Last but Not Least; Finishing Strong

Joshua Moon

The sky was grey, and rain trickled down on a Wednesday morning. Nevertheless, the seniors were ecstatic to run, jump, and smile their way out of their last Track and Field day at Dalat.

            As the buses headed for the USM stadium, students began to worry about the dark clouds hovering over their heads. The disappointments of a few students lead others to feel depressed as if it was a virus. The team spirit that teachers emphasized had died off by the time students arrived, and the roaring of team chants was nowhere to be found. To make matters worse, the schedule that placed the high school 100m dash first, early in the morning, left many disgruntled and unmotivated. As for the seniors, the hope of experiencing the best and last Track and Field was fading.

Crack! The race started with the clashing of the clappers, and so did the senior’s final Track and Field. Legs were working hard to push bodies closer to the finish line, and every jerk or a tumble on the track was just another opportunity for the opponent. The event carried on its competitive nature and everyone started leaning towards the races to take a better look. The students began to wave their team flags and jump out of their seats to congratulate the victors and encourage the underdogs. But, just when the day seemed to enthuse the students, rain began to trickle down on the athletes.

The clouds turned pitch black. The rain started to pour. The grins of the students in the stands began to alter. However, the athletes on the track, sandpit, and even those above the beams, continued with their competition. Despite the weather’s crime, the competitors of all teams, ages, and gender never lost hope for a great day. While running through puddles of water and jumping towards damp mud, the athletes gave it their all. By noon, the clouds cleared out as if to say, “I cannot compete with your determination.” The day continued to maintain its spirit and joy throughout, especially during the highlight: the relay race.

“The relay race is my favorite event of track and field. I get a chance to run with my friends and develop teamwork,” exclaimed Sheng Ting.

 All students either ran (or skipped or danced if you were a senior girl) the relay or stood by the tracks to cheer on their friends. As the last runner of the last race sprinted his way across the finish line, the students, especially the seniors, seemed to be satisfied with the day’s results. Many students took away a significant part in the Dalat community that day: spirit. Whether it be rain, snow, hail, tornadoes, or earthquakes, the students and teachers of Dalat International School would compete and encourage one another to never give up. As for the seniors, they possibly took away the most memorable track and field of their lifetimes.

Rush to the Gold Medal

Jethro Lee

The middle and high school students did their best to accomplish great achievements and to contribute to their teams on Track and Field day.

On November 25^th, Dalat held Track and Field day at the USM campus. There were many events for students to participate in. Four different teams (Red, Blue, Yellow and Green) competed with each other to get higher scores. Some events, such as the javelin throw, discus, 3000m and 1500m, were held at Dalat before the actual Track and Field day. Other events were held on the  actual day from 9:30 am to 2:30 pm.

In the morning, the U16 and U16+ 100m races marked the beginning of the Track and Field day. Even though it was raining at the beginning, students kept running through it to win events. Fortunately, the sun came out again and runners had no problem with weather the rest of the day. Most running track events were more intense than the field events, because the competitive attitudes among the great runners was tremendous.

For the U16 and U16+ girls relay event, they danced and skipped to the song “Happy” together, instead of running for part of the race. The first to third “runners” enjoyed their time, but then the last runner actually sprinted to the goal.

Other students who did not join many events were cheering for their team. Every student was able to enjoy their time with friends. They had a nice lunch from Dalat, as well as snacks and beverages from the junior class store.

Most students seemed like they enjoyed all the events in Track and Field day. Sheng Ting Yang (12), a U16+ 100m runner, commented that "tracks are red, skies are blue... I love track and field; we all do too."

The Track and Field day was finished without any notable injuries, and most students went back home safely.

Will the next Track and Field day be much more exciting than that of this year? How will students perform next year?

Rainy Skies at Track and Field Day

Joseph Leech

On the morning of Wednesday, November 25, Dalat students bustled onto the outdoor basketball court, each student wearing clothes according to his or her team color. Red, blue, green, and yellow clothes and flags mixed together in the big pile of students. Many students radiated excitement as they waited for the buses that would take them away from classes and to fun and running.

As students arrived at the stadium, the sky began to show signs of the coming of a big storm. Within a half hour of arriving, the rain started to fall and it seemed it would almost be impossible to complete the events. Students and teachers crowded under the stadium roof in order to avoid the rain. Time passed and the rain continued to fall giving the impression that it would never stop. However, after an hour of downpour, the rain finally stopped and the skies cleared allowing Track and Field day to continue.

Throughout the rest of the day, students competed ferociously in order to win points for their teams. As students competed in events, many of their fellow teammates cheered them on and supported their colors. Mr. Roylance, even though he was supposed to be an unbiased announcer, cheered the Red team’s competitors and even carried the Dragon’s massive flag into the stadium. Students of every team screamed on their companions as the finished the last leg of the race or as they leaped through the air.

Throughout most of the day, Yellow was in the lead, while Green was in second. Towards the end, it seemed certain that yellow had the win in its back pocket. As the last races were being run, many of the Yellows were already confident that they had won. However, Green fought hard during the last events, not willing to give the win to yellow. After the last event, everyone was amazed to see that Yellow was no longer seated on the top, but Green had taken its spot.

At the end of the day, all the Dalat students, tired and sweaty, loaded back up into the buses. During the ride back, the Green students in particular were in a good mood, while many Yellows were still bitter about their loss. However, other than a few bitter Yellows, everyone was happy and ready to get showered and clean. Track and Field was still a fun day, no matter who won or lost.

Isaac Chan (12) summed up the day by saying, "Track and Field was still a great day even if my team lost. It was a blast just to hang out with friends and to compete."

The Season Starts with a Swish

Kassy Steinkamp

At 8 p.m. Friday night, 20 November, the girls’ varsity basketball team began to warm-up for their imminent game against the Ex-Nationals  team, music blasting, crowd gathering, and adrenaline pumping.

The first game of the season for the girls' team consisted of solid skills, intense running, and an unexpected CB asking. Three weeks into the season, the girls' varsity team played the Ex-Nationals, a team made up of former national players ranging from 20-40 years of age, who may have lacked some in speed but made up for it in experience. At the beginning of the game, the Ex-Nationals team posed a threat and challenged the girls to run faster, pass smarter, move quicker. But as soon as Sarah Tan (12) swished a 2-point shot, the girls were filled with a fiery desire to win the game. Within minutes, the girls pulled ahead and held the Ex-Nationals' score at a distance until the buzzer blared at the end of second quarter.

During halftime, both teams jogged to their allotted benches, grabbed their water bottles, and sat down, catching their breath, huffing and puffing. Suddenly, familiar bass notes began to play over the loud speakers. The song, "Funky Town" by Bruno Mars resonated throughout the gym as the weary players, and Coach Steinkamp, jumped up with renewed energy to dance to the middle of the court. Annabelle Teoh (9) approached Nicholas Khor (9) with the letters “CB” written on a sign. After a joyful cheer, Khor nodded his head and the two hugged. The team walked back to the bench to attempt to refocus on the task at hand: maintaining their lead in the game.

The gym shook with excitement as the girls continued to play hard, displaying various plays and new skills. During the second half, every player contributed to the game whether it was making 3-point (Tayah Lee, 12) or 2-point shots (Charlotte Combrink, 12), hustling the ball (Daniella Combrink, 10), or aggressively getting rebounds (Mersades Zimmer, 11). The girls’ basketball team even had a guest star, Elisabeth Brokaw (12), who ran up from the drama performance, Wedding Belles, grey hair and all, in order to play a few minutes in the game.

Despite this game being an exciting, different activity for the Dalat community to watch on a Friday night, it was also a learning experience. Playing another team that exploits their weakness and shows their strengths is quite beneficial for the girls' basketball team. Tayah Lee (12) summed it up. “The first game of the season went much better than all of us expected, and it was great to see our team quickly fall into the rhythm of our game. It showed us what our strengths were, but also what our weaknesses were--the main one being conditioning.”

The season started off with a swish, sparking an intensity and ferocity within the players to beat the Ex-Nationals. After beating the opposing team 61-36, the crowd and players packed up their things, deserting the gym to go home and rest. The players walked away with a smile on their tired faces and high hopes for the rest of the season.

Sarah Tan (12) remarked, “It was great that everyone on the team got to play and gain more experience, which was a wonderful start to the season. I am so excited to see what we can accomplish this year!”

I Moustache You a Question

Mary-Claire McIntyre

Salsa to CB with me? Whale you be my date? CB?

No matter how you say it, the question of all questions brings out the nerves in everyone.

A series of romantic gestures on Dalat campus...Could it be? No worries. You're not having a hallucination. It's just CB time.

The on-campus craziness began with an equally crazy video. Peter Lee released a comedic call to all sweethearts and singles to join StuCo on December 11th at Paradise Hotel for the Christmas Banquet.

Some took the classic route with their askings. Amanda Goh (12) had a group of friends hold up signs with the simple but effective question, "Will you go to CB with me?"

Some took a more adventurous approach to the age-old tradition. Annabelle Teoh (9) had "Uptown Funk" by Bruno Mars play as she danced her way across the gym with the girls’ basketball team to ask Nick Khor (9). Even Mr. Steinkamp got in on the asking, helping to hold up Annabelle's sign.

Not to be outdone, Mr. Brewster also helped with an asking. Mackenzie Jordan (12) employed the principal to help her invite Aaron Chand (11) as her date. She had Aaron called to the principal's office, where she surprised him with an invitation to the Christmas Banquet. (Pictured below)

The freshmen also set a new trend in the high school with more casual askings. This laid-back attitude has been a welcomed change with the upper classmen who remember the overwhelming nervousness of their freshman year asking. Sarah Tan (12) recalled it in this way, "CB askings were what we all looked forward to as soon as we started freshman year. I remember CB being a constant topic of conversation and excitement with my friends; we planned our askings and all knew who was going to ask who months in advance."

Some still enjoyed the excitement of a suspenseful asking. Karissa Steinkamp (12) had Brian Hiew (12) blindfolded and "kidnapped." After being walked about campus, he was taken to the Journ room where Kassy had chocolate and a very important question waiting for him. Kassy voiced her opinion on CB in this way, "I am really excited for CB this year! I think it is going to be really fun this year. I am anxious to see what STUCO has in store for us."

Overall, this year's asking season has seen some exciting stuff. From dancing directors to crazy kidnappings, the high schoolers have kept things lively. Of course, some have chosen to avoid the chaos of asking and selected a few good friends to go in a group with. Whether in a group or in a couple, CB is bound to be a blast!

Photo Credit: Gabi Mims 

Writing Winning Words

Karsten Ladner

Despite his friendly appearances at high school drama performances as the director, few realize the impact of Mr. Sasse’s passion to write.

Arriving in 2006 as the new high school social studies teacher, Mr. Mark Sasse quickly garnered a reputation among his students for his devastating pop quizzes in his geography class. Today, however, he is known for the words he has written in plays, skits, novels, and musicals.

It was only the second year of Mr. Sasse’s tenure at the school that he began writing--and directing. When the previous drama director left, Mr. Sasse rose to fill the vacancy, having absolutely no experience as either an actor or a director. Sasse, rising to the occasion, not only directed the production but also wrote the entire script with a motley band of eager students. Since beginning in 2007, this remarkable teacher has continued to write and direct the scripts, heavily investing in the lives of students under his tutelage.

In addition to his full-length productions, Mr. Sasse has written numerous short skits, even beginning a new acting band, the Road Less Traveled (RLT) Players. The RLT Players, modeled after the Footstool Players, a crew of actors and actresses who perform short three to five minute sketches centered around one theme, have quickly become a Dalat favorite among students since its inception three years ago. The themes have varied widely from exploring the interaction of generations to probing the extremes of life, yet the skits continually stagger the audience with their poignant messages.

Mr. Sasse’s passion to write has led him into the exciting path of novel writing. His career as a novelist began by transforming one of his plays into prose. Soon after, he wrote his first novel, Beauty Rising (2012); and in October of 2013, he completed his second novel, The Recluse Storyteller. Since then, he has published The Reach of the Banyan Tree (2014) and A Love Story for a Nation (2015). Sasse’s stories weave his experiences growing up in the United States, living in Vietnam, and teaching in Malaysia with the values that he has encountered in each culture.

These stories have been encountered by students throughout their education at Dalat. Many times, Mr. Sasse has lent his talent to write scripts for skits before Spiritual Emphasis Week. He has written short scripts for Penang’s annual Short and Sweet Competition, in which his plays have won several awards. His words have traveled to Kuala Lumpur for the Forensics duet-acting competition, again winning first place. Sasse’s incredible talent in translating a theme into a riveting performance has captivated and stunned audiences time and time again.

Mr. Sasse has invested heavily in his passion to write, and the success is evident; fear, however, had stayed his pen for many years. “I’m not gonna let the negative thoughts and fears stop me,” said Sasse, “because I did that for too long but now I realize how much I love writing, whether a million people read it or two people read it. It’s just something I love to do.”

 Sasse’s passion to write has taken him down paths of life he would never have even envisioned, at first, as the social studies teacher who volunteered to direct high school drama. Now, he has influenced and impacted the community in more ways than meets the eye when he stands at the front of the auditorium asking the audience to kindly silence their phones.

Deep in the Depths of Deepavali

Brian Hiew 

Hindu-practicing Malaysians filled the streetways of Little India to participate in Deepavali, also known as The Festival of Lights on November 11, 2015. As the month of November swept in, the streets of Penang, Malaysia began to congest and light up. People set up stations along the sidewalks and filled the roads with color. What was the sudden change? The season of Deepavali had officially began.

Deepavali is a Hindu festival celebrated to commemorate the return of Lord Rama, a prominent Hindu God; in addition, it is said that Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth and prosperity, will enter buildings decorated with diyas to bless the homes and families. Such tradition has been practiced globally for hundreds of years in numerous Hindu communities.

As the evening slowly appeared around 5-6pm, a multitude of Indians gathered in Little India to witness the “brightest festival of the year.” Hundreds of houses, stalls, and especially temples are heavily lit with diyas (small oil lamps) and strings of miniscule, multi-colored lights. The lights symbolize victory over darkness and good over evil.

“Deepavali is like New Year’s Eve, it’s a brand new start for all of us,” said Neehar Kantimathi (11), whose family is a participant of the Festival of Lights.

In the Dalat community, many of the national staff, including students, took a day off to enjoy their holiday with family and friends. Sounds of joy and laughter echoed the streets of Little India as families spent time with one another feasting upon a wide selection of various traditional Indian dishes and sweets, and played with sparkle sticks. After eating, families exited their homes to enjoy a brilliant, vibrant, and magnificent display of fireworks. Why fireworks? “Not only to celebrate the return of Rama, but also to scare off evil demons and spirits,” said Kantimathi.

As the end of Deepavali approached, families returned to the comfort of their homes as they celebrated a new beginning.

A Time of Remembrance

Thizbe Balzer

On November 11, 2015, the Remembrance Day assembly allowed all members of the Dalat community to take a few steps back from their busy schedules, gain perspective, and stand together with hearts of gratitude.

Dalat goers fled into the gymnasium on that sunny Wednesday afternoon. Queued by the audible but barely noticeable tardy bell, the uproar of eager chatter and subsequent echoes, which saturated the hall with excitement, came to a slow yet serious halt as Mr. Hoffmeyer began to speak.  A badged vest clung to his shoulder, and his uniform mimicked the others on the elevated platform to which everyone’s attention had turned.  Those of importance sat tall, reveling in thoughtful and reflective expression; those who stood spoke with a certain kind of dignified vulnerability.  This was serious.  This was real.  People were out there fighting a war for us.  Their faces told the story.

While the “old folk” told the story, individuals of the younger generation, namely the boy and girl scouts groups, were the ones who made the formal event a success.  At the opening of the ceremony, four young men, among them 12^th grader Joel Halbedl and 11^th grader Noah Graves, made their way over to the flower-encased centerpiece with unparalled formality.  The beat of a snare drum, sounded by one of the Chinn twins, guided their footsteps.  Each young man took one corner of the decorated coffin and stood for the remainder of the ceremony looking outward with a dispassionate stare.  Meaningful poems, one being “In Flanders Fields,” were read aloud; and Mr. Roylance shared his back-story as an officer with inspiring and heart-wrenching emotion.  Flags from various countries were held up in recognition of all the soldiers who fought in WW1 and those who stand on the frontlines today. 

However, among the rituals and ceremony of the event were moments for everyone to personally reflect, times surrounded with musical voice, and times drowning in silence.  Christina Kim (12) sounded the trumpet beautifully to the traditional Remembrance Day call.  After that was a minute of silence. Lee (grade 12) remarked about the X-block event later that week, “It really made me thankful for the freedom I have today.” 

It’s true.  We are where we are today because of the sacrifices others are making to establish daily freedom.  Dalat School has these freedoms, and the Remembrance Day assembly is a necessary reminder to gratefully accept that someone out there is paying for it.

Sleep-In Day Contest: Out of Love, Fatigue, or Pressure?

Brenda Ng

“The Sleep-In Day contest is here once again,” STUCO’s Peter Lee announced in chapel on the 6th of November, 2015. All students, especially those with dark, heavy eye bags, cheered. They rejoiced with appreciation that STUCO has finally noticed and attended to their dire need for sleep. As long as each student contributes 10 Ringgit, sacrificing a few sweet treats at the Junior Class Store and Zach’s Shack, everyone would get to sleep in for one, two, or three blocks. Who would not appreciate a few more hours of sleep?

When the Sleep-In Day contest commenced on Monday, the 9th, only a few eager students, mostly sophomores, dashed into the office to drop off their 10 Ringgit. As Friday—the deadline of the contest—drew near, an increasing number of students made their way to the office to give their share. By Thursday, the hallways, cafeteria, classrooms, and student center were filled with the question, “have you paid 10 Ringgit?” Though the seniors were in the lead on Thursday, they eventually lost to the juniors on Friday. The junior class was the only class who attained 100% participation, thus earning 1^st place. The senior class came in 2^nd place, followed by the sophomore class. When the results were announced Friday after school, the winners celebrated, while the freshmen reprimanded their classmates who did not contribute.

It is true that students do not get to sleep-in every day. This is indeed an once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. However, did this fundraiser contest encourage school and class spirit as intended? Christina Kim, STUCO’s vice president, said, “It is a good idea to encourage class spirit, and it really gets everyone pumped up.” The reward to sleep-in really did motivate students to donate to the annual fund.

But are the students contributing to the annual fund out of love for their school or out of fatigue? Felicia Teoh, a junior said, “I think most of it is out of fatigue.”

Many students, however, expressed that they gave neither out of love nor out of hate. Instead, they participated in the contest out of pressure. “I think this encourages peer pressure. Many people are reluctant to give but their friends are hunting them down, so they feel pressured to give. I don’t think it is love for school,” said Cheryl Yeap, the senior class secretary.  

Nevertheless, there were other students who contributed to the annual fund out of love for Dalat. Courtney Soon (a freshmen) stated, “Personally, I wasn’t pressured to give because I love this school, and I have enough pocket money to spare. Therefore I want to give a portion of my money so that I can see this amazing school expand, grow, and become better in the future.” So this contest did boost some students’ love for Dalat. 

Despite whether students participated in the Sleep-In Day contest out of love, fatigue, or pressure, they surely did earn themselves extra time for rest.  

Deepavali

Christina Lee 

Deepavali, or more commonly known as the “festival of the lights,” is one of the most important festivals of Hinduism that spans over the course of five days. The origin of the festival stemmed from the story about Lord Rama from the Hindu epic Ramayana. When Rama and his wife, Sita, returned to their country after fourteen years of exile, the people welcomed them by lighting small oil lamps called diye. At night during the festival, similar oil lamps still illuminate households and temples, being a beautiful symbol of the inner victory of goodness over evil. In anticipation for Deepavali, many families cleaned their houses and adorned the entrances with colorful patterns called ragoli. Very much like Chinese New Year, Deepavali symbolizes a new beginning for the hopes of a financially prosperous year. Offices and households are thus decorated with Lakshmi, the goddess of fortune. Varying with regional traditions, Deepavali also honors the marriage of Vishnu and Lakshmi or Lord Krishna’s victory over the demon Naraka.

            Since school is off for a day on such a special occasion, one must be curious as to how staff and students spent this holiday. The most common heard response from staff and students, including myself, was “sleeping in.” The holiday certainly gave many a chance to rejuvenate for the coming week, and it also gave them a chance to catch up on work.

Mr. R. Ramesh, a national staff member, gave a thorough description on how he celebrated Deepavali, as follows: “In the morning, my whole family went to the temple to pray at 8:00 am. Then we got back and called friends to celebrate with us. After eating lunch together at 12:00, we all sat down and watched a Deepavali themed movie. After the movie, these friends and family members are separated into different groups. Individual groups may go to different places to chat or have drinks.”

 Interestingly, the security guard for my apartment gave a similar answer but with a little difference, being, “Warly in the morning, my whole family took an oil bath for Deepavali. Then we got blessings from the elders in the family who provided us with new clothes. We wore the new clothes to the temple to pray. When we come back, we prayed again at the small alter in the house. Then we had breakfast together as a family and then invited friends to join us for lunch.”

Deepavali is not just a festival exclusively for those of Hinduism faith, but people of various ethnicities and beliefs are also welcome to take part in this vibrant festival as well. So, how did you spend the 2015 festival of the lights?  

A Striking Time

Sarah Tan

With a bowling ball in hand and barely balancing on his left foot, Noel Teng hopped up to the foul line and eyed the pins so closely that he forgot to focus on not face-planting the ground.

It was both a tragic and hilarious ending.

Last Saturday, the seniors escaped from the grueling monotony of school and, for those who took the SAT that morning, cured their post-traumatic stress by going out for a night of bowling—if you can even call it that.  To spice up the competition, the Senior Class ExCom created unusual tasks for each bowler to attempt. These challenges included bowling with your eyes closed, throwing the ball “granny-style,” using your left hand, and, demonstrated by Noel Teng, bowling on one leg. But, thankfully for Teng, he was not the only one whose body unexpectedly met the ground. 

Bowling balls, human limbs, and french-fries flew everywhere; and even the class-sponsors Mrs. Steinkamp and Mrs. Roberts, along with her toddler, Marshall, joined in on the fun. Cameras snapped away and voices roared in laughter at the faces, stunts, and wild maneuvering of bodies that were extremely awkward and seemingly impossible.

The Senior Class ExCom has been trying to emphasize bonding and unity within the class during their final year. With such a large class and many different personalities, many people still do not know some of their peers well, or even at all. So the ExCom members have organized many events for the class to get to know others outside of their close circles of friends and to have fun making lasting memories. Concerning the bowling event, Senior Class Vice President Karissa Steinkamp said, “The senior class event was a blast! It was really fun going bowling, hanging out with friends and classmates, and watching each other do the strange, hilarious different tasks.”

From the perspective of the other class members, Mary-Claire McIntyre, who accomplished the feat of the night by hurling the ball with so much force that it bounced from her lane into the lane next to hers, and then into the gutter on the farthest side of that lane, said, “A little competition and a lot of fun brings out a different side in people. The class event helped us to get to know people we normally don’t spend time with better. It was a great experience for everyone.”

The ExCom members were definitely relieved that their peers enjoyed this event, and they are planning many more fun and creative activities for the class throughout the year. It was special that these hard-working students were able to take a breather from the overwhelming stress of the year—and to enjoy each other in this pausing.

It did not take much to make this class happy; all they needed was a few balls and many lasting friendships. 

Senior Class Makes Their Last Year of High School Count

On a Saturday afternoon, 7 November, a group of seniors gathered in Penang Bowl. It was a rather unusual thing because, normally, it is hard to see that many seniors together. But this time, they were gathered to have their second class event, obviously being bowling.

First, seniors played one full game of bowling with the regular set of rules. They were divided into six teams with four to five players on each team. Each team was assigned to a lane where they bowled casually. But to shakes some fun into their experience, seniors decided to play with some variations. The first variation was blind bowling. Seniors had to cover their eyes and bowl. The second variation was bowling with the non-dominant hand. The third variation was bowling on one leg; this provided a new challenge to students, since they had to balance themselves while bowling a heavy ball. The last variation was to bowl as hard as they could, and the bowling balls did indeed travel along the bowling lanes faster than ever before.

Though the night started out like other normal bowling outings, seniors ended up having much fun with the twists. Many seniors positively commented on their experience. "It was interesting to play withe multiple variations on a fairly familiar game," said Isaac Chan (12). 

Other students commented on the social benefits and how they were able to become closer to their peers. "It was a great way to bond with classmates who don't normally get to talk," said Hannah Graves (12). 

As the last year of high school flies by, it was an excellent opportunity to bond and socialize with others, making their last year more memorable and exciting. 

Costumes and Crying Skies

Charlotte Combrink

It was all planned out.

During the three weeks leading up to the senior’s and eighth grader’s “Fall Fun Costume Party” (it was not a Halloween party, mind you—this is Dalat), Excom delivered invitations, had meetings, sent emails, and made announcements in preparation for the upcoming event.

And it was all ready. By 4:15p on Friday afternoon, 30 October, the portable sound system was set up with upbeat music playing from its speakers, the games were in place, and the Halloween-themed snacks were looking yummy! Monsters, mice, witches…and a watermelon flooded onto the court, bubbling with excitement for the party and for the weekend.

It is a Dalat tradition for seniors to pair up with 8^th graders and become their “Senior Buddies”; they are then encouraged to get to know each other throughout the year. For this Friday event, each pair or triplet of buddies wore coordinated costumes and planned to go from station to station together, playing games like apple bobbing, donuts eating, ghost tag, and balloon stomp. This was the first real “buddy” event—and excitement had infected the students.

And then the rain came. Suddenly.

Just as the first relay race was about to start, the skies opened. Approximately 100 students and their costumes braved the rain to play a game that required each group of buddies to carry a water balloon between their bodies without using their hands.

Later, after some good-natured controversy about which team had won the race, the students headed towards their first station. By the time they arrived the rain had risen to uncompromising levels, demanding to be heard and heeded. It rudely forced ghost tag into the noisy gym and drove apple bobbing and balloon stomp to seek protection under the outdoor court’s cover. Meanwhile, the sponsors were hurrying to move the snacks out of the rain—but not before the hand-shaped plastic bags of popcorn and tissue-paper-lollipop ghosts got an unwanted shower.

Communication became a trial. The rain pounded so fiercely on the gym that the ghost tag game became a lip-reading competition. The loudspeaker, which was supposed to

Education or Vandalism?

Angelene Woo

Signs were put up around campus in regards to Dalat International School’s new campus construction. One of these signs had a comma splice, and English teachers Bethany Weidemann and Emily Grad decided to take the matter into their own hands.

The school year of 2015-2016 saw the start of the construction of Dalat International School’s new campus. Signs were placed around campus warning students of the dangers of the construction work and expressing the need for caution. One such sign requested that the students kindly welcome the construction workers as Dalat’s guests. This sign, however, contained a ghastly flaw! Dalat International School, who prides itself on producing students with perfect grammar—mostly thanks to Tommy Tompkins—, printed a comma splice on signs all over campus! A comma splice is a serious offence and is defined by Dictionary.com as, “the use of a comma, rather than a semicolon, colon, or period, to join two independent clauses in the absence of a coordinating conjunction.” (See picture below).

Disgusted, Weidemann and Grad trekked around the campus one afternoon, laboring to manually fix the comma splice with their nifty markers. With one dot, they transformed the comma, on three signs, into a semicolon. Clearly these actions were premeditated, but what was Weidemann and Grad’s motive? Did they earnestly hope to educate Dalat students? Or did they wish to provoke the authorities?

When asked of her motive, Grad simply replied, “I have no comments; I will not speak without my lawyer.”

Many other questions arise: “Should the school board address this issue as an act of vandalism?” and “Should they, as teachers, face consequences for poor role modeling?”

Page 43 of Dalat’s Student and Parent Handbook says, “Not being respectful towards property owned by the school, teachers, or other students, including theft and vandalism, will be subject to major disciplinary action.”

Will the authorities take action to discipline these outrageous rebels? Or will faculty be above the law?

The Beginning In the End

Andy Ewe

On Thursday afternoon, 29 October, at 4.30 p.m., the boys’ varsity and junior varsity soccer teams ended their season with a match against Uplands at the Adventist field.

Originally, the varsity soccer team was scheduled to play against the Uplands A team, while the junior varsity team would play the Uplands B team. Due to a miscommunication, however, only the Uplands B team showed up to play. Because of this error, a compromise had to be made; it was decided that the Dalat varsity team would play one half against the Uplands team, while the junior varsity would take over and finish the second half.

The Dalat varsity team brightly by scoring two goals within the first five minutes against the smaller and younger Uplands team. After twenty minutes of play by the first eleven, all of the players were substituted in order to have all twenty-two players play in the final match. The substitutions clearly had no negative impact on the excellent offensive display shown by the Dalat team, as the goals kept pouring in. Goals from Woo Young Chung (11), Hudson Mcmanus (11), and a hat-trick by Ruben Nyul (9), ensured that the Dalat varsity team finished their season with a solid 7-0 lead.

After the game, Shawn Lim (12) looked back on his three year varsity career and said, “It was nice to see the transformation and improvement the team has gone through since I’ve been on team. I’m really excited for the younger guys since they have a real chance of winning ACSC next year.”

As the next half started, the players had a chance to see the future of Dalat soccer in action. The varsity team, led by Ben Finlay (11), cheered on the junior varsity with spirited and inspiring songs, as rising stars such as Levi Hawk (7), Gabe Roberts (8), and Su-Min Kim (7) showcased their developing skills. Gabe Roberts (8) made some incredible saves while Levi Hawk (7) and Su-Min Kim (7) scored a goal each to secure the victory 2-1. Evan Chinn (12) said, “It’s great to see so much young talent at Dalat. I can’t wait to see how these guys develop and grow in the next few years.”

Indeed, the future of Dalat soccer looks bright as the coaches, Dustin Roberts and Edman Chance, are already preparing to improve on this year’s 5^th place finish at the ACSC tournament in Manila.  Young players, Jeremy Worten (9), John Cho (9), Seong-Min Kim (9), and Ruben Nyul (9), who are already on the varisty team, are all ready to take on larger roles on the team next year, along with junior varsity stars, including, Levi Hawk (7) and Gabe Roberts (8).