The Eagles Spike Again

By Naomi Weidemann

This past weekend on September 22nd and 23rd, the boys' and girls' volleyball teams headed down to KL to compete in the Twin Towers tournament. 

The teams Dalat faced are a part of the IASIS conference, and they played teams from all over such as ISB, YIS, JIS, SAS, TAS, and ISKL. The girls performed very well and placed 2nd overall. The boys competed hard but fell short and placed 6th overall. Both the girls’ and boys' teams had a fantastic time cheering each other on when they were not playing in their own game. 

Michelle Morrow (12), a captain on the varsity girls' volleyball team said, “I loved the tournament’s atmosphere, and I think the energy it brought reflected in our play as we found our rhythm and worked together. Our hard work paid off too, with our team placing 2nd out of seven teams in the IASIS tournament. I’m really proud of how we performed overall.” Michelle lived up to her role of being selected captain for her senior year by encouraging and leading the team to place well in the tournament. 

Gerald Yang (11), a player on the varsity boys’ volleyball team, said, “The IASIS invitational tournament was a fun string of games that we played which gave us a lot of insight into preparing for ACSC.” After making the varsity team for his junior year playing volleyball at Dalat, Gerald is a great asset and contributes a lot to the team being a right-side hitter. 

The Twin Towers volleyball tournament was a great way for teams to make improvements and grow together as a team. Both of the teams are continuing to work hard so they will be ready to compete in the ACSC tournament happening October 17th through the 21st. 

Still, The Undefeated WAVE!

By Daniel Lim

In a thrilling display of sportsmanship and camaraderie, the annual Eagle Games at Dalat International School brought together high schoolers from 9th to 12th grade to compete fiercely in a day of exciting challenges. Team Wave emerged victorious, claiming the coveted title, while Blaze, Bolt, and Quake gave their all in a day filled with spirited competition. 

Dalat International School, located in the picturesque setting of Penang, Malaysia, has a long-standing tradition of hosting the Eagle Games, an event that unites students from diverse backgrounds in the spirit of healthy competition. The event took place on Thursday, September 14, 2023, and it was nothing short of spectacular. 

The teams, each representing a distinct color, added a vibrant splash to the campus. Blaze donned red, Wave wore blue, Bolt sported yellow, and Quake was a sea of green, with participants clad in their respective team colors. 

The day kicked off with an array of exciting games, including tug of war, pictionary, and the entertaining word-guessing headbands. As the games progressed, the atmosphere was charged with enthusiasm and determination, echoing through the school grounds. 

One of the highlights of the day was the captain ball with a chicken doll. In this quirky twist on a classic game, each team fought valiantly to secure the prized chicken doll while maneuvering through a whirlwind of throws and dodges. 

The relay races kept the adrenaline pumping, with each team relying on teamwork and speed to outpace their rivals. Dodgeball brought a thrilling conclusion to the day, where precision throws and quick reflexes were crucial for victory. 

Cullno Mah, a member of Team Wave, shared his reflections on the day. He mentioned, "We started off with little morale and had a rough start like we lost the first one due to some people in our team not understanding the rules properly, but we kept our heads up and went for the second game. The second game, we also lost, but yet again, it was still too early to give up since it's also my last year after all. Then the third, that's where I was starting to get tested; my soul felt swarmed by a dark cloud. One win was all that I needed, but the fourth game ended with a terrible defeat with not a single dunk from our team. I had already begun to notice that some people were just not in the right eagle mindset. We needed a win. Then comes the fifth game where we worked together as a family to achieve victory. For some reason, that win got me feeling like a WWE wrestler winning a championship. We actually all worked together as a team and celebrated as a team. After that game, we never lost again, securing five consecutive wins and ultimately destroying the very same team that we first beat."  

Naomi Weidemann, who also participated, provided a different perspective, saying, "To be honest, I didn't enjoy the whole thing because we lost basically everything. However, I did enjoy getting to know the people on my team and how our team stayed pretty positive even though we lost most of the games we played. My games included the dunk tank trivia and dodgeball. My favorite moments were when we all encouraged each other during the game, and I especially loved when someone rapped for our team chant."  

The Eagle Games serve as an opportunity for students to foster teamwork, showcase their athletic prowess, and create lasting memories. 

Team Wave's determination secured victory, sparking discussions about their exceptional performance and the unpredictable nature of the games. 

In the spirit of sportsmanship, the school celebrated both teams. The Eagle Games 2023 will be remembered for bonds, laughter, and the school's essence. 

Students eagerly await next year's games, ready for camaraderie and competition as Blaze, Wave, Bolt, and Quake colors return.  

Let the Games Begin

 By Kate Lee

September 14th, 2023. It was the day of the Eagle Games, hosted by Dalat on campus for all high school students, to take a short break from school and have some fun. 

What is Eagle Games? It is a day where the entire high school comes together, separated into teams and houses of Wave, Quake, Bolt and Blaze. Each and everyone of us, dressed according to our house; loyal and patriotic and bringing the spirit of competitiveness and just simply having fun. 

Eagle Games gives the opportunity to connect with peers from different grades and also gives the seniors the chance to lead a group with different types of people. The games were designed in different ways to participate intellectually, artistically, athletically, and many more. It teaches us the importance of working together as a team with many sets of skills. It also comes with the perks of getting to know our peers more, thus, creating a bond that will set us closer to each other for the year. 

“It was really fun,” said Wonhoo Shin (9). “It feels as though when you have to work together with people you don’t really know, and winning as a team, as a whole house, it feels like you’re coming together.” Wonhoo expresses how he felt winning his first Eagle Games as a freshman. 

We first started off with our team chants according to our houses, then went off as the games began. To top it off, we wrapped the day up by competing to see who had the best house chant. Though the scores were really close this year, Wave won the house chant, boosting them up as champions of the 2023 Eagle Games. Coming up as runner ups were Bolt, then Quake, lastly, Blaze. 

As Drew Worten (12) said, “It feels great, it feels amazing! Especially if it is our senior year, it’s like an accomplishment. I honestly didn’t think we’re gonna win. I thought we were going to get second, but we got first place.” Drew was one of our senior leaders for the house of Wave. He led not only his team, but his entire house with passion, dedication and commitment. 

Last but not least, we can all agree that one of the biggest highlights of Eagle Games this year, other than just simply participating on this day, was to dunk our friends, and of course, Mr. Uzzle, our high school principal. And with that ends the short week with a great finish with more to come throughout the year. 

*Photos by Jason Knutson

Spiking Up the Excitement

By Popi Grous

Over the weekend of September 8th, the Island Invitational was held at Dalat. Volleyball teams from around the island and Kuala Lumpur competed in hopes of winning the tournament. 

In volleyball, a sport where every touch and miss is vital to the contributions of a win or a loss, Dalat persevered through. With 16 teams in the tournament, the JV Boys Volleyball brought silver, winning all their games till facing a close loss in the Championships. Varsity Boys Volleyball placed fourth, Varsity Girls Volleyball placed third, and JV Girls Volleyball placed third. 

Michelle Morrow (12), one of the captains for the girls' varsity volleyball team, said, “We really worked on playing together as a team--communicating, trusting, and covering one another on the court-- and it paid off, especially in our last game beating ISKL. I was really proud of how we performed overall as a team and happy that we beat our rivals in 2 sets both times we played them.” New to Dalat in her Junior year of high school, she was one of the team's stars and continued to show her skills on the court. 

Isaac Lee (12), captain of the guys’ volleyball team, said, “I think we can do really well in the tournament next weekend; after this tournament, we know what our weaknesses are, and for the next few weeks, we have Yao Tan [Dalat alumni, state player, and previous Dalat MVP] helping us so I think we can really improve a lot.” After being selected captain in his Junior year of high school, now a senior, he got 28 service aces, leading his team throughout the sets of games. 

Both teams are excited at the prospect of future games; they are ready to learn from their mistakes and continue to grow stronger together. Ready to have another shot they are heading down to KL for a tournament on September 22nd 

Off to a Great Start: First Varsity Soccer Games @ ISKL

By Michelle Morrow

This past weekend, while Dalat was hosting the Island Invitational for volleyball on September 8th and 9th, the guys' and girls’ varsity soccer teams headed down to Kuala Lumpur to face our rivals at ISKL on back-to-back days. 

The girls won their first game 2-1, with goals scored by Soniya Peters (10) and Kyra Brewster (11). Unfortunately, their second game the following day ended in a 0-1 loss against ISKL. When asked to reflect on the weekend’s games, one of the varsity girls’ captains, Alexia Nyul (12), said, “The games went great! It was a really good playing experience for my team to learn what we need to work on together. Apart from the body aches the next days, it was a really good time!” The girls had a fantastic time playing in ISKL and are ready and excited to go back and face them again in a couple of weeks. 

On the other hand, the varsity guys didn’t find quite as much success as the girls in their first match, which ended in a 2-0 defeat. According to Kyle Tang (12), it was the team’s first time playing on a large field, “so we weren’t aware of the fitness and power of our passes.” The next day, however, the boys were able to turn it around with a 1-1 draw in overtime. Amos Koay (12) had an impressive throw-in near the goalie box in front of the goal, setting it up perfectly for Kyle to shoot and score a last-second goal and end the game in a tie with ISKL. 

Josiah Andrews (12), one of the two captains for the guy’s varsity team, commented on his team’s performance and the trip, saying, “Overall, I’m pretty happy with how the trip went for our team. There were a lot of bright and not-so-bright moments. All of those we will use going forward to help us prepare for our title defense [as undefeated ACSC champs] in October.” 

Best of luck to the guys preparing for ACSC in Chiang Mai and the girls during their first soccer season.

This is Sparta

By DJ Yost

Wednesday X-Block, August 20th. It was just supposed to be a normal CrossFit workout (hopefully not even Death-by-Burpees). But after a quick greeting, Mr. Brian Brewster rounded up the kids and took them outside. Bystanders outside curiously watched as students and staff alike began army crawling on the Lower Field, jumping over the basketball bleachers, pulling sleds, and taking over the playground monkey bars. 

So what was going on here? 

They were becoming Spartans- legendary warriors from Ancient Greece known for their athleticism and physique. 

On October 28th and 29th, there will be a Spartan race held in Kuala Lumpur: an elite test of endurance and strength that is notoriously known for its grueling obstacles and unfavorable conditions specifically designed to turn modern-day athletes into heroes of renown. Many Dalat students part of the CrossFit Club and parents up for the challenge signed up for this competition.  

In preparation for this event, Mr. Brewster has laid out a “Spartan Lap” around Dalat’s Lower Campus, in order to give the students who signed up (and those who didn’t) a simulation of what the race will look and feel like on race day. Every Wednesday, students and staff have the option to run and complete as many of these Spartan Laps as they can. 

Isaac Beaman (12) described the experience quite fittingly: “I had fasted for two days before running the Spartan Laps, and I almost threw up afterward. I had to take a three-hour nap to fully recover.” 

Kyle Tang (12) said, “As so many people I know have done the Spartan Race, the movements looked really easy but eventually, I realized it was harder than it looked. I want to test my abilities and try to accomplish something not a lot of people have the mentality for.”

Although Dalat’s motto is “Education for Life,” part of that education is fitness and athleticism. So turning a little bit of Dalat into a little bit of Sparta will benefit the students, staff, and parents involved not only for the present but for the rest of their lives as well. This is Sparta!

Away From Reality Check

By Leyla Lee

Who would have thought the Class of 2024 could make it to Sneak? Those freezie shifts and hours of JSB workdays actually paid off. So much happened during Sneak that I could write pages, from getting tied together with rope on the beach, to snorkeling and to marriage advice from Papa K (Mr. Kanagaraj). But let’s skip to my most memorable parts.

On our third day at Koh Lanta, we had our service day held at a local primary school, a fifteen-minute tuk-tuk ride from our hotel. The moment we got down from our tuk-tuks, the kids scrambled around us, shouting and waving their hands up high. Their excitement was contagious, but as we were the big, responsible kids, we greeted them from afar and prepared games for them. We were split into eight groups: Musical chairs, origami, football, puzzles, nail painting, Jenga, races, and the animal shelter (outside of the school).

The musical chairs, origami, puzzles, nail painting, and Jenga stations were held under the shade, with the blasting music of Alexia Nyul's (12) amazing music taste at the musical chairs station, while the races and football games were held under the scorching sun that gave everyone an additional sunburn as souvenirs. About an hour later, even with the language barrier, we knew the kids were done with the burning sun, too. So the races group packed up their stuff and turned themselves into a water station, which later turned into a cup pong-dance battle. I would vouch for everyone that we all had great fun. The kids were lovable, joyful, and ever so respectful.

The day ended with lots of hugs from the kids, but they would not let us go and waved goodbye for a straight ten minutes. They didn’t want us to leave. “I grew fond of the kids, and I didn’t want to leave them either,” says Aurelia Bernier (12). We held our hands out as the kids ran up to our tuk-tuks to high-five every single one of the Class of 2024, and we left our hands hanging out the tuk-tuks to remain in touch till the last moment. We waved till we turned the corner and couldn’t see them anymore.

In the end, how could we seniors end a Senior Sneak without a surreal memory stuck to all our minds? And that would be holding our bladders tight while we waited on the bus, queuing in a terrible traffic jam to cross the Thai border. The sponsors knew it was the last straw for some of us. The bus driver opened the bus doors in moving traffic, and one by one, girls on the bus jumped down dauntlessly and ran to a random laundromat bathroom. I’m pretty sure that was the most stressful part of the whole trip for the sponsors, as they nearly lost every one of us girls in Thailand. 

I can truly say that Sneak was probably one of the best things that happened in my senior year so far.

The Rain Curse

By Jia Ru Sim

Our Senior Sneak was cursed with rain from when we arrived to when we departed. 

We successfully set our feet in Thailand on Tuesday, August 29, 2023. After an arduous 5-hour drive on the bus, we reached the ferry terminal lightheartedly. As we walked towards the ferry terminal, a light morning breeze erased our tiredness. We hurriedly darted towards the entrance, waiting for the ferry to arrive. Little did we know, as soon as the ferry cruised into the coast, rain came pouring down diagonally, piercing through our dry clothes. Beads of rain successfully drenched our shirts, pants, socks, and shoes, accompanying us until we reached the hotel in Koh Lanta.

As if he knew that we needed a rest, the rain god decided to rest a bit, giving us a day of rest as we snorkeled near Phi-Phi island and other islands around us. Unfortunately, he chose to continue his job and spontaneously sprinkled large amounts of water for the next two days. The rain poured as we were swimming, doing beach activities, and eating. Dora Liu said, “We were soaked from head to toe, from our hair down to our socks.” We dried and soaked in the never-ending cursed cycle. 

The last day of our Sneak soon came in the blink of an eye. We started Saturday morning with our fresh, new clothes, ready to return to Penang. As we sat in the vans to the ferry terminal, the sky was blue and bright, with no signs of large dark clouds. Hence, we excitedly left the van and prepared to walk onto the ferry. But, the rain god did not want to leave us alone, and as we were standing in a very narrow shed, it came pouring horizontally, drenching everyone without prior warning.  Just like that, our Senior Sneak ended just as how it started. 

The "Sneakiest" Sneak of All

By Alyssa Kwok

Wet from the rain but dry from the comfort of somewhere familiar. Cold from the wind but warm from the friendships and friends. Loud from the screams and laughs but pleasing to the heart from all the joy. Scary to begin but thrilling to try something new. Those are the contrasts I would use to describe the Class of 2024’s Senior Sneak.

At first, it felt strange: skipping school for a week even though it was not a family holiday or a sickness keeping you from school, going somewhere that took almost 15 hours by bus with not your family but over 60 students, and having that surreal feeling of finally being on Sneak. I couldn't believe I was actually going on Sneak when I was packing the night before and preparing myself to get ready to go to Thailand. It only hit when I was on the island of Koh Lanta, and even then, it felt like it was just my imagination.

Since I lived in Thailand for almost ten years (and still returning to visit), I did not expect anything to change much. It would be like when I traveled to Phuket with my parents for mission trips, but boy, was I wrong. Don’t get me wrong, I felt at home while driving through Thailand's quiet, muddy streets, admiring the beautiful beaches and even the cold, rainy monsoon season, but added with 60+ loud kids and six sponsors, the outcome came out a little different.

I was surrounded by my friends, and with no parents to control what we bought, we pretty much bought enough drinks and extra food for the resort to live without tourists for an entire month or more. We were living the life of kings and queens: jumping into the pool whenever we wanted, our fantastic team of ExCom members planning fun and entertaining activities, an exciting time at the service project of helping kids or the animal shelter, and even a thrilling snorkeling trip (which I had never done before), which included an exhilarating boat ride that made us get more drenched than the monsoon itself.

Everything was peachy, filled with so much fun and games that we did not know where the time went, and soon, it was time to head back to Malaysia and school… ugh. As I sit here and write this, I miss the rain on my face, the water surrounding me as I swim, and even the delicious Thai food we were given to eat.  Arielle Mclver said, "I miss the endless opportunities that we had to bond as a class." 

Although Thailand seems so far away, and Sneak is over, I will forever remember how much fun I had with my friends, our creatively humourous talent show with different nationalities competing against each other, and the laughter and complaints of the cold, stormy rain. I could not have asked for a better Sneak, even though almost everyone in Dalat knew where we were going….

Making New Connections

By Alicia Lim

The seniors left for Senior Sneak last week on the 28th of August. It was a time for bonding, but did the seniors really bond?

Senior Sneak is a time meant for seniors to bond with the whole class and come out of it with a certain unity that the class didn’t have before. This year’s seniors had a once-in-a-lifetime experience that is one that they will never forget.

The way to Sneak was a very long bus ride, which had the seniors be close to each other the whole day as in the morning they had school too. It was two buses full of seniors singing their hearts out, and it was only the beginning. On the first day of Sneak, the seniors had a literal bonding experience as they were put into groups with their wrists and ankles bonded together. 

There was also a talent show in which they just found new sides of each other and literally just cheered their hearts out for each other. It was a time that the whole class will never forget as Heeeun Bang (also known as Big Chunky Bang in the talent show) said, "Sneak was like a box full of gifts - full of bonding, little adventures, and unforgettable memories with friends. Sneak was like a short but everlasting dream; it was a mini vacation where we all smiled, laughed, and cherished all moments. Sneak gifted me memories that I will always look back to whenever I miss my 2024 class. Thank you Sneak." 

In school most people would only hang around their friend groups more and it was true for the seniors but after the Sneak, the seniors got close to people not even in their friend groups. As Julia Jang said, “I really appreciated the moments that we had together, which made me get to know other classmates better.”

As we weren’t really a class that was united to begin with, the Sneak left us with unforgettable memories and people that we will never forget. The new sense of closeness and connection it brings definitely helped with the class synergy and made the seniors bond with each other like we never had before.

Sneaky Seniors

By Lee Yee Tan

On Monday, 28 August, the entirety of the Class of 2024 was seen near the main office at 5:30 p.m. Around half an hour later, they mysteriously disappeared and were not been seen on campus for the rest of the week. It turns out that they've been off for Senior Sneak!

Senior Sneak is a tradition where Dalat International School's seniors get to go on a trip together as a class using the money they've made over the past year while running the Junior Class Store. At first, the destination is kept a secret from the rest of the school. This year, the Class of 2024 decided to head for Koh Lanta, Thailand, where an unknown yet exciting adventure awaits them. 

Starting with a long travel day from Monday evening to Tuesday morning, the class arrived at Koh Lanta safely after around 16 hours of travel. The rest of Tuesday was spent hanging out at the resort. Wednesday was when snorkeling and island hopping, the trip's main highlights, happened. After 2 hours of the bumpy boat ride that made everyone sick, the class arrived at Phi Phi Islands. Not only the weather, but also the water was shining clear. After seeing this astonishing view, all the sickness from the boat ride was suddenly worth the suffering. Thursday was spent as a service day: the class had a choice either to serve younger students at a local school or to spend time with stray pets at a local animal shelter. After 3 hours of interaction, bonds were created, but it was also time to leave. Seeing the children's reluctance to say goodbye, the class was sure that they had left a legacy in the children's hearts. Friday then consisted of class bonding activities that brought everyone outside despite a thunderstorm. After the sandcastle-building activity, many jumped into the pool and hugged each other, wishing to share the warmness in this melancholy weather. Friday night ended with a small worship night along with Elizabeth Silverstein (12), the class president's overview of the classes' upcoming senior year.

Beyond a doubt, the trip was phenomenal. From the amazing Thai food to the island hopping experience, not only was the class able to see their hard work from last year pay off, but they are also now a more bonded class, ready to tackle senior year together. "Sneak really gave me a chance to talk to others that I normally don't interact with," exclaimed Jonathan Park (12). As the seniors return from this surreal dream, reality slowly hits them: all the tests, quizzes, and assignments have been piling up in front of them. However, nothing could replace this emotive experience that linked 67 hearts together before graduation happens.