Tiger Times Volume 53 Issue 8

Tiger Times 3 6 9

Volume 53 • Issue 8 • May 2022 • ttonl.org

Viewpoint

Let’s talk about birds and bees

Focus

Cryptocurrency, NFTs, Metaverse

Student Spotlight Ms. Edwards

photo by Alice Lee layout by Bona Suh

2 Editorial Dear Tiger Times, by

Jenny Seo & Emily Sung editors-in-chief

Freshman year, it was all about getting in. Sophomore year, adjusting to the new classroom. Junior year, fulfilling our first editorial roles. As seniors, we immaturely thought that Tiger Times would now be anything but difficult as we established our positions as editors-in-chief. Little did we know that this year would challenge us as both journalists and leaders like no other.

We were lucky to continue the legacy of past volumes and build upon the prestige that Tiger Times already had, but were never satisfied with what we were handed and always thought of ways the paper could improve. In our very first editorial, published almost exactly one year ago, we promised to make a new addition to the paper that would recognize the “small but special parts of school life.” We are proud to say that we kept this promise—Student Spotlight is undoubtedly one of our most beloved sections, and Multimedia captures dynamic elements of our school community. We hope that these sections shaped Tiger Times into a distinctive news outlet that students from all grade levels can connect and engage with. The fun this newspaper brought did not end outside the classroom. Through interactive games of jeopardy and bustling communions to reward our fruitful efforts, we fostered a sense of family and worked as a genuine team. Veteran upperclassmen were never hesitant to help out relatively new underclassmen when they ran into various issues, and the entire class came together to brainstorm headlines and ideas.

These creative features and vibrant environment would have been impossible if not for the lively and enthusiastic staff members. Our monthly article idea discussions were met with curiosity and scrutiny every time, all articles were carefully crafted with enthusiasm, and detailed edits were made to perfect and polish the paper as a whole.

Our reliable managing editor Skylar; our meticulous production team Clara, Jennifer, Alice, Bona, Yuzine, and Hannah; our talented copy editors Aimee, Rosa, Rachel, and Grace; our consistent reporters Hugo, John, Junseo, Jasmine, David, Ian, and Katelyn; and our beloved adviser, Ms. Wendy Grant— we cannot describe our time at high school without mentioning all 19 of you. We genuinely thank you for all that you have done and have no doubt that the environment we created will continue to thrive.

Four years ago, we were clueless as to what a quote-transition format was, and found it challenging to follow an inverted pyramid structure. But as we now approach a conclusion to both our editorial and our time at SIS, quote-transition formats and inverted pyramid structures are second nature to us.

As time passes, it is natural that we grow used to skills in writing and merging, but we could never take for granted the bright eyes and brilliant minds we saw from each and every member of this team.

And as we mentioned in our first ever editorial, this is an “and,” not an end. We are excited to see Tiger Times grow in exciting ways under the guidance of our next editorial team.

Sincerely, Your favorite EICs

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

layout by Yuzine Yi

VIEWPOINT

Political incorrectness sucks, too

P

olitical correctness has been criticized by what seems to be everyone.

People from the likes of Ben Shapiro to Joe Biden have warned of the danger it poses to free speech and even to liberal democracy itself. Even we at Tiger Times jumped on the bandwagon when we dedicated the focus articles of Volume 52, Issue 2 to how political correctness leads to cancel culture.

However, there has been much less discourse around the opposite of political correctness: political incorrectness. Proponents of political incorrectness reject PC’s emphasis on inclusivity and empathy towards minorities over free speech, refusing to be wrongfully “canceled” over what they believe is simply a differing opinion. To its supporters, political incorrectness is a righteous defender of liberalism against the tyranny of political correctness.

Like many things, this sounds great in theory. But both political correctness and incorrectness have been twisted from something that promotes justice to something that undermines it completely.

In attempting to criticize the censorship of political correctness, many have used it to justify vilifying its core values of inclusivity and empathy: values that are not restrictive or dangerous, but are in fact values people should strive to attain. For instance, the “politically incorrect” have mocked people for respecting

people’s pronouns, supporting the Black Lives Matter movement, and doing other gestures aimed toward improving life for minorities as irrational.

A more specific example is J.K. Rowling’s recent attacks on transgender women, where she has claimed that they undermine feminism by including in the movement women who were not born biologically female. While Rowling is entitled to her own opinion, her derogatory statements toward trans women, calling them “men in dresses” and disregarding their identity, are completely unnecessary to make her point. They have garnered a lot of criticism, to which she has responded to by saying that she is a victim of cancel culture.

Rowling is not being wrongfully canceled. But even if she was, this criticism would not affect her lifestyle or the immense power she holds as a respected author. On the other hand, her harmful rhetoric has a tremendous impact on the people she targets, strengthening and rationalizing the slew of anti-trans legislation built on the false idea that transitioning from one gender to another is dangerous.

Even jokes made by some SIS students—such as saying that they “identify as an attack helicopter” to mock transgender people—may seem fun and rebellious at first, until one realizes that they support a deeper agenda aimed at crushing the already disenfranchised. By

Is it really just a joke?

The 94th Academy Awards were highlighted not only by phenomenal films, but also an infamous slap, given by none other than Best Actor in a Leading Role, Will Smith. When Chris Rock made a joke about Jada Smith’s bald head—caused by an autoimmune disorder called alopecia areata—by referencing a movie where the main character is bald, her husband Will Smith had this strong reaction.

Chris Rock had already made jokes about Jada Smith in the past, during the Academy Awards in 2016 when he mocked her efforts to boycott the Oscars for not nominating actors and actresses of people of color. The joke that Chris Rock made this year about Jada Smith’s hair disorder seemed to set off the response from Will Smith. This is why dark humor should be limited in social gatherings and not be used to target specific audience members.

This is just one prominent example of how jokes can lead to conflicts if they tackle offensive or sensitive topics.

Although Chris Rock did not intend to offend the Smiths, by ridiculing Jada Smith for being bald, he triggered a dramatic response. These kinds of jokes are dangerous because they make fun of

a specific party to amuse others. When millions of live audience members just laugh and show signs of accepting those remarks, it can later devolve into disparagement humor, which makes fun of specific minority groups or their representatives. This can lead to sexist or racist jokes, where stereotypes and offensive language are used to shock the audience.

These jokes not only often defame certain groups, but also condition others to believe that such prejudiced ideas behind those jokes are acceptable. While those who are first exposed to such humor are shocked, those who are familiar with such jokes easily become desensitized to serious issues. They get amused by such jokes, start telling them to others, and repeat this cycle.

Another form of humor is dark humor, a style of comedy that takes advantage of taboo topics used for jokes to cope with the situation. Those topics can include tragic events or personal trauma—practically any topic that could make people uncomfortable or offended. The content of these jokes can vary from divorce to global problems like climate change, or even the death of a close friend or family member. Similar to disparagement

framing these actions as being beneficial to society and protecting the right to free speech, supporters of political incorrectness sweep under the rug the fact that they are targeting people whose rights are being violated to a much greater extent than theirs.

It is true that political correctness is often restrictive and deserves scrutiny.

But political incorrectness is the wrong response to it. By belittling politically correctness from a distance rather than engaging with it, they have only shown their side of the debate and have unfairly skewed their portrayal of the politically correct. In doing so, they have unwittingly closed the door on meaningful discourse, preventing the very free speech that they wanted to preserve in the first place.

The real solution towards preserving free speech lies not in political correctness, but it also does not lie in being as offensive as possible. Instead, it lies in trying to understand the other side: something both political correctness and incorrectness have failed to do. Rather than calling the opposition “attack helicopters” or canceling them, we must view each other as human beings deserving of respect, regardless of our political beliefs.

by:

Rosa Suh

Junior, Copy Editor

humor, dark humor can trigger emotional responses or outbursts in anyone who is sensitive to that topic.

Of course, there are still some situations where dark humor can be helpful.

Dark humor is generally used as a coping mechanism to deal with personal problems such as trauma or stress, and can be the only method for some people to open up to others or feel at least slightly more positive about discouraging circumstances such as poverty and mental illness. Instead of seeing grave and serious situations for what they are, these people can turn them into jokes to cover their pain. Especially in situations where they are unable to receive emotional support from someone they are close to, dark humor can be a temporary solution to the problems they are facing.

However, even if dark humor is beneficial for individuals, the best option to prevent unnecessary conflicts should be to minimize the use of dark humor because we live in a community where we have to interact with one another and socialize. In cases where dark humor is used to make light of one’s own situation, it should be allowed. No one should be condemned for making jokes to lighten up their own situation; but when it comes to making fun of someone else’s traumatic experiences, people should be more cautious. Especially for students like us, where our school environment is designed to focus on education, this form of humor can be very harmful.

Not only can it be distracting, but it can create unnecessary conflicts as our lack of experience and maturity makes it difficult to differentiate the line between dark humor with remarks that could be an actual offense or insult to others. This is why we should learn to limit the use of dark humor, and instead try other forms of jokes that would help increase positivity for everyone.

by:

David Kim

Sophomore, Reporter

Tiger Times

May 2022

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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 53 Issue 8 May 2022 Seoul, South Korea TTONL.org a free publication of

Seoul International School

Paper Editors-in-Chief Emily Sung Jenny Seo Website Editor-in-Chief Sarah Ju Paper Managing Editor Skylar Peck

Website Managing Editors Woojune Kim Jordan Kim

Photo Editor Alice Lee Graphics Editor Jennifer You

Production Editors Bona Suh Clara Lim Website Design Editor

Minjae Chun

Paper Copy Editors Rosa Suh Rachel Yoon Aimee Choi Grace Lee Website Copy Editors Jennifer Kwon Erin Choi Daniel Shin

Layout Artists Yuzine Yi Junseo Lee Hannah Kim Reporters Isabelle Lee Jack Lee Hugo Lee Bin Ma John Kim Katelyn Oh Ian Park

David Kim Paul Moon Cherlin Kim Joseph Chun Jasmine Jeong Katherine Suk Sunny Lee Adviser Ms. Wendy Grant

Viewpoint Feature: Many SIS students leave high school unaware of essential concepts of sex education, including protecting their emotional and physical health, due to a nearly absent curriculum. Despite certain practical and cultural barriers to implementing sex education, the school should begin exploring viable ways to offer sex education beyond PE classes to ensure that students obtain reliable information on sexual safety.

What obstacles does the school face in implementing sex education?

How can the school start feasibly incorporating sex education in classes?

Let’s talk about birds and bees In fifth grade, we learned about different types of menstrual products and the definition of sex. In eighth grade, we learned about female reproductive organs in roughly two PE classes. And that was about it, at least for girls—what boys learned on the other side of the wall remains a mystery. High school has been no different, if not worse, for there has not been a single mention of sexual health or sexuality throughout my high school experience.

Our current sex education curriculum barely touches upon the most rudimentary biological aspects of sex, leaving students all alone to navigate the concepts of consent, contraception, sexually transmitted diseases, and sexuality. The result is a future of potentially dangerous decisions in students’ sexual lives guided not by reliable information but by misleading depictions of sex in the media. It is time to address this gap in our education by developing a more robust curriculum throughout elementary, middle, and most importantly, high school.

The lack of sex education has been a long-overdue problem certainly not restricted to SIS. In the US, fewer than half of high schools adequately taught sexual health classes as of 2018, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In South Korea, while students from fifth to twelfth grade are required to receive 15 hours of sex education every year, schools have ceaselessly received criticism for upholding sexist standards on female students. The starkly contrasting cultural norms among different countries have also accounted for extreme disparities in progress in sex education: the more socially liberal schools of the

Netherlands, France, and Germany require a Sex and Relationship program, while more conservative countries do not acknowledge the topic of sex at all.

The universality of this problem has prompted action among some educational institutions. A membership community called the Council of International Schools (CIS), for instance, requires schools to implement a sex education program in order to be certified. Some international schools near SIS have also shown progress, with Seoul Foreign School including Human Sexuality in Health classes that span two months for freshman and sophomores, and the American School in Japan offering explicit sex education classes to middle schoolers with the mention of contraception. Meanwhile, like SIS, Yongsan International School of Seoul and Chadwick International have short sex education classes that end abruptly in middle school. The sex education curriculum at these schools seems to have stopped developing altogether.

Such lack of progress is not without reason. The precise topics to cover and the methods of assessing students are marked with uncertainties, and ensuring that teachers are knowledgeable and comfortable enough to give lessons requires additional oversight. Not only that, but attempts to increase the sex education content are also perennially met with parental opposition.

These practical difficulties are why commonly proposed solutions such as incorporating sex education more extensively in our PE curriculum do not work: sex education is simply not equivalent to other standardized subjects.

What SIS needs, then, is a rather soft transition into sex education that respects students’ and teachers’ personal boundaries in this subject, takes a multidisciplinary approach, and treats sex education differently from other standardized subjects. Fortunately, an array of feasible options exist.

For one, teachers can direct students to the abundant set of sex education classes on online learning platforms. Requiring students to watch and reflect on videos created by experts and specialists would both shift the burden of addressing sensitive topics away from teachers and allow students to understand that there are myriad sex education resources available online.

An even softer approach would be including material related to sex in our existing classes. Currently reading the novel “Middlesex,” which explores topics of sex, sexual orientation, and puberty, in her English 11 class, Lauren Kim (11) notes how incorporating taboo topics in class materials can push students to actively learn concepts of sex education while simultaneously honing the necessary skills of reading, analyzing, and critical thinking. This would be ideal for taking a multidisciplinary approach to sex education beyond its biological aspects.

Finally, a solution that avoids the standardization of the highly personal topic of sex education is inviting experts and sexual health consultants to speak to students rather than incorporating sex education into our class materials. Several international schools have already taken initiative, reporting positive experiences with Susie March Consulting, a CIS-affiliated consultant that offers Comprehensive Sexuality Education

to schools. Through grade-level assemblies, one-on-one conferences, or an anonymous question-answer platform, all done with parental consent, these well-versed visitors can offer invaluable information and advice to students on navigating sexual health.

Considering the dearth of conversation on sex in Korean culture, however, skepticism regarding these changes is expected. Some may say students will be visibly uncomfortable and immature during classes, or that parents would never approve of these policies. Yet, that is exactly why we need more sex education: students have to understand that sex is not a topic to be embarrassed to be talking about. Others believe more sex education might encourage sexual activity among students: a widespread misconception that, again, merely proves why we need more informed sex education. The ultimate purpose of sex education is to protect students’ wellbeing—the lack of sex education only increases the chances of unsafe situations such as sexual assault and unwanted pregnancies.

When families and Korean society at large bury the topic of sex, the majority of students have nowhere to obtain the necessary lessons. But students will have to learn about sexual safety, identity, and health at some point in their lives. It is much better done in a safe, informed, and supervised setting: school.

by:

Aimee Choi

Junior, Copy Editor

4

SCHOOL NEWS

News Briefs Spirits soar at pep rally

On April 15, the Tiger Sports Council (TSC) hosted a pep rally for the varsity soccer game against KIS. It was the first pep rally in two years, due to various COVID-19 regulations and limits on crowds watching the game. Athletes from the varsity badminton and varsity soccer teams participated in various games while students cheered on from the bleachers.

D$Q also performed a few memorable dance numbers and contributed to the high spirits at the pep rally. Finally, seniors from the spring sports season with gifted bouquets for their contributions.

It was a sentimental moment as many were participating in their last pep rally or home game.

“It was my first time having a pep rally because COVID-19 broke out as soon as I moved to SIS,” Riwon Ahn (12), varsity girls soccer captain, said. “The KIS game was my last home game and I could not believe that my career as a student-athlete was ending.

Our team met many strong opponents over the course of the season and there were times we faced failures. I felt responsible for not being able to bring my team up the podium but through the pep rally, I was once again reminded that the whole school is cheering for us.”

Spring concerts showcase musicians’ hard work Meanwhile, the music department prepared for the spring concerts, with collaborative efforts between students and directors.

Though practices were often long and required much dedication from the students, they were able to deliver. First, the HS Spring Strings concert was held on April 21 at 4 p.m. and included a range of performances from members of HS strings and HSO. The repertoire had both classical and modern songs, which featured duets and solos from students.

The following week was the HS Band Pops concert on April 28, which had various pop songs and movie soundtracks in store. The concerts marked the culmination of hard work and countless practices for perfection.

“During our last practice before the concert, we sounded really good and focused mainly on the minute details,” Philip Ham (11), HSO saxophonist, said. “I anticipated the great performances during the HS Spring Strings concert and I’m very proud of the work we have done this semester.

The concert was a great way to wrap things up.”

HFH Fashion Show stays in style Also on April 21, Habitat for Humanity hosted its annual fashion show at 1 p.m. on the front steps of the high school building.

The process starts with student designers, who make clothes for their assigned models with the materials they have, producing a variety of original and eye-catching designs. As music blared from the speakers, models walked down the sunny steps and showed off their outfits to the crowd. Students were allowed to watch the show while members of the club held a fundraiser by selling food.

All money raised during the event was donated to the Habitat for Humanity organization.

“Especially because of COVID19, we could not really attend school events,” Erin Choi (12), model for the fashion show, said.

“I did work with the fashion show last year, but this time was also memorable for me because I was able to walk down the runway with my friends. It was nice to have everyone gather and work together to make it happen. The experience was even more meaningful because it was also for a good cause.”

BY: Rachel Yoon Junior, Copy Editor

Students prepare for AP Exams

After enduring the long marathon of never-ending summative assignments, SIS students are now making their final sprint to claim 5s on their AP exams. As AP exams are scheduled to occur from May 2-13, students are scrambling to study, and maybe cram, in various ways.

“Currently, I am organizing

layout by Alice Lee

notes that I took during class into study guides that I can skim over to prepare for my AP US history exam,” Yevene Hwang (10), AP US history student, said. “It is my first time taking an AP exam so I feel a bit nervous, but I am also relieved because I think Mr. Kowalski helped me prepare for my exams in advance by making the coursework

difficult.”

Many students share the same anxiety as the AP exam dates rapidly approach, with most agreeing that April is usually the most stressful time of the school year because they also have to keep up with school assignments at the same time.

“I think it is particularly more

Eric Lee (11) plays the viola for the High School Symphony Orchestra at the 2022 Spring Strings Concert.

Photo by Dahyun Kim

Sunny Lee (12) announces the spring athletes during the 2022 spring pep rally.

stressful for juniors because we have to study for three to four AP exams, while also completing all the school assessments assigned by our teachers,” Erin Ryu (11) said. “I understand that these assessments are meant to help us prepare for the exam but for some classes, I feel like we are still learning new material instead of reviewing and refreshing our memory about the content we learned during the first semester.”

To help students better familiarize themselves with AP testing, some teachers are providing mock exams so that students can better prepare themselves by practicing in a test-taking environment. For instance, Rose Tyvand, AP Chemistry teacher, is letting students stay after school until 5 p.m. to take mock exams so they can realistically simulate the testing environment.

“I opened up my classroom for students to practice taking mock exams during the time after school,” Dr. Tyvand, AP chemistry teacher, said, “I think this is a really great opportunity for students to practice for the AP exams.”

In contrast to the juniors and sophomores, seniors seem to take on a more relaxed approach to the upcoming AP season. As the majority of them have already received their acceptance letters from colleges, some noted that they have lost motivation to grind for their AP exams.

“We are just counting down the days until our graduation instead of stressing out about our grades or AP exams,” Sophia Eu (12), AP

Photo by Alice Lee (11)

Econ student, said. “However, I do empathize with the sophomores and juniors as they approach AP season as I also went through the same stressful process. But at the end of the day, I think it was a necessary milestone in my high school career because it made me grow stronger and more confident in my abilities to study, so I want to cheer on the underclassmen in their efforts.”

Nevertheless, as some universities accept AP scores as college credit, there are still some seniors who are studying hard for their AP exams.

“I personally am studying hard for my exams because I want to reduce my workload in college,” Michelle Heo (12), AP Economics student, said. “But it gets difficult because not only did I lose most of my motivation and willpower to study but there are also so many other activities like prom and graduation that remind me that my time here is almost over.”

BY: Jasmine Jeong Junior, Reporter

SCHOOL NEWS

#RelatableStress: Looking outside the Ivy League

By Jasmine Jeong The ultimate reason parents pressure their children into studying hard and enduring the stress that comes with high academic achievement is that they want their children to succeed in life by entering a stable career path. Yet, most high school students fail to recognize this ultimate goal instead of perceiving their future through a tunnel vision with the end being the entrance to a prestigious Ivy League university.

However, students must recognize that the end of this tunnel is only an entrance to a new, darker, and longer tunnel that is even more difficult to navigate. This new tunnel will bring along the same difficulties but on a grander scale. They will be enduring the same, if not tougher, competition for the best internship positions, the best placement opportunities in the most prestigious corporations, and the highest salaries.

Students must realize that if they are going to endure the same hardships, they should at least choose a career path that allows them to enjoy the pressure. Yet, many SIS students fail to understand the repetitive nature of the build-up of stress as they transition into positions of greater authority and responsibility; many injudiciously select majors or pathways that would get them into universities with the greatest name-value without considering the true educational value that they can derive from their time at that university.

So, instead of focusing on the kind of educational or experiential value they can gain from specific university programs, they only look at the name value, eventually wasting their time and money on learning about a field that they have no interest in and being unable to obtain a result that would boost their career through experience or knowledge.

Instead, if students can thwart their inclinations to heed to their parents’ desires for them to enter universities that will bring them prestige and respect in the future, they will find out that there are a lot more diverse and valuable options available. For instance, for those who wish to enter graduate schools, liberal arts colleges, such as Swarthmore College or Amherst College, may be a better option as they can prepare students better for entering these institutions based on their unique characteristics of mostly having smaller classes with higher ratios of students to teachers.

Furthermore, the scope of possible universities that students can apply to are not limited to the United States. Instead of solely setting their sights on going to a university in the United States, it may be more ideal to apply to universities in other countries, such as the United Kingdom or Hong Kong, especially if the universities in these countries have more capacity to provide better education and knowledge that will prepare them for their careers.

In fact, it may also be a great advantage for students in terms of their career in the long term as they would develop unique insights and perspectives from a different cultural experience that would differentiate them in their field when competing against their peers who attended universities in the United States.

Although it may seem far in the future, students should still take the time to begin narrowing down their career paths and finding a better fit for their learning style so that they can derive the advantages that would boost their careers in terms of experience and education.

Blue Note brings joy with jazz Relishing the groovy rhythms and lively melodies, the Blue Note club performed jazz music during the AP Art Show on April 21. Seven members of the club’s small group, called a “combo,” each played different instruments—clarinet, trumpet, trombone, alto saxophone, guitar, bass, and percussion—and collaborated to play a range of songs from “All of Me” to “Blue Bossa.”

“Our performance playing as the ambiance of the AP art show went very well,” Eric Kim (11), Blue Note president, said. “I think most people enjoyed the music since jazz has an unspoken flair that differentiates itself from other genres of music and has leeway to be more rambunctious and alluring.”

During the band spring pops concert on April 28, all members of Blue Note performed two pieces together: “Just the Two of Us” by Bill Withers and “I Want You Back” by Jackson 5, which were arranged by John Wasson. As a result of diligent practice and rehearsals, Blue Note members successfully finished both performances at the AP art show and the pops concert, leaving the audience with a smile on their faces.

“The whole audience cheered Blue Note members on when they got on stage, and their performance was wonderful,” James Gerhard, pops concert attendee, said. “It is spectacular that there is a group of students who value the songs, history, and American roots of jazz music. I love that Blue Note members sustain jazz as a genre of music by devoting their own time outside of class with their emotions and hearts.”

Blue Note members meet every Wednesday to practice for their performances. During their meetings, they practice their pieces and play difficult sections and solo parts for each other.

Moreover, they sometimes rent studios

and gather outside of school two weeks before their performances.

“It feels really rewarding after finishing a performance, since the music we choose is pretty challenging,” Seungkyu Han (11), Blue Note member, said. “What I love about being part of Blue Note is that we always have bonding moments while playing jazz, in which we can add improvisation and musical tweaks to make it more energizing and fun to the audience.”

As one of the few music clubs in SIS, the Blue Note club has a long history, created at the end of the school year of 2016-’17 when the HS Jazz Band course was dropped. Starting with a small group of seven to eight students, Blue Note quickly flourished into a larger club, inviting musically talented students and frequently performing for the high school community in various settings, such as the AP Art Show and Prom.

“Blue Note provides another genre of music that is not largely available at our school or in Korea,” Michael Ganus, Blue Note adviser, said. “Blue Note members work with me for rehearsal space and equipment, but mainly, they manage all operations and performances by themselves. With so many clubs on campus now, we will have to recruit more musicians or change the direction of the club in the coming years, but nonetheless, Blue Note will persist!”

With the bubbly performances Blue Note brings to various settings of the school environment, Blue Note members hope to serve as an outlet that diffuses joy and freedom to the busy lives of students through making them love jazz music.

BY: John Kim Sophomore, Reporter

Seniors prepare for graduation with Senior Send-Off

The senior class of 2022 sign their names on banner at Senior SendOff. Photo by Alice Lee (11)

With graduation just days away, the class of 2022 is getting ready to say goodbye to their four years of high school life. To end the last school year on a memorable note, the seniors gathered for Senior Send-Off, which took place on April 29. Organized by the junior members of National Honor Society (NHS), the event started off

with grilled hotdogs, hamburgers, chips, and cookies. Then followed flower deliveries by the Community Service Club, a big game of dodgeball in the field, and a memoryboard-signing finale.

“Senior Send-Off always presents mixed feelings because there are so many things happening before and after graduation,”

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Youngwoo Eun (12), senior executive of NHS, said. “It reminds me that I should be and will be ready for the future. I am sad because my present world fades away along with the various connections I had with it. However, I am also glad that I am able to leave high school without any loose ends.”

Senior Send-Off is a celebratory

event for seniors to come together, socialize, and look back on their past school years. Unlike Prom, which is centered more around closing this chapter of the seniors’ lives and opening up a new one, Senior Send-Off is more school-related.

“Senior Send-Off is a positive way for seniors to say goodbye to the school, but it would be nice to find a way to get teachers more involved,” Gray Macklin, adviser of NHS, said. “The junior participation was also probably the best that I have ever seen, which gave me a better sense of who might be interested in the executive position. Though the planning of this event is not the only factor that decides the executive position, it was good to see some of the students in action.”

At SIS, juniors in NHS are responsible for planning and executing the Senior Send-Off. Last year, juniors organized a T-shirt signing event. The year before, a water gun fight was organized.

Each year, students divided up roles and communicated with Mr. Macklin directly to bring the event to success.

“One difficulty we faced was estimating and preparing food and drinks for more than 130 people,”

Jinwook Shin (11), a junior member of NHS, said. “But with the help of Mr. Macklin, Youngwoo, and some hard working members of the club, we were able to carry out a memorable event for the seniors. ” With all the hard work that was put into giving the seniors an unforgettable farewell, it is the hope of all students and teachers that the seniors step into the next chapter of their lives with a light heart.

“The end of high school always seemed like a distant, almost impossible event,” Xavier Kim (12), senior who participated in the event, said. “But the Send-Off made me realize how quickly it was approaching. It made me want to cherish the little time I have left with all my friends here at SIS. While we all go on to live our own separate lives, my sincere hope is that we all enjoy our lives to the fullest, whatever shape or form that may be in.”

BY: Hannah Kim Junior, Reporter

Cruising through the crypto currents

By Katelyn Oh

For years, digital assets seemed like a fleeting tech trend most people could safely brush aside. But now, the digital phenomenon is everywhere: the public’s interest in cryptocurrency and NFTs has skyrocketed, and the economic power of “viable” investment has become difficult to overlook.

Today’s most well-known and high-profile application of digital assets is in the form of currencies such as Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Tether, but that is just the tip of the cryptocurrency iceberg. Cryptocurrencies are essentially digital mediums of exchange. As of March 2022, there are 18,000 cryptocurrencies in existence with a market value exceeding $1 trillion.

In an adjacent space, non-fungible tokens (NFTs), have a similar appeal—except that they are not fungible. Simply put, the tokens are coupons that represent an underlying object and cannot be copied or replaced by anything else. This nature bestows its value, just like anyone can buy a Mona Lisa print, but only one person can own the original.

Cryptocurrency and NFTs were born out of blockchain. This collaborative technology is essentially a public, decentralized ledger that radically lowers the “cost of trust.” No one who records the information in the ledger has to trust anyone else when they exchange information because the record of each transaction is kept in more than one place. Therefore, it is difficult, if not impossible, to cheat the system. By promising cost reduction, increased transparency, and accurate tracking, blockchain technology appeals to not only investors seeking higher returns but also people with low credit ratings in need of currency.

The biggest fans think digital assets are saving the world, while its skeptics are convinced that it is an evanescent trend or even a scam, orchestrated by grifters and sold to fanatic visionaries. Cryptocurrencies and NFTs are certainly volatile, risky, and prone to economic bubbles. While prices can spike to astounding heights, they can also crash to devastating lows, and the relatively smaller market size makes digital assets more vulnerable to price fluctuations.

The decline of cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin and Ethereum since the beginning of 2022 has instilled fear among investors betting on these tokens. This, in fact, could be the worst news for all digital asset shareholders, as the two currencies’ privileged position in the market often causes a domino effect across the board.

There are also questions about its future. The New York Stock Exchange acquired its first traded securities in 1792, and gold’s value as

layout by Alice Lee

currency has been acknowledged for millennia. Despite the rapid upturn in cryptocurrency trade, it is worth noting that the medium has only been around for a little over a decade.

Experts predict that the global cryptocurrency market will more than triple by 2030 to $5 billion, but nobody actually knows what even the near future holds for investors.

Because cryptocurrency and NFT markets are based on speculation rather than fundamentals like observing the sales of a company, even experts have trouble making reliable estimates. For the average person, it is beyond difficult. Cryptocurrencies, NFTs, and blockchain can take a while to wrap your head around; if not a digital native, just hearing the word “algorithm” over and over is enough to confuse people. Such speculative financial technologies rely on their ambiguity and how difficult it is to define the source of their popularity. Scientists call this phenomenon a stylized fact—an observable occurrence that can be counted but not easily explained. For digital currency, the exact, volatile value matters less than the large, repeated number. It gives naive investors the sense that cryptocurrency is important without explaining why. Enthusiasts get excited with the vibe of ineffability, even if it does not make much sense.

Digital assets’ potential implications for global financial security affirm the importance of regulation. According to the World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council on Cryptocurrencies, there is yet to be an internationally coordinated approach to regulation.

Although major objectives—such as protecting the integrity of the market and preventing the mismanagement of assets—are shared across the globe, analysts believe countries and international organizations must establish common standards through law enforcement and other measures.

Despite the uncertainties, there is no doubt that the rapid rise of cryptocurrency and NFTs is changing the worldwide economic landscape forever. Creating both risks and opportunities, the expansion of this technology signposts the start of a revolution that no one can afford to ignore.

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Maneuvering through the metaverse

By Grace Lee

Gone are the days when people fantasized about a virtual realm like Ready Player One, where real life and faraway sci-fi technology mingled to create a completely new world.

Gone, too, are the days when people wondered of all the opportunities and risks a virtual realm like the ones today would bring. Now, new virtual avatars, jobs, and even more are available—all at the swipe of a finger. With recent discussions regarding the metaverse propelled into the mainstream, more companies are beginning to seriously consider expanding into the digital world and the boundless possibilities present within such technology.

In the midst of the global pandemic in 2021, 73 percent of employees expressed a desire to continue working in hybrid workplaces—for which metaverses are fit as more employees want to start working at home.

Though the concept of the “metaverse” may seem completely foreign, only recently being used by corporations like Meta (formerly known as Facebook), the idea itself is nothing new. Seven years ago, Google introduced the world to its Google glasses, which it had anticipated to roll out globally. Though the glasses were eventually abandoned, metaverses have always been present in games like Roblox or Minecraft. All of them deal with the fundamental concept of creating online, digital avatars in a simulated world—the only difference of recent talks surrounding the metaverse is that these conversations center around a metaverse with a focus on social interaction.

And even this is not new—the idea of a realm where people interact for social purposes has been promoted since 2009 by another game, Second Life, though this attempt to construct a widely-adopted world waned as visible by its small user base.

In contrast to these ill-fated attempts to build a metaverse, current attempts to assemble a metaverse are gaining much more traction.

In February, Meta’s Horizon Worlds reached 300,000 users, while virtual realms like Decentraland had several properties bought by large brands like Samsung and Adidas. Businesses are not alone in their hopes for these worlds either; a poll by Accenture shows, public perception of the metaverse is increasingly shifting to view these worlds as “transformative” instead of as a short-lived fad. With revamped opinions, many are now beginning to realize the opportunities in what has been derided as an “imaginary world” in the past.

This rise in the fictional metaverse also comes with the rise in digital commerce, as people are increasingly turning to these digital realms to purchase goods—and with this

demand has come the supply of entirely virtual influencers who have built fictional personas to market goods toward consumers. Influencers, such as Monica, on platforms such as South Korea’s Zepeto, have earned hundreds of thousands of dollars through their new financial opportunities, even to the point of earning six-figure salaries by advertising for large name brands.

Like the way online shopping and the advent of the internet drastically changed the way society functioned by facilitating the purchase of goods with a simple click, experts believe cryptocurrency and the metaverse can metamorphose the current internet. In these realms, people will no longer be restricted to seeing clothes and other goods in photographs, but instead able to try such clothes on their digital avatars. Furthermore, these new worlds open up creative methods of social interaction as promoted by companies like Meta, and of course with it the rise in ways to access customers through advertisements and personalized cryptocurrencies.

Though the metaverse poses great opportunities for change from the way goods are currently bought and from the conventional actions of visiting the mall, there continues to be the ever-present danger present with these anonymous transactions. With the release of new virtual realms, new currencies have emerged, further creating instability. Furthermore, as these digital avatars and the exchange of cryptocurrency are difficult, if not impossible to track, they have fostered the growth of hate speech and racist verbal abuse online.

These metaverses are allowing for the realization of our wildest sci-fi dreams, and allowing life to be interwoven with technology more than ever before. But with the sparks of the true digital age and the convenience it is bound to bring to the world, it too comes with darker social implications that must be addressed before the technology is adopted by and promoted to a larger audience.

8

GLOBAL NEWS

Treehuggers: do ‘green’ alternatives really create much change?

Walking down the grocery aisle, you might have noticed a few repeating phrases plastered all over the products. “Green.”

“Eco-friendly.” “Organic.” Companies have increasingly begun to pick up on the growing demands of a more climate-conscious consumer base than ever before. But scrutiny has recently risen over these words and what they really mean. Are they simply buzzwords to promote the product, or are these products truly able to create less waste than their conventional counterparts? And do alternatives like faux leather even help the environment compared to real leather, or are consumers better off blindly picking what they want?

Take a look at faux leather, or just about any product that uses plant-based products instead of plastics and other non-renewables. While in the short term, their carbon footprint is dramatically less than that of raising a cow to slaughter for its hide, their longterm impacts may in fact be worse.

Why? Simply put, we use leather for a reason. As a tough, durable material that lasts for an extremely long time, using products with leather means consumers need to buy less as the product itself lasts longer, leading to a decreased carbon footprint. There is no need to continuously create and ship an entire boatload of materials to assemble it, as the product sur-

vives the constant cycles of reuse (besides, not all faux leather use plant-based products in the first place, as many depend on polyurethane—a type of plastic).

On the flip side, though, in a world dominated by consumerist fast fashion cycles and following the most recent trends, faux leather also provides its own unique benefits. Using faux leather instead of real leather from a cow eliminates the resource-intensive process of nurturing an entire cow, and the more easily-disintegrating aspect of the material is less of a concern when clothes are eventually bound to be thrown away anyway.

Of course, the ideal world would abandon such a wasteful fast fash-

ion culture in the first place, but when choosing between two evils, it is better that consumers choose the lesser one.

Even besides the questionability regarding their “greenness,” these eco-friendly products also come with the price of public perspective—people tend to avoid these products and see them as lower quality even when they may not be. A study conducted

by Harvard Business Review found that consumers tended to pick the non-eco-friendly option unless they were forced to pick in front of their peers. The public has not fully adjusted itself to the idea of green products yet, but there is also promise in the fact that

by Grace Lee

people choose greener options when in group settings, as perceived social pressure can be used to gently push customers toward the right options.

For the most part, these products are environmentally friendly and have the potential to move the world towards a greener future. So take the first step to adopt these methods—it still is, after all, a step forward in promoting awareness of these often-overlooked green products. It is clear that they help the environment, and it is equally clear that they can be as good quality as “normal” goods if you simply give them a chance.

China suffers food shortages Ketanji Brown Jackson becomes first amid COVID-19 lockdown black female Supreme Court justice

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s COVID-19 cases around the world slowly stabilize and more people receive booster shots for enhanced protection, many are lowering their guard against the pandemic. However, China, the heart of the COVID-19 outbreak in late 2019, is facing a drastically different situation. In light of a sudden spike in COVID-19 cases, the Chinese government has imposed a strict lockdown starting from March 27 on major Chinese cities like Shanghai to prevent the spread of the pandemic. As the lockdown extends, however, it is starting to spark many secondary problems, most glaring of which are food shortages.

“I am quite concerned about the situation in China,” Richard Jung (11), avid follower of politics, said.

“Although I understand the importance of containing COVID-19, I think the Chinese government has gone too far in its exertion of power with this lockdown, as the very survival of people is being threatened.”

Lockdowns are not new to China, with the country having formerly imposed a lockdown on Wuhan in 2019. Similar to Wuhan, the present lockdown is strict and prevents the movement of all people and goods.

However, what is different is that it is a nationwide lockdown on multiple cities leading to thousands of more people being confined and consequently increasing tensions between the Chinese citizens and the government.

“A lockdown is always detrimental to the economy,” Morgan Miller, AP Economics teacher, said. “By sealing off cities from all exchange of goods, services, and people, there is little financial exchange and it is only a matter of time before businesses shut down if there is no quick relief. Collectively, the economic costs and starvation caused by the lockdown may stir discontent in citizens, but due to the strong authoritarian nature of the Chinese government, there is little the citizens can do to resist and the lockdown will likely continue as long as the government deems it necessary.”

Despite the desperate measures

layout by Hannah Kim

of implementing lockdowns, the COVID-19 situation is showing few signs of improving as the numbers of cases continue to skyrocket while food supplies dwindle rapidly. Some families are now on their last batches of rice with no clear source of food for the future due to the Chinese government failing to provide food rations on a regular basis. With the recent extension of the lockdown, the Chinese government is pushing the limits of hunger tolerance while the citizens are testing the limits of their commitment to the law.

“Thankfully, my family did not suffer chronic food shortages because they live in Shenzhen which was only put under lockdown for a week,” Vanessa Cui, Chinese native, said. “However, the same cannot be said for cities that are under extended lockdown like Shanghai. With an extended lockdown, I am not only concerned about the food shortages but the poor accessibility of medical facilities due to the prohibition of public transport and focus of all medical care on COVID-19.”

The Chinese citizens’ struggles under the lockdown are not limited to food shortages. Many instances of police abuse have been reported as Chinese authorities try to prevent the desperate citizens from escaping the starving cities. With the lockdown and consequent forceful measures used to enforce it, the Chinese government is drawing criticism for both humanitarian and survival issues.

“Frankly, I think the lockdown goes against its own purpose,” Peter Kim (11), politics enthusiast, said.

“The lockdown’s main purpose is to save lives. Yet in this case, it is putting the people’s survival in greater danger and even causing physical abuse. The Chinese government must balance this line of containing the pandemic and ensuring the survival of individuals and businesses instead of blindly imposing antiCOVID-19 measures.”

BY: Hugo Lee Junior, Reporter

On April 7, the US Senate confirmed Ketanji Brown Jackson, chosen by Joe Biden, to fill the latest empty spot in the Supreme Court. After an investigation by the Republicans, Jackson was approved in a vote of 53 to 47.

“In my opinion, the significance of the election of Ketanji Brown Jackson as the new Supreme Court member is that Jackson is the first female African American supreme court member,” Irene Nam (10), AP US History student, said. “Hence, this marks an important event in history where different groups of people are represented. This could possibly affect future generations by serving as an example in encouraging further achievement of equal representation.”

After this summer, Jackson will be succeeding Justice Stephen Breyer, for whom she previously served as a clerk. Previously nominated by Barack Obama, she also served as the vice-chair of the United States Sentencing Commission, demonstrating her wide experience in practicing law.

“Unfortunately, politicians on both sides of the aisle seem to have forgotten that the most important aspects to consider

in evaluating a nominee for the Supreme Court are experience, acumen, and temperament,” James Kowalski, AP US History teacher, said. “However, in present politics, it is about how liberal or conservative you are. But with Justice Jackson having been confirmed, let us give her not merely the courtesy, but the human dignity, to do her job. I do hope she will bring her expertise to the court and make a difference.”

In a courtroom dominated by Republicans, there will be six conservative judges: four white men, a woman, and an African American man. On the other hand, all three liberal judges will be women, two of whom will be of color. This will make it the most diverse Supreme Court in American history.

The diversified Supreme Court will be in a position to address future cases about abortion, climate change, gay rights, and religious exemptions from civil laws.

“Judge Jackson’s experience as a chair at the sentencing commission will provide a great insight into the Supreme Court,” Morgan Miller, Government and Politics teacher, said. “She is the first public defender to be elected to

the first supreme court, therefore she will play an important role in judging cases of less represented groups. Overall, she could bring more insight into the problems of the Supreme Court system through her contribution to reforming criminal justice.”

Citizens also expect Jackson will play a critical role in cases on affirmative action by providing a different perspective that could either restrict or approve using it to increase quotas of minorities in universities and jobs.

“I believe that it would be marked as a significant point in American History, similar to when Thurgood Marshall, America’s first black supreme court justice was appointed by President Lyndon B. Johnson,” Joon Sung Kim (10), Secretary of History Honor Society, said. “I hope this can serve as a stepping stone for the US to reach a higher level in terms of racial equality and diversity.”

BY: Ian Park Sophomore, Reporter

STUDENT SPOTLIGHT

9

The apple of SIS’s eye: Ms. Edwards

Photo by John Kim (10)

A crowd of students and parents throng the office, eager to speak to the person responsible for life beyond high school. Disappointing yet reasonable truths are disclosed, and students leave with a clearer picture of the admissions process.

Behind all of this is Kelcey Edwards, SIS’s high school college counselor, who manages all things college.

“Delivering school materials and writing recommendations seem relatively straightforward, but every year, I have well over a thousand applications to manage,” Ms. Edwards said. “I try my best to put students in the context of the school and bring them to life. Colleges know that we have strong students but struggle to understand our students as individuals with personality, interests, and unique strengths.”

Another part of Ms. Edwards’s job is to guide students toward a more thoughtful and strategic approach to the college process.

Through conferences with stu-

dents and parents, she shares her expertise with students, especially seniors, persisting through the final stages of high school.

“I help families gain a more realistic understanding of selective college admissions,” Ms. Edwards said. “I encourage students and parents to consider the idea of ‘fit.’ For students to thrive personally, socially, and academically, families should consider whether the student’s priorities, interests, goals, and personality fit with what colleges have to offer.”

Ms. Edwards acknowledges that it is often difficult, however, for SIS students to settle with what is truly a “fit.” SIS’s unique competitive environment is undeniably a place for stress, frustration, and concerns stemming from not only unhealthy comparison but also students’ skyhigh caliber for excellence. Helping students and parents appreciate reality is certainly not easy, but Ms. Edwards believes it is crucial to debunk the myths of college and

promote a better understanding of its realities.

“I provide families with objective data and information and honest answers to their questions,” Ms. Edwards said. “Our greatest challenge is that we have so many talented students looking at the same tiny set of schools. I know I am not the only voice in the room, and students are ultimately in the driver’s seat choosing where they apply. Nonetheless, I try to ensure that people are aware of the lay of the land.”

Unfortunately, it is impossible to talk about Ms. Edwards’s role without the dreaded discussion of COVID-19. Nobody knew what to expect for the class of 2021, and Ms. Edwards was compelled to adapt to the new normal while settling into her new workplace at SIS, having moved from her job at the College Board.

“I have certainly adapted over the past year and a half, and it is partly a consequence of COVID-

19 but also of moving halfway around the world,” Ms. Edwards said. “There are also things you get better at in your mid-forties, such as prioritizing, and I am better at differentiating between things that I want to do and have to do. This might be unexpected, but I would have to say that I have the healthiest work-life balance in over 20 years of working in this field.”

And such satisfaction with her job likely contributed to Ms. Edwards’s amazing accomplishments at SIS. As the guiding light for students lost in the cave of admissions, Ms. Edwards always hits the nail on the head—all while making everything look surprisingly easy. She truly is the glue that holds the seniors together, and students ought to thank her for where they are today.

BY: Kateyln Oh Sophomore, Reporter

10 SPORTS & LIFESTYLE

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Successfully defending the goal from the TCIS players, the midfielders and defenders of the varsity girls soccer team secures a 2-1 win at the 2022 KAIAC Conference.

sports photo of the month

Photo by Alice Lee (11)

Pachinko reveals history through immigrants

“Pachinko,” a critically acclaimed novel and 2017 National Book Award for Fiction finalist written by Lee Min-jin, was recently adapted into a TV series. Since its release on March 25 on Apple TV+, the show has received highly positive reviews.

“Pachinko,” tells the story of Sunja, played by rising star Kim Minha, and four generations of Korean immigrants in Japan. Sunja is a young and courageous teenager from Yeongdo-gu, Busan, who realizes she is pregnant and moves to the slums of Osaka, Japan, in hopes of a better life.

While the story of Sunja reveals the history between Korea and Japan, the TV series has also reached the hearts of many. People relate to a story of love, reflect on their personal family history, and honor the sacrifices of those that came before them as they watch the series.

“Along with the rising global popularity of Korean shows and content, I believe the themes in ‘Pachinko’ have been widely accepted because the lives of Korean families in Japan are similar to many immigrants living in a foreign country that is hostile towards them,” Gyusung Lee (10), avid cinephile, said. “It is a problem throughout the world, not only in Japan and Korea.”

Lee Min-jin said ​​“we cannot help but be interested in the stories of people that history pushes aside so thoughtlessly” when asked why she decided to write Pachinko.

Other appealing aspects of the series include diverse languages,

cultures, and interactions between characters.

“It was interesting to see languages like Korean, Japanese, and English being used in the show while taking place in Korea and Japan,” Anika Kurebayashi (10), Japanese-Korean student, said. “The ways the subtitles were color-coded according to the language being used made each character’s cultural background come alive, and the multiple cultural influences the characters go through were very relatable.”

When Koreans moved to Japan during the Japanese colonial period, the few jobs available to them were running pachinkos, Japanese pinball games. Lee named her book after this game because she viewed the immigrants in her story to be part of a life gamble trying to pursue opportunity and happiness.

Many have complimented the show on how the characters reveal the history of Korea and Japan through multiple perspectives. Hanzu, a zainichi, a Korean inhabitant of Japan, is a character involved in suspicious and dark activities in Japan. Hanzu’s past experience of the massacre of Koreans during the Kanto earthquake changes his life forever.

Isak, a priest and Sunja’s husband, is a heartwarming character who strives to protect his family and earn a living. His interrogation by the police leads to his separation from his family. And in the fourth generation of the family, during the 1980s, Solomon, the grandson of Sunja,

Varsity soccer teams compete in Jeju soccer tournament From April 23-24, SIS varsity soccer players traveled to KIS Jeju for a much anticipated KAIAC soccer tournament. The tournament, the first overseas tournament since the start of the pandemic, was played against five other international schools: GSIS, Chadwick, NLCS, SFS, and KIS Jeju.

The excitement for the tournament have paid off for the varsity boys as they finished third out of six teams.

Although the varsity girls failed to achieve their goals with their fourth place finish, the tournament still provided valuable experience for the players that helped strengthen team chemistry.

The boys’ games were packed with excitement from beginning to end. Although the team initially experienced a setback with a 3-0 loss to Chadwick, it quickly

layout by Junseo Lee

bounced back to win 9-8 in penalties against NLCS and 1-0 against GSIS. Despite a middle-of-the-pack finish, there were many notable performances by individual players including strong defense by goalkeeper Jefferson Lee (12) in the penalties.

“Our goalkeeper, Jefferson, was outstanding in the tournament,” James Tyvand, varsity boys soccer coach, said. “He did a terrific job defending our goal in the penalties.

Without his excellent defense, we would have lost against NLCS.” The girls also put in their best but could not achieve the same success. Although there were several poor plays, the Jeju soccer tournament offered a valuable opportunity for the girls to learn from and correct their mistakes to become a stronger team in the future. While

they got off to a poor start by losing the first game against KIS Jeju 0:2 and the second game against SFS 0:6, the girls managed to finish strong with a 3:0 win over GSIS and are looking to build off of this win in future tournaments.

“The Jeju tournament was truly an unforgettable experience as we demonstrated remarkable perseverance as a group,” Isabella Kim (11), varsity girls soccer player, said. “Through this tournament, our team has certainly experienced massive growth. I hope we can participate in another Jeju tournament and show how much we have grown as a team.”

The Jeju soccer tournament also offered one last memorable experience for seniors who barely got a taste of overseas soccer tournaments due to COVID-19 restric-

tions. For many, it was the first overseas event of any kind since the onset of the pandemic and marked a special moment in their high school tenure at SIS. “This was the first overseas tournament in many years for us seniors,” Francisco Choi (12) varsity boys’ soccer player, said. “For many years, my senior teammates and I had been frustrated by the cancellation of all our overseas tournaments, but with this Jeju soccer tournament, we were able to finally experience a proper overseas tournament and add some priceless memories to what remains of our high school experience.”

Even for the underclassmen of the varsity teams, the Jeju soccer tournament marked a special cornerstone in their high school experience. Through the overseas

struggles between the two worlds of Japanese culture and the history of his family as he navigates his life as a zainichi.

The discrimination that Koreans like Solomon, Isak, and even Hanzu experienced was something that Rose Tyvand, an international school student in the 1980s, witnessed while living in Japan.

“In Japan, I went to an international school for middle and high school, and I had a lot of Korean friends since they were not accepted at local Japanese schools,” Dr. Tyvand said. “Because of this, I became aware of the Korean and Japanese dynamics. Therefore, from an outsider's perspective, it was interesting to see this dynamic unfold in a TV series.”

Overall, Pachinko fans view the series positively for its themes, story, acknowledgment of unspoken history, and emotions that they could connect to.

“I think what really talks to the audience are the relationships and the characters’ discoveries of who they are as individuals,” Leslie Gregori, Pachinko fan, said. “The story of immigration, moving from country to country, and finding some acceptance would be something we can all relate to as everyone’s roots come from somewhere. Because of this, the story will continue to impact our lives.”

BY: Ian Park Sophomore, Reporter

tournament, players were able to spend more time together and develop stronger bonds with their teammates.

“Although we always want the best performance possible in any tournament, the more important aspect of this tournament is the team experience it offered,” Jonathan Ames, Athletics and Activities Director, said. “By interacting with each other and spending more time together in overseas settings, the players can grow much closer during these tournaments and become a more close-knit and cohesive unit as a whole.”

BY: Hugo Lee Junior, Reporter

MULTIMEDIA

11

Conspiracy Corner: Russia's newest weapon In the past few months, news on television and social media has been filled with nothing but support for the nation of Ukraine, their citizens, and their president Volodymyr Zelensky. Furthermore, the majority of nations across the globe have denounced the actions of Vladimir Putin and his invasion of Ukraine, claiming it was completely unjustified and inhumane.

However, on the darker side of the Internet, where misinformation propagates like a cancerous tumor and all logic and reasoning is seemingly abandoned, certain groups have made a case in favor of this conflict. Unsurprisingly, a majority of their evidence is presented as conspiracy theories from Russian misinformation campaigns.

For example, when a Ukrainian hospital was bombed by the Russian army, killing at least two adults and one child, Russian embassies from around the world were quick to dismiss it as false information on various social media platforms. They denied that Russian forces had ever attacked the hospital, attempting to garner support for their cause and reduce the amount of attention brought to the situation in Ukraine.

They also claimed that an image of a dying woman being carried on a stretcher that had become an iconic symbol of the violence in Ukraine was faked. Furthermore, Russian propagandists continued to insist that footage of corpses on the street after they were massacred by the Russian army was staged by professional actors.

These assertions are only a fraction of the mass disinformation campaign that has been started by the Russian government. This situation proves to be a significant conundrum for social media accounts such as Twitter and Facebook, which had previously debated between holding government accounts to a higher standard or treating them like any other individual user.

Additionally, several accounts from Russian embassies

in different countries put out the same information, making it difficult for all of them to be regulated and deleted by social media companies.

Besides the Russian government itself, many sources of misinformation are also from Russian supporters and far-right conspiracy groups in America. In fact, the QAnon conspiracy group, best-known for claiming that the Democratic Party was trafficking children underneath pizza restaurants, has claimed that Russia was invading Ukraine to destroy American bioweapon laboratories that were producing a second COVID-19 virus.

While most theories proposed by QAnon would be dismissed as yet another nonsensical claim by the discredited organization, this claim managed to catch the attention of the official Russian propaganda outlet. The Russian government now cites these research facilities as a justification for their invasion, despite clear evidence from the US Defense Threat Reduction Agency that no such labs exist.

In reality, this theory itself was orchestrated by the Russian government to act as political propaganda.

And just as it planned, American conspiracy theorists bought it. In January 2022, a Russian Telegram account, as well as several Russian newspapers and pro-Russian news sites, claimed that biological laboratories studying deadly viruses had been set up in Ukraine and paid for by the US. Though these claims may seem like regular conspiracy theories that people would easily ignore, these speculations actually serve as effective war-time propaganda that could have severe consequences for Ukraine.

Much of the reason why Ukraine, a nation that is understood to be much weaker than Russia, a global superpower, has managed to successfully resist the invasion is primarily due to support from other nations. For example, US President Joe Biden signed the

Ukraine Supplemental Appropriations Act, which provided $13.6 billion in military and economic assistance to Ukraine to defend itself from Russia. The passage of such laws is greatly aided when the general public supports such efforts, which is why these theories are so dangerous.

Especially during a war, when the information available to the public is constantly changing, claims that certain footage is faked or that there are dangerous biological weapons in Ukraine can easily be considered to be true by less-vigilant individuals. If Russian propaganda claiming that Ukraine faked images of its own dying citizens convinces the public, it is entirely possible that Ukraine could lose the immense amount of support it is currently receiving. This would make it more difficult for developed nations to provide financial aid to defend against the Russian invasion, which could ultimately lead to a Russian victory and the loss of sovereignty for Ukraine.

By analyzing the spread of this theory, it is clear how the Russian government develops this misinformation outside of its borders. By planting small doubts into the population through misinformation campaigns on social media, the Russian government has managed to grasp the attention of well-known conspiracy groups, such as QAnon, who spread its message even further.

For the sake of Ukraine, which is in dire need of foreign aid, individuals must stay vigilant on any information that is provided on the conflict, and make sure to not believe everything that they read. By clearly checking the source of information to ensure that it is not influenced by the Russian government or from untrustworthy conspiracy groups, the global community can focus on the facts of the matter and ensure that Ukraine is protected from the Russian invasion.

Memes Post Mortem Memes by Rosa Suh (11) and David Kim (10)

12

SMALL TALK

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LITTLE LENS, LARGER ENDS

What’s so wrong with ‘other girls’?

“She wears short skirts, I wear T-shirts. She’s cheer captain and I’m on the bleachers.” Hailed as an anthem for heartbroken girls experiencing unrequited love, Taylor Swift’s Grammy-nominated “You Belong With Me” centers around a teenage girl who compares herself with the girl that her crush likes and believes she should be the one dating the boy. Despite its popularity, this song—and many other pieces of young adult media— has been criticized by feminists for playing into the “not like other girls” trope.

Often found in films or books and accompanied by jibing characterizations of “other girls” as frivolous, sentimental, and boy-crazy, this trope aims to depict the protagonist’s (usually traditionally masculine) interests and personality as unique from—and thus superior to—those of other girls. For example, a male love interest may compliment the heroine for preferring Fantasy Football and skateboarding over “To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before” and filming TikTok dances.

While it is mostly in young adult media that the “not like other girls” trope prevails, real life is not unfettered by its influence. In particular, impressionable young girls who consume media that includes the trope can

By Skylar Peck

internalize the notion that traditionally feminine activities are inferior to traditionally masculine ones. At first glance, “not like other girls” may appear to be no more than a phase that most girls will grow out of once they grow older and learn that stereotypes are seldom representative of reality. In actuality, it is telling of a deeper issue: internalized misogyny.

The women’s center at the University of Missouri defines internalized misogyny as “when women subconsciously project sexist ideas onto other women and even onto themselves.”

A girl thinking she is “not like other girls” may harbor internalized misogyny—even if she does not outwardly enforce sexist ideas—as she generalizes the behavior of most girls as traditionally feminine and dictates her own deviance from this standard as positive.

At its core, the belief that stereotypically feminine paraphernalia are lesser than their stereotypically masculine counterparts is prejudiced—and it is one that already runs rampant among women themselves. Take gendered items like toys, for instance. According to a 2017 survey of the American public by the Pew Research Center, fewer women believed young boys should be en-

The Seeds of Korea:

couraged to play with female-associated toys than they believed young girls should be encouraged to play with male-associated toys, revealing that objects associated with girls are less valued by women.

Thus, the “not like other girls” mindset only contributes to an already existing issue. The pervasiveness of “not like other girls” in the media can endow less feminine girls with an unjustifiable sense of superiority and more feminine girls with embarrassment about their interests and pressure to change them in order to feel more appreciated.

Internalized misogyny is often an implicit response to sexism and the desire to be accepted. Unfortunately, distancing ourselves from traditional femininity does not automatically exempt us from facing sexism. It may be impossible to change social perceptions and media depictions of women and their interests overnight, but we must be the ones to strive to uplift and celebrate our interests, however feminine they are. We must be the ones to recognize that it is perfectly okay to be just like other girls.

By Aimee Choi

Naengmyeon: between the North and South Four years ago, world peace seemed possible when North Korean leader Kim Jong-un and former President Moon Jae-in performed a collaborative mukbang with naengmyeon.

This was a specific, well-known type of naengmyeon called Pyongyang naengmyeon. Its noodles are extracted after applying pressure to a mixture of buckwheat and starch, then topped with slices of meat, cucumber, pear, and egg to one’s liking. It is then submerged in a well-rested bowl of cold meat broth and spiced up with sprinkles of vinegar or mustard.

With a bowl of naengmyeon, we all become like Kim and Moon, forgetting all but the food in front of us. There is no better way of quenching our thirst in the looming season of sweat and exhaustion than devouring a bowl of naengmyeon. As its cold noodles gracefully swim up and splash by our mouths, an invigorating wave of refreshment takes away any heat we have felt, simultaneously purging us of any stress.

Reflective of the middle ground that it brought between the two leaders, Pyongyang naengmyeon, named after the North Korean capital, is one of the largest unifying forces of our peninsula. Mainstream stories say naengmyeon had been developed in the northern part of the peninsula, where buckwheat was common, and was later brought down to the South by those fleeing North Korea after the Korean War. But because of its association with the North, some South Koreans hesitate to call naengmyeon a representative food of our country.

It would be misguided to treat naengmyeon as a symbol of the North, however, for its history stems from prior to the Joseon period. It has appeared in multiple Joseon books since the 17th century, and records suggest that it gradually became a preva-

Layout by Yuzine Yi

lent food among Koreans after having been enjoyed by the wealthier class only.

The naengmyeon that we are familiar with took form during the Japanese colonial period. For one, naengmyeon had actually been a food for the winter season, when buckwheat and cold water were more easily available. Only when refrigerators evolved past 1910 did people start treating naengmyeon as a food for the sweltering summer days. At around the same time, the first MSG product in Japan, ajinomoto, opened a new era of prosperity for soup-based foods, adding our beloved savoriness to the previously bland broth of naengmyeon.

Like many other Korean foods, naengmyeon is enjoyed in distinct ways across the peninsula, with regional climate affecting the choice of ingredients. Hamhung naengmyeon, developed in a different region of North Korea, is characterized by chewier noodles made from potato starch, while Jinju naengmyeon in the southern tip of the peninsula offers a novel flavor with its seafood-based broth. Regardless of the ingredients, the delight of naengmyeon can increase tenfold when eaten with gogi (beef ) or bulgogi (marinated slices of grilled beef ).

The conflicting temperatures and flavors of the noodles and meat initially confuse the taste buds yet gradually create an intriguing harmony.

Naengmyeon has taught us that no matter the present geopolitical boundaries, the historical roots of a food can serve as a unifying force among divided people—between the North and South, naengmyeon remains.

photo of the

month

Photo by John Kim (10)

Habitat For Humanity models Anika Kurebayashi (10) and Andrew Ham (11) pose in front of the camera for the 2022 HFH Fashion Show.