International Ballers!

By Alexia Nyul

Last week, both the girls’ and boys’ varsity basketball teams traveled to different countries to compete in ACSC. The girls traveled to Hong Kong to play against other schools in ICS Hong Kong, and the boys traveled to Jakarta to compete in SPH.

Aside from playing basketball, eating, and sleeping, players were also given the opportunity to serve the communities in which they stayed and even tour the city at night. For their service project, the girls’ team packed “shine bags” filled with first aid supplies and bread vouchers and later walked Hong Kong in groups and handed them out to the cardboard collectors who work for hours at a time on the streets of Hong Kong. This service project gave the girls a deeper appreciation for the people who do hard manual jobs and gave us a space to grow friendships with people outside of Dalat. 

For the seniors on the team, ACSC week was an emotionally charged week with wild rollercoasters of the joys of winning their games and mourning the end of their season. 

Kyra Brewster, a junior on the team, said “I really enjoyed having the opportunity to have such a great bonding experience with my team and to have the opportunity to tour around Hong Kong and play against other amazing girls.” 

Although the girls had a great start to the tournament, placing at the top of their pool, they had a hard time in eliminations, placing fifth overall. 

Drew Worten, a senior on the boys team, said, “ACSC was a really fun time hanging out with friends and other schools. We had a rough start, but we persevered, and we never gave up, making it all the way to third place.” After placing second to last in their pool, the boys were able to quickly pull it together and keep their heads up to make their climb in eliminations to third place.

A Way to Celebrate Our Uniqueness

By Julia Jang

On February 10th, a calm weekend with a nice cool breeze, I couldn’t beat the constant boredom, so I started to look for something that would attract my attention on the internet. 

What I coincidentally found through the algorithm of YouTube was a video of a man whose lower part of his body was paralyzed due to a fall accident, sitting in a wheelchair and doing social experiments in Austria. One point that I was impressed with was when the man tried to take a public transportation bus. Once the bus driver noticed the man sitting in a wheelchair, he came out from the bus to put the ramps down for the man to get on the bus. Plus, even though it took a few minutes for the man to ride the bus, the passengers didn’t show any irritation or be mad at the man for taking too long. Moreover, some passengers would voluntarily help the man lift the wheelchair so that the man doesn’t have to struggle to get off the bus. 

Angel Lee (12) said, “People should be more open-minded about those who are differently abled, and we should implement more services for those people. Also, we should try our best to help them as much as possible and treat them as if they’re one of us because they are.”

Throughout the video, I obviously thought that Austria had a particular education system or any input to Austrians about disability or the ways to treat people with disabilities at school. However, most Austrian schools do not deal with the topic of disability in school, and it’s just that they are used to seeing people often helping someone with disabilities in their daily lives. These kinds of repeated situations allow Austrians to accept people with disabilities as typical, which already has been culturally imprinted on their perspectives. For Austrians, the fact that someone has a disability wasn’t a reason for them to change the way they treat people. Instead, just like how children are not educated to eat, someone with a disability is just part of their society; it was something they learned naturally. At that point, I realized I had been forgetting one thing that is highly critical to our lives: we learn how to understand people through caring and helping people around us. 

As I watched a 20-minute-ish video paid off, it has provided meaningful insights to me for a trivial change. I think we are still in the process of treating people with disabilities as members of a community, trying to think away from seeing them differently. In short, I want not to position our perspectives stereotypically but to see them as individuals. 

Feeding the Fire for God

By Elizabeth Silverstein

Last Monday evening from 6-7pm in the choir room, high school students and staff members met for a time of worship, scripture study, and prayer where they fellowshipped together.

“One way! (clap, clap, clap) Jesus! You’re the only one that I could live for!” Led by Nate Johnson (11) and his guitar skills, students sing along to lyrics and sway to the rhythm of the song. With the lights dimmed, it is a place where students can feel closer to God by using the space to leave behind the distractions of the day. There is something powerful about being surrounded by other students and simply praising God together as believers. 

Put together by the Leadership Class, passages are submitted by students, for students, making the discussion relatable and more meaningful. This time of fellowshipping with peers is very impactful for many teens as it is a time to talk with friends and others of the same age about their lives and faith. 

Splitting into small circles to discuss the passage encourages a safe place to be vulnerable and let down walls that would normally be up during the school day. Students are able to be encouraged and strengthened by hearing the testimonies of others in their circle. Daniel Pham (12) says, “It is comforting knowing that some of the things I have been struggling with are also felt by others.”

To end the evening, some students go to eat at either the Hillside or Permai stalls where they have time to hang out. This time it is meaningful to just grow friendships with other believers, especially after a time of worship. Like they discussed in Monday's passage, it is important to make bonds and build trust so that students can keep each other accountable. 

Having this time with other believers fans the passion students have for God, bringing light and joy throughout the whole campus. It gives them courage to step up as leaders and a peace knowing that there are other students who they can lean on for prayer and fellowship.

Warm Ups are over

By Isaac Lee

On the fifth of February, Zestyfeatherbois, the Dalat varsity boys' basketball team, came back to Dalat with bronze medals. The journey to third was a rollercoaster ride. Coming in second last in the pool play and getting knocked into the loser's bracket on the first day of elimination plays, the boys had to overcome many hardships, but beating Morrison in the fist looser's bracket game gave the guys the push they needed to win three games in a row to get third, a job well done indeed. 

With Basketball ACSC ending, the rise of DBA shall take over Dalat. DBA, also known as Dalat Basketball Association, was created by Adian Leong, Pranjal Malik, and Isaac Lee in 10th grade. Having nothing to do during lunch, the trio made the DBA league to spice up lunchtime for everyone in the grade. After going through many changes, DBA is going through its final season. Each senior varsity player is assigned their team, and with Basketball ACSC over, many of them are excited to try and get first place in the DBA. 

Josia De Jagar, a varsity basketball team captain, states, "Warm-ups are over; let the real games begin." 

Showing the value of the DBA in the culture of the class of 2024. Although many players are excited, some have to face harsh reality and miss the final season of DBA. Amos Koay suffered a knee injury during ACSC, not allowing him to run at all; with terrible news also comes exciting news. Due to a missing captain, the DBA will try to sign an international, a player from a different grade, to try and replace our precious captain. With the potential new singing, the DBA culture could be passed down in Dalat's history. It can also be an exciting opportunity for seniors to bond with underclassmen or allow underclassmen to learn from seniors to further improve their skills. 

With the DBA season starting, come watch and support your favorite team during lunchtime; there are games daily. Come find out who the best team in DBA is.

Xīn Nián Kuài Lè (Happy Chinese New Year)

By Douglas Koay

Last week, Dalat students celebrated Chinese New Year over the 4-day weekend. Chinese New Year is an annual celebration for the beginning of the new year based on the lunar calendar. Traditionally, the celebrations span over 15 days, when people enjoy time with family, set off loud fireworks as the Chinese believe that the loud noises that fireworks create scare off evil spirits, and eat hot pot for many consecutive days. 

Among all traditions, there is no doubt that our favorite part of Chinese New Year is the hong bao. A hong bao is a gift of money in a red packet given by those married to the younger generation as a symbol of luck, life, and happiness. When red packets are given out, it represents the spreading of good luck and fortune for the new year ahead so that it will be prosperous. “I spent time with my families that came to visit from different countries, and the best part was the food and the hong baos I received,” said Kate Lee (12). 

But this festivity is not only about the money: “What I look forward to the most during Chinese New Year is getting to see my cousins that I haven’t seen all year and catching up with them,” said Aidan Leong, 12. Time with family is the most significant focus of the celebration of the Lunar New Year. Every year, families return to their hometown to pay respects to their grandparents and reconnect with families they have not seen all year. 

This year, Chinese New Year felt a bit slow, even with all my family members coming back and spending most of the 4-day weekend with them. The thought that this would be my last year at home with them was a little sad as I looked back on all the years I have spent celebrating right here in Penang with them. Despite that, I look forward to the rest of the Chinese New Year and enjoying good food and time with my family.

Eagles VS. Chameleons

By Josia de Jager

On Monday, February 5, the varsity boys basketball team played a club team called The Chameleons. 

Just like a Chameleon, this unfamiliar team’s disguise worked very effectively. After a couple of great threes and sneaky shots, the Chameleons started off with a nine-point lead after only the first three minutes of the game. 

The Dalat boys were not happy about either their clumsiness or their situation. After a timeout, still many points behind, they started playing like starving eagles about to hunt. As the king eagle said, “You guys got punched early on but kept on fighting” (Mr. Uzzle). 

The only problem was that the Chameleons were hard to see, including their way of always getting in front of their man and boxing out. 

Nonetheless, by the end of the first quarter, the varsity boys were up by two points with a score of 18 to 16. The fight didn’t end there, though. The Dalat varsity team had to step up and keep the lead. 

The fiercest opponent for the Dalat team was number 0, who could shoot threes with his eyes closed. He was the Chameleon's main weapon, a long-range machine that could quickly hit a small target. Or, in other words, The Chameleon’s tongue. 

The Dalat boys neutralized this weapon of mass destruction by driving in and giving him a stack of fouls. Because he was so close to fouling out, he could not defend aggressively for the rest of the game. Neutralized. 

Finally, the game ended with the Eagles winning by a whole continent, scoring 86 to 66. The eagle had dropped the Chameleon from sky-high, and now it had a long way to fall. The game ended lightheartedly because both teams had played with integrity, each using their skills, whether long-range, sight, tactics, or pure willpower. But thankfully, the eagle ended up on top.

Final Preparations

By Josiah Andrews

As the second sports season ends, both varsity basketball teams are in preparation for traveling to their respective countries for ACSC. The girls will travel to ICS-HK in Hong Kong on Tuesday, February 20. The guys will travel to Sekolah Pelita Harapan in Jarkata, Indonesia. Both teams are looking to improve from their already stellar performances last year. The girls traveled to ICS-BK in Bangkok, where they fought to an impressive second place. The boys achieved the same milestone in Taiwan at Morrison Academy. Both of those results were huge catalysts in Dalat becoming the ACSC program of the year in 2023. An achievement helped by amazing performances in track, volleyball, and soccer.

The teams now look forward to the tournament in two weeks. In talking about how they are preparing, Popi Grous (12) said, “Practice. We have been practicing hard to compete in the tournament. Mr. Wong is doing a great job of preparing us and maintaining the chemistry between us.” 

Chemistry is extremely important; wins from both teams in the coming weeks will help cement a good sense of togetherness. The boys beat the Chameleons 86-66 earlier in the week. A commanding win which has helped to build confidence as the boys look towards Indonesia. 

ACSC will end the season for both teams when it is over. With successful seasons for both boys and girls so far, each team has a chance to write history for Dalat. With Dalat not winning a basketball ACSC before, each team will fight to become the first basketball team to bring it back to Penang. The girls have the opportunity to become the first female team in Dalat history to win an ACSC tournament. Everyone at Dalat is looking forward to the tournaments and watching the livestreams of our teams. Go Eagles!

The Stool

By Joseph Lee

ZING! QING! CLANG! RING! DING? BING!

Discordant sounds are roaring through the air in the industrial arts workshop. Machines make sounds that break the sound barrier, shirts are covered in sawdust, and there is the occasional sneeze. The Industrial Arts class is hard at work creating our first project.

Our first project was to create something for our loved ones. So, I asked around in my class about what they were doing for their project.

“I’m making a jewelry box for my mom,” said Michelle Morrow.

“I’m making a chair for my parents!” announced Caleb Jun.

“I’m making a cutting board for my mom,” said Daniel Pham.

For my project, I decided to make a stool for my mom. I may not be the tallest at school, but I am the tallest in my family. That means whenever my mom needs something from the top shelf, I have to help. But since I am going to university soon, I know that she will have a hard time getting things from the top shelf, so I wanted to make a stool so she can reach the items on the shelves without me and so I can be at peace knowing that she can get her items from the top shelf when I'm not around. 

The design of my stool is heavily inspired by Scandinavian design—a simplistic and minimalistic tone with a modern twist. The stool consists of two wood types. The seat of my stool is a dark wood that gives off a sleek and clean vibe, while the light wood of my legs contrasts with the color of the seat. The stool only consists of two legs that have a unique and uncanny design that doesn’t do too much to look like an eyesore but just enough to captivate someone’s attention when looked upon. 

The industrial arts project gives us not only a chance to showcase our creativity but also an opportunity to express our love and gratitude towards loved ones. I hope that my stool can act as a symbol of appreciation and love towards my mom.