The Times

N o. I

seoul international school

Page 3 News

Page 7 Sports

SIS to host 17th SEOMUN conference

JV volleyball team triumphs over Chadwick

Photo courtesy of Tiger Times

Smiling at the camera, seniors Kiup Lee, Thomas Cha, Sarah Kim and Yasmin Yoon attend the Halloween Carnival

Clubs host second Halloween Carnival

By APRIL KIM

The
second,
Halloweenthemed, fundraising carnival, regulated by the Global Issues Network
(GIN) collaborating with National
Art Honor Society (NAHS) is being
held on Oct. 30, after school, but
with changes aimed for smoother

management and greater enjoyment

for attendees.
The executives made sure to
work on areas where we can improve
and integrate it into this year's plans.
For example, the Haunted House
needed a lot more planning and organization. This year, we're keeping
a strict schedule, an organized document and good communication to
make sure we don't make the same

mistakes from last year, said Darin

Son (12), GIN vice president.
Last year, the first Halloween
Carnival was taken place, which was
successful according to GINs executives and adviser. They were able
to raise a lot of money for charity,
which was one of their main purposes. However, there were some problems that the members ran into during the day of the carnival, like lack

of order and space management.

The carnival was not too organized, and I felt like the GIN
members had to cram in so many
things [like the haunted house and
the other activities] in such a small
place, said Elliot Nam (9), former
attendee.
Because of the experience, GIN
was able to note mistakes to look out
for, and have planned accordingly.
Togo Tamura, GIN president,
made collaborations really organized, which helps working on the
carnival at a faster and smoother
pace, said Darin. About the event
itself, were changing the layout of
the carnival so that we use our space
more efficiently.
The adjustments will not only
attract more attendees, helping with
the fundraising, but also help students learn the importance of persisting on in order to achieve a goal
and fulfill purposes.
I think its really admirable
that theyre continuing to do something that they started rather than
quitting after hearing criticism, former attendee Sohee Ahn (9), said.
As the Halloween Carnival is
being remolded into an event with
greater purposes and better management, GIN members hope that it will
become a part of a tradition for SIS.

Increased cigarette tax affects teenage smoking rate

By ELLIANA CHANG

Nine weeks have passed since

the Korean government decided to increase the tobacco price from 2,500 to
4,500 KRW by escalating taxes. The
tax hike took effect on Jan. 1 to, according to the Ministry of Health, raise
government revenue and decrease the
smoking rate.
In addition, on Feb. 5, the Ministry of Strategy and Finance announced
a plan to raise the price of dutyfree
cigarettes from 1,900 to 2,700 KRW
per pack. This would be the first time
the Korean government controlled the
price of duty free goods.
From my study called The Anti-
Smoking Intentions of Smoking Teenagers, we can certainly conclude that
a rise in tax is an effective measure to
dissuade teenagers from smoking. Im
expecting the smoking rate to decrease
by at least 30 percent, Park Soon Yoo,
a professor of Preventive Medicine at
Daegu Catholic Medical University,
said.

Photo by Nicholas Kim

Placed on the rack, cigarettes are seen with a price increase from previous years. The Korean government recently raised
the price of cigarettes from 2500 won to 4500 won.

Others, however, argue that the

policy, not providing awareness toward the danger of smoking, will fail
to inhibit the rate of smoking in South
Korea.
Although the teenagers would
want to quit smoking, there is not
enough awareness to support these
antismoking programs, said Lee Bok
Gun, the secretary general of Teenager
Smoking and Drinking Prevention Association.

Further opponents to the tax increase say that the addiction to tobacco will the price increase ineffective in
curtailing smoking rates.
Tobacco is such an irresistible,
addictive material especially to teenagers who are not deterred by the tax
increase. They will find a way to purchase it regardless of how difficult it
is, said Jaehoon Chang, father of two
teenagers.
The Korean law currently does

not permit any students under 19 years

old to smoke in public. Particularly,
the SIS 14
15 Student Handbook
states that the use or possession of
tobacco products will result in suspension from school. As such, some
in SIS raised the hopes of an effect on
student smoking rates.
I do see optimism in the tax increase, but it comes down to a persons
choice for a healthier life, said Mercy
Jesudass, high school counselor.

April 2015

Humans of SIS provides insight into

school community
By JOYCE LEE

Inspired by the photography

blog Humans of New York, three
SIS sophomores, Ashley Sohn,
Brian Kim and Andrew Rhee,
founded the Humans of SIS Facebook page on Aug. 12, in collaboration with Tiger Times Online
and Aperture.
[Humans of SIS (HOSIS) is
unique because] it not only shows
objects of interest in students
lives, but also the students as the
objects of interest, said Yeena
Yoon (11), Tiger Times Online
representative for HOSIS.
Humans of New York
(HONY), created by Brandon
Stanton, carries over 5000 portraits of various people in New
York, along with a brief quote
that provides a glimpse into their
lives. HOSIS aspires to provide a
glimpse into the lives of the humans at SIS, as HONY does with
the citizens of New York.
If you go read the comments
on HONYs pictures, theyre basically the only place where the
community accepts, shares, and
forgives, said Brian Kim (10),
HOSIS administrator. I thought
that perhaps sharing stories like
those could get the SIS community to open up.
Inspired, the sophomores
created a Facebook page to host
pictures they take of students
around the school. They follow
the HONY style of posts: a portrait of an individual with a quote
or a short story that presents an
insight into individuals within the
SIS community.
When I found out that there
was a version of HONY in SIS, I
was attracted to the resemblance
it bore to HONY, Julie Song (9)
said. The personal connection I
could feel with the people in the
photographs made it even more
interesting.
Though it launched less than
three months ago, HOSIS has
gathered more than 350 likes on
its Facebook page. According to
the founders, they hope to turn
HOSIS into a school tradition for
years to come.

2 April 2015

the times

opinion

The problem with the need for speed

By ANDREW HAM

Last week, I saw a car travelling at

nearly 20 miles per hournot exactly
what you would call a street menace, but
still fast enough to steamroll any pigeon
idling on the road. All was calm until the
driver behind that car thought it would
be a bright idea to blast his new, deluxesize horns and burst out of his car yelling
because, one, we were apparently on a
giant express highway that no one was
aware of for the last five decades; and
two, he had such an important meeting
to get to (then again, if the meeting was
so important he probably shouldnt have
een wearing Nike sweatpants). The entire
neighborhood heard him much too well,
and the slow car hurried off.
Soon after that incident, an article titled Seoul to Slow Down Traffic Signals
for Elderly from the Wall Street Journal
reported that 34 percent of automobile accidents in Korea involve elderly citizens.
Intrigued, I left the family car alone in
the parking lot for a few days, then crept
slowly to the potential culprit. Heres my
dutiful report: no bloodstains were on the
bumper or the grill, and neighbors didnt
hear any screams. Hours of CCTV reels
only produced suspicious looks from the
guards. And after careful calculations,

Moving across traffic, cars bustle along the streets of Gangnam in the morning.

heres the conclusion: cars dont kill people. People do.

Drivers in Seoul run red lights, gun
yellows, and surge past greens. They
prioritize speed and are notorious for
harassing hesitating cars. The Korean
Herald reported in 2011 that South Korea
tallied the highest fatality rate of pedestrians among Organization for Economic
Cooperation and Development countries

(37 percent). Elderly citizens are so often

on the receiving end because they tend to
take their time, provoking irritable drivers.
The root of what is known as the
problematic pali-pali attitude comes
from traditional Korean wisdom that
faster is better. During the post-Korean
War period, president Park Chung-Hees
(and consequently, our) mantra was

Photo by Nicholas Kim

lets rebuild this stuff as fast as possible

to catch up with the rest of the world,
and that was reflected in unprecedented
economic growthone day, people
were riding cows; the next, speeding in
Fords. A consequence of this rapid economic growth has been that Koreans
havent had as much time as their Western counterparts to develop an adequate
driving mentality for such an urbanized

nation. As a result, Koreans drive like

they walk; they sometimes even park in
the middle of a major road, forcing others to weave around. Although Korea is
now one of the most developed countries
in the world, its mentality is still trapped
in the 1960s.
Another issue is the serious lack
of a police force. Traffic laws arent as
binding in Seoul because there arent
enough policemen to enforce the laws.
According to a UN report, Korea tallies
195 policemen per 100,000 civilians,
only just ahead of countries such as Iran
and Niger. The government needs to
recognize this and needs to incentivize
people to become police officers with
ways like raising their salaries. Without
the proper enforcement of traffic laws in
South Korea, the laws may just as well
not exist.
But more importantly, Koreans
need to understand that for cars and people to coexist, people must have priority
because life is more important than an
urgent meeting. With small collective efforts, social change can slowly start to occur. Drivers also need to understand that
although they may not get punished for
neglecting traffic laws, the laws are there
for a reasonto create a safe and sustainable driving environment for years
to come.

Make camouflage the new black

The Lost Art of Communication

By NICHOLAS KIM

By SOOMIN CHUN

Every year, 350,000 South

Korean young men are conscripted
into military service, a mandatory
duty since the Korean War. Women are exempt from this mandate,
and even in the 21st century, they
are not required to fulfill anything
close to the same civic responsibility as their brothers, classmates
and future husbands.
The justifications for this have
ranged from traditional views of
female weakness to the perception that women are needed in the
home. Thanks to these views, it is
difficult to imagine ones mothers
or sisters in a military uniform,
just like the words forewoman
and chairwoman feel strange to
the mouth. In this day and age,
these beliefs simply do not hold
water, and it is our responsibility
as a society to recruit women into
fatigues side by side with men,
or risk a regressive culture which
continually enforces backward
gender identities.
We see it in the workplace and
societygirls, young women, opting to fulfill the image that society
gives them rather than a powerful
will that their male counterparts

are taught to uphold. They subsequently try less hard to appear intelligent. They seek less prestigious
positions, as they will be expected
to leave their jobs when they get
pregnant, cementing Korea with the
highest gender wage gap among the
Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)
nations. They are already accepting the myth that their society has
spelled out for them, and, shamefully, men are participating in it just
as much. 63.3 percent of all males
believe that the wife should be responsible for household chores.
By accepting the belief that
certain behaviors of the genders is
necessary, men in Korea are also
encouraging an inequality that risks
Koreas modernization and progress. In the story of a typical Korean mans life, he is supposed to
go to the army, learn to smoke and
become a man. Women write letters to their boyfriends or begin to
attract future partners. The two never regard each other as equals again.
But we can change this. Young
boys and girls are more comfortable
with treating each other as equals
until societal pressure intervenes. In
school, students are not necessarily
hard-wired to believe the socially
mandated identities and stereotypes.
Those views are only fixed after

military service. So why not get

both genders to participate in the
ritualized practice of military duty,
and learn to accept each other upon
merit rather than old-fashioned ideal?
During both world wars, the
opportunities for women to advance in the absence of men were
abundant and helped pave the way
for both the female vote in Britain
and America, as well as later liberation movements in the 1950s. This
can be effected now just as well as
it was then, so long as we follow
the ideal of equality, rather than
that of outdated stereotypes. In fact,
in Israel today, women are already
conscripted in the draft that started
in 1948, a draft that gradually integrated women into all aspects of the
military, from non-combat roles to
combat roles.
So women, do your part and
participate fully. More importantly,
men, do your part and reject the
shallow notion that women and men
can never be equal. We can, so long
as we stop young girls from believing they must dress as future wives
and start getting them to dress as future soldiers and scientists. As long
as men stop objectifying women
and treat them as equalsAs long
as we accept that camouflage is the
new black.

Your support can help a kid

all the way around the world go to
school! Do you know their name?
Age? What their life is like? You
probably dont, but thats fine.
Just click Donate, Follow or
Like, and well never bother you
again.
The modern generation of
teens has been criticized over and
over for a lack of real life interaction--a result of overly prevalent technology in everyday life.
The worldwide use of technology
makes teenagers not only unsocial but also sucks away the passion and identity that distinguishes
every individual.
With the Internet, it is quite
easy to show support for any organization of your desire. A simple
liking on Facebook is just one example of this trend.
But it cannot just be this simple. There is a catch. This superficial action alone does not show
any real involvement or commitment.
Technology makes us less
social and inquisitive. According to the Telegraph, 90% of 16
to 24-year-olds exchange texts at

least once a day while only 63%

have face-to-face communication. Real-life communication incorporates body language, facial
expressions and tone of voice-things you cannot experience
through texting. All the beautiful
messiness and complexity of human communication cannot be
transferred into a simple text.
There is much less worth,
caring and passion in a conversation through text. At an earlier and
earlier age, phones are sucking us
into a vortex of indifference about
the outside world and all of its
problems and blessings.
If we do not put down our
electronic devices for once and
truly care about ourselves, the
people around us and what we
believe in, the lives of people will
become mundane. We will lose
our opinions and nobody will care
because we have become too lazy
hiding behind our screens.
To regain who we are, we
need to power off our gadgets,
go out and take a stand. A popular hashtag these days marking
teenagers uncaring attitude is
#YOLO, for you only live once.
Thats right, you only live
once, so stop tweeting and start
yelling.

April 2015 3

the times

NEws

SIS to host 17th annual SEOMUN conference at COEX

By NICHOLAS KIM

The SIS Model United Nations

(MUN) club will host the 17th annual Seoul Model United Nations
(SEOMUN) conference from Nov.
6-8 at COEX. The conference will
seek to provide an opportunity for
student delegates to address global
issues with potential solutions. According to Albert Kim (12), Secretary General, despite challenges, the
SIS MUN club will attempt to differentiate this years conference from
past conferences with changes such
as inviting SIS administrative staff.
Logistically, it is a huge undertaking, said Ronald Slachta, MUN
adviser. Decisions have to be made
quickly, so you need to be on top of
your game.
Albert and Judy Kim (12), Deputy Secretary General, are organizing
the conference. According to Judy,

SEOMUN is the largest MUN conference in Korea, often hosting over

400 students from various nations.
This year, the conference will host
507 students, a record number of attendees. According to Daniel Jungho
Choi (11), Director of Information
and Technology, this brings many
new challenges in the preparation of
the event.
The volume of tasks that goes
into preparing is immense, Daniel
said. Communication of roles and
tasks between organizers becomes
important.
Under the theme of fostering
transparency, participants will debate
and draft resolutions to address world
issues ranging from government debt
to workplace safety.
Our theme of transparency
is pretty relevant with what is happening in the world right now, said
Courtney Caldwell, MUN adviser.
Albert, Judy and the other chairs
picked awesome topics, and that

Photo by Nicholas Kim

Standing before the podium, Jihoon Yang (11) gives a speech in preparation for the SEOMUN conference.

makes for interesting discussions and

resolutions.
According to Eugene Yang
(12), Administrative Director, the
SIS MUN club recruited more SIS
administrative staff than in previous
conferences to help run the event.
Consisting of both middle and high

school students, the administrative

staff will work to deliver supplies
and notes throughout the duration of
the conference.
The SIS MUN club is proud to
be able to support itself with its own
resources this year, Eugene said.
For this conference, we tried to pro-

Korean-American deported due to National

Security Law violation
By NICHOLAS KIM

Accused of breaking the National Security Law (NSL), Eun-Mi

Shin, a 54-year-old Korean-American speaker, was deported on Jan.
10 by the Korean Immigration Service (KIS) and barred from reentry
to South Korea for five years following a ruling by the state prosecutors office. The KIS ruled that Ms.
Shins speeches urging for reunification compromised South Korean
security, a decision that prompted
renewed debate about the application of the law and led to an explanation from the government.
Given the unique confrontation between North and South Korea, the NSL is the minimum that is
required to protect the security of
South Korea, said President Geunhye Park in response to a Wall
Street Journal reporters question on
the case.
Introduced in 1948, the NSL,
according to Amnesty International,
states that any person who praises
the activities of an anti-government
organization shall be punished by
imprisonment for no more than seven years. In 2013, the law was used
in the arrest of United Progressive
Party member Seok-ki Lee, who
was sentenced to 12 years in prison
on Feb. 2014 for planning to incite
an uprising, according to the Korean

Constitutional Court.
The act of instigating a rebellion itself has illegality on a par with
preliminary plotting of a revolt, the
Supreme Court ruled, upholding
the sentence. The same level of
legal punishment is applied [in this
case].
The use of the law in these cases has generated criticism from organizations such as Human Rights
Watch and UN human rights observer Margaret Sekaggya, who claims
that the law is used for political purposes.
The criminalization of [subversion] leads to a considerable
reduction of the space to exercise
the fundamental right to freedom
of expression, Ms. Sekaggya said.
This has a chilling effect and leads
to self-censorship.
Others have argued that the law,
having been revised seven times
since its introduction, is necessary
to preserving the nations security.
In a Korea Herald article published
in 2012, Dae-Sung Song, President
of the Sejong Institute in Seoul,
claimed that the NSL was crucial to
maintaining rights rather than limiting them.
The denial and elimination of
ideologies that threaten and harm
the core values of the nation are the
basic responsibility of the government that seeks to protect the human
rights of its people, Mr. Song said.
For her part, Ms. Shin, barred

mote MUN to the SIS community by

recruiting non-MUN club members
to become staff members.
Once the conference is over, the
SIS MUN club hopes to, according
to Albert, submit one of the resolutions from SEOMUN to the UN in
New York.

Global
News Briefs

National Security Law

Usage of Korean National Security Law (NSL) increases under conservative presidents
Percentage of arrests
leading to jail time

Percentage of arrests that

allege anti-state behavior

33%

70%

2008

2014

61.5%

12.3%

1999

2014

Photo courtesy of The Mirror

Patrolling Garissa University, a

Kenyan soldier stands watch in

the aftermath of an al-Shaabab
attack

Freedom House downgrades

Koreas Freedom of Expression rating
1999

2015

2011

Free

Partly Free

Arrests under NSL by president

Number
of arrests

2004: Amnesty International

calls for abolition of law

550
500
300

2014: United Progressive Party

disbanded due to NSL violations

250
200
150
100
50
1999

2000

2001

2002

KIM DAE JUNG

(Liberal)

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

ROH MOO HYUN

(Liberal)

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

LEE MYUNG BAK

(Conservative)

2013

2014

PARK GEUN HYE

(Conservative)

Information from Korean Class, Hankyoreh, Nation Index

Infographic by Nicholas Kim

from South Korea for the next five

years, is continuing to voice her
concerns. Speaking to the Center for
Research on Globalization after her
deportation, she addressed President
Park in her closing remarks.
The people of the South and
North are not much different. We

share the same history and culture

through thousands of years, Ms.
Shin said. Please move forward for
the unification of Korea.
Ms. Shin currently resides in
California, and, according to the
same interview, claims she will
abide by the courts decision.

Kenyan Air Force attacks

al-Shabaab locations
Kenyas air force launched
airstrikes on April 6th, according to BBC, targeting alShabaab bases in response to
an attack on Garissa University
College by four militants which
had cost 148 lives. We will
fight terrorism to the end, President Uhuru Kenyatta said, according to the Associated Press.
I guarantee that my administration shall respond fiercely.

Iraq launches military operation against Anbar

Iraqi
military
forces
launched a new offensive, according to Reuters, against the Islamic State to retake Anbar province. Anbar province, according
to the Associated Press, is a strategically important city that is
largely Sunni and was taken by
the Islamic State in February.

April 2015

the times

Beloved
Instruments
Harmonica

Taught by father, a musician

Started when 2 years old
Played for 44 years
Hopes to teach daughter the
harmonica

Guitar

Started in 1978, played for 37

years
Taught himself by buying chord
charts and strumming the guitar
Taught over 100 students in his
lifetime
Rosewood and spruce guitars
always went the best with my
voice.

Irish penny whistle

Started in 1998, played for 17

years
Watched Youtube videos and
gained a passion for it
Was a way to go back to his
Irish roots

Bass Guitar

Played for 38 years

After I started singing, there
was nothing else I wanted to do
but to learn to play an instrument
so I could sing with it.

Lee Piscioneri:
Music is the Food of Love
and Education
By NICHOLAS KIM

hen Shakespeares Duke Orsino exclaimed, If music be the food of love,

play on! he seemed to be writing a thesis for the life
and career of Lee Piscioneri, a man defined by song.
As he has traveled around the world, he has always
returned to music.
Initially shy, in high school Mr. Piscioneri met his
schools choir director, John Maggs, who heard him
sing and recognized his skill. Mr. Maggs wouldnt
accept his students reluctance and forced him to
sing regularly.
He was the first person who enabled me to get
the voice out, Mr. Pisconeri remembered. After
that, there was nothing else I wanted to do but to
learn to play an instrument so I could sing with it.
More confident, Mr. Piscioneri left school with
a desire to travel around the world, singing wherever and however he could. Inspired by Mr. Maggs,
he decided that teaching could combine his lifelong
passion for movement and his newfound interest in
motivating students as he had been motivated.
I am a citizen of the world, he said. I was
open to going anywhere I made a good connection.
In 1989, guitar in hand, he boarded a plane to
Istanbul for his first job: teaching English to Turkish school children. At first, he relied upon the textbooks provided by the school, but as he continued,

he felt that the Turkish administrators only valued

grammar instruction, which bored the students and
left them disconnected from the material.
To enliven his students, Mr. Piscioneri began taking his guitar into classes, combining two passions
he had previously thought separate.
I would use songs when we were working on
certain kinds of tenses, he said. When we were
learning the conditional tense, I brought in phrases
like if I had a hammer, I would, to help teach. The
kids loved it. They had never seen anything like it.
Years later, when he met a former student in
Paris, he was amazed that she had remembered the
songs, even those he had forgotten. He realized that
music did not just have the power to give pleasure
but could also inspire students and aid in instruction.
From then on, he continued to travel and teach, but
used his guitar much more often in his lectures.
He later moved to Manila, where he taught for
five years and met fellow teacher, Jean Candol
Piscioneri, who also played guitar and shared his
musical passion. The two, finding a common bond,
married a few years later. Mrs. Piscioneri noticed
her husbands music was integral to his teaching.
He makes connections to the history part of music, Mrs. Piscioneri said. He sings in his class when
certain lyrics are related to the issues they are tackling.

the times

April 2015

Spreading
music around
the world
`

Manila, Philippines

Met his wife, Jean Candol

Piscioneri
Participated in a teacher band
Music is part of my teaching
in every place in one way or another. Sometimes its direct ways,
other times its less direct.

Istanbul, Turkey

The couple left the Philippines and moved to Korea, taking teaching positions at SIS where both have
taught for the past four years. As the grade seven social studies teacher, Mr. Piscioneri has again brought
his music into the classroom, making students see the
connection between music and communication.
Mr. Piscioneri [taught us] the significance of music in sending the appropriate message in projects like
public service announcements and podcasts in advocating for our causes, said Claire Kim (10).
Additionally, Mr. Piscioneri introduced his School
of Rock elective to the SIS curriculum, built around
the suggestion of organizations like the Childrens
Music Workshop that students benefit from music instruction and the arts.
You need the arts, but a lot of schools are cutting
their arts programs, he said. They dont see the profit
margin. The fact is, the profit margin comes from people creating worlds that other people want to live in.
Mr. Piscioneri has enjoyed creating such worlds in
his own music, and has helped others to create their
own. With his guitar classes, he has not only taught but
also raised students confidence just as his mentor had
25 years ago.
I am thankful for the fact that he showed us his
passion, said Chloe Chung (9). I was originally
scared, but his encouragement laid the foundation for

me and a lot of other students to explore our curiosities.

In every class he teaches, Mr. Piscioneri reflects
his intimate connection to music, and how greatly it
has influenced his life. Indeed, music seems to run in
his blood. His father was an expert harmonica player
and taught Mr. Piscioneri to play at the age of 10.
Mr. Piscioneri follows his fathers example. He
teaches his daughter, Anna Piscioneri (2), the guitar,
and hopes she will be comfortable with the instrument in a few years. Toward the end of one interview, Anna tugged on his leg to grab his attention.
Mr. Piscioneri smiled.
I want to play in a band with her, he said.
Shes very talented.
Anna, face scrunching up in terror, strongly protested.
No, Im not!
In his shy early years, Mr. Piscioneri felt the same way. Now, however,
with his passion for adventure, travel
and song, he has continued to sing,
in one way or another, connecting
students with their studies and ensuring that they, too, will have the
strength to keep singing.

First nation to teach in

Felt like the administrators only
valued grammar instruction
Began taking the guitar into
classes and singing with the children
The kids loved it. They had
never seen anything like it.

Seoul, South Korea

The tenth nation Mr. Piscioneri

is teaching in
Created the School of Rock
elective to help give middle
school students a voice
Created the elementary school
enrichment program to start music earlier

6 April 2015

the times

LIfestyle
Popping the K-Pop Bubble
By NICHOLAS KIM

Musical clichs are unavoidable. Listeners know songs beginning in E minor will not be happy
and that when a song by popular
anthem-writers Muse seems to end,
it is likely that the song is merely
dropping the beat to come back with
a vicious explosion of noise thereafter.
In Korean pop music, however,
clichs are so abundant that, without
them, the genre would be left with a
wide gap. In the ballad form, a key
change frequently indicates the climax--a sudden increase in passion,
and either the words I love you or
I miss you (or some tragic combination of the two) must appear by
constitutional dictate.
Cliches exist, too, in the way
bands are presented, giving fans an
easy way to instantly categorize a
group or singer. In the case of popular group BtoB and their song
The Winters Tale, even before the
group starts to sing, one knows ex-

Photo courtesy of Kopomus

Released on Feb. 2015, Fire by M Wave has soared to the top of the music
charts in South Korea.

actly what will follow. In the music

video, they stand in soft light, faces
devoid of any trace of hair, handsome pastel-colored scarves draped
handsomely around their handsome

heads. This group has a message:

we are so adolescent and harmless,
girls! And when they sing, the same
notes and key changes predominate,
from the melodramatic lulls to the

CGI: Cliched Graphics Irritate

Katy Perry Dies at 29

By NICHOLAS KIM

On Aug. 30, popular singer

Katy Perry passed away in Kenya
while on safari. The singer and
philanthropist, who was in the
middle of a five day tour of Africa, had been mimicking the roar
of a lion when she attracted the attention of a lion pride and mauled.
She was 29.
Im shocked, long-time
friend Justin Bieber said, she was
an inspiration to all artists worldwide.
Born Katheryn Elizabeth
Hudson on Oct. 25, 1984 in Santa
Barbara, California, Perry was
discovered when she started recording gospel records as a teenager. After a brief and unsuccessful stint with Red Hill Records,
she decided to switch to secular
music, where she found better
success.
It was clear that my gospel
career was going nowhere, Perry
told an interviewer with Christianity Today.
On April 28, 2008, Perry released her first single with Capitol, titled I Kissed a Girl, which
reached number one on the US
Billboard Hot 100. She then went
on to work with such record com-

sudden, full-throated passionate again.

The song ends with no apparent
croons.
resolution, leavFire
by
ing us with no
Mad Clown was
The commonly
point whatsoever.
the number one
song on M Wave used formula in K-Pop We are exposed
to the clichs, we
Countdown this
implies
the
image
of
hear a dispassionJanuary. The song
is about an un- emotion is much more ate singer deliver
the chorus, and
healthy and painthen we conclude.
ful relationship important than the
Nothing has been
between a man emotion itself.
gained, but three
and a woman, a
minutes and 34
common theme
in music. It begins with English lyr- seconds have been lost. In forcing
ics, a common trait among Korean the emotion, the emotion loses
Pop songs, and the female singer much of its meaning, and seems
whispering, trouble, trouble, our almost artificial.
The Korean wave, or Hallyu,
destiny. Philosophical phrases, it
was built on unconventional and
appears, are to follow.
Except that they do not. After unprecedented sounds that generasking who loves more?, making ated widespread appeal to domessure to mention the concept of love tic and international audiences. But
as early as possible, as if to satisfy a when those become conventional,
quota, the woman is interrupted by a such repetition ignores the catalysts
rapper, who immediately complains that spread it. In the case of disco,
about his new cell phone being bro- the popular style of the 1970s, the
ken, a comment that undercuts the music became so repetitive and its
apparent seriousness of her tone. practitioners so burned out, that it
And it continues, with rapangry quickly died. One can only hope
rapgoing for about 30 seconds, that K-Pop can adapt before its defollowed by female refrain, then rap mise, or risk the same fate.

panies as Island, Def Jam and Columbia. Perry won the American
Music Awards, MTV Video Music
Awards, People's Choice Awards,
and broke two Guinness World Records for her work as a recording
artist. In 2012, Billboard dubbed her
Woman of the Year. Some of her
most famous works include Teenage
Dream, California Gurls, Firework
and Roar.
According to Perry, a pop song
was only successful, if, every
time you hear it, it gives you goose
bumps.
Her endeavors were not limited
to profit. Perry supported charity
organizations throughout her life,
particularly in the realm of child
welfare. She served as the UNICEF
Goodwill Ambassador in Dec. 2013.
She also supported organizations
against cancer and HIV/AIDS, participating in the Fashion against
AIDS campaign in 2009. Music
was another way for her to promote
causes, participating in the We Can
Survive concert to raise money for
the Young Survival Coalition, an
organization that aided the prevention and treatment of breast cancer treatment for young women all
arond the globe.
We live in such a world that
is run by social status and material possession, and it can get really

overwhelming and tiring to keep

up with that, she said to MTV.
Her life was not without incident, as she married comedian
Russell Brand on Oct. 23, 2010,
near the Ranthambhore tiger sanctuary in Rajasthan, India. After a
14 month marriage, the couple later divorced in Dec. 30, 2012. The
two cited irreconcilable differences according to W Magazine
in their decision.
She was an inspiration to
all, and I offer my deepest condolences to the family, said Brand,
She was always there to encourage me.
Perry is survived by her father, Keith Hudson, her mother,
Mary Hudson, her brother, David
Hudson, and her uncle, Frank Perry. Brand, her father, her brother
and her uncle will act as pallbearers.
She was a shining star in
every single day of our lives and
we will all miss her terribly, her
mother said.
A viewing will be held at
Johnsons Funeral Home at 11
a.m. on Monday, Sept. 1. The funeral will take place at 12 a.m. on
Wednesday, with the burial to follow. In lieu of flowers, the family
requests that donations be made to
UNICEF.

By NICHOLAS KIM

With the advent of modern movie

technology, one would expect the pace
of innovations within the movie industry to increase at an exponential rate.
Unfortunately, however, the innovations of the past are quickly becoming
the clichs of the present.
With computer-generated-images
(CGI), the figures that appear onscreen
are presented as real, and accepted by
human characters. They became the industry standard in Jurassic Park, when
artificial dinosaurs roamed across a
seemingly real landscape, wowing the
characters that saw them. The spectacle has become so ubiquitous that
any film about aliens or other similar
characters must use computer graphics
to depict such creatures.
There has particularily been this
trend in motion-capture technology,
in part thanks to Jackson. The 2011
animated film Mars Needs Moms, for
instance, used facial recognition technology to replicate actors expressions.
Unlike in more traditional cartoons,
this contributed to a film that seemed
incredibly awkward, even creepy.
Indeed, according to the Huffington
Post, many critics suggested that the
film suffered because of the uncanny
valley, a rule which states that trying
to replicate human features will lead to
a strange effect upon viewers.

In this way, movies have used the

clichd form of CGI to create characters that directors present as real, which,
along with other elements, asks the viewer to embrace the artificial for the actual.
When the Star Wars series was originally created, it was lauded for the use of
figurines to represent elements of the Star
Wars universe. However, in more current
manifestations, the use of CGI has actually accentuated the artifice, rather than
downplay it, making the entire project a
lesson on how not to tell a story.
Additionally, a common clich seen
in modern movies is the use of effects
that obscure the action, pretending to
show reality when showing only fiction.
In last years film Into the Storm, the use
of realistic and unsteady camera work
made the film seem as if it was handmade, although it was obviously the
work of professionals.
The result was a half-hearted attempt to engage viewers with a sentimental story, but one that failed since the action -- in this case a tornado that ravaged
a small town -- was hidden from view
thanks to the hand-held technique.
In short, the act of making up for
story with technology is the main problem with much of the new technology
In trying to replace reality with graphics, filmmakers get so far away from us
that they are no longer relevant to our
lives. They lack the tactile truth of earlier
films, and even when their spectacle does
amaze, the substitution of spectacle for
story leaves us feeling empty.

April 2015 7

the times

sports

International Cooperation Through Sports

By RYAN JANG

In a span of five days starting

from October 16th, through the Association of International Schools
in Asia (AISA) tournaments, students travel with their teammates
to and from various international
schools with the goal of competing against other teams around the
world. The SIS varsity girls volleyball team will be traveling to Japan,
while varsity boys volleyball players from Yokohama International
School (YIS) and Senri Osaka
International School (SOIS) will
be traveling from Japan to Korea,
showing a sense of unity in the international world.
By playing sports, not only do
you get to know your team mates
better, but also the other team as
well, and their players, said Nick
Yeo (10). Traveling to different
places with your teammates allows
you to bond with different people,
even though they live far away.
Both varsity and junior varsity
boys volleyball players are required
to homestay one player from either
YIS or SOIS. For four days and

By JEFFREY HEO

Photo by Sean Oh

Celebrating a won point, JV YIS volleyball players participate in a game against SIS.

three nights, students will live with

athletes from different countries.
Though there was some initial awkwardness, students report that overall they bonded with their guests
fittingly, gaining life lessons along
the way.
When I first met my guest, I
thought it would be really awkward
throughout the four days, said Hojong Shim (9), a junior varsity volleyball player. However we bond-

ed really quickly and became great

friends in a short period of time. We
hung out with my team and their
team every day, and had a great
time.
Though athletes are traveling
with the purpose of competing,
they also aim to have a good time
with their fellow teammates. With a
chance to take a break from all the
schoolwork and just focus on playing sports and having a good time,

athletes like Takeru Koyama, a senior at YIS, express their contentedness.

The AISA tournament is a time
to compete against other schools,
but also to have a good time, Takeru said. It gives us a chance to have
fun, skip school, and hang out with
our friends. I hope the AISA games
continue for a long time, and Im
really looking forewords to coming
back to Korea in the soccer season.

Taeguk Warriors bring back new hope in the Asian Cup finals
By SOOMIN CHUN

In the 2015 Australia-held AFC

Asian Cup final match against Australia on Jan. 30, South Koreas Taeguk Warriors took second place after
losing 2-1 during extra-time. However, their performance during the Australian Asian Cup surpassed expectations, according to their coach as well
as viewers.
According to The Huffington
Post, Uli Stielike, the manager of the
South Korean national team, believes
the Korean team did not lose, just
merely did not take the Asian Cup
back home, and stated many people
are contacting the players to praise and
thank them for fighting well. This year,
the manager of the South Korean team
changed from Hong Myung-bo, who
was fired after Koreas disappointing
performance at the World Cup, to Stielike, a German who has not only managed numerous international teams,
but is also a former Real Madrid star.
His new strategies and line-ups were
questioned at first, but soon praised for
bringing in good results.
[Stielikes] line-up was different
from the traditional one Im used to
watching in games, said Jay Lee (9),
a member of the SIS varsity soccer
team. It was more effective because
he analyzed Australias strengths and

JV Volleyball Team
Defeats
Chadwick

Running across the field, Korean and Australian soccer players vie for the ball

weaknesses and tweaked the line-up

to be able to get past their strong defense.
In the final match, the Australian
Socceroos kept their one point lead until a last minute goal by Korean striker
Son Heung-Min during injury time,
forcing the game into extra-time. This
brought back the hopes of a comeback
for the South Korean team, but James
Troisi, an Australian midfielder, succeeded in scoring a goal and the Taeguk Warriors were unable to match
the score, ending in a 2-1 defeat and
Australias first place finish, their first
win in the Asian Cup.
I think South Korea did really
well this year, said John Kim (11),

another member of the SIS varsity

soccer team. The team showed incredible progress from the World Cup,
with no goals scored on them until the
last game. I think they really deserve
the applause of the South Korean citizens, although in the World Cup many
berated them.
According to students and coaches alike, although the Taeguk Warriors
did not bring back home the Cup, their
performance has made a definite impact on the interest in soccer and soccer pride in South Korea.
Everyday after school and on the
weekends, the SIS soccer field is full
of people playing soccer, said Alex
Lopez, the varsity girls soccer coach.

Photo courtesy of The Herald

I dont know how long it will take

for Korea to win a world cup, but
the kids that are growing up right
now watching Korea develop and
improve as a team and taking an
interest in soccer themselves, they
make up the talent that will form a
great team for Korea to win with in
the future.
The Taeguk Warriors released
press statements saying they will
not see second place in the Asian
Cup as a defeat, but as motivation
to do better. As South Koreans get
more involved with soccer, Stielike stated the team is headed in the
right direction and will continue to
work hard.

The SIS JV boys volleyball

team defeated the Chadwick JV
boys volleyball team on Oct. 8th
with the set score 2-1 after their
previous 2-0 loss on Sept. 19th.
Mr. Tong, the JV boys volleyball coach, as well as players in
the team, revealed that the win
reflected the team's efforts in
getting even with the Chadwick
team.
According to Timothy Kim
(9), a player in the JV boys volleyball team, the team was aided
by a strong motivation to get even
with the Chadwick boys after
their previous loss.
We were all eager to seek
revenge with Chadwick, because
they gave us a 2-0 loss last game.
We trained really hard, and we
didnt want our efforts to go to
waste, said Timothy. Although
we practiced according to our
regular routines, our level of effort as a team was definitely high
compared to other practices [in
preparation for the match].
The boys started their rematch against Chadwick by conceding the first set. However,
starting from second set, SIS was
able to start turning the tide of the
game. Justin Lee (10) stepped up
as an important player who managed to get ten consecutive points
just through multiple serve aces.
Following Justins ten serve aces,
the SIS boys took the lead. Succeeding in maintaining their lead
until the end, the set score was
balanced 1-1 after the second set.
The last decisive set unraveled
into a 7-7 tie until the SIS players gained advantage through
more consecutive serve aces. In
the end, the SIS players were able
to maintain their lead and take the
match with the two last consecutive wins.
Compared to our game on
Sept. 19th, we were a very different team. We hit better, set better,
and most importantly, the players
positioning was a lot better, Mr.
Tong said.
The JV boys volleyball season officially ended on Oct. 22nd.
After their closing match on
Wednesday afternoon, the SIS JV
boys volleyball team finished first
out of their division. Their win on
Oct. 8th was one of five total wins
this season.

8 April 2015

the times

small talk
the menu

Kims Kimbap

Price: 2900 won - 4500 won

Photo courtesy of basma

Location: 7, Hakdong-ro 68-gil, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, Korea

Jopok Ddeokbokki

Price: 3000 won

Photo courtesy of Song Hwayeon

Location: 60, Eoulmadang-ro, Mapo-gu, Seoul, Korea

Kimbap often suffers from the unfair perception that it exists only as street food, food

In terms of food native to Korea, ddeokbokki is unequivocally the first food Koreans

that suffers from low quality and made with cheap ingredients. Looked down upon as the

crave when homesick abroad. Compared to the greasy and bland food of the west, the spicy

harbinger of an upset stomach, kimbap suffers from the connotation that it can never coexist

and sweet combination of red chilli pepper paste and rice cake is almost what makes up our

with a healthy lifestyle. Kims kimbap, a restaurant chain around Korea, however, attempts

national identity. Forget the kimchi or bulgogi, ddeokbokki is one of those acquired tastes

to remove that belief. Similar to the $100 grilled cheese sandwich in Chicago, where only

foreigners dont seem to understand. Thats what makes Jopok Ddeokbokki so delicious.

the best ingredients are used, Kims kimbap follows a similar philosophy. Its mission state-

Walking into the store, you are immediately greeted by a whiff of spice and a wizened man

ment is a promise from the founder of the chain that reminds customers that it uses only

trained in the rigorous art of ddeokbokki making. Briskly taking your order, he takes a long

the finest ingredients in its kimbap. With high reviews from restaurant critics and a reason-

metal ladle and scoops the hot gooey mess into a paper cup. Without any formalities, he

able price for such premium quality, Kims Kimbap is definitely a place on the list of places

leaves you to enjoy the treasure that is ddeokbokki. With a price that is almost a steal, this

everybody should strive to go to in Korea.

ddeokbokki house is the unchallenged best in Korea, never sacrificing quantity for quality.
By NICHOLAS KIM

Yo ur Fortune

snapchat of the month

You must try or hate

yourself for not trying.
Photo courtesy of Angela Yoon

Extra Photo Sources: Al Jazeera, Wikimedia, Freepik, Lee Piscioneri, Turn Labels,
IB Times, MoneyWeek, MarketWatch