Wednesday 13 March 2024

Emphasizing the Mission

By Himani Alagan

At last, the year has rolled around to the counterpart of Spiritual Emphasis Week, known as Mission Emphasis Week, or more lovingly titled MEW. The many different student teams and classes, such as Leadership Development (LD) and Worship Band, are working around the clock to ensure a smooth week of chapel sessions and night sessions revolving around the “mission” for the week ahead. 

Savanna Choi (12), a drummer in the worship band, says, “The early morning practices have been incredibly useful for preparation with chapel worship.” 

Their excitement and readiness to praise the Lord through song most certainly shows in their performance. It fires the students up and gets them on their feet to praise Christ. 

Students from LD also contribute immensely to the MEW process. Kathryn Boyd (12) shares, “We’ve held lots of meetings to prepare for the upcoming week, as well as lots of prayers. We have crafted lots of material to use for the discussion of topics that we feel we want our student body to know more about as it relates to the missions and the calling that of has placed on each of our lives.” 

As shown, many students have been working around the clock to ensure the cohesive operation of the MEW chapel sessions to fit the elementary, middle school and high school. 

The night sessions also include many tailored talks from speakers outside our school and country, as well as the parents of a senior student. 

“There is so much insight to be gained from the talks in the night session. It definitely brings you closer to God,” says Noella Seevaratnam (12). 

So, if you’re looking for a spiritual gathering in which many valuable insights and words of wisdom are passed around, then the MEW night sessions are most definitely for you. In all, there is so much to be gained from hearing the plans and missions in both the chapel and night sessions.

Senior and Sophomore Bonding

By Sammy Jung

Last Friday the Seniors set up a party to bond with the sophomores at the Dalat campus. The senior ExCom came up with this idea in order for seniors and sophomores to bond and also get to know each other as well. The party consisted of dodgeball, color wars, and many more activities and fun. This was truly a night to remember and for both classes and with that came the opportunity to get to know each other better as well.

They played knockout and charades first where the classes were able to bond through competing but also working together as a team. 

After knockout and charades, the two classes went into the main gym and played dodgeball. They played free for all dodgeball first where it was every man for themselves, but there were alliances that consisted of three groups which were the senior boys, sophomore boys, and girls. The entire gym was chaotic and loud with students running around and throwing dodgeballs at each other. After the free for all dodgeball the two classes played normal dodgeball with just two teams going against each other. First it was the seniors against the sophomores where the game ended in a draw. Then it went onto girls against the boys where the boys won. Finally, the last game was against two teams that were mixed, consisting of both classes. The game had to include a doctor and a general where the doctor was able to revive the players while if the general got out it meant that the team immediately lost. 

After dodgeball the students went out to enjoy ice cream and drinks. There the students were able to bond with each other through talking and mingling with each other. 

Finally, the last part of the night was the most chaotic and fun, as Drew Worten said: “It was a fun time bonding with the sophomores by throwing color at their faces.” At first the sophomores were forced to sit in a circle and the seniors surrounded them and threw colors at them which gave the seniors a head start, but after that the entire place was chaotic with students just throwing colors at each other no matter what class they were in. This caused students from both classes to look like clowns and jesters. 

All in all, the sophomore and senior party was an unforgettable night with many students from both classes bonding together while also having a lot of fun and excitement. Through this event students from both the senior and sophomore class were able to bond and get to know each other better. This event was a true blessing for both classes and students from both classes hope to this again one day.

Wednesday 6 March 2024

Leap!

By Joyce Wan

February 29 saw students pouring into campus dressed to the nines as all manner of things that leap– from frogs to astronauts and fleas. Dressing up in accordance with “Leap Day” could mean anything from green, frog-eyed headbands to the full-body, furry gear of animals that leap. The influx of creative costuming was a vibrant end to the month’s Spirit Days, days where the whole school was invited to dress to a theme in the spirit of school unity and fun. Unique clothing and brilliant colors have always helped to drive away the monotony of constant classes, and this year was no exception. 

One noticeable absence from the school, however, was the senior class. As the rest of the student body flooded onto campus, the seniors gathered in the lobby of the hotel next door, preparing for the first day of their Senior Transition Retreat. While some of the seniors took to making Cheerios leap the farthest in a competition determining the most powerful sneeze, the one “leap” that was on everyone’s minds was the one between graduation and the impending stage of “growing up.” Just as a leap day once every four years keeps calendars from spinning out of control, the Senior Transition Retreat aimed to provide the senior class with the tools necessary to keep their soon-to-be futures screwed on straight. As Alexia Nyul (12) said, the retreat “was very informative and assuring to have some of my questions answered.” 

Back on campus, a variety of transitions were also incoming. Course registrations for rising high schoolers would set the tone for their next academic year. Jumpa Lagi and Selamat Tinggal shirts, a long-lasting tradition to say goodbye, were on sale. The new addition to the seaside front of Dalat finally had a roof, promising the eventual removal of navy construction fences and installation of a new building to harbor students. No matter the location and type of event, Leap Day, in a manner, marked a season of change and transition. 


College Transitions and Koi Fish

By Abbi Rinkenberger

Thursday morning, armed with a Zeus Spanish latte, I entered the Flamingo Hotel’s ballroom and eyed the metallic markers stocking the tables. An array of mind games and colorful maps decked the tables, items to maintain our attention spans during the sessions, but I focused on the pens and markers. During the sessions, while I doodled snails on a sheet of paper and sketched symbols on my binder, I listened to Mr. Dobson discuss transitions and how they affect TCKs immediately and in the future. The Senior Transition Retreat presentations opened my eyes to all the subtle ways my life would change through my transition to college and the importance of processing it now. 

During the break times, the ballroom hummed with energy. Students gathered in a circle to play Secret Hitler, a board game that elicited several instances of abrupt jumping and shouting. Others gathered in a reflective circle to pen their life stories on sheets of paper (I attempted to, but went off on a tangent on overthinking). A few played card games on the ground, the pleasant (though heated) banter radiating from the slap of cards. Card games that confirmed my snail-like reflexes. 

Regarding the retreat, Isaac Beaman (12) said, “I really appreciate getting to spend time with my classmates and playing board games.” 

In the evening and morning, I cherished the ocean breeze floating through the hotel, rustling the palm trees near the beach. The grounds of the hotel reminded me of the little details of Malaysia I would miss, from the view of the ocean to the vibrancy of the hidden garden. And it showed me new things I could appreciate, like the koi fish and red guppies dancing in the ponds. We were encouraged to appreciate our current home in the sessions – and I did. 

The final day of sessions carried a bittersweet atmosphere as we discussed grief and departure. Some seniors have an idea of where they are headed next, and others are waiting to hear back this month. Regardless, we were unified in our reminder to value the people around us and say goodbye well. 

Angel Lee (12) said, “I appreciated that the Senior Transition retreat actually made me realize that my senior year is almost over, and there was a session which introduced the grieving process. It's good to take it in, because I'm really gonna need it soon.” 

While I was mentally weary by the last session, I left the retreat with a commitment to enjoy my final months, process my emotions, and look forward to the next period of my life.


Senior Retreat: The First Day

By Jia Ru Sim

Seniors gathered on Thursday, February 29 to attend Senior Retreat, the last outing for them as a class.

On Thursday, February 29, the whole Senior class arrived at Flamingo Hotel at 8:25 am. Although they brought smiles at the beginning of the day, they knew it was going to be a long day. As they entered the ballroom, papers, folders, pencils, and pens were all over big, round tables- it felt like a formal meeting. And soon, Mr. Dobson started the first session. After that one long hour, snacks like noodles were provided to fill the hungry kids. Then, the next session came and proceeded with slides and games that kept us awake. 

Soon, the most anticipated time came: Lunch. Unlike the 45-minute lunch on a regular school day, they had a 3-hour lunch break and free time. Everyone fled to different places and restaurants around the area in no time. Since they couldn’t check in to the room yet, many people played games such as Monopoly, poker, and other interactive games. One could describe the ballroom as a playground as craziness and excitement filled the room, yet everyone hoped this moment would last. As Alicia Lim (12) said, “I enjoyed talking with my friends and playing at the playground (at the hotel).”

But as they say, good things don’t stay forever. Another session interrupted the fun times until dinner time came. The dinner was provided by the hotel; it had a few sections- a section with local fruits and desserts, a section with some main dishes like rice and potatoes, and a section with BBQ on the other side. Everyone eventually filled their stomachs, preparing for another 3 hours of long sessions. The first of the three sessions included alumni sharing their experiences as TCKs in the first hour. Next, seniors were separated into two different rooms with respect to their gender; female and male teachers took turns answering various deep and quirky questions submitted by the seniors earlier in the day.

The sessions finally ended at 9:00 pm, and the tired seniors were met with snacks. The fruitful yet tiring day finally ended. 

Relaxing or Tiring or Entertaining

By Alicia Lim

On the day of Thursday last week, we seniors got to go on a senior transition retreat for two days. It was a day full of seminars about our upcoming university life, with time to bond with our friends. Most of us seniors were already drowning with senioritis, and we couldn't wait to just take a break from school. Since it was our first transition retreat, we didn't know what to expect. Most of the days were filled with seminars, which was like another class that led us to be mentally drained a little. 

But there's a good side, according to Packia Alagu Nagarajan, "I liked that they gave us markers and let us doodle while listening to the panels. I really enjoyed spending time with my classmates and friends." 

Looking back, I see that the markers were a real savior, as going through hours with nothing to do would be less of a retreat and more like a classroom. Hanging out with our friends really helped us reconnect with each other as we will graduate soon and miss these moments together.

Now, the juiciest part of the night was the relationship panel. It was full of hilarious and useful questions that made our day. Their answers were engraved in our minds because they were interesting and partly surprising. According to Heeeun Bang, she said, "Senior Retreat was fun but painful at the same time. It was fun to hang out with friends like little children, but it did ache my body to sit for a long period of time. But I gotta say, the highlight of the retreat was when we got to ask the panels about relationships." 

Since we got to participate in writing the questions it made it much more funnier to know that it was coming from one of us but at the same time more relatable. All in all I would summarize the emotions I felt during the trip was relaxing, tiring, and entertaining.

Wednesday 28 February 2024

International Ballers!

By Alexia Nyul

Last week, both the girls’ and boys’ varsity basketball teams traveled to different countries to compete in ACSC. The girls traveled to Hong Kong to play against other schools in ICS Hong Kong, and the boys traveled to Jakarta to compete in SPH.

Aside from playing basketball, eating, and sleeping, players were also given the opportunity to serve the communities in which they stayed and even tour the city at night. For their service project, the girls’ team packed “shine bags” filled with first aid supplies and bread vouchers and later walked Hong Kong in groups and handed them out to the cardboard collectors who work for hours at a time on the streets of Hong Kong. This service project gave the girls a deeper appreciation for the people who do hard manual jobs and gave us a space to grow friendships with people outside of Dalat. 

For the seniors on the team, ACSC week was an emotionally charged week with wild rollercoasters of the joys of winning their games and mourning the end of their season. 

Kyra Brewster, a junior on the team, said “I really enjoyed having the opportunity to have such a great bonding experience with my team and to have the opportunity to tour around Hong Kong and play against other amazing girls.” 

Although the girls had a great start to the tournament, placing at the top of their pool, they had a hard time in eliminations, placing fifth overall. 

Drew Worten, a senior on the boys team, said, “ACSC was a really fun time hanging out with friends and other schools. We had a rough start, but we persevered, and we never gave up, making it all the way to third place.” After placing second to last in their pool, the boys were able to quickly pull it together and keep their heads up to make their climb in eliminations to third place.