Monday 25 March 2019

ACSC Track

Lauren Lee

This week, the high school track team made their way to Morrison Academy, Taiwan for the final meet of the season, the ACSC conference. A hectic travel schedule from March 22nd to March 25th, the week moved very fast, but not at any disadvantage: full of contentment, competition, and of course, bubble tea, this trip had many highlights to be cherished forever.

We left early Thursday morning and arrived late Thursday night, met with a two-hour long karaoke-filled bus ride (rather unfortunately for the coaches and the bus driver, the bus came with a microphone connected to twelve speakers throughout the moving vehicle). We arrived after campus was closed—almost midnight—and we settled into our beds (our boys had quaint air mattresses in the middle of the weight room while us girls had the old refurbished dorms) and got some rest for the next two day’s events.

The first day was filled with sun as we worked with a school for children with disabilities to organize a track meet for them. Afterward, we began participating in our own meet, winning multiple medals for the relay races and hurdles; the girls’ sprint medley relay (Lauren Lee (12), Annabelle Teoh (12), Dorothy Koay (10), and Ruthie Allen (10)) even won gold! Later, our coaches took us to the restaurant chain that claimed to have invented bubble tea, and we sat in random groups getting to know each other and praying for the next day’s races.

On the second day, we continued to perform well, winning many individual gold medals: Alicia Chin (12) in the long jump, Jared Douglas (10) in the 5000m, Jack Cura (8) in the 3000m, Ruthie Allen (10) in the 800m and 1500m, and Esther Kim (12) in all the field events. Overall, it was a successful meet, with girls winning 2nd place overall and boys receiving 5th.

To us, however, this ACSC wasn’t about how we placed. This trip meant a lot to all of us as it was Miss Grad’s last year as our coach, and it was our last ACSC as seniors. “It was heartbreaking that the new people we met, we won’t have a chance to see again next year,” said Alicia Chin (12) as we were preparing to leave.

Ashley Chew (9) also said it was really nice getting to know upperclassmen, since track is one of those teams where you need more people to get more points, and you get to meet people from all over high school with no tryouts or discrimination.


Overall, it was an amazing four days, even if they were cold and rushed. We made lots of memories and drank way too much bubble tea, and boarding passes are just waiting to be scrapbooked. Taiwan will always be held dear to me because of these yearly trips, and even though it was the last trip for a lot of us, we did really well, and the memories we made couldn’t be replicated anywhere else.


The Trunchbull

Alicia Chin

This year’s ACSC/TISSA Track & Field tournament was held at Morrison Academy, Taichung, as per usual. The team of fourteen girls finished second. Each contributed to the best of their abilities, but there was one particular girl who stood out amongst the rest—her name is Esther Kim (12). Esther excels in many sports—volleyball, track, softball, you name it. This girl is talented in so many ways.

This year, she made the decision to go to Taiwan to participate in the track and field tournament, which is a first for her. Her events were four field events, the hammer throw, discus throw, javelin throw, and the shot put, and one track event, the 100-meter sprint.

All the events which Esther participated in, she snagged a medal. She left Taiwan with four gold medals and a silver in the 100-meter sprint, just 0.3 seconds behind the first-place competitor. Esther gained the nickname “Trunchbull.” Miss Trunchbull, more commonly known as the Trunchbull, is a character from Matilda, a Roald Dahl book. (Matilda is the children’s book the Advanced Composition class is currently reading, which Esther is in). The Trunchbull is the headmistress at Matilda’s primary school. She is strong and flings kids out of the window as if she’s in the Munich Olympics once again for the hammer throw. That’s how Esther Kim got the nickname, not a particularly nice one, but it does indicate that she is strong and mighty. Whenever Esther Kim steps onto the podium, the team in snazzy blue Torpedo tracksuits will started chanting:
“Trunchbull, Trunchbull, Trunchbull, Trunchbull…”

Esther scored the team 48 points. She was the highest scoring female athlete of the tournament, and she also made the all-tournament team. She definitely did not go home empty-handed. In fact, with the 7 kg bag limit of the tiny carry-on bag, I do not know how she managed to fit her two trophies and medals in her suitcase, seriously. Besides that, she was breaking and setting records, both the ACSC/TISSA tournament’s and the school’s record.

Esther Kim was the missing piece the team needed all along.

As Coach Grad said, “I am so phenomenally proud of Esther. She has excelled throughout her entire track career, but she hasn’t been able to be formally recognized for her talent because she didn’t go to the ACSC meet in the past. This year, though, she highlighted her ‘Trunchbull’ strength by deservedly winning five medals—one being in the hammer throw, which she never practiced before the day of the event. It’s also quite impressive for a field event athlete to run a 13.8 100m dash. Her points secured the girls’ team a place on the podium.” 

Monday 18 March 2019

What Would You Do?


Hannah Lawrence

We have 81 days until the Class of 2019 will be on the stage in Harbor Hall, being told that, in a few moments, we will be Dalat Alumni. It will be a completely surreal moment for everyone. Hold up, though. Rewind. Close your eyes. Breathe.

                                                              Questions.

Questions just filled your mind. Questions can fill our lives. They can cause stress, anxiety, fear, excitement, confusion, etc. What are you going to do after you graduate? Where are we going for lunch? Why are they doing that? Are you going to uni? What uni are you going to? When are you leaving? Do you know what you want to major in? Do you have senioritis? How does it feel? Have you started packing? Are you sliding? Do you have a dress for JSB? Who are you going with? Do you want to play CS GO? Did you see the game last night?  Where do you want to go? What do you want to be? Who are you?

The reply to most of those questions can be answered in a small amount of time, but some of them are the harder questions of life. Questions are not wrong; that is not the point of this Scribble. In fact, as a senior, I think that it is inevitable for a senior to have at least one of these questions on their minds throughout their entire year. As seniors, though, I think that we have this unsaid expectation that we are supposed to know the answers to all questions asked of us. Even when they say, “It’s okay. You don’t have to know right now,” we are still expected to know, somehow.

Some seniors can get “addicted” to answering these question during the senior year. It can become the goal at the end of the year: to know the answers to all the questions that have been swimming in our heads (or, at least, the ones that we can remember). Of course, there is always that one question for a senior: “Where are you going after this?” That is THE question that can consume everything that we do. But, there is an alternative…

Be Still.

I want to remind all of us that God does call us to “be still” (Psalms 46:10). So often, we forget that we can have times of peace when we can just think and reflect. God tells us to do so regularly. All it takes is just to sit/stand/walk and be in the moment. There is so much on this island that we taken for granted. Simply don’t do it anymore. And if one needs to ask a question, ask, “How much time have you had for yourself? How much time have you thought about your future? What do you think might be your future?”

Here is the reality: in 81 days, our lives will change dramatically into one of the most eventful moments of our lives that we will most likely remember forever.

“You know there are like 45 school days left,” exclaimed Lauren Lee (12) correcting me.

There is a long list of things that can vary from now till then. Great extremes that we will remember forever, and spectacularly minimal things that we really won’t remember five years from now. This is the lesson that I learned last week. To remember the reality and recognize that peace and trust lie in the One who calls us to be still, who told the seas and the wind to be still!

Nonetheless, A Good Game


Ashley Kim

On March 8th, the Dalat baseball and softball team traveled five hours to KL to play against the ISKL teams. After the girls played during the day, the boy’s baseball team put on a magnificent display as the sun just started to set.

It was DALAT's inning. Jack Cura, an 8th grader, came striding up onto the mound for pitching. The field lights illuminated him, deepening the dark lines of his face. Over to the top, the KLCC tower blended in symphony with the maroon, blue hues of the sunset. As the hum of the soft lights embraced the field, the girls’ softball team slowly gathered around the edge of the field, plopping themselves up against the fence side-by-side.

"YEAH! THAT'S MY DORM BROTHER!!!" cheered Grace Bae (9), her legs dangling on the field fence, her minuscule hands tensed hard up against the field net.

G. Bae remarked, "I feel better when they cheer up after I cheer for them. I liked how we improved and received encouragement from one another."

As the referee bellowed, "Batter UP!", the ISKL batter secured himself squarely on his spot, swaying back and forth with a tensed cadence. A sudden hush followed, and everyone held their breath and swallowed the stillness of the air.

As Jack drew his ball into his chest, all eyes darted towards it. He raised his leg and swiftly snapped forward, sharply releasing the ball. It whipped across, landing with a satisfying thud into Eli Davis' (8) gloves.

"STRIKE!"

Eli, the catcher, playing on his 11th season explained the thrill, "I feel like I'm in charge and in control as the catcher.”

The tension of the air released. "YEAH!!!! YOU GO JACK!!! YOU CONTINUE LIKE THAT!" affirmed Coach Summer Davis. A slight smile broke on Jack's face, and rolling his shoulders, he regained his position.

Crouching in a ready position, Jack slashed down again a second after; but this time the throw was followed by a loud clang. "FLYBALL!!! CATCH!!! CATCH!!!"

Across the base, the third baseman reached up for the ball, which seemed to hang in the black air. But as the ball came plummeting down, he arched his neck and stretched his gloves; the ball was once again met with a satisfying thud.

"OUT!!!"

The cycle of cheering, tension, silence, and release continued until darkness morphed the maroon, blue hues. At the end of the tension, however, the game ended unfortunately with the DALAT boys at 4 and the ISKL boys at 12. Everyone dragged along their gloves, caps, and jerseys and retreated to the bus in a melancholy tone, the adrenaline still lingering in the air. Despite the loss, it was a good game.  

The Call to God

Amanda Low

On the second week of March, Mrs. Allen led her senior Bible class through a lesson called the discipline of prayer, in hopes of strengthening their relationship with God.

Scattered all around the campus, seniors settled down and devoted their time to God during Bible class. As I sat on the second floor of Harbour Hall, overlooking the entire campus, I noticed the different ways my classmates were approaching prayers—some prayed alone in silence, some talked in small groups, some listened to worship songs, some took a walk, some painted, and so much more. Throughout the week, a lot of them got the chance to find a prayer method that suits their personality, breaking the misconception that there is only one way to pray.

For that week of prayer, Mrs. Allen, a very experienced and competent Bible teacher, provided her students with a menu of activities that they could choose from to experience talking to God. She made sure that there was something suited for everyone’s personality in the class. Provided with endless options, the class of seniors was given the freedom to go wherever they wanted on campus, as long as they stayed on task.

Courtney Soon (12) shared, "In the pray unit, I got the opportunity to pray to God through a variety of choices given, such as individual prayer, group prayer, and music. I especially enjoyed the time where we could share and pray for each other about our personal struggles. The unit was very eye-opening, and it helped me to understand the importance of taking the action to seek a relationship with God during prayer."

Furthermore, another student who enjoyed this unit, Lydia Kim (12), said, “What I enjoyed most about the prayer unit was the fact that I could intentionally spend time of silence just with God. Listening to worship music outside with the cool breeze while talking to God was such a rich experience, and I learned that having prayer time with no distraction is necessary in my walk with God.”

Overall, the prayer unit gave the seniors a great opportunity to take a break from their hectic schedules to focus on God. It also motivated them to experiment with different ways of connecting with God, giving them a better understanding of themselves. It is small steps like this that Dalat needs to focus on to slowly see God working through the community more and more each day.

Wednesday 13 March 2019

Track Team in KL

Joy Kiehl

Last weekend, March 8-9th, the track team traveled to Kuala Lumpur for a track meet against six other schools from Southeast Asia.

After around a six hour drive down to KL on Friday, the track team arrived at Alice Smith School. We were going to compete against schools from Singapore, Thailand, and KL. The first day of competition the Treagles (Track Eagles) were involved in the following races: 4x400m relay, 3000m, girls’ shot put, boys’ discus, and girls’ high jump.

The 4x400m relay boys, Yuuki Horie (11), Tien Min Tan (11), Garrett Miller (9), and Jared Douglas (10), were able to come in third place and tie the school record. Douglas also came in third place in the 3000m.

At the end of the first day of the meet, we drove to our hotel, which had a mall attached to, and expected to find food. However, to our dismay, we found that all the restaurants were closed. We all had to go out of the hotel to look for a restaurant. It took a while before we found a place to eat, since a lot of the restaurants outside were also closed.

On the second day of competition, Dalat had athletes involved in all races from the 100m to 1500m. Also, athletes competed in other jumping and throwing events. Douglas again received third place in the 1500m event. The Treagles worked really hard, and some of them beat their personal records. Grace Moon (11) said, “Our first track meet in KL was one that I would never forget. I got the chance to have awesome conversations and interactions with our track team, and I also had the chance to bond with a lot of the coaches! The best part of the trip was when we went to Krispy Kreme in one of the rest stops on the way to KL.”


Although the track team was not able to receive many medals because of the high level of competition, it was a good learning experience, and the Dalat athletes were able to improve their times and have fun.

Tuesday 12 March 2019

ACSC Honor Band: A Band of Honor

Sofia Park

Excitement filled the air as thirteen concert band students sat by the boarding gate, humming tunes from their band pieces; for five days, from March 6th to March 10th, these students launched  into the ASCS Honor Band trip in Manila, Philippines.

Once we landed, the first thing we saw was the Jollibee’s in the airport. We had not known its impending ubiquity at that time. Then, as soon as we stepped out into the outside air, a crowd of crammed traffic greeted us. It was on the way to our guesthouse when we came to a realization: Jollibee’s were simply everywhere! It seemed as if every single street and alley, nook and corner, had a Jollibee’s restaurant with their eerily cheerful bee mascot grinning from ear to ear, tracking our every move. A few students ended up creating a road trip game of Jollibee’s, too. That night, as we settled into our rooms, was pretty uneventful. We fell asleep, hearts soaring with anticipation of what tomorrow would bring.

In the morning of the first day of rehearsals, we were first introduced to our sections. The awkward atmosphere was broken with a silly icebreaker, and soon enough, new friendships budded. We rehearsed from 9 AM in the morning to 4:30 PM in the afternoon. Everyone pushed through the first half with enthusiasm and excited energy, but, as the clock ticked by, we were all worn out and spent by the afternoon. Whines of “I can’t feel my lips!” and “My teeth left marks on the inside of my mouth!” were whispered around, along with the common “My lips are all chapped!” It seemed as if everyone was waiting for 4:30 to hit. After rehearsals, two buses took us to Megamall, where the students experienced the local culture. Allegedly, the Dalat chaperones dined at the infamous Jollibee’s, claiming “Well, it’s for the cultural experience!”

The next day, Friday, was just the same. We arrived at Faith Academy and then rehearsed from 9 AM to 4:30 PM again. But this time, after rehearsals, the entire band was led to the small community of illegal settlers to perform for the people there and to play with the children. The entire experience was eye-opening, as we learned how other people around the area lived.

On the final day, Saturday, rehearsals seemed to pass without much ado. The students were led to the elementary playground for a barbecue lunch and to spend their nervous energy by running around and playing on the complex’s playground. The clock ticked by, and it was soon time to prepare ourselves for the concert. Donning our “Concert Black Outfits”, we restlessly bustled in the band room, waiting and waiting.

The actual concert was anti-climactic; mutterings of “That’s all?” filled the halls. It just couldn’t be—the past two days of what at that time seemed like endless rehearsals had passed by ever so quickly. After the final banquet full of local delicacies, a somber mood filled clung in the air as students said their goodbyes. Social media requests were sent, pictures were taken, and hugs were given out. That was the finale. That concluded the ACSC band trip.

When reflecting about the trip, Mikaela Yeap (10), a trombonist, said “Honor Band was much more challenging than I expected but equally as rewarding. It was humbling to be reminded that excelling in Dalat does not translate into excelling elsewhere.”

Abigail Soo (10), a flautist, then added that “learning about different cultures and ways of living was enlightening. We had so much fun there!”

The five days passed with countless activities and memories. New memories and experiences were made, and new friendships were formed. It was another precious memory to follow us for a long time.

Bonding Through Disconnected Wi-Fi…?

Alice Chang

On March 6th, thirteen musicians gathered in front of the anchor, ready to head on a five-day trip to Manila, Philippines for an honor band festival held at Faith Academy. The honor bandmates from seven different schools started as individual musicians but ended the trip as one whole band and made many fun memories. One of the memories made from the trip was the whole ‘Wi-Fi problem’ at the guesthouse.

After the long journey from Penang to Manila, the team went to a guesthouse. One of the first things people asked for was the Wi-Fi connection at the guesthouse. However, the Wi-Fi only worked in one specific area of the guesthouse. The worst part of it all was the fact that the one Wi-Fi was being used with over thirty people.

When the chaperones and seniors asked for the WiFi password, Esther Tse (10) decided to go down to the kitchen and ask for the password. This was where the chaos began.
Stuttering, Tse asked, “Uhh… What is the WiFi password?”

A student from Morrison responded, “It’s 499XXXX7.”
Tse went back upstairs and told everyone the password. However, it was incorrect.

Immediately, she went back downstairs (the kitchen) and asked for the password again. This process happened about five times. By the time Tse went to ask again, the student had written the password on his palm and told her to take a photo of it. Thinking that this would be the last time, Tse took the photo and went back upstairs. However, all the girls had trouble figuring out what the student wrote in his palm and failed to connect to the internet. When two senior girls went down to ask for the password, the Morrison students said the password aloud, and the girls got the Wi-Fi password after approximately an hour.

Throughout the five days, relationships and bonding were formed in the kitchen — upperclassmen from various schools bonded through all the AP class submissions. Sofia Park (12) remarked, “It was really interesting to see how students from different schools were complaining about AP classes. We carried conversations about the terrible internet connection and online classes.”

With the Wi-Fi working in one specific area, many students gathered at the same place and started up conversations when the Wi-Fi disconnected. Through these ‘fun’ experiences, the honor bandmates bonded and made memories, not only within themselves but with students from other schools as well. Considering it all, the ACSC Honor Band was a great experience and something that will be part of their lives for a long time.

A Salient Day

Min Guk Kong

The week of March 3-7th was filled with horrendous yet important and historic events, including International Women’s Day, the SATs, and the release of Captain Marvel.

As Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday slowly traveled by, some people started filling a mixture of excitement and nervousness for the events ahead.   

“Celebrating International Women's day is so important because there are so many females who contribute to society in important ways. And I want Dalat guys and girls to grow up knowing that advocating for equality is the right thing to do,” said Aunt Val, a dorm parent of Jaffrey dorm; March 8th is a day of celebration for the accomplishments of women.

However, this important day is also a momentous day as Marvel stamps its first female-led movie, Captain Marvel. I ended up interviewing Jireh Ang (11) who gave me quite an intriguing observation about the movie, “I liked how the movie explained a lot for the upcoming Avenger’s end game. I thought that the movie had a lot of hidden jokes that I found very funny, and I thought that the cat was prettier than the actress.”

As Seneca once said, “Fire tests gold, suffering tests brave men.”

March 9th was that day of suffering for many, including my best friend Wansuk Kunarwaradisai (11), who states, “When I woke to get ready for the SAT, I was very hungry. I ate breakfast quickly, but maybe a little too quickly because my tummy started aching. When the SAT started, I felt extremely focused, and I think I must have done very well. After the test was over, it gave me the greatest, utmost, and craziest, yet awesome, relief that I have ever felt in my whole entire school year and even life.”

Many have fallen from this evil day, but it is done. Therefore, we should celebrate and cheer for those that have undergone the tortures of the SAT.


As the author of this Senior Scribble author, I am honored to write about International Women’s day for I find it to be a salient day in which all people should advocate for the equality of both men and women; for men and women are created to be one under God.

Tuesday 5 March 2019

Almost There!

Yi Yao Tan

“Remember, three burpies make two Brewster Bucks!!” said Mr. Brewster, as he kindly reminded us about the wages as we labored arduously for our “money.” During Senior Transition Retreat, the seniors received an amazing opportunity to escape the boring classrooms and sit in a meeting room right next to campus for hours a day to listen to potentially life-changing lectures about surviving college.

Of course, no retreat is a true Dalat event without a bit of educational “fun.” One of the activities incorporated a lecture, which was supposed to simulate college life. During the lecture, Mr. Brewster, the session leader, charged a Brewster Buck per minute for his talk about the dreadful expenses of college and the horrible world of debt. To earn their tuition fees, the seniors had to do a certain number of workouts based on the jobs they received to obtain enough to pay off their lectures. At the end of the session, more than half the class were either sore or buried under a pile of debt; but in return, they were transformed into much more aware consumers and knowledgeable students, prepared for the challenges of college.

The students, however, weren’t just hammered in with all the information of about the horrifying finances of college; but they also had a chance to hear the exciting college-life stories from a few Dalat alumni to satisfy their thirsts and curiosity for this mythical world of post-high school. Sometimes it is actually quite hard to imagine that all those “old people” were once college students, right? The times when Mr. Henderson and Uncle Keith had hair, which is quite a different era if you ask me.

The Senior Transition Retreat offered the group of almost-adults a much deeper insight into the life of college. It cultivated the anticipation of graduation and spread senioritis throughout the class as many students intently listened to the informative sessions. One notable and passionate participant, Tim Baek (12), stated “I’m not even going to college,” as he remarked about how applicable the lectures were for his bright future.

In the end, the students all despaired at the thought of having to go back to school, as they packed their bags preparing for the depressing march back to Dalat. Overall, the Senior Transition Retreat was quite an enjoyable learning experience.

The Next Chapter

Linus Lim

The date is 28th of February 2019; as the class of 2019 prepares for their retreat to Paradise Hotel, we’re reminded of the tradition at Dalat where the senior class skips two days of school to prepare for their next chapter in life. Many students don’t get this opportunity to look back on how the school has shaped them and prepare for the transition to college, so it’s a privilege that we should be thankful for.

On Thursday morning, we see smiling faces across the senior lockers as they talk about whom they’ll be rooming with and what they can do in their free time. When the first bell rings, the seniors slowly stroll along the pathway to Paradise Hotel. The retreat starts in a conference room where students are made aware of how diverse of a class they are, and they are given the definition of Third-Culture Kids (TCK). Then the seniors discuss who’s impacted them and how they can show appreciation or gratitude during these last three months of school towards the influencer.

After talking about that, the seniors eat lunch and have free time to wander around Paradise Hotel. The students quickly scramble around and participate in all kinds of activities from playing cards to swimming. During the evening when free time comes to an end, all seniors gather around the conference room to talk with the principal (Mr. Brewster) about finance in college. The seniors learn how costly college is, and they shouldn’t waste a penny on it by making poor choices, such as skipping class. The night ends with some fun activities that bond the class as one. The seniors play mini-games such as Never Have I Ever, Truth or Dare, and Brewster’s Monopoly game.

The following morning, Mr. Steinkamp talks about the topic of choices. Students do an activity to show their core values, and they are reminded to remain true to their values when making decisions in college. The seniors continue to engage in college-preparing topics and the retreat ends at 3:10p.

On Monday morning, I asked Bethany Davis (12) for her takeaways from the Transition Retreat. She says, “I really enjoyed getting away from school to prepare for my transition to college. I feel like a lot of schools don't focus on that so I really appreciated the opportunity to learn about what college is really going to be like. I especially liked getting to talk to older guys about questions we as girls had.”

A chance to learn and prepare for what’s ahead, the Class of 2019 looks to cherish their last three months being students of Dalat.

Picture of Isabel Smith, Bethany Davis, Lydia Kim, Esther Ko, and Jeremy Worten enjoying the sunrise on a Friday morning. Photo Credit: Ryna Mayekar

Never Back Down

Albert Jeong

It was March 1st, the day after the Senior Transition retreat. Seniors gathered at school to head to the paintball arena. Everyone was hyped to enjoy a class activity after the dreadful class meeting about transitioning to college. For some people, it was the first time holding a paintball gun, but for others were experienced weaponizers.

After less than 1 hour, we finally arrived at the War Museum, which had the paintball arena beside it. The team division was set, and players were traded left and right. In the end, the trade between Min Guk Kong (12) and Jeremy Worten (12) declared the completeness of the team, and Mr. Steinkamp casually joined Jeremy and many other athletes.

The game was Capture the Flag. A team wins when two of its players touch the enemy’s base. I was with Mr. Steinkamp’s team, and he called out the offensive strategies: “We’ll have a group of three. One group will play the middle, and the other two will play left and right lane. The middle player will gradually push with the left lane players while covering and open firing when pushing. Left lane player will find an aggressive angle to eliminate opposing players. For right lane player, play really defensive and hit long-range shots.”

The order was given, and the game was played. The plan worked, as Jeremy and Trevor Ronning (12) touched down the base camp. In round two, the sides were switched, and we played the lower side of the map. Because the arena was on the mountain, one camp was in a higher position than the other one. So, when our team was playing on the lower side of the map, Mr. Steinkamp called out a new game plan: “We’ll play like round one, except right lane play aggressive and left lane play defensive.”

Trevor added onto the plan, “We’ll get early control on the middle lane because the enemy won’t be expecting it.” 

The strategy worked as planned, and our team won both Capture the Flag rounds. Both winners and losers were so ready to eat their lunch because the tough cardio workout had enlarged our hunger. With sweat and hunger, both seniors and sponsors left for lunch at New World Park and headed home. 

Monday 4 March 2019

Transitioning into the Unknown

Lydia Kim

On February 28, while familiar teachers greeted the juniors, sophomores, and freshmen into classrooms at Dalat, the freezing cold air welcomed the seniors into the Bayu conference room in the Rainbow Paradise Hotel.

After approximately 45 seconds of traveling, the seniors of Dalat International School arrived at the Rainbow Paradise Hotel where they would experience the annual Senior Transition Retreat for the next day and a half. The purpose of the retreat was to prepare the seniors with practical tools for their transition from high school into the unknown world of college, gap year, or even work.

The first session consisted of mini-activities and lectures by Mr. Dobson on what it means to be a third-culture kid. After seniors finished watching clips from Castaway and testing themselves on their “TCK-ness” on the first stage of hypothermia, Mr. Dobson instructed most students to walk back to Dalat in order to participate in a workshop.

The students instructed were those who gave consent to a research project by Ms. Grad titled, “Transitional Therapies for Third Culture Kids: Expressive Writing and Mentorship,” where seniors listened to a hypothetical scenario of their graduation and wrote about their emotions and thoughts afterwards. Following this workshop was a mentoring process where seniors were able to express and talk through their feelings on the content of their writing as well as their transition.

Lunchtimes were normal in that the seniors had an option either to go out in the vicinity of Tanjung Bungah or enjoy the cafeteria food back on campus. The senior class also enjoyed free time on the first day by swimming, taking walks, napping, playing table tennis, and hanging out with classmates before they went back to the conference room for even more sessions. The class bonding did not stop, however, as they laughed and cheered together in the interactive activities and silly games they experienced.

Among the various sessions on topics such as self-defense, finance, and practical life skills, one of the main highlights of the retreat was Mr. Brewster’s session where seniors were able to learn, both mentally and physically, about the value and importance of hard work. One student, Ryna Mayekar (12), described it by saying, “I liked how realistic the session was in explaining the cost of college tuition through physical labor.”

Another highlight was the session on relationships led by two sets of staff members from both genders. Split up into guys and girls, seniors had a chance to freely ask questions, ranging from gender roles to sexual interactions to both the male and the female teachers. “Normally, girls don’t get a chance to ask guys questions regarding relationships, so it was refreshing to get a new perspective on these different topics,” said Bethany Davis (12).

On the second and last day of the Senior Transition Retreat, seniors ended their time in the Rainbow Paradise Hotel by each adopting their own eggs for the “Egg Baby Challenge” and taking class photos. Despite spending 20 consecutive hours together in an average sized, freezingly cold conference room, the seniors never ceased to enjoy each other’s company and appreciate the time together before the end of their time in their forever high school, Dalat.

Winner Winner Chicken Dinner in Penang

Seong-Min Kim

2 March 2019 was D-Day for the Class of 2019; it was a paintball war between Team Trevor and Team Nicholas. The Senior Excom planned a paintball event for the senior class at the Penang War Museum. Early Saturday morning, with excitement and fear, the senior class met at Dalat to head towards the battlefield located just near Penang’s airport.

As soon as the class arrived, they split into two fair teams to start the battle. Team Trevor was known for confidence, but they only had one goal. Their main target was Nathan Chand (12). Team Trevor had eyes only towards Nathan before heading into the battlefield. On the other hand, Team Nicholas was looking for the win by touching the opponent’s base. Both teams were filled with confidence and hunger.

Both teams stepped into the arena that would soon be a paint shed. The marshals did a countdown before teams could rush towards their hiding spots. When “zero” was heard around the battlefield, both teams dashed near the barrels to take cover. Gunshots from all sides kept the intensity at a high level for both teams.

After fifteen minutes had gone by, Team Trevor made a huge push towards Team Nicholas’s base by getting rid of an enormous number of enemies. It was impossible for Team Nicholas’s men to push forward, so they were forced back into their base. Team Trevor could not have asked for a better chance. They made their final push and ended up defeating Team Nicholas.

Round 2 was no different to Round 1. It was still an intense game, but Team Trevor was too dominant for Team Nicholas to handle and move forward; obviously, Round 2 was no other but Team Trevor’s victory. While both teams were heading back to Dalat, Nathan Chand (12) and Alex Ruble (12) taunted Team Nicholas’s men by saying, “We were too good. It’s too easy out here.”

It might have been a competitive battle between the two teams, but it brought great bond for the class before graduating in three months.