Dalat International School: Senior Scribble

The night air was filled with the buzz of chatter and anticipation as the senior class arrived on campus, laden with bags of snacks, stuffed animals, backpacks, and luggages of varying size. Last Monday, the senior class piled onto two buses at 8:30 PM, just a ten-hour drive and two-hour ferry ride away from officially beginning their Senior Sneak trip. A very successful run with their Junior Class Store, the Surf Shack, allowed the seniors of 2027 to choose Tioman Island as their secret destination. Tioman is an island off the southeast coast of west Malaysia, known for its beautiful beaches as well as its diverse rainforests. In other words, it was the perfect place for both relaxation and activity before the chaos of senior year truly unfolded. Little Planet, an educational activity organizer, welcomed the seniors to their property at Kampung Juara. Their camp of beach front halls nestled between the pines and cozy residences filled with bunk beds would become home for the next four...

As students headed out of the bus and onto the beach of Tioman Island, it marked the fateful beginning of the course of the next 5 days of Senior Sneak hosted by the local organizers, Little Planet.  Tioman Island provided the seniors with beautiful views of the ocean and forest jungles, and Little Planet provided them with the activities that allowed the students to sightsee everything in full relish. Students got to explore the ocean through kayaking, snorkeling, and the jetty jump, and experienced one of Tioman’s beautiful rainforests through an extensive hike featuring a waterfall. As Little Planet led the seniors through the island, many students were able to try out new activities they wouldn’t typically do in Penang and step out of their comfort zones. “Even though it was scary at first, I felt fulfilled afterwards,” remarked Rebecca Seo (12) as she excitedly spoke about her experience with the jetty jump.  Aside from just the physical activities and views the seniors g...

Where did two years of working grueling hours on the Sophomore Fridge and Junior Class Store lead to? Four days on a random island. Was it worth it? Well, I say YES, and I’ll do it all again. “I will make sure we will go somewhere outside of Malaysia for Sneak,” said Jaden Lee (12) during one of his electoral speeches. Everyone cheered for his promise, hoping that all their hard work would pay off in one grand trip at the start of their senior year. The light at the end of the tunnel.  Everyone was enamored by the light and despised the tunnel, yet they didn’t realize that the journey through the tunnel was what made the light so bright. For every drink served, every snack sold, and every event planned, we did it with our friends and classmates, all of which added fuel to the joy of Sneak.  The connection we built by working together for those two years was what made the class grow closer to each other, not Sneak itself. Working with that acquainted classmate in the Junior Cla...

Right outside Harbor Hall, Dalat has two large swing sets. People use them on a daily basis, but why? What are the benefits of swinging, and how do they contribute to the Dalat community? Last year, a swing set was added outside of Harbor Hall after the school middle field was renovated into a soccer pitch. A few months later, a large tree fell on the swing set during a violent storm, and the swing set was severely dented and unable to be used for several months. This year, the broken swing set has been fixed, and another one has joined it, also near Harbor Hall. The swings are often used by all grades, especially during breaks, lunch times, and after school. So why do people get onto a seat suspended by chains, and swing? What is the point?  According to Naomi Drinkall (12), swings “offer a way to have fun when you're alone or with friends, … being on a swing is very relaxing [and] they are nostalgic.”  In addition to being fun, in a Dalat setting, both teachers and students ...

Every semester is a new chance at grades, sports, and other activities. However, every semester, this one event happens 3 separate times, in one weekend.  During every semester of Dalat, there is a group of people, who meet every Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday meet from 4-6 in Harbor Hall (sometimes Heritage Chapel.) These kids, who have a certain calling towards the dramatic productions by Dalat, join together for drama practice. One kid, a certain Nicholas Lim, expressed “It’s pretty chill- it’s the one place where everyone just kind of relaxes and laughs together, y’know?”  After around 15 weeks of meeting every week, and a few weekends where we all come together to build the beautiful sets, production day casts its gloomy shadow on all of us. What a simple watcher might see on stage as a well-cast, rehearsed production, could be a mix of joy, fear, but most importantly, a group of kids whose goal for the semester is to prove that they are a part of Dalat Drama, and that t...

As the Eagle Games came to an end, the main gym was filled with thunderous cheers. After eight years, Bolt has returned to the top. Eagle Games is an annual event where the school's four houses (Wave, Quake, Bolt, and Blaze) compete in various games, showcasing school unity and sportsmanship. Students participated in each game, representing their respective houses. After all scheduled games were finished, the house with the highest total score ultimately claimed victory. This year's Eagle Games were particularly special because construction work had prevented the event from being held last year. Furthermore, for the seniors, this event held even greater significance as it was their final Eagle Games as high school students. I was in Bolt, and Bolt never won after 2017. However, this year was different for Bolt. Within each house, students were divided into several teams, and the senior leaders of those teams led them. Senior leaders for Bolt were mostly highly athletic individu...