Goodbye Quarter 1, Hello Quarter 2!

By Ji Soo Kang

The first week of the second quarter has passed. Although the first quarter of the 2019-2020 school year was just two months, the Dalat community enjoyed many memorable events.

One of the events was Senior Sneak, a week for seniors to have some time away from their worries at school and relax. In Phi Phi Island, Thailand, seniors enjoyed a variety of activities such as kayaking, snorkeling, hiking, and swimming. Seniors also had a chance to spend time with students from a local school near the resort and helped with painting the wall and the ceiling. Although the class of 2020 broke a floor and a fence, it was an unforgettable trip to rediscover ourselves both individually and as a class.

Shortly after, Dalat hosted the Spike & Strike tournaments over two weekends. The volleyball tournaments were during September 27 and 28, in which players from 7 different clubs, local schools, and colleges came and played. Dalat girls volleyball came in 3rd. The next weekend over October 4 and 5 was the soccer tournament, which only had boys teams this year. The Dalat community came together to cheer on as the players tried their best in their games.

Lastly, there was the annual fund concert. Who doesn’t like food and some music? For the annual fund concert this year, the Dalat community enjoyed food trucks and treats from the PTO and helped Dalat get closer to the goal of raising RM 230,000. Musicians of middle and high school band as well as choir performed in the concert held in Harbor Hall.

Esther Tse (11), a trumpet player of the high school band, revealed that she was a bit “nervous coming into this year’s band” even though she was part of the band last year. She explained, “I had doubtful thoughts in the beginning, like being the only junior in my section, stepping up as a leader, and practicing more. As weeks passed by, it slowly got better: Getting to know new people and laughing together at Mr. Kearney’s morning roasts. Now, I love my trumpet section!” Not only was this concert an excellent opening for the annual fund, but it was also a perfect way for students to meet new people and make lasting relationships.

Although this article covered some of the events that made this first quarter enjoyable, it could not fully express the excitement and the amount of effort needed to make these occasions possible. With this successful quarter one as a beginning, now the Dalat community has entered quarter two and is looking forward to more exciting events, including High School Drama, Island Shootout, and the High School Christmas Banquet. With fall break as an opportunity to recharge, we should go through the second quarter with as much energy and enthusiasm as we had for the first quarter.