Tuesday 27 September 2022

Spike and Strike… Without the Strike

By Noah Kaney

Over the weekend of September 24th, the annual Spike and Strike tournament took place… or at least part of it. Spike and Strike is a tournament that consists of both varsity volleyball and soccer teams participating. Typically, fellow international school ISKL (International School of Kuala Lumpur) makes the journey up to Penang to participate. 

However, the soccer tournament never took place. Due to the unavailability of a suitable pitch to play on, the ‘Strike’ part of Spike and Strike never happened. 

Upon hearing the sad news that the soccer tournament was cancelled, senior captain Benjamin Wong responded: “The team was disappointed to hear the news. We were looking forward to playing soccer at a high level in front of our fans, [and] showing the results of the hard work and effort we had been putting in during practices.” 

Although the Dalat varsity team was unable to face rival school ISKL during the Spike and Strike tournament, they hope to achieve victory when they travel down to Kuala Lumpur to take on the ISKL team on their own home field on September 30th. 

Despite the soccer tournament being cancelled, the volleyball tournament carried on nevertheless. With no where else to go, the soccer fans filled up the main gym and Sandycroft, excited to watch the weekends’ volleyball action. 

The tournament consisted of varsity boys teams, varsity girls teams, and junior varsity girls teams. Similarly to soccer, ISKL travelled up to Penang to participate in the tournament. The Dalat varsity girls were able to claim second place, while the varsity boys team was able to claim 3rd place in a riveting game against the ISKL varsity team. After scoring the winning point, the varsity boys team broke into cheers, and the crowd rushed onto the court to celebrate the exhilarating victory. 

Drew Worten, a junior who helped win the final point, had this to say after the victory: “It was a great win for the team, beating such a huge school like ISKL is so fun. The environment was lit and the crowd was really getting into the game and it was just a great atmosphere, and were ready to do the same thing again next year.” 

Despite the cancelation of the soccer tournament, the Spike and Strike tournament still provided a very good opportunity for long-awaited competition to return back to Dalat’s campus. It was an exciting and memorable weekend for the community of Dalat International School. 

Spike and Strike, the Eagles Strikes!

By Taewoo Song

On September 23, on Friday after school at the gym and the newly built Sandycroft, there was a Spike and Strike volleyball tournament where fifteen teams participated in this annual event. There were a total of eight boy teams and seven girl teams. 

Every game that happened during this tournament was intense as the teams that participated in this event showed their capabilities under pressure. Senior Bennett Mclver described his experience in the crowd as “electric” with the sparks of both home and away crowds cheered on relentlessly shaking the stadium with thunderous chants, hoping that their team would take home the glory. With every scored point, the crowd roared as the stadium shook, surprising the parents who came to spectate the game. 

The tournament ended on Saturday; ultimately Dalat Varsity Boys team got third, winning three out of five games. The Dalat Varsity Girls team got second place, also winning three out of five games. Now this will be a short interview with Isaac Lee, an aspiring ace spiker and the captain of the Dalat Varsity boys’ team.

TS: How did you feel now that the tournament ended? Is there anything you can improve on or learn from the event?

IL: "I felt like, compared to our performance before, I can say with confidence that we have improved. I feel our communication can be better and more consistent at receiving, serving, and positioning.” 

TS: What was the funniest moment during the tournament?

IL: “Basically, I was watching the game where it was the JF team vs ISKL. JF team served the ISKL team, and the ISKL team received the ball, but the receive was way off, and it went in the basketball hoop. A swish clean 3-pointer.”

TS: What did you think of the event overall?

IL: “The overall event was stressful but also an enjoyable experience. We will work harder to take the W (win) at the next tournament.”

The Eagles did not take home the first place, but the loss has ignited the Dalat varsity teams to go beyond their limits, as they hope to win the Twin Towers Tournament at ISKL this upcoming Friday September 30th. Let’s go Eagles!

Reflecting on the First Quarter of Our Final Year in High School

By David Kim

A Dalat school year typically consists of a little less than180 school days. By the time this article gets published, close to a quarter of these days will have passed. As the end of September draws near and with only a week left in quarter one, it is about time that we as seniors recap on what has taken place over the past two months and plan on how to finish the remainder of our first quarter in our final year in high school well.

There were many events that took place in the senior class over the span of just the past two months, from the start of the school year: return of sports, Senior Sneak, After-Sneak Dinner, and Eagle Games. When asked what their favorite memory from quarter one was, an overwhelming majority of seniors replied: “Sneak”. 

I think Joshua Emmanuel put it perfectly when he said, “It was a break from the busyness of school and a time to bond with classmates.” Indeed, Sneak was an incredibly memorable experience and will likely be one of the biggest highlights for many of us, not just in quarter one, but in the entirety of senior year. 

For some, however, their highlight of the quarter has yet to come. When asked to reflect on quarter one, Adelina Chee replied, “I am looking forward to the choir trip to Bangkok this Friday [as of the time of this writing]. It will be a chance to get to know my classmates better and perform alongside other schools in front of a large audience. It will be a great way to finish this quarter.” 

For others, finishing the quarter well carries a more practical meaning. Many students said that one thing they would like to get done before the start of fall break is their college applications so that they will be able to relax and not feel so pressured during quarter two. 

Overall, quarter one has been a great experience for us, and we are looking forward to how the next quarter will unfold.

Tuesday 20 September 2022

The Leader that Failed to Prepare

By Chika Tsumagari 

Eagle Games is Dalat’s “sports day” that happens every year in the first quarter. There are four houses: Wave, Quake, Bolt, and Blaze. Each house is divided into smaller teams of about 12 people, two of which are senior leaders. As an underclassman, I remember looking up to them, thinking that it must have taken a lot of time and effort for them to be able to lead a group. I had just assumed that based on their confident attitude to be leaders. However, I found out as a senior that really the leaders are just as clueless as their underclassmen teammates. 

I was given the role of being the leader of my Eagle Games group alongside with Soo Wei Goh for a Quake team. I admit I was excited and feeling confident about being given a responsible leading position. Mentally, I was prepared to go to our first x-block meeting and meet my group for the first time. I had already taken the blank quake flag and markers as leaders were instructed to, ready to make a good impression to my teammates. Until Soo Wei came up to me and insincerely apologized, saying that he couldn’t make it because he has a physio appointment. Suddenly, a rush of panic attacked me when I realized that I had to lead a group by myself. To make matters worse, I was unable to attend the leaders’ meeting the week before, which puts me in the same position as my teammates. 

I walked into the meeting unprepared, unsettled, and uncool. I had even forgotten the card that had the list of my teammates. Fortunately, I had a reliable teammate in sophomore year who had the list of members on her phone. Because of her, I was able to gather my teammates and had them sit down in a circle. However, that’s when I realized, I didn’t know what I was supposed to do. The meeting had barely begun, and I had already failed to be a responsible leader. I felt sorry for my teammates and ashamed of myself. That was when I remembered Mr. Kilgo’s pep talk on being a senior. He said, “These people (underclassmen), especially freshman, look up to you. Know that and be nice to them.” Although I was no leader, my teammates do not have any other choices and I had to make sure we were going to have a productive meeting. So I started off by having my teammates introduce themselves.

 It’s interesting how all these years of looking up to seniors, I had unconsciously studied how to approach underclassmen and think of efficient ways to behave under pressuring moments. Although my leadership experience did not start off well, I was able to pick myself up and eventually finish eagle games with a big win! For that, I thank all the leaders I’ve had before and my patient teammates. 

Rain Can’t Wash Away Our Spirits

By Noah Lee

On Saturday, the 15th of September, the Dalat Eagle Games took place. Everyone was excited the week before, preparing for the upcoming games. The classes bustled with talk about Eagle Games. There were four teams: Blaze, Bolt, Wave, and Quake. Everyone was raising team spirit before the day even came.

Usually, Bolt came in last place, and Blaze came in first. At this point, this was the trend of winning and losing teams, and everyone expected Blaze to win again. Darryl Dwumfour, a senior from team Bolt, said, “This is our year; this year, we win.” The different teams were competing with each other in spirit, saying that they would be the ones to claim the trophy.

During the preparation week, the different teams gathered in their own rooms to design their own flags and come up with their own unique cheers for their teams during x-blocks. Loud clapping, cheering, and stomping echoed around the campus that week.

Finally, the day was here. All four teams gathered together at the basketball court. Each team came up from the crowd to perform their cheers full of spirit. No team backed down. Every single team gave a bold performance in their own way, some more silly than others, and some louder and rougher. After the entertaining cheer performances were all over, the teams were briefed on the games and they were off.

However, sometime after the first game event, it started raining. Unfortunately, some outdoor games had to be skipped. Some groups never got to attend some of the games that were prepared. It was a disappointing moment for some of the teams that had outdoor games during the rain. Still, everyone enjoyed the games overall in the end and had a great time.

The games were all done, and everyone gathered at the basketball court again for a final cheer and for the score results. With drumrolls on the ground, Mr. Van announced the 4th, 3rd, 2nd, and 1st place one by one. Making the trend seem invalid, Bolt came second, and Blaze came last. Quake was first, and Wave was third. Team Blaze wasn’t the happiest about their result, but they still maintained their team spirit and cheered their throats out. The teams did their final cheers after the results were announced. Although Team Blaze came last, they gave it their last unifying strength to run around the entire court giving their best cheer: “Oh Blaze, oh Blaze oh Blaze oh Blaze.” Team Quake took their trophy for being the final victor of the day and took a picture together holding up their trophy with proud faces. 

The rain did make some unexpected changes to Eagle games, but overall, it was truly a great time for everyone, a team bonding experience between different grade levels, and for seniors, another precious memory to take along with them before their graduation.

Owen Lai, a senior from team Bolt, said, “Despite all the rain and canceling of a few events, Eagle Games was a blast.”

Eagle Games: Rain Or Shine

By Benjamin Yeoh

Last Thursday, 15 September, was the highly anticipated Eagle Games. Everyone excitedly showed up to school in their house-colored clothing, face paint, bandanas, and other accessories. The energy and enthusiasm throughout was palpable, not only because we got to skip classes but because we embraced the team spirit and did our best for our team.

It is fair to say that most people had high expectations for Eagle Games, as it is the annual event where the entire high school got together to have fun and let loose. 

The first half of the day went smoothly. Each group gathered on the basketball court in their respective groups and showed their unique team cheers. They made sure other groups could hear their loud, booming cheers before heading off to their respective stations for the games. 

But not long after, it started raining. Many people enjoyed running around in the rain, especially running around and sliding on the slippery upper-field grass. As Isaac Lee (11) said, “A highlight, despite being injured, was Captain Chicken. Although our team was battered up and we lost a few members, we still won. Despite being short and injured, I was able to help my team in other ways like catching the chicken.”

However, the light drizzles soon turned into pouring rain. All the outdoor activities had to be canceled or moved indoors. Our group was one of the lucky few to participate in all ten games. 

Our team, Banana Bolt, was able to win in a wide variety of games with the help of team leader Darryl Dwumfour (12) despite losing four other team members from injury.

Having to miss the most exciting outdoor games was disappointing for many. The groups that missed the outdoor games watched and cheered their team on in dodgeball, headbands, and other games. 

Even though there were unforeseen circumstances, this year’s Eagle Games still turned out to be a huge success. It was especially memorable for the seniors as it was the last Eagle Games for them. 

Nicole Khor (12) summed up the event by saying, “The last normal eagle games we had was back in 9th grade, so being able to end my high school career with a normal one was something super exciting to me. I’m glad I was able to get to know the underclassmen better and glad I could make cherishable memories together with my fellow seniors at our last Eagle Games.”

The Pranjal Corner

By Jasmine Hassan

Four hours ago, war had commenced. A war between the newly entrenched, four elements of life: Quake, Wave, Bolt, and Blaze. As mealtime had begun to end, Jordan Suen (12), one of Ricequake’s trusty team captains, asked his equally courageous counterpart Saidah Ly (12), “What is our next game?” 

To this, she responded eagerly, “Something called Hole Trap!” 

As the soldiers of Ricequake and Kraken Wave marched onto their awaiting battlefield, also known as the outdoor basketball court, they were met with two identical blue tarps dotted with five symmetrical holes. There, Ms. Weidemann, known to the soldiers as peaceful Switzerland, gave both teams instructions on what was to come– an assigned ball would have to be balanced on both team’s tarps without falling through the holes– a difficult challenge to pull off, but certainly no match against mighty Ricequake.  

Immediately after Ms. Weidemann’s battle countdown, both teams charged at their tarps, strategizing each soldier’s position in the hopes of success. Now, it was a game of meticulous focus and precision. Lifting the tarp too quickly or too slowly could cause your entire team to restart. It was now a race to the top. A race to get the most loops around each hole. A race between water and land. 

Ricequake was off to a worrisome start; each soldier had their own tactics to beat team Kraken Wave. The lack of communication did not promise an advantageous, foreseeable future.  

The soldiers assigned to the four vital corners, Michaela Parsley (10), Pranjal Malik (11), Abbi Rinkenberger (11), and Saidah Ly (12), were assigned the most strenuous task– controlling the ball’s movement. Each time the team reached a promising number of loops, the ball would submit to gravity and fall through. A new strategy was needed. 

Just before Ricequake hopelessly waved the white flag, the soldiers had made a fortuitous comeback. Miraculously, the ball began to obey, and the soldiers reunited. One, two, three, four, five of the foundational loops were made. Now the team needed to designate together which hole would launch them to triumph. It was unanimous– they would rely on Pranjal Malik (11) to guide them to victory. 

"The tarp game truly revealed who I really was, in the moment I could feel the coordination between me and my team. It really made me feel like a corner: The Pranjal Corner" - Pranjal Malik (11). 

The Pranjal Corner, it was. As time began to cease, Ricequake had achieved a whopping 14 loops around Pranjal’s corner, beating the previously established high score of 11. Was this luck? No. This was not luck, but an example of cohesive teamwork and communication.  

“The winner is,” Ms. Weidemann paused in the attempt to create suspense, “Ricequake!” 

Patriotic cheers ignited amongst the soldiers. Another battle vanquished by the fearsome Quakes. Kraken Wave scorned as Ricequake paraded their dango-inspired flag in the air. Who knew that four hours later, Quake would be honorably announced as the final victor of Eagle Games 2022. 

Team Ricequake, 2022. 

Featuring Michaela P., Abbi R., Jasmine H., Saidah L., Pranjal M., Ryan K., Joshua M., Jordan S., Jane L., Ha Jin K.