Dalat International School: Senior Scribble

Lexi Zimbilius “Am I playing ? More like, am I dominating ?” Mr. Karl Steinkamp joked when Sarah Tan (12) asked the class sponsor if he was joining the large group of seniors who were eagerly waiting to enter the arena. After a short meeting on the 13th of February, and while the juniors were still hard at work at school preparing for JSB, several cars full of seniors drove to Laser Ops at First Avenue for an afternoon of laser tag. The senior class was divided into two groups. Within each group, two teams were randomly formed to battle against each other. Selecting creative nicknames to enter into the system proved to take some time, with Noel Teng (12) settling for “Kim Kardashian” and Hannah Graves (12), after some deliberation and trusted advice from friends, entered in as “Boiled Hegg.” After a short briefing session, the excited seniors scampered to don their laser vests that shone either bright red or green. They then took to their bases in the arena and waited for ...

Calvin Thompson On the 16 th of February at 5am in the morning, the boys’ basketball team headed out to Hong Kong to compete in a competitive basketball tournament in Southeast Asia. The tournament hosted 8 teams from Korea, Guam, Thailand, Philippines and Malaysia. The goal of the team was to win the ACSC (Asian Christian Schools Conference) title; this was the reason for all the pain and sweat that each player willingly devoted his time to throughout the season; this was the moment they has been working for. The moment was also bittersweet because the underclassmen came to realize that this was the last time they would play alongside the senior players. “I have grown up playing basketball with all the seniors on the basketball team. This provides me with motivation to play my best for them,” said Adrian Nonis (10). Dalat competed well in the tournament. The first day the Dalat boys started off with a record of 2-1. This was the pool play, so there was still a chance of winnin...

Shawn Lim             This past week, we, the varsity basketball boys, had the privilege to go to Hong Kong to compete in a basketball tournament. We played hard as a team, however basketball was not the only thing that we enjoyed. We were blessed to have a group of parents follow us to Hong Kong. Without them we silly boys would have been eating McDonald’s all week long. But thanks to the parents we had feasts on feasts on feasts. One of the greatest meals we had were the ones with roasted duck in it. Hong Kong is known for their roasted duck, however, we didn’t know how good it was. Once the plate of duck came out from the kitchen and onto the table, mouths dropped, pupils dilated, and saliva dripped. The duck was covered in a shiny covering of juiciness and radiated with the smell of heaven. We thought nothing could get better than that until the Barbecue glazed pork came out, also known as Char Siew. It was brought on a p...

Tayah Lee For the first time in the history of the Asian Christian Schools Conference, the varsity girls’ basketball tournament was held here at Dalat. The excitement started brewing in November of last year during the first tournament planning meeting, and the hard work and stress over intricate details and logistics finally paid off as the teams from Korea, Guam, Philippines, Thailand, Taiwan, and Hong Kong started to arrive on Wednesday, February 17th. The school’s neighbor, Paradise Hotel, officially sponsored the tournament and hosted all of the teams, making their journey from their lodgings to the school a leisurely one. Once on campus, the teams gathered for an opening ceremony, enjoying a meal under twinkling lights before roasting S’mores on the beach, lighting sparklers, and experiencing the Chinese New Year styled welcome of bangin’ fireworks. The following days consisted of the intense competition of teamwork and skill on the court, but also showing selflessness a...

Andy Ewe As part of the service project organized by ICS Hong Kong, the Dalat boys’ basketball team went to the Crossroads Foundation in Hong Kong to participate in a simulation during the ACSC basketball tournament.             Once they arrived, they were greeted by Michael Williams, a volunteer at the Crossroad Foundation who ran the activity for all the basketball teams at the tournament. “In today’s simulation,” he said, “you will understand a small part of how it is to live in poverty, like millions of people in today’s world.” As he explained further, all the athletes began to realize that poverty is a much more complicated problem than they previously thought. “The problem with poverty is that in a lot of cases, simply getting more money doesn’t solve the problem,” he explained. “To fight poverty, much more than money is required. There also needs to be clean water and food, access to education, a non-corrupt government...

Christina Kim At 8:00 PM on a Sunday night, the outdoor basketball court was filled with dorm students from all three dorms. They had gathered there to celebrate Valentine’s Day. “Do we have everyone? Let’s go,” said Joseph Leech (12) as the junior/senior group headed over to their first station, Jaffray Dorm. Each year, the dorm parents always come up with fun events for their dorm students. This year for Valentine’s Day, the dorm parents decided to treat their kids to a Progressive Valentine’s Treat Night. Starting at the outdoor basketball court area, everyone was placed in groups of 15-20 people (a combination of two small devotional groups) and each group was designated a station (Jaffray, Ziemer, or Jackson) to go to. With each station being 20 minutes, every dorm had their own special activity and treat planned. Jaffray dorm provided savory marinated drumsticks with yellow rice, Ziemer dorm provided tasty cookies and decorative icing, and Jackson dorm provided scrum...

Alwyn Tan                                       Chinese New Year is back! The traditional festival where overjoyed children get to play with an abundance of firecrackers, along with a stream of red packets flowing into their pockets. “Chinese New Year is simply just a festival of joy. People often visit me at my place and I visit them too. It’s fun, especially getting to receive some awesome angpows,” said Andy Ewe (12). A traditional dinner is normally held during Chinese New Year Eve, also known as the reunion dinner. During such dinners, males bring their immediate families and have dinner with their extended families. The old Chinese way emphasizes family bonding, just as Confucius often taught people about respecting their elders and filial piety. Another tradition that most Chinese families abide to is staying up late during Chinese New Year Eve, which symbolizes a long and pros...

Keegan Oppenheim Chinese New Year is a traditional and festive holiday. It is well known for its family gatherings, traditional dishes, red envelopes (ang pao) and dozens of other iconic symbols. Few of these symbols are as exciting as the illegal fireworks; they are, unfortunately, quite distracting for students all over Penang, especially those who are trying to write articles for school. However, the average student in Penang receives a relaxing break from school because of Chinese New Year. Well, not necessarily relaxing, but it is a break from school.  Unlike the Western New Year, Chinese New Year is celebrated for over two weeks. A holiday like this can’t go unnoticed on the school calendar. Even with two days taken off from school, some students are still absent for the first few days back. As many can assume, Chinese New Year is a holiday marking the beginning of the next year, however it is more than just the Chinese who celebrate this holiday. Chinese New Yea...

Peter Lee On the 27 th of January, 2015, the school discovered that a fellow senior classmate, David Jung, had passed away. The next day, the Anatomy and Physiology class drove to Aimst University to once again encounter “death.”             Along with Mr. Stuart and Mr. Brewster, the class hopped in a van and drove to Aimst University for a tiring two hours. However, 10 minutes away from the destination, the van ran out of gas. Fortunately, the van was behind a stoplight; and Mr. Brewster woke a few of the students, including me, to push the van from behind. They pulled the van over to the edge of the street, and a few students journeyed out to ask for help. After a few phone calls and a patient silence, Aster Hng (11) and Shawn Lim (12) brought a generous, local man to guide the class to the nearest gas station. Soon thereafter, the class safely arrived at Aimst University only to discover something they would never have e...

By Gabriela Mims Pushing their paddles hard against the waves, Emma Hofer (12) and Karsten Ladner (12) made their way across the raging water from the Tanjung Bungah beach to Pulau Tikus, or Rat Island. “Left—right—left—right!” they muttered in unison, trying to keep their paddling synchronized. Clouds filled the sky, blocking the sun from burning their salt-covered skin. On weekends, students enjoy kayaking to Rat Island, the formation of rocks, trees, and sand that lay in the water a couple kilometers from the school. Although its name assumed the presence of rodents, no creatures other than crabs, birds, and jellyfish commonly visit the island. Once they arrived, these students pulled their kayaks up to the sand and took a moment to drink some water and rest. After gathering their strength, they began climbing the barnacle-covered rocks surrounding the land. Since large rocks completely enclosed the island, students could easily circle it within an hour or two. Only a f...

Mary-Claire McIntyre  A group of seniors battled their way through Chinese New Year traffic to enjoy one of Penang's many wonders, Georgetown's CNY festivities.             With minds full of thoughts of lanterns and moon cakes, a joyful bunch began their journey into Georgetown. They were met with a throng of locals and tourists hoping for the same cultural experience. However, the memories the students will hold most dear are not those of the fireworks or loud music but the moments in-between, joking around and enjoying each other's company.             The daunting sacrifice of volunteering to drive a van full of teenagers through Chinese New Year traffic can only be taken on by the bravest souls. Fortunately, Eddy Ruble, father of Kaela Ruble (12), was willing to attempt the feat.             After conque...

Gloria Kim Early Saturday morning, students dragged their weary legs off their beds with half-closed eyes to get ready for a special day. With a tinge of nervousness and excitement, they set off for a long ride to the south end of the island to a place where every car moved at a speed of 10km/h: the JPJ driving center.             Those who came to the JPJ center had already passed the first few obstacles in achieving a driver’s license. The very first thing that one must do to start the process is to select a driving school. Once enrolled at a school, the notoriously boring three-hour lecture on the basics of driving must be attended. Then a book to study for the theory test must be purchased. Only after passing this test, is one able to learn how to drive at the JPJ center.             This was the process that many Dalat students have gone through to achieve their li...

Brenda Ng On weekdays, students and adults are obliged to rise early for school or work. So on the weekends, most of them would rather sleep in than wake up at dawn to run. But on Saturday, 30 January 2016, Dalat's cross country team, the Treagles (Track Eagles), sacrificed their opportunity to sleep in to take part in the MSSPP Cross Country State Championship. Are the Treagles a bunch of crazy and peculiar students, or are they a group of ardent runners? At 5:45am, the athletes gathered at Dalat in their blue track and field jerseys. They then dragged themselves onto the vans, starting their journey to the venue, SMK Bukit Gambir. Though the runners were tired, Coach Grad certainly was not. On the way down the windy Tanjung Bungah road, as Coach Combrink complained about the foggy and dirty windshield, Coach Grad, the adrenaline junkie, immediately propped half of her body out of the van to wipe the windshield with an extra jersey. All of the runner's half-open eyes ...

Rachel Halbedl Miss Grad didn’t miss a beat when she announced the starting up of a grade twelve girls Bible study on January 14, 2016—the first day of the semester. Voices and chatter emanate from Miss Grad’s living room as the senior girls gather for their weekly Tuesday night study. Smells of popcorn and chai permeate the house as the girls plunk down in a circle on beanbags, sofas, and pillows—ready to start the Biblical discussion.  When asked what inspired the hip idea, Miss Grad responded, “I met with every senior girl for a meal or tea during the first semester. After listening to their stories, I noticed that many had the same fears, insecurities—and passions. I was praying about how I could be more of an intentional encourager about these areas and then one of the girls asked me if I had thought about starting a Bible study; this seemed like a practical—and exciting—answer.” Last week, everyone went around and voiced a fear, passion, and the university th...