Senior Internships

By Gabriella Uzzle

Did you know that Dalat students have the option to take one less class their senior year in favor of an internship during school hours? 

“Hey what class do you have next?”

“Oh, my internship.”

“Your what?”

This was a conversation I had over and over again with multiple friends and classmates right before G block for the first few weeks of school. Not many people know about the Internship program for seniors where a student works one-on-one with a specific member of staff to work on a specified area that interests them. It just takes one block out of the student and staff member's day, but it is an amazing opportunity for students to have more hands-on experience with tasks more akin to a job better preparing them for the future. 

One Seniors with Internships this year include Michael Silverstein (12), the current Tech intern, who said, “I like my internship because it teaches me how to apply my computer knowledge in a professional work environment. I would highly recommend taking one because it can really prepare you for the future.” 

Personally, my internship is through the IMPACT program under Mrs. Chan. In my internship, I have done a wide variety of tasks from packing bags for the middle school IMPACT Day to organizing contact information to make it easier on student leaders all of which support Mrs. Chan and further the goals of the IMPACT program. It has been so invaluable to me, allowing me to see what it means to create opportunities to serve others. It has even taught me how important serving is to me as a Christian and a member of society. 

I have to say that any junior who is interested in a possible internship should speak to a staff member who works in a field you're passionate about and talk to Mr. Dobson about the possibility of an internship. 

How Did the Boys Basketball Game Against USM Go?

By Ian Dobson

It was 6:50 on Friday, November 15, 2024, and I was sitting in the bleachers watching the boys varsity basketball team warm up to play against USM (Universiti Sains Malaysia). The stands were full of students from all divisions cheering them on. Based on the warm-ups, both teams seemed like they would perform well. 

The game started, and Dalat started off strong with Abraham Latham (12) making the first shot of the game, a layup. Every time someone would score, all the people in the stands would shout and clap. Throughout the game, Dalat was always ahead, but a few times, it did get close. The main thing that USM was doing well was their passing. They seemed to have good game sense, and they knew when to make the right passes. Dalat didn’t let that stop them from winning, though. Dalat played really well and won the game with a score of 57:74. 

At the end of the game, they came over and bowed and said thank you to the people in the stands. They beat USM even though the students from there were all older than them and most likely had been playing longer, which is impressive. 

I asked Timothy Hollon (12) how he thought the game went overall, and this was his response: “The game went well. Coach Latham gave us three things to focus on: intensity from the start, lockdown defense, and to start putting some 3s in the net. And, we did that. We dominated the ball on both ends and put together a performance I was proud of.” Another thing he said was that they could have had less turnovers throughout the game. 

I think that overall, the Dalat varsity boys played really well. They were playing against a university, and they didn’t let the age difference affect the outcome of the game. They seemed to give it their all, and they gave us in the stands a good game to watch. 

PSAT

By Aiden Jeong

After the low of PSAT and the high of the long weekend, we will see how the students of Dalat are currently faring.

This past week, Dalat students hosted the annual PSAT, an event that marks both stress and excitement on campus. The challenging exam, known for its lengthy reading passages, tricky math questions, and tight time constraints, left many students feeling mentally drained. For some, the PSAT proved to be a significant mental hurdle. Many students felt the familiar stress of standardized testing—balancing the need to think critically with the pressure of limited time.

However, others found a silver lining amidst the test’s pressures. Sophomore Andrew Mattson, in particular, appreciated a unique perk of the PSAT day: “I enjoyed having the PSAT because I got to go to lunch early.” For students like Andrew, this simple, lighthearted outlook provided a reminder to find small positives, even on a challenging day.

 The relief from the PSAT ending no doubt helps make the students even happier about the extra-long break. Some will reflect on the test and what they have learned; most will not, and they will simply just enjoy the long weekend. However, maybe we have something to learn from those who chose not to look too deeply into this. A lesson about enjoying life—to feel happy and appreciate the little things.

It should be noted that a week before, there was fall break. So that means that we are getting time to slowly readjust to school. It is also good for the people who made the most of fall break by traveling around and needed a break when they came back home. When the students return to classes, they will be better rested and prepared to tackle the rest of the semester.

The Passion of How to Life

By Stephen Branum

On November 1 and 2, something amazing happened. With prayer for months beforehand and many hands at hard work, the event was finally starting to take shape. The details were flowing in, people were volunteering, and God was at work. I was personally getting myself ready to worship for God’s glory and really focusing on thanking God for the opportunity He had given me to lead worship. 

How to Life (HTL) was an event put on by Gen Z, for Gen Z to hear about the Gospel and experience Christ. It was from 7-9 in the evening at PIC or Penang International Church. There was a time of worship, testimonies, a question panel, a gospel presentation, and a reflection time. One of the main prayer points we repeated was the ability to plant seeds and to be servants for God’s will in this event. This led us to really try to emphasize a reflection time as we set up a prayer corner and a question corner and just made ourselves available however that looked. 

With many leaders, such as Ian Dobson (12), Nathan Johnson (12), and Aiden Boyd (11), a lot of preparation was able to take place. We had all split into several groups to tackle different parts of the event, such as worship, hospitality, prayer, speaking, and testimonies. I was on the worship team, and Sabrina Boyd (12) and I prepared to lead the worship on the first night. We had a couple of practices leading up to the event, and on the day of, we arrived at PIC at 2. If we weren’t doing anything, we were praying. We put so much time, energy, effort, prayer, and trust in God into this event, and it paid off. 

A good number of Dalat students showed up, and I met some people I had never met before. I had one particular great experience and time with a guy and was able to pray over him and give him encouragement. 

Dobson said, “My favorite part was the panel because people were able to get genuine answers to questions lots of Christians and non-Christians have.” 

Many people resonated with the panel as some of the questions were genuinely hard and made the speakers think deeply and apply their knowledge to answer. Some of the questions included, do people who never hear about Jesus go to hell, thoughts on LGBTQ, and if the Bible was reliable and trustworthy, provoking profound explanations and answers especially from Sam, who works for HTL. 

Overall, the event was a great success and it resonated really well with the students in attendance through worship, a panel, testimonies, gospel presentations, and a well-structured reflection time. God moved that weekend! 

Plan B

By Anna-Lynn Tamminga

‘’EVERYONE QUIET’,’ Anya Shanmugabalan (12) was screaming at the top of her lungs while it started to rain harder and harder. About 20 middle schoolers finally quieted down and Anya was able to explain what the plan was. At that moment, I realized that Freaky Friday, especially for the leaders, was not for the weak. 

24 September 2024: “Hey class of 2025, I have come to announce a class meeting this Thursday during X-block. We will be talking about “Freaky Friday” where, as a grade, we unify ourselves and interact with the middle school. We will give them a chance to get to know more about us via games and more!” stated Sidharta Selvaraja (12) in a Teams message. I signed up thinking that it was going to be a chill and easy afternoon. During the next few weeks, we had a couple of meetings about what the groups were going to look like, and I found myself in the group of activities.

On the day of Freaky Friday, we had already spent more than 30 minutes setting up our game. Our plan was to play ‘capture the flag’. Everything was set and ready, and the middle schoolers were getting more excited by the minute at the idea of all the fun stuff they were going to participate in this afternoon. 

Unfortunately, right when we were about to start the fun afternoon, it started pouring. The field was soaked in less than 5 minutes, and our plan to capture the flag was impossible. At the same time, there were about 20 middle schoolers getting more and more impatient, they even started interrogating us about what we were going to do. Plan B was needed and no one knew what it was. The middle schoolers seemed to get more restless by the minute. I had thought of Freaky Friday as a relaxing activity where I wouldn't have to do much, but I hugely underestimated how hard leadership can be when circumstances suddenly change.  

Luckily our group leader stepped up and told us to lead the kids to the canteen. It turns out that charades make an excellent plan B and middle schoolers are very competitive. “It was fun to connect with the middle schools and although the rain was unexpected, Freaky Friday was still really fun and memorable,” said Shanmugabalan.

Freaky Friday ended up being a huge success, and that is thanks to the whole team who adjusted super quickly when things didn't turn out how they were supposed to. Being a leader and organizing an afternoon is not always as easy as it seems. In the future, whenever there is a sign up for an event where they need leaders, I will sign up feeling more prepared because I had the privilege of working with an excellent team who taught me you always have to be flexible and have a plan B prepared, just in case.

Special Guests

By Sophia Tan

It’s a bright, sunny morning at Dalat International School, just like any other. Except something is different. A group of new faces stand in anticipation near the brown tables at the front office, faces that belong to none other than Dalat’s special guests from Indonesia: the Rumah Boas Team and youth. From first meeting and interacting during English outreach programs initiated by the Student IMPACT Club to meeting them in person earlier this year in March to now coming to Dalat, Rumah Boas’ and Dalat’s relationship has significantly developed, and exciting events were in store. 

As soon as school started, the youth followed a group of students to begin shadowing to see what student life at Dalat is like. From Choir class to an array of English classes, Boas got a sneak peek at what Dalat students lived out every day.

After a long day of shadowing classes, the students and Boas needed a brain break. What better way to do so than a classic game of Captain Chicken? The Dalat students and Boas kids split into two groups, and the games began. Competitive spirit and exclamations of frustrated laughter filled the outdoor basketball gym, concluding the first day of Rumah Boas’s Dalat visit. 

It was even more fun awaiting the group on the second day, a day at the Escape water park! Students and Boas filled vans and cars and started their trip to escape. There were seemingly endless things to do, such as a zipline, swing, and water slides! 

“My favorite part was the flying lemur [a zipline reaching up to 30 meters]! It was scary but fun.” according to Elis, one of the Boas youth. 

The day wasn’t over yet, though. Rumah Boas and Dalat students were gearing up for a particular task: leading Worship in Dalat’s chapel. Everyone gathered to rehearse, the excitement palpable as the two groups prepared to lead the school in a time of praise. The energy was contagious, with students from both schools coming together to practice and bond over their shared Christian faith.

On Friday morning, the chapel came alive as the worship team led the entire school in song. The atmosphere was uplifting, with students passionately singing along to familiar songs of Worship and even a song in Bahasa Indonesia, bringing a unique cultural touch to the service. 

The enthusiasm of everyone involved was evident, as seen in freshman Benjamin Lim’s statement after chapel service, “Worship today was so awesome! I loved it so much; the main singer was so hyped.” Overall, it was an incredibly memorable and unifying experience.

To close the day, the group headed to a local Korean restaurant, Cottiny, for a delicious dinner. With various mouth-watering dishes, the meal was the perfect way to unwind and reflect on the day’s events. As they shared pictures and jokes, both groups couldn’t have been happier. 

However, before they knew it, it was time to part ways. Each person shared their goodbyes, and their period of fun and fellowship with each other came to an end. Even though the bittersweet pain of goodbye lingered after the Boas team drove off, the students knew it wouldn’t be the last time Dalat saw the people of Rumah Boas. 

A Memorable Weekend

By Jason Choi

The past week at Dalat has felt like a mini fall break, packed with days off and a mix of festivities that have kept students on their toes. From the excitement of Diwali celebrations and Halloween costumes to the annual PTO Family Fun Day and the looming November 1st college application deadline, it’s been a week to remember.

The long weekend started with the family fun day event held by the PTO on Wednesday. It took place on the outdoor basketball court from 4 to 6 p.m., with carnival games catered to students from P3-6 to grade 12. Students could win prizes in exchange for the points collected by winning the carnival games.

When asked about Family Fun Day, Jin Sarang (11) said, “Through Family Fun Day, I felt that many children got closer as they were playing games and earning tokens together. Also, the Dalat parents got closer as they were preparing the fun day.”

The long weekend, with Thursday and Friday off, was a chance for students to celebrate Diwali, the festival of lights, and Halloween, which were coincidentally on the same day this year- October 31st. Some were busy celebrating Diwali with their family and friends, while others dressed up for Halloween, as the sound of fireworks dominated our evenings and brightened up the sky. 

When asked about Halloween, Sophia Tan (12) shared, “We dressed up and went to Hin Bus in Georgetown for the event. At Hin Bus, there was loud music, food, and lots of people who decided to dress up as well. It was so cool to see others in their costumes. There were also five Kanye Wests!”

However, for seniors applying for early action to colleges,  November 1st loomed as an important deadline. The stressful process including writing essays, and getting transcripts and letters of recommendation from teachers, brought a lot of pressure. 

“I dont feel great. I had to do lot of research on the colleges and write a lot of essays. It was very stressful, would not recommend. However the days off and fun events helped made me less stressful and take my mind off things. ” said Kiera Nichols (12), a senior who applied early to several colleges.

As the weekend ends and a new week begins, students and staff are refreshed and ready for school. These occasional extra-long weekends brought by significant events from different cultures are what make Dalat unique. They provide a welcome break from school, an opportunity to bond, and a celebration of life.