Tiger Times Volume 53 • Issue 5 • February 2022 • ttonl.org
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Extended Viewpoint
Students need help choosing AP courses
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Focus
Upcoming South Korean presidential election
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layout by Hannah Kim
Student Spotlight
Sean Lee: Professional student athlete
2 Editorial Letter to the Editor: be the change by
Jenny Seo & Emily Sung editors-in-chief
It is not uncommon to encounter a group of students chattering about the mildest inconvenience that they label as the school’s catastrophic blunder. In fact, school-related complaints seem to be the core topic of discussion, tossing the responsibility to members of the faculty and failing to recognize that the burden to initiate change usually resides somewhere else. With this, Mr. Macklin leaves a few words addressing this matter, encouraging students to be the change. Dear Editors, I appreciated the thoughtful extended viewpoint expressed in the Thanksgiving issue, but I was somewhat confused by some of the implications of the overall message regarding how to change a student issue. I have not heard the term “tryhard” before but I am not surprised that it is commonly used by students here or that it is a pejorative term. It is too bad that “tryhard” is not applied to things like spending hours and hours of vacation time cramming for the SAT or having a consultant “revise” college essays. Those seem more in line with the connotation of tryhard since the effort is being made to eliminate the risk inherent in the learning process than a sincere effort toward learning. As it is described in the piece, it seems like actually trying hard is frowned upon behavior. That seems strange. Another thing that confused me was the implication that school systems were the solution to a student culture issue. We certainly play a part and I am glad that the school paper has made me more aware of this cultural perspective, but I am concerned that making additional steps to access teachers during office hours will have the opposite of the intended impact since those who need the most help often lack the organization skills or confidence to get it. Those most likely to take additional steps to access office hours meetings are the “tryhards” the proposed system is trying to discourage. Instead, I would like to offer another perspective. My view is that culture is not just something that we inherit, it is something that we create. If you are a student who fears being labeled a tryhard for asking a question in class or during office hours, one of the best ways you can prevent that from happening is actively speaking out against that label being applied to others in situations where it is not actually true. There will always be those who are, as we called them in the 80’s, brownnosers, but a lot of times, people are asking because they genuinely don’t know. I have found that usually there are others who have the same question and quietly thank those who had the courage to ask it. The change for student-led discourse can and should be student led. You control the cultural shift where peers build the courage to speak up rather than destroy it. The surest way for people to lose the fear of getting the help they need is to know that the community will support them rather than ridicule or label them. I think I can speak for the whole faculty when I say if you stand up for someone who is trying and needs help, you will have our full and unconditional support. Lead the change. We have your backs.
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
layout by Bona Suh
VIEWPOINT
Say hi (first)
B
eing the “new kid” is never easy. You need confidence, interpersonal skills, and most importantly, thick skin. I had never been the new kid until I first started attending SIS in August 2016. Though I enjoyed meeting new people, it was daunting, especially because most students here had grown up together. The social norms were completely different from my old school in America, and was able to adjust only after months of observing and adapting. In the past few years, I have seen people struggle to approach new kids or talk to people outside of their friend groups. It is rare for students to completely reject someone, but there has not been much effort to include them, either. A close-knit community has its benefits, but this same familiarity can make it harder for others to assimilate. From the outsider’s perspective, it may feel like there is no place for them. So, what can we do to promote more inclusivity at SIS? Mustering some courage and approach-
ing someone first can make a difference. This is no easy feat, but there is certainly merit in trying. On the day of the freshman orientation, I went up to Yenna Ko (11) and asked, “Hey, are you the new girl?” While I do realize that I might have put her on the spot, it led to more conversation, and she eventually became one of my closest friends. Many of my friendships started with me talking to people first, even if it was initially awkward. The fear of judgment or awkwardness may be hard to overcome, but everything we learn is through trial and error. It is important to realize that this risk applies to almost all situations. Far too often, meeting someone and being obligated to talk can only produce a trite back-and-forth. If initiating conversations is too hard, joining new clubs or participating in school events can be another great way to bond. This can take the focus off of either person and make interactions come naturally. Freshman year, I went to many varsity sports games with Alice Lee (11). Neither
How far does the apple fall from the tree? On Nov. 30, 2021, a 15-year-old boy in Michigan brought a gun to school and opened fire, killing four and injuring several others. Many media outlets criticized the event as another grisly school shooting, no different from the others that had come before it. There was, however, an important distinction in this particular shooting. While the vast majority of school shootings charge only the assailant, even if they were a minor, the judge chose to charge the boy’s parents too. She justified her decision by claiming that the parents directly influenced the shooting by giving their child the firearm and not seeking therapy for him when he displayed clear behavioral problems. Many gun control proponents saw promise in this new strategy, while others were more skeptical, as it did not address the roots of the violence. In any case, this ruling raised an important ethical question: should parents be charged for their children’s heinous crimes? This is a difficult question to answer. Although parents do have a great amount of influence on their children, there are also many external factors that they cannot control, especially as the children grow closer to adulthood. Because of this, parents should face punishment for their childrens’ crimes but to a smaller extent as the child approaches legal age. From the moment a child is born, they are immensely influenced by the interactions they have with others. As parents are typically the ones children interact with the most, their actions leave an incredible
impact on their children, for better or for worse. For example, the American Psychological Association say that authoritative parents who establish rules and communicate with their children as equals are more likely to raise their kids to be confident and have higher self-esteem. In contrast, permissive parents who allow their children to do anything without consequences can encourage their children to be aggressive and risk-prone. In one extreme case of a parent’s impact on their children, Genie, the pseudonym for a child in California who was severely neglected by her parents, never developed the ability to use language. It is clear that in early childhood, parents are almost wholly responsible for their child’s development. Nevertheless, this does not mean that parents continue to hold an iron grip on their children. While it is certainly true that parents shape their children’s personalities at a young age, they begin to lose their influence as they enter adolescence. With the onset of puberty comes many psychological changes that make teenagers especially difficult to control, such as greater propensity for risk-taking. Although parents may be able to rein in these developments to a certain extent, ultimately, they cannot prevent them completely. Combined with other changes, such as relying more on one’s peers than on one’s parents, teenagers are biologically more prone to committing crimes than they were prior to adolescence. For example, in the horrifying murder of Junko Furata by four teenage
of us had anything to do with the players, but it was fun to talk about the game and get swayed by the school spirit. Entertainment outside of conversation takes some of the pressure away and offers a change of pace from the usual small talk you might have to participate in. These types of fun activities can lead you to new experiences and memories. I have always liked talking to new people, and I hold my social skills in high regard. But, of course, I remember feeling lonely in classes without any of my friends and wanting other students to approach me first to not come off as desperate. Still, I know that putting in a bit of effort into new relationships would not hurt. Whether you are the “new kid” or someone who has been here for a long time, it is always worth reaching out to the people around you.
BY: Rachel Yoon Junior, Copy Editor boys, one of the culprits’ parents said that they were unable to interfere because they were afraid of facing consequences from the Japanese mafia, with whom their son was affiliated. Due to this, it is unfair to blame parents completely for the crimes of their kids, especially once they cross the threshold of puberty. Some may argue that while parents should face punitive measures for their children’s petty crimes, like burglary or vandalism, this should not be the case for heinous ones. Most parents try their best to raise their children to uphold moral values; very few actually encourage them toward violence or immorality. The parents of Junko Furata’s murderers probably wanted their children to be decent members of society, not fugitives. Extreme, morally reprehensible actions are usually the result of the child being mentally ill or facing social pressure from their peers, not parental influence. Thus, they argue that parents should not be punished at all in most cases, unless it appears that they are a direct cause or enabler of the behavior. While this would be the case in a perfect world, the harsh truth is that parents can unintentionally cause such behavior. For example, permissive parents are often incentivized to be permissive because they want their children to have freedom, not because they want them to be violent. The immense influence that parents have on their children, whether it is intentional or not, makes them have some degree of responsibility over the crime. Despite this, it is important to clarify that it is neither entirely the parent nor the child’s fault for the crime. One rotten apple does not mean that the entire tree is bad, nor is it entirely the apple’s fault for being rotten in the first place. An unfortunate combination of environmental and internal factors, ranging from existing mental illness to cultural values, sometimes may lead children to do the unthinkable. While we cannot completely control those internal factors, we can control the environment and change it to one that makes sure that children do not feel compelled to commit such heinous crimes by making informed changes to our culture and laws. These changes will likely take years, even decades, to manifest in society. Therefore, for now, the immediate solution would be distributing responsibility as equitably as possible to both parents and their children.
BY: Rosa Suh Junior, Copy Editor
Tiger Times
Feb 2022
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Tiger Times Staff
Tiger Times Tiger Times exercises the right to report on and editorialize all topics, events or issues, including those unpopular or controversial, insofar as they affect or interest the school, community, nation, and world. We refrain from publishing material that advertises illegal products or services, is obscene, libelous, or invades privacy. We refrain from publishing material that creates a clear and present danger or the immediate material and substantial physical disruption of the school.
Volume 53 Issue 5 February Seoul, South Korea TTONL.org a free publication of
Seoul International School
Paper Editors-in-Chief Emily Sung Jenny Seo Website Editor-in-Chief Sarah Ju Paper Managing Editor Skylar Peck
Website Managing Editors Woojune Kim Jordan Kim
Graphics Editor Jennifer You
Katie Kim Aimee Choi Grace Lee
Photo Editor Alice Lee
Website Copy Editors Jennifer Kwon Daniel Shin Erin Choi
Production Editors Website Design Bona Suh Editor Clara Lim Minjae Chun Paper Copy Editors Rosa Suh Rachel Yoon
Layout Artists Yuzine Yi Junseo Lee Hannah Kim
Reporters Katherine Suk Sunny Lee Isabelle Lee Jack Lee Hugo Lee Bin Ma John Kim Katelyn Oh Ian Park David Kim Paul Moon
Cherlin Kim Joseph Chun Jasmine Jeong Adviser Ms. Wendy Grant
Viewpoint Feature: Before students choose AP courses for their next year, they are often unaware of what each AP course provides. The lack of information reaching to students consequently creates a rough transition into AP courses. To ease this transition, a combination between a wider variety of methods provided by the school to inform students and the students’ efforts in making use of those solutions would create a fluid environment.
What problems occur when students choose AP courses without knowing much information? How can the school help students navigate their AP course selections?
Navigating the AP selection maze During the annual course selection period last year, I confidently decided to take AP Biology as my first AP course. Because I enjoyed performing intriguing labs in 9th grade biology and deemed myself ready to learn the subject in greater depth, I looked forward to a smooth transition into this class. I, however, was not quite aware of what an “AP” really is, and how high the expectations and workload of AP courses were. Then, I entered my sophomore year, only to realize how mentally unprepared I was. In addition to the unexpected difficulty of the content and unit tests, I was shattered by a suddenly increased workload of numerous unit packets, reading guides, and lab reports. When students choose their AP courses for the next school year, they often consult upperclassmen and self-proclaimed “experts” outside of SIS, such as hagwons and tutors, hoping to know more about each course. However, the dizzying array of opinions and experiences makes the process even more confusing to students new to the AP program. While students are free to reach out to teachers to discuss the expectations in their courses, they are often reluctant to approach a new teacher. Whether it be for rising sophomores who take AP level subjects for the first time, rising juniors who face an instant increase in workload due to the jump from one to multiple AP classes, or rising seniors who must balance the challenges of several AP
courses with writing college applications, the insufficient information for AP subjects affects all grade levels past freshman year. In short, there is an uneven balance between a rough transition into AP courses and the heavy consequences for unprepared students. In order to alleviate this problem, there must be an environment for students to receive a more comprehensive and direct preparation process before choosing AP courses. “I did not really know any information about AP US History when I chose the course, so I was shocked when I realized the intense workload the course requires,” Riona Kim (10), AP US History student, said. “If I had been provided with better information, I certainly would have taken more time and consideration before choosing which AP course to take. I hope there can be more solutions to prepare us for next year’s AP course decisions, such as upperclassmen meeting with underclassmen to talk about different aspects of each course.” In fact, SIS currently implements multiple solutions before course selection begins. Although the AP Fair form results were not provided to rising sophomores last year, SIS is working to make them more accessible this year. Counselors meet with students to guide them through their four-year education plan. Furthermore, the peer mentor program plans to create videos for rising sophomores regarding different academic pathways upperclassmen take, such as pri-
oritizing science-oriented classes. These videos will explore different AP and fine arts subjects by interviewing the subject teachers as well as currently enrolled students. Students can also visit the course guides available on the SIS website under the high school Advanced Placement category. In addition to these methods, SIS could improve these course guides by not only promoting them to students but also hyperlinking external resources that provide introductory information about the different courses, such as videos, names of textbooks, and AP exam explanations. Through this online portal, students would have a glimpse of what different subjects provide, like how customers can taste a flavor for free in an ice cream shop. Another creative solution would be a classroom experience activity, in which students could visit different AP classes to observe the activities provided and learn the content together for one class period. This activity, which is similar to Harvard University’s shopping week where students can freely roam around to sit in different classes, would be very effective as it could familiarize students with the classroom environment and lesson material of various AP courses. Additionally, more teachers could present information about their AP courses when the course selection period approaches. Whether these presentation meetings would be mandatory or not, this method has
been proven successful, as James Kowalski and Rose Tyvand, AP Capstone program teachers, were able to introduce last year’s rising juniors to the AP Capstone program. “Last February, Dr. Tyvand, Ms. Edwards, and I held an information session for tenth graders, which about 40 students attended,” Mr. Kowalski said. “Our main goal was to raise awareness of the AP Capstone program by informing students about what the course sequence entails and the types of skills that it emphasizes. We also discussed the challenge of the program, but that with that challenge comes transformative growth. The reception of the presentation meeting was enthusiastic, and we hope to hold a similar session again this year.” A collaboration between the school providing a wider variety of preparation methods and the students effectively utilizing those solutions would ultimately reduce the concerns before course selection and warm up students for the courses they will take next year. No student will be perfectly ready for the new challenges that are approaching them in their journey across a tumultuous river to their next year in high school. Nonetheless, even the presence of the smallest stepping stones can encourage students to cross their rivers with more readiness and vision. BY: John Kim Sophomore, Reporter
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SCHOOL NEWS
English department offers student autonomy This year, the English 10 classes have shifted to include more choices in their summative assignments. Students are able to choose from a wider range of options including short films, graphic novels, and live monologues to demonstrate their understanding of satire for the “The Importance of Being Earnest” unit. “This process shows their creative process while also proving that they have mastered the skill sets they are learning: satire and comedy,” Megan Lee, English 10 teacher, said. “Satire is a great way to express and criticize the world around us. Authors and artists often use satire to bring something to light therefore I want the students to acknowledge the several satire elements in their daily lives.” Satire can be easily approached through different mediums. This provides a wider range of situations to apply satire. To learn a new literature skill, applying it to as many platforms can broaden students’ perspectives. It also fosters a friendly environment for creativity and for students to challenge themselves in using satire. “There are so many benefits in including diverse options,” Jessica Terbrueggen, English 10 teacher, said. “Everyone is a different learner. Giving students as
many possible avenues to show their understanding of the content allows them to get excited about their learning since not everybody’s strength is writing. There are so many different ways to unpack literature.” Not only was this variety effective in giving students more ways to express their thoughts, but it also redefined the meaning of what an English class can be. Through the inclusion of diverse options for assessments, students are able to return to the core meaning of learning literature. “You are learning the skills of reading, writing, and speaking, but in the background of the learning of the art form itself and the ideas presented through them,” said Ms. Terbrueggen. “At the end of the day, the authors are writing because they have something to say about human nature therefore, these skills should be learned in the background along with the more important lesson of learning the diverse art forms present in literature.” Having multiple choices also opens up the way for the English language to be recognized as a major tool in society and not only in a classroom to write literary analysis. “English is not only literature but it is also a medium,” said Ms. Lee. “By just looking at one aspect
Melissa Kim (10), left, and Ann Lee (10), right, review their skit video together for English 10 satire project.
we are doing it an injustice. I can read Hamlet and say that it is a story of a Danish prince who lost his father and goes into madness or I can say that this is what happens when we lose ourselves and go into the darkest places. Then we can question how to get out of it. This is why I love literature because it is more than just literature.”
The autonomy that students felt as they studied satire allowed them to critique aspects of society in innovative methods and to approach literature in a more comfortable way. “I can be more expressive with my work and most importantly, I get to actually see the purpose of our assignment, how satire relates to me, and most of all enjoy the
AP Seminar students enter world of research With the start of the second semester, AP Seminar students launched into Performance Task 1 (PT1), an extensive research project that counts toward their AP exam score. Most students feel nervous yet prepared, having completed mock versions of the assignment in the first semester. “I am relatively confident in my abilities now as opposed to last
layout by Hannah Kim
semester, when I was new to this workload and research process,” Matthew Um (11), AP Seminar student, said. “After doing two research projects already, the process of coming up with research questions, analyzing sources, and planning my paper has gotten significantly easier.” AP Seminar, along with AP Research, was introduced to SIS in
2016. The two classes are part of the AP Capstone Diploma program, which the College Board launched in 2014 to cultivate students’ ability to conduct independent research using scholarly sources. Unlike most AP courses, the Capstone program does not offer content on a certain field of study; it is a skills-based course that guides students to conduct multidiscipli-
nary research, honing skills necessary for college-level academics. “This is truly high-level, intellectual work that students are doing,” James Kowalski, AP Seminar teacher, said. “It is the first time many of them are entering a world of scholarly, challenging discourse that they have not been part of before. I love being there as students navigate those waters because there is a lot of empowerment in that process.” The class has become increasingly popular at SIS, with the number of students enrolled noticeably growing since last year. When students register for AP Seminar, however, they must be prepared to take on the relatively heavy and time-consuming workload. Many have especially experienced difficulties at the beginning of the year when learning how to analyze scholarly sources specializing in specific areas of study. “I would say there is certainly a time crunch in this class, but the workload is manageable if you spread it out over time,” Eunie Choi (11), AP Seminar student, said. “A lot of the larger assignments are essays or presentations you work on for at least one or two weeks, rather than tests you study for. So, if you make steady progress and follow the outlined schedule, it is a lot less overwhelming than it would be if you tried to get it all done in a few days.” The workload requires an equal, if not greater, commitment and time investment from the teacher. The effort is worth it, however, as Mr. Kowalski claims seeing students’ research on issues they are
Photo by John Kim (10)
project,” Andrew Park (10), literature devotee, said.“ Because there is a wider range of what I can do, I can work towards something I actually have a passion for.”
BY: Ian Park Sophomore, Reporter
genuinely passionate about makes the class full of authenticity and purpose. “When students critique one another’s research questions or work with people who may have a different level of expertise on the topic than they do, they are placed in a very vulnerable position,” said Mr. Kowalski. “Even though the workload may be intensive, there is such a great sense of meaning to it. People grow so much with the independence that the projects allow.” Mr. Kowalski claims the open-endedness of research projects is part of both the beauty and sense of anxiety behind AP Seminar. As PT1 draws near an end, he advises students to not get anxious or feel “unnecessary self-doubt” over creating work that looks different from that of others. Students reflect on their challenging yet unique and rewarding experience in AP Seminar. With a few months of rigorous work remaining, and a new year of AP Research awaiting, many look forward to making the best out of the skillsets they have sharpened so far. “I think AP Seminar is a very holistic class that helps students improve in so many areas,” Triston Lee (11), AP Seminar student, said. “Other classes typically do not go this deep into the world of research, so this opportunity can be really inspiring. I have definitely gained managerial, research, and writing skills that I can apply to many more stages in my life.” BY: Aimee Choi Junior, Copy Editor
SCHOOL NEWS
#RelatableStress: Living a double life Overwhelmed with exhaustion from never-ending academic coursework and gradually losing motivation to perform up to the expectations of her parents, she decided to open up about her struggles to the school counselor to seek some advice. The counselor told her that her feelings are valid and that she should open up and communicate with her family to talk about how their expectations are burdening her with more stress. The student thanked the counselor for the talk, but walked out of the room scoffing at the mere idea of trying to hold an actual conversation with her parents without making it seem like talking to a wall. However, she decided to take a chance and bring up the topic at the dinner table. But even before she had a chance to open her mouth, her father let out a deep sigh, massaging his temples, and let out a stream of complaints about work. Though she recognized that it was not a good time for her to speak, she spoke up and began with the words “I’m really stressed out these days.” This elicited a hearty guffaw from her father that belittled her for being mentally weak and a two-hour lecture to shut up about her problems because they were irrelevant compared to the ones that the adults were dealing with. Simply put, the counselor had told her to speak up but her parents told her to shut up. So who was she supposed to listen to? Was she supposed to just be obedient and never have opinions or was she supposed to independently express her freedom and argue with them? And even if she did decide to argue with them, would it be worth the frustration and tension that it would create in her family? Most international school students encounter this dilemma in one way or
By Jasmine Jeong
another. Their Korean parents teach them to be respectful and obedient to their elders by keeping their opinions to themselves. Yet, their teachers, who come from a Western background, continuously ask for their thoughts and opinions on different topics and prioritize active, vocal participation in class discussions. As they are taught such contradictory values, international school students are burdened with the task of finding the perfect balance between adhering to the Korean cultural norms and Western values. Eventually, most students figure out a way to create two versions of themselves that they keep switching between as they transition from home to school and vice versa. However, because they cannot maintain a single, consolidated version of themselves, they become prone to losing their identity or begin living a double life with one version of themselves for school and another for home. Especially because the teenage years are largely spent figuring out self-identity, it strains students’ ability to make a conscious decision as to who they are as a person. However, students need to recognize that their identity is special because the fusion of the Korean and Western ideologies is what enables them to develop a unique perspective on life and society in general. By enjoying the process of figuring themselves out, students can learn to love their own identity for who they are without worrying about not fitting into one stereotypical culture.
Seniors breathe, reflect, and dream
Returning from winter break, the prospect of the second semester approaches differently for freshmen in their first months of high school to seniors who see an end to their own four years, filled with both struggles and triumphs. As the seniors brush off the weight of high school, many begin to reflect on their arduous journey. Seniors have spent an intense first semester balancing grades and finalizing their college applications. Compared to that, the second half of the school year is a breeze: with more leisure time, many seniors are beginning to relax. “Though I was quite angst-ridden in the first semester as I was waiting for my college results with my friends, I am definitely enjoying the second semester with a lot less stress on my shoulders,” Evan Kim (12) said. “ With the remaining three months left in my final high school year, I am trying to have as much fun as possible with my friends, and I think they are thinking to do the same.” At school, seniors enjoy much more relaxed office hours, classes, and activity periods compared to their intense first semester. As the tension dies down, some try their best not to fold into “senioritis”: a common outbreak among seniors characterized by slacking off, sleeping in class, and putting less effort into exams now that semester grades do not play a role in college acceptances, although the prospect of relaxing until graduation feels tempting for many. “I have mainly been fighting the onset of senioritis at school so that I keep up with the work and keep my procrastination to a minimum,”
SIS evaluates the not-so-new normal
Since the onset of the pandemic, the SIS community has had no choice but to submit to the constant switch between online and in-person learning. Having amassed much experience over the past two years, many have formulated their own evaluations of this not-so-new normal. “Compared to the beginning of
the pandemic, online learning definitely runs much more smoothly, and the transition to a virtual day is almost seamless now,” Jared Rock, English teacher, said. “Teachers and students have developed routines for virtual learning, and with a mix of in-person and online days, people have familiarized themselves with both routines.”
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Some benefits of virtual learning have revealed themselves over time. When students—accustomed to the extra sleep permitted in online situations—returned to campus, they realized what had been taken for granted over the past months. “Having experienced multiple switches from and to online learning, I realized how much I appre-
Lulu Schooley (12) said. “Now that my apps are finished, it is like a weight has been lifted and now I just have to wait for a response. I feel a little less stressed and it is exciting to think about graduating and going to college soon.” After an extensive college application process, seniors finally have time to make their last few months in high school meaningful, taking on relaxing activities not done for academics, but solely for their own enjoyment. Many go on trips, catch up with friends, and celebrate the new year with families. With only three months remaining until graduation, seniors prepare themselves for their final victory lap around the track known as high school. “I feel relieved and happy about finishing my intense high school years, but at the same time, it is bittersweet because I will be leaving everything I had behind,” Christine Yu (12) said. “I am going to basically start a new life in my chapter in a foreign country, and the distance just makes me feel like I will not get to see my high school friends as much—even though we would mostly all be in America. I spent nine years here, so SIS feels like my second home. I will miss it, but I am excited to see what awaits me in my future years.”
BY: Alice Lee & Rosa Suh Juniors, Photo and Copy Editors
ciated waking up to the sun,” Jane Park (10) said. “I hate leaving my house early in the morning when it is dark and cold, so I think I am going to miss online classes when it is no longer the norm.” Teachers have also recognized online learning’s advantages from their end. According to Mr. Rock, such a circumstance not only broke uncomfortable barriers in the classroom but also engendered new ideas. “Since the transition to online learning, I have found that many students are more willing to share from behind a camera, so online discussions are actually more lively than in-person ones,” Mr. Rock said. “Also, SIS has been holding many of its non-academic events online, which I believe is a great idea that should be continued even after COVID-19.” Though SIS certainly has adapted and experienced benefits throughout the 28 months of online learning, it is impossible to replicate the on-campus learning experience. “Being online for a few months made me realize how much I wanted to go to school,” Samuel Hong (11) said. “I miss playing baseball during lunch and catching up with my friends. I know that com-
munication is possible through social media, but it is certainly not the same.” It would not be an understatement to say that online learning completely transformed the landscape for performing arts classes, where the drawbacks are more pronounced. “For an ensemble class like Band, it is really impossible to learn music together when we are not in the same place,” Michael Ganus, Band director, said. “Music makes little sense when it is not rehearsed side by side with other parts of the whole piece. After the completely online spring semester of 2019, we have been blessed with a variety of online and in-person learning situations, but ensemble work was definitely a lot easier before the pandemic.” There is hope that 2022 will be the last year of online learning. However, with the Omicron variant taking the pandemic to new heights, it appears that online learning will remain for at least the rest of this academic year.
BY: Katelyn Oh Sophomore, Reporter
Moths drawn to a flame: Korea’s response to political scandals By Grace Lee In light of the upcoming Korean presidential election on March 9, various political scandals have arisen—and this is not the first time Korean politics have faced issues with corruption. Since the first Korean president in 1948, two-thirds of all presidents have either been jailed, assassinated, exiled, or committed suicide amid investigations. For instance, former President Park Geun-hye was impeached in 2016 and imprisoned for 24 years for abusing her presidential power and extorting money with Choi Soon-sil, while Roh Moo-Hyun, Korea’s ninth president, was impeached by parliament and involved in bribery scandals. In 2022, yet another political scandal has come to light. Lee Jae-myung, a prominent presidential candidate from the Democratic Party of Korea, has recently been embroiled in a scandal in which three whistleblowers exposed various misconducts such as violating the Public Official Election Act, misallocating public funds, as well as abusing political power to forcefully institutionalize his brother in a mental hospital without consent. These allegations are not the only aspect of his presidential claim currently swirling in controversy, however—the death of all three whistleblowers has caught the eye of the public. Though initial investigations suggest that Lee Byung-chul, a prominent whistleblower, died of ordinary health problems, the Korean public continues to scrutinize the sudden death of those who exposed Lee Jae-myung and the corruption prior to his presidential bid. On the other hand, while darker allegations continue to gain more TV coverage, so do more comedic controversies. One of Lee Jae-myung’s policies is a proposal for hair loss treatment as part of Korea’s national healthcare, an unusual policy that has garnered criticism that he was unfairly trying to garner the votes of the balding population in Korea. Others, however, have expressed gratitude for the policy by revealing their
experiences with the staggering prices of anti-hair loss pills and treatment. Even more lighthearted controversy surrounds another prominent opposition candidate of the People Power Party, Yoon Seok-youl, who mistakenly held up his hand to the camera which had the traditional Korean character for “king” written on it. As the other candidates noticed the letter, Yoon Seok-youl was accused of “shamanism” by netizens online. Despite recently appreciating some of the more humorous aspects of politics and the attempts of politicians to garner votes, Koreans seem to scrutinize presidential candidates and their scandals more than citizens of other nations. Though politicians in the US can retain their political influence whilst swearing and having a myriad of allegations against them, Korean candidates are not given the same liberties—they are expected to be perfect with their immaculate smiles and carefully crafted TV appearances, and an expletive would tarnish their public reputation. Perhaps as a result of Korea’s socially conservative culture resulting from deep-rooted Confucian values, Koreans continue to paint a picture of perfect candidates who shake their fists with vigor at the newest social reform campaigns with no perceivable moral flaws—which also conversely ensues in deafening outcry when it is discovered that these “perfect” nominees are, in fact, involved in a series of transgressions. The general public, however, shies away from heavily mocking or satirizing politics as they do in the US. Though President Trump and President Biden were often “memed” and mocked heavily on online platforms on issues like their age to derogatory name-calling of other countries, past Korean candidates have not been targets of such harsh mockery. With the Korean culture that leads the public to nit-pick every single flaw, comes a more serious approach to domestic affairs. Though representatives are mired in scandals that would otherwise lead them to
become widely derided in other countries, the Korean public refrains from criticizing its leaders through scathing cartoon caricatures or satire even when it is evident that misconduct has occurred—perhaps as a remnant of when condemning political leaders was criminalized in the past. When it comes to the benefit of the nation, the facade Korean politicians wear may not necessarily be beneficial. Voters, after all, judge each presidential candidate not solely on their policies, but also for qualities such as their ability to compromise and lead an entire country. If every single candidate on their ballot is the same cookie cut-out of what presidential hopefuls believe the public wants, it may only discourage voters and create suspicion on the true motives and policies the future president has in mind.
Taming the flames of democracy: the question of counting votes By Hugo Lee Fire is extraordinary in that it can provide warmth during the coldest of winters and cook our meals to flavorful perfection. However, at the same time, without the tools to tame it, fire and its fiery power can quickly leap out of control and become destructive. Like fire, votes wield substantial power. In a democracy, votes are what determine the leaders of the country. Votes within the government also influence many of the political decisions by these elected leaders. As a result, counting these votes is a pivotal process forming the crux of any democratic society. There are largely two ways to count votes: the direct popular vote system and the Electoral College. Each system has its respective merits and flaws. When these flaws are not controlled for, the incendiary power of the vote, whether it be the direct popular vote or the electoral college vote, may swing out of control and burn people. The first type, the direct popular vote system, has remained an integral part of Korean presidential elections. Heralded as the purest form of democracy, the direct popular vote system refers to the electing of politicians through majority vote by the people. However, as much as it embraces democratic values, the direct popular vote system has sparked debate since the earliest days of modern democracy. According to opponents of the system, one significant flaw is the “tyranny of the majority,” a situation in which the minority is treated unequally because their interests contrast to that of an overpowerful majority. Although the US Electoral College somewhat compensates for this phenomenon by allocating less power to the people, Korean presidential elections have no such preventative measures, as presidents are elected directly by popular vote. The consequences of an overpowerful majority are starting to show in recent years as the leftists utilize policies of majority-appeal to gather votes. Among the top candidates in both the
previous and upcoming elections have been far-left candidates, namely President Moon in 2017 and as of now, candidate Lee Jae-myung. Their most impactful tactics to gather votes are radical tax policies imposing high taxes on the rich and redistributing the wealth to the working class, who compose the vast majority of the Korean population. The income tax on earnings higher than 1 billion won rose twice over the past five years largely due to the rise in income tax from 40 to 42 percent in Moon’s first year in office and to 45 percent in 2020—considerably higher than the average income tax for countries in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, which is 35.9 percent. Although the high taxes are a burden for the wealthy, the tax policies have popular appeal as the majority of these taxes do not apply to most citizens. 79 percent of all taxes are paid solely by the top 10 percent of earners. In fact, 40 percent of the entire population do not pay any taxes at all. With most of the population benefitting from the income redistribution that accompanies the high tax policies, the left-wing Democratic Party of Korea has been gaining dominance in Korean politics over the past few years. Today, new left wing candidates like Lee Jae-myung are proposing similar policies to appeal to the majority and boost their popularity, at the cost of a larger financial burden for the rich minority. Despite this drawback of occasionally exploiting the minority, the direct popular vote system has many benefits as well. Most obviously, by giving people direct influence over elections, the system greatly increases voter turnout, for people believe their voices can make a tangible difference. In 2017, the latest Korean presidential election, Korean voter turnout amounted to a remarkable 71.6 percent. On the contrary, in the 2016 US presidential election, voter turnout totaled a mere 55.7 percent. Thus, citizens’ engagement with politics, a crucial aspect of democracy, is often diminished by a representative democracy.
A second advantage of the popular vote system is its greater immunity to corruption. In the US Electoral College, the people vote for electors, who pledge to vote for their party’s nominee. This was a mechanism originally designed to prevent an overpowerful majority from voting a fundamentally unacceptable, national security-threatening leader. However, some electors, called “faithless electors,” break their pledges and vote for candidates not on the ballot; in fact, in 2016, five Democrats and two Republicans broke their pledge. The direct popular vote system, where people directly vote by themselves, does not cause such elector corruption issues. Another form of corruption Electoral Colleges are prone to is gerrymandering: the deliberate political manipulation of congressional district boundaries in order to generate results that help or hurt a certain party. Most famously, in 1889, the Dakota Territory was admitted as two states—North Dakota and South Dakota—in order to gain more electoral votes for their affiliated parties. In a direct popular vote system, manipulation of district boundaries has no effect on the election as the national popular vote decides the election, not state electoral votes. Overall, the direct popular vote system has its flaws and merits. While the direct popular vote system protects against elector corruption and preserves the voice of the majority, the voice of the minority may be overwhelmed and entirely disregarded by the majority. For taming the fire of the direct popular vote system, it is crucial to avoid excessively throwing in the timber of majority power–too much timber, and the campfire may erupt into an enormous forest fire of tyranny of the majority. For mastering the flames of the electoral college system, it is important to limit the winds of elector corruption to keep the bonfire from eating oxygen and erupting into a wildfire. When their respective flaws are accounted for, the flames of both systems can be tamed to provide pleasant warmth and delectable meals.
Layout by Bona Suh
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GLOBAL NEWS
Apartment built by HDC in Gwangju collapses due to poor construction On Jan. 11, a 39-story apartment building in Gwangju, South Korea crumbled during construction, leaving six people dead. According to the South Korean Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport, a 10-member committee will immediately begin investigating the case for two months. People are suspecting that the collapse was caused by unstable architecture. To verify this theory, authorities have been looking into Hyundai Development Company (HDC)—the corporation in charge of the construction—for signs of faulty structural planning. “The collapse was the result of forces in the structure exceeding the strength of some portion of the building,” David Bonar, AP Physics
teacher, said. “The reinforced concrete structure of a building has the steel rebar to provide strength in tension and shear. People can take cheaper shortcuts by including fewer pieces of rebar or by using an improper concrete mix.” On the same day of the Gwangju collapse, the Korean National Assembly passed a revision to the Construction Materials Management Act to penalize companies for safety breaches caused by their contractors. The HDC case in Gwangju, however, is not subject to this reinforced law, which is to take effect on Jan. 27. “It is extremely dangerous to build structures on top of unstable platforms and a large company like HDC should know this,”Sarah Yim (11), AP Physics student, said. “It does not make sense
that the company is exempt from penalization. In addition to enforcing penalties, safety precautions need to be taken by the Korean government to ensure something like the accident in Gwangju never takes place again.” The Jan. 11 accident is the second safety accident involving HDC. In June 2021, a five-story building fell into the road during demolition work for an HDC redevelopment project, leaving nine dead and eight injured. In the aftermath, the company has been facing criticism over its loose safety checks and poor practices. In response, the mayor of Gwangju said the city government would review legal measures to stop HDC from participating in construction projects in the city. Additionally, HDC chairman Chung Mong-gyu announced
his resignation on Jan. 17. Nevertheless, he remains a major shareholder in the company. “When companies are involved in large-scale accidents, they often receive unwanted negative publicity,” Samuel Hong (11), prospective business student, said. “This publicity can potentially affect their stock value. Thus, it is most likely that the chairman of HDC is publicly resigning in an effort to stop stocks from declining further.” For accidents at building sites, the people held responsible for safety accidents are usually onsite leaders, not executives. In the June collapse, eight of nine people indicted for negligence of duty were from subcontracted companies. Many people claim that this system is unjust.
“Usually, executives are not present at the construction every day when building a structure,” Triston Lee (11), construction expert, said. “While there are head construction workers who are instructed to be in charge of overseeing the work on a daily basis, it seems unfair to only hold on-site workers responsible for larger accidents.” For now, it is difficult to safely predict what will happen as a result of the collapse because HDC is still undergoing investigation by the government. In any case, what occurred is a reminder of careless construction and neglectful leadership’s consequences. BY: Katie Kim Junior, Copy Editor
Treehuggers: The Greta Thunberg Problem
Omicron strengthens its grip on South Korea
Ever since she was first photographed sitting outside of the Swedish parliament, holding a sign that read “School Strike for Climate,” Greta Thunberg has become recognizable to the average person as the face of the environmental movement. Through feats like sailing halfway across the ocean in a solar-powered boat and speaking at the UN Climate Action Summit, she has managed to raise awareness about the environment on an unprecedented scale and jump-start the world into going green. Yet regardless of all her contributions, it may be best for the environmental movement to move away from having a single prominent leader. Thunberg and environmental movements alike share the goal of spurring global leaders to take the dive into eco-friendly policies and pledge to go net-neutral. And this is where the problem begins. Despite wanting change everywhere, these collectives highlight only Thunberg, who cannot promote international policies and change alone. The topic of climate change spans a multitude of different issues, ranging from pollution to ocean acidification, so Thunberg’s spotlight draws the curtain on the subjects she cannot cover. Though she is vital for the push for change, the public associates only her with climate change activism—which will inevitably devolve into a “heropreneurship,” which is essentially when a single figure is seen as the source behind social progress. Thunberg has become too big, too great, to the point where activism in the movement is portrayed to be mostly her work when it is not. Those behind the curtain of the movement, such as other youths who have taken action to specifically better their own communities, then go unnoticed. Mari Copeny, for example, has utilized her social media handles and other online platforms to promote her GoFundMe for water filters in Flint, Michigan, and raised awareness by retweeting pressing
Although the pandemic has plagued society for more than two years, it is only recently that the variants of COVID-19 and their effects have started to show. In particular, the Omicron variant has led to a large spike in global cases; just within South Korea, the number of daily cases rose from around 1,500 in October 2021 to more than 18,000 cases in January. Having more than 36 mutations, this variant has an increased ability to bind to ACE2 receptors on human cells, making it more effective at infecting cells than the original virus. “The issue of these virus mutations is very important because right now 27 percent of new cases in South Korea are from the Omicron variant,” Tobias Choy (10), a Science Club member studying how COVID-19 has changed in response to vaccines, said. “Reports say that unlike those of previous variants, the symptoms of Omicron are weaker because it damages the upper airway instead of the lungs. However, it is still a dangerous virus we need to be careful of.” In order to contain the spread of this variant, Korea has developed stricter policies to stop its spread. Recently, the government has
concerns about the environment to her 150,000 followers. By sending a letter to President Obama about Flint’s water crisis in 2016, she successfully secured change for her community. Activists such as Copeny are what the movement needs: localized leaders who can advocate for specific issues and gather the support of their communities. A decentralized movement, or a movement with a variety of ground-level leaders, is not a wholly new concept, either. When trying to tackle such a broad topic, diverse leaders are imperative to sustain the movement to stop it from dissolving. This way, environmental movements in other countries can gain more credibility in their own right, and implement legislative change worldwide through bottom-up change. For example, in the movement for gun control, the “March For Our Lives” and “National School Walkout” advocacy groups created 50 new gun laws in the United States—which not-so-coincidentally employed a variety of different leaders such as Sofie Whitney, Sarah Chadwick, Sam Deitsch, and more. Following such a model, the environmental movement could later hold enough influence to pass hard-line, noteworthy legislation. When citizens and governments denied the attention climate change rightfully deserved, Thunberg was a “must” to grab their attention. Fortunately, there has been a brief burst in the number of meaningful improvements, better policies, and awareness. But for the movement to be sustained, Thunberg must let others shine. Especially in a time when she has taken a break from speaking at public events, the need for leadership on all levels of the movement has only become greater. Only this way can the Earth get all the help it needs. BY: Grace Lee Sophomore, Copy Editor
enforced new vaccine pass policies to prevent unvaccinated people from entering public spaces. For example, private gatherings of two or more people in places such as cafes and restaurants are now restricted if they are not vaccinated. Additionally, there are also expiration dates on vaccine passes, which means that people are required to take booster shots after a period of 3 to 6 months in order to retain the passes. “Recently I have noticed that meeting with people in public places has become much more difficult. My family had to cancel a lot of plans we had with our unvaccinated grandparents because of the new vaccine pass restrictions,” Leo Byun (10), a student negatively affected by new restrictions, said. “Now that the vaccine passes are also going to apply to teenagers starting February, I will not be able to freely meet up with my friends.” New medical developments have also been made to protect people from contracting the virus. To check for the variant symptoms, Dr. Naveen Kumar Venkatesan, a Medical Microbiologist and founder of Immugenix Biosciences, developed a new polymerase chain reaction
(PCR) test kit that can identify the virus and detect infections in just one hour. In addition, Pfizer developed a new antiviral pill called Paxlovid. According to Yonhap News, these pills can be used to prevent harmful symptoms and drastically lower the risk of hospitalization or death by 89 percent. “The new pills work by stopping the replication process of the cells infected by the virus,” Steven Kim (10), SIS Medical Society member, said. “The pill inhibits an enzyme called protease, which is used by the virus for replication. This is why this new medication can really help people who are having symptoms of the virus.” If cases continue to rise, this may also start affecting SIS and require a return to online education. There is a large possibility that the variant can spread around the school campus from just one person being infected. There is also a large chance that the government will enforce even stricter social distancing and vaccination measures.
BY: David Kim Sophomore, Reporter
STUDENT SPOTLIGHT
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Sean Lee: sliding through snow, sweat, and tears
Flying down at a rapid speed to the sound of his skis piercing the snow, Sean Lee (11) crouches his body to weave through the gates scattered across the slope. With a final push of his legs, he soars across the finish line, pumping his fist in the air in triumph. This thrill is one of many sensational experiences that Sean Lee has experienced as a competitive alpine skier. After participating in multiple tournaments, Sean is a proud professional student-athlete with an outstanding record of one gold, one silver, and four bronze medals from the Korea National Winter Olympics. He was also part of the National U-14 Alpine Ski Team from 2017 to 2019, the National U-17 Alpine Ski Team from 2019 to 2021, and the U-14 Alpine Ski Team at the 2018 Whistler Cup, a prestigious annual competition that attracts 400 racers from over 30 different countries.
Nevertheless, his accomplishments were not achieved solely through luck, but through years of blood, sweat, and tears as well. “For practice, I usually wake up at 7:00 a.m. in the morning and get ready for the day. I arrive at the ski resort at around 8:30 a.m. and start skiing at 9 a.m. after stretching and preparing my equipment,” Sean Lee said. “I ‘free ski’—skiing down the course without gates—to get my legs warmed up and get a feel for the condition of the snow. Then, I rigorously train for three hours. After my ski training ends, I do dryland training, which consists of weightlifting, intervals, and circuits.” Sean’s intense dedication to training reflects Sean’s deeprooted passion for skiing. Although he enjoyed skiing as a hobby ever since his father took him to the slopes when he was five years old, his burning fervor
for the sport was truly ignited in elementary school. “I truly realized my passion when I got my first gold medal in elementary school,” Sean said. “It made me happy to realize that the hard work and effort I dedicated in the past culminated in the medal, enabling me to develop a true passion for skiing.” Surprisingly, an obstacle he encountered in his ski journey in fourth grade propelled his decision to go professional. Sean felt devastated after severely injuring his shin, which required 12 weeks of being in a cast for complete recovery, preventing him from being able to pursue his passion for a long time. “During this period, I felt determined to prove to myself that I would come back skiing better than ever by taking an extra challenge and enrolling myself as a professional skier,” Sean said. “I felt like doing so would further
incentivize me to develop my skiing skills and really allow me to push my limits.” Sean took to his words and continued to pursue professional skiing. Being a professional student-athlete taught him a lot of meaningful life lessons, such as how to grit his teeth through injuries and dealing with the frustration of bad results. It also exposed him to a variety of cultures across the world as his professional ski career obliged him to travel to different countries, such as France, New Zealand, Canada, and China. However, Sean often finds it frustrating to maintain a good balance between school and his career. Due to the strict absence policy at SIS, he was unable to attend all of his scheduled competitions. This lack of competition opportunities and training days has been a constant handicap that he has had to deal with ever since he began skiing professionally.
Yet, even amidst the difficulties, his passion for skiing is so strong that it outweighs the disadvantages of being a professional athlete. “I hope to pursue skiing after high school in college by planning to attend a university that has an NCAA ski team where I can ski as a varsity athlete,” Sean stated. “I also want to compete more in international alpine ski competitions and participate in the Korea National Winter Olympics again in the future.”
BY: Jasmine Jeong Junior, Reporter
layout by Yuzine Yi
10 SPORTS & LIFESTYLE New films promote old ideas ‘Snowdrop’ under fire for historically
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hile the film industry has long pursued innovative storylines, there is a new trend of reviving old characters, providing commentary on previous films, and continuing storylines. These elements were able to bring a crowd of excited fans back to the theaters despite the ongoing pandemic. “New films are bringing back old stories that have been loved by the audience through better cinematography and extensions in plots,” Gyusung Lee (10), film enthusiast, said. “I believe directors and producers are making these remakes due to their past success because it is a safer bet to continue an already well-recognized story than to create an original one.” In the new film, “Spider-Man: No Way Home,” villains of previous Spider-Man films such as Green Goblin from the 2002 film, Doctor Octopus from the 2004 film, and Electro from the 2014 film made impactful appearances. The same actors in the previous Spider-Man films retook their roles as villains and created surprising chemistry in the ensemble. Not only did their presence in the film refresh fans’ memories, but John Watts, the director of the new Spider-Man trilogy, also used the villains’ character developments effectively to deliver a twist to the storyline. “Some of the nostalgic elements that were included in the new film were the many memorable quotes from characters of old movies,” Eddie Chu (10), Marvel fan, said. “Along with this, there were several scenes shot similarly to those in the old movies but with different outcomes. However, I think this does not foster as much creativity. Including old characters can be a new take on originality, but in the end, it can be quite predictable.” In the Harry Potter 20th Anniversary documentary, Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, Rupert Grant, and almost the entire cast reunited to discuss the behind-thescenes of the Harry Potter series.
The documentary was exclusively available on HBO Max, but the release was still well-received as fans were thrilled to see the series take to the screens again with a different perspective. While these two films were applauded for their attempt at delivering nostalgia through the audience’s favorite franchises, “Matrix 4” came slightly behind in public approval. After 18 years, since the release of the third film of the series, “The Matrix Revolution,” actors Keanu Reeves and Carrie Anne Moss reunited in the new movie. Fans were thrilled for the actor's reunion, but criticism still prevailed as some critics and audiences were confused by a plot based on encrypted meanings of the Matrix world- labeling it as a failed sequel. “I think the utmost challenge for films utilizing nostalgia is to not rest on the same stories but to include new creative elements and not lose the audience’s interest,” Mr. Gardes, said, “ For example, the James Bond series has been happening for a long time, but in the recent film, they introduced a darker side of this character, which was interesting and new.” By appealing to a sense of nostalgia, these films were successful compared to others that have suffered from theater closures due to a prolonged pandemic that rapidly changed cinema culture. This appeal unfolds challenges in delivering old loved stories in a modern and creative way in the future. “The new trend of bringing old films back to the screens makes me nostalgic and I feel like I am going back to my childhood,” Yuna Park (10), film enthusiast, said. “ During high school struggles and with another layer of the pressure of the pandemic, I feel like these nostalgia-evoking films provide me an escape from reality.”
BY: Ian Park Sophomore, Reporter
inaccurate plot
“Snowdrop,” a Korean historical drama starring Blackpink’s Jisoo and Jung Hae-in, has been receiving both positive and negative reviews from its audience. Following the story of a young female South Korean college student and her romance with a North Korean spy, whom she believes to be a pro-democracy protestor, “Snowdrop” has been accused of misconstruing historical facts for the sake of entertainment. “I watch a lot of Korean historical dramas that have highly unrealistic plots,” Hyeonseo Park (11), K-drama fan, said. “While I find such shows mostly entertaining, I always keep in mind that I need to separate what is shown on television and reality.” A civic group called The Declaration of Global Citizen in Korea filed for an injunction against JTBC on Dec. 22, 2021 to stop airing the drama that depicts a sensitive historical period—South Korea’s democratization—arguing that it “portrays the National Security Planning (NSP) in a positive light and that it implies wrong values
that violence by the state can be justified.” However, the Seoul Western District Court ruled in favor of JTBC Jan. 3 and gave it the green light to continue airing “Snowdrop.” “Although it is common for the media to dramatize historical events for entertainment purposes, this is the first time that I have seen Korean citizens take legal action against a Korean drama,” James Kowalski, history teacher, said. “Relying on entertainment for historical accuracy can be potentially harmful to those who are not aware of the truth.” The NSP, commonly referred to as its Korean acronym angibu, was South Korea’s intelligence agency from 1981 to 1999. The regime at the time of the country’s democratization justified its brutal crackdown on pro-democracy protesters, many of whom were college students, as simply hunting down North Korean spies or communism sympathizers. The NSP, formed under the regime, was infamous for fabricating espionage cases and imprisoning or often executing the falsely accused.
According to history professors, the NSP fabricated more spies than it actually caught, falsely accused dissidents of espionage, and frequently arrested people without warrants. Countless people were illegally incarcerated and came back disabled due to torture, died, or went missing. As the series reaches a large audience with its internationally popular actors, foreign viewers with little background knowledge may take the story as the truth, gaining a distorted perception of Korea’s democratization. “I honestly do not think that ‘Snowdrop’ should be criticized as much as it is right now,” Sarah Yim (11), “Snowdrop” fan, said. “The plot may be a little inaccurate, but I find it surprising that nobody said the same thing about other historical Korean dramas like ‘Crash Landing on You.’” BY: Katie Kim Junior, Copy Editor
MLB enters ninth lockout after CBA negotiations fail
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n Dec. 2, 2021, Major League Baseball (MLB) entered a lockout, the ninth ever in baseball history. The lockout was a result of the failure by the MLB owners and players to reach an agreement on a new collective bargaining agreement (CBA) before the expiration of the original CBA at 11:59 p.m. ET that day. The work stoppage marks the first ever in 26 years. “I am truly shocked,” Samuel Hong (11), avid San Francisco Giants fan, said. “I was aware there were many disagreements between the MLB players and owners, but I did not expect the league to go into a total lockout. This is the first lockout I have ever witnessed during my lifetime and I am unsure what consequences it might have for baseball.” The motives behind MLB commissioner Rob Manfred’s decision to initiate a lockout were to jumpstart negotiations and allow an agreement to be reached before the usual commencing of
the season in April. According to Manfred, an offseason lockout seemed to be the best mechanism for protecting the 2022 regular season and resolving the complex issues plaguing the league. A multitude of issues are at stake with the negotiations of the lockout. The major issues include incentivizing competition among tanking teams, linking salaries to revenues, shortening the required service time for free agency eligibility, and prohibiting service-time manipulation. Incentivizing competition is a particularly pivotal issue: the modern game of baseball has lost much of its former excitement due to teams tanking, a practice where teams intentionally perform poorly to acquire top draft picks and build a robust roster for a championship run. “The trend of tanking is one of the most alarming issues of modern baseball that definitely needs to be addressed, ” Timothy Munro, physical education teacher, said. “Teams are supposed to be
doing anything they can to win games. Intentionally losing games is unsportsmanlike and takes all the excitement out of the game.” Another major issue is service-time manipulation. In baseball, a player must be on the 26-man roster or injured list for at least 172 of the 187 regular season days to accumulate a full year of service time. Service-time manipulation is when a team fabricates reasons to keep a prospect in the minors even if he is ready for the majors so that his rookie season will not count as a full year of service time, earning the team an extra season of a cheap rookie contract. “Although the lockout is frustrating, I do sympathize with the issues the players want to correct with a new CBA,” Bryan Lee (11), passionate baseball fan, said. “The issues being discussed, especially the underpaid rookie players and the incentivization of competition, are issues that must be addressed to improve the game.” So far, little progress has been
made with the CBA negotiations. Although the MLB Players Association (MLBPA) and MLB owners have met multiple times in January, including an in-person meeting on Jan. 25, disagreement between the two sides are showing few signs of resolution, frustrating many baseball fans and threatening to delay or even cancel the 2022 season altogether. The only promising sign was the MLBPA’s decision to drop their pushes for earlier free agency eligibility on Jan. 25, which effectively removes one of the central issues of the negotiations. With the start of February, there are still few signs of a resolution being reached before spring training or the regular season. The economic talks have completely stalled, prompting the discussions to move on to minor issues such as implementing a universal Designated Hitter (DH) and expanding the playoffs. The delaying of the proper addressal of the economic issues, the most critical matters in question, makes it likely that the
regular season will be significantly delayed. Given that baseball’s popularity has been somewhat declining over the past few years, an extended lockout that affects the regular season may be catastrophic for the sport’s future. With the looming possibility of frustrated fans leaving the sport, both the MLB players and owners are under great pressure to hammer out a deal as soon as possible. “I personally do not find the slow progress of CBA negotiations too concerning,” Jeffrey McEvoy-Hein, avid Chicago Cubs fan, said. “I have seen several lockouts before and baseball always managed to recover even from major setbacks like the 1994 lockout where the league was terminated midseason. Hopefully, baseball will find a way to bounce back from this lockout as well.”
BY: Hugo Lee Junior, Reporter
MULTIMEDIA
Conspiracy Corner: Is COVID-19 even real? In the past few months, the COVID-19 pandemic has been more real than ever. As the virus continues to create new variants, forcing governments to find new methods of tackling the disease, we continue to be reminded every day of how serious the situation has become. But for a certain group of people, this virus is a hoax. Global issues are often the subject of conspiracy theories, and the COVID-19 pandemic is no exception. Ranging from the shallow belief that masks are not effective against the virus to deep state conspiracies about 5G radiation and billionaire philanthropists, numerous theories about the pandemic have spread almost as quickly as the virus itself. One of the most common conspiracy theories that have arisen is the belief that the virus itself is a hoax. In fact, this theory has received the support of various famous conspiracy theorists, including Alex Jones, owner of the far-right conspiracy theorist website Infowars. Jones, who is best known on the Internet for claiming that chemicals in tap water are creating homosexual frogs, claims that the virus is a plot by the global elite to take away people’s freedoms. Furthermore, when former President Donald Trump was diagnosed with COVID-19, Jones claimed that professional medical personnel were giving Trump “dangerous experimental drugs” in an attempt to assassinate him. Though some may claim that it is reasonable for people to question the legitimacy of the virus when disgruntled by constant lockdowns and harsh antiCOVID-19 policies, the pandemic has spawned theories so bizarre that they border on nonsensical. For instance, some theorists believe that the corona-
virus was created by philanthropist Bill Gates in order to insert microchips into their bloodstreams. These people also often associate 5G technology with the onset of the virus simply because the rapid deployment of 5G networks coincided with the start of the pandemic. At a closer glance, these misconceptions are often easy to disprove, as they are mostly a result of a lack of scientific knowledge and a fear of authority figures. For example, the idea that 5G technology caused the virus to spread is easy to debunk, as 5G towers utilize the electromagnetic spectrum to speedily transport information, and it is biologically impossible for viruses to spread through these waves. Meanwhile, the theory regarding Gates is mostly a product of a 2015 TED Talk that he gave discussing the Ebola outbreak and the possibility of a future pandemic, in which he warned that the international community is unprepared to handle new viruses. Rather than applauding Gates for making an accurate prediction and attempting to ready the world for a new pandemic, conspiracy theorists grabbed their keyboards to accuse him of having information on the COVID-19 pandemic before it began. Though many of these theorists claim that they “know” he is the mastermind behind the pandemic, the real reason why he became a major target of conspiracy theories is fairly straightforward. Because Gates is an extraordinarily wealthy businessman who has connections to technology, vaccination programs, and the World Health Organization, these theorists believe that he is simply too powerful to be completely unrelated to such a massive pandemic. Such theories have caused much harm to the fight against COVID-19, as people who do not believe in the
legitimacy of the virus are not taking proper precautions against it. Because they believe that the government is deliberately attempting to take away their freedoms, massive anti-lockdown protests have become common in many countries. In the Netherlands, for example, dozens of rioters violently protested against quarantines and the prevention of unvaccinated individuals from entering venues, injuring five police officers and leaving at least three protestors with gunshot wounds. Though these theories seem absurd to most, they still continue to spread through various social media platforms such as Twitter and 4chan. Theorists on these platforms often have the misconception that the lies they are spreading are for the public good. They are convinced that they are putting together the pieces of a puzzle to reveal a massive conspiracy involving international governments, the ultra-wealthy, and scientific authorities, making it nearly impossible to convince them that their lies are harmful. Furthermore, engaging with these theorists often only brings further attention to the issue, allowing more susceptible minds to fall for their misinformation. So, the next time you see a Twitter post promoting a COVID-19 conspiracy theory, treat it the same way you would handle the virus itself. Put on a mask, keep your loved ones informed and safe, and try to keep to yourself. Although this may not be a perfect solution, it at least prevents these theories from spreading even faster. BY: Junseo Lee Sophomore, Reporter
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12 SMALL TALK REC
LITTLE LENS, LARGER ENDS
'Who let the sloths out?' and other jokes Whenever I look into the mirror and notice that the circles under my eyes have darkened, I turn to the nearest person and crack a joke on my resemblance to the Haneul Bori sloth—a character in an advertisement for Korea’s most prominent barley tea brand. More often than not, the other party will respond with a laugh, but once or twice an adult in our vicinity has looked over at me with apparent concern. However, while few would consider sloths good-looking, I never intend this line to be a genuine insult or a sign of insecurity; rather, it is a lighthearted way of making conversation with practically anyone else because academic fatigue is a topic any high school student would be able to relate to. This is an example of self-deprecating humor, which I would go so far as to say is the most popular type of humor among Generation Z—and for good reason, it seems. On the surface, self-deprecating jokes appear to be multipurpose and harmlessly humorous: making ourselves the butt of our jokes is an easy way to coax a laugh out of others without inadvertently offending anyone else. Being able to laugh at ourselves can even benefit our mental health, according to a study by TIME. Nonetheless, despite their popularity and perks, sslf-deprecating jokes are not always as innocuous as they seem: when used in excess, they can have rebound-
The Seeds of Korea:
ing effects. Most notably, constantly making jokes at our own expense can run the risk of harming our self-esteem, especially if we grow too accustomed to undervaluing ourselves. A frequent self-deprecator might get a laugh out of responding to praise by jokingly belittling themselves. For instance, I am guilty on multiple counts of contradicting compliments on my academic achievements with a theatrical, exaggerated account of a time I displayed subpar critical thinking skills. As with the earlier sloth example, I am not genuinely insecure about my intelligence. However, I am cognizant that if I develop a habit of excessively deflecting compliments with self-deprecating humor, it may become a subconscious reaction. Being subconsciously prone to self-deprecating humor can be dangerous because the line between it and outright self-deprecation grows increasingly thin. If my brain’s immediate response to a compliment is to think of a disparaging comment, can that still be defined as humor? This point where the “humor” component of self-deprecating humor is eliminated—when self-deprecation for the sake of humor turns into real self-deprecation—is when tangible implications begin to arise. Notably, according to a study by Timothy J. Owens, Emeritus Professor of Sociology at Kent State Univer-
By Skylar Peck
sity, there is a correlation between self-deprecation and depression in adolescents. This is not to condemn self-deprecating humor in its entirety; as mentioned earlier, it is amusing in many situations. Self-deprecating humor is not a problem when used economically, so as long as we do not use it excessively, we need not fret about it. And with that, I must now excuse myself; I have a gathering to get to up in the canopy vines.
By Aimee Choi
Our first meal of the year Tteok-guk: the food that makes us instantly age. Only by having this rice cake soup on the first day of the year do Koreans “officially” gain one year. To be honest, I’m bored of tteok-guk; I never crave it on a regular day. I only finish a small bowl every new year, obligated to take whatever my grandparents offer me and fearful that I won’t get older if I refuse to eat it. Yet, on every first bite, I am immediately touched by the soup’s familiar taste and understand why it is so popular. The chewiness of the delicately sliced garae-tteok; the warmth of the broth; and the hints of savory meatiness from the beef bits, thin strips of egg, and sprinkled dried seaweed comprise a beautifully harmonized flavor. Coupled with other traditional foods such as yukjeon (pan-fried battered beef ), zucchini-jeon (pan-fried zucchini), and kimchi, tteok-guk brings even more delight. As much as tteok-guk was the lucky food chosen to accompany the grand start of the year, eating a bowl of it holds more meaning than simply gaining one year of age. Garae-tteok, a uniquely long type of rice cake, symbolizes a long, healthy life ahead of us. Sliced garae-tteok also resembles the coins used during the Goryeo and Joseon dynasties, promising material fortune to land in our pockets. It is only natural to feel anxious about not having tteok-guk while everyone else reaps these promised benefits. Since when has tteok-guk been an essential meal every year? The earliest record of its consumption dates back to 1849 in a book analyzing the Joseon dynasty’s wind patterns—a rather perplexing place to be found in—where the author noted that tteok-guk (simply referred to as “white soup” at the time) was a must-have when serving a meal to visitors on New Year’s Day. And while
the exact origin of this soup is unclear, it is estimated to be far older; Choi Nam-sun, a Korean historian from the Japanese colonial period, wrote in his book about Joseon culture that tteok-guk evolved from one of the foods served in ancestral ceremonies in the ancient times, even before the era of the Three Kingdoms. As much as tteok-guk has a long history, it has evolved and taken distinct forms throughout the centuries to accommodate the varying environments of different Korean regions. Dumpling soups, instead of tteok-guk, are more common in northeastern regions with unfavorable conditions for rice cultivation, and seasoned chicken is a prevalent addition to the soup in the Jeolla province, while oysters, along with clam and shrimp, decorate the meal in Gyeongsang-do, a province by the southeastern coastline. We can get creative with tteok-guk even in our own homes because let’s face it: we eventually grow tired of having the same thing. Recent recipes provide many alternatives, especially for the traditionally used broth. The combination of soy milk and perilla seed powder, for instance, has garnered much attention for offering a unique, nutty flavor to the soup. On the other hand, if you want to really spice up your tteok-guk (both figuratively and literally), some foodies suggest adding chili powder, or even ramen soup powder—the ultimate solution to all cooking concerns. It is food with important cultural symbols like tteok-guk that upholds a sense of unity among Koreans. Whichever way we have it, we should all take a moment to appreciate the warmth and cultural bond that tteokguk provides us, setting us up for another healthy and meaningful year.
photo of the
month
First grade students dressed up in hanboks parade in the atrium to celebrate Lunar New Year.
Photo by John Kim