The Highs and Lows of Campus Life (Suzie Park)
The expectations of college for high school students are immense. But do students’ fantasies hold true or are they simple daydreams? An interview session with two CDS alumnus provides students with some insight on the reality of college life, the good and the bad.
Interview with: Risoo Kim (Yonsei University)
Q: How are college professors any different? What do they expect of their students?
A: College professors are definitely different from high school teachers. Professors expect more responsibilities from their students. For instance, several professors do not count attendance as a grade. This means that they do not give pressure to students to do well. Students should organize their work and manage time by themselves.
Q: What are some benefits of college? Do you miss anything about high school?
A: The major difference between college and high school life is that you can plan all of your schedules by yourself, while a high school schedule is planned by the school and you just have to follow the given schedule. This aspect is a huge benefit for college students since they can consider their hobbies or daily life patterns when planning. However, this does not mean that all aspects of college life are better than that of the high school life. I miss high school’s system of everyone having the same schedule since it is true that following a given schedule makes your life pattern much more regular. Many college students tend to go to bed too late and wake up at about 10 am, which harms their health.
Q: What is it like to have a college roommate?
A: The dormitory life in universities will be different from that of CDS. This is because you will have one or two roommates, whereas you do not have any at CDS. I personally believe that having a college roommate is beneficial since you can rely on your roommate. In my case, the roommate fills the emptiness of being apart from family. In my college, students usually share rooms with the ones who have different majors, which definitely reduces conflicts.
Q: Do you think that the saying of “Drink all day; play all night” is true once you’re at college? Or is it simply a myth?
A: It is hard to say that “Drink all day; play all night” is entirely a myth; students, especially freshmen, do relax more, for they are just done with dealing the pressure of getting into the college. However, it is also wrong to think that college students never study. I do not know the situations for other majors, but for my major, students receive a great amount of reading every day. Therefore, most of the students do study and work hard to get good grades.
Interview with: Soo Jin Lee (SUNY Korea)
Q: What is the homework and tests like? What clubs do you have on campus?
A: The homework for math, science and English is no different from high school. We are given problems to solve, lecture to watch or things to write. Since my major is Technology and Society, the assignments are mostly about coming up with solutions that will improve our lives in the future as engineers. For clubs, there is not much but there are sports clubs such as basketball and badminton, science clubs, art clubs, dance clubs, newsletter, street dancing, show choir, video making, book club...etc.
Q: There are several American colleges being extended into Korea. Is your school is more westernized than ordinary Korean colleges?
A: I am not sure whether SUNY Korea is more westernized than ordinary Korean colleges since I don't know anything about Korean colleges. But if I am right, SUNY Korea should be more westernized than Korean colleges. My school does not expect its students to get a lucrative job but to become a global leader. The school wants to produce the students who have humility and will to help the others.
Q: Any last words to students who are looking forward to college life?
A: I want to tell them that college/university is certainly better than high school, but don't get their hopes too high. You have to think more critically than you did in high school and have similar or more amount of workload. But it feels great to be treated like an adult and be free from my parents once in a while.
-04/28/2015
Interview with: Risoo Kim (Yonsei University)
Q: How are college professors any different? What do they expect of their students?
A: College professors are definitely different from high school teachers. Professors expect more responsibilities from their students. For instance, several professors do not count attendance as a grade. This means that they do not give pressure to students to do well. Students should organize their work and manage time by themselves.
Q: What are some benefits of college? Do you miss anything about high school?
A: The major difference between college and high school life is that you can plan all of your schedules by yourself, while a high school schedule is planned by the school and you just have to follow the given schedule. This aspect is a huge benefit for college students since they can consider their hobbies or daily life patterns when planning. However, this does not mean that all aspects of college life are better than that of the high school life. I miss high school’s system of everyone having the same schedule since it is true that following a given schedule makes your life pattern much more regular. Many college students tend to go to bed too late and wake up at about 10 am, which harms their health.
Q: What is it like to have a college roommate?
A: The dormitory life in universities will be different from that of CDS. This is because you will have one or two roommates, whereas you do not have any at CDS. I personally believe that having a college roommate is beneficial since you can rely on your roommate. In my case, the roommate fills the emptiness of being apart from family. In my college, students usually share rooms with the ones who have different majors, which definitely reduces conflicts.
Q: Do you think that the saying of “Drink all day; play all night” is true once you’re at college? Or is it simply a myth?
A: It is hard to say that “Drink all day; play all night” is entirely a myth; students, especially freshmen, do relax more, for they are just done with dealing the pressure of getting into the college. However, it is also wrong to think that college students never study. I do not know the situations for other majors, but for my major, students receive a great amount of reading every day. Therefore, most of the students do study and work hard to get good grades.
Interview with: Soo Jin Lee (SUNY Korea)
Q: What is the homework and tests like? What clubs do you have on campus?
A: The homework for math, science and English is no different from high school. We are given problems to solve, lecture to watch or things to write. Since my major is Technology and Society, the assignments are mostly about coming up with solutions that will improve our lives in the future as engineers. For clubs, there is not much but there are sports clubs such as basketball and badminton, science clubs, art clubs, dance clubs, newsletter, street dancing, show choir, video making, book club...etc.
Q: There are several American colleges being extended into Korea. Is your school is more westernized than ordinary Korean colleges?
A: I am not sure whether SUNY Korea is more westernized than ordinary Korean colleges since I don't know anything about Korean colleges. But if I am right, SUNY Korea should be more westernized than Korean colleges. My school does not expect its students to get a lucrative job but to become a global leader. The school wants to produce the students who have humility and will to help the others.
Q: Any last words to students who are looking forward to college life?
A: I want to tell them that college/university is certainly better than high school, but don't get their hopes too high. You have to think more critically than you did in high school and have similar or more amount of workload. But it feels great to be treated like an adult and be free from my parents once in a while.
-04/28/2015
The Robotics Club Interview
Interview with: Joshua Kim (11), Jay Hyung Kim (11), Dae Jung Kim (11)
What are some of the activities you do in this club? What are your future plans?
JK: For now, we made robots that stack blocks, learn some robot programming, and enter the competitions. Our future plans is improving and making bigger and better robots.
JHK: Some of the activities that we do in this club are building, fixing, and programming robots. Our future plan is to get well prepared for competition and to participate in one.
DJ: In this club, we program and make robots. This would continue in the future. Our future plan is to continue to make the robots and focus on the programming.
What were your motivations in making robots?
JK: As a child, robots fascinated me because they do things for us. So, I thought it’d be cool if I can make my own robot that would do things for me.
JHK: What I want to have as my job in the future is related to programming and engineering, so I thought this club would be interesting and help me in many ways.
DJ: Well, I want to major in science, and so I was interested in joining an extracurricular club that was related to science. This club was the only science club I knew.
What kind of robots have you made so far?
JK: For now, since we focused on competitions, we only made one robot that can hang and stack blocks and improved on it.
JHK: I made a four wheeled, well-trained robot.
What do you care about the most when making a robot?
JK: We have to focus on everything really. Without structure, programming becomes pointless. Without programming, the robot can’t move.
JHK: I care about fixing the robot the most because even if the robot is completed, if it isn’t repaired and fixed, the robot won’t improve and can eventually break down.
DJ: I think everything is important when making a robot, but structure is especially important because it is important to make sure it doesn’t fall apart.
What are some improvements that can be made?
JK: We should improve on the robot in general such as the structure and also improve on programming to make movements more accurate.
JHK: Planning good systems and programs can be one of the improvements that we can make as a team.
DJ: Some of the improvements can be to improve our robots. I want to improve on them to make them stronger structure wise and upgrade them to stack higher.
-04/28/2015
What are some of the activities you do in this club? What are your future plans?
JK: For now, we made robots that stack blocks, learn some robot programming, and enter the competitions. Our future plans is improving and making bigger and better robots.
JHK: Some of the activities that we do in this club are building, fixing, and programming robots. Our future plan is to get well prepared for competition and to participate in one.
DJ: In this club, we program and make robots. This would continue in the future. Our future plan is to continue to make the robots and focus on the programming.
What were your motivations in making robots?
JK: As a child, robots fascinated me because they do things for us. So, I thought it’d be cool if I can make my own robot that would do things for me.
JHK: What I want to have as my job in the future is related to programming and engineering, so I thought this club would be interesting and help me in many ways.
DJ: Well, I want to major in science, and so I was interested in joining an extracurricular club that was related to science. This club was the only science club I knew.
What kind of robots have you made so far?
JK: For now, since we focused on competitions, we only made one robot that can hang and stack blocks and improved on it.
JHK: I made a four wheeled, well-trained robot.
What do you care about the most when making a robot?
JK: We have to focus on everything really. Without structure, programming becomes pointless. Without programming, the robot can’t move.
JHK: I care about fixing the robot the most because even if the robot is completed, if it isn’t repaired and fixed, the robot won’t improve and can eventually break down.
DJ: I think everything is important when making a robot, but structure is especially important because it is important to make sure it doesn’t fall apart.
What are some improvements that can be made?
JK: We should improve on the robot in general such as the structure and also improve on programming to make movements more accurate.
JHK: Planning good systems and programs can be one of the improvements that we can make as a team.
DJ: Some of the improvements can be to improve our robots. I want to improve on them to make them stronger structure wise and upgrade them to stack higher.
-04/28/2015
CDS Spirit Week
As spirit week approached, the hallways were filled with enthusiastic students planning what to buy and wear for spirit week. Throughout April 13th to17th, spirit week had been planned by the High School Student Council members. Judging by the efforts they have put into this event, it was quite successful. CDS students and faculty members were seen wearing “Dalton Pride” around the hallways along with their costumes.
The primary goal of the student council was to increase Dalton Spirit and let the students have fun. By doing so, students would be able to let their creativity run wild and come up with unique costumes that bring light into the hallways of CDS.
Many students laughed when they noticed Mr. Pak in his semi casual costume for Clash Day, but they were speechless when they saw Mr. Harrison in his Scottish kilt. It certainly brought out our true inner selves for some of us.
-04/28/2015
The primary goal of the student council was to increase Dalton Spirit and let the students have fun. By doing so, students would be able to let their creativity run wild and come up with unique costumes that bring light into the hallways of CDS.
Many students laughed when they noticed Mr. Pak in his semi casual costume for Clash Day, but they were speechless when they saw Mr. Harrison in his Scottish kilt. It certainly brought out our true inner selves for some of us.
-04/28/2015
The Yearbook Club (Jane Jeong)
Q: What is the best part of the club? What are the different roles in the club?
Yesul: I got to know the school better like the school events. For example, I never knew the first program kids went on a field trip to dig up sweet potatoes before I saw the pictures in the yearbook. It is good because I get to know and have more interest in people that I wasn’t really familiar with. My role in this club is to make the senior pages. Some students take the role in designing the yearbook by making templates, and other students take pictures of different activities and events at the school. But mostly, we divide up the pages and work on them separately.
Andy: The best part of this club is that I get to improve my sense in design as well as improve my photo editing skills. And even more, we have a product at the end. Other clubs usually don’t have products that last long, but we get a book. That’s what’s good because I feel proud of my work at the end. The roles change all the time, but this time, we generally work on it all together. We divide up the pages. Some students just work on the middle school page, whereas others work on high school extracurricular club pages. Some people work on writings in the yearbook and others take the pictures. It’s balanced.
Q: Did the club undergo any changes from last year?
Yesul: Since I wasn’t in the yearbook club last year, I’ll tell you what I heard. I heard that there were just about nine members in the yearbook club, so they were really unorganized and busy because they had to finish it until May. They had a really hard time putting all the pages together. But this year, because we got more people in the club, it became much easier to work effectively.
Andy: The club became much more strict. Last year, we took it easy, but this year, if we miss the club three times, we don’t get to be part of the club. But I think it’s good that people are more hardworking.
Q: What does the club focus on the most?
Yesul: Pictures! I focus on pictures the most, like the location of the pictures and picture choices. I try to choose a picture where everyone looks good. And where you place the picture is also important because I have to put it where it’s not folded or cut out. So I think about the pictures the most since they are what people like to see the most in yearbooks.
Andy: Finishing the work on time is the hardest task in this club and the most important. Even though we finish designing the template, we have to get the photos and edit them many times. It actually takes a long time to get done, and it’s important to work on them fast and finish them before the end of the year.
Q: What is your favorite page and why?
Yesul: I like the senior page. We have our first seniors graduating and it’s the first time making this page. And so I think it’s meaningful that I get to work on it with other members of the club. In the page, there is a space where the seniors can write and draw about themselves, and where others can write about them. After graduating, I think this page would remind me the most of school life. So I like this part the most. This was actually my idea (Haha).
Andy: My favorite page? I’m not so sure yet because we aren’t done with it, but mostly I like the pages at the very back of the book, where people can comment on your yearbook. I think it’s the most fun and memorable part of the yearbook.
-02/16/2015
Yesul: I got to know the school better like the school events. For example, I never knew the first program kids went on a field trip to dig up sweet potatoes before I saw the pictures in the yearbook. It is good because I get to know and have more interest in people that I wasn’t really familiar with. My role in this club is to make the senior pages. Some students take the role in designing the yearbook by making templates, and other students take pictures of different activities and events at the school. But mostly, we divide up the pages and work on them separately.
Andy: The best part of this club is that I get to improve my sense in design as well as improve my photo editing skills. And even more, we have a product at the end. Other clubs usually don’t have products that last long, but we get a book. That’s what’s good because I feel proud of my work at the end. The roles change all the time, but this time, we generally work on it all together. We divide up the pages. Some students just work on the middle school page, whereas others work on high school extracurricular club pages. Some people work on writings in the yearbook and others take the pictures. It’s balanced.
Q: Did the club undergo any changes from last year?
Yesul: Since I wasn’t in the yearbook club last year, I’ll tell you what I heard. I heard that there were just about nine members in the yearbook club, so they were really unorganized and busy because they had to finish it until May. They had a really hard time putting all the pages together. But this year, because we got more people in the club, it became much easier to work effectively.
Andy: The club became much more strict. Last year, we took it easy, but this year, if we miss the club three times, we don’t get to be part of the club. But I think it’s good that people are more hardworking.
Q: What does the club focus on the most?
Yesul: Pictures! I focus on pictures the most, like the location of the pictures and picture choices. I try to choose a picture where everyone looks good. And where you place the picture is also important because I have to put it where it’s not folded or cut out. So I think about the pictures the most since they are what people like to see the most in yearbooks.
Andy: Finishing the work on time is the hardest task in this club and the most important. Even though we finish designing the template, we have to get the photos and edit them many times. It actually takes a long time to get done, and it’s important to work on them fast and finish them before the end of the year.
Q: What is your favorite page and why?
Yesul: I like the senior page. We have our first seniors graduating and it’s the first time making this page. And so I think it’s meaningful that I get to work on it with other members of the club. In the page, there is a space where the seniors can write and draw about themselves, and where others can write about them. After graduating, I think this page would remind me the most of school life. So I like this part the most. This was actually my idea (Haha).
Andy: My favorite page? I’m not so sure yet because we aren’t done with it, but mostly I like the pages at the very back of the book, where people can comment on your yearbook. I think it’s the most fun and memorable part of the yearbook.
-02/16/2015
The CDS Art Gallery (Soo Jin Lee)
On the top of the stairs next to Dalton Hall, there are blank walls standing. Most of the students pass by without realizing they are there or use them as something to lean on. The identity of those walls is the CDS Art Gallery.
It is a set place in CDS where students display their works from the art class or the ones they have worked on independently. In each term, the art students would hang different types of work to show off their artistic talents.
In the beginning of the year, the theme of the gallery was Color Me In. The students used recyclable materials to create new artwork. This type of art is well known through an artist from Chicago named Jessica Stockholder. CDS students expressed their creativity through using various objects. One of the displays was “Rainy Morning” by Daniel Choi (12), Jeff Choi (12), Jun Han (12) and Suzie Park (12). This artwork was composed of an umbrella, a pair shoes and cleaning utensils to portray the morning people experience on rainy days. The gallery usually displays works of high school students. This is because the younger students have art once a term.
Ms. Pantano, the art teacher, thinks the CDS art gallery has an appropriate space for students to present their work. But she thought it was unfortunate how only few students are actually going up there to look at the art her students created.
She understands that the art gallery is new to CDS and has a plan to advertise it so that students are encouraged to go up there. It is her wish for the gallery to become a place students are familiar with over the years. However, Ms. Pantano does not have any plan of opening the real gallery this year despite her affection towards art and the gallery. She believes that the Open Night is part of CDS’s long-term goal.
Currently, the Art Gallery is empty due to senior projects. According to Ms. Pantano, there are quite a number of students who are handing in artworks for their graduation projects. There is only one work by Soo Hee Kim (12) right now but by the end of the term, the gallery is expected to be full of many works by talented artists of CDS.
-02/16/2015
It is a set place in CDS where students display their works from the art class or the ones they have worked on independently. In each term, the art students would hang different types of work to show off their artistic talents.
In the beginning of the year, the theme of the gallery was Color Me In. The students used recyclable materials to create new artwork. This type of art is well known through an artist from Chicago named Jessica Stockholder. CDS students expressed their creativity through using various objects. One of the displays was “Rainy Morning” by Daniel Choi (12), Jeff Choi (12), Jun Han (12) and Suzie Park (12). This artwork was composed of an umbrella, a pair shoes and cleaning utensils to portray the morning people experience on rainy days. The gallery usually displays works of high school students. This is because the younger students have art once a term.
Ms. Pantano, the art teacher, thinks the CDS art gallery has an appropriate space for students to present their work. But she thought it was unfortunate how only few students are actually going up there to look at the art her students created.
She understands that the art gallery is new to CDS and has a plan to advertise it so that students are encouraged to go up there. It is her wish for the gallery to become a place students are familiar with over the years. However, Ms. Pantano does not have any plan of opening the real gallery this year despite her affection towards art and the gallery. She believes that the Open Night is part of CDS’s long-term goal.
Currently, the Art Gallery is empty due to senior projects. According to Ms. Pantano, there are quite a number of students who are handing in artworks for their graduation projects. There is only one work by Soo Hee Kim (12) right now but by the end of the term, the gallery is expected to be full of many works by talented artists of CDS.
-02/16/2015
The First Ever CDS Early Graduates (Diana Seo)
Early graduate students leave high school for colleges earlier than normal seniors do in order to set out on their dreams earlier.
However, in order to graduate early, CDS requires students to receive a minimum of 22 academic credits and to complete Health Education, a Senior Project, and 60 hours of Service Learning.
The Senior Project tests students to carry out their own projects in the fields of their interest learning vital skills such as utility of resources. Following are interviews of two seniors, starting with a student named Angie Lee.
Interview with: Angie Lee (12)
Q: What college are you accepted by and why did you choose to apply for that college?
A: I got accepted to Yonsei university, and I chose Yonsei University because Yonsei is one of the biggest international colleges within Korean universities.
Q: How did you gain your interest in your major and what did you do to build up your dreams?
A: Since I have been studying abroad since I was very young, I gradually, naturally gained interest in international studies. I lived in Hong Kong for about five years before coming back to Korea. The fact that I lived abroad for a long time gave me an experience to learn different cultures. I did not really do any other activity related to my major, but I think the experience gave me more in-depth thought on international studies.
Q: Any word of advice for people at CDS who are looking forward to university application?
A: I would advise them to have a specific goal. I know that many people at CDS are preparing for both Korean and U.S. colleges, but I would really suggest for them to choose one path because that would save their time and energy. Also, I would advise them to have a specific goal in terms of what major they want to get into, because that really gives you motive to study harder.
Q: What are you looking forward to when you go to university?
A: There are many activities I am looking forward to participating in. I am looking forward to meeting people from many different backgrounds, because it is interesting how we are from different backgrounds but still get together to study in one place. Although this happens in high school as well, I will meet a lot more people from various backgrounds in university.
Interview with: Jeff Choi (12)
Q: What college are you accepted by and why did you choose to apply for that college?
A: The college I got accepted to is Hanyang University. The reason why I applied for that college is because it was one of the best choices available for my type of special case of education I received. Specifically, Hanyang University offered the environment I wanted to study in.
Q: You are leaving CDS soon. How do you feel about leaving early?
A: Honestly, the fact that I am leaving early is a bit disappointing for me. Despite the fact about how much I might have said anything about this school, it still is a big part of my memory that will remain in my life. And the fact that I have to leave a bit early means there is a little less memory to be made. So it is a little bit disappointing for me to leave my friends and teachers here to start everything else earlier than other people.
Q: How does it feel to be the first student in CDS to be admitted to a university?
A: To be truly honest, it feels very exciting. I always am really arrogant and haughty, but it gets me thinking about how I am the first one to leave. It is also a sad fact that I have to leave early. The fact that I am the first student to be accepted to university always surprises me.
-02/16/2015
However, in order to graduate early, CDS requires students to receive a minimum of 22 academic credits and to complete Health Education, a Senior Project, and 60 hours of Service Learning.
The Senior Project tests students to carry out their own projects in the fields of their interest learning vital skills such as utility of resources. Following are interviews of two seniors, starting with a student named Angie Lee.
Interview with: Angie Lee (12)
Q: What college are you accepted by and why did you choose to apply for that college?
A: I got accepted to Yonsei university, and I chose Yonsei University because Yonsei is one of the biggest international colleges within Korean universities.
Q: How did you gain your interest in your major and what did you do to build up your dreams?
A: Since I have been studying abroad since I was very young, I gradually, naturally gained interest in international studies. I lived in Hong Kong for about five years before coming back to Korea. The fact that I lived abroad for a long time gave me an experience to learn different cultures. I did not really do any other activity related to my major, but I think the experience gave me more in-depth thought on international studies.
Q: Any word of advice for people at CDS who are looking forward to university application?
A: I would advise them to have a specific goal. I know that many people at CDS are preparing for both Korean and U.S. colleges, but I would really suggest for them to choose one path because that would save their time and energy. Also, I would advise them to have a specific goal in terms of what major they want to get into, because that really gives you motive to study harder.
Q: What are you looking forward to when you go to university?
A: There are many activities I am looking forward to participating in. I am looking forward to meeting people from many different backgrounds, because it is interesting how we are from different backgrounds but still get together to study in one place. Although this happens in high school as well, I will meet a lot more people from various backgrounds in university.
Interview with: Jeff Choi (12)
Q: What college are you accepted by and why did you choose to apply for that college?
A: The college I got accepted to is Hanyang University. The reason why I applied for that college is because it was one of the best choices available for my type of special case of education I received. Specifically, Hanyang University offered the environment I wanted to study in.
Q: You are leaving CDS soon. How do you feel about leaving early?
A: Honestly, the fact that I am leaving early is a bit disappointing for me. Despite the fact about how much I might have said anything about this school, it still is a big part of my memory that will remain in my life. And the fact that I have to leave a bit early means there is a little less memory to be made. So it is a little bit disappointing for me to leave my friends and teachers here to start everything else earlier than other people.
Q: How does it feel to be the first student in CDS to be admitted to a university?
A: To be truly honest, it feels very exciting. I always am really arrogant and haughty, but it gets me thinking about how I am the first one to leave. It is also a sad fact that I have to leave early. The fact that I am the first student to be accepted to university always surprises me.
-02/16/2015
The Cooking Club Interview (Jane Jeong)
Interview: Sooji Seo (12) and Julie An (12)
1) What are some of the activities you do?
Julie: Cooking! We cut, we fry, and we just cook! We don’t sell any food, but we just cook and eat them for ourselves. We sometimes share with other people too. We’re making Italian food these days but today we are making Halloween treats. We were planning to sell them, but we just decided to eat them all (Haha). In this club, we made pizza, we made spaghetti…twice! We made ramen by inventing our own recipes and I made a cream pasta ramen (it was the best).
Sooji: We make food in different themes. So, for two or three weeks, we made different kinds of Italian food. Our theme this week was pasta. For one week we made pasta with white sauce, and the other week we made it with red sauce. In the future, we are going to make vongole pasta. Every week, we make different dishes. On Tuesday, we plan the recipe and on Thursday we cook what we planned.
2) What can be improved in this club?
Julie: It takes so much time washing the dishes! I think we have enough equipment to cook with, but we sometimes arrive home late because of the huge load of dishes to do. Maybe, we need a dishwasher.
Sooji: We don’t have much equipment since we just started the club. Also because some of our members don’t have much experience in cooking, they should get more used to cooking.
3) If you can rate your cooking skill from 1 to 10, how would you rate yourself and why?
Julie: Seven? I can cut, but I’m bad at cutting vegetables. Actually...six. But, I can fry well and roast well. I like cooking roasted duck meat the most. It’s just frying the duck meet with sliced vegetables and sauce, but it tastes good. I sometimes cook this for my family and my dad says it’s good. Haha. But maybe it was a little white lie.
Sooji: About 8.5? The reason is because I learned cooking in Thailand, but it still seems like an unknown world. It depends on how people think, but I personally think I don’t have much cooking skills. I can cut vegetables and make sauces, but I still have a lot to learn. The food that I’m most confident in is lasagna. I cook it to my family at Christmas.
4) Why and when did you start cooking?
Julie: Dae Jang Geum! I liked this drama so much that I wore the Korean traditional dress at home when I was in second grade. The main character cooked so well so I tried to cook fried egg at home. No one taught me how to make one, so I fried an egg with chocolate syrup. It was a disaster. But it wasn’t good right? So, I told my mom what I did and she told me to just give it to the dog. I put it in my garden but even my dog refused to eat it...
Sooji: I watched a movie called Julie and Julia. It’s about cooking and I really recommend it to people who want to start cooking. After watching this movie, I wanted to learn to cook. Since then, I met a cook and got close with him. He was a professional French cook. I don’t remember so clearly, but I think the first food I made was French.
5) To me, cooking is…
Julie: …the stars in the sky. It’s like the little light in the dark and gloomy life. So cheesy (haha), I should probably think of a better answer.
Sooji: …a challenge. Um, cooking is like a science experiment to me, the outcome can sometimes be a failure, but because you should try it confidently before you can succeed, it’s a challenge.
-12/01/2014
1) What are some of the activities you do?
Julie: Cooking! We cut, we fry, and we just cook! We don’t sell any food, but we just cook and eat them for ourselves. We sometimes share with other people too. We’re making Italian food these days but today we are making Halloween treats. We were planning to sell them, but we just decided to eat them all (Haha). In this club, we made pizza, we made spaghetti…twice! We made ramen by inventing our own recipes and I made a cream pasta ramen (it was the best).
Sooji: We make food in different themes. So, for two or three weeks, we made different kinds of Italian food. Our theme this week was pasta. For one week we made pasta with white sauce, and the other week we made it with red sauce. In the future, we are going to make vongole pasta. Every week, we make different dishes. On Tuesday, we plan the recipe and on Thursday we cook what we planned.
2) What can be improved in this club?
Julie: It takes so much time washing the dishes! I think we have enough equipment to cook with, but we sometimes arrive home late because of the huge load of dishes to do. Maybe, we need a dishwasher.
Sooji: We don’t have much equipment since we just started the club. Also because some of our members don’t have much experience in cooking, they should get more used to cooking.
3) If you can rate your cooking skill from 1 to 10, how would you rate yourself and why?
Julie: Seven? I can cut, but I’m bad at cutting vegetables. Actually...six. But, I can fry well and roast well. I like cooking roasted duck meat the most. It’s just frying the duck meet with sliced vegetables and sauce, but it tastes good. I sometimes cook this for my family and my dad says it’s good. Haha. But maybe it was a little white lie.
Sooji: About 8.5? The reason is because I learned cooking in Thailand, but it still seems like an unknown world. It depends on how people think, but I personally think I don’t have much cooking skills. I can cut vegetables and make sauces, but I still have a lot to learn. The food that I’m most confident in is lasagna. I cook it to my family at Christmas.
4) Why and when did you start cooking?
Julie: Dae Jang Geum! I liked this drama so much that I wore the Korean traditional dress at home when I was in second grade. The main character cooked so well so I tried to cook fried egg at home. No one taught me how to make one, so I fried an egg with chocolate syrup. It was a disaster. But it wasn’t good right? So, I told my mom what I did and she told me to just give it to the dog. I put it in my garden but even my dog refused to eat it...
Sooji: I watched a movie called Julie and Julia. It’s about cooking and I really recommend it to people who want to start cooking. After watching this movie, I wanted to learn to cook. Since then, I met a cook and got close with him. He was a professional French cook. I don’t remember so clearly, but I think the first food I made was French.
5) To me, cooking is…
Julie: …the stars in the sky. It’s like the little light in the dark and gloomy life. So cheesy (haha), I should probably think of a better answer.
Sooji: …a challenge. Um, cooking is like a science experiment to me, the outcome can sometimes be a failure, but because you should try it confidently before you can succeed, it’s a challenge.
-12/01/2014
The Validity of CDS Rules (Eunice Mun)
There are school policies that students often wish to ignore. However, there are reasons why they exist. There are advantages, and of course, disadvantages to these policies as well.
The first is the uniform policy. The CDS Hand-book states: “Girl’s skirts should reach the middle of knee in length…Male students are not permitted to wear earring(s)…Male students are not permitted to have hair longer than the middle of the shirt collar or bottom of ears. Hair may not be below the eyebrows.”
However, rules regarding open shoes or hats are not mentioned in the CDS High school handbook. Students might feel that, while it might be convenient to have a uniform policy because there is no need to ponder over the choice of clothes to wear, they want some color to their outfits.
Ms. Lee thinks that she can understand why students think it is unnecessary to have a uniform policy, but she considers it as a good practice to get used to the conventions of society. When one graduates and begins to look for jobs, these are requirements employers look for. It seems silly, but these little things may influence the important events of the future. Practicing dressing properly will prepare students for the outside world. Students are free to wear whatever they want to outside of school, but in school, they should wear appropriate clothing.
For instance, at career places like the bank, employees tend to be more conservative, so they would raise an eyebrow towards flashy jewellery.
Mr. Musselman also believes that uniforms exist primarily for academic purposes. He is not sure exactly why there might be a uniform policy, because he is only trying to learn the Korean culture. It might be difficult for him to understand because he came from schools where there were fewer restrictions on what students can wear. He had only seen schools where uniform policies were much stricter.
He feels as though once you go to the working world, there are restrictions just like school uniform policies. The policy might be restricting personal freedom but there are positive and negative sides to it. The uniform policy is beneficial in many ways. It keeps us focused on academic related thoughts. Also, he feels there is more freedom in CDS regarding uniforms. Students get to wear sweatshirts instead of uncomfortable suits he saw Japanese students had to wear.
Second, there is the library policy. Middle school students and the high school students are not able to cross the library. However, this rule is not noted on the CDS High School Handbook. This policy might seem ridiculous to students, but the teachers have possible reasons for why this policy is present this year.
Ms. Pantano believes that the school is just trying to keep the middle school and the high school separate as it is learning to accommodate a larger number of students. While it can be an inconvenience because the high school has classes in the art room and the mat room, it is a necessary change since Dalton is growing and the school needs to keep the grades divided.
Ms. Choo, the librarian, thinks that this policy is a good one. She considers this policy as a way of having fewer students in the middle school wing. She also thinks the rule is to protect the younger middle students. For instance, she thinks the rule makes the sixth graders, who are new to the middle school, feel more comfortable in a less crowded atmosphere. There are a lots of other schools that have the middle school and high school wing separate and she thinks it’s a good way to keep the school organized.
-12/01/2014
The first is the uniform policy. The CDS Hand-book states: “Girl’s skirts should reach the middle of knee in length…Male students are not permitted to wear earring(s)…Male students are not permitted to have hair longer than the middle of the shirt collar or bottom of ears. Hair may not be below the eyebrows.”
However, rules regarding open shoes or hats are not mentioned in the CDS High school handbook. Students might feel that, while it might be convenient to have a uniform policy because there is no need to ponder over the choice of clothes to wear, they want some color to their outfits.
Ms. Lee thinks that she can understand why students think it is unnecessary to have a uniform policy, but she considers it as a good practice to get used to the conventions of society. When one graduates and begins to look for jobs, these are requirements employers look for. It seems silly, but these little things may influence the important events of the future. Practicing dressing properly will prepare students for the outside world. Students are free to wear whatever they want to outside of school, but in school, they should wear appropriate clothing.
For instance, at career places like the bank, employees tend to be more conservative, so they would raise an eyebrow towards flashy jewellery.
Mr. Musselman also believes that uniforms exist primarily for academic purposes. He is not sure exactly why there might be a uniform policy, because he is only trying to learn the Korean culture. It might be difficult for him to understand because he came from schools where there were fewer restrictions on what students can wear. He had only seen schools where uniform policies were much stricter.
He feels as though once you go to the working world, there are restrictions just like school uniform policies. The policy might be restricting personal freedom but there are positive and negative sides to it. The uniform policy is beneficial in many ways. It keeps us focused on academic related thoughts. Also, he feels there is more freedom in CDS regarding uniforms. Students get to wear sweatshirts instead of uncomfortable suits he saw Japanese students had to wear.
Second, there is the library policy. Middle school students and the high school students are not able to cross the library. However, this rule is not noted on the CDS High School Handbook. This policy might seem ridiculous to students, but the teachers have possible reasons for why this policy is present this year.
Ms. Pantano believes that the school is just trying to keep the middle school and the high school separate as it is learning to accommodate a larger number of students. While it can be an inconvenience because the high school has classes in the art room and the mat room, it is a necessary change since Dalton is growing and the school needs to keep the grades divided.
Ms. Choo, the librarian, thinks that this policy is a good one. She considers this policy as a way of having fewer students in the middle school wing. She also thinks the rule is to protect the younger middle students. For instance, she thinks the rule makes the sixth graders, who are new to the middle school, feel more comfortable in a less crowded atmosphere. There are a lots of other schools that have the middle school and high school wing separate and she thinks it’s a good way to keep the school organized.
-12/01/2014
The Difficulties of Freshmen (Grace Lee)
CDS has its first senior grade in the 2014-2015 school year. It is exciting to have the first graduating class, however, students should keep in mind that we also have new freshmen joining the high school each year. Because CDS encompasses all the grades from the first program to high school, most of the freshmen are from middle school. So what are the differences and difficulties in high school for these freshmen?
“In high school, homework is very hard,” said Mohammed Alzaki, a high school freshman, “but if you work harder, you get better grades.”
One major difference between middle school and high school is the level and load of homework. The difficulty as well as the amount of homework increases, and these changes might bring panic to freshmen. However, overcoming such changes, accomplishing the tasks, and getting higher grades are some of the thrills that students can enjoy.
All students have subjects they are weak at, and this also applies to freshmen. Freshmen would feel as if their weakest subjects during the first year of high school will become a lifelong trouble throughout the rest of their high school years. They hope to get over these fears before advancing onto the next grade.
Mohammed picked English as the subject that he is personally having difficulties with, mostly be-cause of the nature of literature. “We need that. It’s important,” said Mohammed. Despite the difficulties in the field, Mohammed was aware of the importance of English literature in his education. Likewise, knowing the significance of a subject triggers students’ effort to overcome their troubles and anxieties.
Mohammed said that his goal in freshmen year is to get “educated.” Like he mentioned in the beginning of the interview, “it’s hard” to adapt to a new environment but hopefully, our new freshmen will triumph over their struggles and enjoy their first year of high school.
-12/01/2014
“In high school, homework is very hard,” said Mohammed Alzaki, a high school freshman, “but if you work harder, you get better grades.”
One major difference between middle school and high school is the level and load of homework. The difficulty as well as the amount of homework increases, and these changes might bring panic to freshmen. However, overcoming such changes, accomplishing the tasks, and getting higher grades are some of the thrills that students can enjoy.
All students have subjects they are weak at, and this also applies to freshmen. Freshmen would feel as if their weakest subjects during the first year of high school will become a lifelong trouble throughout the rest of their high school years. They hope to get over these fears before advancing onto the next grade.
Mohammed picked English as the subject that he is personally having difficulties with, mostly be-cause of the nature of literature. “We need that. It’s important,” said Mohammed. Despite the difficulties in the field, Mohammed was aware of the importance of English literature in his education. Likewise, knowing the significance of a subject triggers students’ effort to overcome their troubles and anxieties.
Mohammed said that his goal in freshmen year is to get “educated.” Like he mentioned in the beginning of the interview, “it’s hard” to adapt to a new environment but hopefully, our new freshmen will triumph over their struggles and enjoy their first year of high school.
-12/01/2014
Drama Club Interview (Jane Jeong)
INTERVIEW: Stacy Park (12) and Kate Yoo (12)
Q: What are the activities you do in the club?
Stacy Park: We play a series of games like Mafia and Bang! In another game, a person acts out a motion and the others have to guess. For now, we are also preparing several shows to hold in front of kids at Halloween.
Kate Yoo: We play reaction games and some mini-acting games like Park Bench. Park Bench is a game where you’re sitting here and I make you feel really uncomfortable until you leave (ha-ha).
Q: Any improvements that could be made?
Stacy Park: Uh…I think there is nothing.
Kate Yoo: We need more people. And we need an auditorium! With a backstage! You understand, right? Because we are acting and performing for the little kids and we need a backstage, but the small theater… Look at this! (Gestures around the small theater) This is not a backstage.
Q: Have you taken a drama class before? What are some of your expectations about the club?
Stacy Park: I never took drama classes before. Expectations? I want to see the reactions of the audience. We might have a show in the winter and I want to see how people would react to our play.
Kate Yoo: I have never taken drama classes. I want a high school musical (laughs out loud). Secretly…maybe a little bit. I think because I like music, I like musicals, since musicals let you sing and dance.
Q: Are you planning to hold a play for the school?
Stacy Park: I think we might hold a play for the high school in the future. I want to try a comedy or a serious play. Comedy would be fun. I would laugh a lot from practicing and acting. For serious plays, the audience will be able to focus more.
Kate Yoo: For high school…it depends on the schedule, but I hope so. I want to do a tragedy and a comedy. I want to do more than one. I think tragedy will be interesting. I want to try acting out tears (ha-ha). And then comedy, I think comedy is pretty fun because I always try to be funny, but I fail.
Q: What roles do you want to try and play?
Stacy Park: A villain! It just sounds fun (ha-ha). A villain has a stronger character than other roles and I think I could do a good job with it in a bad way.
Kate Yoo: Main actress! Main character! I don’t know...just…a princess (ha-ha). Or a hero! Superhero! Superwoman! Because it seems really interesting, I guess, because you try to become like…a god, even when you are not.
INTERVIEW: Ms. Brynae Bishop (Drama Teacher)
Ms. B, as she prefers to be called, is the director of the drama club. Her passion for acting originates from her childhood that was heavily influenced by her family interest in theatre.
She has been involved in community theatre since she was five and has been teaching drama for three years. Her favorite playwrights are Oscar Wilde and Noel Coward. The reason she enjoys acting is because she is able to experience a variety of roles.
When asked to share a few words to her students, she answered: “They are already stars and I’m just helping them shine.”
-09/26/2014
Q: What are the activities you do in the club?
Stacy Park: We play a series of games like Mafia and Bang! In another game, a person acts out a motion and the others have to guess. For now, we are also preparing several shows to hold in front of kids at Halloween.
Kate Yoo: We play reaction games and some mini-acting games like Park Bench. Park Bench is a game where you’re sitting here and I make you feel really uncomfortable until you leave (ha-ha).
Q: Any improvements that could be made?
Stacy Park: Uh…I think there is nothing.
Kate Yoo: We need more people. And we need an auditorium! With a backstage! You understand, right? Because we are acting and performing for the little kids and we need a backstage, but the small theater… Look at this! (Gestures around the small theater) This is not a backstage.
Q: Have you taken a drama class before? What are some of your expectations about the club?
Stacy Park: I never took drama classes before. Expectations? I want to see the reactions of the audience. We might have a show in the winter and I want to see how people would react to our play.
Kate Yoo: I have never taken drama classes. I want a high school musical (laughs out loud). Secretly…maybe a little bit. I think because I like music, I like musicals, since musicals let you sing and dance.
Q: Are you planning to hold a play for the school?
Stacy Park: I think we might hold a play for the high school in the future. I want to try a comedy or a serious play. Comedy would be fun. I would laugh a lot from practicing and acting. For serious plays, the audience will be able to focus more.
Kate Yoo: For high school…it depends on the schedule, but I hope so. I want to do a tragedy and a comedy. I want to do more than one. I think tragedy will be interesting. I want to try acting out tears (ha-ha). And then comedy, I think comedy is pretty fun because I always try to be funny, but I fail.
Q: What roles do you want to try and play?
Stacy Park: A villain! It just sounds fun (ha-ha). A villain has a stronger character than other roles and I think I could do a good job with it in a bad way.
Kate Yoo: Main actress! Main character! I don’t know...just…a princess (ha-ha). Or a hero! Superhero! Superwoman! Because it seems really interesting, I guess, because you try to become like…a god, even when you are not.
INTERVIEW: Ms. Brynae Bishop (Drama Teacher)
Ms. B, as she prefers to be called, is the director of the drama club. Her passion for acting originates from her childhood that was heavily influenced by her family interest in theatre.
She has been involved in community theatre since she was five and has been teaching drama for three years. Her favorite playwrights are Oscar Wilde and Noel Coward. The reason she enjoys acting is because she is able to experience a variety of roles.
When asked to share a few words to her students, she answered: “They are already stars and I’m just helping them shine.”
-09/26/2014
The New School Lunch System (Eunice Mun)
CDS has been trying out a new lunch system.
The school has divided the food to Korean and Western food. By dividing up the menu, we are presented with more variety. However, since we can only make one choice, we need to pick shrewdly. We are forced to make painful decisions between the two. But at least this is a much happier dilemma than the ones we usually face in life.
We hustle to the salad bar, if the food does not fulfill our massive stomachs. The table serves salad, corn, bread, and occasionally, some side pasta. The addition of the salad bar is considered a great improvement by the students. Although more fruits on the side wouldn’t hurt anyone.
A new ice cream machine has been placed to motivate students not to waste their food. And this bribery has been working excellently. Students have been devouring all of the food on their plates. This ice cream campaign probably reduced more food waste than the Green Campaign ever did.
However, there have been complaints about the amount of food handed out to the students, since they are unable to choose how much they receive. Also, the line up for the school lunch is excruciatingly long. It is the survival of the fittest as students rush downstairs for food. By opening the lunch line earlier, hopefully, these shortcomings can be improved in the near future.
-09/26/2014
The school has divided the food to Korean and Western food. By dividing up the menu, we are presented with more variety. However, since we can only make one choice, we need to pick shrewdly. We are forced to make painful decisions between the two. But at least this is a much happier dilemma than the ones we usually face in life.
We hustle to the salad bar, if the food does not fulfill our massive stomachs. The table serves salad, corn, bread, and occasionally, some side pasta. The addition of the salad bar is considered a great improvement by the students. Although more fruits on the side wouldn’t hurt anyone.
A new ice cream machine has been placed to motivate students not to waste their food. And this bribery has been working excellently. Students have been devouring all of the food on their plates. This ice cream campaign probably reduced more food waste than the Green Campaign ever did.
However, there have been complaints about the amount of food handed out to the students, since they are unable to choose how much they receive. Also, the line up for the school lunch is excruciatingly long. It is the survival of the fittest as students rush downstairs for food. By opening the lunch line earlier, hopefully, these shortcomings can be improved in the near future.
-09/26/2014
New Teachers: Interviews (Julie An)
INTERVIEW: Ms. Melanie Feurey (AP Economics)
Q: What made you decide to teach?
A: I came upon it by accident. I came here in 2010, and I had to finish my doctorate in Political Science. …One thing led to another, and I had to make a decision – either finish and get a Ph.D or support my family. And I chose to support my family!. And so far, for the most part, I haven’t regretted it. I like teaching, especially high school kids because they still have a lot of dreams and aspirations.
Q: What made you teach Economics in particular?
A: When I was in college, I was pressured to study the sciences, just as it is for all other gyopos. But I was always a social-science person. I actually lied to my mom – I said I was going to study pharmacy, and I studied history behind her back. While studying history, I found out that there were many economic topics that I wanted to learn so I decided to get a Ph.D in Economics. But the first two years in the Ph.D process for Economics is all about math proofs, and I decided that it was not for me. So I studied political science.
Q: Do you like it here in Korea?
A: Yes! When I first came, I had a lot of misinformation… but as I got to stay here longer, I began to like to teach Korean students. They have the willingness to learn.
INTERVIEW: Ms. Ana Sokoli (AP Statistics and Calculus)
Q: What made you decide to teach?
A: I love working with kids and I want them to enjoy math. I find it fun but a lot of people don’t find it fun. People say “I’m not a math person” – but that doesn’t mean anything! I don’t believe in that statement, and
I want to make a difference.
Q: Is there any reason you enjoy teaching math?
A: I’ve lived in Albania, Greece, Italy, Canada, US, and Korea. In every single country that I have studied in, the common language is math. Math is a universal language - no matter where you are.
Q: What activities do you enjoy outside the class?
A: I am the volleyball coach. As I said earlier, I love seeing kids succeed in any environment. I tell the players to forget their mistakes and try again. I also am super passionate in cooking. I also dance - Zumba is amazing,. I also like hiking. I like reading, watching movies… I think it’s important to stay active.
INTERVIEW: Ms. Hazel Lee (English Honors and AP Literature)
Q: What did you do before you came to CDS?
A: I’ve been teaching elementary and middle school students for the past few years at Daewon Foreign Language High School. I was actually a coworker with Mr. John Kim, the college counselor. He informed me of the advantages of this school and suggested that I come teach. Because I missed teaching literature to older students, I decided to accept.
Q: Do you regret your decision?
A: No, I don’t have any regrets. I find that the students here are hard-working and enthusiastic. I very much appreciate the students’ willingness to learn.
Q: What do you do outside of school?
A: My husband and I ride a motorcycle in the weekends and travel to various places in Korea. My height actually hinders me from riding my own motorcycle, so I ride on the back seat of my husband’s huge motorcycle instead. I also love to read – not just classical books but also fantasy books and romance novels. I’m currently reading Stephen King’s fantasy books and the ‘Outlander’ series (a romance novel).
-09/26/2014
Q: What made you decide to teach?
A: I came upon it by accident. I came here in 2010, and I had to finish my doctorate in Political Science. …One thing led to another, and I had to make a decision – either finish and get a Ph.D or support my family. And I chose to support my family!. And so far, for the most part, I haven’t regretted it. I like teaching, especially high school kids because they still have a lot of dreams and aspirations.
Q: What made you teach Economics in particular?
A: When I was in college, I was pressured to study the sciences, just as it is for all other gyopos. But I was always a social-science person. I actually lied to my mom – I said I was going to study pharmacy, and I studied history behind her back. While studying history, I found out that there were many economic topics that I wanted to learn so I decided to get a Ph.D in Economics. But the first two years in the Ph.D process for Economics is all about math proofs, and I decided that it was not for me. So I studied political science.
Q: Do you like it here in Korea?
A: Yes! When I first came, I had a lot of misinformation… but as I got to stay here longer, I began to like to teach Korean students. They have the willingness to learn.
INTERVIEW: Ms. Ana Sokoli (AP Statistics and Calculus)
Q: What made you decide to teach?
A: I love working with kids and I want them to enjoy math. I find it fun but a lot of people don’t find it fun. People say “I’m not a math person” – but that doesn’t mean anything! I don’t believe in that statement, and
I want to make a difference.
Q: Is there any reason you enjoy teaching math?
A: I’ve lived in Albania, Greece, Italy, Canada, US, and Korea. In every single country that I have studied in, the common language is math. Math is a universal language - no matter where you are.
Q: What activities do you enjoy outside the class?
A: I am the volleyball coach. As I said earlier, I love seeing kids succeed in any environment. I tell the players to forget their mistakes and try again. I also am super passionate in cooking. I also dance - Zumba is amazing,. I also like hiking. I like reading, watching movies… I think it’s important to stay active.
INTERVIEW: Ms. Hazel Lee (English Honors and AP Literature)
Q: What did you do before you came to CDS?
A: I’ve been teaching elementary and middle school students for the past few years at Daewon Foreign Language High School. I was actually a coworker with Mr. John Kim, the college counselor. He informed me of the advantages of this school and suggested that I come teach. Because I missed teaching literature to older students, I decided to accept.
Q: Do you regret your decision?
A: No, I don’t have any regrets. I find that the students here are hard-working and enthusiastic. I very much appreciate the students’ willingness to learn.
Q: What do you do outside of school?
A: My husband and I ride a motorcycle in the weekends and travel to various places in Korea. My height actually hinders me from riding my own motorcycle, so I ride on the back seat of my husband’s huge motorcycle instead. I also love to read – not just classical books but also fantasy books and romance novels. I’m currently reading Stephen King’s fantasy books and the ‘Outlander’ series (a romance novel).
-09/26/2014
Teachers Leave a Lasting Legacy at CDS (Brian Kim)
Only three years ago, art teacher Kipp Greene came to CDS by finding out about the school through an ad given by his wife. He remembers the optimism and excitement surrounding him at his first day of CDS and the nervousness he had by greeting many parents. Now, after teaching middle and high school students in the fine arts department and getting to know his students, he will be one of the teachers who will be leaving the school after this year.
Jinnie Yoo, a 9th grade student who knows Greene well, will miss Greene’s personality and presence in school once he leaves.
“I can describe him as a really passionate person,” Yoo said. “He tries to innovate and establish these new things to create the best environment for the students.”
Like Greene, Chinese teacher Kelly Wang and chemistry teacher Alan Kim will also be among the teachers moving on from CDS. Along with many other teachers, they will create a void in the teaching staff for next year. When they depart, they will be remembered by the students who were taught by them and leave a lasting legacy at this school.
Wang has been teaching at CDS since a friend of hers introduced her to the school. She is currently teaching all the way from elementary to high school and decided to transfer to another international school in Seoul to shorten her commute time.
Moving to another place to continue teaching will also be beneficial for Greene. After fortunately receiving a new job offer in New York, Greene and his family will move to the US to continue teaching, which he has been doing for almost 20 years. However, this will make his return to Korea much more difficult.
There are people here that we consider family at this point, and sadly, we might never see a lot of them ever again,” Greene said.
Before coming to CDS three years ago like Greene, Kim taught elementary students in California and wanted to teach high school students when he arrived at this school. He taught biology in the past and is currently teaching regular chemistry to 10th graders. After this year, he plans on returning to California.
10th grade student Chris Kim recalls the most memorable moment he had with Kim as when Kim helped him with chemistry during lab time. Even though Kim had limited time to teach Chris, Chris really appreciated how his teacher took the time to explain all the questions to him.
“I will miss him really much,” Chris said. “There are chemistry teachers who are really formal, and there are chemistry teachers who put in all their effort teaching the students. Mr. Kim was [like] that second guy.”
Teaching at CDS has created many memorable moments for the teachers as well that they will cherish and miss when they leave.
“When I see the students improving in Chinese or when they are showing me gratefulness, [those were] my happiest moments here,” Wang said. “They recognize my hard work and recognize my help and when they show more interest in the Chinese language, that’s the time I’m very happy about.”
While the teachers are going on to better places to continue their careers, Greene worries about how this will affect the future and the students of CDS. As having been an international teacher for 13 years, he is concerned about continuity of the teachers.
“They [The students] want their teachers one year, two years, three years, four years, five years,” Greene said. “They don’t enjoy the fact that teachers leave after two years, three years. It really hurts them.” Although many teachers might be leaving, they will be remembered as having a significant impact for the students and the growth of the school, setting an example new teachers next year will have to follow. “I think Mr. Kim was one of the best teachers I’ve ever met living 17 years of my life,” Chris said.
-------------
Moving on from CDS
A number of other teachers from the high school department who are leaving this year discuss what they will miss the most about CDS and their future plans after this year.
Mr. Mallett
Q: What will you miss the most?
A: My own physics lab and the students
Q: Any future plans?
A: Moving back to Australia to teach high school
Mr. Lipsett
Q: What will you miss the most?
A: The students
Q: Any future plans?
A: Moving to Taipei, Taiwan to teach at Taipei
American School
Mr. Brondel
Q: What will you miss the most?
A: How friendly the students were
Q: Any future plans?
A: Teaching at another international school in South
Korea
Ms. Sookyong Lee
Q: What will you miss the most?
A: Interacting with the students, as well as seeing
their reactions and forming relationships with them
Q: Any future plans?
A: Stay in Korea to pursue a non-teaching job
-06/06/2014 (Volume III Issue V)
Jinnie Yoo, a 9th grade student who knows Greene well, will miss Greene’s personality and presence in school once he leaves.
“I can describe him as a really passionate person,” Yoo said. “He tries to innovate and establish these new things to create the best environment for the students.”
Like Greene, Chinese teacher Kelly Wang and chemistry teacher Alan Kim will also be among the teachers moving on from CDS. Along with many other teachers, they will create a void in the teaching staff for next year. When they depart, they will be remembered by the students who were taught by them and leave a lasting legacy at this school.
Wang has been teaching at CDS since a friend of hers introduced her to the school. She is currently teaching all the way from elementary to high school and decided to transfer to another international school in Seoul to shorten her commute time.
Moving to another place to continue teaching will also be beneficial for Greene. After fortunately receiving a new job offer in New York, Greene and his family will move to the US to continue teaching, which he has been doing for almost 20 years. However, this will make his return to Korea much more difficult.
There are people here that we consider family at this point, and sadly, we might never see a lot of them ever again,” Greene said.
Before coming to CDS three years ago like Greene, Kim taught elementary students in California and wanted to teach high school students when he arrived at this school. He taught biology in the past and is currently teaching regular chemistry to 10th graders. After this year, he plans on returning to California.
10th grade student Chris Kim recalls the most memorable moment he had with Kim as when Kim helped him with chemistry during lab time. Even though Kim had limited time to teach Chris, Chris really appreciated how his teacher took the time to explain all the questions to him.
“I will miss him really much,” Chris said. “There are chemistry teachers who are really formal, and there are chemistry teachers who put in all their effort teaching the students. Mr. Kim was [like] that second guy.”
Teaching at CDS has created many memorable moments for the teachers as well that they will cherish and miss when they leave.
“When I see the students improving in Chinese or when they are showing me gratefulness, [those were] my happiest moments here,” Wang said. “They recognize my hard work and recognize my help and when they show more interest in the Chinese language, that’s the time I’m very happy about.”
While the teachers are going on to better places to continue their careers, Greene worries about how this will affect the future and the students of CDS. As having been an international teacher for 13 years, he is concerned about continuity of the teachers.
“They [The students] want their teachers one year, two years, three years, four years, five years,” Greene said. “They don’t enjoy the fact that teachers leave after two years, three years. It really hurts them.” Although many teachers might be leaving, they will be remembered as having a significant impact for the students and the growth of the school, setting an example new teachers next year will have to follow. “I think Mr. Kim was one of the best teachers I’ve ever met living 17 years of my life,” Chris said.
-------------
Moving on from CDS
A number of other teachers from the high school department who are leaving this year discuss what they will miss the most about CDS and their future plans after this year.
Mr. Mallett
Q: What will you miss the most?
A: My own physics lab and the students
Q: Any future plans?
A: Moving back to Australia to teach high school
Mr. Lipsett
Q: What will you miss the most?
A: The students
Q: Any future plans?
A: Moving to Taipei, Taiwan to teach at Taipei
American School
Mr. Brondel
Q: What will you miss the most?
A: How friendly the students were
Q: Any future plans?
A: Teaching at another international school in South
Korea
Ms. Sookyong Lee
Q: What will you miss the most?
A: Interacting with the students, as well as seeing
their reactions and forming relationships with them
Q: Any future plans?
A: Stay in Korea to pursue a non-teaching job
-06/06/2014 (Volume III Issue V)
2013-2014 Year Review (Soo Jin Lee)
The end of the year is just around the corner! Great job everybody for enduring another academic year. This year was quite tough, especially for juniors. They were pressured by their AP classes and constant college meetings that added another burden onto their shoulders. Also, CDS’s unique five term policy made life even harder for them. They had to manage time even better to do well in both AP classes and regular classes.
These days, the juniors seem serene and energetic but do you guys remember how they used to look like before the AP test? They were always seen with dark bags underneath their eyes and thick textbooks in their arms. They looked quite deranged as they were busy studying during other classes (especially P.E) to prepare for any upcoming tests. Sometimes we wonder, among the AP Chemistry, AP U.S History and AP Economics, which course had the hardest time. But the thing is that we all suffered. The AP Chemistry students complained that they had quizzes too often and too many materials to read from both the textbook and the booklets. For AP U.S History students, they said that memorizing all the figures and events in detail and using them to write three essays within a limited time period was tough. Lastly, AP Economics students explained that covering both Micro and Macro was a great challenge for them. But the hardest part seemed to be the lack of AP sessions during the week. Most of the holidays happened to fall on the days where the students had their AP classes. This led many of the students to study by themselves while teachers tried their best to cram much of the AP material into an even more restricted time schedule.
This year, CDS improved a lot in terms of school spirit. Besides the basketball team that existed from before, new sports teams such as volleyball and soccer were added. Many athletic students volunteered to become a part of the team and brought victory. The Girls’ Volleyball Team was undefeated throughout the whole season and even won the championship. The Boys’ Volleyball Team also did an awesome job for its first try. We brought CDS many wins even though the opponents had advantages such as more practice time and being more experienced. The soccer teams, deserve a round of applause. There have been many reports that the opposing teams cheated. Not caring whether they lost or not, the CDS soccer team demonstrated outstanding sportsmanship and played fair. Although there were challenges throughout the seasons, the athletes overcame these problems and set a perfect example for the future years.
Although it was another great year in CDS, there was an unfortunate event that shocked the students. In the middle of the term, both Korean university and American university councilors left the school without any notice. The students, especially juniors, were driven into panic because of the fact that they no longer had counselors to guide them. Luckily, the school quickly appointed equally great and friendly counselors who are ready to discuss the students’ future.
This year passed by very fast but was very meaningful. It has been almost four years since CDS was built and we can see that the school is improving. The administration and the faculty members are trying their best to provide their students with better educational systems. From their hard works, students get to experience new things every year that will later become unforgettable memories. If you had a great year, that’s fantastic, give yourself a nice pat on the back. If you did not, look on the bright side. It’s almost coming to an end and you get to have another chance at it next year to make it better!
-06/06/2014 (Volume III Issue V)
These days, the juniors seem serene and energetic but do you guys remember how they used to look like before the AP test? They were always seen with dark bags underneath their eyes and thick textbooks in their arms. They looked quite deranged as they were busy studying during other classes (especially P.E) to prepare for any upcoming tests. Sometimes we wonder, among the AP Chemistry, AP U.S History and AP Economics, which course had the hardest time. But the thing is that we all suffered. The AP Chemistry students complained that they had quizzes too often and too many materials to read from both the textbook and the booklets. For AP U.S History students, they said that memorizing all the figures and events in detail and using them to write three essays within a limited time period was tough. Lastly, AP Economics students explained that covering both Micro and Macro was a great challenge for them. But the hardest part seemed to be the lack of AP sessions during the week. Most of the holidays happened to fall on the days where the students had their AP classes. This led many of the students to study by themselves while teachers tried their best to cram much of the AP material into an even more restricted time schedule.
This year, CDS improved a lot in terms of school spirit. Besides the basketball team that existed from before, new sports teams such as volleyball and soccer were added. Many athletic students volunteered to become a part of the team and brought victory. The Girls’ Volleyball Team was undefeated throughout the whole season and even won the championship. The Boys’ Volleyball Team also did an awesome job for its first try. We brought CDS many wins even though the opponents had advantages such as more practice time and being more experienced. The soccer teams, deserve a round of applause. There have been many reports that the opposing teams cheated. Not caring whether they lost or not, the CDS soccer team demonstrated outstanding sportsmanship and played fair. Although there were challenges throughout the seasons, the athletes overcame these problems and set a perfect example for the future years.
Although it was another great year in CDS, there was an unfortunate event that shocked the students. In the middle of the term, both Korean university and American university councilors left the school without any notice. The students, especially juniors, were driven into panic because of the fact that they no longer had counselors to guide them. Luckily, the school quickly appointed equally great and friendly counselors who are ready to discuss the students’ future.
This year passed by very fast but was very meaningful. It has been almost four years since CDS was built and we can see that the school is improving. The administration and the faculty members are trying their best to provide their students with better educational systems. From their hard works, students get to experience new things every year that will later become unforgettable memories. If you had a great year, that’s fantastic, give yourself a nice pat on the back. If you did not, look on the bright side. It’s almost coming to an end and you get to have another chance at it next year to make it better!
-06/06/2014 (Volume III Issue V)
College Counselor Interview: Mr. John Kim (Daniel Choi)
Recently a new faculty member has arrived at CDS: our new American college counselor, Mr. Kim. Mr. Kim has been working as a counselor for quite a while and came to CDS a few weeks ago. All of the 11th Graders have had meetings with him in the past. But to get to know more about him, and to let everyone else know more about our new counselor, I’ve decided to interview him.
Q: How do you see the word "leader" fitting in to your role as a counselor?
A: I think the role of a counselor isn't to be a leader himself but to help students become leaders. My job isn't to be in front of you, pulling you along, but to be behind you, supporting you.
Q: What influenced you to be a school counselor?
A: It was an accident. I was originally a literature teacher and I still think of myself as one. I just came to know more and more about counseling by advising my former students about college.
Q: What is the counseling approach that you most closely follow?
A: That the success of counseling isn't determined by the name of the college you get into but whether you'll be happy there and thrive.
Q: How would you handle an irate parent?
A: Umm, I’ll probably just send them over to Ms. Han, who helps me in the counseling office and is much better with parents than I am.
Q: How would you handle a passive (perhaps irresponsible) parent?
A: This doesn't worry me nearly as much as passive students. Students have to be in charge of their own college application process. I've seen great applications from motivated students with irresponsible parents. I've never seen a good application from motivated parents with irresponsible students.
Q: What do you think is the most important characteristic of a counselor?
A: Caring about each student and his or her unique situation. There's a lot of diversity at CDS in terms of grades, scores, goals, and financial situations. I have to provide suitable advice for each case.
Q: How do you handle criticism?
A: I try to keep an open mind. I'll make changes if the criticism is valid. But I'll also consider how the changes will affect everyone, not just those doing the criticizing.
Q: How do you feel about writing letters of recommendations?
A: I've written a lot of letters of recommendation in the past as a teacher. I try to paint a vivid portrait of the student as a whole rather than just describing how high or low the student is in relation to other students at our school.
Q: What made you come to our school?
A: Our school is still pretty new. I like the idea of helping to build a great tradition rather than joining a school with an established reputation in Korea. I also like the Dalton philosophy.
Q: This is the first graduating class at CDS. What are your thoughts or resolutions?
A: In 10 years, when CDS is the best high school in Korea, our first graduating class will be remembered as legends. Make that 20 years.
Q: Do you have anything to say to the students?
A: Log into Naviance!
Q: What are your impressions of CDS So far?
A: A lot of people are working hard to make our school better. Administrators, teachers, parents, and students. Little by little, these efforts will bear fruit.
-06/06/2014 (Volume III Issue V)
Q: How do you see the word "leader" fitting in to your role as a counselor?
A: I think the role of a counselor isn't to be a leader himself but to help students become leaders. My job isn't to be in front of you, pulling you along, but to be behind you, supporting you.
Q: What influenced you to be a school counselor?
A: It was an accident. I was originally a literature teacher and I still think of myself as one. I just came to know more and more about counseling by advising my former students about college.
Q: What is the counseling approach that you most closely follow?
A: That the success of counseling isn't determined by the name of the college you get into but whether you'll be happy there and thrive.
Q: How would you handle an irate parent?
A: Umm, I’ll probably just send them over to Ms. Han, who helps me in the counseling office and is much better with parents than I am.
Q: How would you handle a passive (perhaps irresponsible) parent?
A: This doesn't worry me nearly as much as passive students. Students have to be in charge of their own college application process. I've seen great applications from motivated students with irresponsible parents. I've never seen a good application from motivated parents with irresponsible students.
Q: What do you think is the most important characteristic of a counselor?
A: Caring about each student and his or her unique situation. There's a lot of diversity at CDS in terms of grades, scores, goals, and financial situations. I have to provide suitable advice for each case.
Q: How do you handle criticism?
A: I try to keep an open mind. I'll make changes if the criticism is valid. But I'll also consider how the changes will affect everyone, not just those doing the criticizing.
Q: How do you feel about writing letters of recommendations?
A: I've written a lot of letters of recommendation in the past as a teacher. I try to paint a vivid portrait of the student as a whole rather than just describing how high or low the student is in relation to other students at our school.
Q: What made you come to our school?
A: Our school is still pretty new. I like the idea of helping to build a great tradition rather than joining a school with an established reputation in Korea. I also like the Dalton philosophy.
Q: This is the first graduating class at CDS. What are your thoughts or resolutions?
A: In 10 years, when CDS is the best high school in Korea, our first graduating class will be remembered as legends. Make that 20 years.
Q: Do you have anything to say to the students?
A: Log into Naviance!
Q: What are your impressions of CDS So far?
A: A lot of people are working hard to make our school better. Administrators, teachers, parents, and students. Little by little, these efforts will bear fruit.
-06/06/2014 (Volume III Issue V)
The New Cheongna Station (Suzie Park)
The Incheon Railroad Company has announced that the new Cheongna Station will be opening up on June 21st. Although originally the Cheongna Station was scheduled to be completed last year in December, its construction had been delayed. The company had been planning on installing a new signal system that will allow for the trains to operate more safely, but perfecting the system took longer than expected which prolonged the construction even further. Also, the safety procedure during construction had continuously been a problem to the regional citizens. On March 21st a construction worker in Cheongna Station was hit by the train travelling from Seoul Station to Incheon Airport. Apparently, the man had travelled into the new construction site alone without gaining any permission from higher authorities. A similar accident occurred earlier in December when a man died after being hit by a train and another accident where a man was electrocuted and left with severe injuries. Within four months, one was injured and two died. These repetitive accidents left the citizens baffled and have left the railroad construction company taking much of the heat. Some people criticized the companies for trying to rush the construction which could have caused unnecessary accidents, but the companies deny this accusation.
However, after many complications and difficulties, Cheongna Station will finally be fully functioning on June 21st and from June 29th a new train schedule will be created for those who use public transportation. The Cheongna Station will be located between Unseo Station and Geomam Station.
The completion of Cheongna Station will make the transportation of the CDS students much easier and efficient as the station is located only about a ten minute walking distance from our school. The CDS students living in the dormitory currently take the bus to Geomam Station at the end of the week. But with the new Cheongna station, hopefully the amount of time needed for transportation will be shortened. The Cheongna Station will also be operating just in time for the 2014 17th Asian Games which is taking place in Incheon. 45 different nations will be participating in this huge sporting event and thousands of people are expected to arrive. The stadium for the Asian Games is located in a near distance from Cheongna International City, meaning that the new Cheongna Station will provide a better transportation for Korean citizens as well foreign visitors coming into our nation.
-06/06/2014 (Volume III Issue V)
However, after many complications and difficulties, Cheongna Station will finally be fully functioning on June 21st and from June 29th a new train schedule will be created for those who use public transportation. The Cheongna Station will be located between Unseo Station and Geomam Station.
The completion of Cheongna Station will make the transportation of the CDS students much easier and efficient as the station is located only about a ten minute walking distance from our school. The CDS students living in the dormitory currently take the bus to Geomam Station at the end of the week. But with the new Cheongna station, hopefully the amount of time needed for transportation will be shortened. The Cheongna Station will also be operating just in time for the 2014 17th Asian Games which is taking place in Incheon. 45 different nations will be participating in this huge sporting event and thousands of people are expected to arrive. The stadium for the Asian Games is located in a near distance from Cheongna International City, meaning that the new Cheongna Station will provide a better transportation for Korean citizens as well foreign visitors coming into our nation.
-06/06/2014 (Volume III Issue V)
Orchestra Club Interview (Jane Jeong)
With Grace Lee (9) and Nathan Park (11)
Q1: What do you like best about the club?
Grace: For me, the best thing about this club is that I can get trombone lessons. The trombone is not a very common instrument, so it is hard to get lessons outside of school, but because I can borrow the instrument from school and get personal lessons, it’s good for me to join the orchestra club. I also feel that my skills are improving as well.
Nathan: I like the orchestra club because, well, I like music. Aside from that, the orchestra club is like a family to me. Ms. Yoon, our music teacher is very fun to be around.
Q2: What are some improvements that can be made?
Grace: I’m not so sure about what improvements can be made. I’m satisfied with the club just the way it is.
Nathan: This club will be a lot better if it had more members. You do not need to know how to play a certain instrument. Just come to our club and learn new instruments taught by teachers and myself.
Q3: What is your favorite song you played in the club?
Grace: There is a song called “Take Five.” We learned it during music class as well. It has a jazzy melody with five-four beat, which I think makes it a very unique and attractive song.
Nathan: My favorite song that I’ve played was the chopstick. It’s a bit different because I improvised it myself.
Q4: What instrument do you play? What is the hardest part of that instrument?
Grace: I play the piano, the clarinet, and the trombone. The piano and the clarinet is fine but the trombone is heavy and huge in size so it is harder to play. Also if I play the trombone for a long time it leaves a mark on my lips and my mouth feels slightly numb. But even though it’s difficult to play and learn, it sounds good and it’s fun, so I don’t regret having decided to learn the trombone.
Nathan: I play many instruments. But each instrument has its own challenge. Anyone can make sounds with instruments. But it’s the feelings and beautiful tones that are hard to create.
Q5: What are some of the activities you do in this club?
Grace: Inside the club, the teacher first decides on a song and then we receive lessons and practice to perfect the song. We fix everything like posture to tone to beat to dynamic to the song’s overall feeling. If the song goes well enough, we do a rehearsal together.
Nathan: I usually teach fellow students to learn new instruments.
-06/06/2014 (Volume III Issue V)
Q1: What do you like best about the club?
Grace: For me, the best thing about this club is that I can get trombone lessons. The trombone is not a very common instrument, so it is hard to get lessons outside of school, but because I can borrow the instrument from school and get personal lessons, it’s good for me to join the orchestra club. I also feel that my skills are improving as well.
Nathan: I like the orchestra club because, well, I like music. Aside from that, the orchestra club is like a family to me. Ms. Yoon, our music teacher is very fun to be around.
Q2: What are some improvements that can be made?
Grace: I’m not so sure about what improvements can be made. I’m satisfied with the club just the way it is.
Nathan: This club will be a lot better if it had more members. You do not need to know how to play a certain instrument. Just come to our club and learn new instruments taught by teachers and myself.
Q3: What is your favorite song you played in the club?
Grace: There is a song called “Take Five.” We learned it during music class as well. It has a jazzy melody with five-four beat, which I think makes it a very unique and attractive song.
Nathan: My favorite song that I’ve played was the chopstick. It’s a bit different because I improvised it myself.
Q4: What instrument do you play? What is the hardest part of that instrument?
Grace: I play the piano, the clarinet, and the trombone. The piano and the clarinet is fine but the trombone is heavy and huge in size so it is harder to play. Also if I play the trombone for a long time it leaves a mark on my lips and my mouth feels slightly numb. But even though it’s difficult to play and learn, it sounds good and it’s fun, so I don’t regret having decided to learn the trombone.
Nathan: I play many instruments. But each instrument has its own challenge. Anyone can make sounds with instruments. But it’s the feelings and beautiful tones that are hard to create.
Q5: What are some of the activities you do in this club?
Grace: Inside the club, the teacher first decides on a song and then we receive lessons and practice to perfect the song. We fix everything like posture to tone to beat to dynamic to the song’s overall feeling. If the song goes well enough, we do a rehearsal together.
Nathan: I usually teach fellow students to learn new instruments.
-06/06/2014 (Volume III Issue V)
A Letter from the Green Club (Risoo Kim)
Dear CDS,
Hello, everyone.
This is the Green Club! It has been about three terms since our Green Club actually started the Green Campaign during lunch time. Although all of our club members prepared for the Green Campaign for about two to three months, we were still worried at first, because we were not sure that you would listen to us and follow our directions. We thought it would be nearly impossible to convince you to only get an appropriate amount of food so that you wouldn’t leave behind any waste. Also, it was really hard at first to motivate you to even care for the environment and our club’s goals. We believe that was the reason why we were not able to achieve our goals of getting lower than 68-70L of food waste for certain days of the month. The progress was not consistent. However, we could see the clear differences in the students’ attitudes as time went by. I sometimes saw some students who picked up bananas at first, but then returned them as they realized that they would not be able to finish them. Since we knew that students tended to just leave the leftover food to become waste before we started the Green Campaign, we became very proud of our club’s work. Moreover, we believe that how we started with only six members in high school but later expanded to seven high school members and two middle school members was another big achievement. Those who joined our club later were the ones who wanted to join the Green Club. We want to give thanks to everyone at CDS including all the teachers and students for how much efforts they put in to be responsible for the environment! All the achievements that we have made would not have been accomplished if it weren’t for all the supports you have given us. Thank you so much and we will continue to work hard and even come back to school with even more developed ideas on how to motivate you in September. Have a great summer vacation and I hope all of you can keep trying not to make a lot of food waste, even in your own houses.
Sincerely,
Risoo Kim
-06/06/2014 (Volume III Issue V)
Hello, everyone.
This is the Green Club! It has been about three terms since our Green Club actually started the Green Campaign during lunch time. Although all of our club members prepared for the Green Campaign for about two to three months, we were still worried at first, because we were not sure that you would listen to us and follow our directions. We thought it would be nearly impossible to convince you to only get an appropriate amount of food so that you wouldn’t leave behind any waste. Also, it was really hard at first to motivate you to even care for the environment and our club’s goals. We believe that was the reason why we were not able to achieve our goals of getting lower than 68-70L of food waste for certain days of the month. The progress was not consistent. However, we could see the clear differences in the students’ attitudes as time went by. I sometimes saw some students who picked up bananas at first, but then returned them as they realized that they would not be able to finish them. Since we knew that students tended to just leave the leftover food to become waste before we started the Green Campaign, we became very proud of our club’s work. Moreover, we believe that how we started with only six members in high school but later expanded to seven high school members and two middle school members was another big achievement. Those who joined our club later were the ones who wanted to join the Green Club. We want to give thanks to everyone at CDS including all the teachers and students for how much efforts they put in to be responsible for the environment! All the achievements that we have made would not have been accomplished if it weren’t for all the supports you have given us. Thank you so much and we will continue to work hard and even come back to school with even more developed ideas on how to motivate you in September. Have a great summer vacation and I hope all of you can keep trying not to make a lot of food waste, even in your own houses.
Sincerely,
Risoo Kim
-06/06/2014 (Volume III Issue V)
Horseback Riding Club Interview (Jane Jeong)
Spring has finally arrived at our school and as the weather starts to clear, our horseback riding club has become even more active. For the fourth term, where winter has finally decided to leave us, it seemed only fitting to meet with one of our school's most active outdoor clubs. Horseback riding has been practiced by students in CDS since the opening of our school. Since the beginning of the last school year, the horseback riding club has been one of the most popular choices for extracurricular activities, despite the cost for necessary equipment and the possibility of fear related to dealing with horses. To find out details about the club, I've interviewed one of the oldest members of the club, Stacy Park, a junior student, and the club instructor/professional horseback rider, Mr. Hwang.
With: Stacy Park
1. What do you like the most about the club?
There are many reasons why I enjoy this club. I like how I can hang out with a lot of my friends while also being able to ride horses. I like how our club is quite flexible so we can decide the speed of the lessons for ourselves, meaning that we can choose to develop our skills at a faster pace if we want to. Our club instructor/teacher is also very kind and informative so that we can learn more easily. Finally, horseback riding is great way to exercise and an effective way to relieve stress.
2. What are some precautions one should know about before approaching horses?
Precautions? It’s extremely important that you don’t stand behind the horses because they can kick you with their hind legs. Also, when you are riding horses, you shouldn’t stick too close to the horse that is in front because horses can’t see what’s behind their rear and they have the tendency to kick whatever they can’t see (ha-ha).
3. What is your personal goal for the club?
I really would like to see to additions to our riding track such as obstacle courses. Also, our club members are relatively skilled so I wish we were able to participate in some competitions as well.
4. How long did it take you to be able to ride horses?
In my case, I learned how to ride horses a long time ago; I started in elementary school and have been riding horses ever since. Yet, when I first began it took several months. Probably it took about six months to a full year before I was able to properly ride horses. But I was amazed at how fast our new members learned how to ride horses.
5. What are some improvements that can be done for the club?
I think the riding track is a bit too small. It has become wider than it was last year, but I still hope it’s a little bigger. Also, I hope that our school provides our club with more horses so that more people can practice at the same time.
1. What do you like the most about the club?
There are many reasons why I enjoy this club. I like how I can hang out with a lot of my friends while also being able to ride horses. I like how our club is quite flexible so we can decide the speed of the lessons for ourselves, meaning that we can choose to develop our skills at a faster pace if we want to. Our club instructor/teacher is also very kind and informative so that we can learn more easily. Finally, horseback riding is great way to exercise and an effective way to relieve stress.
2. What are some precautions one should know about before approaching horses?
Precautions? It’s extremely important that you don’t stand behind the horses because they can kick you with their hind legs. Also, when you are riding horses, you shouldn’t stick too close to the horse that is in front because horses can’t see what’s behind their rear and they have the tendency to kick whatever they can’t see (ha-ha).
3. What is your personal goal for the club?
I really would like to see to additions to our riding track such as obstacle courses. Also, our club members are relatively skilled so I wish we were able to participate in some competitions as well.
4. How long did it take you to be able to ride horses?
In my case, I learned how to ride horses a long time ago; I started in elementary school and have been riding horses ever since. Yet, when I first began it took several months. Probably it took about six months to a full year before I was able to properly ride horses. But I was amazed at how fast our new members learned how to ride horses.
5. What are some improvements that can be done for the club?
I think the riding track is a bit too small. It has become wider than it was last year, but I still hope it’s a little bigger. Also, I hope that our school provides our club with more horses so that more people can practice at the same time.
With: Mr. Jin Oh Hwang
1. What are some of your goals for the club?
I think the main goal I have for this club is to participate in competitions outside of our school. Not only participating, but hopefully winning as well. But in order to even engage in national competitions, we need to satisfy the conditions to join. First of all, we would need to build up on our skills. Secondly, we would need more horses for the students. And thirdly, we need to take care of administrative issues; incidental work such as writing out application forms. These three are important but for now, what we can work on is skill. If we put enough effort in, we can do it.
2. When did you start to ride horses?
It’s been around ten years since I first started horseback riding. Currently I am a professional horseback rider; I’ve participated in many competitions and have even won five gold medals in my career, the most recent being the two I one just last year during the summer. I became interested in this field from the first year of high school, and I haven’t stopped since. I was always a good athlete and I was known for having great reflexes. During my middle school year, my gym teacher told me I had what it takes to acquire a professional career in horseback riding. So I took the teacher’s suggestion to heart and applied to a high school that specialized in equestrianism. From then on, all I did was ride horses. That’s how it all began for me – with a teacher’s recommendation.
3. When are you most proud of your students?
I have different stages of skills that I like to teach to the students. There is the walk, where the horse moves forward. There is the trot, where the horses move at slightly faster pace. Then thirdly there is the canter, where the horses are traveling very quickly. These are the three basic stages to riding horses. When I teach this and the students are able to perform the skills, I feel very proud of my students. The students will feel it as well, that sense of accomplishment they feel when they realize they were able to do it. Students and teachers both share it.
4. What was the biggest accident that occurred during club activities?
The biggest accident that happened would probably be when a student – Nara Lee – fell off the horse. It wasn’t an accident, really, but more of a mistake the way I see it. The reason for why it happened was clear and simple. Usually you need to keep a certain distance between horses, around two to three meters. But at the time, the horses were too close. Horses don’t like to be too near each other, so the one in the front kicked the other with its hind legs. So Nara was startled and fell off because she lost her balance. It wasn’t a heavy fall, but she pulled a muscle from the impact of the fall so she had to wear a cast for a few weeks. If I had to choose, it would be that incident. So before I teach students I make sure that the horses are well trained. I plan out which horses should be ridden by which students and I can see which students should stop riding if their horses look too exhausted. Since I carefully observe and examine the horses’ conditions, it is perfectly safe for the students to ride them.
5. What are some improvements that can be done for the club?
I would like the additions of obstacles for our riding track since in real competitions our students would need to know how to hurtle over those and we need to practice. But the school usually provides our club with our requests so there aren’t anything else that I can think of right now. Altogether, our club is great!
-04/08/2014 (Volume III Issue IV)
1. What are some of your goals for the club?
I think the main goal I have for this club is to participate in competitions outside of our school. Not only participating, but hopefully winning as well. But in order to even engage in national competitions, we need to satisfy the conditions to join. First of all, we would need to build up on our skills. Secondly, we would need more horses for the students. And thirdly, we need to take care of administrative issues; incidental work such as writing out application forms. These three are important but for now, what we can work on is skill. If we put enough effort in, we can do it.
2. When did you start to ride horses?
It’s been around ten years since I first started horseback riding. Currently I am a professional horseback rider; I’ve participated in many competitions and have even won five gold medals in my career, the most recent being the two I one just last year during the summer. I became interested in this field from the first year of high school, and I haven’t stopped since. I was always a good athlete and I was known for having great reflexes. During my middle school year, my gym teacher told me I had what it takes to acquire a professional career in horseback riding. So I took the teacher’s suggestion to heart and applied to a high school that specialized in equestrianism. From then on, all I did was ride horses. That’s how it all began for me – with a teacher’s recommendation.
3. When are you most proud of your students?
I have different stages of skills that I like to teach to the students. There is the walk, where the horse moves forward. There is the trot, where the horses move at slightly faster pace. Then thirdly there is the canter, where the horses are traveling very quickly. These are the three basic stages to riding horses. When I teach this and the students are able to perform the skills, I feel very proud of my students. The students will feel it as well, that sense of accomplishment they feel when they realize they were able to do it. Students and teachers both share it.
4. What was the biggest accident that occurred during club activities?
The biggest accident that happened would probably be when a student – Nara Lee – fell off the horse. It wasn’t an accident, really, but more of a mistake the way I see it. The reason for why it happened was clear and simple. Usually you need to keep a certain distance between horses, around two to three meters. But at the time, the horses were too close. Horses don’t like to be too near each other, so the one in the front kicked the other with its hind legs. So Nara was startled and fell off because she lost her balance. It wasn’t a heavy fall, but she pulled a muscle from the impact of the fall so she had to wear a cast for a few weeks. If I had to choose, it would be that incident. So before I teach students I make sure that the horses are well trained. I plan out which horses should be ridden by which students and I can see which students should stop riding if their horses look too exhausted. Since I carefully observe and examine the horses’ conditions, it is perfectly safe for the students to ride them.
5. What are some improvements that can be done for the club?
I would like the additions of obstacles for our riding track since in real competitions our students would need to know how to hurtle over those and we need to practice. But the school usually provides our club with our requests so there aren’t anything else that I can think of right now. Altogether, our club is great!
-04/08/2014 (Volume III Issue IV)
Update on the Green Campaign (Risoo Kim)
The Green Club has achieved its goal for the very first time! We finally collected ten stars, meaning that CDS students were able to produce less than 70L of food waste during lunch for ten times within four weeks! The reason why we were able to succeed in our Green Campaign was because the students got just the right amount of food they are going to eat on their dishes. The Green Club is very happy on how CDS students are becoming aware of the environment issues and trying to become environmentally friendly. To see how students actually think about this campaign, I interviewed John Lee from grade eleven and Sarah Lee from grade ten to hear their thoughts.
Q) How do you think the students’ eating habits changed after the start of the Green Campaign?
John: After the start of the Green Campaign, I guess the students’ eating habits are getting better everyday. Instead of getting a whole lot of food at the first time, students get the amount that they think they can finish, and then receive more when they want to eat more. Also, everyone seems to look happier when they are waiting for their food as they are contributing to help the environment.
Sarah: I can definitely say that students are actually trying to get the amount of food that they are able to eat rather than trying to get just a whole lot when they are hungry. Even one of my friends picked up a banana but then put it back because she felt that she would not be able to eat it.
Q) What are your thoughts on having achieved ten stars this month and receiving chocolate as the prize?
John: I was impressed how all of our CDS students really tried hard to not waste any food and be responsible for what they have. The sweetness of the chocolate was as sweet as the success we have all made together as a school! Seeing what the campaign was able to achieve so far made me want to join the club as well.
Sarah: I always used to get a lot and made a lot of food waste, as I could not finish everything. However, as I put an effort to reduce the food waste and actually received chocolate for the prize, I am very proud of myself. Getting 10 stars became a very good opportunity for me keep putting an endeavor to improve my eating habit.
Thank you, John and Sarah for sharing their opinions in the interview. We are pretty sure that most of the high school students in CDS have changed their lunch habits due to the Green Campaign like John and Sarah. Therefore, from now on, we are also going to have new members from middle school added to the Green Club so that the Green Campaign can be held during middle school’s lunch time as well.
Oh! There is a very important announcement from the Green Club for all of you! As we have collected ten stars for the goal of achieving less than 70L of food waste, we are going to reduce the maximum limitation to 68L for the following weeks! We really hope that everyone in CDS can receive the prize again for the next four weeks. Next time, there will be a different prize, so you're welcome to feel anticipation!
-04/08/2014 (Volume III Issue IV)
Q) How do you think the students’ eating habits changed after the start of the Green Campaign?
John: After the start of the Green Campaign, I guess the students’ eating habits are getting better everyday. Instead of getting a whole lot of food at the first time, students get the amount that they think they can finish, and then receive more when they want to eat more. Also, everyone seems to look happier when they are waiting for their food as they are contributing to help the environment.
Sarah: I can definitely say that students are actually trying to get the amount of food that they are able to eat rather than trying to get just a whole lot when they are hungry. Even one of my friends picked up a banana but then put it back because she felt that she would not be able to eat it.
Q) What are your thoughts on having achieved ten stars this month and receiving chocolate as the prize?
John: I was impressed how all of our CDS students really tried hard to not waste any food and be responsible for what they have. The sweetness of the chocolate was as sweet as the success we have all made together as a school! Seeing what the campaign was able to achieve so far made me want to join the club as well.
Sarah: I always used to get a lot and made a lot of food waste, as I could not finish everything. However, as I put an effort to reduce the food waste and actually received chocolate for the prize, I am very proud of myself. Getting 10 stars became a very good opportunity for me keep putting an endeavor to improve my eating habit.
Thank you, John and Sarah for sharing their opinions in the interview. We are pretty sure that most of the high school students in CDS have changed their lunch habits due to the Green Campaign like John and Sarah. Therefore, from now on, we are also going to have new members from middle school added to the Green Club so that the Green Campaign can be held during middle school’s lunch time as well.
Oh! There is a very important announcement from the Green Club for all of you! As we have collected ten stars for the goal of achieving less than 70L of food waste, we are going to reduce the maximum limitation to 68L for the following weeks! We really hope that everyone in CDS can receive the prize again for the next four weeks. Next time, there will be a different prize, so you're welcome to feel anticipation!
-04/08/2014 (Volume III Issue IV)
What the SA(C)T?! (Edward J. Suh)
On March 5th, the College Board disclosed a major issue to the world. The president of the College Board, David Coleman, announced that the SAT will be revised in the spring of 2016. Prior to its refinement, Coleman is thinking of initiating “programs to help low-income students, who will now be given fee waivers allowing them to apply to four colleges at no charge.” Coleman also will collaborate with Khan Academy in order to offer free online practice problems as well as instructional videos that would help students on how to solve them. This article should be a must-read, especially for all freshmen students who are planning to take the SAT tests in two years or later on.
The new SAT will be changed in the following ways:
Dear future sophomores/juniors of 2016, many of us juniors had to struggle with the old SAT because of its difficult vocabulary and merciless essay topics that were not very familiar to us. Also, there were many students who have not only failed the test, but also ruined their future careers because of academic dishonesty such as cheating. To those who have not taken the previous SAT, should not be in a position to complain too strongly about the new SAT format. In the past, there were those who have suffered much more than us. And in the future, we will continue to walk the path of academic hardship. So let us prepare ourselves for the worst. And most importantly,
“Do not engage in academic dishonesty; it will only hurt yourself.”
You will hear these words many times…soon.
-04/08/2014 (Volume III Issue IV)
The new SAT will be changed in the following ways:
- Instead of so-called “SAT words” such as “hedonist” or “desolation,” it will focus on the common words used in colleges, such as “synthesis” or “empirical.”
- What was once divided into three sections (reading, math, and writing) will now divided into two sections (evidence-based reading and writing, and math.) Therefore, the 2400-point scale will return to the older 1600-point scale.
- The essay that was mandatory since 2005 will become optional. Students will read a passage, analyze its position, and utilize the students’ evidences and reasoning to support their arguments. ★However, it is inevitable that most colleges will still require the essay. Therefore, it is not literally an optional choice unless you wish to apply to less prestigious universities.
- No points will be deducted for marking incorrect answers.
- Math questions will focus on linear equations; complex equations/functions; and ratios, percentages, and proportional reasoning. Also, calculators will be available only for a few sections.
Dear future sophomores/juniors of 2016, many of us juniors had to struggle with the old SAT because of its difficult vocabulary and merciless essay topics that were not very familiar to us. Also, there were many students who have not only failed the test, but also ruined their future careers because of academic dishonesty such as cheating. To those who have not taken the previous SAT, should not be in a position to complain too strongly about the new SAT format. In the past, there were those who have suffered much more than us. And in the future, we will continue to walk the path of academic hardship. So let us prepare ourselves for the worst. And most importantly,
“Do not engage in academic dishonesty; it will only hurt yourself.”
You will hear these words many times…soon.
-04/08/2014 (Volume III Issue IV)
Swimming Club Interview (Jane Jeong)
It’s been an exciting new year for the swimming club in 2014. There have been many new recruits in the swimming club this year compared to the last. To gather the most accurate and interesting information about the club and its activities I have decided to interview the juniors on the club – Lindsay Hwang (11) and Justin Rhee (11).
1. What do you like best about the swimming club?
Lindsay Hwang: I like Mr. Jung. He is the best teacher I have ever had. He taught me how to swim and he is my lifesaver.
Justin Rhee: Swimming is fun. Mr. Jung is fun. The water is warm.
2. What are some of the expectations/goals you have for the club?
Lindsay Hwang: I want to master the backstroke because I want to be able to save my life when I am being chased by a shark. I want to swim like a mermaid.
Justin Rhee: I wish I could swim like Park Tae Hwan, so that I can earn money.
3. Are you enjoying being in the club? Why?
Lindsay Hwang: Yes, I’ve enjoyed the club because I was able to improve my swimming skills a lot. When I first joined, I couldn't swim at all, but now I can at least do a freestyle.
Justin Rhee: I’m enjoying the swimming club because it helps me relieve the stress I get from school work.
4. What are the activities you do in the swimming club?
Lindsay Hwang: We learn a lot of practical and useful skills. I learned how to do breaststroke and I often practice my freestyle as well. Soon, I will be able to learn how to dive and do a flip turn as well.
Justin Rhee: I am free styling!
5. Any improvements that can be made? Why?
Lindsay Hwang: I want the swimming pool to be warmer, especially in the winter. Also I wish our swimming pool was larger, since we have so many members it is hard for our pool to accommodate all the students in at once.
Justin Rhee: I wish the swimming pool was larger so that more people can swim together.
-02/14/2014 (Volume III Issue III)
1. What do you like best about the swimming club?
Lindsay Hwang: I like Mr. Jung. He is the best teacher I have ever had. He taught me how to swim and he is my lifesaver.
Justin Rhee: Swimming is fun. Mr. Jung is fun. The water is warm.
2. What are some of the expectations/goals you have for the club?
Lindsay Hwang: I want to master the backstroke because I want to be able to save my life when I am being chased by a shark. I want to swim like a mermaid.
Justin Rhee: I wish I could swim like Park Tae Hwan, so that I can earn money.
3. Are you enjoying being in the club? Why?
Lindsay Hwang: Yes, I’ve enjoyed the club because I was able to improve my swimming skills a lot. When I first joined, I couldn't swim at all, but now I can at least do a freestyle.
Justin Rhee: I’m enjoying the swimming club because it helps me relieve the stress I get from school work.
4. What are the activities you do in the swimming club?
Lindsay Hwang: We learn a lot of practical and useful skills. I learned how to do breaststroke and I often practice my freestyle as well. Soon, I will be able to learn how to dive and do a flip turn as well.
Justin Rhee: I am free styling!
5. Any improvements that can be made? Why?
Lindsay Hwang: I want the swimming pool to be warmer, especially in the winter. Also I wish our swimming pool was larger, since we have so many members it is hard for our pool to accommodate all the students in at once.
Justin Rhee: I wish the swimming pool was larger so that more people can swim together.
-02/14/2014 (Volume III Issue III)
Cooking Club Interview with Sooji Seo (Jane Jeong)
1Q. What do you like best about the Cooking Club?
1A. First, I love how I can cook and talk at the same time with my friends along with the other people I got to know through the club. When I cook in the Club, I don’t only look at the bowl and start cooking but I cooperate with friends and have a fun conversation. Also I can learn about different types of professional words for cooking and some basic methods essential to baking and cooking. Therefore, although food is something that I can eat every day, I can be more aware of different techniques and methods used in cooking and baking.
2Q. What are some of the expectations/goals you have for the club?
2A. This club is not only a cooking club but also a voluntary service club. So I wish we can raise lots of money to use to offer people financial aid. Every other week we raise about 30,000 to 50,000 won. I hope that people know the values of some of the goods we sell. Sometimes people assume the worth of our ingredients by themselves and often think that they are too expensive. However, we always use high quality ingredients in our food to create the best products. I also hope that the cooking club will continue to be fun and will have younger grades to carry on the club next year.
3Q. Are you enjoying it? Why?
3A. Yes!! I love being in the Cooking Club. Although it can sometimes be tiring, learning different types of recipes is very fun and I can also try to make them at home or for special occasions.
4Q. What are the activities you are doing in the Cooking Club?
4A. We are basically baking but other than that we also divide up our work depending on each of our club member’s interests. For instance there is the management team, the selling team and the finance team. Each different team makes a different kind of contribution which enables the active functioning of the club. For instance, the finance team takes care of the money; they record the profit and loss in money while comparing them to the ingredients fee. Next, the management team takes charge of the general tasks of the club such as organizing the club so that each team is cooperating, planning for each class, and guiding the club so that we are on the right track. Lastly, for the selling team they sell, advertise and think about different ways to improve the methods on how to attract attention from buyers.
5Q. Any improvements that can be made? Why?
5A. For improvement, we could make more advanced pastries such as macaroons, cake, choux cream and much more. Also we wish that we can enlarge our selling not only to our school students but also to parents and people outside of the school in order to raise awareness of the needs in different developing areas. Finally, I hope everyone continues to enjoy cooking!
-11/20/2013 (Volume III Issue II)
1A. First, I love how I can cook and talk at the same time with my friends along with the other people I got to know through the club. When I cook in the Club, I don’t only look at the bowl and start cooking but I cooperate with friends and have a fun conversation. Also I can learn about different types of professional words for cooking and some basic methods essential to baking and cooking. Therefore, although food is something that I can eat every day, I can be more aware of different techniques and methods used in cooking and baking.
2Q. What are some of the expectations/goals you have for the club?
2A. This club is not only a cooking club but also a voluntary service club. So I wish we can raise lots of money to use to offer people financial aid. Every other week we raise about 30,000 to 50,000 won. I hope that people know the values of some of the goods we sell. Sometimes people assume the worth of our ingredients by themselves and often think that they are too expensive. However, we always use high quality ingredients in our food to create the best products. I also hope that the cooking club will continue to be fun and will have younger grades to carry on the club next year.
3Q. Are you enjoying it? Why?
3A. Yes!! I love being in the Cooking Club. Although it can sometimes be tiring, learning different types of recipes is very fun and I can also try to make them at home or for special occasions.
4Q. What are the activities you are doing in the Cooking Club?
4A. We are basically baking but other than that we also divide up our work depending on each of our club member’s interests. For instance there is the management team, the selling team and the finance team. Each different team makes a different kind of contribution which enables the active functioning of the club. For instance, the finance team takes care of the money; they record the profit and loss in money while comparing them to the ingredients fee. Next, the management team takes charge of the general tasks of the club such as organizing the club so that each team is cooperating, planning for each class, and guiding the club so that we are on the right track. Lastly, for the selling team they sell, advertise and think about different ways to improve the methods on how to attract attention from buyers.
5Q. Any improvements that can be made? Why?
5A. For improvement, we could make more advanced pastries such as macaroons, cake, choux cream and much more. Also we wish that we can enlarge our selling not only to our school students but also to parents and people outside of the school in order to raise awareness of the needs in different developing areas. Finally, I hope everyone continues to enjoy cooking!
-11/20/2013 (Volume III Issue II)
Journalism Club Advertisement! (Suzie Park)
The school has now accepted the creation of a new club specially designed for students interested in the career of journalism. Led and supervised by the school’s new high school English teacher, Mr. Rutherford, the club will be going into depth about the field of journalism. The club will be discussing different articles, current events, and watching documentaries. Any high school student is welcome to join the club. Please be warned though that this club will not be a time for lounging around; only students who are actually interested in the field of journalism should apply to join this club (otherwise, this club won’t be for you). They will be meeting once on Thursday for every second week during the extra-curricular period. If interested, please contact Mr. Rutherford in room 213.
-11/20/2013 (Volume III Issue II)
-11/20/2013 (Volume III Issue II)
New Student Member Interview: Nara Lee (Angie Lee)
Q1: Please introduce yourself.
A1: My name is Nara in 10D. I like to listen to music and I’m a new student in CDS.
Q2: What’s your strength and weakness?
A2: My strength is making friends because I tend to go and talk to people first rather than just waiting for others to talk to me. Also, I like to solve mathematic problems, but I’m not that good. My weakness is science because memorizing scientific vocabulary is very difficult for me. Like all the scientific formulas and chemical…Urgh.
Q3: How did you come to CDS?
A3: Well, what sounded compelling about this school was the fact that it is possible to go to colleges in both foreign countries and in Korea.
Q4: Where did you live before you came to CDS?
A4: I lived in Singapore for 5 years. Then, I moved to China and lived there for about 6 months.
Q5: How was your last school?
A5: It was very small compared to CDS. We only had around 60 students. Well, the school itself wasn’t so small but we were all divided. I was in the “Korean class” which was quite small. It was very different from normal schools. I didn’t get to experience many things that are possible in here.
Q6: What was your first impression of CDS?
A6: Very big. I really liked the system of this school. I think it’s very organized and since we don’t have too many students here, it’s quite nice how we get to know many people from different grades. Overall, I like the friendly atmosphere of this school.
Q7: Who’s your favorite teacher here?
A7: I didn’t get a chance to meet many teachers so… I’m still not sure. ^^
Q8: How’s your life in the dorm?
A8: I really like the study hall. I guess we can’t go to academies and study other things since we are in dormitory for week days. But, I think studying in the study hall is very effective. When I study by myself, I tend to procrastinate and leave all of my homework until the very end, but with the 4-hour given period of time in the study hall, I can really focus and finish my work on time. Studying with friends is both beneficial and enjoyable because I can ask them whenever I need help and I can actually learn from them.
Q9: Did you get along with your friends well?
A9: For me, as I already mentioned, I tend to go around and talk to people first. So, I think I got along with my new friends quite quickly. When I first came here, my friends were very nice and friendly. I really appreciate it.
Q10: What are you looking forward to accomplish in CDS?
A10: I guess...we all want good grades. When I first came to this school, I heard that teachers give out grades very harshly. I believe that we need to get what we deserve. Nothing more and nothing less. I want teachers and students to establish good relationship. I’m of the opinion that teachers should really care about all the students and hope to give us good grades rather than searching for mistakes and errors to deduct our points.
Q11: Do you have anything you want to say to your friends in CDS?
A11: Since this is only my first year here, I hope to get to know many of you and I’m very pleased to be here. I also want to tell all of you, “don’t be too stressed about your school life!” I personally don’t have a dream yet and I think it’s pointless to aim for going to a good college when you don’t even have a dream. The majority among us probably studied somewhere other than Korea and our parents already paid tons of money for our education. For me, I’m an only child and parents are quite old. I don’t want to ask for too much. So, I’m not particularly planning on going to a university…not yet. I want to earn money on my own before I can go into a college. I’m not saying that you guys should quit studying and stop aiming for good grades. I want all of you to take a break and have a dream first before you push yourself to get good grades.
-10/05/2013 (Volume III Issue I)
A1: My name is Nara in 10D. I like to listen to music and I’m a new student in CDS.
Q2: What’s your strength and weakness?
A2: My strength is making friends because I tend to go and talk to people first rather than just waiting for others to talk to me. Also, I like to solve mathematic problems, but I’m not that good. My weakness is science because memorizing scientific vocabulary is very difficult for me. Like all the scientific formulas and chemical…Urgh.
Q3: How did you come to CDS?
A3: Well, what sounded compelling about this school was the fact that it is possible to go to colleges in both foreign countries and in Korea.
Q4: Where did you live before you came to CDS?
A4: I lived in Singapore for 5 years. Then, I moved to China and lived there for about 6 months.
Q5: How was your last school?
A5: It was very small compared to CDS. We only had around 60 students. Well, the school itself wasn’t so small but we were all divided. I was in the “Korean class” which was quite small. It was very different from normal schools. I didn’t get to experience many things that are possible in here.
Q6: What was your first impression of CDS?
A6: Very big. I really liked the system of this school. I think it’s very organized and since we don’t have too many students here, it’s quite nice how we get to know many people from different grades. Overall, I like the friendly atmosphere of this school.
Q7: Who’s your favorite teacher here?
A7: I didn’t get a chance to meet many teachers so… I’m still not sure. ^^
Q8: How’s your life in the dorm?
A8: I really like the study hall. I guess we can’t go to academies and study other things since we are in dormitory for week days. But, I think studying in the study hall is very effective. When I study by myself, I tend to procrastinate and leave all of my homework until the very end, but with the 4-hour given period of time in the study hall, I can really focus and finish my work on time. Studying with friends is both beneficial and enjoyable because I can ask them whenever I need help and I can actually learn from them.
Q9: Did you get along with your friends well?
A9: For me, as I already mentioned, I tend to go around and talk to people first. So, I think I got along with my new friends quite quickly. When I first came here, my friends were very nice and friendly. I really appreciate it.
Q10: What are you looking forward to accomplish in CDS?
A10: I guess...we all want good grades. When I first came to this school, I heard that teachers give out grades very harshly. I believe that we need to get what we deserve. Nothing more and nothing less. I want teachers and students to establish good relationship. I’m of the opinion that teachers should really care about all the students and hope to give us good grades rather than searching for mistakes and errors to deduct our points.
Q11: Do you have anything you want to say to your friends in CDS?
A11: Since this is only my first year here, I hope to get to know many of you and I’m very pleased to be here. I also want to tell all of you, “don’t be too stressed about your school life!” I personally don’t have a dream yet and I think it’s pointless to aim for going to a good college when you don’t even have a dream. The majority among us probably studied somewhere other than Korea and our parents already paid tons of money for our education. For me, I’m an only child and parents are quite old. I don’t want to ask for too much. So, I’m not particularly planning on going to a university…not yet. I want to earn money on my own before I can go into a college. I’m not saying that you guys should quit studying and stop aiming for good grades. I want all of you to take a break and have a dream first before you push yourself to get good grades.
-10/05/2013 (Volume III Issue I)
Greetings, Mr. Harrison! (Brian Park)
During the first day of school when new students were experiencing a foreign school and making acquaintances, some teachers were also very nervous on their first day barely knowing anyone in the building— including the Director of High School Mr. Malcolm Harrison. “[I was] very, very nervous, but excited at the same time of the fact that it was an entire high school and [that] I was going to have a hand in shaping so many people’s futures,” Mr. Harrison said. An email out of the blue last year in November first introduced Mr. Harrison to CDS when he was working at a different school in Korea. After looking at the facilities offered here and the potential of the school’s growth, the opportunity to work seemed too good to resist.
Originally from Scotland in the United Kingdom, Mr. Harrison has a worldwide experience of teaching and education. After graduating from college in Edinburgh, Mr. Harrison went to Australia for five years to run a sales company. Then, following his passion to teach internationally, he has taught in Korea for almost the past 10 years. Mr. Harrison has also taught English to adults in Japan for a year, taught elementary students in the Gangnam district, worked in curriculum design for five years, and taught at another international school in Korea for two years. However, he had not planned to be in Korea for this long. Originally he planned to be in Korea for only a year, yet the job opportunities, as well as the atmosphere itself, led Mr. Harrison to continue teaching in Korea. “At that time I was intending on probably going to travel to other countries, so when I arrived here I expected to be here for a year and then move somewhere else,” Mr. Harrison said. “However, I got stuck.” After seeing the country change and develop to what it is today, some of the things Mr. Harrison enjoys the most about Korea are the food and how safe it is here. “I like the safety and the security of the country and how generally peaceful it is,” Mr. Harrison said. “The ability to walk around a major city the size of Seoul in the middle of the night and not be in danger in any way is something I very much enjoy.”
When Mr. Harrison has time off teaching, he enjoys playing various sports, including soccer, tennis and rugby. Since it rains in Scotland almost every day, living in Korea makes playing sports a lot easier, since it rains less frequently here compared to Scotland, where it would rain almost every day. In addition to his duties as Director of High School, which involves academic progression, disciplinary manner, extracurricular activities, and handling orders/supplies, he also manages to find time to teach AP Economics to the junior class and be the soccer coach for the middle school. Now as Mr. Harrison started his official position in August, he has noticed that the students are generally friendly and open. However, along with trying to improve the learning environment, he is trying to change some aspects of the culture surrounding the school. He wants to bring out a culture of achievement through recognition, where students will be surrounded by success. “Rather than negative attitudes and people talking about failing on tests, I want to have everybody talking about how they can pass tests,” Mr. Harrison said. “Not just pass tests, but if they are getting a B or C, how how can we get an A? If they are getting a D, how can we get a C? So everybody looking to improve all the time.”
-10/05/2013 (Volume III Issue I)
Originally from Scotland in the United Kingdom, Mr. Harrison has a worldwide experience of teaching and education. After graduating from college in Edinburgh, Mr. Harrison went to Australia for five years to run a sales company. Then, following his passion to teach internationally, he has taught in Korea for almost the past 10 years. Mr. Harrison has also taught English to adults in Japan for a year, taught elementary students in the Gangnam district, worked in curriculum design for five years, and taught at another international school in Korea for two years. However, he had not planned to be in Korea for this long. Originally he planned to be in Korea for only a year, yet the job opportunities, as well as the atmosphere itself, led Mr. Harrison to continue teaching in Korea. “At that time I was intending on probably going to travel to other countries, so when I arrived here I expected to be here for a year and then move somewhere else,” Mr. Harrison said. “However, I got stuck.” After seeing the country change and develop to what it is today, some of the things Mr. Harrison enjoys the most about Korea are the food and how safe it is here. “I like the safety and the security of the country and how generally peaceful it is,” Mr. Harrison said. “The ability to walk around a major city the size of Seoul in the middle of the night and not be in danger in any way is something I very much enjoy.”
When Mr. Harrison has time off teaching, he enjoys playing various sports, including soccer, tennis and rugby. Since it rains in Scotland almost every day, living in Korea makes playing sports a lot easier, since it rains less frequently here compared to Scotland, where it would rain almost every day. In addition to his duties as Director of High School, which involves academic progression, disciplinary manner, extracurricular activities, and handling orders/supplies, he also manages to find time to teach AP Economics to the junior class and be the soccer coach for the middle school. Now as Mr. Harrison started his official position in August, he has noticed that the students are generally friendly and open. However, along with trying to improve the learning environment, he is trying to change some aspects of the culture surrounding the school. He wants to bring out a culture of achievement through recognition, where students will be surrounded by success. “Rather than negative attitudes and people talking about failing on tests, I want to have everybody talking about how they can pass tests,” Mr. Harrison said. “Not just pass tests, but if they are getting a B or C, how how can we get an A? If they are getting a D, how can we get a C? So everybody looking to improve all the time.”
-10/05/2013 (Volume III Issue I)
"THE" Green Club (Suzie Park)
With new changes arising in this school year, a part of the student body has taken an eco-initiative by trying to change the school for the better. The new environmental club of CDS, the Green Club consists of a group of eleventh grade students: Risoo Kim, Suzie Park, Edward Suh, Yesul Ahn, Justin Rhee, and Jae Park. The club aspires to reduce the amount of food waste from the school year per month. The main project the club is working on is the Green Campaign. Each month, the average of food wasted per day will be calculated. Then for the next month, the amount of food waste will be measured per day and compared to the average waste from last month. Every day food waste is reduced from the average of last month’s, a sticker will be gained. When the student body is able to work together to reduce food waste and earn ten stickers within a month, the club offers to provide prizes such as delicious snacks! The project will soon initiate so the club asks for an active participation from the whole student body.
-10/05/2013 (Volume III Issue I) |
The Gallery Club Interview (Jane Jeong)
Gallery Club teacher interview [Mr. Kipp Greene]
What are some goals/expectations you have for the Gallery Club? Hopefully establishing the BongDuk Education Foundation Gallery. We will designing the floor-plan of the gallery so that we can make it an appropriate space to exhibit and lead workshops with students. Students will learn a wide variety of useful skills, like organizing exhibitions, graphic designing, even creating artworks to display themselves. What are the activities you are doing in the club? We will organize exhibitions for the first term to make the beginning layout of the gallery. We will design an exhibition to display student artworks of our choice. |
Gallery Club Student interview [Jeff Choi]
What do you like best about your club?
I’m personally very fond of the Gallery Club because of the kind of activities and possibilities they provide. They offer each and every individual the chance to run their own gallery, a privilege that not too many people can get.
What are some of the expectations/goals you have for the club?
One of our major goals is to be running a gallery that is able to portray the artistic attributes of our school.
Are you enjoying it? Why?
The gallery is a club that everyone can enjoy, even if they hate art! The reason I would say this is because the Gallery Club is not only welcoming, but we have the best (and coolest!) teacher in the school, Mr. Kipp Greene. Also we have so many things planned for this term.
Any improvements that can be made? Why?
One of the improvements we could make for this club is to collect more diversified artwork by our students to display at our exhibition. Another improvement we could make is trying to get a wider audience for our exhibition.
-10/05/2013 (Volume III Issue I)
What do you like best about your club?
I’m personally very fond of the Gallery Club because of the kind of activities and possibilities they provide. They offer each and every individual the chance to run their own gallery, a privilege that not too many people can get.
What are some of the expectations/goals you have for the club?
One of our major goals is to be running a gallery that is able to portray the artistic attributes of our school.
Are you enjoying it? Why?
The gallery is a club that everyone can enjoy, even if they hate art! The reason I would say this is because the Gallery Club is not only welcoming, but we have the best (and coolest!) teacher in the school, Mr. Kipp Greene. Also we have so many things planned for this term.
Any improvements that can be made? Why?
One of the improvements we could make for this club is to collect more diversified artwork by our students to display at our exhibition. Another improvement we could make is trying to get a wider audience for our exhibition.
-10/05/2013 (Volume III Issue I)