WHATKINDOF
DELEGATE
PREVIEW:
“...Relaxed yet intense, independent yet unified, quiet yet active...”
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from the American School of Bombay,“Everything I do contributes to the whole, and I love the feeling of working as a team.”
W
hat is METV? METV is the abbreviation for MUNITY-East Television, a broadcast film produced every day to capture the events of the conference as the delegates debate in their respective committees.Althoughthefinalproductisundertenminutes, theprocessrequireshoursofdiscussing,filming,andediting. What happens behind the scenes? Every morning, the small yet selective group of talented METV students gathers in a separate press room to discuss the day’s stories and assign responsibilities. Designating therolesisrelativelyflexibleasitisbasedontheequipment available and individual preferences.Therefore, anyone in the team could be a news anchor or the cameraman. After choosingthestoriestocover,themembersdispersetocompiletheirstoryboards,whichtheywilleventuallyfilmandedit accordingly.“The task mostly seems to be individual work, but it’s group work at the same time,”says Shloka Narang
What do they enjoy about it? The process may be long and tough, but these hard workers definitelyhaveastrongpassionforthework:themembersequallyenjoy what they do and are excited about the final product. According to Editors Paul Choi and Albert Joo from Korea International School, working with new people is a major source of their enthusiasm.“Althoughwehaveexperienceinthefieldofjournalism,everyoneelseis justasskilledifnotbetter,”theyclaim.“Sinceeverypersonistalented indifferentaspects,wecanassembleanexceptionalproductandend uplearning alotas well.”Theseambitious workers are motivated by thesenseofaccomplishmentthatcomesfromtransformingaseries of raw film clips to episodes that win the hearts of the entire conference.
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AREYOU?
I
t’s a well-established fact that you meet the largest array of people at an MUN conference. From schools to nationalities, THIMUN Singapore is a veritable melting pot of individuals in every possible aspect. While the pool of delegate is ever-changing, they still seem to fall in the same few categories.Whether you are in Security Council or the Advisory Panel, these are, without fail, the delegates you will meet every year.
The Idealist Eager,optimistic,andcommunicative,thisdelegatewantsto solvealltheworld’sproblemsrightnow.Theytaketheirjobas adelegateseriously,defendingtheircountry’sinterestsand assertingtheimportanceofaresolutiontheyaresubmitting orsupporting.Friendlyandsociable,thesedelegatesgravitate towards larger groups, where theycanbest put their peacemakingskillstouse.Attheendoftheconference,theyarethe ones most likely to be voted“future humanitarian”or“most likely to become a philanthropist.”
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The Politician This delegate has the answers to any and every POI directedatthem.Charismaticandoutgoing,you’llsee them flitting about the room, advertising their own resolution or throwing their utmost support behind another’s.Thesesmooth-talkersaretalentedatswaying public opinion in favor of or against a resolution, and they’redefinitelydelegatesthatyouwantonyourside when it comes to the final vote.
THE NARCOLEPTIC
The Newbie These delegates are usually younger students or those just enteringtheworldofMUN.SimilartotheIdealists,theycome intoconferencesearnestandoptimistic.Someadjustquickly to the chaos and free-for-all atmosphere of lobbying. Othersbreakdown,andbythetimedebatesrollaround,they’ve degenerated into peevish versions of their former bubbly selves.Generallywellprepared,bearingbindersuponbinders of research, these delegates breathe new life and a fresh perspective into these all-encompassing conferences. The Narcoleptic This is the delegate you see sprawled across a seat, clutchingafolderbutoblivioustothedebatecurrentlyinprogress. Perpetually drowsy, these delegates will contribute a few comments to the discussion before returning to their seats to doze off. The one exception they make for their muchneeded beauty rest seems to be lunch and dismissal. At that pointtheywillwipethedroolfromtheirmouthsandattempt todisguisethebuttonimprintontheirforehead(courtesyofa misplaced jacket sleeve).
ARTICLE///MINAH.KIM///MON’T.KIARA.INTERNATIONAL.SCHOOL ARTIST///SUSAN.PARKER///KOREA.INTERNATIONAL.SCHOOL
ARTICLE///TSAI-WEI.CHEN///INTERNATIONAL.BILINGUAL.SCHOOL.AT.HSINCHU.SCIENCE.PARK PHOTOGRAPHER///CODY.VAN.KAMPEN///CONCORDIA.INTERNATIONAL.SCHOOL LAYOUT///ALEX.ZHANG///SHANGHAI.AMERICAN.SCHOOL.PUDONG
CYBERCRIME CYBERCRIME T
echnologyisnowadetrimentjustasmuchasitisabenefit; being hacked, scammed, or bullied through Facebook or Skypeissomewhatofanaturaloccurrencenowadays.The participants of THIMUN-Singapore, unfortunately, are not immune to this recurring pattern, as over half of the delegates (see survey) have been victims of various cyber crimes. “It’s frustrating because we don’t know who it is!”says Jung Min Shin, delegate of Congo from GA1, who had her email hacked after using a computer at a cyber cafe. She expresses her frustration at the ordeal, saying that“it’s annoying because they are just doing it for the fun of it, and they don’t know how much damage it can cause.”SangWoo Doh, delegateofGeorgia,agreeswiththissentiment,remarkingthat“instead ofdealingwiththemasshackings,thegovernmentshouldresolvecommoncrimeslikethehackingofindividualaccountssincetheycanescalate to a larger scale.” Many delegates like Lisa Quigg, a member of theYouth Assembly, has especiallymuchexperiencewithaformofcyberbullyingthroughFacebook. The term‘Facebook Rape’, or‘Frape’, is now a common moniker for hacking into another person’s account and writing embarrassing statuses. She also recounts,“I had someone hack into my account and send strange messages that would spread viruses to everyone!” Asnoted,cybercrimesarebecomingalarminglyprevalent;theireradication now depends on the strength of our future actions.
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CYBERCRIME
RESULTS SURVEY
HAVEYOUEVER YES:54% NO:46% BEENCYBERBULLIED?
IFSOHOW
HARASSMENT:28% THEFT:19% DIDTHEBULLYING HACKING:44% OTHER:9%
OCCUR?
C
ommunicationthroughtechnologyplaysahugerole inalmosteveryone’slife—whetherit’sapositiveor negativeimpact.Itisdifficulttoimaginelifewithout accesstowebsitesandprogramssuchasFacebook, instantmessaging,email,andblogs,astherehasbeenanexponential growth in the field of telecommunications. However,althoughtheInternetassistsusinstayingintouchwithour friendsthroughaninexpensive,accessiblesystem,italsoprovidesan open platform for a form of abuse—cyber harassment. A few weeks ago, during the Asian Olympic Games Taekwondo preliminaries, Taiwanese athlete Yang Shu-chun was accused of cheatingforhavingtoomanysensitivesensorsinhershoes.AsupporterofYang,SuLi-wen,claimedthedisqualificationwasaKorean “political smear campaign”againstTaiwan, becauseYang’s shoes were checked before the match, and the Taekwondo judge was identified to have a South Korean ethnic background.
throwingeggsatKoreanelementaryschoolsandhammeringSamsung LED televisions, a prestigious Korean electronic brand. Rosa Kim, the Deputy Chair of ECOSOC, who has lived in Taiwan for morethan12years,butisethnicallyKorean,revealedthattheanti-Korean commotion has not only provoked South Korea as a whole, but has also gotten to the point where her“individual family members got insulted.” She says, “My younger brother received an e-mail from an individual thatcontainedapicturedisplayingamiddlefingerandinsultingChinese wordsdesignedinhyphensanddashes.”WhenRosaaskedforthereason behind his actions, the person simply replied, “It was just a joke.” That one e-mail was not the only way her family was targeted as racists against Taiwanese. Facebook pages, covered with vulgar comments aboutKoreans,andinstantmessagingstatusupdatesthatcriticizedthe Koreansalsoappeared.Theseformsofcyber-harassmenttowardsRosa’s homecountry,herself,andherfamilyhavemadeher“extremelyfrustrated.”HavinglivedinTaiwanforsomanyyears,shecannotbelievethatshe is “being treated this way just because of [her] ethnicity.” As of now, the Taiwanese are still are still protesting Yang’s disqualification, and the anti- Korean sentiment, along with the online harassments, still continue.
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Yang’sdisqualificationledtoanuprisingofanti-Koreansentiment inTaiwan.Publicriotsbrokeoutandledtoviolentactions,including
Economic and Social Council
ECOSOC Nervous? Scared? Diffident? Excited? THIMUNSingapore is just about any adjective anyone can name right now. Going into the General Assembly (GA) meetings is quite an experience, as one can definitely feel the intensity of lobbying as soon as the door opens. In GA 2, delegates’ eyes fired up while discussing their topics. “I’ve never seen such a group so concentrated,” Jennifer Cho (International School of Yangon), the chair of GA2, stated. Cho is excited about being the chair of GA2 because the main theme ofthisyear’sconferenceisdevelopingthegovernment, which she feels has much to do with GA 2’s topic—IMF and UNDP protocols for promoting good governance. A first year delegate, Jennifer Lee, the delegate of BarbadosfromVientianeInternationalSchool,seemed a bit confused, yet very passionate about the upcoming debates. She will be arguing against any radical changes in the country. For the economy of Barbados, she thinks other countries should consider its natural resources. However, she was worried that she would not have much to say because for now her country is very small and low in population. Furthermore, Barbados does not contribute much to the world economy. Despite all this, she will try her best to come up with the best resolution, which is through getting involved with bigger countries. GA1 was another rousing experience. It was as if the students in the conference room were trying to
4
“...It was as if the students were trying to electrify the reporters with their enthusiasm...”
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electrify the reporters with their enthusiasm and magnitude.The GA1 will be mostly focusing on war weapons and nuclear bombs. Jung Hwan Chai, the delegate of Maldives from Kolej Tuanku Ja’Afar, stated, “Since Maldives is a country that consists of a chain of coral island in the Indian Ocean, the best resolution for this position is to use the Ocean.” Overall, the atmosphere of both rooms was vigorous, ambitious, and progressive. However, although the delegates were very serious and focused, they managed to pull off some smiles and the occasional joke among their intense lobbying. Now how can these GAs be described? Awesome. Exciting. Passionate. Intense. Welcome to THIMUN-Singapore.
ne of the most imperative forums of the conference, the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) works to raisethestandardoflivingandemployment rates in developing countries. In this year’s conference, delegates discuss the matter of securing land rights and productive employment for workers, and work on the issue of the involvement of indigenous people in the government. The forum also focuses on strengthening ECOSOC’s position as a political body,aswellasthewell-beingofyouth.Hosttoa roundofheateddebates,thiscommitteeisoffto apromisingstart:“Weareworkingtostrengthen ECOSOC as an organization, and as policy makingbody.Ireallywantthedelegatestoenjoy this conference, because THIMUN is an indescribable experience that is just amazing,”said
“We are working to strengthen ECOSOC as an organization, and as a policy making body.”
...
Camille Bigot, Deputy President of ECOSOC. Although thesedelegatesmightseemabitintimidatingintheirfeverish discourse,theyareelevatingtheseeconomiesandrights,one debate at a time.
O
ence that is just amazing,” said Camille Bigot, Deputy President of ECOSOC. Although these delega to a roundofheateddebates,thiscommitteeisofftoapromising start: “We are working to strengthen ECOSOC as an organization, and as policy making body. I really want the delegates to enjoy this conference, because THIMUN is an indescribable experi to a round of heated debates, this committee is off to a promising start: “We are working to strengthen ECOSOC as an organization, and as policy making body. I really want the delegates to enjoy legates to enjoy this conference,becauseTHIMUNisanindescribableexperi lly want the delegates to enjoy this conference, because THIMUN is an indescribable experi
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ne of the most imperative forums of the conference, the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) works to raise the standardoflivingandemploymentratesin developing countries. In this year’s conference, delegatesdiscussthematterofsecuringlandrightsand productiveemploymentforworkers,andworkonthe issueoftheinvolvementofindigenouspeopleinthe government.Theforumalsofocusesonstrengthening ECOSOfffffffffffffffffC’s position as a political body, as well as the well-being of youth. Host to a round of heated debates, this committee is off to a promising start: “We are working to strengthen ECOSOC as an organization, and as policy making body. I really
to a round of heated debates, this committee is off to a promising start: “We are working to strengthen ECOSOC as an organization, and as policy making body.Ireallywantthedelegatestoenjoythisconference, because THIMUN is an indescribable experi to a round of heated debates, this committee is off to a promising start: “We are working to strengthen ECOSOC as an organization, and as policy making body.Ireallywantthedelegatestoenjoythisconference, because THIMUN is an indescribable experi tes might seemabitintimidatingintheirfeverishdiscourse,theyare elevating these economies and rights, one debate at a time.
WHATKINDOF
DELEGATE ARE YOU?
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A MOVIE REVIEW LAYOUT BY
As a new school year gets underway, I believe our souls would start to get bogged down by our school work (unless you are a freshman) A simple way to revitalize the soul would be to add some comedy into our lives. This is where movies come in. If you are looking for an entertaining movie, I would suggest you to watch ‘Scott Pilgrim vs. The World.’ Just watch it, enjoy it, and laugh.
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If you have never heard of Scott Pilgrim prior to this point, here’s a quick spoiler-free synopsis: Scott Pilgrim (Michael Cera) dreams about Ramona Flowers (Mary Elizabeth Winstead) and meets her at a party. And lo and behold, he falls hard for her, hard. He eventually learns that she delivers packages for Amazon and arranges to meet her by ordering a package and just waiting for her to arrive with it. Despite the overt creepiness of his actions, they quickly strike up a friendship and Scott learns of her seven evil ex-boyfriends, whom he must defeat in a series of video game-like battles before earning the right to date Ramona permanently. The battles ramp up in difficulty with each successive ex-boyfriend and also ramp up in pure visual spectacle, each going further over the top than the last. Thus not giving the viewer any respite from battle to battle and making the film gradually increase in pace until the frames are little more than a blur for the processing brain. Instead of being detrimental to the film, the blistering pace keeps the viewer glued to their seat and riveted on the screen. It makes the film exhilarating.
LAYOUT7 PICTURE COLLAGE
album review: weezer
RATITUDE I
t is safe to say that the commercial failureof1996’sPinkertonhastakenits toll on Weezer frontman Rivers Cuomo. The commercial failure of their followup to their widely successful 1994 selftitled debut (aka The Blue Album) was due to the fact that their poppy, geeky take on pop-rock was mostly cast aside by the grim melancholy of grunge acts such as Soundgarden and Nirvana.This prompted the band to enter a 5-year hiatus to work on other musical projects and, in the case of Cuomo, re-think the musical direction of the band and write songs for the follow-up to Pinkerton. The band reconvened in 1998 withoutoriginalbassistMattSharp,who left to work full-time on his side project, The Rentals. However, frustration and creative differences nearly drove the band to dissolution. They reunited once again in 2000, however, for the Fuji Festival in Japan, which proved to be the catalyst for an increase in productivity. The result was a 2nd self-titled album, known as The Green Album, which was released in May of 2001, and featured stripped-down, radio-friendly pop songs: a reflection on the future musical direction of the band. The band continued with this new direction with its future releases: the forgettable “Maladroit” (2002), the much-maligned “Make Believe” (2005) and the largely disappointing Red Album (2008, the 3rd self-titled album). This brings us to Weezer’s latest offering, 2009’s “Raditude”. Featuring what is arguably one of the strangest album covers ever, the album is made up of some of the most poppy material Weezer have written to date, and even features an appearance from rapper Lil’ Wayne on “Can’t Stop Partying”. From the opening strains of the annoyingly-
DATE RELEASED: NOVEMBER 3rd, 2009 LABEL: DGC/ INTERSCOPE “THE ALBUM IS MADE UP OF THE MOST POPPY titled “(If You’re Wondering If I Want You To) I Want You To”, it is clear to the listener that they’re in for another 33 minutes of cookie cutter radio pop that seems to be so typical of Weezer as of late. Though, that isn’t to say that the opener is bad, as it features a pretty catchy tune and a nice little hook that is somewhat reminiscent of their pre-Green Album work, and gets the album off to a nice fun little start. Unfortunately, as later songs would prove, “IYWIIWYT” (as it is shortened to), is the exception rather than the norm, and the album as a whole just fails to please.
BLUE ALBUM ‘94 PINKERTON ‘96 GREEN ALBUM ‘01 MALADROIT
HIGHBesides opener “(If You’re Wondering If I Want You To) I Want You To”, there aren’t really a lot of songs that really jump out and captivate. That isn’t to say though, that like most of their post-Green Album recordings, Raditude does have a couple of solid numbers that at least make you feel like listening to them at least once again. One of these would be follow-up “I’m Your Daddy”, which features a pleasantly rousing chorus of churning guitars and glistening, warm keyboards, which more than make up for the extremely lacking lyrics and the somewhat formulaic songwriting. Then there’s “Can’t Stop Partying”, a song that is thoroughly surreal to listen to.The song never fails to make me smile, mainly because of it’s lyrical content; a somewhat geeky 39 year-old man, with a wife and daughter, talking about how much he loves to party and how he needs the presence of pretty girls all around him. There’s a certain “so bad it’s good” charm about that, which is why it stands out.
LAYOUT8 TRACKALBUM REVIEW
1. (If You’re Wondering If I Want You To) I Want You To – 3:28 2. I’m Your Daddy – 3:08
3. The Girl Got Hot - 3:14 4. Can’t Stop Partying – 4:22 5. Put Me Back Together – 3:15 6. Trippin’ Down the Freeway – 3:40 7. Love Is the Answer – 3:43 8. Let It All Hang Out – 3:17 9. In the Mall – 2:39 10. I Don’t Want to Let You Go – 3:48
LOW Where do we start this album? Firstly, the lyrics are absolutely abysmal.While I am aware thatWeezer never really hadfantasticlyricstobeginwith,itfeelsthatthey’veregressed from below average to just downright terrible at some parts. If you thought that Rivers rhyming“kids”with“bitch”on the Red Album’s“Troublemaker”was bad, wait until you hear this gem:
Me and JD chillin in the shack Sharing Chiclets from the same pack 180-proof Vitamin Water Energy flavor Take us to your daughter
“let it all hang out” Lyrical clunkers like this are what really weaken the album, as they serve no purpose but to drive the listener away from actually listening to the music. In some cases though, the problem doesn’t lie in the lyrical content, but rather in the music it self. The two biggest offenders in this case are “Love Is the Answer” and “In The Mall”, the former being a ridiculously gimmicky peace anthem featuring downright surreal Bollywood instrumentation and the latter an unlistenable racket that sounds somewhat like a buzzsaw. Really shocking, really.
THE GOOD Two songs and the album cover. That’s it.
THE BAD Everything else.
THE UGLY Well there’s really not much room for Weezer to go down from here, right?
e D U d ThE
AHH COLLEGE APPS! Yeah, the Dude was on hiatus for the first issue of Word. But, I hear that you lot met the Dudette. I hope you liked her more than I do. A lot more. Senior year’s a busy time, and the Dude’s counselors have agreed that the Dude must solve his own problems before attending to those of others. But the Dude shall persevere in the face of imminent doom! At least, I’ll try.
Dear Dude, Why have I been rejected? :( - lonely
F i r s t , i s t he l o o k . H e gi v es y o u a l o o k t ha t bet r a y s hi s ca l m ex t er i o r . E v en t ho u gh he i s a cr o s s t he r o o m , “ t ha t l o o k ” he ha s s a y s i t a l l . I t i s s w eep i n g, fr o m y o u r hea d t o y o u r t o es , a n d t hen hi s ey es l i n ger o n y o u r s . Y o u t hi n k y o u n o t i ce t he begi n n i n g o f a t en t a t i v e s m i l e. N ex t i s hi s co n v er s a t i o n . W hen he m a n a ges t o get cl o s e en o u gh t o y o u , t o a s k y o u q u es t i o n s , he i s i n t er es t ed. H e a p p ea r s t o be l i s t en i n g a n d r es p o n ds t o w ha t y o u s a y . H e’s m o v i n g i n t o t he u l t i m a t e q u es t i o n , w hi ch i s :“ A r e y o u s eei n g a n y o n e.” H e w o u l d o n l y a s k t hi s q u es t i o n i f he w a n t ed t o da t e y o u , a n d he ho p es t he a n s w er i s “ N o .” N ev er ev er w ea r a r i n g i n p u bl – ” O k a y . I gn o r i n g fo r a s eco n d t he l a ck o f gr a m m a t i ca l co n v en t i o n , t he a u t ho r ’s l i m i t ed k n o w l edge r ega r di n g t he a n a t o m y o f a s t a n da r d hu m a n bei n g, a n d her ev i den t i n a bi l i t y t o di ffer en t i a t e bet w een a m i s o gy n i s t a n d a gu y w ho a ct u a l l y l i k es w o m en , I w a n n a a s k a q u es t i o n : A R E Y O U K I D D I N G M E ? - Y o u ’r e- t he gi r l . I t ’s u p t o - y o u - t o deci de w het her o r n o t y o u da t e a gu y , n o t t he o t her w a y a r o u n d. T ha t ’s t he w a y i t ’s been , a n d t ha t ’s t he w a y i t w i l l a l w a y s be. W o m en w ea r t he p a n t s . D o n ’t ev en bo t her a r gu i n g w i t h m e; ev o l u t i o n a gr ees . H er e’s a n i dea : I f y o u r ea l l y l i k e t hi s gu y , t hen t a k e t he i n i t i a t i v e. H a n g o u t w i t h hi m a n d get t o k n o w hi m . F i gu r e o u t fo r y o u r s el f i f t hi s i s w ha t y o u r ea l l y w a n t . O r , w hy n o t a s k hi m i n s t ea d o f t he o t her w a y a r o u n d? I f he do es n ’t s ee y o u a s a p o t en t i a l p a r t n er , t hen m a k e hi m s ee i t . S ho v e i t i n hi s fa ce, s m a ck hi m o v er t he hea d w i t h i t ; w ha t ev er y o u n eed t o get hi s a t t en t i o n . I f i t do es n ’t w o r k , t hen i t do es n ’t w o r k . D o n ’t w o r r y a bo u t i t . H e’s n o t w o r t h y o u r t i m e.
LAYOUT9 DUDE
l o n el y , I t ’s defi n i t el y n o t beca u s e o f y o u r a p p a r en t t en den cy t o a s k q u es t i o n s o u t o f co n t ex t . T he em o t i co n hel p ed, t ho u gh. N ex t .
Dear Dude, What does a girl have to do in order for a guy to ask her on a date? - a girl a gi r l , W el l , ha v i n g n ev er been i n t ha t s i t u a t i o n (Y es , I ’m a gu y . N o , s er i o u s l y .) , I deci ded t o do a bi t o f r es ea r ch. I G o o gl e’d y o u r q u es t i o n , a n d cl i ck ed “ I ’m F eel i n g L u ck y ” . I t a l w a y s gi v es m e a w a r m feel i n g i n s i de:
Dear Dude, I'm in a little bit of a funk. dequate! I want a boyfriend but the guys in this school are ina What do I do! Thanks, dude. - lonelygirl345 l o n el y gi r l 3 45, … … … A n d y o u w o n der w hy y o u ’r e l o n el y . I ’v e go t t hr ee o p t i o n s fo r y o u : 1. G et o ff y o u r hi gh ho r s e, a n d gi v e t he gu y s a t S A S a cha n ce. 2. G o fi n d o t her gu y s . S ee m e fo r det a i l s . 3 . G et u s ed t o bei n g s i n gl e. G et r ea l l y u s ed t o i t .
Signing O ff The Dude
HIGHLIGHTS
THISISWAR ALBUMREVIEW B
rothers Jared and Shannon Leto launched 30 Seconds to Mars in 1998, which garnered a modest fanbase through its eponymous debut album. The band achieved mainstream success when their second studio album, A Beautiful Lie, went double platinum in 2005. Since then, the band has gone through a number of guitarists, who mostly left due to issues with the touring schedule. The name “30 Seconds to Mars” was originally derived from the thesis of a Harvard professor, which stated that with humanity’s current level of technology, we really are thirty seconds from Mars. While the band’s unique style stops short of revolutionary, it is without a doubt eclectic beyond other bands in its genre. 30 Seconds to Mars is a mix of melodic hard rock, post-grunge and more recently, retro new wave in the style of The Killers. More recently, 30 Seconds to Mars has been known for recognizing its fans. While recording This Is War,
LOWPOINTS
30 Seconds is a hard rock band, so it’s a bit irksome that we rarely hear any actual guitar playing in their new album. We do get a bit of solid guitar in “L490”, but besides that, most of songs are heavily synth-driven.
LAYOUT10 ALBUM “ REVIEW THEGOOD is without a doubt (The band’s unique style)
eclectic beyond other bands in its genre”
the band held a meeting in Los Angeles they called “The Summit”. It invited fans to look in on the band’s progress, as well as participate in recording some of the upcoming songs. Prior to the album’s release, 30 Seconds to Mars also asked fans to submit pictures of themselves. 2000 of the best images replaced the default roaring tiger cover as the album art, and were shipped to stores at random.
30 Seconds to Mars successfully utilized The Summit to create some massive walls of sound, most notably in “Kings and Queens”, “This Is War” and “Vox Populi”. Many songs on the album feature ambitious melodies on synthesizer (and occasionally guitar) mounted on more conventional chord progressions, a tasteful match to Leto’s melodic keening vocals. The album also employs the heavy use of back-up vocal tracks, which pull out the contrast between Leto’s high and low voices. Leto’s impressive vocal range is showcased best in the band’s edgier, more melodic songs, such as “Hurricane” and “Kings and Queens”. Overall, This Is War is a very well built album, with mostly decent tracks that the band clearly spent
TRACKLISTING
THIRTYSECONDSTOMARS
released: Dec 4th ‘09 Label: Virgin, EMI LENGTH: 60:40
The band uses an interesting circular structure, opening with a light synth melody that gets built on with drums and additional melodies, and then taken apart again by the end of the song. This formula has been echoed through most of the songs in the album, most noticeably in Vox Populi. This Is War has been noted for its songs having a massive, epic sound.
Escape – 2:24 Night of the Hunter – 5:41 Kings and Queens – 5:48 This Is War – 5:27 100 Suns – 1:58 Hurricane – 6:12 Closer to the Edge – 4:34 Vox Populi – 5:43 Search and Destroy – 5:39 Alibi – 6:00 Stranger in a Strange Land – 6:54 L490 – 4:26
THEBAD
Shannon Leto has drum skills, but it seems that about half the percussion in This Is War is synthesized. Also, there is an octave somewhere between Leto’s high and low voices where he begins to lose his edge. Songs like “This Is War” which have him staying in that spot sound quite awkward until he starts screaming again.
THEUGLY
“Stranger in a Strange Land”. This is the one song that ruins it. While the music itself starts out sounding fine, the song’s first couple of lines (which can’t be repeated here) possesses the uncanny ability to make any listener cringe a little. The song follows up with what sounds like another intro, which is then followed by the standard verse-chorus package. The rest of the song contains some oddly placed screamo, sounding more strange than ugly, at best.
zz
THE
Health-Care Points-of-view
Last summer, you might have tuned into the news and vaguely heard about the health care reform President Obama kept stressing about; but then again, it only lasted for about a minute before more information about Michael Jackson’s death popped up again. So where exactly did the health care reform go? In case you haven’t noticed on the news or the Internet, Obama has been fighting for the new reform for over eight months, and it was passed in late March. And whether you care about health care or not, the passing of the health care reform is, to date, the single most significant event to occur in the United States this century, and it will likely determine the fate of the country as we know it.
LAYOUT11 ARTICLE Republican Side:
What does the health care do that makes it so pivotal to the United States’ economy and future? Talks now and then arise about how a straightforward reform couldn’t possibly change the United States to such a degree, but let’s face the facts: with the economic struggle most families in the United States are facing, some of them just don’t have the money for their own health care. The introduction of the government controlling the health care system is so avant garde and controversial that if it fails, the United States as we know it could be in a real pickle. In fact, every Republican voted against the passing of the reform; they thought it would lead to a national disaster where the Democrats would take complete control of the US. Ohio representative John Boehner called the passing “a grim moment for millions.” Obama certainly said, “This is what change looks like” in his speech about the health care reform, but is it for the good or for the bad? Not surprisingly, most Republican citizens consider the healthcare idea akin to the apocalypse. Not only do they consider the consequential reform a disaster to the United States, they also agree with the Republican politicians with the idea that the healthcare reform gives Democrats more control over the country. Republicans claim the new reform strips away most freedoms that Americans used to enjoy, such as choosing your own doctor, hospital and insurance company. According to the health care
BUTLER DIDIT LAYOUT12 Gordon Hayward’s half-court shot actuallyARTICLE looked like it might go in.
As the ball traveled through the air for what seemed like forever, millions of fans in Indianapolis, Indiana and Durham, North Carolina held their breaths. When the ball clunked off the backboard and bounced just inches away from the rim, Butler fans let out a collective “Awwwwwww” while Duke players and fans roared and piled in the center of the court. After an exciting series of events, underdogs Butler were edged out by the favorites, Duke, in the NCAA men’s basketball tournament finals by a score of 61-59. Duke won its first title since 2001, while Butler’s hopes of a Cinderella ending were crushed.
(ALMOST.)
F
ew of us may have heard the name Walter Cronkite, and even fewer may know who he is or what he is famous for. But he is remembered by our parents and teachers as“Uncle Walter”, “Old Ironpants”and most famously as “The Most Trusted Man in America”. In the days before we had 24 hour news, there was only the 6:30pm to 7pm broadcast, which all of America tuned into. During the turbulent times of the 60’s and 70’s, Walter Cronkite was the anchor for CBS Evening News. Anchor, according to the dictionary, is “ a thing affording stability; a source of confidence”. So in a way, throughtheeventsoftheassassinationofPresidentJohn F. Kennedy, the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr., the Vietnam War, Watergate, the Iranian Hostage Crisis, the Chicago Riots, Cronkite was the anchor not only for television, but also for America. Throughout those turbulent times, he remained a face of calmness, giving his audience “hard news”that made sense of the world. He always struck close to the facts, and paid a great respectforthem,muchunliketoday’s24hourjournalists. To his audience he was the voice of God in that respect. When he spoke everyone listened, and the revelations of the world came out of the TV speakers.
SPREAD13 ARTICLE
THE EARLY YEARS
Walter Leland Cronkite Jr. was born in Missouri, but
grew up in Texas and lived there for the most of his life. In 1935, during his junior year in the University of Texas, he dropped out, and went into different newspaper jobs. He later joined United Press in 1937, becoming their top reporter during World War II, covering battles in North Africa and Europe. He was one of the few reporters selected by the US Army to cover the Germany bombings from a B-52 Flying Fortress. After the war ended, Cronkite covered the Nuremberg trials, and remained a United Press reporter in Moscow for two years. Cronkite joined CBS News, as part of its new television division. After a series of small but notable jobs, eventually in 1962 Walter Cronkite replaced Douglas Edwards as the anchorman for CBS Evening News. For the next two decades Cronkite became an American icon, and he reached the pinnacle of his career. He was known for ending his broadcasts with“And thats the way it is on” followed by the date, and then “For CBS News, I’m Walter Cronkite”.
PRESIDENT KENNEDY In one of the most tragic of moments for American History, on November 22nd, 1963, President Kennedy was shot in Dallas, Texas. During a broadcast of the soap opera As the World Turns, CBS news received the bulletin,andasthecamerasandlightswererequiredtime to heat up (this is the 1960’s, remember), Cronkite was forced to improvise. So the broadcast of As the World Turns was interrupted three times, with a “CBS News Bulletin” bumper, Cronkite read out the bulletins he received each one elaborating on the shooting, and the events that were taking place after it. Finally, after the cameras began working, and in one of the most vividly remembered moments in American history, Cronkite went on air.While reportingabout the probable assassin, he received a bulletin handed to him by a CBS staff, read it, took off his glasses, and after a moment of hesitation confirmed America’s worst fear: according to CBS News’ Texas correspondent Dan Rather, President Kennedy was dead.
THE ORCHARD
ARTIST: RA RA RIOT
RELEASE DATE: AUGUST 24TH, 2010 LABEL: BARSUK LENGTH: 39:10
T
here aren’t many bands around that can claim to have a history as eventful and tragic as the Syra cusian indie rock sextet Ra Ra Riot. Formed in the January 2006 during their senior term at Syracuse University, the band quickly gained local prominence for their lively performances, which earned them a spot on the bill at the College Music Journal Music Marathon 6 months after their formation. Their appearance at the festival attracted acclaim, including a glowing review from Spin Magazine, which hailed them as one of the best young acts they’ve heard “in a long, long time”. (Particularly notable coming from a magazine that introduced acts such as R.E.M, Prince, The Talking
“While the music isn’t quite as immediately hooking as it was on “The Rhumb Line”, the album is a real grower...” Heads and The Beastie Boys, don’t you think?) The band’s promising career continued to develop, with opening slots for British acts Art Brut and Editors and a North American tour with fellow fledglings Tokyo Police Club. Then, disaster struck when on the 2nd of June 2007, original drummer and co-songwriter John Ryan Pike went missing following a show in Providence, Rhode Island. His body was found the next day in the waters of Buzzards Bay near New Bedford, Massachusetts; dead from drowning at the age of 23. In the weeks following his funeral, the band announced their intentions to continue performing as a group, and went on to sign record deals with V2 and Barsuk, with whom they eventually released their debut album “The Rhumb Line” on the 19th of August 2008, a somber, reflective affair chockfull of sweeping strings and intricate guitar melodies. After touring in support of “The Rhumb Line” for a good part of 2008 and an early part of 2009, Ra Ra Riot then retreated to a country farmhouse to record their sophomore effort
stylistically a refreshing change from the rest of the album, and Lawn’s sultry, soulful vocals work in combination with Miles’ ethereal, whimsical keyboards and Bonacci’s piercing tremolo to bring the album to an emotional high.
LAYOUT14 MUSIC REVIEW
LOWPOINTS There are some moments
on the album that fall flat, however, and most of the largest culprits can be found on the three songs that make up the final third of the album. The first two-thirds of the album do a rather good job of keeping things interesting by constantly switching up the tempo and style of each song. The final third however, suffers from the fact that “Do You Remember” and “Kansai” are much too similar to each other in terms of tempo and style, causing the album to tail off at a critical part of the album. Album closer “Keep It Quiet” doesn’t do anything to remedy the situation, as it is simply too safe and middling to regain the listener’s attention. This is rather unfortunate, as individually; each song has its own merits and moments. However, in context of placement on the album, they are a rather forgettable package and only serve to bring the album to a rather twee whimper. This is undoubtedly a great shame when especially compared to the quality found on the final third of “The Rhumb Line”, where Ra Ra Riot managed to close with a resolute bang with the dynamic and enchanting “Run My Mouth”.
THE GOOD The band has managed
to refine and develop their sound admirably on this record, and it shows with the album’s success on the charts. The album charted at #36 in the US, potentially putting Ra Ra Riot in line for some much deserved wider exposure.
THE BAD Album tails off during the final
third. Rest of the album is a commendable effort, however.
THE UGLY Can someone tell me what
exactly is going on in the music video for “Boy”?
TRACKLIST 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.
“The Orchard” – 3:29 “Boy” – 3:10 “Too Dramatic” – 3:04 “Foolish” – 4:01 “Massachusetts” – 5:38 “You And I Know” – 4:34 “Shadowcasting” – 3:40 “Do You Remember” – 3:31 “Kansai” – 4:13 “Keep It Quiet” – 3:46
Does
K
im
WORD magazine
Jong Il
Recently, Kim Jong-Il, the so-called “dear leader” of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, appointed his third son Kim Jong-Un as the very very long title of Vice-chairman of Central Military Commission ofWorkers’Party of Korea, in his daily column in the newspaper.The younger Kim is now a four-star general that is ranked only lower than the Dear Leader himself. Kim Jong-Il has thus established a foundation for the archetypical inheritable dictatorship of Kim Dynasty. You might ask why Kim Jong-Il selected Kim Jong-Un to become his successor. Is he crazy enough to fill the huge clown shoes that only Kim’s erratic behavior could? And of course the so called DPRK Parliament voted for the succession. They all had their utmost faith in Kim Jong-Il’s ability to choose a successful successor. That or they would be Dr. Strangelove’d and be tied to the top of the next missile test. Although, in all honesty, Kim Jong-Un has the same qualifications as Kim Jong-Il- he’s a heavy drinker who neveradmitsdefeat,whichcoincidentallywasalsoKimJong-Il’smainqualificationinchoosinghissuccessor. And it does tell us how soullessly evil Kim Jong-il is- he gave a drunk megalomaniac the keys to his personal collection of nuclear missiles. Kim Jong-il comfortably beats out Cristiano Ronaldo in the field of selfishness. This man remains selfish even when death is slowly (well, it has been speeding up recently) approaching him. It seems that Kim has started to feel the pointy end of death’s scythe as well – see how busy he is presenting his successor (it’s funny that his father did the same in the exactly same manner thirty years ago)! Well, before the“dear leader”passes away, let us take a closer look on the soulless path that this man has walked through during his reign of sixteen years.
Volume 6, Issue 2 a student publication of SAS pudong high school
Have a Soul? LAYOUT16 What a move! ARTICLE
LAYOUT15 COVER
DECEMBER
2010
WOfroRmD the desk
Table of Contents 4
Chicken Soup For the Soul Recipe
By Chiwei Zhang, Layout Alex Zhang
Contributors
6
NFL / NCAA Review for 2010
8
Never Having to Choose for Soul: Movie Review for “Mr Nobody”
9
A Gamer’s Soul
12
First Kiss
13
A Soul Ripped in Two
14
Where’s My Soul
15
Album Review: The Orchard
18
Soul
20
The Soul of a Neighborhood: The Little Plant
22
Book Review: There’s No Place Like Here
23
Metal
24
Saudade
26
Movie Review: Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World
28
Student Spotlight
29
Teacher Feature
30
The Poet
32
Does Kim Jong Il Have a Soul?
35
Soul Music
38
Soul’s Confusion
40
Back Cover Comic
By Frank Wu, Daniel Ni, Layout Kevin Ma By Grace Ko, Layout Tait Gu
By Daniel Lok, Kevin Zhu, Layout Kevin Zhu By Wenting Xie, Layout Alex Zhang By Sofia Rada
Irrepressible
Daniel Lok, Layout Alex Zhang
By Gwen Pak, Layout Keli Fung By Lenz Ong, Layout Kevin Ma
By Regan Plekenpol, Marisa Costa, and Anna Dining, Layout Alex Zhang By Tiffany Wong, Layout Alex Zhang By Junee Kim, Layout Alex Zhang
By Alvin Wang, Layout Alex Zhang By Maggie Zhang, Layout Alex Zhang By Terrence Chu, Layout Tait Gu
By Ji Young Lee, Layout Alex Zhang By Cassandra Mayson and Gracie Runtzer, Layout Alex Zhang By Victoria Yu, Layout Angella Liu By Akshay Verma and Teddy Jung, Layout Alex Zhang By Micky Wong, Layout Tait Gu By Natalie Pong, Layout Alex Zhang By Max Wang and Connie Wang
Quite frankly, there has been nothing more soul sucking for me to write than this iteration of Word From The Desk. The words weren’t coming together, none of the spins I tried to take on the theme seemed right, and when I finally thought I got the final draft down, the proofreading made me see that it was about as bad as a modern art masterpiece. The draft was so bad, that it made the work of William McGonagall look like Robert Frost. Indeed, writing can sometimes be a highly frustrating venture, and it is quite easy to get discouraged if nothing’s coming together quickly. It happens to all of us. From the 400 pound unemployed basement dwellers that write bad self-insert fan fiction on the Internet for a living to esteemed authors such as Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy author Douglas Adams, this sudden loss of writing ability can strike suddenly, and when it does, it has the potential to rank amongst one of the most frustrating, soul-sucking feelings one can experience, that feeling of hopelessness, that what you set out to achieve would never be done. That feeling that you’re throwing everything you’re thinking against a wall, hoping in vain something sticks. This stuck (I think), and it was one of the greatest feelings in the world. The overcoming of writer’s block, to me, is the soul-restoring vanquisher to the soul-sucking demons of writer’s block’s oncoming.
LAYOUT16 COVER
Indeed, just like writer’s block, many other events in our daily lives can affect the temperament of one’s soul. These can range from something miniscule, like finding a stray dollar on the street to substantial, potentially life-changing events, such as getting into college (corny as hell, I know. Send hate mail to editor@ihateword. com). As renowned Taoist philosopher Laozi once said, “Music in the soul can be heard by the universe”, which only goes to pinpoint the significant influence any given event in our lives can potentially have on the temper of the soul, influencing how we feel. And really, I wouldn’t have it any other way. Your Editor-in-Chief, Lenz Ong
Ms. EDMUNDS, Supervisor Mrs. Nakai, Supervisor Lenz ONG, Editor-in-Chief Alex ZHANG, Layout Editor Frank WU, Tech Editor Emily ZHANG, Copy Editor
Writers & Authors Terrence CHU Marisa COSTA Anna DINING Teddy JUNG Junee KIM Grace KO Ji Young LEE Daniel LOK Cassandra MAYSON Dan NI Lenz ONG Gwen PAK Regan PLEKENPOL Natalie PONG Sofia RADA Gracie RENTSCHLER Akshay VERMA Alvin WANG Max WANG Connie WANG Tiffany WONG Micky WONG Frank WU Wenting XIE Victoria YU Maggie ZHANG Chiwei ZHANG
Layout Team Tait GU Angella LIU Kevin MA Dan NI Angela WU Frank WU