Monday 29 February 2016

Roots

Titus Hwang
On Friday, February 27th, with the sun shining and a refreshing breeze, the senior class hosted a friendly beach party to spend quality time with the freshmen. The senior class’ theme of ROOTS (Reaching Out Of The Sphere) encouraged them to engage in activities with the lower classmen. The cafeteria staff prepared a delicious meal of potato wedges, chicken, and watermelon. Despite the bit of awkwardness in the beginning, the senior class slowly started to get to know the freshmen a little better.
Along with ample amounts of food, seniors had other opportunities to engage with the freshmen class. There were various beach various activities, including soccer, frisbee, and volleyball. Both classes got closer while participating in these activities. Others sat on the beach and enjoyed the gorgeous sunset along with the lovely music.
“The day was perfect for a beach party. We even had a BONFIRE!” said Sheng Ting Yang (12) with excitement.
Everyone enjoyed each moment, and, as the time passed, each student had time to bond with each other, especially during the main game that was prepared. The objective was to cross the “river” while carrying a plastic bag without touching the ground. Class representatives divided up the teams randomly between both classes.  Endless laughter and screams added extra enjoyment during the game.
Once all activities were done, students gathered near the bonfire, sharing stories of the excitement of the day. The event was a great success. After the beach party, everyone had great memories to appreciate the other class. The seniors left behind a legacy with the freshmen class before departing to another place.

God’s New Baby: The Arrival of Thalia Oppenheim

Sheng Ting Yang

            It has been ¾ of a year. The Oppenheim family, along with the people of Dalat, waited anxiously for the birth of Thalia Oppenheim. Now, in the year 2016, she has finally arrived!
“As a father, I saw her as a delicate little baby. Even when she screamed and cried, I saw her as a cute and innocent child,” says Keegan Oppenheim (12).
            On February 13, 2016, Thalia Oppenheim was born. Fortunately, Thalia’s father, Keegan Oppenheim, took an airplane from Malaysia, Penang to Denver, Colorado just in time for the birth. After flying for thirty-four hours, the family, Thalia, Keegan, and Priska Oppenheim, was able to unite together for the first time in their lives. The moment was impassioned and golden. 
“When I first arrived, it was a rush of emotions. I was excited to meet my daughter, concerned for the wellbeing of my wife, and a bit shocked because childbirth is still traumatic for basically everyone in the room. Once I saw her, I was speechless. I sat there in silence because everything I thought of saying was an understatement for how I truly felt,” Keegan explains.
            The baby girl, weighing 6.7 ounces and 19.25 inches tall, embraced her mother’s warm stomach, while Keegan embraced the both of them. Later, the Oppenheims, along with the Sugianto family, came to visit this newborn infant.

            After only spending a few days with his family, it was time for Keegan to return back to Malaysia. Priska and Thalia came with Keegan to the airport to say goodbye. Yet, even though their meeting was short, their reuniting would be even more beautiful.

Tuesday 23 February 2016

Laughs and Laser Tag

Lexi Zimbilius

“Am I playing? More like, am I dominating?” Mr. Karl Steinkamp joked when Sarah Tan (12) asked the class sponsor if he was joining the large group of seniors who were eagerly waiting to enter the arena.

After a short meeting on the 13th of February, and while the juniors were still hard at work at school preparing for JSB, several cars full of seniors drove to Laser Ops at First Avenue for an afternoon of laser tag.

The senior class was divided into two groups. Within each group, two teams were randomly formed to battle against each other. Selecting creative nicknames to enter into the system proved to take some time, with Noel Teng (12) settling for “Kim Kardashian” and Hannah Graves (12), after some deliberation and trusted advice from friends, entered in as “Boiled Hegg.” After a short briefing session, the excited seniors scampered to don their laser vests that shone either bright red or green. They then took to their bases in the arena and waited for the game to begin.

In a whirlwind ten minutes, the dark battlefield was filled with lights and thumping techno music. Yells could be heard everywhere as teams tried to fire lasers at their enemies and score points.

A scoreboard and camera was placed outside in the waiting area, much to the amusement of the group of seniors waiting outside watching and waiting for their turn. Their eyes were glued to the screens, shouting things like, “Woah, I didn’t know she was that good!” and “He looks a little lost!”

By the third and final round, many people were starting to feel laser-tag-induced fatigue. Despite some attempts at smart tactics, steps grew sluggish and defenses dwindled. Gaps between the teams’ scores grew quickly and losing teams accepted their defeat more readily than before.

However, no matter how many points a person scored, and regardless of whether his or her team won, every senior walked out of the arena sweaty-faced and smiling, recounting funny things that happened during the game. It was clear that laser tag was a much needed break from the cloud of stress that has seemed to settle in many seniors’ skies.


The seniors left First Avenue that Saturday afternoon more tired than they had expected, but satisfied with another memory to add to their collection as the last high school year of their lives continues to race by. 

Buckets in Hong Kong

Calvin Thompson

On the 16th of February at 5am in the morning, the boys’ basketball team headed out to Hong Kong to compete in a competitive basketball tournament in Southeast Asia. The tournament hosted 8 teams from Korea, Guam, Thailand, Philippines and Malaysia. The goal of the team was to win the ACSC (Asian Christian Schools Conference) title; this was the reason for all the pain and sweat that each player willingly devoted his time to throughout the season; this was the moment they has been working for. The moment was also bittersweet because the underclassmen came to realize that this was the last time they would play alongside the senior players. “I have grown up playing basketball with all the seniors on the basketball team. This provides me with motivation to play my best for them,” said Adrian Nonis (10).
Dalat competed well in the tournament. The first day the Dalat boys started off with a record of 2-1. This was the pool play, so there was still a chance of winning the championship. The second day the boys fell to a tough team, being St. Paul from Guam. In for revenge, the boys beat Morrison Academy from Taiwan. The win over Morrison provided the team with extra morale because Morrison won the title last year. The third day the boys were still in the loser’s bracket, and they lost their last two games. This ended their streak, and they ended up 5th out of the 8 schools. Shawn Lim (12) won the All-tournament award and Calvin Thompson (12) won top defender. These awards were well earned. The week of basketball was over and each team headed back to home.
The season for basketball is over. The team has gone through many ups and downs, yet the brotherhood remains tight. “A few of the games the shots were not falling. We were not rotating on defense, and people were getting angry with each other. But after the games, we still looked out for each other because we were all a part of the brotherhood,” commented Andy Ewe (12).

“The privilege and blessing to be able to play basketball with my fellow teammates is truly an honor. I will never forget the memories made” said Brian Hiew (12).   The sweat, pain, and hours of hard work are all over. Yet, the memories and emotions of that week will remain with all those players throughout the rest of their lives. 

ACSC Basketball Trip

Shawn Lim

            This past week, we, the varsity basketball boys, had the privilege to go to Hong Kong to compete in a basketball tournament. We played hard as a team, however basketball was not the only thing that we enjoyed.
We were blessed to have a group of parents follow us to Hong Kong. Without them we silly boys would have been eating McDonald’s all week long. But thanks to the parents we had feasts on feasts on feasts. One of the greatest meals we had were the ones with roasted duck in it. Hong Kong is known for their roasted duck, however, we didn’t know how good it was. Once the plate of duck came out from the kitchen and onto the table, mouths dropped, pupils dilated, and saliva dripped. The duck was covered in a shiny covering of juiciness and radiated with the smell of heaven. We thought nothing could get better than that until the Barbecue glazed pork came out, also known as Char Siew. It was brought on a plastic plate and it glowed in the reflecting light against the beautiful glazed oil. It melted in our mouths and not a piece was left on the plate. Calvin Thompson (12) said, “It was an orchestra of flavors going on in my mouth.”
Another favorite in Hong Kong was heading into Circle K and buying a truckload of ice cream after every night’s dinner. Twelve hungry boys walked up the stairs of Circle K and walked directly towards the ice cream container and grabbed as many as we wanted. Although the cashier didn’t speak English, she could see we were all incredibly happy. We were blessed to stay in a wonderful hotel. This was the first time where we were able to get plenty of sleep and in such a comfortable setting.
 One of the best experiences I had this ACSC trip was the Crossroads program. For our service project, we were put into the “metaphorical shoes” of the people in poverty. We were put into a group of seven people and placed on a small mat where we barely fit. Now we were family. We were quickly taught how to make paper bags with newspapers and flour-made glue. In ten minutes, we had to make as many paper bags as possible and try to sell it to the shop owner. As we were poor we had to be on our knees and beg to sell our newspapers. Sometimes it was successful and we were able to sell our paper bags. However, sometimes we weren’t and our paper bags were just ripped into pieces. We also had to pay rent with the money we earned, and the rent was always more than what we earned. Thus, we learned tricks to pay for rent, such as pretending to sell our organs, phones, shoes, clothes—or even ourselves into slavery—to pay for rent. This was one of the most memorable service projects ever, as I learned a lot about how hard it was to live in poverty. This will be my most memorable ACSC trip, and I couldn't have asked for better people to spend it with.



Monday 22 February 2016

Ballin’ by the Beach

Tayah Lee
For the first time in the history of the Asian Christian Schools Conference, the varsity girls’ basketball tournament was held here at Dalat.
The excitement started brewing in November of last year during the first tournament planning meeting, and the hard work and stress over intricate details and logistics finally paid off as the teams from Korea, Guam, Philippines, Thailand, Taiwan, and Hong Kong started to arrive on Wednesday, February 17th.
The school’s neighbor, Paradise Hotel, officially sponsored the tournament and hosted all of the teams, making their journey from their lodgings to the school a leisurely one. Once on campus, the teams gathered for an opening ceremony, enjoying a meal under twinkling lights before roasting S’mores on the beach, lighting sparklers, and experiencing the Chinese New Year styled welcome of bangin’ fireworks.
The following days consisted of the intense competition of teamwork and skill on the court, but also showing selflessness and Christ-like character through the annual service project. This year, teams visited Sekolah Kebangsaan Tanjung Tokong (SKTT), a local school in Tanjung Tokong, to assist in English lessons and to teach the students how to play basketball. The ACSC committee also donated a new basketball hoop and several new basketballs to the school, a gesture that led to the school’s inspiration and desire to start an official basketball team. “I loved playing with the kids, teaching them how to dribble and shoot, and just seeing their smiles and laughter. I hope that we inspired them to join basketball, and I can't wait to see their new basketball team!” exclaimed Dalat’s Felicia Teoh (11).
One of the few nights all the teams spent together was enjoyed in the night market of Batu Ferringhi. After experiencing a few of the Malaysian delicacies, such as Char Koay Teow, Teh Ais, and Satay at Long Beach Cafe, teams strolled the night market to experience henna tattoos, the fish spas, and the tropical beachside Starbucks. “It was amazing how we could try actual local food at the night market, because that is something we can’t really do in Seoul… The milk tea in a bag was pretty cool, too. Those comfy pants from a store were really nice and it was really fun to bargain,” said Top Defender, Hana Ikeda (12) from Yongsan International School in Seoul.
After four days packed with tough competition and Malaysian experiences, the tournament eventually came to a close on Saturday night. The teams gathered at Paradise’s outdoor seating area to honor a variety of the week’s achievement, including the tournament’s final ranking of Faith, Dalat, and ICS Hong Kong, respectively, and individual awards, including Ikeda (12) as top defender and Dalat’s Charlotte Combrink (12) as All Tournament Most Valuable Player. Tayah Lee (12) and Kassy Steinkamp (12) also earned spots on the tournament’s All-Conference team. After lighting paper lanterns and taking a multitude of photos, the teams said their goodbyes and parted. Dalat’s senior Sarah Tan said “It was really fun to be able to give the other teams a taste of life in Penang by bringing them to the beach for bonfires, S’mores, fireworks, and lighting lanterns, all of our favorite things to do and what makes living in Penang so special.”

Photo credits to Lucinda Ramos Lee and tournament photographers Jonathan Steffen, Lydia Roberts, and Jacki Steinkamp.

At the Crossroads

Andy Ewe
As part of the service project organized by ICS Hong Kong, the Dalat boys’ basketball team went to the Crossroads Foundation in Hong Kong to participate in a simulation during the ACSC basketball tournament.
            Once they arrived, they were greeted by Michael Williams, a volunteer at the Crossroad Foundation who ran the activity for all the basketball teams at the tournament. “In today’s simulation,” he said, “you will understand a small part of how it is to live in poverty, like millions of people in today’s world.” As he explained further, all the athletes began to realize that poverty is a much more complicated problem than they previously thought. “The problem with poverty is that in a lot of cases, simply getting more money doesn’t solve the problem,” he explained. “To fight poverty, much more than money is required. There also needs to be clean water and food, access to education, a non-corrupt government, and a lot more.”
            In the simulation, the teams were all split up into “families” of eight people. They were to become families living in the slums, fighting for survival. To survive the families needed to make a total of at least $200 a month, or in this case, 10 minutes. $120 would go towards rent that they needed to pay to their landlord, and $80 would go towards food for their family. If they didn’t get enough money, however, then they needed to go “under the bridge,” under the control of a ruthless loan shark who would not let them go until every penny was repaid, just like in reality.
The families would need to make the money just like how most people under the same circumstances did, by making paper bags out of scrap paper and glue made out of flour and water. They would then need to take their bags and sell them to the shop keepers who would pay them whatever they pleased, or rip the bags apart. The ultimate goal was to be able to send one of the family members to school to get an education, and hopefully a future, for a fee of $500.
The whole exercise took around 40 minutes, ending with three families going “under the bridge.” After the activity, the families gathered around and reflected on their experience. Titus Hwang said, “It felt like it was an endless cycle, every time we started to make enough money to pay for rent and food, the prices would go up. Every time we would be making progress, it would never be enough. We didn’t even have hope of sending one of us to school.”
 “And that is what a lot of families face,” Michael Williams said. “There are so many people under the power of poverty today, and the people who will be able to fight it look a lot like people like you—young people who will change the world.”

The simulation was a sobering experience to everyone there, a reminder to appreciate the blessings in our lives, and also a reminder to find every opportunity to help all those who are in need in the world. 

Tuesday 16 February 2016

How Dorm Students Celebrate Valentine’s Day

Christina Kim

At 8:00 PM on a Sunday night, the outdoor basketball court was filled with dorm students from all three dorms. They had gathered there to celebrate Valentine’s Day.

“Do we have everyone? Let’s go,” said Joseph Leech (12) as the junior/senior group headed over to their first station, Jaffray Dorm.

Each year, the dorm parents always come up with fun events for their dorm students. This year for Valentine’s Day, the dorm parents decided to treat their kids to a Progressive Valentine’s Treat Night. Starting at the outdoor basketball court area, everyone was placed in groups of 15-20 people (a combination of two small devotional groups) and each group was designated a station (Jaffray, Ziemer, or Jackson) to go to. With each station being 20 minutes, every dorm had their own special activity and treat planned. Jaffray dorm provided savory marinated drumsticks with yellow rice, Ziemer dorm provided tasty cookies and decorative icing, and Jackson dorm provided scrumptious mini cheesecakes drizzled with raspberry sauce.

“The food was great and I liked the activities we did in each dorm. I like my dorm community,” said Areeya Kunawaradisai (10).

 In Jaffray dorm, each person drew a riddle card or a Valentine’s Day question and answered the questions, going around in a circle. In Ziemer dorm, everyone got excited with the sprinkles and silver balls for decorating his or her own cookie. In Jackson dorm, each person wrote a note or a letter to a person whom they felt loved by.

Dorm students were able to enjoy each other’s company and eat amazing food that night.

“I really appreciated the effort and the treat for us; I had a fun time,” said Alex Chan (10).  

Happy Chinese New Year!

Alwyn Tan                                      

Chinese New Year is back! The traditional festival where overjoyed children get to play with an abundance of firecrackers, along with a stream of red packets flowing into their pockets.
“Chinese New Year is simply just a festival of joy. People often visit me at my place and I visit them too. It’s fun, especially getting to receive some awesome angpows,” said Andy Ewe (12).
A traditional dinner is normally held during Chinese New Year Eve, also known as the reunion dinner. During such dinners, males bring their immediate families and have dinner with their extended families. The old Chinese way emphasizes family bonding, just as Confucius often taught people about respecting their elders and filial piety. Another tradition that most Chinese families abide to is staying up late during Chinese New Year Eve, which symbolizes a long and prosperous life.
Traditionally, people often visit each other during Chinese New Year; younger people often go to visit elders to pay respect and celebrate the holiday together. However, in our modern world, traditional views are slowly merging into the modern culture. Many families now choose to go overseas for vacations to celebrate their New Year with their families, instead of celebrating it with large families.
Another thing that most families and friends love doing is playing mahjong, cards, or other board games. Cards and mahjong are the most popular games played during Chinese New Year. Most times, adults gamble a little with their relatives or close friends as they joke with one another the whole night. Children, on the other hand, play their own little games along with firecrackers as the adults stay inside and play cards.
Chinese New Year is an important tradition for the Chinese people. During such a season, relatives from all over the world come back just to celebrate it with their extended families, including their parents.

Wednesday 10 February 2016

Symbols and Sights of Chinese New Year

Keegan Oppenheim

Chinese New Year is a traditional and festive holiday. It is well known for its family gatherings, traditional dishes, red envelopes (ang pao) and dozens of other iconic symbols.

Few of these symbols are as exciting as the illegal fireworks; they are, unfortunately, quite distracting for students all over Penang, especially those who are trying to write articles for school. However, the average student in Penang receives a relaxing break from school because of Chinese New Year. Well, not necessarily relaxing, but it is a break from school. 

Unlike the Western New Year, Chinese New Year is celebrated for over two weeks. A holiday like this can’t go unnoticed on the school calendar. Even with two days taken off from school, some students are still absent for the first few days back. As many can assume, Chinese New Year is a holiday marking the beginning of the next year, however it is more than just the Chinese who celebrate this holiday. Chinese New Year is celebrated in Cambodia, Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand, Singapore, and, of course, Malaysia.

 Regardless of where the celebration is, Chinese New Year calls for family to come together and simply spend time with one another.  A typical family reunion at Chinese New Year involves lots of food. As a teenage guy, I've heard the phrase "I ate so much!" quite a lot; but Chinese New Year brings this phrase to another level. Meals are basically the main event at Chinese New Year, so as you can imagine that there’s a lot of time and work going on in the kitchen around this time. It can actually take days to prepare all the meals for the celebration.

For those who don't experience the big family dinners, there are still plenty of others parts of Chinese New Year. One of my favorite concepts, especially since it is not found in the Western culture, is the Zodiac. Each year has its Zodiac animal. For example, this past year was the year of the goat, which then transitioned over to the year of the monkey. You can find more about this online by just searching Chinese Zodiac. 


Another theme in Chinese New Year is the color red and how it's associated with luck. There are so many different aspects in Chinese New Year. Obviously, you can't experience the delicious flavors of traditional foods or vibrant colors of fireworks by reading about them. So next Chinese New Year go out and experience it for real. It's not like it doesn't happen every year.

The Soul and Body

Peter Lee

On the 27th of January, 2015, the school discovered that a fellow senior classmate, David Jung, had passed away. The next day, the Anatomy and Physiology class drove to Aimst University to once again encounter “death.”
            Along with Mr. Stuart and Mr. Brewster, the class hopped in a van and drove to Aimst University for a tiring two hours. However, 10 minutes away from the destination, the van ran out of gas. Fortunately, the van was behind a stoplight; and Mr. Brewster woke a few of the students, including me, to push the van from behind. They pulled the van over to the edge of the street, and a few students journeyed out to ask for help. After a few phone calls and a patient silence, Aster Hng (11) and Shawn Lim (12) brought a generous, local man to guide the class to the nearest gas station. Soon thereafter, the class safely arrived at Aimst University only to discover something they would never have expected.
            The Anatomy and Physiology class—taught by Mr. Stuart, who is an actual chiropractor— was studying the heart and its functions after Christmas break. Thus, Mr. Stuart wanted to arrange a field trip to help the class better understand the functions of the heart and, more importantly, to give them an exposure to medical care and treatments for prospective medical students.
            The class went on an expedition around the Aimst campus, exploring the myriad faculties of engineering and medicine. However, unlike most field trips, this one had a “deadly” turn of events. The doctors and professors of the medical faculties brought out legs, arms, and heads of cadavers to give the class an idea of identifications and dissections of the human body. All of the students, although frightened by the dead bodies, were eager to touch and visualize them. With the guidance of Mr. Brewster and Mr. Stuart, the students were able to identify the various veins and muscles as well as the more obvious body parts, such as the ears and nose.
            “The dead bodies smelled rotten and atrocious; it made me feel queasy. I can still remember the smell,” cried out Brian Hiew (12). 
             "The field trip to Aimst University was really cool! I had the opportunity of holding a brain and touching the different muscles in a leg," exclaimed Amanda Goh (12). 

            By the end of the day, the Anatomy class said their farewells to the university, and everyone slept peacefully on their two-hour drive back to school knowing that this day would be a day to remember. 


The Island of Rats

By Gabriela Mims

Pushing their paddles hard against the waves, Emma Hofer (12) and Karsten Ladner (12) made their way across the raging water from the Tanjung Bungah beach to Pulau Tikus, or Rat Island.
“Left—right—left—right!” they muttered in unison, trying to keep their paddling synchronized. Clouds filled the sky, blocking the sun from burning their salt-covered skin.
On weekends, students enjoy kayaking to Rat Island, the formation of rocks, trees, and sand that lay in the water a couple kilometers from the school. Although its name assumed the presence of rodents, no creatures other than crabs, birds, and jellyfish commonly visit the island.
Once they arrived, these students pulled their kayaks up to the sand and took a moment to drink some water and rest. After gathering their strength, they began climbing the barnacle-covered rocks surrounding the land. Since large rocks completely enclosed the island, students could easily circle it within an hour or two.
Only a few minutes in, they reached a tomb on the island. This tomb became one of the greatest mysteries among students, even though information on Google awaited those who sought it.
The man buried on Pulau Tikus, Seyad Mohamed Kuddoos Oliyullah, had a shrine dedicated to him, which strangely attracted not only Muslims, but also Hindus and Buddhists. Much of his story remained a mystery, however, his importance did not. Many people from different cultures and religions donated to the building of his grave. In a way, this embodied the mingling of different cultures throughout whole island of Penang.
After peering through the windows of the tomb, these students wandered around the area. They climbed up a ladder beside the grave that led to a solar-powered lighthouse, which gave them the opportunity to look out over the small island and see the coast of Penang in the distance.
The rest of the trek involved many scrapes and scratches, boulder-climbing, sweat, and sitting to enjoy the view from the island.
Once they reached their kayaks again, Hofer, Ladner, Mackenzie Jordan (12), Aaron Kelley (12), and Aaron Chand (11) took a moment to recoup before they started on their way back to the school. The sun began to set, and the group quickly pushed their kayaks into the water and began their trip back.
After several minutes of paddling toward the shore, the group stopped in the middle of the journey to watch the sun fall behind the mountains in the distance.
“My favorite part was when we were on our way back and the sun was starting to set, and we took a moment to rest as the waves calmly pushed us toward the shore,” Jordan said, recalling her experience.

The group safely made it back before nightfall. They made sure to wash their equipment, being careful to spray everyone with the hose until they were soaked. The group then walked down the road in their dripping clothes to enjoy a dinner at Hillside before bringing the night to a close.

A Night on the Town

Mary-Claire McIntyre 

A group of seniors battled their way through Chinese New Year traffic to enjoy one of Penang's many wonders, Georgetown's CNY festivities.
            With minds full of thoughts of lanterns and moon cakes, a joyful bunch began their journey into Georgetown. They were met with a throng of locals and tourists hoping for the same cultural experience. However, the memories the students will hold most dear are not those of the fireworks or loud music but the moments in-between, joking around and enjoying each other's company.
            The daunting sacrifice of volunteering to drive a van full of teenagers through Chinese New Year traffic can only be taken on by the bravest souls. Fortunately, Eddy Ruble, father of Kaela Ruble (12), was willing to attempt the feat.
            After conquering the traffic, the seniors faced another problem - finding an open restaurant. Most of the favorite cafes such as Mugshot were closed for the CNY celebrations. This of course inspired the kids to search a little farther into Georgetown's foodie scene. They came across a small cafe. The walls of the cafe were littered with notes from previous visitors from all corners of the earth. Many ranted about the excellence of the local food served there. 
            With plenty of time remaining before curfew, the group headed towards the marquis. They walked through the jungle of streets. Previously plain roads had become lovely alleys in the soft glow of the red and pink lanterns. Bursts of color occasionally shot into the sky as the night grew on.
            The marquis was decorated with miniature paper hot air balloons and gigantic glowing monkey statues. The seniors joined the mass of people waving glow in the dark sticks in the air.

            As midnight approached, the group hailed a taxi and began the journey home. The activity of the evening left them all sleepy but content. As they lazily observed their fellow commuters from behind the taxi windows, Katiera Cox (12) said, "Wow! What night. I'm so glad we got to experience this side of Penang."


Are You Permitted?

Gloria Kim

Early Saturday morning, students dragged their weary legs off their beds with half-closed eyes to get ready for a special day. With a tinge of nervousness and excitement, they set off for a long ride to the south end of the island to a place where every car moved at a speed of 10km/h: the JPJ driving center.
            Those who came to the JPJ center had already passed the first few obstacles in achieving a driver’s license. The very first thing that one must do to start the process is to select a driving school. Once enrolled at a school, the notoriously boring three-hour lecture on the basics of driving must be attended. Then a book to study for the theory test must be purchased. Only after passing this test, is one able to learn how to drive at the JPJ center.
            This was the process that many Dalat students have gone through to achieve their license. A few students took the initiative to acquire it in junior year; and by senior year, the majority of them had earned the “P” license, or the permit to drive in Malaysia. This year, 28 seniors drove themselves around.
            “I got my driver’s license because I wanted to have the freedom to travel where I wanted and also for the convenience of commuting from home to school. It greatly benefitted me because I am able to do what I need to do without disrupting my parents’ schedule. Being able to go out for lunch with my friends is also an incredible privilege,” said Noel Teng (12), one of the first few seniors who earned the “P.”
            The very first senior to have been “permitted” was Cheryl Yeap (12), who probably have fetched students around the most. Some seniors earned their license later in the year just to follow the trend.
            “Peer pressure was the biggest factor that motivated me to get my driver’s license. Otherwise, I would have gotten it after graduating from university,” said Ysabel Loh (12).
            Whether it was from peer pressure or for convenience, the students were each motivated to take up the challenge of earning a driver’s license in their high school year. From waking up early on a Saturday morning to obeying the traffic rules, they became more independent and responsible individuals.


Monday 1 February 2016

Running the psychoPATH

Brenda Ng

On weekdays, students and adults are obliged to rise early for school or work. So on the weekends, most of them would rather sleep in than wake up at dawn to run. But on Saturday, 30 January 2016, Dalat's cross country team, the Treagles (Track Eagles), sacrificed their opportunity to sleep in to take part in the MSSPP Cross Country State Championship. Are the Treagles a bunch of crazy and peculiar students, or are they a group of ardent runners?

At 5:45am, the athletes gathered at Dalat in their blue track and field jerseys. They then dragged themselves onto the vans, starting their journey to the venue, SMK Bukit Gambir. Though the runners were tired, Coach Grad certainly was not. On the way down the windy Tanjung Bungah road, as Coach Combrink complained about the foggy and dirty windshield, Coach Grad, the adrenaline junkie, immediately propped half of her body out of the van to wipe the windshield with an extra jersey. All of the runner's half-open eyes flashed wide open in awe of Coach Grad's shocking yet hilarious act. That stunt not only gave Mrs. Combrink a clearer driving view, but also served as a wake-up call for all the zombie-like athletes. As the vans approached the venue, the Treagles felt anxious at the sight of 2,500 runners gathered in the vicinity. Adrenaline started pumping through their veins, filling them with vitality.

Prior to the race, the Treagles performed a circus show. Under the guidance of Coach Grad, they did some warm-up drills on the field, where all the other participants gathered. Some of the drills, such as the horse kick, were hilarious and amusing to the eye, though they helped prevent injury.

At 8am, the race began, starting with the U18 boys first and then the other age groups. As each age group proceeded to the starting line, the eager participants pushed and shoved another in order to dash to the starting line. They had disregarded the marshals' command to proceed to the starting line slowly and calmly in an orderly manner. The start of the races was hectic too. During the commencement of the U18 girls' race, a few girls at the front of the line fell as they were pushed over by the energetic runners behind them. Despite the chaotic start, the race proceeded smoothly.

The race was 7.1KM for the U15 and U18 runners, while it was 2.8KM for the U12 age group. The course was around a peaceful neighborhood with many shady trees. Nevertheless, it was hilly with slopes that quickly depleted the runners’ energy. Many runners slowed down their pace and eventually walked. Most Dalat runners, on the other hand, persisted and ran the whole course without giving in to the lactic acid building up in their calves and/or their palpitating hearts. Mr. Phillips stood at the 1KM mark to cheer the Dalat runners on, while Coach Arnold, Coach Combrink, Coach Grad, and Coach Knowles gathered around the finish line to give the Treagles an extra "push." The Treagles runners finished strong, sprinting towards the finish line with all their might.

Six runners from Dalat's cross country team earned places in the race! Charlotte Combrink came in first place for the U18 girls age group. When she went up to the stage to receive her award, the Treagles stood up, clapped, and cheered loudly. In addition, Annabelle Teoh, Felicia Teoh, Brenda Ng, Elizabeth Burh and Esther Tse also received prizes; they were amongst the first thirty people to finish the race in their respective age groups.  Congratulations, Treagles!

Though the runners were exhausted from the lack of sleep and the tough course, they did not regret their decision to sacrifice sleep and take part in the race. Felicia Teoh, a junior, expressed, “It was a memorable experience for me, being able to run along with thousands of other athletes. Even though it was painful to wake up at 5a, it was worth it because I ran the most I had ever in my life that day.”

In fact, rising early to participate in a race is enjoyable. Peter Tan, a sophomore, said, “I actually enjoyed it even though it was the most tiring thing in the world. Running with my friends and seeing so many people there made it really fun and cool experience. In other words, though some might regard those runners as insane students, but the Treagles would describe themselves as passionate runners.

The Senior Girls' Last Fellowship

Rachel Halbedl

Miss Grad didn’t miss a beat when she announced the starting up of a grade twelve girls Bible study on January 14, 2016—the first day of the semester.

Voices and chatter emanate from Miss Grad’s living room as the senior girls gather for their weekly Tuesday night study. Smells of popcorn and chai permeate the house as the girls plunk down in a circle on beanbags, sofas, and pillows—ready to start the Biblical discussion. 

When asked what inspired the hip idea, Miss Grad responded, “I met with every senior girl for a meal or tea during the first semester. After listening to their stories, I noticed that many had the same fears, insecurities—and passions. I was praying about how I could be more of an intentional encourager about these areas and then one of the girls asked me if I had thought about starting a Bible study; this seemed like a practical—and exciting—answer.”

Last week, everyone went around and voiced a fear, passion, and the university they are thinking of going to, in addition to the future major. Rocks and eggs were passed around, as the passion would be written on a stone and the fear on an egg.

After an hour of sharing and writing, the girls walked through mud, ants, and darkness to reach a waterfall. Each girl slammed her egg into the watery cliff with zeal and passion.    Did this mean our dreams were smashed?   No, it was symbolical of the smashing of fears.

“My goal is simply for each girl to know God and each other in a deeper sense. With Scripture as the backbone, I also want to help teach tools that will aid in digging deeper roots into Christ, especially as they prepare to continue on their spiritual journeys in university,” added Miss Grad.

Aside from throwing eggs at a waterfall, Miss Grad looks forward to other fun activities, such as going to Red Box, movie nights, sleepovers, and a home-hosted church service.


The senior girls are in for a fun semester as they look forward to the upcoming Tuesday nights until graduation.