Wednesday 31 August 2022

Preparing for Senior Sneak

By Christopher Jang

There are a lot of important dates to cover this time of the month: the August SAT (27th), Merdeka Day (1st), and arguably the most important date in between, Senior Sneak. Notably, as the first international trip since Dalat "reopened," a lot of stress, questions, and excitement has been surrounding this long-awaited day. 

"Good," Dominic Cheang (12) the senior vice president responded to his expectations for Sneak. The senior ExCom and its sponsors sacrificed months of time and effort in logistics and communication to finalize this special privilege. Due to SOPs, international travel, and the largest class to travel, Ms. Claudia expressed, as one of the organizers for this Sneak, "It's more work overall, [we have to sort out] valid passports, visa, SOP, permission slip, insurance..." and the list went on for another minute or so. When asked about the fruits of all this work, Ms. Claudia elaborated, "The whole objective of Sneak is for the senior class to bond for their final year." 

However, Senior Sneak doesn't mean all-work-and-no-play for the sponsors. "ExCom organizes many of the activities... [the sponsors] will have fun too, we will enjoy [the Sneak] too," Ms. Claudia added regarding the pressures on the sponsors to supervise 64 students travelling outside Malaysia.

For the Class of 2024, currently raising money towards their future Senior Sneak, Yeon-soo (11) feels optimistic to also travel internationally with her class. "I kind of want to go to Thailand, because I like Thai food," commented Yeon-Soo. Although, she did note the side benefit of the current seniors going on sneak, saying she was happy to avoid a herd of flamingos (pink-shirt seniors) utilizing their senior privilege at the lunch line. For next year's senior class, I wish you all the best that there will be no Covid 2.0 to cancel your Senior Sneak. 

As for the seniors in the middle of a 12 hour bus ride, Darryl Dwumfour (12), famous for his ability to sleep, commented, "I'm tired; my knees hurt," 2 hours into the long journey ahead. As an important opportunity for our class to bond, let it be known for future reference that a good rest is step number 1. 

Bon Voyage

By Ester Kato

As everyone finally gets used to seeing groups of pink flamingos roaming around the campus, the pink mass will be disappearing from the campus for the next week. They are off to Senior Sneak. 

As a senior myself, I've been busy during the weekend preparing for the Sneak. All the dorm seniors, surprisingly all girls this year, have been bustling around the room to pack up the bags. Many were refilling their small containers with soaps, charging their power banks, struggling to put towels and cushions into the “not-small-but-not-big-enough” duffle bag, and trying on their newly bought swimwear. 

During dinner on Sunday, the dorm senior girls all came to one table to discuss about how many shirts and skincare products to pack. And on Monday, the day we leave for Sneak, everyone came to school complaining about how they couldn't fit everything they needed in their bag. Nobody seemed to be able to focus on class. 

Now, I am writing this on the bus to the way to Sneak. The music is blasting on, and everyone is hyped up. "I can't wait to do beach volleyball!!" Millie Morgan (12) and Grace Neeley (12) beamed. We are arriving to the destination tomorrow morning at 9 am. For the rest of the week, no one would have to wait for the seniors that keeps cutting in the lunch line. Hopefully y'all don't miss us too much!


Tuesday 23 August 2022

Sneaking Off-Campus

By Jeta Anderson

Being a senior comes with many privileges; you get to look down on all of the underclassmen with a feeling of superiority, wear a pink shirt to school if you feel like it, and eat off-campus for lunch. This year, seniors have the privilege of leaving campus during the school day and eating out at one of the nearby restaurants.

Seniors tired of the repetition of the same cafeteria lunches every day now have the opportunity to choose from various delicacies, cuisines, and restaurants. In previous years, this privilege has been either completely taken away or heavily restricted due to Covid regulations. However, this year we are finally tearing down past restrictions and giving the students freedom to eat lunch wherever they choose. With this newfound freedom, some seniors have been taking advantage of nearby restaurants and eating out lunch nearly every day. I wanted to see the most popular choices for seniors eating out, so I interviewed a few of my fellow students. I asked several seniors what their favorite place to eat off-campus was. Many would think the first choice would be one of the top restaurants, a local stall, or even a cafe. However, that wasn’t the case among this year’s seniors.

I interviewed four different seniors and asked each of them: What is your favorite place to eat out? Seventy-five percent of students interviewed claimed that Family Mart was their favorite place to eat lunch. 

David Kilgo (12) explained, “I like Family Mart because they sell Katsu chicken in a plastic pan.”

Lauren Worten (12) and Millie Morgan (12) both agreed with him, Millie even claiming, “My favorite restaurant is Family Mart.” 

However, 25% of students interviewed disagreed. When asked what her favorite place to eat was, Haylee Douglas (12) passionately exclaimed, “CHICKEN RICE!” feeling very strongly about the topic.

Clearly, our class is very divided on the issue of which lunch place is the best. In the end, I concluded that Family Mart was the most popular choice due to its close proximity to the school, its being brand new, and the fact that it offers bubble tea.

Rock climbing: The Dark Horse of Dalat Athletics

 By Lei Tee

The clock reads four, and as students go home or to their various sports activities, others have different plans for the evening. A small, lesser-known group of high-schoolers step into a white van. Instead of shin guards, soccer boots, and knee pads, students sport rubber shoes and bags of powdery chalk. They are the climbing team, an eclectic group of students who have chosen to hone their skills in this niche sport.

While climbing may look like all upper body strength at first glance, climbers also use their balance, coordination, core strength, and creativity to find their way to the top. Mrs. Nichols, who has more than a decade’s experience in climbing, said that it “involves not only physical but mental components.” For many, this was their first time climbing, and for others, it was just another day at the climbing gym.

The climbers had many reasons for choosing to join the climbing club, some more profound than others. Kiera Nichols (10) explained how climbing was her ‘favorite sport.’ and that it “trains everything.” Soreness after an intense session of climbing was a common experience among climbers, as well as an increase in grip strength and the impulsive urge to hold on to door frames and window ledges. 

Steven Shen (12) also testified his inexplicable love for climbing: “I find passion in rock climbing,” he said enthusiastically, “I like it very much; I’ve never done it before.” His mysterious passion soon manifested into accomplishment as he reached the top of a route with two bars of difficulty (out of six) on his first climbing session. Such a feat is uncommon in the climbing world, as it is a sport with a rather steep learning curve. Climbing walls ranged from a slightly-positive incline to a complete horizontal overhang.

Some also joined the rock climbing club for social reasons. Gerald Yang (10) said that “Kiera talks about it a lot,” demonstrating just how contagious the passion for rock climbing can be. Rock climbing is an individual sport for the most part, but team members often encouraged each other while climbing, shared climbing chalk, and gave helpful tips on how to get to the top. High-fives and cheering were commonplace as climbers contributed to the positive atmosphere.

As the session draws to a close, some students head back to the van to make their way back to campus. Others climb on and continue their climbing endeavors. With many routes being replaced every week, climbers try to get to the top of the most challenging routes before they disappear forever. Climbers have more incentive to train harder than before to represent Dalat in a potential upcoming competition in Kuala Lumpur. Whether they reach the top of their desired route for a given day or form a new callus underneath their ring finger, all climbers exit the climbing gym a little stronger than before. 

 

Trevor Nichols (12) maintains body tension as he climbs up a fiendish purple route.
(Photo by Lei Tee)



New Year, New Students, New Life

By Olivia Elliott

Moving schools can either terrify or excite students, but when you leave your home country to attend a school on a different continent- that’s a different story. Dalat hosts many new cultures, lifestyles, and people that can often intimidate new students. Transition is a difficult process to undertake, but one of the newbies, Luis Vieira (12), says that “Dalat and the community have helped a lot so far…and that everyone has been very welcoming.” Thankfully, Dalat conveys a kind and hospitable tone to the new students, including myself. 

As a new student, there is much to consider: new classes, schedules, and relationships. One of the challenges new students face is they are given the last priority to choose courses. We are required to take the mandatory courses to graduate, like Media Literature and are given a list of all the available spots in the classes that have yet to be filled. This can be tricky, especially as a Senior, to create a schedule that works for both the new student and the required classes needed for graduation. 

Because Dalat has such a long-standing history, people’s perceptions and experiences are wide and varied. Sometimes hearing other people’s perspectives of Dalat may differ from what individual students have experienced in person. For example, Naomi Weidemann (11), expressed that her expectations about Dalat’s academics were altered. She stated that “I was expecting the academics to be a little more challenging than my previous school.” Because of the diverse educational backgrounds and languages of Dalat students, many may agree with Naomi, while others are overwhelmed by the rigorous standards.

 Also, Dalat International School differs from other schools in unique ways.

Kathryn Boyd (11), a member of the New Student Welcoming Committee, said that several new students have commented on Dalat's friendly and loving nature, unlike in their previous schools. Another distinction of Dalat is its location. New students have found that going to school on the beach gives a positive and relaxing atmosphere. Also, the ethnic diversity of Dalat encourages new students to get out of their comfort zone and try something new, whether it’s a new food, activity, cultural tradition, or event. 

As a whole, Dalat has done an amazing job of welcoming and hosting new students and I hope that Dalat will continue this positive aspect. Additionally, I am excited to see the new students navigate their way through High school, Middle school, and Elementary; making new memories, and friends and experiencing God’s love and life on our beautiful island!

Tuesday 16 August 2022

The Return of Sports

 By Lauren Worten

Three years ago, Dalat was going to host ACSC (Asian Christian School Conference) for the varsity girls soccer tournament, but our best friend Covid came, which resulted in canceling ACSC,  shops shutting down, and going into lockdown. But now *drumroll* sports are finally back after three years! It's crazy how we were the last class to have experienced being on an actual sports team. Now things are getting back to normal despite Covid still existing.

Seeing people putting on their sports gear and going to tryouts was nostalgic. Hearing the students laugh, people working hard, and people running out of the gym to fill up their water bottles brings back memories of what Dalat was like before Covid happened. These small things bring smiles to all our faces.

 I remember trying out for Varsity soccer in 8th grade, and I looked up to many of the seniors. They were my role models, and I learned a lot from them. They taught me to stand my ground, not give up when I’m tired, and to be a team player. Now, it's crazy that I am the older one, that I am the senior!

Walking to the upper field with my day one soccer teammates brought happiness, and Joycelyn Fung (12) expressed her feelings by saying, "It feels strange going from a freshman to a senior in sports." And it is peculiar for me to think that this is my last year playing sports with these amazing people. I always thought I would stay young forever, but obviously, that's not the case. Time moves on, and we grow up.

The first things we did in practice was a 10-minute run, push-ups, sit-ups, juggling, and passing drills. At first, it was very tiring because I and many others were not used to playing on the upper field. We then went into practicing headers, and I heard Nicole Khor (12) shout, "Headers give me headaches." I concurred because my forehead was pounding after we finished that drill.

Finally, being back on the Dalat soccer team brought me joy. We are a community and a group of girls that cheer each other on during hard times, good times, if we win or if we lose. Having this kind of community makes me optimistic about the future of Dalat sports and what it might be without Covid getting in the way.

I look forward to the future of the girl's soccer team. Feeling the exhilaration of sports finally returning makes me always look forward to something.

A Trophy Carries Dust, Memories Last Forever

 By Grace Neeley

“Oh no! We have to run again!” Sam Owens (11) said in response to sports starting up again. It has resulted in cheerful, enthusiastic attitudes all around. People were excited for weeks building up to it. Sports were a huge part of Dalat life before Covid and them finally happening has made it feel more normal. 

Noella Seevaratnam (11) said, “Sports being back excites me a lot because it makes Dalat feel like home again. Covid took away so much from us so it was hard going to school and having everything that was once free be restricted. Sports being back means that things are basically back to how it used to be, and it feels slightly even better since I’m more grateful. I love being a part of a team and being able to grow in my soccer ability. I’m super excited for this year!” Dalat with sports is more hectic and chaotic, but it feels like home. 

On the other hand, even those less involved with sports for various reasons are excited they are back. Maddy Abdulla (10) said, “I’m really excited for sports to be back; I can’t play because of my knees, but I’m super excited to watch all the games and cheer people on.” Even not playing or being in a team, students get involved in the sports. We’ll have the juniors advertising and selling from their store and an array of students and parents cheering from the sidelines. 

The atmosphere is completely different with the freedom and hope that sports give students. New kids from the past couple of years are experiencing a different side to Dalat; they are seeing a glimpse of what it was like before the virus. 

The fun and community that builds through sports is one of the most important things. Everyone comes together to cheer or play together, and they learn to work better as a team and the best way to make their voices and cheers heard from the crowd. Even teachers and parents get more involved with the fun. The teachers get to build relationships with the students through coaching or being involved in different activities. 

I personally have never been at Dalat when we’ve had this extent of freedom, and I love seeing the changes that are already happening. I can’t wait to meet new people and be able to show God’s love through sportsmanship and good attitudes on the court.


Sunrises and Seminars: The Perfect Formula for a Successful Retreat

By Natalie Khor

Averaging approximately 3 hours of sleep between them, Tia Emmanuel (9), Ee Rynn Ong (9), Yewon Lee (9), and Jonathan Ooi (9) crawled up out of bed in the wee hours of the morning to watch the sunrise that other students who had previously been to the Lost Paradise resort vouched to be stunning—they were not disappointed. The sky was covered in swatches of purples and pinks, a sight they quickly captured with their phones, only to realize that the camera could never do it justice.

Just the night before, students at the Leadership Retreat enjoyed dinner together in the conference room, followed by a session with Mr. Penland on effective and ineffective leadership. “[The talk] made me think a lot about why I wanted to be here,” commented Tia. “It helped me get more ideas on aspects I need to improve on.”

On the morning of the second day, drowsy students who stumbled into the conference room were greeted with roti canai and milo, a satisfying meal that left them energized and ready for the first session of the day: problem-solving with Ms. Wood. She prepared envelopes with actual circumstances that previous student leaders dealt with and had each committee brainstorm ways they would respond. Many of the crises were shocking. “The one where the presidents were expelled was insane,” exclaimed Jia Ru Sim (11). Other situations included expelled acting leads a week before JSB, the death of a classmate, and more.

For Rebecca Wong (10), the last session of the retreat was her favorite. “We’ve been with our own ExCom the whole time, and so I really liked the picture [activity] because it was something we all did together,” said Rebecca. Mrs. White prepared 30 sheets of pictures distributed among the students that all connected into a story and had them get into the correct chronological order without showing each other their images. Chaos ruled the room initially, but things slowly became organized as people practiced effective communication and active listening, both important takeaways from the activity.

The retreat ended with a friendly puzzle box challenge between each committee, with the PAL committee emerging as the victor. While the other groups crowded around the tables puzzling over their clues, PAL happily snacked on the Airheads and Starbursts they found after they unlocked their box.

After two years of on-campus and online leadership retreats, it was a blessing to finally have one at Lost Paradise once again. Student leaders emerged from this retreat not only more prepared and enthusiastic for the year to come but also sated from the endless meals and snacks provided over this 24-hour trip.

For the First Time in Forever

By Eleanor Emis

“Open up the gates!” sang Anna in the Disney movie Frozen. The song “For the first time in forever” played repeatedly in my head while I surveyed the campus full of smiles. Students roamed the campus freely alongside their parents who walked the school halls to visit teachers. But instead of Elsa’s younger sister singing with glee, the Dalat community was rejoicing at the opened gates of the school.

It has been three years since parents, students, and staff have been able to fellowship with one another in the comfort of Dalat’s campus. Due to COVID-19's mandatory regulations, the school had no choice but to close its doors to any socialization that required large amounts of people. Prohibited social gatherings include sports functions, fundraisers, food fairs, and especially open house. 

Returning students felt a sense of DeJa'Vu and surrealistic emotions. Kathryn Boyd (11) expressed her moment of excitement: “It felt memorable and nostalgic because it reminded me of the days before covid. Having everyone on campus felt more lively.” 

In past years, “Open House” has been an opportunity for students' parents to visit their teachers so that they can learn more about what their children are to be taught at school. They can meet with the teacher individually in their classroom and discuss the planned curriculum for the next semester. 

However, Open House was not originally designed to be a parent teacher conference, but more of a community gathering that allowed the staff and families to connect. Middle and high school students and their entire families are invited to the party. Sometimes on campus, you can see as little as newborns held in their mothers' arms to grandparents visiting family. 

Excited for fellowship and camaraderie, David Kilgo (12) said, “I really look forward to open house because it gives me the opportunity to spend time with friends and introduce the Dalat community to family and friends.” 

Aside from students who had experienced the joy of Open House before in past years, new students and families were able to share this jubilation. New student Alia Peterson (12) shared in her bliss of her first ever experience of Open House: “It was really great to see so many people on campus socializing, playing sports and having fun.” 

Encouraged and hopeful, the Dalat community has made a triumphant return of bringing back its most loved traditions. Re-connecting with each other in fellowship is a key part of growth and success in having a stable relationship with each other. As Anna in Frozen sung “For the First time in Forever” we too can be grateful that the gates have opened so that Dalat can do what it does best: demonstrating love for Christ while in authentic community with one another.

Tuesday 9 August 2022

The Mixed Emotions of Being a Senior

By SooWei Goh

"Man, it's going to take so long to be a senior? And why are they so big?"

In a blink of an eye, I went from being a small middle schooler to a senior. It still feels surreal, and most of us still need time to let it sink in.

High school went by quickly, and COVID was a significant factor. Despite COVID still lingering around, this school year seems normal now. We finally have our sports, and it looks like we have no significant restrictions, which was a big sigh of relief. Sports is a major part of high school and having that aspect back is something we are all grateful for.

As someone who genuinely enjoys school, I have mixed feelings about being a senior. On the one hand, it's a great feeling to finally be at the top. On the other hand, we'll be leaving this school in a few months and taking on new ventures in our lives, which can be daunting.

As Dalat is an international school, some of us will be going back to our home countries. This means we will have very few opportunities to meet up once we graduate high school. It is important to go on hangouts as much as possible while everyone is still here.

Evan Kuan Yu Qi, a Dalat senior from California, said, "I think it's like crazy how senior year came super fast. I can still remember when I was like a freshman. I’ll definitely miss my friends when I move back to the states. Four years flew by real quick, haha!"

It feels surreal that in a year from now, the class of 2023 will be graduating high school. Everyone will be moving on with their lives, whether it’s going to college or starting work. All of us need to take in this school year as a whole. Enjoy our last high school year's ups and downs and make the most of this last year.


A Special Day

 By Ray Lee

The pink masses filled Harbor Hall as the first day of the 22-23 school year had officially begun.

The day is August 3rd. It’s a Wednesday, and it’s the first day of school. But how did this special day start, one may ask? With rain. Lots and lots of rain. The traffic was horrid as children were driven back to school after having their 2 months of freedom. To make matters worse, the u-turn near the school entrance that all parents had taken for granted had now been shut down! Drivers must now take the traffic light a few meters ahead, one that blinks from red to green then back to red in less than 30 seconds, allowing 5 or so cars through before another 2-minute wait. I remember the members of our car collectively groaning at this development, but we were fortunate that today was a special day.

Once my sister and I were dropped off, we headed to the Harbor Hall for the High School Assembly, and the first thing I noticed as I walked up those stairs was the mass of pink among the blue and yellow school uniforms entering the front door. Our class shirt! It was brighter than the photo suggested when we voted for the color of these shirts, but it still looked marvelous. Witnessing the mob even gave me a bit of pride and lifted my spirits compared to what it was before. With this improved mood, I entered Harbor and listened with the rest of the high school as we were reintroduced to school on this special day.

Following the assembly, the school day ended up going relatively smoothly. Even with a strange exclusive schedule for the first day, I got to all my classes and understood what was happening. However, the same can’t be said for everyone, as last-minute schedule changes had been applied to some students during school time.

Larissa Lee (12) reported a particularly severe case: "Having my schedule changed caused such a commotion that I couldn’t wrap my head around it." Nonetheless, most people got to their classes, and most people got to enjoy school again, hanging out with friends, conversing with teachers, and preparing for the upcoming on this special day.

As the cars drove in and children left with their parents, I sat on the bench by the front office, thinking about how the day had gone. Lots of things happened, but one thing kept coming back to my mind. Fellow senior Lei Tee said it best: “Sometimes when I see a pink shirt, I think ‘It’s a senior. Who is it?’, before realizing, ‘Oh wait, I’m a senior!’” This really is our the final year of high school. Of Dalat. It made me a bit emotional thinking about it. It's the last of its kind, after all. For us seniors, this truly is a special day.

Unstoppable Force Meets Immovable Object

 By Michael Hsu

A new school year brings a new color. Wednesday finds flamingos strutting into assembly, having visited school earlier to pick up their brightly colored shirts. But these pink shirts emerged only after a struggle against tradition, dark green, and the most unlikely foe of them all: parents.

Last May presented the ever-difficult problem of choosing a class shirt. Ms. Shawna Wood announced that the school administration, having decided pink was no longer school inappropriate, would allow the class of 2023 this unprecedented opportunity.

In the spirit of democracy, the class voted on which of the three colors to represent our final year at Dalat: to introduce pink into the roster of senior class shirt colors, to follow in the footsteps of another international school with dark green, or… maroon. Needless to say, the first round election left an improbable tie between pink and green.

In a closely watched runoff, the Class of 2023 witnessed a historic moment as pink clinched a narrow victory against green on the slimmest of margins.

But all was not over. As soon as parents were asked to pay for class shirts, their group chat erupted with malcontent. Junior parents wondered at how “gender neutral pink” managed to triumph in a boy majority class, amidst allegations of fraud?!

The class group chat immediately erupted in response, with sarcastic condemnations against and outright refutations of certain sacrilegious remarks part of an incendiary campaign to make our duly elected pink shirts just another gender thing. In fact, it quickly became apparent that votes more closely matched class demographics than gender lines.

In support of the cause, Dominic Cheang (‘23) showed up to Bible finals wearing pink jeans, as did other boys with various pink accessories. In the end, pink swept green in convincing 70-30 fashion for the third and final time, made necessary only by unwarranted parental resistance.

Yet some of us will never get caught impersonating the pink panther. Grace Neeley (‘23) expressed her adamant disapproval in AP Lit saying, “I hate it. I’m sorry but I just hate it.” 

Perhaps time will soften the blow and teach us all to see the color for what it truly is – just “faded red” (Erica Shin, ‘23).

Shot in the Name of Leadership

 By Joycelyn Fung

With the sound of paintballs whistling overhead, paint splattering on helmets, and thuds of bullets marking their targets, masked figures scrambled to claim a victory in a war that waged amongst a group of students who otherwise seemed to get along pretty well.

Last Friday, the Leadership Development Class left for a retreat to bond, learn about leadership, and set their mindsets for the year ahead. The group of students, gathered in a questionable array of clothing, were ready to brave the first lesson of the trip: paintballing. Taking to the battlegrounds, students could let loose while firing enthusiastically at one another with no signs of remorse. Even Mr. Tom Penland, who joined them, fully embraced the ordeal and skilfully disposed of any unsuspecting victim.

Cheerfully recounting the trip, Sharon Kang (12) boasted, "My favorite part of the trip was shooting my roommate in the head!"

Following paintballing, the students shared a meal at Viva Stalls, where they continued to play games and solidify their bond as a class. Once full of food and laughter, they journeyed back to the retreat centre where Mr. JJ Davis led a session on the values of leadership. Using the sports field as a learning experience for life, he broke down the core values into four key points: to be willing, to commit, to give your best effort, and to have a growth mindset, all leading to glorifying God.

Mr. Davis shared that these core values represent his vision for Dalat's athletic department, and he explained that these values not only apply to athletics but also lead us to succeed in life.

Encouraged from the day, the Leadership Development Class treasured what Mr. Davis shared. Evan Juday (12) expressed, "I struggle with finding the motivation to start things, and I am prone to just letting projects go, so hearing what he (Mr. Davis) had to say about staying committed to what you say you're gonna do was really helpful for me and got me thinking about how I should approach tasks or goals."

After the session, the class enjoyed a campfire on the beach where they made s’mores and sang worship songs. Lauren Worten (12) took full advantage of the ocean and said, "I enjoyed throwing Joycelyn into the ocean!"

Despite the fatigue, students continued bonding as Haylee Douglas (12) shared, "My favorite part was eating candy and singing with my friends in our pajamas." Worn out from a day full of activities, the students wound down for the next day.

Inspired for the year and filled with goals and aspirations, students returned the next day after another session and an array of team-building activities on the beach. As Eleanor Emis (12) shared, "I hope to build a community at Dalat (and even outside) that can lean on and encourage each other."

Decorated with a collection of bruises, the newly bonded Leadership Development Class was now more ready than ever to "Compete Today, Win Forever!"

Paintballing, Photo Credit: War Museum


S’mores and worship, Photo Credit: Sister (Ms. Henderson)



Welcome: To the New and Not So New

 By Ellie Guffy

For many of Dalat’s day-students, the life that happens on campus after school ends is something they know very little about, especially since the start of Covid. Unless you’ve been a dorm student at some point, experienced a “short stay,” or have close friends in the dorms, you probably don’t know that it’s not always fun and games.

On Sunday, August 7th, the dorms had their first all-dorm meeting of the school year, a new experience for the 14 dorm students that have joined this semester. While habitual and, dare I say, mundane for those of us who are not new, this first meeting was quite daunting to many of the new students.

We started the event with ice breakers and a game used to get to know each other in a playful but purposeful manner. We learned of Uncle Keith’s intense love for iced tea during this game.

Jueun Seo (9), a new student to both Dalat and the dorms, described her experience, saying, “It felt nice that I met new people in other dorms… but I felt a little nervous.” 

This playful time was cut short as we quickly moved on to what needed to be discussed: child safety rules, emergency drills, and how to take care of ourselves physically and mentally as dorm students. In this meeting, we learned that it's totally acceptable to ask for help when needed and who to call during those times.

Though we are able to enjoy unlimited access to the ball courts, the opportunity to live with many of our friends, and the ability to leave 4 minutes (yes, I've timed it) before school starts and still make it to class before the bell rings, this experience was a reminder to the dorm students that all this excitement and fun is met with just as much seriousness.

With all the freedom, convenience, and enjoyment that comes with being a dorm student inevitably comes responsibilities, redundant dorm meetings, and some angst when experiencing new things.


Dalat 2022-2023: A New Beginning

 By David Kilgo

With the dawn of a brand-new school year upon us, many new students and returning students are left wondering what the 2022-2023 school year will look like. After more than two years of seemingly endless lockdown cycles, cancelled school trips, and missed time with friends, there is certainly great excitement among the student body regarding SOP changes that none of us ever would’ve imagined two years ago. I like to believe that we have finally reached the light at the end of the tunnel.

When the COVID-19 pandemic first hit in March of 2020, the senior class were freshmen. I vividly remember some of us being kind of excited at the prospect of not having to come to school and working from home. A global pandemic was something none of us had ever experienced before, and the novelty of it was exciting in a weird kind of way. Besides, we all naively thought it would be gone in just a few months. That initial excitement quickly waned.

The next two years were tough for both students and staff. For students, not being able to see friends, play sports, go on school trips, and do many other activities associated with student life at Dalat was a huge blow. Morale was low, and many of us felt discouraged about hopping on Zoom every morning. The change in setting was arguably even more difficult for Dalat staff who had to change their curriculums and exams to fit the atmosphere of online school.

According to Mr. Jerry Nichols, “It was a real shell shock to do it [Industrial Arts class] online because it’s such a hands-on class. I was freaked out by the prospect of having to teach it online. Luckily, I was able to utilize YouTube videos [to teach students] on how to use the tools properly. But the most difficult part was finding projects at home for the students to do.”  

Naturally, the pandemic came up in conversation quite often over the last two years. There really wasn’t much else to talk about at home. However, the Dalat community pulled through and everyone kept their heads up the whole way through. The same virus that took time away from family and friends also taught us an important life lesson: you don’t know what you have until it’s gone.

Now here we are, two years later, and almost everything is back. No more curfew. No more ban on sports or school activities, and most importantly, we can fully connect with those around us once again. I’m thankful we as Dalat students learned this important life lesson early on in life rather than decades later when it’s too late. From this point forward, the sky is the limit and the Dalat community will take advantage of the opportunities provided to us but more thankful than ever before. We as a community have waited a long time for this moment, and we deserve it.

Class of 2023 at CB 2019