Tiger Times Volume 51 Issue 4

As another semester slowly comes to a close, students are experiencing the last hurdle of these recent months: skills-based exams. By mid-December, the students will rejoice yet miss their winter sports, time spent with classmates, and productive club activities. With freshmen adjusting to high school and seniors juggling class work with college applications, one’s first semester is a time for experimentation and adaptation. When students return in second semester, they will be reinvigorated and ever more prepared for the marathon of high school. Indeed, it is a marathon: the race is not over until the very end.

Eric Hwang and Irene Kim considers the tension between societal generations, from baby boomers to GenZ-ers.

DECEMBER 2019

ENDURANCE

Brian Ham questions whether winter break is truly a “break” for some.

volume 51 . issue 4 . december . ttonl.org VOLUME 51 ISSUE 4 TTONL.org

Tiger Times

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Christopher Shin explores the detrimental consequences of accumulating excused absences, in light of college applications.

Editorial Unlicensed and Uninsured by

Sia Cho & Andy Yoon editor-in-chiefs

In the past few months, the two of us often found ourselves zipping along the busy streets of Seoul—on electric scooters. With the simple press of a button, through which one activates his or her scooter-sharing service, we arrived at our destinations—whether they be restaurants, cafes, or even the subway station—in the matter of mere minutes. Nowadays, ride-sharing, in the form of cars, scooters, and bicycles, is growing increasingly common, especially among teenagers. Services like Lime and Tada offer commission-free transportation services and have become ingrained in youth culture. In the name of convenience and cheap prices, these companies are enticing the public.

However, what most of us do not realize when utilizing such services is the fact that they threaten the livelihoods of their users and others.

First of all, open access to public transportation such as electric scooters presents a multitude of safety hazards that are often overlooked by both its users and pedestrians alike. As with any other vehicle, electric scooters run the risks of rider inexperience, road accidents, and technical failure. In a sense, this all roots from scooter-sharing services’ inability to verify whether a user actually possesses a license. Accounts on some applications can be created within seconds, simply by clicking “I agree” to five checkboxes.

Not only are electric scooters subject to illegal operation by minors, but they can also be grossly misused. For example, common scenes on the streets may include riders on scooters without helmets, abandoned scooters in the middle of sidewalks, and multiple riders illegally sharing a single scooter. Such dangers are prone to accidents and injuries, ultimately producing a detrimental impact on society.

Unfortunately, safety hazards are similarly prevalent in the realm of car-sharing. A recent issue in London saw Uber losing its license to operate due to uninsured rides. According to Transport for London, Uber’s systems compromised passenger safety by allowing unauthorized drivers to pose as verified employees through simple photo uploads. Such manipulation of the company’s services resulted in over 14,000 rides that subjected passengers to potentially unlicensed and uninsured drivers. Yet, this is not the first time that Uber was forced to retract its license, with previous bans being issued in Bulgaria, Denmark, Hungary, and Northern Australia. While car-sharing companies like Uber provide efficient transportation services that are popularized by the public, these rides may often be associated with unforeseen security risks that should be addressed in the future.

By no means does this signify that people should not seek everyday convenience—in the form of cheap, fast, and fun transportation. Austrian economist Joseph Schumpeter once theorized that economic growth can only result from “creative destruction” in the market, with one economic process replacing another. All goods and services experience the phenomenon of corporate natural selection. Which smart-device is most appealing to trend-obsessed teenagers?

Which kitchen appliance makes homemakers’ lives more efficient? It is only natural that consumers grow infatuated with novel methods of commuting from one place to another.

However, what many consider to be convenient is often simply a means to make people lose agency over their lives. For instance, Amazon Go, an avant-garde convenience store, is devoid of any cashiers. Shoppers enter and leave the store without ever needing to pull out cash or a credit card. And the same applies to users of Lime and Tada; everything is done through the application.

Even if we submit to this rising trend and relegate the easiest of everyday tasks to technology, steps should be taken to preserve the livelihoods of unsuspecting consumers worldwide, including teenagers at SIS. Even simple short-term solutions, such as attaching helmets to each scooter on the sidewalk or tightening the terms of agreement for car-sharing services, would remedy many of the problems identified thus far.

We should not need to choose safety over convenience or vice versa; it should be a prerequisite to anything we do in our lives.

2 VIEWPOINT College apps season brings in flurry of absences

by Christopher

Shin

Despite the fact that the Common App allowed students to work on their college application essays months in advance of the final deadline, many students still decided to procrastinate and begin writing just a month before the college application season came to a close. As a result, many students maximized their “excused” abscenes, particularly during the final week before the internal regular applications deadline at SIS: Nov. 14. While this behavior may seem harmless as long as students get their work in before the deadlines, it highlights a problem in the way students manage time and view due dates.

Here at SIS, it is relatively easy to attain an excused absence, as a simple call to the office by a parent is all that is needed. At most, a doctor’s note

may be required for a student to prove that they missed school for a medical reason. This relatively easy access to an excused absence makes sense, as missing a few days of school is not necessarily a huge problem and does not pose a huge threat or interruption to the flow of the curriculum. To help compensate for missed class time, students complete make-up work and assessments, and there are strict policies and penalties to ensure that they finish all the assignments for which they were absent. For example, if a student is absent on the day of a summative assessment, they must take the test the day that they return to school. Failure to do so would cap their grade for that summative to a 90 percent.

There are also stringent limits on the maximum number of excused absences a student can have: six in the first semester and seven in the second semes-

ter. This prevents students from overusing their excused absences because if students cross these limits, their credit for taking the course will be jeopardized and reviewed by the leadership team.

With such mechanisms in place, most students stay under the semester limits for excused absences. However, the abuse of excused absences in order to finish incomplete work, even if it was just one or two incidents, leads to the development of a negative culture at SIS. Instead of teaching students ways to maximize and effectively utilize the time available to them, excused absences serve as a safety net for bad decision makers as they scramble to make more time. By allowing this behavior to go unchecked, students have no real consequences for procrastination.

While SIS is quite forgiving in this way, in higher education

and the workplace, professors and employers will not be as flexible, particularly in regards to late work, procrastination, and absences.

The solutions to this problem are rather unclear. While the leadership team can try to tighten up its policies on excused absences such as making it harder for students to justify their absences, the high school office should not be responsible to police this behavior. After all, the majority of students at SIS genuinely use their excused absences for reasons such as sickness.

An alternate way to tackle this issue could be perhaps through a slow, progressive change in the mindset of the student body. For example, couselors can take a more active and expanded approach to teach students time management strategies. However, at the end of the day, it is up to students to realize what is actually wrong with abusing excused absences.

Google implements stricter policy on schools

by Jiwon

Lee

At the beginning of summer break following the 2018-19 school year, Google began implementing a stricter policy on schools using its services.

Previously, the organization had limited Google Hangouts upgrades for anyone using a school-provided Gmail account, and with many students using the service for academic reasons such as group projects and study sessions, this posed a slight inconvenience. However, following a major reorganization of services in early July, more restrictions were placed on students using school-related Google services. For example, student YouTube channels linked to school Gmail accounts were temporarily suspended in the months of July and August, and only became accessible in late August. Furthermore, all YouTube channels used by school administrations, such as the official SIS account and varsity sports accounts, were permanently deleted, with Google also implementing a block on comments for YouTube videos inside school campuses. Additionally, Hangouts services were terminated some time during the first semester of the 2019-’20 school year, a point of particular frustration for students.

“During the brief breaks we have during office hours and activity period, I often watch cat videos on YouTube,” said Lynne Jung (11), avid animal fan. “Due to the recent implementation of Restricted Mode on YouTube by the school, I am now unable to read comments posed on such

videos. As a person who spends the majority of free time on YouTube, the elimination of this comment function really vexed me.”

Many of the aforementioned restrictions have been implemented through the school’s Wi-Fi system, which was also remodeled at the beginning of the school year. Following a school-wide Wi-Fi crash in 2017, the student body resorted to using Wi-Fi networks other than the SIS Student signal, such as SIS Staff, KORCOS, and SIS Guest. However, following the reinstallation of a stable Wi-Fi network for students to use, students began to revert back to the school-provided student Wi-Fi signal. This new Wi-Fi channel, while providing quick and stable Internet connection to the student body, also causes a multitude of limitations to be placed on the user, a drawback students felt retracted from the overall expe-

rience of utilizing these Google services. Certainly, students being distracted from classes due to services such as YouTube and Hangouts is always a possibility. However, Google deciding to block or terminate these services is too forceful and inconsiderate of a response to this issue. A better solution to the situation at hand would be to give school administrations and students the opportunity to choose whether they want these regulations or not, instead of implementing these restrictions without consulting affected schools. This way, students will be able to receive a forewarning before such changes are put into effect.

“Because I spend a lot of my free time on YouTube, I was subscribed to many channels and also saved a lot of videos under the ‘Watch Later’ section of my school YouTube account,” said Yu Lee Chung (11), music enthusiast. “I also saved a lot

from videos from the SIS school account, which uploaded a lot of Strings and HS Orchestra videos. If I was given the warning that these videos would be taken down by Google, I would have downloaded them and would also have transferred my channel subscriptions to a non-school account. However, because I was not told in advance that these changes would be taking place, I lost all of my personalized YouTube content, because even after my school YouTube account was returned in late August, my previous search history, ‘Watch Later’ list, and subscriptions could not be recovered. This result could definitely have been reverted had Google told students and school officials in advance that these changes were being implemented into their system.”

Tiger Times December 2019

Tiger Times Staff

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

Volume 51 Issue 4 October Seoul, South Korea TTONL.org a free student publication of

Seoul International School

Paper Editors-In-Chief Sia Cho Andy Yoon

Website Managing Editors Kate Lee Fiona Cho

Graphics Editor Lynette Kim

Website Editor-in-Chief Eju Ro

Production Editors Claire Lee Youngjin Park

Photo Editor Lauren Kang

Paper Managing Editors Chris Lee Brian Ham

Copy Editors Eric Hwang Alice Lee Joanne Yang Jiwon Lee

Social Media/ Marketing Directors Emily Bae Emily Oh

Video Editor Andie Kim

Reporters Christopher Shin Irene Kim Katherine Suk Jenny Seo Sarah Ju Emily Sung Sarah Baek Jennifer You Sunny Lee Sally Lee

3

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

Viewpoint Feature: Reconciling student freedom, the school’s responsibility, and the value of a healthy, balanced diet How has the school thus far brought about positive changes for the dietary lifestyles of students?

What role does the school play in fostering healthy food habits among students?

You are what you eat

by Sarah

Baek

Every day, we have a variety of menus that are provided by the school. Including the international and Korean menu, students are given a salad bar that often comprises of cereal, bread, baked goods, fruit, and side dishes. The school opens a range of menus, but we do not always make the right choices.

Starting from the second semester of the 2017-‘18 school year, SIS changed its catering company from J&J to Hanhwa, a shift that marked a notable alteration of people’s dietary lifestyles at SIS. And over the years, both catering companies implemented health initiatives, albeit through different methods. J&J informed students of the nutritious balance, such as calories, the amount of protein, and carbohydrates, each day of the week. Hanhwa has continued to make attempts to diversify the cafeteria’s salad bar and has implemented a new section called the “Bibimbap corner” coupled with the Korean and international menus, which appeals to a wider range of students, and having some degree of freedom with our meals is something we can be grateful for.

Similar to many other international schools in South Korea, SIS also has a school cafe and store, which adds to a series of options that students can utilize both

positively and negatively. Due to this system, elementary through high school students have an increased amount of control over what and how much they want to consume during the day. Both the café and the store sell a wide range of snacks, whether they be sugary products or more substantial food such as bananas. Because the school store is very reflective of students’ demands and interests, there should be a certain degree of appreciation for the high accessibility of snacks throughout the school day.

Additionally, the school cafe that is also run by the same catering company, Hanhwa, sells caffeinated drinks, juices, sandwiches, and baked goods.

Another range of snacks that the school offers comes from the HSSC. They do a good job of coming up with a variety of food menus for their snack cart. For several years now, they have been selling bagels, Nutella toast, Famous Amos, nachos, and more. Starting from this school year, the HSSC has added a new menu of cupbap to their sales list, which is an ideal choice for hungry students pressed for time during office hours.

Despite the wide range of meal choices that has been provided over years of subtle improvements, the majority of food that students have access to is very sugary and has minimal nutritional value. Unlike some adults who try to eat healthy

due to health problems, we as teenagers do not feel the same urgency.

When we crave sweets, there is always the school store or cafe to fulfill our needs. Even when we say, “Oh, we’re going to get diabetes,” we do not fully understand how the choices we make every day will impact us in the future. Similarly, many students point out that we see instant, oily, or fried menus that are more appealing to the students with Hanhwa more often than we did with J&J. Furthermore, Hanhwa only has a TV screen that shows the daily menu with no quantifiable numbers on how balanced or nutritious the meal is. During lunchtime, if students see that the menu seems delicious, they enter the Cafeteria, and if not, they instead turn to the school store or cafe.

Furthermore, controversial choices of food are sold in the school store, cafe, and HSSC snack cart. For example, cupbap, toast, and bagels are acceptable as they have carbohydrates and can be considered as light meals. However, soft drinks such as Mountain Dew, Coke, or cider are already banned in both Korean and American public schools due to their detrimental health effects. Brownies, Oreos, and more that are sold from the school store are difficult to categorize as meals because the energy they provide is unsustainable. Likewise, in the US, there have been calls to

ban hot drinks like tea and coffee for teenagers under the age of 16.

Many say that if the school wants their students to be healthy, the range of choices in schools need to be restricted to healthier options.

A school must be a place for growth and should implement new policies to any problems that students address. Recently, at the 22nd Seoul Model United Nations Conference (SEOMUN XXII) at Seoul Foreign School (SFS), the theme of “the future we want” was introduced by implementing sustainable strategies for the environment in the future. The school provided vegan lunch menus of plant-based meat and “beyond burgers” for student delegates and advisors. Although some places, including South Korea do not welcome vegan menus, veganism is a growing trend and one of the biggest representations of the theme of sustainability. Just like SFS has a range of snacks that are appealing to the majority of student body, but also added another range of options that are healthier and more substantial, SIS can break many stereotypes of veganism and introduce the students to sustainable consumption of food.

Although the school cafe and store are open to all SIS students, there is a valid point to restricting the consumption of sugar and minimally nutritious snacks to only high school students. As high

school students, we are here to learn to be independent and make choices for ourselves, and the cafe and store are great opportunities to strengthen these abilities.

However, the same logic could be applied to how we do not sell coffee to elementary students because they are still growing and healthy food must be prioritized for their daily menus.

The purpose of the student council is to represent the student body and its voice, and the HSSC does a great job of doing so. As soft drinks are controversial choices for a snack cart, the HSSC could try to also open their options with healthier snacks that contain more substance. Although there may be some leadership team’s regulation needed, at the end of the day, the choice is still up to the student body and students themselves.

The range of options, including less-substantial and more-substantial food that are opened for the students must be firstly appreciated, but students must still be responsible for the choices they make and the consequences that will follow accordingly.

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

4 NEWS News Briefs

by Jimin

Lee

HSSC organizes E-Sports tournament

Eagerly attempting to best each other, Eric Hwang (10) and Nathan Bae (11) participate in the annual HSSC esports tournament.

Photo by Emily Sung

The HSSC hosted its second annual E-Sports tournament on Nov. 27. The event took place in the 1st floor English department after school.

In this tournament, players competed against each other in Nintendo games such as Super Smash Bros. and Mario Cart. Rather than focusing on the prize, however, students came to simply enjoy. Spectators also attended this friendly competition to cheer on their friends.

To make the event even more entertaining, the HSSC provided free food to all.

“Based on the number of people who showed up for the event, I believe the E-Sports tournament this year turned out to be another success,” said Emma Im (10), member of the sophomore HSSC. “Above all, everyone seemed to have fun at the event. I hope that it served as a chance for people to bond with others through their shared passion for gaming in a light, stress-free environment.”

North Korea fires ballistic missiles into East Sea

by Jiwon

Lee

On Oct. 31, North Korea launched what appeared to be two ballistic missiles into the East Sea, a body of water bordered by South Korea and Japan. The missile test, which has once again set neighboring countries on edge, is the 12th such launch this year. Earlier in October, North Korea also succeeded in firing a new type of missile, which could be launched from a submarine and thus posed a greater threat than most other weapons in the country’s previous arsenal.

This projectile, coupled with the long-range missiles North Korea is also suspected of possessing, caused the American air base at Misawa to issue a “real world missile alert” when the missile was first detected via their ultraviolet missile approach warning system.

“Already the 12th missile launch since the beginning of the year, many people expected that this incident would be similar to previous occurrences,” said Edward Lee (11), a member of MUN. However, this event was ultimately different in that the types of weapons used and

the political message it intended to signify were more antagonistic to a degree.”

The two projectiles were fired amid stalled nuclear talks with the US government, an action that both South Korea and Japan interpreted as a tactic to resume the talks with a reluctant United States. Experts have also suggested that North Korea will likely increase the magnitude of its attacks, with time quickly nearing the end-of-year deadline set by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un for Washington to decide on the final terms for the ballistic missile reduction treaty between the two countries.

“As a person who is actively involved in matters concerning North Korean affairs, the fact that this incident occurred while the US was stalling the denuclearization talks seemed to me to be the most important aspects of all,” said Elly Choi (11), member of the Liberty in North Korea organization. “It was as if the North Korean government intended to warn the US about what might happen if they stalled the denuclearization talks for longer.”

The missile launches have come at a particularly ill-suited

time, with ongoing impeachment discussions within the United States and the recent death of South Korean president Moon Jae-in’s mother still taking the nation by storm.

In fact, the missile launches occurred on the same day that President Moon attended the funeral of his late mother, whose death Kim Jong Un expressed “deep condolences” and “consolation” for. Meanwhile, Japan has also expressed concern over the event, with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe describing the missile launch as “an act that threatens the peace and safety of Japan and the region.”

“I remember during my second year at SIS, North Korea’s nuclear missile tests put everyone on edge,” said Kendall Sadler, English teacher. “Some people became worried that tensions between the North and the South were escalating, and feared that a nuclear war might break out. However, many of the South Koreans that had lived in the country for a long time were not as reactive to the event as some of the foreigners were, perhaps because similar happenings occur every few years for them. However, you never

know when the continuation of old practices will be disrupted, and North Korea’s actions are no exception. In fact, the information provided about the most recent missile launch seems to suggest that this incident is quite different from previous occasions. Thus, to properly address this issue, protocols should be re-examined to prevent the aforementioned issue from aggravating.”

North Korea’s recent trial run of what appears to be a pair of ballistic missiles has, among its other actions, caused increased tensions with nearby countries. With the magnitude of the country’s military weaponry visibly increasing, and the world’s chemical, biological, and nuclear munitions advancing rapidly, it is becoming even more crucial that precautions be made to ensure that these armaments are not used to cause unnecessary conflicts. At this point in time, the best resolution to the issue might be to resume denuclearization talks with North Korea as soon as possible, and to convince the North Korean government to take on a more liberal stance concerning the topic at hand.

CNN Hero Juan Pablo Romero visits SIS

SIS athletes attend Korea Basketball Classic From Nov. 22 to Nov. 23, varsity basketball athletes participated in the Korea Basketball Classic. This year, the event was hosted by SFS and YISS. Both the girls and boys teams demonstrated effective teamwork and stayed strong until the end, placing 2nd in the tournament. Their participation in the event not only exposed them to teams representing various schools, but also highlighted specific areas of improvement going forward.

“Competing with teams from different divisions such as SFS and YISS,” said Aidan Kim (12), varsity boys basketball player who took part in the Korea Basketball Classic.

“Our team mainly focused on defense, as we believe it is the more important than anything else. I think as the athletes get to know each other throughout the season, our team chemistry will improve.”

SIS hosts Korea Public Speaking Championship (KPSC) On Nov. 23, SIS hosted the 14th Korea Public Speaking Championship (KPSC), an event run by the Korea Forensics League to determine top six qualifiers who will represent Korea. For the third consecutive year, SIS won the Best Overall Team. Two students, Andy Yoon (12) and Katherine Suk (10) will be advancing to the international public speaking championship, which is scheduled to take place in Shanghai this year.

“Although there were some difficulties in the process of organizing the event, the championship went smoothly overall,” said Mr. Macklin, who was in charge of coordinating the KPSC at SIS. “Mr. Coleman and Mr. Rock judged for the entire day on a strictly volunteer basis. My hope is that young participants will return next year to represent SIS because, after all, teamwork is key.”

Connecting with AP Spanish students, Juan Pablo shares his message of dignity and change.

by Christopher

Shin

On Nov. 13, CNN Hero Juan Pablo Romero visited SIS to share his experience working as a leader of the non-profit organization “Los Patojos.”

Spanish for “little ones,” the organization’s name is inspired by its primary goal: helping underprivileged children in Guatemala find the path to a brighter future. Offering basic health services, a wide range of educational classes, room, and board, Los Patojos aims to create a loving community that can shield kids from the harsh realities of drugs and gang violence rampant in Guatemala.

“Romero is fighting against many of the evils plaguing the Guatemalan youth,” said Mr. Diaz, AP Spanish teacher. “He is

first addressing the poor school system that fails to wait for students to catch up with the curriculum and lacks classes to allow creative expression. He is also tackling the issue of narco gangs and their recruitment of children to sell drugs. Finally, he is persuading children to stay in Guatemala instead of illegally immigrating to the United States. Romero started his organization from nothing, but is doing amazing things.”

Los Patojos started off as an organization with humble beginnings. Originally, Romero simply set out to tutor a few local students after school in a part of his family’s home in 2006. However, through hard work and an intense passion to change Guatemala, he has been able to grow both his vision

and his organization. Now, the project has quickly expanded to include over 375 children from pre-kindergarten up to 9th grade and has helped over 1,000 kids over the years.

Romeo has always been passionate about spreading the ideologies of Los Patojos to places around the world. The organization has been widely covered by news media outlets such as CNN and has also garnered international publicity through Romero’s book, “Los Patojos’ Methodology and Perspectives for the Future.”

Although the work was originally published in Spanish, Romeo also made sure that English copies were created so that his message could reach a wider audience. His visit to South Korea is another testament to

Photo courtesy of Alejandro Diaz

his passion for inspiring youth to become contributing members to their communities.

“It was both really inspiring and heartwarming to watch Romero’s presentation on the work he has done for children of Guatemala,” said Jimin Kim (11), AP Spanish student. “While it is easy for students here at SIS to take their education and safety for granted, other kids around the globe struggle with gangs and drugs as a part of their day to day lives. Even just a few blocks from SIS, a lot of students do not have enough financial stability to pursue a proper education. I hope to make a positive impact like Romero and give back to my community one day.”

Tiger Times December 2019

5

Preparation for 2020 US presidential election shapes coming years

by Sarah

Ju

In preparation for the 59th US presidential election taking place on Nov. 3, 2020, candidates are currently shaping their campaigns and making a name for themselves in the public eye, giving political speeches at venues throughout the US, participating in debates, and more. There are a number of candidates running, and the majority of them are in the Democratic Party. With recent governmental trepidation, the effects of the election will be a consolidating factor in molding future political landscapes in the US. “The significance of presidential elections is that it centers in the minds of any US citizen about what issues are most important to them,” said James Kowalski, APUSH and AP Seminar teacher.

“It makes them think broadly about their priorities and their wants about the direction of the country that otherwise would not naturally come up. In terms of all of US history, I am not sure if this election is so unique. However, it does offer something that we haven’t seen in a long time, which is an opportunity to redefine the political parties. In 2016, we saw an unexpected and slow to be accepted re-evolution of the Republican Party. Now, we are witnessing an intentional re-definition of the Democratic party.”

The candidates for the 59th election differ from those of years past in their diversity. Donald Trump, the current president, is running for re-election, along with the usual blend of candidates who have had experience working in Congress.

Joe Biden, the previous vice president of the US, is running with the vast benefit of public name recog-

nition. Bernie Sanders, who ran for president during the 58th election, is running again in 2020. Elizabeth Warren, most prominently advocating for economic reform, is another distinguished candidate.

On the other hand, there are still many who have not partaken in US politics up until this point. Andrew Yang, an entrepreneur whose campaign revolves around his idea of universal income, is also a notable figure in the current arena of presidential debate. The results from this election will be the primary factor in determining the state of the US for the next four years, with the exclusive elements of this election contributing greatly toward the coming social, political, and economic environment.

“I think that elections play a major role in changing the future because the president serves as a crucial factor in shaping the government,” said Alex Kim (11). “The candidates in this election really show a diversity of their goals for the country and their thoughts about how to develop the US. I think that this election is especially interesting because of the impeachment process going on.

Its results will drastically alter what effects we will see in the political realm in the future.”

With numerous political controversies taking place, it is difficult to tell what the future holds for the US. Recent efforts to impeach Trump have clouded the implications for Trump’s re-election campaign, as the 2020 presidential election will depend largely on the result of Trump’s potential impeachment. As this is the first time a president is running for re-election amid an impeachment

process, the ramifications cannot be anticipated, contributing to the uniqueness and peculiarity of the 2020 election. Furthermore, during election season, tensions between altering political beliefs are more likely to arise to a possibly dangerous extent. As the US faces one of the most striking times of political divide, it is crucial for the next candidate to be the best-fit character to unify the chaos within the nation. However, it may be the case that people are placing too much emphasis on the importance of which candidate is elected.

“I think that people need to stop overreacting about who becomes president,” said Edward Lee (11), MUN delegate. “When Trump was elected in 2016, many said that the United States would be destroyed, but despite the many crazy things that occurred during the Trump administration, including the Muslim ban and the impeachment scandal, it should be worth looking at a more neutral ground. People should see what potential positives could come from the election results rather than making a one dimensional cry of despair because the candidate they rooted for lost unexpectedly. What I look forward to in the 2020 election is a Democrat becoming president, but hopefully not a high-minded idealist who has a lot to say about the issues the US faces but not about the potential solutions to solve them. As much as the ‘Yang gang’ looks appealing, having many PowerPoint slides and data tables does not mean that the policy presented would effectively work. Hopefully, a level headed candidate would prevail and bring some much needed order to the current discord on both sides.”

education or vacation? truth in numbers

by Brian

Ham

A quick Google search tells us that holidays are defined as “extended periods of leisure and recreation, especially ones spent away from home or in traveling; a vacation.” To most people, it seems like SIS students may have missed a couple of words here, including but not limited to “leisure,” “recreation,” and “away from home.” Rather, they interpret breaks from school as opportunities to spend even more time in academia, often attending hagwons. Academies also take advantage of this unique business opportunity by offering special sessions during vacations from dawn to dusk, functioning like a mini-school. In essence, students use their break time to work and

usually come back to school not necessarily feeling energized but even more exhausted.

This is the common stereotype held about our student body; however, how much truth does this perception actually contain?

According to a survey sent out to the high school earlier this month, 41.2 percent of students will travel outside of the country over winter break, whether it be for leisure or school functions such as UYSC’s volunteer trip to Cambodia. However, a whopping 70 percent will be attending hagwons, and an unfortunate 63 percent of them may find themselves stuck in a dusty classroom on the streets of Apgujeong during the week of Christmas.

The value that holidays hold may appear to be lost with some

SIS students because they have a differing idea of what “break” means. Through a purely objective lens, it is understandable that students do not consider vacationing as the most effective use of time, and we can even admire their dedication to go the extra mile and put themselves above the rest of the competition. As they usually spend seven hours each weekday attending school along with various extracurriclar activities, taking the time to slowly comprehend difficult material while having some breathing room can yield wonders during the next semester.

Additionally, attending outside academies over a three-week break will likely prevent a brain drain of all the knowledge they endeavored to gain during the

first half of the year, and students will be more equipped to begin learning as soon the first PA annoucement of the new year commences.

From a more sentimental perspective, however, we are enjoying the last years of our lives when our institution grants us a stress-free extended vacation; in 2017, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, workers with five years of experience at a company only received 15 days of paid vacation in a entire calendar year. Not only does spending vacations in an academy make the obligatory “what did you do over break?” interrogation period quite awkward, but constantly being immersed in academic endeavors hinders our abilities to simply enjoy our childhood.

Whether it be the 60 percent of the student body that cannot experience the different cultures around the world or the 30 percent that has to continually deal with academic stress, we may not be giving ourselves adequate time to relax and forget about the responsbilities, worries, and expectations that will inevitably surround us for the majority of our lives.

The last Christmas of the 2010s is right around the corner, and so are the final years of the first stage of our lives. Whether students utilize this vacation to invest in academics or leisure, these precious days off of school will certainly not be going to waste.

01

The generational wallet gap

Eric Hwang “In short the generational gap is not an abstract concept. On the contrary, its tangible impact on society today is overwhelming.”

When discussing the generational gap, culture is often an reactionary thought. NWA vs. Kendrick Lamar. Michael Jordan vs. LeBron James.

Star Wars vs. the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Unfortunately, the generational divide has much deeper, discordant roots beyond popular culture.

Beyond petty disagreements over music and entertainment, age-based conflicts have tangible effects on modern economics. Millennials and Generation Z’ers have been found to have lower average net worths, higher student debts, and rising housing costs compared to their elders.

As such, younger generations have often claimed that unfair burdens have limited their economic mobility whereas their older counterparts have argued that younger generations have grown “soft.” Although this conflict is certainly not a new phenomenon, it has seemingly grown increasingly critical in the modern age.

Ironically, the rapid advancement of modern nutrition and medical services has exacerbated age-based concerns. As life expectancies rise worldwide, populations have correspondingly grown older. For instance, the World Health Organization has predicted that the number of people over the age of 60 will more than double within three decades. This growth is expected in all sectors of the world, regardless of economic or geographical status, although East Asia is predicted to be a particularly heavy offender.

An aging population presents several unique challenges for society.

Older workforces are often found to be less economically efficient than younger populations and thus present a barrier to robust economic growth. Furthermore, an aging population suggests an increasingly unbalanced ratio of retired, dependent citizens to economically active workers. This has obvious implications for social services such Social Security. An increase in constituents utilizing these services without corresponding growth in tax-paying demographics must be reconciled by either paring down these programs or increasing burdens on younger generations. Unfortunately for Millennials and Generation-Z’ers, the second scenario seems more likely; an older population also implies more elderly voters, who have historically had higher voter participation than younger demographics and have naturally opposed reductions to social welfare programs. Thus, if historical trends hold, younger generations will be required to brunt the financial consequences of the expanding elderly class.

Older populations also threaten Medicare. Not only do aging populations indicate an increased number of patients, but one out of every three currently active physicians will also be of retirement age within the next decade. According to the Association of American Medical Colleges, this combination will lead to a drastic supply and demand crisis. The United States will suffer from a shortage of between 46,900 to 121,900 physicians by 2032. Some states, such as Arizona, have already begun

to experience this deficit, which could exacerbate already historically high medical costs, limit availability to vital medical treatments, and aggravate inequality in access to medical services. Furthermore, in a manner similar to social security, strains on publicly sponsored healthcare programs, particularly Medicare, could also financially burden younger generations.

Generational economic conflicts have also existed apart from maturing populations. For instance, younger demographics, particularly Millennials, have often been charged with “killing” certain industries such as weddings and department stores. Although these “deaths” have often been accredited to shifting spending habits caused by Millennials, who are often understood as more idealistic and experience-oriented, research has also found that these changing consumer habits may be a result of less consumer participation as a whole. In essence, relatively stagnant wages coupled with simultaneous increases in college debt and housing costs seem to have lowered spending by Millennials overall.

Alongside the aforementioned changes to spending habits, this has led to the “death” of certain traditional industries.

Of course, the generational gap has not been limited to economics. In politics, many issues have been divided by age, with older generations naturally opposing short term sacrifices for long term benefits such as climate change investments. Even methods of consuming information and media have radically evolved. According to a 2018 Gallup poll, the most popular medium for news among Generation Z and Millennials is social media, while 81 percent Americans over the age of 65 primarily rely on television news. In short the generational gap is not an abstract concept. On the contrary, its tangible impact on society today is overwhelming. Millennials have been fired for “OK Boomer” memes, elections are decided along generational lines, and the laws intended to govern future generations are written by ones of the past. Until this generational divide in society is addressed, debates between Boomers and Millennials in the workplace will remain just as fundamental as Blockbuster vs.

Netflix.

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Tiger Times December 2019 Layout by Claire Lee

7

The generational tug-of-war

Irene Kim “It is crucial to realize that the complaints that generation Z have towards their elders have also been the same complaints that both baby boomers and millennials had when they were teenagers, toward the older generation.”

The “OK Boomer” meme has been currently becoming vastly popularized throughout social media, even being referred to in a recent parliamentary debate in New Zealand. Such a phrase has been mainly utilized by the younger generations, or members of Generation Z who are born between 1996 and 2015. “OK Boomer” may seem to appear to be a negligible meme, but the younger generation is implicitly mocking how the older generation, specifically the baby boomers, are judgemental of the “Gen Z” culture in today’s society. Recent clashes of generations have once again brought up the debate regarding generational gaps among baby boomers, millennials, and the newly formed Generation Z. Generation X, or the baby boomers, have been perceived as being “clueless” in the current society. The common stereotypes of the boomers are that they are bleak, cynical, and disaffected. Considering the fact that Generation X includes individuals mostly born between 1946 and 1964, many view that baby boomers do not understand new technology that is rapidly developing in our current world, including that they cannot utilize the technology even if they wanted to since they “lack” the ability to learn new skills due to their old age. Furthermore, the majority hold the prejudice of how Gen X are intensely stubborn; as a result, that is the reason they refuse to switch to the latest tools in technology since they do not want to yield to new ideas or trends that interfere with their fixed mindset. As the younger generation in contemporary society hold this bias, the popularity of the “OK Boomer” meme among Gen Z-ers explicates the generational tension regarding the disagreement in their perspectives. However, while some members of the boomers could be obstinate with their beliefs, the current baby boomers were also once young people in the 1960s who were involved in progressive ideas and protests, along with advocating for the concept of “free love.” According to a research done by Monash University Associate Professor Steven Roberts, when boomers reach their 50s and 60s, they tend to forget that the younger generation of today “mirror” their own experience of the will to have more freedom of expression.

Millennials also cannot avoid bias others hold on them. Generation Y is considered to be “lazy” and to have overly high expectations at the same time. However, the reality is that millennials hold a more negative view than baby boomers. As a result, many believe that members who

belong to Generation Y “work to live rather than live to work,” according to The Guardian. As it is a stereotype, this has been portrayed as a real, common characteristic among the millennials. They would work in an extreme manner to achieve what they want, which is most of the time and money. Annaliisa Asveit, a former office worker part of Generation Y, said that she would work 60 hours a week in the most harsh jobs just to “scrape money together to live in London.” For this common sight, the public assume that all millennials are exceptionally ambitious and greedy to do anything to attain what they want.

Compared to the past generations of X and Y, teenagers currently in Generation Z have been subjected to much criticism; they believe their predecessors are narrow-minded. On the other hand, their elders, however, believe the Zer are addicted to social media and their smartphones, and trapped in their own world due to the large amount of time that they are exposed to the Internet. A defining characteristic of the generation, as a result, is a tendency to be intolerant and a desire for the freedom to express themselves without interference of others. These post-millennials have been portrayed by the media as expressing their complaints regarding how adults are judging the ways they dress on a daily basis, choices they make with money, and gender expressions as well. On a rising, popular social media platform called TikTok, members of the Gen Z are using the song “OK Boomer” to make sing along videos to depict how irritating it is for them to have the older generation meddle in their own choices or expressions they decide to make. The newly arrived post-millenials are increasingly making use of social media to respond to the generational conflict and plights they are facing in the current society.

8 LIFESTYLE New Christmas albums to enjoy this winter

by Jimin

Lee

“Christmas: A Season of Love”

by Idina Menzel Released on Oct. 18, “Christmas: A Season of Love” is Idina Menzel’s second Christmas album. Known for her distinct and stable vocals, Menzel has once again garnered significant public attention with her new album. The album features 18 songs, some of which are original. To make the album even more special, Menzel collaborated with various artists such as Ariana Grande, Billy Porter, and Aaron Lohr to produce duets for inclusion in this album.

Seniors face new challenges after apps

by Emily

Sung

After struggling through a seemingly endless race, SIS seniors finally crossed the finish line on Nov. 14 with the final press of the submit button on their CommonApp portals. With their computer screens completely filled with green check marks, seniors officially confirmed the end of their college applicationsprocess. The methods of celebrating the end of their high school struggles have varied for every senior, ranging from maintaining perfect attendance to skipping school sporadically.

Many seniors have fallen into the latter routine, starting off the day by seriously contemplating whether or not they should go to school.

“Although it may be a little bit exasperating because the senior class has been doing this for the fourth year now, nothing much has changed just because they are seniors,” said Kendall Sadler, AP Literature teacher. “Just like

9th, 10th, or 11th grade, they also have pressure to try to finish every assignment in school even after applications, and even though their strength or will starts to dwindle, seniors are still generally motivated enough to try to get everything done and turned in even after the dreaded deadline of applications.”

Some seniors have chosen to skip since then because they are plagued by both the constant stress of school and the lack of motivation to listen to lectures. Rather than staying at school for seven hours, they would much rather skip school and remain at home, sleeping in or binge-watching movies.

This is likely due to the fact that few seniors feel the need to go through their previous after-school cycles of hagwons and homework, which formerly contributed to their lack of sleep.

Now, they can simply to go home and enjoy the abundance of free time they have reclaimed after enduring the longest and busiest

years of high school.

“I was very relaxed after submitting my college apps because the fact that apps were due in few days came across as great stress for me constantly,” Jaeho Hwang (12) said. “I was actually more motivated after submitting them because I felt like I was now able to commit to activities I was not able to commit to because of the constant stress of writing apps.”

Teachers, however, naturally expect seniors to continue keeping up with their school work.

Although applications have been completed and the general atmosphere among seniors has become more relaxed, the continuous cycle of tests and projects has not ceased, leading some seniors to continue to attend school like they did in past years. In short, most, if not all, seniors do not want to fall behind on their academics last minute which is why they choose to come to school despite being done with their apps. The stereotype that all seniors give up on

Big Bang members discharged from military service

“Christmas in the City”

by Lea Michele Former Glee star Lea Michele released her first-ever Christmas album titled “Christmas in the City” on Oct. 25.

Through the album, she hopes to illustrate her love for Christmas in New York City. In addition to timeless carols such as “Silent Night,” the album includes “Christmas in New York,” an original co-written by Michele and Adam Anders, as well as “Do You Want to Build a Snowman?” a popular track from Disney’s “Frozen.”

“The Best of Pentatonix Christmas”

by Pentatonix To add to the holiday spirit, acapella group Pentatonix released “The Best of Pentatonix Christmas” on Oct. 25.

Alongside the group’s selected hits from its previous Christmas albums, the album contains four new tracks.

As expected from a Grammy Award winning group, many have expressed positive opinions of Pentatonix’s latest album, complimenting the group’s remarkable harmony and synchronization.

“Merry Christmas Deluxe Anniversary Edition”

by Mariah Carey Mariah Carey, one of the most iconic Christmas legends of all time, released “Merry Christmas Deluxe Anniversary Edition” on Nov. 1 to celebrate its 25th anniversary. Despite having been around for more than 20 years, Carey’s album remains extremely popular to this day. In addition to the classics, the album presents new remixes, live tracks, and Carey’s modern rendition of “Sugar Plum Fairy.” Fans have responded with great enthusiasm.

their school work after finishing their apps, then, extends only to a small minority of seniors, as many students not only come to school every single day but also study hard for tests and dedicate much of their time on homework.

“I think that my motivation levels are pretty similar before and after apps,” Angela Ahn (12) said. “It might be because regular schools still look at our first semester grades or just out of habit. It might also be because there is just so much work to do that it is impossible to procrastinate. I do not think that I am alone with this sentiment; everyone around me is still working so hard even after apps are over.

One thing that is different from before is that we are starting to think of everything as the last chance so it makes everything seem more special than before.”

by Jenny

Seo

On Oct. 16, pop artist G-Dragon from the Korean boy band Big Bang was discharged from the military after serving the mandatory 20-month service period required in South Korea.

Following G-Dragon, bandmates Taeyang and Daesung were also released a few weeks later on Nov. 10. With one other member, T.O.P, also having completed his military service in the past, many fans are hoping for the band to make a comeback; however various scandals that have surrounded the group during their enlistment may stall their future plans.

“I remember my mouth falling open in shock when I first heard that three members of my favorite band were enlisted for military service,” said Suzy Choi (10), a fan of Big Bang. “Because

they are such a significant part of the K-pop industry, I never thought about them being gone for almost two years. After all the negative incidents that surrounded the group, most people thought that it was the end for Big Bang. However, as a fan, I can say that the group’s fanbase will continue supporting the remaining members, even if they choose to branch out as soloists.”

Regardless of the support from fans who long for Big Bang’s comeback, the scandals Big Bang members have markedly been embroiled in makes the future of the band uncertain.

For example, in 2016, T.O.P was forced to enlist as a public service worker after being discharged from the police for charges of smoking marijuana. Former Big Bang member Seungri also announced that he would be leaving the entertainment indus-

try in March after being involved in the Burning Sun scandal, in which a nightclub he owned was accused of various sexual crimes.

Additionally, Big Bang’s label, YG Entertainment, has faced legal troubles of its own­—mainly due to Yang Hyun-suk, the founder of YG Entertainment, stepping down from his position amid gambling and sexual service allegations in June.

“I think that these illegal actions will definitely have a huge impact on the group’s future and image, as these topics are particularly very sensitive here in Korea right now,” said Christine Yi (10), an avid follower of the Korean entertainment industry. “So many negative cases have been dragging the atmosphere of K-pop down these days, and I believe that this will inevitably influence Big Bang’s ability to flourish like they used

to. Even if they do make a comeback later on, I think it will take time and patience to fill the void of Seungri, but I do hope that the remaining members will be able to function as a group once again.”

Although some believe that Big Bang is unlikely to regain its success due to the complications that hurt them, others expect they will continue to thrive with their immense fanbase and undying support. When Big Bang members stepped out of the military base, nearly 3,000 fans greeted G-Dragon with slogans and banners while more than 3,500 fans showed up for the discharge of Taeyang and Daesung.

Additionally, the sportswear brand Nike has already released an exclusive edition of the Air Force 1 sneakers in collaboration with G-Dragon, while Taeyang and Daesung are reportedly scheduled to attend fashion shows and various meetings to discuss future plans. Regardless of the conflicting opinions regarding Big Bang, only time will tell the result of the iconic boy band’s comeback.

“In Korea, people are extremely protective and defensive over celebrities they are a fan of,” said Hannah Kim (10), a follower of social issues and fan of K-pop.

“Social issues and illegal actions celebrities commit should reflect the wrongdoings of them, but I do not think that happens here often. The aftermath of the legal troubles Big Bang had caused are yet to be addressed by them, and some fans I know actually hope that people will forget their wrongdoings. Although such controversies still bring down and influence public stars, I believe that their fame ultimately depends on the size of their fanbase.”

Tiger Times December 2019

9

Movie Review: Parasite

by Clara

Lim

On May 30, Parasite, a film by movie director Bong Joon-ho was released in South Korea. The story begins with a family that lives in a small semi-basement apartment.

When their son becomes a tutor for a daughter from a rich family, they get exposed to a privileged household. Pretending to be sophisticated and high skilled workers, they gradually infiltrate the rich family’s house. They get to experience luxuries and boundless wealth that they had never known, before as they had scrambled to survive in the past. The movie shows the gap between the rich and poor in South Korea and the realistic struggle of going through poverty. It criticizes the common perception toward the poor and how such social norms affect people’s well-being.

“I was fascinated by how well the movie reflected reality,” said Michelle Heo (10), a viewer of Parasite. “Throughout the movie, a clear visual comparison is shown between rich and poor. It is real and honest. Every little detail is different, starting from their names to educational backgrounds, occupations, habits, clothing, and demeanors. Also, there are relatable protagonists who are not necessarily likable, yet realistic. They are common neighbors that you easily encounter in the streets, which

makes the movie more enjoyable.”

With its realistic and solid plotline, Parasite has attracted over 10 million viewers in both South Korea and foreign countries. It was highly successful, considering not only the number of viewers, but also the awards it received. It was selected as the South Korean entry for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. Winning the Palme d’Or at the 2019 Cannes became first Korean film to receive this award with a unanimous vote.

“I feel like there is something that makes Parasite different from other movies,” said Ariel Ahn (10), a viewer of Parasite. “As it is mentioned by its director, Parasite is not a documentary. It does not aim to deliver a memorable lesson to change the world. Instead, it merely shows the catastrophe of the society that we are living in. I think this is what makes Parasite unique, compared to other movies. Usually, it is highly unlikely for a non-English film to receive an award in the U.S., due to the language barrier.

However, Parasite got recognized in the international movie industry, in addition to attracting much foreign attention. This shows how special the impact that Parasite brought is.”

Not only is the movie making waves on an international level for its miscellaneous plot settings and breathtaking plot twists, but it is

also bringing attention to the history of South Korea. “Jessica Jingle” is a catchy remix that appears in one of the scenes in Parasite. This short jingle is based on the original Korean song “Dokdo is Our Land,” which is a nationalistic and informational song that advocates for ownership of South Korea over Dokdo Island. It aims to increase awareness amongst the younger generation on the competition over Dokdo against Japan. After hearing "Jessica Jingle", there has been increasing foreign attention toward the history of Dokdo.

“Growing up in the US for the majority of my life, I had limited knowledge about Dokdo,” said Wonju Lee (10), a viewer of Parasite. “After hearing a remix based on ‘Dokdo is Our Land’ I became interested in the history of Dokdo Island. This catchy and gripping remix was stuck in my head for days after watching the movie, and made me hum along. Moreover, it inspired me to research national affairs and conflicts involving the territory, from pure curiosity.

Watching the news, I learned that it was not only me who became interested in the history of Dokdo, but many people, including foreigners.

I hope this can be an opportunity to increase awareness of Korean sovereignty over Dokdo Island and Korean history.”

Apple releases noise-cancelling AirPods Pro

by Irene

Kim

On Oct. 30, Apple released its newest and improved AirPods: the AirPods Pro. At the price of $249, the upgrades show that this latest model is not a mere substitute for the last two models of AirPods. With the number of preorders reaching around two million around the world, the newest earbuds are continuing to rise in popularity.

“I was surprised to hear at first that Apple was releasing another edition of the AirPods,” said Wendy Kang (11), a frequent user of her AirPods. “I think there is a reason that the new model has a higher price because I have heard that Apple has completely changed the design and added new elements that the last two models did not have.”

Apple has given the AirPods Pros several new features and a brand-new hardware design. The Pros have a new in-ear design with the silicone tips coming in three different sizes that serve to provide an improved noise-cancellation feature, comfort, and a better fit for the ears. Although the charging case has become wider to accommodate the new shape, Apple designed it so that it is still pocketable for users. Active noise-cancellation technology has also improved with the latest version of AirPods; users can utilize a new feature called the Transparency mode, which both allows them to listen to music with active noise cancellation and still hear the outside noises

of the surrounding environment.

Furthermore, the AirPods Pro provides water and sweat resistance as well among their new features.

With such new features added to the latest model, many reviewers online were impressed with the drastic change in the sound quality and noise cancellation feature, along with the improved design that Apple has made.

“I find the in-ear design for the latest AirPods to be very comfortable,” said Sophia Moon (11), a recent user of the AirPods Pro. “I also owned the past model, and the sound quality was fine, but it was uncomfortable since they would frequently fall out of my ears. However, with the in-ear design and silicone tips for the AirPods Pro, I like how I do not have to worry about them falling out because the design makes sure that it is secure in my ears. I was also very impressed with the noise-cancellation feature that helps me focus on my work and music without distractions, and the sound bass has also become much better and highly improved.”

Although the earbuds received criticism when they first released the first model of AirPods, they are now reaching the peak of its popularity, leading to these newest pairs, which is the third model of the AirPods. With the skyrocketing sales of the newest AirPods, sales are expected to increase further with the continuing popularity of the earbuds.

Enjoying his new Airpod Pro, Austin Hong (10) listens to music in the student lounge.

photos by Sunny Lee

10 SPORTS Colin Kaepernick remains unsigned Workout with NFL yields little results for Kaepernick

by Chris

Lee

On Nov. 16, the NFL held a workout session for Colin Kaepernick, a free agent quarterback who has remained unsigned since 2017. Although this recent workout was a major step in offering Kaepernick a spot in the NFL, it was marked by legal disputes and disagreements over media coverage.

Furthermore, although nearly a month has passed since the workout session, Kaepernick still remains unsigned.

“I was very surprised that the NFL offered Kaepernick a workout,” said Bryan Hur (12), NFL fan. “It was surprising to hear the news in the middle of the NFL season when all of the teams are trying to work with the roster they currently have. Also, I think the workout was especially unexpected given the historically bad relationship between Kaepernick and the NFL authorities.”

Throughout the past several years, Kaepernick and the NFL have had a turbulent relationship. First, Kaepernick’s protests during the playing of the national anthem led NFL to avoid signing him after the 2017 season. In addition, Kaepernick filed a complaint in November 2017, accusing NFL owners of blackballing him, or colluding to exclude him from NFL rosters.

The recent workout was also full of disagreements. Kaepernick’s lawyers and the NFL fought over a waiver form, which placed additional restrictions on Kaepernick. Furthermore, Kaepernick requested a venue change just one hour before the scheduled workout, forcing many NFL scouts and media personnel to relocate.

“I think the entire setup was unprofessional for both the NFL and Kaepernick,” said Thomas Song (11), NFL fan.

“As an athlete, I would not want to be notified about an important workout just days before the actual event. On the other hand, Kaepernick should have tried to work cooperatively with the NFL authorities instead of requesting last-minute changes in the workout venue. Despite these complications, I was glad that Kaepernick was able to perform well in the workout.”

Although several NFL executives commended Kaepernick’s throwing ability after the workout, Kaepernick still remains unsigned. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, no NFL team has reached out to Kaepernick for a private meeting although weeks have passed since the workout. Although the workout failed to get him employed, Kaepernick’s colleagues, including the Carolina Panthers’ Eric Reid, claim that the workout was a success because it demonstrated Kaepernick’s readiness to play in the NFL. “Colin Kaepernick was protesting an issue that is not particular to the NFL,” said Michael Silber, social studies teacher. “On the one hand, there is no question that under the first amendment, he should be able to protest.

Many fans and players support him, while some don’t. On the other side, it is a different question whether he can do this while he is in uniform. If the employers consider it a problem for their athletes to protest because it hurts their sales, the employee must go by the expectations. This is about expectations of an employee and Kaepernick’s freedom as an American. The question is how far are you willing to go to stand up for your principles.”

NCAA allows student-athletes to be paid for their names and images

by Sarah

Baek

On Oct. 29, the board of governors of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) announced a unanimous vote to pay college athletes for the use of their names, images, and likenesses. Recently, California became the first state to pass the Fair Pay to Play Act, which permits college athletes to hire sponsors and receive paid endorsements, but does not allow schools to directly pay their student-athletes. Previously, the NCAA opposed the act as it put California colleges in defiance of past NCAA amateurism rules, thereby making those colleges at risk of expulsion from the NCAA. If this new nation wide decision is implemented, college student-athletes will be paid by their schools for raising millions in revenue every year.

“This decision seems like a win-win for the college sports programs,” said James Tyvand, varsity girls tennis and boys soccer coach. “Although the NCAA and universities don’t have to directly pay the student athletes, they can take advantage of their likenesses and images. What’s interesting is why NCAA made this decision.

It’s because individual states have decided first to allow these athletes to take advantage, and NCAA was catching up with the states’ efforts. However, now that NCAA decided to allow what the states have done, the federal government can put some good boundaries on the common sense of this issue. Previously, the whole process was run by the state for the student-athletes to be compensated for their image and likeness.”

The NCAA itself is a billion-dollar business, and the call to give student-athletes a piece

of that revenue has grown louder in recent years. The deadline for legislative proposals for NCAA’s new decision will be around November 2020, and the timing is significant as the NCAA says a record number of college students—nearly 500,000 men and women—are participating in championship-level sports.

However, under this decision, only five percent of top-tier student-athletes will begin to profit off their efforts. Experts speculate that this competitive advantage is one likely reason why legislators in other states are pursuing their own versions of the Act. As this compensation was sought after for many years, politicians writing these bills believe that college athletes should have some control over the use of their identities.

“I honestly think that this decision is going to provide more incentives for student-athletes to focus on their sports and to work harder since their primary job is to be a successful athlete just like any other college student is

Winter sports season update by

Kate Lee

On the first week of November, the winter sports season officially began. From the beginning, both the basketball and cheerleading teams had a busy schedule: the basketball teams spent hours per week practicing drills and simulating actual games to prepare for upcoming games, while the cheerleading team practiced coordinating their dance routine and cheers for upcoming games and showcases.

“I believe that the winter sports season will no doubt be a success,” said Timothy Munro, varsity boys basketball team coach. “I know that the boys are especially putting in a lot of effort to improve when playing drills and practicing games. In fact, I think the great results we have had so far in all of our games reflect the amount of dedication each athlete has.

If all of the athletes continue to practice this diligently, we can

definitely look forward to great things.”

So far, the basketball teams demonstrated strong performances, winning nearly all of their games. The teams continuously had positive results at the beginning of the season, winning by large margins against international schools such as Gyeonggi Suwon International School (GSIS) and Dwight Seoul School (DSS). Moreover, the teams maintained their fine form in the Korean Basketball Classics, where they beat teams from Chadwick International (CI) and Yongsan International School of Seoul (YISS). However, both the girls and boys lost to Seoul Foreign School (SFS) in the finals, leaving them to reflect on how to become stronger players in the future.

“I think that our performance so far has been decent,” said Michelle Ahn (12), captain of the girls basketball team. “We have won most of our games so far,

trying to exceed with their academics,” said Michelle Ahn (12), varsity basketball player. “Having to balance academics, sports, and monetary needs often endow great stress onto the athletes, hindering their performance in all three fields. By being paid, athletes are encouraged to give their best by decreasing their range of responsibilities.”

While politicians in New York, Illinois, and Florida have proposed similar bills allowing endorsement deals for college student-athletes, members of Congress believe a federal statute to be the more appropriate vehicle to address the commercial use of college sports. However, the duration and amount collegiate student-athletes would earn remain unclear. The prospect of paying student-athletes has also raised concerns over the possibility of exacerbating the disparity between more commercially marketable college sports and their less popular counterparts, distorting college sports cul-

ture into a market. Although the NCAA has pronounced that this decision will provide financial opportunities and the best possible experience for college athletes, critics argue that the monetization of college athletes could excessively heighten the status of athletes within their school communities, which could also alter relationships between coaches and players.

“To me, it seems mandatory that compensation beyond scholarship is given to student-athletes,” said Timothy Munro, boys varsity basketball coach. “I think that SIS students should be particularly aware of how competitive NCAA is, as they have morning, lunch, and after school practices, and they still have to go to classes and do homework. Even when I played in college, I only got a job Sunday after noon—the only time that we didn’t have basketball. Because we are not even looking for a million dollars, just the minimum wage should be guaranteed for these student-athletes.”

and we have been concentrating on maintaining a positive atmosphere in general. However, we still have much area for improvement.

Most of our statistics are lower than we hoped, especially when compared to the list of team goals and success percentages we want to achieve by the end of the season. But we are still working hard as a team, so I am sure we will still remain as a strong team throughout the season.”

Meanwhile, the varsity cheerleading team attended all of the basketball games to cheer on the basketball teams and display their choreography in front of large audiences. Furthermore, the cheerleading team is also currently adjusting to several changes that have been made this season. This year, the JV and Varsity cheerleading teams combined into one, which led to cheerleaders having to attend a significantly greater number of games. In addition, for the first time in SIS history, the team has two coaches and the cheerleaders are thus attempting to familiarize

themselves to effectively listening to the advice of not one, but two coaches.

“Overall, the team is adjusting well to the new changes,” said Hannah Yoo (11), varsity cheerleader. “Having two coaches with previous experience teaching cheer has provided many benefits because both coaches know what feedback to give each member to help all of us improve. Also, although there unfortunately is no JV team for less experienced members to join this year, all of the girls are working extremely hard to meet the varsity standards. In fact, everyone has their unique strength and style, which makes our team all the more stronger.”

Both the basketball and cheerleading teams still have a long season to endure, with many games and showcases coming up in the next few months. However, the fact that both teams have been successful in their performances so far demonstrates the fact that the winter sports athletes have a promising future.

Tiger Times December 2019

NBA load management raises controversy

by Eric

Hwang

Considering star players are one of the primary selling points of the NBA’s superstar driven business model, broadcasting companies have been understandably upset when popular players have sat out nationally televised games. In this sense, load management has raised concerns over fairness to consumers and broadcasters.

“As an NBA fan of over seven years, I’ve seen a lot of the struggles, pains, and fatigue that the NBA players experience throughout the season, especially with 82 games packed in that one season,” said Hugh Kang (11), avid NBA fan.

“I also believe that it is a big part of an athlete’s job to condition and maintain a healthy body throughout his or her career. After putting two and two together, I think that load management, to a certain extent, is justifiable because of the incredible rate of injuries that exists in the modern NBA. Obviously, this ‘load management’ should not be used as an excuse to skip games. Instead, it should be used as a means of replenishing

the body and preventing injuries.”

In order to address concerns over load management, the NBA has implemented several rules. For instance, league commissioner Adam Silver is allowed to impose fines on teams that rest players in nationally televised games, sit out multiple healthy players in the same game, and more. However, teams are exempted from this rule when utilizing rest games to monitor specific past injuries. While this rule is primarily intended to exempt players returning from particularly severe or difficult-to-rehabilitate injuries, it has created a loophole. For instance, Kawhi Leonard has utilized relatively minor injuries, such as lingering knee pain, that he would normally play through in order to categorize himself as “unhealthy,” thereby avoiding league punishment.

The NBA has also attempted to address the underlying causes of load management—particularly the incredibly dense and exhausting NBA season­—by spacing out games, shortening the pre-season,

reducing the number of back-toback games, and more. However, reducing the number of regular season games has been avoided: a reduction of games would mean lower revenue from basketball.

This would decrease both league profits and player salaries. While players like Leonard may not want to play in all 82 games, the current system of load management allows players to be paid for the additional games.

“I don’t think the [NBA] would reduce the number of regular season games,” said Timothy Munro, varsity boys’ basketball coach. “But I also don’t think that they should even have to reduce the number of games… It’s funny how the whole concept of load management works. There are so many injuries from guys now anyways, whereas through the 80s, 90s, and early 2000s, there was no concept of load management, yet there weren’t more injuries even though guys played all 82 games.”

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Since the 2017-’18 NBA season, NBA superstar and two-time finals MVP Kawhi Leonard has inflamed controversy for his usage of load management, the practice of sidelining a healthy player during a regular season game to preserve the player’s health for the postseason.

Leonard is not the first NBA player to practice load management; similar policies under different titles have existed within the San Antonio Spurs organization since the early 2000s, and the term “load management” itself was popularized by Joel Embiid in the 2016-’17 season. However, in terms of prevalence, load management is a new phenomenon. Over the past two years, players like LeBron James, Joel Embiid, Kristaps Porzingis, and Ja Morant have utilized the strategy as a tool to help readjust to the physically demanding NBA after serious injuries. However, Leonard’s infamous association with load management has risen due to his continued reliance on

the practice well after his last major injury, which occurred nearly two years ago. After recently sitting out several nationally televised games due to load management, Leonard has sparked a league-wide debate on the merits of the program.

“I personally believe that load management is soft,” said David Lim (11), former JV basketball player and Coach’s Choice Award recipient. “I’ve played through injuries in my basketball career before. I’ve played through a broken hand and pneumonia. If I can do that for a high school varsity game, pros being paid millions of dollars to play the game they love can do better.”

Load management has received particularly harsh criticism from the NBA’s fans and media partners, with many NBA fans expressing discontent over paying for expensive tickets to see their favorite players only for them to not suit up. On a corporate level, companies such as ESPN and TNT have paid billions of dollars for the broadcasting rights of NBA games.

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Instructing the varsity girls basketball team, Coach Koester plans an offensive play against KIS.

photo by Lauren Kang

12

SMALL TALK

Joanne Yang word of the month

Misinformation

Misinformation. The word misinformation refers to the dissemination of false or inaccurate information usually intended to deceive others. Especially with the advent of technology and digital platforms that made worldwide communication possible with a touch of a single button, misinformation is a rampant phenomenon plaguing modern politics and social media apps like TikTok and Twitter. Fake news not only threatens citizens’ abilities to make informed decisions about political candidates in elections, but also thwarts conscious deliberations of health and personal wellbeing.

Misinformation has played an inevitable role in influencing politics and elections. In the recent Kentucky governor election where Kentucky’s Democratic Attorney General Andy Beshear emerged victorious over Republican Governor Matt Bevin, Bevin demanded a recount, claiming that the election was a voter fraud full of “irregularities” without concrete evidence. The default explanation for Bevin’s loss at re-election was triggered by social media bots that claimed that ballots were misprinted and, even more radically,

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BY CHRISTOPHER SHIN

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Practically every education system utilizes some form of standardized testing as a metric to measure students’ abilities and progress and in their learning. From the SAT to the ACT, the GCSE to the BTEC, the AP to the IB, the LSAT to the MCAT, there is a seemingly inexhaustible list of acronyms for the multitude of standardized tests administered every year in educational institutions around the world.

However, despite its persistent usage, questions regarding the effectiveness of standardized testing as a means to accurately measure academic success have come to light, and recent studies have shown the negative impact these assessments can have on students’ health and well-being.

Taking these factors into account, what if standardized testing did

that Kentucky had bought completely new voting machines to rig the election outcome. According to the New York Times, a Twitter user with 19 followers under the pseudonym “Overlordkraken1” tweeted that he had “just shredded a box of Republican mail-in ballots.” Fervent conservatives captured his initially inconsequential post and accused Democrats of electoral theft and manipulation; meanwhile, their efforts were reinforced by an underlying network of partisan social media bots which proposed conspiracy theories. The spread of such misinformation is leading to a polarized and vulnerable society in which there is a diminished public trust of government institutions and, even more alarmingly, of democracy in general. It is paving a leeway for politicians to exploit the power of social media and news to their advantage and question the validity of political processes.

The implications of misinformation extend from threats to democracy to public health. More than half of the states in the US experienced a stark decline in vaccination of children against diseases like measles and polio according to The

not exist?

Most students would rejoice at the thought of a world without standardized tests, and for good reason, too. According to a survey conducted by the New York State School Boards Association, 76 percent of psychologists from New York’s more than 600 school districts reported that anxiety from standardized testing was a common cause for anxiety among students. Ranging from mild cases of nervousness to even depression-induced suicide, anxiety from standardized testing is a problem that universally plagues students around the globe. In countries like South Korea, where suicide is the leading cause of death among teenagers, the unrealistically high expectations of success on standardized testing set by parents, teachers, and societal norms only exacerbate the problem.

A test-free world would serve as a stark contrast to the countless number of stressed out students in today’s education system: in the time that they would have spent studying for exams, many students would gain opportunities to pursue activities that they genuinely enjoy or are truly passionate about. In these instances, students would be able to explore their interests and experience lower levels of stress. However, in some cases, an absence of standardized testing would kill any motivation to study. In a system where students are not evaluated based on their retention of knowledge, some may see no tangible

Guardian. Fake news on social media platforms supported the anti-vaccine movement by conveying scientifically inaccurate information on how disease mortality rates decreased without vaccines and that vaccines cause autism.

Without sound evidence, misinformation capitalized on the fear of autistic disorders and jeopardized the safety of many children who did not resort to such fundamental means of protection from serious illnesses.

In response to the growing epidemic of misinformation, social media platforms are taking active stances to combat its troubling nature. Facebook announced that it would prohibit anti-vaccine advertisements, dramatically reduce anti-vaccine content, and remove fundraising tools for anti-vaccine groups. Though these groups and pages that provide misinformation in the medical industry will not be completely abolished, Facebook is making them less accessible to the public by making it harder to see or spread their posts. Meanwhile, to address misinformation in the political realm, Twitter has decided to ban political advertisements.

reason to study the content outside of class. Without any form of testing, it would be extremely difficult to keep students accountable for their learning.

Additionally, in a world without any standardized test scores, it would also be hard to evaluate individuals in a timely and efficient manner. For example, while test scores do not holistically represent a student’s abilities, they instantly provide college admissions officers with a general idea of the applicant’s academic aptitude as a positive correlation between test scores and academic success does exist. When millions of college applications have to be processed every year, a world without any standardized tests would see an extremely backed up and inefficient admissions process.

Instead of overhauling the system as a whole, perhaps it is more advisable to make reforms to the system in order to address some of the problems regarding standardized testing. For example, schools could make use of more comprehensive counseling programs in order to help students cope with the mental anxiety caused by standardized testing. Alternatively, tests could be administered less frequently throughout the school year in order to mitigate the periods of stress among the youth. Through progressive changes, the standardized testing system can serve as a useful tool without devastating student health.

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month

According to the BBC, Twitter believes that the power of advertising “should be earned, not bought” and that politicians often misuse its platform to micro-target a subset of voters with unchecked information.

Misinformation is a hazard to the validity of democratic elections and public safety. Despite the efforts of social media companies in curbing the trend of fake news, more questions arise on the ethicality and effectiveness of their actions.

Twitter’s move to ban political ads sparks controversy on whether or not social media companies have the right to censor information and the freedom of speech of politicians to convey its messages or policies to the public. It also brings to light technical questions on what truly constitutes the “political” aspect of issues.

Nonetheless, companies should not be the only actors in minimizing fake news: we should all combat misinformation by being responsible of what we post online and verify information before accepting them as fact.

Performing “Santa Tell Me,” Eju Ro (12) and Suzie Choi (12) awes the audience at the atrium during activity period on Dec. 4.

Photo by Lauren Kang