Tiger Times Volume 34 Issue 9

Tiger Times seoul international school

volume xxxiv

a p r i l 2011

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Faculty Friend Experiencing Global Needs: Habitat for Humanity members experience life as refugees, AIDS victims and slum dwellers . Page 3.

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Art Week combines aesthetic displays with entertainment

By Michelle Kim

The auditorium rang with the sound of laughter when Juhohn Lee (11) and Younghwan Sim (11) did a complicated and exaggerated high five as part of the first scene in the Drama II office interview play on April 15. It was one of the many events organized for SIS’s first annual Art Week, hosted by National Art Honor Society (NAHS). It was held from April 11-15.

Each day was dedicated to a specific program: the Cinema Club had film screenings, the band performed in the atrium, United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) hosted a Teacher Talent Show, the concert choir and Ambassadors performed, NAHS sold handmade goods, Advanced Placement (AP) art had an exhibition and Drama II students performed a play.

“This year, the NAHS board members led the idea of having an art week,” said Jennifer Smith, art teacher and NAHS sponsor. “They contacted Dr. Darling, Mr. Rider and Mr. Riley to coordinate the dates. Then they went to the respective groups and asked them if they wanted to join Art Week, and they said yes.”

For the art exhibition, 22 students displayed artwork they made with a theme they decided themselves. Giwon Lee (11) exhibited dresses she constructed from re-

Photo by Stephanie Song

At the AP Art Exhibition on April 14, Jessica Han (11), explains her AP Drawing concentration pieces to Sandra Goldsborough. The exhibition featured a variety of pieces created by students of AP Drawing, 2-D and 3-D design. cycled material such as newspaper, plastic bottles and disks.

“Each dress took about a week to make,” said Giwon. “It was fun to make the dresses and decide what material to make each of them out of because I could be as creative as I

wanted to.”

The event that garnered the most interest was the Teacher Talent Show. It gained the interest of the entire school community. Performances included the teacher band “Hobbyists” and teacher dance

group Bigger Bang, which was publicized with a video trailer.

Art Week received positive feedback from both students and faculty.

Not only could they learn about the visual and performing arts, but they could also enjoy the art exhibitions

and events.

“I went to all the events,” said Matthew Park (12). “I definitely enjoyed them, especially the Teacher Talent Show. I think Art Week really showed that we have a strong arts department that’s unseen.”

GIN invites speaker to raise awareness on Number of HSSC applicants climate change and water-related issues diminishes significantly

By Elizabeth Song

By Lydia Kim

Venice, Paris and the Maldives are just a few locations from Newsweek’s list of a “100 Places to Remember Before They Disappear”— disappear because of radical climate changes in the past century.

The Global Issues Network (GIN) invited Jinyoung Choi from The Climate Project on April 1. The Climate Project, a non-government organization founded by Al Gore, aims to train a wide range of people to spread awareness about the impacts of climate change.

“We really wanted to get a speaker because we had seen learned from so many at the GIN conference past fall,” said Yeeun Chun (11), GIN member. “The Climate Project was one of the few NGOs dedicated to educating students about global issues. It was definitely a first choice.”

Ms. Choi spoke about the environmental harms of excessive water use and rising carbon dioxide levels.

“The last 10 years [were the warmest 10 years] in the last 200 years,” said Ms. Choi. “From 1914 to 2002, [the] amount of glaciers decreased by half. As they melt, sea levels rise, causing superstorms and floods. [On] dry continents, heat

Photo by Linda Heeyoung Park

Reminding students about the climate change in the world, the GIN keynote speaker ends the presentation on April 1. waves, droughts and wildfires are caused by the higher temperatures from rising carbon dioxide levels.”

Students were able to connect statistics of rising carbon dioxide levels to the environmental impacts they witnessed in the world.

“There [have] been [many] floods recently like the ones in Pakistan, China and Japan,” said Ally Chung (10). “I never thought this was because of carbon dioxide levels.”

Ms. Choi said that this problem could be solved if everyone pitches in to conserve energy.

“I want you to make little

changes in life,” she said. “Mahatma Gandhi said, ‘Be the change that you want to be in the world.’ Turn off water when brushing your teeth, use public transportation and turn off lights when you’re not in the room.”

While some learned about environmental crises, Yeeun discovered the student body’s dedication to learning about current events.

“Our middle school’s deep interest was encouraging,” she said.

“I’m so thankful for everyone who came out, and it definitely taught me that we tend to underestimate the dedication and compassion within our own school.”

“If I could, I would make this woman your lunch lady,” claimed Adrian Kim’s (9) presidential poster, referring to Emma Watson. Every April, High School Student Council (HSSC) candidates hang up posters prior to the elections.

However this year, candidates for executive president, executive treasurer, executive secretary, junior class president and junior class treasurer ran unopposed. In addition, the senior roles of vice president and secretary were unfilled. On the contrary, all of the ninth and 10th graders’ positions were occupied.

“There are fewer demands on their time in terms of academics,” said Gray Macklin, HSSC advisor.

“Also, they still believe they can win.

There’s a perception [by junior year] that ‘If I haven’t done it before, I’m not going to win.’”

Students for uncontested positions did not have to go through the entire process, which involved a speech and a panel interview.

“I’m quite disappointed that I can’t get up there and prove certain points,” said David Lim (11), next year’s executive president. “I also won’t have a chance to introduce my

vision of HSSC 2011-2012.”

Unlike David, Jinwoo Hong (10) wanted to avoid public speaking, which is why he decided not to run for class president.

“I get nervous when I’m in front of a lot of people,” said Jinwoo. “Being in the HSSC requires a lot of speaking [up] in assemblies, so I decided not to try out.”

According to Angela Son (9), sophomore treasurer candidate, students also refrained from applying because of the notion that the elections were popularity contests.

“Most people think these voting procedures depend on popularity,” said Angela. “Before running, they look at who’s already running and give up, just because they think that someone more popular is running.”

Mr. Macklin hopes that one day, the interest level in HSSC will rival that of Tiger Times or Yearbook.

“It’s bad [when not many are running] because students have fewer choices in terms of who they have to represent them,” said Mr. Macklin. “But it’s good because people who are not serious about the organization are not coming out.

The ideal situation would be to have more people serious about [HSSC participating].”

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april 2011

Letter to the Editor

Editorial

SIS and sexuality Gay. The word that provokes a whole world of controversy.

Like the “International” part of this school’s name suggests, SIS reflects global or Western viewpoints, one being the opinions on sexuality. But this is still Korea, and there are differences.

Thus, to better understand how the average SIS student feels about sexualities, I conducted some surveys and interviews.

Holding true to its reputation for being one of the most controversial topics of today, the only result that was the same with all interviewees was that all identified “certain” as straight.

Comparing grades, the freshmen were more accepting toward sexuality than sophomores, although they admitted to using more “gay slurs” as part of their colloquial language.

Comparing sexes, the females were more liberal-minded, but also more cautious about homosexual rights whereas males, although far more uncomfortable, believed that sexuality did not play a factor in having full and equal rights.

One interesting factor was that while all believed that discriminating based on sexuality was wrong, most did so themselves, describing homosexuals as “weird” or “creepy” and testifying that they were either uncomfortable with homosexuality, or were “okay” with it only when it was unrelated to them.

My take on this ironic phenomenon is that people are torn by the various influences that they are impacted by in their lives. Based on

the survey, the interviewees were most influenced by society and tradition. Society tells us that discrimination is wrong, but tradition, that homosexuality is wrong.

No wonder SIS and Korea in general defy the statistics from the World Health Organization that anywhere from about 4 percent to 13 percent of the world’s population identifies with being homosexual. Who’d enjoy being “out” in such an hypocritical world as this?

Here is something to think about: A question that I asked in my interviews was, “If you discovered that you changed to being gay or lesbian, how would you feel and react?”

All but one said that they would feel shocked, would hide it and would try to change themselves back. And even the one said that although she would accept it, she wouldn’t be publically “out.”

I, personally, would completely embrace myself as always.

It’s who I am, and I’m proud of it.

And I don’t know for sure, but I would like to think that I’d be brave enough to be “out.”

So to all those possible ‘closeted’ people out there: Keep faith, and appreciate yourself. There will be a future in which people will look back to our present and wonder how the people of today were so limited in their thoughts.

And in the meanwhile, I’ll be doing what I can to make that future come a little faster.

By Jenny Shim (10)

Photo by Linda Heeyoung Park

Administration must show more support for the fine arts In approximately three years, SIS may have a fine arts center, where the elementary school building stands today. Music, drama and art students will be able to enjoy larger classrooms and possibly even take previously unoffered courses, such as Advanced Placement (AP) Music Theory.

Plans have already been drawn up to construct a two station gym underground and a new elementary school building where Tiger Gym I is located during the summer.

Therefore, the present elementary school building will be vacated for use, possibly by the music and fine arts programs.

The current lack of courses, teachers and proper equipment in the fine arts departments demonstrates the need for the school administration to pass a proposal to build a fine arts center within the next three years and provide students with a quality music and fine arts education in the meantime.

What severely limits the fine arts programs is the lack of available space; all classrooms are in use, and new courses cannot be introduced without dropping

others. According to Dan Riley, band director, in most US public schools, the orchestra and band are divided based on students’ skill levels, but in SIS, concert band and intermediate band courses cannot be proposed because there are too few music teachers. Presently, 64 students are enrolled in high school orchestra and band, yet many students do not make the auditions and are unable to receive further music instruction at SIS. The demand for a variety of fine arts classes and programs is high but unmet.

While the building of the fine arts center is in progress, the administration also must focus on meeting the fine arts’ departments’ short-term goals. Even though the administration cannot offer more classes due to lack of space, the administration can provide basic supplies and equipment. During the next three weeks, as the administration will discuss the budget plan for the 2011-2012 school year, the administration should invest in providing basic supplies. For example, Dennis Darling, choral instructor, has requested for specific

equipment, including a bookcase, the latest music software programs and a rehearsal piano.

According to Peter Corcoran, high school principal, a large degree of SIS’s fine art programs is driven by students’ graduation requirements. In other words, because more students choose to study academic subjects in university, fewer music, art and drama courses and more academic courses are offered in high school. However, the school essentially limits what students choose to study in university by offering an insufficient number of fine arts courses and below standard equipment.

School pride should not only lie in its academics, but also its music and fine arts programs. Fine arts students and teachers, do not hesitate to suggest proposals to the administration, and administrative members, make the right decision and invest in SIS’s fine arts programs.

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

School justified in regulating students’ online activities

By Stella Kim

When Facebook and Twitter were not around, the line between on-campus and off-campus activity was clear. Once a student left school grounds, the school did not have any power over his or her behavior. Now, students can update their statuses online and post tweets about their lives beyond school gates during school hours, giving the school the right to assert more control when it comes to dealing with students’ behavior.

Many students choose to publicize details about their social lives online. Sometimes these details are perhaps too revealing, with students talking about activities such as drinking alcohol and smoking, which are illegal for the vast majority of SIS students.

This not only criminalizes the Editors-in-Chief Yuri Han Chris Kim Managing Editor Peter Moon Production Editor Kristine Oak Graphics Editor Stephanie Song

students who engage in such behavior, but it also damages SIS’s reputation online. Many students who make their off-campus behavior public on the Internet are also members of the SIS network. People will make judgments about SIS based on the information immediately available to them. Publicizing details can pose a problem even to students ap-

athetic about how their posts affect SIS’s public image especially when they apply to universities or look for jobs.

The lack of consequences for posting such information has made students forget that on such an open medium like the Internet, virtually anyone has access to their comments. The majority of SIS students

Copy Editors Angela Cho Eunice Lee Stella Kim

Photographers Joshua Kim Linda Heeyoung Park Jessica Song

Reporters Lydia Kim Michelle Kim Elizabeth Song

Marketing Director Jasmine Park

Layout Artists Jason Huh Elizabeth Kim Lucia Minah Yang Jonathan Yun

Advisor Ms. Carolyn Brown

Cartoonist Daniel Lee

fail to use Facebook’s privacy settings to their advantage, meaning it may be easy to delete a post, but it is almost impossible to control who sees it. As the recent Alexandra Wallace controversy has shown, one might not even be able to permanently delete a post because others have already obtained copies of the original. Wallace, a student at the

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

University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), uploaded a video of herself in a tirade against UCLA’s Asian student population. Soon after she uploaded the video, she deleted it from her YouTube account, but it was too late—the video had already gone viral.

Of course, the school cannot punish students for other dubious online behavior such as swearing; unlike drinking or smoking, swearing is not illegal for teenagers. However, if the school is informed of illegal behavior or comes across it online, turning a blind eye is not an option. Although 65 out of 89 students believe the school should not interfere with their lives off-campus, the administration should not be criticized for advising students to remove the inappropriate material from the Internet or perhaps even informing parents about their children’s behavior.

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

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Leaders, advisors should compromise for equal input

By Angela Cho

Cartoon by Daniel Lee

Pop music loses its pop

By Jonathan Yun

On March 14, the world faced the revival of one of the most devastating pandemics in history: the Black Plague—but in musical form.

Rebecca Black’s infamous song “Friday” signifies the end of quality pop music and the beginning of poor mainstream noise.

Of course, taste in music is a subjective matter.

There are d i f f e re nt views on individual songs, but general agreement determines whether a song is enjoyable or terrible. Meaningless lyrics about getting wasted, auto-tuned voice, and plagiarized background music are characteristics of a poorly produced pop song—which are characteristics of most pop songs nowadays.

In recent months, however, how “popular” pop songs are is defined by how viral they are across the internet or how much controversy is sparked as a result. These factors seem to play a more significant role in the music industry than the actual musical merits of the songs, which “Friday” demonstrates.

But this opens up to another question: if people strongly dislike these pop songs, why do the songs

land on the Billboard charts?

The answer lies not only in the song’s ability to spark controversy, but in the public’s ignorant way of accepting these songs. People are simply hopping on the bandwagon that allows them to connect with their peers and other people across the World Wide Web. However, some songs are helplessly “addicting”. Boosted bass and synthetic beats convey the “party feel” that most teenagers want to experience.

Not all pop songs have been o v e r whelmingly criticized like Rebecca Black’s “Friday”.

There are tolerable pop songs worth listening to. However, pop songs have generally followed a trend to become more club or house electronic.

Famous rappers, such as T-Pain and Eminem, have been criticized for participating in this trend.

Pop music nowadays has gone significantly downhill. Although the lyrics may be extremely shallow, catchy tunes overwhelms the superficial lyrics in these songs. Therefore, it is normal if Rebecca Black’s “Friday” is constantly ringing in your head.

The blame game is on. In club meetings, it is not uncommon to find student executives and teacher advisors vying for dominance. Students complain about the “overbearing” advisors’ over-involvement that discourages student leadership, cooperation and initiative, while advisers blame students for their refusal to accept teacher input. These seemingly similar but polar attitudes cause dissent among those who need each other for success of the club.

This blame game underlies a greater problem. Rarely do students and teachers confront each other about the differences in their roles.

This lack of communication results in failure to acknowledge the hardships of assuming leadership and sponsoring a club, respectively. Students immediately become biased by identifying their advisors’ guidance as being overbearing, and in turn the advisors believe that the students are foolishly asserting independence.

People have a tendency to avoid confrontation. What is even more frustrating for them is the awkwardness that comes along with bringing up subjects on the position of power.

Yet, once a student is promoted to a leadership position, it is his or her responsibility to resolve a situation in a mature, professional way, regardless of how uncomfortable the

Does

Rebecca

Black’s

“Friday”

make YOU

Party or

Puke?

Tiger Times investigates today’s pop music, examining its quality and discussing a recent viral song. Are we listening to audio trash or is it a trend to embrace?

Photo by Stephanie Song

Gray Macklin, HSSC advisor, and other members of the Executive Council watch candidates give their speeches. situation is. Teachers should also yield when students feel burdened.

Instead of solely relying on the “Advisor’s Guide to Running a Club,” an outline of the minimum expectations of an advisor, teachers should clarify what roles they wish or plan to assume with student executives.

In the beginning of a new school year, advisors should be the mother bird by providing guidelines and suggestions until student leaders can function independently. Students, in turn, should willingly accept help, but if they feel overwhelmed, they should not hesitate to talk to the teachers about their assertiveness.

Clubs should also select execu-

tives before the new school year in order to allow students to have a prior experience of working with advisors and thus ensure smooth transition into a new year. Every attempt to assume leadership should be praised and mistakes considered as learning opportunities.

Like a pianist’s hands that work together to create harmony, students and advisors need to establish a mutually beneficial relationship that is not characterized by power struggles. After all, when students and teachers communicate, they resemble each hand playing the melody and accompanying, respectively, to make worthwhile accomplishments.

Rebecca Black deserves fair judgment, positive feedback

By Peter Moon

People are too quick to judge others. Always result-oriented, the intentions are lost. When 13-yearold Rebecca Black released her first single “Friday”, people felt at liberty to bash the song and the obscure artist herself due to the anonymity afforded by the Internet and the freedom of speech. However, we must applaud her for garnering an unprecedented amount of international attention in such a short time. From an unknown teenage girl to a famous singer, she has flown high to become the latest pop sensation.

Staying rational and conducting a close analysis is often difficult when mob mentality is in effect. Within a month, nearly two million viewers disliked her music video on YouTube, a number that is still growing exponentially as the video becomes ever viral.

The extreme criticism is unwarranted as the lyrics of the song are not provocative nor profane. People bash “Friday” for being horrible; critics have dubbed it the “worst song ever” and the epitome of pop’s downfall. Such labels are unfair be-

cause there is no standard for music quality. Lyrical sophistication may be lacking and certain verses may be too straightforward for some listeners to bare. However, it is an innocent song that expresses the genuine interests of young teenagers. Also, Ark Music Factory, the company that produced her song, specifically aimed to make Rebecca an overnight celebrity. The company achieved its goal and therefore both the company’s and Rebecca’s efforts should be recognized.

The song is indeed representative of the upbeat, electronic music that is being produced today.

Howe ve r, Black should not be a scapegoat for those dissatisfied with the shift towards this new style. Just as the music trend transitioned out of the blues and rock-and-roll in the past century, the current trend may be shifting away from traditional pop represented by the likes of Michael Jackson to more electronic, upbeat, repetitive pop. Yet there are those who still cherish the songs of the old days and people may choose not to listen to contemporary music.

This is contingent on the choice of the listener and is not the fault of the singer who is merely following the current trend.

nEWS

NEWS BRIEFS Community service clubs collaborate to save Hwa-yeh maeul To install water filters for each home in Hwa-yeh Maeul, the underprivileged housing area across the street from school, members of Habitat for Humanity (HFH), the Community Service Club, National Art Honor Society and Global Issues Network (GIN) sold Hwa-yeh Maeul t-shirts from March 28-April 8.

Students will also be hosting a tumbler sale and a champagne brunch for parents at the Dogok Market-O. Through fundraising, clubs hope to earn $10,000. Hwayeh Maeul residents are currently drinking water directly from the Jangji Tancheon River, which the government has labeled as water supply of poorest quality.

“There is a lot of work that needs to be done, so the progress has been a little slow,” said Yeeun Chun (11), HFH vice president and GIN member. “Now that we have a lot of people helping out, I think we really can pull this off by the end of the year.”

AP art students to host spring exhibition Advanced Placement (AP) art students displayed the pieces they had been working on yearlong at the school’s spring exhibition, held April 14 . Each student presented their best pieces, which centered around one specific theme.

“I chose the theme of Korean traditional pottery to learn more about Korean tradition, history and art,” said Erica Han (10), AP Drawing student. “I usually use graphite pencils, pastels and acrylic to produce my work.”

The exhibition was a chance for students to showcase their work before their portfolios are sent to Collegeboard as part of their AP art exam.

Senior auditions for Superstar K, Korea’s American Idol Seo In Gook, Huh Gak and John Park, make room for Nicole Park (12), who auditioned for and passed the first round of tryouts for the reality singing contest “Superstar K” in March. Nicole, who auditioned through the phone with Whitney Houston’s “Greatest Love of All,” is currently expanding her interest in music by taking guitar, jazz piano and singing lessons.

“I have a lot of time on my hands, and I wanted to do something with it,” said Nicole. “I wanted an opportunity to test myself with singing, which I have always enjoyed. Auditioning seemed like an easy way to do that because all I had to do was call ‘Superstar K’ and record my voice on the phone.

We’ll see how things go.”

Wooseok Ki (11) and Jeff Park (12) passed the first round of auditions as well.

By Eunice Lee

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april 2011

HFH members experience poverty firsthand

By Lydia Kim

Sacrificing an entire spring break, Habitat for Humanity (HFH) members visited Guangzhou and Hong Kong from March 18-26 to not only help build houses but also experience firsthand poverty through the Crossroads Life X-perience, a series of real-life simulations.

For the first four days, students from the American International School of Guangzhou (AISG) and the Independent Schools Foundation (ISF) Academy collaborated with HFH members to build houses.

“This was my first international community service trip,” said Andrew Jeong (10), HFH member. “It was nice to work with people outside of our school. We interacted with different people, roomed with different people, ate with different people, and worked with different people. That was one highlight of the trip.”

Aside from building houses, students also participated in the Crossroads Life X-perience in Hong Kong. Crossroads is a non-profit organization dedicated to collecting and redistributing second-hand goods. As a response to the request of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the organization created the Life X-perience program. The program consists of three real-life simulations designed

Courtesy of Donna Spisso

During the Crossroads’s Paper Bag Simulation, Winston Yoo (9) begs the shopkeeper to buy his paper bags. for participants to gain firsthand experience on issues pertinent to today’s society, such as poverty, food shortage, Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) and refugee hardships.

Sangwon Kim (9) said that his most memorable simulation was the “AIDS experience”, in which there were four profiles and stories for how each individual contracted AIDS.

“We followed the people’s life stories,” he said. “I learned the many different ways that people can contract AIDS. In the end, we waited in a real-life waiting room to see whether or not the character actually had AIDS. That just emphasized the fact that you never know what can happen.”

Students also participated in a simultion of slum life by gathering in “families” and making paper bags out of newspapers to sell to shop owners.

“We were able to experience the loss of dignity, being ripped off and being stolen from, under the simulation,” said Donna Spisso, HFH advisor. “The simulation is one thing but debriefing is more important. We have to reflect on how it felt to be on the people. In doing that, your empathy serves to make these people more than a statistic. Just because a person is poor doesn’t mean that they don’t have dignity.”

Overseas trips provided another perspective for students to witness poverty in reality.

“Even Hwa-yeh Maeul doesn’t compare to the poverty you see in a developing country,” said Ms. Spisso. “The houses there look like the Hilton Hotel compared to the slums in developing countries. If you go to China or India, you just bring home how so many people in the world live and how immensely better off we are, and it is our responsibility to share some of that wealth.”

Students tutor fellow underclassmen

By Joshua Kim

Time is money. That is the lesson that seniors are learning as college acceptance letters are flowing into SIS, and some have decided to use an increased amount of free time to transfer some of their knowledge to younger generations. Through the school counselors or by approaching a tutor privately, this new trend has proven to be a major academic tool in getting A+ students desire.

“I tutored a lot between junior and senior year, and once at Coffee Toah, a kid saw me working on some AP stuff and asked me if I could help [him] with math,” said Theodore Kim (12). “Mainly it’s connections, friends and family that lead to potential students.”

After school, one can often find

seniors or juniors tutoring younger kids, giving them advice in classes ranging from biology to history.

“I really don’t think I would’ve made it without my tutor,” said Sangwon Kim (9). “He has been through all the stuff I’m going through so he knows where to focus on and make it as easy as possible.”

However, tutors are often pressured to go to better colleges in order to increase their pay and better their reputation. Students who got accepted into famous colleges were more likely to be hired for tutoring jobs by parents.

“I find it really rude when parents try to judge you by what college you get into,” said Theodore (12).

“It’s not like I ask tutors, ‘Hey where did you graduate from?’ and judge her from which college she went to.”

Of course, a compatible rela-

Photo by Jessica Song

Every Wednesday and Thursday after school, GaYoung Park (11) helps Andrew Jung (6A) with mathematics. tionship between the tutor and the student is not always a given. In fact, such a situation may cause the student to look for a different tutor.

“Even though I’m only a soph-

omore, I got hired to tutor a fifth grader,” said Tommy Nam (10). “We ended up not being a good match for each other, and ended up completing only six sessions out of eight.”

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april 2011

Class of 2011 dismayed by high number of waitlists

By Angela Cho

This year was the hardest year thus far for students to gain acceptances into colleges, according to Time magazine. The acceptance rates of Harvard, Yale and Princeton decreased from 6.9 to 6.2 percent, 7.5 to 7.35 percent and 8.8 to 8.4 percent, respectively. Schools such as Tufts University, which accepted 22 percent of applicants, were also very selective this year.

“Every year, more Korean applicants apply to fewer schools,” said Fredric Schneider, Director of Pupil Personnel Services. “Each school seeks diversity in the student body, so more Koreans get waitlisted.”

From approximately 3,000 US colleges, the Class of ’11 sent about 1,200 applications to just over 150 schools. The number of schools where 10 or more seniors applied was 46; for example, 41 and 44 students applied to Boston College and New York University, respectively.

Five applicants from Boston College, six from Carnegie Mellon University, 14 from Washington University in St. Louis, four from Wellesley College and one from Harvard and Yale, respectively, were waitlisted.

“All schools are businesses,” said Mr. Schneider. “Hundreds of people get waitlisted [so that schools can guarantee] a certain size of freshman class. But rarely do students get accepted from waitlist—last year, only one person got accepted.”

Still, waitlisted applicants such as Nicole Park (12) are looking forward to hearing from colleges.

“There’re some colleges that put me on waitlist which I don’t care about,” said Nicole. “But I’m still waiting for the results. There’s always a chance [of being accepted].”

In order to increase the chances of being accepted, seniors such as Tae Hoon Kim (12), who got accepted to University of Pennsylvania, applied to early decision programs.

They believe there is a higher chance of getting in with early applications.

“I don’t think I could’ve gotten in if I didn’t apply early,” said Tae Hoon. “I also think some people would have gotten in if they applied early. I recommend people to apply early if they have a college they want to go to for sure.”

According to Mr. Schneider, applying early does not increase the chances of being accepted. He predicted that the number of waitlisted applicants for Harvard University and Princeton University, which both plan to revive the early action programs starting next year, would increase.

Despite the predictions on increased waitlisted applicants, Hyun Jea Kim (11) believes that students should not make predictions based on previous results.

“I’m not worried about being waitlisted,” said Hyun Jea. “I’m confident about my aptitude and that’s what counts.”

Zeitgeist Countries turn to Korean imports amidst radiation fears

By Stella Kim

UNICEF hosts teacher talent show after school

By Jessica Song

Teachers do not sing, dance or act in public on a regular basis.

However, on April 13, teachers performed and showcased their talents in the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) talent show. As a result of changing the performance hour to after school instead of during the school hours, the audience turnout surged and included elementary to high school students and teachers.

“After the administration changed the talent show so as not to take away class time,” said Euna Sun(10), UNICEF member, “I was worried that not many people would come. But, with the elementary and

middle school students joining us, about 500 people showed up.”

Since the talent show was held after school, UNICEF members were worried that students would not be able to attend due to conflicts with sports practices. To gather a larger audience, they decided to combine the raffle with the teacher talent show and provide food for the audience. From the raffle, Brenda Myung (11) and Eileen Park (9) won UNICEF canvas bags and Eric Yun (9) won a pair of Dr. Dre headphones.

“The money that was raised from the raffle tickets will go to our club and the bulk of it will be used for Cambodia,” said Nina Yun (12), UNICEF president. “However, we are going to start other projects like

supporting an orphan and donating to the actual UNICEF foundation.”

Many teachers volunteered to participate in the talent show. Some students also contributed—the varsity girls cheerleaders performed a flashlight routine and David Kang (12) danced with Art De Filippo. A dance group known as “Bigger Bang,” consisting of 12 teachers danced to medley of Korean pop songs.

“I thought the talent show was just incredible,” said Steven An (10).

“It was the perfect way for UNICEF to show its appreciation to the student body, and I had a lot of fun.

The most amazing part was seeing the different talents of my teachers, and experiencing the types of activities that they practiced when not in school.”

the new law, expressed their relief that their peers do not have to resort to unethical methods to partake in illegal activities.

“Personally, I don’t think [lowering the legal age] was a good choice because it prompts more people to make silly decisions, and lose insight about the consequences that [lowering age limit] could lead to.” said Angela Son (9). “However, it can lead to positive [results] as [Korean teenagers] do not have to make illegal decisions, because I do know people who fake their identities.”

Others were concerned that the new law would not deter minors from being exposed to drinking and smoking earlier than necessary.

Many were also concerned that by allowing students to have legal status at an earlier age, the government was not protecting its citizens.

“It is a little troubling [that the

age limit is going down] because a lot of underage people already smoke and drink.” said Wooseok Ki (11) “The new law will not lessen [smoking and drinking] in anyway.”

Although parents agreed with Wooseok, they were concerned that lowering legal age would put students in danger and impose extra responsibilities that the students are not ready for.

“As a parent with a daughter, I am concerned that the age limit is going down because even now, kids are going to clubs even when they are underage, and because there is a lack of restriction, I fear for their safety,” said Jae-Yeon Yoon, the mother of Minji Suh (9). “Also, I do not believe that students will become more responsible because responsibility is dependent on how mature the students are, not whether the age limit itself decreased.”

Lowering age limit draws concern and excitement

By Jason Huh

Currently, underage students are not allowed to smoke, drink, drive or vote. However, according to The Korea Times, by 2013, the Korean government will lower the age limit from 20 to 19 because more teenagers are maturing earlier both phyiscally and mentally.

Mercy Jesudass, high school counselor, supported the new law because it would give more responsibilities to Korean citizens.

“Lowering [the] legal age opens up access for individuals to make certain decisions for themselves, and be entitled to certain privileges,” said Ms. Jesudass. “All rights come with responsibility and that is when the individuals are able to grow more mature, because they will be responsible for their own actions.”

Many students, while criticizing

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mother and grandmother went to the market to [buy seaweed that was imported before the radiation leak],” said Justyn Park (11). “I’ve heard that all imports are checked, but I don’t completely trust that they are radiation-free.”

On the international market, Korean products are becoming popular. Importers are looking to Korean alternatives to Japanese products such as gim, dried seaweed, instead of the Japanese nori, soy sauce, pickled radish and rice.

Japanese sushi restaurants around the world are also turning to Korean and Taiwanese fish supplies—an alarming threat considering the fact that Japan’s seafood industry contributes to almost half of Japan’s annual food exports.

“J&J has never used seafood from Japan,” said Jae-young Kim, J&J manager. “We’re particularly wary now of where our seafood comes from and at the moment we’re only using Korean seafood.”

Some international companies are beginning to purchase resources such as steel, copper foil and computer chips from Korea because they fear Japanese exporters cannot offer stable deals.

Photo by Stephanie Song

Members of Bigger Bang, the teacher group, pose at the end of their dance performance.

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South Korea is experiencing a bittersweet side effect from the fear of radiation from the Fukushima nuclear power plant disaster. Seafood sales have taken a dive in Korea, as fishmongers are struggling to convince their customers that their seafood is Korean. Consumers overseas, however, are seeking Korean products as substitutes for Japanese products.

The earthquake that hit Japan on March 11 caused an explosion at a nuclear power plant in Fukushima. The earthquake caused a radiation leak and radiation levels in Japan’s sea waters have spiked, causing panic amongst the Japanese and fear worldwide.

Korean fishmongers have reported that their sales have plummeted by half. Despite this, only 10 percent of the seafood at Seoul’s Garak fish market is from Japan.

Fishmongers have even tried cutting their prices, but fear has turned away many customers Nevertheless, the Korean government has banned food imports from the Fukushima area and is checking Japanese seafood imports for radiation contamination levels.

“After watching the news, my

nEWS

during break!

bW

Morethan meets the EYE

By Angela Cho & Elizabeth Song

Graphics by Linda Heeyoung Park

Layout by Jonathan Yun

Sandra Goldsborough testifies to effectiveness of LASEK An inability to see objects clearly acts as a barrier to people’s everyday lives. Sandra Goldsborough, English teacher, who had been inconvenienced by her -2.25/-2.5 eyesight for 25 years, underwent LASEK [Lasser-Assisted in Situ Epithelial Keratomileusis], a refractive surgery that removes the outer layer of the cornea, on Feb. 25 and is satisfied with the outcome.

Q. Did the surgery cause any discomfort?

A. The pain came 24 hours after [the operation]. For the first few days, I experienced incredible sensitivity to light and burning pain in my eyes. During the first week or so, the world is out of focus in a way that makes you feel nauseous. I [usually] read a lot, so having a couple of weeks where I couldn’t read was difficult.”

Q. Was the surgery painful?

A. The actual surgery was over even before you could feel it. It only takes about seven minutes per eye.

The strangest part is that you can see what looks like a farming hoe come into your eye but your eyes are numb, so it doesn’t hurt.

Q. What would you say to prospective patients who fear LASEK? A. The key is to find somebody you trust and feel comfortable around. Other people had used the same doctor, so I had personal testimonials. If you read about [LASEK] and see how many successes there are, it’s worth it.

Myth: LASIK can be highly dangerous “What if I go blind? What if it hurts? What if I blink during the surgery?”

These what-ifs make prospective patients of LASIK [Laser-Assisted In Situ Keratomileusis], a corrective surgery for vision, shudder with apprehension,

but this fear is unwarranted. Understanding the procedure of LASIK may assure these people that the surgery is effective and safe and help overcome their phobias.

Cartoon by Daniel James Lee

Fear of Pain

The operation itself is painless because a mild sedative and numbing eye drops that black out a patient’s vision for about 10 seconds are applied.

Fear of Laser Contact

The laser touches the eye for 10-15 seconds and is matched with the movement of the eyes, so patients do not have to worry about blinking or looking away during this time.

Corrective lenses: the

Fear of Blindness or Worse Vision

According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), there is only a one percent chance of facing serious LASIK complications. There have also been no reported cases of blindness.

double-edged sword

The new always overshadows the old. Pince-nez, a 19th century type of spectacles without earpieces, replaced the monocle; the bifocals made the monocle obsolete; and now, contact lenses have gained increasing appeal over eyeglasses both inside and outside SIS. Out of 100 students polled, 36 currently wear contacts. Despite this rising trend, contacts can pose health hazards and inconveniences that glasses cannot.

According to the University of Michigan Kellogg Eye Center, using rigid glass permeable (RGP) contact lenses—hard lenses made of plastic—increases one’s susceptibility to eye allergies, such as conjunctivitis, also known as pink eye. This results when protein that builds up in the lenses irritates the membrane in front of the eye, causing redness, itchiness and mucus discharge.

Because the allergy can be communicable, Younock An, school nurse, sends students with conjunctivitis home so they can get proper treatment from a specialist. “[Conjunctivitis] is highly contagious,” said Nurse An. “To avoid this, [lens wearers] should wash their hands before and after they touch their lenses. They should take off their lenses during the irritation period and wear eyeglasses.”

RGPs can bring other troubles. Their rigidity makes them uncomfortable for many people, and they require a lot of time for acclimation. For example, wearers may experience spectacle blur, a condition that induces blurry vision when they switch between lenses and glasses.

“I thought it was weird that after I take out my lenses and wear my glasses, everything is

kind of blurry for a few seconds,” said Milton Yoon (9). “I have to blink several times before the haziness goes away.”

The relatively small diameter of RGPs also makes them easy to fall out, not only during rigorous activity, but also in the morning when a wearer puts on his or her lenses. “[My soft lenses sometimes fall out] when I’m putting the lenses in my eyes,” said Cynthia Rhee (11). “I [have to] pick them up, clean them again and put them into my eyes again.”

Although soft lenses are softer and bigger than RGPs, making them more comfortable to wear and easier to adapt to, both require proper handling for safe use. Using contaminated cleaning solutions can cause infection. Moreover, according to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, wearing contacts over the recommended time and during sleep may reshape the cornea, the transparent layer at the front of the eye, causing damage. This is a common mistake made by students who fall asleep while doing their homework or are too lazy to take their lenses out.

“Before I sleep, it’s really annoying to remove my lenses from my eyes, wash them and put on my glasses,” said Lina Chang (10). “I want to get LASIK [Laser-Assisted In Situ Keratomileusis] later but I slept with my lenses on for almost one year and a half. I heard if you do that too much, you can’t get the surgery, so I’m a bit worried.”

Contacts have garnered much popularity over the past century, but wearing them safely entails responsibility and care. Without these, the risks of getting infections are high.

SISers’ emphasis on eyes reflects Asian Double eyelid plastic surgery. Eye makeup. Eyeliner tattoos. In contrast to Caucasians, whose avatar is the mouth, Asians emphasize their eyes more than any other facial features.

“In Korean or Japanese manga, big eyes are emphasized,” said Damon Six, psychology teacher. “But in the West, mouths are emphasized, such as facial [emoticons]. This difference shows the different beauty perceptions.”

Blepharoplasty, or double eyelid surgery, is the most popular aesthetic surgery in Korea; half of Korean teenagers who visit plastic surgeons consult about obtaining blaepharoplasty, according to the Dream News.

According to Mr. Six, Asians’ desire to adopt bigger, more Westernized eyes results from their relative homogeneity in facial features, as opposed to Caucasians, whose heterogeneity often results in a more diverse range of facial features. For example, Asians tend to have various shades of brown or black eyes, whereas Caucasians have a greater variety of eye colors.

The Asian beauty trend to use double eyelids to distinguish oneself from other Asians has driven millions of Asians to surgically obtain double eyelids, which has ironically led to a loss of individuality. Currently, double eyelids are considered ideal by Asian beauty standards.

“Korean pop culture prefers double eyelids because they

look prettier,” said Yoonha Chung (12). “On a TV screen, big eyes look better and allow people to express a more variety of emotions than eyes with single eyelids.”

Contrary to Asians’ preference for double eyelids, Caucasians believe that single eyelids are exotic and therefore more attractive.

“When I attended an acting competition in US, [Caucasians] told me not to wear any eye makeup,” said Danbi Kim

beauty trend

“Having double eyelids is like having long hair because you look good without having to wear wear eye makeup,” said Danbi. “Because of single eyelids, my eyes look smaller horizontally compared to the vertical length. So I elongate my eye length horizontally by applying eyeliner on the lower and upper eyelids so that my eye size is in proportion.”

Caucasian SIS faculty have also begun to embrace this eye-accentuating beauty trend. After being introduced to semipermanent eyeliner tattoo—ingestion of tattoo pigments in the eyelids— Kristy Corcoran, permanent substitute teacher, underwent the operation.

“This is one of my adventures in Korea,” said Mrs. Corcoran. “I mostly did it out of curiosity, but I’m very pleased with the results and it saves a lot of time in the morning.”

Mrs. Corcoran was not the only SISer to receive the operation. In fact, she was introduced by SIS parents and also recommended the surgery to other SIS faculty members.

“Many of my daughter’s friends’ moms did it and that’s how I was introduced,” said Mrs. Corcoran. “After getting the tattoo, eight to nine teachers also got the tattoos—for some, I didn’t expect they were interested in doing it. This is something that I’d never get done back in Canada.”

Do you prefer having double eyelids?

♂

Yes:

26

No:

24

♀ Graphic by Jonathan Yun

(11). “They think single eyelids are different and therefore pretty, and so the American acting and modeling industries accentuate single eyelids among Asians.”

Another growing beauty trend is the accentuation of eyes through makeup and cosmetic tattoos. When wearing smoky eye makeup, Asians use more eyeliner than eye shadow. Due to the absence of double eyelids, Asians try to make the vertical and horizontal lengths of their eyes proportional by applying eyeliner.

Yes:

15

No:

35

lifesTYLE 8

april 2011

South Korean teens unhappiest W hat is the among peers in China, Japan

By Eunice Lee

Out of a survey 67 students, only 13 claimed to be happy— common answers to “How are you feeling?” were the exact opposite of “happy,” such as “tired,” “exhausted” and “bored.”

This lack of self-content not only applies to students at SIS, but also to Korean teenagers in general.

A study conducted by the nation’s Ministry of Gender Equality and Family indicated that 71 percent of Korean students were currently happy, the lowest compared to 92.3 percent of Chinese and 75.7 percent of Japanese students.

This dissatisfaction primarily comes from the strenuous extracurricular activities Korean students commit to, especially hagwons and other after-school tutoring sessions.

“I just think that there is a lot of pressure on students here, which becomes worse when everyone else at school is feeling that as well,” said Sandra Goldsborough, English teacher. “I have a lot of concerns about the long-term impact this pressure will have on students in the future.”

Students attributed their discontent to the overwhelming pressure they receive from parents and peers to do well on their studies.

South Korean mothers’ obsession

with their children’s education has caused others to label them as “Tiger Moms.”

“It is part of Korean culture for moms to push thier children to achieve academically,” said Asheley Chung (10). “Children get stressed because of parental pressure, and they pass this stress onto their children when they grow up. The stress piles up from generation to generation.”

Furthermore, another report from the Korean Educational Development Institute showed that South Korean teenagers have one of the worst social skills in the world.

South Korean teenagers scored an average of 0.31 out of 1.0 for social interaction skills, ranking 35 out of the 36 countries that participated in the survey. Students challenged the results, claiming that they applied more to teenagers attending Korean public high schools than those attending international schools, such as SIS. “I remember being bullied back when I used to attend a public Korean school, but I feel students at SIS are perfectly normal and there’s nothing quite wrong with their social skills,” said Theodore Kim (12).

“We may be more reserved about our feelings at times, but it’s not like we don’t know when someone’s mad or jealous or how to deal with such things. We all have friends, too.”

By Jasmine Park

“Real World” Like?

Brian M. Gibel is the Cultural Attaché for the U.S Embassy in Korea. He is currently working on his third assignment in South Korea.

1. What is your job as a Cultural Attaché in the Embassy and what responsibilities do you have?

“As the Cultural Attaché at the U.S. Embassy in the Republic of Korea (ROK), it is my responsibility to explain U.S. policy and other aspects of the United States to Koreans. From time to time I give talks or lead seminars and discussions highlighting U.S. or U.S.-ROK related topics, but I also rely on a variety of tools and methods to do the explaining. One of the best methods we use to explain about the U.S. is to send Koreans to the U.S. on exchange programs so they can see for themselves. Some of our most effective programs focus solely on art, performing art, or sports.”

2. What was your motivation to work in the Embassy?

“In graduate school I had a chance to study abroad—in Australia and China—and my experiences there sparked a curiosity to learn more about the world outside the U.S. I also learned quickly that there was so much misunderstanding about Americans and the U.S. among all the Australians and Chinese I met. I wanted to bridge the gap in understanding about Americans and the U.S. for people abroad. My first assignments were in China, but later I was assigned to serve at the Embassy in Seoul. I love working here in Korea. I find Korean people fascinating—they are so intelligent, passionate, and hard-working, and the issues I have to work with at the Embassy are some of the most exciting and important in the world.”

3. There are many students who participate in Model United Nations in various conferences all over the world. How would this experience help these potential delegates in the future?

“Participating in Model United Nations conferences is a great way to begin looking at the world from a different perspective. I participated in model UNs when I was in high school—one year I represented Malaysia another Bahrain. Both times I had great opportunities to practice my public speaking and learn a lot about a place I had never heard ofPark before.”

By Jasmine 4. What recommendation do you have for students who want to strive to work in the U.N or want to go into International Relations?

“The pathway into understanding another culture is through the language. I learned early on during my studies in history that secondary sources were never as good as the original primary source material. It is the same for languages. [It is] much better to hear the un-translated unedited version of what someone is saying. Most of all though, you will need to do three things: be curious, listen, and learn.

In order to succeed in working in other countries, you must be open to new ideas. You must listen carefully. You will make mistakes, but as long as you learn from them you will succeed as diplomat, delegate to the UN, or in another international career.”

Courtesy of Brian M. Gibel

Longevity Project provides methods for health, longer life

By Elizabeth Kim

Disproving the popular belief that optimism and regular exercise increase one’s life span, the Longevity Project, conducted by psychology professors Howard S. Friedman and Leslie Martin, revealed alternative methods to achieving a long life.

Short-term stress from hard work can lead to a longer life since they could overcome adversity. When students are able to handle stress in a short period of time, this may be beneficial to them.

Lewis Terman, Stanford psychologist, started researching in 1921. Other participants continued to carry out the project.

Friedman and Martin also suggested that those who are carefree and optimistic may ignore details while conscientious people are careful and worry. Carefree people also have a different amount of chemicals in their brains that may lead to a healthier body.

Stress from more challenging occupations also contributed to satisfaction as those with less ideal jobs tend to work harder to accomplish their goals.

“Stress is natural,” said Damon Six, Advanced Placement (AP) Psychology teacher. “It’s your body’s way of dealing with a certain situation and not necessarily harmful either. There’s a certain level of stress

Graphic by Jasmine Park

that is okay.”

Long-term stress can weaken one’s immune system. Stress affects certain parts of the brain, such as the hypothalamus, which releases hormones.

“If there’s too much [stress] and it lasts too long that can cause breakdown,” said Mr. Six. “Your immune system is depressed. It starts with your brain. ” Research showed that children under a lot of stress earlier in life who recover in early adulthood are better at overcoming health risks.

“There was one week during first semester with big projects, tests and a debate tournament,” said Kayoung Lee (11). “I was stressed dur-

Source: theatlantic.com

ing this week in particular. But it hasn’t been that stressful this week.

By going through these difficult situations, I’m able to handle the pressure better.”

The authors pointed out that ndividuals should focus on their goals and be productive on the long term. They should not do forced exercise but stay active by participating in activities that they like.

“I think it all depends on the individual,” said Sue Yeom (11). “Everybody handles their stress differently, so they should do things they like. As long as we find our own ways to handle stress and stay healthy in our environment, there seems to be no problems.”

Graphic by Michelle Kim

april 2011

9

Lifestyle

Prom evokes mixed reactions among students

By Linda Heeyoung Park

To celebrate the completion of high school, seniors attend prom. Seniors, who are bittersweet about this celebration, hold on to make their last memories. On the other hand, while eligible to attend, juniors still have final exams to worry about, for the exams do not begin until May 30, nine days after prom.

“It would be best if prom took place after all final exams,” said Meg Kim (11). “Looking at it from one perspective, prom could serve as a break after the Advanced Placement testing, and it could also let us [bid farewell] to our upperclassmen.

However, it can be a distraction to our preparation for finals.”

Unlike juniors who raise concerns about the schedule, the seniors are content with the arrangement.

Prom is the last party since they can attend before they go off to their own ways.

“For seniors the schedule is perfect,” said Sukyeon Won (12). “It is right after graduation, so we can make our best and last memories at prom. It is a good way to put an official end to our high school life.”

This controversial timing, however, has been a school tradition. No students have complained about the

after the finals, fewer people will come, since they will just hang out by themselves instead of attending the party.”

Apart from the timing, other arrangements for prom have elicited positive response.

“I love the location,” said Bridget Kang (12).

“Prom was never held there, and its [Banyan Tree] is a very nice reCourtesy of Marcus Lee sort. It is one HSSC members decorate their bulletin board to promote the upcoming high school prom,of the best howhich will be held May 21. The theme for this year’s prom party is “Dream a Little Dream.”tels in Korea. I wish to make schedule, for it is just one night.

Inwon Chang, the HSSC junior date that people suggested. We were good memories. I am more than ex“It was always like that,” said class president. “Besides, it was the concerned that if we schedule prom cited about it.”

By Daniel Lee

This will be the last DJLee’s Monthly Mix; hence, this month’s theme will not be one of the traditional themes Korea designates for each month—like how February was the month of love—but one of my own themes: the end. The album that will mark this important transition in my life from high school to college will be This Is Happening by LCD Soundsystem.

This Is Happening is the perfect album to signify an ending, in that it was LCD Soundsystem’s retirement album. James Murphy, the frontman of the band, started LCD Soundsystem as a side project when he was 32-years-old. His “side” project, however, became an

DJ Lee’s Monthly Mix April signifies the end

instant hit in New York with the hit single “Losing My Edge,” and soon the band became everything there was to John Murphy and his life. After nine years of life as a musician in a professional rock band, Murphy announced that LCD Soundsystem’s third studio album will be the last, simply because he needed to get away from the “side” project that that took up so much of his time. He wanted to stop touring and go back home; he was beginning to realize that he was getting too old to be a rock star. He didn’t want to miss any “awesome opportunities” because of LCD Soundsystem (James Murphy was asked to produce the latest Arcade Fire album, but couldn’t because he was on tour).

I also felt like I really needed to

get away from what took up most of my time—high school—and do— study—what I really want to do in college. Thus, LCD Soundsystem’s final album not only fits an end of any kind but also holds a meaning of great significance to my personal life.

So, where’s the proof to my stance? Well, the album only has nine songs, but all the songs have “goodbye” written all over their lyrics. In the nine-minute grand-opener, “Dance Yrself Clean,” Murphy silently narrates, “It’s an end of an era (high school). It’s true”; in the synthesizer-crazed, noisy “One Touch,” the verse repeatedly yells, “We have waited for a long time (for the end),” a perfect repetitive line for anyone who yearns for a new beginning.

Finally, in the bittersweet album finale, “Home,” Murphy pitches, “So do it right. This is your last chance now (in high school). … Take me home (to college). It (high school) won’t get any better.”

Although it LCD’s success in the music country was more than just a dream, James Murphy was dying for a new start; and so am I. The meaning, lyrics, melancholic melodies of This Is Happening will make the album the perfect exit-music for anyone who’s saying

goodbye.

S o , everyis really ing!

goodbye one. This happen-

sPORTS 10

april 2011

Sports Photos of the Month

Photo by Linda Heeyoung Park

During a home game, Tricia Roh (12) attempts to steal the ball from the opponent.

Photo by Joshua Kim

Displaying solid defense against KIS striker Hyuck Jae Lee (11), Chris Kim (12) intercepts the incoming pass with a slide tackle. The ball went out-of-bounds, Photo by Jessica Song halting the flow of the opponent’s offensive play. At a game against Korea International School, Andrew Eom (11) holds off his opponent.

SIS bicyclists charmed by cycling experience

By Michelle Kim

Seungmoon Lee (11) loved the freedom he felt when he was biking through the forests in Canada.

Every day, he went biking with his friends in the forest or around his neighborhood until nightfall. After he came to Korea, however, he has not been able to go bicycling as much as he did in Canada due to the lack of biking areas near his apartment. However, Seungmoon wishes that he could experience the freedom he felt on his bike again.

Just as Seungmoon enjoyed the freedom he felt when he biked, SIS bicyclers, such as Sandra Goldsborough, English teacher, also loved the feeling of relief from biking.

“I like to feel the wind, and biking helps me let go of my frustrations,” said Ms. Goldsborough. “We lead such busy lives that we need to find ways to relax.”

In addition to relieving stress, biking also gives one the freedom to choose between riding alone or riding with companions.

“Biking provided me with the opportunity to spend more time with my friends and visit new places,

which made each biking experience unique,” said Seungmoon. “The novelty didn’t last in a day, like a feeling that you have when you’re in a playground. On my own, I always liked to ride to a convenience store

that was a few blocks away from my house.”

Not only does biking allow one to choose who to bike with, but it also allows one to choose a destination. Jimmy Park (11), who began

biking last summer, said that he liked how he had this freedom of choice, due to Korea’s bike-friendly environment.

“You can choose where to go,” said Jimmy. “There are the riverside

bike roads, like Tancheon, the mountains and the occasional bike road next to the pedestrian area. As for me, on multiple occasions, I ride to and fro from Jungja and Jamsil.”

Bicyclists give one a sense of freedom. This trait has made bicyclists fond of the sport, and they believe that those who decide to bike in the future will not regret their choice.

“Though not a lot of people bike in Seoul, it’s springtime and the sun is out so going biking is a great idea,” said Jenny Han (12).

“When I bike, I feel really happy because it helps me to ease my mind when I want to get away from something. Plus, sometimes when I bike to Jamsil, I see my friends, and it’s always nice to see friends outside of school.”

april 2011

Boys hone basketball skills with unofficial offseason practices

11

sPORTS

Natural disasters prompt team to pull out of AISA tournament Preparation for the varsity girls’ soccer team’s trip to Yokohama, Japan from April 14-17 for the Association of International Schools in Asia (AISA) tournament was almost done. After thorough consideration however, the administration decided to cancel the trip amidst Japan’s struggle to recover from its recent natural disasters.

The number of varsity soccer players who attend overseas trip is annually low, particularly because several juniors and seniors opt to study for their Advanced Placement exams instead but this year, all but two members had planned to go.

The girls were looking forward to going abroad, especially because last year’s AISA varsity girls soccer tournament was held at SIS. “These kinds of trips are opportunities in which you can bond with people you’ve never really had relationships with before—especially with upperclassmen, since freshmen don’t really have a chance to bond with seniors or juniors as much,” said Christine Lee (9), varsity soccer player. “[The trip] was also a reason why I joined soccer this year.”

The cancellation seemed abrupt, but the administration reached its decision after considering the worth of having the girls travel to a disasterstricken country. Although Japan’s major cities have been well-prepared for natural disasters, the 9.0-magni-

tude earthquake and tsunami have caught its citizens off guard. The northeastern part of Japan’s largest island Honshu was hit the hardest.

Yokohama, located slightly to the south of the region also experienced some damage.

“It was decided that the girls shouldn’t go because of the unstable nature of Japan and the general public fear about the radiation leak,” said Erik Custer, varsity girls soccer coach. “[Korea International School] (KIS) isn’t going either so the Japanese schools will probably find some local schools to replace us in the tournament.”

Disappointment is inevitable, but the girls are aware that the administration made its decision for the girls’ safety.

“When we go overseas, we get to play against teams we aren’t really familiar with so we don’t know what to expect,” said Brenda Myung (11), varsity soccer player who went to Yokohama two years ago. “But [the administration] made a good move, considering the situation in Japan right now.”

Meanwhile, the girls’ practices are focused more on doing well in KAIAC. This season, their main goals are to gain more purposeful control of the ball and create team unity, “Usually the tournaments are just a sidebar,” said Coach Custer.

“We try to do our best for the league—the tournament is just a bonus.”

trips make her feel as if she were back in high school.

“The games are fun, they serve a nice dinner, and Jeju around that time is beautiful,” she said. “It brings me back to high school, when I went on trips for sports. It makes me feel young again.”

Themed after-parties offered to all participants, was another valuable experience part of the trip.

“Once there was a Rubik’s cube party,” said Mr. Paulson. “Everybody wore items with the six colors of the Rubik’s cube. People would wear necklaces, boas, shirts, pants, shoes and different articles of clothing that

they can swap with someone else. I would trade my green hat for someone else’s red shirt. My color was red.”

Katherine Bae (10) admitted her jealousy for the teachers and the leisure time that they would be having.

“The last time I went on a trip for fun was during the summer,” she said. “While the teachers are having fun in Jeju, I would have to be spending time studying for my SAT Math 2C and AP World History test in May. I want a break from school, especially during April when there are no breaks at all.”

By Stella Kim

By Eunice Lee

This past basketball season, the boys on the junior varsity (JV) basketball team made history with a record of 14 wins—some of them against top schools such as Seoul American High School and Seoul Foreign School—and four losses.

The boys look to top this streak of wins through hardcore, regular offseason training.

Almost every Sunday from 2-4 p.m., the athletics department hosts an open gym at school. Varsity and JV basketball boys come to play with—and at times against—teachers, including coaches Tim Munro, Cory Willey and Kristian Dumicic.

The boys found the offseason experience valuable, with lots of opportunities for both team and individual improvement.

“Mr. Dumicic is a really good basketball player, and when we play together we go through everything from team play to individual skills,” said Kirk Kim (11). “He looks at you and tells you what you can work on, which really helps.”

These informal practices have helped build teacher-student friendships as well as upperclassman-underclassman friendships, which are crucial to the success of any team.

“I like attending the open gym on Sundays because it gives players an opportunity to play with friends and teachers outside of practice,”

Photo by Joshua Kim

Far from the basket and guarded by James Choi (11), Albert Lee (12) looks for an open teammate. said Justin Lee (10). “It’s helping me improve my individual skills a lot.

The team looks really good for next year; we’re all really close regardless of age.”

However, coaches have shown concern that not enough players take advantage of the open gym to hone their basketball skills.

“We haven’t had fantastic turnouts; we’ve had zero people show up sometimes, even though we advertised the open gym pretty well,” said Coach Munro. “Unfortunately, the ones who come are the ones who already play in other basketball leagues. Guys who don’t play in other leagues should get involved, but

they don’t.”

Coaches and players stressed the importance of regular offseason practice—in fact, JV boys claimed that diligent practicing offseason was the secret to their 14 wins. Mr. Munro is optimistic about the upcoming season, as long as the boys continue to play basketball outside of school.

“We can be really good; we have a lot of potential,” said Coach Munro. “We can do a lot of damage next year if more people start playing basketball offseason. Offseason is when you become a player. Season is when you become a team.”

hard to get in shape,” said Benjamin Paulson, biology teacher. “Different people on the team are playing lots of sports to get fit. We have an active sporting community among the teachers. Every day of the week, we’re playing some kind of sport whether it may be hockey, basketball or soccer.”

This would be the third year that the teachers would be participating the competition. Shannon Hambleton, PE teacher, said that the tournament gave teachers the opportunity to play against people from different places around the world.

“It’s well-run,” she said. “It’s also

semi-competitive. Different teams have different dynamics. Ultimate Frisbee is a sportsmanship game.

There is no referee. The teams have to cooperate amongst themselves.”

Along with physical exercise and friendly athletic competition, the trip also offers teachers a retreat from their teaching.

“It’s nice for a group of teachers to take a small trip,” said Mr. Paulson. “Jeju is warmer and nicer than Seoul. It’s a nice trip [for] the end of the year and provides the opportunity for bonding [among] the teachers.”

Ms. Hambleton said that the

Teachers prepare for Jeju Ultimate Frisbee Tournament

By Lydia Kim

While students spend their last weeks of April studying for SATs and Advanced Placement (AP) exams, a group of 12 teachers will be going to Jeju Island from April 23-24 to compete in Jeju’s international Ultimate Frisbee Tournament.

Athletes from China, Japan, Taiwan and Thailand will participate in the tournament as well. In preparation, teachers hold regular individual and team practices on Fridays and Sundays.

“Everyone is starting to work

MB:미보한우

pearl buck student association

한우숯불구이전문점

High Quality Korean Beef

A+ 등급 한우 buy smencils & iphone/ipod cases!

Profit will be given to multiracial children!

PH: 031-753-0506

Bokjeong station, Exit 2 Walk straight towards Seoul International School

Small Talk

12

april 2011

Photo of the Month

1. Thank you, Gmail, for letting us preview the message content on the inbox page. Now we can see: [College name] College Admissions Decision: Dear [Your name], [decision!]. If the email doesn’t start with a “Congratulations,” well, we all know what that means. Why bother to send an entire letter? All we need is a single letter: A, W or R. 2. Great singers like Rebecca Black and cathymay15 have been introduced to the world thanks to YouTube. Every time I listen to “Friday,” I have an epiphany that gives me new insight into life. cathymay15’s cover of “Boom boom boom” garnered the attention of many YouTubers, who make Simon Cowell sound like an angel. cathmay15 then deleted her account and will probably never have the confidence to sing in public again. A good deed done.

3. Many prestigious colleges have gotten rid of loans for financial aid, as they became confident that they could cover all students’ needs; so it’s either all grant, or nada. A great policy, really, because I would choose receiving no aid at all over being offered huge loans. The risk of being in debt for the next 10 years of my life is too great that I would rather totally give up college.

Photo by Jessica Song

During the AISA tournament on April 15, Wonjai Lee (5A) and Jeffery Heo (5A) cheer for the varsity boys soccer team in celebration of an SIS goal against KIS.

Waffle, Sandwich, Gela

to, Espresso

4. Being waitlisted means that one is overqualified and that the college speculates the applicant to not attend. Although I have been accepted at Dartmouth College, I’m not going to bother putting in a deposit, because I know that Harvard University will desperately contact me in June to offer me admissions from the waitlist.

5. I’m only 18 but I know exactly what I’ll do in the future: my major in college, grad school, internships, first job, spouse, children’s names, and even time of death. So, stop asking me what my plans are, because you’ll be overwhelmed by the myriad of accurate details of my future.

P.S. The end is near – in fact this is the end for me – and I’ll miss having the privilege of my thoughts being published.

Best of luck to all, you’ll soon be where I am!

Lucia Minah Yang

Caffe Tiamo Bokjeong Station Exit 2

Seoul International School