Open letter inspires teachers to develop summative calendar
Starting in October, high school teachers and juniors in AP English Language and Composition (AP Lang), AP Seminar, and English 11 began using an informal summative calendar created by English teacher Chris Blendheim, where students were given editing access to a shared Google document where they could input their summative dates.
“The calendar started from a blank calendar that I just started populating for assessments from my classes,” Mr. Blendheim, AP Lang, Seminar, and English 11 teacher, said.
“But the whole purpose was that I don’t know what students’ calendars look like, and I think it’s best from my perspective and for student learning if the assessments that we have aren’t piling on.”
The creation of the summative calendar followed an open-letter AP Lang summative, where students had to write a letter directed towards a specific individual or group concerning an issue. Lucy Park ’26 voiced her opinion on having too many tests piled up, arguing that it creates immense pressure and
stress on students. After reading the letter, Mr. Blenheim decided to take action by creating a joint calendar where teachers can view test dates and adjust their own summatives so students can have more flexible and lenient testing dates.
“I wanted to alleviate the stress of having multiple summatives a week,” Lucy said. “Whenever I have a lot of crammed tests, I always sleep really late and can’t balance my work, which makes me lose focus. I thought dividing tests better could also resolve these issues, which I thought would ultimately help students do better on tests.”
Many students have voiced their appreciation for the change. They can now easily view a calendar that encompasses all the tests in their subjects, as well as not have to cram for tests back-to-back. For example, in AP Lang, the MCQs, which were originally scheduled for Oct. 15, were rescheduled due to the number of tests on the same day. This allowed AP Lang students to better prepare for their tests.
“I think Mr. Blendheim taking the initiative to make a summative calendar for 11th graders has been extremely helpful,” Sarah Kim ’26, AP Seminar and Lang student, said. “I think it’s been a good way for students to manage not only their time but also teachers to know when we have summatives so that there aren’t
a lot of overlapping dates and they give students the best dates for tests so that students can be efficient with studying and they can make effective use of their time instead of studying for three tests in one night.”
This is not the first shared calendar initiative; in previous years, there have been summative calendars used by teachers. However, they were largely unsuccessful and discontinued because it soon became a matter of which teacher implemented their summative dates the fastest, as all the other teachers would have to reschedule the summative assessments they had planned accordingly. This is why it is unlikely that the use of a summative calendar for teachers will become a schoolwide phenomenon.
“A shared calendar across all departments in the past became very contentious among teachers,” Mr. Blendheim said. “It only rewarded teachers who jumped on it and filled out all their summatives and left the other teachers with the scraps. That’s why the calendar doesn’t involve other teachers except for team teachers [in the English department].”
By: Carey Kim Junior, Copy Editor
AISA volleyball tournament prompts cultural exchange
For the first time in six years, SIS hosted the yearly AISA girls volleyball tournament from Oct. 10-13. Five other schools, KIS, KISJ, Kaohsiung American School (KAS), Senri Osaka International School (SOIS), and Yokohama International School (YIS), came from inside and outside of Korea to compete in this annual tournament.
One month prior to the tournament, Tiger Sports Council (TSC) members worked with the athletic department to create promotional videos and the tournament schedule, and assigned members for medical care and scorekeeping. The athletic directors from each school also worked to revise the match schedule to ensure every team played one another, increasing the number of interactions between teams.
“There is a lot of collaboration with other departments at SIS to successfully facilitate a tournament like AISA,” Brandon Fraseur, athletics director, said. “In the weeks leading up to the event, I had meetings with Facilities for setup, catering for the planning and preparation of the banquet dinner, our nursing staff for ensuring we have medical professionals on hand during all tournament matches, IT for setting up the livestreams in both TG1 and TG2, Tigers On Air and Mr. Del Vecchio for the broadcast portion of our live streams, and TSC and Tiger Films for building a schedule of student workers.”
The girls’ team started strong on the first day, beating both KAS and SOIS with a set score of 2-0 but unfortunately losing to KISJ with a set score of 2-0. On the second day of the tournament, SIS continued their winning streak, beating
YIS 2-0, KIS 2-1, and finally, KISJ in the finals with a score of 3-2, redeeming their day one loss and taking home the championship.
“Compared to last year, this year’s tournament was so much more successful,” Lin Chiang ’25, senior volleyball player, said. “Because we lost a lot of games last year, our team showed less teamwork, but this year, our team seemed much closer because we all trusted one another, leading to us winning first place.”
Not only did the volleyball team secure first place, but they also gained new friendships and experiences throughout the tournament. As the volleyball team and other SIS students were obligated to homestay for the other teams, they were given the opportunity to get to know new people. Although many students were hesitant to open their homes to strangers, this experience provided them with a chance to exchange cultures through conversations and food, creating a more welcoming and interactive environment throughout the tournament.
“Home-staying students from different countries is a great experience because they get a chance to learn certain household etiquettes or food culture,” Sylvia Lee ’26, homestay host, said. “Since we had a chance to take our homestay players to different places in Korea to explore Korean culture through beauty products or food, it allowed us to develop meaningful friendships.”
The games were also not only interesting for the audience in the gym but also for those viewing the live stream, as Chris Del Vecchio, Tigers on Air
adviser, continued the new tradition of game commentating. Additionally, through the live stream, players were invited to commentate and conduct interviews, providing new perspectives through commentary. Another new tradition, a skills challenge, where representatives were chosen from each team to determine which school had the best setter, server, and hitter, was added to the tournament to let the players take a break from playing official games and allow them to bond with their teammates.
As the tournament was hosted at SIS, crowds of students and teachers visited during breaks to cheer for the SIS team, showing school spirit. With the addition of new activities and the requirement of being homestay hosts, the tournament was a meaningful experience for the varsity girl’s volleyball team.
By: Yeonjae Kim Junior, Copy Editor
Photo by Catherine Ryu ’27
Photo by Carson Park ’26
HSSC hosts Fall Festival and Spirit Week
The HSSC hosted a Fall Spirit Week in the fourth week of October, the first spirit week of the school year and one that culminated with the Fall Festival. The festivities included club booths, performances, food, raffle ticket prizes, and a haunted house that was arranged through several weeks of preparation from the HSSC and several clubs.
The Fall Spirit Week included various days that generally matched with a Halloween theme, including pajamas, sports merch, favorite character, favorite color, and Halloween dress-up days. This was the first all-school spirit week, where students from ES, MS, and HS all had the same spirit week theme. The student body’s participation level significantly increased compared to the lack of dedication most students showed to last year’s spirit week. Participation was especially evident on Pajama Day.
“Fall spirit week did face some challenges during our planning stage,” Minjoo Kim ’28, HSSC member, said. “We heard that the admins wanted to make ES, MS,
and HS have similar spirit weeks, so we changed our plan accordingly. Once the theme was finalized, we created posters and videos to promote Spirit Week.”
Like last year, several club minigames and activity booths were set up on the green top for students to enjoy. These were selected by HSSC members based on proposals submitted by different clubs including face painting from National Art Honor Society (NAHS), pumpkin carving from Giving Hands and Korean Animal Service Assoiation (KASA), palm reading booth from Community Service Club (CSC), pickleball match from the Pickleball club, photobooth from Aperture, and Chess booth from Chess Club.
“In preparation for fall spirit week and Fall Festival, HSSC planned out all the logistics, kept note of the time and date, made sure clubs were involved, and prepared decorations,” Yoonwoo Lee ’26, member of HSSC, said. “One thing that changed was that when buying decorations, we weren’t allowed to buy Halloween-related decorations unless it was
specifically for the haunted house because of the Itaewon incident last year. That’s why it was a bit challenging to change the theme of the festival.”
In addition to booths, a significant transformation took place in the haunted house. In previous years, HSSC created the haunted house with the Global Issues Network (GIN). This year, however, after a thorough proposal from different clubs, Habitat For Humanity was chosen as the creator for this year’s haunted house. The haunted house mostly received positive feedback from the students who had a chance to experience it. though many were not able to enter due to its popularity.
“I really looked forward to getting into the haunted house because my friends told me it was really fun,” Ethan Park ’28, member of HSSC, said. “I didn’t get to experience it myself, though, because it was closed earlier than the time that I reserved. I’m not sure what happened, but it was a bit upsetting for me and a few of my friends who couldn’t get in. Other than that, I liked the Fall Festival in general,
SIS performs Alice in Wonderland
After months of rehearsals, the high school student troupe performed an adaptation of Alice in Wonderland under the direction of Ian Cowieson. It was carried out on Oct. 30-Nov. 1, in conjunction with the Fall Festival. While having a positive audience reception and building on the successful track record of the previous year’s plays, Alice in Wonderland was a complete stylistic whiplash, demanding unprecedented approaches from the performers.
“The big style choice that we made was to make Wonderland a video game and she falls into her own computer,” Mr. Cowieson, play director, said. “With a play like this, you’ve got the license to go somewhere else, so you should imbue it with your own creative ideas and take it in your own direction. The performers didn’t have to stick to any rules because it’s a fantastical play. It makes it fun for the audience as well.”
Changes were apparent from the production’s first step, the auditions, which were conducted in a more free-range nature. Auditioners had to craft a convincing performance minutes after receiving their audition scripts, a shift from the previous approach of memorized lines. This forced performers to showcase their ability to improvise while collaborating with other actors.
“I was not as nervous as I was last year,” Haven Cha ’26, performer of Alice, said.
“During rehearsals, you just try out different things with your character and Mr. Coweisson tells you if he likes it. To help prepare, I also watched the Disney movie. I would recommend everyone to audition, especially people who always thought being on stage would be fun, but they just thought that they couldn’t do it because it’s scary.”
During rehearsals, all performers were assigned to chaotic and silly characters. This meant they were handed the task of using exaggerated mannerisms to perform caricatures—not people—to heighten the reality of the world. Performers immediately dived into replicating their character’s idiosyncrasies.
“I’m being honest, I had no idea what I was doing,” Eunbin Macklin ’25, performer of Cheshire Cat, said. “I’m not an omnipotent cat that can defy all laws of anatomy, but a dance background was the closest way for me to mimic this character. The initial approach didn’t really get very far because this mysterious character kind of morphed into something a little bit more energetic. That’s just me not really being able to change my personality for a role, but I just played into it.”
During the final curtain call on Nov. 1, actors and the backstage crew were met with extensive applause. Audience members were particularly dazzled by the intricate sound design and the comedy acting of the
Olympic swimmers visit SIS
Three Canadian Olympic Swimmers, Mary Sophie Harvey, Ingrid Wilm, and Sophie Angus, visited SIS on Oct. 22, to interact with aspiring varsity swimmers and give an interactive swimming lesson. The elite swimmers were invited by Danika Derksen, girls varsity swim team coach.
Not wanting to miss such an opportunity, the majority of the 2023-24 varsity swimmers attended the event along with teacher advisers and aspiring freshman swimmers.
“I found out this summer that my friend, Ingrid Wilm, would be visiting Korea to participate in the 2024 World Aquatics Swimming World Cup,” Ms. Derksen said. “I messaged her to see if she wanted to meet some students and share her Olympic experience. She brought her two teammates Mary Sophie and Sophie with her. Ingrid and
I swam together on the same club team from 2014-2016.”
The Olympians toured the campus and eventually entered the atrium, where they were greeted by awaiting student swimmers and coaches. The swimmers began by sharing their experiences of their journeys as Olympians. Then, they answered questions posed by the audience. When the topic of mental focus for athletes was mentioned, each swimmer expressed a different way of calming their mind before an important event. However, they all stressed the importance of getting themselves into a calm state of mind and focusing on breathing.
“The most memorable part was when we were in the pool,” Matthew Park ’27, varsity swimmer, said. “Because we were with Olympic swimmers in the pool swimming, it was memorable as it
though.”
Although there were a few unexpected turns in the process, in the end, many students expressed satisfaction with the Fall Spirit Week as well as the Fall Festival. Out of the changes that were implemented, the new haunted house as well as Joseph Kim’s solo performance was noticeably popular for students in both MS and HS.
“I think overall the event went pretty well, despite there being organizational issues here and there,” Dana Chung ’25, senior council member of HSSC, said. “I heard good things about the festival and I was there myself too, so I think cooperation between clubs was pretty good. Something that should definitely continue in next year’s Fall festival are the performances, like D$Q and Blue Note. I felt like a lot of people enjoyed the Fall Festival, and I hope HSSC will continue to host similar events in the future.”
By: Leah Kim SophomorE rEportEr
entire cast. Many people rose from their seats and climbed on stage to take pictures with the actors. Some were family members and others were close friends and peers.
“It’s not easy to perform on stage,” Cory Desmond, audience member, said. “Students did a good job projecting themselves in their voice. The other thing was I saw another side of my students taking on different characters and charisma. In some cases, it was difficult to hear what they wanted to say like they were rushing through their lines, but I think there was a lot of positive feedback from people going to watch and people also participating.”
By: Hyunjoon Rha SophomorE rEportEr
allowed us to learn certain strokes and apply the skills. Moreover, it was memorable because it allowed students to communicate and spend time with great swimmers. Overall, Olympic swimmers and sis swimmers were able to build an intimate relationship.”
When the Q&A was over, the students and swimmers transitioned to the swimming pool where the in-pool stroke session was held. Students were taught various strokes according to the specialty of each Olympic swimmer, and they worked together to adjust any issues. The swimming lessons were divided into three sections. Ms. Harvey worked with swimmers on breaststroke, Ms. Wilm on backstroke, and Ms. Angus on butterfly. Each student got to interact individually with them and receive direct feedback.
“The swim team is already such a
close-knit group between girls and boys, but when the Olympics swimmers visited SIS and we got to interview them, they kept mentioning the importance of a team and how they were always there to support each other through wins and losses,” Sarah Kim ’26, varsity swim member, said. “We were able to learn from that and grow because we realized that although swimming is known as an individual sport, if it were an entirely individual sport it wouldn’t matter how each member of the team acted on their own. In an environment where feedback and positivity are crucial, it is clear that teammates need to push each other and be there for each other so they may become the best version of themselves.”
By: Joseph Lim SohphomorE, rEportEr
Photo by Yumin Jeon ’27
4 KOREA NEWS
Man mistaken for boar and shot
A hunter who participated in a three-man boar-hunting team was pronounced dead after being shot by fellow hunters as he was mistaken for a boar. The incident occurred on Oct. 6, in Yeoncheon, Gyeonggi Province.
“There’s a level of responsibility to being a hunter,” James Dillhoff, experienced deer hunter, said. “The responsibility is to be able to know what you’re shooting at before you take the shot, and if you’re out there at 11:30 p.m., you don’t know what you’re shooting at. In the United States, there are safety precautions that are taken. For example, you wear orange safety vests so that you can easily be seen, and there are hours when hunting is allowed and hunting isn’t allowed. In this particular case,
if it’s a government contract where they’re working together, they should have implemented LED light attached to their clothing so they could see each other at night.”
In an investigation, it was revealed that the bullet struck the head of a fellow hunter, who was installing thermal cameras to detect the wild animal’s movement. The shooter reported that a wild boar actually did appear before him, but the darkness rendered visually tracking it difficult. When the hunter saw a rustling figure, he thought it was the boar from before and shot.
“The fact that a person can be mistaken for an animal and shot depicts poor training and awareness on the part of hunters,” Aaron Cha ’27,
US soldier who escaped to North Korea sentenced for desertion
Travis King, a US soldier dispatched in South Korea who fled to North Korea last year, was released on Sept. 20, after serving his sentence. Initially handed over to U.S. authorities on Sept. 27. 2023, King was sentenced to one year of confinement, reduction in rank, forfeiture of all pay and allowances, and dismissal from military service. This verdict was made under the terms of a plea deal, a legal arrangement where the defendant agrees to plead guilty in exchange for concessions from the prosecutor.
King initially faced 14 charges, including solicitation of child pornography, but pleaded guilty only to five counts, including desertion, assault on a non-commissioned officer, and willfully disobeying orders from superior officers. However, military judges prematurely released King for good behavior.
“Travis felt like a normal content guy; he once bought me a Philly Cheese Steak in the food court,” Gunn Lee ’27, Humphreys High School student, said. “I never imagined that a US soldier stationed at Humphreys would ever think of running away to the North. It’s a miracle Travis King came back in one piece, especially given the tense relationship between the two countries. I think we’re all wondering what led to Travis King making such a rash decision.”
King joined the US Army in January 2021 and was dispatched to Camp Humphreys in South Korea, as part of a unit rotation. But on July 18, 2023, he illegally crossed into North Korea while on a civilian tour of Panmunjeon, a military buffer zone located in the DMZ. North Korean officials stated that King was immediately arrested.
“Travis King’s desertion really showed the tough nature of the military,” Junu Hwang ’28, Korean and US dual, citizen, said. “North Korean news outlets reported that King abandoned military service because of inhuman treatment and racism. This made South Korean military service look hellish and cruel, raising
nature enthusiast, said. “It could also mean that while such policies regarding wild animals do exist, they are not enforced strongly enough to avoid such mistakes. Therefore, it shows that Korea is not fully in control of its situation with wild animals and that more measures need to be taken for the safety of both humans and animals.”
The investigation is still in process, but the police have charged the shooter with involuntary murder due to professional negligence for now. Under the Criminal Act, the shooter may face up to 20 million won in fines or five years in prison.
“Although the murder was unintentional, it doesn’t disregard the fact that a human lost their life,” Sean
Chung ’27, Law Club member, said. “It goes beyond legal boundaries. While the perpetrator may be exempt from severe punishment under Korean law, I believe that he should be heavily punished for his actions. However, the blame cannot be strictly on the shooter as the government also failed to impose regulations that could have prevented this incident from happening. So while the shooter should be punished according to his actions, the government should also take responsibility.”
For the longest time, wild boars have been prevalent in Korea, with numerous hunters dispatched to remove them. With wild boars in Korea causing considerable damage, amounting to 5 billion KRW, 160,453
boars have been removed since October 2019. Although incidents relating to boars have been prevalent in Korea, this was one of the very few where a life was lost.
Sympathetic yet enraged by the prevalence of these incidents, the public has expressed how tragic yet avoidable incidents such as these shed light on the lack of safety regulations imposed on handling legal firearms under special circumstances such as hunting. If there were a regulation prohibiting the use of firearms in unclear or dark areas, careless incidents such as this could have been avoided.
By: Joseph Lim SophomorE rEportEr
Moon Jae-in’s daughter prosecuted for drunk driving
the question of whether we’re treating our soldiers properly. All of this just makes me feel a lot more anxious to serve the military.”
According to the hearing at Fort Bliss, Texas, King told military judge Rick Mathew that he decided to flee the US Army because he was “dissatisfied” with work and had been thinking about leaving for about a year before he crossed the border to North Korea. In his hearing, King stated that he had been diagnosed with mental health conditions and “wanted to desert the US Army and never come back.”
Upon his release from North Korea after five years of imprisonment, King was transferred to China after intense diplomatic negotiations. There, he was investigated by US officials for his defection, stating he was escaping due to $3,950 in fines from assaulting police officers at a nightclub in Seoul.
“I was taken aback when Travis King ran away to North Korea just to avoid facing disciplinary hearings for a bar fight,”
David Lee ’27, military enthusiast, said. “Although he said he abandoned his post due to his mental health and difficult upbringing, I find the whole situation to be irrational and a huge mistake on Travis King. It’s the duty of soldiers to protect civilians, and King did the opposite when he assaulted an off-duty officer.”
While many strongly argue against the court’s decision to release King, believing that one year of confinement might not be a strong enough punishment for illicit defection and putting South Korea and North Korea’s temporary peace at risk, proponents of the hearing view the outcome as a fair representation of King’s emotional challenges. As King returns home after his sentence, his case prompts larger discussions about military reforms and accountability, reflecting possible complications soldiers might face during service.
By: Carson Park Junior,
Former president Moon Jaein’s daughter Moon Da-hye was caught in a drunk driving incident at 3 a.m., Oct. 5, in front of Itaewon station. Ms. Moon’s blood alcohol content was measured at 0.14 percent, exceeding the license cancellation rate of 0.08 percent.
While changing lanes without signaling, her vehicle collided with a taxi behind, causing a minor neck injury to the taxi driver.
Prior to the drunk driving incident, Ms. Moon had accumulated uncollected fine payments for traffic law violations. Additionally, Ms. Moon had been under investigation due to her ex-husband Seo’s prosecution for preferential hiring in the airline Thai Starjet despite his lack of experience. The prosecution extended their suspicions to the former president’s potential bribery of the airline’s officials. Ms. Moon herself was also accused of providing illegal stays at Airbnb services in her property in Jeju and being involved in an illegal shared lodging business. Through such business, she gained profit by hosting stays without approval from the government nor an official lease agreement. Amid this, the drunk driving accident has drawn more media attention to Ms. Moon and the former president.
“She should definitely be pun-
ished according to Korea’s criminal justice system,” Joseph Kang ’27, politics enthusiast, said. “I think as of right now the prosecutor’s office is saying that she should get a lot of investigations and interrogations but on top of that she also did illegal Airbnb incidents and housing services as well so there should be additional punishments about that.”
The public generally held a stance that everyone should be held equal before the law and that those associated with politicians should not receive special treatment. Ms. Moon has been convicted in violation of the Road Traffic Act but is not responsible for additional charges for the taxi driver’s neck injury due to a settlement agreeing not to submit an injury certificate.
The drunk driving incident has shed light on former president Moon’s previous comment that drunk driving should be seen as attempted murder. This incident has damaged his reputation, along with previous controversial issues including discrepancies between his government’s real estate policies and the investments he made, as well as the aforementioned potential bribery for his ex-sonin-law.
“He has already had a negative reputation in the Korean govern-
ment,” Kevin Kim ’27, avid politics follower, said. “He is highly likely going to get special treatment like how he did in the past. This means that it is not only going to slander Moon Jae-in even more, but it just means that People’s Party of Korea only has more opportunity to blame the Democratic Party which is even worse considering that Yoon is in presidency and he is from the People’s Party.”
Amid continued discussion surrounding the incident, on October 18, Ms. Moon publicly apologized after arriving at Yongsan Police Station for investigations. While she avoided responses to specific questions regarding her situation when the incident occurred, she mentioned that such an incident would not occur again.
“I think public figures have the responsibility to act morally for those who are exposed to and look up to them,” Nabin Won ’28, concerned follower of conflict, said. “They are oftentimes held to a higher ethical standard because they are exposed more, so they should be more responsible in maintaining the trust and reputation they gain from the public.”
By: Minju Chung SophomorE, rEportEr
layout by Yeonjae Kim
rEportEr
Hurricane controversies: Milton and Helene
Just two weeks after Hurricane Milton hit Florida, Hurricane Helene struck North Carolina, wreaking havoc on many citizens’ lives. While Florida, typically more prone to natural disasters, had been relatively prepared to face the natural disaster, North Carolina residents and those in nearby states struggled to recover from the massive and unprecedented storm, as inadequate preparation and road destruction slowed disaster relief and aid.
“My community, the area where my family and I used to live, was totally ruined by Hurricane Helene,” Steve Nave, former Tennessee resident, said. “There were entire bridges swept away and all. In Tennessee, we don’t expect to have many hurricanes because it’s not close to the ocean but this time we had a lot of heavy rain and heavy flooding. A lot of communities where I grew up, my high school— totally destroyed. They haven’t had school for a couple weeks, and I think they won’t have it for another couple weeks.”
The impacts of the disaster did not end with physical damage, though. The disaster became largely politicized, especially with the upcoming elections. Presidential candidate Donald Trump utilized the hurricane to accuse the Democratic Party of risking the public
health of citizens by misusing funds, preventing citizens from recovering from the disaster.
“I don’t know much about the hurricanes in specific, but I’ve seen the news about Trump talking about them,” Jason Kang ’27, US citizen, said. “A lot of people seem to be trying to blame the hurricanes on the current administration though. It’s blasphemous. While it is a strategy for politics, it ruins the reputation of the US government as a whole.”
Yet while it is true that there have been delays in the relief process, it has been disproved that the government had been manipulating the weather or misusing funds, with Biden calling such accusations “outright lies” and “beyond ridiculous.”
The fear of the hurricane quickly spread to online platforms as well. Creators on apps like TikTok quickly found ways to capitalize on the fear and confusion following the hurricane, spreading rumors about the current situation and coming up with conspiracy theories about what the government was doing. Some claimed that the government was creating the hurricanes to throw the country into confusion, calling it “geo-engineering” and using technology like deep fake or CGI to create false proof for it.
“If you use TikTok like I do you see some conspiracy theories,” Esther Park ’26, social media user, said. “Some of them I just skipped because there were a lot of the same ones after some time but some of them that I think I saw were about how the government was making it on purpose. To be honest I didn’t really think much about it because I thought it was false.”
Despite clarifications by scientists, governments, and related officials on the falsities of rumors, users continue to generate their own theories. Even prominent figures such as governors and government officials have cited wrong or outdated evidence, adding fuel to false claims. The worst-case scenario many academics fear is the potential of redirecting disaster relief aid from those who are actually harmed, towards the directives created by rumors.
The utmost priority for any natural disaster is ensuring safety for people on the ground, an effort that the US government is making. Hopefully, the damage can be compensated for, and future disasters will be better accounted for.
By: Jian Hong Junior, Copy Editor
Teenagers engage in brutal drug war
Two gruesome deaths in Marseille, France involving teenagers have alarmed the world. The police had announced that a teenager had been stabbed 50 times and burned alive on Oct. 2, while on Oct. 4, another teenager was taken into custody on account of shooting an adult. Both murders were affiliated with drug-related conflicts.
Although Marseille is France’s second-largest city, it is also one of its poorest and is known for its drug-related violence—a total of 49 people were killed due to this in 2023. The two latest murders raised the number of drug-related deaths to 17 since the start of the year.
During a press conference on the 6th, Marseille prosecutor Nicolas Bessone linked the murder of the 15-year-old to a feud between two
gangs: “DZ Mafia” and the “Blacks.”
The teenager had been hired through social media by a 23-yearold prisoner from the DZ Mafia and was tasked to set fire to the door of one of the Blacks members for 2,000 euros. After the fire, the teenager was traced by the Blacks, who then proceeded to stab him and set him on fire.
“It is concerning that teenagers are easily getting involved in drug issues,” Sophia Park ’25, President of Amnesty International, said. “From a different perspective, we can also consider them to be victims of larger systemic issues such as lack of access to education or any mental health support.”
The situation further escalated when the same prisoner from the DZ Mafia recruited another 14-year-
Andy Kim soon to be first Korean-American senator
Andy Kim, a member of the Democratic party, became the first Korean-American senator. He will be appointed to the 119th US Congress on Jan. 3, 2025. Kim had campaigned for the 2024 senate elections in New Jersey.
Kim’s involvement in politics can be traced back to 2018 when he became a member of the US House of Representatives by defeating Tom MacArthur. In 2020, he ran for reelection where he once again defeated the Republican candidate David Richter, this time by a close margin, and maintained his position since.
Kim first announced his bid for the senate elections on Sept. 23, 2023, after the previous senator Bob Menendez was accused of bribery and corruption. To secure his position as the Democratic candidate for the senate elections, Kim went against Representative Tammy Murphy, Larry Hamm, and Patricia Campos-Medina and earned his position after Murphy dropped out on March 24. Part of his victory was due to his advocacy for lower pharmaceutical drug costs, and the Affordable Care Act, which received a lot of support from a large number of people.
“He achieved his success because he was able to represent the common people and appeal to a lot of people in general because that is what a politician is,” Joseph Kang ’27, follower of US politics, said. “He uses the fact that New Jersey is home and says that he will support his family, and neighbors to give back to the community by becoming a senator of New Jersey.”
At the start of the senate elections, his opponents were Menendez, who was running as an independent candidate despite being a Democrat, and Curtis Bashaw from the Republican party. However, Menendez later resigned from office
old to carry out revenge and kill a member of the Blacks for 50,000 euros. However, instead of killing a member of the Blacks, the teenager killed 36-year-old Nessim Ramdane. Ramdane, also a football player, was originally the chauffeur for the revenge plan. The teenager admitted that he had killed Ramdane through a bullet in the head, but insisted in court that it had been an accident.
A month before the murders, Franck Rastoul, the public prosecutor at the Aix-en-Provence Court of Appeal, had already raised concerns about the growing problem of drug-related violence. He mentioned that young people were blinded by the lucrative drug trade to the point of complete disregard for human life, with Movendi International reporting more than 50 percent of
young boys and 15 percent of young girls engaging in drugs or alcohol.
“The issue of drugs does not resonate with me,” Joshua Han ’27, United Youth Service Club mentor, said. “However, I am aware of its impact on communities and understand the importance of addressing it. I recognize that drug issues among teens are a serious concern and should be approached with preventive measures and systems.”
France has already taken initiatives to address drug violence, such as creating Office anti-stupéfiants (OFAST), a national drug enforcement administration, and increasing efforts to seize assets from criminal enterprises. The Senate also suggested improvements to the prison system, which is considered a place for drug trafficking. Still,
and dropped out of the election after being found guilty of bribery, obstruction of justice, and acting as a foreign agent for the Egyptian government.
The remaining candidates, Bashaw and Kim, had their first debate on Oct. 14 where they discussed topics such as abortion and immigration. In a viral moment during this debate, Bashaw nearly passed out, and Kim reached toward Bashaw’s podium and asked if he was alright. This act of kindness led to another boost in his popularity, as many linked his action to another viral moment of his, where he picked up trash after the storming of the capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.
“I think that Andy Kim’s care for his opponent during the debate really allowed viewers to see him as a nice person,” David Lee ’27, supporter of Andy Kim, said. “His actions of concern for his opponent was something that is hard to find within politicians and is one of the things I respect about him.”
Because Kim became the first Korean-American senator, many have considered the implications it may bring to Koreans, such as more representation for them, while others cast doubt on his impact.
“He is a Korean American, but again, he is not a Korean citizen but is an ethnic Korean,” Joseph said. “I think it is something that is pretty revolutionary as he is able to become a senator as a Korean person, and we should be proud, however, I think that ethnicity isn’t a major part of becoming a US politician. While it is important to feel proud, I think we shouldn’t be shaping his identity around his ethnicity.”
By: Jiwu Lee SophomorE rEportEr
they acknowledge that stronger measures are necessary to restrict drug-related violence.
“Preventing youth involvement in violent crimes is a systemic issue that involves the youth, family, school, community services, and government investment in its citizens,” Arnette Scharf, high school counselor, said. “For momentum to build, each system relies on each other. On the individual level, youths have been supported at school with conflict resolution skills, mentors, and teachers. They can also be advocates for themselves to contribute to making a difference.”
By: Catherine Ryu SophomorE, rEportEr
6 SPORTS
Tennis legend Rafael Nadal retires
Rafael Nadal, renowned Spanish tennis player, announced his retirement from the sport on Oct. 10, shocking many tennis fans around the world. Despite Nadal being 38—an old age for a professional athlete—many expected him to play a few more years before retiring, as he competed in several tournaments this year. Nadal is expected to make one last appearance on the tennis court at the 2024 Davis Cup, set to be held in Malaga, Spain, from Nov. 19-24.
“I am honestly devastated,” Ross Atkins, varsity boys tennis coach, said. “He has been a great advocate for the game and alongside the other ‘Big Three’ they have improved and progressed the
game to more and more professional levels. Whilst he has been an incredible competitor he has always done this with humility and respect for his opponents. It’s something I respect considerably as a coach of student-athletes.”
Nadal enjoyed an illustrious career of over 20 years with numerous achievements; some of his feats include holding the Singles No.1 title worldwide for 209 weeks and winning 22 Grand Slam singles titles, of which he won 14 French Open titles, setting a world record. He also represented his home country, Spain, in the 2008 Beijing Olympics, winning a gold medal in Men’s Singles. His retirement was announced
Should we rethink what sports are?
Sports are often classified into physical and non-physical sports, setting up the debate of the legitimacy of non-physical sports such as Go, Poker, or other games played sitting down. Some believe that the very essence and definition of a sport means there is physical activity involved; others believe that all a “real” sport needs is an established fanbase, and that non-physical sports already meet such requirements.
When people first started playing sports, it centered around simple activities such as running or wrestling. Even more recently in history, sports have continued this trend and stayed predominantly physical with the increase of teambased sports such as basketball. Due to the constant creation of physical sports, many have developed notions that sports need to be active and do not consider non-physical sports as true sports.
“I would say traditionally, we are all conditioned to think of physical sports,” Michael Darrah, fan of baseball and Formula 1, said. “We think of sports we started playing when we were in elementary school, along with maybe entry sports like baseball, and football, they are what we like to think traditionally of as sports.”
However, others claim that non-physical sports have the necessary qualities of a “real” sport. Non-physical sports have received recognition from international organizations like the 19th Asian Games held in Hangzhou, China. The Asian Games featured a surplus of non-physical sports, with there being competitions for different types of electronic sports (e-sports), chess, and card games such as Bridge. Now that non-physical sports have also received similar international recognition by being featured in international events, and is one of the arguments that people make.
“I think that there is that moment where everyone becomes on the same page
via a video posted on his social media. Nadal also thanked the many people who had supported him in the past, such as his coach, uncle, and the rivals he faced during his career.
Although not explicitly stated in the video, the prevailing reason for his retirement was his long history of injuries, some more serious than others. Nadal is known for his explosive playstyle, which may be conducive to injuries. He was diagnosed with Mueller-Weiss syndrome, a degenerative disease in the feet that causes deformities and pain, in 2021. He also experienced a hip injury in 2023, missing almost an entire year of events. Taking into account all these injuries, his retire-
ment is not as surprising.
“It’s sad, but I think it was bound to happen,” Kevin Kim ’27, varsity tennis player, said. “Nadal was a big inspiration for me because I was injured during KAIAC finals, but I tried to keep playing, as he did.”
Many fans have expressed their support for Nadal and celebrated his legacy following the announcement. His long-time rival Novak Djokovic, as well as countless other tennis stars, have posted words of support in response to his post.
Many are looking forward to Nadal’s last tournament at the Davis Cup, so much so that the tickets to see Nadal’s last match have reached over 34,500 euros in price.
“This is, I believe, the end of an
era,” Sean Chung ’27, tennis fan, said. “However, it also marks the beginning of a new one, and the future of tennis still seems like it is filled with excitement. For example, the rise of Carlos Alcaraz was certainly a sight to see.”
During his professional career of over 23 years, Nadal has inspired countless tennis fans and players around the world. His accomplishments as well as his humility on and off the court have set a high bar for the next generation of players. As he transitions into retirement, fans are already beginning to miss him.
By: Anders Christensen SophomorE rEportEr
Japanese rookie Yuki Kawamura makes Grizzlies roster
about something,” Mr. Darrah said. “Because the world is so homogenized and interconnected, I think that mutual recognition internationally is an important part about becoming a sport. But I think it’s also something that is much easier to obtain now because of things like the internet.”
Additionally, non-physical sports also meet other qualifications of a sport such as having an established fanbase. The e-sports industry has had a steady increase in fans over the decades, with the 2023 League of Legends garnering more than six million views in the finals. Starting with the 1990s South Korean boom of Starcraft, one of the most influential games in Korean culture, and a similar League of Legends boom in recent years, the industry has had fans on par with that of more traditional sports both domestically and internationally. Other non-physical sports have also seen an increase in the number of players due to the accessibility of non-physical sports compared to physical ones. People have come to realize the growth in the non-physical industry as they act as a part of the fanbase or as a direct competitor.
“I have been a fan of chess for a long time and enjoyed watching and playing chess,” Minjun Kim ’28, chess player, said. “But not only have I only watched chess, I also started to attend chess competitions, where I was a part of the chess community and also realized how many people also enjoyed the game.”
The growth that non-physical sports have shown in the past decade is commendable. Even if non-physical sports are not directly classified as sports, they have certainly shown that their impact can be comparable to that of sports, further strengthening arguments for the everlasting debate.
By: Jiwu Lee SophomorE, rEportEr
Rising basketball star Yuki Kawamura, a point guard hailing from Yanai, Japan, achieved a profound accomplishment by receiving a two-way contract from the NBA team, the Memphis Grizzlies. By signing a twoway contract, Kawamura can now play for both the Grizzlies and its G-League counterpart, the Memphis Hustle. While the average height of a point guard is 6 feet 2 inches (188 cm), Kawamura has a stature of 5 feet 8 inches (172 cm), which makes him the shortest active player in the NBA. However, his speed, agility, and shooting accuracy have helped him overcome his physical shortcomings.
“I feel like being 5’8’’ in the NBA is challenging as most point guards are 6’2’’ to 6’4’’,” Steve Nave, varsity basketball coach, said. “However, there had been players in the past like Spud Webb who was 5’2’’, so it definitely is possible.”
Kawamura’s basketball career began in Japan, where he played for B-league teams like the Yokohama B-Corsairs and was named both Rookie of the Year and MVP. Kawamura began playing for the senior Japanese national team in 2022 and has since represented Japan in the International Bas-
ketball Federation (FIBA) 2023 Basketball World Cup, as well as the 2024 Paris Olympics. His performance in the Olympics was particularly striking, as he averaged more than 20 points per game, further establishing his skill and polishing his reputation as a capable basketball player. It was his performance in the Olympics that caught the eye of NBA scouts.
“Yuki Kawamura is undoubtedly one of my favorite basketball players,” Isaac Lee ’25, varsity basketball player, said. “I’ve been keeping up with every single game he has played in the NBA and learned a lot from his playstyle. His journey shows me that height doesn’t have to be the limiting factor in basketball and you can turn your disadvantages into an advantage. For instance, he’s able to slither past defenders through tight spots with his small stature.”
Although Kawamura has already come a long way, he still has a long journey ahead of him to fulfill his dream of joining the NBA. The Grizzlies currently have two available spots on their roster after Derrick Rose’s retirement. One spot is predicted to go to Scotty Pippen Jr., a small forward, which leaves a final
spot open. While the remaining spot could be filled with a new recruit, the Grizzlies may offer the position to one of the players in their training camps, such as Kawamura or Armando Bacot. Kawamura’s journey to success has led to him acquiring a large fan base both in Japan and abroad. He has accumulated over 600,000 followers on Instagram and has recently gone viral for his pass to his teammate Zach Edey. Through his persistence in his career, he is also spreading a very inspirational and motivational message to future players.
“I’m inspired by his dedication to the game of basketball, especially after his performance in the Olympics,” Julie Koh ’26, varsity girls basketball player, said. “I’m especially inspired by his passing skills and the way he perceives his new experience in the NBA and overcomes his challenges. I’ve learned that regardless of height, anyone is capable of achieving anything they want if they put enough dedication and work into it.”
By: Carey Kim Junior, Copy Editor
layout by Chloe Kim
Spotify launches free streaming option in South Korea
Spotify, a renowned music streaming company with over 626 million monthly active users, released a free option in Korea on Oct. 9 to widen its audience reach in South Korea. Funded primarily by advertisements, the app is now available for South Korean citizens to produce and listen to music without payment. This new addition is expected to aid the expansion of music produced by East Asian cultures to Western countries by utilizing the app’s accessibility. Since streaming and uploading music on the platform have become easier to accomplish, speculations of potential rises in popularity for genres like K-pop or rap have become increasingly prominent.
“I think Spotify is a wellknown and used platform that people will use more than Melon and Apple Music now because it seems more developed with the new addition of a free service,” Sylvia Lee ’26, music enthusiast, said. “Since it has options like recommended playlists and a free option now, I think it will definitely change how often listeners will stream and listen to music.”
Before a new model addition, Koreans could only access Spotify with a premium paid subscription, leading to a reduced number of regular users. However, with the addi-
tion of the free tier, the platform has grown its average monthly streams of artists in Korea to over 5.8 billion.
With promising data, the new model has led to anticipated outcomes of competition with other apps such as Melon, Samsung Music, and YouTube Music, the most popularized music alternatives in the country.
“I think the free service is a great way for people to access music without cost, allowing the app to have more accessibility for its users,” Justin Chen ’28, Spotify premium member, said. “However, the limitations of not being able to skip songs easily and lower audio quality can be more frustrating. The premium version feels better mostly because of having no ads.”
Spotify’s two tiers have distinct features. The free tier allows access to Spotify’s music library without pay, but has limited playback options, plays advertisements, and shuffles playlists without letting users select specific songs on mobile. In contrast, Spotify Premium offers an ad-free experience with audiobooks, unlimited song selection, offline playback, and higher audio quality. While the free model makes music accessible without cost, it has simultaneously been criticized by users for its lack of convenience and flexibility, particularly by
premium members who seek more control over their listening experience and offline access.
Despite criticisms, Spotify’s free tier has the potential to significantly reshape music consumption by making a vast library of songs streamed from Korean artists available to users worldwide at no cost. This accessibility enables listeners to discover new genres and artists, broadening their musical tastes. For music creators like niche artists, or international markets like K-pop, the platform offers a larger reach to a global audience. By lowering any barriers to music creation and consumption, the free service helps to innovate greater exposure and cultural exchange, paving the way for a more interconnected landscape in the music industry.
“I think new genres like K-pop can gain more attention with the free model,” Elliot Lee ’27, avid music listener, said. “You can see the recent collaboration with an artist named Rosé from Blackpink and Bruno Mars for their new song ‘Apt’ is going viral on Spotify and is becoming a global sensation. This paired with Spotify’s free marketing, could lead to the increase in the cultural impact that South Korea has through K-pop.”
By: Yumin Jeon SophomorE rEportEr
Lotte World’s Halloween treasure hunt: From dusk to dawn
As chilly winds heighten the autumnal atmosphere, Lotte World hosted its annual Halloween treasure hunt, an interactive survival game termed “Another World: Hide and Seek.” The event, which was held on Oct. 25-26 from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m, garnered considerable public interest due to the grand prize valued at 10 million won—to the point where all 1000 tickets were sold out the day they were released.
While similar events had been held in the past, this year was Lotte World’s first time holding a large-scale treasure hunt, a change attributable to Lotte World’s exclusive collaboration with platforms like Yanolja and Realworld, who supported the event by providing the necessary funding and rewards.
“I think that the Halloween treasure hunt Lotte World hosted seemed fun and brought positive light to the participants,” Claire Park ’27, Lotte World enthusiast, said. “It’s especially good to raise more excitement for the holiday as the last few years were spent to remember the lost citizens during the unfortunate Itaewon tragedy, which was the deadliest crowd crush in the country’s history.”
As described by the event brochure, the theme park was transformed into a doll house because of “a witch’s illusion.” During the treasure hunt itself, participants had to search for hidden doll parts in the theme park. Amid Lotte World’s ongoing horror fantasy fall festival “Dark Moon World,” the event added to the overall atmosphere of creepiness and fear, stirring anticipation for the holiday on Oct. 31. During the event, seven attractions including French Revolution and Pharaoh’s Fury were redesigned with spooky elements, making visitors’ experiences more memorable.
“I think it is great that Lotte World hosted this treasure hunt because it definitely grabbed my attention,” Minho Chun ’27, regular Lotte World visitor, said. “As Lotte World is famous for its annual Halloween events, which I personally found quite repetitive, the new features that were introduced this time seemed to be a great way of exciting people.”
On the day of the event, participants entered the theme park on Friday night and were able to hunt for the hidden treasures until Saturday morning. Participants could earn points through participating in the treasure hunt, solving problems, and interacting with hidden dolllike NPCs. These points could be exchanged for more than 7,000 different rewards. Overall, the participant with the greatest number of points received the grand prize of a total of 10 million won.
“I think the prize money was the most interesting aspect of the Halloween treasure hunt Lotte World hosted because it gave people an incentive and motivation to actually try and participate in the event,” Alex Lee ’28, Halloween lover, said. “The reward allowed many people to have a fun experience amid the approaching holiday.”
With Halloween right around the corner of the event, the treasure hunt made headlines and gathered a myriad of participants and positive responses, aligning with the past successes of Halloween-related events Lotte World had organized. Despite Halloween not being widely celebrated in Korea, this episode further boosted public anticipation for the holiday.
By: Jason Chung SophomorE, rEportEr
Han Kang wins first Nobel Prize in Literature in South Korea
Opening a new exciting chapter in both Korean literature and the global literary community, author Han Kang has become the first Korean author to win the Nobel Prize in Literature. Han, celebrated for her “intense poetic prose that confronts historical traumas and exposes the fragility of human life,” was awarded the prize by the Swedish Academy on Oct. 10. Her win has inspired readers from both within and beyond Korea.
Han Kang’s literary journey uniquely touches on themes of human suffering and resilience. “The Vegetarian,” a story about a woman who decides to become a vegetarian that spirals her into a surreal exploration of the darker aspect of human nature, won the International Booker
Prize in 2016, bringing her first international acclaim. Her next work was “Human Acts,” a novel addressing the Gwangju Uprising, a tragic event in Korean history, where thousands were killed or injured during their democratization activism. She continued to garner worldwide praise with her next novel, “The White Book,” which explores themes of grief through the loss of one’s mother, earning her a nomination for the Booker Prize in 2018.
“I think her works represent themes that are very important,”
Tim Gardes, secondary school library librarian, said. “In ‘The Vegetarian,’ she talks about physical and mental deterioration, which is what I found to be a common theme in Korean literature. Even though ‘Human Acts’
deals specifically with Gwangju, there are similar types of events that have happened around the world, so these stories are also universally accessible to people who are not Korean.”
Not only do her works demonstrate the unique ability to explore historical traumas in tandem with the exploration of her deeply personal memories in modern settings, but they also achieve profound intergenerational, shared human experiences.
“I think it’s an interesting win,” Chris Blendheim, AP English Language and Composition teacher, said. “Especially given that her novel ‘Human Acts’ was quite critical of the government back in the 1980s during some oppressive events that took place.
It’s not often that you’ll see someone being rewarded for being a strong opponent to a government still in place.”
Indeed, this Nobel award has brought renewed attention to the most pivotal moments in Korea’s cultural and historical narratives—tragedies which are still vivid in the memories of many Koreans. This attention follows the nation’s earlier Nobel laureate, ex-president Kim DaeJung, who received a Nobel Peace Prize in 2000 for his efforts in promoting peace between the two Koreas.
As the first Korean Nobel laureate in Literature, Han Kang’s success also encourages future generations of writers to aspire to receive global recognition with their work. With her works
translated into 28 different languages, readers around the globe are familiarizing themselves with Korean historical and cultural identity.
“As a Korean myself, I am very proud of her accomplishments,” Rachel Cho ’25, AP Literature Language and Composition student, said. “I wish that more people can take inspiration from her and develop into a great writer.”
As Han Kang accepts this honor, her achievement not only celebrates her individual talent but also marks a significant moment in history of asian and world literature at large.
By: Kayla Kim SophomorE, rEportEr
Nations on trial: Developing countries and the climate crisis
By CHARLOTTE EUNSEO KIM ’27
From sinking islands in Oceania to the drying up of Lake Chad in north-central Africa, Less Economically Developed Countries (LEDCs) are no strangers to the worst of the climate crisis. It has been well established that More Economically Developed Countries (MEDCs) are, and have been, the largest contributors to Earth’s changing climate. Whereas developed countries may be morally obligated to pull the most weight in the fight against climate change, it is becoming increasingly clear that developing countries are doing little to combat the climate crisis.
Historically, LEDCs have emitted far less than their developed counterparts. As such, many believe that LEDCs should not be burdened with combating climate change.
“Developing countries shouldn’t be responsible for climate change,” Dale Fiess, AP Environmental Science teacher, said. “For example, Denmark or Sweden is giving Indonesia a billion dollars to not cut down their forests, but those billion dollars are going to governments and large corporations, who are preventing poor people from making a living. I think that developed countries should deal with it themselves instead of
pushing their burden onto smaller countries.”
The belief that developed countries should be most responsible has been upheld in recent climate-related international discourse. For instance, in the first United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in 1992, the principle of “Common but Differentiated Responsibilities” (CBDR) was introduced. The principle recognizes that, whereas all countries are responsible for climate change, developed countries have a substantially larger burden than developing countries as they have historically exacerbated the climate crisis.
This principle was also reflected in later climate change agreements. For instance, the Kyoto Protocol, adopted in 1997, was the first international agreement that legally binded developed countries to climate goals. As LEDCs had low historical emissions, they were exempted from climate responsibilities. Moreover, the Paris Agreement in 2015 maintained the CBDR principle by allowing individual nations to set Nationally Determined Contributions based on their capacity to contribute to climate change.
Nevertheless, developing countries may want to consider taking on larger burdens. Firstly, most developing countries are experiencing industrialization and rapid population growth. For instance, Bangladesh, a nation with a rapidly developing economy, began industrializing in the 1970s. In 1977, with a population of almost 82 million, Bangladesh released 5.7 million tonnes of CO2. Moreover, in 1985, when Bangladesh’s population surpassed 100 million people, the nation emitted 9 million tonnes. In the year 2000, that number rose to almost 26.5 million. Now, having emitted 109 million tonnes of CO2 in 2022, Bangladesh stands as a large contributor to the climate crisis.
As shown by current trends in greenhouse gas emissions and population growth, other LEDCs appear to be headed down a similar path. If LEDCs do not develop more sustainably, then they may likely be headed towards pathways that
run parallel to those of their more developed counterparts.
“There was a push to allow developing countries to pollute more so that they could catch up to developed countries, but that’s only going to make everything worse,” Angela Campbell, MUN club adviser, said. “Firstworld countries have exploited developing countries, and the wealth has gone into the hands of big corporations and not the [developing] countries themselves. There are all kinds of interesting projects that are small, have lower impact, and cause less pollution, and I think that if we use the third world as a way to test these things so that we can replicate it in first-world countries, that’s a way to spread advances in technology around the world.”
Indeed, there are many opportunities for green energy and technological development in LEDCs. For instance, there are a plethora of opportunities for LEDCs to participate in technological and knowledge transfer with MEDCs via international agreements and conferences. The Green Climate Fund and the UN help to facilitate knowledge exchange and support sustainable mechanisms in LEDCs. Moreover, international frameworks and plans such as the Belt and Road Initiative, a global infrastructure project led by China that aims to emphasize China’s soft power, establish diplomatic relations, and display Beijing’s ambitions, may support green energy initiatives in LEDCs.
“Investments in renewable and greener practices are a big stretch in terms of economical stakes,” Won Gyeom Yang ’25, environmental and agricultural researcher, said. “However, you can also consider the benefits of being able to appeal to developed nations’ markets with green practices, because in developed countries, green practices are a meritable sales point. Also, in the long run, green practices are just better for conserving the environment, which, if sustainably managed, can open doors to tourism or more thoughtful resource extraction that can help companies grow. There are clear benefits to maintaining a healthy environment.”
layout by Charlotte Eunseo Kim
Holding giants accountable: Large corporations and greenwashed products
Recently, corporations have shown a growing trend of greenwashing consumer products, making false claims about the positive environmental implications of their products, aiming to target the gradual shift of consumers considering environmental implications and the consumption of “green” products.
“These days, everywhere I go, the commercials and posters talk about green products and how environmentally friendly their products are,” Sean Chung ’27, avid follower of environmental issues, said. “I can definitely tell that there are much more ‘green’ products in the market today than there have been any time before. Anything like straws, containers, bags, and even toothbrushes are ‘environmentally friendly’ now.”
Various companies, ranging from unknown to world-famous, have been producing an increasing amount of green products for the past few years. For instance, in 2019, McDonald’s received harsh criticism for producing paper straws that turned out to be nonrecyclable. The paper straws’ thickness made it practically impossible to be processed, making it ‘single-use’. Similarly, Coca-Cola also faced controversy regarding labels with green colors and phrases like “eco-friendly” printed as it misled many consumers into believing that this was an environmentally friendly product.
Due to the rising urgency of global warming and climate change, consumers have shown more motivation to consume environmentally friendly products. According to the Harvard International Review, a recent survey revealed that about 65 percent of consumers preferred paying for and consuming products from sustainable corporations. This also makes it easier for consumers to be lured into the lie of corporations and their greenwashed products—consumers are led to believe that they are contributing to alleviating environmental change by consuming such products when in reality they are being deceived.
“Consumers are increasingly buying more green goods nowadays, and it feels like the general trend is that customers have a tendency to look for and purchase ecofriendly goods,” Irene Joh ’28, climate action enthusiast,
said. “Since so many consumers consider whether or not a product is eco-friendly before buying them now, corporations are kind of inclined to make their products look green too. If they want to make more profit, they can just make it look eco-friendly.”
Although greenwashing may seem like a simple marketing strategy for corporations, its implications are much more serious. Recently, advertisements for greenwashed products have been steering towards increased deception through marketing, with corporations advertising such products to have a completely untrue function or ability that helps the product contribute to addressing climate change such as the nonrecyclable paper straws from McDonald’s. Such advertising methods also cast harm on actual environmentally friendly corporations that produce functional products, as consumers may have a difficult time distinguishing between greenwashed products and functionally green products in the market.
Rising concerns have been raised regarding the misleading nature of such corporations and the possible manipulation of consumers through greenwashing. While such practices can qualify for charges of false advertising, many corporations do not go through legal consequences. According to Harvard Law Corporate Governance, the main difficulty may be proving that consumers were directly harmed, which impacts the ability of consumers to pursue legal action as such corporations are then not qualified to be charged with the count of “false advertising.” Furthermore, although regulating bodies such as the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) have existing guidelines including the Green Guides, enforcement of corporations within such guidelines is limited, allowing corporations to continue their greenwashing without facing legal responsibilities.
“I think corporations are taking advantage of climate change to market their products because they know that climate change is a very big issue and that a lot of people care about it,” Joseph Kang ’27, environmental change enthusiast, said. “The problem is that climate change is too easy to take advantage of because as long as companies just say that they’re creating products that are
By LEAH KIM ’27
tackling environmental change, they don’t really need to provide credibility or validity to persuade consumers.”
Critics have pointed out the possible danger of allowing consumers to continue the consumption of greenwashed products as it could potentially inhibit effective alleviation methods for environmental change.
When consumers notice the corporations’ environmental claims to be misleading according to Emerald Insight, consumers often react with negative perceptions and distrust, potentially diminishing willingness to consume products labeled with “eco-friendly” titles. This may suggest the need for a solution where consumers and corporations can find an appropriate consensus in the production and consumption of greenwashed products when considering the potential future implications that the continuation of greenwashing may cast, including problems such as deterrence for consumers to continue buying eco-friendly products and the lack of trust that will form between the consumers and the corporations. Efforts may be required from both groups to attempt a comprehensive change for the future, such as performing regular audits on products from corporations and raising awareness about greenwashing and its implications within the consuming community.
Lifestar, the creation of the unlikely duo of Won Gyeom Yang and Gray Macklin
Seeing a principal absent from their school building and, instead, outdoors on the campus ground is rare. Seeing a principal working with a senior student after every school day is even rarer. Now, a principal wearing gardening clothes and getting his hands dirty from construction with a senior student? That is a sight that has left many students and teachers bewildered for the past two months.
Enter project Lifestar, an initiative proposed and led by Won Gyeom Yang ’25 and aided by various faculty members, most prominently, Gray Macklin, the high school principal. Lifestar is a grow room that will serve as a replacement for the high school building’s greenhouse due to frustration surrounding the greenhouse’s inability to provide a stable climate for plant growth.
“I first noticed that the greenhouse was very ineffective at growing plants for AP Environmental Science and Science Club purposes,” Won Gyeom said. “Its temperatures varied from negative 20 to positive 60
layout by Kayla Kim
degrees Celsius, making any plant growth inconsistent. So initially, I attempted and failed to renovate the greenhouse using plastic films and bubble wrap but quickly realized that repairing the greenhouse would be more expensive than getting a new one.”
Won Gyeom’s original proposal to construct a new greenhouse was approved at the planning stage in early 2023 but then underwent adjustments to accommodate the school administration’s parameters.
After several cycles of rejections, modifications, and a second packaged proposal that reduced the greenhouse plan to center around a grow room, the project was approved and its construction began in mid-October of 2024.
“My initial idea for a full garden that would have featured a greenhouse and a grow room was ultimately shut down, but my plan B, which was to have the grow room act as a space to grow plants, was approved,”
Won Gyeom said. “We used a design that Mr. Macklin found
online on Ikea and hired a private contractor to create the parts.”
Won Gyeom, Mr. Macklin, the administration, and the science department agreed on the grow room for three reasons: curricular needs, extracurricular benefits, and an improved connection to nature. The biology and environmental science classes require a place to grow plants for some of their labs, especially because there is an environmental science unit that requires students to observe and collect data on plant germination. In the past, plants grown in the greenhouse would rarely germinate in good health, rendering scientific experiments moot because of inaccurate data.
The science club also needed a functional space to grow plants for its activities, which could not be done in classrooms and required large outdoor space. Finally and most importantly, according to Mr. Macklin, the grow room has great potential to be a hands-on and nature-based learning space. The grow room, after all, is intended to provide
an area where students can engage with nature, relax, and learn outdoors.
Keeping these intentions in mind, Won Gyeom and Mr. Macklin began working on the grow room from Tuesdays to Fridays for two hours at a very flexible pace. Other teachers and staff members also jumped in at times. However, its completion was delayed by around a month when an issue with the construction occurred. The upper pieces of the grow room were not cut properly and the holes were drilled incorrectly, an issue so large that it threatened the grow room’s completion.
“It took us over a month to resolve the issue of the pieces not having been cut the way we needed and with holes in the wrong places,” Won Gyeom said. “None of us knew how to fix it initially, so we brainstormed ideas and tried using tools that weren’t designed for the job. Eventually, we realized we had to mark exact drill points, get the right drill bits, and adjust other pieces to fit. With help from Mr. Chung, Mr. Fiess, Mr. Macklin,
and Mr. Lambert, we managed to make it work, though it left the structure slightly misaligned.”
The Lifestar was completed in early October; however, there will be additional components to the new grow room space, which will also serve as a garden space with additional raised garden beds. For Won Gyeom, despite the years of having to work around the red tape and various obstacles from the attempted repairs on the greenhouse to the recomposition of the grow room pieces, the value behind this project was its imperfection and the time dedicated to it.
“Nothing is perfect in our life, but that’s kind of the catch of why it makes everything fun,” Won Gyeom said. “If we just perfectly planned and built everything in a couple of days, would anyone would have cared about it? I think it’s the process and work put into the grow room that will allow people to appreciate it for what it is.”
By: Sean Kim
Junior, Copy Editor
Photo by Sean Kim ’26
Geunhyung Hong: The rising rocket scientist
While SIS has many talented students, one stands out with his unique and passionate interest in rocket science and space exploration. Currently a junior, Geunhyung Hong has a dream of pursuing rocket science as a profession and eventually working at NASA, hoping to make groundbreaking achievements in aerospace technology one day. So far, Geunhyung has been working toward achieving his goal as he funnels his personal time into designing and building rocket models, which he actually flies using hydrogen fuel with the club that he created. For Geunhyung, the sky is not the limit—it is just the beginning.
“My initial interest in rocket science began in early elementary school when I learned about the Apollo moon landings,” Geunhyung said. “I had always found myself captivated by the mysteries of the universe, and I dreamed of the possibility of long term space missions. This fascination turned into a passion as I became more familiarized with the fundamental principles of physics and engineering.”
But Geunhyung’s ambition
to work at NASA is much more than simply wanting to be hired as a rocket scientist. He hopes to make an impact in the future by contributing to the growing aerospace industry in South Korea. To reach this goal, he views NASA as a useful step in life that will help him push South Korea’s space industry forward. His passion for pursuing this career makes him willing to give up other important aspects of his life to reach his goal like spending time with his family during his free time.
“My long term goal is not actually to work at NASA, but rather, to help grow the scale of the aerospace industry back in Korea,” Geunhyung said. “But I always considered NASA a good place to start my aerospace journey, as it happens to be the agency at the forefront of space exploration. Working at an agency like NASA obviously requires a fair amount of sacrifice. It would mean sacrificing my time with family and children, and having to safeguard confidential information. However, I am willing to take such lengths for an opportunity to collaborate with some of the brightest minds on the planet.”
So far, Geunhyung has made steps towards his dream by running his own club called Kestrel, which is named after the second stage engine of the first Falcon rocket launched by SpaceX, Elon Musk’s aerospace company. In this club, he attempts to improve his own engineering and familiarize himself with aerospace technology while educating and mentoring younger students interested in the field as well. So far, his team has been building and launching miniature rockets, fueled by hydrogen fuel that is used in rockets. Geunhyung’s deep involvement and interest in his club showcase his leadership and genuine enthusiasm that he has toward his field of interest.
“Kestrel mainly focuses on gas and liquid-fueled rockets. The two designs we have tested successfully are a water-based launch vehicle and a hydrogen-based one,” Geunhyung said. “However, we are also interested in making ventures into solid rocket boosters in the future. Apart from conducting independent research in rocketry and aeronautics, Kestrel also runs booths during downtime, where the general public can
learn more about the intricacies of the aerospace industry.”
Recently, Geunhyung has been able to test and create multiple rockets with his club, conducting test launches while adhering to essential safety guidelines. However, he has also been facing several legal issues related to unauthorized rocket launching. Despite these constant obstacles, he manages to have a clear vision for the future of his club, planning out the next steps he intends to take to further improve his club and create more intricate rocket designs that achieve even greater distances.
“The most recent test conducted was a ground combustion test of a hydrogen gas rocket, where the rocket was held down to the ground using clamps while the fuel mixture was ignited inside,” said Geunhyung. “This test allows us to ensure that it is safe to launch the rocket as well as identify any potential flaws in design. However, we are currently facing legal hurdles, as the law prohibits unauthorized production of explosive material. In the coming months, I am looking to redirect focus towards
solid-fueled rocket motors, which are capable of producing much higher thrust compared to gas-based fuels. Right now, the focus is on developing a working sample of KNSB rocket fuel, which is a mixture of potassium nitrate and sorbitol. Rockets powered by such mixtures as known as sugar rockets.”
Geunhyung’s passion for rocket science has been unwavering for almost a decade now. For many, such a long-lasting feeling of dedication for a specific topic may seem rare or unusual, but Geunhyung believes that it is due to the rare sense of accomplishment that follows a successful rocket launch.
“We have had several successful launches with the water rocket developed in the past year,” Geunhyung said. “I would say the sense of achievement is the best part about rocket science. Watching a rocket launch successfully after years of hard work and dedication is an unmatched feeling of accomplishment, knowing you played a role in something monumental.”
By: Chloe Kim Junior, Copy Editor
Photo by Carson Park ’26
SIS students showcase Halloween spirit
From aliens visiting from the far future to Kanye West in the flesh, SIS students’ costumes have never failed to impress during the Halloween season. With students showing up to school as enzymes for their biology classes or as skeletons for the horror aspect, SIS students and teachers alike use Halloween as an opportunity to showcase their personalities, culture, and maybe to score some extra points on their summatives. This week, we saw many students show up in an array of costumes that represented their originality and creativity.
“ I think it’s cool that everyone comes together to make these things possible around Halloween,” Junu Hwang ’28, Halloween enjoyer, said. “I think that we could have a bigger event. Not just [for] the greentop, but the whole school campus. It would be nice if we could maybe scale up the event in the future.”
“Well, I feel like it was a well thought-out plan,” Glen Monaghan, chemistry-loving vampire, said. “Currently in Chem-Phys, we’re studying moles, and I don’t know if you know this, but chemists make the best vampires, because they’re good at using their ‘mole-ars.’”
“Instagram and Pinterest inspired us to dress up,” Lauren Lee ’28, costumed as a skeleton, said. “I didn’t want to do anything fancy because I kinda didn’t have enough time to prepare, so we went with this simple skull thing. It only took us like two days to prepare.”
“I think the Fall Festival is very nice,” Roy Lee ’28, dressed as a skeleton, said. “I think that it’s very good since clubs open up booths for people to have fun and play around.”
“My costume is a representation of a phospholipid bilayer, which is one of the concepts we learnt in AP Biology,” Dom Min ’27, AP Biology enthusiast, said. “My primary motivation for making this costume was to get the extra credit. I also had a lot of fun making this costume, as I wasn’t doing it by myself, but it was a collaboration costume with Joseph Lim.”
“Actually, I wasn’t planning to dress up, but my husband inspired me to dress up this year,” Hana Jeon, impersonating Messi, said. “I want to be preparing for this even more and be more proactive in purchasing supplies and items in order to make my own costume and to be a bit more creative next year.”
“I dressed up as Walter White from Breaking Bad because I think it’s an amazing piece of classic television,” Siheon Kim ’28, “Breaking Bad” enthusiast, said. “The story is very well written and you can see the character arcs individually, which are very interesting to see.”
By: Charlotte Kim & Yumin Jeon SophomorE, rEportEr & SophomorE, rEportEr
Trick of treat: What halloween candy is your favorite?
A vampire knocks on your door on the night of Halloween, stretching out his pale hand, saying “Trick or Treat!” What spooky treat are you offering first? As Halloween approaches, excitement mounts for many different traditions: dressing up with friends, decorating rooms, and of course, trick or treating! At the heart of Halloween lies the sweetest treats, from the traditional candy corn to more recent goodies like M&M’s, Skittles, and Sour Patches. Halloween candy has become as symbolic as the tradition itself, offering a sweet mix of nostalgia and relish.
Surveys of students’ favorite Halloween candy indicated that a majority (35.8 percent) favored Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, followed closely by Sour Patch Kids (21.7 percent) and a multitude of other famous candies, which entailed M&M’s (10.4 percent), Candy Corn (6.6 percent), Haribo (6.6 percent), Hershey’s Kisses (6.6 percent), and more. Additionally, the poll revealed that many students also favor different, more unconventional candies than indicated in the original options, such as Monster Stamps, Snickers, and Jolly Ranchers. The results suggest that Halloween candy is no longer confined to traditional candy like candy corn, but is diversifying, with more recent candies also being highly sought after, demonstrating the effect of the passage of time on people’s perceptions of Halloween candies.
By:
Carey Kim & Jason Chung Junior, Copy Editor & SophomorE, rEportEr
Editorial
Green light for Trump, green card for you? Not quite.
by Jason Lee and Yoon Choi editors-in-chief
Huddled around a laptop in the senior lounge, we and several of our peers anxiously watched as the results of the 2024 US election rolled in. If the turbulence leading up to election day wasn’t enough to put us on edge— convictions, an assassination attempt, a candidate’s late withdrawal, and a disturbingly derogatory Madison Square Garden rally—the sight of an increasingly aggressive, Project 2025-emboldened group taking over Washington was.
As international school students likely to spend the next several years pursuing higher education in the US, we can’t help but feel invested in political events unfolding across the Pacific. In the lead-up to and aftermath of Nov. 5, we have attentively listened to pundits warn of existential threats to democracy, increased hate against marginalized ethnic groups, and a host of other concerns. However, some of our classmates do not seem to share our uneasiness.
The most common sentiment we heard during our senior lounge election watch party was: “If Donald Trump gets elected, won’t that help us as international school college applicants? He would make it easier for us to get visas and green cards. Shouldn’t we be rooting for him?”
Slow down for a second. While we don’t expect everyone to be a policy nerd and believe everyone is entitled to their opinion, the Trump administration’s potential immigration agenda is not that simple. Indeed, Trump has publicly promised that his administration would give all international students who graduate from an accredited US college a green card. However, his campaign press team quickly backed out of these promises, clarifying that only “the most skilled graduates who can make significant contributions to America” would be granted green cards after “the most aggressive vetting process in US history.” There is very little to suggest that this policy would actualize in the way that Trump pledged.
Much of the Trump administration’s actions during its first term from 2017 to 2021 would actually suggest a move in the opposite direction, to one curbing even skilled immigration. Previously, Trump’s administration attempted to limit the issuing of H-1B visas, which allow American companies to employ skilled foreign workers, particularly in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. Under the first Trump administration, the denial rate for H-1B visa petitions rose from 6 percent in 2015 to 24 percent in 2018. More broadly, Trump campaigned on the mass deportation of millions, and even if these deportations would likely focus on undocumented, previously convicted immigrants, those in search of white-collar US jobs are not immediately in the clear.
Moreover, most immigrants on F-1 student visas (the visa most SIS alumni use) aim to obtain a green card by changing their F-1 visa to a dual intent work visa like the H-1B. So, especially if you are a student planning to work in a STEM field like engineering or computer programming, you may need to brace yourself for more bureaucratic red tape that will likely lengthen visa processing times and increase hurdles to staying in the US. Then there’s the hateful racial rhetoric. A recent article published in SocialScienceQuarterly found that Trump’s online comments linking COVID-19 to China led to an increased use of anti-Asian hashtags and hate speech on social media. Another study by the Center for the Study of Hate & Extremism revealed that hate crimes targeting Asian Americans rose by 145 percent across US cities in that same time. Trump’s spiteful rhetoric—like when he stated on the campaign trail that immigrants “poison the nation’s blood” or generalized Asians as the catalysts of the pandemic—can fuel ramifying hate and division.
While Trump’s green card promises may sound appealing, his past immigration policies and divisive rhetoric tell a different story—one of increased hurdles and heightened hostility. To that end, for the many international students on campus who plan to study and work in the US, Trump’s green light should warrant some hesitant skepticism.
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
by Catherine Ryu
Celebrities, turn followers into voters
From avoiding wearing attire affiliated with a party’s emblematic colors to refraining from using hand gestures that suggest a candidate’s ballot number when taking photos, Korean celebrities take a cautiously neutral stance in the lead-up to elections. Even given the general confidentiality of celebrities’ political leanings, political endorsements are markedly rare.
In other countries, celebrity political endorsements play a large role in engaging younger generations in political processes. Take, for example, the backdrop to the upcoming US presidential election. On July 23, Charli XCX posted “Kamala IS brat” on X (formerly Twitter), gaining 333 thousand likes and 42 thousand reposts from her young followers. The absence of such celebrity presence in Korean politics may be attributable to the generally toxic level of backlash celebrities face from even seemingly minor controversial acts.
Still, celebrities’ political endorsements can help engage younger Korean voters, mobilizing greater participation in the democratic process. Korean political culture must change to become more welcoming of celebrity opinion and involvement in politics.
To the younger generation who feel averse to politics and the aggressive clashes surrounding partisan conversations, celebrity political endorsements can serve as an approachable doorway into politics. An admired celebrity’s post regarding a candidate one never thought of can encourage thoughts about them and even lead to insights into controversial political topics. As the younger generations become more
interested in the political process and form concrete political values, more effective and relevant policies will be formed.
“So often politics is not talked about enough,” Hailie Lee, Korean voter, said. “So many people overlook it, thinking politics is not a part of their life. If the celebrities that younger generations look up to talk more about it, then they will grow up listening to those talks, then this would naturally lead them to think more about politics. But the setback to that is how much proper politics do these celebrities know to talk about. It would open the door, but will it open the right door?”
While political endorsements can serve as an inciting force to encourage young voters, some voice concerns that the involvement of celebrities in promoting political matters can lead to misleading discussions, as they might prioritize monetary gains through sponsorships over the factual validity of their claims. However, this type of celebrity disinformation is usually unlikely to happen, as the celebrities risk getting “canceled” by the public for spreading misleading claims.
Similarly, while payment from politicians may be appealing in the short term, celebrities are unlikely to risk their positive reputation because their long-term career success hangs on their positive reputation. When negative reputation and backlash accumulate, even the once-appealing large payment from a politician may not outweigh a potential decrease in corporate endorsements and lucrative advertising opportunities due to political-related cancellations.
Since there is a low risk of misleading discussions, the public should take celebrity
Social
media’s teen “protection”
Numerous studies have shown that social media harms teens, whether it is through affecting their confidence, decreasing their attention span, developing insufficient social skills, or even involving them in internet crime. Despite all this, pulling teens from Instagram or Snapchat seems impossible now, considering how far they have gone to delve into the online world. Against this backdrop, policymakers, parents, and companies must consider adequate regulations to protect teenagers.
On Sept. 17, Instagram announced they would launch new parent controls and content restrictions for teenagers. While 16 and 17-year-olds had a bit more leeway in changing account settings, 13, 14, and 15-year-olds now need parent verification, cannot view inappropriate content, and must have their account set to private.
Experts pointed out that while it was a step in the correct direction, much work still needs to be done. This is especially true considering how the most damaging impacts of social media manifest through excessive screen time and insecurity from comparisons with people online. Some critics have pointed to the magnitude of
endorsements into account. For celebrities, political endorsements are also a method of expressing advocacy for a subject they are passionate about and wish to bring changes to. When corporations contractually disallow them from getting politically involved and using their voice to effect change, celebrities’ individual rights are therefore overlooked. A change made in the public’s approval of celebrities’ political endorsements can allow companies to embrace their discussion of politics. As more politics is discussed by celebrities, the younger generation will soon be engaged in such matters due to the power of their influence. A reference to a candidate and issues they consider important, or an appearance and interaction with a candidate can immediately spread across media and render their followers interested in finding out about the candidate and issues, turning politically uninterested celebrity-followers into avid voters in the politics.
In expanding celebrities’ political endorsements, new voters should also be aware that an admired celebrity’s looks and attractiveness should not impact their political decisions. As these voters’ political stance and presence in the political spectrum grows concrete, celebrity endorsements would not sway the voting direction. A brighter, more satisfactory society for all is in the hands of voters, and the power these hands can hold can undoubtedly grow as celebrity endorsements open up a wider entry point for younger voters.
the change, claiming it to be insignificant. Meta, Instagram’s parent company, was criticized again for not enacting even these basic features before social media had become a larger political issue.
“I didn’t even know that these features were even in place,” Joshua Han ’27, Instagram user, said. “I guess they were very minor features you can change even in the future. I think it is very ineffective now in the first place as teenagers can lie about their age even now on the app. I don’t see how this is any major improvement from the problems we have with social media.”
Yet, while there is much to be said about Instagram, the more significant issue is that other platforms have not even made these simple changes. Age verification is faulty across all platforms, with a scroll menu being the most required for social media platforms. If the standard for access to any content is 16 years old, all teenagers have to do now is lie a bit more about their age. Screen time restrictions are nothing more than an additional notification on your screen, something you can set for yourself and disable whenever you like. Even young adults struggle with self-reg-
ulation online, meaning leaving it entirely up to even younger teenagers is not likely to play out well.
Social media has been put in the spotlight for years regarding inadequate protection of minors. A leak by a former employee of Meta revealed internal company emails saying “the lifetime value of a 13-year-old teen is roughly $270” and documents outlining their choices to ignore the harms they were imposing on teens in exchange for profits. A $885 thousand fee on life by a former member of the Nixon administration was heavily criticized a few years ago. A mere $270 for the life of a growing teen, nonetheless, is an unbelievably horrible way of seeing a child.
This sentiment is increasingly shared throughout prominent nations like the US. 42 attorneys pushed for warning labels on social media for teenagers and younger users last September, highlighting the harms it poses during the developmental phases of teens’ lives.
“Young people are facing a mental health crisis, which is fueled in large part by social media,” the letter reads. “By mandating a Surgeon General’s warning on algorithm-driven social media platforms, Congress can help abate this growing crisis and protect future generations of Americans.”
In countries like Korea, where the adolescent suicide rate is 5.2 percent and where 52.2 percent of students use social media every day—both extremely high compared to other countries—it is hard to overlook the correlation in frequency as a simple coincidence.
Social media profits are inherently attractive for the average user because, rather than having to buy products as they often do with other industries, they are the product. While this kind of market structure that profits from the average person is rarely an issue for consenting adults, having teenagers encapsulated in a world where their data and information are sold makes the issue of inadequate protection an imperative problem to solve.
By: Jian hong
SophomorE, rEportEr Junior, Copy Editor layout
By: Minju Chung
Viewpoint Feature:
SIS’s athletics program considers students’ academic obligations and well-being when establishing commitment expectations. While principally sound, some student-athletes have had trouble following such expectations, leaving some coaches and athletes frustrated. While a certain amount of leniency should be given, cases of inconsistent attendance varying from sport to sport, as well as students’ various interpretations of expectations, call into question what the sports commitment standards are and should be at SIS.
Does the baseline expectation for sports commitments accurately reflect student athlete’s expectations?
How can students and coaches work together to establish consistently understood standards?
Do or do not, there is no try: Student-athletes must reevaluate commitment
“Do or do not, there is no try.” The failure to abide by Yoda’s sagacious mantra encapsulates not only the trend of SIS students overextending their extracurricular and academic obligations but also its effect on some of the athletic commitment values SIS athletes pride themselves in following.
Historically and presently, SIS is recognized for its academic excellence and coveted extracurricular opportunities, particularly its athletics programs. For many, sports are non-academic yet highly distinguished activities that often become the hallmark of their high school experience.
However, committing to a sport is no leisurely promise. Sports demand sacrifices—mentally, physically, and timewise—with almost all sports demanding four two-hour practices weekly. Games and practices also often leave student-athletes with little time for other academic and extracurricular obligations.
To counter this, the athletic department allows coaches to assess each athlete’s situation individually and provides some leeway for students to miss a limited number of practices. However, even with this leeway, complaints from coaches and students, although widely varying per sport, have always existed around inconsistent attendance and misunderstandings about what constitutes as an excused and unexcused absence. Although the school and coaches can always implement stricter regulations, the responsibility ultimately lies with the entire athletic community and each individual athlete to define their commitment to athletics and determine what it should look like to avoid frustration and inconsistency.
“Despite efforts to ensure consistent attendance, for some sports, like those that cannot use minute restrictions, a culture of loose attendance expectations is more apparent,” an anonymous two-sport athlete said. “The attendance expectations do vary slightly by sport but I think the fact that sports like tennis and basketball have almost perfect attendance outside of excused makeup tests while some other sports consistently have commitment issues every year. I think that speaks more to athletes showing up when it’s “convenient” or “necessary for them” rather than a misunderstanding of expectations.”
There are cases, like after-school tests, where athletes are excused from practice. However, while missing parts of practice may be unavoidable, some tests only last 15 minutes to an hour, giving students ample time to attend the remainder of their practice. However, many athletes have cited such circumstances as one of the biggest attendance discrepancies. According to Varsity Basketball Coach Timothy Munro and Varsity Badminton and Tennis Coach Ross Atkins, they have noticed that their test takers immediately come to practice afterward. Yet other sports, like Cross Country, Swimming, Cheerleading, and Track and Field, have had issues in past years with athletes “dipping” practice despite having the opportunity to participate in an hour, if not more, of practice.
One way to address this is to establish clearer expectations verbally, yet simply clarifying such expectations does little to tackle the root of the problem, which is that some athletes in the past have not felt pressured nor necessarily obligated to uphold such values. This is where
peer accountability and regulation from teammates can ensure commitment. For example, coaches could require athletes to report absences not only to them but also to their teammates through a team group chat. This approach makes it easier to identify attempts at skipping practice and holds athletes accountable to their teammates. Additionally, any dishonesty in such cases would not only directly betray the trust of their coaches but their teammates, too.
Teammates should also take it upon themselves to hold peers accountable regarding injuries since team pressure can discourage athletes from missing practice due to exaggerated injury claims. Mandating injured players to submit a rehabilitation plan may also help reassure coaches and team members that the athlete is taking the necessary steps to resume play. Such communication measures reduce feelings of bitterness and unfairness and foster team accountability and understanding.
Additionally, sports have always had to handle a delicate balance between allowing students to be involved in school-based extracurricular activities while participating in their sports. To balance things out, students are granted a one-season excused pass for their extracurricular activity. However, discrepancies arise for multi-sport athletes who cannot use this pass for all of their sports. Some coaches do not allow leniency, while some do, resulting in discrepancies across sports.
“I think coaches are given leniency regarding extracurricular excused absences because every sports program has different levels of commitment based
upon the sport and program’s development status,” Jarod Henderson, varsity track and field coach, said. “Ultimately, I think it depends on the athlete’s level of engagement during practice and their ability to compensate for missed sessions through other clear demonstrations of strong commitment and dedication.”
What does it mean to be “committed” to a sport at SIS? It means being willing to put in the individual effort to develop the necessary skills to contribute to the team and, most importantly, adopting a team-first mindset. This mindset ensures that personal extracurricular or personal academic obligations do not interfere with or diminish the collective efforts of one’s teammates and coaches. Commitment also involves understanding that skipping practice, faking injuries, or using other unsanctioned methods to miss practices and games not only jeopardizes one’s chances of lettering under the three-strike policy but also erodes team cohesion and devalues the importance of dedication. At the end of the day, athletes are responsible for attending practices and ensuring their dedication to their coaches and teammates. Whether a more individualized sport like Cross Country or a team sport like basketball, they are all still a team commitment that requires personal sacrifices for the betterment and honor of the team. Half-efforts are a disservice to both one’s reputation and peers’ efforts, so for the minority who “dip” practices and cut corners, do or do not, there is no try.
By: Sean kim Junior, Copy Editor
Point Counterpoint
By Charlotte Kim and Sean Kim
Genetic modification in humans…
has yet to occur on a large scale, as major uncertainties and roadblocks have prevented human gene editing from being commercialized. Currently, some hypothesize that its potential to counter genetic disorders will bridge the gap between the healthy and the medically handicapped. Others believe that it is an unethical tool that could grant “godlike” powers to the affluent, exacerbating socioeconomic inequalities and opposing what it means to be human.
…fundamentally opposes both equity and humanity
In both historical and modern contexts, the rich have had and continue to maintain a significant upper hand over the lower class. Currently, the richest 1.5 percent of people own almost 48 percent of wealth in the world. However, in a world where genome modification lies unregulated, this affluent social class would pose even more of a stark contrast to the general populace.
#trendingnow: Culinary Class Wars
By Minju Chung & Leah Kim
“The meat is not evenly cooked.”
This critical comment made by Michelin three star chef Ahn Sung-jae probably rings a bell for most students who are audiences of the popular reality show, Culinary Class Wars.
Culinary Class Wars featured intense competition and several rounds of elimination among 100 people of different cooking careers, ranging from fine-dining chefs to school cafeteria workers. Named “black and white chef” in Korean, the reality show created a competitive landscape between well-known chefs and their lesser-known counterparts, who were dressed in white and black gowns, respectively.
The show has not merely gained interest from Korean audiences, but also international ones, as it became the first Korean reality show to reach 1st place on the global Top 10 non-english category of all Netflix shows. Besides the intense competition and challenging missions, global popularity also came with jokes and iconic lines throughout the show.
One of the most popular lines from Culinary Class Wars comes from chef Kang-rok Choi, the winner of Master Chef Korea season two. Chef Choi earned extreme popularity with netizens a few years ago when clips from Master Chef Korea went viral due to Chef Choi’s clumsy and funny charm, casting a lot of attention on him when he appeared as a well-known chef in Culinary Class Wars. His infamous quote comes from episode four, when describing his first dish, perilla oil braised radish with braised oyster.
Other than quotes, various memes also derived from the show, including parodies from the famous comedic program, SNL Korea, as well as YouTube videos featuring funny moments from Culinary Class Wars.
“I think that the SNL parodies did a good job in showing the humorous aspects of the show, and added their original humorous twists to Culinary Class Wars,” David Yeo ’28, Culinary Class Wars binge watcher, said.
“The problem was that they included a lot of over-exaggerated expressions
that were a bit unnecessary and made fun of some habits that the chefs had. For example, SNL really emphasized chef Sung-jae Ahn’s habit of blinking a lot, which kind of seemed humorous and potentially offensive at the same time.”
One episode from SNL depicts popular chefs such as Edward Lee, Hyun-suk Choi, and Cooking Maniac (Cooking Dorai) in a humorous way, with actors mimicking the chefs and their signature characteristics in an exaggerated manner. Although some concerns were raised about the offensive and mimicking tone of the parodies, in general, most netizens showed favorable reviews. Jong-won Baek, one of the two judges in Culinary Class Wars, expressed positive reactions to such videos, stating that the parody from SNL was one of the funniest videos he had recently seen.
“I think Culinary Class Wars is an accessible show for families to watch together,”
Chris Bracciano, fan of Culinary Class Wars, said. “It’s a healthy competition, and a show like this can really change the conversation about food and raise awareness about cherishing and eating food. Culinary Class Wars puts an emphasis on various chefs, which helps viewers learn more about local talented chefs. If a show can help people to start thinking about food in a new perspective, it’s definitely successful.”
Culinary Class Wars produced various scenes, memes, and parodies, causing a cooking boom in Korea. Right now, social media applications such as Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube are filled with reels and posts about recipes, funny moments, and quotes from the show, rapidly spreading throughout Korea.
“I think the boom of Culinary Class Wars in Korea is really unique and special, especially since it’s so rare to see a cooking show,” Hannah Park ’27, avid fan of Culinary Class Wars, said. “Given the popularity of the show as well as the confirmation of the second season being released, I think there will be a noticeable increase in cooking programs in Korea. I’m definitely looking forward to watching more, too.”.
Currently, the rich can send their children to better schools and buy their way into opportunities that members of the lower class cannot. However, with human genome modification, such rich individuals can also raise their children’s intellectual and physical capabilities beyond what was formerly possible. The Institute for Clinical and Economic Review found that the average cost of gene therapy is between $1 and 2 million USD per dose—and such prices essentially lock genetic modification technology to the upper class. Therefore, genetic modification in humans will only exacerbate existing socioeconomic disparities—and thus, the potential for genetic modification should remain far out of society’s grasp.
Moreover, making genetic modification technology available would only lead to a slippery slope where people use such technology for non-essential purposes. Though genetic modification may be useful in eliminating genetic disorders and diseases, without regulation, it may easily be abused. For instance, some who can afford such technology may genetically modify themselves to become their perceived “perfect” selves. Not only does this propagate unrealistic standards, many of which are built upon Eurocentric, ableist, and other discriminatory standards, but it also fundamentally opposes what it means to be human.
To be human is to embrace one’s perceived imperfections and to grow from them—yet when people are allowed to alter their genetic makeup, natural human traits, imperfections, and individuality may be renounced in favor of a narrow, “perfect” model. In striving for perfection via genetic engineering, humanity risks not only exacerbating existing inequalities but also losing certain facets that constitute what it means to be human.
…is a step toward eliminating socioeconomic disadvantages
Socioeconomic disadvantages are commonly limited to the variables of race and identity, but developmental disabilities are also a factor when considering socioeconomic dynamics and the reasons behind the opportunity gap between social classes. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 17 percent of children are diagnosed with a developmental disability, with 1.2 million American children receiving Supplemental Security Income, while the rate of handicaps for adults is around 26 percent.
Human gene modification can eradicate birth-based health impairments by preventing hereditary diseases and mutations. Not only would this allow humans to create a future free of debilitating genetic conditions, but it would also render the socioeconomic gap between the medically impaired and the healthy nonexistent.
While gene editing has not been extensively tested nor developed for humans, gene modification technologies like CRISPR-Cas9, a gene-editing tool that allows scientists to make precise changes to a cell’s DNA sequence, could be used to target genetic mutations that cause certain diseases, including cystic fibrosis and sickle cell anemia. For non-inherited conditions like cancer, CRISPR can enhance the immune system’s ability to recognize and attack malignant cells.
“There is no doubt that genetic modification will be able to change individual health outcomes, the question is will it be able to induce a broader societal change toward equity,” Geunhyung Hong ’26, Science Club Vice President, said. “If human gene editing technologies prove to be safe, feasible, and most critically, accessible to the average person, then I think this can be one of the very few technologies invented that could be used to substantially reduce socioeconomic disadvantages.”
Human genome modification can do more than merely prevent diseases; it can eliminate burdensome medical costs and inconveniences for those with genetic disorders and health issues across all demographics and social groups. This not only bridges the gap between the medically able and disabled, but it also reduces medical costs that disproportionately disadvantage lower social classes.
…has great potential only when it is accessible to all social classes
Whether human gene editing can be used for beneficial purposes or serve as an unethical elitist tool is determined by the cost and accessibility of such a technology. For now, it remains a developing and quite futuristic technology for public use, yet with the right frameworks, policies, and regulations, genetic modification in humans may exercise its potential for the greater good.
Bending down, Jason Shin ’25 showcases his incredible acting skills during his solo speech, as the eccentric Mad Hatter in the Winter Wonderland play.
Photo by Yumin Jeon ’27
photo of the month