Eagle's Eye March 2011 Edition

Eagle’s Eye Dalat International School, Tanjung Bunga, 11200 Penang, Malaysia

What’s Inside: The Love Doc Arrives . . 2

We Came, We Saw, We Conquered!

Hong Kong preacher demonstrates Christ’s love at MEW

Point/Counterpoint . . 6 Students debate the wisdom of eliminating “double-block” periods; should we go back to “the way it was”?

Bella! Bella! . . . . . . 7 NHSers’ spoof of popular book series leads to inducting 17 new members

Forensics . . . . . . . . . . 13 Team of 9 represents Dalat in KL; three make the semifinals Eagle’s Eye Staff Note: This copy of the school paper has been written by the students in the regular English 12 class.

Writers: Daniel Babcock, Daniel Barber, Jamielee Forsdick, Kevin Huang, Hannah Jones, Mark Keane, Dianna Kes, Marieth Kiiza, KunHee Kim, Marco Kim, Terence Law, Joyce Lou, George Merusi, Ng Xian Yao, Beth Nguyen, Karen Pagee, DongYeob Sakong, Brittany Sasse, Jet Song, Nathan Steel, Miranda Steinert, Josie Steinkamp, Josh Strong, Yi Yang Tan, Alan Thompson, Rachel Thorne, Kaleb Uzzle, James Vo, Sarah Wiesner, Frances Wong, Maaya Yamauchi, Jeebin Yim Adviser: Mr. David Stengele

Eagle’s Eye

March 2011

By Josh Strong mates, “I can’t believe they lost that bad, they don’t look like a bad team.”

Dalat took the lead within five minutes, putting their worries to rest, and then went on to win 7-2. So far, the boys’ outstanding play overwhelmed the opposition and their next test came in the form of a semi-final match with Westlands.

Dalat defeated Westlands in the tournament last year by a score of 4-0, so Mr. David Thomas, the coach, encouraged the team to avoid overconfidence. This didn’t affect the team though; they continued their dominance and comfortably won 6-2.

The sound of Vuvuzelas and delighted fans filled the air on 10 March on the Penang Free School’s soccer pitch. The Dalat U-18 boys had just won the MSSPP tournament for the first time since 2007, a feat that only a handful of previous teams have accomplished.

It all began on 1 March with the first game against St. Xavier. Haunted by memories of previous encounters with the local team because of their elimination by them the previous year, the boys went into the game worried about the result. But the team put those worries to rest with a brilliant performance and walked away with a 3-1 win. Mark Keane (12) put the Eagles up in points early on before Josh Strong (12) and Daniel Babcock (12) sealed the win. Pen Khas, a team that the boys had already beaten earlier in the season, came next. The game took place on 2 March and after a rough start to the game, the boys took over and ended up winning 5-0.

This left only one team standing between them and a spot in the semi-final, Haji Zainal.

The boys had no clue what kind of talent this team would have since Dalat had never faced them before. But they did know that St. Xavier thrashed them 8-1 in their first match. During the warm-ups before the game, Keane mentioned to his team-

The team had booked their place in the final. Mr. Brian Brewster, the high school principal, had made a promise that if Dalat reached the final, he would take a bus full of fans to the game on 10 March. This meant that the student body could join in this school event and cheer on their team as they faced Uplands, Dalat’s fiercest rival. Khalie Mahoney (12) remembered, “I loved going to the games and supporting the guys!

It’s so fun to have school spirit and be all proud of our guys and cheer ourselves hoarse. But it’s worth it, because we have the best team on the island and they deserve to be cheered for!”

Dianna Kes (12) echoed (Continued on page 2, col. 4)

Who’s Got Skillz?

By Frances Wong “I would just like to dedicate this honor on behalf of my team to our senior members,” announced Joseph Kim (11) as he and six other members, now popularly known across campus as the “Men’s Generation,” stood on stage for their well-deserved prize.

After a week of spiritual high from MEW, StuCo brought the week to an end by hosting a talent show for Dalat students to display their God-given talents.

Fifteen minutes prior to the grand opening of the event, the 1

limited space before the Chapel entrance inundated with students, staff, and parents. When StuCo members finally opened the doors to welcome the crowd, every last space of the Chapel filled up within minutes as an estimated 400 people showed up. “The talent show really surprised me! I wasn’t expecting the Chapel to be so packed with people; even the floor was covered with kids and a lot of people had to stand!” exclaimed Terence Law (12).

(Continued on page 2, col. 1 March 2011

The Love Doctor Hits Up Dalat On the week of 22 February to 24 February a very special man came to the Dalat campus for a series of very special talks. That man, known as Jimmy Stewart, came to town for the 2011 Missions Emphasis week to spread the love of God to the students, parents, and teachers.

Along with him two young women of Asian descent, Bonnie and Janice, one of whom had a very British accent, who as his trusty sidekicks, came ready to spread this message of God’s unbelievable love.

Through Mr. Stewart’s calm, yet powerful sermons during this week, the lives of many students became transformed and taken

their faith touched in deep and meaningful ways. Students stayed behind, particularly after the night sessions, to spend time in deep prayer with one another and in fellowship.

A large portion of the student body found meaning in spending time on understanding God as God the father. The focus of a significant portion of the week assured us that even if our own dad treated us violently or abusively, God would not act like that; instead He showers love and affection on us.

It seemed the response to this message brimmed with excitement. Despite the fact that many students such as Shawn Kim (9)

to new heights spiritually.

As Jimmy Stewart approached the stage to give his first message on the love of God, it became clear to all that he had made this love his very own.

Perhaps the greatest example of the joy that overflowed from him exuded in his bright, joy-driven, and exceptionally cute laugh.

Nathan Peace (11) commented on his favourite part of MEW by saying, “I really enjoyed the little skit that Jimmy did on the first day. Harry [Mak, 12] looked hilarious.”

While the overall reception on some of the messages did not fall into full agreement, a great number of students had

The Elaborated Lab

By Kevin Huang

As students prepared for finals, the school furtively launched upon a massive project. On 18 January, the once-abandoned school regained its vigor with studious students walking around campus when the semester started. While catching up the latest news with friends, students also noticed that the old chemistry room had drastically morphed into a brand new laboratory.

Mark Keane (12), who had the delightful opportunity to help organize the science laboratory before the construction work finished, elaborated, “It was an exquisite experience to see how the marvel and wonder of our brilliant planning team could fathom the mystery of the new labs and make it come together in such a spectacular manner.”

“It’s very organized; the setup of the room is new and cool,” Harry Mak (12) stated calmly as always. Mak’s eyes, however, revealed his true feelings harbored deep within his subconscious.

His facial expression radiated with excitement and pleasure as he made his way to the new science lab for the senior Bible class. The new laboratory, augmented with additional windows,

StuCo Talent Show...

His novel act and incredible stunts certainly received loud cheers from the audience and won him second place with a box of chocolate Trophies which he generously shared with his supporters.

However, Sim’s unbelievable performance still couldn’t outshine the unexpected show of the Men’s Generation, consisting of Marco Kim (12), Yi Yang Tan (12), Kim, Jim Choi (11), Sam Yeo (11) and Adrian Yeap (11). Intended as a hard rock gig, Kim had “accidentally” left their instruments at home; desperate, the group decided to perform their G.E.E. dance modeled after the famous Korean pop group Girl’s Generation’s original dance. Men’s Generation turned the atmosphere of the Chapel into a live concert as the crowd responded with an intense enthusiasm, cheering and screaming louder

than any other performance of the night.

Without any hesitation, the hosts concluded the night by announcing the first-place winners of the show: Men’s Generation.

“I was very surprised that we won,” recalled Tan; “my legs were shaking while walking up to the stage. After hearing Jeffrey Hsiao’s, (11) amazing rap skills, I thought there was no way we could beat that. But I’m very grateful towards our fans for voting for us, and we’ll work harder to improve ourselves.” In addition to winning rm100’s worth of Chili’s vouchers, the group also established themselves a high reputation for Men’s Generation. Dalat fans later posted videos of their dance on Facebook which received huge favors from all over the network.

As Kim ended his announcement, the senior members of Men’s Generation gave his crew a huge hug and together brought home the larger-than-life-sized Chili’s voucher with one last rocker scream. •

(Continued from page 1, col. 4) This year’s talent show, named Dalat Got Skillz, hosted ten different acts displaying a wide range of talents, including juggling, singing, rapping, instrumental skills, and dancing. “This year’s contestants all shocked me; it was evident that they had all practiced hard for the night and rehearsed many times,” remarked Miranda Steinert (12).

“All the shows were performed very well and organized.”

“Yang Yang [Sim, 10] probably had one of the best performances! It was extremely stunning and very well-done,” Kevin Huang (12) said. The astounding opening performance by Yang Yang with Chinese juggling blew everyone off their seats. “Yang Yang was amazing! The way he threw the yo-yos up in the air and caught them must have taken years of practice to perfect! They should have saved the best for last!” testified Sarah Wiesner (12).

Eagle’s Eye

2

By Mark Keane

said, “I know my Dad loves me, and he shows me that God loves me, too. It was a timely reminder that no matter what happens in this world, God loves us no matter what.”

By the time the week drew to a close, students around campus had the knowledge of God’s undying and beautiful love for them at the front of their minds—a powerful and important message easily overlooked by those who feel they need more spiritual “meat” rather than “milk”; however, the very heart of Jimmy Stewart’s message made itself evident as the same message at the very heart of the Christian faith. •

allowed bright sunlight to shine through them, making the room livelier than ever.

The new science laboratory has indeed become more spacious than the old chemistry room. “I like the new science room because the ceiling is definitely a lot higher than the old one, and it can fit large classes like Senior Bible comfortably,” Miranda Steinert (12) said with a satisfying smile.

Moreover, the added space provides chemistry students the extra stations to fully perform their experiments. Consequently, students find the new laboratory enjoyable and gratifying. •

MSSPP Champs...

(Continued from page 1, col. 4) this idea saying, “The best part about MSSPP soccer is getting decked out with my friends.

I really enjoy getting my face painted and cheering really loud for our boys!”

Inevitably, the result of the game went in Dalat’s favor and they became zone champions with a 6-0 whitewashing of Uplands. Speaking about the victory, Babcock said, “Being a senior, it was the greatest feeling when we heard the final whistle blow and knew that we deserved winning the last MSSPP tournament I’ll ever be in.” Others hugged their friends or kissed their medals. Overall the team exhibited a large amount of dedication and hard work which gave them great success. • March 2011

A Message in a Bottle “Hey look! They’re in the sand!” exclaimed Lucy Lee (12) to her beloved friend.

“What are!?” Jeebin Yim (12) asked aloud.

“The invitations, silly!” responded the astounded Lee as all 44 of the seniors made their way onto the beach. Arranged nicely in the sand sat rows of glass bottles with pretty ribbons coming out of the corked tops.

Every year around mid-March the anticipation starts to rise as every non-Freshman student starts thinking about one thing and one thing only. Three simple letters can sum up this all-consuming thing: JSB. The Junior-Senior Banquet, which the Junior class hosts every year, brings all sorts of excitement to all students, but especially to the senior class who waits patiently all year for an invitation to the fabulous event. Every nonFreshman high school student gets invited to the banquet, but

By Nathan Steel

the seniors get a special invitation from the Junior Class, since, after all, the whole event revolves around the seniors. This invitation involves a creative, unsuspecting way in which the Juniors formally request the presence of their upper classmen in an exciting way, which doesn’t allow the tabooed theme to leak out.

This year came no differently as on 8 March the seniors flooded into the senior Bible room expecting just another ordinary day of class. Mr. Rick Hurlbut started the class by collecting the homework and handing out a memory verse quiz, as normal, then started a video featuring Lee Strobel, a man of whose work the class studied for weeks leading up to this fateful day. The class sat quietly as they watched the video intently when suddenly the screen went blank,

music started playing, and four Juniors came running into the room shouting “S.O.S! You need to leave the room immediately!”

It didn’t take long before the clever seniors caught on to the Juniors’ motive and smiles began to creep over their faces as they began pushing their way out of the classroom to follow a long line of Juniors across the campus, past the basketball courts, down the stairs, past

T he Fluttering of Wings “Oh dude…what’s THAT?!” exclaimed Kevin Huang (12), his eyes Bambi-like with curiosity as he and his gang of friends paused in the middle of their tracks to stare inquiringly at a netted enclosure filled with hundreds of fluttering wings.

After various discussions and detailed planning over the short three-weeks of winter break, the members of the school board agreed to build a miniature butterfly farm in the middle of the scenic elementary school campus as the Penang butterfly farm desperately needed a suitable habitat for species of endangered butterflies and found

By DongYeob Sakong

of larvae where they watched wide-eyed in wonderment as furry caterpillars emerged from their cocoons as regal-looking butterflies. The box showed larvae in every stage of development and provided spectators with the opportunity to learn more about the life cycle of butterflies. The box also gave them the chance to witness the caterpillars’ metamorphosis.

The butterfly farm not only attracted the elementary and middle school students but it also fascinated the seemingly blasé high school students who could not help showing interest in the emergence of butterflies on campus. “I never expected

the campus ideal.

The butterfly farm would also enhance the education of the elementary school students and would function as a valuable outof-classroom learning tool. As soon as the farm unveiled itself, it attracted throngs of curious sight-seekers who crowded around the farm to admire the technicolored array of butterflies flying around their enclosed haven. “I like the yellow-colored butterfly the most because it’s the biggest and its wings look so beautiful,” said Peter Kim (5).

Even after the final school bell had rung for the day, hoards of middle-schoolers gathered around the small netted box

Kick to the Boredom: Inception of Fun! Door closed, lights turned off, the projectors beamed the screens on the walls. A whole crowd screamed with joy as the movie started. “Shhhhh! It’s starting! Be quiet!” whispered Daniel Ha (9), with a grin of excitement on his face, to the students around him.

Eagle’s Eye

By Marco Kim

astic audience made themselves at home. “I love Inception,” said Jennifer Park (11) excitedly; “I’ve watched this movie already, and I wanted to watch it again with many friends!” StuCo screened Christopher Nollan’s Inception, a Sci-Fi film that had topped the lists of favorite mov-

On 28 January, the Student Council [StuCo] hosted movie night for the high school students at the chapel. Despite the late time, Dalat’s movie fans, dressed in pyjamas and cosy clothes, filled up the chapel with expectation for the event. Clustered with friends, the enthusi3

the chapel, and finally to the beach.

“I had no idea where they were taking us,” says Danny Babcock (12) on the matter, “I knew it had to do with JSB asking, but the beach!? That was pretty creative!”

Babcock definitely didn’t stand alone with these words as other seniors echoed in agreement that a message in a bottle on the beach will endure forever as a brilliant idea. So brilliant, in fact, that it may almost match up to the seniors’ brilliant invitation ideas from the year before when they had the privilege of inviting their upper classmen. The Juniors will need a lot of work to rise to the expectations set by previous year’s Juniors, and they certainly did that with no questions asked.

“This was such a cool idea,” said Yim after closely analyzing the bottle and pulling out the message.

“Yea, I wonder what this has to do with the theme!” Lee curiously questioned. •

to see butterflies in school. They look so pretty!” said Seung Jou Jun (12) on his way to his next block of Choir. “I want to take one and breed in the dorm unless Harry [Mak, 12] doesn’t of course,” he added hastily.

“Yeah, Jun. All of them are so beautiful. Some of them I have never even seen before,” replied Jin Kuo (10).

Even after all the students have departed campus, the fluttering of the butterfly wings has filled the silence usually left by the students. The emergence of the farm has not only provided the butterflies with a sanctuary, but also gave students insight into the lives of these delicate creatures and metamorphosed the students into wiser people who love and respect all of God’s creation. •

ies of many Dalat students, with its well-written plots, fascinating characters, and graphics. Asked about the movie, Seung Jou Jun (12) replied, “The movie was so epic and intense that I couldn’t keep my eyes off it throughout the whole two hours of movie.”

StuCo traditionally have held student-body-bonding events like (Continued on page 4, col. 1) March 2011

Persevering Through Their...

Bruises, Bloody Lips, and Jammed Fingers

Cheers of support from the varsity boys filled the gym as the girls’ basketball team battled ISKL. This game decided who would receive the gold medal and win the title of the 2010 ISKL tourney champs. The intensity of the game heightened as the last two quarters drew near. Dalat challenged the opposing team with tenacity and, by the second quarter, gained a two point lead.

“Set up ‘smile’!” directed Frances Wong (12) while she dribbled down the court. The players positioned themselves for the new play they had learned in

just two practices from Coach Travis Smith. The girls struggled to keep their score above their opponents; however, a quick jump shot by Ashtyn McKenzie (9) and then a couple of fast breaks by Danae Frentz (11) and Sydney McKenzie (12) set the score closer. As the two teams clashed in this fierce battle, both sides inflicted injuries such as bloody lips, bruises and jammed fingers on their opponents.

Although the girls stayed neck in neck with ISKL in the beginning of the game, they could not keep the same pace in the last two quarters. In the

Sneaky Seniors Get Away—Again!

By Beth Nguyen On 11 March, the senior class along with their five sponsors gathered into the chapel for a lock-in that would turn into the beginning of their second semester mini-sneak.

“OK, guys. Don’t do anything stupid,” Mr. Karl Steinkamp said to open the night.

The seniors began the night by playing several different group games including “signs” and “vroom vroom.”

“I enjoyed playing games in the chapel. It was really cool to

StuCo Movie Night...

(Continued from page 3, col. 4) movie nights for years now; each time the members of StuCo contemplate and discuss the events that everyone can participate in and enjoy. Satisfied with the considerable participant rate, Frances Wong (12) said, “I loved how the movie night made it feel like a gigantic high school sleepover since people really came in their PJs and brought pillows and mattresses. Although a simple event, it brought the community together.”

Provided with movie, snacks, and an opportunity to hang out openly with favorite peers, Dalat’s high school students had a satisfying night. As the semester heads to the end rapidly, students anticipate and encourage StuCo to bring more creative and entertaining events. • Eagle’s Eye

see our class play games all together,” Josie Steinkamp said.

“Guys on the side where the projector says ‘Mile 2,’ and girls on the other side that says ‘Mile 2’,” Mr. David Thomas joked as he attempted to create a barrier between the boys and girls before starting the movie Gattaca.

“I was excited to watch the movie because Uma Thurman was in it,” Dianna Kes (12) said.

T h e movie ended and seniors curled up under their blankets to get much needed sleep. Five hours later, the senior class woke up to eat a breakfast made by Mr. Thomas.

“Helping out with breakfast was so much fun!” Josie Steinkamp enthused. “Marco [Kim] and I cracked open about 100 eggs to scramble and eat.”

When breakfast ended, the seniors piled into a bus to make their way over to Jerajak Resort.

“Man! When I marry a girl, I hope her name is Egg Foo Yang,” Danny Babcock exclaimed as he enjoyed his eggs and rice.

“Everything tastes better in a soup bowl!” Nathan Steel laughed as he realized that he had put his coffee in a bowl rather than a mug.

4

By Sarah Wiesner

end ISKL gained a 46–38 win, putting the Dalat girls in second place.

“In the last game, everyone played so well and really worked together. I never thought we would have had the opportunity to play against ISKL’s top international traveling team and almost beat them! And even though we didn’t win I’m so glad that I got the opportunity to play with everyone on the team,” said Amanda Leech (10).

“Mr. Smith did a great job coaching us and pulling us together as a team, with only two practices prior to the tour-

nament. Although we lost our championship game, I think that we did really well persevering and coming so close to beating their varsity team with only 2 practices!” said Wong.

As the team went to shower before heading back to Penang, they congratulated each other on persevering through the tough games as well as the bruises and jammed fingers. The girls loaded their bags onto the bus and talked the whole way back of how they had played the top traveling International School in Malaysia and had almost beaten them. •

The seniors arrived at Jerajak just in time to eat lunch and begin pool games.

“I’d watched water polo on T.V. before, and it always seemed so lame. But actually playing it was a blast. My favorite part was tackling Mr. Steinkamp and stealing the ball from him. I hope that didn’t make me lose my diploma!” Steel said about the hour-long game.

“It was cool to see how the class stayed together even when some of our plans fell apart,” Brittany Sasse said.

The seniors had planned on zipping down the flying fox but couldn’t because the instructors had left the resort; they made up for this change in plans, however, by playing more group games and water polo.

“I never knew my class could wear me out so much!” Sasse exclaimed.

Before they knew it, the day had come to an end, and the seniors once again crawled into bed tired from a day filled with activities. When the sun rose the next morning, the seniors packed their bags to head to Queensbay Mall and Pisa Paintball Center.

“I got the guy to shoot me with his gun when he was only 20 feet away from me,” Josh Strong bragged as he bared his battle wounds to his dorm brothers and sisters. “Pouncing up and popping people with bullets, and then ducking down to dodge

an oncoming projectile was so exhilarating!” he continued.

“Leaving mini sneak was nowhere near as emotional as leaving our sneak in Telunas,” Ji Hyun Park said.

With that, the senior class headed back to the school campus to enjoy the rest of their Sunday, finish homework, and prepare for the coming week. •

Be Mine!

By Miranda Steinert “If you had a pet monkey, what would you name it?” Harry Mak (12) asked Ooychai Yuthiwattana (10) after reading one of the conversation starters on their table.

On 12 February, all the dorm students congregated in the heart-decorated chapel for a nice relaxing evening and meal prepared by the dorm parents to show their love for all the dorm kids.

“I really liked the big floating Styrofoam hearts above our table and the red flowers,” said Amanda Leech (10). “It really created a Valentine’s Day mood.”

Fresh-cut flowers, scattered activity sheets, and a tantalizing garden salad topped with Aunt Vi Steinert’s famous poppy seed dressing greeted students.

(Continued on page 5, col. 1) March 2011

Magical Physics

their vans and headed to KLCC (Kuala Lumpur City Center).

After eating breakfast, the group made their way to Petrosains, The Discovery Center. As they walked through Petrosains, they explored and interacted with various exhibitions. “The museum had some really interesting displays,” said Weidemann, “and the Mind Game was really cool.” Ashlee Copley (11) also described her experience at Petrosains. “My favorite exhibit was the hurricane chamber. The force of the wind flowing around was amazing; it was odd to find that it was hard to breathe in it when you have all this air rushing around you.” The staff of

By Jeebin Yim On Thursday after school, 17 February, students of the physics class and three staff members, Mr. Brian Brewster, Mr. Barend Blom, and Mrs. Jan Hogan, began their remarkable trip to Kuala Lumpur. “I thought travelling in the vans would be horrible, but it wasn’t actually that bad,” said Khalie Mahoney (12).

Six long hours of travelling in fully packed vans could not stop the excited students from discovering physics in nature, making unforgettable memories, and having lots of fun.

“Do you guys know why the sky is blue?” asked Mr. Brewster to the students in his van. As the students tried their best to answer his physics-related questions and win “Brewster points,” they learned new scientific facts about the world that surrounds them.

“Travelling in the van was probably the best part of the trip,”

said Winnie Tan (11).

The group arrived at the guesthouse in Kuala Lumpur on Thursday night. Mr. Brewster carried out several fascinating demonstrations using various principles of physics. “I love Bernoulli’s Principle,” exclaimed Mahoney; “flicking the pen through the air and making it fly was pretty awesome!” He used common household items, such as cups, t o o t h picks, forks, and a vacuum c l e a n e r, in his demonstrations.

“The demos that Mr. Brewster did at the guesthouse were all super interesting,” said Bethany Weidemann (12). “I have some new tricks to try on my friends now!”

On Friday mor ning, the students and staff hopped into

Valentines Day...

creative Valentines composed, each group presented it on center stage to all the other groups.

They didn’t receive any prizes, but the crowd’s laughter and “awes” from them sufficed.

“My favorite memory was when we made our giant Valentine and Kevin [Huang, 12] yelled, ‘I love Emma Watson’ and when Ooychai walked out in front of everyone as the valentine covered in stickers,” Shawn Kim (9) mentioned.

With 8:30 approaching and the activities past, the dorm parents presented the song “Love Never Fails,” by Brandon Health because they believed it represented the true meaning of love.

“It was really nice to focus on the true meaning of life and not so much on games and competition,” Beth Nguyen (12) commented.

After the dorm parents’ comments on the song and a resounding “thank you” from the kids, each dorm parent handed out chocolate treat bags with a special valentine card for each dorm student. Dorm family pictures followed to remind each of his or her special and love-filled night. •

(Continued from page 4, col. 4) Kids soon settled in and the evening began with dorm parents serving plates of warm baked potatoes, sweet corn on the cob, slow cooked BBQ chicken, tasty garlic bread, and fresh strawberry cream cheese pretzel dessert which followed later as a grand finale.

“I wished there was more food; the chicken was amazingly tender, and the corn complemented it nicely,” Samuel Yeo (11) exclaimed.

Although the dorm parents wanted to create a quiet and relaxing atmosphere without competitive games, they cleverly found ways for the kids to interact and group together to put Valentine cartoon strips together, create poems to put on a huge Valentine’s card, and match famous couples.

“I really enjoyed having Sam [Kes, 10] and Justin [Strong, 9] in my group because they were outrageously funny; they wanted to put Hillary Clinton, Barrack Obama, and Tiger Woods on our Valentine,” Leech said with a giggle.

With all their inspiring and Eagle’s Eye

Petrosains, Mr. Blom, and Mr. Brewster’s thorough explanations about each display allowed the students to grasp the concepts behind them more easily.

“It all seems really cool when you can understand the reasons why things look the way they do or do what they do,” said Mahoney.

After spending a meaningful time in Petrosains, the group began their journey back home.

They arrived at the Dalat campus later that evening satisfied with what they had learned and the memories they made. “I definitely had more fun on the field trip than I thought I would,” said Weidemann. •

Straits Quay,

pronounced Straits “Key”

The colorless island of Penang, on the verge of becoming uninhabitable until late in the year of 2010, saw a ray of hope shine, and a new structure sprouted next to the almost-deserted neighborhood of Tanjung Tokong. Taking more than two years to erect, when the Straits Quay mall finally opened its arms to the public, tears of joy dripped from the cheeks of shop-aholics and food addicts alike.

Located in the vicinity of Seri Tanjung Pinang neighborhood and Island Plaza, Straits Quay fulfilled the dreams for students who wanted a fresh new place to hang out at and also for parents and staff who can seek solace in the plethora of restaurants opened for business there.

Frances Wong (12) said, “It’s really convenient to have a new shopping mall nearby. Straits Quay has a lot of my favorite restaurants, and it’s a great place for the family to go on weekends.

Besides that, we seniors can go there for lunch since it’s nearby.

I go there for lunch, dinner and dessert. Exercise? What’s that?”

Indeed, thanks to its proximity and tasty food, Straits Quay has become a blessing to Dalat seniors who have the privilege to lunch outside of school.”

“Walao, go there, don’t even need to pay parking fee and can just eat here, eat there, of course go, lah!” squeaked Terence Law (12) discussing reasons for going to Straits Quay.

Hosting a variety of Eastern and Western restaurants, such as Aqua Mediterranean, Blue 5

By Yi Yang Tan Reef Fish & Chips, Cheeky Duck Chinese Restaurant, Subway, PappaRich, Ding Charcoal BBQ & Steamboat and more, people in the Tanjung Tokong area may want to consider exercising to avoid obesity.

Aside from food, a mall can’t exist as a mall without its shops, and the Straits Quay mall does not fail to disappoint. WAF Aart Gallery, Smidapaper (which sells arts and scrapbook supplies), and the OE Fine Jewelry shop prove the growing sophistication of the Penang public.

Students could only ogle the high fashion clothing sold in Azure Venture, Versus Versace, and Wiss Boutique. “The dresses are so beautiful in there, I really want to buy one!” said Soomin Jang (10) in a dejected tone, “All these boutique shops really give Straits Quay a high-class feel; people shouldn’t be allowed to wear flip flops in there.”

Introducing a new concept of a high-class mall, Straits Quay has managed to attract the attention of many consumers despite being only two-stories high. On weekends, locals and tourists alike make up most of the space, a testimony to its successful idea that a high class mall attracts customers.

Overlooking the sea and with a polished marble floor, the Straits Quay mall encompasses every aspect of a beautiful shopping mall. It has repainted the colorless island of Penang, made the uninhabitable habitable, and established its place in the hearts and minds of the Dalat community. • March 2011

Point/Counterpoint Two Are Better Than One

Ordinary Schedules, Extraordinary

The beginning of second semester started off with an announcement that shocked a large part of the student body, but for others came as a minor change. For better or worse, double blocks said good-bye to our daily schedules, at least for this semester. Students reacted to the announcement differently; some found great delight in their removal, while others mourned their loss. The double blocks, though controversial, had supporters who proclaimed their reasons as to why double blocks should return.

Multitudes of supporters continuously announced the same reason over and over again; that without double blocks each day seems the same routine with no change to their bleak schedules (with the exception of Wednesdays, which have a chapel schedule).

“For me, variety is important for my school day because doing the same stuff everyday with no change annoys me. Double blocks used to give me that variety, but now I have nothing,” explained Beth Nguyen (12). Whether a freshman, sophomore, junior, or senior, students in favor of double blocks echoed Nguyen’s statement.

Another important reason students had for the return of double blocks involved the amount of time they had to complete homework.

If a student had homework assigned for Wednesday, and they didn’t have class on Tuesday because of double blocks, they then had an extra day to complete it.

“The removal of double blocks has affected homework a ton.

Not only do I have less time to do it, I also get more because now I have the class everyday instead of just four times a week,” said Hung Ching Song (11). In addition to the benefits for students, double blocks also helped teachers with certain aspects.

“Double blocks give me space to work with and time to prepare my lessons for my classes, but single blocks make it harder for me to do that,” said Mr. David Stengele. Teachers would use double blocks to show movies, perform experiments, and also allow students to take extra time to finish their tests. Now, teachers need to fit them into a single block schedule, which often leads to students’ forgetting earlier parts of movies, experiments interrupted halfway through, and students desperately trying to complete their test in time.

Life continued on as students realized their beloved double blocks wouldn’t return to them. This experimentation with the schedule may have irked a number of students, but in the end they could do nothing but wait to see the outcome. •

By Daniel Barber

Dalat and tradition come hand in hand. Students can expect to see the same traditions just about every year; however, Dalat brings about change just as often as it does tradition from teachers, to buildings, to students. Perhaps one of the biggest changes some of us high school students have ever experienced comes from the termination of double blocks half way through the school year. As it stands, Dalat has no unanimous consensus about the change. Plenty of students, after hearing this, may have mourned the tragic loss, or jumped up and down for joy and clicked their heels in a fashion reminiscent of Mr. David Thomas.

However, whether students approve or disapprove of this sudden change, few can deny the benefits of standard block scheduling as it now offers moderate class time, coherency, and consistency.

In case people forget how long double block classes took, they lasted for an hour and a half, which several students found difficult to sit through.

“I enjoy my classes,” says Ben Unruh (11), “but to be in one for two blocks tires me out. Having normal schedules helps me stay focused.”

The problem of prolonged class times becomes diminished with standard scheduling. Now students don’t have to worry about staying focused for a whole double block, as they find shorter periods easier to manage.

We all remember our first awful experience with double blocks as freshmen or new students. One school day, we forgot about our double block schedules; and we walked into our G block math class only to find ourselves staring at a room filled with students we didn’t recognize. Then we realize that school doesn’t have G block until another 24 hours because of double blocks. With standard block scheduling, this would not happen because it offers coherency, eliminating confusion and allowing for class flow.

DongYeob Sakong (12) explains, “It’s hard not having a class for a whole day sometimes. With normal blocks, it’s easier to learn and understand what the teacher teaches.”

Trying to jump into learning about classes such as Algebra II, Chemistry, and English after not going over it for 48 hours can cause difficulty. On top of that, every high school student needs to remember not to walk in on the wrong class when they wake up. Standard blocks eliminate this issue and allow a continuous flow of learning in each class without, as James Vo (12) puts it, .”..the confusion of forgetting my schedule every Tuesday and Thursday.”

Obvious problems come up with a double block schedule when half days occur or when one class has a double block and another class with the same course doesn’t.

“I remember taking Chemistry in my junior year and our class didn’t have double blocks,” Kevin Huang (12) recalls. “The other Chemistry class had double block, and we were always behind them.”

Double blocks have the advantage of quickly going over material, but with a schedule as diverse as Dalat’s, every block cannot have the same pace. Standard scheduling offers consistency among classes. Every teacher has the same amount of time to teach classes, making sure no class has more of an advantage. And whenever half days or odd holidays come around that would otherwise have double blocks, classes don’t find themselves suddenly missing an extra day’s worth of class.

Not everyone can entirely agree with the change in scheduling, but the advantages of shorter block time, coherency, and consistency remain present as students go about their school semester. And with Dalat’s ever changing environment, who knows what will happen next? Maybe this new scheduling will remain a tradition at Dalat, or maybe in the future, Dalat will change the scheduling yet again, giving the students another reason to moan or click heels. •

By George Merusi

Coconut Cache Clashes

By Terence Law

As masses of Penangites weave in between each other, pushing and shoving their way through the sea of people, massive black boxes blast Indian folk music at the umpteenth decibel, audible all the way from India itself. The rickety stalls of the myriad of companies and organizations, decorated with colorful banners displaying a plethora of clichéd wellwishes and auspicious sayings, form a barricade of Eagle’s Eye

sorts, barring all entry to and from the almost claustrophobic street. Fighting through wave after wave of Hindu devotees, unwavered from the intoxicating smell of lit incense and aural assault pulsing forth from the massive speakers flanking the walls of this canyon of carnage, three brave warriors, Yi Yang Tan (12), Jet Song (12), and Adrian Yeap (11), push onwards to reach the next cache of coconuts.

The sea of devotees, sensing the intrusion of these three aliens, reacts like a nest of angry ants. Before long, the super-organism devoured these (Continued on page 7, col. 1) 6

March 2011

A Twilight Search

“As soon as Nathan walked on stage, I thought it actually was Edward because of his sparkly skin and bright red lips,” said Daniel Barber (12).

“Doing Nathan’s makeup was definitely a highlight,” admitted Khalie Mahoney (12), who, along with the other female members of the NHS, gladly volunteered to help the boys get ready to become their characters.

After the skit ended with Steel, Mak, and Lucy Lee (12) skipping down the aisle to find their Dalat recruits, the curtains opened; and each NHS member walked down to the stage to find their inductees. The ceremony honored and inducted seventeen people in all: Abbie Brake (11), Andy Goh (11), Anna Fu (12), Bethany Weidemann (12), Danae Frentz (11), David Tse (11), Emily Brokaw (11), Hung Ching Song (11), James Vo (12), Jasmine Stoltzfus (11), Jordan Strong (11), Juliette DeVette (11), Kaleb Uzzle (12), Mark Keane (12), Nathan Peace (11), Rachel Leung (12), and Sarah Hwang (11).

“I walked into the NHS assembly with no clue about what was going to happen. It was surprising to be called up and be a part of NHS! I hadn’t any clue, so it was really exciting to be selected,” said Vo. “I was hoping I’d be called up; it’s really a big honor to be inducted!” shared Frentz.

Altogether, the ceremony and skit turned out a great success. The especially delighted NHS members saw all their hard work come together nicely. The audience’s positive reaction to the skit thrilled them and made

By Hannah Jones “Oh! All hope is lost for my Isabella Swan!” exclaimed Nathan Steel (12). All of high school watched on as Steel, playing the role of Edward, mourned the disappointing candidates that had lined up to save Bella Swan.

Using the recent Twilight series, on 1 March members of the National Honor Society performed a skit for the inducting ceremony that sought to reflect the four requirements of NHS – scholarship, service, character, and leadership. The Twilight parody successfully and humorously reflected these things and entertained the high school audience, who continually filled the Chapel with eruptions of laughter. Harry Mak (12) played Jacob Black, Steel played Edward Cullen, and Jeebin Yim (12) played Bella Swan. The other members of the NHS took up the roles of candidates and villains.

“I thought the skit was well put together and clearly demonstrated the qualities of a student who deserves to be inducted,”

said Daniel Babcock (12). “I thought Nathan and Harry had great banter and made the skit come alive.”

Steel and Mak’s performance impressed lots of people, and effectively portrayed the awkward relationship and odd attributes their characters had. Students also enjoyed other humorous touches, including the elaborate makeup some of the characters wore.

“I really liked the part when Jeebin was playing Bella, and she made a big deal about a teeny paper cut and then Harry and Nathan came along ready to fight each other over it,” Sydney McKenzie (12) related. “I enjoyed how this truly made fun of twilight and the babyish vampires in it.”

Coconut Wars...

entrepreneurs. Consumed with a culturally rooted affinity to money, these shrewd businessmen have come to summon the powers of the Hindu gods to bless their bank invoices with increasing digits.

After tireless battling through the hordes of people, a look of exorbitant elation graced the faces of these three brave adventurers. Asked about the purpose of the expedition, Tan replied, “No lah, actually I have no reason to be here. I come here to throw coconut only, so fun you know!?” On the other hand, Song said that he came to “get better grade lah! You don’t know that you throw coconut to get luck meh?” It appears the eve of Thaipusam appeals not only to Hindu devotees but also to thrill-seeking wanderers and fortune hoarders. This reverent day precedes the pilgrimage of many Hindu devotees paying piety to Hindu gods by piercing themselves with punishing vel skewers and bearing backbreaking kavadi onto their bodies. Disappearing into the crowd, Yeap exclaims, “Oi! Faster go find more coconut to throw, lah!” •

(Continued from page 6, col. 2) heroes, thrusting upon them their first challenge in the form of Styrofoam boxes filled with various chutneys and curries, all engineered to distract and hinder the arduous journey.

Further temptation came in the form of children, all dressed in dazzling saris of brilliant red, purple, and gold, playing and dancing around our heroes, tempting them to discontinue their pilgrimage and luring them into this trance of celebration and festivity.

To their dismay, the heroes found the coconut cache heavily guarded by not only the mass of Hindu devotees, but also an elite guard of Chinese fortune hoarders. These Chinese fortune hoarders, mercenaries from all the lands that value wealth above all else, have come to claim the luck-granting powers of the coconuts for themselves. Standing tall in their white singlets, khaki shorts, and chunky gold jewelry, these hoarders of all things fortunate have come in hopes of gaining an unfair advantage over opposing proprietors and Eagle’s Eye

all the work worthwhile. Most reminisced the number of times they met each Wednesday morning to put it together and the amount of work they put into creating it.

“I really enjoyed being able to help produce the NHS skit that I had seen for the past three years. I was a little worried at how people would react to it, but the end result was very encouraging and very fun,” said George Merusi (12).

“At first I was really nervous because I had to prompt Nathan and Harry so much in practice, but the performance was incredible! They hit almost every single line and projected their voices and acted so well and it was just awesome!” shared Mahoney.

“Hearing everyone’s reaction to Harry’s entrance was pretty funny, too,” shared Beth Nguyen (12). “We [NHS members] all bonded so much through the experience and it was good to be able to parody something that we all had similar feelings about.”

“All the morning practices were a lot of fun. I actually miss them,” commented Chan-Mi Kim (12), agreeing with Nguyen about the ultimate experience of putting it altogether, “I just wish good luck to next year’s NHS team and hand them over the responsibility to keep Tommy happy and well.”

Steel agreed, “I think the school did an excellent job at deciding who would be inducted this year. Let’s see if they can live up to it!”

With Steel’s mournful declaration proven wrong and the ceremony carried out effectively, this year’s NHS inductees will have to take on the baton and work hard to top it next year. •

The “T” Word On Thursday, 10 February, the seniors all gathered around the clock tower filled with excitement and anticipation of what the next day and a half would bring. This morning marked the beginning of the Senior Transition Retreat, which everyone had looked forward to for weeks.

Not only did the whole senior class get to skip classes for a day and a half, but they also got to spend the night at Paradise Hotel and learn about what to expect in the coming year of transition that all of them would face. Bethany 7

By Josie Steinkamp

Weidemann explained what she anticipated about senior transition retreat: “I thought that we would learn about TCK stuff and how to go back to our home countries and fit in well.

I was also excited about the chance to be together as a class again, and it was cool to have our sponsors lead it.”

Once they arrived at Paradise, the seniors broke the ice with a “have you ever game” that really helped the class understand more about each other in a fun way. After the (Continued on page 8, col. 1) March 2011

wYLdlife Rainforest Resort

By Brittany Sasse On 4 March, 30 Dalat middle school students gathered together at the clock tower anticipating a weekend at a wYLdlife camp. Enthusiastically Mr. David Thomas, Mrs. Becky Jenkins, Beth Nguyen (12), Theresa Phan (12), Brittany Sasse (12), Joseph Kim (11), Josh Thorne (10), Josiah Steinkamp (9), the wYLdlife leaders, met them after getting out early in F block. After taking a head count and praying for a safe journey, their 6-hour trip to reach the Rainforest Resort in Johor Bahru began.

Dalat School students arrived at the Rainforest Resort at 8:30 where they met the Singapore American School, whose wYLdlife department would coordinate the weekend’s clubs, games, and other activities. The first club began late that night introducing everyone to the speaker Brad, the walk-on skit with Stu and Lou—with their motto “the coaches who make life better”—and different songs that the Dalat leaders performed. This club marked the beginning of the camp, leaving everyone excited about the next day, which left every cabin with a sleepless night.

Saturday, filled with nonstop activity, gave no one a chance

their sunburns painful, they forgot about the pain when they began to play, shoot, and crawl.

Winning at rock, paper, and scissors became the object of the game. This forced the loser to crawl through the opponent’s legs and join in on the chain of people while the leader of the chain continued to verse others.

“My favourite part of this week would probably be winning the rock, scissor, and paper game,” Emily Tan (8), undefeated at this game, proclaimed confidently.

Following the night session of club, came the bonfire. Around the fire everyone indulged in the imported American snacks like Marshmallows, Graham crackers, Hershey chocolate bars, and Capri Sun. While everyone indulged in these delicacies, Seung Jun (8) (a.k.a.

Bob) entertained the camp with his impersonations of Shakira singing “Waka Waka.”

Saturday night quickly came to an end and the dreaded day of departing the Rainforest Resort came. Although everyone entered the bus with sleep-deprived bodies, many wanted this weekend of fun and laughter to last forever. As tired as everyone looked, everyone still found the energy to make traveling back to

Penang enjoyable. They began to play random games, singing loudly to songs, and laughing for no apparent reason. According to Josiah Steinkamp (9), “The funnest part of wYLdlife was after the camp ended and all the leaders and kids were in the airport exchanging jokes and different experiences.”

On 7 March at 1:00 a.m. everyone returned safely to Penang. On that Monday, when wYLdlife camp officially ended, all 30 middle schoolers started reflecting on their weekend.

In Shion Matsumoto’s (8) reflection, he said that camp “was a time for me and my friends to enjoy each other outside of school. I thought that the different activities we did as our cabin got us to know each of us better, because our true character came out during the camp.” Not only did the wYLdlife camp build new friendships, but it also created new relationships. Matsumoto goes on to say “I also learned that God has a plan for us and we have to give it up for him and let him control our lives.”

Also according to Jumi Yoon (6), “The speaker [Brad] this helped me learn more about God in a fun way.” However to fully explain the impact this weekend many anticipated for, Tan summed it up, saying, “I would definitely want to go again next year.” •

to feel bored. Throughout the morning, everyone had a chance to participate in repelling down the repelling wall, climbing higher than the trees and gliding down the flying fox over a lake, pushing friends over in kayaks, jumping from planks of wood over a mud pond, and slamming friends into the swimming pool. While the Dalat boys participated in the various outdoor activities, the Dalat girls took this chance to play a prank on the boys’ cabins. “When I think back about wYLdlife, I always think of how we pranked the guys, and how they were m a d y e t s u rprised all at the same time,” Kathy Lee (7) giggled, having witnessed their expression to a vandalized toiletpapered room left without mattresses with an addition of greased door knobs and their shoes neatly lined outside on the gate. Speaking for many of the girls, Katie Gwaltney (8) agreed that “my favourite part of camp was pranking the guys.”

After the outdoor activities finished, many girls and boys walked into the next club with pink faces and sunburnt backs.

Although many of them found

Malacca’s History Revealed

married, the highlight for me was probably wrestling Danny and Josh in the sand at night. It started out as just us wrestling but before we knew it there were like 30 people all watching and participating,” Nathan Steel explained.

The senior transition retreat became a great escape to Paradise. Seniors did not only receive transition advice but also had the opportunity to spend time with each other and really bond as a class. “I learned a lot about what to expect at college and that even though transitioning may be hard, college life will be a blast! We also had a lot of fun being together as a class, ” Dianna Kes explained. As the retreat came to an end, the seniors gained a sense of understanding for the upcoming year as well as a refreshed sense of unity as a class. •

The South East Asian studies class met on campus at 7:30 on Sunday morning, 26 February, to leave on a much-anticipated three-day field trip to Malacca.

“As a student, it was a blessing to really see, feel, and touch the subject that we have been covering in class. We could have just read about the history in class, but we actually learned the history by experiencing and walking in buildings that the early colonialists built,” said Jennifer Park (11). In Malacca, students got the opportunity to tour museums, and walk its streets.

On the first day, students spent much of their time riding in a van to Malacca, but they did get to use a good portion of the afternoon viewing the Mini ASEAN Village that had replicas of traditional Southeast Asian houses. For the time spent at the village, students paired up

By Alan Thompson Senior Transition Retreat...

(Continued from page 7, col. 4) games ended they settled into the meeting room to go through what they should expect for the next year as we transition. Seniors went through a large range of subjects of concern for the upcoming year, from personal finance, to self-defense and how to stay safe and still have fun.

The meetings proved valuable to the seniors, but the time they had to spend with one another also proved priceless.

During free time the senior class participated in many different activities such as banana boating, beach volleyball, lounging by the pool, singing songs on the beach, and even wrestling in the sand.

“Other than learning so much about life and college and getting Eagle’s Eye

8

to complete an assignment. For their assignment they had to take pictures and explore the buildings so that they could make a scrapbook about the different building styles once they came back. “It was interesting to see how the culture of each nation affected the architecture,” said Nathan Peace (11).

On the second day, students followed their guide Mr. Mark Sasse all over the city visiting different museums and old buildings. At the start of the tour, Mr. Sasse took the students to an old church that the Portuguese had originally built, but later on the British had captured it and added on new outer buildings. Students went to many different museums and learned about all the colonial influences on Malacca. Over the past 400 years, Malacca has had many different colonial nations (Continued on page 9, col. 1) March 2011

Igniting a Passion

students. It was definitely God orchestrated.”

After learning the majority of the gospel presentation in a very short time, each trainee picked a trainer to work with and departed to the streets of Singapore to connect intentionally and potentially share some of the gospel with new friends. Each group came back enthusiastically with different stories to share. Some groups felt blessed to have shared a large portion of the gospel with new friends, while others felt equally blessed to have spent the whole time connecting and getting to know new people. “I really enjoyed the positive and fun team atmosphere and the relationships we built with the trainees,” Mak explained.

After a short but very full weekend, each student passed the oral test of all that they learned in an impressive amount of time.

The pastors, youth pastors and young adults who participated in the launch ended the workshop feeling encouraged, blessed and beyond excited to finally have the

By Rachel Thorne “I’m so, so, SO excited guys!” squealed Lucy Lee (12) as Harry Mak (12), Rachel Thorne (12), Mr. Frank and Mrs. Kelly Alexander, and Mr. Rich Gwaltney sleepily climbed into the taxi and set out early Friday morning, Singapore bound. The team travelled to launch an Evangelism Explosion (XEE) training seminar to a group of enthusiastic and determined followers of Christ. XEE provides Christians with a new way to share their faith in a non-threatening way and focuses hugely on having relationships before sharing the gospel. The Penang team eagerly anticipated the opportunity to help equip those passionate about their faith.

Upon arriving in Singapore, the team travelled to the Anglican Church and kicked off the weekend with introductions and icebreaker games to set a relaxed and comfortable mood.

The first night filled itself with small group discussions and focused on learning to connect intentionally with people.

Everyone spoke timidly at the beginning; however, by the end of the night, the room echoed with laughter and chatter. The team from Penang arrived at their hostel that night excited for what God had in store and for the relationships that would arise.

Southeast Asian Studies Trip...

(Continued from page 8, col. 4) invade it, thus creating many diverse architectural types.

“I have been to Malacca five times now, but this time, I really felt connected with what Malaysia really is; from the food to touring all the museums. In Dalat you are so isolated and you don’t really get to experience Malaysia properly,” explained Marieth Kiiza (12). The students really enjoyed getting out and experiencing Malaysian culture and learning about its history without sitting in a dark class room taking notes from a slide show. • Eagle’s Eye

The rest of the weekend filled up with teaching the trainees the gospel outline and how to help a new believer grow in their faith.

Learning different sections of the outline and then practicing them over and over filled up hours in the day. Mak, Lee and Thorne each trained some of the trainees and listened to them practice, practice, and practice some more and helped each trainee make what they were learning their own. “The students were awesome in the professional way they trained and handled situations,” Mrs. Alexander shared. “We couldn’t have asked for a better, more committed team of

To the Elderly

By Kaleb Uzzle make a difference, before they run out of time.”

The visits have left the students with many elderly friends. Many of the students who go to the old folks’ home have found that the elderly have much to say.

Lukas Martens (10) said, “Not only do the elderly get much out of our visits, when we go there we have a great time, and it is really a blessing to hear what the old folks have to say.”

Among the inhabitants of the

Care and Share has certainly shown its caring and sharing side in its visits to the Penang old folks’ home. ChanMi Kim (12) a Care and Share leader, says “When we first started going to the old folks home, the elderly there were resentful, hesitant to talk to us, and bitter. Even after 6 visits there are plenty of them that still won‘t talk to us, but each time more people smile and recognize us.”

On 4 March, Care and Share took flowers, notes, and snacks to the elderly. The notes came from students at Dalat International School to the elderly.

They had messages on them, meant to give the old folks hope and encouragement. The elderly at the old folks’ home live there because they have no family to take care of them, are over sixty, and have no means to support themselves.

The students who usually go to the old folks’ home find it difficult because sometimes the elderly people they talked to the week before passed away.

Kim said, “I really hope we

right tools to share their faith.

“The trip was a success in every respect,” exclaimed Mrs. Alexander. “The Church in Singapore caught the vision and fire to share their faith and train others to do so as well, and they already have plans for a follow up launch with their youth group!”

Each person, whether a trainer, facilitator or trainee, exchanged prayers and goodbyes and left the XEE launch filled with a deep passion and desire to continue to share their faith and help equip others to do the same. “The one thing that stuck out to me about the XEE trip to Singapore,” explained Mr. Gwaltney, ”was the potential for long term impact. I was able to see not only the immediate fruit of the trip but the eternal impact for the Kingdom of God in Singapore. Overall, the trip surpassed my greatest expectations! I was amazed at our students’ ability to lead and articulate such a clear message while equipping others to share their faith.” •

home, many remember when Malaysia became a country. In their talks with the people there the students also have found that the elderly had led interesting lives before they lived in the Penang old folks’ home. The old folks’ home has an old world traveling photographer, a retired Thai boxer, an ex-military cook for the air force, and a retired Airport worker.

The ride to the old folks’ home takes a little over thirty minutes and maybe an hour in bad traffic, but to the students who go, the time spent there has much worth to it. The old folks certainly won’t get any younger from the visits but the students who go pray that it does give the elderly hope. •

Dressing Up? How About Dressing DOWN!

By Karen Pagee How many got a tardy for trying to figure out what to wear on “No Uniform Day”? On 26 February, Care and Share held a “No Uniform Day,” an event held twice a year. Students paid rm 10 for charity, which also provided the opportunity to wear normal clothes.

When asked what she liked best about “No Uniform Day,” 9

Miranda Steinert (12) said, “It was neat to see how many people participated.”

Some people decided to dress casual, some nice, some smart, while others wore their uniforms. The atmosphere of tension seemed to dissipate when students wore every-day clothing.

(Continued on page 10, col. 1) March 2011

lence. One of the long-term players, Rebekah Wiesner (11) said, “It was really fun to watch the U15 girls game because it was their first real game as a team, and it was great to see them work together for the victory. They are young, but they showed a lot of promise and I am excited to be able to play with them next year.”

Before their last game, they had an hour and a half break, so Mr. Mark Sasse, Mrs. Karen Sasse, and Mrs. Vicky Moss decided to take the girls out to a local stall for lunch. The girls cheerfully talked about the previous game and also how some of the local students had asked for some of the team members’ phone numbers and Facebook addresses.

When the last game began, the blazing sun dried up the field, but the heat waves had exhausted the players; however, the girls

“Thank You, Pitchers!”

By Maaya Yamauchi

Up and awake by 6:30 a . m . on 5 March, the U15 and the U18 softball girls gathered on campus for a little field trip. The girls stumbled into the school vans tiredly, searched for their comfortable positions to sleep, and departed for an hour and a half ride to Taiping to play a friendly softball match. While the U18 girls exited the van in a day dream, the U15 girls nervously shifted and fretted; for their first game of the season approached.

The girls had three games in total, playing against Vokay Kuala Kangsar, Convent Taiping, and SMK Kamunting.

The U18 girls started off their first game at 8:30 a.m., unfortunately, on a wet field.

This made it difficult for the girls to pitch and throw, as the ball kept slipping from their hands.

As a result, the girls lost to Vokay Kuala Kangsar 9-1.

Although unsatisfied with the results, they kept positive attitudes by making jokes about the wet field or the umpire’s

No Uniform Day...

(Continued from page 9, col. 4) Kaleb Uzzle (12) commented, “I enjoyed it. Everyone seemed relaxed wearing their own clothing.”

Nearly everyone, including staff, participated. Matthew Lawrence (9) commented, “I wish there were more days like it.”

Mrs. Anne-Marie Pagee also seemed very pleased with this semester`s result: “It was our most successful event to date.

Thanks Dalat!” Care and Share raised over rm4700. She also said, “This will bless a lot of people.” The funds will go to further Care and Share projects such as giving flowers to senior citizens, paying van costs for outreach trips, and for providing food and other assistance to more people in need.

“No Uniform Day” happens every semester. This fund-raiser for an organization created to help the needy, not only provided them help—but it encouraged students and gave them a chance to wear casual clothes.

Care and Share, excited over this semester’s results, hopes these fund-raisers will continue next year. • Eagle’s Eye

calls. Juliet DeVette (11) said, “The first game made such a big difference in my catching. It pointed out my flaws and forced me to change quickly based on them.”

The challenges that the girls faced under these bad conditions had, nevertheless, made a motivating impact on the girls.

The second game began with the U15 girls. Each strike Marianna Moss (8) threw, and each ball the girls hit, the girls sprang up with joy and the whole roster cheered them on endlessly. As a result of the girls’ hard work, the U15 girls beat Convent Taiping 5-4. When the umpire closed the game, the whole team leaped with delight, and congratulated the “freshies” for their excel-

stayed focused despite some heckling from local teams.

Dripping gallons of sweat, yet making good throws and communicating well, the girls led the team to a score of 5­-3. But minutes after switching pitchers, it started storming and raining hard. Unable to continue with the game, the girls won their final game 5-3 and had made their way home after a whole day camping out in the devastating sun.

Shion Beak (10) concluded, “Treating the game as our first kind-of official game since the beginning of this semester we weren’t too bad; but thinking of the approaching MSSPP, I think we still have lots of things to work on.”

Training hard for the upcoming MSSPP games, the girls will continue to dedicate themselves in practices to win the State Champions title this year. •

Taking the Sting Out of the Green Hornet the Los Angeles newspaper The Daily Sentinel. Pop star Jay Chou joins Rogen as Kato, the Green Hornet’s side-kick and all rounded super-genius. While Rogen acts as the main character of the movie, his character lacks every trait of what we would expect from a classic hero: smarts, strength, talent, conduct, and possibly “straightness.”

Though it may seem that all the cards stack up against him, Rogen doesn’t embarrass himself in the action scenes and serves as the film’s number one comic relief. Aside from his playboy attitude and clumsy actions, a significant part of his humour arises from his constant hinting of homosexuality, making multiple Freudian slips that assert so.

Even though the Canadian star gets most of the film’s big laughs, Chou plays the more serious part of the film. Chou’s well played role in the film has led some fans to hail him as the main character of the show.

“Way better than all the other actors. I think he was the star of the show,” said Terence Law (12) with full conviction. Indeed, Chou’s character plays the key part behind the entire movie’s coolness, per for ming most of the fight scenes that would dwarf even the most well-choreographed Justin Bieber music videos. The fight scene itself has

Fire up the Black Beauty and load up your gas guns, because the Green Hornet has returned.

Unlike controversial figures such as Justin Bieber where people either hate him or worship him, The Green Hornet lies in the grey area. The Green Hornet won’t exactly fall under the “greatest movie” category, but the blend between the action and comedy scenes definitely makes it an entertaining 119 minutes.

The Green Hornet represents one of those names that manage to stick around the edges of the pop culture sphere for decades without exactly commanding much effort. The Green Hornet started off as a radio series in the 30s alongside other radio adventures which then readapted into a TV series during the 60s.

Although it managed to serve as a career springboard for legendary martial artist Bruce Lee’s American career, the show had already begun to decline by the first season and stood on the fringe of the world’s awareness.

If not for Hollywood’s affinity for remakes, reboots, and adaptations, The Green Hornet wouldn’t have got the chance to end up as a modern superhero film.

Canadian actor and comedian Seth Rogen unlikely plays Britt Reid, the 28-year-old slacker son of James Reid, publisher of 10

By Ng Xian Yao

a sense of originality to it. The fight scene, directed by Michel Gondry, incorporates not only slow-motion techniques, but also a unique visual imprint Gondry calls the Kato vision. Many fans found the Kato vision used in the fight scene particularly well done, which shows off the side-kick’s ability to slow down time and see all the elements of a battle before they start. “It’s better to watch that part in 3D,” said DongYeob (12).

Another nice touch: a new villain. Christoph Waltz plays Chudnofsky, the double-barrelled, desert eagle-wielding mob boss with a mid-life crisis.

Introduced at the very beginning of the movie, Christoph Waltz will keep the audience company throughout the film.

“He’s so cool! I want to know how his gun works without any magazines,” Lucy Lee (12) said excitedly. The story line itself has highly unexpected twists to it that the audience can rarely predict. Twists of which the audience would best experience firsthand.

All in all, nobody expects The Green Hornet to make it into the “Top Ten Movies You Should See Before You Die” list, but as something easy and fun to watch and laugh about for the next half-hour after the credits roll, The Green Hornet definitely fits the criteria. • March 2011

Qing Ding Dong

By Jet Song “Jim and Sam! What are you guys going to do today?” shouted Joseph Kim (11), expecting an exciting answer from Jim Choi (11) and Sam Yeo (11) right after the school bell rang.

From 3 February till 8 February, Chinese New Year brought joy and opportunity to calm tired students who suffered from unstoppable homework and tests since the beginning of the second semester. American students in Dalat think of Chinese New Year as a long weekend holiday or pre-spring break, while Asians students spend the time bonding with each other.

“Chinese New Year is the time when you can reunite with

your whole family. I am going to spend my holiday with my brother and cousin [who came] from U.S. last night,” said Yi Yang Tan (12) with a slight shake in his voice.

“I think Chinese New Year does not just reunite only your own family but the nation. I invited Kevin [Huang, 12] to my house to celebrate together. Dorm students like him should not miss our tradition celebrations,” said Jeffrey Hsiao (11) with a confident tone in his voice.

The Artist’s Perspective

By Jamielee Forsdick “It takes a lot of work to make it big in the art society; you need to work extremely hard. I basically breathe art!” said Pheh It Hao, a professional artist. Both the Advanced and Master Studio Art classes took a field trip to the WAF Art Gallery at Straits Quay to admire the artwork of artists all around the world; this art gallery showcases fine art works all the way from Latin America to local Malaysian art pieces. Most of the Advanced Art students— Jeebin Yim (12), Juliet DeVette (11), Christina Kim (11), Jamie Thompson (10), Adam Lim (10), Jee Ho Han (10), Sam Kes

(10), Sharrath Muragan (10), Niklaus Ooi (9)—asked questions like “How did you come up with the piece?” or “How long did it take you?” “Ohhs” and “ahhs” resonated across the gallery as students and both art teachers, Mrs. Liza Nichols and Mrs. Annami Blom, took in the breath-taking showpieces. “This trip was to open our minds to new and exciting ways of using medium such as acrylic and water colour to produce the most elegant and stunning pieces,” said Mrs. Nichols. Softly treading across the marble floor, students murmured their admiration for

Eating Out? No! At the shrill ring of the school bell, students packed up with haste as teachers dismissed them. A huge throng of the students spilled through white doors onto the campus. “I am starving to death. What’s for lunch today?” eagerly asked Jeebin Yim (12). As Chan-Mi Kim (12) excitedly recited the lunch menu, Yim with widened eyes and a pounding heart tugged at Kim’s bright blue sleeve to drag Eagle’s Eye

KunHee Kim

her to the cafeteria.

A seemingly endless line of middle schoolers chitchatting and high schoolers cramming up for next block crowded the cafeteria during D, E, and F blocks. As the line grew closer for Yim and Kim, they anxiously grabbed silverware and trays, letting their nose lead them to 11

Asians in Dalat looked forward to playing with firecrackers, eating traditional food and receiving ang pao, a red pocket or the New Year’s gift of money given to young ones from the elders.

“I tried my best to meet as many family members as possible in Singapore so that I can earn a lot of money to buy gifts for my girls!” exclaimed Terence Law (12) with an “evil” smile on his face.

Asian students also had great pressure of their pumping hearts for Chinese New Year, day students started to worry as the holiday’s night came because of the repetition of the warlikesound of firecrackers and the erratic beat of Chinese traditional music.

“I could hear Chinese people singing karaoke for Chinese New Year all night, and sud-

denly, I heard a Mexican song that I know that I could follow the song along. My dad and I joined the festivities of Chinese New Year Karaoke,” posted Rebekah Wiesner (11) on her Facebook wall.

Chinese who celebrated the New Year in Malaysia, or even outside the nation, still keep the customs and beliefs which showed the spirit of the Chinese and the cohesive relationship between families.

Most international students in Dalat could experience how to harmonize with the multicultures as they grow as third culture kids.

“Joseph, we are heading to Daore restaurant to eat our Korean traditional food. Let’s go eat gluttonously and satisfy our stomach just like how Chinese are going to do for their holiday,” said Choi like a trained soldier ready for the battle. •

the artist and traded whispers.

“I wish I could paint like that,” Mrs. Nichols said. “The way Pheh It Hao experiments with his medium is like nothing I’ve seen before.” The artists used various media in all the pieces.

Some used acrylic, watercolor and screen prints.

The main reason the art classes went to WAF Art Gallery was to see the local art of Pheh It Hao. He mainly concentrated on using watercolour and parchment. Hao said, “I’ve been painting ever since I graduated from high school. I went to study in Europe and I’m currently living in Adelaide, Australia.” He also teaches local student here in Penang, and he went on to tell the art students that watercolour has to be very precise—one wrong stroke of the paintbrush

and the piece may be ruined.

Keanu Lee (10) said, “I thought that his use of negative and unfinished pieces made them raw and fresh and you wouldn’t expect that from a qualified artist.” The artist liked to work with architectural buildings, but he did so very unconventionally as he didn’t want to paint the most idealistic and appealing part of the building but rather the hidden, and forgotten parts.

Jennifer Park (11) said, “I had no idea before going into the art gallery that you could use acrylic like that. I was in shock of how people can paint like that.

It showed me the way, to paint and express myself more in my art pieces.”

Sighs echoed across the hall as students left the gallery to head back to school. •

the delectable aroma of the cafeteria food.

The gorgeous beach-scape in front of the cafeteria stimulated students’ appetites. The calm s o u n d of gentle waves refreshed the students’ tired brains, tourists falling from the banana boat and waving their hands to get rescued evoked mirth among the students, and sportsmen showing off their jet-ski skills with huge splashes of water added to the liveliness of

the cafeteria.

Tremendous improvements and significant changes took place to the cafeteria menu this year. Now divided into two sections— Asian and Western—the cafeteria menu offered the community a variety of dishes. “At the beginning of this senior year, I decided to enjoy the senior privilege—going out for lunch.

But when I saw the food and all the smiles of the cafeteria crew, I just could not go out for lunch every day,” said Anna Fu (12).

The savory smell from the (Continued on page 12, col. 1) March 2011

Dorm Warfare

though,” Rick Brake (9) said as he pointed to the bruised welts that covered his arms.

By the end of the day, it didn’t matter who won or lost; the atmosphere and attitudes remained positive and uplifting the whole time. Smiles and laughter erupted as dor ms sociali z e d w i t h each other.

“It was fun to go to battle with the other dorms,” Keane said with passion, “It was great to bond with everyone and it felt like we were all a band of brothers.”

Even on the bus ride home, bonding conversations and hysterical laughter made it a memorable experience. •

By Daniel Babcock Dozens of excited dorm students crowded around vans on 7 March in anticipation of a paintball tournament. Teams and tactics became the main topics of discussion as the students stood in the hot sun waiting outside the student center. The dorms planned to go to the Pisa Paintball Grounds to play a friendly, dorm-against-dorm tournament of paintball. Dorm students waited the whole weekend for that very moment.

After the six dor m vans packed with kids arrived at Pisa, delight rippled through the crowd of students as they stood looki n g onto the battlefield. The arena took up a whole floor of a five-story parking garage located near the airport. As students trekked up the three flights of stairs, they found themselves pleasantly surprised to find that the course looked thrilling and spectacular. The paintball course flourished with interesting obstacles and barriers, which made the guys eager to start, while the staff welcomed the wide-

Cafeteria Menu...

(Continued from page 11, col. 4) Dalat Cafeteria managed to attract students and staff alike, the palatable food provided them with energy to keep them working hard, and the cafeteria crews’ welcoming smiles created resonating joyful laughter of the community throughout the cafeteria.

“One of my favorite blocks this year is F block which is my lunch time,” said Yim with a shy smile. “I will definitely miss the heartwarming smiles and delightful food from Dalat when I am in Korea after graduation,” continued Yim. With huge smiles of satisfaction and with their energy fully charged, Yim and Kim walked to their lockers, getting ready for the next block and anticipating the next day’s lunch. • Eagle’s Eye

eyed students. Students joked around with the staff and even convinced the head of safety to shoot Mark Keane (12) in the “no shooting” zone!

“The guy in charge of safety was not concerned about safety at all and he made it fun,” Chan Hee Park (11) stated.

The paintball course staff organized a four-team tournament for the dorms to participate in. In the first match, Ziemer Dorm faced Jaffray Dorm in a heated battle. Jaffray eventually won out their rival dorm and later went on to win the whole tournament.

“Paintball was as fun as war except we didn’t get to die. We did get some cool battle scars

Oh! The Places You’ll Go!

By Joyce Lou Shasta Community College in Redding, California, for the first two years of college. I have state residency there so it saves me a lot of money plus the first two years are just basic courses anyways,” said Miranda Steinert (12) insightfully. Dianna Kes (12), who has state residency in Florida and will attend Daytona State University in the fall, said: “I’m majoring in child education because I love kids and I like the way they think. I am encouraged to help them do well in their education.” Smiling, Saarah Monawvil (12) said: “I’ll be attending Florida State University and majoring in International Relations. I think it would be really cool to work overseas for a NGO [NonGovernmental Organization] like UNICEF.” The streets filled with dreams and the bright city lights of New York have captured the imaginations of both Rachel Leung (12) and Marieth Kiiza (12). Leung said: “I’m attending the School of Visual Arts in the fall. New York is an inspirational city especially since I’m majoring in graphic design. I’m majoring in graphic design because it’s not too specific and I can branch out into other fields of design.” Freshly

After years of studying for exams, months of researching colleges, weeks of applying to colleges and hours of prepping for the SAT, the seniors’ transition into the real world that they worked so diligently for will soon begin.

For the Aussies, nowhere compares to the sunny shores and sandy beaches of their homeland. “I’m majoring in biochemistry or medicine.

I’m not sure which college I’m going to, but it’ll be back in Australia,” said Mark Keane (12) with a shrug. Jamielee Forsdick (12) said: “College in Australia starts in January, so I’ll be having a gap year. I’m going to travel and see the world which is something I wouldn’t have the opportunity to do once I’m back in Brisbane.” Like Keane, Melbourne native Alan Thompson (12) will also be majoring in biochemistry in Australia in the spring.

In an economically shrewd move, three twelfth graders have decided to save tens of thousands of dollars by attending community colleges and states universities. “I’ll be attending 12

accepted to State University of New York at Albany, Kiiza said: “I’m majoring in sociology with criminal justice.” She added seriously: “I want to be a social service worker working with street kids because that’s what God is calling me to do. Also I want to break the cycle of poverty.”

Sticking close to home, Bethany Weidemann (12), who will attend her parents’ alma mater Wheaton College, said: “Wheaton is in Illinois which is my hometown so things are familiar. Also it’s a really great school with a solid reputation.”

While undecided about her college of choice, Khalie Mahoney (12) said: “I’m definitely majoring in nursing because I’m really interested in biology and I love the medical side of things.

Once I graduate, I want to work as a nurse in Africa.”

Divergi n g from the college-bound norm, Hannah Jones (12) and ChanMi Kim (12) have opted to take a gap year before resuming their higher education. “This gap year is going to be an intense dating period with God. I’m uncertain about what I want to do, so I’m taking time off to figure it out and see what God’s plan for me is,” said Kim with a serene smile. Contemplatively, Jones said: “I want to have a break from school to come back to God and discover what I’m passionate about. I’m planning to go to Denver to attend DTS [Discipleship Training School] and also to enroll in an art course in New Zealand.”

Heading to a Korean University to major in herbal medicine, Marco Kim (12) said: “My greatgrandpa and my grandpa were herbal doctors and I want to continue the family business,” Marco Kim added wistfully: “I miss Korea a lot.” Majoring in Business, KunHee Kim (12) said: “I’m planning to go to NTU [Nanyang Technological University] in Singapore. Sin(Continued on page 13, col. 1) March 2011

You Are Special

because he made him. “You are special,” replied Eli in his final words. In the end, Punchinello doesn’t care about what others think and goes away feeling special.

As the seniors finished their skit, applause filled the room all around; and the seniors felt feelings of accomplishment.

Elliot Steffen (Kindergarten) described the skit while acting out his favorite part of the skit, “I really liked it when Punchinello hopped over the box like this and fell! I liked him a lot.”

After the skit, Mak asked various elementary students questions about the story. “Is it right to give people stars and stickers?” inquired Mak. “Who did Eli represent?” These questions prompted kids to answer with enthusiasm as they yelled, “Pick me! Pick me!” all over the room. Not only did seniors ask questions after the skit, but they played games with the kids that required them to shout “I am Special!” if a question applied

By Dianna Kes With colleges to hear from, scholarships to apply to, and senioritis to deal with, second semester of 2011 proved a busy and buzzing time for the senior class. Not only did the seniors find their last semester at Dalat extremely busy, but that time itself started to diminish rapidly.

Although seniors realized how little time they had left in their busy schedules, they found that they wanted to do something special for others despite their busyness. Brainstorming what to do, the seniors came to a conclusion: elementary chapel!

On 25 February, a group of 10 seniors came together to lead chapel for the elementary kids.

They centered their chapel on the theme You Are Special, based on Max Lucado’s book.

For the opening, seniors led two songs called “Everlasting Love” and “I am A Friend of God,” requiring everyone in the room to dance to the movements the seniors had taught.

Kids chuckled as they watched some of their senior friends get into the groove of the music while others watched in awe.

Mark Keane (12) described the feeling he got when dancing, “I

University Plans...

(Continued from page 13, col. 4) gapore is close to home and my family. The culture is similar and the career prospect is better in Singapore.” Rather than attending university in Korea, Jet Song (12) plans to enroll in the Chinese University of Hong Kong and major in economics.

“It’s so boring to go to a Korean university; everyone is the same and I want to be different,” proclaimed Song audaciously.

Whether taking a gap year, returning home or studying abroad, seniors excitedly await the start of their new lives while mourning the end of their high school journey. Wherever they go, they know they will always keep a piece of Dalat with them. • Eagle’s Eye

never knew how excited I was to be up there until I saw how much the kids got into it.”

After the songs, the seniors began the main part of the program—the skit. Playing as the narrator, Josephine Steinkamp (12) introduced the characters of Max Lucado’s story, You Are Special. Covered with dots and stars, the seniors acted out their parts as the Wemmicks of the story. Josh Strong (12) played the main character of the story, Punchinello.

Punchinello, an untalented and lonely Wemmick, didn’t feel important like the rest. Sad and unloved, Punchinello seeks out a woodcarver named Eli, played

by Harry Mak (12).

In return, Eli tells Punchinello that talents don’t mean anything, but that he loves him

Above & Beyond

By James Vo

of another week of school.

“I like playing something active on Monday because it’s usually my slowest and most draining day,” said Justin Lao (10).

Everyone from freshman to seniors could join the p-period and battle for the football. Mixed teams meant a different game every time. It allowed different students to connect while finishing off the day with some good exercise.

“It was great when we played 11 on 11,” Thorne said. “It was really fun but the team with Mr. [Clay] Moss as Quarterback almost always won.”

Even with touch rules, games became rough which made them more exciting for the boys.

Mr. Moss headed the p-period, teaching different plays and even joining in on skirmishes. The p-period became the only time when students could play

“Heads up!” yelled Jarrod Forsdick (10) as Josh Thorne (10) hustled across upper field to catch the arcing football. With the hot sun overhead, the boys in the American Football PPeriod overcame t h e i r lack of energy to sprint, intercept, and smash the opposing teams. This pperiod gave them a breather from their regular school routines where they could release their stress with some sweat and bloodshed.

George Merusi (12) said, “After a tough day, it’s nice to loosen up with a rowdy game of touch football.”

Every Monday, Rick Brake (9) and Aaron Johnson (9) along with others hustled from their last class to meet on upper field for one of their favorite P-periods. Here the boys could take a break from feeling the tired start 13

to them.

Finally, seniors ended chapel by thanking the kids for the time they got to spend with them and gave each one a bag of candy with a note that said, You Are Special.

To the seniors, elementary chapel ended as a funfilled and exciting event not just for the kids, but for them as well.

Strong remarks after chapel, “I felt relief that it was over, but I also was sad to see the cheerful children leave; but overall it was a great experience. I hope the kids learned a lot from it being with us.” •

American football, making it special, especially for those from the U.S. “It feels satisfying to be able to play football here since it reminds me so much of Michigan,” said Daniel Barber (12).

As with many P-periods, the group of ragged boys only wished that they could have time to play some more as the final bell rang. With bruises and cuts they stalked off the field and back to life in school.

“Go Long!” said Thorne as he sent one last pass sailing into Forsdick’s arms. •

March 2011

Speak with a Voice of Passion In the early morning of 17 February, a group of students eager to vocalize their speech skills and topics boarded a bus. Along with coaches who gave advice, the forensics team headed off to Kuala Lumpur. This year, t h e team included nine students who participated in a variety of categories.

Some of the events included oral interpretation, Impromptu speaking, original oratory, and debate. The forensics speech and debate tournament takes place annually at the International School of Kuala Lumpur.

Dalat’s team all participated in the competitive categories alongside students from both

Eagle’s Eye

By Marieth Kiiza

students at school did not have) the courage to join the team.

This year the Forensics group had two debate teams, both led by junior male students. “I felt honored to be among the few guys who made the debate team.

Debate takes a lot of preparation, and you need to meet certain requirements to join. I never knew I had courage within me to join the team but I did and I don’t regret it,” said Jeffrey Hsiao (11) with relief. The seniors in the Dalat Forensic team considered this as their last competition ever, since most of them will head off to college. This did not put the seniors down; instead it encouraged them to support the other team members.

After each day of the competition, the team had the chance

local and international schools, including International School of Kuala Lumpur and Hong Kong International School.

Right before every single round, nerves and chills got the best of all the participants; however, the coaches kept the team calm and focused through encouragement. Miss Jasmane Frans stated that, “The coaches gave the team enough coaching and we tried our level best to attend all the different events taking place. I would say the success rate this year compared to last year has doubled.”

Indeed, the confidence and courage increased. Last year the Forensics team represented Dalat School with only five female students, as a majority of

14

to reflect. The group talked about how the competition progressed from the beginning of the day to the end of the day.

The team also took this time to slow down, bond as a group, and enjoy a different atmosphere.

“The Lebanese restaurant Marieth Kiiza (12) introduced us to served delicious and exotic food.

I also appreciate the support one of the team members’ father gave to us,” affirmed Hsiao.

As the end of the competition fast approached, the team did their utmost best to finish strong.

The team had three semifinalists; two of them managed to get into the finals. This only reflected half of the hard work the team put into this competition, and it clearly paid off. As the team hopped into the bus to head back to Penang, the sense of success and great accomplishment filled the air. •

March 2011