Eagle's Eye

Dalat International School, Tanjung Bunga, 11200 Penang, Malaysia

What’s Inside: Legends Never Die . . . . . 2 Dalat ManU fans mourn the retirement of Fergie

Carrots & Broccoli . . . 3

Seniors thanks juniors for JSB with a Veggietales spoof

Out of the Park. . . . . 4 Island Champs, the softball teams suffer defeat in State

Bring a Pillow . . . . . . 5 Pillows and cookies attract students to drama

On a Mission . . . . . . 6

SKTT and Care and Share end the year on a high note

A Sneaky Disease . . . . 7

Seniors suffer a near-terminal disease: senioritis!

The Chinese Canadian . 8

Mr. Ian Buntain wows students with stories during Missions Emphasis Week

A Purple Comet?. . 10

Math students tricked into a competition

Eagle’s Eye Staff Note: This copy of the school paper has been written by the students in the Advanced Placement English 12 class.

Writers: Sam Eckman, Evelyne Kiiza, Chan-Yang Kim, Keanu Lee, Wesley Lee, Sophie Ly, Reagan Mahoney, Luke Martens, Yang Yang Sim, Xiao Leen Siow, Kendall Thompson, Ben Weidemann Adviser: Mr. John “Tommy” Tompkins Eagle’s Eye

May 2013

A Night in Tortuga

By Luke Martens

But the swashbuckling theme went far beyond appearances as Captain Long Jo Silver and Eugene Gravedigger unraveled the program’s plot throughout the n i g h t . T h ro u g h short video skits, Captain Silver told a tale of 34 seniors, and their six sponsors, turned pirates who sailed the seas in Blackbeard’s stolen vessels.

As he shared the tale with his matey, Silver told of the de-

In a solemn walk up to the wooden platform, Tommy Mallow (11) led Sam Kes (12) to the gallows as Anna Hoffmeyer (12) tearfully waved good-bye to her date. With one fluid motion, Mallow swung the noose over Kes’ head as the helpless prisoner quietly stood. In his mind, the death bell tolled.

“Great! What a perfect picture!” said Joyce Lee (11) with a laugh as Mallow, Kes, and Hoffmeyer jumped off the platform and gathered round the camera to catch a glimpse of the image.

On 19 April, students and staff gathered in the chapel for one of the biggest events of the year. As they sipped on bubbly apple juice, Mr. Jason Hall welcomed them to the Junior-Senior Banquet and Blackbeard’s Revenge.

Thus began an exciting evening full of pirates and plunder as the senior class embarked on an adventure across the seven seas. As soon as the students stepped into the ballroom in Traders’ Hotel, they entered a world of buccaneers and smugglers. The decorations filling the room fleshed out the Pirates of the Caribbean theme and left everyone awestruck. From stocks and gallows to a wooden ship to a giant pirate flag, the ballroom meticulously recreated a tropical pirate paradise.

mise of each of the eight ships.

Every skit highlighted one of the vessels and its crew of senior pirates, and the harrowing attacks which resulted in the capture of the whole senior class.

Each tale ended with tributes to the fallen crew as well as baby pictures.

“I never realized how close and important the seniors were to the juniors; it was really touching to see how the seniors had such an effect on the rest of the high school students. The (Continued on page 2, col. 1)

An Expected Journey

By Sophie Ly A long-standing tradition at Dalat—the eighth grade trip— started on 3 May. For several years, every eighth grade class has embarked on a trip that shaped their middle school experience. This year proved no different. Leaving the school of books and teachers, they traveled on a ferry to spend some time bonding as a class.

The chaperones—Mr. Brian Merusi, Mr. Scott Uzzle, Ms. Shawna Wood, and Ms. Lisa Munson—held the valuable task of accompanying a class of rowdy eighth graders to the snorkeling paradise of Pulau Payar and later to the island of Langkawi.

When not searching the water for Nemo or swimming with 1

sharks and barracudas, the class entertained themselves with games such as “mafia,” “liar,” or “truth or dare.”

“When playing truth or dare, Sam Hofer (8) ended up showering in his clothes and Lars Barstad (8) ran up and down the platform screaming ‘I love haggis!’” Kimberly Horton (8) stated as she described the unforgettable moments on the dock.

Persevering through the rain, the class spent the night on the floor of the floating dock in the ocean waking up to a picturesque sunset. In addition to their time on the dock, the group spent a night on the island of Langkawi. There, the (Continued on page 2, col. 3) May 2013

Legends Never Die...They Retire A mournful sense of loss spread across campus on the calm Wednesday morning of 8 May, as students, parents, and teachers alike heard the shocking news—Sir Alex Fer guson had finally announced his retirement as coach of Manchester United. As the articles from the press all around the world released news and confirmation of this announcement, people reluctantly began to accept it as true.

The 71 year-old Scotsman had managed Manchester United, an English football club in the English Premier League, ever

since 1986. His accomplishments and record-breaking feats have not only verified him as one of the most successful and influential football managers of all time, but have left a historic mark on the game and the club which no one will ever forget.

Upon hearing this news, Yeon Woo Sakong (11), a Manchester United fan, said, “Although he is old, I thought he would stay with the club at least for a while longer. But, I can see that retiring after such a good season makes sense.”

Students took the news in different ways; some let the sadness sink in, but others remained hopeful for the future to come.

Micah Martens (10), an-

other loyal fan of the club, said about Ferguson’s departure, “Sir Alex Ferguson is the best manager in the world. His

Auctioned Off

By Kendall Thompson

“Two hundred! Two hundred!

Can I get a four hundred? Four!

Five hundred! Congratulations you just bought Franco Lee for five hundred ringgit!” shouted Mr. Karl Steinkamp. “Franco Lee will plan a pool party for you and your friends!” he explained.

The blushing Lee exited the stage in search of his buyer.

Each junior had to step on stage and present his or her talent and hope someone could use it. The variety of skills and talents presented astounded everyone.

From writing songs and playing music, to cooking and fighting,

the audience had a wide range of things to choose from.

“They were very impressive this year,” said Amanda Leech (12). “I’m just glad it wasn’t me; I remember last year how nervous I was before getting on stage.”

An astonished crowd watched as Becky Kong’s (11) offer to walk and train dogs went for over three thousand RM. It became a heated bidding war between Mrs. Bethany Thomas and Mrs. Kong, resulting in Mrs. Thomas’s victory.

Amy Reimer’s (11) offer to put on a spa day for a party of

The JSB...

enjoyed the salmon, because I’m Alaskan, I guess,” said Nathan Unruh (11).

In between the program and food, students still had a lot of time to enjoy the decorations that had caught their attention from the very first moment they stepped into the ballroom.

The intervals went by quickly as couples walked around looking at every detail, from the East India Company crates to Davy Jones’ heart in a jar.

“The decorations were really detailed and cool, so they made really good backgrounds for pictures. Plus, everyone was so beautiful and dressed up. It was

(Continued from page 1, col. 4) tributes were very special and stirring, unlike anything I’ve ever seen before,” said Alexa Cahal (10).

As the night rolled on, the servers brought out platters upon platters of food. With multiple courses presenting themselves during intervals in the program, students definitely didn’t go hungry as shrimp salad, lasagna, and chocolate tarts filled the ballroom amongst other delectable foods.

“The food was beyond the definition of scrumptious. I really Eagle’s Eye

2

By Ben Weidemann

success during his time at the helm of Manchester United is unparalleled by any other

squad or manager. He will be sorely missed at the club. But, while recognizing his achievements, we also look forward to David Moyes, the newly appointed successor to Ferguson.”

At the start of the next season, all Manchester United fans around the world will eagerly watch to see which direction Moyes will take the club, hoping the success Ferguson achieved will not come to an end. •

little girls sparked the interest of many parents, along with Michelle Chan’s (11) offer to baby-sit. “Sure, it’s awkward getting on stage and selling yourself,” said Tommy Mallow. “But it was really fun and exciting too,

the key is to act confident and someone will buy you!”

Sally Chan (11) climbed on stage prepared to write and compose songs for the lucky number one bidder. “It is such a (Continued on page 3, col. 1)

Eighth Grade Trip...

(Continued from page 1, col. 4) students ate seafood, shopped, and went to Underwater World.

“The otters were really cute, but it was not so nice when they tried to attack us” Joe Brake (8) said as he told of his time at Underwater World.

Before their trip back to Penang, the students took the time to bless the community by planting mangroves at a local plantation.

Coming back onto campus,

Grace Thompson (8) stated, “Overall, the opportunity to bond with my class was amazing, I loved every moment, whether exciting or relaxing, and I really didn’t want to come home.”

From a school of students to a school of fish, and then back again, the sunburnt, exhausted, but contented eighth graders parted ways. The group slowly adjusted back into the normal routine of school, but they will never let those incredible memories float away. •

a perfect time to get pictures,” said Cassandra Tan (12).

But the evening had to come to an end sometime. Changing into their pirate costumes, Josiah Steinkamp (11) and Sam McIntyre (11) took on their roles as Captain Silver and Gravedigger for the final, live performance.

As they blundered onto the stage with their root rum, Captain Silver told the ending to his lengthy tale. He told of the giant kraken, and how the senior class summoned it up from the depths of the sea by jumping in unison as they stood in their cells in the hull of Blackbeard’s ship.

The kraken rose from the deep and, with its powerful tentacles, ripped apart the pirate flagship and pulled the ruins down to the pits where it had emerged from.

And thus, the senior class went to Davy Jones’ Locker—dead.

The ballroom burst into applause as the night came to a close, and the students and staff streamed out of the ballroom back to the buses, twittering with excitement and glee at all the events and surprises of the night.

As Hoffmeyer and Kes sat back down on the bus, Kes cheekily exclaimed, “First the gallows! Then the kraken! Ah well, it’s a pirate’s life for me!” • May 2013

A Carrot Pirate and Some Bodily Broccoli “No! My pauldron!” exclaimed Josh Thorne (12) as his beloved green shoulder armor of broccoli fell to the chapel floor even after half an hour of Keanu Lee’s (12) vigorous duct taping.

As Thorne and Lee pouted and stared at the fallen unit of broccoli and tape, seniors Chanel Huang, Anna Hoffmeyer, Sophie Ly, and Chan-Yang Kim sat on the ground to cut a variety of vegetables, such as beets, carrots, cucumbers, and lettuce. “Cut faster, Chanel! We have only an hour left!” cried Kim. On 20 April, the morning after “Pirates of the Caribbean: Blackbeard’s Revenge”, the seniors woke up bright and early and started their workday at 8:30 a.m.

“We were all brainstorming ideas, and we came down to last two: either something to do with zombies or a spoof on ‘The Pirates Who Don’t Do Anything’ from Veggie Tales. In the end, we thought it would be clever to do a spoof of a spoof,” said Thorne.

As the clock ticked closer to 6:00 p.m., the junior class gathered at the white tables, waiting for senior class president Ben Weidemann’s instructions to go down the chapel steps.

Greeted by a large banner, which read “Greenbeard’s Hypothetical Revenge”, the juniors started to guess the theme of the night. Scattering around the chapel to put the last pieces of vegetables in place, the seniors quickly ran into place by the door and clapped as the juniors walked into the chapel.

Making fun of the petite Jennifer Vo’s (11) necessary aid of small stool to stand on in order to talk into the microphone

Junior Fund-Raising...

(Continued from page 2, col 4) unique talent,” said Mrs. [Joyce] Goh. “Her perfect pitch is a perfect gift to share with the world.”

“I can’t believe I have to do that next year!” Hayli Mayo (10) said. “I know it raises a lot of money and all, and I like watching other people do it; but the idea of someone buying you just scares me.” Mayo wasn’t the only sophomore already anxEagle’s Eye

during the JSB, the six-foot-two Weidemann stood on a high platform as he welcomed the junior class and their sponsors.

Shortly after Weidemann’s welcoming speech, a familiar voice boomed: the late Mr. Michael Jackson, who also wrote the song “Thriller” which the juniors danced to when they officially invited the seniors to The JSB. The Black & White Crew— S a m Kes

entered the odd-smelling chapel with a captain’s hat and his glorious broccoli shoulder armor, which made Mahoney and Martens literally green with envy.

With bottles of root beer (not root rum), the trio retold the tales of the seniors from the JSB, only to conclude that it had never happened. They revealed the reason for the lack of events by breaking out into the song from Veggie Tales “We Are the Pirates Who Don’t Do Anything.”

“They all talked in really rough and low voices while making really dramatic gestures.

They took their roles so seriously even though they were in ridiculous costumes, which made it hilarious. I really liked Luke’s carrot necklace and Reagan’s cucumber necklace. It was so impressive how they were able to put together a whole program and do all the decorations in less than a day,” said Stephanie Jones (11).

With vegetables in sight at every turn, the seniors truly lived up to the theme of the night.

Other than making cabbage cannons and drawing faces of anguish on bitten celery, the seniors went far into detail in their one opportunity to spoof the memorable JSB. “We placed desktop computers on the tables and taped the menus onto the screens since they made us bring our iPads to view their program. We also handed out little cups of homemade applesauce and had a container of apple cores for decoration since the juniors gave us so many apples. The decorations committee also spent an hour or so making a bok choy skirt and a coconut bra for Serena, the statue on the Black Pearl.

Instead of the purple plates for suction cups on the Kraken, we pinned carrots on. The bright orange looked pretty good on the purplish green skin,” said Kendall Thompson.

“Mr. [Kerry] Mahoney frequently came up to the front of the chapel to gesture to the people in the tech booth to adjust the lights, just as Mr. [Karl] Steinkamp did a few times through the JSB. They also did not forget to spoof all the awkward moving of props on-and-off the stage. Sam Eckman, in his fiery wig, and Keanu, in a colorful head scarf, would randomly move things around,” said Jackie Ashkin (11).

(12), Jamie Thompson (12), Kendall Thompson (12), Evelyne Kiiza (12), Hoffmeyer, and Ly—emerged from the side curtains and started swaying to the beat of “Black or White.” With front man Kes elaborately flaring his arms around, the crowd howled and roared in laughter as they watched him lip sync to the song with red lipstick on.

As the laughter slowly died, veggie pirates Reagan Mahoney (12) and Luke Martens (12), dressed in cucumber and carrot accessories respectively, burst through the doors while having small talk, with Mahoney saying cheekily to Martens “Argh, yer fergot to memorize yer lines, matey!”

Following his two inferiors, Thorne, pushed by Jarrod Forsdick (12) on a chair trolley,

iously anticipating the day they would have to sell themselves.

“Ya I don’t even know what I will sell!” Alexa Cahal (10) said.

“Thanks for coming out folks!” Mr. Karl Steinkamp boomed into the microphone.

“The night was a perfect success, thank you so much for all your support!”

The juniors and their sponsors, relieved to finally have the bidding out of the way, gathered together and celebrated another successful fund-raiser. • 3

By Xiao Leen Siow

In between the skits, the senior servers presented delicious food to the hungry and tired juniors, including Caesar salad, chicken with rosemary cream sauce, and roasted potatoes.

“I loved the three different types of bruschetta; my favourite one was the pesto chicken with parmesan. The dessert was so good! It was called banana foster; it was a warm fried banana coated in sugary syrup in cold vanilla ice-cream. I saw so many of the seniors devouring the extra ones in the back of the chapel!” said Eunice Um (11).

Finishing telling the tales of all the senior pirates, Captain Thorne and his two sailors told the tale of a different crew of pirates that actually did something. Bitter over the fact that the juniors had killed all the seniors off at the end of their plot during the JSB, Martens and Mahoney, following their broccoli leader Thorne, rejoiced as they concluded that all the junior pirates had died.

Of course, no Veggie Tales themed night would feel right without a whimsical ending: the Loch Ness monster swallowed the juniors’ ship, which unexpectedly ended up in the stomach of the Kraken, who also met its unfortunate end of becoming food for a whale.

Just as everyone thought the night had come to an end, Mr. Jackson blasted from the speakers once again, catching the juniors off guard as Kes comically walked onto stage and started to sing “Beat It” by the said artist.

“Sam Kes was probably the highlight of the night! He was so brave. He sang ‘Beat it’ while staring right into the eyes of Mr. Steinkamp and shaking his finger at him. He even threw a piece of beet root at him!” said classmate Grace Kim (12).

With their tummies filled and smiling from ear to ear, the juniors lent helping hands to the seniors for clean up.

“Why are there so many little flowers of broccoli all over the places?” said Ina Park (11), looking around the chapel floor.

Lee and Thorne looked at each other with a cheeky smile as they ate the leftover carrots.

“An hour left until curfew!

There’s still time left to go out!

Hurry up, Sophie!” said Kim as the duo picked up scraps of duct tape and broccoli from the ground. • May 2013

Out of the Ball Park!

By Wesley Lee “Eagles on three! One! Two! Three! EAGLES!” shouted out the boys’ softball team at Sekolah Teknik Abdul Rahman on 19 March. Both the Eagle teams participated in the MSSPP Softball Island tournament.

“Oh, I surely can’t explain with words how much I’ve waited for that day. It was like having a Magnum bar on a very hot day! It was exciting and fun” said Hank Wong (12) who took on the challenge to defend the Eagles’ title as the island champion in his senior year.

The Eagles, although set back with a loss from overconfidence, managed to advance to semi-finals where they beat Vocational School 14-2 with Nathan Unruh (11), Justin Lao (11), and Sam McIntyre (11) each collecting a pair of hits including a home run.

Declared champions of the Island tournament, both the Eagle teams picked up tickets to the State Tournament held on 7–8 May. Unfortunately, the boys met their end of their softball season on the first day of the State Tournament, finding themselves knocked out of the group stage with two losses.

The Lady Eagles ended up with a win and a loss on the first day with their semi-finals unearned yet. The girls played their last match of the group stage on the morning of the 8 May, without the presence of seniors Chareesa Usaha, Chanel Huang, and Shion Beak, who could not participate because of a schedule conflict with the AP Calculus exam.

“I was disappointed when I heard that the schedule for AP exam and softball tournament conflicted. It was really sad that I could not play with the team,”

In the finals, they faced the team that they had lost to earlier: Penang Free School. After intense first inning with the score 5-3 to Eagles, both sides retired quickly with one-two-three outs in the second and third inning.

The game came to a climax in the fourth inning when the Eagles extended their lead by 9 runs and gave up nothing: the Eagles had clinched the title yet again.

Just before the boys’ final game, the Lady Eagles had their finals too, in which they managed to beat Dato Keramat by 13-2.

The girls cruised to victory to become champions, winning all of their games in the Island Tournament.

“I was so happy that I got to play again with all those other players; I was proud of my team that we were able to clinch the title as champions without any loss,” said Evelyne Kiiza (12).

Malacca Madness

(and Disappointment)

The 24th of March finally came, and the Southeast Asian Studies class, comprised of Chareesa Usaha (12), Yang Yang Sim (12), Grace Kim (12), Bertha Wang (12), Ana Mims (11), Sydney Adams (12), Ben Weidemann (12), Sol Jin (12), Jee Ho Han (12) and Sam Kes (12) hopped into the van with Mr. Mark Sasse, the South East Asian Studies teacher along with his wife, Mrs. Karen Sasse, after shoving their luggage into the narrow trunk. After a quick prayer by Mr. Sasse, the adrenaline rush the students experienced out of excitement subsided immediately when Mr. Sasse informed them that the road trip would take six hours.

“What in the world?! This is going to be as bad as Mr. [Brian] Brewster teaching physics!” said Kes, and he fell asleep.

Six hours passed, and the van arrived at the ASEAN Museum which exhibits traditional houses of Malaysia and Southeast Asia, where the class had to complete their first assignment: take a Eagle’s Eye

By Yang Yang Sim

after the long, monotonous journey before exploring the historical town freely for the remainder of the evening.

A number of them rented bicycles and cycled around the town while others rode on the Taming Sari Tower, a rotating tower with a panoramic view of the town. Kim, astounded by the scenery from the top of the tower, said, “At first, I thought it would be really dark because it was night, but I was actually surprised by the beautiful lights that lit the town. The ship museum stood out because it was really big and shiny.”

With a ten o’clock curfew in mind, the students returned to the hotel for a good night’s sleep, recharging their energy for a long day.

Day two came, and after a breakfast of toasts with margarine and kaya (egg jam), they embarked on their journey by foot to the historical sites as part of their second assignment.

From St. Paul’s Church to the Maritime Museum, each histori-

picture of a traditional Southeast Asian house and write a brief description of it, explaining how its architecture reflected its culture and lifestyle. Usaha sprinted away to the first house in sight; but much to her dismay, the authorities had closed the dilapidated house for renovation. Weidemann darted off to another house, only to find it under renovation, too, as they learned would effect all the houses.

Heartbroken and dejected, Mr. Sasse hesitantly cried, “The first assignment is cancelled. You guys can walk around and check out the other houses.” The class rejoiced in euphoria before he added, “But your research paper, however, will be much longer.”

“Aww,” said the class in utter disappointment.

They left the museum and headed to the hotel, arriving around half an hour later. Checking into the hotel together, the class and the Sasses settled in their own rooms, taking a break 4

said Huang. The girls lost that game and came to the end of their season as well.

Although both the Eagles and the Lady Eagles did not make it into the semi-finals and finals in State as they did last year, both teams left the field without any regrets.

“Both teams had many new players, and although we did not make it into the semi-finals, I think we are well off with the current team as they will learn and grow to be the superstars of

the team! I really hope that they will win state and make the coaches proud i n t h e near future,” s a i d Usaha with a hopeful voice.

The gloves and bats may stay in the storage room for a while, but the spirit, enthusiasm, and passion of the players will roam out in the ball park every day. •

cal site caught their attention. “I thought it was really interesting because some of the walls had intricate patterns and inscriptions of people [who created them],” said Kim. “I loved how there was a mix of European and Asian culture,” added Sol. Unfortunately, because of renovation, students couldn’t see half of the museums and sites. “Ahh. Man! Why were the museums closed today?!” moaned Kes. “I was looking forward to seeing more of the rich culture of Malacca,” said Kes. Mr. Sasse, frustrated again, granted the students free time for the entire afternoon and evening, allowing them to roam around the town again.

In the evening, after a class dinner at a local Nyonya restaurant, the class set off, admiring the antiquated shop houses lit with strings of lights and exploring the night market.

“Night market was the best.

I loved the small street shops,” said Jin. “It [night market] was a very humbling, fun, and relationshipbuilding experience. I was so intrigued by how many of the vendors were either retirees or teenagers,” added Usaha.

(Continued on page 5, col. 1) May 2013

Bring a Pillow “Eileen! Eileen!” Luke Martens (12) chimed while striking a dissonant chord on the piano next to him.

On 28 March, the Introduction to Theater Arts class performed a reader’s play, a play performed with direct reading of the script, called Pillow Talk. Martens, playing Brad Allen, accompanied by the leading lady Brittany Hurlbut (11), played the role of Jan Morrow, who started off as mutual enemies but eventually fell in love at the

Mr. Mark Sasse, the director, had the chapel transformed for the night so that the audience sat around and in between a newly set up stage that spanned the whole length of the chapel and into the four corners of the hall. “The stage was really cool, it added to the atmosphere and made the play feel much more personal,” said Tommy Mallow (11) after the night ended.

The clever marketing strategy of attendants who brought a pillow would receive a free cookie proved a huge incentive for many students to turn up for the play, some admitting to coming originally only for the free cookie but ending up enjoying the play much more than the cookie.

By Keanu Lee

end of the play. Micah Martens (10) played as the best friend to Luke Martens’s character who coincidentally went after the same girl.

A play centered on the age-old problem of having to share a “party” phone line, Luke Martens and Hurlbut waged war with each other as one tried to do business with clients and the other spent his time constantly wooing multiple women.

The night rolled on as a barrel of laughs and ended on a momentous note; during the curtain call, without breaking character, Luke Martens said in a southern drawl, “Mrs. Morrow may be a good girl for Brad Allen, but not good enough for Rex Stetson. He has a special girl in mind. Is there a Xiao Leen Siow here tonight?”

The night closed with the appropriate “JSB asking” of Luke Martens to Xiao Leen Siow (12), complete with the giving and receiving of plastic flowers taken from the stage.

As the romance-filled night drew to a close, and the audience filed out, Luke Martens began to chime a song, “Xiao Leen! Xiao Leen!” •

This Was Good, But I Want More “I can’t wait to indulge in four great meals”, Sophie Ly (12) said with almost a stream of joyful tears gushing from her eyes as she headed back towards campus for the 6 o’clock progressive dinner.

Dorm students eagerly filed onto the basketball court on Labor Day, 1st May, patiently waiting to meet their teammates and begin the festivities.

“My group had all the comedians which made it extremely fun,” said Justin Lao (11) looking out for Nathan Unruh (11) who dared Lao not to hint on his embarrassing moment.

Malacca Trip...

(Continued from page 4, col. 3) The final day came, marking an end to the class’ stay in Malacca. The students chucked their bags into the back of the van hesitantly after breakfast, getting ready for the six-hourlong trip back.

On the way, they stopped at Putrajaya, the administrative capital of Malaysia, for an hour to explore the area and visit the National Mosque. Dressing himself in a robe as a requirement before entering the enormous but peaceful mosque, Weidemann exclaimed, “I feel like a Jedi! This is so cool!”

Sixty minutes flew by in a blink of an eye and the class entered the van, heading back to school. • Eagle’s Eye

guests participate in the Hispanic dance called the “Macarena”, which involved waving hands and shaking hips.

“I didn’t know how to do it and failed, but it was fun to try,” said Josh Basha (10) with a chuckle.

The Weidemanns, on the other hand, presented their visitors with complex riddles that perplexed all who attempted to answer them.

“It was fun answering all the riddles in Jaffray dorm because it showed how much knowledge we have as a group,” said Kendall Thompson (12) After a long night of walking and eating, students looked for different ways to lighten their heavy stomachs. Some played

Each set of dorm parents participated in picking out a theme and preparing a meal for their dinner. Jaffray Dorm served homemade spicy and original fried chicken, Jackson Dorm crafted a fruit basket which included pudding, fruit, and a crunchy cinnamon taco shell, Ziemer Dorm prepared a tantalizing bacon and potato soup, and lastly Chandler Dorm provided fiery quesadillas which gave everyone a little taste of Mexico.

“When I heard Aunt Becky [Jenkins] say that I had to earn my food, I thought it would be easy, but I was wrong,” said Calvin Thompson (9) with a frown on his face.

The Jenkinses made all their

A Nail-Biter

By Chan-Yang Kim

After six hours, the team finally arrived at ISKL and ISKL Panthers’ coach greeted the team.

“I was so worried about slowpitch softball games because our team only practiced slow-pitch game once this whole year,” said Chanel Huang (12).

Without further ado, Dalat Eagles and ISKL Panthers started their first match with seven innings. Up to the fifth, Eagles sustained a solid lead through

“Are we getting close?” asked Sophie Ly (12), cramped up at the back of a van. On 12 April, 12 lady softball players started a sweaty journey to ISKL for friendly games. Even though the excessively stuffy air and skyrocketing temperature of the day attempted to push the girls’ patience levels over the edge, the team successfully fought them off and filled the van with exploding laughter.

5

By Evelyne Kiiza

Frisbee, some played soccer, but Unruh commented, “I got my exercise of the day walking between meals, so I’ll just sit here and relax with Sam Kes (12)...”

Interrupting Unruh’s quote, Kes said, “It was fun travelling through different dorms and seeing the variety of goodness, I can see that the dorm parents put a lot of effort into making this dinner a success” Once again the tears started gushing as Ly realized that progressive dinner had come to an end. As the night moved to a gradual halt and dorm students enjoyed their root beer floats, everyone went back to their familiar families with a smile on their faces. •

consistent pitching, firm defense, and cautious batting. The Panthers, however, accelerated Coach Mark Sasse’s heartbeat by closely catching up during the last two innings. After a long inning filled with fielding mistakes, Dalat finally let out a sigh of relief when Evelyne Kiiza’s (12) flawless catch at third base ended the game with a nerve-racking score of 17-16.

After the game, the Eagles scattered to different nests of the ISKL’s hosts. “Evelyne and Cassandra [Tan, 12] came over to Eiley Tartlton’s place, and we all watched movies together after (Continued on page 6, col. 1) May 2013

on a Mission

ally found their way to the store where they exchanged their tickets for a toy. They smiled with excitement as they debated whether to get candy, vampire teeth, or stickers.

While this went on, Shaun Kim (11) went around making sure all the kids had written down their names for the lucky draw. A new soccer ball, a small Lego set, and a princess coloring package made the children look on in awe as they hoped their names would get drawn from the bucket.

Finally without further ado, Kim picked three slips of paper out and announced the three lucky winners; their eyes suddenly lit up with enthusiasm and excitement over their newly acquired toys.

By Sam Eckman The volunteers for the final SKTT and Care and Share carnival stormed the campus on 11 May set on a mission to end the year well with a morning filled with fun and enjoyment at the local SK Tanjong Tokong School.

Mrs. Robin Frohlich and Uncle Jonas Hawk drove the students to the school where the local children waited in eager anticipation for the morning’s events to kick off. The kids embraced the volunteers as they came into the courtyard and the morning officially begun.

A game of “find-the-gummybears-in-the-flour” started off the activities in exciting fashion. Mr. Tom Miller split the kids into eight different groups, each led by one volunteer, and they got into lines ready to perform a relay race to see who could find the hidden gummy candies in a plate filled with flour fastest.

“On your marks; get set; go!” exclaimed Mr. Miller, and the student volunteers led off to set an example for the children. As the leaders came back with their faces covered in white powder, the next children in line took off in a crazy frenzy.

As if they had played the game before, the children completed the task with little to no difficulty and came sprinting back to their team to tag the next

in line. At the end of the event, many of the kids bent over and coughed out the flour that they had inhaled as they had tried to search for the treats—but their radiant smiles still shined through nevertheless. After chugging water to wash the flour down, the children made their way into the courtyard to the carnival.

“Go have fun” shouted Mrs. Anne-Marie Pagee as she finished explaining how the carnival would operate. If the children completed a game successfully, they would earn tickets; once they collected enough tickets, they could trade in their tickets for a toy.

The children rushed to the different stations and began testing their skills on such events as the dart board, the ring toss, and the sponge toss. A line quickly formed behind the sponge toss as the kids waited eagerly to smash Luke Martens (12) in the face.

Nathan Unruh (11) manned the dart board, and kids lined up ready to test their accuracy on bull’s-eye marker.

On the other side, the softball pitcher event gained a lot of popularity as the children looked to see if they could get the beanie bags through the square hole. Children made their way around the stations and eventu-

Girls’ Softball Trip to KL...

Tan, the seventh inning ended with a tied score of 14-14.

In order to determine the winner, Eagles and Panther went into an extra battle in which both team displayed a strong defense. “The last game was very intense. It was a nail-bitter.

We had to play an extra inning and additional tie-breaker to determine the winner,” remarked Shion Beak (12). The KL trip ended with a victory for the ISKL girls.

The Eagles crammed back into the van and started a long journey back to their nests.

Bursts of laughter exploded as girls talked about dramatic moments of the game.

“This softball trip was really memorable, probably because I knew this would be the last sports trip of my high school year,” remarked Kiiza as Ly asked, “Are we there yet?” •

(Continued from page 5, col. 4) dinner. It was an unique experience to spend a night with a family that I’ve never met before,” Xiao Leen Siow (12) said of her home-stay experience.

The next day, girls reunited with their teammates at ISKL. Right from the beginning, ISKL’s batters confidently got up and smashed the balls high up into the air, keeping the outfielders busy. Dalat combated the fierce attack with Kiiza and Huang’s home runs. Numerous rounds of fierce attacks finally led to Dalat’s narrow victory, 14-13.

During the last game, teammates cautiously eyed every throw and every hit with tightgripped fists as the victory tossed back and forth between the two teams. With a double play between Chareesa Usaha (12) and Eagle’s Eye

After the lucky draw, things came to a gradual close. The girls enjoyed an intense game of captain ball, and the boys found themselves playing a match of football. When everyone had had their fair share of fun and enjoyment, the occasion came to an end.

As the volunteers packed up and prepared to leave, some looked forward to coming back next year and seeing the children once more; as for others, this marked the last time to see the children they had grown so close to. Many had come to impact the lives of the children but left seeing the impact that the children had upon the Dalatites themselves—and what an impact they had made.

Mission accomplished. •

Poppin’ the Three

By Reagan Mahoney The fateful day all the athletes had waited for had finally arrived—MSSPP. On 1 April, the road to the State Championship began. Both the men and women’s varsity basketball squads headed out to Chung Hwa, using their Spring Break to bring back the trophy yet again.

After the first four games of the tournament, both teams emerged in dominant positions.

Quickly taking out the opposition, both teams earned their spots in the Island Championship Game. The Lady Eagles faced off against their rivals, Heng Ee; the men, however, faced Chung Ling Private.

Tayah Lee (9) remarked, “It was really cool to play Heng Ee again because we understood how they played offense.” The girls went on to win convincingly, 64-38.

The men’s team, however, suffered a defeat of 54-46; but they determined to exact their revenge in the State Final.

With the Island Tournament over, both teams set their sights on the superior prize—the State Championship. The girls got right back in form and steam rolled over Jit Sin and Union, earning a spot to defend their title on 28 April.

The boys steered aside any opposition with an astounding third quarter shutout against Taman Perwira, eventually earning their chance to 3-peat after the girls’ game.

6

Joy spread across campus as all high school students had the opportunity to get out of class, climb into buses, and cheer at Chung Ling Private School.

Heng Ee faced off against the Lady Eagles for the third time, and Chung Ling Private against the men.

“With both teams knowing the other team’s strengths and weaknesses, execution is vital” Mr. Jason Hall said on the way to the game.

The whooping and hollering of “The Crew” spurred the ladies on to make yet another convincing win, 63-35, making a new record of back-to-back State Championships.

The Crew continued to cheer long and hard during the men’s game, and after a back and forth first half, Dalat took control of the game in the second and maintained a steady lead. They went on to fulfill the 3-peat, a dream that had begun after defeating Heng Ee in 2011, “It was really great to lead and be a part of this team. I had a lot of fun through the sweatfilled practices,” team captain Jake Smith (12) stated.

The seniors on both teams walked off the court for the last time with a win—and more importantly the memories they had made with their teammates. • May 2013

A Sneaky Disease

By Kendall Thompson Dear Upperclassmen, Are you suffering from one or more of these symptoms: poor grades, incomplete assignments, increase absences from school, chronic laziness, a hard time getting out of bed in the morning?

Then you’re suffering from the toxic disease senioritis.

This crippling disease can strike high school seniors at any time of their graduating year.

This phenomenon happens when the seniors look at the finish line and decide they are done—before they are actually done.

Let’s take a closer look at some of the poor and unfortu-

nate seniors beginning to suffer from this illness. “I really just can’t wait till graduation,” said Sophie Ly. “The thought of doi n g any more essays or math tests, (hint hint Mr. Tom Miller) makes me sick to my stomach.”

Ly’s unenthusiastic approach to the school day has spread to a good portion of her class. “I just want to be done!” said Luke Martens. “Waking up in the mornings has become the hardest thing in the world to accomplish.”

Even parents and teachers have begun to notice this lacklus-

Speechless...

for a Moment

By Xiao Leen Siow

With eyes wide and mouth open, Ysabel Loh’s (9) eyes pierced those watching her. Hearing a loud moan of anger from Loh, the speechless audience’s hearts jumped as they held on tightly to their seats.

But they could not keep in their laughter as the animated girl whimpered as she flared her arms around while moving across the stage.

On 23 March, parents and students alike gathered in the chapel for the annual forensics home competition. As the participants crowded around a small clipboard to sign up for their events, Ms. Jasmane Frans and Mrs. Debbie Chinn scrambled in and out of the chapel to check if everyone had arrived and made sure the forensics members knew their responsibilities.

“I was timekeeper for one event and a chapel door guard for another. Once an event started, no one could enter or exit the chapel. All of the participants had duties to ensure the event ran smoothly without any interruptions,” said Yang Yang Sim (12).

After an opening speech by Ms. Frans, the competition commenced. With six events lined up, Jackie Ashkin (11), Rick Brake (11), Jessie Brandon (10), Eagle’s Eye

and Loh kicked off the competition with solo acts. Acting as a Diva Gone Nerd, Loh came out as the victor.

Following the solo acting performances, a very sprightly Lexi Zimbulis (9) won over the judges with her captivating oral interpretation of an excerpt about the mean headmistress Mrs. Trunchbull from Mathilda from Roald Dahl.

As the clock neared 10:00 a.m., emcee Josh Thorne (12) went on stage to introduce the notorious event: impromptu speaking. Given only one minute to select and prepare a topic, the participants had to compose their thoughts quickly and deliver a three-to-five-minute speech on either ambition or the idea of “leaping into the dark.”

A familiar impromptu speaker to the student body Brittany Hurlbut (11) graced the audience and judges with her elaborate ideas and passionate expressions and placed first, with River Tabor (11) coming in a close second, and Sim winning third place.

After three hours of watching the dedicated contestants perform, the audience members went on a 15-minute break outside the chapel where delicious curry puffs and an assortment of 7

ter attitude the seniors carry with them. “Come on seniors, finish well,” Mr. Kerry Mahoney, says to every senior he sees. Though some seniors may still have the ability to come back from a bout senioritis, some have simply progressed too far.

“I’m too lazy to even give you a quote,” Wesley Lee said. This terminally ill sufferer has had too much work throughout the year to give even his last few weeks a passing thought.

“I’ve seen it in all my older siblings,” Matthew Lawrence (11) said. “Their complete and utter lack of zeal for school seeps through our whole house, making it increasingly harder for any of us, the younger children, to do any work.”

The frustration of the teachers only grows as they continue to try to motivate these slowly

fading seniors. “Come on guys, focus,” said Mr. Miller. “This final project is still worth a grade; come on it’s fun.”

Unfortunately, even “fun” school projects are still school projects, deeming them unworthy of even a passing thought.

The only known cure for this contagious and irreversible disease is graduation. But teachers still search high and low looking for a way to slow down the affects.

Some have even found some break through. Mr. John “Tommy” Tompkins scheduled a field trip for his journalism class, giving everyone a much-needed boost, to get through these last few weeks.

Don’t lose hope seniors.

The finish will come. Stay strong.

Stay positive. And please, try to stay focused. •

cakes awaited them.

Stomachs filled, the audience sat down once again for the next event: original oratory. Ironically, the winning participant Shaikha Shahtaj (10) gave a speech on glossophobia, or the irrational fear of public speaking.

“Shaikha talked about the how real glossophobia is for some people. According to surveys, many people fear it more than they fear death. She did really well, and I was impressed by how much she improved in the past year,” said Thorne who came in second with his speech on intolerance.

Next came the duet-acting performances. Wittily and whimsically, Loh and Sunny Kim (9) acted out a scene where Shakespeare struggles to write a play.

With the audience breaking into laughter, the pair effortlessly entertained the crowd as they uttered spontaneous and absurd ideas for a Shakespearean play.

“It was so exciting because we had to compete against each other, but it was also super nerveracking, especially when I forgot one of my lines! Thankfully, I recovered and was so happy when they announced that Ysabel and I won. It was a great experience. ” said Sunny Kim. Half an hour after the clock struck noon, the final event of the day began; Thorne, Thushara Kantimahanti (11), and Ashkin mustered up all of their energy after a long morning and gave five-to-seven-minute speeches on current events.

Drawing in her audience with

a confident and scholarly tone, Kantimahanti earned the most points with her informative and detailed speech on the economy of Cyprus. “I can’t believe she only had half an hour to prepare!

It sounded like she had been researching it for months,” said Christina Kim (9).

“The home competition was a really fun experience for all of us, especially for people like me who didn’t go to the ISKL tournament. Because the competition was in front of familiar people, we were all comfortable to perform. However, it was also sad because Ms. Frans is leaving, and she has coached and helped us so much. It will definitely not be the same without her!” said Zimbulis.

“The highlights were definitely the improved speaking and communication skills of the students. The team displayed relentless commitment with preparation before the competition.

Their diligence enabled them to deliver high quality speeches and acts. They set a new standard for years to come,” said Ms. Frans.

As she thanked the participants and attendants, Ms. Frans’s eyes suddenly grew wide as Mrs. Chinn unexpectedly appeared with a bouquet of roses and a big thank you card signed by the entire team.

In a bittersweet tone, Sim said, “Ms. Frans’s face was priceless. She looked so surprised and happy even though we all knew that she completely deserved it and more. For the first time, Ms. Frans was speechless.” •

May 2013

The Chinese-Canadian

shared about the church in China and encouraged people to really break out of their circles and mentor people, not to mention, “Get in the Game!” Sophie Ly (12) commented on the subject, “It was just really refreshing to hear about the Chinese churches and how they really have a passion to serve Christ.”

The time flew by and before everyone knew it, the last day of MEW showed up on the calendar. Mr. Buntain closed out the week with encouraging verses from the Bible, and with his personal story of watching his friend die without Christ.

Ben Weidemann (12) said. “His stories were incredibly influential and really moved people. I am really glad he had the courage to share them.”

The week came to a close, but everybody would remember the white Canadian MEW speaker who would randomly speak in Mandarin. •

By Reagan Mahoney

“That’s how you get in the game!” shouted Mr. Ian Buntain as he shared another powerful story about his experiences in China. On 13 March, the high school gathered down in the Chapel to kick start Missions Emphasis Week, an event that would shape the lives of all that went.

After an eventful play, where Mr. David Thomas messed up his sports continually even though he teaches Physical Education to young children, the day had begun. Without further ado, Mr. Brandon Orr attempted to get the crowd to do some actions when singing the chorus, “I’m in a fight not physical; I’m in a war but not of this world…” With less than adequate participation, he quickly moved along and Mr.

Buntain took to the stage.

With many students unsure of what to expect, they watched wide-eyed with anticipation until he finally broke the silence, “Do you guys mind if I stand on the stage? I’m a short Canadian guy.” Laughter broke out and quickly Mr. Buntain continued on with what he came to share—his theme of “Get in the Game.”

“I couldn’t believe it! In all my years of being a teacher here, not a single speaker has ended before the bell on the first day; what a great way to start the week,” Mr. Kerry Mahoney remarked.

At seven that night, the session resumed and many of the students and their parents came back to hear more. Mr. Buntain

ing encounter. The game went back and forth and no one could seem to get an upper hand on the other. Team Smith had more experience and comprised of Ben Weidemann (12), Josiah Steinkamp (11), and Jarrod Forsdick (12); on the other hand, Thorne led the younger players comprised of Shion Matsumoto (10), Yan-Rong Tan (10), Calvin Thompson (9).

Even though the experience varied, the competition proved as fierce as ever. In the end, Team Smith edged out a win by one point ending the game 15-14 in sudden death.

“The competition was great, and it felt good getting out and playing basketball again,” remarked Thorne after the exhausting day.

The tournament had ended and Team Smith had prevailed, but everyone left with his basketball needs satisfied. As the players left the gym, they recapped the highlights of the tournament and reminisced over their victorious basketball season. With this, the basketball tournament came to a close, and the gym became quite once more.

Game Over. •

Play Ball!

By Sam Eckman

As the bell rang on 10 May, the students of the middle school rushed to the gym to gear up for the annual 3 vs. 3 basketball tournament that the Dalat Booster Club sponsored. Participants of all ages lined up eagerly ready to challenge for the title of “The Best Team” in middle school and to claim the title that Calvin Thompson (9) and Co. had won last year.

After Mr. Travis Smith finished explaining all the rules and guidelines of the tournament, the students raced off to the spaced off courts and begun.

Game on.

The whistle blew and the games began. The sound of shuffling footsteps on the wooden ground and the shouting of players echoed throughout the gym. The six nets in the gym thudded with the sounds of basketballs hitting the steel rims.

“Pass” yelled Adrian Nonis (7) to Nicholas Bishop (7), followed in quick succession by a lay-up earning his team a vital point.

After a grueling one and a half hours of intense basketball, and the elimination of the other six teams, the finals came between team Jeremy Worten (6) vs. Nonis. These two players led their team into the finals and both wanted nothing more than Eagle’s Eye

to claim the title as their very own.

The finals started with rapid pace as Nonis and Worten both made lay ups. Other points added by Dominic Fitzgerald (8) and Tim Sasse (8) added to team Worten’s tally of points, but in the end, they succumbed to team Nonis which comprised of Bishop and Hannah Buhr (8).

Mr. Smith took out the trophy and presented Nonis and his teammates with it and with this, brought a wrap up to the middle school 3 vs. 3 tournament. The next day held a much more competitive 3 vs. 3 tournament which would see the U-19 teams face off with each other.

At 9 a.m. the next morning, the campus came alive with the sounds of basketball players from local schools and Dalat participants. Games began immediately with the court split in half since not as many teams had signed up as the middle school tournament.

The first game, led by varsity basketball captain Jake Smith (12), easily swept a Han-Chiang team away making their way into the finals with ease. Team Josh Thorne (12) also made it into the finals with relative ease which saw the final between the two power houses an enthrall8

B.O.B. in Action

By Chan-Yang Kim Swiftly raising her hand, Jazzy Jenkins (4) enthusiastically awaited her teacher to call on her. Explosions of cheers resonated through the chapel, as the teams competed for the victory. On 22 March, eager elementary readers gathered in the chapel and celebrated in the long-awaited annual event, the Battle of the Books.

Six weeks prior to the librarysponsored competition, Battle of the Books, the master bookworm, Mrs. Lori Horton handpicked 20 books from varying genres for each grade to read.

Elementary teachers, then split up students into teams of four or five.

For six weeks, junior bookworms nibbled through all 20 books as a team and memorized the title and the author of the books. As they dived into the world of literature and discovered a new love for different genres, readers entered into a realm of imagination, history, and reality. “Battle of the Books is fun because you get to try different genres of books. My favorite is fiction!” commented Kalia Brewster (4) as she looked back at this year’s B.O.B. At the end of the sixth week, students from first to fourth grade flocked into the chapel for the finale, the quiz show.

As the book lovers geared up their minds for competition, cheerful chatters and air of excitement filled up the place.

Putting their heads together as a team, diligent readers whispered answers to the questions asked about title, author, characters, and plot of the books. “Some of the questions were really hard, but they were my favorite part of the day!” remarked Zoe Seevaratnam (4).

Congratulating the fourth grade winners, Sophie Stoltzfus (4), Amy Trescott (4), Cade Johnson (4), Esther Tse (4),and John Kim (4), as well as other winners on their victories, the elementary students strolled back to their classrooms. “We had lots of enthusiastic parents and kids, discovering authors they loved and new love for reading”, smiled Mrs. Horton as she reflected on yet another successful year of Battle of the Books. Once again, B.O.B in its action cultivated a fun, hearty, and motivating environment for young readers. • May 2013

Fighting for First Pushing her body harder and harder, Danielle Combrink (7) forced her legs onward as her heart pounded and her muscles ached. One last bend, one last stretch. The finish line loomed ahead, pulling her onwards.

But this moment didn’t just come. This race had taken hours of preparation and practice. The weekly practices, full of sweat and fatigue, prepared her for these few short moments.

Along with Combrink, over 30 others practiced alongside her. They trained for everything from long jump to shot-put and javelin to a plethora of running events. All the hours of practice equipped them for the MSSPP Track and Field events.

Finally the time came to prove their worth. First, the ath-

By Luke Martens

participated in the 3000 meter race, Andrew Kim (8) took part in the discus throw, and plenty of other students lined up for their own events.

“I participated in long jump, but there were so many people doing so many different events.

Our school was really represented and we did pretty well,” said Eun Hyo Chang (11).

Winning gold in six state events, the Track and Field team came home highly successful.

“We had a huge team this year, and it was a team with really good quality. We did really well, both at Island and State. It was impressive how much we won across

letes headed to the MSSPP Island where they faced off against the best competitors on Penang Island. The athletes excelled in most of their events, but the real challenge would come later on in the State Tournament.

“I didn’t really know what to expect at the state level, so participating in the Island Tournament helped me visual the difficulty and what to expect,” said Nathan Unruh.

Then, starting on 8 April, the real test came as the Track and Field athletes headed to USM for the state tournament. Meeting with dozens of other students from across Penang, the Dalat team prepared for some of the most grueling events as Ben Weidemann (12) took on the heptathlon, Hannah Buhr (8)

Meeting Jaya, the Elephant

By Sophie Ly “Run, it’s coming back!” Tyler Ronning (4) jumped up at the sight of a giant emu. The fourth graders stood in an enclosure surrounded by wallabies and exotic birds.

On 8 May, the two fourth grade classes loaded up a bus and journeyed to Taiping to spend the day at the zoo.

Ms. Jodie Petrie and Mr. Nick Sutherland decided to step away from the world of books and desks and take their students on an adventure to see animals in a wildlife setting.

Squirming with excitement, boisterous boys Levi Hawk, Mycah Winsor, and Tate Op-

ment at the God-given beauty of the magnificent white swans.

The students then jumped with excitement at the special surprise of feeding and petting an elephant named Jaya.

“When we tried to feed it bread, it would try and grab our hand with its spiky and prickly trunk.” Jazzy Jenkins said with enthusiasm.

It stood as a beneficial day filled with both fun and learning.

The day came to a quick close as the students met up with their parents showing off the different novelties they brought back from the zoo gift shop. Driving home with their parents, hands flared and laughs echoed as they recalled the memories of Jaya the elephant and all his friends. •

penheim filled the bus with the noise of their singing. At the zoo, the adventure began with the chance to see and feed a family of chimpanzees.

“It was really funny when Levi accidently threw a piece of bread at the chimp’s forehead,” said Ruthie Allen.

The students encountered animals of all species such as panthers, hippopotami, giraffes, and flamingoes.

They also got a glimpse at a giant pool of over two-hundred fish. A learning experience as well, the fourth graders witnessed the process of fish digging holes to lay eggs. Also, the children gazed with amaze-

Beethoven to One Direction

By Ben Weidemann

As the audience filed into the comfortable, black chairs in the chapel on the afternoon and evening of 29 April, everyone made sure to grab a blue program to see the names of all the performing pianists. At least once a semester, Mrs. Noreen Khoo and her students put on a piano recital to show what they Eagle’s Eye

had learned and how they had improved through their hard work and practice. In fact, Mrs. Valeri Brokaw usually had to split students into two groups, a 4:00 p.m. program and a 7:00 p.m., because so many participated in this event.

From young elementary to seniors, piano students of all

ages worked hard year round to practice the pieces that they would perform, whether simple or quite-challenging. Josiah Steinkamp (11) said of the recital, “It was really fun to go and watch all of my friends and my two sisters play. Everyone did really well and played their pieces beautifully.” From Beethoven 9

multiple events. I’m so proud of how well we did,” said Evelyne Kiiza (12).

Amidst all the athletes, some outdid the rest. Combrink broke the school record which went all the way back to 1972 as she sprinted the 400 meter race in 1:03.3. But her record-breaking didn’t end there as she also broke her previous record for the 200 meter dash.

“Danielle (Combrink) competes at an elite level of athletics and I believe she could even compete on a larger scale,” said Mr. Edman Chance.

After hours and hours of practice, it came down to this moment. As the timers stopped and her feet crossed the line, Combrink’s spirit soared even faster, even higher. She had won. After weeks of practice she had become the champion of Penang. •

to One Direction to “Pirates of the Caribbean,” the pianists performed pieces and arrangements of all types.

Anna Hoffmeyer (12), one of the more advanced players, said of her piece, “I chose a song called “I See the Light” from the Disney movie Tangled. I chose this piece because I really love the movie and this song, and it was fun to play.”

Not only did students play by themselves, but Sol Jin (12) and Ruby Noh (7) even played a duet together. Jin said of this experience, “I really enjoyed playing with my dorm sister because we had so much fun practicing and performing together. It was a great way to spend time together!”

Despite this event remaining widely popular, Karsten Ladner (9) performed as the only boy in the evening program. Along with a full line-up of girls clad in flowing dresses, Ladner confidently played his piece smoothly.

From start to end, both piano recitals proved a great success.

Both performers and attendees alike had a chance to enjoy listening to others play beautiful music and appreciate their fellow students’ hard work and dedication.

As the performers munched on cookies provided by the school cafeteria after the recital had ended, they all let out sighs of relief and accomplishment as they knew they had not only played their pieces well, but blessed others in the process. • May 2013

When a Purple Comet Strikes... was hopes of getting extra credit from Mrs. Uzzle…but I didn’t.”

With 90 minutes on the clock, 30 questions to answer, and six mathematical minds on each team, students strategized in various ways to tackle the questions; Kim, on one hand, revealed that her team just “guess[ed] and check[ed]” while Yung Tsen Ooi (12) reported, “We divided ourselves into three pairs and split the questions equally; we then switched around to help each other with different questions.”

Apart from Derrick Lim (10), one of the most notorious math

geeks on campus, who prepared by practicing with past-year questions, nearly everyone did not prepare at all, anticipating relatively easy questions.

Sun justified her lack of preparation: “I anticipated fewer questions and easier problems.”

After 90 tormenting minutes, pupils contracted, hearts calmed and participants relaxed once again. Glad that the competition had finally come to an end, team members sighed in relief and congratulated each other for their cooperation and teamwork. Surprisingly, the torment produced mixed responses among participants. On one hand, Chang declared, “I’ll never do this again!”

On the other, Sunny Kim and Chen proclaimed, “We would do it again!” •

comfortable on the first day of the evaluation, but as the days moved by swiftly, the accreditation team moved around campus and took in every aspect of the school. They watched as students engaged in class discussion, they evaluated teachers, and they used a method of random sampling for surveys.

After a week had elapsed, it was a time for all the staff to meet in the chapel for a debriefing.

“The team was very encouraging and supportive. After meeting them, we felt like we were doing a great job,” said Mrs. Jackie Steinkamp.

“I am excited that our staff got the recognition they deserve,” said Mrs. Heather Fischer, who had headed up the self-study report.

As the team left campus with cheerful spirits, students and staff returned to their everyday routines •

“It’s tough to go on a long van ride in the middle of a Saturday and go out in the heat and force yourself to do community service when you could do something else with your free day—like eat, but in the end it’s really cool to see how you are impacting other peoples’ lives,” said Tayah Lee. Students did projects like basketball camps for local children on the mainland, going to orphanages to play with the children, and cleaning the beach amongst many other service items.

For groups going to the mainland, organizing their projects themselves proved to be the freshmen’s biggest challenge. Having to organize a group of their peers together and give them the drive to go to their projects as well as organizing the transportation there and back proved a huge hurdle to overcome.

“Eventually we were able to organize effectively and manage transportations and everything. It turned out a really good lesson,” said Mary-Claire McIntyre.

As her group piled into the van, Combrink smiled as she thought of the day ahead of her, serving the community, giving love to those who need love, and making their life a wonderland. •

By Yang Yang Sim Pupils dilated. Hearts pumped faster and harder. Palms perspired. “GG,” moaned Eun Hyo Chang (11).

“I was so scared!” said Wen Chi Chen (9).

“I’m so screwed,” Steven Kwon (11) exclaimed.

“I have gotten into something I should never have done,” regretted Kate Sun (11).

Along with 19 other students in four teams of six, they plunged themselves into 90 petrifying minutes of their lives on 24 April: the Purple Comet Math Competition.

When it comes to math classes,

nearly every math student equated competitions to extra credit to salvage their sagging grades in PowerSchool. The malicious Mrs. Terresa Uzzle tricked her Algebra 1, Geometry, and Algebra 3 & Statistics class and the wicked Mr. Tom Miller, his Algebra 2, Pre-Calculus, and AP Calculus students, in participating in the Purple Comet Math Competition with false hopes of extra credit.

Chan-Yang Kim (12) of AP Calculus said dolefully, “[I participated] because I thought that we would get extra credit…but we didn’t.”

Chang of Algebra 3 and Statistics said, “Part of my motivation

Suit & Tie “If a stranger stops you and asks you a few questions, I want you all to answer honestly; you can say how I am such a dictator,” said Mr. [Brian] Brewster in chapel a week before the accreditation team arrived.

This team arrived on 25 March and stayed a week. Dur-

By Evelyne Kiiza

ing this time, the campus remained tranquil and immaculate, staff dressed to impress, and students behaved like saints.

“The accreditation process lets us see areas of excellence and improvement for the coming year,” said Mr. Karl Steinkamp.

Some students felt a bit un-

A Wonderful Land

By Keanu Lee “Come on guys, let’s go!” Charlotte Combrink (9) yelled to the rest of her group as they piled into a van that would bring them to an orphanage on the mainland.

In ninth grade, students created a mandatory “Wonderland Project” in which they chose a specific group of people or an organization to bless and serve

throughout the whole year, also using this to add hours to the service learning program.

“Our project was pretty great.

Serving the community is tiring sometimes, but always rewarding,” said Hannah Graves.

Though mandatory, the project proved a positive opportunity for students even if they initially did not want to serve.

Blow Up the Stage Music boomed, lights flashed, and shadows of dances flickered in the corner as students stormed into the chapel. As soon as Hank Wong (12), the Public Relations manager, came from behind the curtains, everyone roared in excitement: the Talent Show began on 8 March.

John Kim (10), Jerry Lee (11), Hyun Soo Kang (11), and Keanu Lee (12) formed a crazy Eagle’s Eye

By Wesley Lee

but crowd-controlling band that got the crowd standing and singing along with their songs.

The Spanish III class performed Taylor Swift’s “I Knew You Were Trouble” all in Spanish, and Esther Kim (12) and Joseph Um (10) performed a duet of Tamia’s “Officially Missing You.” Jerry Lee (11), however, performed the highlight of the night when he sang Frank Ocean’s 10

cover of “Strawberry Swing”; he ended up winning first place.

In addition to the performances, the judges of the night—Mr. David Thomas, Mr. Tom Miller, and Aunt Mary Hawk—poked fun at the participants after each performance, making the crowd burst with laughter.

“It was fun commenting,” said Mr. Thomas. “Simple words such as ‘excellent’ or ‘amazing’ just could not do the job! Although I made fun of many of them, I was truly amazed at the students’ talent !” •

Sources of Clipart www.sportslogos.net www.caughtoffside.com en.wikipedia.org www.moviepostershop.com www2.neenah.k12.wi.us wrightsolution4u.com www.polyvore.com www.bcsc.k12.in.us www.clipartsfree.net www.clker.com peperonity.com www.topendsports.com clker.com

May 2013