Tiger Times Volume 51 Issue 1

‘19-’20 Tiger Times August/September

Volume 51

Issue 1

ttonl.org

Space RE-volution

pg 3.

Emily Oh evaluates the consequences of adopting different school-wide grading policies.

pg 5.

Brian Ham uncovers the truth behind plastic straws, explaining that eradicating them may not fruitful as one may expect.

TRADE pg 6,.

Joanne Yang and Sarah Baek delve into the advent of a new space race in recent years.

WAR

“change

Editorial

REvolution by

Sia Cho and Andy Yoon Co-Editors-in-Chief

It was once said that “children are to be seen, not heard.” We in Tiger Times aim to debunk this prevailing misconception. Up to ten times per year, we release issues that explore current events occurring around the world and at SIS. Our strength lies in the fact that we are a student-led organization, one that covers news for the school community. Tiger Times’ mission is twofold: to foster increased awareness about one’s surroundings and to convey each staff member’s unique student voice through his or her articles. With the biased and unbiased articles that reporters write in Tiger Times, this organization actively strives to be a means for all of SIS—students, faculty, and parents—to be more well-informed.

Assigned the monumental task of coordinating a group of 32 members, we editors are often forced to ponder certain questions about the role of our newspaper. Who is our target audience?

Can certain news ever be considered off-limits?

Answering such questions will solidify this organization’s identity over the course of two semesters. Although we seek to lay the ground for future generations of our staff, we are not afraid of groundbreaking change—and already, we are witnessing a dynamic transition, indeed. Specifically, Tiger Times is remodelling, refashioning, and reorienting its work.

Remodel

A fresh start inevitably entails structural reforms to launch this new edition of Tiger Times.

One particular change is the introduction of a new adviser. A need to reconcile the ideas proposed

by Ms. Wendy Grant and the existing leadership is a difficult task. However, it will nevertheless produce a synergic effect for the publication of this newspaper. Additionally, we are now taking advantage of various forms of new technology, including Google Classroom for submitting articles and InCopy to more efficiently design the newspaper layouts.

Refashion

Stylistic changes are also underway. All existing columns in the newspaper and website were replaced with new ones, ranging from “Truth in Numbers” to “Word of the Month.” Such columns will enhance the reader experience and diversify the content that Tiger Times releases in each section of the newspaper. At the same time, due to the entrance of new staff members, this organization’s voice is evolving. During focus and extended viewpoint discussions, this new wave of sophomores and juniors is providing valuable insight, strengthening the expression of ideas in Tiger Times’ numerous articles.

Reorient

Altering the direction of this organization is arguably the most important change that we are currently witnessing. Namely, the editorial board seeks to center all articles around South Korea, if not specifically SIS. By covering timely and timeless issues that are closely relevant to the school community, we are striving to increase the readership of Tiger Times. Our marketing editors, for example, are in the process of developing a variety of projects to revolutionize our social media outreach. Hopefully, similar steps will rebrand the newspaper from an insular organization to a more inclusive platform. Gone will be the days when piles of newspapers are strewn across the floor, trampled on and left untouched on dusty stands.

Our words will be read, opinions weighed, voices responded to.

After all, we are a student publication—written for the students, by the students.

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

2 VIEWPOINT Gradual legalization of autonomous vehicles causes divisions

by Jiwon

Lee

Autonomous vehicles, which once may have seemed like a far-fetched fantasy, are now a greater part of reality than ever before. However, although almost a century’s worth of technological improvements has been stacked upon the original model of the autonomous car, many still harbor doubts about the utilization of autonomous vehicles in everyday life and the possibility that these creations may soon be let loose on the roads. In fact, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures, only 11 states in the United States and the District of Columbia have authorized the full deployment of autonomous vehicles on their roads as of September 2019.

Here, the question arises: if autonomous vehicles serve to diminish the need of a human driver, then why is there sustained opposition against these innovations? The answer lies in the continuing trend of mechanical replacement that has characterized much of the past two centuries of human history. As more machines are developed and fine-tuned to be able to perform more complicated tasks, the cost efficiency of buying and operating such devices often outweighs that of employing a human worker to perform the same tasks.

Autonomous vehicles work according to the same concept. With the introduction of more advanced forms of self-driving automobiles, the likelihood of human drivers being replaced with their cheaper and more accurate mechanical counterparts increases. This substitution of simple human labor by machines has contributed to the ever-rising unemployment rate throughout the world. This social problem hits a particularly sour note with developing countries, whose economies largely rely on companies in developed countries transferring their factories over to their country and employing their citizens as a cheap labor source.

Another common concern about the legalization of autonomous vehicles is that the process could contribute to the further decline of possible human jobs.

However, the replacement of human labor for mechanical labor has been taking place all around the world since the Industrial Revolution, when farming techniques were replaced with repetitive operations by mechanical equipment.

The fact that this phenomenon has already existed for a significant portion of modern human history and has not exhibited much negative impact shows that it is already a solid part of history that cannot be reversed, nor should it be.

There are certainly multiple disadvan-

tages to opting for an autonomous car over a normal one. They are likely to be quite expensive compared to their conventional counterparts, and the debate over machines being able to choose what to do in a moral dilemma––for instance, a person jumps in front of a car going 70 kilometers per hour and the only options are either to hit the person or to swerve and hit a concrete barrier instead––is an entirely separate issue on its own.

However, with further development, the pros of autonomous cars are likely to outweigh the cons; drunk driving would cease to be a concern, and speeding tickets would become futile, and these are just the immediate benefits that autonomous cars would bring. The gradual decrease in road accidents and increased accessibility of cars for people unable to drive are all possible advantages in the long run.

As greater numbers of autonomous cars are being developed and hitting the market, more light has been shed on the effective application of new technologies into everyday life. Social and legal acceptance of these scientific advances have also seen a gradual increase over time, but there may still be a long way to go before autonomous cars are free to roam the roads of all 50 states. Step by step, the difference is being made.

Dress code raises concerns about student expression

by Clara

Lim

Currently, the leadership team is enforcing a dress code, restricting the types of clothing that students wear on a daily basis. Ever since the start of the school year, the execution of this policy has been met by discontent from within the student body; a number of especially female students feel this rule restricts their ability to express themselves. In the midst of subtle criticism, the leadership team persistently emphasizes the importance of promoting a professional and educational atmosphere at school.

It has reasoned that the implementation of the dress code will be effective in preempting potential accidents that may occur across campus.

On the whole, SIS’ dress code mandates that students follow specific rules regarding attire at school. Sleeveless shirts are prohibited on campus. Clothing that is too tight, revealing, oversized, or undersized should not be worn to school. Inappropriate slogans or offensive pictures are banned. Tattoos must be covered and excessive piercings are to be removed while at school. Such rules are expected to be followed for all students from kindergarten to 12th grade on campus and during school field trips.

In consideration of its fundamental purpose, the dress code is a policy that

aims to protect and show respect for the school’s learning environment. SIS students and staff should take pride in their school; the way they dress up and present themselves reflects on the school’s emphasis on education rather than unnecessary distractions. Dress codes not only create a more united educational atmosphere but also help the students center the majority of their focus on academics.

According to the leadership team, this is not to undervalue the importance of individual freedom as a student. SIS respects the choices of students and the value of individuality, but creating a respectful environment comes first.

That is not to say that clothing cannot be a means of expression; all students are welcome to embrace a variety of styles.

Nevertheless, the leadership team feels one must be able to distinguish between expressive and inappropriate clothing.

Some students, in spite of this, maintain that certain regulations are too strict. For example, the rule regarding oversized t-shirts, at least on the surface, does not possess practical importance.

Many students may prefer wearing oversized t-shirt or a hoodie, especially during exam weeks, as these are comfortable to move around in. In short, some are still confused as to why they are not allowed to wear such clothing, when it

is neither revealing nor distracting. Students also question the extent to which tight clothing, for instance, causes a distraction to fellow peers.

Failure to come to an agreement regarding the dress code may perpetuate conflict among teachers and students.

Whereas teachers may grow indignant toward students who continue to violate these school rules, students could in turn grow hostile toward adults who some feel cannot see the issue from the students’ perspective. However, a comfortable atmosphere for all students and staff entails a strong bond based on trust and mutual respect. When students feel that teachers are encroaching upon their rights for unjust reasons, the trust between two sides falls apart.

Although the dress code may be justified to a certain extent, helping students more comprehensively understand the reasons behind these rules is of utmost importance. The dress code should be learned, discussed, and adjusted by both teachers and students over the course of mutual discourse. To do so, we need active participation from both sides to reflect the wills of all parties involved.

More thorough discussion may help bridge the gap between students and leadership team on some controversial issues.

Tiger Times

August/September 2019

Tiger Times Staff

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.

Volume 51 Issue 1 August/September Seoul, South Korea TTONL.org a free publication of

Seoul International School

Paper Editors-In-Chief Sia Cho Andy Yoon

Website Managing Editor Kate Lee Fiona Cho

Graphics Editor Lynette Kim

Website Editors-in-Chief Eju Ro

Production Editor Claire Lee Youngjin Park

Photo Editor Lauren Kang

Paper Managing Editor Chris Lee Brian Ham

Copy Editors Eric Hwang Alice Lee Joanne Yang Jiwon Lee

Social Media/ Marketing Directors Emily Bae Emily Oh

Video Editor Andie Kim

Reporters Teddy Cho Christopher Shin Thomas Song Jr. Joanne Yang Irene Kim Katherine Suk Jenny Seo Sarah Ju Emily Sung Sarah Baek Jennifer You

3

Layout Artists Ashley Kim Eddie Hahm Clara Lim Adviser Ms. Wendy Grant

Viewpoint Feature: For after all, the best thing one can do when it is raining, is to let it rain.

- “Tales of a Wayside Inn” Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Can competition be tamed?

by Emily

Oh

We are a part of a culture that encourages living by a utilitarian calculus, teaching us to advertise ourselves with a veneer of composure and to cultivate skills required for success. However, this lifestyle leaves little room for sympathy, sincerity, and modesty.

The competition to succeed, to not only make the top 10th percentile but to also become the president of all clubs and the captain of the varsity basketball team—to be the best, not simply among the best—is so fierce that it becomes all-consuming. As a result, most of us have become shrewd tacticians, organizing our lives around our own success while reducing others to objects for the fulfillment of our own desires. Just as a friend is rendered into an object for social networking, a classmate is rendered into an object for the sake of boosting one’s class ranking and a teacher is turned into an object for the purpose of providing knowledge. Subsequently, competitiveness will always exist as long as we exist.

One can argue that the percentile system we abide by is responsible for breeding a generation of desensitized students who quantify both their own successes and others’.

Students are competing against each other, as opposed to against the learning standard.

A student could graduate in the top 10th percentile whereas another student with a GPA a hundredth less could be relegated to the 20th percentile, though both students are indubitably motivated and qualified. Under a system in which even a hundredth of a point counts, most students cannot help but foster an overly competitive environment. Some

students will do everything in their power to secure every quarter of a point, just as ants blindly forage through acres for food an eighth the size of a sesame seed. Could we not drive down the levels of competition and stress by reverting to letter grades?

Those who answered ‘yes’ to the question above might be deafened by a cacophony of wrong buzzers. Competitiveness will always exist as long as we exist. Understandably, most students would take a liking to letter grades, overlooking their deficiencies given the system’s forgiving range: there would be no difference between a 94 and 100. Students would be able to attain the highest marks possible despite making one or two mistakes here and there, ultimately lowering stress levels and allowing students to concentrate on their extracurricular activities. After all, is it not the purpose of a grade to assess the extent to which we understand the content?

Is it important to distinguish a 94 and 100?

Should we not emphasize learning rather than quantifying students and inadvertently forcing them down a formulaic route that promotes memorization?

Then again, students with an average of 84 and 92 would technically have the same GPA despite the considerable difference between the actual percentages. Most students would simply aim for a 94, or worse, a 93.5 rather than striving to do their best. To illustrate just how imprecise letter grades are, let us suppose you have a 99 in Calculus, a 98 in English, and a 89 in another class. Your GPA, a 95.3, would translate to a 3.8 on a 4 point scale. Suppose your friend has a 94 in every class. Their GPA, a 94, would translate to a 4.0. Is it not illogical to stifle motivation and

enable calculated laziness with inaccurate grading, all while further encouraging competition?

Even if we were able to keep students motivated with a letter scale and decrease stress levels, most students would not allocate their time and energy into exploring their interests beyond the academic realm. Rather, students would systematically flock to extracurriculars with the most perceived merit. Take, for instance, Tiger Times, which was long dubbed the “gateway to an Ivy” by parents before and after SIS switched to a percentile system from letter grades. A select group of eighth graders who received recommendations from their English teacher would be eligible to take Introduction to Publication their freshman year, from which an even smaller pool of students would be selected for publication classes. Students with little to no interest in journalism were long forced into these programs by either their parents or by themselves. Before 2011, back when SIS still used letter grades, only one section of Chinese and Spanish existed in the eighth grade: only 30 students in a grade would be able to take an AP-level language course in high school. Likewise, students would have to pass a test at the end of eighth grade allowing them to take two math courses freshman year in order to take AP Calculus BC, a course considered a requisite for elite school by most parents, in high school. Are we willing to risk forcing students into pursuing activities unrelated to their true passions?

Middle schoolers were being forced into hagwons for three elective courses rather than pursuing their interests even when letter grades were in place: the problem

does not lay within the system, rather the students. We will create a hypercompetitive environment regardless of which systems we abide by. Take Mike Blaber’s 5th-Dimensional Entity theory: first, imagine a one-dimensional creature. It lives in a one-dimensional world—a world composed only of lines—and can only conceive one-dimensional objects: the concepts of height or area are not only inconceivable to it but also have no meaning to it. How could it perceive a two-dimensional object, such as a circle? Being a one-dimensional creature, as the idea of perceiving in two and three dimensions would be an utterly foreign concept, and its one-dimensional brain is not capable of constructing such a reality. We, students, are one-dimensional creatures living in a one-dimensional world in which we can interpret only of one one-dimensional object—competitiveness. We will forever perceive three and four and five-dimensional objects in our own one-dimensional way, whether they be a square or reuleaux triangle or in our case, competitiveness regardless of whether we have weighted or unweighted GPAs or letter or percentile grades.

Like a wad of gum stuck in one’s hair, competitiveness will always exist, whether we switch from a system to one that is seemingly superior, abolish rankings, or try and become three or four or five-dimensional beings—a cube would cease to be a cube without its one-dimensional components.

Until we are willing to try and ascend to the dimensions above us and abandon our gospels of self-interest and preservation, the levels of competitiveness will remain constant.

4 NEWS Trade war between Korea and Japan intensifies

News Briefs

by Emily

Sung

Theater preparations begin

Singing in the auditorium, Meehee(12) and Ryan Kim(12) practice their lines for the upcoming musical. photo by Ashley Kim

With the start of the school year, the drama department is preparing for its annual production: The Little Shop of Horrors. As this performance is heavily musical, this year’s actors are required to have stable singing voices, along with having dancing roles with matching choreography. Auditions were held in May to determine the roles, and the casted crew will be working with Mr. Meiklejohn in creating a polished performance.

“The Little Shop of Horrors is a Broadway musical about an ordinary guy who discovers an unusual plant that grows into a dangerous plant,” said Shane Meiklejohn, director of the production. “It’s a very bigscale production, with actors singing and dancing on stage. I hope that students can get into the mindframe of their characters and the time period and simply enjoy the process of production.”

HSSC Cartnivore reopens

The HSSC is opening the Cartnivore again this school year, with a greater array of food added to a partial redesign. New furniture has been brought into the area as an addition to the many renovations made across the school over summer break.

Snacks are sold during office hours, and the raised revenue is used to fund year-round HSSC activities. Given these significant changes, it is expected that the Cartnivore will continue its tradition of success.

“This year, we plan on taking advantage of our newly renovated Cartnivore which is much nicer for people to sit down and enjoy their food,” said Emma Lee (12), the public relations officer of the executive council.

“We want to provide food for all the students so they are full and energized for the rest of the school day.”

Class meetings mark start of new year

From Aug. 16 to 23, the SIS administration held mandatory meetings for each high school class in the auditorium. In these meetings, the administration outlined its expectations for students this school year and introduced new rules such as the reinforcement of the backpack policy. In addition to informing students about these general changes, the administration also provided information specific to each class.

These meetings served to help students transition easily into the new school year.

“I am hoping that the meetings had some type of a positive effect,” said James Gerhard, high school principal. “Mr. Macklin explained some of the expectations we have for students, and I emphasized the importance of a healthy community at SIS. They were all primarily aimed at building a positive culture. Going forward, we plan to hold class meetings this year more frequently to bring everyone together.”

by Chris

Lee

In July, Japan announced new trade restrictions on crucial materials used to make semiconductors in Korea, initiating a trade war between the two countries. Semiconductors, an important part of a vast majority of electronic appliances, are a significant part of South Korea’s exports, and a delay in their production could pose a significant threat to the country’s economy.

“I think it’s important to look beyond just the economic aspects of the trade war,” said Unnseo Park (12), Forensics member. “The conflict originally started with historic grievances, where South Korea demanded Japan for greater

compensation of the victims of forced labor during Japan’s annexation of Korea. However, Japan defended the status quo, claiming that they already compensated the forced laborers.

Thus, the timing of this trade war is historically symbolic.”

Amid these historic contentions over compensation for forced laborers, Japan initiated the trade conflict, claiming that the South Korean government was responsible for releasing confidential information to North Korea. Japan has thus removed South Korea from its “white list” of trusted trade partners, essentially creating additional barriers for South Korean companies trying to use Japanese materials to create their products. Removal from

the “white list” has affected a range of Korean products, including automobiles and household electronics.

“Eventually, both countries will ultimately have to realize that free trade is in their best economic interest,” said Chris Bracciano, social studies teacher. “However, I am not sure whether the political problems will be resolved. This is a deep, dark history between Japan and Korea. Japan has a lot of pride, and it doesn’t want to admit it was wrong. Korea, on the other hand, has a lot of hurt. I truly hope that they can resolve their conflicts because they have a lot to gain from each other since they are close geographical neighbors.”

The South Korean govern-

ment and the public promptly and emphatically responded to the trade restrictions, staging boycotts of Japanese clothing brands and refusing to travel to the country. Furthermore, the Korean government reacted with a similarly powerful political front, citing historic battles between Korea and Japan to suggest that this trade war would be promptly resolved in favor of Korea. Retaliating against the Japanese trade restrictions, the Korean government removed Japan from its own list of trusted trade partners.

“There is a need to consider the trade war in a larger context,” said Bryan Hur (12), MUN member. “The trade war means that electronic appliances all over the world will be affected because the semiconductors from Korean manufacturers like Samsung are used everywhere. I think it will be in other countries’ favor to help South Korea and Japan quickly resolve this conflict by pressuring the two countries to work together.

Otherwise, there is going to be devastating consequences for the global economy.”

Little has been resolved over the past month, and Japan and Korea have both suffered huge losses in the stock market. The escalation of the trade dispute presents a concern for the global economy, which is likely to affect many countries that rely on South Korea’s electronic chips. The conflict may soon gather international attention, although it remains unclear to what extent this trade war will escalate.

SIS implements new online programs

A

by Emily

Oh

s digital learning becomes increasingly coupled with classroom learning, SIS has integrated several new programs for the 2019-’20 school year. Ranging from online homework delivery systems to tools from the College Board and a new university and career guidance program, these resources could potentially help reduce private tutoring consumption.

“Although there is a collective component to learning, especially in school, we have long underscored the importance of students individualizing their learning—by spending time outside of school studying in hagwons or with tutors, students are collectivizing their time once again instead of focusing on their motivation and independence,” said Gray Macklin, high school Vice Principal. “One of our new programs, AP Classroom, provides our teachers with a myriad of official AP tools directly from CollegeBoard, including an online question bank of real AP Exam questions. Students can now access the most recent and official

practice material from and in school rather than from outside resources. By implementing programs as such pragmatically and communicating effectively with those involved, we could eliminate the need for hagwons as a whole.”

In Pre-Calculus classes, students now use WeBWorK, an online homework delivery system, rather than solving homework on paper from class textbooks. Students access assigned questions on WeBWorK’s website and then submit their answers on the same webpage. Students can also access a chart displaying not only all of the questions they missed but also the number of attempts it took to answer them correctly.

By readily allowing students to identify their weaknesses, WeBWorK may encourage students to more often review their answers. WeBWorK also has a feature that allows teachers to indicate how many points a particular question is worth.

In turn, students can become increasingly familiarized with how they will be graded on assessments.

“In addition to our classwork and homework sets on WeBWorK, questions from the

homework section of our class textbook are there for those who want extra practice,” David Lim (11) said. “These additional problems are comparable to those students would solve in hagwons, and are a step closer in replacing hagwons.

As convenient as WeBWorK is, some of its features could use some improvements. For example, you have to type out ‘sqrt’ to denote exponentiation as opposed to simply using the caret symbol. These things that are seemingly trivial may build up and ultimately make the program bothersome, especially compared to a hagwon or tutor who’d sort everything out for you so all you’d have to do is write down on a piece of paper.”

Another promising program is BridgeU, the new university and career guidance program of SIS. Once a student has taken its university compatibility quiz, BridgeU sorts out students’ potential college matches into three lists—reach options, match options, and safety options—indicating the likelihood of getting admitted.

Students can then view the class size, setting, internationality, and the cultural, food,

and shopping hubs of various nearby schools, as well as the types of subjects offered by the universities that are related to the student’s indicated interests. Another one of BridgeU’s key features is its bank of sample essays. Students can access the essays of admitted students which are accompanied by annotations highlighting key elements colleges are looking for, potentially enhancing their ideas on what to write.

“I like BridgeU so far as it’s far more interactive and user-friendly than Naviance, the guidance program we previously used,” Aileen Kim (11) said. “My favorite feature of BridgeU is its section dedicated to careers. You can browse the various job groups and occupations under them.

A comprehensive overview, including related degree subjects, demand data, average starting salaries, and a detailed breakdown of skills required for a particular job, is provided for each job. I suppose BridgeU, in a sense, is a free, online version of the college consultants some parents spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on.”

Tiger Times

August/September 2019

5

SIS undergoes multiple major renovations over summer

by Sarah

Ju

On Aug. 13, the first day of the school year, SIS students arrived at school and encountered the major renovations that had taken place during summer break in order to improve school life. Starting from the preceding 2018-’19 school year, the SIS administration had been making consistent efforts to improve the school’s facilities. For example, it replaced the old water fountains with new water dispensers, enabling the process of grabbing a quick drink of water during breaks more comfortable for students, as well as giving them the benefit of drinking from a cleaner communal water source. However, such replacements were only a preview of what students experienced upon their return from summer vacation. Starting from mid-summer and lasting until a few weeks before the beginning of this school year, renovation plans around the school drastically altered not only the aesthetics of the campus but also the students’ perceptions of the school.

“I think the new school renovations did a lot to change our surroundings,” said Hannah Kim (10), a student who has attended SIS since senior kindergarten.

“School is the place that I spend the majority of my time in, so having a nice environment to study and be with my friends is very impactful.

I think the best upgrade for me personally are the new bathrooms,

although there are also many other great modifications made on our campus.”

Other numerous upgrades to the physical layout of the school include the variously adorned parts of the newly renovated SIS campus.

For example, a new gate at the main entrance was built to enhance the visual appeal of the welcoming environment of the school. Additionally, all walls in the high school building were repainted a shade of light gray, and the overall interior design was also revamped. One major alteration is the improved secondary library, located on the first floor next to the information desk. It now contains more study areas than before, as well as private study rooms with projectors and whiteboards. Furthermore, some classrooms have been enlarged by removing walls to allow for a more spacious study setting. Classrooms were also equipped with redesigned supplies, such as improved remote controls for projectors. The atrium at the core of the main building now has a wooden stage and renewed floors, and the third-floor lounge underwent major transformations, including the implementation of charging stations and new couches.

“It’s a great example of a real team effort,” said James Gerhard, high school Principal. “We had input from parents, experts that came in, designers, our administrative staff, teachers, students, and the different offices and principals…There were a lot of different

ideas about things we can do to improve the school that benefits everybody— in a utilitarian sense, most good for the most people—that will have an effect right away.”

The changes brought to the school could perhaps present a more studious atmosphere by making studying more accessible and appealing to the students. Additionally, the modifications of the campus has, according to the student body, also served as methods to make the stressful workload of high school more pleasant by minimizing the mental burden of an unattractive campus.

By enjoying the various renovations made to the school, the student body may find this transition period of their lives more enjoyable.

“We know we have a Working on their college applications, Kate Lee (12), Andie Kim (12), and Alice photo by Lauren Kang great teaching faculty, Lee (12) are comfortably resting in the newly renovated student lounge. and a really great academic program,” Dr. Gerhard said. diligently in class and being able to lot of focus on studying, I believed “But there were pieces of the build- enjoy studying in an environment that it was time for a change in ing that could have been improved, that is more comfortable to them, order to accommodate a heightso we stepped in the direction of increasing the overall productivity ened level of education,” Shawn some of those, and we’ll do even of the student body. Ultimately, the Yoon (11) said. “I think that the more this year and next year.” renovations delivered to the school effects of these renovations will The school administration’s will be able to facilitate more effec- eventually raise the standard of hope is that these changes can tive methods of student learning education and general well-being deliver positive effects, such as stu- and living within the digital age. at our school.” dents being more inclined to work “As a prestigious school with a

The plastic problem, revisited truth in numbers

I

by Brian

Ham

t all started with a heartbreaking video of a turtle impaled by a plastic straw up its nose, a bloody sight that resonated deeply with the video clip’s 31 million viewers. Fast forward to 2019, and the awkwardly named #StopSucking campaign, which calls for the ban of plastic straws, is in full force. Despite a few bumps on the road, including Starbucks somehow ending up using more plastic than before, plastic straws have become a buzzword in the realm of environmental conservation.

Alaska Airlines recently removed its plastic straws after a passionate plea from a 16-year-old Girl Scout, and California now bans full-service restaurants from serving customers plastic straws. Last year, Tiger Times devoted an immersion journalism piece, a global news article, a viewpoint, and an entire focus spread on the issue.

We reported on the topic when Seattle removed plastic straws and reported again when Korea did not; we even questioned the reason our school café still contributes to these turtle nightmares.

But in the midst of this frenzy to eliminate these straws, we risk losing sight of the true impact of our actions. While studies estimate that there are 8.3 billion straws littering the world’s beaches, plastic straws comprise only 0.025 percent

of annual plastic waste, according to National Geographic. Even if we wiped every last turtle-impaler from the face of the planet, we would still have 7,998,000 tons of plastic flowing into the ocean, and would end up with more plastic waste than fish in our oceans by 2050.

I am by no means implying that the plastic straw movement is a waste of time; it could not be further from the “environmental virtue signaling” or “slacktivism” that cynics claim it to be. But now that the world is taking notice of the plastic problem, are there more significant actions we can be taking?

Here’s another shocking and depressing statistic: 91 percent of our plastic has never been recycled. According to a study published in the journal Science Advances, 79 percent of plastic waste ends up in landfills or oceans, 12 percent of plastic waste is incinerated, leaving just nine percent of our plastic since 1950 to actually be reused.

A cause for this may simply be that we do not know how to dispose of our trash, as a recent poll from Viridor showed that a concerning 63 percent of citizens are unsure of what is recyclable.

Perhaps education is the first step toward big, structural change. We love to pretend that recycling magically occurs when we drop our Pepsi bottle into the green bin with triangular arrows on it. In reality,

there are seven levels of plastic that all require unique methods of disposal, and improper recycling actually causes more harm than not recycling at all.

Consider an SIS student racing to his next class who drops his empty Gatorade in the blue trash can, ignoring the recycling bin placed literally five millimeters next to it. Three scenarios can follow, each more depressing than the last. The plastic bottle can end up directly in the oceans, joining its friends in places like the Great Pacific garbage patch, a massive collection of floating debris the size of France. If we are even unluckier, the plastic accumulates in a landfill, taking a thousand years to fully decompose and leaking microplastics into our water systems while potentially poisoning the soil. Finally, unsorted plastic waste also gets transported to third-world countries who burn waste in huge fires, not only defeating the entire purpose of recycling but also managing to increase carbon emissions.

Additionally, the plastic straw may be a straw man in the fight for cleaning our oceans, a scapegoat for this universal environmental catastrophe. 700,000 tons of fishing gear pollute the oceans each year—350 times the amount of plastic

straw waste. Fishing nets make up 46 percent of the Great Pacific garbage patch, and because these nets’ origins are untraceable, perpetrators face no consequences for the environmental damage they cause. Projects such as the Safegear Initiative propose tagging gear lost at sea to hold the fishing industry accountable.

At the end of the day, banning plastic straws holds more psychological value than practical impacts. It’s more about sending the message that society has taken a tentative step in tackling an immense problem and is willing to raise the stakes. Slurping our Starbucks Frappuccinos through paper straws gives us the warm feeling of contribution inside, and it should. But can we stop there and rest easily, knowing there is so much potential to make a lasting environmental impact?

The

Space Race

dd1

An All-American epic of technology, competition, and the future.

Implications of the new space race Mankind’s fascination today with outer space has always originated from an enduring and primordial urge to push the boundaries of our knowledge. We have always been intrigued by the sheer vastness of the unknown and the entertaining possibility of extraterrestrial life. When Russia launched the world’s first satellite in 1957, it transcended natural boundaries we had never crossed before, opening up new legal and ethical questions on the regulation of outer space.

Since then, with the unprecedented advent of technology, astronauts in spacecrafts have consistently penetrated space in hopes of finding a planet that showcases signs of life and hospitality. As we are a frequent presence in the cosmos, the extensive economic and social implications of space exploration become increasingly more pivotal.

In the status quo, billions of stars and planets of other galaxies, for the most part, are not up-for-grabs where countries can arbitrarily mark their territories and colonize celestial objects. With the establishment of the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA), a general outline of space laws has

been negotiated to ensure that the use of outer space is responsible, comprehensive, and universally beneficial. The UNOOSA notes a prominent international treaty, the Outer Space Treaty, which entails that nations maintain an inclusive, peaceful, and non-militaristic zone in space void of nuclear weapons.

Other treaties decree that no countries can claim property rights over natural resources unearthed in the moon and that they must collectively help stranded astronauts and are liable for any collateral damage that may be inflicted on other property.

However, the treaties are not legally binding and contain loopholes that may jeopardize the integrity of exploration. For example, though nations are banned from asserting sovereignty over any celestial object, private ownership by companies is not explicitly prohibited; hence, individual companies reason that their ventures cannot be technically considered a national appropriation of space.

Due to such conflicting interpretations, the US legalized space exploration by private companies and passed the US Commercial

Space Launch Competitiveness Act, which ultimately protects the right of citizens to engage in a commercial possession and utilization of asteroid resources—coining the term “asteroid mining.” With such initiative, entrepreneurs are already joining the new race to create cheap, efficient, and commercialized space travel. The proportion of government budget allocated to space exploration has dwindled— NASA barely lives up to its former glories—as new shareholders and private enterprises attempt to rival government-subsidized technology and innovation. According to the BBC, billionaires like Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, and Richard Branson strive for the development of space tourism industries and a permanent human establishment on Mars. While Elon Musk started SpaceX which has launched nearly 70 rockets to date and reached 22,000 miles above the Earth’s equator, Bezos similarly spearheaded his own company Blue Origin to drive down the tremendous cost of space travel with reusable rockets.

The privatization of space travel is often commended for its cost effectiveness. Whereas

previous space programs cost $4 billion annually, new commercial services have driven it down to $50 million per launch, enabling NASA to expend its limited resources on more productive, long-term prospects of space travel. Competition for innovation may also stimulate faster growth in future scientific endeavors. Yet with such benefits of commercialization come new challenges to be addressed. It is hard to ignore corporations’ innately profit-driven tendencies which can clash against a purely scientific understanding of space and the general interests of the taxpayers. Moreover, when there are cases of malfunction in test flights or satellites, governments would most likely not be held accountable, making precautionary measures, transparency, and protection of astronauts questionable. The implications of exploiting resources and colonizing celestial objects that are not truly ours also invokes controversy on the unjustified intervention in our universe.

Nevertheless, the space race continues. The South Korean government pledged to become a major space power, and sees space tech-

by Joanne Yang nology as an industry that would foster its competitiveness in the 21st century, giving rise to novel tech firms and employment opportunities. In a political standpoint, Seoul mentions the “Kill Chain” program, which could enable a preemptive capacity to destroy North Korean nuclear missiles and threats with proper space surveillance and spy satellites. Despite such benefits of space exploration, South Korea remains torn with inadequate government funding, according to the Diplomat. Development of rocket technology estimates reach $1.9 billion, and a lunar module project costs $650 million—with unexpected delays and technical difficulties exacerbating the costs.

These costs fuel more division on whether the government’s limited budget is being used in the most cost-efficient way, when it could be investing in social welfare programs and alleviating dire humanitarian issues. As the heated space race is unlikely to cool down anytime soon, such social and economic facets of space exploration are imperative to understand.

Tiger Times

August/September 2019

Source photos credits to NASA

layout by Young Jin Park

7

1176

Space exploration: era of discoveries Space exploration in the 21st century is marking the return of a new space race. Although the Cold War is over, new developments, new technology, and new findings fill up our technology newsletters every day. Space is full of mysteries and unknowns, and humans are spending billions of dollars to discover just a bit more about the universe. Although this space race

Space is full of mysteries and unknowns, and humans are spending billions of dollars to discover just a bit more about the universe.

raises the concerning possibility of militarization, it also is leading to a

variety of scientific advancements for the betterment of humanity.

To the scientific community, Mars is the first step toward discovering life in space. Many scientists and researchers maintain that finding microbes that can adapt to the harsh environment of Mars must be a priority. Such claims are supported by the logic that if microbes can survive, there is a higher chance that plants, animals, and humans can withstand the planet’s climate as well. As Mars is the next most habitable planet besides Earth, research suggests Martian soil has some of the nutrients that plants need to grow and survive.

Featured on NASA News, Dr. Wendy Boss of North Carolina State University shared her team’s idea: enable plants to survive on Mars by adding special features of microscopic organisms called extremophiles that live in the most inhospitable environments on Earth. The team uses techniques such as gene splicing to remove useful genes from extremophiles and add them to plants. The team took a gene from “Pyrococcus furiosus,” a microbe that lives in the scalding water of deep-sea vents

and inserted it into tobacco cells.

The gene, “superoxide reductase,” was successfully incorporated into the tobacco cells and functioned without harming them. The team plans to transplant genes for cold tolerance in plants as the next step in its research. This type of longterm study will be a challenge, and organizations are hoping for the possibility of an incredible revolution.

As experiments with living organisms continue, programs for astronauts have substantially improved as well. Training at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, astronauts are preparing to fly in Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft, which could one day take tourists into space. This experience not only includes wearing a space suit and exploring an under-water mock-up of the space station but also serves as a neutral-buoyancy lab, designed to simulate the feeling of weightlessness in space. This underwater space station is heating up the competition between Boeing and Elon Musk’s SpaceX to become the first private company to provide human space flights, following the end of the Space Shuttle Program

by NASA in 2011.

Astronaut Mike Fincke said that it would be truly great to give more people an opportunity to experience what he has seen. He added that hopefully in the next 20 years, more than 50,000 people will be able to see the Earth from outside the planet’s atmosphere.

In the status quo, space flights are only for professionals, but future missions may be open for tourists.

Although costing a seemingly high price, NASA’s space tourism starting from 2020 will allow private astronauts to go on the International Space Station (ISS) for $35,000 per day.

On the other hand, while the US placed its anchor on space tourism and finding organisms on Mars, Russia has been working on humanoid robots, which launched toward the ISS on Aug. 22. The mission was part of the verification process by Russia’s space agency (Roscosmos) to prepare its uncrewed Soyuz capsules for future launches on the upgraded Soyuz. The mission also marked the world’s first spaceflight of a humanoid robot. The Soyuz spacecraft docked with the ISS successfully on Aug. 27. This

by Sarah Baek second attempt went off without a hitch, and the capsule has parked at a port on the Russian Zvezda module of the ISS. In the captain’s seat of the capsule sits Skybot F-850, a humanoid robot built by Roscosmos.

On the whole, what once was a privilege for the astronauts is now opening up for tourists, and many countries are on track to be the first in an unknown area of study.

According to the world atlas, the US has been maintaining its lead by spending $40 billion every year on space exploration. The runner up is China, which spends about $10 billion every year on its space programs. Lastly, with the establishment of the Roscosmos in 1992, Russia has increased its space funding to modernize its space infrastructures by spending about $8.7 billion per year. With the accumulation of more developments and technologies for our civilization, these developments are very likely to bring more entrepreneurship, more opportunities for the public to access, and more unprecedented benefits to humanity.

8 LIFESTYLE Sephora makes debut in Korea

by Lynette

Kim

In October, renowned beauty retail store Sephora will open its first store in Seoul, South Korea. Along with similar stores like Olive Young, LOHB, Lalavla, and CHICOR, Sephora is expected to play a significant role in establishing a new era in the beauty world by introducing fresh trends from outside the continent.

“I have mixed feelings about this news,” Elin Min (11) said. “When Sephora opens, I think shopping in Sephora will be as hard as many previous western shops like Shake Shack have shown us with ridiculous amount of people and long waiting periods. It is also surprising to me that the Korean government decided to bring Sephora in as it may dramatically decrease the sale of Korean cosmetic products.”

Founded by Dominique Mandonnaud in 1970, Sephora first opened in Paris, France and is now under the leadership of Christopher de Lapuente. Sephora stores around the world sell cosmetic products from more than 300 brands, including NARS Cosmetics, Too Faced Cosmetics, Anastasia Beverly Hills, Urban Decay, and Benefit Cosmetics, as well as its own exclusive items.

Although the list of featured brands in the store has yet to be revealed, many Koreans are nevertheless highly anticipating the opening of Sephora.

“I personally love Sephora,” said Angela Lee (12). “I could spend hours and hours in there and not notice time going by. I am excited to be able to buy products in real life rather than having to order them online and wait a whole month. I’m especially looking forward to buying products from Fenty Beauty and Makeup Forever as brands like Maybelline and Urban Decay have been accessible in Korea for awhile. I am afraid that I will become broke soon.”

Sephora announced that the first store will open on Oct. 24 in the Parnas Mall in Samseong-dong, right next to COEX. With its location selection, Sephora Korea is expecting successful results considering that COEX/Parnas mall is one of the most famous malls in Seoul and is constantly filled with customers of various ages. Sephora has also revealed its plans to expand the number of stores by opening a total of six stores by 2020 and 13 stores by 2022.

Apart from many Korean customers, foreigners in Korea are also excited that Sephora will open, offering cosmetic items for various types of hair and skin tones. After all, in the country, curly hair is rare, and only three shades of light skin tone are made for foundations.

“Because I have a natural tan, I personally have a hard time finding foundation that fits my skin tone,” Hyunseo Kim (12) said. “As I became more tanned over the summer, my no.27 concealer and foundation became too bright, and now I don’t have any skin product that I can use. However, from what I have heard and seen online, I will be able to easily find a shade that fits my skin tone in the soon-to-open Sephora store, as brands like Fenty Beauty will offer 40-50 shades of foundation and concealer. I think this will not only help customers like me, but also foreign customers living in Korea who have darker skin that does not often fit in the range of the three very bright shades of beige usually found in Korean stores.”

“Show Me The Money 8” marks new wave in Korean hip-hop

by Katherine

Suk

On July 26, Mnet, a South Korean TV music channel, broadcasted the first episode of Show Me the Money 8, the latest season of a reality TV competition series featuring up-and-coming rappers. Every episode, these musicians are evaluated by eight celebrated rappers with years of experience. After rounds of competition, the winner is determined from one last performance in the finals and is rewarded with two hundred million won and a new car. Ever since the first season of Show Me the Money aired in 2012, the show has spiked in popularity, as indicated by the surge of applicants this year.

“Show Me the Money 8 is definitely different from the previous seasons,” said Celine Choi (10), a weekly viewer of the TV show. “New policies were added and some policies were

amended. Although it initially took me aback, I think it made the show more unique and entertaining.”

One change that aroused immense public curiosity prior to the first episode was the number of teams. While there had originally been four groups of judges in previous seasons, the new season has only two.

Whereas the first group is called “40 Crew,” consisting of Swings, Mad Clown, Kid Milli, BOYCOLD, the second group is called “BGM-v CREW,” comprising of Verbal Jint, GIRIBOY, BewhY, and millic. Additionally, Show Me the Money 8 introduced a new system of re-evaluation, allowing a second chance for contestants who were initially rejected by the judges for a fair competition. All together, these changes have heightened the audience’s interest in the show.

“There were a lot of new rappers this season,” said Yoonseo

Jisan Rock Festival in Korea cancelled

by Jiwon

Lee

The highly anticipated 2019 Jisan Valley Rock Music and Arts Festival was officially cancelled just three days prior to the actual event, much to the anger and confusion of enthusiastic fans.

Initially scheduled between July 26 and 28, the rock festival is an annual event that takes place in Korea during the last week of July.

Arranged by Smash Corporation, an international music promoter group based in Tokyo, the music festival has constituted a large part of the Korean rock music industry for the past few years. The sudden cancellation of the festival brought concern and outrage from celebrities and fans worldwide.

“Because my friends and I are devoted followers of some of the artists in the festival lineup, I had bought tickets to go to the Jisan Rock Festival to see them,” said Alex Hyun (11), avid Bulsazzo fan. “The fact that the decision to

cancel the event had been made without asking the opinion of the fans, I felt, was a great wrongdoing on the part of the festival planners.”

Although Smash Corporation stated that the decision to cancel the event resulted from the lack of “perspective reading the current trends” and “[communication] with the fans,” the organization did not further justify the reason for the cancellation of the one of the largest, longest-going music festivals of the country. Currently, Smash Corporation has promised to refund all tickets and reimburse foreign tourists that may have booked airplane tickets and hotel rooms for the event.

“Despite not having heard about the Jisan Rock Festival prior to this event, the news of its cancellation still shocked me,” said Brian Bok (11), rock music enthusiast. “The justifications Smash Corporation provided for the happening were very unclear

Kim (9), an avid fan of hip-hop music, who is watching Show Me the Money for the second time this year. “Some of those rappers seem to be really talented. I want to see more from them, and I’m excited to watch their performances in future episodes. When popular rappers came out, the show seemed a bit repetitive, but since there are a lot of new faces this season, it is more interesting and fun.”

Along with structural adjustments, the specific rappers participating this year are also contributing to this season’s popularity. Ever since Show Me the Money 2, the winners have been rappers with an already existent fan base. Such a trend has been a source of controversy for the TV show, as some claim that these popular rappers overshadow other lesser-known contestants. However, this year, the most successful rappers are those that started making music

only very recently; for example, contestant Big Naughty is a student at Daewon Foreign Language High School and has nevertheless garnered considerable attention from teenagers and adults alike.

“Although there have been high expectations for this season [of Show Me the Money], it is currently receiving criticism,” said Christine Yu (10), a fan of the show. “Many accuse the judges for eliminating some promising contestants, allowing their subjective bias to skew the outcome of the competition. Still, I am enjoying this season. A lot of talented individuals tried out for this program this time around.

Show Me the Money is a platform for rappers to showcase their music to a national audience. After the season, whether they rise to fame or remain up to their abilities.”

and frankly overdue, as they had come almost a week after the initial cancellations.”

The cancellation of an organized event of this magnitude with such little forewarning is unprecedented. Whereas some audience members were sincerely taken aback by this sudden announcement, others anticipated this occurrence. For example, the initial festival lineup, which in previous years had contained multiple foreign artists, had only one foreign artist: Australian rock band King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard. Although more non-Korean artists were added to the lineup after mid-July, the sudden nature of this addition, the lack of information given to the fans prior to the announcement, and the fact that this decision had been made so close to the opening date certainly exasperated many ticket-buyers.

“Given the continued interest for holding a large-scale music festival in Korea, this news has been particularly disheartening,” said James Kowalski, social studies teacher. “The Jisan Rock Festival has been a major attraction for a unique audience, both local and foreign. I hope that the sudden development does not jeopardize

the possibility of such festivals occurring in the future, especially one of this scale.”

Some social media users have linked this sudden departure from the annual arrangement of the event to the increasing number of celebrity scandals in Korea.

In fact, in the statement released

by Smash Corporation in July, the organization cited the “many innate problems in concert-producing business in Korea” as the reason for the eventual failure of this year’s festival. Additionally, the announcement by the Jisan Rock Festival planning board continued to justify the lack of foreign artists in this year’s lineup as a result of the “lack of communication between producers” which had created “[an] environment that forces [festival organizers] to depend on foreign content to cast artists leads to excessive competition,” resulting in an “even more hazardous environment” for organizing concerts. While some fans have deemed the released statement as justifiable, many have criticized the organization more for their delay in giving a reason for the cancellation of the Jisan Rock Festival than the initial complications with the event.

Tiger Times

August/September 2019

9

Produce X 101 show charged with vote manipulation allegations

by Emily

Sung

On July 19, Produce X 101, a music survival program in which viewers vote daily for their ideal configuration of a Kpop idol group, was accused of manipulating the voting system and disregarding the audience’s opinions.

In the show’s final episode, an 11-member male idol group called X1 was formed through their rankings from viewer voting.

Shortly after the episode, however, Mnet faced allegations of making manipulations following the discovery of improbable coincidences in the number of votes for each contestant. Lawsuits filed by critics forced the company to concede to a full investigation by the police.

“While Mnet's actions were not unexpected, their inability to confront the issue head-on and decision to blame other factors upset fans,” said Elly Choi (11), a viewer of the show. “Although this scandal won't change my opinion about X1, I also understand the perspective of fans who have chosen not to support the group.”

As investigations continued to proceed, evidence of manipulation was further exposed. During

its first raid of the office, the police found voice recordings on staff phones that indicated vote manipulation not only in the most recent season of Produce, but also in previous seasons and other shows on the channel as well. The police recently summoned the staff to a second interrogational meeting and is planning to release an official statement after gathering substantial proof. Despite these numerous allegations, Mnet maintains that the votes have not been manipulated. The public has accordingly responded with indignance and demands for the full truth.

“Even if the vote is not for political or governmental reasons, I believe that the act of manipulating votes is wrong in and of itself,” said Leslie Gregori, coach of the forensics speech team. “In any case, a company should not abuse its power to gather votes and break the trust of its citizens.

Although I’m not a viewer of the show, I am certain that Mnet’s actions are unjustifiable.”

Amid the chaos, X1 debuted on Aug. 27 with no major delays.

They have, however, been facing obstacles in their careers by being prohibited from performing in

music shows such as SBS Inkigayo or KBS Music Bank with channels claiming that they are “hesitant to let them perform.” Despite the controversies of vote manipulation, the public is curious to see the path the group will take in the future, . With politicians and courts now involved in the lawsuit, it is likely that Mnet will have to face the allegations in an honest manner. Fans simply wish that no harm is inflicted upon all the individuals who participated in the show and that they will be able to maintain a stable career in the music industry without being labeled as a “group formed by vote manipulation.”

“As a huge fan of Produce X 101, I'm really frustrated about how the director of the show had to swap the rankings and manipulate the votes, swapping places of trainees unfairly,” said Jennifer Kwon (10), an avid fan of Produce X 101. “Every trainee has the equal amount of desire to debut, so I don't see any plausible reason for the director to commit such an action. It seems as though the director of the show played around with the sincerity of the fans, who were deeply invested in the show.”

Joonglim emerges as a popular Bokjeong-dong restaurant

by Sally

Lee

Out on Bokjeong street near SIS, Chef Hogang Kim serves traditional and creative specialties in his well-known Chinese restaurant, Joonglim. Bustling with eager tourists and bloggers, Joonglim has been featured in various TV shows, such as “Master of Life” and “Saeng Saeng Jeongbotong.” SIS students frequently visit this restaurant too, where they can enjoy unique Chinese dishes. In addition to its innovative menu options, many blogs and reviews have noted that the neat interior and satisfying service have contributed to the popularity of Joonglim.

“When I was walking down Bokjeong Street, I glanced at Joonglim and realized that I have seen it appear on 'Master of Life,'” said Unnseo Park (12). “From then on, I made frequent visits after school to have a delicious dinner with my friends. The restaurant was always busy with people, who lined up to taste the menus they have seen on television.”

One of the most popular meals in Joonglim is Bokbunja sweet and sour pork. Combining the refreshing taste of spicy onion slices with

the crispiness of traditional sweet and sour pork, the distinctive Bokbunja sauce adds a level of freshness and sweetness to the dish.

In addition to its delicious taste, the dish is also visually pleasing; the pork’s crust glimmers as the pink sauce slowly trickles down and envelops the meat. Another popular menu is Giseumyun; the green pepper slices on top of its chicken broth satiates tastebuds with slight spiciness, and its green tea noodles add exceptional flavor to the dish. As one of Joonglim’s specialties, Giseumyun never fails to impress the people with its outstanding taste.

“Joonglim is one of the places that I often go eat dinner with my friends after school,” said Angela Kim (10). “I am not a big fan of Chinese food, but the food at Joonglim is an exception. The restaurant offers unique dishes that are combinations of familiar menus such as Bokbunja sweet and sour pork and shrimp baguette salad. I think this aspect of Joonglim is what distinguishes the restaurant from others.”

Another unique quality of the restaurant is that it does not contain any unique interior designs or bright red colors characteristic

(top) Spreading a pleasant aroma of its traditional Jjajjangmyeon, Joonglim cativates street strollers.

of other Chinese places—it is rather ordinary. The tables and chairs are all brown, and there are barely any paintings hung up on the wall. However, many customers are fond of this simple design, praising it for being aesthetically pleasing. Its menu board is also plain but detailed with descriptions, suggestions, and photos.

On the left side of the restaurant, there are even separate rooms for group dining.

“Although I do love its dishes, Joonglim is my favorite restaurant mainly because of its interior design,” said Daniel Kim (10).

“Some Chinese restaurants are heavily decorated with big ornaments and colorful wall-papers, but I prefer places like Joonglim that offer a more relaxed environment for people to enjoy their food. The restaurant’s simplicity helps me devote my entire attention to the quality of its food.”

Joonglim has earned its high reputation by integrating both traditional and unconventional elements into its cuisine and interior design. Furthermore, the restaurant’s well-balanced distribution of familiarity and uniqueness pleasantly satisfies all five senses of its customers.

(bottom) Alluring customer with its bright red color, Bokbuja sweet and sour pork stands out as Jooonglim's signature menu. photos by Sally Lee

10 SPORTS US Women’s National Team demands equal pay

by Jenny

Seo

On July 7, the US women’s national soccer team won the Women’s World Cup title for the fourth time, defeating the Netherlands by a score of 2-0 in the finals. This year’s World Cup attracted attention from all over the world with more than 200 broadcasters projecting games in prime-time slots on national television, drawing one billion viewers for the first time. However, the US women’s soccer team is engaged in a clash with equally high stakes off the field: the fight for equal pay.

“I remember watching the finals at home with my family,” said Ashley Seong (10), a member of Tiger Sports Council (TSC). “I think it is extremely important for these titles to be won by women, especially for younger girls who hope to achieve their dreams as professional athletes in the future. However, I knew this victory would eventually lead to disagreements regarding the issue of equal pay, especially after I heard the stadium explode in chants of ‘Equal pay!’ as soon

as the whistle was blown.”

The men’s soccer team released a report stating that the women’s national team players should earn equal pay. Much of this statement was directed to refuting the claims made by the US Soccer President Carlos Cordeiro that the organization paid $34.1 million in wages and game bonuses to female athletes between 2010 and 2018 as opposed to $26.4 million paid to the men. The men’s team stepped up by affirming that Cordeiro had inflated the pay numbers by including the per-pay game payments.

“I think the fact that the women are discontented with their pay is understandable, given that they are back-to-back World Cup winners,” said Sarah Hwang (12), a player on the varsity girls soccer team. “Despite doing everything in their power to perform at the highest level and being regarded as huge role models for younger girls, their pay does not even come close to the men’s. The continued gender bias in society today is inappropriate when it causes women to

be treated differently despite strenuous effort.”

A week after the team’s victory, the women’s soccer team and US Soccer Federation (USSF) reportedly agreed to enter discussions over the lawsuit proposed by all 28 players of the women’s team, alleging gender discrimination.

Megan Rapinoe and Christen Press, players of the USWNT, stated that they are always ready for open conversations and that they will not accept anything less than equal pay while making an appearance on US talk show ABC’s Good Morning America.

“It isn’t hard to say that this situation was and still is extremely unfair,” said Mr. Tyvand, coach of the varsity boys soccer team. “The fact that the income was lower than the men’s World Cup doesn’t justify the reason why women were paid significantly less. As the coach of a youth sports team who can look at this situation from the perspective of the opposing gender, I think society could do a better job illustrating the importance of gender equality and women’s empowerment.”

NFL and Roc Nation partnership sparks controversy n Aug. 13, the NFL officially announced that Roc Nation, the record label led by entertainer and businessman Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter will enter into a partnership with the league to manage its live entertainment programming and social justice initiatives. As part of the deal, Jay-Z will form a committee of directors for the selection of artists who will perform during major NFL performances such as the Super Bowl. Additionally, Roc Nation will also oversee the league’s recently launched “Inspire Change” initiative, a campaign seeking to advance racial and social justice. Drawing both criticism and praise, the deal has sparked a great amount of controversy among fans.

“I think that there are two main perspectives on the issue,” said Bryan Hur (12), NFL fan. “On the one hand, some believe that the partnership was created solely to elevate the public image of the NFL in the aftermath of the controversy caused by Colin Kaepernick. On the other hand, others believe that the partnership has true potential for social reform. I think that my perspective falls somewhere in between those two extremes.”

The primary concern for most fans is the NFL’s intention behind the deal.

During the 2016 NFL preseason, Colin Kaepernick sparked league-wide protests by kneeling during the national anthem, and ever since, the NFL has received backlash for its mistreatment of Kaepernick. Critics see the Roc Nation partnership as a way to cover up this controversy while putting Jay-Z, rather

than Kaepernick, into the national spotlight. However, many fans are still hopeful that the league is able to put its past aside and pursue virtuous causes.

“I think that Colin Kaepernick is actually garnering a lot of publicity as a direct result of the partnership between Roc Nation and the NFL,” said James Fischer, AP English Language and Composition teacher. “In the short term, I do not believe that neither Kaepernick nor his cause will be overshadowed by Jay-Z. I definitely have some doubts regarding the deal, but I hope that Jay-Z and the NFL can work together to create positive social change.”

While many have expressed their concerns regarding the purpose or effectiveness behind the deal, until the partnership actually begins, both the NFL and Roc Nation may deserve the benefit of the doubt. As of now, there are too many unanswered questions to jump to any conclusions regarding the deal. However, it is certain that the NFL will need to make significant changes to clear its rocky relationship with protesting players. With his new partnership with the NFL, Jay-Z will now have to take on part of that burden.

“Going into this deal, there will definitely be a lot of pressure for both Jay-Z and the NFL,” said Brian Bok (11), football fan. “Coming off the controversial protests started by Kaepernick, the league has a lot to prove in terms of demonstrating that it can be an effective force for both racial and social justice.

In order for the league to redeem itself, the social justice programs led by Roc Nation need to be successful.”

PHOTO OF THE MONTH

Shin

sports

O

by Christopher

Stretching his legs before the race, Hugh Kang (11) gets ready to run a jamboree at Humphrey’s. photo by Andie Kim

Tiger Times

August/September 2019

11

Play-by-play:

Tigers face tough challenge from SFS Crusaders Learning from shortcomings

by Sunny

Lee

Preview

On Aug. 28, the varsity boys volleyball team had their first game of the season against SFS in Tiger Gym I. Energized by the fervent cheer of guests, teachers, and students, the Tigers fought hard and with spirit against the Crusaders.

Nevertheless, the game ended with the Crusaders winning with a score of 3-0.

Set 1

The first set of the match started with a point for the Crusaders.

However, the Tigers quickly caught up with Andrew Choi (11) making an accurate serve, Dennis Choye (11) blocking a powerful spike, and Richie Kim (12) scoring consecutive points. This was seen in the short rallies and quick-paced games.

Although the Tigers tried their best to take back the lead from the Crusaders, occasional mistakes in their defense and the Crusaders’ powerful offense meant the Crusaders took the first set by a score of 25-16.

Set 2

The second set started off with the teams trading points and tied at 2-2. After a serve miss from the Crusaders, the Tigers momentarily held the lead. However, the Crusaders reclaimed the lead as the Tigers made several serves that went out of bounds. The score gap continued to increase, eventually reaching a six-point difference. Despite the widening gap, the Tigers stayed strong by making spectacular serves and spikes. Although the Tigers narrowed the score differ-

ence between the teams, a six-point difference was difficult to overcome, combined with the dominating performance of the Crusaders.

Eventually, the Tigers lost the set by eight points.

Set 3

Although both teams were exhausted at this point in the match, the Tigers stayed hopeful and were determined to claim victory. By chanting a loud, cheerful “ace fighting,” the team revived the Tiger spirit throughout the gym.

Although the first point went to the Crusaders, the Tigers seemed more relaxed compared to their rigid movements in the first set.

The third set saw an exchange of intense rallies that were lacking in the beginning of the match. The Crusaders maintained their lead throughout the set, but it was a close call. Continuous spikes from Eugene Jang (12) and Richie rallied the squad to catch up with the Crusaders. Despite their efforts and elevated teamwork, the Crusaders won the final set 25-20.

(top) Coming together to cheer for their last set, the varsity boys volleyball huddle closer while laughing at Coach Tong’s joke.

Hwang

Following the invitation declines and withdrawals from more than 20 NBA athletes, an uncharacteristically weak Team USA basketball roster traveled to China in early September to compete in the 2019 International Basketball Federation (FIBA) World Cup. In the tournament quarterfinals, France would defeat Team USA by double-digits, eliminating the Americans from championship contention. The US would again be bested in the loser’s bracket by Serbia, led by All-NBA center Nikola Jokic and NBA sharpshooter Bogdan Bogdanovic. The Americans would finish seventh overall at the World cup, disappointing already moderate expectations. Ultimately, the team would suffer from inconsistency.

(left) Getting in the ready position, Richie Kim (12) squats in preparation to receive the ball.

photos by Lauren Kang

Overview

The boys varsity volleyball team faced defeat at the hands of the SFS Crusaders in their first friendly match of the season. The athletes are practicing diligently on the lessons learned from this match by working on receiving balls and reducing defense mistakes. The team is preparing for victories in the upcoming KAIAC league games. With several seniors in the team, the members hope for a memorable season. The pep rally held on Sep. 27 will be followed by a lively match against KIS Phoenixes.

Team USA basketball disappoints at FIBA World Cup

by Eric

(bottom) Mesmerized by the intense game, Yihyun Kwon (12) and Amy Kim (12) watch the volleyball game from the sidelines.

Key contributors such as Donovan Mitchell and Harrison Barnes often alternated between double and single digit scoring efforts. Team chemistry was also evidently lacking. The US often resorted to inefficient, isolation-style offenses instead of running coordinated team plays.

“Anything can happen,” said Timothy Munro, varsity boy’s basketball coach. “I’ve seen Team USA commit extreme turnovers before, even with the super dominant teams of the past.

Team USA does have a very individualized play style. As a result, certain passes and certain plays were out of a panic. The team put itself in bad situations making one-on-one plays as opposed to running an actual team offense structure where they know where guys will be, guys make cuts to the corner, and guys come from

behind to fill the open spot. I think a little bit of it comes from those guys particularly not having much experience practicing with each other.”

Many household names and role players from the NBA declined to participate in the FIBA World Cup, citing the need to recover from a long professional season. Eligible American NBA players also emphasized the importance of preparing for the upcoming year, in which more teams than in recent memory have legitimate championship aspirations following a hectic offseason. The absence of stars such as James Harden, Damian Lillard, and Anthony Davis as well as explosive, young talent like Marvin Bagley and De’Aaron Fox dramatically reduced both Team USA’s star power and depth.

“Rather than a reflection of the levels of patriotism the American players have, I believe that [the withdrawal of NBA players] represents the competitive nature of the NBA players,” Jacob Lim (11) said. “In the first time in half a decade, nearly every team has a ‘chance’ to become a champion. After the dismantling of the Golden State Warriors, every star wants to take this opportunity to fulfill the goals they promised themselves at the start of their careers: to win an NBA title.”

The Team USA roster was still undeniably talented; the squad was headlined by players such as Donovan Mitchell, who scored more than 20 points per game in his first two NBA seasons, and Jayson Tatum, who last year drove the Boston Celtics within a game of the NBA finals as a rookie while leading the team in postseason scoring. Furthermore, guards Kemba Walker and Khris Middleton were All-Stars the previous season. However, the twelve-man roster led by San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich was self-admittedly lacking in premier, superstar talent. For

instance, no team members had ever received consideration for the NBA’s MVP Award, only one earned an All-NBA distinction the past season, and the team had a mere five total career NBA All-Star selections. In comparison, the American national team at the 2016 Olympics had a total of 33 All-Star appearances.

“Right now, there were a ton of talented players on Team USA that could definitely give USA an advantage to win the tournament, but without a superstar, Team USA was no longer considered unbeatable,” David Lim (11) said. “Without a Kobe, a LeBron, or a Durant, there was no longer ‘that guy’ who the opposition feared before the game even started.

In sports, having a mental edge goes a long way towards winning games, and without that mental edge, Team USA was no longer the obvious winner of every match and had to really fight hard every game just to compete.”

12

SMALL TALK

WORD OF THE MONTH: JOANNE YANG Change. The word change implies that some stimuli or event triggered a discontinuity in conventional or historical patterns. Change, whether in infrastructure, rules, or relationships, can have a significant effect on our behavior, perception, and attitude. It is what drives us to be flexible, explore new opportunities, and ultimately develop a stronger understanding of our identity and values. Such change can be felt in both the innumerable advances made to our school, and in the much larger context of Korea’s dynamic relationship with Japan.

In SIS, students are firsthand experiencing change when they observe the newly carved main entrance stairs to the freshly painted walls, refined library, spacious lounges, and well-furnished bathrooms. Students generally show an optimistic attitude toward the new features, and are impressed by how quickly the school underwent necessary changes to accommodate student life.

Changes made to the school community can be felt not only in its revamped infrastructure and design, but also in the new selection of staff, educational

“

curriculum, and policies. For example, math classes instituted an online homework system, WeBWorK, where students are expected to virtually solve personalized problems.

This was established in order to thwart the procrastination of homework until the very last moment and the lack of motivation of students to produce good quality and accurate work. However, a more divisive response can be reported for the renaming of classes: some students complain that it is more difficult and inconvenient to find their way around if there is no ABCD wing indication of which side of the floor their classes are located. Moreover, some clamor that the more stringent policies regarding work studies and the floors they are permitted to go to during the period are unnecessary and tiresome, while others note the inadequate changes made to ameliorate the quality of cafeteria food and availability of snacks in the school store.

Regardless, the changes that students are observing and experiencing are crucial and momentous. Interestingly enough, transitions are happening on a greater scale when

WE WITNES F...

HE OF T

THE FALL SED

Kim Regime ?

BY CHRISTOPHER SHIN

WHAT I

North Korea’s weapons of mass destruction, frequent violations of human rights, and persistent refusal to reach peaceful compromises have made the Kim regime an international nightmare. Leaders around the globe have been trying to tame the unpredictable, volatile dictator for years.

But what if it all came crashing down? What if the Kim Jong-un regime collapsed tomorrow?

The answer is not as cheery and bright as one may imagine.

Many analysts agree that the collapse of the Kim dynasty in the near future is feasible, taking factors such as its failing economy and increasing international pressure into account.

Such experts also assert that this collapse would hardly be smooth and peaceful. Considering that South Korea, the United States, and China do not have any agreed upon international frameworks that would smoothen such a scenario, the three nations would chaotically scramble to clean up the geopolitical mess left by the defunct Kim regime.

A US–backed South Korea,

along with China, would feel compelled to intervene in the situation. Immediate action may include the deployment of armed forces in order to oversee the dismantling of nuclear facilities and quell the instability of the North Korean population.

Amidst this chaos, South Korea, the US, and China would need to quickly come to agreements on pressing issues that have not been settled for decades. For example, who will take control of the peninsula? China would want to establish a puppet state to serve as a buffer between itself and the US military, but the Chinese government has previously stated its concerns over a mass migration of North Koreanrefugees. The reunification of North and South Korea with Chinese stipulations thatlimit the US military’s presence is one likely outcome.

The immediate impacts of reunification on the South Korean economy would be devastating. The North Korean government’s currency would become severely devalued in the wake of the instability, and South Korea would have very

considering the Korean political and economic relations with Japan. Though rooted in old wounds of the controversial era of Japanese colonialism, the sexual exploitation and emotional abuse of comfort women are being remembered and honored with a much stronger and unified effort.

According to Korea Herald, the renewed response on the controversy has been incited by the South Korean Supreme Court, when it decreed that Japanese companies pay a $89,000 worth of reparations for its use of slave labor. Japan perceived the court verdict as evidence that Korea will never be satisfied with its atonement, as it claimed that the issue was reconciled with the 1965 treaty that gave $500 million in free aid and cheap loans. Amidst such strained diplomatic relations, Japan removed South Korea from its preferential trade status and implemented regulations on export of chemicals crucial for South Korean companies that make semiconductors and flat-panel displays.

In doing so, Japan cited vague reasons of “national security”, but skeptical Koreans who suspected an ulterior political

few options besides guaranteeing the value of the North Korean currency by replacing it with theSouth Korean won at a generous exchange rate. To make matters worse, the mostly unskilled population of North Korea would do little to contribute to the quaternary industries that dominate the South Korean economy. Instead, most North Koreans would perhaps stay unemployed and rely on government welfare. These heavy economic costs help explain why 80 percent of South Koreans prioritized its own economy over reunification, according to a 2019 survey conducted by the KoreaHerald.

This is not to say that the elimination of the North Korean government would cause more harm than good. The threats of nuclear proliferation and human rights violations would cease, and with time, the livelihoods of citizens of North Korea would significantly improve. In addition, the resource-rich geography of the North paired with the technologically advanced industries in the South would form a potent economic combination.

The toppling of the Kim regime would lead to a rocky start, but it would hold great potential for peace and growth.

”

motive behind the economic retaliation responded with a national cry: “No Japan.”

The “No Japan” campaign has been a rampant phenomenon ever since South Korean citizens began to boycott Japanese products and services as an uncompromising stance on Japan’s wrongdoings. South Koreans, in other words, believe that the 1965 negotiation was insincere and insufficient, since it did not secure individual victims’ rights to seek personal compensation for sexual or forced labor.

According to Reuters, more than 200 supermarkets and grocery stores removed Japanese items, and Japanese beer sales dropped about 21-24 percent at convenience store chains. The Japanese clothing brand UNIQLO also suffered a 40 percent drop in its sales, while Toyota and Honda sales also fell by 32 percent and 34 percent respectively. Koreans, having made up a relatively large portion of the foreign tourists in Japan, are cancelling their group tours and bookings, thus endangering tourism-oriented economies of Japanese cities and provinces. “No Japan” continues

month photo of the

to represent an unprecedentedly resolute stance that Korea recently adopted, and stands as an encompassing rally that demands a candid apology and a proper redress from Japan. This change in relationship has diminished the trust South Koreans have with Japan, while reflecting the growing unity among citizens and a prideful identification with their nationality.

Not all parts of the change in relations are desirable, however, as the hostilities could hamper cooperative effort in other significant issues like North Korean denuclearization and foster aggression or violence against individual Japanese tourists. Nevertheless, it is an important time for Korea, as the rapid changes that the country is facing with its neighboring nation define cultural relations and its national identity. We are facing remarkable and prominent change in all levels of our lives—whether it be in our schools or in our own country—and it is up to us to either embrace or reject it over the course of time.

Smiling while handing nachos, HSSC members Amy Kim (12) and Kyuhee Han (12) work diligentally at the renovated cartnivore. photos by Young Jin Park