Bubble Tea Masters No More

Lexi Zimbulis

"Wait…how do you make this again?" Mary Claire Macintyre (12) exclaimed, stainless steel shaker in hand, as she tried to remember the steps for concocting one of the Junior Class Store's most popular drink: peach bubble tea.

The same stress and confusion Mary Claire experienced was common among members of the senior class, when they took over Dalat's beloved Junior Class Store while the juniors were at Servathon on Friday the 25th of September.

It began at approximately 2:30 pm. As the juniors worked tirelessly to finish painting Sekolah Kebangsaan Tanjung Tokong (SKTT) down the road from Dalat, a few seniors in H-Block study hall struggled to open the store.

Only a few short months ago, the class of 2016 had run their store with ease--one could even say with poise. But last year's training seemed to prove useless in the face of the class of 2017's new and improved store, almost quadruple the size of last year's store, and complete with fancy shelves, working blenders, and a non-leaky sink the seniors couldn't help but feeling a little envious of.

"Do these pearls look okay?" "How do you set out the candy?" "Where's the cash box?" Questions like these were floating around the store ten minutes before opening, which showed that the seniors didn't seem to be off to a very good start.

When the metal shutters to the store were finally opened and the first shift of seniors began to greet customers, their time out of practice was apparent. “Chaos” is a word that came to mind. Ice was spilled, orders were forgotten, and lines were long.

Seniors began to have flashbacks to their junior class training days, where Mr. Steinkamp, a class sponsor, would chant the recipes for bubble tea: “1 scoop creamer, 2 scoops flavor, 6 pumps sugar…”

Slowly but surely, however, the seniors began to get back into the swing of things. The initial mayhem quieted down a little, and the drinks were made faster—and cleaner. As the afternoon progressed and the seniors began to await the return of the juniors, everyone working seemed to be having a good time, smiling and laughing, while they reminisced on last year’s memories of working in the store.

"I miss our old store, but I couldn’t do this every day anymore,” concluded Boyie Chin (12).

Nods and sounds of approval from others around her made it clear that the torch of bubble tea and Oreo smoothie making had been passed to the new juniors at the beginning of the school year.

The seniors closed the store that Friday grateful for the experience and opportunity to help the juniors, but glad also for the fact that it was over. And a little less envious of their store.

Juniors Skip School and Spread Influence

Joyce Oh

Last Friday, 25 September, Dalat’s junior class spent eight hours at SKTT (Sekolah Kebangsaan Tanjong Tokong) cleaning, repairing, and painting its walls to benefit the community in Penang.

Christy Chow, a member of the Junior Class ExCom, said “We chose SKTT as our Servathon destination because the school was close, which means we could directly witness our project’s effect on the community. Also, we thought it was a great idea to do a service project in a place where Dalat already had connections, so that we can strengthen our relationship with them.”

Each year Dalat’s junior class is involved in a number of important activities, designed to honor the senior class, serve the school community, and reach out beyond the school walls to the local community.

The Servathon is a part of their fundraising process that provides the opportunity for the juniors to help reach their financial goal and to leave a positive and cheerful impact on the people they choose to serve.

The students raise money by finding one or more sponsors who will participate in the Servathon by donating for hourly work or a set amount. For example, Darby Kendrick requested for her parents, families she babysat for, her family’s landlord, and other relatives to become her sponsors.

“They we all very supportive of this idea, which motivated me to work more diligently during the service project,” said Kendrick.

In order to increase their efficiency, the juniors divided up the duties by assigning different people at hallways, classrooms, doors, and exterior walls of the school. The painting committee not only added colors to the gray walls but also added mosaics and drawings as decorations.

            According to Hannah Buhr, the juniors worked with good spirits despite the heat and the haze, because many students had already invested their time at this school through the SKTT English Camp that happens at the beginning of each month.

 “We had a lot of fun just being together outside the school. We told riddles, jokes, and funny stories to keep ourselves entertained and positive,” added Buhr.

Junior Class experiences like the Servathon allow juniors to bond as a class, as they work towards a common goal. Their productivity and hard work will be paid off the following year through their own senior trip, a long-standing tradition of Dalat.

Photo Credit: Ning Kang Chia

The Junior's After Sneak Dinner

Sarah Stevens

Last Monday was Dalat's annual After Sneak Dinner. This dinner was put on by the junior class to say "welcome back" to the seniors who were gone the week before on their Sneak.

The After Sneak Dinner is a chance for the juniors to learn to work together and practice putting together an event before the much looked forward to JSB (Junior Senior Banquet). This year's theme was a 50’s dinner with a twist…a murder mystery.

For any junior class, pulling off After Sneak Dinner is the first test. One can usually judge a class based on this event. The keys to pulling it off are hard work, teamwork, and leadership. From an outside perspective, this class did a wonderful job. But what do they think?

"Teamwork is a very important aspect of any event," said Susan Oh (11), leader of the invitations’ committee, when asked about her experience in creating this memorable dinner. "I learned that we could pull something off as a class. We really bonded and it gave us a good picture of what JSB would look like."

Others seemed to say the same thing. "We actually work really well together," said Mersades Zimmer (11), leader of the decorations’ committee.

Teamwork is one of the most important attributes of a good event. Whenever a team works well together, the event can become all that it was planned to be. Not only do the people have to work well together, but they also have to simply work well . Being organized and getting the job done is very important. This ties into the last thing that is required for a good event, being leadership.

To have a good event, good leaders are necessary. Leaders represent the whole group and are often accredited with the group's achievements. Leadership positions are not all they're cracked up to be, though. The leaders often have the most stressful jobs. The leader is the first one there on a work day, and the last one to leave when everything is done. They have to work throughout the week, beyond the 8-4p workday hours. They must be coordinated. They gather the supplies and know where everything is. But, they must also be kind. It requires a lot of patience to work with so many people and not be worried with setbacks. Everything is on their shoulders.
I would like to take a second to recognize and thank the leaders of the junior class:

Committees:
Decorations- Mersades Zimmer
Entertainment- Kimberly Horton
Invitations- Susan Oh
Food- Keito Watanabe

Excom:
President- Jarrod Chang
Vise-president- Andrew Kim
Business Manager- Emmet Balzer
Secretary- Lillian Li
Photography- Ning Kong Chia
Food- Keito Watanabe
Public Relations- Christy Chow

I am sure your class appreciates you and is happy they elected you. We, the seniors, sure are. The dinner turned out great, and the seniors had an awesome time. It was truly a memorable night.

Photo credit: Ning Kang

Sneaky Dinner Party

Boyie Chin

On the 21st of September, the Monday after Senior Sneak, the twelfth graders found their way to Big Dustin’s Diner, which was run by the juniors.

            The highly anticipated night had arrived—the after-sneak dinner. Suspense grew in the midst of all the seniors who were waiting at the outdoor basketball court. Alexis Zimbulis (12), the senior class president, gathered her peers and indicated that it was time to head down to the chapel. The senior class trickled down the narrow steps towards the Chapel. Upon arriving at the bottom steps, a big sign read “Big Dustin’s Diner.” Juniors welcomed the seniors into the chapel, while declaring free seating order.

            As seniors selected their seats in the crowded chapel, Mr. Horton, a sponsor of the junior class, ran in with a blue plastic cup.  After yelling, “It was Leonard,” he fell “dead” in the middle of the chapel. Confused faces looked at each other when the collapse occurred. A few more juniors, part of the entertainment committee, entered the room, acting as detectives. A murder has occurred and these ‘elite’ detectives were going to solve it. Scattered laughter filled the atmosphere as some jokes were told.

Soon thereafter, dinner service arrived. The paper plates were filled with delicious French fries and other sorts of appetizing food that one might find in a 50’s diner. Throughout the meal, laughter and conversation filled the air.

Part way through the meal, Aaron Chand (11) strolled up to the stage and declared a game of Jeopardy. The room was split into two teams; team one was known as Team Fabulous, and team two was known as Team Awesome. Each team took turns picking the categories to answer from. The questions consisted of 50’s sayings. After a few intense rounds, the game ended, and Team Awesome won.

An emergency broadcast then played. Kyle Fischer, a former Dalat class of 2016 student, was shown on a screen. Because of the special effects that were added, the attendees of the senior class gazed at each other in uncertainty. The video faded and the night continued.

While the meal continued, melodies filled the air, as four of the juniors (Noah Graves, Darby Kendrick, Susan Oh, and Tim Sasse) danced their way to the front and performed a 60’s dance. Clapping echoed throughout the hall after the juniors danced with big smiles on their faces. Soon after the dance, two more games were introduced, being blowing the biggest bubble and pinning the cherry on the milkshake. Mrs. Roberts and Sarah Stevens (12) won the games respectively and received prizes that were clues to the murder. After the games, a catchy track played on the speaker, while juniors crowded the room and danced to the beat. They invited the seniors to join them, which everyone did. Giggles were heard while seniors tried to perfect their moves.

As the night drew to a close with dessert, the senior class anticipated the mystery to be resolved. “Leonard” was a name that kept coming up. The detectives appeared for one more scene to determine who the murderer was. Mr. Steinkamp, who has the middle name of Leonard, was found guilty of killing Mr. Horton. The night closed as Mr. Steinkamp was taken away.

"I did not know anything about the theme, which made the night a lot more fun and mysterious! The entertainment, decorations, and food were amazing; the juniors did such a great job,” Amanda Goh (12) commented after feasting upon the energy of the wonderful night.

The seniors, with smiles on their faces, left Big Dustin’s Diner for good.

Pathway of Joy

Katiera Cox

After a full last year working through the “junior experience,” the class of 2016 finally departed the night of 14 September for their long anticipated sneak. Excitement buzzing, they loaded the bus and were off to spend the next five days bonding, relaxing, and blessing an Indonesian village with their service project.

The morning of the 16^th, after the seniors arrived, they rose bright and early ready to serve the Indonesian community by cementing a pathway and playing with the kids at the Belakang Pedang Primary School. As they entered into the community, they were surrounded by many of the awaiting kids who were excited to meet their guests. Stuttering the little Bahasa some of them knew, the seniors mostly used big smiles and signs to communicate to the kids.

As half the class shoveled, mixed, and paved the cement with some locals, the other half dove right into playing with the kids. The boys played soccer and threw the frisbee around, while the senior girls learned many of the Indonesian games and dances.

Titus Hwang (12) said, “It was a great experience to hang out with kids who needed lots of love.” He carried a little guy named Adit on his back for three hours, playing tag and laughing.

Many others fell in love with the kids, creating memories and making it difficult to leave. As Noel Teng (12) said, “I connected really well with a child, and I hope to visit him again one day.”

By noon, a delicious Indonesian lunch was served where the seniors gathered to eat with their hands. For some it was just like being at home, while others experienced, for the first time, the technique of shoveling food into one’s mouth with his or her hands.

Then once again, the class went back to work completing the cement pathway and playing with the kids. Once the work was done, sweat pouring down their backs, muscles aching, and their hearts full of joy, they closed the project with gifts and thank yous. The senior’s hearts were truly grateful for the experience to bless the village and be blessed in return by the joy these kids brought.

As Kalea Ruble (12) said, “The service project was definitely one of my favourite things. It was so great to be back in Indonesia and speak Bahasa with the kids. They were all so incredibly sweet and generous with us. It was a very meaningful part of the trip.” 

The Thrills and Highlights of the Sneaky Seniors

Christina Kim

Everyone stood in line with excitement as they climbed the ladders to the enormously high diving deck. Each person would soon have to face the moment of his or her fall.

Last week on 14 September, the senior class travelled a long journey on Monday night to the beautiful resort of Telunas Beach, located an hour and a half away by boat from Batam, Indonesia. As the class clambered onto the dock of the resort after a lengthy boat ride, they noticed the high deck.

 “The first time I saw the deck, it was so scary and it was so much taller than I thought it would be,” said Brenda Ng (12).

One day after lunch, a guide named Johnny went over the rules of diving, because he wanted to prevent as many injuries as possible. The diving deck was about ten feet tall, and not one person wanted to miss the dive for it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

“I wasn’t scared at all before the jump but during the jump, I was scared for a short time. Overall it was fun,” said Tae Woong Won (12).

Another one of the main highlights of the trip was the hike to Air Hitam, which was a waterfall. Air Hitam means ‘black water’ in Bahasa. Johnny explained to the class the night before that Air Hitam was a tiny waterfall with black waters because of the minerals and roots.

“You can think of it as tea water,” said Johnny. That day, the class hiked about 10 km there and back, but, to the hikers’ relief, it was not that exhausting because there were barely any hills.

The day was hot, so as soon as everyone arrived and finished their lunches, they started to head into the cool water. Johnny demonstrated each jump from two rocks, and soon everyone was jumping and splashing in the water.

“Even though it was a long, hot, and tiring hike, it was so much worth it because the water was cold and refreshing,” said Calvin Thompson (12). 

As everyone was getting ready to leave the waterfall, Johnny whispered something into Mr. Steinkamp’s ear. Johnny, another guide named Agung, and Mr. Steinkamp started climbing up the rocks to the top of the waterfall. As Mr. Steinkamp got ready for his big jump, everyone got excited.

Some people yelled, “DBS! Don’t be stupid!” as a joke (“DBS” was an acronym chosen by Mr. Steinkamp to remind everyone not to be stupid for safety reasons during the trip).

Finally, Mr. Steinkamp dived into the water with a loud “splash!” and everyone started cheering and applauding for their brave sponsor. Along with Director Steinkamp followed Agung and Johnny.

The thrills and craziness of the trip made it even more memorable and fun.

Activities at Telunas

Josh Park

Telunas, the beautiful island an hour and thirty minutes away from civilization, was filled with all kinds of activities for everyone.

            After a long boat ride from society, the staff at Telunas greeted the entire senior class with “welcome drinks,” which consisted of a delicious blend of tropical fruits and an unknown carbonated drink.  Once students settled in, the staff led an Adventure Race that involved several team bonding challenges.  Teams of twelve completed various tasks, including counting fences, decoding messages, and lashing sticks together as quickly as possible in an attempt to complete all the challenges first.

With the closing of the final event, students then had their first free time experience at Telunas.  Some students raced off to line up at the ping pong table or the tetherball and badminton court, while others played soccer, volleyball, and ultimate frisbee.  As simple as the activities on the first day were, free time allowed for students to reach out of their spheres of comfort and spend time with other people outside of their friendship group.

On the second day, new activities opened up and students were able to jump off both the high and low docks.  Additionally, students and chaperones could rent a kayak and traverse across the blue waters of Indonesia.  Students raced in their kayaks and some, including myself, capsized and swallowed several mouthfuls of salt water.  The third day consisted of another free time based schedule. Games of CTF (Capture the Flag) on the beach and a sand castle building competition were led by Dalat student leaders and staff. 

After finishing the two activities, students found themselves with the rest of the day off.  I enjoyed the thrill of line fishing for several hours, catching three fish in the first day!  Line fishing was very simple to jump right into and extremely rewarding for the little effort required; students simply put bait on their hooks and lowered their lines into the water, waiting for the immediate tingling caused by the nibbling of the hungry fish.  Within minutes, a fish would be hooked on the end of one’s line.

Overall, the abundance of activities at Telunas left no one bored during the week students spent away from home.  Even after five days, students were unable to try all the activities offered, such as paddle boarding.  However, if one were ever to return or even visit Telunas for the first time, my activity of recommendation would be line fishing as a must, because of the potential rewarding sensation of catching multiple fish.

Petrichor-like, Paradisiac Pizzas; Blissful, Bloom Bonfire; Flawless, Fulfilling Foods

Jonathan Park

The closing ceremony, or the opening ceremony, depending on how the seniors view it, of the one week long Senior Sneak took place around the biggest bonfire on the shores of Telunas on Friday, 18 September.
The class of 2016 took a one week break as a class away from school, from 14-19 September, for their Senior Sneak. Before getting into the bonfire, bonding, reflection time, and guitar playing, though, there is something that cannot be missed: it is the food of Telunas. Yes, you read it right. The food was extra fabulously amazing, incredible, unforgettable, and superfluously fantastically awesome. Part of breakfast consisted of the basics, being cereal (cornflakes, Honey Stars, and oatmeal), fruits (oranges and apples), bread with strawberry jam and Nutella, and occasionally pastries (cinnamon rolls and pound cakes). Doesn’t that sound filling already? The other part, however, was a different story. The self-service omelet station included mushrooms, peppers, garlics, and onions. The popularity of it was so substantial that the lines consisting of devourers and epicures were extended out of the cafeteria. And breakfast wasn't the only prominent jock. In fact, lunch and dinner were, if not, more beloved than breakfast. Empty stomachs were attracted to some of the following foods: sesame chicken, sweet and sour fish, long beans, fruit tart, spaghetti, shrimp, tacos with guacamole, brownies—just to name a few. 
 "The food was really authentic and wonderful, as each day passed, the food provided for us was so rewarding," said Samuel Tan (12). 
And then there was the last meal. Forget Dominos. Forget Papa Johns. Forget Pizza Hut. The seniors were given the opportunity to make their very own pizza with a partner as their final dinner of Sneak. Telunas Beach Resort handmade pizza is literally, hands down, the best. Once again, the self-making pizza included toppings of tomato paste, beef, peppers, onions, mushrooms, pineapples, and cheese. Seniors were paired up for one pizza which resulted in half a pizza per person. Well, half a pizza did not seem enough. Nothing seemed enough. Food, time, relationship building, and activities all seemed to be wanted more. 
Once the pizzas entered the dome-shaped oven for baking, chitchat aroused around the bonfire as waiting prolonged. 
“The open space only helped bring people closer,” said Isaac Chan (12). 
A few of the students played badminton and ping pong on the beach as they waited for their sacrificed pizza to resurrect from the heat of the oven. But truly, the wait for the pizzas wasn’t met with disappointment. Each bite of the pizzas caused cheese to spread like stretched rubber bands. The look of amusement and satisfaction were written over everyone’s face. It was a taste never to be forgotten.
  Gabriela Mims led the final worship set with her beautiful voice and the strumming of her guitar, as the bonfire rose to its prime. With Senior Sneak coming close to an end, time of reflection began. Questions about future fears and free responses were the most enjoyed moments; emotions from laughter to sorrowfulness were all shared amongst the class. With the fire dying, so did the time of bonding. But, when it comes to bonfire, there is one gem that can’t be ignored: s’mores. With s’mores, the deep conversation over the bonfire concluded, and free time was given for the rest of the night. This was one last chance of bonding or ROOTSing, as this was the theme for the class. ROOTS! 

BBQ in Pink

Titus Hwang

On Saturday, 12 September, with the sky cloudy and the air muggy, swarms of Dalat students, teachers, and staff enjoyed community and fellowship at the PTO barbecue.

Staying true to form, rain pelted down as the students and teachers enjoyed the continuation of a relaxing weekend. Despite this rain, the PTO cooks plated various kinds of delicious delicacies, such as hot dogs and burgers. Their pink shirts brought a shocking color to the gray and hazy sky. The crowd delighted in the community and the adventure of the blusterous storm.

 "This year they had more options for us to eat, and it was better than last year," said Calvin Thompson (12) with excitement.

Everyone enjoyed the delicious meal. Students, friends, and family all had time to bond with each other during the BBQ.

Along with ample food, the PTO had other opportunities for the community to engage one another. In front of Jaffray dorm, students crowded the table to get their faces painted and nails polished in order to help sponsor kids who are in need. The event was a great success. Though the rain could have discouraged the Saturday fun, the community joined to make memories and were able to bless others besides themselves.

Once the barbecue settled down, students gathered under the shelter of their dorm living rooms, sharing stories of the excitement of the day.

 “Aubrey found a spider in her sausage,” smirked Grace Chang (10). And with that the dorm rolled out in laughter and gasps.

 The PTO barbecue was just another way for the community to join together enjoying games, laughter, and newly created memories. 

A Musical Metaphor for Life

Hannah Graves

"Always be the best you can be at whatever you're doing," said Dr. Erin Bodner in response to the question, "What do you want the students of the Massed Band Festival to take away from this experience?" 

Last week, fifty-five Dalat International School students traveled to Bangkok, Thailand, for the annual ISB Massed Band Festival. Every other year the Dalat high school band has the chance to attend this special event. This year, students had the opportunity to experience a very proficient conductor. Before the concert on 12 September, they spent two entire days preparing music with Dr. Bodnar and five other international schools from the Bangkok area.

“She had a very passionate connection with the music and the students,” said Jarrod Chang (11).

 Dr. Bodnar’s positive attitude contributed to the students’ improvement over the course of the two days.

“She really pushed us to be the best we could be and try our hardest throughout all of the practices,” Titus Hwang (12) commented.

Dr. Erin Bodnar, from Alberta, Canada, received a Doctorate of Musical Arts from the University of Seattle in Washington. She is now the conductor of the Symphonic Band and head of the music department at Graceland University in Ohio. She used her musical experience to teach the students valuable lessons during the festival, and her passion for music and expressive attitude truly inspired the young musicians around her.

A favorite takeaway for some students were her metaphors for music.

“I love all the different colors [instrument sounds] of music and how each piece of music brings out different colors,” she repeated to the band numerous times. “Don’t let the audience see a black canvas, paint the picture for them!” she continued.

In response to the question, “What do you love about music?” Dr. Bodnar replied, without hesitation, “Sharing it!”

She surely did share her love for music with all of the students at the International School of Bangkok during the two days of this festival. The memories made and lessons learned will surely not be forgotten.

One Mass of a Band

Tayah Lee

On Thursday, 10 September, at 7:45am, the fifty-five high school concert band students gathered in front of two bright buses on Upper Field with their luggage and instrument cases in hand, ready to begin their journey.

"I'm so excited!" squealed Hannah Graves (12), just as she had done for the past several days.

Graves's energy and enthusiasm made sure the students and chaperones were awake, but each already had his or her own excitement built up for the long awaited Massed Band Festival in Bangkok, Thailand.

         Although one month is a short period of time for preparation, the band had been dedicated to practicing and rehearsing the festival music every day during class and on students' own time as well. Melodies and rhythms from the five pieces—“Flourish for Wind Band,” “Country Gardens,” “Dusk, Voodoo,” and “Postcards from Singapore”—could be heard emanating from the band room in the morning and after school.

"I think that our hours of work and dedication beforehand really payed off because we went [to the festival] with a really strong foundation," says Jarrod Chang (11). "We could easily follow the directions that the conductor gave us, so it really helped us with the transition to the massed band."

         The journey to the festival in Thailand consisted of many adventures and events on a four-hour bus ride to Hat Yai, followed by a two-hour flight to Bangkok. Split up onto the two buses, students slept, listened to music, took pictures, and played games. Other students presented the group with riddles.

 "I was totally confused by Jarrod's riddles, but they turned out to be very, very, very stupid," complained Sunny Kim (12), as most mind-boggling problems were revealed to be shockingly simple.

         Upon finally reaching Bangkok, the group piled onto a double-decker bus and drove straight to dinner: an all-you-can-eat buffet surrounded by a view of the city skyline in the Baiyoke Tower. The meal was followed by enjoying the view from not only the tower's peak on an outdoor, slow-rotating platform, but also through a glass elevator that traveled to the base.

         The next day and a half totaled to nine hours of playing time during rehearsal sessions with the massed band on the campus of The International School of Bangkok (ISB). The colossal band consisted of 215 students from six different international schools, including seven tuba players, twenty-six percussionists, thirty-five alto saxophonists, fifty flutists, and twenty-eight trumpeters.

          Dr. Erin Bodner, the guest conductor, took these students from different schools, backgrounds, and talents, and transformed them into one band with one sound to perform a grand concert.

As the high school band director, Ms. Laura Danneker said, "There was significant improvement over the course of a day and a half of rehearsals. The first few practices were very rough; but gradually the sounds became more unified, and everyone worked better together."

           Freshman percussionist, Nicholas Khor, said the following about the trip, "It was an amazing experience to be able to bond with students from other schools and play music together."

 As the Dalat high school band students made their way back to their home-island, they brought with them more skills, new experiences, and a greater appreciation for each other.

To bring closure to the great trip, Graves reflected, "Guys, I'm so happy. This was so fun."

The Fine-Tuning of Music

Sheng-Ting Yang

Prepared but anxious, the Dalat International School band arrived for their first massed-band rehearsal in the International School of Bangkok (ISB). For the past two months, these band students practiced heartily for the eventual need to perform heart-warming music to respected audiences.

“The massed-band practices were so tiring; however, the results were worth it,” Jonathan Park said about the preparation. 

Early Friday morning, 11 September, the Dalat band students, along with their chaperons, entered the International School of Bangkok Music stadium. Five other international schools gathered to practice with a renowned music director, Dr. Erin Bodnar. Every individual was energized with excitement and focus. Each section of instruments was specifically guided by Dr. Bodnar to remove any errors.

“Only when every band player forgets about the assumption that they are the best that is when a music group show’s its greatest potential,” Dr. Bodnar noted.

Five music pieces were practiced during that day. Each piece was executed with complexity. For eight hours, the Dalat band students practiced vigorously to improve their skills. 

But what stood out about DIS players compared to the rest?

As Bodnar said, “I could tell which students were from Dalat, as those are the ones who seem to know most about what they're doing.”

 Every piece was fine-tuned to perfection as the students executed each note attentively. As hours passed, the once incompatible schools became one with excellence. Every player in the massed-band had a significant role. No mistakes were acceptable, and it was mandatory for every solo moment to be played elegantly. As the day passed, the students were exhausted. Yet, their hard work resulted in incredible results.

Shark Attack is Finally Back!

Jane Jung

“We wanted to have a beach theme party, and we tried to bring in a little more ‘crazy’—sharks seemed to fit into the equation,” explained Peter Lee (12), StuCo’s Public Relations, about StuCo’s first event called ‘Welcome Back, Shark Attack.’

This event was held on campus on Friday evening, 4^th September 2015. At 6:15p.m., 103 high school students gathered in the lower campus’ amphitheater to start the event. They were then separated into 12 teams, with 8 to 10 students on each team; the team namers were as follows: J Puffs, The Nae Nae’s, Crimson Tide, Bing Bong, Team 6, Ultimate Fried Rice, Pooper Scoopers, Team 9, Dongs, Team 11, Jarrod’s Junior, and Shaion is cool. Each team was assigned to different areas, including Upper Field, the gym, and the outdoor basketball court.

At Upper Field, four teams played waterslide kickball, in which students aimed for high scores by running around water and soap covered tarps to kiddie pool bases.

“Even though the bases were dirty and wet, we all had lots of fun watching others slip and fall,” stated Yeorin Yun (11).

At the gym, four other teams played shark-and-dolphin dodgeball games. The game was called ‘shark-and dolphin’ because each team had a ‘shark’ who could run outside of his or her team’s boundaries and hit the opponents, and the ‘dolphin’ could save hit players by touching them.

At the outdoor basketball court, four other teams played American football with water balloons. The goal of the game was to have students get a touchdown by passing or running a water balloon without it breaking.

When the games were over, the teams rotated until each station was completed. The winner of the game was announced at the end of the day, with J Puffs, a group of 10 seniors, winning 1^st place and the Pooper Scoopers, a group of 10 seniors and juniors, winning 2^nd place. The prize for the 1^st place team was a RM5 StuCo coupon for each teammate, while the prize for the 2^nd place was a RM3 StuCo coupon for each teammate.

After the games, at around 8p.m., all players gathered at the amphitheater to watch the movie Soul Surfer. While watching this, students munched on pizza, hotdogs, baked cookies, Shark Attack popsicles, marshmallows, and drinks. Students were free to watch the movie or hang out on the campus until 10p.m.. 

Knowing Dr. Stuart

Angela Tan

Meet Dr. Stuart, our new human anatomy and physiology teacher at Dalat International School, who also works as a chiropractor at Life Journey Centre in Penang. He may seem quiet and shy on the outside, but his passion for his job rages like a burning fire on the inside.

On the first day of school, Mr. Stuart walked into the human anatomy and physiology classroom. His day 1 introduction put the class into chills, because he told them that he doesn’t have much teaching experience. However, his passion for teaching this content has definitely been seen by the class, which has proved that any doubt is unnecessary.

So, why did he become a chiropractor? Mr. Stuart expresses that he was once hurt in high school while playing sports. Despite several medical treatments, nothing seemed to be helping him. He was then introduced to a chiropractic treatment, which ended up curing him. After this initial sport’s injury, he also encountered other health problems, but every time the chiropractor was able to cure him. It was then that he became impressed and gained interest in chiropractic work.

Mr. Stuart finds joy in his chiropractic career, even though it isn’t a very common—or understood—medical practice in Malaysia. Nevertheless, he enjoys it, despite that he gets nervous about communicating about his job to people who aren’t receptive to the idea of chiropractic work.

Mr. Stuart states that the most important reason he enjoys being a chiropractor is because he wants to help people, God’s creation, who are in need. As he says, “I get to see people get well, get healthy. It’s good to give them hope. Because many times a lot of them have been to the medical doctors, trying lots of different things, but nothing could really help them, so they just lost hope eventually. They’re looking for some type of answer outside, but really the answer is inside.”

Finally, when being asked why he decided to teach human anatomy and physiology, he says, “I was asked to become a teacher. And at first, I thought, ‘No way! I’m not a teacher. I can’t do that!’ But then I was encouraged by others, because they knew that I had passion for it. And I thought, what a better way to have influence on students then by teaching them about something that I’m passionate about. In one way, I feel like I’m just not qualified, [as] I’ve never taught a class before, but I definitely understand the human body. I’ve worked with it for twenty years. So I felt excited to teach it and eventually took up the job.”

So, if you ever have any questions regarding chiropractic work, Mr. Stuart should be the person you want to go to. He probably will end up amazing you by how much passion a doctor can have for his job.

The Logo of the Nations

Isaac Chan

On 4 September, the Logos Hope docked at the Swettenham Pier Cruise Terminal. The boat will be staying until the 27^th, when it will depart for the next city on its world tour.

The Logos Hope is owned by a German-based Christian organization and boasts the world’s largest floating book fair. They are a Christian organization with various outreach programs—the largest one being their book fair.

It was built in the early 70’s, but was only used as a ferrying ship between the Faroe Islands, during which it was called the Gustav Vasa. Then in 2009, the ship was bought by the aforementioned German-based Christian organization and renamed the Logos Hope.

All of the crew onboard the Logos Hope are volunteers and tend to volunteer for a period of two years. The crew is qualified to sail, so no need to worry if you ever decide to travel with them. Should you choose to join them, you need to be at least 18 years of age and be capable of funding yourself over the duration of the trip. All of the work, after all, is volunteer work. All profits made onboard the ship goes toward funding their other outreach programs.

According to their website, the goal of the Logos Hope is “to bring knowledge, help, and hope to the nations.” They bring knowledge with their extensive collection of books, which exceeds 5,000 titles. These books are not necessarily sold, rather, they may be donated to help build knowledge. They bring help by simply being in a position to… well, help. Whether it be by donating supplies, building a shelter, or playing with the children, they do it all with the intent of showing God’s love to mankind. They bring hope by sharing their testimonies with those who haven’t heard of hope. For them, hope is the driving force behind their choice to leave their families and come onboard this ship.

Recently, Dalat had four members of the Logos come and share a little about themselves and their lives on the ship. The representatives showed their diversity as a crew and their faith as individuals. The visitors came from different corners of the world: Switzerland, Ecuador, Malaysia, and Thailand. But it was faith that convicted all of them to leave their homes and go and be God’s witnesses to the nations.

Our visitors were warmly welcomed by the Dalat community. Dael Kim (8) says, “it’s cool, I kind of want to try living on that kind of ship.”

Others felt awe at their dedication to this form of ministry. “I was intrigued by the inner workings of a ship and how everyone has a role in the crew to keep the ship up and running,” commented Rahul Gill (10).

More still felt a personal connection to the crew. Miss Emily Peace’s mother lived on one of these ships. “I feel like all the people on these ships are really committed to what they do… They really have a strong heart for ministry,” she remarked.

The Logos Hope has certainly lived up to its name and reinvigorated a spark of hope in our own community. Thank you, Logos Hope. We wish you the best in your next endeavors!

The Hungry Race: A Privilege or a Toil?

Gloria Kim

            Sitting in a chair and listening to a teacher talk surely doesn’t sound like a hard task, but students will agree that something about it drains their energy. By the time the clock strikes 12:00 PM, the students’ biological clocks also strike the hungry hour, and the race down to the cafeteria begins. But the seniors—supposedly the most mature of the bunch—have a whole other race: a trip beyond the gates of the school.

            Seniors have the sweet privilege of going to any restaurant of their choice during the lunch block. But is it really all that 'sweet'? Bound by the time limit of forty-five minutes, they have to take less than ten minutes to walk to the nearest food stalls, order their choice of food, stuff it down, walk back to the school in less than ten minutes, and retrieve their ID cards from Bernie before she rings that ominous tardy bell. Because of this breakneck schedule, food options are limited to Hillside chicken rice or nasi lemak, Gusto Café, or Sri Ananda Bahwan (a.k.a. SAB).

            If a senior friend has been diligent enough to earn a driving license, there’s the hope of a broader range of restaurants, from Thai food in Lucky 99 to Subway in Straits Quay. This is a greater risk, however, considering the extra time needed for parking and travelling. And then there’s the chance of having five people already standing in line in at Subway and, thus, not getting a sandwich until 12:20, which means cramming it into your mouth and grinding it down with the ketchup and the olive oil blend running down the side of your mouth. Or worse, you might have to bring it back to school and wait until your next study hall to eat it.

            Again, is the senior privilege really a “privilege” then? Certainly it is. Seniors dine on fresh and diverse local food daily and escape the boring in-campus routine. Dashing back to school with nervous footsteps makes these students feel more senior-like than ever. It is more than a privilege; it is a memory.

            “I think it is definitely worth the time and effort to go eat outside especially with your close friends, because this is the last year that we will be able to hang out together. Our lunch block is a pretty good time to hang out because travelling to the food stalls and eating together definitely creates enjoyable memories,” said Angela Tan (12).

            “I am looking forward to the senior privilege since school food really doesn’t make me happy. I think it is a good benefit for the seniors, but it is not fair for the rest of high school,” said John Choi (10).

            Every day, the Hungry Race ends at 12:45 PM, and its contestants are back in their seats behind the desks, as if they had never left them. With their full tummies, they hold on for another three hours until the last bell marks the end of the day.

Spotlight: Tommy Tompkins

Emma Hofer

Tommy Tompkins. After hearing this name, you may immediately be reminded of class periods spent dissecting sentences (LINKS), pouring over the abominable seven or the terrible twenty-three (The Lively Art of Writing), or analyzing Shakespeare. But you may not also realize the immense impact he has made on our school. Besides being the drill-sergeant of the English language, Mr. John Tompkins, or Tommy, as he is adoringly referred to by most all students, is the chief archiver of Dalat's past and present as the journalism 1 and 2 teacher. For the past thirty years—or for more than half of the time that Dalat has been in existence—he has helped hundreds of students.

Tommy Tompkins grew up as a missionary kid whose family served in Thailand. He boarded at Dalat School in Da'lat, Vietnam until his second grade year, when the school was evacuated by the American embassy because the fighting became too dangerous. He completed his primary and secondary education at Dalat, living on both the Thailand and Cameron Highland campuses. After attending Wheaton College in Illinois, and teaching in Florida for a few years, Tommy moved back to Dalat to work as a teacher.

Since then, Tommy has been the adviser for the Reflector yearbook, which has received multiple accolades from Columbia University, and Eagle’s Eye. He has also taught sophomore, junior, and senior English and is a friend to many.

"I remember how years ago, when Dalat had its own church, Tommy would always take students out to lunch on his motorbike afterwards," said Aunt Jan Hogan. "It was always special for students to go out and talk with him, because he really cared."

Even today, any alumni who visits the school will immediately request to visit Tommy.

"We call him Mr. Dalat," said Mr. Larry Chinn, the alumni association coordinator. "He takes every long weekend and vacation to travel and visit alumni, bringing memories, heartfelt stories, and laughter wherever he goes."

In addition to documenting years past by archiving yearbooks and school programs, Tommy has records of each and every Eagle's Eye, a quarterly newspaper, which is now being renamed The Senior Scribble, a weekly journalistic blog.

"By always making an effort to take programs from our concerts and graduations, and by maintaining his relationships and connections with students, he has a whole accumulation of our history, which he documents in yearbooks and Eagles Eye," said Mr. Chinn. "We learn from our past, and Tommy is the provider of that."

A Short and Sweet Start to the Year

Gabriela Mims 

Long practices, bitter tears, and salty sweat: actors put all these things into preparing for four nights of drama performances at PenangPAC for the Short + Sweet Festival on 26-29 August.  When the moment finally came for the deliverance, Aaron Chand (11), Kaela Ruble (12), Colleen Mims (12), Lexi Zimbulus (12), and Ysabel Loh (12) felt anything but 'short and sweet.'

Run by Mr. Joe Hasham OAM and Mrs. Dato’ Faridah Merican, Short + Sweet, an annual, four-day festival consisting of nine ten-minute plays, contained two plays put on by members of our school community.

Mr. Mark Sasse, social studies teacher and drama director, wrote and directed one of the two, being “Words to Say at the End of the World.” This play begins with a scene between a mother and her daughter arguing over minuscule things relating to college departure. Suddenly, an atomic bomb goes off in their backyard, and time freezes as both mother and daughter think through everything she wishes to say to the other.

The play won five awards including Best Script, Best Overall Performance, Best Director, and both Best Lead and Best Supporting Actress for Zimbulus and Loh respectively.

The second play, “Invisible,” directed by school drama participant Chand, raised awareness about youth bullying. The play centered on a boy trying to convince a girl to come to a party with him, but little did she, or the audience, know that he had other intentions of playing a hurtful prank. 

“I really enjoyed getting to act in a professional environment and getting to know new people outside of the Dalat bubble,” said Ruble.

Overall, the week proved participants’ efforts in Short + Sweet with a packed-out audience and loud applause.

“It was such a relief to hear the applause after everything was said and done,” said Chand. “I felt so accomplished knowing everything we did paid off.”

Ysabel Loh and Lexi Zimbulus