Eagle's Eye

Eagle’s Eye March 20131

X-Block water sports gives students exercise

Physics Field Trip . . . 5Physics students travel to Kuala Lumpur and visit Science Museum

Note: This copy of the school paper has been writ-ten by the students in the English 12 class.

Writers: Sydney Adams, Shion Beak, Jarrod Fors-dick, Jeeho Han, Anna Hoffmeyer, Chanel Huang, Sol Jin, Sam Kes, Esther Kim, Grace Kim, Amanda Leech, Ooi Yung Tsen, Ji Won Park, Jake Smith, Cas-sandra Tan, Jamie Thomp-son, Josh Thorne, Chareesa Usaha, Bertha Wang, Wei Ken Chee, Hank Wong, Jane Yook

Adviser: Mrs. Missy Davis

March 2013

Valentine Couple . . . . 5High school sweethearts share their story

What’s Inside:Skim Boarding! . . . . . 3

Dalat International School, Tanjung Bunga, 11200 Penang, Malaysia

The Sweet Sensation of VictoryBy Jake Smith

The Tale of Two TailsBy Anna Hoffmeyer

(Continued on page 2, col. 1)

Super heroes find 21 new inductees in NHS assembly

Point/Counterpoint . . 7Should dorm seniors be al-lowed to opt out of church?

Candles & Pledges . . . 6


Seniors successfully take a mini-sneak in Batu Ferringhi

Sneaking, Batu Style . . 9

Bridging the Gap . . . 10Building bridges at the an-nual Science Fair

Eagle’s Eye Staff

All oxygen held in that holy coliseum of blood and sweat screamed away from the lungs of every wit-ness while the seconds ticked by…6…5…4. Eyes i tched, and mothers twitched while she-gladiators c l awed and scrapped for the great title of champion...3. Every moment of every pre-vious match mattered little as the women from the mighty province of Dalat courageously fought against their greatest enemy, the Faithful Bearcats of Manila…2. Finally, after a monumen-tal struggle of wills, the wise and powerful senior gladiator Amanda Leech smashed the barricades of bearcat defense and flung up the final, fateful shot to attain victory…1. Silence. The great orange idol-sphere glided through the air…but descended just short of perfec-tion. In that split second, all the dreams and aspirations for the Eagle-Gladiators seemed as uncaputurable as smoke rising from the belly of defeat. Yet nay! Hope yet remained as the Charlotte [Combrink, 9] champion of Dalat arose from the ashes of defeat to capture the great idol-sphere and place it within its glistening, spherical perch…0. The great gong of defeat

tolled for the broken bearcats, and the sweet sensation of vic-

tory descended upon the Eagles as their beloved b r o t h e r s - i n -arms let out a mighty war cry in the name of victory.

This c lash took place on 26 January in Manila, Philip-pines. The girls’ team secured

second place at the Tom Har-

deman Classic, and the boys’ team went 3–1 to lock down fifth place.

“I have never had so much fun, or faced such strong compe-tition,” said Juliet Suen (10).

Not only did both teams fight hard on the court, but they also gave back to the community as well.

“Thanks to Faith Academy, we were able to work with a local orphanage. The best part of the entire trip was shooting hoops with those kids,” said Reagan Mahoney (12).

Tayah Lee (9), Juliet Suen (10), and Charlotte Combrink (9) proudly pose with their medals after the tournament in Manila.

Once upon a time, in a far away kingdom nestled by the edge of a great ocean, lay the land of Dalat. In this magical place lived students from all around the world; they had come to expand their minds and learn the ways of the kingdom. Along with these students lived a variety of wild and exotic creatures. This tale recounts the times of darkness in the month of February 2013 when evil threatened the school in the form of two vicious mon-sters: deadly monitor lizards.

Nothing out of the ordinary happened at the school until one day when an unexpected visitor came for lunch. When the bell tower had rung sounding the af-ternoon meal, scores of people trickled down to the dining hall

for the long-awaited meal and break from their meticulous studies. Among them, Carissa Hoffmeyer (6) sat on the gentle swings overlooking the sparkling waters when she heard a com-motion coming from the great hall. Ladies screamed in fright while children hid behind barri-cades, yet Hoffmeyer (6) and her equally dauntless companions raced down to investigate.

The damsel Hannah Law-rence (6) said, “I was excited, the lizard looked mad and hard to catch!”

What they saw sent their hearts racing: valiant knights huddled around a gutter strug-gling to capture a great beast! Mr. John Fisher and the kitchen


Basketball...

(Continued from page 1, col. 4)Each team spent at least two to three hours getting stomped at basketball by orphans from ages two to 18.

“I have never seen such joy in a child’s eyes,” Tayah Lee (9) said shortly after leaving. “They have so little, but they are so happy.”

Shortly after visiting the or-phanage, the men’s basketball team ventured into the commu-nity to feed families living in the slums of Manila.

“Shirtless or pants-less kids came running out of those al-

leys when they heard us yelling, ‘feeding!’” said Shawn Kim (11). For many families, the food the men’s team gave was all they would receive for the day.

Basketball taught the athletes many things, but those children taught them something much greater. Those sweet children taught them that a life of wealth means nothing if the world suf-fers in the slums.

No matter how the tour-nament concluded, the men and women’s basketball teams savored the sweet sensation of victory when they were given the chance to work with the less fortunate in Manila. •

Monitor Lizard! . . .

(Continued from page 1, col. 4)staff knew that they had to pro-tect the commoners at whatever cost, so they put their heads together and concocted a grand scheme. The terrifying creature lashed out with his mighty claws, snap-ping and hissing at the brave knights in an effort to ward them off. But alas, it became entangled in the sturdy nets cast about by the men. With great ef-fort and perseverance, the knights fought the ferocious beast down to the ground as a joy-ous cheer rose from the crowd while the lizard snarled in rage. The gallant heroes bore the vanquished intruder back to the dark jungle from whence it came.

But an even greater feat of heroic proportions awaited the kingdom of Dalat! Mr. “Susu” Sangaran, a yard worker, toiled along the dangerous coastline one afternoon and saw a fore-boding sight. A hungry reptile slithered into a drain in an attempt to raid the castle lar-der. Mr. Sangaran blocked the escape passage with his trusty broom and bravely grasped the tail of the thief, which responded by thrashing violently.

Mr. Sangaran, however, re-fused to give up and gave a

mighty tug, to wrench the lizard out, grabbing the head before it could latch its powerful jaws on the valiant grounds keeper. With muscles bulging he held the beast aloft, twisting its spine so that it could not escape.

All alone, the mighty con-queror delivered the creature to Mr. Brandon Orr, keeper of the

jungle creatures at the kingdom of Dalat. The keeper and his ever-curious apprentices, Keanu Lee (12), Jackie Ashkin (11), Hank Wong (12), Joshua Lee (11), Sam Kes (12), Jennifer Vo (11) and more, examined the prisoner and pronounced it, “Disgusting!”

The beast remained in captiv-ity temporarily for educational purposes, and afterwards the knights banished the monster from the country.

And the kingdom of Dalat rejoiced in its newly restored tranquility. •

Terrifying kingdom invaders, monitor lizards, trapped and caught by Keeper of the Jungle, Mr. Brandon Orr.

An exotic and unparalleled adventure awaited the Dalat middle schoolers on 25 January as they embarked through the rugged jungles towards their ul-timate destination, Turtle Beach. Though they faced rain and rugged terrain, overall these stu-dents enjoyed their trek through a tropical forest on Penang Island. Hiking through the wil-derness, witnessing the sight of newly hatched baby turtles, and an exhilarating boat ride back to the mainland—all became new memories they will reflect on for years to come.

Boisterous and eager middle schoolers gathered together on campus to embark on an escapade to Tanjung Bunga beach. The journey to Turtle Beach consisted of a one-hour hike, a highlight for many of the students.

Daniel Kang (6) reflected back on his favorite part of the trip, “I really enjoyed the nature of the hike. The smell of the grass and the nature, in general, was very refreshing. It was really nice to get out and smell fresh air.”

After the hike, students en-joyed beach time and experi-

enced the rare sight of newly hatched sea turtles! Heidi Mayo (6) enthusiastically recalled her excitement in getting to see such remarkable little creatures, “It was so cute to see the little turtles, especially, since they had just been hatched not too long before we saw them!”

The petite and profound sea creatures seared a heartwarm-ing impression into the minds of those present. The tiny sea turtles, with their delicate flip-pers and serene movements, impressed all who watched.

Finally, to end the trip, the privileged students embarked on yet another breath-taking adventure as they rode back by boat. The crashing waves and the gorgeous views of the

ocean and jagged rocks proved mesmerizing. “The boat ride was a blast, and it was really exciting to hit the waves and see the rock formations!” exclaimed Mayo.

The twenty-fifth of January marked the day Dalat middle schoolers journeyed to Turtle Beach for a once in a semester field trip extravaganza! The trek through the jungles of Penang, the exquisite baby turtles, and the electrifying boat ride back, all sensational endeavors for these satisfied students.

Min Guk Kong (6) summed it up best, “It was very marvelous, though I wish we could have hiked more. Overall, I loved the atmosphere of the trip. My favor-ite part was getting to hang out in groups with my classmates.” •

An Exhilarating ExpeditionBy Amanda Leech

“Follow me, follow me! Let’s do something craaazy!” shouted the vivacious and enthusiastic children as they sang the song “Follow Me” by Patty Shukla along with the four senior girls, Sophie Ly, Evelyne Kiiza, Ken-dall Thompson, and Chan-Yang Kim at 8:30 a.m. on Saturday, 2 February.

Every other Saturday morn-ing, a group of passionate stu-dents gave up sleep to gather on the field of a local primary school, Sekolah Kebangsaan Tanjong Tokong (SKTT), to help children—ages nine to eleven —with their English skills while playing sports and bonding with them. While bringing the two diverse communities together, the events with SKTT not only helped the students earn their

required service hours but also reminded them of a mission as Christians: to bring God’s love to others.

“[Not only that but] it is a re-ally great opportunity to get to know the kids and learn their cul-ture!” exclaimed Ly, smiling as the memories filled her mind.

Asked why he would devote every other Saturday into mak-ing this happen, Mr. Tom Miller replied, “We live in a unique place where we can serve our local community by teaching English and sharing the love of Christ, so why shouldn’t I do it?”

Exactly! If committing Sat-urday mornings to teaching English and playing sports can change the lives of others, why would anyone miss out?

In addition, reaching out to local communities also brought students back to reality, remind-ing them that they could always

grab the bull by the horns and make a difference in others’ lives. Chareesa Usaha (12) Saturday Shindig

By Chanel Huang (Continued on page 3, col. 1)


SKTT Shindig...

(Continued from page 2, col. 4)affirmed, “Small efforts count. Planting seeds, watering, and fertilizing students’ passion for learning new skills can be a very fun experience. Everyone is welcomed!”

As the song ended, the gig-gles of the children echoed in the minds of the devoted vol-unteers as they headed back to the school campus. The bright smiles on the faces of the little children made the team realize how much their sacrifices meant to the kids.

Despite the necessary com-mitments, the students reaped a greater harvest in having the opportunity to reach out to others in the community by communicating love through vocabulary and sports. And, at the end of every shindig—even feeling spent and exhausted— the smiles and cheerfulness of the students remain. •

Yearn for something cool and easy to do? Adam Hargreaves who wrote Mr. Lazy’s Guide to Fitness once commented, “Getting fit is all about mind over matter. I don’t mind, so it doesn’t matter.” Most students complain about exercising because it re-quires perseverance and time. Everyone wants to burn calories while having a blast. Try out skim boarding.

After changing into water sports clothing, Mr. Jay Reimer gave each student a wooden, beige-colored skim board about a meter long. While waiting impa-tiently for others to get ready, students started waxing the boards. The wax gives beginners trac-tion and lowers their chances of falling off.

Students quickly took off their shoes, rushed down the rugged, rocky stairs, and stepped on the silken sand. In that moment, nature spellbound everyone on that glorious day.

Gazing at the blue green ocean, students couldn’t wait to get in touch with the sea. “I don’t like exercising generally, but I fell in love with this sport after being introduced to it by my wife last Christmas break,”

exclaimed Mr. Reimer. Skim boarding consists of

three simple steps: sprinting, throwing down the board, and hopping on for a ride.

Firstly, students hold up the skim board with one hand on the back tail and one hand on the side rail halfway up the

board. Then the sprint-

ing came next. As the crystal waves violently crashed

o n t o t h e sand and gradually retrieved

back to i t s mother’s womb,

they sprinted a little and gently threw down

the skim boards. Lastly, they quickly stepped

onto the boards and glided along the shoreline. After a couple of smashes into the sand and the saltwater, Josiah Mauger (11) proudly uttered, “I found it easy. All you had to do was jump on and make the front a

little bit higher before throwing the board down. After a few times, anyone can go for a long distance.”

The sea not only provided fun and pleasure; it surprised people. On one Friday after-noon, as Josiah Steinkamp (11) “skimmed” into the waves, he suddenly halted, jumped off his skim board, and looked inquisitively into the ground. Mr. Reimer went up to check, and it looked like the ocean had just spit out a jellyfish. With two fingers acting like clippers, Mr. Reimer carefully picked up the jellyfish with both hands and put it aside.

Eun Hyo Chang (11) cried out, “Look! There’s a fish inside the jellyfish, and it’s still breath-ing! Let’s pull out the fish.”

“The fish is already dead,” said Matthew Lawrence (11).

“I don’t care! I still want to save the fish,” exerted Chang, and he used a stick to dig it out as his friend, Dong Jae Koo (11), held the jellyfish in position for the fish rescue.

On the other hand, Nathan Unruh (11) and Steinkamp con-tinued skim boarding, and they challenged each other to perform tricks such as doing a 180-degree turn. “The best memory that I have is watching Nathan and Josiah compete against each other, trying to beat their own personal bests and laughing a lot when they messed up every now and again,” said Lawrence.

Skim boarding allowed students to enjoy God’s beautiful nature and enabled others to live a healthy lifestyle. Moreover, it provided a life lesson: perseverance.

After taking the X-block, Lawrence concluded, “Skim boarding is AWESOME!! You get to learn one of the most ba-sic rules of life: you will fall down, but sometimes you have got to learn to laugh and get back up even if it means you get a little hurt. Also, skim boarding keeps you on your toes, and helps you realize the ground we stand upon isn’t always solid; but we can learn to weather even the worst of times.” •

Find Your Groove with Skim Boarding! By Cassandra Tan

“Daddy, what are your super powers?”

“I don’t know, dad. What do ‘ebullient,’ ‘gasconading,’ ‘yucky,’ ‘wickedly sick,’ ‘what the French toast,’ and ‘gg’ mean?

“Mama, where did I come from?”

Undeniably, parents bring children into this world. This, however, does not ensure that the parents can or will shelter, love, nurture, guide, and pro-vide for their own flesh and blood. God has graced the Dalat community with exuberant and good-willed parents who loiter on campus and gift smiles to students and staff they cross paths with.

Unfortunately, the children at Shan Children’s Home on Jalan Mount Erskine, Tanjung Tokong, do not have parents. These children do not possess the chance or opportunity to ask silly questions, receive a sloppy kiss on their foreheads, or be-

come enfolded with warmth-oozing bear hugs from their parents. These children come from poverty-stricken and dys-functional families. Their original upbringings have stifled, stunted, and suppressed their emotional, educational, mental, physical, or psychological growth.

Consequently, having faced traumas and the etchings of scars on their hearts and minds, these children—undernourished, unkempt, and neglected—have often retreated into their shells like tortoises when they first entered the home.

Shan Home, an initiative of Dr. S Balakrishnan in 2005, realizes its objectives of provid-ing a temporary home for under privileged children to rehabilitate and reorient their lives until they can gain independence as well as stability to eventually reunite with their blood relations. But, as a well-known African proverb says, “It takes a village to raise a child.”

Thus, Dalat volunteers led by Mrs. Anne-Marie Pagee have also sought to have a hand in touching the children’s lives by teaching, tutoring, playing, col-oring, loving on, and reading to them. After returning to school from the Home on Tuesdays, Dalat volunteers become ap-prehended and struck by the notion that they not only taught the children, but the children had also taught them.

Here are the five most com-mon lessons learnt from visits to the Shan Home.

The sweetest sound to a per-son is the sound of their name.

Shion Beak (12) put forth that, “it is just fun to be with the children because they were very friendly, responsive, and polite after they’re comfortable enough to open up to you; and once they’ve memorized your face and call you by your name the next time you visit, it touches you very deeply.”

A Home for Dreamers and Sweet ChildrenBy Chareesa Usaha



Shan Home...

(Continued from page 3, col. 4)People’s minds need constant

exercise through learning. Sally Chang (11) said, “Even

though the children were shy, all of them were enthusiastic and open about learning English and sometimes about Christianity.”

“Occasionally, while reading to the kids who observe the Hindu religion, I will be surprised by some who ask for biblical stories saying that they want to know more about Jesus,” said Wesley Lee, (12).

Always reflect and count blessings.

Joy Kim (11) noted, “Going to an orphanage for the first time got me thinking about my life. It

is definitely a good opportunity to go there and try to learn what it’s like to be these kids who come from harsh backgrounds, are orphans, or who have drug addicts as parents.”

Little things can bring hap-piness.

Describing her experiences at the Shan Home, Clarissa Lister (10) mentioned that, “There was one adorable little Indian boy that enjoyed himself so much and got me to practice my Chinese skills with him. He was way better than I. Once, they were also spellbound by Yang Yang [Sim, 12] and his magic tricks and juggling acts. They couldn’t stop smiling; it was so sweet.”

Never give up, everyone

can bounce back like a ball and maintain resilience.

“The children were like one big happy family—not segre-gated at all—and they had strong bonds with one another”, said Chang.

Kim also asserted that, “The children move on; they don’t care about their rough pasts but try to live a happy life even if their parents aren’t as sup-portive.”

To end, Mrs. Pagee would like to highlight that the number of volunteers has dropped dra-matically to only three students this first quarter of semester two, 2013. With a sacrifice of time and effort, everyone can meet these adorable angels and learn these lessons, too. •

The air sparked with tension. Great minds squared off—emo-tions ran hot as everyone leaned in to hear each word.

“Is after-birth abortion morally right, especial-ly if the baby does not have a brain?”

M r. R i c k Hurlbut intro-duced the rivet-ing topic in senior Bible class with his engaging eyes and wide ges-tures. Juniors and Mr. Kerry Mahoney from Design and Purpose class joined Mr. Brian

Brewster and the seniors in this discussion.

First, a major debater, River Tabor (11), offered his opin-

ion, “If we say this baby is not going to contribute to this society at all and will die in a few days or even in few hours anyway, wouldn’t it be better to use this baby’s body for scientific advancement?”

Tabor went on and said, “If that baby contributes to

finding a cure for possibly millions of lives by donating his or her organs, wouldn’t it be better to give it up for scientific research?”

On the other hand, Jake

Smith (12) opposed after-birth abortion and established his view. He told the whole class about a mentally challenged boy, whom he visited in his hometown, who remembered Smith’s name and the time that they spent together. “I believe the baby without a brain wouldn’t be able to do any good for society, but for him just being there brings so much more to our society than just a scientific experiment,” said Smith.

Mr. Hurlbut added a story about a couple who took care of a child, who did not have a full brain, and loved the child until he died in his mother’s arms.

Mr. Hurlbut also asked,

“What kind of society would it be if we judge the person’s worth by how much that person could contribute to society? What kind of utilitarian society are we living in?”

After few seconds, Tabor arranged his thoughts and said, “I’m not saying that the baby is not important at all. I’m saying that if the baby could possibly save millions of people, then wouldn’t it be worth it?”

Before coming to agreement, the bell rang as Jerry Lee (11) complained, “We didn’t answer the question yet!”

With such a heart-wrenching topic to meditate on, seniors left the class overwhelmed by the complexity of this ethical dilem-ma. Should society sacrifice one life for the benefit of the whole community, or should mankind cherish each and every life born into this world? •

To Kill or Not to Kill By Esther Kim

Imagine for a moment, the delicious, buttery goodness of a warm chocolate chip cookie. As soon as the bell rang sig-naling the end of school on 27 February, the Brownie troops’ cookie sale began in front of the band room. Students, staff members, and parents aggres-sively invaded the area; and soon crazed customers overwhelmed the tables. The odor of the hot chocolate chip cookies tickled the noses of buyers, which filled everyone with an irresistible pas-

sion and excitement for sweets. Hundreds of cookies, rife with chocolate, melted down into hungry stomachs; and many students fell into a reverie of daydreams about this heaven of chocolate chip cookies. The tasty cookies leavened their hearts joy. The inexpensive cookies sold fast, and the tables emptied in few minutes, leaving only a few crumbs. Happiness rained down on people, and laughter filled the campus.

“Both Brownie troops did a wonderful job of advertising and preparing for the sale which was a great success! They learned a little about marketing—how to package their product, how to set a price point, how to manage money, and how to respond to customers with a smile.

Money earned will be used for Brownie scout activities this semester and for gift baskets that will be coordinated through Care & Share,” said Mrs. Jacki Steinkamp. The cookie sale of-

fered girl scouts a time of learn-ing to work with money and to become responsible leaders in the community.

“It was a great opportunity for us to learn how to use the cash register and give the cook-ies to our customers rapidly,” said Himani Alagan, (1).

“I liked selling the cookies and getting all the money. The chocolate chip cookies were my favorite,” said Rhys Hofer, (1).

Kyla Ann Faircloth (1) said, “I enjoyed selling the cookies; the peanut butter ones were extremely fabulous!”

Girl Scouts at Dalat develops both character and service. The senior Girl Scouts show examples to the younger ones by demonstrating leadership and maturity. This in turn al-lows the younger ones to learn cooperation and to excel in their understanding of the Girl Scout code of honor.

In addition to that, Girl Scouts enables people to bond and so-cialize with each other by going through experiences and chal-lenges. Also, showing respect and serving the community prepare the girls for their future. Overall, the cookie sale held by the Brownie troops became a learning experience!

After a long day in school, students and the staff members socialized with people with su-perb refreshments held in both of their hands. God truly blessed Dalat International School with precious privileges through bas-kets of cookie love. •

Baskets of Cookie Love By Grace Kim


“Wow! It flies up into the air like a hot air balloon!” Tommy Mal-low (11) shouted excitedly as Mr. Brian Brewster’s Physics class sat around the kitchen table watch-ing a tea bag all-aflame fly into the air just before it burned out completely.

S i n c e the first day of Physics when Mr. B r e w s t e r announced the trip to KL would take place, everyone

fell in love with the class. The Physics students felt grateful for the chance to take a trip to Petrosains Museum located in

the famous Twin Towers and to spend a night in

the sleepless city of Kuala Lumpur.

“Even though we had to drive hours on end, going to

KL for that one morning of ex-citement was worth it. It was

a great time to bond with class-mates and learn stuff from the

Petrosains Science Museum,” said Luke Martens (12).

Science lovers enjoyed the hands-on experiments as well. Students knew how to apply the physics skills they had learned all year to impress Mr. Brewster. Amanda Leech (12) said, “I really enjoyed getting to learn about different concepts and fundamental principles which make things work the way they do. It was a great experience and I have learned a lot from it.”

Because the museum had at least 15 different stations to explore, going through the

entire facility took about four hours; which is why students left in grief because they did not have enough time to experience all the science. “We should’ve stayed in there longer as I had not checked out every project. I will definitely come back again!” cried Jane Yook (12).

On the van ride back to Penang, everyone fell asleep be-cause they had invested all their energy into this fun experience. Shaun Hiew (11) summed up the trip as “...a conglomeration of fun and learning outside the classroom.”

The dreams of tea bags flying into the air then disappearing and the cries of astonishment followed them home. •

Nothing Happens Until Something Moves By Hank Wong

Boiling—unstoppable sweat constantly skiing down the player’s chins, the long journey begins after one of the players throws the green smooth-edged ball toward the sky. Players were measuring meticulously the direction of the ball, predicting where it is to land, and running towards the zone in order to receive the serve. As two play-ers run back and forth, dueling against each other for a single point, time stands still; and they are forever immortalized in a battle against endurance.

MSSPP tennis is one of the annual events that Dalat holds, and was held from 18–22 Feb-ruary 2013. Five high school students joined MSSPP tennis to play, and the year 2013 has

definitely made Dalat history! Lexi Zimbulis (9), one of the tennis players, said, “Partici-pating in MSSPP tennis was a great opportunity to meet and play against people in Penang that have more experience and skill than me. I was really motivated after I left, to train more so that I can go back next year and win more matches. It was also really nice to have Aunt Jan [Hogan], Mrs. [Eliza-beth] Graves, Mr. [John] Fis-cher, and the rest of the team plus the parents there to sup-port and encourage all of us.” Sheng-Chun Yang (11) de-clared, “MSSPP was an amazing experience. It is always good to see some of my tennis friends there and play with them. Over-

all, I would say the competition was both intensive and enjoy-able.” As he was recalling his memories, his face was filled with happiness, and he specifically added about the scores as well. “Everyone in high school passed our first rounds rela-tively easily. And I think every-one enjoyed playing their first rounds. But some very good c o m p e t i t o r s came in second round and some of my friends lost. I only got to the third round myself. As for the middle-school students, they also got relatively far. I watched most

games, and I could see everyone was having a fantastic time!”

MSSPP tennis is definitely a good time for players to get to know each other, meet their old friends, and spend time catching up and competing each other.

Chen Kwang Vong (11) said, “Tennis was a fun event. I got to meet old friends, see great new players and feel how it was

like to be competitive. I liked the sportsman-

ship my opponent dis-played and tried to follow

his gestures.”MSSPP t enn i s

was definitely a good experience to many

players. Also, it was a great op-portunity for students to get to know each other, bond together as a group, and practice their athletic skills. •

Dueling Deuces! By Jeeho Han

Beautiful deep-red roses, holding hands at sunset, and the dreamy look of love hallmarked this romantic day at Dalat.

As Dalat celebrated Valen-tine’s Day, one of the most romantic love stories of all-Dalat time surfaced: high school sweethearts. Aunt Valerie and Uncle Brian Weidemann serve as the living embodiment of Dalat high school sweethearts to future love-struck students who clamor for their own romantic happy endings.

These dorm parents started dating in high school in their se-nior year, and it did not take long for the two lovebirds to fall for each other.

“I had just b roken up with a guy I had dated for two years; I wasn’t look-ing for a new relationship. That changed pretty quickly, though!” reflected Aunt Val. She

continued, “We started dating only three weeks after meet-ing…we were friends for only a short time.”

Uncle Brian, who sat up on one of the stools during the Valentine’s Dinner, an event prepared by the dorm staff for their dorm students, stated that he loved his wife’s beautiful smile in a game called “Loaded Questions.”

Asked the same question, Aunt Val replied, “He had sensi-

tive hazel eyes, and I loved his

smile. But his genuine relation-ship with God, his good char-acter, his sense of loyalty and his faithfulness were the most appealing characteristics.”

The two love doves dated seriously their whole senior year. After graduation, they had to live apart for a year, during which Uncle Brian proposed to Aunt Val on the next New Year’s Eve.

She said, “Yes!”The two, who met and dated

at Dalat, came back as resident life supervisors. Currently dorm-parenting Jaffray Dorm, the two have remained and will continue to remain faithful and married happily forever after. •

Valentines’s Day Special Edition: Yours AlwaysBy Ji Won Park


With mussed-up dark tresses and a flashing smile, Amanda Leech (12) waved her shining star into the eyes of evil Wesley Lee (12). Echoes of laughter shook the chapel on Tuesday, 5 March as seniors who received the NHS award the previous year acted out a skit to kick start the Nation-al Honors Society ceremony. Dres sed as super heroes , B e n W e i d e -m a n n , Reagan Ma-honey, Kendall Thompson, and Jake Smith, set out on an arduous quest— f a c -ing the white, blinding teeth of doom and stinky armpits of death—to seek exceptional students with NHS qualities: leadership, service, scholarship, and character.

Jaws loose from laughing to the zenith of human limits, the audience filled the chapel with a

thunderous applause as the per-formance came to a close. The actors of the show brought the newly selected NHS members one by one to the stage.

Gradually, the air in the cha-pel ripened; the excited hoard of laughter matured into serious silence. The chapel tuned down and the only sounds came from the tense footsteps of the actors. Droplets of trembling sweat

formed around the palms of the high school students like a dripping faucet de-

spite the chilly air. Each hoped to have his

or her name announced as the next elected NHS member. The air got heavier and thicker by the minute, as if a person would just faint from suffocation any second.

The new NHS members lit a candle on the stage and re-ceived a pin and certificate that confirmed their addition to the NHS community.

Finally, as all the new NHS members stood on the stage, Mr. John “Tommy” Tompkins

broke the silence, and the chapel breathed a sigh of relief. The still air lifted and the whole chapel seemed brighter again.

“I feel honored to be in the National Honors Society be-cause it demands more than just good grades,” said Yang Yang Sim (12), a newly selected NHS member.

Mr. Tompkins read the short NHS pledge solemnly as the members followed along. Mr. Karl Steinkamp closed the cur-tain to the ceremony with a prayer, and a decisive bell rang precisely as he said, “Amen.”

“She is pure evil!” yelled Luke Martens (12) as Leech kicked aside a helpless puppy. Despite the comedy of the ceremony, the implications of acceptance to the NHS community mean a lot. Students chosen for the NHS can use the recognition to aid in their college applications as it proves that they qualify for the four strict requirements of the Society.

The 21 new inductees in-cluded Jackie Ashkin (11), Mi-

chelle Chan (11), Sally Chang (11), Sam Eckman (12), Chanel Huang (12), Brittany Hurlbut (11), Evelyne Kiiza (12), Shawn Kim (11), Joyce Lee (11), So-phie Ly (12), Ana Mims (11), Yung Tsen Ooi (12), Ina Park (11), Yeon Woo Sakong (11), Yang Yang S i m ( 1 2 ) , J o s i a h S t e i n k a m p ( 1 1 ) , K a t e Sun (11), Re-ese Terry (11), Nathan Unruh (11), Chareesa Usaha (12), and Jennifer Vo (11).

Furthermore, the Society motivates students to work hard and take responsibility for their actions. “As I am a part of NHS, I think before I act because I now represent not only myself but also the NHS community,” stated Shion Beak (12), a vet-eran member of NHS.

As a tradition, students in NHS who will stay on for an-other year will get to explore the boundaries of their imagination and creativity as they plan an-other exciting skit for next year’s NHS assembly. •

Candles and Pledges By Ooi Yung Tsen

Swimming in an AbyssThe world stays alive, vast and infinite; the world depicts an end-less abyss of countless shades. In approximately three months, seniors, like Gulliver traveling to a Lilliputian place, will dive into an unknown world. Inside the ocean of responsibilities, corrup-tion, entertainment, love, grief, culture, and challenges, seniors will learn to swim the deep wa-ters of cultural transition. But for now, their lives still consist of a list of things to do which dwindle every day. Senior Transition Retreat, one activity previously on the list, alarmed seniors, shaking them into the ac-knowledgement that they will truly, certainly, soon, indeed, graduate. With the company of Mr. Jon Horton, Mrs. Jacki Steinkamp, Mr. Kerry Mahoney, Mrs. Bethany Thomas, and Mr. Scott Uzzle on the morning of 28 February, seniors met in the ballroom of Rainbow Paradise Hotel. The seminar flew by quickly with serious lectures and refresh-ing games. Seniors, with an

understanding of their identity as Third Cultured Kids or TCKs, learned the skills and the aware-ness to transition into college or university.

Firstly, TCK refers to anyone who grew up away from their home country during his or her developmental years. Seniors watched a documentary called “Neither Here nor There” by Ema Ryan Yamazaki. This 30 minute film drew a clear picture of TCKs’ characteristics and how they survive in a place when everyone else feels famil-iar with the surroundings, but they do not.

Watching the film enabled seniors to acknowledge and finally put their feelings into words. Reflecting on it, Ji Won Park (12) stated, “I thought it was very, very helpful. Before I watched it, I didn’t have many chances to listen to other TCKs and understand what I was go-ing through. After watching the film, I understood. The film also prepared me for what is out in

the world and gave me a glimpse of what the next chapter of my life would be.”

In addition to the topic, the teachers gave seniors a survey to test the level of one’s cultural awareness. Evelyne Kiiza (12), who obtained the highest score on the test, states her familiarity as a TCK, “I feel I am able to converse well and understand different people from different countries. I also feel that I have a good perspective of what they feel by looking at their behavior, facial expressions, and charac-teristics.”

Later on, Mr. Uzzle stood up, clapped his huge hands, and boomed a call for seniors’ attention to play a game of Truth or Dare. The dare consisted of eating nasty things from Mr. Uzzle’s recipes. The ingredients included uncooked pasta, tooth-paste, fish sauce, tomato sauce, and a gooey white substance. The class roared with laugh-ter while watching the victims squirm in repugnance, but some

girls looked away, trying to stop their gagging.

Following the game, seniors learned interesting, meaning-ful, and unforgettable lessons from Dalat teachers. The topics included grief, faith, tempta-tion, managing money and credit cards, and a question and answer time about college life with Mr. Brian Brewster, Mr. Karl Steinkamp, Mrs. Bethany Thomas, Mr. Jon Horton, and Mrs. Melodee White. Besides learning, seniors bonded with their classmates by eating lunch with people they had never eaten with before, talking at night in each other’s rooms, and enjoying delicious hotel food.

Like treading the waters to a strange Lilliputian land, seniors will step out into the vast world. High school, like a nest, pre-pares students before releasing them into a bigger world.

As a last push to encourage seniors to go into the world, the Senior Transition Retreat planted confidence and strate-gies in seniors’ minds and hearts so that they will not drown or suffer in the abyss of the world. •

By Sol Jin


No Church in the WildJaffray, Jackson, Ziemer, and Chandler dorms have a routine of going to church on a weekly basis. Dorm students attending church at times drift off in reverie. One by one several dorm students begin to ponder why they even attend church services at all. Why do seniors in the dorms have to attend church? Seniors deserve to have a say about attending church. If a person reaches an age where he or she could enter the draft, operate a car, or manage a bank account, it does not make sense that the person has no choice about church attendance.

First off, Dalat remains a Christian campus. But not everyone at this school considers him or herself a Christian but; rather some have different beliefs. Several dorms students have spoken out on this issue. “If you’re not a believer, you should not have to go but rather feel encouraged by the dorm parents because of Dalat’s Christian standards,” said Christina Kim (9).

Most dorm students who live on campus hold Christian beliefs but believe that others should not feel obliged to attend church at all. Justin Lao (11) stated, “It really depends on your belief because I believe church should be optional, especially for those that have different beliefs. Yet again it also depends on their reasons to go. People who go just to hang out with their friends, in my opinion, should not go. Church is a place of fellowship and worship, not a playground for the bored.”

Many dorm students such as Lao would agree with this point. No one should feel pressured about attending church, but for those who go to joke around, they should not go, simply out of respect for the Christians there.

However this question itself relates the most for seniors who will make real decisions on whether or not they will attend church when they go off on their own. Amanda Leech (12) had this insight to give, “I think senior dorm students should have a choice because it’s a good preparation for their futures after Dalat. This would al-low Dalat dorm students to make more personal decisions as they head out into the real world.” Many dorms students would agree that this choice would prove significant for seniors. Wrestling with church attendance here would help prepare seniors to tackle the world whether they go to college, the military, or a gap-year.

Lastly, seniors do not see themselves as children. They must begin acting like adults, so they need to have a say in matters like church attendance.

Church is not a bad thing for people. That is not the main target in this debate. Ziemer Dorm mom, Mrs. Debbie Mayo, said this, “In a Christian environment like here at Dalat, I think we should encourage our dorm students to go to church.”

Encouraging students to go and forcing them to go point to different issues. In their last year at Dalat, seniors should have the privilege of deciding whether or not they go to church. Plain and simple. By Sam Kes

Point/CounterpointThe Family of God

“Why do I need to go to church? I’m not even a Christian!” a twelfth grader protests while tying up her shoelaces on the front porch. For this student, every Sunday feels like a day of torture be-cause she finds no valuable reason to go to church with her dorm siblings. The reason has to do with family. Family points to warm, nurturing togetherness. For boarding students, the dorm acts as a second family. Dorm siblings live, eat, and spend leisure times with each other. The dorm acts in every way as a family for the students; therefore going to church becomes a family requirement for a Christian school.

In fact, attending church plays a valuable part in students’ lives whether or not they believe in it. Getting a dorm family up at the same time, eating together every day, and going out the door to-gether once a week contribute to a sense of family.

Also, going to the same place at the same time to do the same thing strengthens a dorm family’s identity, cohesiveness, and unity of purpose. When everybody in the dorm goes to church every Sunday, the dorm family works as a connected unit rather than separate parts. “As a dorm family, we should go [to church] together. It is a responsibility since we are a family. The Bible teaches us to tell the good news to our children, and it helps us to grow spiritually together,” said Mr. Allen Mayo, Ziemer dorm parent.

Not only does going to church as a group nurture dorm unity, but it also provides moral encouragement. Most worship incorpo-rates numerous healthy elements for children and families. The sermon messages focus on behaviors that demonstrate love and on meeting the human justice needs of the world. They also em-phasize forgiveness, a topic which emotionally distressed children need to hear.

In addition, overcoming adversity and becoming resilient to the darts and wounds of life function as other themes in church. Listening to morally sound, positive, inspirational messages once a week replenishes students’ hearts and minds. It teaches students about the standards of right and wrong and normalizes ethical behavior. Therefore, even seniors, as they get ready for college, should follow dorm regulations and go to church every Sunday. This adds to their characters as they fulfill their responsibilities as a family member.

“I think Dalat dorm life is really family like; we have dorm parents and dorm siblings, just like any other family does. We do everything together, including going to church. It is not just because of our own beliefs that we go to church but because we represent and go as a family,” Eunice Um (11) said.

Therefore, seniors, who might feel more restless and tired, since the scent of graduation emanates everywhere, should try to carry an obedient and a humble heart when Sunday morning arrives.

By Shion Beak

Infatuation, passion, and ad-miration burned deeply in the hearts of humans on the night of 14 February. Valentine’s Day for many stands as a reminder to reconnect and rekindle an ignored flame. This day gives society a reason and opportu-nity to express love, the hardest

and most challenging feeling to display. The smell of the fresh red-crying roses; the taste of the melting, bronze, rich chocolates; and the feeling of the cold, new, glossy diamonds makes the heart overflow with joy. The big smiles that spread across the faces of everyone never falter once on

this joyous night. Even a small school by the

ocean celebrates this festive day. Dalat sent its very own junior students around to different classes to sing to other grades, making sure everyone felt the love on this day. The juniors sang “Call Me Maybe” by Carly

Rae Jepsen. It was not the off- key harmony that made the day special but the reminder of who had sent it and cared.

This exceptional day had a number of couples capturing their emotions in lively exciting schemes. Silent fireworks filled

The Celebration of Love Birds By Sydney Adams



Valentine’s Day...

(Continued from page 7, col. 4)the sky like quiet words of desire. One couple at Dalat knew how to take advantage of this annual Valentine’s ritual. Ray-mond Pow (11) and Hayli Mayo (10) went on a secret adventure to Straits Quay. The extraor-dinary night started with a ro-mantic Italian dinner at Spasso. Between the shiny glowing glasses by the bar, the warm steaming mushroom soup, and the solitude in the restaurant, the mood burned stronger than ever before.

After their three course meal, Pow surprised Mayo with a romantic walk on the beach; he even worked up the courage to take her hand in his.

Mayo did not take as much interest in the romantic aspect of the night—she fondly remem-bered this holiday for one reason only and said, “Valentine’s day is my favorite because it gives you an excuse to eat whatever you want!”

Pow felt a little differently about the romance and ex-pressed the best part of Valen-tine’s Day as, “Seeing the one you care for smiling and being happy—it’s the best thing in the world.”

Valentine’s Day gave all peo-ple a reason to look around and be grateful for everyone who plays a role in their lives. Each year comes with its own set of surprises; who knows what next year’s big day will hold for Dalat love birds? •

Roaring fireworks exploded in the night sky at Straits Quay, signaling the beginning of Chi-nese New Year on 10 February. At the crack of the dawn, many local families, including Dalat’s Chinese staff and stu-dents, got up from their beds to prepare for a road trip to visit their relatives. Furthermore, children would receive their first ang pow, or red packet, from their parents on the first day of the New Years. At 8 o’clock in the morning, a non-Chinese onlooker would notice a long line of cars waiting to head toward their exciting destinations.

In preparation of the week, Chinese families decorated their homes with ornate decorations. Some only had bright red ban-ners and lanterns, but others decorated their homes with vibrant lights similar those at Christmas. A festive atmosphere emitted from those dwellings.

“I have always loved all the Chinese New Year decora-tions, so this year I decided to get some red lanterns for our house, even though I’m obvi-ously not Chinese! I think they’re really pretty! Also, some of the neighborhoods are decorated so elaborately with lights that they remind me of Christmas decora-tions in the United States. I took a drive around the Concord area at night a couple of times just

to enjoy the lights,” said Mrs. Valeri Brokaw, glowing with happiness.

Upon arrival, the host rela-tive would personally welcome his guests to join with the other

family members in the liv-ing room. With the traditional greeting of “Gong Xi Fai Chai,” or “Happy Prosper-ity,” the adults in the family would hand their ang pows and mandarins oranges to the eagerly anticipat-ing children.

Meanwhile, the old timers engaged in their

own conversation as the young-er generation would munch on Chinese snacks such as kui ka pek and kui bang kiya situated on the table.

“The profusion of yummies, the overwhelming number of distant relatives as well as guests, and the smell of new money are the hallmarks of CNY!” exclaimed Chareesa Usaha (12) merrily.

“I really enjoy the food at Chinese New Year. It’s extremely glamorous and delicious, and you are encouraged to eat lots. I think it’s great,” said Keanu Lee (12), drooling and thinking about the foods he had eaten on over the New Year holidays.

“My favorite experience this Chinese New Year was being invited to a very traditional New Year’s dinner by one of our national staff and spending the

evening with them in George Town at her restaurant getting to know her and her family. We were their only guests, and they were extremely gracious; and we felt very honored to be invited. We had steamboat. Yummy!” said Mrs. Anne-Marie Pagee.

Although everyone ate many delicious kinds of food and received ang pows, what was the most significant thing about Chinese New Year? Time with family. “I enjoy family reunions, seeing all my cousins, aunts, uncles, and my grandmother together again,” said Yang Yang Sim (12).

“I loved that all my aunts, uncles, and cousins came down from KL, and that we also went to Red Box to celebrate Chinese New Year together,” said Cas-sandra Tan (12), recalling the

The Island in Red By Wei Ken Chee

entertaining moments she had with her family.

Nevertheless, all good things must come to an end. On 23 February, families began to take down their decorations and store them for next year. With the help of the parents, the children counted the money they acquired from their ang pows. Additionally, Dalat’s Chinese population prepared themselves for another day back in school. By the stroke of midnight, the people at Straits Quay released another round of effervescent fireworks into the sky which signaled the end of this Chinese celebration. •

BOOM! Everybody heard the loud pop of the tire that caused the school van to teeter as it careened down the busy high-way to Kuala Lumpur. “Sorry everybody, I think we are going to have to pull over,” said Mr. Bob Pagee, one of the two vol-unteer drivers. As the students piled out of the van, the offensive odor of burnt rubber assaulted them, and everyone wondered how long it would take for them to get back on the road to the International School of Kuala Lumpur. This incident came early on in the Forensics trip, but not everyone was perturbed with the setback. “I was quite excited—YES! It was a thrill,” exclaimed Yang Yang Sim (12). On 5 February, twelve stu-dents departed to represent their school in the Annual South East Asian Forensics Tournament at ISKL. Upon arrival, they each attacked their events with all the passion they could muster.

Dalat students participated in events including debate, oral interpretation, original ora-tory, extemporaneous speaking, solo acting, duet acting, and impromptu. A flurry of events occurred on the first day as stu-

dents hailing from as far away as Hong Kong arrived.

“I was just so nervous. They looked so competent in their suits and ties. It was unnerving,” said River Tabor (11).

Despite the initial intimida-tion, all the Dalat competitors moved past it and proved their own ability in speech. Even through the pounding hearts, the dry mouths and the adrena-line racing through their veins, each student took the challenge of public speaking head on and came out strong.

Jackie Ashkin (11) performed a solo act called “Fading River of Life”; Sunny Kim (9) gave an impromptu speech on gratitude; and Tabor, Thushara Kantima-hanti (11), and Johnathan Tan (10) clashed with debate teams from around Malaysia and Asia, making it all the way to the quarterfinals.

Through the exceptional per-formances that Dalat students both witnessed and participated in, they gleaned confidence and experience. Sim and Josh Thorne (12) represented Dalat on the last day in the finals. Sim gave one last impromptu and Thorne one more Extem-

It Began with a...

BOOM!By Josh Thorne



Forensics...

(Continued from page 8, col. 4)poraneous speech. Tabor also gained success when he won the best speaker award for the early rounds of debate. Having battled hard in all their events, Dalat students grew in their confidence and speaking ability, everyone already thinking about next year’s competition.

But the trip was not over yet. Since the trip began with mechanical difficulties, it seemed fitting that it should also end with them. One of the vans again had to pull over to the side of the road so that another tire didn’t burst and delay arrival even further.

Finally, after once again sitting at a gas station until a mechanic could fix the van, the students arrived at the school from a challenging, tiring, yet fulfilling week. •

The flickering lights dimly shim-mered in the dark streets. The beautiful night waves gently swooshed in the translucent seawater. The insane traffic and

crowds of tourists as well as locals hovered in the rows and rows of the street-market. On Friday evening, 22 Febru-ary, the Hotel Park Royal in Batu Ferringhi welcomed the tired faces of the Class of 2013 with a hearty embrace. Mini-sneak began with three days and two nights of total relaxation and isolation from the stress of school. Without the usual unbearable load of homework and tests, the up-perclassmen literally put stress aside and lost control. Chareesa Usaha affirmed, “After a hectic week of assign-ments, tests, sports, and LIFE, seniors broke loose from their

chains of daily grind and had fun, bonding and resting.” For starters, the morning zephyr—always a perfect match with a cup of dripped coffee—completed the Batu style Sat-

urday morning. Basking in the sun warmed the seniors’ hearts while others who initially had arranged plans solely to relax achieved their goals by taking naps or watching romantic movies with friends. The following afternoon

brought with it a few activities, organized by the excom mem-bers, including a nostalgic photo scavenger hunt and scrumptious dinner at the red-chair stalls. Just as the class gathered, a surprise snake show interrupted them; the snake master per-formed several risky—in fact, extremely hazardous—tricks with his snake, including a kiss! “It was more terrifying for me to watch the man trying to kiss the snake than him actually

kissing it,” Shion Beak said as she recalled her restlessness back then. Grace Kim, on the other hand, squeamishly claimed, “It was, oh, SO disgusting.” The show ended, and the games began. Divided into multiple groups, seniors hecti-cally hustled through the town taking creative and popping photos. Bertha Wang, a member of the winning group, honestly revealed, “The weather was hot, so I was grumpy in the begin-ning; but it was fun taking silly pictures and playing around with the people in my group.” As for free time, shopping at the night market naturally became a must-do activity. From cute accessories to Beats head-phones, Batu Ferringhi lured many female students into the temptation of a massive haul. The master of bargaining, Sol Jin, purchased a beautiful leather purse for half its original price, and it has become her “must-have item of the month.”

Sneaking, Batu StyleBy Jane Yook

Esther Kim added a feminine sundress to her summer ward-robe, of course, with the help of Jin. Other seniors spent their free time with massages, but little did all of them realize that their last night of mini-sneak would find them cuddling in bed with roommates and enjoying nice, hot cup noodles at 1 a.m. “Constant camera whoring, a few restless snakes, hot fine sand, and unrelenting waves equal ONE awesome mini sneak!” said Usaha, with vim and vigor, highlighted the re-markable trip. After saying farewell to Hotel Park Royal and the spectacular view of Batu Ferringhi, the Class of 2013 headed back home, now ready to endure the last few months in high school and transition to the excitement that starts in their new lives. •

Taking it one step at a time Chanel Huang (12), along with Jane Yook (12) and Shion Beak (12), ascended the over-head pass in order to reach their pot of gold. Seniors embarked on the journey to Hillside every day to fill their tummies with the deli-cious privileges granted to them for lunch. As a tradition the senior class continued the legacy of eating chicken rice as the substitute for lunch in the Seaside Cafe. “Even though other res-taurants are available, who could pass up three-ringgit scrumptiousness? It’s both de-licious and affordable!” ex-claimed Reagan Mahoney. Seniors battled the scorching sun, humid air, and treacherous stairs, in order to grasp the vic-tory of drinking the fresh soy milk—an otherwise unbearable journey without the guarantee of ice cold soy milk with its con-densation glistening down the

plastic cup awaiting them once they arrived. Soy milk offered the perfect complement to the delectable chicken rice meal. “A lot of seniors aren’t able to go and get their lunch because of either homework or laziness. The people that go usually bring back take-away for those who order it. The highest record of the most chicken rice meals I have brought back to campus at one time tallies up to eight meals. When I ordered, the woman’s eyes went huge, and I’m pretty sure she thought I was crazy,” said Sam Kes. Regardless, the Hillside ex-perience will echo in the hearts of all as the seniors prepare to launch into their new futures ahead. The mouth-watering taste of chicken followed by the tangy phenomenon of soy sauce on rice, with the optional chili sauce to add a kick of flavor became an unforgettable experience. “It’s incredible that you can literally eat the same thing every

day but never get tired of it. Once I graduate and am in America, I’ll really miss the food back here,” said Ben Weidemann. No one cared for other op-tions; chicken rice remained the staple for senior lunch. Huang slurped the last of her soy milk in preparation to head back to campus with her group. Slowly but surely they make their departure and arrived with satisfied tummies and contented hearts—not even realizing the once perilous journey taken to get there—to sign in just in time as the bell signaled the starting of the next block. •

At the End of Every Rainbow... There’s Chicken Rice!

By Jamie Thompson


The humid air felt thick and sticky against the runners’ bod-ies as they took their marks and waited for the crowd to scream their names. Friday the first of February marked the day of Track and Field, a day where students got to war against each other in friendly battles of different running, jumping, and throwing events. Students arrived on campus dressed in their school team colours, ready to battle against the opposing teams. As the stu-dents meandered to the buses, Mr. Jason Hall kept a close watch on his “little leprechauns”

as he called the Green team and kept them in single file as they marched on.

The athletes thrived on energy and showed off their talented skills. The entire school cheered in the bleachers as Charlotte Combrink, a ninth grade freshman annihilated the high jump. The bar kept going up and up, and Combrink smashed the record that had stood for almost 30 years!

Another Dalat freshman, Lexi Zimbulis (9) stated, “I enjoyed

the sports day a lot because ev-eryone was so supportive of any-one in their teams regardless of

how much older or younger they were

or what abilities they had.

“A definite h igh l igh t for me happened w h e n o u r team Ju l ie t

Suen , Tr i s a Nonis, Tayah Lee

and I, won the U-16 relay for yellow!”

The day remained full with serious competition, but stu-

Red Track and Searing Sun By Jarrod Forsdick

Dazed and confused, Jane Yook (12), baffled at the idea of build-ing balsa wood bridges, did not know how to start her project. “It was totally new, and I was lost. I have never heard of the Balsa Bridge Competition,” Yook stated. Many students alike struggled to design a blueprint for their bridges. Physics students had to build three bridges to fulfill Mr. Brian Brewster’s love for the art of bridge building.

Other than the Physics class, other students found the Science Fair stressful but fun at the same time. At times, the preparation for the Fair stirred up an exhila-

rating response. “The beginning was actually

pretty relaxing and exciting, but as time passed, we had to be more serious and actually do everything we could to complete it. It was a lot of work but a lot of fun!” said Franco Lee (11).

On the other hand, the Science Fair also

raised the level of stress. “I actu-ally had to do my whole project in two days—my materials only arrived on Monday, so it has been a bit stressful. I’m amazed I finished,” Jackie Ashkin (11) said.

On the night of the big day, 7 March, students

and parents f l o c ked

to the

Bridging the GapBy Bertha Wang

gym to view all the impressive projects. People scurried around talking with each other taking a glimpse of everyone’s hard work. The projects covered a wide range of topics, from blowing bubbles to examining moldy bread.

Yook ended up winning the Balsa Bridge Competition as her construction had a strength to weight ratio of 1,163 and a breaking force of 53.5 kilo-grams.

Content with her accom-plishment as she beat out the other contestants, she negated the doubts she had had about herself.

As the evening came to a close, the bridges collapsed, the displays came down, and stu-dents felt thrilled to be finished

with their projects and to social-ize with their friends. •

dents also made time for fun. Many of the runners boycot-ted events. The athletes even decided to run races backwards for entertainment and had the crowd on the edge of its seats, just waiting to see who would win the race.

As the day progressed, the sun became more prevalent and scorched the red track, leaving it to melt and stick to the shoes of the athletes. Many were in dire need of sunblock, hats, and cold water.

A multitude of students, how-ever, could not elude the burning powers of the sun and burnt to a crisp, but no one let their burning desires to win extinguish before the last event came to an end. •

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