Dr. Theimer directed many musical groups, including Kantorei and the National Catholic Youth Choir. He was awarded the Minnesota Choral Director of the Year Award by the American Choral Directors Association of Minnesota

(ACDA) in 2001, and a place in the Minnesota Music Educators Association’s Hall of Fame in 2004.

“He founded and is the executive director of the Voice Care Network, so he is knowledgeable about how to properly maintain a healthy singing voice,” said Patricia Roskens, a choir director at Korea International School (KIS) who invited Dr. Theimer to conduct the Elementary Chorus Festival. “He offers and challenges us as directors to consider the power of non-verbal communication in vocal pedagogy and the use of imagery in producing vocal sound.”

According to Dennis Darling, Dr. Theimer focused on integrating movement into the singing in order to loosen vocal constriction. He also used some of the exercises he uses for the Voice Care Network, teaching students about the structure of the vocal chords.

“Correct singing is loose and

free,” Dr. Darling said. “Many students tend to find it easier to stand still, but standing and locking in place is not a good thing to do with one’s instrument. He wants us to move around, to get rid of mental constructs and just feel the music.”

Since Dr. Theimer’s lessons, Dr. Darling has been inspired to integrate Dr. Theimer’s teachings. He makes them do some of the various kinesthetic exercises Dr. Theimer did with the students, like walking in circles and moving their arms according to the pitch and volume.

He also encourages students to sway while singing, rather than having them stand still.

“It was fun to be taught by a professional like Dr. Theimer,” Tyra Kim (10) said. “I found his exercises very challenging. Usually I focus on hitting my pitches accurately, but with Dr. Theimer’s exercises we got to focus more on moving and flowing with the rhythm.”

Photo by Sara Shin

Petting a dog at the Busan Abandoned Dog Shelter, Jun Chung (11), KASA co-president, filled the dogs’ food and water bowls and cleaned their cages. Other members fed milk to a litter of puppies at the shelter. up,” said Jiwon Yoon, KASA vice president. “A lot of them were really friendly and it made me sad that people don’t adopt dogs from shelters. Many people tend to immediately assume that these dogs will be hard to take care of due to their traumatizing experience of being abandoned. In fact, that’s more the reason why these dogs need affection and care.”

Other than taking care of animals at the shelter, KASA members visited popular attractions at Busan including the Gamcheon-dong Culture Village, Oryukdo Sky Walk and

Haeundae Beach. By visiting various tourist attractions, KASA members were able to not only assist abandoned animals but also bond together as a group.

“I hope that as much as the trip was insightful and eye-opening to me and the other members, it was beneficial to the shelter too,” said Elaine Kim (9), KASA member.

“While we didn’t have as much time with the animals as I had wanted to, I was glad that we could spread our influence outside of our local community. This trip was a great start for the many other trips to come.”

ZEITGEIST Korean opposition parties form new coalition As the local election held every four years on June 4 approaches, independent Representative Cheol Soo Ahn abandoned his ambitions to change the current two-party system by launching his own party, the New Political Vision party (NPVP). Instead, he announced in a press conference on March 3 that he would work together with the Democratic Party (DP) in order to form a new opposition party, to be called New Political vision Democratic Party. He also said that the eventual goal was to achieve a transfer of power in the next presidential election, which will be held in 2017. According to Alec Griffin, Government and Politics teacher, this new coalition shows how the traditional parties had to adapt.

“Third parties are often temporary because they pop up and inject a new idea that is adopted by one of the existing main parties,” Mr. Griffin said. “The willingness of the [DP] to form a coalition shows that other politicians are aware of the public appeal of [Representative Ahn’s] proposal to reform politics” The unification of the opposition to the ruling Saenuri Party could be instrumental in the upcoming elections. According to the Korea Herald, due to the synergy effect of the coalition, the approval rating for the Saenuri party already

fell into the 30 percent range for the first time in six months.

“When there were two main opposition parties, I thought that the Saenuri Party would win easily,” said Allison Yoo (11), an Asian Studies student. “At that time, liberal voters were dispersed into two factions based on whether they were loyal to the [DP] or the [NPVP]. Now that liberal citizens can concentrate their votes on one main party, the opposition has a higher chance of winning.”

However, other Koreans have been disappointed by Representative Ahn’s decision to form a new coalition, instead of following through with his vision of forging the NPVP. According to a Gallup Korea poll on March 9, 44 percent of responders have a negative opinion of the new opposition party, compared to 33 percent who have a positive opinion.

“What made [Representative Ahn] unique was that he remained an independent law maker and refused to join the established parties that are considered self-serving,” said David Cho (11). “By joining the political establishment, he gives off the impression that he is no different from the existing and self-calculating politicians. I think he will lose some of the support from voters already disillusioned [by] the current state of politics.”

By Jaewon Choi

CORRUPT WORLD OF OF

SPORTS

Layout by Eunie Jang

MATCH FIXING DEFEATS PURPOSE OF OLYMPICS During the 2014 Sochi Olympics, when Yuna Kim, defending champion, was trumped by 17-year-old Russian figure skater Adelina Sotnikova, who took the gold despite a two-foot landing on one of her jumps, many figure skating fans questioned whether corruption and home advantage influenced the judges’ decision in scoring the two skaters. The controversy developed when the Russian women’s figure skating judge was caught hugging Sotnikova backstage, suggesting a fixed match between some of the judges and Russia. However, many Koreans expressed that they expected this outcome, as match fixing has often occurred during international sporting events.

“I think the judges should have reevaluated some of the routines,” Sydney Ko (12) said. “For example, I’d personally like an explanation as to why Asada Mao’s triple axel was downgraded when it’s apparent from GIFs across the Internet that she did complete the rotations and only had a landing fault. I believe this sort of downgrading strategy also affected other athletes as well, but the most obvious example for me would be Asada Mao’s triple axel in her short program.”

However, this was not the first time that match fixing has played a role in tilting decisions and scores in a particular team’s favor. Along with many other teams and countries, South Korea was also blamed for fixing a 1988 Seoul Olympics boxing championship match between American light middleweights Roy Jones Jr. and Korean Si-Hun Park.

Even though Jones had landed 86 punches to Park’s 32, Park won the gold medal with a score of 3-2. Later on in 1997, it was revealed by the official International Olympic Committee (IOC) investigation that the three judges who voted for Park were bribed by South Korean officials.

This fact left a huge impact on how other countries view Korea.

Money is the main reason that match fixing occurs in the sports world. Athletes, coaches and referees participate in illegal sports betting and manipulate the games in order to win money. Recently, howev-

by Hareem Kim

er, athletes themselves have been found to purposely lose matches to gain better positions to win medals in competitive sporting events. For example, the most controversial news of the 2012 London Olympics was the badminton match fixing between players from China, South Korea and Indonesia, as they intentionally tried to lose in order to face easier opponents in future matches. All eight players involved were disqualified, disgracing their own countries.

“I think match fixing eliminates the purpose of having a competition all together, because it’s not about skills and fun anymore but just about who wins and who loses,” Eun Jin Cha (10) said. “Players who fixed the game are mocking the audience who really want to see the actual sport and that’s why people want to ban match fixing—because there is absolutely no point in watching a fake game. If I were a fan of a particular sport and found out that the player who I was truly rooting for had been involved in match fixing, I would feel betrayed.”

Jacques Rogge, former president of the IOC, deemed match fixing a bigger problem than doping, as doping affects one individual athlete, but the impact of match-fixing affects the whole competition. Although the IOC has been taking preventative measures, broken down into the three categories of safeguarding the integrity of the Olympic Games, raising awareness among the Olympic Movement and collaborating with public authorities, they have not been quite effective. Last year, the IOC provided $20 million to fight doping and match fixing.

“If you want to eliminate bias in the judging, people who are not relevant to the match, should be the judges,” said Brent Chesterman, PE teacher. “For example, for the Sochi Olympics, Russian judges should not have been judging Russian athletes. I seriously do think at the moment, two independent bodies, the host country and the IOC, are depending on each other, but they should be independent to prevent unfairness.”

KOREAN ATHLETES SUPPORTED BASED ON UNIVERSITY On the surface, university factions do not seem to be more than insignificant rivalries that lead to small skirmishes. However, during the most recent Olympics when viewers discovered that short-track speed skater Viktor Ahn, formerly known as Hyun-soo Ahn, was a victim of university factions, corruption within Korean sports associations came to light. After Ahn resorted to joining the Russian national team, people discovered the serious problems resulting from university factions in Korean sports.

In Korea, there are three distinguished athletic universities, Yongin University, Kyeonghee University and Korean Athletic University, known for producing a great number of talented athletes. As these three universities gained prominence, they used their power and connection in sports associations to place certain athletes as representatives of Korea while disregarding the accomplishments of other universities’ athletes. As a result, athletes from other athletic universities faced discrimination.

As a result of this university rivalry, sports associations often mistreat athletes. In the 2006 US World Championship, according to Ilyo newspaper, Ahn’s fellow Korean representatives were against his school, Korean Athletic University, and therefore attempted to prevent him from obtaining the gold medal. Moreover, when Ahn declined an offer from Myung-kyu Jun, current vice-chairman of the Korea Skating Union (KSU), to attend the postgraduate school in the Korean Athletic University, Jun secretly disbanded Ahn’s Seongnam skating team. After the KSU neglected Ahn instead of providing him with support after he broke his knee, Ahn joined Russia’s national team and became a Russian citizen.

“The factions are using the athletes as their tools for fulfilling their greed and selfish ambitions instead of considering them as respected and honorable,” said Leo Lee (10), nephew of the prosecutor investigating Ahn’s case. “In the case of Ahn, it was disappointing to hear that the Korean speed skating representatives were of the same nationality, yet, instead of supporting each other to increase the chances of obtaining gold medal for their country, they fought with each other. This

by Kelly Kim

definitely shows the extent to which the Korean speed skaters from different universities competed with each other rather than with foreign representatives.”

In addition to the detrimental rivalry, these schools also used their power to prevent other schools’ students from winning competitions or becoming national representatives. For example, Seung-hoon Chu and Dongshik Yoon were also revealed to be victims of factions. Yongin University judo representatives frequently won despite the score differences during national competitions. According to the Hankyoreah newspaper, in many Korean sports such as judo, taekwondo and ice related sports, athletes from the three influential athletic universities had higher chances of becoming national representatives than other universities.

“Athletes changing their nationality is common in other countries,” said Ivan Atanaskovici, Athletics and Activities Coordinator. “If one country is too good in a certain sport, athletes have a lower chance of participating in the Olympics, so they change their nationalities to increase their chances of becoming members of the Olympic team. For example, there are lots of runners from Kenya running for Sweden and Denmark. Also, athletes look for economic improvement by changing their nationality and it’s different from why athletes in Korea change their nationality.”

As more news related to university factions was revealed, the public expressed outrage and requested a change in the Korean sports system. The sports committee will investigate the Korean elite sports system, in which biased judgment and manipulation of results begin in early stages of athletes’ training.

“The nature of highly competitive sports is that when there is money on the line, athletes look for shortcuts and become less ethical about achieving their goal,” said Alex Barton-Lopez, Asian Studies teacher. “Since winning equals money, whether through sponsors or endorsement, it eliminates the purpose of competition in sports. To make sports pure, money should be eliminated and make it more of a recreational league.”

LIFESTYLE

8

MARCH 2014

Broadcasting companies impose stricter rules on K-pop choreography

By Nagyon Kim

90

90 Programs received censure from the government in 2013 for harmfulness to teens due to sexual provocativeness

ns Girl’s Day changed their feather dance after the broadcasting stations restricted exposure of thighs

main choreography on live broadcasts.

“I think girl groups nowadays are way too provocative,” Jason Moon (11) said. “It has gone to the point where it turned into a competition against each other as to who can be the sexiest among them. I feel weird that I have watched the same exact programs with my family, and I don’t think I will be able to watch it again with them because of

What is the “real world” like?

Jae Woo Nam, class of 2012, majors Biochemistry at Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST). He aims to become a thoracic surgeon in the future.

1. What is thoracic surgery and why do you want to study that field?

Thoracic surgery deals with organs in the chest including lungs, heart and esophagus. I was first looking for an internship opportunity and found one in the Seoul National University thoracic surgery department. I spent time translating medical lab reports and had the chance to observe the surgical process. Through internship, I could actually see the cells and chemical reactions in the human body. Therefore, I wanted to learn and explore thoracic surgery not only for the internship but also as a possible occupation.

2. Why did you choose to study in Hong Kong?

I chose my school based on the quality of faculties and lectures rather than location. I realized HKUST could offer the same if not better education provided in the US. Furthermore, I thought Hong Kong was an extremely international and diverse city, so the location would not pose many hardships.

3. Do you enjoy living in Hong Kong?

Although I believe Hong Kong is a good place to learn in, living here can be difficult. Hong Kong is a very populated area so the houses here are very small and very expensive. Still, Hong Kong has a very diverse population, so I can meet people from all over the world. Honestly, it is not much different from living in crowded city in the US like New York City.

4. What are your future goals?

First, I want to graduate college with decent grades that would help me go to medical school. Then, I am planning to return to Korea to prepare for the Medical Examination.

Ultimately, I want to study thoracic surgery and become a surgeon one day.

By Amelie Hayoung Koo

Dal Shabet changed its costume when the choreography of them removing of their skirts became controversial.

Three Do Nots 1. Do not touch your body 2. Do not lie down on the stage

io

ict l ta tr To Res

K-pop is an industry that runs on fads and trends, which are usually set by popular idol groups, especially girl groups. A few years ago, the trend for girl groups was to show innocence and aegyo, a Korean term meaning acting cute.

Nowadays, however, girl groups have turned to trying out provocative choreography on live broadcasts, leading major broadcasting companies, such as SBS, KBS and MBC, to enforce a ban on overly sexual choreography.

Since the debuts of 2NE1, Secret, 4Minute and f(x) in 2009, and Sistar and Miss A in 2010, the level of provocative choreography among girl groups has steadily been increasing. In 2011, 4Minute came under fire for their dance for “Mirror Mirror,” during which members opened and closed their legs on the floor in shorts. In 2013, group After School gained criticism for incorporating pole dancing into their

Increasing Restrictions on Girl Group Dances

Yes

69.3%

No

3. Do not remove your clothes

Should Sexually Provocative Girl Groups be Restricted?

Source: Daily Sports Graphic by Amelie Koo

those choreographies.”

One of the reasons the choreographies were banned was because they were deemed unsuitable for children younger than 19 years of age. Music programs air during the afternoon or evening hours, a popular time for minors to watch television. Despite this fact, already five girl groups, including Girl’s Day, AOA, Dal Shabet, Rainbow Blaxx and Stellar, have been forced to re-

vise their dances they performed on music programs this year; Stellar especially received criticism for its overly provocative choreography for “Marionette”.

“As a mother myself, I am really concerned for the children who would be watching this inappropriate choreography on television,” said Hye-jun Park, counseling office secretary. “There are so many ways to gain popularity. Groups like

Crayon Pop became popular after creatively setting themselves apart from the rest without being sexy. I don’t think entertainment companies should just resort to provocative concepts just because they’re the easiest way to get attention.”

A possible explanation for the sudden rise of provocative concepts among girl groups is the struggle to receive public attention. With the recent overflow of girl groups in the K-pop industry, entertainment companies are forced to think of new ways to make their groups stand out from the norm. Another possible explanation is the desire for groups to be recognized around the world.

“I think since K-pop follows trends similar to the U.S., it’s inevitable that idol groups have more provocative dances,” Jeffrey Mun (10) said. “They want to convey the fact that they are part of the ‘fad’ as well. I also think the turn of general girl group concepts will be a huge part of K-pop in the years to come, as it is a trend that has only recently seen exponential growth.”

Recent Korean drama appeals to fans from Asia

By Sara Shin

With eccentric characters played by prominent Korean actors, “You Who Comes From the Stars,” a popular Korean drama, ended on Feb. 27 after garnering much attention from Korean and Chinese fans. Having started last year on Dec. 18, the drama was lengthened by its broadcasting company, Seoul Broadcasting System, due to a high Korean viewer rate of 28.1 percent.

Starring renowned actors Jihyun Jeon and Su-hyun Kim, “You Who Comes From the Stars” was especially famous for its unusual characters: alien, Min-jun Do (Kim) and seemingly perfect and poised celebrity, Song-eui Cheon (Jeon). Kim is an alien that arrived in Korea 400 years ago, unable to return to his star. He meets Songeui as his neighbor, saves her life

multiple times and the two soon fall in love. The drama traces both characters’ lives and how the two overcome dangers and their innate differences to be together.

“When I heard that Su-hyun Kim would be acting in this drama, I was looking forward to it months before the drama even started,” said Angela Son (12), drama fan. “‘You Who Comes From the Stars’ incorporated fantasy elements. But more than anything, the cheesy scenes, such as when Min-jun Do uses his superpowers to make Song-eui Cheon fly, in my opinion were the most memorable and funny. ” The incorporation of humor, especially through Ji-hyun Jeon’s crass and unladylike role came as a humorous surprise to many. Since the last time Jeon acted in a drama was in “Happy Together” (1999) as a feminine and angelic character, viewers responded by complimenting Jeon’s new and fitting persona.

iQiyi and Kankan, popular Chinese drama sites, had approximately 2,200 million views for the last two episode reruns. In fact, the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, a body of advisors, met to discuss how China could produce a drama as influential as “You Who Comes From the Stars.”

The clothes that Ji-hyun Jeon wore, the foods she ate and Su-hyun Kim’s hairstyle are now soaring trends within China.

“There is a Korean area close to my old apartment in my hometown,” said Estella Duan, Chinese teacher. “I heard recently that this entire street is so crowded with people that all the restaurants have lines. Chicken and beer together are especially really popular in China right now; people have to wait hours to eat this food. I have seen my friends post pictures on their Facebooks to show that they have been to these Korean places.”

Chiwetel Ejiofor as Northup, a free African American who is kidnapped and sold into slavery. The film also stars Michael Fassbender as the abusive plantation owner Edwin Epps, for whom Northup is forced to work, and Lupita Nyong’o, the recipient of the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, as Patsey, a fellow slave.

“I thought [the film] was extremely realistic in terms of the plantations and the plantation owner because it was everything that I had conceptualized slavery to be,” said Shanna Hurt, social studies teacher. “The fact that this was the first black directed movie to get the Best Picture Oscar shows that the world hasn’t really changed. This movie slapped us into reality by showing that this is what happened, and that it’s still the same today.”

Many viewers all over the world were inspired by the storyline of the film and by the director, actors and actresses themselves. For example, according to David Moon (10), McQueen’s dedicating the Best Picture Oscar to the victims of modern-day slavery and Nyong’o stressing in her acceptance speech at the Academy Awards, which went viral online, that dreams are valid regardless of one’s race or gender, were moving.

“The acting was phenomenal as the actors, especially [Nyong’o], depicted the horrors of the cotton fields really well,” said Alice Rhim (10). “[The film] has been an inspiration to so many not only through the amazing acting, but also by giving hope and fighting against social inequalities, which is why I think it was so successful and deserving of the best pictures Oscar.”

‘12 Years a Slave’ receives numerous awards

By Patricia Song

Based on a true historical figure, Solomon Northup, the film “12 Years a Slave” made history by becoming the first film from an African-American director, Steven McQueen, to receive the Academy Award for Best Picture. The film also broke grounds in American education by being listed by the National School Boards Association as one of the few mandatory films for all public high schools in the US. The film also received a Golden Globe Award for the Best Motion Picture and several other notable awards.

The movie is an adaptation of the 1853 memoir “12 Years a Slave”

by Solomon Northup and features

MARCH 2014

Facebook’s19 billion dollar acquisition of WhatsApp stirs worldwide controversy

By Yeena Yoon

Continuing its most recent endeavors in popular mobile applications such as Snapchat and Instagram, Facebook announced its $19 billion purchase of the mobile application, WhatsApp, last month.

Paid through $4 billion in cash, $12 billion in stock and $3 billion in shares, Facebook’s newest accession has been met with anticipation among possible users as well as privacy concerns.

Created by Jan Koum in February 2009, WhatsApp is a mobile messenger application that allows users to share photos and texts for free. Its revenue depends solely on the yearly subscription payment of $0.99 after the first year of usage.

The comparatively small profit can be attributed to one of Koum’s three rules of WhatsApp: no advertising.

According to Yoon Lee (10), Whatsapp user, because there is such a stark contrast between the two social media systems regarding advertising, there is greater possibility for the policies of WhatsApp to change under Facebook.

“What I really like about WhatsApp is that it doesn’t force ads down your throat for revenue purposes, and I really hope Facebook doesn’t

change that,” Yoon said. “Facebook is a revenue driven corporation, meaning that they have ads everywhere and make even more money through users who pay for a ‘premium’ account. On the other hand, WhatApp doesn’t charge any money whatsoever. All features are unlocked from the start, and as a

“

What I really like about WhatsApp is that it doesn’t force ads down your throat...All features are unlocked from the start, and as a user this makes WhatsApp really comfortable to use,” Yoon Lee said.

user this makes WhatsApp really comfortable to use.”

While monetary concerns among users are also prevalent, another controversial aspect of this acquisition is personal privacy.

Koum’s second rule of WhatsApp, respect privacy by not storing or sorting messages, clashes with Facebook’s, which utilizes user information for advertising purposes.

To combat such worries, however,

Twitch Plays Pokémon becomes instant Internet phenomenon

By Christine Seo

Twitch, a live broadcasting platform for electronic games, has become the source of a cultural phenomenon with its new channel, Twitch Plays Pokémon. Called a “social experiment” by its creator, the channel used a new way of online gaming that was advertised as “the biggest ‘we’ moment in the history of gaming.” As many as 150, 00 players coordinated their actions to control the protagonist of the game by voting on gaming commands.

The live broadcast of the first game in the series, Pokémon Red, began on Feb. 16 and garnered 36 million total views. The players finished the game in 16 days and began the second game in the series, Pokémon Crystal, on March 2 and the third, Pokémon Emerald, on March 21.

“The concept of multiple people controlling one game at once was fascinating because it’s exciting to see thousands of people united through one medium,” said John Kim (12), a player. “Pokémon is a memorable and nostalgic game that holds a special place in many people’s hearts, which is why Twitch Plays Pokémon became such a hit.”

Despite its popularity, players raised complaints about problems, such as the 20-second backlog, which caused the game to register

the commands in the chat box only after 20 to 40 seconds. Because of the delay, gamers took seven hours to complete the simple command of having game’s character walk twelve steps.

“I think the game is perfect the way it is: flawed, difficult, buggy but perfect,” said Yoon Lee (10), a participant. “The 20-second backlog made the game more difficult and was frustrating at times, but in the end, it added to the excitement of the game. ‘Twitch Plays Pokémon’ reflects the social aspect of gamers and our skill in cooperating and overcoming difficulty, almost like a sports team does.”

The Internet phenomenon has even gained the attention of major media networks, such as CNN, BBC and the Guardian, which further fueled the Twitch craze. BBC cited the game as a legend that is a “part of internet history, happening right now.” “[The concept] is neat because gamers are playing a retro Gameboy game from the 1990s that is becoming popular again for a new and different reason,” said Erik Anderson, science teacher. “It was interesting to see how even old games go viral again if it gets the right kind of pickup. Twitch brought levels of complexity that showed that even making this one tweak of implementing the element of crowdsourcing into this old game formed a completely new craze.”

Facebook has delivered a statement that it will be operating the application separately from its website.

“I feel that my privacy is being violated when I receive spam from complete strangers,” Kristen Park (11) said. “But, I have been warned of the dangers of putting too much personal information on social networking sites and messenger applications, I don’t thinking about my privacy when I use these websites and mobile applications.”

With the recent news and attention of WhatsApp, the application has seen a drastic increase in number of users. According to Forbes, some 90 million people were using WhatsApp by its third birthday in the spring of 2012, a surprising growth in itself. In a recent speech, however, Koum revealed that the application currently boasts a 465 million active user count, just witnessing a 15 million-user increase since the news of Facebook’s purchase.

“I don’t really see myself using WhatsApp,” Jaeha Kim (9) said.

“In Korea, KakaoTalk takes up so much of the market at this point, that I can’t imagine WhatsApp following up to the level of competition of other popular Korean mobile messenger applications, unless they have a distinctive function of feature.”

9

LIFESTYLE

?

What’s Up With

Graphic by Dasoo Milton Yoon

0 32 of Facebook’s cash it 35 Theis usingpercentage for the deal. of users who use the 72 Theapppercentage on a daily basis.

The amount of money Google 10B offered to purchase Whatsapp. of money Facebook paid 19B Thefor amount the app.

The number of message that 50B WhatsApp processes each day.

The amount of money WhatsApp invested in marketing.

The number of engineers providing for 450 million users.

Source: Information Week, WhatsApp

DANIEL KIM’S SEARCH FOR

HIDDEN GEMS Pharrell Williams all about girls in ‘Girl’ Featured in two of the most popular singles of 2013, “Blurred Lines” and “Get Lucky,” and raking in four Grammy Awards, Pharrell Williams enjoyed the most fruitful year in his career since his days with the Neptunes. In contrast to his collaborative ventures, Williams noticeably lacked success as a solo artist, his first album, “In My Mind,” dividing critics and yielding lukewarm commercial performance in 2006. However, his second album, “Girl,” riding on his popularity from 2013, showcases William’s extending the lighthearted optimism that brought Williams back to the peak of the pop arena.

It is difficult to pick out hidden gems in “Girl,” in that the whole album sounds like a single, continuous song. The definite centerpiece of the album is “Happy,” the Academy Award-nominated “Despicable Me 2” soundtrack, but the rest

of the album manages to continue the retro sound that he has mastered. “Brand New,” the collaboration with Justin Timberlake, continues the trend that Williams has set for himself. Both Timberlake’s and Williams’ falsettos are highlighted in this feel-good pop record.

The biggest difference between this record and Williams’ debut is that the tunes on “Girl” are instantly catchy. While his Neptunes-era sound was prominently based on groove, these songs, following the success of 2013’s singles, definitely feature more melodic aspects. The opener, “Marilyn Monroe,” noticeably forgoes the signature percussive rhythms in favor of lush string arrangements by film composer Hans Zimmer, best known for his work on the soundtracks of a wide range of movies, including “The Lion King” and “Gladiator.” Also supported by Nile Rodger’s gui-

tar strums, this song exemplifies Williams’ knack for fusing genres.

As the title suggests, “Girl” is all about girls. Although having stated in an interview that he wants to rid the negative association that people had with the single, “Blurred Lines,” Williams still sings more or less about acquiring women, rather than women themselves.

The lyrics can be diregarded though, as they are not meant to be scrutinized. The purpose of the album is the general atmosphere of carefree cheerfulness; and Williams delivers.

SPORTS 10

MARCH 2014

Sports Photo of the Month

Photo by Yeni Cho

Propelling herself forward during the girls 100m breaststroke event, Joyce Chung (11) swims alongside of Darin Son (11) at the SIS swim meet on March 19.

Joyce placed ninth with a record of 1:40:50 seconds.

Coach Tony Hurt receives award in recognition of previous long-term coaching service in US

By Daniel Jungho Choi

After having coached soccer at SIS for four years, Tony Hurt, varsity boys soccer coach, was surprised to receive an email that notified him of his selection to receive the Tracey Fifer Award, an honor given to coaches who have dedicated themselves to coaching high school soccer in Colorado.

Coach Hurt not only coached high school soccer players at Heritage High School in Colorado for 17 years, but was also an active member of the Colorado soccer coaching community. He received this award after being nominated by teachers in the Colorado High School Soccer Coaches Association (CHSSCA).

“I coached varsity, junior varsity and freshman [soccer] teams at my school,” Coach Hurt said. “ [I also] coached the competitive soccer teams at the Littleton Soccer Club. A lot of the players that played for the high school also competed in club soccer, then regionally and nationally, so that they could practice and get better outside of the soccer season.”

Soccer has been a large part of Coach Hurt’s life. He began playing soccer when he was younger in Eng-

land, and has been coaching high school soccer for decades. Coach Hurt would often accompany his teams to tournaments across the nation. “[Students] would travel all around the country during breaks to travel to places like San Francisco or Florida to attend tournaments,” Coach Hurt said. “Sometimes the

“

The level of competition in these tournaments was really [intense],” Coach Hurt said. “We often played really good teams; in some cases where we were just fighting to stay alive.”

level of competition in these tournaments was really [intense]. We often played really good teams; in some cases we were just fighting to stay alive.”

Inspired by Coach Hurt’s passion and dedication for soccer, some students have continued to pursue soccer seriously even after graduating high school. One of his former

players, Kendra Chandhoke, whom Coach Hurt taught in Colorado, later went on to play soccer at the University of Portland and compete professionally on the US national team.

The Tracey Fifer Award recognizes the long-term achievement of coaches that have coached high school soccer in Colorado. To win the award, a recipient must have been a member of the CHSSCA for 15 years, and retired from coaching in Colorado for over three years. This recognition of long-term achievement and service also requires that the recipients have exemplified the CHSSCA Code of Ethics and have had a positive impact on the environment of high school soccer in Colorado. “[Coach] Hurt was once the president of the CHSSCA, and he’s the one that actually started the award,” said Shanna Hurt, history teacher. “When he was the head of the soccer association, he would also do a lot of things behind the scenes to help organize [different events], even community service awareness drives like promoting breast cancer awareness. He’s won achievement awards in the past, but this award means a lot more in terms of the big picture and how you live your life.”

Senior athlete stars in all three sports teams SIS swim team finishes

strong in first meet of year

By Yeni Cho

The crowd all jumped up and cheered for Gary Kim (12) as he spread his arms wide and ran across the field after making a goal in the first 17 minutes of the home game against YISS junior varsity boys soccer team on March 5, in which Gary pulled off a hat-trick.

Gary is not only the co-captain of the varsity boys soccer team, but also the captain of the volleyball team and a starting member for the basketball team. In his freshmen year, he only participated in basketball. Then he took on soccer in his sophomore year. Last year, Gary’s teammate Patrick Chin (12) convinced him to also join the volleyball team.

“I spent a lot of my time and energy because sports is something I must have in order for my body to function properly,” Gary said, “Also, because I play sports all year, it feels like I am always in pretty good shape and it feels good to constantly exercise. Another benefit is that I get to experience a variety of things, such as going abroad to play against other teams and trying new sports, which in my case, was volleyball in junior year.”

During his high school years, Gary attended four overseas trips to Yokohama and Osaka, Japan for volleyball, basketball and soccer AISA Tournaments.

“Gary and I went to out first AISA Tournament in Yokohama in our sophomore year,” said Alex Son (12), varsity basketball co-captain.

ATHLETE OF THE YEAR: GARY KIM

By Michael Eugene Kim

'13-'14 Basketball Season Highlights AISA All-Torunament KAIAC All-Conference KAIAC MVP Coach's Choice

16 &TEAM AWARDS INDIVIDUAL

“We remember and are remembered for the records we leave, and that is only established through winning.”

“From that tournament on, we began to form a solid partnership on the same side of court every play whether it be on offense or defense.

We’ve been using that connection for the last three years, making sure we remain on the left or the right, so long as we remain together.”

According to Tony Hurt, varsity boys soccer coach, who has been coaching Gary for the past three years, Gary has shown passion and improvement throughout the years.

“He is our most valuable athlete in the school,” Coach Hurt said. “He understands sports, he understands where to go, and he understands where to move. But the big thing that Gary has is his mental strength.

When game is on the line, he likes to be in the pressuring situation. He embraces that kind of competitiveness.”

As a sports enthusiast, Gary believes that his driving forces are the

Graphic by Bason Park

competitive nature of sports and the desire to leave a better record.

“Well, in the end, it’s all about winning,” Gary said. “Everyone always says it’s all about enjoying the game and learning a lot. I agree that those factors also matter, and they’re important. However, we remember and are remembered for the records we leave, and that is only established through winning, and winning again until you reach the top.

Gary plans to continue his athletic pursuits after he graduates, having contacted college coaches to potentially play soccer in college.

“I applied to Division 3 colleges because I wanted to continue my career as an athlete and a soccer player,” Gary said. “[Coach] Hurt gave me a lot of advice on how I would fit in well with Division 3 soccer teams and his guidance was pivotal in helping me make my decision for the future.”

SIS hosted the year’s first swim meet on March 19, competing against SFS, SAHS, and GSIS in a friendly meet. The swim team, coached by Melissa Hubley, in total won four events: the Boys 100 Meter Breaststroke, the Girls 100 Meter Breaststroke, the Boys 50 Meter Backstroke and the Boys 100 Meter Freestyle. The swim meet was a friendly meet, meaning that while the points were counted, they wouldn’t count towards the team score in KAIAC tournaments. The meet was one of the first in this semester, with the KAIAC meet scheduled for April 5.

The competition followed the KAIAC B format of swim meets, which included the 200-meter individual medley, the 200-meter medley relay and the 50-meter freestyle, among other events. While some events were exhibition races, many SIS students beat their personal records; as well as practicing for the events they preferred the most.

“I really like being the last person on the relay team,” said Young Wook Park (10), varsity swimmer.

“Everyone is cheering for their school relay teams, and the roar in the pool really makes the event very special. More importantly, I enjoy the feeling of being in control, since the last person on the relay team will be the deciding factor.”

In addition to being a develop-

mental practice session for swimmers, the friendly meet served as a demonstration of this year’s captains’ abilities to lead the team. The captains, Amy Lee (11) and Dustin Yoon (11), were crucial in leading the stretches, pushing the swimmers and being a positive influence on the team.

“The team is bigger this year since we had a lot of freshmen on the team last year,” Coach Hubley said.

“Now the freshmen are sophomores, so there’s also a difference in terms of the dynamic of the team. They are more experienced, so the team in general does more cheering and the attitude is more focused. The captains really took the lead this year in running the warm-up as well.”

Coach Hubley, who is moving to New Hampshire next year along with her husband at the University of New Hampshire graduate school, expressed her gratitude and pride at the development and improvement of the swimming team.

“I’ve been swimming and coaching here for four years,” Coach Hubley said. “I’m both happy and proud of their progress. Getting to this point was a testament to both how the captains stepped up and how the swimmers altered their attitude to become even more professional in the sport.”

The records were processed and reviewed by Akio Iida, who was responsible for the logistics and data processing needed to accurately display the time records of all the athletes at the meet.

MARCH 2014

11

SPORTS

Varsity girls soccer team endures loss against KIS in away game in the next three minutes and scored another goal, widening the score gap to 1-3. For the last ten minutes, the Tigers attempted to overturn the score but were hindered by the opponent’s team multiple offensive attempts. Just four minutes before the final whistle blew, a KIS player quickly gained possession of the ball and scored the final goal, which resulted in a 1-4 loss for SIS.

By Celine Hwang and Daniel Kim

Preview

Having lost 1-4 in its previous match against the Korea International School (KIS) Phoenixes, the SIS girls varsity soccer team anticipated a tough game on March 19.

Minutes before the game, the atmosphere was tense as both teams practiced passing and shooting drills.

Overview

First Half

From the onset of the first half, the Tigers were on the defensive as the Phoenixes held tight control of the ball. After protecting the goal post for 15 minutes, hints of opportunities arose when strikers Jiwoo Kim (10) and Tiffany Jung (10) regained control of the ball and attempted shots at the goal. While the two teams maintained an uneasy impasse as both attempted to gain a competitive edge, one of the KIS players abruptly took hold of the ball, dribbling down the right side of the field. Although the defenders and goalkeeper Christine Lee (12) quickly jumped to block the shot, the KIS player managed to score the

Photo by Hollis Hwang

Lunging in for a challenge, forward Tiffany Jung (10) tackles the opponent in an effort to regain possession of the soccer ball at the varsity girls first KAIAC match against KIS on March 19.

first goal 24 minutes into the game.

Following this goal, the tide of the game shifted to the Phoenixes, and there were various situations in which Christine faced one-on-one encounters. Thirty three minutes into the game, a KIS player dribbled speedily past Christine and defender Sydney Ko (12) to shoot into an open net and set the score to 0-2.

Second Half As both teams strived to outmaneuver one another, no goals were scored for the first 19 minutes. Despite Sydney and Jane’s attempts to lessen the score gap, the Phoenixes remained steadfast in their efforts to maintain their lead.

The two teams continued sprinting

Coaching staff changes expected in upcoming year

By Jean Cho

In the following school year, six coaches from fall, winter and spring sports will leave SIS. Paloma Julian, varsity girls basketball coach, Jeff Harrison, varsity boys volleyball coach, Melissa Hubley, varsity swimming coach, Tim Gardes, varsity swimming coach, Alec Griffin, cross country coach, Tony Hurt, varsity boys soccer and girls tennis coach and Shanna Hurt, varsity boys soccer coach, have expressed both sadness for leaving SIS and excitement for their future plans.

All six of the coaches had been a part of their respective sports for at least two years, making the connections to their teams even stronger.

The varsity boys soccer team and the varsity swimming team will be losing either all or more than half of their coaching staff.

“Although Coach Hubley and I are both leaving, we’re happy and relieved that Mr. Ida will be here to

continue on with the curriculum we established next year,” Coach Gardes said. “But we know that the captains, who we purposely chose to be juniors so that there will be some continuity next year, and the other teammates will help the new team members adjust to the team. Swimming has been one of the most enjoyable things during my third year at SIS and I definitely will miss it.”

Ashley Park (11), varsity girls tennis player, showed sadness for being unable to work with Coach Hurt, who was both her history teacher and tennis coach, and also gratitude for the many words of advice and encouragement he gave her.

“During the two years I spent with him in the tennis team, [Coach] Hurt gave me two words of advice that I will never forget: ‘keep your head up’ and ‘have fun’,” Ashley said.

“I will always remember these words because they are two crucial tips that apply to all athletes. Through him, I learned to enjoy the tension you get when playing against an opponent and [realized] that the process

is more important than the result.

Adjusting to a new coach next year will undoubtedly be a rough transition, but the team will [have to] go through it together.”

According to Ivan Atanaskovic, Athletics and Activities Director, the coach recruitment process starts right after the spring sports season ends in early May. All teaching staff members, both new and returning, are free to apply through an online application process, although those with specific skills and abilities have an advantage.

“We base our decision on previous playing and coaching experience, knowledge, sporting philosophy, what kind of approach they have to a team, what they are hoping to gain from this season and what they hope the students will gain from this season,” Mr. Atanakovic said. “The length of the deliberation process depends on how many strong candidates we have in each position. I am sure that we will find competent and well-rounded coaches for the next season.”

across the field, when Sue Lee (9) received Christine’s goal kick and dribbled the ball to the opponent’s goal post. Although Sue was met with two defenders from the KIS team, with a swift pass and receive, she was able to score a goal, shifting the score from 0-2 to 1-2. The Tigers were only behind by one point until the Phoenixes rapidly pulled ahead

Although the SIS girls varsity soccer team lost 1-4, according to Sydney, the team demonstrated significant improvements and played a competitive game against the KIS Phoenixes.

“The game against KIS was going to be difficult regardless of when we played them this season since we are their main competition,” Sydney said. “However, this particular game was unfortunate because we did have our regular Tuesday practice before our game due to the air pollution. With the long weekend some of us had not touched a soccer ball for about a week. Despite the unfortunate circumstances, we played excellently. After the first goal, and even after the second, we never let the fire of our spirits go out.”

MC SPORTS

COMMENTARY This column is a short commentary on sports events that are happening around the world. The commentators, Christine Lee and Milton Yoon, express their opinions about these sports events. This particular episode is about Oscar Pistorius, South African sprinter and currently on trial for the murder of his girlfriend, Reeva Skeenkamp.

Christine: Hello loyal readers!

Welcome to yet another episode of MC Sports commentary. Milton, when you think of the Paralympics, what is the first thing that comes to mind?

Milton: Definitely the fact that people can compete in different sports even with physical and intellectual disabilities. I think it’s an amazing feat.

Christine: Well, one Paralympic athlete is getting a lot of attention…and not in a good way.

Milton: Indeed, our guest today is a gold-medalist sprinter who shocked the world with the murder of his girlfriend. Everyone please welcome Oscar Pistorius.

Pistorius: Hello and thank you for having me today.

Milton: Mr. Pistorius, please tell us your side of what happened when Ms. Skeenkamp was killed.

Pistorius: I thought Reeva was in bed when I shot at who I thought was an intruder. I had spoken to her shortly beforehand so I was sure it was a bruglar. Everything was a tragic misunderstanding.

Christine: But you still admit to killing her, right?

Pistorius: Yes, I do admit to killing her, an extremely heartbreaking experience. But I

deny all charges of murder. I did not kill my girlfriend on purpose.

Milton: However, witnesses that appeared for testimonies stated that they had heard arguments before the shots and that you had a history of rebellious, violent behavior.

Pistorius: There have been incidents in the past, yes. However, I loved my girlfriend and a lot of the evidence is circumstantial, as no one except me, the accused, witnessed Reeva’s death.

Christine: Yet, don’t you feel like these violent outbreaks along with the fact that one of your friends admitted that you had a “big love for guns” will ultimately charge you as guilty?

Pistorius: The truth will ultimately prevail. I did not kill my girlfriend.

Milton: The trial will continue to gain international attention as more evidence is discovered and testimonies are heard. Thank you, Mr. Pistorius.

Pistorius: Thank you.

Christine: Well, that’s it for our sports commentary today, folks!

Milton: We’ll return next month as spring comes in full bloom with more entertaining sports news! See you guys next time!

Disclaimer: Although this column is based on facts, the interviews are entirely fictional.

SMALL TALK

By Bason Park

FAUX NEWS

12

MARCH 2014

New administration denies students’ freedom of press

In an effort to control the way in which information is presented to the students, the headmaster of Carton International School recently formed a business partnership with a team of professionals called Wide Eyes Agency (WEA). The WEA took over the school and implemented strict policies that restricted certain freedoms.

One of the many violations to basic human rights was the restriction of the freedom of press. After stating that the WEA would not tolerate any negative influence that the school magazine would have on students, its members launched a program in which every letter of the alphabet in the magazine was meticulously scrutinized. Every possible connotation of every word was noted by the reports not only to make sure that the magazine articles would not offend students but also to avoid denigrating the WEA in any way.

“After we launched this campaign, the

school magazine consisted mostly of articles that were highlighted in black and cropped photos,” said Wendrick O’Brien, head of WEA. “Our goal is to remove as much content as possible from the magazine in the next few months so that no student is offended or influenced by any unfavorable information.

This can serve as a genuine symbol of our school’s pure reputation.”

The WEA also developed a seemingly efficient system called the “Insta-deleter,” a new program used to filter information in the magazine. Whenever a member of the WEA types in key words or phrases that are considered inappropriate into the search bar, the Insta-deleter immediately gets rid of all articles that contain those words. On the most recent issue of the magazine, for example, the Insta-deleter eliminated all articles containing the words “north” and “Korea.”

Among the sections that were eliminated

PHOTO OF THE MONTH

were an infographic on global warming in the North Pole and a scoreboard on the performance of Korea in the Olympics.

“I wholeheartedly support the new program that the WEA is running in our school,” said Winston Smith (12), student representative. “As the majority of the articles are removed, it allows me and my peers to absorb the important information in the remaining

STUFF

articles. In fact, I believe the WEA’s actions have helped me reflect on the material I read and think in a global perspective.”

According to research conducted by members of The Zenger Organization, a school club advocating for the freedom of press, there is a high chance that this article is going to get censored by the Insta-deleter before the magazine gets published.

PEOPLE SAY

ABOUT THE NEW GENERATION

1 2 Photo by Hollis Hwang

After receiving her chocolate bouquet for organizing the KORCOS conference, Irene De Shazo, admissions director and conference coordinator, acknowledges and thanks the people who attended. “We’re sharing the chocolates,” Ms. De Shazo said.

3 4

These days everyone is obsessed with their smart phones and other tiny gadgets. If you sit on the subway, all anyone is doing is looking at his/her phone.

What happened to genuine human communication?

Yes, because in the past, everyone on public transportation sat down, held hands and sang Kumbayah together! Isn’t it horrible that today we can get important work done or talk to people we actually care about?

Young people have become so numb to violence and graphic images because of video games and movies.

This is obviously the reason behind the increased crime in today’s society.

Maybe we’re just better adjusted to the reality that is our world: constant violence and assaults on innocent people, not just in international wars, but in our own streets. Maybe if there were limits on guns to prevent these events we wouldn’t be seeing them everyday on the news.

The younger generation cares so little about what’s happening around the world and is doing nothing to educate itself or contribute to society.

Today’s generation is actually being estimated as the age group most active in philanthropy and community service, as large percentages of key non-governmental and other humanitarian groups are under the age of 25. How selfish!

I don’t understand how these young people can be so rude and disrespectful to their elders. What happened to the good old ideals of filial piety?

Obviously these young people are only following in the steps of their older role models, as senior citizens only display the best manners of pushing others and spitting in public. Or maybe we’ve just finally realized that even if a person is older than you, there’s no reason to show respect him unless he’s respectful first.

Meet Helen Song!

Disclaimer: All comments are in good fun. Please don’t hate. Appreciate the humor.