Dalat International School: Senior Scribble

By Alexia Nyul Last week, both the girls’ and boys’ varsity basketball teams traveled to different countries to compete in ACSC. The girls traveled to Hong Kong to play against other schools in ICS Hong Kong, and the boys traveled to Jakarta to compete in SPH. Aside from playing basketball, eating, and sleeping, players were also given the opportunity to serve the communities in which they stayed and even tour the city at night. For their service project, the girls’ team packed “shine bags” filled with first aid supplies and bread vouchers and later walked Hong Kong in groups and handed them out to the cardboard collectors who work for hours at a time on the streets of Hong Kong. This service project gave the girls a deeper appreciation for the people who do hard manual jobs and gave us a space to grow friendships with people outside of Dalat.  For the seniors on the team, ACSC week was an emotionally charged week with wild rollercoasters of the joys of winning their games and mour...

By Julia Jang On February 10th, a calm weekend with a nice cool breeze, I couldn’t beat the constant boredom, so I started to look for something that would attract my attention on the internet.  What I coincidentally found through the algorithm of YouTube was a video of a man whose lower part of his body was paralyzed due to a fall accident, sitting in a wheelchair and doing social experiments in Austria. One point that I was impressed with was when the man tried to take a public transportation bus. Once the bus driver noticed the man sitting in a wheelchair, he came out from the bus to put the ramps down for the man to get on the bus. Plus, even though it took a few minutes for the man to ride the bus, the passengers didn’t show any irritation or be mad at the man for taking too long. Moreover, some passengers would voluntarily help the man lift the wheelchair so that the man doesn’t have to struggle to get off the bus.  Angel Lee (12) said, “People should be more open-minded...

By Elizabeth Silverstein Last Monday evening from 6-7pm in the choir room, high school students and staff members met for a time of worship, scripture study, and prayer where they fellowshipped together. “One way! (clap, clap, clap) Jesus! You’re the only one that I could live for!” Led by Nate Johnson (11) and his guitar skills, students sing along to lyrics and sway to the rhythm of the song. With the lights dimmed, it is a place where students can feel closer to God by using the space to leave behind the distractions of the day. There is something powerful about being surrounded by other students and simply praising God together as believers.  Put together by the Leadership Class, passages are submitted by students, for students, making the discussion relatable and more meaningful. This time of fellowshipping with peers is very impactful for many teens as it is a time to talk with friends and others of the same age about their lives and faith.  Splitting into small circles ...

By Isaac Lee On the fifth of February, Zestyfeatherbois, the Dalat varsity boys' basketball team, came back to Dalat with bronze medals. The journey to third was a rollercoaster ride. Coming in second last in the pool play and getting knocked into the loser's bracket on the first day of elimination plays, the boys had to overcome many hardships, but beating Morrison in the fist looser's bracket game gave the guys the push they needed to win three games in a row to get third, a job well done indeed.  With Basketball ACSC ending, the rise of DBA shall take over Dalat. DBA, also known as Dalat Basketball Association, was created by Adian Leong, Pranjal Malik, and Isaac Lee in 10th grade. Having nothing to do during lunch, the trio made the DBA league to spice up lunchtime for everyone in the grade. After going through many changes, DBA is going through its final season. Each senior varsity player is assigned their team, and with Basketball ACSC over, many of them are excited t...

By Douglas Koay Last week, Dalat students celebrated Chinese New Year over the 4-day weekend. Chinese New Year is an annual celebration for the beginning of the new year based on the lunar calendar. Traditionally, the celebrations span over 15 days, when people enjoy time with family, set off loud fireworks as the Chinese believe that the loud noises that fireworks create scare off evil spirits, and eat hot pot for many consecutive days.  Among all traditions, there is no doubt that our favorite part of Chinese New Year is the hong bao . A hong bao is a gift of money in a red packet given by those married to the younger generation as a symbol of luck, life, and happiness. When red packets are given out, it represents the spreading of good luck and fortune for the new year ahead so that it will be prosperous. “I spent time with my families that came to visit from different countries, and the best part was the food and the hong baos I received,” said Kate Lee (12).  But this fes...

By Josia de Jager On Monday, February 5, the varsity boys basketball team played a club team called The Chameleons.  Just like a Chameleon, this unfamiliar team’s disguise worked very effectively. After a couple of great threes and sneaky shots, the Chameleons started off with a nine-point lead after only the first three minutes of the game.  The Dalat boys were not happy about either their clumsiness or their situation. After a timeout, still many points behind, they started playing like starving eagles about to hunt. As the king eagle said, “You guys got punched early on but kept on fighting” (Mr. Uzzle).  The only problem was that the Chameleons were hard to see, including their way of always getting in front of their man and boxing out.  Nonetheless, by the end of the first quarter, the varsity boys were up by two points with a score of 18 to 16. The fight didn’t end there, though. The Dalat varsity team had to step up and keep the lead.  The fiercest oppone...

By Josiah Andrews As the second sports season ends, both varsity basketball teams are in preparation for traveling to their respective countries for ACSC. The girls will travel to ICS-HK in Hong Kong on Tuesday, February 20. The guys will travel to Sekolah Pelita Harapan in Jarkata, Indonesia. Both teams are looking to improve from their already stellar performances last year. The girls traveled to ICS-BK in Bangkok, where they fought to an impressive second place. The boys achieved the same milestone in Taiwan at Morrison Academy. Both of those results were huge catalysts in Dalat becoming the ACSC program of the year in 2023. An achievement helped by amazing performances in track, volleyball, and soccer. The teams now look forward to the tournament in two weeks. In talking about how they are preparing, Popi Grous (12) said, “Practice. We have been practicing hard to compete in the tournament. Mr. Wong is doing a great job of preparing us and maintaining the chemistry between us.”...

By Joseph Lee ZING! QING! CLANG! RING! DING? BING! Discordant sounds are roaring through the air in the industrial arts workshop. Machines make sounds that break the sound barrier, shirts are covered in sawdust, and there is the occasional sneeze. The Industrial Arts class is hard at work creating our first project. Our first project was to create something for our loved ones. So, I asked around in my class about what they were doing for their project. “I’m making a jewelry box for my mom,” said Michelle Morrow. “I’m making a chair for my parents!” announced Caleb Jun. “I’m making a cutting board for my mom,” said Daniel Pham. For my project, I decided to make a stool for my mom. I may not be the tallest at school, but I am the tallest in my family. That means whenever my mom needs something from the top shelf, I have to help. But since I am going to university soon, I know that she will have a hard time getting things from the top shelf, so I wanted to make a stool so she can reach th...