Tiger Times Volume 49 Issue 1

Tiger Times VO L U M E 4 9 | A U G U S T / S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 7 | I S S U E 1 | T T O N L . O RG

FRESHMAN LATE NIGHT 1 SEPT 2017

Editorial

Beyond SIS, America looms large

By Andrew Ham and Diana Na Kyoung Lee Co-Editors-in-Chief

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e saw hatred in the flaming torches of Charlottesville and we heard its ugliness in the screams of the woman hit by a car driven through a crowd of innocent people. We are told that if we follow the rules and the laws in the United States of America, land of the free, we won’t be shot by a police officer at a traffic stop or deported to our war-torn countries, as if breaking the law justifies a bullet in the brain or a separation of family.

We saw and watched all this happen from an ocean away, but the rise of hatred should still alarm us nonetheless. This is the United States that most of the graduating class of SIS will encounter next year as they enter college, and they will not be able to shove racial issues to the back of their minds like they were able to do for the past years they spent in a racially homogenous private school located in a racially homogenous country.

That brings us to the focus of this month’s editorial; SIS students, we believe, are not adequately equipped to handle the racial issues and conversations they will be thrown into when they enter college. We all know how difficult it was to transition to high school, and college will be similarly challenging. If SIS students are truly international, we cannot rely on summer camps to give us a complete picture of what it will be like to study in the US. As justifiable as they are, it is time to look beyond fear and anger and reach for discourse and exposure. It is time we learned the face of our enemy, so that we may stare into its bloody eyes with unwavering resolve when we must.

We must first teach ourselves—both in class and on our own—the ideologies at work behind racism. It is frankly frightening to think that we may encounter orientalism or misrepresentation in the media and not know how to respond. Only by learning how racism spreads can we treat it.

Second, we must engage and familiarize ourselves with the struggles of other minority groups.

Racism is feral; it knows no bounds. We cannot fight for sincere pluralism without also embracing the struggles of our diverse college classmates.

Lastly, and most importantly, we must remember that racism ultimately lives through people. We can debate ideologies to our hearts’ content in classrooms, but at the end of the day, engaging with hate entails engaging with real people—even those who may scowl at us with real, sincere motivations.

So we encourage you: open Fox News, read an article on Breitbart, listen to President Donald Trump without making him the punch line of a dismissive joke—because half the country is doing the same. This gaping gorge between what is and what ought to be regarding diversity in the US will not be wished away. It will not die easily. If we shield our eyes and turn our backs, it will only grow stronger.

Exposure to foreign, hostile perspectives can be painful. But that discomfort is nothing compared to what we will feel the first time a neo-Nazi rally happens on campus, the first time we realize that we are Asians living in a world in which “not white” still painfully and glaringly means “inferior.”

We can be idealistic. We can walk onto our campuses and surrounding towns with no preparation whatsoever and demand that we be handed our rights to acceptance and equality. But we know better. Rights are stolen; rights are wrested back.

Respect will only be ours if we insist upon it. We live in an era of rising hatred; we will not lose ourselves in the process.

Let yourself be heard. If you have any responses to articles published in the Tiger Times or original contributions, please send them to tigertimes@gmail.com

2 VIEWPOINT New retake policy raises grades, deflates morale

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o some, math may simply be a class to breeze through, solving problems being their second nature.

To others, the subject is an arduous task, leaving a majority confused and lost as their eyes wander over the haunting, nonsensical word problems of CPM. As students rise to Pre-Calculus and Calculus, the stumbling blocks grow only more frequent and fearsome. Tests become lengthier and more complex, often leaving students with limited time to solve problems.

The results become obvious: students are left with no choice but to try again for 85 percent.

The math department has decided to address this phenomenon in higher-level math this year by instituting an “up-to-100” retake. No matter what students get on a summative – a 99.999 or a zero – they have the opportunity to “retake” the test to a maximum of 100 percent. But this does not solve the ongoing pressure that students feel every day. More importantly, this policy does not truly benefit the students in supporting

their future academic learning.

Theoretically, the “up-to-100” retake seems like a perfect solution to reducing the stress that comes with a highly academic school. Yet realistically, we feel more pressured to strive for a higher score to meet the standards of being “above average” as those who retake have the potential to increase their average. Boosting the average, while well-intentioned, is still a short-term solution. As margins between grades get narrower, competition will surely increase.

To be fair, the new retake policy does give students extra time and another chance to prove their mastery of skill and knowledge. Even more, this new policy might serve as an efficient method to understand that even the most hardworking students may have a bad day and that it is indeed fair to give them a second chance to obtain a score more representative of their skill level. The central idea here is that the aim of high school is not only to make students more statistically appealing to college admissions officers but also to help

students build a strong foundation of basic knowledge and skills, one that students may use to pursue subjects of interest with higher intensity.

But colleges, especially those that we strive for, do not give us second chances. Unfortunately, tests reflect one’s mental and physical ability as well; what one has on the day of the test is what you get, especially in a higher academic settings. The 85-85 retake was the buffer students got before going into the real world and experiencing the full force of failure.

So rather than changing the retake policy, we should strive to help the students master their academic knowledge in not just an approachable manner, but in a specific way that aids the students to achieve their aspirations in consideration to their future. Retaking a test to a 100 is like breaking an unfinished porcelain pot and hoping that it will one day be perfect; in the end, it will always break in the long run.

By Andrea Kwon Junior, Staff Writer

Affirmative Action: Asian Friend or Foe?

The dichotomy of Asian Americans in relevance to affirmative action is especially unique in today’s political climate. Conservatives generally detest affirmative action because it is naturally designed to benefit minorities; however, such affirmative action policies have also been connected to the capping and discriminating against Asian Americans––one of the most politically liberal minorities in US history.

This debate was recently reinvigorated when the Trump administration investigated a 2014 allegation made by a group of Asian Americans who claimed that Harvard was engaging in “unlawful discriminatory admissions.” Thus, we must ask ourselves a question: as Asians headed for life in America, should we embrace or reject the concept of affirmative action?

The answer to this question seems clear––at least at first. There are distinct problems in the way that colleges consider Asians and Asian Americans that cannot be ignored.

Colleges seem to hold a mantra that suggests we project our self-identities by, in part, proving that we are not like other Asians. Simultaneously, Asians need to score significantly higher than blacks or whites to be considered for the same applicant pool. This type of rhetoric and system

cuts dangerously close to intentional racial prejudice.

Still, while there are tangible problems to the current system, we must also fend off the blanket perception that “affirmative action” is intrinsically harmful. There are overlooked reasons for why affirmative action is necessary in the US, along with potential benefits for even Asian Americans in the long run.

First of all, whether we like to admit it or not, racial balancing is important to society. The US rests on a principle of cultural diversity, and as the cornerstone of education, its colleges should reflect that. In Caltech, where state law bans racial preferences, Asian enrollment is at 43 percent—a percentage that inexorably exceeds the percentage of Asian Americans in California, let alone all of America.

While this is great news for Asians, in the big picture, this figure is disproportionate and fails to accurately represent the diversity of the US. Furthermore, it is important to realize that talks of affirmative action are not only relevant to higher education. As judicial reviews begin to rule in favor of affirmative action in colleges, affirmative action policy talks have started to include the workplace.

Unlike in colleges, Asians are severely underrepresented in workplace

leadership roles. A recent study of Silicon Valley showed that while Asian Americans make up 27 percent of the professionals in tech, they comprise only 13 percent of executives. Asian Americans are facing a “bamboo ceiling,” which prevents them from rising to the top. In such cases, affirmative action for leadership positions could be significantly beneficial.

Many Asians in America and internationally may initially be relieved that someone, even if it’s the Trump administration, is finally fighting for them in the educational field. Still, we must ask ourselves whether the administration is investigating Harvard because it genuinely cares about the wellbeing of Asian Americans in society, or whether they are simply using Asian Americans as a prop to break down a liberal institution.

As an international Asian American student, I sympathize wholeheartedly with the perspective that Asians are ostracized in an academic environment. We must be mindful, however, of where the problem truly lies, where our so-called handicaps are actually a boon, and where our unique situation is simply being used as a prop to further an ulterior motive.

By Jeremy Nam Junior, Copy Editor

Tiger Times

August/September 2017

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

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Tiger Times Staff Paper Editors-In-Chief Andrew Ham Diana Nakyoung Lee Website Editors-in-Chief Soomin Chun Nicholas Kim Paper Managing Editor Justin Chang

Website Managing Editor Alice Lee Production Editors Joyce Lee Soo Min Lee Graphics Editor April Kim Photo Editor Ryan Jang

Copy Editors Junie Kah Dawn Kim Jeremy Nam Grace Yang Layout Artists Amy Jungmin Kim Claire Lee Yejune Park Youngjin Park

Graphics Artists Jina Kim Michelle Cho Youngseo Jhe Photographers Angela Choe Lauren Kang Jocelyn Lee

Reporters Michelle Ahn Sia Cho Kirsten Huh Andie Kim Andrea Kwon Chris Lee Eju Ro Andy Yoon

Communications Director Marie Park

Adviser Mr. David Coleman

Viewpoint Feature: Our Graduation, Our Voices Three hours sums up our four years in high school. Does our current ceremony reflect the character and values of each graduating class?

How can we improve our preexisting ceremony to impart emotion in our departation?

To represent all students, diversify graduation If I had to define our grade—the class of 2018—in one word, it would be wholehearted. Over my last twelve years at SIS, I’ve seen people come and go, but we’ve always had one thing in common—being willing and able to throw ourselves into the chaos, to dedicate our blood, sweat, and tears into succeeding at this institution. And this May, I’ll be graduating from my home, along with 116 of my battle-worn friends.

Graduation is a coming-of-age event.

It’s the first time we officially put on a cap and gown, stand in front of our parents, friends, mentors, coaches to truly say thank you. When I stand onstage in nine months, I imagine that I’ll be running through a jumble of gratitude. Thinking, thank you for listening to me, for offering me advice I thought I didn’t need, for passing me food when I skipped three meals to study.

The solemn ceremony of the status quo does its best to honor this moment.

The valedictorian/salutatorian speeches traditionally give much credit to those who helped us succeed. Speeches from administration elaborate on what the school has done in our time here. Faculty honor individual students with awards.

But graduation is equally a celebration of our class’ achievement as it is a celebration of those who supported us, and we find that the ceremony reflects less us and more them. A selfish thought, but a warranted one--wanting to be self-centered for a day before we leave to become adults.

Celebrations of academic achievement anywhere else might invite diversity inherently. Yet, the nature of SIS itself is that academics fail to distinguish between individual students significantly enough

to warrant the title of “diversity.” Our school inherently is a dog-eat-dog world, where the point value of GPAs between the top two students, and then the top ten, don’t ever range more than a point. While the speeches represent a student voice, it doesn’t capture the full picture of the student voices.

Negative student sentiment without representation manifests itself in discontent during the ceremony itself—like we saw during the 2017 graduation ceremony, when a student turned his back on the crowd and flung a physical insult toward the school.

While some say it was disruptive and were even offended by the gesture, it cannot be denied that it was an expression of opinion, a symptom of not being able to express emotions in a more emotionally mature way at a ceremony that marks the transition from teenager to adult.

The question is, how can we make an event that reflects such multitude of emotions from all stakeholders in a student’s life acceptable to every palate? Diversity and inclusion is the solution, and there are a number of small changes that can be made to the currently existing ceremony to reflect our opinions.

The first is intuitive. To add another student speaker to the ceremony, someone who is not quite as academically accomplished as the top two students but has had a unique school experience. Students could vote a student in to speak at graduation, in a speech that reflects back on their time at SIS. But the same issue arises from this speech as the pre-existing student speeches—no guarantee that the speeches would be unique, that they would be any different

from the already existing student speakers.

It would also prove difficult to incorporate new speeches into the program when the ceremony is already as condensed as possible to allow every senior two personal sentences. So while this solution is intuitive, its effectiveness is questionable.

Rather, I would like to suggest implementing regular teaching faculty speeches at graduation as they have grown to know us over our time in high school. Last year, Dr. Amy Valerio’s speech at the end of the ceremony left a lasting impression on not only the graduating student body, but the ones still attending SIS. One of the reasons why it was so touching was because she understood the dynamics of the class of 2017, as she saw them grow up through middle and high school, first as a teacher, then as administrator. As both herself and the senior class reflected on their time at SIS, her messages hit home the points graduation stands for. Recognition of student growth, congratulations to the teachers who made it happen, celebration of what they both were able to accomplish over the last seven years together.

Another method of integrating diversity into graduation would make the ceremony a lot more colorful. Stepping away from grounded tradition, in black gown, black mortarboard, and SIS tassel, we could begin introducing new colors to graduation, like many other ceremonies around the world. Cords and medals from different participating student organizations, and/or encouraging decorating our mortarboards to showcase what we’ve learned over the last X years at this institution. It gives us a chance to showcase our creativity and

voices, while not adding or subtracting anything from the main program itself.

Some may say that SIS students participate in too many activities to honor every single one, but allowing students to choose what organizations and values they represent at graduation is demonstrative of the exact reason why we want to bring these changes.

At the organizational level, National Honor Society (NHS) is the only organization that is currently represented at graduation with the gold mantles that honor graduates wear above their gowns.

Other honor societies, such as National Art Honor Society, Quill and Scroll, Mu Alpha Theta, to name a few, could follow in NHS’ footsteps and begin traditions for their graduating members.

On a more personal level, the messages that graduating seniors choose to represent go beyond any speech from administration, faculty, or student. If this change was implemented, it means that it is our choice to represent no organization, or any organization at all. The message we send is our own.

In the end, what we want is a graduation that reflects “us.” Not any one individual student, or admin member, or entity. A communal experience like graduation can only come from communal participation, and understanding the context of our community. The suggestions here seek to expand this emotional aspect in a graduation ceremony that already is logically sound.

For if colleges can evaluate us in the context of our school, we can contextualize ourselves in our own evaluations.

By Joyce Lee Senior, Production Editor

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NEWS

Global tensions escalate as North Korea threatens nuclear war

Following President Donald J. Trump’s warning that North Korea would suffer “fire and fury like the world has never seen” if it continues to threaten the US, a series of dialogue in threatening messages were exchanged between the two countries. On Aug. 9, in response to Trump’s provoca-

tion, North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un revealed that he had plans to launch four intermediate-range ballistic missiles near Guam.

“The scope of threats that have been exchanged between the US and North Korea is definitely concerning,” said Jeffrey

Heo (12), MUN member. “In particular, the previously nonexistent possibility that the US might part take in military action on the Korean Peninsula is what differentiates the current situation from similar ones in the past. Yet it is surprising as to how little precautionary measures are being taken in South Korea, in contrast to the extensive media coverage on this issue in the US.” Concern for national security had been accumulating since July, when North Korea tested two intercontinental ballistic missiles by firing them into space, which eventually landed in the Sea of Japan.

Meanwhile, the Ulchi Freedom Guardian military exercise, a US-South Korea joint military event that spanned 10 days, began on Aug. 21. While the exercises are for defensive purposes, according to the South Korean Defense Department, North Korea condemned the exercises as rehearsals for invasion.

“The military threat from North Korea is legitimate, and Kim Jong-Un’s possession of nuclear weapons technology is also legitimate,” said Anthony Loveday, AP US history teacher. “Yet whether or not he will be able to successfully launch a nuclear missile to mainland US is debatable. It is true that Trump should be trying to tone down his rhetoric, but if the US and South

Korea stop engaging in routine military exercises because of how Kim Jong-Un feels about them, then suddenly he is in charge.

The US should not base its international diplomatic and military strategies on what Kim says.”

In response to rising apprehension, South Korean President Moon Jae-In assured citizens that South Korea would not raise military tensions. Yet unlike his predecessors, President Trump has made clear that he will not tolerate military threats from North Korea and that responding with conventional sanctions will not suffice. Despite the spike of hostility and dangerous tone of dialogue, North Korea soon backed down from its proposal.

“At this point, all of the threats from North Korea seem like mere measures of retaliation,” said Ian Lee (11), forensics member. “Although it is true that they make heavier threats each time, their provocative words no longer hold weight in Korea. At the same time, it is worth recognizing that an unpredictable actor is now in the White House, which changes the equation completely. Perhaps South Koreans are largely underestimating Trump’s conviction.”

By Hannah Kim Junior, Staff Writer

The More You Know This is a fake headline Every time a conspiracy theory surfaces in the American media, I am confused by how easily it is accepted by the American people. Then I remember that most Americans consume American media on a daily basis, an experience I have yet to enjoy; so this weekend, I took some time to watch the highlights. After listening to a Fox News segment so full of lies it was almost as if President Trump received all his news from it, I decided to write a few of my own headlines and see if anyone could tell the difference:

Asian people are not liberal. They're usually more industrious and hardworking.

This was Bill O’Reilly in 2013.

There’s no hiring bias against women in tech, they just suck at interviews This was Breitbart, otherwise known as Stephen Bannon’s not-so-secret diary.

Donald Trump Reckons he’d have been better than Obama during Katrina I wish I could say I made this up, but it’s been a common phrase in social media recently; for clarification, Barack Obama was not president during Hurricane Katrina.

Breaking News: Americans love Israel, hate Russia.

The infamous CNN “breaking news” alert, showing us since 1980 that bad journalism can come from both sides of the aisle.

Nothing like a little disaster to remind people to go to church, says televangelist / part-time fiction writer Joel Osteen This one’s mine.

News Briefs

By Youngseo Jhe Junior, Staff Writer

By Andrew Ham With President Trump beginning the “fake news” movement that somehow delegitimized the New York Times in favor of Infowars, let me say one thing: CNN may be stupid at times with its needlessly intricate hologram graphics and stagnant panel discussions, but while it tends to exaggerate and overhype events it rarely makes them up. Broadcast stations such as Fox, on the other hand, have a blatant disregard for the truth (I would talk more about shows such as Infowars or Breitbart here as well, but this column’s in the news section).

The New York Times, Washington Post, and other members of the press do suffer from coverage bias, a problem they are actively trying to fix—but this bias simply means that they don’t cover enough news, not that the news they do cover is inaccurate or false. If you ever read a New York Times article and scroll down to the very bottom, you’ll often see a correction message, because the New

York Times is committed to staying honest. I wish I could say the same for Fox. At the end of the day, there is no comparison between the New York Times and Fox News; just because they both have issues does not mean in any way that those issues are similar. President Trump has attempted to convince Americans that they are, but then again, Fox News correspondents have claimed that Newt Gingrich’s infidelity makes him more qualified to become president because “three women have met Mr. Gingrich and been so moved by his emotional energy and intellect that they decided they wanted to spend the rest of their lives with him.”

As a final note, who says Fox News isn’t mainstream? It has been the mostwatched cable news program in America for more than a decade, and the country is worse-off from it. We need to balance the media by being fair, not by conducting journalistic revenge.

Supply room relocated to Annex

More colorful than ever, the supply room was revamped and moved to the Annex to suit the needs of students and staff.

Over the summer, the supply room’s location changed from the fourth floor of the high school to the Annex building. The printers, stationery, and laminators that could once be found in the high school are now available in the third floor of the Annex. The Annex had been relatively detached from the rest of SIS after the new building was built; however, with this relocation it is slowly

becoming reintegrated into the school community. Despite this attempt at unification, this move is also receiving negative feedback from students.

“As a work study for a Chinese class, which was also inconveniently moved to the seventh floor, hearing that the supply room moved even further away was devastating,” Brian Chun (11) said. “I believe that there could have been alternatives to shoving the most important room for work studies and teachers to an unutilized corner of SIS.”

Tiger Times

August/September 2017

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US debates free speech in aftermath of Charlottesville

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t a white nationalist rally that took place in Charlottesville, Virginia on Aug. 12, a confrontation between alt-right demonstrators and counter-protesters quickly escalated to an outbreak of violence when a car ploughed into a crowd of counter-protesters.

The white supremacist demonstration, which initially took place in protest of the planned relocation of a statue of Confederate general Robert E. Lee, left one counter-protester dead and dozens injured.

With the public and the media categorizing the attack as an act of domestic terrorism as well as a hate crime, the incident sparked heated debates regarding racism across the nation.

“The attack in Charlottesville definitely falls into both the categories of domestic terrorism and hate crime,” said Morgan Miller, US history and AP Economics teacher. “While the purpose of terrorism would be to inspire terror in the society,

hate crimes are targeted toward a specific group—ramming a car into a group of antiracist protesters contributes to both.”

Among the various responses to the rally, President Trump’s controversial remarks inspired a deluge of criticism from the public. According to BBC News, President Trump condemned the “display of hatred, bigotry and violence on many sides,” igniting criticism from both the media and members of his own party.

Initially, the White House released a statement clarifying that his condemnation of violence applied to all extremist groups, and President Trump himself proceeded to directly denounce the groups on Twitter. Yet the President appeared to roll back on his claims two days later in a press conference, asking why anti-racism protesters, who he called the “alt-left,” were not at the receiving end of any blame.

Furthermore, his remarks defending the Confederate monuments and comparing Confederate generals to American

forefathers added fuel to the fire of public anger.

“I find President Trump’s controversial responses to the attack to be highly unacceptable,” said Joshua Lim (10), a member of forensics. “By simply blaming ‘many’ sides, he is not only failing to properly address the racist violence, but also blaming the victim herself, which is fundamentally immoral and unfitting of a leader’s actions.”

The clash also shed light on another contentious issue: free speech. Though initially billed as a free speech rally, the deadly demonstration has undoubtedly blurred the lines that separate the right to free speech and the intemperance of hate speech. Discussions on the extent of the first amendment, and whether it protects hateful expressions, have left the public polarized. Moreover, the situation further highlights the limits of the constitution to uphold the freedom of speech with regards to its consequences.

With the two categories remaining separate of each other, the perception that free speech does not equate to freedom from its consequences is one that seems to be recurrently brought up by commentators of the event.

“I think there should be a degree of constraint even when it comes to the notion of freedom of speech,” said Sky Park (12), a member of forensics and MUN. “People misinterpret the constitution as giving them the absolute right to speak their minds, but the words of white supremacists can be categorized under the criminal conduct of incitement. When you blatantly provoke individuals into committing an unlawful act, in this case battery and assault, you are responsible for the outcome, and you can’t just say ‘it’s my freedom of speech’ to protect it all. There is a limit, and they have crossed it.”

By Sia Cho Sophomore, Staff Writer

Middle school bans cellphones from classrooms

Bona Suh (7) draws pictures during recess in Ms. Benavidez’s class because she is not allowed to use her phone.

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tarting from this school year, the middle school will enforce a “nophone” policy to all of its students.

According to the administrative staff, phones are now to be kept in lockers until 3 p.m. If any student is found with a phone during school hours, the phone will be taken away and given back at 3:00 p.m.

Teachers and faculty participate in first SIS Google Bootcamp On Sept. 16, professional trainers from AppsEvents, a partner of Google Education, visited SIS to host a boot camp over the course of two days. This workshop involved training sessions on how to increase teachers’ proficiency with the Google platform and how to effectively integrate it into their teaching. A total of 57 teachers and faculty members attended

and offending students will receive a detention during lunch hours.

“We realized that all the pros for using phones at school were applicable to a computer,” said Agnes Schuppel, middle school vice principal. “We also felt that the one disadvantage, that phones disturb kids from learning, overpowers all of their

this event.

“Instead of sending teachers out to get trained in the various uses of Google in the classroom, the Staff Development Committee thought it would be great idea to bring trainers to us,” said David Coleman, Coordinator for Teaching and Learning and organizer of the Google boot camp. “The purpose of the boot camp was to introduce, orient, and prepare SIS teachers for multiple levels of Google certification examinations.”

Photo by Angela Choe

advantages. For learning purposes, we want to do our kids a favor.”

According to Ms. Schuppel, phone usage had been only a minor concern, with most teachers tolerating the use of phones during free periods. However, the issue started getting out of hand when students started using their phones during class or for inap-

SIS establishes a prominent corporate ID as a school SIS is officially becoming a distinctive brand. The signatures at the bottom of every teacher email, the school logo posted on the official SIS website, and the tiger on the TIGERS values posters in the halls are all ways in which the school promotes SIS to prospective applicants and the school community, functioning as graphic representations of the school.

propriate purposes such as cyber-bulling.

The middle school faculty thus decided that it was time for clear rules on phone usage to be delineated in order to remedy this issue.

“I frequently visit the library, and compared to last year when every student was hiding in a corner playing video games, now kids are playing chess,” Ms. Schuppel said. “They’re talking to each other.

They’re playing Scrabble. I know that it’s probably a bit hard for the kids, but I am very impressed by how they handled it with maturity.”

Fortunately, students have adapted to this new rule smoothly. The middle school faculty expressed that transitions between class periods have been smoother and quicker. It has also been easier for teachers to keep the attention of their students on lectures due to less distraction from technology.

“I myself am sometimes tempted to look at my phone in class, so when I heard of the ban from my younger sister who is in the eighth grade, I was skeptical if the kids would follow it,” Jeffrey Heo (12) said. “I was surprised when I heard that the students have been responding with enthusiasm. Hopefully, they will find their school experience to be more meaningful with alternative modes of entertainment and communication.”

By Amy Jungmin Kim Junior, Staff Writer

Among the faculty, there is a brand manual that serves as a guideline on when and how to use certain SIS logos accordingly.

According to Michael Colaianni, Director of Schools, SIS hopes to minimize the discrepancies within the school image and improve organization through the marketing of SIS as a single brand.

"We would like to get the SIS brand out into the public as much as possible so that more and more people can see the brand, ask what it is, and finally recognize it as SIS," Mr. Colaianni said.

> 4% of Average GDP Economic cost of mental health in OECD countries

1 . 05 billion US dollars Mental health medical expenses in South Korea

By Dawn Kim In the early hours of Aug. 5, Choi Joon-hee, daughter of the late actress Choi Jin-Sil, sparked nationwide concern for her well-being and safety when she posted a lengthy testimony online. As netizens rushed to assess the situation, Choi began to unravel the web of systematic abuse, neglect, and deprivation she had endured while living with her maternal grandmother, Jeong Ok-Suk, through a series of online posts on multiple media outlets.

In what ensued to become one of the most controversial exposés since the publication of “Mommie Dearest,” Choi has asked the world a dry query: “Why does fate do this to me? Can’t we reconcile?”

Choi Joon-hee underscores the direness of not only her external evils, but also that of her internal devils. From drafting a will to cutting her wrists and attempting to hang herself in a shower stall, Choi hints at the extent of her depression, which has escalated to a point where it led to an extended stay at mental hospitals on numerous occasions.

Her sudden cry for help sheds light upon the issue of depression in adolescents, especially teenagers in disadvantaged, marginalized crannies of Korean society.

Of course, readers may disagree that Choi Joonhee has led a troubled life. Though deprived of positive parental influence, Choi Joon-hee is perceived to have had a plentiful life not particularly lacking in money or affection. However, her unique family history puts a damper on this argument. Born from marital rape in the midst of a highly publicized celebrity divorce, Choi had an especially intimate bond with her mother, who ultimately committed

suicide due to the tirade of online hate that ensued from the divorce. Choi has lived through the suicides of her mother, maternal uncle, and father.

Since 2014, experts have agreed that both Choi JinSil and her brother Choi Jin-Young ended their lives largely due to their depression. One would be correct to hypothesize that Choi Joon-hee’s depression may stem from her family’s lengthy track record with the illness. According to a study conducted by Myrna Weissman of the New York State Psychiatric Institute, those with depression have increased chances of having children who also become depressed. Children with depressed parents are twice as susceptible, while children with depressed grandparents are three times as likely. Experts claim that though it is not a guaranteed diagnosis, those with a family history of depression should receive professional help as soon as any symptoms are observed.

Additionally, while Choi Joon-hee may not have faced everyday physical abuse, she most likely incurred constant emotional abuse on account of Jeong Ok Suk’s blatant favoritism over her grandchildren. On one instance, Choi reports, her maternal grandmother stopped her from appearing in idol selection programs such as “Produce 101” and “Idol School,” but enthusiastically supported Choi Hwan-hee when she expressed wishes to become a celebrity. According to a study conducted by Maria Rita Infurna of the University of Heidelberg in Germany, such neglect during childhood is one of the primary types of abuse with a strong association to depression. With research tying child abuse, physical or psychological, to prominent traits of

depression, it would not be far-fetched to believe that Choi Joon-hee’s condition may have worsened under Jeong Ok-Suk’s care.

Economic factors, however, may not be as much of an issue as predicted. Though Choi Joon-hee mentions scrounging money in order to buy textbooks, the average student would have little trouble paying for their mental health services. News Jelly, a Korean database management company, outlines that the average male and female teen from ages 1519 will pay 178,690 won and 162,412 won respectively. This is a cost that accommodates an average of six to seven visits. As with other medical services, psychiatric consultations are covered by the national insurance, resulting in care at a relatively low cost. It is important to note, however, that personal costs vary. For SIS students, the data might also be inaccurate, as there are no statistics on services offered in English instead of Korean.

At an initial glance, the long-winded complaint of the daughter of a celebrity may seem akin to a plight as trifling as Kylie Jenner’s sorrow of missing out on a high school prom. However, Choi Joonhee’s surprise testimony may just be the amplification to other voices like hers, stifled and ignored under a veil of feigned peace. Choi is not a whiny heiress, or an overprivileged songstress. She is the last of the marginalized, the last of the cries of the undermined in a last ditch attempt to improve her situation. Perhaps it is time to look beyond the prejudice against privileged children, and foster a safe place for all teens out there, marginalized or otherwise.

27. 1% Of teen deaths are suicides in South Korea

3/10 Korean adults

experience mental disorders more than once throughout their lifetime

Layout by Joyce Lee

By Andy Yoon Life for Choi Joon-hee was hell. One day, she told herself life was not worth living and decided to take action. Upon writing a suicide note for her grandmother, Choi attempted to end her suffering.

She could not seem to break free from the shackles of life, and with tears streaming down her face, Choi told herself that her will to live was too strong for such an irrevocable measure—the same with her next attempt to commit suicide with a kitchen knife. Only scars were left.

At a young age, Choi found herself alone with her grandmother, her only living relative. For Choi, this was exactly the problem. According to multiple reports to the police and posts made on social media, her grandmother had been abusive, and Choi had nowhere to escape to. However, the skeptical police decided that she was not in immediate danger, concluding that her baseless claims were the result of her callow and irrational mind.

A mental hospital was the Korean government’s solution to her grievances. Although there is not a definite answer as to whether Choi was in a mentally stable or unstable state of mind at the time of her reports and testimony, it is known that such a hospital was not the remedy she was looking for.

Choi immediately requested release from the hospital upon realizing she was seen merely as “mentally unstable.” All of a sudden, she no longer wanted any help.

“I was put into the mental hospital even though I was not mentally ill, and I pleaded with tears continuously to the doctors and nurses to let me out,” wrote Choi in a message on social media. “If I had

known that I was going to be placed here, I would not have come here.”

Choi is among a vast proportion of South Korean adolescents who suffer from hazardous states of mental well-being. According to a report by the National Evidence-based Healthcare Collaborating Agency, about 5.6 percent of the total South Korean population—approximately two million people— have suffered from depression at least once in their lives, and adolescents make up a significant part of this statistic. For students around the world, there are a variety of factors that contribute to their state of mental health, including their academic performance at school, their social and physical appearance, and even their family’s income. These problems affecting one’s mental well-being are undeniably prominent among South Korean students and the society they live in, even among those attending SIS. At the same time, however, there is a large proportion of adolescents in South Korea who shy away from seeking help completely. At SIS, however, the two counselors noted that they are glad to always have their hands full with numerous students who seem to trust them with their problems.

According to Chris Thomson, high school counselor, students may not approach their counselors because they do not want to blemish their social image, have their parents find out something “embarrassing” about them through their counselors somehow, or simply, these aloof students may not feel comfortable approaching them. According to a report made by the Health and Welfare Ministry of

South Korea in January 2016, approximately 90 percent of South Korean suicide victims suffered from diagnosable mental illnesses, such as depression, but only 15 percent of them had received treatment regularly before taking their own lives in some way or another.

In addition to the stigma associated with seeking help for certain mental illnesses, current South Korean counseling systems simply prove to be problematic. According to Paul Kim, a graduate student in the field of Adlerian Counseling and Psychotherapy, the majority of counselors working at South Korean public schools have additional duties as teachers; he noted that these teachers need to juggle several tasks, including administrative work or clinical expertise sometimes beyond their training, which often hinders their ability to focus on counseling.

“There is only one counselor [in the high school] at HAFS [Hankuk Academy of Foreign Studies],” said Song Hyun-seung, a senior who is attending the school. “He is in charge of overseeing the students’ college applications, but most do not utilize his expertise for emotional, one-on-one conversations about the students’ lives. He has classes after school, and while teaching, he sometimes talks with us as a class about our concerns. I think the system is functioning perfectly fine, at least for me, but flaws here and there do exist, such as the lack of wholesome trust between him and the students.

It would be great if more people came in to take up the full-time position, but for now, this is all we have.”

8 LIFESTYLE

JUKEBOX JEWELS

An Empire State of Mind with Brickoven NEW YORK

SEAFRET

BY DAWN KIM Recall the memories of sprinting at the end of a race: legs burning, short breaths, but incredulously aware of your own vitality. Listening to “Over” by indie duo Seafret is starkly reminiscent of such spirited exhilaration.

Seafret is comprised of singer Jack Sedman and guitarist Harry Draper who met each other in their hometown of Bridlington, UK in 2015.

After producing three EPs and four singles on Spotify, Seafret signed a contract with Sony Music’s Columbia records, joining a plethora of artists ranging from AC/DC to the Wu-Tang Clan.

For a no-namer indie band, Seafret is well on its way to success. Numerous articles introduce Maisie Williams and her debut appearance in the band’s music video for “Oceans.” The Huffington Post, UKbased Clash Magazine, and German newspaper Luxemburger Wort all boast reviews and interviews with Sedman and Draper. Even more, the band was hosted on a 2015 Vevo Disvr video, which racked up more than 220,000 views. Compared to the relative low profile of Jukebox Jewels alumni Electric Century and Savoir Adore, Seafret is making its presence known.

Seafret’s discography is comprised of music one would expect to hear at a small café. Their songs sound somewhat coarse but are light on the ears, primarily employing tambourines and guitars to create easy-tolisten folk songs. The entirety of their first and only studio album, “Tell Me It’s Real,” mirrors the dregs of a clear, sunny August afternoon from candid vignettes of love (“Wildfire”) to passive-aggressive requests to trust Sedman’s devotion (“Over”).

Their newest single, “Blank You Out,” is akin to living in the ambiguous happiness of a Sundance film montage.

Returning to school is like waking up from a very long dream. For some, it may be the unfortunate end to a reverie free of tests, 3 a.m. bedtimes, and general responsibilities.

For others, it will be the much-anticipated conclusion to a flurry of tutors, competitions, and summer assignments. But the sluggish first few weeks require something more than anticipation and anxiety to get us settled back into a school-centirc lifestyle. For a brief respite from the stresses of a new school year, check out Seafret on YouTube, Spotify, or SoundCloud.

Brickoven Gangnam serves slices of New York City with authentic ingredients, fostering joyous conversations.

Photo by Michelle Ahn “It is really hard to find authentic restaurants in Korea, but Brickoven is definitely one of them,” said Peter Beckway, English and AP Seminar teacher.

Brickoven New York, a restaurant near Gangnam Station, began as the treasured brainchild of a Korean American who loved New York-style pizza. Brickoven was James Yu’s attempt to bring a corner of New York to Gangnam, the cultural center of Korea. Yu trained at the International School of Pizza and completed the New York Style Pizza Course before he founded Brickoven. Despite the tedium and heavy cost of shipping, Yu still insists on importing the most important ingredients from the US, and maintains a staff of diverse ethnic and cultural backgrounds in order to establish a real New York vibe in the middle of Gangnam.

“To be honest, it’s hard to find a black woman like me working at a restaurant in Korea. But here in Brickoven New York, I don’t feel like I’m in Korea anymore,” said Timone Elliott, a waitress at Brickoven New York.

The New York experience Brickoven provides does not end with just the chef and the crew. The authentic food delivered directly from the brick oven to the table is

incomparable to Korean pizza restaurants bearing deceiving American names.

Excited by the atmosphere, I ordered a half and half pizza of the Godfather and Pesto Chicken along with eight pieces of Buffalo wings and a jug of lemonade. The first to arrive at our anxious table were the Buffalo wings.

Within seconds of its arrival, the sharp aroma of capsaicin and Tabasco dominated the table. The wings wore a glossy orange coat that was crispy yet glistening with oil. One aggressive bite into the wing had me in awe immediately. The fried coat greeted me with a cheerful crush that testified to its crispiness, and the soft texture of the meat warmed my spiced tongue. In comparison to the standard Buffalo wing served in Korean restaurants, Brickoven’s wings are spicier and crispier.

As the plate of wings was emptied, Brickoven’s trademark pizza made a bold entrance. The fiery red of the Godfather and the olive green of the Pesto Chicken made it appetizing not only to the stomach, but also to the eye. The cheese did not stretch as much as I expected, but the thought instantly disappeared as I took my first bite into the Pesto Chicken.

Slicing the pizza, I realized that the dough

was as thin as an authentic Italian Gorgonzola pizza. The deep olive scent of the dough directly translated to the fragrant flavor of the crust and chicken. I was happy to learn that the generous servings of chicken were clear of the usual unpleasant smell that accompanies chicken breast. I must admit, I doubted the combination of spinach and chicken at first, but that very combination happened to be the most impressive aspect of the pizza.

The other half of the pizza presented a stark contrast. The Godfather was a surprisingly spicy pizza with ample pepperoni and well-chopped meat. Because the pizza was almost as spicy as Tabasco sauce on its own, I—a self-pronounced Tabasco lover—had no need to reach for the beloved red bottle. The crisp dough and the meaty topping presented a nice balance to the flame of the pizza.

Brickoven New York does not include “New York” in its name because it wants to sound authentic—it is authentic. This corner of New York should be considered a safe haven for all foodies craving for an Empire State of Mind.

By Michelle Ahn Junior, Staff Writer

Tiger Times

August/September 2017

A Taxi Driver: revisiting the Gwangju Uprising

F

inding the midpoint of the spectrum from a heavy, factual film to a lighthearted, amusing movie is what historical films seek to accomplish. In essence, the film must be historically accurate, but at the same time, it must be an entertaining piece the public will enjoy. Inspiring the audience with both laughs and tears, the historical drama “A Taxi Driver” meets these criteria and successfully captures the tragic Gwangju Uprising. By presenting an emotionally jarring depiction of a significant moment in Korean history—the protests against Chun Doo-Hwan’s administration and the ensuing violence—the film attracted over 10 million viewers.

“A Taxi Driver” tells the story of Kim Manseob, a rather grumpy taxi driver living on rent with his 11-year-old daughter. Hoping for some extra income, he takes Jürgen Hinzpeter, a German journalist, to Gwangju during the height of the Gwangju Uprising.

Yet the two are confronted with a major street demonstration; military brutality, physical fighting, and dead bodies depict

the reality of Gwangju’s predicament. Only later does Kim find out that Hinzpeter is a journalist determined to secretly record the situation in Gwangju, which leads to Kim being entangled in this dangerous mission without a choice. But the bond between the two of them strengthens as they find ways out of perils together despite the language barrier they face.

The director of the film, Jang Hoon, once again unites with Song Kang-Ho—the two had worked together in the thriller film, “Secret Reunion.” But this time, the two take on a new historical genre, failing to impress the audience with their synergy as experienced actor and director. Song KangHo takes on the role of Kim Manseob and depicts Kim’s gruff yet witty character with a thoroughly engaging performance that proves his reputation as a renowned actor.

Thomas Kretschmann’s realistic portrayal of Hinzpeter, combined with the priceless contributions of many supporting actors captivated the audience as if they were at Gwangju on May 18, 1980.

Aside from its successful casting and

acclaimed performances, the film is also praised for successfully depicting a pivotal historical moment while touching the hearts of its viewers. The Gwangju Uprising was a tragedy in which over 600 protesters, many of them university students, were violently massacred by military brutality.

As many viewers commented, the film’s objective yet realistic portrayal of the devastating violence had many hearts aching with sympathy toward the victims.

“I liked that the movie wasn’t just fun, but it also taught me a big part of our country’s painful history that I wasn’t aware of. It really left a big impression on me and I constantly thought about certain impactful scenes even after watching it, since it was so horrifying but touching at the same time,” said Meehee Park (10), a Korean movie enthusiast. “It was even hard to sit through because I knew it was based on a true historical story, which made it so much more real and emotionally painful.”

While “A Taxi Driver” received a 93% Rotten Tomatoes rating and an overwhelmingly positive response from the public,

many critics have expressed disappointment with the taxi chase scene that takes place toward the end of the movie. Some viewers believe that the abrupt nature of the scene disrupted the flow of the film.

Before this scene, the movie had a realistic and slightly humorous tone. Thus, the taxi scene felt out of place for many viewers; the scene was an unrealistic attempt to add suspense and entertainment that ultimately backfired. The audience found the scene to actually unhook viewers from the story by breaking the flow of emotional messages portrayed before the scene.

Though the responsibility to appropriately portray historical events weighed heavy on its shoulders, “A Taxi Driver” successfully made the audience laugh, cry, and reflect on history. The story of the Gwangju Uprising is not just presented—rather, the movie carefully paints it with realistic details for the audience to appreciate the heroes and victims of the tragedy.

By Eju Ro Sophomore, staff writer

Lionsgate Theme Park to open on Jeju Island “The more we thought about it, the more we realized there was a major opportunity — not just to create something smart and captivating that ‘Hunger Games’ fans would love, but to bring all of our franchises alive in new ways,”

- Tom Palen, Lionsgate’s chief brand officer Standing along the ranks of other entertainment companies like Universal and Columbia Pictures, Lionsgate is also a rising media company that has been directing a host of chart-topping movies over the years. With this rise in popularity of these movies, the Jeju Shin-hwa World resort announced that it plans to build an outdoor Lionsgate theme park to serve as its centerpiece by 2019.

The Lionsgate Movie World will be Korea’s first global theme park dedicated to international movies. Consisting of seven different movie zones, including “Hunger Games,” “Twilight,” “Divergent,” “Now You See Me,” “Robbin Hood,” “Saw,” and more, the park is expected to attract both movie fanatics and casual fans. These movie zones will include themed rides, dance shows, restaurants, special performances, magic shows, and reproduced streets of the movies. Hunger Game-themed rides, for example, include a state-of-the-art travelling museum, Capitol Bullet Train, a 360-degree roller-coaster, and the Panem Aerial Tour, a virtual 3D hover tour of fictional landmarks.

“I’m positive that The Lionsgate Movie World will allow fans to immerse themselves into its fictional world,” said Megan Lee, English teacher and a fan of the Lionsgate movies. “Attractions like these allow for so many special experiences. In Seoul, we already have Lotte World and Everland, but those who are more interested in international movies will have a reason to go to Jeju Island. It is a great way to attract more visitors.”

The theme park differs from other conventional amusement parks because

all attractions are centered around movies that are already immensely popular both in and outside of Korea. According to Korea’s yearly box rankings, “Hunger Games” ranked 67th place and “Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn 2” ranked 19rd place in 2012.

“Now You See Me 2” ranked 18th place in 2016 with more than a million viewers and 300,000 ticket sales. Korean viewership of Lionsgate Movies has increased dramatically over the years along with the increasing popularity of the original fiction best sellers. As fans from all around the world plan to visit the Lionsgate Movie World, Jeju Shin-hwa World may increase tourism in Jeju Island on the whole. Lionsgate is also working on a Motiongate theme park in Dubai that will also function as a major tourist attraction.

“I think the theme park is great fan service,” said Jase Jeon (10), an avid fan of the “Divergent” series attending North London Collegiate School in Jeju Island. “It provides fans with unique opportunities to actually experience what has only existed in their imaginations. I am very excited for the Lionsgate Movie World to open because most other theme parks or amusement parks are in Seoul, which makes it hard to access when living on Jeju Island.”

Despite living in Korea, Jeju residents in the past may have found it difficult to visit Seoul and its many amusement parks.

Perhaps the Lionsgate Movie World could become the next Universal Studios by increasing both tourism to Korea and interest in Lionsgate movies.

By Andie Kim Sophomore, Staff Writer

9

10 SPORTS Tigers build teamwork on court in Korean Classic Tournament

Players on the girl’s varisty volleyball team gather together to start their game strong against TCIS during Korean Classic Volleyball Tournament (KCVT) at SIS on Aug. 21st.

O

n Aug. 21, varsity volleyball teams from four different schools, SIS, Korea International School (KIS), Taejeon Christian International School (TCIS), and Yongsan International School of Seoul (YISS), gathered at SIS to play in the Korean Classic Volleyball Tournament. After a grueling 6 hours in which varsity team played three games each, the undefeated YISS girls and the TCIS boys emerged as the victors.

Because the tournament was a preseason event, it was intended to help coaches and players build experience with their new teams and get ready for the upcoming regular season. “[The tournament] is good for both coaches and players,” Coach Atanaskovic, coach of the varsity boys volleyball team

said. “It helps coaches see their lineups and see how the team plays and then change things before the first [season] game.

Students, especially those who have less experience, can also get more playing time before the first conference games, which start straight away.”

Although both the SIS girls and boys teams put up a strong fight during every game of the tournament, they came up short each time. Beginning with the girls’ 2-0 loss against YISS, both SIS teams lost all of their games in the first half of the tournament. After the long drought, the girls were finally able to secure a 2-1 win against KIS in the second half, but the boys lost their final game against KIS, ending the tournament with three losses. One reason why the teams might have struggled, espe-

cially against YISS and TCIS, was because of the unusually large number of players new to the team this year. Last year, both teams lost much of their experienced members as seniors went off to college, leaving behind the teams to field a much more unseasoned lineup.

“I think the absence of a large number of seniors is definitely noticeable in the team, considering that we lost a majority of our starting lineup,” said Hannah Kim (10), varsity girls volleyball player. “Thus, while we have a lot of new talent this year, we lack experience.”

With eight out of twelve members new to the girls team this year, most of the members had never played together as a cohesive unit. However, the team was able to use the tournament as an opportunity to take

Photos by Ryan Jang

baby steps in getting to know each other better and communicate on court. When the ball is in the air, team members need to signal to one another who will be receiving the serve all within a couple seconds, and team chemistry is essential for these subtle movements to occur effectively and efficiently.

“As the Korea Classic is the first tournament of the season, I think it is important that we learned more about ourselves as a team and built teamwork that we will need throughout the season,” Hannah said. “I feel like if we were to play those schools again later on in the season, we would see better results.”

By Fiona Cho Sophomore, Staff Writer

Dwight School Seoul Joins KAIAC Red Division

A

fter years of competing against the same KAIAC Red Division schools, teams in the league will finally receive a new competitor this fall. Dwight School Seoul (DSS) has officially joined the KAIAC Red Division and will be competing with SIS, Korea International School (KIS), Gyeonggi Suwon International School (GSIS), Chadwick International School (CI), and Asian Pacific International School (APIS). This means that all SIS teams (except for those in non-divisional sports such as swimming, cross country, and forensics) will play two games against DSS every season, as the league rules dictate.

“Although this is my third year playing on the varsity girls volleyball team, I have never played DSS before,” said Karen Joo (12), varsity girls volleyball captain. “The opportunity to play diverse teams is always

beneficial, as we are able to learn of new shortcomings we have as a team. I am excited to see how our team will perform against a new opponent this season.”

Moving between divisions in KAIAC is most definitely the exception, not the rule.

KAIAC divisions are set up so that every school is granted equal opportunities to compete with other schools of similar skill levels. There are three divisions within KAIAC—the Blue Division, Red Division, and White Division—in order of aptitude.

These divisions cover most major sports that all the schools play, including volleyball, basketball, and soccer. Even if a particular school performs at a high level in one specific sport, it cannot move divisions without consistent excellence in a range of sports, as DSS was able to display in the past seasons.

“I think the change is for the better

because it is always better to have six-tea tournaments instead of five-team tournaments,” said Ivan Atanaskovic, the Athletics and Activities Coordinator and varsity boys volleyball coach. “Dwight joining the Red Division is also beneficial for our teams because it will provide more conference games for both varsity and JV teams. I think our division is well balanced in that sense.”

Coaches across the KAIAC league were involved in the decision to move DSS into the Red Division. This occurred because KAIAC had accepted Dulwich College Seoul (DCS) to the White Division previously, which meant that one school from the White Division had to be sent upward to the Red Division in order to keep numbers among the divsions even and fair. As a result, coaches concluded that reassigning DSS, which had showed exceptional performances in the White Division for the

past several years across all sports as shown through the point system, would be moved into the Red Division. DSS is now a permanent member of the Red Division; therefore, the Red Division will have six competing schools in it instead of traditional five.

“I’m excited to play DSS. As it is the first conference game of the season, I think it will be an opportunity to further solidify the teamwork that we need moving forward,” said Sean Lee (11), varsity boys volleyball player. “Yet it is also important not to underestimate DSS as a small school with a team that we can easily beat – we should always try to play our best against any opponent. If this is the mindset we play all of our games with, I know that the results will come along.”

By Hannah Kim Junior, Staff Writer

Tiger Times

August/September 2017

Play-By-Play: Tigers take historical win against SFS Crusaders Preview

On Sept. 1, the varsity boys volleyball team faced off against the Seoul Foreign School Crusaders (SFS) in a home game in Tiger Gym 1. The animated cheers of student fans motivated their fellow Tigers as the team pursued a win.

Set 1

The Tigers started off with a solid serve by Richie Kim (10) that led to the first point of the match. The game went on with the advantage leaning to neither side until Austin Jeong (11) spiked a perfect back set by Ryan Jang (12). The spike made three SFS players frantically dive for the ball and miss. The Tigers continued with a close lead, even making the crowd laugh when Nicholas Shin (11) scored a point with an accidental header. Although the first set ended with the Crusaders in the lead, it was only by two points and the Tigers had great enthusiasm for the next set.

Set 2

The first point of the second set was a jaw-dropping spike by co-captain Sean Oh (12) that the Crusaders could not anticipate.

The Tigers then went on to sustain a tenpoint lead with three successive blocks. An undeniable ace from Sean ended the set.

11

SPORTS PHOTO OF THE MONTH

Set 3

The Crusaders seemed to take the lead at the beginning of the third set, but Elliot Kim (11) turned the tables with a seemingly impossible receive. Followed by three consecutives spikes and two blocks, the Tigers distanced themselves from the Crusaders once again. The set ended with a solid spike

by Nicholas that the Crusaders just stood and watched.

Set 4

The final set started off with a flawless routine by Ryan’s set and Sean’s spike. From then, the lead was never contested. Richie and Elliot’s spike, Nicholas and Ryan’s block, and Haanbi Kim’s (11) dive all contributed toward the spirit-full final set. The winning point was an unexpected dump by Ryan, who aimed precisely.

Overview

The boys varsity volleyball team showcased a historical win against SFS, a team that was previously deemed undefeatable. The Tigers seemed to stumble during the first set, but they nonetheless kept their spirits high for three consecutive winning sets. The team’s flawless chemistry between the players left no room for a defeat.

By Michelle Ahn Junior, Staff Writer

Photo courtesy of Jaeho Hwang (10)

Taking deep breaths, Joe Kim (11) and Kevin Kim (11) get ready for their first cross country race on Sept. 2 at KIS. Kevin would go on to place first in the race.

Stephen and Seth Curry on Infinite Challenge

I

nfinite Challenge, a renowned and immensely popular Korean variety show, reached new bounds when it successfully invited the Curry brothers— two of the most popular and skilled NBA players today—to film an eventful episode featuring a rather comical basketball game between the brothers and the cast of Infinte Challenge. To the delight of many basketball fans, Stephen Curry, starting point guard for the Golden State Warriors and two time Most Valuable Player, and Seth Curry, starting point and shooting guard for the Dallas Mavericks and 8th in 3-point field goal percentage during the 2016-2017 NBA season, who were in Korea for Stephen Curry’s Asia Promotional Tour, appeared on the program.

Ultimately, the Infinite Challenge episode starring the Curry brothers received positive reviews from fans and reached a viewership rate of 9.8%. Internationally,

Infinite Challenge was also mentioned on numerous news sites including CNN, USA Today, New York Daily News, and many more. This surge in popularity was mutual: the Curry brothers also gained more fans from all over the world, taking both first and second places on daily popularity rankings in Korea.

In the episode, the brothers showcased both their professional and casual personalities, delivering awe and delight to the audience. The Infinite Challenge members (Yoo Jae-suk, Park Myung-soo, and several other Korean celebrities) and the brothers played a 5 on 2 basketball game. As each quarter progressed, the Infinite Challenge team received unimaginable and highly absurd benefits, including an inflatable balloon rim protector as tall as the basketball hoop and a rim eight times larger in area than the that of the Curry brothers. On the other hand, the Curry

brothers were punished with a rotating basketball hoop in the last quarter, which made it nearly impossible for them to score.

“I loved this episode especially because it was very different from any previous episode of Infinite Challenge in that NBA players appeared on the program,” said Grace Oh (11), varsity girls basketball member. “Throughout the game, I was amazed at their crazy dribbling skills and the cool shots they performed, especially the dunk shots on the rotating hoop. I also was able to learn from the brothers, such as their shooting forms.”

Although the brothers struggled to adjust to the game at first due to its unusual and unique concept, they caught fire quickly, displaying flashy moves that wowed the crowd. Amazing the Infinite Challenge cast with their pin-point shooting beyond the arc and their ankle-breaking moves, the

Curry brothers pulled out strong even with their disadvantages, scoring from the half court numerous times. The game ended with a score of 53:53, however. To determine the winner, the Curry brothers suggested a free throw shootout using the rotating hoop, leading to a one-point victory for themselves.

“I found myself laughing throughout the entire game,” said Timothy Kim (12), a fervent fan of both Steph Curry and Seth Curry and varsity boys basketball member. “Initially, I thought that the brothers would obviously win by a great difference in the scores, but my predictions proved me wrong in the end. It was funny watching the brothers—professional basketball players—struggling with the numerous disadvantages they were given.”

By Kirsten Huh Junior, Staff Writer

12 SMALL TALK

Goffman’s dramaturgy and Theseus’ ship

By Diana Na Kyoung Lee Could you have been starring in one, long, impromptu performance about yourself this whole time? Imagine: August could have been your grand opening, full of entrances and overtures, and September the rising action, when you left behind the peace of summer break to face your first trials of the year.

Erving Goffman, esteemed twentieth century sociologist, loved theatrical parallels as much as Shakespeare did. He took the dramaturgical metaphor above and beyond—so much so that he ended up redefining the concept of personal identity in the process.

In his seminal book The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life, Goffman presents the idea of dramaturgical analysis. He first poses two comparisons: the individual as the performer, and society as the audience. The backstage is separated from the front by a curtain, so that only the latter is visible to the crowd. Goffman believed that our personal identities (at least, in the sociological sense) could be better analyzed as a combination of performances—a series

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of impromptu acts put on for a crowd—rather than as something concrete or innate. We make different “theatrical choices,” so to say, depending on which cultural norms and social cues are most accepted by the audience.

(Goffman’s idea shines best when examined alongside gender performativity and stigma. If Goffman interests you, please feel free to read my extended piece on TTONL.) Yet sometimes, even the most stellar actors make mistakes. What then? Shall we despair? Theseus, renowned ancient Greek philosopher, thinks not.

In his famous thought experiment, Theseus asks us to imagine a ship, sailing away on a journey around the world. Here’s the twist: the ship stops at every single port on earth, but at each stop, parts of the ship are replaced with new ones—an old plank for a new board, a worn sail for a crisp one, an experienced sailor for a new man. At a certain point, none of its original parts remain. When the ship finally returns

The Giving Applicant: A Moral Story

Most Read, Most Trusted - It is August 1st. You open your first CommonApp account.

CommonApp asks for your email. CommonApp asks for thousands of words. CommonApp asks for your money. You look down at yourself to find that you have transformed into a tree stump. And the tree was happy.

- An admissions officer explains holistic admissions. They take out a bottle of holy water. They start spraying it over you. You come to the divine realization that admission is a wholly holy process. You take up a life of celibacy in the Church of Admissions.

- A small group of students are gathered at the back of the auditorium. They are spray painting a pentagram into the carpet and chanting. You join the chant.

There is a soft glow that emanates from the summoning.

- You tell your parents that you want to be a history major. Your parents stare at you. You stare at your parents. You wake up in a tangle of blankets, sweat, and insecurity for the future.

- The freshmen are here. You know this because there are cheerful, well-dressed people in

your high school and they are not you.

home, is the vessel docking on shore the same ship that left years ago?

Theseus believed not. The ship, in many ways, is analogous to a man. We shed old cells for new ones, replace old habits with new routines, exchange yellowed memories for fresh experiences, and fading relationships for new lovers. Theseus believed that in doing so, we ceaselessly redefine who we are. His take on personal identity may sound a little outlandish to some, but there is still a lesson to take away: the mistakes we have made in the past cannot come to define us—at least, not as much as the lessons we carry with us in the present.

If your first month of school hasn’t exactly been your best, know that Theseus believes in you. Ditch that rotting plank at your next harbor and find yourself a new, sturdy replacement. If you have had a stellar first month—as a member of your faithful audience—I say kudos to you. Here’s to eleven more spectacular shows. Encore!

Photo of the

MONTH

- Your friends ask you what early plan you are applying to.

You know the early bird catches the worm. But how can the bird catch the worm when the worm doesn’t want to be caught?

- There is an email from the University of Chicago in your inbox.

You delete the email from the University of Chicago. Another email from the University of Chicago appears in your inbox.

- The spirit of Cthulhu appears from the pentagram. He promises to raze everything you hate.

You ask Cthulhu to raze Harvard to the ground. Cthulhu appears in Cambridge only to be defeated by the New England weather and Charles River muck. You didn’t expect Cthulhu to be in the 5.4% anyways.

- You are on your fourteenth college application. You are no longer a tree stump. You are half of a root, buried deep in the dirt, where you feel see hear touch smell nothing but dirt. CommonApp demands that you hand over half a root. You dig yourself out of the dirt to offer yourself to CommonApp. And the tree was happy.

BY JOYCE LEE

Practicing the choreography to the play, “The Wizard of Oz,” the cast holds one of its biweekly rehearsals on Sept. 5. The cast and crew are looking forward to performing in front of a live audience on the 9th and 10th of November.

Photo by Jocelyn Lee