Tiger Times Volume 48 Issue 9

Tiger Times VO L U M E 4 9 | M AY 2 0 1 7 | I S S U E 9 | T T O N L . O RG

MOON ELECTED PG. 5

On May 9, citizens cast their votes for the next president of the Republic of Korea. The final voter turnout was 77.2 percent, with Moon Jae-in claiming 41.1 percent of the votes.

2 VIEWPOINT

Editorial

Behind the scenes

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very month (or so), stacks of our student newspapers seem to magically show up on Tiger Times racks, teachers’ classrooms, hallway floors, and occasionally even in the hands of students. Although they say a magician never reveals his (or her) secrets, in the spirit of our final issue as Editors-in-Chief, we are willing to reveal a detail or two and debunk a couple misconceptions about Tiger Times.

One: Tiger Times is a student-led publication. Yes, we have Mr. Coleman sitting in the front of our classroom, helping us edit articles, suggesting ideas for this and that, and fighting for us in certain less-than-comfortable censorship issue. We do hand Mr. Coleman a copy of all of our articles and receive edits before handing copies to the leadership team (Mr. Colaianni, Dr. Kim’s office, and Dr. Gerhard). However, the editors decide what we will do in class on any given day, handing in edits every class, deciding what will be covered by the paper each month, making design and photo decisions, leading class discussions, and more – in other words, leading this organization. Student reporters, photographers, layout and graphic artists are the ones running around conducting interviews, documenting events, and taking visual risks. Our final product is that of students who you see every day in class, off campus, and online.

Two: Censorship (sadly) does exist. We are still a school-based and school-funded organization in a private high school, and a lot of controversial topics and articles are often impeded or prevented from being covered. This does not mean that we blindly promote our school’s policies and refuse to cover anything of substance. We followed and covered former President Park’s impeachment very closely this year, and we constantly strive to represent more of our voice in political and school-based events. As strong-minded, Independent Thinkers of our generation, Tiger Times reflects this strong voice that we, as students all possess.

Three: Journalism is not just writing; it’s a combination of social inquiry, subsequent research, and voice-driven sharing of collected information. Whereas media is used primarily to communicate, entertain, and generally take a lighter view of events, journalism strives to dig deep, uncover, and reveal something that students in this case and teachers alike often do not end up having time to question. This year, our semester-feature included a thorough investigation of Hwa-hwae Maeul—a slum in our virtual backyard—and our monthly focus and extended viewpoints covered topics as diverse as medical research and legalization of marijuana, to boundary disputes in fishing between Korea and China.

So yeah. We do a lot. Sadly, though, all good things must come to an end, and after ten issues of intense article idea-generating, layout overseeing, and article editing, we must now pass on the torch to the next generation of politically and socially aware voices at SIS. Especially in a world increasingly polarized into right and left, old and young, rich and poor, these voices are the very instigators of change and speakers of truth that facilitate dialogue and ultimately foster development in our society and our school.

And with that, Editors out *Drops mic*

Jaeha Kim Co-Editor-in-Chief

Ariel Lee Co-Editor-in-Chief

Claire Kim Website Editor-in-Chief

Eric Song Website Project Editor-in-Chief

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

Guiding students in an unethical world

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n an ocean of competition among high school students around the world, many find themselves swimming in stress.

While some will flounder, others will recline on a floatie, perhaps using less-than-noble methods to achieve and succeed. According to the Josephine Institute of Ethics, on the whole, academic dishonesty among teenagers is on the rise with the majority of respondents admitting they cheated on a test in the past year.

What exactly causes a student to go over the edge and violate academic codes? ? There is a certain amalgam of factors that may cause a student to put at risk their academic lives in exchange for two minutes of fame or two extra points.

The immediate goal of most motivated high school students is an acceptance to a halfway decent college. To be certain, at no point is academic dishonesty in any form welcome in the process as it would be impossible to find a university that would be willing to stock its campus with dishonest, deceitful students.

Of course, life in the real world is often unfair. There is no shortage of examples where whole sectors of society are brimming with corruption, cheating, and loophole hunting—a step definitely higher than violating

high school codes of conduct. However, high school should not be a replica of the real world with all its vices and flaws—High School should be a place of moral principle so students can start to form their own life philosophies and belief systems.

This is not to say that high school is not a time for making mistakes. A stressed-out, overwhelmed student who is so lost and anxious that they feel they have no choice but to cheat to make it through their three summatives should not have to carry a mark of disgrace their entire lives. Although we might hope that everyone has some sort of moral conscience, we are not all Gandhis or Mother Teresas, and it is probable that some will falter. Compassion aside, in all walks of life, when dishonest behavior is consistent and purposeful, meaningful consequences should follow suit to not only hold the violators accountable, but also show the others what kind of moral principles are prevalent and accepted.

In schools, the classroom is designed to be a safe space—safe from not only discrimination, but also from the corruptive and unjust forces of the world beyond the classroom walls. Some institutions implement honor codes, some wield mighty swards of punishment for even the

tiniest infractions, but the reality is that the vast majority ignore the codes. While these methods definitely have good intentions, honor codes may be a tad bit idealistic or naive in today’s sophisticated and technological world. Much like the signature at the end of a long Term and Conditions contract, people sign just to be done with long arduous tasks and avoid fully understanding life’s implications.

We must find a delicate balance between blindly punishing the whole in a “take no chances” manner and cautiously settling on temporary, superficial solutions. We are seeing all around us that laws, codes of ethics, and simple agreements based on trust are not doing much to poke at the moral conscience of today’s leaders, let alone students. Indeed, harsh rules are hard to apply in every individual case—but perhaps what we should do is start a discussion about what causes people to go down the route of dishonesty. Once that conversation is underway, then both teachers and students can better understand how to guide each other and avoid the motivating forces behind the actions of the misguided.

By Soomin Chun Junior, Staff Writer

Tough response crucial to confront Syrian situation

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t all started in March 2011, with a protest of civilians demanding democratic reforms and the release of political prisoners in the capital of Damascus, when government forces killed approximately 38 people. Six years after, and according to USA Today, nearly half a million Syrian civilians have been killed, 6.3 million people displaced inside Syria, and another 4.8 million have fled the country as refugees. As the numbers continue to increase with every passing day, President Trump’s decision to launch an airstrike against a Syrian government airbase, in response to the recent chemical attack, is well justified.

While some may criticize President Trump for abandoning his previous isolationist policy and suddenly interfering in the Syrian War, such action was necessary to give a straightforward warning to President Assad and to prevent further casualties.

The Syrian people have attempted to

overthrow the Syrian president and his allies, the major perpetrators of the frequent bombings, resulting in hundreds of civilian casualties daily.

Yet unfortunately, such efforts have not come to fruition, as according to the Washington Post, rebels were captured and brutally tortured or killed by President Assad’s regime.

There have also been other attempts such as in 2013, when past President Barack Obama attempted to negotiate with President Assad to surrender all of his chemical weapons. However, a chemical attack occurred on April 4, demonstrating that this negotiation attempt did not succeed.

On the other hand, unlike the failed attempts of the Syrian people and Obama’s peaceful approach to negotiations, Trump’s stricter measures of launching a successful airstrike gave immediate results. Specifically, 58 out of 59 missiles of the Syrian government were severely degraded or destroyed when the strike hit its

intended target. While this airstrike killed six people, it promoted the greater good, as the strike prevented potential casualties that could have resulted with the launching of the 58 missiles that were destroyed.

In essence, although President Trump’s decision to launch the airstrike was widely endorsed this time as it flashed a red light to President Assad and his whole regime, he must continue to confront and destroy forces involved in not only chemical attacks, but also any other form of massacre against the Syrian civilians.

Of course, such continual intervention in the Syrian War to protect the Syrian people may be challenging.

But when considering the simple fact that such further strikes could save the lives of millions of innocent children and prevent further casualties, all becomes worthwhile.

By Alice Lee Junior, Staff Writer

Tiger Times April 2017

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

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Tiger Times Staff Paper Editors-In-Chief Jaeha Kim Ariel Lee

Website Managing Editor Nicholas Kim Production Editor Grace Lee

Website Editors-in-Chief Claire Kim Eric Song

Graphics Editor Rachel Kang

Paper Managing Editor Andrew Ham

Photo Editor Daniel Shin

Copy Editors Sarah Kim Diana Nakyoung Lee Soomin Chun Alice Lee Layout Artists Joyce Lee Soomin Lee Amy Jungmin Kim Dawn Kim Yejune Park

Graphics Artists Jina Kim Michelle Cho Youngseo Jhe Photographers Ryan Jang April Kim Angela Choe

Reporters Junie Kah Michelle Lee Jeremy Nam Marie Park Grace Yang Justin Chang Andrea Kwon Adviser Mr. David Coleman

Extended Viewpoint: How can democracy function in an environment where elections have no candidates, and where most of the electorate remains painfully inactive?

Where democracy stands in our electorate and HSSC

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omewhere along the way, the High School Student Council (HSSC) lost its true purpose, support, and meaning. It was almost as if while it was caught up in improving itself, student interest was pick-pocketed out of their hands. A new school year is a time when all of us think of transition. Although some will journey toward a completely new environment, for those who have yet to graduate, it is only a subtle shift that we are probably all too used to at this point. Aside from having new executives for clubs or enrolling in new classes, every school year has brought very few differences in regards to school life and events. Now it almost seems to be a bit redundant, as if there is a set agenda that the school uncoils every time in an attempt to make student life a little bit more interesting.

Many students believe that the leaders of the HSSC are the ones responsible for changes that will amaze the student body with satisfaction; realistically, we all know that those kind of expectations have never been met adequately. It really boils down to the question of: what kind of role does the HSSC take in student life? Participation of the student body is regrettably meager at SIS and given that reality, student leadership seems to be diluted. I see two problems as to why this occurs—first is the election process, or more accurately, this year’s the lack of an election process, and second is the absence of student feedback.

To the surprise of some and the shrugged shoulders of others, this year’s HSSC executive elections were all uncontested, essentially meaning none of the positions changed. That in itself sets the

“elections” on an offset, since voters really had no choice in who represented them, for they were provided no alternatives.

Why is it that so little people chose to take part in student government for this year’s executive council, that in other school environments would create a rampant contest of student leaders with active campaign processes? If there is only one person up to take the position, then his or her victory cannot be considered a choice of the voters.

But more importantly, even with just one person in the spotlight, campaigns should always be focused on communicating their visions and platforms for the future.

The kinds of questions asked in the HSSC elections are, more often than not, too fond to the ear. They are vague and hint at standardized answers that do not provide the voters with any new information than the obvious. We know that when candidates are asked about their visions for the next school year that they will share their goal of a unified student body with more events and better quality of school life. We know that a question regarding time management is going to be answered with “making HSSC my priority over all other clubs and academics.”

Most of us know each other pretty well, as friends, classmates, or even just ‘longtime ago project partners’, and we have a pretty good estimate as to whether a candidate is capable of leading the student body.

The only real criteria for selecting candidates are either based off their experience with the student government or personal connections. What voters are not aware of are the truly significant issues that need to be discussed and each candidate’s stance on

those issues. The questions that are asked in executive debates or interviews should better address the issues that students are interested in, so that it provides a basic platform or incentive for us to choose the person. Opinions on student privileges and complaint boards are significant parts of student life that are often neglected, and it would be to everyone’s benefit to learn candidate’s perspectives on issues outside of organizing school events. Much of this “duty to inform” should come from the candidates themselves as part of the campaigning process for a discerning student body. A crucial obligation of candidates is to collect their voters through direct interaction, but this year’s brief session of speech-making with general questions asked only by the moderators clearly did not suffice.

It seems as if we did not have a say in who gets to represent us, but we certainly still do have influence over what we want to see them do. Campaign promises are always ambiguous, and especially when elections run uncontested, potential leaders are not really held to any of their promises.

Making our expectations clear from our student representatives is very much in our interests, and to do this, another difficulty arises.

The second aspect of this plight is a lot more conspicuous but harder to tackle— the interest of the student body. The first thing that struck my eye when I walked into the executive council election assembly was the mere lack of students and the abundance of empty blue auditorium chairs. Students are always at the demand for changes but never chime in for feedback or room for development. For the previous

years, one of the key goals of the HSSC has been to integrate the student body and stir up interest using methods like feedback boxes, online forms and polls, and even an active Facebook page that keeps students posted for news. Communication is always meant to be a two-way street, and as long as the HSSC continues to persist their efforts in communicating with us, it our equal and inalienable responsibility to communicate with them. People expect a lot of things from the student government, but none of anticipated changes will be able to take place without our input and voice.

At the bare minimum, an election should preface an official period of campaigning. Perhaps the reason why students are lesser involved in school politics is simply due to the lack of information. In most schools around the world, student representatives are elected after a considerable amount of campaigning, while taking initiatives like making posters, videos, handing out pins, or even having friends help out through bake sales. These periods look a lot more physical, that way, student choices are much more meaningful and candidates have the chance to encourage student involvement. It is to everyone’s best interest to work with the kind of council we are privileged with but at the same time learn to improve upon its limitations. With a new school in prospect, student expectations are evermore high towards our new representatives; but the kind of environment their leadership will bring forth, now that is another story to be discovered.

By Michelle Lee Sophomore, Staff Writer

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NEWS

News Briefs

by Dawn Kim

HSSC holds second open meeting of semester photo by April Kim

Music department orchestrates unity and collaboration at spring concert

On April 12, the HSSC held an open meeting to discuss the topics of school t-shirts, TIGER value awards, and prom.

Students who attended the meeting were able to vote for their favorite t-shirt design out of three choices to commemorate the school year. The HSSC also presented the effective communicators award to Justin Minseo Choi (10) and Hannah Kim (9).

Marking the end of the assembly, the junior council unveiled details about the upcoming prom, such as venue and prices, and featured a surprise “promposal” to kick off the excitement.

NHS holds pink day event On April 12, SIS celebrated the 10th annual International Day of Pink, hosted by National Honor Society (NHS). Launched by two Canadian high school students in 2007, Pink Day occurs every year on the second Wednesday of April and raises awareness against all forms of bullying including homophobia, misogyny, and transphobia.

NHS held numerous activities to commemorate the event, such as the “Wall of Hearts,” wherein students could write anti-bullying messages on sticky notes to display on a bulletin board.

“I think Pink Day was very effective in raising awareness for anti-bullying,” said Jaeho Hwang (9). “We often understand that bullying should be considered a serious issue, but we fail to notice subtle forms of bullying around us. Raising awareness after realizing that [bullying] is happening is too late. Pink Day helps stop bullying before it happens in the first place.”

Mu Alpha Theta participates in ARML local On April 22, members of Mu Alpha Theta attended the annual American Regions Mathematics League (ARML) local. Described to be the “World Series of Mathematics Competitions” by the Phillips Exeter academy, the ARML is a team-oriented competition based in the US. Local competitions are held in individual countries such as Korea and China, where countries select representatives for their national teams. Four teams comprised of 24 members of the SIS Mu Alpha Theta club participated in the event.

“Mu Alpha Theta demonstrated great progress compared to last year,” said JiWhan Moon (12), co-president of Mu Alpha Theta. “Our team SIS Mu took second place and SIS Theta took first, even though they were mostly sophomores. We also excelled in the individuals category, with Diana Lee, Soomin Chun, and Taehoon Kim all qualifying for the tiebreaker. They brought home the first, second, and fourth place awards, respectively.”

Signaling with his baton, Mr. Michael Ganus conducts the concert band in the final concert of the school year. The concert, which marked choir director Ms. Kalina Chin’s last performance at SIS, marked the debut of the school anthem.

Photo by Justin Chang

On April 27, the SIS auditorium held its last music department concert of the school year. Most of the spring concert proceeded as usual—the glee club, choirs, band, orchestra, and Blue Note performed their individual pieces. However, the songs “Somebody to Love,” originally by Queen, and the SIS school anthem, written and composed

by Alina Kim (12) and revealed for the first time, were performed by the entire choral department in collaboration with Blue Note and the high school orchestra, respectively.

The energetic and dynamic “Somebody to Love” presented itself after the Ambassadors’ performance of “Rather Be,” originally by Clean Bandit and Jess Glynne. Gordon Kim (9) stepped up to the middle of the dress-and-tuxedo clad semicircle and sang out one high, smeared “Can.” All choir members then walked in from the outer doors as they sang in harmony, coming together on the risers. The piano, played by Joshua Lim (9), followed soon after.

Complete with Dowhan Kim (9) on the bass guitar, Jeffrey Heo (11) on the electric guitar, and Eugene Chung (11) on the drums, the students in Ambassadors, concert choir, ladies’ choir, men’s choir, and the unofficial glee club came together to sing the song as

performed on the TV show “Glee.”

“We did not have that many rehearsals designated for just the soloists,” said James Kim (12), one of the soloists for “Somebody to Love.” “In the beginning, I could never get the rhythm right, so I had to get some help from the other soloists. Every time I had free time, I would go to the choir room to practice my solo part. I am glad that I could overcome my faults and perform better than I expected during the concert.”

Yet, “Somebody to Love” was not the only combined piece that garnered attention: the SIS anthem made its first debut on stage, performed by all choirs and the high school orchestra.

The first ever school anthem was composed by Alina over the summer after she finished the AP Music Theory course, who spent time in both choir and orchestra to help conduct and carry out the piece.

“It was surreal, to see my own creation being performed by so many students,” Alina said. “I was filled with a mixture of pride and awe. I had worked on this song all summer long, and to see my small project culminating in a huge, collaborative piece in an official school performance in front of the entire community—students,

parents, and teachers—was beyond rewarding.”

In order to make sure the collaborative pieces could be executed seamlessly between all involved groups, students were expected to attend additional rehearsals. These rehearsals required students to not only dedicate their energy into perfecting their own parts for the piece, but to also adjust their schedules to work with the rest of the music department both during office hours and after school.

“The most difficult part of putting together a department-wide collaborative piece was the limited rehearsal time,” said Kallina Chin, choir director. “Because there were so many people and I tried to keep the out-of-class rehearsals to a minimum, I had to simplify some of the movements I wanted to include. Aside from the difficulties, though, my favorite part of the whole experience was just watching the energy build as the students were performing. At the end of the day, although some students may see the piece as another assessment, I wanted students to experience the joy of performing, and I think many did.”

By Marie Park Junior, Staff Writer

Tiger Times April 2017

Moon Jae-in elected President of Korea

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eeling back from eight months of resolving the Choi-gate scandal of the Park administration, The Republic of Korea finally elected its new leader on May 9: Moon Jae-in of the Democratic party. The campaign race consisted of Moon facing off against two primary opponents: centrist Ahn Chul-soo, heading the People’s party ticket, and conservative Hong Junpyo, heading the Liberty party’s ticket.

The election results were decisive: Moon took 41 percent of the votes, Hong at 24 percent, and Ahn at 21 percent. Moon’s election marks the first time in over a decade that a liberal has been elected to the presidential office in Korea.

“The people of Korea found themselves in a really unique situation, said Curtis Lee (10), MUN member. “Since we don’t have a Vice President like the US, in the case of the impeachment the only option we really had was to arrange another election right away. This meant that the election campaigns this year had been full of haste, especially since we wanted to bounce back as quick as possible from the scandal that was a really low point for many Koreans.”

Poll ratings for the presidential race during campaign season sustained fluctuations and inconsistencies. Initial polls showed Moon’s ratings decisively higher than any other ticket, with Ahn in a distant second place and Hong in an

even more distant third. However, later polls showed dark horse Ahn closing the gap between him and Moon, with some polls even showing Ahn ahead of Moon.

Late April demonstrated another sharp turn of events, with the polls depicting Moon regaining his lead and ultra-conservative Hong unexpectedly surging ahead of Ahn’s ratings.

“As this election has so clearly shown, tradition trumps circumstance almost every time,” said Shelley Jeon (10), MUN member. “Even with the influence of the scandal in the early stages of the campaign, naturally we saw most voters and regions gravitating towards their traditional party affiliations. Furthermore, this election has also shown how despite the outcome of this election, Korea is very much still a conservative nation, As Hong was able to come close to Moon even as the conservative vote was split between two parties.”

The biggest conflicting issue between the two parties continued to be the ever-pressing issue of foreign relations with North Korea. Hong and Ahn adopted the hard line stance from traditional conservatives, unequivocally calling for a deployment of THAAD (the anti missile program proposed by the United States). In contrast––as a previous affiliate of the Sunshine policy under Roh Moo-hyun’s administration––Moon has naturally adopted a much softer stance

on North Korean relations. He has relatively ambiguous terms on THAAD and his direct approach to the dictatorship, and stated to be willing to visit China to negotiate on how best to approach the situation. With Moon’s election, Korea is projected to take a much more conciliatory approach to North Korea relations.

“Even as Moon pushes for what he calls ‘diplomatic realignment’,” said Jonathan Ames, Government and Politics teacher, “we definitely know that the current North Korean dilemma is a lot more sensitive than it has been in the past, not because of any one Korean candidate but because of the person in the White House. That’s thrown a curveball at all the politicians because they will have to respond differently than they would have in the past.”

Despite the short-lived electoral campaign, Moon’s election still holds sky-high stakes. He will be responsible for the shaping of our nation for years to come. He will undoubtedly bear a burden of tremendous responsibility and face staggering dilemmas in the face of national and international tension.

Whether South Korea’s pride and momentum will be able to be restored in a time of such political adversity -- that we will have to wait and see.

By Jeremy Nam Sophomore, Staff Writer

End of year celebrations blossom at Prom 2017: Bloom

One fantastical night spent in dazzling dresses and dapper suits provides an escape from the high-pressure environment that SIS students are so accustomed to. Prom, the annual endof-year event hosted by HSSC for juniors and seniors, embodies something much larger than a simple high school dance.

Inspired by the idea of blossoming adolescence, the HSSC decided on the theme “Bloom.” Similar to the passage of time spent in high school, the concept is that everyone will eventually grow into more complete versions of themselves.

Just as the blooming of flowers is short and sweet, the time students spend in high school should be regarded as thus.

“We chose this name because it captures the growth and passage of time that we all experience in high school,” said David Yoo (11), vice president of the HSSC junior council. “We make friend we will never forget and mentors that

provide guidance we never dreamed of. This year’s prom is not meant to be romantic, but a celebration.”

For seniors, prom can be a bittersweet release from the past four years that defined their lives and can also serve as the beginning of a brighter future. From any angle, prom is a fleeting moment of brilliance among many others that make up the larger high school experience.

While the night itself is noteworthy, the effort put in behind the scenes to create the event is as equally significant.

The HSSC junior council, which was responsible for planning this year’s prom, began sketching the general outline and plan during November of last year. Moreover, unlike other major school events that run largely on a restricted budget, what makes prom unique is the substantial budget the junior council is provided to carry out their plans. According to the junior council, the budget is large

enough for them to proceed in planning without feeling the need for restraint.

“The prom planning process begins around November and the most difficult aspect is trying to find ways to improve on last year’s prom,” Eugene Chung (11) said. “I would say there’s no easy part but because we have creative freedom everything runs very smoothly and no one ever tells the HSSC Junior Council that we can’t do something.”

Due to the early planning, the council was able to avoid scheduling conflicts in this busy month and smoothly proceed with the execution of their vision. In addition, according to the HSSC Junior Council, the amount of time dedicated to planning prom is only indicative of how successful or satisfactory prom will be for the student body.

By Michelle Cho Sophomore, Staff Writer

The path of a chess master

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On April 21, 12 SIS chess club members and four middle school students participated in an annual chess event against one FIDE master and one candidate master who visited SIS to play a simultaneous game against the younger students. Unlike the previous two years, the students had an opportunity to have a post-game discussion session with two professional chess players that are active members in the Korean chess league. “‘FIDE Master’ and ‘Candidate Master’ are titles granted by the World Chess Federation for players who have demonstrated proficiency in their chess ability. In Korea, there are only four FIDE masters and five candidate masters, and two of these masters came to play with us last Friday. Every year, a professional chess player visits SIS in order to play a simultaneous match with a few chess club members. This is a huge deal because having any of the aforementioned titles are extremely rare compared to the inordinate amount of chess players out there,” said JiWhan Moon, SIS chess club president.

Every year, a professional chess player visits SIS in order to play a simultaneous match with a few chess club members. A simultaneous match is one that consists of a group of people that goes against one player who goes around to play one move at a time. Last year, one FIDE master played against twelve SIS players. Yet, this year, there were two professional chess players that participated in a simultaneous match that consisted of eight students each.

“The FIDE master mainly talked about what it took to become a master as well as some tips about how we could improve. He also gave advice on specifics along with the hope that we would continue playing chess into the future. For example, we learned how to do opening, which basically describes the first few moves in chess that start the game.

Through this practice, I was able to clarify on how do openings such as the Sicilian and the French defense,” said See Hyun Park, SIS chess club vice president.

The 16 students were chosen based on the results from the KAIAC chess tournament, which took place on April 15. Those who participated in the match were also given the opportunity to discuss their post-game analysis with the masters where players talk about the moves they used throughout the game to analyze the match. In addition, the masters advised them on different tactics and strategies they can use, and answered any personal questions the students had regarding chess.

“I’m very satisfied how the chess club is running as of now. Next year, we are planning unprecedented events such as inviting Korean school students to come join the SIS chess club members in a huge chess tournament that will be held in our school. Our goal is to reach to a wider audience and spread awareness of chess around our community,” said Sue Choi, SIS chess club advisor.

Hopefully, more chess club members will be granted the opportunity to display their skills to professional players who can play a big part in honing the students’ chess abilities. Although there are no grandmasters in South Korea as of now, any one of the hardworking chess club members may potentially become our country’s first grandmaster player!

By Junie Kah Sophomore, Staff Writer

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a i d e M n i s c i t i l o P : d Han

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Background photos courtesy of Lifewire.com

Political Communication in Television

By APRIL KIM When it comes to political satire on television, recreations of Donald Trump’s iconic faded, yellow hair and prominent fake tan are a universally recognized emblem.

But this sphere of entertainment does not limit itself to poking fun at Trump’s hairdo. Various shows such as “Veep,” “Last Week Tonight,” and “The Daily Show” have aired and continue to air controversial episodes regarding the political both within and outside the United States. As the political world hurls itself into an era of social divide and scandals, the world of television has latched onto an opportune moment for more satirical sketches and political commentary.

This sort of satire occurs worldwide, with the political scandal involving former president Park Geun-hye and confidante Choi Soon-sil most recently parodied

by Korean comedians on Saturday Night Live (SNL) Korea. Some critics warned comedians against mocking political figures for the sole purpose of comedy. However, some, such as pop culture critic Kim Young-sam, expressed that the revival of political satire on SNL Korea had a cathartic effect.

No one comedian can possibly satisfy every audience, but while humor is subjective and individualized, comedy and satire are universal. Political commentary on television hits home for many audiences, and some comedians should be given kudos for sifting through difficult moments to find reasons to laugh. A lot of the time, comedy is pain; it expresses laughter through sadness. Being in a dire political situation can be a hard pill to swallow for most, but a shift in perspective

is what these television shows enable, as well as a way for individuals to engage in a sense of connectedness through humor, setting aside any national or political divisions. The global appeal of political comedy can be attributed to the somewhat therapeutic effect of these aired episodes.

Another reason why this method of communication is so attractive to many is the fact that people have a low tolerance for anything but the truth. Falsehoods and inaccurate facts have inundated news outlets and frankly, this is not how people want to be informed. A journalist’s job is to show the truth, and news networks have long held the trophy as the go-to credible source for current events, but shows on television have become silent yet strong contenders. While comedy shows on television may not convey an accurate timeline of facts and events, what they do offer is a hint of truth about what people feel about the current state of affairs. Even the lamest jokes hold a kernel of truth—perhaps that why political communication through television shows resides with individuals on a universal level.

“Even though I’m not the most enthusiastic person in the area of politics, I do find myself taking initiative to learn more about the democratic situation and certain politicians after seeing videos on Facebook of sketches on SNL,” said Sohee Ahn (11) AP US History student.

“Some people are against television shows depicting political situations or creating impersonations of politicians because of the bias and skewed portrayals. People can interpret things however they want, but I think they

should take into consideration the fact that these shows aren’t news outlets. They’re still effective in creating discussion or a mere interest on topics that people otherwise don’t care to delve into.”

However, not everyone is too keen on the idea of political issues being parodied or reviewed on television.

Critics say they create false and unfair impressions of politicians as well as a greater social divide because of the biased viewpoints television shows express. There have been many cases of enraged viewers due to the fact that media sometimes contain political biases, ultimately fostering distrust in members of the audience. Deriding political systems and politicians has also been seen to encourage cynicism and an apathetic attitude toward creating a better working democracy.

Despite the great divide in opinion concerning whether communicating political situations on television is for better or for worse, the consistent popularity is still extremely telling of who we are as people. It holds the power to remind us that our desire to constantly feel connectedness with the world as well as each other is what makes us human after all. Depiction on television may not be the most reliable source for accurate information, yet at the same time, they don’t serve that purpose to begin with. This communication through television can be seen as a method for sparking an interest in a topic that may be hard to digest, or as a means to engage in critical reflection about the human condition.

But at the end of the day, it teaches us that we should learn to crack a smile even during the toughest times.

When Memes and Politics Mix

By Justin Chang “Can’t fail any classes if you drop out.” - Meme, “Roll Safe” If you are a citizen of the Internet with a Twitter, Facebook, or Snapchat account, chances are, you have seen and laughed at memes. They have won over the hearts of many, becoming so prominent on the Internet that one can even argue that the Internet is incomplete without memes. They are hilarious yet profound, exhilarating yet somehow calming. Memes. They are the gift that keeps on giving.

The irresistible allure of memes comes from its ability to provide us with a hilarious medium to laugh at our most troubling issues, whether it be being so broke that your bank balance is in the negative or the constant lack of motivation to do proper work and the desire to find out “what chocolate chip cookie represents your soul” on Buzzfeed. And since the life of a modern day human, whether it be a businessman or a student, is stressful, memes provide humanity with much needed respite.

Though the rapidly increasing popularity of memes is a rather modern phenomenon, the origin of memes extends two decades into the past where it appealed to only an exclusive group of internet citizens on 4chan and later Reddit. One of the most earliest memes was titled “I Can Haz Cheeseburger?: LOLCATS” and arose from 4chan in 2006. The premise of LOLcats is a cat doing relatable activities while speaking in a made up language called LOLspeak. Since then, the increased associability and popularity of social media platforms like Twitter has allowed for memes to become appealing

to the mass populace. The pseudo-medical nature of the modern meme like “Roll Safe,” “Harambe,” “Evil Kermit,” and of course, “Salt Bae” the staple of the internet, growing in both popularity and variety in recent years.

A birth of a meme is spontaneous and often unexpected. Usually, a meme is first observed when members on sites including Reddit, 4chan, or Tumblr transpose words onto an image. As it gathers likes, views, and shares, that meme expands and begins to dominate the twittersphere. More and more people contribute, giving the original template their own creative twist, until memes become a trend, reaching its peak popularity; in about a month or so, however, the meme will recede and be replaced by a new meme.

The 2016 US Presidential Election saw the emergence of a whole new genre of memes: politics. Memes were no longer being used to merely convey how gluttonous someone was becoming or how powerful one’s meme game was but to spread political ideas. Prominent memes arose during this period, with the most famous being ‘Bernie or Hillary?’, ‘ZodiacTed,’ and that one Disney princess moment that Bernie Sanders shared with a bird that had been meme-fied without mercy.

The golden ratio of politics and dankness, mixed to perfection allows political memes to be both hilarious and relevant, transforming it into a medium to promote candidates. And thus ‘The Great Meme War’ began, with Sanders, Clinton, and Trump supporters utilizing memes to mercilessly attack other candidates.

To promote their candidate, the internet went to great lengths to make their candidate more popular.

President Donald Trump became the ‘God Emperor of Mankind’ pictured in the fantastical universe of Warhammer 40k. Hillary Clinton became famous on vine with her video, “Just Chillin, in cedar rapids.” Bernie Sanders garnered an internet army, with the most prominent being “Bernie Sanders’ Dank Meme Stash,” a Facebook group that even has a dedicated Wikipedia page.

Now with the election over, political memes continued to dominate, albeit in an altered form. What was once a conveyor of political messages has now become incorporated into daily life, with memes depicting political figures being applied to humanity’s everyday problems. A prominent example of this merger of life and politics is the “You are fake news” meme that was created after then President-elect Donald Trump called out CNN for being “fake news” during his first press conference since the election.

“When your mom calls you down for dinner but you get downstairs and it’s still in the oven” “YOU are fake news.”

Though the meme in itself is hilarious, its ulterior motives are to downplay the legitimacy of President Trump and ridicule him, showing that even when political memes were being applied to realms outside of politics, issues in American politics were still being discussed.

Memes have become pervasive, to an extent that it has become a staple of everyday life. And as it begins to carry messages on politics, memes could grow to become even more widespread.

8 LIFESTYLE

Seoul Sky: A view from the top Photos by Soomin Lee

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lthough I am usually afraid of heights, on April 2, I took a risk and decided to go up the newly opened observatory (Seoul Sky) in the Lotte World Tower after marveling at the stunning fireworks. The entrance to the observatory was flooded with bright lights, and the area was very welcoming at first glance—the doll next to the cardboard cutout of Seoul Sky was a particularly nice touch. But, nonetheless, I felt the butterflies in my stomach before we even rode the elevator, and I embraced myself for the fast ride that would speed up to reach 10 meters per second.

It sure was fast. I didn’t think I was going to have enough time to observe the short virtual reality video presented on the ceiling of the elevator. But regardless of the fast speed and my nervous state, I was able to grasp a brief timeline of Jamsil from past to

present in a matter of seconds.

However, the video was incomparable to that of what I saw when in the actual observatory. The weather was not as sunny and bright as I had hoped to be due to the yellow dust; yet the view up at the observatory was stunning nonetheless. The glass window extends and completes a full circle around the observatory, creating a 360-degree view of Jamsil – one side overlooking the Namsan Tower and the other overlooking the other side of the Hangang River as well as Olympic Park. Not only that, but I also saw a pink halo of cherry blossoms outlining Magic Island of Lotte World. The soft gradients of pink and the dark blue of the river surrounding Lotte World complemented each other seamlessly to create a perfect contrast between the two colors.

What surprised me the most were the glass floors at the northwest and southeast

wings. Although it was frightening to even place a foot on the floor at first, I later built up enough courage to walk around and observe Jamsil from a bird’s eye view. Looking below was much more frightening than looking ahead through the other windows, but it was worth it: I was able to experience Jamsil in a completely different way.

Aside from viewing Seoul, there are other activities to engage in while up there.

For instance, there are photo booths at several locations, in which you can take photos with different views of Seoul as the background and buy them at a kiosk on the 121st floor. In addition, there is not only a terrace on the 120th floor, but also a café on the 122th floor, selling items ranging from coffee to ice cream. Although people can stay for as long as they wish once up in the observatory, time will still feel limited, because there is so much to do, so try to use

your time wisely.

Overall, the new Seoul Sky may look similar to other observatories at first glance, as it seems to only give a detailed view of Seoul. However, the tower is not just meant for people to observe a beautiful landscape.

Rather, it is a place for people to talk, laugh, and enjoy each other’s company, making memories that will last a lifetime. Even being up in the observatory for just 30 minutes allowed me to relax and engage in different activities, such as walking out to the terrace or simply having coffee with my family. In essence, the experience I had when I was up there is indescribable in words, so the next time you are in Jamsil, take some time and go up this observatory – you won’t ever regret it!

By Soomin Lee Junior, Staff Writer

Students visit Spain, explore culture beyond the classroom

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rom March 25 to April 7, students from SIS traveled to three cities in Spain: Seville, Cordoba, and Grenada. The group’s adventure was SIS’s first international language immersion trip in years.

The purpose of this trip was not only to allow students to experience authentic Spanish culture but also to pragmatically use Spanish in real-life situations. Students were given six hours of Spanish tutoring in total during the trip, but the most important takeaway was that they were encouraged to immerse themselves in the country of Spain while sightseeing and traveling outside of the classroom.

“The trip was very educational, but it still felt like a break from all the intensive studying,” Katie Lee (10) said. “I think that it is necessary to sometimes step out of

the rigid mode of studying that we force ourselves into.”

Another unique characteristic regarding this particular excursion was the mingling of students of varying skills. Students from Spanish I to AP Spanish all participated in the same activities, yet, according to Katie, this fact did not burden them so much in any way because every lesson was designed so that every student could learn something from it.

“Most things we learned in class were purely based on Spanish culture,” Katie said. “We learned about basic things like food, but because it was specifically focused on the traditional food of Spain, even relatively experienced students could learn something. I am a Spanish III student, but I was exposed to so many kinds of food that I never heard of in my life.”

jukebox

jewels

BY DAWN KIM

Overall, the famous beauty of Spain did not fail to amaze the students. Through long bus rides, the students passed by several historically significant attractions of the country, including the Alhambra in Granada. Moreover, such an immersion trip allowed the students not only to appreciate a whole new culture, but also connect back to certain aspects of Spain that they learned back in school such as the nation’s history.

“The clouds, the sun, the blue sky, and the rolling hills of Southern Spain were stunningly beautiful, and alongside the music and the comfort of friends, it kind of felt like everything was going to be okay,” Eddie Ko (10) said. “That feeling of perfect peace is something I hope to hold onto for a long time.”

The ’16-’17 school year saw the emergence of various out-of-school opportunities for

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students, including several trips in the music department, art department, and now the language department as well. As the idea of outside excursions always excite students, these trips have been met with significant enthusiasm, participation, and positive reviews from the students they were targeted to.

“I think it’s a great thing that more and more trips are being given as opportunities to students,” Hannah Kim (10) said. “I definitely believe such chances give students a more valuable learning experience compared to the usual lectures in class. I hope there will be trips in other subjects such as Chinese or other core subjects in the future as well.”

By Amy Jungmin Kim Sophomore, Staff Writer

“I’ll keep my distance and lie to the truth, ‘cause you lied to it too.”

– Ryan Ross, “Take a Vacation”

ncountering “Lie to the Truth” by the Young Veins on “shuffle” always feels like a personal attack. In fact, something about the Young Veins’ entire discography entangles one in a web of exasperation and appreciation of shady lyrics and Tumblr-fueled backstories.

Of the rise and fall of bands, the most iconic of them all (at least, within the last

decade) was the 2009 split of the band Panic! at the Disco. With hardly a day’s notice, guitarist and lyricist Ryan Ross and bassist Jon Walker left the group over “creative differences,” leaving vocalist Brendon Urie and drummer Spencer Smith to carry out the band’s legacy. Within a month of their departure, they were well onto the makings of a new band—the Young Veins. Active for

Tiger Times April 2017

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13 Reasons Why: Bullying in its rawest form

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n conjunction with International Pink Day on April 12th, Netflix released its original series “13 Reasons Why” to the public in its short (but sweet) 13 episode glory. Based on the novel of the same name, “13 Reasons Why” is a parable on the unseen horrors of bullying––and it wastes no time beating around the bush. A mere 30 seconds into the pilot episode disturbingly reveals a couple of high school students cheerfully taking a selfie around the locker of a dead classmate, memorialized to honor her death. Given another few, quick-paced minutes, the exposition reveals the deceased classmate to be a girl named Hannah Baker: a student victim of a case of severe bullying which ultimately drives her to commit suicide. Before taking her life, Hannah constructs 13 cassette tapes to pass along 13 people, where she has recorded the reasons for her suicide.

Upon reading a brief synopsis as such, it becomes easy to pass “13 Reasons Why” off as a typical high school drama series remedially designed to entice a teen demograph-

ic. However, this show is anything but that.

Thanks largely to the flexibility and handsoff nature of Netflix’s platform, “13 Reasons Why” was able to clinch a R/MA rating that gave them the freedom to portray the reality of bullying in its entirety. In real life, high school students cuss every other word and use derogatory slang. In real life, bullying involves oblivious slut shaming as a pack mentality. In real life, disturbing cases of sexual harassment and casual rape are met with cultural apathy.

Of course, the material is heavy, but it’s also important. “13 Reasons Why” doesn’t sugarcoat its issues like several teen shows do. Unlike your Gossip Girls, Mean Girls, or even just Girls, this show explores the real repercussions of harassment in a raw, unflinching way that becomes uncomfortable to watch. The blood that spurts from Hannah’s wrists as she gasps for air is not a sight for weak stomachs––nor is the gut-wrenching trepidation found on her parents’ faces a few minutes later as they gawk at their daughter’s bloodied

corpse and collapse to the ground in shock.

However, it is a reality of the modern high school that is not often enough portrayed on the silver screen for the current generation to truly understand the implications of bullying.

If there is one gripe to be had with this show, it is its representation of suicide in a light that isn’t appropriately dark enough.

By the end of the show Hannah Baker is hailed a martyr among her former classmates, which may give the impression to viewers that suicide is a real way to absolve one’s problems. Of course, in actuality the story does provide many little complications to such moral quandaries throughout the series. However, from a shallow pointof-view of the surface, the school’s uniform repentance towards Hannah comes close to justifying her actions as a vindicated conclusion––and glorifying suicide is definitely not a point this show should be making.

The brutal themes of mortality and the juvenile nature of a high school seem severely discrepant––but it’s supposed to. By

portraying a fictional world of desensitized adolescents, “13 Reasons Why” challenges the real world with a series of poignant questions: can high school students truly comprehend the gravitas of death at such a young age? Is suicide worth the potential martyrdom to strip your loved ones, and yourself, of your existence? Should suicide be categorized as an act of untimely desperation or of vengeful spite?

These are hard questions and Hannah’s story doesn’t necessarily provide concrete answers to them, but in any case “13 Reasons Why” brings to light the reality of life as a high school student that has too often been locked away in the unspoken words of bullying victims. Although it is a grim tale, its relevance can hopefully bring a comfort to those who need it, and at the same time serve as a cautionary tale to those that may be contributing to a similar situation completely unbeknownst to them.

By Jeremy Nam Sophomore, Staff Writer

Tale as old as time retold in “Beauty and the Beast”

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buttery yellow ball gown and a single red rose symbolize one of Disney’s most popular classics: “Beauty and the Beast.” Earning $350 million at the box office, the live-action remake, directed by Bill Condon, stars Emma Watson as Belle and Dan Stevens as the Beast as well as Luke Evans as Gaston.

As a tale loved by all, the new film tells a new yet familiar tale as the magic of Disney brought both fleets of nostalgia and sparks of youthful joy.

Based on the fairytale by Villeneuve, the original animated “Beauty and the Beast” from 1991 is a classic Disney princess movie loved by all age groups from young children to the older generations. As a young bibliophile, Belle, the main character, finds herself in an enchanted castle with the Beast and magical household objects, which were all under the spell of an enchantress. After spending much time with the Beast, Belle soon falls in love with the Beast, despite his hideous appearance, and brings him out of his isolation. With the help of his servants and the power of love, she turns him back into a young prince by breaking the spell.

On a more important note, “Beauty and the Beast” is particularly unique as it diverges from the traditional styles of Disney’s collection of live-action remakes.

While previous remakes of classic tales such as “Alice in Wonderland” and “Pan”

16 months before their indefinite hiatus, the band produced a single studio album, “Take a Vacation.”

“Take a Vacation” is like a collection of musings from a heartbroken man, from teasing observations (“Some people never change [but] just stay the same way.”

–“Change”) to deadpan admittances (“I guess that I have had enough, I know that I have had enough of you.” – “Lie to the Truth”) Though Ross’s renowned lyricism of his days in Panic! at the Disco is no-

had altered plots and as well as addition of new characters, the 2017 “Beauty and the Beast” shares

common plot points as well as attributes to its original animation. In

where to be seen, guitarist-turned-vocalist, Ross, takes listeners on a rollercoaster of retrospect, from a sugar rush of blame to a caffeinated lull.

Venturing into the Young Veins’ aesthetic is like jumping into a vintage storybook. With the split of 2006, Panic! at the Disco deserted the baroque pop that catapulted the group to stardom, opting for a darker synthesizer pop. The Young Veins hung behind, perpetuating a psychedelic rock style reminiscent of the Beatles. In

comparison to other films that only brought confusion, the resemblance of the new film only brought positive effects as the

trendy revival of beloved characters in well-known plot made the movie fresh yet sentimental for the

fact, even the appearance of its members was eerily similar, from coordinated suits to mop top hairstyles. There is a certain sense of longing in every aspect of their image. Perhaps that inability to move on was the band’s folly, since the Young Veins went on a hiatus after just 18 months– a hiatus that has persisted since 2010.

In terms of bands and their longevity, Panic! at the Disco survived to tell its tale without retaining an ounce of its identity.

Ten years, four departed members, and

audience.

Furthermore, the digital effect of “Beauty and the Beast” is another element that deviates from the traditional style of Disney’s live action remakes. While previous remakes contained rather gory and garish elements, “Beauty and the Beast” showcased elegance and intricacy especially in its details. For example, the film was furthered in its lavish designs with the details of household objects. With cleancut effects and ornate features, it enchanted the audience with spellbound fascination rather than putting them off.

Besides the digital effects, the voices of the household objects added to the enchantment of the film. Beloved characters of Lumière to Cogsworth were brought to live by voices of famous Hollywood stars including Ewan McGregor and Ian McKellen. The original soundtrack of the 1991 film was remade with the participation of the new casts as well as singers including John Legend and Ariana Grande, bringing back to light the loved songs of the movie.

As a story loved by all generations, “Beauty and the Beast” is a persistently adored tale of inner beauty. As an enhancement of the previous film from 1991, the new remake only proves the love for the classic fairytale and the magic of Disney.

By Andrea Kwon Sophomore, Staff Writer

five albums later, the band lives to tell the story of a single, remaining member. On the other hand, the Young Veins perished like a supernova, bright in its ideas and content but soon to fizzle out, leaving one album and three singles in its wake. Something about their backstory makes things so much more bittersweet, though. So if you are craving a little bit of mystery, a pinch of homeliness, hit up the Young Veins on Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube.

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SPORTS

99 COMPL AINTS AGAINST THE WORLD JUST DO IT— I CAN’T

By Junie Yejoon Kah

“My mama told me when I was young, we are all born superstars-- I was born this way” Lady Gaga tells us in her song, “Born This Way” that everyone is different, and that I was just born this way. However, I am still incredibly ashamed of my inability to participate in any physical sports. Of course, I always dreamed of becoming the tri-varsity athlete that everyone admires— unfortunately, I can’t even make a proper basketball shot in PE class. The truth that always seems to be denied is that not everyone is very talented in sports. Maybe to athletes, those who aren’t in any sports team seem like nerds or, if lucky, just socially awkward people. Hey, but to every one of you who constantly ignore me for not being a “real athlete,” I can still get a varsity jacket with my participation in orchestra or forensics too.

All my friends are part of at least one sport—and everywhere I go, I see people flashing their team hoodies with cute nicknames or varsity jackets with billions of pins and badges plastered all over it. Yes, sometimes I wish that I could proudly wear my varsity jacket, or my Nike windbreaker, but I end up telling myself to just let go of such nonsensical dreams. I always find myself justifying my incapability to play sports with a silly excuse—that I’m just not playing any sports because it “doesn’t fit into my schedule” or how I’m just “too lazy to stay after school everyday.” I know that these are sad excuses to make, but running away from reality is the only way to make myself feel a little bit better.

However, I spent a long time wondering, is it really my fault that the only “sport” I participate in is walking up the superfluous stairs of SIS or the occasional biking adventure? Is it really my fault that I am not capable of participating in anything that requires extensive amounts of physical exercise? I never chose to be born this way, but this is just who I am: a person who has no skills in playing sports.

In my more formative years, in order to mend for my lack of sporting abilities, I pretended to “know” sports. I bet I know more soccer players or basketball terms than most people because I spent an extensive amount of time researching about mainstream sports. However, looking back, I just seem like an utter fool.

I “cheered for Miami Heats,” and “watched Chelsea games,” but at heart, I was just wishing for acceptance, not from others but from myself as well.

Nonetheless, one point in time, I just ended up accepting myself—but it seemed like other students just couldn’t accept me, or in fact, anyone who was not as athletic as them. To all those who laugh at me whenever I try to shoot, or those who talk behind my back of how stupid I look whenever I try to play volleyball, I’m enjoying my life as much as you are and most importantly, why should you care? I was born this way.

Athletes SET NEW records in spring AISA tournament BOYS 200 MEDLEY RELAY:

Ian Lee, Ryan Jang, Elliot Nam, Jeffrey Park 1:54.46

BOYS 50 BREAST:

Ryan Jang

BOYS 200 FREE RELAY:

Ian Lee, Jeffrey Heo, James Lee, Jeffrey Park

31:07 1:43.76

Diving and swimming, members of the girls and boys varsity swim team participated in the AISA tournament held at Senri Osaka International School in Japan. The SIS Tiger Sharks would go on to place first in the tournament.

Photos by Ryan Jang

On April 14, SIS soccer and swim teams participated in another successful annual spring AISA tournament. The usual excitement was heightened by the fact that the girls’ varsity soccer team was hosting the soccer tournament on the home field, while the varsity boys’ soccer team traveled to Busan International Foreign School and the varsity swimming teams were headed to Osaka, Japan.

This year, exciting changes made results unpredictable. For example, a school from Pakistan, Karachi American School, was added to the AISA soccer roster for the first time, expanding the scope of schools. In addition, most of the teams welcomed a relatively larger number of new freshmen athletes than usual.

As varsity girls swimming co-captain Jenny Kim (11) explained, having younger players makes trying new strategies and techniques easier, and makes for a perfect balance of experience and mobility.

“More senior athletes create the stability that can only come from the experience of participating in tournaments,” Jenny said. “Considering the fact that the newer members do not have that same level of confidence, they have a chance to develop

to become better swimmers in the following year. But on the other hand, such new members are beneficial to the team because they are flexible, which allows us to have an array of strategies suited to a particular situation.”

Overall, the athletes all performed impressively to consolidate SIS’ strong place within the league. In fact, the boys’ soccer team made history as they advanced to and won the championships. Similarly, the swimming team placed first overall, with the boys’ and girls’ team individually placing first and second respectively. In addition, the girls’ soccer results ended up with Korea International School winning first place.

“This year, we had a lot of injured players, so that affected the remaining players physically because we were not able to substitute people in and out as often as we wanted,” said Taeyeon Kim (11), varsity girls soccer player. “However this tournament was especially memorable because hosting the event in our school gave us a sense of responsibility and pride. Our dynamic school spirit was very evident when people showed up on matches to cheer us on, and this definitely improve

our morale.”

Of course, another unique experience that results from the AISA tournament is the homestay experience. The program encourages active interaction between the participating teams in order to create an atmosphere of not intense competition, but more of noble sportsmanship.

Furthermore, players often get to step outside of their comfort zone to meet new friends from countries with differing cultures and values.

“I think an often unmentioned aspect of the tournament is the new relationships that you forge with your team and the other schools,” said Michelle Kim (11), varsity girls soccer player. “Specifically, in the first place, I never even imagined that I could get the chance to get close to students from other international schools, especially since we have different cultures and also speak different languages. Yet, I realized that we could all get along with one another and literally become one through the sport of soccer and learn to appreciate other cultures.”

By Jina Kim Junior, Staff Writer

Tiger Times

April 2017

SPORTS PHOTO OF THE MONTH

Resounding successes at KAIAC for SIS teams As the month of May approaches, it is expected that students begin to focus on finishing the year strong by raising grades and gearing up for APs and final exams. Though this trend holds true for many, a group of students—members of the soccer and swimming varsity teams—put that mentality on hold as their season came to an end. On the weekend of April 21 and 22, the SIS sports teams participated in the KAIAC tournament, where all sports teams placed equally or above their rank during the season, indicating steady success and improvement.

Soccer

With the varsity girls soccer team placing third in the KAIAC tournament and the varsity boys soccer team placing second, both teams improved or maintained their rank, which was fourth and second during the season, respectively. For the girls team, two All-Tournament selections were awarded to Youngwoo Kim (10) and Sue Lee (12), with the team as a whole winning the Sportsmanship award. As for the boys team, the Best Offensive Player and Best Goalkeeper awards were received by Josh Kim (12) and Sabin Macklin (12), with four additional All-Tournament selections. The girls team received a total of three of the possible twenty awards handed out, and the boys team received six out of the twenty. The various team achievements, compounded with individual accolades, indicated a successful soccer season for both teams.

“Both guys and girls soccer season was a resounding success,” said Harry Shin (11), varsity boys soccer player. “The girls improved a lot throughout the season, and this was reflected in the improvement in their placing during the tournament. [The boys] team was

able to get second place in the conference and tournament, which was a significant improvement. The way we finished this season just makes me excited for next year, and I hope we improve even more. The fact that our team received so many individual awards also indicates that our talent was spread all throughout the team. Though we wanted to finish first, we still put up a great fight, and I consider our season a success.”

Swimming

The SIS Tiger Sharks competed with ten other schools at KAIAC, as swimming is a non-divisional sport. Though the number of schools and teams participating is larger than that of other sports, both the varsity boys and girls teams placed in the upper half, with the varsity girls placing fifth and the varsity boys placing first. Combined, the SIS Tiger Sharks placed third overall, with a total of seven swimmers garnering All-Tournament selections. Additionally, Ian Lee (10) collected the Tournament MVP for the boys, as he placed first in all of his individual events.

“During the years I have swam at SIS, we have always placed within the top three at the KAIAC tournament,” said Katie Lee (10), member of the varsity girls swim team.

“The continuation of that success this year was indicative of the hard work we put in all throughout the season. Though we lost a lot of strong seniors last year, both the boys and girls team placed similarly to last year. Hopefully our swim team remains strong in the future as well. I’m looking forward to try to continue the tradition of success in the pool.”

By Ryan Jang Junior, Staff Writer

Throwing in the ball, Victor Kang (11) initiates an inbound play on Wednesday, April 12. The boys would go on to win the game 4-2 against the KIS Phoenix.

Photo by Ryan Jang

US Women’s National Hockey Team successfully attains fair pay

On March 28, due the US women’s national hockey team boycotting the International Ice Hockey Federation Championships (IIHF), the sport’s governing body agreed to increase the athletes’ salaries from $1,000 per month to $3,000. The boycott was in protest of steep inequalities between the salaries awarded to members of the US men’s national hockey team and the women’s team.

“Obviously, $3,000 per month is not enough at all,” said Sue Lee (12), Korean women’s national ice hockey player. “These athletes probably earn money only through

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the National Women’s Hockey League (NWHL) other than the few months when the prepare for world championships or other international tournaments unless they are also coaching when they can, and $3,000 is not enough to make a living out of it. Therefore, the women team’s boycott was very respectable and well-carried out because they were fighting for equality under the law and in the hockey industry.”

According to CNN, the women’s national hockey team asked for a $68,000 annual salary, childcare, maternity leave, and other benefits such as being able to compete in

more games throughout the year. In addition, USA Hockey, the sport’s governing body, released documents guaranteeing payment between $146,000 to $149,000 annually should the athletes earn first place along with $210,000 and $237,000 for a top-two finish, standing in stark contrast with the higher wages of USA Men’s Hockey players, whose minimum contract is $650,000. However, such sums are assumed to include costs invested in coaching and equipment besides wages directed to the players themselves.

“Professional athletes deserve to be paid

the same amount of wages as they are all putting almost equal amounts of time and effort into the sport they play professionally,” said Tamara Antanaskovic, physical educations teacher. “Specifically, the men’s ice hockey team may be more popular than the women’s ice hockey team and therefore receive more marketing, more ‘drama’ among and about athletes, and more money into the sport itself. But again, that does not mean that boys try harder than girls, so both genders should be treated on equal grounds.”

Following the successful deal to raise annual payment, the women’s national hockey team cancelled the boycott of the IIHF Championships and won the game against Canada with a 3-2 scoreline. With the women’s hockey national team having set a precedent, other women’s sports teams such as the US Women’s National Soccer Team have also started to demand equal pay, as five members of the team has filed a wage discrimination lawsuit against US Soccer.

“The simple fact that women get lower payment than men although they try as hard, just because of their gender, is disturbing in itself,” said Sophia Song (11), MUN member. “USA Hockey should not only continue to give more money to women national hockey players for extra necessities women need such as childcare, but also strive to further support the marketing of women’s national ice hockey.”

By Alice Lee Junior, Staff Writer

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SMALL TALK

Idealog: Epistemic Are we responsible for our beliefs? Do we have a moral obligation to believe only what is true?

In philosophy, the concepts of “belief” and “knowledge” are clearly separated. When one asserts something, the idea behind one’s assertion is called a proposition. Depending on whether or not this proposition is true, the proposition is assigned a “truth value.” Aside from the truth value, one’s proposition can also be measured by how firmly the speaker believes it to be true. This measurement is called the “propositional attitude.”

Were I to assert that the Earth was flat - and sincerely believed that the Earth was as flat as a pancake - I would have a propositional attitude of truth, though my proposition would have no truth value. In essence, “belief” only requires a propositional attitude of truth; “knowledge,” on the other hand, must be defensible, justifiable, and supported with factual or observational evidence.

Proponents of epistemic responsibility believe that humans have a duty to believe in only what is true. Philosopher William Kingdon Clifford’s argument for epistemic responsibility stands out as particularly relevant to today’s world. Clifford argued that we are all subject to epistemic responsibility because what we believe inevitably

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Responsibility

affects how we act. In one argument, Clifford draws the analogy of a ship captain, who convinces himself that his old and crumbling ship is actually fully operational. He sends the ship out to sea, the ship sinks, and everyone on board dies - thanks to the captain’s false belief. The modern incarnation of this analogy is the anti-vaxxer.

Since 2007, the Jenny McCarthy Body Count has logged over 9,000 deaths that could have been prevented by vaccination. Regardless of whether those anti-vaxxer parents acted with their children’s perceived best interest in mind, the belief (held against all scientific evidence) that vaccinations are “sinful” or that they “cause autism” have resulted in very weighty moral consequences.

But as consumers of modern media, we are all subject to epistemic responsibility. We live in a world led, for the most part, by very angry – and very heavily armed – leaders. They stand off against each other, their fingers floating over metaphorical missile launch buttons. But as voters in a democratic society, we must remember that, to a certain extent, every one of us put that finger there. At the very least, we voted the man behind the finger into that seat. We believed in him.

In this era when sensitive superpowers stand

Pre-AP Traumatic Stress Disorder strikes student

By Diana Nakyoung Lee

clutching their missiles, ready to explode into a battle royal at the sound of the bell, the worst thing we could have done was to rely on sensational media and yellow journalism (or, as we call it now, “alternative facts”) for information: to ground our beliefs - not on truths - but on conveniences.

To peddle the concept of “alternative facts,” to call Occupy Democrats or Brietbart News true journalism, to fill in our ballots using sensational CNN headlines are all acts of blasphemy. The day we dismiss truth as irrelevant and facts as replaceable, journalism - along with epistemic responsibility - will die. When in doubt, remember: truth is grounded in facts. To turn to warmongering rhetoric, blind political biases, or instinctual aggression in its stead is not only an act of surrender; it is an act of sacrilege. It is to spit on the face of truth.

Are we morally responsible for what we believe? Perhaps, and perhaps not.

But will we be responsible for the rubbles of our cities if uninformed, trigger-happy foreign policy is allowed to sweep over our earth and run wild?

You can bet on it.

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Fair and Balanced When the sun sets and all you can see is the microparticle-dusted remnants of sunlight, you start to contemplate why you exist. Does the soul of a student begin breathing on May 1 and truly come alive on May 12? Is the only purpose of living to understand why one half of the Roman empire fell and not the other?

Accompanied by a chemistry problem set. I spent the rest of the night calm and collected. Or at least, that’s what I like to think happened.

Instead, around 12 a.m., I began analyzing how exactly my pencil was able to write on the paper. When a force is applied by my hand to the stationary object, the pencil, it accelerates according to Newton’s Second Law (F=ma). The graphite (a standard allotrope of carbon) portion of the pencil scratched against the paper (a processed form of cellulose). Sheets of graphite (attributable to the layer structure of graphite) separate (due to static friction μsFN) and leave traces on the paper.

Around 1 a.m., when I got 20 questions wrong on my chemistry problem set (Apparently Ksp denotes how much precipitate can exist without precipitating, instead of standing for Kerbal Space Program), I decided to take a break. Getting up from my chair, I could track my position relative to my desk. Taking the derivative of my position relative to time, I could the find my velocity

to the fridge.

Except I somehow fell asleep on my way to the kitchen (v=0 for unknown time t) and when I woke up, it was 4 a.m.. The sad truth is, studying for APs didn’t mean neglecting schoolwork either. Reading about the Battle of Leningrad (4 million Soviet casualties, 60 thousand German causalities), it became pretty clear that some kind of happiness had to exist in the world in order to balance out the blitzkrieg of despair.

I find that happiness comes in the form of food, to be found in the fridge—Haagen Dazs ice cream, or to be more specific, their caramel almond crunch ice cream bar. Biting into the chocolate and feeling the sugar (C12H22O11) rush into my bloodstream felt like heaven (in Hindu and Buddhist cultures, they would call this nirvana).

For a short moment, that is. Then the sugar low hit, much like how the Great Depression hit after the golden jazz age and how 2008 hit after years of happy mortgaging. It was just another reminder that ignoring issues doesn’t mean that they magically disappear (The Law of Conservation of Worries, much like the Law of Conservation of Mass, Charge, Momentum, etc., etc.)

But who cares?

BY JOYCE LEE

Examining a flower, Ms. Kendall Sadler takes part in the Earth Day activities prepared by Green Club in order to promote conservation and environmental protection at SIS. Photo by Angela Choe