The End Is Near

By Gabe Roylance

2024 is close to ending, and so is the first semester of the seniors’ final year. Many conflicting feelings and emotions roam the campus - the end of the first semester and the end of some classes that seniors will never again participate in. With finals in a matter of days, CB upcoming, and Thanksgiving having just happened, the amount of different emotions in the air is great. 

With the end of the year and the semester at hand, everyone is rushing to get their assignments in, their CB outfits ready, and study for their soon-upcoming finals. For seniors, too, there is an air of finality, the culmination of the past three years of high school and the years of school even before that. 

One student, Yong Xi Tan (12), says, “I feel like everything is crammed right now, especially since I made a mistake a few weeks ago with my homework management. As finals approach I do really sense that pressure that I've felt for the past three years. Thankfully, there's not a whole lot, since most of my exams have already either taken place or are final projects. And at last, I have CB as a space for all the things happening around me.” 

Another senior, Daniel Willoughby, puts it more simply and succinctly - “Help.”

But, at the same time, the Christmas spirit tries its hardest to suffuse the environment. Christmas Banquet, an event always looked forward to, as well as Christmas itself are near, and with it excitement fills the air – at least, as much as it is able to in tropical Malaysia. Many families will celebrate with gifts and presents, though not all, but those who do know with excitement the day is coming for celebrations and joy - and are also busy buying presents for their family and friends. 

Finally, I’ll share a quote from Sidharta Selvaraja that I feel summarizes what most seniors feel now: "As the first semester comes to a close, I find it a bit hard to grasp the fact that half of my senior year is already disappearing! And though it feels like just the end, I anticipate it only being the beginning of my journey!!”

A Night of Carols

By: Michael Fearday

The Dalat choir class had their concert on December 5th, 2024. It was a great night filled with the Christmas spirit. The choir team did a great job spreading joy and lightheartedness throughout the night. 

The Dalat Choir Concert is a must see every year and they don’t disappoint. This year was really cool as lots of seniors are in choir and using their voices to life up the spirit of Christmas. When I asked Kyra Brewster (12) what her favorite part of this semester has been, she answered, “Getting to know the underclassmen and the progress everyone has made as a group.” They have definitely progressed through the year and have grown closer as a class. 

During the night, they sang a lot of Christmas carols and were getting everyone in a Christmas mood. I felt the whole room’s mood change as soon as they started singing their first song. The tech team also did a great job making everything come together and sound perfect. The choir team worked months and months on this and finally all the work paid off when they were able to share their work with the rest of the Dalat community. 

The room was packed with awe struck people who couldn’t resist just listening to this magnificent group of high school students who are using their talents to share Christmas cheer around. I hope that in the Spring, they come back out to do another performance for us and to keep growing as a class and as individuals. 

To end this off I want to give a shoutout to Ms. Jessamine Sikes and the rest of the choir class for bringing a lot of joy and positivity into one night. They worked really hard on this and deserve to be recognized for their hard work and dedication to this semester and to the concert.

A Non-American Thanksgiving

By Michaela Parsley

Non-Americans at Dalat were asked their thoughts on the Thanksgiving holiday. Their perspective revealed the beauty of Thanksgiving is the gratitude we have for the gifts of abundance and joy we have in our lives. 

We all know Americans love Thanksgiving, but what about everyone else? It is rather easy to guess the meaning behind Thanksgiving. It’s right there in the name, after all. Yet, it’s so easy it is to get caught up in the traditions of the holiday that we forget the heart of it all. Sometimes, the best way to regain perspective is to remove yourself from the center and seek out a distanced point of view. 

Dalat has students from all over the world, so what do all the non-American students take from Turkey Day? On one hand, Thanksgiving gives the community an extra day of the weekend. That’s always a welcome gift! 

Sophia Teoh, a twelfth-grade student from Malaysia, said, “Personally, even though [I‘m not] American, I still found Thanksgiving break to be a good time… I just treat it as a time to be thankful… I like that it’s an extra day in the weekend.” 

Another student, Juan Moon (12), expressed that even though Thanksgiving doesn’t hold much significance since he is Korean, he still feels it’s worth celebrating. He appreciates this “joyous day” because it’s a break from the busyness of life.

To some students, however, Thanksgiving has a greater significance than simply a restful long weekend. Dutch student Lynn Tamminga (12) said, “I think it is very beautiful to see how this American holiday helps people realize that they have so much to be thankful for in their lives. It made me more aware of all the wonderful things around me.” Even though she doesn’t partake in the Thanksgiving traditions, simply observing her American friends at Dalat celebrating the holiday reminded her of the blessings that she has in her life, too. 

Another student, Owen Bekker (12) from South Africa, recalled his first-ever experience with Thanksgiving last year when he was invited to his American friend’s house to celebrate. “Everyone called me the vacuum cleaner” he said, “because of the mountains of food I would pile onto my plate. Any of the food anyone couldn't finish was also given to me, and I gladly obliged.” 

Traditions like devouring plates of delicious food are amazing, especially when it’s around your closest friends and family, but it’s furthermore important to tie it all back to the real meaning behind the holiday. 

Malaysian alumni Myra Lim summarized it perfectly. “Thanksgiving is the season where we are able to express our gratitude… not only to the people that are around us but also to another year of living in God's goodness.”

The Long Needed Break

By Kiera Nichols

After a long three-day weekend, the mood on campus was filled with mixed emotions, mostly bad ones as students returned back to their daily routines. The extended break had offered a variety of experiences for everyone, and it was clear that nobody spent the weekends the same. Whether it was time spent productively, socially, or simply having leisure time, the weekend left lasting impressions.

For some, like Zoe Yeoh, a senior, the weekend was all about preparing for the upcoming SAT. “I spent the break studying for the SAT and it was the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life,” she said. Her dedication exemplified the determination of students ready to tackle one of the biggest academic challenges of the year.

Others used the time to fully enjoy the Thanksgiving holiday. Emma Emis (12) reflected on her weekend, saying, “I took Thursday off because Dalat didn’t give me the opportunity to spend time with my family. I spent Thursday, Friday, and Saturday cooking with my family and having Thanksgiving dinners every night. So thankful!” Her break was a heartfelt celebration of gratitude and family time.

For Ellie Park (12), the weekend was a chance for self-care and a little retail therapy. “I spent my money shopping in KL, and it was fun spending money on yourself,” she shared. The excitement of shopping offered her a refreshing break from school and college applications.

Meanwhile, Silas Latham (10) made the most of his time with friends, saying, “I had lots of fun spending time with friends eating food and playing spike ball.” A weekend all about connection, laughter, and good company.

Whether it was sleepless nights studying, celebrating family traditions, indulging in shopping sprees, or simply enjoying time with friends, the long weekend provided a much needed pause for everyone to recharge in their own way. Now, as the school week begins again, the memories of those three days serve as a reminder of how important it is to make time for what matters most. Be grateful!

A Different Thanksgiving

By Zoe Yeoh

Most people spent Thanksgiving break catching up on unfinished work, sleeping in, or spending quality time with family. On the other hand, some of us decided to spend the weekend in Malaysia’s biggest city, Kuala Lumpur. 

“Woi, wasn’t it you guys who said be here by 5:45?” Caitlyn Chan (12) asked, raising an eyebrow at the group.

The day had started painfully early. We had all awoken around 4 a.m. to catch the 6:30 a.m. train to KL. While Caitlyn, Vennie Wong (12), and Ellie Park (12) arrived at the station on time, Annabelle Fan (12), Liv Gohan (12), and I showed up fashionably late at 6:15 a.m. There was a little delay because Annabelle had spent 15 minutes searching for her non-existent makeup bag, which she had supposedly left in school. 

Thankfully, everyone made it safely onto the train. The next four hours were spent sleeping, eating, talking, and of course, playing Brawl Stars. 

“I learned that you can never sleep in peace around friends; you will be targeted,” said Liv (12). 

Unflattering pictures were taken during this journey, none of which will ever see the light of day. 

When we finally arrived in KL, the first thing we looked for was food. As we walked around Pavilion KL, we stopped by Five Guys and ordered everything on the menu. After around twenty minutes, all that remained were empty wrappers and paper bags. 

With a satisfied stomach, our group headed to the next destination, the POPMART store. 

“I want the Alice in Wonderland poker card one!” Liv (12) exclaimed, her eyes lighting up. 

Annabelle (12), the blind box expert, skillfully took up each POPMART box and shook it; listening intently to the way the figure bounced around in the box. “Since the figure is pretty tall when you shake the box up and down, it shouldn’t have much space in between; however, if you were to tilt it side to side, since the figure is flat, it would shake around much more,” she explained confidently.

When I first heard Annabelle say these words, I thought she was crazy. There was no possible way someone could be this competitive, especially when it came to POPMART blind boxes, but I trusted her instincts, and sure enough, we walked out of that store happy with our choices.

After our little shopping spree, we headed towards the next, much bigger mall, TRX Exchange Mall. 

“Shopping is a sport,” Annabelle (12) said exhaustingly as the five of us trailed behind Ellie, who seemed to have boundless energy, stopping at every store possible. Liv was a close second in the shopping race, also scurrying around looking for her Armani blush in the shade 62, which was, unfortunately, all sold out everywhere. 

Finally, we returned to our Airbnb with our feet aching. This was only the first day. Who could’ve predicted what adventures the next would bring?

Thanksgiving in Penang

By Yuan Tee 

With the annual Thanksgiving dinner just around the corner, the Ziemer Dorm kitchen was brimming with activity. 

Caleb Evans (11) held open a massive zip-lock bag containing a beast of a turkey, as Olive Berends (10) carefully poured in the seasoned brine over the large bird. Tee Yu (12) sat at the table before two ginormous silver bowls of hard-boiled eggs, diligently peeling away in preparation for the signature appetizer of devilled eggs. Meanwhile, the smell of baking pumpkin pie filled the atmosphere with a tantalizing aroma.  

Every thanksgiving, Ziemer Dorm holds a magnificent feast to celebrate the occasion. As 5:30 PM rolled around, hungry people flocked around a high wooden table that proudly carried the enticing appetizers: a beautiful smoked salmon cheese ball, a tray of devilled eggs, and a glass dish of chewy caramels - a promising start to the long-awaited dinner.  

The kitchen counter was loaded with all the classics: sweet potato casserole, caramelized green bean packages, a massive glazed ham, mashed potatoes, buttered corn, gravy, glistening cranberry sauce, stuffing, and of course, the enormous thanksgiving turkey. The roasted chicken, broccoli rice casserole, and mint green Watergate salad - a peculiar combination of pistachio pudding, marshmallows, pineapple, and pecans - were also a hit.  

As the evening progressed, lively chatter and laughter accompanied the ferocious eating, and soon the plates were scraped clean. However, the meal was not quite finished. It was time for the much anticipated finale, the culmination of thanksgiving dinner: the pies. Bit by bit, people gathered at the dessert table to retrieve their fill of pie. Waiting in line, they gazed at the low table laden with a selection of four types of delectable pies: a luscious apple pie, two tollhouse chocolate-chip cookie pies, two crunchy pecan pies, and a creamy pumpkin pie. A dash of whipped cream topped with gleaming cherries was the perfect finishing touch.  

Seojeong Park (11) stated, “The pecan pie was my favorite because I made it.” 

Naomi Drinkall (10) commented, “My favorite was probably the pumpkin pie or the turkey.”  

That said, the memorable dinner could not have been possible without the efforts of the dorm parents, cafeteria staff, and dorm kids, who were each responsible in the making of a dish. From the pie crusts skillfully constructed by Aunt Rachelle Henderson, the sweet potato casserole mashed by Zeke Croft (12) to the iced tea whipped up by Hajin Kim (11), everybody pitches in to produce the scrumptious thanksgiving meal that is looked forward to every year.