Wake Up for Another Tradition: The RLT Ministries

Alice Chang

What is so special about Dalat drama? What makes Dalat drama unique? Is it the script? Is it the actors? Or is it a unique tradition of our own? The answer to this question would be all of these.

Dalat has had this unique tradition for the fall/Christmas productions since 2011. Mr. Sasse, former drama director, formed a new group called the Road Less Traveled Players. Dalat students would perform out of Mr. Sasse’s and student-written scripts, which were unique and special to the Dalat community.

                                                                                                                     

On December 6, 2018, it was the night of the fourth annual RLT Christmas show. However, there were several things different about the RLT in comparison to past years. First, we performed the drama inside the Harbor Hall instead of at PenangPAC. Second, the students only had four weeks to prepare for the entire show. The production began after the fall drama, To Kill a Murderer, so students did not have much preparation time. Lastly, the admission fee for this production was completely free.

Before the show began, Mr. Yost went up on stage and announced the changes in RLT. He specifically mentioned that the RLT tonight would not have a curtain call for a specific reason. “The RLT players will now be called the RLT ministries. Oh no! I made a new tradition!” cried Mr. Yost, and the show started.

The production consisted of seven skits and one dance performance by the Dalat Dance Club. The opening skits usually brought up a lot of laughter to bring up the mood. 

“I loved the skit ‘Do You Want Change for that Quarter?’ the most,” said Natasha Palanivel (12). “It was so funny and interesting to see Alex Shing act as a southern reverend. As a part of the crew, I’ve seen it multiple times, but it just got better and better.”

While there were skits that gave laughter, the RLT ministries also performed skits that gave a serious message. The night closed out with the skit “Christmas Presence”,  emphasizing that the real presence of Christmas is not the gifts but the presence of Jesus.

After the last skit, the audience did not clap. Rather, they were drawn into the true meaning of Christmas. This was the change Mr. Yost had wanted to make. This was the start of the new tradition: The RLT Ministries. From now on, we’ll say, “Welcome to the RLT Ministries.”

Not Another Thing About Christmas?

Justus Goh

It’s almost Christmas, and even more almost Christmas break! But amidst all the presents and decorations and the like, especially here, it’s necessary to remember the true meaning and traditions of Christmas. Modern Christmas has become so soft, so commercialized in this modern age. We have lost so many old cultural practices and so much meaning to the inexorable march of the legions of consumerism in this modern age. What is the true meaning of this season? What should it be like? Obviously, a mad bacchanalian carnival of anarchy, social havoc, and quasi-paganism, as the Medieval pioneers of the tradition did. As finals begin to end this year, and Christmas break begins, consider abandoning the tinsel and toppling the Christmas tree onto a pyre; reject these icons of modern Christmas and celebrate a truly traditional, truly consumerism-free Christmas.

First among Christmas traditions is obviously the recreational frightening of strangers. Even unto the late Renaissance in Northern Europe, it was custom among young men to adorn themselves in terrifying masks and ambush people while acting like ghosts, trolls, or many of the other delightful occupants of the space beneath your bed. More gender-inclusively, the effectiveness of such activities were boosted by the especially Icelandic tradition of recounting terrifying folklore and spreading tales of unstoppable monsters that occupied homes for their strange revels, something that would certainly be magnificent revived. All this might inspire a particularly terrified peasant to seek aid from the local Bishop, but that peasant might be encountered with a very unecclesiastical young boy, unfit for banishing demons.

Even acknowledged by royalty, the tradition of consecrating some random boy plucked off the streets to a Bishopric for the day was common in Medieval times. That urchin would then accept tribute from the populace and wield the sometimes formidable powers vested in the Bishopric, decreeing marriages especially. For those without Bishoprics to elevate a child to a more lay tradition is that of the Lord of Misrule, a peasant elected to preside over the Christmas Feast of Fools.

As school begins to end and we dissolve to celebrate Christmas, I urge everyone to remember these old, pre-consumerism traditions and perhaps revive them in your family. Beg you. It may be a futile struggle against the zeitgeist, but as Bolivar said, “If nature is opposed to us, we shall fight her.” I urge all my fellow students to take up this mantle of old Christmas again and end the hollow modern traditions. Perhaps I may be the Grinch waging the War on Conventional Christmas but if I hear another Christmas carol or see another piece of Christmas paraphernalia, I shall scream.

Students, Beware of the End-of-the-year Virus

Ashley Kim

This recent week, our school has been infested with sneezes and coughs, tears and mourns. It seems that the End-of-the-year Virus we have all learned to dread has struck the Dalat community once again.

It was 9:25 AM, November 26^th, in the ES choir room. High school students sluggishly dragged their bodies to class, only to then plop themselves back into the grey couch or the carpet. Some stacked themselves upon each other, like a pile of corpses; their sunken eyes had lost their last vigor. Trudging in upon the death scene, Miss Goh frantically tried to wake the choir up by singing “I’m Alive, Awake, Alert, Enthusiastic.” And as the students sang the chorus, the supposed cheery song turned into a death anthem, “I’mmm…. alive….” *cough* “awake…” *achoo* “alerr-” *yawn* “ennnthusiastic…”

Isabel Smith (12) said, “It’s very tiring, but at least the people around me liven me up.”

Students were faced with overwhelming stress: juggling projects, tests, social life, sleep, and extracurriculars. Juniors were busy with their JSB and their store, seniors with their college applications, athletes with their games; the plate of a high schooler was overflowing. On top of that, students were challenged by the constant stimulation of social media, whose baits were hard to resist, whereupon the poor individual caved, only then to find himself procrastinating on the upcoming Bible Debate or binge-watching Shane Dawson’s Jake Paul series.

Subsequently, it was common to see students come to school with a looming air of distress, with dark circles and droopy eyelids. Some students sitting on Starboard One didn’t have the energy to socialize and buried their heads into a pile of unfinished assignments. Some students came to school with a stuffy nose and itchy throat. Amanda Low (12) said, "my coughs usually come consecutively. It’s hard to keep the volume low. I’m always agitated by distracting the class.”

Despite the situation, however, students are fighting against the virus and remaining optimistic, knowing that winter break is approaching and that they will spend Christmas in the warm comfort of their friends and families.

The Horrors of the SAT

Min Guk Kong

November 24^nd, six days before the day of the trial, many students trembled in fear, hoping that their hard work would not result in failure. Due to their captivity in fear, many scrambled to their homes after school to mentally prepare themselves for Doom’s day.

Three days before the SAT, I interviewed an applicant for the examination. Audrey Shing (12) stated, “I am very frantic because I just realized that the SAT is coming up because, right now, I have a lot of things due, such as applying to the Universities of California. And because this is my last SAT, I feel very pressured to do well.”

Truly, the horrors of this test day encapsulate the minds of many in agitation.

Finally, December 1^st, is D-day for many students. The examination entry began at approximately 8:30am, and proctors could see the trembling of many students as they continuously drank water and went to the bathroom.

As the test ended at 1:45pm, the air was filled with mixed feelings of happiness, drudgery, and pain. I took the time to interview two individuals who took the test, Dael Kim (11) and Alex Shing (12). Kim said, “It was my first SAT, so I felt like I was not pressured and all I did was some practice. But when the test day finally approached, I was very nervous because other people in my grade were freaking out, so I also started to freak out like crazy.”

Alex Shing (12), the brother of Audrey Shing, tells us his condition as he entered the testing room, “I quaked in my boots, and I broke out in a cold sweat as I walked into the examination center with fear and trepidation wrenching in my heart, a sense of concentration filled my mind rendering my bowels useless.”

In conclusion, December 1^st was a day that put many in misery and remorse. Therefore, how long will colleges torment us? These exams test only our knowledge but not our actual value as human beings. It is absurd that they should put students in such agony; for isn’t learning supposed to be joyful and interesting, not forceful and boring?

No Rest When It Comes to the Test

Jacqueline Leech

  

The day has finally come. Some of us just remembered about it, while others have been counting down to this moment for months. Even though some students chose to prepare, while others didn’t, preparation never seems to change the mental strain and pounding headache of this day. This event is truly never easy – physically, mentally, and emotionally.

While no one likes to be rated and compared to others, it is the very purpose of this thing called standardized testing, specifically the SAT. Although taking the SAT is stressful, it shouldn’t be overwhelming. The test is just a test, and in the end, doing your best is all you can do.

The truth is the SAT is cruel but necessary, and no one at school can avoid it. For high achievers, the pressure is tremendous. As I asked Grace Wan about her plans for Christmas break, she thoughtfully responded with a concerned look, “Oh…but that is like SAT grind time.”

I realized then, that she, among many other students, took the SAT very seriously, as they willing sacrifice precious days off school to study.

At this point, students taking this December SAT are also still squeezing in as much study time as possible. When I asked Suzanne Liew (12) about the SAT she exclaimed, “I’m dying!!”

Indeed, it might feel as if it is a death sentence for many students, but as quickly as the test comes, it also passes. Realistically, just as it is quite unlikely for a forty-six-year-old to reminisce about their score on the SAT, it is unlikely for a six-year-old to reminisce about spilling their milk on the kitchen table. It shouldn’t be made into a bigger deal than it is, and no one should put unnecessary pressure on themselves.

A test never defines a person or determines someone’s ultimate future. Just doing your best is enough, and yes, it is possible to do your best without chewing your fingernails off and stressing yourself silly. Choosing peace and clarity in the situation usually results in better scores in the end anyway.

As Audrey Shing (12) wisely noted, “The SAT doesn’t necessarily score you on your intellect but rather, on how much you can practice.”

Someone who is aiming for the best score possible is going to have to practice… a lot. The question is, is it worth it? Reasonably, people have different answers for this. This is because people have different goals for their future, so the importance of the SAT will vary between people.

Looking beyond the SAT, however, it is obvious that there is so much more to a person than how well they can do under pressure, or how skilled they are in a particular subject. The point of a career is, yes, to make money but also to do something you’re truly passionate about. Studying with the right goal in mind can make the journey to your career less stressful and more exciting and enjoyable.

Again, in the end, overthinking about the SAT actually hinders your ability to do your best. So, when it comes to taking the test, prepare if you are truly wanting a high score, but don’t let it overwhelm or define you.