Eagle’s Eye
Dalat International School, Tanjung Bunga, 11200 Penang, Malaysia
What’s Inside:
Minions & Smurfs . . . . . . 2
Elementary and Middle
School students sport
new uniforms
Into the Wild . . . . . . . 3
Juniors welcome seniors back
from sneak with “wild” party
Word Wars . . . . . . . . 4
Debaters practice for the
Forensics Tournament in
Kuala Lumpur
Junior for Grill . . . . . 4
PTO “hires” juniors to grill
chicken, lamb, and beef for
back-to-school event
Nerds Clash . . . . . . . 5
Spirit Week provides opportunities to show creativity
Mission Not Impossible . 7
Juniors paint old World War II
bunkers as their serve-athon
to raise class funds
Eagle’s Eye Staff
Note: This copy of the
school paper has been
written by the students in
the AP 12 English class.
Writers: Hannah Bradnam,
Stephanie Jones, Hyun Soo
Kang, Justin Lao, Tommy
Mallow, Ana Mims, Ciera
Nash, Josiah Steinkamp,
Kate Sun, Reese Terry,
Jennifer Vo
Adviser:
Mr. Tommy Tompkins
Eagle’s Eye
October 2013
SEWing Spiritual Seeds
By Stephanie Jones
having the opportunity to hear
about, start, and/or deepen
their relationships with God,
comprised three days from 2426 September. Each day, Pastor
Tom led three meetings during
the school day for elementary,
middle, and high school; and
at night, he shared in a meeting open to all everyone of all
ages. Along with the different
elements of student involvement, students also appreciated
the depth and relatability of the
messages shared during these
meetings.
Benjamin Mauger (9) said,
“What really impacted me was
what Pastor Tom said about how
we give Jesus a beautiful room
in our hearts but not the whole
house. When we accept Jesus
The chapel imploded as the
countdown began and the Middle
School students, cracking voices
and all, joined in, spurring on the
beginning of the SEW meeting.
“5, 4,” the volume steadily grew,
“3, 2,” the various pitches rose
and joined inharmoniously, “1,”
and the worship band rewarded
the enthusiasm and cheers with
the song “Glorious.” The muchanticipated Spiritual Emphasis
Week, however, did not begin at
the end of a countdown or even
at the beginning of the week.
It began when God first started
to plant the message shared by
Pastor Tom Cura in his heart,
when the students who shared
their testimonies began to ponder what to say to their peers,
and when the students embraced
the “power of prayer.” As Pastor
Tom encouraged them, a group
met together to welcome the
Holy Spirit and ask God to bring
revival in the students’ hearts
through SEW.
“I was deeply encouraged
by Pastor Tom’s suggestion for
a prayer walk, for prayer over
the chapel and the chairs that
students would sit in, and for
unity in praying together. Also,
the short video clips of students’
testimonies were great as they
showed that this ‘Christian
thing’ isn’t just for adults who
are married and settled down
but for the young or old and the
rich or poor. It was great to see
the student involvement in this
SEW,” said Joyce Lee (12).
SEW, a week in the school
year dedicated to students’
into our lives, we need to give
Him everything. I also enjoyed
[Pastor Tom’s] different stories
and his enthusiasm for what he
was preaching. His messages
continually kept me interested
and engaged; my favorite part
of SEW was the worship and all
the songs we sang.”
The worship team, led by Mr.
Brandon Orr, performed at all
four SEW meetings.
“We gave every session our
all,” said Jennifer Vo (12), a
vocalist on the team. “However,
I think that I enjoyed seeing the
elementary children worshiping
the most as it highlighted for
me that even as we grow older,
we should continue to worship
with the same joy and abandon
(Continued on page 2, col. 1)
“The Bachelorette”
(Senior Sneak Edition)
By Tommy Mallow
Soaring through the humid
air, Justin Lao fixed his hands
into the shape of a heart and
smashed into the waves as
cheering and laughter erupted
from the platform above. Ana
Mims felt a tinge of embarrassment as her friends crowded
around her and began their
obnoxious “oohs” and “ahhs.”
Senior Sneak imprinted lasting
memories such as this into the
hearts of 55 book-worn souls
1
yearning for one last adventure
together.
The adventure started with
a bang as eager seniors explored the wonders of a colorful Legoland. Logs floated,
bricks stacked, and rollercoasters
dropped. As the heat of the day
kicked in, seniors retreated to the
infamous log ride to experience
the feeling of having a bucket of
water in the face. As she thought
(Continued on page 2, col. 3)
October 2013
Minions and Smurfs Unite
As the school year began, a
new occurrence whispered its
way through the community
swirling from tree to tree. The
atmosphere had shifted, and
the smell of freshness
filled the campus. A
new exciting feeling
settled upon the campus amidst the new
colors that had invaded Wednesday morning.
“Good morning my
little minions a n d
Smurfs!”
y e l l e d M r.
Brandon Orr as h e
readied his guitar for worship.
The silky dri-fit fabric bounced
around the room as the young
elementary children leaped in
excitement. The vibrant blue
and gold colors filled the chapel
in a sea of school spirit coming
to life. It signalled the start of a
bright new year.
After a deliberation between faculty and
staff as well as student
parents, the decision to
replace the original navy
blue and maroon polo
uniforms for the dazzling
cobalt and gold dri-fit uniforms
brought about an enthusiastic response from all parties.
“I’m a big fan of the new blue
and yellow colors because they
really make the kids look nice,
neat, and very sharp; and
the dry fit is also much
softer than the old cotton
shirts,” said Ms. Lacey
Fields while prepping for
her kindergarten class. “I
was worried about the
khaki shorts at first because I teach kindergarten, and so we paint a lot;
but the khaki material doesn’t
stain, and so is perfect for the
kids.”
Parents of elementary students felt especially positive
towards the change. “Being an
international community, the
vibrant blue is perfect against all
the different skin colors that we
have on campus. The soft khaki
trousers also add to a more
academic ambience,” said Mrs.
Juni Worten.
This slight change has beautifully added a kind of childlike quality to the air
as the elementary run
about. As blue as Sonic
the hedgehog and as
yellow as Pikachu, the
kids buzz with energy
all over campus, running without a care in
the world. These new
uniforms portray the creativity of ingenious minions and
the cheerful attitude of animated
Smurfs—perfect images fused
to generate a brilliant description of the exciting life of an
elementary student. •
Senior Sneak...
had their first taste of adrenaline
when the courageous took the
leap of faith off a 30-foot platform into churning waves. This
also marked the beginning of the
bachelorette.
“The Bachelorette” took
the form of a hidden game
disguised between activities and
free time. In past years, Senior
Sneak maintained a reputation
for making and breaking hearts.
This year, the seniors went into
the Sneak expecting couples
to emerge; thus the term “The
Bachelorette” spread like fungi
in a locker room. In the passionate voice of a TV show host,
Josiah Steinkamp announced to
the camera, “If that couple called
Laoana brushes shoulders one
more time we may have to turn
off the camera!” Activities such
as beach volleyball, Capture the
Flag, “The Amazing Race,” and
“The Bachelorette” sufficiently
killed valuable time. Before the
class realized it, Telunas had
stolen away their entire vacation
break. As the sun set on the
seniors’ paradise, every heart
realized that these precious
memories would stay with them
for a lifetime. •
By Jennifer Vo
(Continued from page 1, col. 4)
back on the feeling, Joyce Lee
sighed, “The water refreshed my
entire body because I had been
walking all day in the sun.” As
the sun slowly fell towards the
distant mountains, seniors left
the fantasy wonderland for the
real city of Johor Bahru.
Early the next morning, a
ferry loaded with seniors and
their luggage headed towards
Telunas, Indonesia. As the the
class neared the scenic island,
Nathan Unruh remarked, “It
looks just like I pictured it.
Paradise.”
Not a single senior wished to
remain on the crammed ferry,
and a desperate struggle ensued
as people scurried off to the
promised land. That night, they
Spiritual Emphasis Week...
(Continued from page 1, col. 4)
as little kids.”
SEW reached out to all the
different age groups; and the
young as well as the old enjoyed
it, although—as evident when
Rebecca Hurlbut (3) said, “My
favorite part of SEW was the
ice-cream on the last day!”—not
always for the same reasons.
Before long, the last SEW
session rolled around and the
clock at the back of the chapel
ticked its way through the last
few seconds of the last SEW
meeting, “5, 4,” Pastor Tom
closed in prayer, “3, 2,” the worship team ended with one more
Eagle’s Eye
The Goh-Goh Girls Unite
By Hannah Bradnam
The beginning of the school
year came around once again,
and students arrived elated at
the prospect of new classes and
a fresh start. Third period came,
which meant choir awaited an
assembly of select pupils on
a sunny 14 August day. The
group began to trickle into the
doorway to meet the chorus
director, Ms. Joyce Goh, with
her warm smile and hopeful
anticipation of an enjoyable
year. With the scheduled night
of the choir performance looming, one simple issue presented
itself. What would they wear
for their concerts? The spirited
symposium thus commenced.
An invigorating discussion
between Ms. Goh and the young
ladies of the choir took place and
suggested ideas met with a great
deal of consideration from their
choirmaster. For four years this
debate had persevered. At times
the girls prevailed, but in recent
years, however, the steadfast
choir director had remained adamant in relation to the issue of
dress length. The verbal sparring
from the young ladies caused
Ms. Goh to reasonably point out
the fact that, “It doesn’t matter
song, “1,” Anyone and everyone
had the invitation to stay, but the
night had come to a close and a
large majority of people rushed
for ice-cream. Done. The muchanticipated Spiritual Emphasis
Week, however, did not end
then but continued as the seeds
sowed in the hearts of students
took root and began to grow,
when the students, encouraged
by their peers’ testimonies,
gave their whole hearts to God
rather than just parts of them,
and when the prayer meetings
continued as students lifted their
school and fellow classmates up
in prayer, asking God to continue His work in and through
the students and school. •
2
what regulation dress code is,
when you are wearing heels it
will always look shorter. Therefore, the dress must be below
your knees!”
The careful deliberation continued on as the days turned into
weeks, and the long awaited
concert came ever nearer. Six
of the ten choir girls currently
enjoy their second or third
year in choir, but recently there
stood an increase in distress and
worry towards the concern of
the dresses.
Two weeks before the Annual Fund and its concert, the
discussion escalated. There
remained the impending belief
of the girls that they would fail
to find something to wear, until
Ms. Goh made an announcement, “Girls we are going to
be getting dresses made, no
objections allowed, especially
from Sally [Chang, 12] ha-ha.
Go get measured!” The girls
eagerly scurried out of the choir
room to get measured by the
awaiting tailor.
The tailor ensured delivery
the next day and any qualms
originally had by the girls, stood
(Continued on page 3, col. 1)
October 2013
Into the Wild
tions of disgust rang all around
chapel, and no one could believe
what they saw—live worms
and durian. Both Mr. Hall and
Steinkamp grinned, most likely
out of fear as they realized they
could not chicken out because
they did not want to disappoint
those who had cheered them on.
Without further delay, Brandon shouted, “Go!” On that cue,
the two contestants grabbed the
live worms and started shoving
them into their mouths. The
crowd went crazy in ovation,
half enjoying the show and the
other half feeling pity for the
two up on stage. In the end,
however, Mr. Hall could not
handle the taste in his mouth
and rushed out to the bathroom
as Steinkamp polished off the
remaining worms and durian
like a beast. Brandon raised
Steinkamp’s arm, proclaiming
him the winner; and the contest
came to an end.
“Wait! Hold on, do you hear
that?” Brandon, with an anxious
face, cried, “Oh no, we are being
attacked! Quick! Everybody, run!”
As soon as she had run, the
lights in chapel dimmed and five
juniors, body-painted as native
Indians, emerged out of nowhere. Making primitive howls,
they circulated the seniors and
the sponsors. After a few moments of scanning, the juniors
“captured” Mrs. Jacki Steinkamp
and Mrs. Debbie Chinn, and tied
them on chairs up on the stage.
After that, the “intruders” suddenly disappeared from sight.
Brandon silently tiptoed back to
stage, looking horrified at what
she saw.
“Uh-oh!” she said, “they
have been captured, and they
will most likely be used as objects
of sacrifice! We need to rescue
By Hyun Soo Kang
“To keep you alive, you might plastic bottles sliced in half
have to eat some truly hideous (used as cups). They all added
up to the “wild” theme, and
things. . .”
On 2 September, the senior brought positive remarks, such
class stood by the white tables, as, “Dude! How did they come
half buoyant, half anxious, not up with all these cool ideas?”
knowing what lay ahead. At from Daniel Yoon Hyung Ha
6:30 p.m., the time had come, (12), that revealed how much
and the class strolled down the the decorations bewildered the
stairs towards the chapel. Candle whole class.
“Food
lights flickered on
is served!
each side of the
Prepare
stairs, small trees
your beland other greenlies!” John
ery stationed near
Kim (11)
the entrance proannounced
vided a jungle-like
the good
atmosphere, and
news every
six juniors cossenior salitumed as native
vated for.
Indians escorted
S o o n
the se ni or s to
enough,
the thematically
juniors
changed chapel—
appeared
Man vs. Wild, the
After-Sneak Din- Native Indian David Beak (11) with bowls
ner edition.
poses with senior Yeon Woo full of satay
“Whoa! I can’t Sakong. The Indians later “cap- (skewered
believe what I’m ture” two of the senior sponsors. m e a t ) a s
appetizers,
seeing! This place
is truly stunning!” said Raymond and the aroma diffused through
the chapel. As soon as the
Pow (12).
The chapel had indeed trans- tender meat transferred down
formed in countless ways. Long the senior class’s stomachs,
paper-vines hung loosely above another row of juniors marched
people’s heads; the crisp sound in, this time with Chinese style
of leaves resonated as students fried rice and tantalizing chicken
stepped on them. Flower pots pieces that had a bright-yellow
and tree trunks randomly settled glaze. Just by the main dish’s
on the edges of the chapel appearance, the senior class’s
established a jungle-outlook, jaws dropped, and each senior
and mock-fossils time-traveled hurriedly scooped up the rice
the seniors way back to pre- and a piece of chicken. The
“modernization” period. The abundance of rice and fulljuniors stationed eight circular grown-man’s-hand-sized chicken
tables all around chapel, and pieces helped everyone pig out.
“Your attention please!” Jeseach table had name cards,
banana leaves (used as plates), sie Brandon (11), the main
an Indian tribal mask, a wilder- “host” of the night, announced,
ness map, a menu, and 1.5-liter “In the wild, to keep you alive,
you might have to eat some truly
hideous things . . . and I want
to know if the seniors or their
Choir Dresses...
sponsors can survive in the wild!
I would like Mr. [Jason] Hall and
(Continued from page 2, col. 4) Josiah [Steinkamp, 12] to come
immediately eliminated. Col- up as representatives to see who
leen Mims (10), the first to try survives better in the wild!”
on the dress, remarked, “It’s
No one knew what “hideous”
actually not so bad”; and the food the juniors had prepared,
rest of the ladies of the choir and the senior class cheered
happily agreed. Peace began to frenziedly for both Mr. Hall and
seep into the walls of the choir Steinkamp as they went to the
room once again, returning it stage, rooting them on one
to its former glory. The age-old hand and eager to find out the
dilemma of “What to wear” – no “hideous” food on the other. As
longer stands in the way of a soon as Brandon uncovered the
wonderful class. •
“hideous” food, loud exclamaEagle’s Eye
To rescue his wife, Mrs.
Jacki Steinkamp, Mr. Karl
Steinkamp has to put his
hand into a cage with a python and withdraw a knife
that lay on the bottom. Mr.
Steinkamp fearfully did save
his wife.
3
Banana-leaf plates and
jungle pharaphernalia decorate the tables at
the After-Sneak Dinner.
them now!”
With that said, Brandon called
up Mr. Karl Steinkamp and Mr.
Larry Chinn on stage. She first
explained to Mr. Steinkamp that
he had to reach into a transparent hamster cage with a snake
inside, and grab the knife to save
his wife. He looked hesitant in
overcoming his fears, and made
comments such as, “It’s a real
snake!!” to win sympathy from
the seniors. However, after a
long, vigorous attempt with a
little bit of cheating (skewing the
hamster cage so that the snake
would lean on one end) and
seniors’ encouragements, he
managed to take the knife out
and triumphantly save his wife.
Brandon then turned to Mr.
Larry Chinn, and told him he
had to do the same, but she
did not show what the box contained; only the spectators saw
what moved around inside the
box—white rats. Mr. Chinn, having no clue what moved around
in the box, stoically reached
down into the box. After a quick
scrutinizing of the box, he successfully found the knife, and
saved his wife from the hands
of the native Indians. No one
got injured or sick, and all the
laughter during this “entertainment” proved that everyone
enjoyed the night.
All the planned activities
came to an end; and the seniors
wandered around freely, most
of them posing for pictures
and capturing the unique moments of the night on camera.
“The juniors, in light of the
decorations, food, and activities, blended the theme, “man
vs. wild” with after sneak dinner
so perfectly!” said Sally Ye Lim
Chang (12). Every senior left the
chapel happy, thankful, and full
of hope. Senior class president,
Steinkamp, wrapped up the
night in a sentence: “The AfterSneak Dinner was such a blast,
and looking at the amazing job
they [juniors] have done, I’m really looking forward to what JSB
will be like!” •
October 2013
Wednesday’s War of Words
tery of this mental sport lies in
practice.
“I believe that speaking skills
are learnt and not just intuitive. There are many people
who think they are not a good
speaker, but it’s the same with
everything: …when you practice
speaking skills, you become a better speaker,” declared Mrs.
Chinn, emphasizing
the importance of
practice. “Thushara started out in
debate in ninth
grade, and she
struggled…
looking at
her now, I
can hardly
conceive how
that even happened!”
Kantimahanti later asserted
this fact “… [In my] first debate,
I was so nervous; and I tried
to save my best point ’til last,
except I ended up not even
having enough time to present
it. Obviously, we lost.”
Tan also reflected on his first
experience with debate “On my
very first debate, I didn’t really
get the idea of the structure of
it, so Thushara just passed me a
paper and said to read it out. So
basically all I did was read it out.”
Now, four years later, Kanti-
mahanti and Tan have ascended
the ranks to reach the senior
debate team. But to them, debate symbolizes more than just
a mental exercise; it represents
an art of speech, critical thinking
skills, communication, and even,
a way of life.
Kantimahanti affirmed confidently, “Debate is an extension
of my personality… it’s a way for
me to express myself and hone
my public speaking skills… [It] is
the primary reason why I want
to be a lawyer, so debate has
shaped my future and my life.”
Meanwhile, the eight
students attacked
their blank white
paper with
ferocious intensity. The
extreme concentration,
reflected in
each of
their faces,
grew as the
debate ensued.
Like how an
athlete in competing with his
peers, the students’ brains challenged each other to prove and
disprove the speaker’s claims.
“However, the minute changes, the improvements in technology in the present way are not
progressing technology in any
way. Thank you,” concluded
Kantimahanti as she proudly
stepped down from the podium.
The two teams burst into applause as they finally concluded
another weekly Wednesday War
of Words. •
to finish last-minute preparations
for the evening.
In spite of their responsibilities, the juniors enjoyed the time
they spent together. “I worked
the first shift from 5:00–6:30,”
said Josh Basha (11), who
manned the candy table for the
evening, “and though I wasn’t
supposed to work the second,
I came back to work with a
certain girl.”
Though others may not have
worked because of Basha’s motives, it became evident that many
stayed after their shift to socialize.
The class also helped the
PTO members distribute food.
The aroma of the barbecued
chicken attracted the impatient
and famished crowd, causing
them to gather around the tables
and grab a piece. “I was happy
I got there as soon as the BBQ
started because half an hour later
the lines wound back for what
seemed miles,” said Ina Park
(12). “I actually wanted seconds,
but I decided not to go back,” she
sighed, reflecting
the attitudes of
many.
The barbecue went
on from
5:00–7:00
p.m., with the
food and the
socializing drawing the customers. As a night to
get away from stress, both dorm
and day students alike flocked to
the event. Jerry Lee (12) played
his guitar around the court, serenading various students until
he passed the task off to other
musicians; parents and students
milled about, keeping each other
company; and juniors passed
the time by goofing around at
the “store.” Tessa Sasse (11)
said with a laugh, “At the end we
threw ice at each other! That’s
all I can remember!” •
By Kate Sun
By the time Wednesday rolls
around, the feeling of weariness
sets in the hearts of students.
As the middle day of the week,
Wednesdays have a reputation
of exasperating and torturing
students. As a result, once the
day comes to an end, students
joyfully run back home – relieved
that they had survived the hazards of school. Nevertheless, a
few brave souls defied the norm
and stayed back—regardless of
their fatigue—for the mental
challenge of debate.
Standing five feet tall with her
chin up, Thushara Kantimahanti (12) mounted the podium to
eradicate her opponent’s argument once and for all. Fortified
with complicated diction and
elevated syntax, Kantimahanti
foresaw, with utter and complete
confidence, her impending victory.
“There is no doubt that
technological progress has accelerated from the Stone Age;
however, is it continuing to
accelerate? Allow me to point
out the fact that improvement
and acceleration are not interchangeable.”
“Hear hear!” With a glowing smile on her face, Brittany
Hurlbut (12) pounded her desk
emphatically to demonstrate her
support for her teammate.
Johnathan Tan (11) listened
to Kantimahanti’s points and
nodded solemnly in agreement.
Meanwhile, on the opponent’s
side, the symphony of shaking
heads, annoyed sighs and pens
scratching on paper continued
in the background.
Welcome to the weekly forensics debate practice, where
every Wednesday, eight students
dutifully march to Mrs. Debbie
Chinn’s room to tackle the
topic of the week. Armed with
their iPads, the students spend
forty five minutes engaged in
intense debate on current social,
political, and economical issues.
With no other weapons but their
critical thinking skills and quick
analytical minds, two opposing
teams fight for the ultimate victory of defending their position,
while successfully attacking their
opponents’.
Using sarcastic remarks,
formidable diction, and an occasional stutter, these eight students individually take turns to
present their respective team’s
contentions. With their eyes
on the prize, they research and
practice to improve their skills as
a debater, and perhaps, to even
win an award from the annual
ISKL Forensics Competition.
Each week the teams train, for
the key to attaining true mas-
Juniors for Grill
By Ana Mims
“Calling all strong male juniors!
We need to lay these tables out
now, boys,” Mr. Bob Pagee,
junior class sponsor, called out. So the afternoon of Saturday, 21 September began.
The PTO Barbecue, an anticipated and traditional backto-school event,
began
Eagle’s Eye
early in the afternoon for the
juniors. The Parent Teacher
Organization hired the juniors to
slave over a hot grill to prepare
savory foods for the starving
crowd.
The grills popped and sizzled
as the juniors began barbecuing.
Those helping with the set-up
started their Saturday work
day at 2:00
p.m., preparing the grills
and stocking the junior class
“store.”
The rest
of the class
showed up
at 4:00 p.m.
4
October 2013
Clash of the Nerds!
By Alison Mays
Monday morning began like any
other normal start of another
school week; alarms completed
their task of jolting young boys
and girls out of their blissful
slumber, and coffee makers quietly sizzled and fizzed producing
the aromatic brew of caffeine so
desperately needed by teachers
to survive the day. But something else hung in the air mixed
with the smells of breakfast and
coffee, a sense of excitement
so tangible that a knife could
slice through it, for today
marked the beginning of a
long awaited Spirit Week. The week began with
a bang, or should I say,
a clash. Clash Day—the
only day a person could
wear plaid and polka dots
together without budding
fashionistas lamenting his or
her shoddy fashion choice.
Excited murmurs and spouts
of laughter rang through the
halls on Monday morning 30
September as students, dressed
in the gaudiest blend of hodge-
the school teemed with costumes of all sorts, from Mr. and
Mrs. Yeung by Jerry Lee (12)
and Abby Bengs (10), to die hard
Manchester United fans and
their rivalling teams. Though
some costumes needed a repeating explanation, everyone
enjoyed dressing up as his or her
favorite character, football team,
or local Dalat teacher couple on
the second day of Spirit Week.
Wednesday arrived, marking
the middle of Spirit Week and
the beginning of Nerd Day.
Glasses framed the eyes of the
non vision-impaired, necks faced
the choking hold of shirts buttoned to the top, belts looped
around high-riding pants which
contained the tails of the tucked
in shirts, and cuffs rolled just
high enough to show the socks
that proudly stood above the
freshly shined shoes. The boys
unashamedly borrowed their
mothers’ hair gel and slicked
back their manes in a straight
part, while the girls returned to
the innocent hairstyles of their
podge clothes, filed into their
homerooms and as the teachers
attempted to wade through their
disorientation resulting from the
chaos of clashing colors. All
throughout the remainder of
the day, students and teachers
alike delighted in the uniqueness
that the day had to offer. “Spirit
week was so relaxing and exciting because we were able to step
out of our comfort zones
and do something out
of the norm,” said Sam
McIntyre (12). The day
certainly brought some
people out of their comfort
zone, and everyone would
agree that “normal” did
not describe that day nor
any of the days to come in
the rest of the week.
“No way, Man!”
“That’s so cool.” Mr. Tom
Miller proudly faced the impressed comments such as these
from a group of senior boys who
could not contain their awe at
Mr. Miller’s Wolverine costume.
Fandom Day had arrived, and
Once Upon a Weekend...
Ping! The common and sometimes exasperating notification
tone beeps from Justin Lao’s
(12) iPad as he eats his delicious
and succulent chicken rice during lunch block. As he peers
at the little red one on
top of the Facebook
icon he wonders
what new event
will appear
in the application.
As he taps
on the blue
square, a title pops
up large on the
screen: Disney Movie Night.
Soon after Senior Sneak, a
group of seniors found themselves determined to find activities other than lugging themselves to Gurney every Friday
night. Instead of commonly migrating to the mall, they planned
to whisk themselves back to
their early years through the
wonderful Disney movie classics. “ I absolutely love Disney
movie nights because it gives
Eagle’s Eye
as classmates with a different
form of entertainment. “No matter how mature or cool you get,
Disney movies never get old.
And although our Disney movie
marathon is mostly a good excuse to pretend that I haven’t
been watching them alone in my
room all these years, it really is
tons of fun to slow down, relax,
and eat incredibly unhealthy yet
delicious food with friends while
‘reliving my childhood,’” said
Stephanie Jones (12).
Complimented with snacks
and fellowship, the Disney nights
truly gave seniors the chance to
let loose and reflect on innocent
memories in a new way. “I
always look forward to Friday
nights now because it’s so much
fun to connect with friends as
well as remember being a kid in
a new sort of way,” said Reese
Terry (12). Through creativity
and thought, the seniors found a
way to bond and come together
to create a night where dreams
come true.
Speedily, Lao read through
me a chance to get out of the
dorms and visit other peoples’
houses while hanging out with
friends and reliving my childhood,” said Lao. Every Friday
night, a group of seniors
congregated at different venues—from
their houses to
the dorms—to
watch Disney
classics
and enjoy
yummy refreshments.
With each
new week, seniors
waited in eager anticipation for
the night in which they could
truly go back to the “good old
days” when swinging from
vines as an ape seemed cool
and no worries truly translated
to Hakuna Matata. Recounting
these wonderful times, Nathan
Unruh (12) said, “They make me
feel like I’m in diapers again.”
Not only did seniors get the
chance to watch these classics;
they also had a chance to bond
5
childhoods and evenly distributed their locks into two perfect
pigtails or tightly twisted braids.
For a few brief hours, everyone’s
outward appearance mirrored
the inward intelligence which the
school proudly takes credit for.
Just as soon as the gel
washed down the drain and
the pigtails released their grip,
the hairs went up, sideways,
inside, outside, looped around,
tucked under, and stuck out of
the students’ heads’ once again
for Crazy Hair Day. The styles
ranged everywhere from Cindy
Loo Who by Alexa Cahal (11),
to the Whomping Willow by
Charlotte Combrink (10), but the
level of fun and enjoyment had
by all did not vary in the slightest.
The week of adventure started with a bang and ended with a
pop. A pop of colors, of course.
The final day of Spirit Week
called the pride of the school
to attention with the bright and
bold school colors of brilliant
blue and glittering gold worn in
every way imaginable. The students banded together one last
time for Spirit Week, and carried
the colors with much honor and
joy as they recalled and retold
the stories of outrageous costumes, ridiculous hairstyles, and
unforgettable fun. •
By Josiah Steinkamp
the new message on his Facebook app stating the time and
place of the next Disney movie
night. With his quick reflexes he
whipped up a reply right after
the bell rang signaling the end
of the lunch block and hit the
post button in the lower right
hand corner. He rushed out of
the student center, closing down
his iPad, and headed to his next
class—but not before a small
sound emanated from the tablet
in his hands. “Ping!” •
October 2013
Eaglets Soar for Gold
By Reese Terry
Sweaty palms and heart racing, the young junior varsity
volleyball athletes prepared for
their first home tournament of
the year. Friday, 20 September
marked
the beginning of
this thrilling
event. After the
last bell rang
out through the
campus, all players
scurried towards
the gym in anticipation and
excitement.
Despite every
local
team dropping
out at the
last minute, Athletic Director,
Mr. Chance Edman, quickly
revised the schedule allowing
the first serve flying over the net.
Raymond Pow (12), a referee
for the tournament, reminisced
over his role in the tournament.
“Being a referee was awesome
because I got a front row seat to
all the games!” He enjoyed supporting these young stars to victory. “Our JV volleyball boys and
girls fought hard and finished
strong in the finals, earning us
the gold,” he enthused.
Both girls’ and boy’s “A”
teams for the Dalat JV squad
ended with wins. Not only did
the players prove their skills, but
they also enjoyed spending time
brought everyone together for an expla- with one another on and off the
nation of the rules, signaling the court. “Playing in the tournament helped us practice the skills
beginning of the tournament.
The whistle blew, sending that we had learned, as well as
for multiple games between the
home team and their rival, ISKL.
Both Dalat and ISKL brought
four teams to compete in this
small tournament, two guys’
teams and two girls’
teams. All players
took time to
warm up and
get rid
of their
pre-game
jitters,
u n t i l
M r.
E d m a n
bond as a team,” Ruby Noh
(8) said. She finished by stating
positively, “I was proud of my
team; playing in the tournament
showed us what we needed to
improve on.”
Adrian Nonis (8) also enjoyed
playing with his team, building excitement for his future
seasons. “Competing in the
JV volleyball tournament was
a great experience because of
all the intense games we got to
play and the new friends I got to
make,” he said.
Although nearly every team
had dropped out, the tournament ended up a success for
both schools involved. The
Dalat players came excited to
compete in their home tournament, but left with more
than just gold medals. The JV
Volleyball Tournament helped
sharpen the skills of these
young athletes as well as bond
them together as a team. •
Frozen Thighs & Slippery Slides
By Tommy Mallow
Foam filled Nathan Unruh’s (12)
nostrils as he sprinted face first
into a soaked sponge. He gingerly
wiped the white fluff off his cheeks
and released a shriek resembling
a Native American war cry as he
charged the ranks of the Blue
Team. Opposing Unruh, Keegan
Oppenheim (10) swooped his
arm into a bucket of balloons
and returned fire with the wobbly water grenades. Weapons of
wet destruction continued to tear
across the puddled lawn all night.
The Water War had begun!
If a visitor decided to tour
Dalat on the afternoon of 20
September, he would have
discovered a magnificent sunset
silhouetting hundreds of wild
up of four girls, dominated the
pool in strength and strategy.
We won almost every time!”
Stories of the feats of ingenuity
and determination that teams
had achieved flitted to and fro.
To the east, students tested
their pain tolerance as they sat
in buckets filled to the brim with
chunks of ice and frigid water.
Eyes turned red and cheeks
turned purple as they maintained
their dignity in the arctic buckets.
Meanwhile, to the southwest, amateur Dalat wrestlers
drenched themselves in sweat
and tears as they took on fierce
adversaries in the illustrious
Water Sumo Wrestling games.
To the south, epic battles
teenagers living as kids for a few
precious hours. A breeze ruffled
Josh Basha’s (11) frosty hair as
he exclaimed, “I squatted in the
ice water for over ten minutes!”
Basha, along with countless others, gave life and limb to earn
points for his team.
Five stations surrounded
Dalat’s outdoor basketball court
with the buzz of adrenaline and
H2O. To the west, the savage
within slowly emerged as decent
young men and women gnashed
their teeth and flexed their
biceps in heated Tug-of-War
matches. Raymond Pow (12)
discarded any sexist stereotypes
he had previously believed by
remarking, “Our team, made
comparable to D-Day raged
across the span of the football
pitch. Foam flew, eyes burned,
balloons exploded, shirts tore,
and one team stood victorious.
As Micah Martens (11) reflected
on losing his comrades to the
casualties of water, he shuddered. “I saw my friends, people
I had grown close to… covered
in foam and lying in puddles of
their own balloons.”
As the sun dipped below
the orange horizon, drenched
clothes and waterlogged spirits inhaled the moist air and
released sighs. Only the melancholy puddles remained that
night to tell the great story of
Water War 2013. •
Starting on the Bottom; Ending at the Top—Literally!
Sweat beads cascaded down,
soaking shirts and leaving a wet
trail behind. Excruciating pain
heightens with every step and
with every steep incline, the
stomach lurches. The legs begin
to feel like lead, and the mind
begins to wonder why it even
did this in the first place. Turning back was not an option; and
only one way remained, up and
forward. At first the task seemed
Eagle’s Eye
nous Penang Hill on 22 August.
This “insurmountable task” had
each group of leaders trudging
up the mountain leaving behind
a trail of sweat that anybody
could easily follow. Each troop
seemingly had its own personality as Ina Park (12) recounted,
“The hike was super challenging
but, like, in our group, Michelle
Chan (12) and David Unruh (9)
seemed so full of energy, seri-
reasonable; but eventually these
feelings of reason disappeared
completely, leaving regret to
replace them. Why did these
students put themselves through
this misery? Ah, yes, the Leadership Retreat time had rolled
around again.
Apparently, for this year’s attendees, the first step to leadership started with a six-kilometer
hike up the legendary but omi6
By Justin Lao
ously the hike was like a joke
to them.”
Not everybody in this “lively
group” shared the same view.
Further down the trail, a frustrated and weary Shawn Kim
(12) yelled, “I hate you Mr.
[Tom] Miller!” as if it would heal
the mental wounds he suffered.
Cars drove by and bewildered
on-lookers peered curiously at
(Continued on page 7, col. 1)
October 2013
Mission Not Impossible
On 28 September, sleepy-eyed
and clothed in painting garb,
ranks of juniors marched to
the top of Pearl Hill with rollers slung over their shoulders,
ready to do battle. Crusted with
dirt and grime built up from long
days of neglect, buildings lay in
wait for them at the top of the
hill. The juniors’ mission? To
scrub, clean, and repaint these
buildings.
​Led by their Captain Benjamin Tse and other Excom officials, the staunch, stalwart, and
steady young soldiers trooped
up a slender path that twisted its
way up through the jungle. After
the arduous climb up the hill to
where the old Japanese World
War II bunkers lay, the juniors
began the real work.
​Each one chose his or her
weapon: a roller, a scraper, or a
paint brush and got straight to
work. Before long, the intrepid
workers found themselves winning against the grimy buildings;
but the the “enemy” had a new
tactic. A sharp whine like a falling missile alerted the juniors to
this new threat.
Mosquitoes.
The tiny creatures attacked
ruthlessly, ripping through the
ranks of boys and girls with wanton force and doing their best to
stop the group from achieving
their mission. But the juniors
continued to toil, determined to
do their duty. They would work
on despite all odds; mosquitoes
could not daunt them.
​On the juniors worked as the
sun steadily rose and the temperature climbed with it, stifling
the jungle with its humid heat. A
new threat approached, unbeknownst to the juniors, creeping
stealthily along on silent rays:
mid-day sun madness.
Dissent began to break out in
Leadership Retreat..
to bond and get to know each
other. “It was a good bonding experience; I got to know
people that I would not have
had the chance to know had I
not gone,” said Unruh.
The Dorm Council joined in
on the leadership retreat for the
first time. Aunt Valerie Weidemann led the newly introduced
group as its members received
recognition for their positions.
“It was pretty cool that
we as Dorm
Council had
the chance
to go to the
Leadership
Retreat because we got
to bond more
and to know
the members
of the Dorm
Council better
through it,” Eunice Um (12) said
thoughtfully.
Many of the students who
had begun the retreat and
had regretted even starting it
changed their views. For them,
after one night alongside their
comrades, they changed their
mental outlook from one of
regret to one of accomplishment. As they slowly made their
way down the hill, feelings of
achievement and camaraderie
replaced those of regret; and the
retreat came to an end. •
(Continued from page 6, col. 4)
the sweaty bunch marching up
Penang Hill. Families of people
as well as wild monkeys eyed the
curious batch of students with
their sweat-laden clothing and
sunburnt faces.
Eventually the group of 37
students reached their destination, a rustic and isolated building with the
name “Chinese Methodist Nature
Lodge.”
After many
heavenly
showers and
acts of territorializing
beds, the
staff members set up
different
sessions to help educate these
leaders-in-training. Each session
had its own impact on each
person.
“They were awesome, the
fact that we had time together as
a group as well as having separate times with our own specific
group was really good and helpful,” said Shelly Choi (11).
The sessions gave different
input and information on the
basis of leadership. Along with
gaining valuable knowledge,
each team had the opportunity
Eagle’s Eye
the ranks and several miniature
paint wars ensued between
comrades. Friend against friend,
the juniors waged war on each
other, forgetting for a moment
their true mission. The tides had
turned against them.
Bespattered eleventh graders
chased each
other through
the mess of
buildings flinging paint and
marking their
victims with
hand prints.
Soon after, the jungle
struck another
blow. The juniors’
water had run out. Captain
Tse immediately knew what to
do; he ordered one of his officials, Mrs. Anne-Marie Pagee, to
drive down the hill to fetch them
all more water. Her vital mission
could not fail, and the fate of the
juniors rested in her hands.
Or so they thought.
Just as the juniors began to
despair, help arrived in the form
of the senior class, who bore water, 100 plus, apples, and most
importantly, Cornetto ice cream
cones. Jubilated at the sight
By Ciera Nash
of friends, the ranks of juniors
retreated from the building to
take a well-earned break.
When asked what he
felt when the seniors
arrived, officer Kirk
Ladner said, “I think
that at that moment
the seniors were
a gift from God
because not only
did they bring
snacks but
also a reason
to have a
break.”
All
too
ICI
soon the seniors left, but the juniors attacked their work with renewed
vigor and finished the job strong. The historical war site
reached its former glory. “The
government wanted to redo the
buildings, and we volunteered to
do it for them. It will help focus
on some of the historical places
in Tanjung Bunga,” reported
Johnathan Tan. With the battle finished,
victorious ranks of juniors made
their way home, covered in
splatters of paint. •
Friendships Flour
By Stephanie Jones
Bowls of flour, situated in front
of the different middle school
SAT groups, gave rise to a plethora of possibilities and questions
about the upcoming activity.
In the end, it called for team
members to blow into the flour,
hunt for hidden rubber bands,
and acquire them using only
their mouths. Giggles permeated the SATs as they received
these instructions and eagerly
anticipated the coming hilarity.
The day before, Thursday 15
August, the seventh and eighth
graders had travelled the one
and a half hours up to Cinta
Sayang by bus and, in honor of
their seniority, spent the night
at a hotel. On Friday, the fifth
and sixth graders met them at
the Cinta Sayang Water Park,
where the staff had already
conjured up a series of different
team-building activities.
“The [Middle School] Retreat
7
was an opportunity to learn
more about each other,” said
Jaja Loverio (7), “especially
through the different activities.”
Mr. Scott Uzzle, middle
school coordinator and counselor, said, “We do this retreat in
the first week of school. When
we come back from the retreat,
all the new students are different
from when they left because
of the chance to do activities
together, get to know people,
and have a good time. It makes
them feel like a part of our
middle school. That’s the most
important thing for me.
“It also sets the tone for the
rest of the year. It shows the
students that we are in middle
school to learn but also to have
fun. The following Monday,
the kids come back excited and
ready to be part of this school.”
Embodying Mr. Uzzle’s main
(Continued on page 8, col. 1)
October 2013
Slices of Heaven
resorted to buying half a box in
an attempt to insure satisfaction
of their longing.
Sakong later elaborated,
“We started with six pizzas, I
think—two boxes per block; but
now we order 12 pizzas every
Friday.”
Finally the mob dissipated,
and students moving to the
black round tables to enjoy their
By Kate Sun
Friday had finally come. Students crowded around the
beige metal window shutter.
Anticipation and expectation
hummed in the air as the
students shifted
and muttered
impatiently.
All the while,
more Dalatians
poured into the
Student Center to
join the growing mob.
All eyes riveted on the fateful cold door. Suddenly, the
mouth-watering aroma of food
reached their nostrils. Nothing
else mattered in this integral moment of destiny. The agonizing
minutes rolled past like the slow
growth of Greece’s economy.
Finally, after the long seven day
wait, the badly painted gates of
heaven opened for the deprived
and famished sinners below.
The rush had begun for the oily,
greasy, delectable slices of pizza.
A new addition to the StuCo’s growing list of weekly
treats, Pizza Friday
has quickly cemented its position as the
most successful and
s oug ht - a f t e r
product so far.
No one can resist
the allure of the irresistible, aromatic, conglomeration of crispy
pizza crust, tangy tomato sauce,
and the thick layer of cheese that
seals the flavor within. Brought
in by StuCo, pizza Friday has
transformed from a simple idea
from Mr. Tom Miller and Yeon
Woo Sakong’s (12) brainstorming session, to a necessity for
every pizza lover on campus.
Hailed as a tremendous
success by both students
and teachers, this one
event has changed the eating habits of most every student,
and introduced to students,
some for the first time, a sense
of commitment and faithfulness. Every Friday, Thushara
Kantimahanti (12) ritualistically
arrives for pizza early to ensure
her catch of the nectarous
triangles.
“Pizza Fridays means challenging myself and trying to
achieve new heights... Every
Friday, I see myself incrementally
improving. The first Friday, I only
had three slices. The next one,
I improved to five. And today, I
had five slices in a span of five
minutes...and I’m still hungry!”
she adamantly asserted.
With this onslaught of pizza
cravings, StuCo has undertaken
a radical change to support
Dalat’s intrinsic need for nourishment. Many times, gleeful
students’ have had their hopes
crushed when informed that the
pizza had run out. Some even
Middle School Retreat...
buses pulled back onto campus, and parents collected their
exhausted children. As the children left, parents heard bits and
pieces of what had happened on
the retreat; and, throughout the
weeks following,
students shared
other impressionable events that
occurred. Clark
Thomson (8) told
of when he had
the opportunity
to “see lightning
bolts
crack 100 yards away
during a thunderstorm.”
Chand explained his favorite
slide while simultaneously motioning the shape of the Boomerang, and Sarah Stoltzfus (7)
described the flour challenge
saying, “It was my favorite teambuilding activity. You should
have seen everyone’s faces
afterwards; it was hilarious!” •
(Continued from page 7, col. 4)
thesis for doing the Middle
School Retreat, Nathan Chand
(7) said, “I enjoyed [the retreat].
My favorite part was the
waterpark and going
on the slide called
the Boomerang. At
the time I didn’t have
any friends because I
was new, but it did
help me to establish
new relationships.”
After a morning packed
with activities and an afternoon
of free roam in the park, the
students piled back into the
buses to make their way home.
Excitement still tingling in the
air, conversations, card games,
and quality time spent with
friends filled the last moments
of the retreat.
The trip concluded as the
Eagle’s Eye
plunder as the StuCo storekeepers gasped for breath—another
successful Pizza Friday had finally
come to an end.
As she walked away with her
“slices of Heaven,” Kantimahanti summed up many of her
peers’ feelings: “Pizza Friday has
basically made my Friday lunch
time worth it, and I want to thank
StuCo for this.” •
Ninja Contenders...
and Ice-Cream Eaters
By Ana Mims
Shrieks and squeals emanated
from the center court on the
afternoon of 27 September.
Young eighth graders battled
their senior counterparts in an
intense game of Ninja on this
scorching afternoon. The senior
class that planned this activity,
however, did not intend it to become a war between the classes.
Rather, this event signaled the
kick-off of the traditional eight
grade buddies.
On this Friday afternoon,
the seniors of both high school
and middle school skipped theirregular X-Block activities to
meet on the center court to
introduce themselves to each
other, play games, and eat ice
cream together. The afternoon
began in a rush of confusion and
excitement—seniors scurried to
get there on time as the eighth
graders poured onto the court.
Seniors stuck name tags on their
shirts to identify themselves to
the middle-schoolers; and once
they found each other, the pairs
sat together and began to get to
know each other. “I’m excited to
have a really cool eighth-grade
buddy, and I can tell that it’s going to be a great year with him!”
says Nathan Unruh (12) as he
got to know his buddy, David
Chinn (8). He asked him questions ranging from favorite superheroes to future occupations
to hobbies, trying to uncover the
common bonds between them.
As the get-to-know-you came
to a close, senior class vice president and organizer of theevent,
Reese Terry (12), struggled to
get everyone’s attention so they
could begin a round of Ninja.
Eighth graders made a name for
themselves as they consistently
and confidently slapped the
seniors out of the game. One of
the intense showdowns between
Daniella Combrink (8) and Julia
8
Munson (8) took place, and the
eighth graders battled to come
out on top. As contenders continued to eliminate the opposition, seniors began to serve ice
cream to the sweaty and hungry
eighth graders. The afternoon
event ended with seniors and
eighth graders exchanging contact information, promising to
get together soon.
“I enjoyed helping out with
the eighth-grade buddy kick-off
even though it took some time
for everyone to actually listen
to me,” Terry said with a laugh.
“I’m so excited for 8th grade
buddies this year, since our class
didn’t get senior buddies our
eighth-grade year. It’s fun to get
to know and make new friends
even if they are younger than
we. This year will be a whole lot
of fun spending time
with these youngsters! Reminds me
of myself in middle
school,” she said enthusiastically.
Other seniors
echoed her opinions
as they look forward
to the year ahead.
Raymond Pow (12)
gave words of advice
though, mentioning
how seniors need to
step up to their new
status as role-models
and truly act in a way
the eighth graders
can look up to.
“All the preparations for the event paid
off,” Terry said contentedly.
Hopefully, this year seniors
and their buddies will find ways
to bond and interact. In the end,
though, seniors look back on the
kick-off as a success. After all,
what more do you need to make
people happy when you have
friends, Ninja, and ice cream? •
October 2013
Cookies Unite Community
By Reese Terry
When turning onto campus,
Dalat parents face a slightly
unusual sight. Mr. Larry Chinn
standing in the street with a
smile on his face and cookies
in his hands. “Today is the
kickoff for the Annual Fund,
and I baked some cookies just
for you,” he said as he handed
the driver a bag of baked goods
and a brochure chuck full
of important information
about this year’s fundraiser.
From 7 October to
15 November Dalat International School hands out
freshly baked cookies, performs
polished concerts, and even lets
students dunk their teachers in
order to earn the support of
parents and engage the students
in a splash of fun.
The Annual Fund has always
improved the campus and its
“I was so thrilled to find out
about some of the money going
towards the new chapel equipment,” Ana Mims (12) enthused.
“Spirituality is encouraged at
Dalat, and I feel like worship is a
big component for us to grow in
God. I am really looking forward
to using the new equipment in
the chapel services.”
These great changes did
help shape the school; however, the Annual Fun goes
beyond the money it pulls in
and the equipment it buys.
“The Annual Fund isn’t so
much a fund-raiser as it is a
community event when we
all work together to achieve
a common goal,” Mr. Chinn
explained. “The best part is
seeing the results, like the
priceless expressions of the
middle-schoolers checking out
their new lockers or picking up
equipment, aiding both the staff
and the students. Josh Lee (12)
praises the idea of a yearly fundraiser. “A great example of how
the Annual Fund has benefitted
me is the new weight room.
They replaced the old
blue carpet with new
rubber floors, which
are great for heavier
weights, and added a
new set of dumbbells,
and even a new squat rack,”
he enthusiastically reported.
“Chest day, e’ryday!” he
laughed as he headed off
towards the gym.
Dalat hopes to reach an
astounding 125,000 ringgit
for the year of 2013, wanting
to use this money for numerous
projects like iPads in elementary
and middle school classrooms,
chapel music equipment, and
even a new weather station.
Setting the Stage Higher
siderably with new stairways
and a greater room for learning.
“The kids love it. The new roof
really provides a nicer environment and shields kids from
the rain. It’s also cooler with
the shade and breeze coming
through, and the new stairways
make it so convenient to get
from class to class,” explained
Mr. Scott Uzzle proudly. “We all
just love the new science rooms.
I have not heard a negative comment yet.”
Built two stories high with
two connecting walkways that
bridge the two halves of the
structure, the building provides
a unique and more professional
looking environment. It allows
students to feel connected with
their community and carries in a
fresh atmosphere for knowledge
and creativity. “They are luckier
because they have a better environment than we did as middle
schoolers,” said Sally Chang (12)
upon seeing the new building.
The new arrangement of the
building truly gifts the middle
schoolers this semester and, in
an abundant number of ways,
set the stage higher. •
boys used five days of the week
as time to hone and perfect
their skills.
Each day, Coach Hall and
Coach Edman would educate
their pupils on the art of football
using their experience to aid
them. “[Mr.] Hall likes to watch
us face plant into puddles of
mud. But it’s OK because we
have fun, and it builds passion
within us to play harder,” said
Tommy Mallow (12), victim to
one of the innumerable puddles.
Coach Hall set high standards
for his team to follow, one of
which included punctuality.
Known for his “punctuality”,
Eun Hyo Chang (12) would
often come later than most to
practice for various reasons
but, Chang stepped it up as the
year progressed by making it on
time. Practice sometimes made
muscles ache with agony; but,
other times, practice made the
team eager to learn more. With
a grin, Unruh remarked, “Soccer
practice separates the men from
the boys.”
The girls, with their of brightly
colored clothing, sought to make
a difference as a rebuilding unit
under the leadership and guidance of Coach Robin Frohlich.
(Continued on page 9, col. 2)
By Jennifer Vo
The sound of the crisp morning bell echos throughout the
school, signaling the start of
a brand new day. The ringing
of the bell resonates against a
coloseum soon filled with the
young warriors tackling the years
of pre-adolescence. With most
students, their lives return to the
identical scene from which they
left long ago before the summer;
however, for the middle schoolers, their world stage changed
drastically.
As the glittering sun rose
upon the start of a new year,
broadcast of the new middle
school building spread like wild
fire, proucing “Oohs,” “Ahhs,”
and even a little jealousy from
the upperclassmen. “While I
was watching it being built,
the only thought in my head
was “How come we didn’t
get that when we were in
middle school?” stated Josiah
Steinkamp (12).
The new structure grew con-
Mud Therapy
“Hurry up guys, [Mr. Jason]
Hall’s already up there!” yelled
Nathan Unruh (12) as he hurriedly raced up the steps to
upper field. Jerry Lee (12) and
Shawn Lim (10) quickly donned
their practice gear and followed
their captain. Meanwhile, the
lady eagles had just finished,
ending their productive practice with a resounding “Hey,
hey, hey oouu!” echoing off
the surrounding buildings into
the distance. Mud flecked and
Eagle’s Eye
By Justin Lao
caked the girls’ clothing, leaving
the boys to only imagine what
lay in store for them upon this
wretched field.
As varsity squads representing their school, each team had
its own responsibilities for the
season. The boys, fully geared
with navy blue shirts and golden
shorts, took it up a notch with
the seasoned Coach Hall and
the assistance of athletic director Mr. Chance Edman leading
and guiding them into war. The
9
their new instruments.”
The school, staff and
students alike, band
together in events
like the concert and
the dunk tank to pull
off this communal effort to enhance the school.
The Annual Fund has
changed the face of the school
by fixing places like the workout
room and the student center,
as well as uniting the Dalat
community. It continues
to enrich the education and experience
of every student, from
elementary through
high school. As the Annual Fund kicks off for the year
of 2013, the smell of freshly
baked cookies infuses the cars
of the parents, and the smile of
Mr. Chinn stays stuck in their
memory. •
October 2013
Point/Counterpoint
Dictatorial Dorm-Dating’s
Do’s and Don’ts
A Dangerous Fruit?
Dating: the hot topic of the dorms. Many controversies have
arisen over the dating rules the dorms keep and whether the rules
put too many restrictions on dorm students. Most dorm students
find the strict policies stifling and complain constantly.
“Why should the school control who I go out with?” One twelfth
grader complained with a sigh while walking to class.
Well, why should the dorms have such restricting rules? They
keep students safe from potentially harmful situations, and they
protects students’ integrity.
Many students may argue that they should have the right to go
out on dates without a third wheel, and that the dorms should allow
them the right to make their own decisions about going out. Dorm
parents, however, should have the right to dictate such rules, because
the responsibility for the dorm students lies solely in the hands of
the dorm parents. When parents send their children to stay at the
dormitories, they put trust into the staff of the school to protect
the students. This trust drives the administrators to restrict dating.
The policies keep students from making poor decisions that
they may later regret. The frontal lobe of the brain, the part of the
cerebrum that makes decisions, in teenagers does not fully develop
until 21 years of age. This means that students may not make the
wisest choices. The rules about going out help prevent any negative
experiences that students might otherwise have. It removes the possibility of getting carried away however unlikely such an act may seem.
By removing the possibility, Dalat protects the virtue of the
students that parents trust them to protect. No parent wants to
receive a call from the school about their child getting into trouble.
The administrators have to treat dating as a potentially harmful issue
and place safeguards against it becoming that way.
Instead of taking such a negative view on the dorm rules students
should focus on the positive aspects of them. As Justin Lao (12) aptly
puts it, “I personally think that the rules are good because they give
limits to the relationships that can happen for dorm students. I think
that with the limitations, each date that the couple takes becomes
more special because each of them has waited for it to happen rather
than be impatient and disagreeing with the rules that the dorms have.”
When students take the time to understand the perspective of
the administrators, they will find that a peace comes with the acceptance of the rules. Instead of complaining and feeling stifled, the
dorm students should appreciate that they have people who want
to look out for them, people who care about them. The rules about
going out just show how much the dorm parents care.
By Ciera Nash
Butterflies swarm inside his stomach, testosterone streams all
through his body. He perspires and quivers slightly, and in his
mind he arranges what he will say in a few moments. With
courage in his heart and flowers in his hand, he kneels down in
front of the girl of his dreams and asks her, “I’ll be your gentleman, will you be my lady?” The girl, suppressing herself from
jumping with joy, receives the flower and answers back with a
smile, “Yes!”
In modern society, we define such relationships as “couples”,
and when they spend time together, we call it “dating”. Such love
affairs prevail throughout high schools, for teenagers naturally generate hormones which build affections for the opposite sex. Dating
has multiple benefits, such as: developing personality as one learns
how to mature in relationships with others; gaining confidence
with the opposite sex as one learns how to stay at ease with his or
her companion; and providing a sense of “importance” by feeling
pursued and desired by someone. But Dalat’s dating policy for dorm
students, in which couples cannot go off campus together without
huddling in a group, hinders the natural development of dating
relationships to some extent.
“I think it [the dorm students dating policy] is okay; I don’t mind
it honestly. I guess I’m used to it. But I think it would be better if
more dating opportunities were allowed, you know, just the two
of us going out. Then I could take her to some cool places in Penang, not just the usual “Gurney outing” I go with her and others
as a group,” said Shaun P’ng (12) who currently dates Eunice Um
(12), a resident of Jackson Dorm. One might argue, why not go to
those “cool places” with a group? Well, take the Air Itam reservoir
next to Penang Hill for example. The reservoir, surrounded by
hills and mountains, emits sensational fragrances from the flowers
around it; and the place has benches stationed for people to take
a break and enjoy the exquisite scenery. The place does not offer
any group activities, but provides a place for couples to sit and
converse privately. Who then would want to go to such a place as
a group, when Gurney has all the entertainment (movies, arcades,
karaoke, and so on)? Although some people in a group might want
to visit these quiet reservoirs, they usually choose malls with many
different things to do, because one person might want to watch a
movie, another person might want to sing at a karaoke; and most
malls provide these different activities.
“On a date, it’s nice to go watch a movie and all; but I think
it’s better and more important for couples to go somewhere
where they can just sit for long hours, chatting about this or
that without outside interference. After all, relationships get
stronger as people get to know each other,” said Daniel Kim
(12). The school has white tables near the football field, benches
all around campus, and they indeed grant the atmosphere for
couples to have private talks. But imagine staying in the same
spots and looking at the same views every weekend. Couples
cannot expect a change in mood, since the atmosphere stays
the same all the time. To make matters worse, noisy students
roam all over the campus, making it difficult for couples to enjoy
private, quiet chats.
“Who doesn’t know the good intentions behind the dating
policy? It’s effective in a way that it ensures safety and, I would say,
“Christian-like” relationships. But those good relationships can
happen even without the policy, and I find the policy somewhat
too confining,” said Jerry Lee (12).
Yes, relationships could go wrong with undesired outcomes;
however, students should take responsibility for their choices and
actions. Instead of a policy that restricts dating outside campus,
enforcing courtship and teaching the dangers of dating would work
better for couples to stay in healthy relationships. •
By Hyun Soo Kang
Eagle’s Eye
Football...
(Continued from page 9, col. 4)
A relatively new team in comparison to the year before, they
had much to learn. With the
commanding presence of Yeon
Woo Sakong (12), the towering
presence of Michelle Chan (12),
the destructive force of Joyce
Lee (12), and the dangerous
duo of Emma Chinn (12) and
Ina Park (12), the younger
members of the team needed to
look no further for inspiration.
As seniors and returners from
the past years, they carried the
most valuable tool needed for
football: experience. Also new
to the team, Coach Frohlich
took up the reins of the team
10
with determination. “I love playing soccer with Coach Robin.
She sets a wonderful example of
what we should strive towards:
sportsmanship, positive attitude,
and character,” said Lee.
The girls quickly left the field
chattering about various dramas
as the boys hurried up. For
Coach Hall, punctuality topped
the list of priorities for practice.
As all the boys gathered around
to start practice, they began to
focus their minds for whatever
the devious duo of Coach Hall
and Coach Edman had in store.
As the squad calmed themselves
and quieted their minds, the
smallest member of the team,
Karsten Ladner (10), piped,
“Hey, where’s Eun Hyo?” •
October 2013
Eagles, What’s Your Profession?
Scorching heat beats down and
blisters on the football pitch of
Penang City Stadium as the
starting line up of the boys’
varsity football team jogs out
on to the field. All 11 starters lock shoulders forming a
huddle before the start of the
game. The players squint from
the sun, stare into
each other’s eyes,
and gear up for
their first game
of the second
annual Spike
and Strike
To u r n a ment. They
have practiced and
worked for
this moment, and now
the time has come to test their
ability to work as a team. After
a couple quick pointers from the
captains, the team shrinks down
and hushes into a silence as a
voice roars out one terrorizing
phrase: Eagles, what is your
profession?!
Immediately following Student Council’s spirit week,
the football tournament gave
Comfy Couture
By Alison Mays
The Dalat Newsletter of 31 May
told of a change to the girls’ uniform, and this news sent shock
waves throughout the middle
and high school. Skirts would
no longer stand as an option,
and “skorts” now reigned as the
predominant wardrobe choice
for girls.
“When I first heard about the
skorts, I was a bit skeptical. But
the varsity boys’ program the
chance to play in fierce competition against five other teams,
ranging from schools in Penang to an international school
from Singapore. Different from
other years, however, the venue
changed; instead of playing on a
regular high school field, all the
teams had the unique
chance
o
f
a
fledged
professional s t a d i u m ,
home to the local Penang
football club. When asked
about the venue, the starting
goal keeper, Justin Lao (12),
said, “I enjoyed every second
of it; the thrill of playing in an
actual stadium, the fun of playing against other teams, and the
team bonding. All of it made the
tournament quite special.”
Starting on the bright, hot,
and humid morning of 4 October, all 16 players and their
coaches dragged themselves out
of bed and played hooky from
school in order to catch their first
game against PEA FC at nine
in the morning. Quickly rolling
off to a fantastic start, the boys
easily scored two goals, winning
their first match of the competition. Their next game, however,
would put them face to face
against adversity as they faced
MAZ in a tough and tenacious
game later in the afternoon. The
score remained tied throughout
most of the game until in the last
10 nail-biting minutes when the
squad persevered and defeated
MAZ 1-0 to move on to the
semifinals.
After that nail-biting game
against MAZ, the Eagles came
back the next day and fought
hard and well despite losing to
Uplands in the semifinals. Undeterred by their loss, the boys
ended the tournament with a 2-1
win over MAZ, again securing
the bronze trophy. Reflecting
on the tournament, defender
Shion Matsumoto (11) stated,
“It was great for the team to be
able to practice against tough
competition before we head
off for our main tournament in
ChiangMai.”
Through the home tournament, the varsity football
team learned better chemistry,
teamwork, and gained precious
experience from the multiple
games. Co-captain Nathan
Unruh (12) said, “The tournament was a great visual for the
coaches and the team to see
our strong points, and likewise,
our weak points.” At the end of
the day the Eagles stood proud
with a bronze trophy shimmering in their hands, eagerly waiting for their next opportunity
to play.
Sweat and grime dripped
from the huddle as the boys
swayed back and forth, back and
forth, back and forth chanting
from the bottom of their hearts.
Then suddenly, like a grenade,
the huddle bursts with yells,
screams, and roars echoing
throughout the stadium as the
starters broke away from the
huddle. Each player jogged to
his position in the scorching sun
to await the whistle to signal the
start of the game they came to
dominate. •
now that I’ve gotten to experience
them, I realize they’re more convenient to relax in without having
to be cautious of how you’re sitting,” said Priska Sugianto (11).
Skorts consist of a unique
combination of a pair of shorts
with a piece of material over
the front, creating the allusion
of a skirt. The majority of girls
who faced this sudden change,
embraced it as refreshing and
original. “I love how skorts are attractive yet easy to move around
in,” said Hannah Graves (10).
The comfortable skorts just
brush against invisible point that
lingers two inches above the
knee marking the appropriate
length, which eliminates any
chance of a dress code violation
and adds to the garment’s positive aspects.
With skirts comes a difficult
challenge of finding a balance
between modesty, femininity,
and comfort.
“Having to constantly make
sure my skirt is at an appropriate length gets terribly annoying, which is why I switched
to only wearing shorts,” said
Hannah Bradnam (12).
Girls from all grades have,
at one point or another, shared
in Bradnam’s frustration at the
exasperating discomfort of the
skirt, which makes the breezy
security of the skort only that
much more appealing. With
comments such as “I feel confident and carefree in the skort!”
by Kateria Cox (10), it remains
clear that the decision made to
switch from troublesome skirts
to carefree skorts has simplified
the nuisance of feminine apparel
for Dalat girls completely. •
sold red ribbons in order to raise
money for Care and Share. She
encouraged all by saying, “Come
along, don’t you all look lovely.
Remember this is all for charity!”
The day looked bright with
the hundreds of colors floating
around campus. In walking over
to the lockers, it became easy to
spot Amy Reimer (12) arranging
four girls’ hair consecutively.
“Who’s next?” she asked exasperatedly.
Students’ personalities shone
through the choices they wore.
Sandrine Thompson (10), for
example, looked very original;
she commented, “I know, I am
so fab. That is all.”
Obvious that the day stood
as a mighty success, the teachers’ relaxed their watchful eyes
keeping in the check the school
dress code. This particular Friday hopefully remains in the
forefront of students’ minds
as a positive participation in
raising money for Care and
Share. Most participated, leading to the raising of 5210 ringgit—an incredible contribution
from all—making this one of
most successful “no uniform”
days ever! •
playing
i n
full-
Dressed to Impress
A new day began; students
jumped from their cozy beds and
ran straight to their wardrobes in
order to find a perfect outfit. No
Uniform Day took centre stage on
27 September, and the excitement
rose as the morning wore on.
If one dared to enter the room
of a female that morning, one
might have faced piles of clothing after a desperate search for
the perfect outfit. Hair curlers
at the ready and makeup as their
Eagle’s Eye
By Josiah Steinkamp
By Hannah Bradnam
main weapon, the ladies stood
firm in a battle to look fantastic.
But if one had the grave misfortune to enter a male’s room,
the scene often showed very little
difference. The boys’rooms each
held a mountain of T-shirts flung
on the floor and a bounteous supply of hair gel, in the hope of improving their outer appearance.
After arriving at school, everyone rushed to the clock tower
where Mrs. Anne-Marie Pagee
11
October 2013