Wrestling with Thought

By Gabe Roberts

            In my Home Economics class, we've been watching a documentary about whole-foods, plant-based diets called Forks over Knives. It's been a fascinating watch for many reasons, and it's had a profound effect on me. I've started adding more and more vegetables to my tray during lunch and have also recently cut out the cereal and milk I've been fond of for basically my entire life. I was quite taken in by it and started to wonder why. Why was this idea so appealing to me? Was it true? Should I trust the people saying it? The movie got me thinking about how we take in ideas and evaluate them.

           

Objectively, you are exposed to more ideas than ever before. Advancements in broadcast communication, the internet, and virtually every other form of technology on the planet have resulted in a sea of ideas. Some good, some bad, and some dangerous. There are so many dubious or "well, that could be true" ideas that there's actually a word for it now. Dictionary.com now defines truthiness as

"the quality of seeming to be true according to one's intuition, opinion, or perception without regard to logic, factual evidence, or the like."

If it's true or not doesn't matter, just if it sounds like it could be true. What I think this represents is a cultural laziness. We've become deadened to a flood of ideas, of propositions and advancements that overwhelm our sensibilities. There are just too many ideas out there, and we've surrendered, giving up intellectual integrity for ease of mind. It doesn't matter who you are, either. I did the exact same thing in Media Literacy class last year after Mr. Steinkamp proposed that milk wasn't nutritional for you. I couldn't accept it and refused to research it because it wasn't worth my time, or so I thought. Milk being good for you sounded plausible. Truthy. Reflecting on that experience now, I was both scared and lazy. I was afraid of what I might find, that what I might find would require a change in my life based on the information that I discovered. I didn't want to change and was okay with being ignorant on the matter and continuing to drink my beloved milk. My six-year-old brother, when asked why we should drink milk, confidently replied, "Calcium!" when I asked him.

Ideas, though a difficult opponent and one that you will face your whole life, are worth wrestling with. Trying to come up with a formula or an easy step-by-step way to decide if an idea is good or worth subscribing to defeats the purpose of the experience. There are, however, two questions you can ask yourself to create a good starting point. When presented with an idea, ask, "Why?" and "Who said so?" These basic inquiries will guide you to important information you will need when deciding the hard facts surrounding the idea, and if any hidden agenda or conflict of interest is at work. Ideas are powerful, and worth every second you give them. Benjamin Franklin once said, "Give me 26 lead soldiers and I will conquer the world," Referring to the 26 letters of the alphabet and the power of an idea. So the next time you see something that sounds like it could be true or has a massive impact on the world, or even effects something as small as your eating habits, wrestle with the thought. It's worth the fight.

The Bumpy, Splashy Way to Song-Song

By Dael Kim

Applying sunscreen to every visible part of the body, the Dalat dorm students prepared for a Song-Song Island trip during the five-day Chinese New Year holiday.

The sun shone brightly on the shore, while three speedboats rumbled their engines, signaling the start of a fun journey. As the dorm students got on the boats one by one, each of them grabbed a life jacket and sat down on their seats. While the boats were drifted off from the shore, the students were also preparing themselves in different ways. Some took their phones out and started taking pictures, some squeezed their last bit of sunscreen out and applied it to themselves, and there were some who just sat in silence, admiring the blue ocean and the clear sky that was laid in front of them.

The trip to Song-Song Island took about an hour and a half, and it came with a lot of bumpy waves and cold water splashes along the way. As the boat traveled faster and faster, the students held on to the handle tight, while making sure their belongings were not flying away. When the boat finally reached the shore of Song-Song Island, the excitement started building up among the conversations shared between students.

“Let’s go explore the bat cave! We can go and take pictures on the way there as well! Who wants to come and join me?” Jireh Ang (12) asked, trying to get the attention of other people.

The seniors, accompanied by three other underclassmen, joined Ang in exploring the island. The way to the bat cave was slippery, rocky, and hot, but the students still showed a smile on their face despite the unfriendly circumstances. After snapping some pictures at the bat cave, the students walked back to eat their sack lunches that the school cafeteria made in the early morning before the trip happened.

After filling up their stomach, everyone relaxed in their own ways, some in the water, some picking up shells, and some taking naps on the sand. After 4 hours of fun and relaxation, it was finally time to leave the island. Everyone packed up their belongings while making sure there was no trash left behind.

“I really enjoyed this trip; it was a really good time to take a break from schoolwork and spend time with my friends,” expressed Madaline Rude (12).

The way back to Penang was still beautiful; the ocean sparkled as the sunlight reflected on it. A lot of students got sunburnt and weird tan lines, but that was all part of the good memories made in the span of 4 hours. The trip to Song-Song Island was the last trip for some, and a new experience for some, but one thing for sure, it has become a precious memory that will be treasured for the years to come.

Chinese New Year Traditions are Fading

By Emily Chew

           

Days before the Lunar year, every household is busy giving its house a thorough makeover. People also give their fences and walls new paint, hoping to sweep away all the unfortunate luck that may have been in the family to make way for incoming good luck. During the eve of the Lunar New Year, the reunion dinner draws all the family members together. The reunion dinner, although it is not a ceremony, is more of a promise that the family will again unite despite busy schedules from work and studies.

            Nowadays, many younger generations do not prioritize the reunion dinner anymore. Some do not return from studying or working abroad; some do not put effort into visiting their grandparents and parents in their hometown. In the past, it is a tradition to visit the hometown what else nowadays it is no longer necessary. For the majority of Gen-Y, they tend to prioritize their friends and colleagues over their family members and relatives. Most of the people focus on their devices rather than spending the time to communicate with their family members. Younger generations feel less attached to their family members and do not value family gatherings during the Chinese New Year.

            While westernization is not entirely to blame, the Chinese believe that it plays a part in the fading of traditional Chinese traditions. The younger generations have a broader exposure to western culture through media and the accessibility to information. Many younger generations are also more likely to adopt western cultures, altering their view on the importance of traditional Chinese values and traditions. Young adults do not contribute much to the festive cheer a lot anymore, but they will be busy avoiding eye contact from the family relatives, uncles and aunties. They tend to give loads of advice and lectures on studying habits, relationship skills, and manners, etc. Thus, many teenagers do not enjoy visiting their family relatives as they don’t value the importance of communication between the generations' ties.

            The festival is to bond family ties to encourage reunions and gatherings. If you did not make an effort to maintain a close relationship with your children, parents, and friends, do not expect them to warm up to you suddenly. No matter how busy you are, always remember that family bonding should not only occur during special occasions. It would be best if you stayed up to date with your grandparents’ and family’s lives. The family will never turn their backs on their members, and your family members are the only people who genuinely care for you in any circumstances.

This is Rugby

By Duncan Magruder

Over the 17th and 18th of January, Dalat International School had the opportunity to participate in its first-ever ISKL Men's Rugby Tournament. Hosted at ISKL, Dalat was able to compete against four different schools, Marlborough, Singapore American School, International School Kuala Lumpur, and Sekolah Menengah Sains Selangor.

Rugby is not just about seeing who can hit the other team the hardest. Although you do need to hit the enemy team with everything you got, it is also crucial to respect them. The common misconception about rugby is that it is played by people who only want to beat up the enemy. Rugby should be perceived as a gentleman's sport. When asked what his favorite part about the tournament was, Nate Croft responded with, "I really enjoyed playing rugby, especially crashing (action is done when the player with the ball runs head-on into the defensive line), but my favorite part about the tournament was just bonding and improving with my teammates."

When one chooses to play rugby with a group of men or women. They do not simply join a team but a brotherhood. That feeling of knowing that the men on your right and left will happily support you as you run head-on into the defenders and will pick you up when you feel like you can't push anymore is something that you can genuinely find in rugby. When Joseph Chandra was asked what he thought about the comradery within rugby, he responded, "The brotherhood in Rugby is unlike any other. I mean, these are the people that you sweat, cry, and bleed with, and I really mean that in the literal sense. We are more than just a team; we are a family. Don't get it twisted."

Rugby is a sport unlike any other. No matter how many times you get knocked down, you have to learn to get back up. There is no time for rest, no opportunities to slack off. You have to keep going every second the clock is running. But the best part about it is that you can always count on your brothers to help you back up.