XiaoHua 1 | Xiao Hua Issue 15
ISSUE 15 | JAN 2017
QUIZ: CHINESE How to Navigate the
LIT OR LANG-LIT?
NEW BUILDING
Different floors of the new building and what they contain
IS OCEAN PARK
HUMANE?
HIGHLIGHTS OF THE
OLYMPICS Olympic Taboos
Policy Unicorns Worth Butchering
Why Nuclear Disarmament is a Policy Unicorn
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2 | Xiao Hua Issue 15
CONTENTS
P 46
P 14 - 17 Happenings Interviewing New Faculty Members
Voices P12
Trip to Tongzhou
P14
Soaring into the 21st Century
P18
Your Guide to the New Building
P20
Lifestyle
CIS Speaks!
P22
Teacher Diary:
P44
Really, America?
P28
Hot Bites Food Review
P46
Grand Slam
P30
P47
P32
Quotes on Mindfulness
P48
Donations of Clothes and Goods
P33
Book Review: Cathedral by Raymond Carver
P49
Hong Kong Off the Beaten Path
P34
Album Review: Blond
P50
Calculator Hacks
P52
747
P54
Adam Guo’s Web App
P56
Brain Boosting Foods
P57
P36
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Teacher Funny Stories
P38
Beyond the Mozart Effect
P40
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P 64 - 67 P 102 - 103 Features Why Nuclear Disarment is a Policy Unicorn
Editorial P58
The Future of Food Delivery
P62 Is Film Dead?
Sports P80
Meet Your House Captains
P104
P82
How to Use Equipment in the Gym
P108
P64 P83
Minimalism: A Lifestyle for Less
Olympic Taboos
P84
P70
Is Ocean Park Humane?
P88 P92
Examining the Debate Surrounding Trigger Warnings
P72
Apple & the Search for Innovation
Typography - The Medium is the Message
P76
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P110
P68
P94 How to Start Reading Again
P98
Campus Rape Culture
P100
Alumni: Lucas Sin
P102
The Phoenix Workout Challenge!
P111
Games Spot the Difference
P112
CIS Trivia
P113
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XiaoHua
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ISSUE 15 | JAN 2017 Editor in Chief Natalie Lin News Editor Constance Lam
Reporters Adrian Sun, Karissa Poon, Raghav Goyal, Toby Chan, Samantha Chong, Phyllis Lam, Angelina Wang, Justin Ngai, Sabrina Ma, Constance Lam, Frances Amos, Gabriel Lee, Erik Wihlborn, Ben Chan, Evelyn Choi, Sheren Mao, Cindy Kim, Cynthia Huang, Katherine Yang, Curtis Lo, James Leigh Features Editor Ethan Lam Reporters Kenny Jeong, Ye Zhang, Nicole Yip, Erica Qiu, Jessica Cheng, Katherine Yang, Angelina Wang, Katherine Wu, Lauren Ho, Evelyn Howe, Lynn Q-won Lee, Natalie Lin, Ethan Lam, Bryan Cheng Sports Editor Isaac Um Reporters Toby Chan, Justin Ngai, Kevin Ky Chinese Editor Natalie Chak Reporters Flora Xiao, Ciara Liu, Jae Lamb, Sophia Chan, Becca Guo, Peter Yung Chris Huang, Andy Ji, Ben Chan Director of Layout Nicole Li Layout Designers Ben Chan, Gioia Cheung, Sheren Mao, Emma Lau, Phyllis Lam, Vanessa Chan, Katherine Ye Director of Photography Gabriel Lee Photographers Ryan Chiao, Phyllis Lam, Gioia Cheung, Colin Huang, Ethan Lam, Gabriel Lee, Philippa Yuen Director of Illustrations Toni Suen Illustrators Christina Shen, Kristen Wong, Florence Wu, Sierra Chiao, Stephanie Kung, Evelyn Choi, Brittany Au, Ashley Tuen Director of Business Joseph Wan Director of Administration Angelina Wang
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The value of your investments and the income received from them can fall as well as rise. You may not get back the amount you invested.
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6 | Xiao Hua Issue 15
Meet our editorial board.
News Editor
Constance Lam Above all else, Xiao Hua celebrates change, whether they be changes in popular culture, changes in politics. Featuring interviews with staff members, and a new trivia quiz about CIS and its history, this issue in particular celebrates both the old and the new: traditions and memories shared by students and teachers alike, and the changes to our campus.
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Features Editor
Ethan Lam What I admire about this issue of Xiao Hua is that it’s not restricted by a certain theme. For the most part, our writers had free reign over what they wanted to write, and as a result of that, the content of the magazine represents a very broad spectrum of topics. Some articles are reactions to the perpetually changing landscapes around us, while some are simply love letters to the various passions of our writers— there’s a bit of something here for everybody.
Chinese Editor
Natalie Chak This new issue of Xiao Hua embodies CIS’ diverse and passionate students, featuring fantastic literary and artistic works from some of our most talented students. What I love most about the new issue is the freedom given to our writers, embracing different political opinions, cultural preferences and so on. Xiao Hua is therefore, not just a school magazine, but also a channel for our students to express their own thoughts and challenge others’.
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Sports Editor
Director of Layout
Director of Photography
It’s been great working with the Xiao Hua board and the writers. Letting my writers work on what they’re most interested in, such as the building layouts and gym equipment, has made the experience even better. Jokes aside, I’m looking forward for the next issue, and I hope more people will sign up for Xiao Hua next year! I’ll be expecting to hear lots from the many, soon to be, users of the ‘Phoenix Fitness Challenge’!
Every year, Xiao Hua brings forth new challenges for students to work together to overcome, whether it be meeting strict deadlines or coordinating between departments, the process is never easy. Yet at the end of each semester, I’m always both surprised and pleased that despite all of these challenges, our team always manages to push through and produce a beautiful piece of work. Upon publishing our final product, instead of praising the end result of the magazine, I’d like to commend each student for their hard work and dedication throughout the difficult process.
While most people consider Xiao Hua to be an established publication in the field of writing, this issue really brought out the diversity and creative talent in the arts. From shooting photos about the US election to the endangered animals of Ocean Park, this issue has truly been a challenge for the creative side of the magazine. However, the staff members were all able to produce amazing work that is reflective of the creative powers behind the magazine.
Isaac Um
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Nicole Li
Gabriel Lee
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Director of Business
Joseph Wan
Director of Administration
Angelina Wang
Director of Illustrations
Leading the backend of Xiao Hua, making sure we have adequate funds to produce this year’s issue, has been great. The team has put a lot of effort into fundraising and selling advertising space. With a healthy balance sheet, Xiao Hua is well-positioned to grow and advance into new spheres of media. I like money. Xiao Hua has a lot of money.
In 2010, a student in Year 11 was tasked with the assignment of creating a Personal Project. Despite the common belief of it being a burden, they seized the opportunity and created a magazine to offer a lively window on campus life and student concerns. Six years later, it has become all that and so much more. With 2016 being one of the most eventful years in the last few decades, this issue really encapsulates the dynamic political and social landscape of today.
This year’s issue of Xiao Hua challenges the extremity of current affairs as well as the integrity of the students involved in creating it. The newest installment showcases the talent, creativity, and originality within the student body and unites both discussion and perspective in all of the pieces of work published within it. The diversity of different types of media, topics and the artistic individuals working together is authentic and utilised to create a brilliant issue.
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Toni Suen
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Editor’s Letter The first two months of 2016 saw 22 youth suicides in Hong Kong. For issue 14, I considered writing an article on how schools don’t protect mental health of students, but a little voice in my head said it would be too controversial. After all, Xiao Hua is a school magazine, which means “don’t rock the boat”. You can get on the boat, check out its design, but give it a new paint job? Change its course? Better not. Should Xiao Hua act as a bystander? Simply watch societal problems cruise along its original course? In Issue 15, the editorial board of 2016-2017 says no - it’s time we rock the boat. When it comes to starting change within our school community, students not only need to be heard but responded to, which is why Xiao Hua has paired up with CIS Speaks to facilitate discussion between students and staff. The dialogue between Cynthia Huang (Y13) and Mrs. Chadwick addresses the exact problem pervading Hong Kong youth: mental stress. It raises the question of whether availability is enough for efficacy. In CIS, is making available resources - school counsellors, student committees, advisors - enough to ensure students’ mental well-being? Or do we need more active intervention? Not only is Xiao Hua challenging frameworks within our school, but also the beliefs held by our students. We’re all familiar with Ocean Park: roller coasters, haunted houses, miniature bottle of colourful sand - it’s a place for innocent, harmless fun. Evelyn Howe (Y9) and Lynn Q-won Lee (Y9) in “Is Ocean Park Humane?”, however, remind us keeping animals captive isn’t so harmless. After reading their article, you’ll wonder whether an establishment that sells freedom for entertainment still deserves our support.
compensation scams in China, after witnessing the occurrence first-hand in Beijing. As well as “Off the Beaten Path” where Angelina Wang (Y11) shares, from experience, her favourite hidden gems in Hong Kong. At the start of the year, the editorial board was operating under the theme of “get it done”, but as we’ve collaborated with CIS Speaks and given writers free reign over topic choice, we saw issue 15 begin to “rock the boat”. The brand new editorial crew of 2016-2017 is steering Xiao Hua towards a new direction and we hope you’re on board for the ride.
The editorial board is also making waves in the publication process of Xiao Hua. Rather than assign articles, Enjoy! we’ve allowed students to chose their own topics and write about what really concerns or interests them. As a result Natalie this issue includes articles such as “ ” where Chris Huang (Y12) examines the phenomenon of
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Faculty Letter Numbers are great for quantifying, and increasingly we rely on mere figures to quantify and indicate value. Whether by open invitation or insidious takeover, numbers have become integral in obtaining valuation for a variety things, including apparently, humans. An episode entitled Nosedive in the latest season of the speculative TV show Black Mirror explores the modern mania of rating things “out of five”. In this America of the near future, people walk around accompanied by a number out of 5 floating around them, which is visible to all (presumably facilitated by some sort of augmented reality produced through optical implants). The society that is depicted is inhabited by widely smiling individuals donning pastel hues, working in pristine white offices, and sipping organic smoothies through red and white striped straws -- an updated version of idyllic Stepford, Connecticut. Of course, all this perceived sense of happiness and serenity, signaled by the clear blue skies of the day and the soft lights that illuminate the night, serves to contrast sharply with the individual in turmoil and anguish. With every human connection and interaction rated and quantified, and perceived self worth fluctuating constantly, it is impossible to shake off the sense of crushing insecurity. So ingrained is this act of objectifying every interaction, strangers, friends, and the self, authentic human connections become impossible, or perhaps, it has become archaic.
already numbers all around us indicate to us our sense of value of people. The numbers on report cards, the figure in bank accounts, or perhaps even the number of likes on Instagram. I shared this episode with the Year 11’s recently in a discussion about our often opaque relationship with technology and its implications. The various voices and perspectives in this issue of Xiao Hua will no doubt also serve as a starting point for more musings and authentic conversations. Happy reading,
It does not take a particularly flexible mind to stretch and adapt to this version of the future, and
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Se Mi Lee
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Games Answers
1) D
2) B
3) A
4) A
5) D
6) C
7) C
8) D
9) C
10) B
CIS Trivia Answers Xiao Hua 15.indd 11
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12 | Xiao Hua Issue 15 | Happenings
Ms. Thomson, Science Teacher
Mr. Cruickshank, Individuals & Societies Teacher
Ms. Howell, English Teacher
Interviewing New Faculty Members By Adrian Sun and Karissa Poon
Q: What brought you here to CIS? Mr. Cruickshank: I enjoy teaching in the IB programme but was looking for a new opportunity, and I have heard many positive things about CIS. Also, my wife works in the fashion industry and she needed a city where she could transfer within her company. We set our sights on Hong Kong and everything fell in place perfectly! Ms. Howell: I had been teaching Economics in Sydney at Kambala, a private girls school in Rose Bay for the past ten years and I decided that I would really like to further my career and teach in an international school and live overseas. I considered a number of options but felt that CIS in Hong Kong was a good fit for my philosophy of education as well as giving me the opportunity to continue to teach IB Economics. Ms. Thomson: I have lived and worked in Hong Kong for over eleven years out of the past fifteen and had returned to the UK last year for family reasons, but by summertime had decided I really wanted to teach back to Hong Kong; so when the position was advertised I immediately applied as I knew what an excellent reputation CIS has both locally and within Asia.
Q: How do you feel about the learning environment and the students at CIS? Xiao Hua 15.indd 12
Mr. Cruickshank: CIS is incredibly well resourced and has an amazing teaching staff. My students are excited to be at school and eager to learn. Ms. Howell: The learning environment at CIS is a very positive one. I have been impressed by the conscientious attitude toward work that the students have and also their willingness to contribute in class. The students are polite but happy to engage and so it makes my lessons a pleasure to teach. Ms. Thomson: I feel extremely fortunate to have come to CIS just when the new tower has opened and to be working in brand new laboratories, so I could not ask for better facilities. I think the students here are eager to learn and keen to have their questions answered and I am enjoying teaching them.
Q: Do you like the new building CIS constructed? Why? Mr. Cruickshank: Impressive! While I was a little lost at first in the labyrinth of stairways crisscrossing through the different buildings and levels, I’ve since found my way around. I love how open the classrooms feel and how easy it is to see all the wonderful learning taking place inside. I’m especially fond of walking by all the open student spaces -- whether they’re practicing the violin, planning a presentation, or just simply reading the newspaper, I get to witness CIS student initiative and ambition daily as I walk to and from classes. Ms. Howell: The new building is excellent and I’m getting very fit walking up and down the stairs. The teacher space
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13 | Xiao Hua Issue 15 | Happenings is very good for collaborative planning and also getting to know the staff from other faculties. The areas for meeting students work well and the whole building is aesthetically pleasing. I particularly like the use of glass and the natural light this allows in classrooms and the staffroom. Ms. Thomson: I like the staff offices being close together on the 8th and 9th floor - it gives me chance to get to know people beyond the lovely science faculty and I can tell a lot of hard work and planning went into making the space as pleasant and user-friendly as possible.
Q: How is CIS different from your last school? Mr. Cruickshank: My last school was in Sao Paulo, Brazil. It was much smaller and less cosmopolitan than CIS. My last job was in an IB school as well, and so the timetable and workload was roughly the same. The big difference is that everyone working at CIS is excited to to be here and contagiously positive and collaborative. It is a fantastic work environment!
ing up some basic Mandarin and I’m eager to try it out with people! Ms. Howell: I enjoy travel, trying new things and meeting new people. I like to play tennis and swim and I enjoy reading. Settling in to living in Hong Kong has taken up a lot of my spare time recently but it has been exciting! Ms. Thomson: In my spare time I’m an avid reader so I have joined a book club. I also enjoy swimming so I’m very pleased the climate in Hong Kong means I can use the outdoor pool next to my apartment most evenings when I get home. I like cooking for my family or eating out and Hong Kong seems to have more restaurants than I could ever visit. I enjoy singing and intend to rejoin Kassia choir in the new year and I love astronomy, but sadly light and air pollution mean we don’t always get the best view of the skies here in Hong Kong.
Ms. Howell: CIS is similar in many ways to my last school but it’s good being back in a co-educational teaching environment. The 12 day timetable has taken a little bit of time to get used to but now I know to talk in terms of A’s and B’s I quite like the way the timetable is set up. My workspace is excellent with lots of space - much more than I’ve had previously. I’m still working on learning my timetable, but I do like the fact that the timetable just continues after a holiday. I do have to concentrate really hard on lesson timings when we have condensed days and not get carried away doing experimental work. Ms. Thomson: As soon as I joined CIS I was impressed with the feeling of “family” that was expressed by all the staff and students - people seemed genuinely glad to be back after the summer holiday and that was a very nice atmosphere to walk into on my first day. The lessons here are slightly longer than at Kellett, my previous school, but not as long as the 2 hour lessons at South Island School!
Q: What are your hobbies and what do you do in your spare time? Mr. Cruickshank: My wife and I enjoy hiking and going to the beach, and so Hong Kong provides a lot for us to do on the weekends. I also love to read history and ethnography, and enjoy trying to learn other languages. I’ve begun pick-
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Trip to
Tongzhou By Hannah Guo
On the 24th of August, 97 students arrived in Hangzhou, ready to begin a new life. Everyone was eager to start their new journey in a new city, and had settled in relatively quickly. Many lessons were learned, memories made and jouneys experienced. On the evening of October 11th, the students and faculty of CIS Hangzhou went out to a small Island called Tongzhou, situated in the middle of the Fuyang river, and only an hour and a half bus drive from the campus. At Tongzhou, we were split into many different “families”, and stayed in different homes. We had all of our meals with our host family, and they prepared lots of delicious food for us. During the day, the students were split into six different day activities— farming, cooking, making boats, creating musical instruments, and filming. Students who chose farming were split off into groups of two, where they followed a farmer and learned how to farm and harvest crops. Students who chose cooking were in charge of making dinner for their host families, so they went out to the supermarket and bought lots of ingredients, and came back to prepare the meal.
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Students who were making the boats were given materials such as cardboard, plastic wrap and bamboo, and from there they would create their own boat. They would then run experimental test trials to see whether or not the boat would float on the water.
Those who were creating musical instruments used different pipes and various types of trash to create a set of musical instruments for an “orchestra” Finally, the filming group worked behind the scenes. They were in charge of capturing everything that went on on the island; so they filmed all the activities happening on the island.
For the day, my friend and I were a part of the farming group. With our farming “mentor”, we spent the day imitating her daily routines. We harvested sweet potato, picked weeds out from the crops, picked beans, fruits, and more!
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17 | Xiao Hua Issue 15 | Happenings
Overall, the experience was amazing. Everyone was really thankful for this experience. Instead of sitting in a classroom and being told what to do, we got to experience autonomous, hands-on learning. As my farming partner said, “it was really free, and we could do whatever we wanted, (within reason of course). It was quiet and peaceful, and the overall atmosphere of the island was unlike anything else we had previously experienced.� On the last night of the two night trip, we celebrated the end of our trip with a bonfire. During this night, we showcased talent, exchanged laughter, and ate great camp food. This was a celebration of not only a successful trip, but also of our year group finally coming together as a community.
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Soaring into the 21st Century By Raghav Goyal | Photography by Gabriel Lee Imagine being able to have your lunch whilst enjoying a courtyard concert next door. Imagine being able to study in peace on a desk all to yourself in the library. These are just some of the small enhancements to your school life that will make all the difference. Now, you might be wondering why the redevelopment project was planned in the first place.
Was it to improve student life and learning, or was it a measure to enlarge the student body? The project was planned as a campus upgrade, to support learning and enhance school life. The new tower and new library provide more learning and study spaces, and the new cafeteria will bring the community closer by placing core venues together.
Timeline
of Pheonix Soaring Redevelopment Project 1st Phase: 2 years of New Construction (April 2014-June 2016) Phase 1 saw the additions of Primary Collaborative Spaces in January 2016, and the New Tower (otherwise known as The STEAM Tower) by September 2016. The New Tower was built in place of the old tower - which only housed a lower and upper secondary gym. Besides having a lower and upper gym, the New Tower also boasts a total of 29 new learning spaces. For students, the new tower adds collaborative spaces where teams and groups can get work done in peace.
2nd Phase: 1/2 year of Renovation (June-December 2016) The Redevelopment Project is currently under Phase 2 of renovation. A new whole school cafeteria is under construction on Level 1, which housed the humanities classrooms and department last year. Designed by Flansburgh Architects, who designed the CIS Hangzhou campus, this new cafeteria will be modeled after the CIS Hangzhou cafeteria and share a similar design, and will be completed by Fall/Winter 2016. The relocation of the cafeteria was proposed so that Level 1 will be known as the “Main Street/Artery� of the school. Level 1 will become the main hub of the school, as stu-
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19 | Xiao Hua Issue 15 | Happenings dents and teachers can eat in the cafeteria during breaks and lunchtimes and watch occasional courtyard concerts in the basketball court. With the multiple facilities situated on the same floor, and the new cafeteria adjacent to the basketball court, school life will be significantly more convenient for the CIS community closer together.
3rd Phase: 1/2 year of Renovation (2016) by Summer 2017: New Library (Block 4) In Phase 3 a new whole school library will be completed, which will house a greater collection of materials and more seating for self-studying. The library will be built in place of the current cafeteria and administrative offices. The space between the admissions and business office in front of the Moongate will be turned into the new library foyer which will be used for literature circles and other events. There will be a mix of Secondary and Primary designated areas and whole school areas. Having a new library will allow students to find a wider range of sources for research and will increase the seating capacity of selfstudy desks.
4th Phase: 1/2 year of Renovation (March 2017-Fall/Winter 2017) by Winter 2017: Remaining Renovation (mainly Blocks 3 & 5) Any remaining renovation that is yet to be completed in Blocks 3 & 5, such as adding more classrooms in place of the old library, will be completed during Phase 4. More information about the project’s final will be provided at around March 2017. So whether you are an art fanatic or a science wiz, a student or a teacher the Phoenix Soaring Campus Redevelopment Project will support and enhance your school life and learning. With the completion of the new tower you may have already taken advantage of the new collaborative spaces, the bigger and better designed classrooms and the wider range of tools to use in DT and Science labs.
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20 | Xiao Hua Issue 15 | Happenings
YOUR GUIDE to the New Building By Toby Chan The new building of CIS has been in construction since the start of the school year in 2014. The new building includes two new gyms, a fitness room, the teacher’s office, changing rooms, and several more classrooms. The product design and science labs have also been moved to the new building, therefore creating more space for other classrooms. The new block is used to further improve our school life, as now we have more spaces to socialize, learn and rest. Below we can see the different floors of the new building and what they contain.
L10
Rooftop Garden
L9/8
Administrative Offices Secon dary Faculty Office s
L7
Design Labs
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The rooftop garden allows for another space to hold events or have students go to outside of class.
The new secondary faculty offices allow students allow for student and teacher interaction.
Three new product design departments, have been moved from the secondary 6th floor to the new building’s 7th floor. There are also two collaboration spaces, where people can discuss, study, or hold meetings in.
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L6 L5 L4 L3 L2 L1 L0 Xiao Hua 15.indd 21
Science labs
There are three science rooms and two collaboration space. A corridor on the 6th floor connects the new building with the old building.
Science labs There are three more science rooms, and another collaboration space. There is also the atrium connecting the new building with the older one. Outside the atrium we can also see another large space that allows for activities such as year assemblies or career fairs.
Classrooms Two multi-use classrooms for any subject.
Classrooms There are only two classrooms. Furthermore, you can look down at the secondary upper gym to see what people are doing.
Fitness Room, Secondary Upper Gym The secondary upper gym will be available for PE classes and for students to play in during lunches and breaks. There is also a fitness room, which includes treadmills, TRXs and other fitness equipment.
Mezzazine
Here you will be able to look down and see what is going on inside the secondary lower gym. On the wall there is also the donation / tribute wall.
Classrooms, Secondary Lower Gym The secondary lower gym can be used for playing any kind of sport. It is also used for assemblies as there are many pullout seats at the back of the gym. There is also an additional exit to the school.
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22 | Xiao Hua Issue 15 | Voices
CIS SPEAKS!
CIS Speaks is a new joint initiative by the Senior Student Committee and Xiao Hua Magazine to provide a written platform for student-teacher discussions on the issues that matter to us all! What’s the best way to deal with stress in Year 13? Cynthia Huang and Mrs. Chadwick Mrs. Chadwick, despite CIS’s abundance of resources and efforts geared towards promoting positivity, things like stress, overwhelming academic pressure, and competition remain unchecked. This reality is not due to a lack of effort from the administration, etc., but is rather due to a fundamental disconnect. What the administration has in years of experience, it lacks in a deeper understanding of the currency and intricacies of the situations it seeks to remedy. It is ill-equipped to tackle or fully understand what is discussed in the safety of the common room or in communal spaces. So when it comes to discussions on what to do for CHOICES and what to talk about in Advisory, students should not be consulted only through simple surveys or passing conversations, most of which are self-censored. There needs to be more direct and prevalent student representation. The administration needs to start valuing the student voice more when it comes to behind-the-scenes discussions on how to talk about sensitive issues. Only through doing so, can it start making students place faith in and connect to what is currently the lofty, unreachable idea of positive education. Else, issues regarding stress, etc. will continue being discussed in varying fashions but all to the same representative degree and positive education will remain a stagnant vision, a passing joke between students. - Cynthia Huang Cynthia, your comment implying that there is ‘a fundamental disconnect’ about what the students feel towards stress, academic pressure and competition, is to a certain extent true. Clearly we do not know what is discussed in the common room, but it is your common room, not ours. However, I would like to point out that we are often the ones to identify stress in students. Secondly, it is the job of the Senior Student Committee (SSC) to ‘present views and proposals for improving conditions for senior students’. Perhaps the role of the SSC should be made more obvious and the students should value the opportunities they do have to speak through the SSC. As far as CHOICES goes, I have made a determined effort, based on all my previous experience, to provide a programme this year which does not add to the stress of the students, but gives them a time to understand better how to relax and be more mindful. No, I did not ask the students what they felt we should do! This year was my choice, which I believed was the right choice. I am more than happy to suggest that in future we do seek more opinions from students. The one thing I do know, is that the welfare of our students is our first priority and we would
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23 | Xiao Hua Issue 15 | Voices welcome more student voice through the SSC. I strongly believe that together with our counseling services, CIS offers a superb level of care for all students. - Mrs. Chadwick Mrs. Chadwick, while it is true that the Senior Student Committee does exist to represent us, there are a couple of problems with simply increasing the role of the SSC: 1. In writing this, I hope to speak out for the secondary student body as a whole. Limiting resolutions to avenues only available for senior students, such as the SSC, does not tackle the issue of student representation on a school-wide scale. 2. Though the SSC is able to ‘present views and proposals’, its proposals have to go through a review process that takes a long time, taking away from time that could be spent on more discussions. I want a system with more immediate impact when it comes to discussing wellbeing, how we speak of it, etcetera. Considering these two wishes, I have a proposal that I hope you will hear out: 1. Instead of having the SSC / Student Council , etc. handle topics regarding wellbeing, I suggest more direct discourse between Heads of Years (HOYs) and their year groups. For example, it would also benefit if every HOY just took half an hour of their time per week to meet with different advisories to discuss what the students in said advisories would wish to do in CHOICES. This will ensure that all student voices are heard, that we will be able to tackle problems like stress, etc. more head-on. 2. CHOICES aside, I have heard of there being a ‘wellbeing committee’ composed of teachers, but most students do not know of its existence. More student representation in this committee and any other similar groups could also allow students to contribute towards a school-wide discourse on positivity. - Cynthia Huang Cynthia, thank you for your response. My main focus at CIS is the welfare of our students. It takes top priority. In response to Point 1: There are 3 student council reps in each year group, 3 counsellors, 10 advisors, several university counselors, 7 Heads of Years (HOYs) and lots of approachable teachers, and as always an open door to the Student Affairs office. If students have issues or requests, I don’t understand why they don’t reach us. In response to Point 2: Rarely do we get proposals, which require active responses, so I don’t understand ‘a review process that takes a long time’? In response to your proposal: A Head of Year is absolutely open to students’ ideas but also has a very demanding schedule of teaching and other responsibilities. Nevertheless, this is a helpful suggestion. We do however try to get around to advisories! The Head of Year has to make decisions about what is best for the year group as a whole and what happens in Choices at present reflects that. This is based on many years mentoring Year 13 students. It cannot please everyone but it can provide benefit to many, many students who participate and commit. Not sure, however, what is meant in your note about tackling stress head-on? What would this entail? There are lots of committees and meetings that students are not aware of. This well-being committee, barely formed, has yet to meet in any substantive way; by all means students should be included and consulted at some stage about how best the school can support their well-being. The school conducts a universal well-being measure on a biennial basis and last year the SSC met to provide feedback to the school on the experience of students in Years 12 and 13. We are very interested and concerned about alleviating stress among the students, but it is a whole school approach, in partnership with parents, teachers and students. - Mrs. Chadwick
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24 | Xiao Hua Issue 15 | Voices How can CIS make more room for student leadership and initiative? Anonymous Student and Ms. Uttam
Ms. Uttam, there are very few instances in which meaningful student leadership can take place within CIS. I think the school wants in principle to see students taking the lead to resolve issues that concern them, but the unfortunate reality is that blockades exist to real student leadership. At the middle-management level of the school, there is simply too much micro-management, or what I would describe as interventionism. I feel that there are some members of faculty who lack trust in student-led projects, believing that there is no way a student can successfully lead a project, event or service club without the assistance of a teacher. At just the sign of a mistake, they step in, take over, and take away any learning opportunity. I strongly believe that real leadership and experience comes from the philosophy of ‘Learning by Doing’. This idea entails students learning by making mistakes, picking up the pieces and reassembling themselves. Contrast this to some teachers’ interventionist approach that schools and molds students to do things their way. Dr. Faunce once said, in his first assembly with the CIS Community way back in August of 2006, “Make mistakes. Don’t forget them. Learn from them”. Indeed, for genuine and meaningful student leadership to grow in CIS, there needs to be an end to the micro-managing of student initiatives. - Anonymous Student Anonymous Student, I think there are many instances of meaningful student leadership at CIS. The Senior Student Committee, Student Council Executives, Head Girl and Boy, House Captains and Service Leaders are just a few examples. In fact we find that very few students actually put themselves forward for important positions of responsibility, which is a shame. And when they do, they usually asks if it “counts for something” either CAS or House points. I don’t think that members of faculty lack trust in student-led projects; there are certain issues that we have no flexibility on due to liability and insurance issues e.g. bus booking and room booking, but it would be great if more specific examples of micro-management were provided. Making new mistakes is a great way to learn. We do have to be cognizant of the fact that there are repercussions to our actions. For service projects that work with understaffed, underfunded NGOs, the idea that we should be okay with students making mistakes is lofty and idealistic, when their mistakes can have serious impacts on the communities we are trying to serve. For example, a couple of students were two minutes late in picking up bread from Pret for Feeding Hong Kong one Tuesday. The result? The staff of Pret put down the shutters and left. In a city where 1 in 4 children do not get 3 meals a day and 1 in 3 seniors are not able to meet their nutritional needs, our students being 2 minutes late meant that people did not have the access to fresh, high quality food that they should have had. I think it is slightly privileged to expect that the school should encourage students to use their service experience to learn through trial and error. - Ms. Uttam
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25 | Xiao Hua Issue 15 | Voices Ms. Uttam, I want to be clear that when I refer to student leadership, I mean leadership within the school, wider Hong Kong community and beyond. I think the example you raised regarding the two student volunteers is a good example of student carelessness in community service work, but not an example about leadership per se. What I refer to specifically when I discuss student leadership in the school is the interventionist attitude of faculty when students are in the planning and envisioning stage. If students make mistakes at this stage, it should be treated as a catalyst for profound reinvention, and not a setback for the community.
“If students make mistakes at this stage, it should be treated as a catalyst for profound reinvention, and not a setback for the community.” I know a student who while planning an event and reaching out to guests and sponsors was subject to constant lectures and even direct interference by teachers. For meaningful student leadership to take place, students should not be scrutinized every step of the way. They should have the opportunity to find their own way. As for the Senior Student Committee, Student Council, House Captains, Head Students, and Service Leaders, I think it’s unrealistic to analyse the leadership within them as one collective group. The leadership that takes place within those roles and indeed between the different service projects vary. However, I believe my point still has merit- for meaningful student leadership to take place, students must have as much space as possible to discover their own passions, without the interference of faculty. - Anonymous Student Anonymous Student, I don’t think student leadership and teacher supervision are mutually exclusive in the way you are describing. According to your example, the student leader of an event was responsible for reaching out to guests and sponsors, and was making a lot of mistakes? So should the teacher stand by and let the student make mistake after mistake and not offer any guidance or constructive criticism? And what are the consequences of this mistake? Would said event not go forward because it did not have enough sponsors? How would this impact other students also involved in the project who have carried their weight? And ultimately, who would take responsibility for this event not going forward? There are two important things to understand: 1. Teacher intentions: what motivation do teachers have to be “interventionist”? Absolutely none. Teachers love it when students take responsibility and get on with things -way less work for us! Remember, we are taking time out of our busy schedules to help supervise a project that is for the benefit of the student, not for ourselves. It would be helpful to understand teachers intentions and to not confuse their feedback as a bid to take over a project. 2. Differences in personality: I am sure that there are certain teachers you work better with than others. It seems as though you have had a bad experience working with a teacher whose working style didn’t match your own, which is fine, because that is reflective of real life. Rather than paint a picture that all teachers at CIS are interventionists, approach the teacher with the sincere desire to improve your working relationship, and perhaps be grateful that this school actually provides students with professionals who are willing to go above and beyond to mentor students. - Ms. Uttam
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26 | Xiao Hua Issue 15 | Voices What would a truly integrated S.T.E.A.M (Science Technology Engineering Arts Math) approach look like at CIS? Katherine Yang and Mr. Mumm Mr. Mumm, I used to love our Integrated Studies class in Primary. Once, dressed in togas, we had debated the most significant legacy of Ancient Greece; another time, we had used circuitry to build zany toys. In the midst of these projects, it hardly mattered who would become a person or person—left brain or right brain, artist or scientist—like we sometimes fixate on now, because in reality, the two were inextricable. Some people believe that when art and technology are mandatory, valuable time is misplaced for career-minded students. I challenge that; I love that it nurtures holistic people with a smattering of a background in a bit of everything. In fact, we could take further by encouraging the inclusion of Arts in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics, and vice versa. Existing case studies include introducing STEM topics through art, creating generative art in math, emphasising design thinking and methodology in technology—but even these can be surface-level changes. What could an integrated STEAM approach at CIS look like? (Our new STEAM tower, rife with possibilities, is an exciting glimpse at this.) As for the positive effects this could have, take your pick! STEAM encourages teamwork between people with different strengths, it fosters hands-on problem-solving, it reveals the similarly beautiful and creative natures of both art and science... Essentially, the argument is this: science brings art to life, and art inspires science. It only makes sense to lessen the rift if we want to be fully literate in the 21st century. - Katherine Yang Katherine, the scientific method is arguably the most important method of inquiry yet devised by the human mind and the catchy acronym STEAM reminds us what this project is about: It reminds us that Science inevitably produces Technology that shapes our lives (mostly for better, sometimes for worse), Engineering comes up with practical solutions to problems we want to solve (often with success, after many failures) and Mathematics is the only language that can express all these ideas accurately enough (it’s also, in its own right, a fascinating way to exercise the mind). The best thing about the acronym STEAM is the emphasis it puts on the fact that all these activities run on enormous amounts of creativity, passion and persistence -it is in fact an Art to honestly and competently follow the scientific method wherever it leads. Actually, each individual STEM activity is a highly complex and deeply satisfying art form in itself; a beautiful human expression that seeks to reveal the actual truth (not an interpreted truth) about reality. As a scientist, physicist and mathematician (= rational thinker) I might be a bit biased, but what is there not to love about STEAM? I highly recommend listening to Richard Feynman’s response to people who think scientists are dull and reductionistic. Search ‘Feynman Series Beauty’ in YouTube. Students, teachers and parents at CIS should be embracing the scientific method and we should be completely immersing ourselves in the STEAM experience. I would love to see CIS Science become the ‘Jet Propulsion Laboratory of Science Departments’ and I do believe we have taken the first steps in that direction with our New Tower. But be warned, the scientific method is not as simple, clean and linear as so many people unfortunately believe. In reality it’s messy, chaotic, confusing and occasionally frustrating (yes, you’re doing it right!), and if you’re lucky, it might just change your mind completely. - Mr. Mumm
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27 | Xiao Hua Issue 15 | Voices How can CIS foster intrinsic motivations for learning that displace the need for stress? Curtis Lo and Mr. George Mr. George, I believe that stress becomes unnecessary at a certain point in teenage life. Stress is motivation due to fear of failure, or desire to succeed. This form of motivation, while completely valid, is shallow in comparison to more intrinsic forms of motivation. During my time in Hangzhou, I found myself writing essays and stories and reports, not because my English teacher told me to, but because I found that I loved writing. And in retrospect, I felt more reward from the sole process of writing those pieces, than any 8/8 I’ve ever gotten. On the other hand, while the Personal Project attempts to do this, it quite frankly fails. Though the Personal Project encourages students to do the things they love, the focus of the project is still academic, with students stressing over the deadlines of first and second pieces, as opposed to enjoying the process of creating something meaningful that resonates with themselves. I acknowledge that stress fosters a necessary sense of responsibility in students, but I believe that students will find more reward and deeper meaning in more intrinsic forms of motivation. This is something that CIS Hangzhou has facilitated, and could be more effectively done at CIS on the whole. - Curtis Lo Curtis, I agree with the general gist of your argument, Curtis, but would like to clear up a few points. Firstly, I would argue that stress can have a variety of different meanings and must be understood in context. Deadlines and assessments are a necessity of school life- in fact, whether we like it or not, they’re a feature of life after school too. It’s all very well to say “I love deadlines, I love the whooshing sound they make as they go by” when you’re a massively successful author with a big pile of cash in the bank, but the reality for the vast majority of us is sadly different. I do agree, though, about the difference between intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. The majority of educational practice has, over the years, generally been predicated on the latter do this and you get this carrot, don’t do it and I shall hit you with this (metaphorical these days, thankfully) stick. Extrinsic motivation gives short-term success at the cost of a long-term loss of motivation. Sooner or later, we realise that the carrot doesn’t taste all that great and that the stick isn’t that bad, I guess. Intrinsic motivation- the innate desire to engage with “something”- has been linked with all sorts of metrics for improved performance, from better grades to a reduction in “stress”. My advice to you would be this: look for the intrinsic motivation in everything do. Don’t like your Personal Project? You chose it! Take it in the direction you want it to go! If you’re really intrinsically motivated, surely producing a couple of reflections on a task that you love doing is really not that big a deal? The same is true for the Diploma Programme. Do the assessments your way, enjoy learning the subjects you chose for the sake of learning them, don’t fixate on the numbers, and you’ll do much better and enjoy yourself a whole lot more. And there’s no stress when you’re having a good time all the time... - Mr. George
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Really, America? CIS Election Reaction By Samantha Chong | Illustration by Sierra Chiao On the 9th of November, Donald Trump became the 45th President of the United States. One word sums up the world’s reaction: how? Admittedly, Hillary Clinton isn’t perfect, but have we held her at against the same standards as Donald Trump? We hear all the time that Hillary Clinton is “fake” and tries too hard - after all, she’s infamous for her terrible use of social media and merchandise (Chillary Clinton? Come on). Here’s the thing though - over the course of her career, she’s been told that she’s too emotional, too independent, too whatever - simply because she is a woman in politics. When Bill Clinton was the Governor of Arkansas, Hillary was told that she “[did] not fit the image of First Lady” because she kept her maiden name, and that “may have cost him a few votes”. When Bill Clinton lost reelection because he raised taxes, Hillary was still blamed because she kept her maiden name. To help her husband, she changed her name and image and became the dedicated housewife that society wanted to see. She’s been called “too shrill,” that she “smiles weird,” and more idiotic statements that have nothing to do with her policies. When she gave her concession speech with the utmost grace and dignity, she was called “emotional” by media pundits, who focused on her appearance rather than her message. One article by the New York Times is titled “Can Hillary Cry Her Way Back to the White House?” So really, it’s no surprise why she tries so hard to fit into a certain image - to succeed in politics as she’s done, that is what she needed to do. She may seem fake to you, but only because that’s what we want - if not demanded - from her. Throughout the election cycle, there has been an undue amount of focus on Hillary’s emails. The media spent three times more air time discussing her scandals rather than on her policies. On her website and throughout the race, she has
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stated multiple times that she had plans for tax reform, a plan to help slow down climate change (compared to thinking that climate change is a hoax), aims to tackle racial injustice and more. On her website, there are clear and concise methodologies accompanying each issue. The media also ignored many of Trump’s scandals, probably because there are so many of them - 24/7 news coverage still wouldn’t cover them all. Trump is still facing 75 different civil lawsuits concerning fraud, nonpayment, sexual harassment and more. He was accused of raping a 13 year old. That charge has been dropped because of the overwhelming hate the victim was getting. Why did the media let Trump get away with this? Why haven’t they held him as accountable to his actions as they have held Clinton to hers?
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should not be passed, and that it is perfectly reasonable to be a bigoted individual. Trump ran for president on a platform of discrimination and his victory is a victory for hate. Since November 8th, hate crimes against minorities have risen - hate crimes against Muslims have risen 67%, the highest since 9/11; black students in the University of Pennsylvania were afraid to attend classes due to people threatening to lynch them and having racial slurs thrown at them. In short, people are terrified. In the words of comedian Hasan Minhaj of the Daily Show, “I can’t even tell my Muslim mom if she’ll be allowed back in the US.” Trump being your president-elect means that all the closeted racists, homophobes, and sexists are free to express their bigotry. After all, if your president-elect shuns “political correctness” and respect for others, why can’t you? “Trump and Hillary are both equally bad candidates for president.” You’ve definitely heard this claim - but are they really? Hillary has had her scandals but they have been disproportionately magnified, undermining stellar qualifications such as her being the first female senator of New York (serving two terms in the Senate) and her most recent position as Secretary of State. On the other If one thing’s for certain, it’s this: the standards to which we hand, Trump has been spouting hate speech for the past hold women to are drastically higher than those we hold men two years with inconsistent and flawed plans for the futo. Hilary graduated from Yale Law School, served in the Senate ture and no experience in politics. Yet somehow, Ameriand was Secretary of State, and yet, this somehow still makes her ca still managed to choose Trump over her. less qualified to be Commander-in-Chief than Trump. In the words of Padme Amidala: The problem with Trump isn’t that he’ll start the next World War, it’s the fact that by electing him as President, America is saying that conversion therapy for LGBTQ+ youth is legal and effective and therefore being LGBTQ+ is unnatural and can be fixed; that sexism and sexual assault is acceptable and should be tolerated even at the highest levels of government; that women don’t have the right to decide what they want to do with their own bodies; that global warming doesn’t exist, that all Mexicans are drug dealers and rapists; that all Muslims including war he- Good luck, America. roes are terrorists, that health insurance shouldn’t be available to all; that logical gun control laws that would save millions of lives
“So this is how liberty dies - with thunderous applause.”
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Grand Slam CIS Election Reaction By James Leigh | Photography by Gabriel Lee November 8th wasn’t a big day just for Donald Trump— the results of the 2016 US presidential election sent shockwaves across the globe with news of one of the greatest political upsets in modern history. The day also proved to be a victorious triumph for the Republican Party, who ultimately emerged with the grand slam title in hand: The Presidency, Senate and House of Representatives. When I predicted this very result two months ago (although I had President-elect Trump winning by a much smaller margin than the final result), I was laughed out of the common room and was branded as misinformed, wishful, and just plain ignorant. However, if one took the time to reflect on both the mood and desires of regular working class Americans, there seemed to be only one answer: Donald Trump. I would attribute Trump’s victory to two simple simple factors: First, the animosity which working class Americans feel towards the political establishment coupled with their increasing resentment of a politically correct agenda developed over the last eight years. Second, the increasing arrogance of mainstream media and the Democratic Party, both of which have seemed to move increasingly to the left on the political spectrum. Malcolm Gladwell, in his book The Tipping Point, theorized that bad things mount up over time— and all of a sudden, at a dramatic turn of events, everything comes crashing down. This is exactly what happened to Hillary Clinton and the liberal elite in this election. When ordinary Americans look at the Washington establishment, they feel very strongly that the political insiders are purely self serving, financially degrading normal citizens by means of enacting high taxes, partaking in iniquitous trade deals and pushing an increasingly expensive healthcare system forward. Working class men and women are tired, and frankly fed up of paying for
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millions of people who are leeching off the system. The imposed healthcare system effectively penalizes hard working people with rocketing premiums, so other can receive free healthcare. Admittedly there needs to be a safety net for the poor— however this extensive redistribution scheme is plainly unfair to the working man. The middle and working class of America cannot increase their earning power if businesses (whether they be small or big) continue to be choked by taxation and federal regulation. Additionally, America has lost 70,000 factories since China entered the World Trade Organization, said factories once being mainly situated in Coal Country and the Rust Belt. President-Elect Trump has vowed to restore these jobs (although whether he can or can’t is seriously debatable) whereas Clinton famously said: “We’re gonna put a lot of coal miners and coal companies out of business.” These words solidified the antipathy which so many people residing in these areas felt towards her, Obama, and the Democratic Party as a whole. Those words spoken by Clinton were the reason she lost key, traditionally democratic states such as Michigan, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania, states that haven’t voted Republican in 25 years. Americans are also growing tired of the evasive politically correct language of Washington. The media and establishment constantly mocked Trump, saying he lacked eloquence and had the vocabulary of a 10-year-old, but his direct and “straight to the point” speeches very much appealed to the people. Simple, direct speech ensures there is no mistaking the message being conveyed. For example, Trump was very vocal in his concerns of growing Islamic terrorism in the Middle East and Europe while Clinton refused to use those very words out of fear of being seen as discriminatory. Furthermore, Hillary’s acceptance of donations from entities such as the Saudi government undermined, in the eyes of many, her legitimacy in taking on Islamic terrorism.
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All of the smugness and conceited behavior of the Democratic Party exuded throughout this election was perfectly summed up by Cenk Uygur, the founder of The Young Turks (TYT), a well-known liberal political and social commentary program, who had this to say two weeks before the election: “He (Trump) can’t win because it’s not in him. He’s not smart enough, he’s not competent enough and so he ran a horrible campaign….At this point the jury is in….he has no chance of winning, I wouldn’t call it if I thought he had any percent chance.” This quote is a testament to how out of touch the mainstream media really is with the American people. The Huffington Post said that Clinton had a 98% percent chance of victory while the New York Times tried to give a more sober analysis by giving her 80% chance of winning. Bill Maher, a prominent T.V. personality, outspoken liberal, and so called progressive, had the audacity to state that ALL conservatives are “morons” and said ridicule was the only appropriate way to handle such stupidity. However it
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was this very ridicule that angered the American people, this ridicule that left more than half the country feeling alienated just because they didn’t share the same political view, and it was this very same ridicule that inevitably led to Donald Trump becoming the 45th president of the United States. Funnily enough, the media’s ridicule of Trump galvanised his supporters to get out and vote, while at the same time instilling a sense of complacency among potential Hillary supporters. Ironically the media helped Trump claim victory… in a big way. Just like Brexit in the UK, people were misled by the T.V, media, and press into believing that change wouldn’t happen. If there is one lesson to be drawn from the US election, it is to question what you read in the newspapers and watch on T.V. Don’t forget that journalists always have a political agenda even when they claim to be non-partisan. Change always comes when you least expect it.
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By Flora Xiao
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DONATIONS OF By Phyllis Lam | Photography by Phyllis Lam | Illustration by Stephanie Kung
CLOTHES and GOODS
Nowadays, people often take things for granted as they are presented to us in “hand reach”. Many of us forget how much suffering may be going on with regards to our local community so it is important that we lend a helping hand by donating our goods. The four organizations listed below are international charity groups that you can go to to donate any second hand clothing or books. It is crucial for us to understand the people around us and do what we can to support individuals in need.
The Salvation Army
Oxfam Hong Kong
The Salvation Army is a Christian church and an international charitable group of which welcomes personal and organizational donations of clothing and goods. These goods will be sorted, distributed and sold in the Family stores across Hong Kong, used to aid home alone elderlies, street sleepers, ex-prisoners and CSSA recipients.
Oxfam Hong Kong was formed in 1976 to raise funds for anti-poverty projects worldwide. The first initiatives taken were to support for justice for the Vietnamese refugees who fled to Hong Kong. By implementing development and education programmes in less developed areas, they helped campaign for policy changes, explained the causes of poverty whilst supporting disaster reliefs and humanitarian crises.
The Salvation Army accepts: - Clothing, footwear, handbags and accessories of either brand new or used in clean condition - Electrical home appliances in working order - Electrical office equipments, for example computer, fax machine and printer in working order - Toys, stationery, books and gifts - Software, DVD, VCD or CD with copyright However, they do not accept: - Furniture, used bed mattresses or bedding - Medicine or food - Worn-out or broken items - Used kitchenware, underwear or towels - Books that contain pornography or violence - Textbooks
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How to Donate: These goods can be donated into The Salvation Army Recycling Bin of any Family Stores located in Tai Hang Tung, Prince Edward, Tin Hau, Tuen Mun, North Point, Western District, Shatin, Yaumatei, Nam Cheong, Aberdeen, Whampoa, Shau Kei Wan, Yue Wan, Wanchai and Kwun Tong. They can be contacted through their recycling hotline (852) 2332 4433, opened on Mondays to Fridays 9am – 5:30pm and Saturdays 9am – 5pm.; email: recycling@hkt.salvationarmy. org; fax number: (852) 2332 4411. Pick-up Service: If large donations are made, you can contact the recycling hotline for pick up services. However, an early notice will be needed for logistic arrangements. The Salvation Army staff will be in uniform an issue an official receipt to the donor of which will show the category and quantity of the donations. This receipt will be given on the spot and require a signature for verification of accuracy of the content.
Donation Methods: Oxfam provides many donation methods which include Oxfam and Development; Oxfam in China; Oxfam and Education; Oxfam in Africa; Haiti Hurricane; DPR Korea Floods; China Floods; Ethiopia Drought Relief and Syria Crisis Appeal. By donating second hand books to the Oxfam bookshop, it’ll allow them to sell and raise money which has helped them raised £1.6 million each month. At the moment, there are more than 50,000 books listed on their online shop.
How to Contact: It is located at Jardine House, 1 Connaught Place, Central. They are opened on Mondays - Fridays at 10am - 5pm, Saturdays at 10am - 2pm. You can contact them through (852) 2252 1765.
What to Donate: - Books - Clothing - Handbags - CDs - Home accessories - Any seasonal items
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HONG KONG OFF THE BEATEN PATH By Angelina Wang Photography by Gioia Cheung
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35 | Xiao Hua Issue 15 | Voices In the city where east meets west, there is undoubtedly a diverse selection of things to do. And while most of these are a plethora of crowded tourist hubs, there are also hidden gems straying off teeming streets. Join us off the beaten path in the coolest places you didn’t know of in Hong Kong.
#gettheshot Doing Nothing Garden In 2015, Beijing artist Song Dong created a ‘potted landscape’ in North Point, an accumulation of organic material and rubble from the community. The soothing urban garden blends in with the natural environment by authentically growing native grasses and flowers. A short 3-minute walk from the Fortress Hill MTR station, this modern prairie raises the question: can doing nothing lead to creating something? Choi Hung Estate Named after the Cantonese word for ‘rainbow’, Choi Hung estate in Kowloon is painted eight different colors to match its vibrant name. This unique design was given a silver award by the Hong Kong Association of Architects 1965. Easily accessible from the equally colorful Choi Hung MTR station, the eye-catching estate makes for great photos. Western District Public Cargo Working Area Usually a cargo loading area wouldn’t sound like a prime photo hotspot, but the Western District Public Cargo Working Area in Sai Wan is an Instagram goldmine. From the HKU B2 MTR exit, a turn on Hill Rd and another on Des Voeux Rd W leads straight to this picturesque area. With panoramic views of Victoria Harbour and smooth reflective glass surfaces, at sundown, this clear platform transforms from a loading dock to an ethereal mirror of the sky. Cattle Depot (artist space) Tucked away in a corner of Kowloon, a cow slaughterhouse was repurposed after almost a century, and from then on was known as Cattle Depot Artist Village. Now, it makes for a humble retreat for artists and great spot for photographing unique artwork. Cattle Depot is right next to the Kowloon City Ferry Pier, so after a relaxing ride across the harbor, a five-minute walk leads straight to the quaint village.
#FOOD Shake ‘Em Buns @ Central No matter who you are or where you come from, everyone can enjoy a good burger- and Shake ‘Em Buns has some of the best burgers in Hong Kong. A five minute walk from the Central MTR station, cosily situated above a 7/11, the classic burger joint’s homey diner aesthetic and mid-price point makes it perfect for a casual lunch with friends. Not to mention, there are always special deals like chili cheese fries for #FriYay or blueberry milkshakes for the Monday blues.
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@ Sham Shui Po Located in the heart of electronics district Sham Shui Po, is a traditional ‘char chan teng’ and icehouse. Its ready-to-order egg and beef sandwich, lightly toasted condensed milk toast, classic milk tea and red bean ice mountains are all signature dishes of this affordable local joint. The Kinnet Café @ Sheung Wan Nutritious and delicious, the food at The Kinnet Cafe will delight even those adverse to eating healthy (not everyone is a fan of salad)! While the interior provides a laidback atmosphere, the outdoor seating can’t be beat. With cushioned wicker chairs, umbrellas at each table, and potted greenery galore, the al fresco patio takes the cake for an ideal lunchtime spot on the Western side.
#EXPLORE Yau Ma Tei Yau Ma Tei, formerly called Waterloo after Waterloo Road, is one of the best destinations for quirkier shopping in Hong Kong, with atmospheric markets in a historic market. The urban neighborhood has ample things to do and places to explore. Start off by perusing vintage record stores like Goodstuff Records or 1st FL Ins Place to find some underrated groovy tunes. Next, check out textile shops on Bowring Street. With swatches of all sorts of materials and fabrics, find inspiration for all sorts of DIY projects, or just a fluffy blanket. After that, grab a cup of tea at Mido Cafe. Created in the 1950’s, the well-loved ‘char chan teng’ retained its classic diner decor, and serves up a mean cuppa. Finally, wrap up the day with a movie at the independent Broadway Cinema round the corner. Island Hopping While Hong Kong is known for its bustling city life, some of Hong Kong’s best kept secrets are found in its 234 outlying islands. They offer tourists and residents alike an opportunity to escape from the heat, smog and stresses of fast-paced city life to little pods of paradise packed with picturesque beaches, temples, mountain treks, spectacular coastline views and, most importantly, fewer people. I recommend checking out fishing village Tai O, home to the Tanka people, a community of fisher folk who built their houses on stilts above the tidal flats of Lantau Island for generations. These unusual structures are interconnected, forming a tightly knit and welcoming community that literally lives on the water. Be sure to visit , a small family-run shop that sells some of the best, fluffiest, and crispiest egg waffles in town. A brief walk down Kat Hing Streets then leads to famed , whose homemade (A Chinese pancake rolled up with savory goodies and fresh seafood inside) makes mouths water from Lantau to Kowloon.
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夢中
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By Ciara Liu Photography by Chih Ning Kuo
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TEACHER FUNNY By Sabrina Ma | Photography by Gioia Cheung
I used to work in Scotland and I recall I used to own a terrible car, a really old Austin Maestro, about 15 years old and falling apart. I got to the point where I could buy a new car so I was trying to sell this really old dilapidated car. One of the students I taught was interested in buying the car because his family owned a farm and they weren’t going to use it on the road but they were going to use it on the farm. I said great, so he and his dad and I were driving to the farm from the school as a test drive. On the motorway to his house the temperature gauge light started flashing, basically the engine started smoking and there was a big bang. We had to pull over, I wasn’t a member of the AA (Scottish emergency services) but the father of the student was and he had to call it up on my behalf. Fairly humiliatingly, we had to get towed back to the school. Bear in mind this was the test drive, and the student, Mark, had called his friends on the way back to tell them what was happening. There was kind of a massive congregation of thirty students standing in the driveway of the school as we were towed up the driveway, cheering and applauding and pointing and laughing in my direction because of the humiliation…
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Y STORIES
My funniest memory from this school year was traveling on the “Party Bus” during Service and Action week in the Philippines. While on the bus with a couple of unnamed Year 11 boys, we decided to start a new boyband with a token K-Pop female lead, called “Catherine and the Boyz”. The band is still working on it’s first album, so are currently focusing on cover songs. We can do an awesome rendition of “Bohemian Rhapsody” and our headbanging moves are on point. We were heading off the Cebu island on that day and we had to ride on a ferry to get to the island. As we were getting out of the van, I thought it would be hilarious if we did a music video sort of thing, where we got out of the van and started walking with a speaker and the boys behind me.The wind from the ocean certainly did add to the effect. Someone filmed it in slow motion and it was magnificent!
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I’ve had many funny stories, but one I thought of when you asked me this morning was when I was teaching in Turkey and teaching English to Turkish kids who are extremely bright. They came from quite poor backgrounds and it was a school for talented students. One student came to school one day, with a t-shirt he had clearly just bought and was very proud of. Again, he’s not that type of student that could afford shirts and was extremely proud of this t-shirt. I was faced with an ethical dilemma: the t-shirt had an elephant on it (if I recall correctly) and a phrase that idiomatically, in English, refers to the size of one’s anatomy (if one is male). This student had no idea what this phrase meant, and I was faced with a dilemma as an English teacher to teach him this expression or letting him wear this shirt innocently. I think in the end we told him and the funniest part was probably trying to explain to him and explain the idiomatic phrase. (What was the phrase?) You can use your imagination…
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beyond the mozart effect Why you should listen to classical music by bryan cheng photography by keena thrush Before I begin, let me say that this is most definitely an unabashed advertisement for classical music. At this point, I expect that the large majority of you are tempted to doze off at the sight of those ungodly words– but allow me to persuade you to read on. Being in what can only be described as the manically high-pressured academic environment of Hong Kong, I am sure that most of you play an instrument, if not multiple. As a result, your primary source of exposure to classical music would be through the A, B and C pieces of everyone’s favourite ABRSM exams. Understandably, a dislike or even intense hatred for classical music (or what is perceived as classical music) is well-nigh inevitable from such stressful and controlling conditions, where the sole goal is technical perfection at all costs. In what made
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you even more adverse towards classical music, your parents probably tried to expound the supposed benefit of the Mozart Effect, where listening to classical music apparently boosted your IQ. Now, studies have never been able to agree on whether this effect is valid, and I am prone to take the standpoint that it is all a placebo, in the same way parents argue rock music will make you “stupider”. This condescending proposition has done nothing good for classical music (except to boost sales of CDs of Mozart For Babies towards soon-to-be mothers), so let’s move beyond this anachronisticand virtually baseless hypothesis. So, why should you listen to classical music? Here are three arguments that I have tried to put forward. Firstly, the variety of emotions that can be found in classical music is infinitely broad, for any situation and
condition. Not all of it is that relaxing and nondescript background music you find on your 100 Best Pieces of Classical Music CD lying forgotten and dusty in the corner of your house. From the religious solemnity of 12th century composer Hildegard von Bingen’s music, to the playfulness of Mozart’s myriad of pieces, to the heroic struggles of Beethoven, to the harshly academic dissonance of the Second Viennese School, you will always find something that works for you. I understand that the intense and fluctuating emotions one experiences as a teenager seem painfully farremoved from these archaic pieces. Ho wever, believe me — you just need to find the right piece to matchyour emotion. Think that Adele’s swooning breakup songs can’t be replaced? Try the wallowing despair of Gute Nacht, the first Lied in Schubert’s great song cycle Winterreise, where
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a traveller laments his farewell to his lover as he walks through a frigid winter wasteland. Yes, it’s in German, but don’t tell me you can actually decipher the muffled voices of modern music without searching up the lyrics as well. Mahler’s symphonies, despite their length (often over an hour), contain some extremely abrupt changes in mood, often portrayed as swinging between the sublime and grotesque in the shortest of times. This can mirror the neurotic and turbulent emotions one might possess as a teenager, offering again an effective remedy for your emotional woes. In the modern music landscape, there are times when variation can seem somewhat bereft. That’s why classical music can seem like a great alternative, and can offer you a full spectrum to match your own emotions rewardingly and satisfyingly.
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On my second point, I would like to raise the oft-mentioned concept of delayed gratification. Most pop and rock lasts between twoto five minutes, offering a continued stretch of virtually unvaried tempo and rhythm, in an ever-so-predictable chorus-verse structure. This is equivalent to a sugar rush, where all emotional fulfilment experienced comes in one concentrated dose that comes and goes at a high speed. This can leave one feeling euphoric for a short period of time, but it also fades off without much impact after an instant. Contrastingly, in classical music, it is common that you have to wait for that fulfilment. The length of this is often seen as a detractor from the experience of listening to classical music (something you fall asleep to, if you’re really that adverse towards it). However, I would like to shape this in a different perspective. For example,
in Bruckner’s Symphony #8’s final movement, you are immediately struck by an immense wave of sound, cascading from the brass sections of the orchestra. However, the piece then recedes into sections of relative placidity. Only after around ten minutes does this excitingly belligerent theme reemerge, to satisfying effect. In fact, this is one of my favourite things about listening to classical music — waiting for a striking moment to reappear within the piece of music. Though it will inevitably return, the structure is not set in stone like in rock or pop, allowing for a greater sense of tension and anticipation. This produces, in effect, a type of delayed gratification, where the reward is given only after a period of time. As many studies have shown (unlike the Mozart Effect), being able to display the quality of delayed gratification correlates with
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success in life, as the person is disciplined enough to endure a wait or other situations. Of course, I do not recommend listening to a six-hour rendition of Wagner’s Parsifal at your first go, but instead of quitting the piece at the first appearance of a less stimulating section, listen through the whole piece (or at least movement), and wait for the return of the exciting section. Slowly, being able to wait for that moment of release can be translated into a more mature sense of delayed gratification, which can be carried onto other areas of your life such as self control, benefiting your mental health overall. Finally, all art is inevitably affected by the society and culture around it — and classical music offers a unique window into that of Europe. This makes it an incredibly effective tool and perfect learning aid towards understanding social changes throughout history, while simultaneously being an enjoyable experience. My favourite example of this is Shostakovich, a prime example of how societal environments affect the art produced. A 20th century Russian composer born in 1906, he lived under the Soviet Union, spending the majority of
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his life under the most repressive eras of Josef Stalin’s regime. Somewhat of a child prodigy, he had become a prominent figure in the Soviet artistic avant-garde by the 1930s. In 1936, Stalin visited one of Shostakovich’s operas, The Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk District, and was apparently repulsed with what he had heard. Before long, a denouncement of the composer was printed in the newspapers, leaving him in fear of being taken away to the Siberian gulags, or shot by the secret police as many of his best friends had been, “disappearing” one day and never coming back again. His radical and unforgiving Symphony #4 was withdrawn, and in place, he wrote his 5th Symphony, which he called “A Soviet Artist’s Response to Just Criticism”, in his usual elliptical style of verbal expression. He was spared, but never lost his fear of persecution. One can always read about hard facts from a history book, but the effect on the people is far more oblique, hidden behind the veil of time. Much of Shostakovich’s music reflects his condition under the dictatorship of Stalin. So what better way to understand the psychological impact of Stalin’s brutal purges in Soviet Russia than to listen to the
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pounding, shuddering chords of Shostakovich’s 10th Symphony (written after Stalin’s death, often hypothesised to symbolise a “victory” over the dictator), or the borderlineschizophrenia of his 8th String Quartet, or the various works produced in self-censorship under fear of death? Of course, this is not just limited to the single case of Shostakovich. The reactions towards the impactof the Industrial Revolution can be found easily in the Romantic Era in its embrace of nature, while the trauma of the world wars and destruction wrought upon Europe can be detected in the harshly serialist worksof the post-war Darmstadt School, conspicuously rejecting the emotional expression of the Romantic Era in exchange for a mathematical construction of total serialism, where every value was predetermined in a setstructure. History can almost be experienced in the most alive manner through the pieces in classical music, an experience that is difficult to replicate even in other forms of art, making it a truly precious resource that should be used to its full degree.
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To summarise, I postulate three main reasons why you should listen to classical music: the emotional variety that can be found and discovered within the many styles and works of classical music, the benefits of developing a capability of delayed gratification, and finally the historical connotations carried within every piece of music that can be delved into to mine a greater understanding of the social conditions. I understand that many of you have experienced classical music in a negative condition — however, having read this, I hope you can rethink your perspective and give this truly marvellous world of sound another chance. As the German writer Goethe once said,
“Where the words end, the music begins.” So let your journey of music begin.
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Teacher Diary: By Jae Lamb Photography by Ryan Chiao 6:00am：我習慣早上起床後沖個涼，這樣一天都會覺得很 有精神。所以早上還是滿緊張的，匆匆忙忙沖個涼之後， 吃早飯。 6:40am：我跟小學部的一個老師拼車，所以每天早上分她 會在我家門口等我，我不敢太磨蹭，怕她等太久。 7:05am：到學校，停好車之後，從學校的一頭走到學校的 另一頭，一路上，我會在電話上跟女兒Snapchat一下，照張 照片, 問一聲早安，傳送過去。走到辦公室，第一件事情 就會準備上課。 7:55am－9:15am：上課。如果我第一堂沒課，我會在辦公室 裏準備上課的內容，看一看自己的時間表，有沒有約了學 生，查查電郵，改改功課，等待上第二堂課。 9:15am－10:35am：上課 。 10:40am－11:30am：我通常都會在這個時候跟12和13年級的 同學見面，跟他們談談文章, 也跟他們談談心，老師的生 活就是這樣簡簡單單的。 11:35am－12:50pm：上課 。 12:50pm－1:45pm：午飯時間。我是每天帶飯的，我幾乎沒 有不帶飯的時候。我一直堅持用一個很小的飯盒，因為飯 盒不大，午飯吃得並不多。如果我不帶飯，都會到九樓買 沙拉吃，吃很多菜，也算是清清腸胃。但有的時候，我 還是會跟學生談他們的論文。有時候我會讓七年級的學 生來補做功課，看著他們背著重重的書包，不知道從幾樓 爬到九樓，覺得他們挺可憐，挺不容易的。開學最初的 兩個星期，有的時候他們會被另外的老師帶過到我的面 前，說：“他迷路了。”現在他們都比較熟悉老師的辦 公室在哪裏了，他們其實都很好，都很可愛，我 對他們 說：“你們先吃中飯，然後再上辦公室來做功課吧。”他 們說：“不。我要先把功課做完才吃飯。”有時候我會跟 大女兒在電話上聊聊天，她在加州，所以這時候剛是她哪 裏晚上十點鐘左右，這個時候跟女兒聊一聊天，聯絡一下 感情，沒時間的話，也會盡量多講兩句話，即使話不多， 但心裏還是挺高興的。
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1:45pm－3:00pm：上課 。 3:00pm－5:00pm：我會把第二天要上課的內容全部準備好， 當然也要改功課。我覺得自己還是很抓緊時間的，每天都 盡量要把當天的功課改完。 5:30pm－6:30pm：我每天都盡量要強迫自己一天走一萬步， 所以我回家以後會走一段很長的路，從家裡走到白沙灣的 碼頭，在那裏做些伸展的動作，一邊看海，一邊做運動， 其實也是一種享受。如果哪一天，我走了很多路，走得得 遠，步數很多，我就會很高興。如果哪天沒時間，我就會 把在學校走的步數加上，一共走到一萬步，我也就心滿意 足了。 7:00pm－7:30pm：現在我的晚飯時間沒有那麼固定。如果先 生回來我們就會一起吃，先生工作忙，回來晚點的話，我 就會一個人吃晚飯。有時候，我們也會出去吃飯，享受一 下所謂的「二人世 界」。 8:00pm－11:00pm：我從開學到現在，我每天都堅持寫日 記，自己把這日記取名為：冰梅的日記。我會記下跟女兒 對話的內容，也記下每天的一些心得，或者是我那天看到 的或聽到的，讓我認為最值得寫下的一切。我很希望以此 讓女兒瞭解她們不在身邊的時候，我每一天的點點滴滴。 除此之外，我還跟女兒做了一個約定，每天拍一小段錄 像，記錄下自己每天的一秒鐘，一個月整理一次，然後跟 女兒分享，她們也做同樣的事情，跟我分享。我現在獨處 的時間比女兒在身邊的時候多了，看電視，看新聞，看閒 書的時間也多了。你們應該還記得我常常和你們說，我最 想自己能舒服地坐在沙發上，獨自一個人看閒書，現在應 該不難實現了。每天，我寫完日記會拿一本我喜歡的閒書 來靜靜地看，很隨意地看我喜歡的書，沒有甚麼目的，只 為消遣。這個時候我會感到很放鬆，一直以來，心裏都充 滿著牽掛，更充滿著幸福。 這是我星期一到星期五的生活，看似平淡的生活，卻是我 內心最大的平靜和滿足。
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HOT BITES FOOD REVIEW YUM CHA By Constance Lam | Photography by Colin Huang
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n Yum Cha’s Central location, the first sight that customers are met with is the open kitchen. Reminiscent of old Chinese teahouses, where patrons dined with their pet birds, the kitchen is adorned with birdcages. Under the birdcages, billows of steam and chefs hunching over their intricate creations are visible from a glass panel. Walking into the open, airy space - flooded with sunlight from the floor-length windows - the modern and functional decor catches the eye. Square tables and curved wooden chairs fill the room as opposed to the characteristic round tables and upholstered chairs of most Chinese restaurants. On a Saturday afternoon, the place is filled to the brim with servers and customers and enveloped in a perennial din of cheerful chatter. Yum Cha’s founders strike the middle ground - adopting a playful twist on Chinese cuisine, while maintaining “traditional essence of Chinese taste and flavour.” Understanding the importance of satisfying both the palate and the diner’s interest, the founders encourage the “camera eats first” sequence - hence the innovative hand-crafted dim sum and the excellent lighting. In addition to the aesthetics of the food, YUM CHA’s founders emphasize the importance of using quality ingredients: the colours in the dim sum are derived from vegetable juice, and all the menu items contain no added MSG. Prices in the signature dim sum selection range from $49-69, while the other menu items range from $49-109, and the pricier Chef’s Specials from $69-239. Depending on how many dishes you order, this translates to about $141 a head - slightly more expensive than a traditional Chinese restaurant. Begin your meal with the eponymous cup of tea - the light and fragrant toasted buckwheat green tea (free of charge!) is a great way to start your meal. Order a few appetizers to tide you over, like the pomegranate and curly kale salad ($59) and the pickled black fungus and lily bulbs with wasabi ($49). When doused in a tangy, umami sauce and paired with sweet pomegranate crunch, the bitterness of the kale is
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Yum Cha Restaurant Locations: 2/F, Nan Fung Place, 173 Des Voeux Road Central, Central, Hong Kong | 3/F, 20-22 Granville Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon, Hong Kong Opening Hours: 11:30am to 10:30pm Website: http://yumchahk.com Tel: +852 3708 8081 (Central) | +852 2571 1666 (Tsim Sha Tsui)
virtually concealed, giving way to a pleasant crunch. Likewise, the pickled black fungus and lily bulbs were doused in the same sauce, but with an additional kick from the wasabi. Alternatively if you are here for the sole purpose of sampling (and documenting) the unique dim-sum creations, you could cut to the chase and tick every box in the dimsum selection. To satisfy both vegetarians and omnivores, there are two separate menus and meatless dim-sum options. Vibrant and brilliantly colored, the tricolor shrimp and vegetable dumplings ($59) is one of the most popular dishes, and the vegetarian equivalent, the naked vegetable dumplings with black truffle ($49) is equally popular and delectable. Another aesthetically pleasing addition is the steamed rose floret buns ($49), which look (and taste) like rosebuds and are filled with a delightful red-bean filling. For something sweet, the bird-shaped crispy pineapple puffs ($59) come in a birdcage - a nostalgic nod to the decor - and the combination of crumbly pastry and sweet pineapple filling is worth another visit. Perhaps one of the most viewed posts on Yum Cha’s social media is a video of custard oozing out of a bright yellow custard bun resembling a face, googly eyes and all. The green tea custard molten buns ($49) is one of the new menu items, ideal for those hopelessly devoted to green tea, custard buns and cute dim-sum. Poke a hole near the base of the bun to form the “mouth” with your chopsticks and rejoice as you squeeze the custard out. Likewise, the BBQ piggy buns ($49), complete with delicate pink ears, wide eyes, and a miniature snout, invoke the same effect. With the same method, barbequed pork flows out of the eponymous pig shaped buns. The innovative and delectable dim-sum items, coupled with the natural, airy lighting are integral to enticing customers. A gem nestled in the heart of Central, Yum Cha is the ideal place for you, large parties and your camera to eat.
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文學還是文學與語言？ By Joyce Liu | Illustration by Brittany Au
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Quotes on
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Compiled by Justin Ngai Illustration by Kristen Wong
Mindfulness
“五色令人目盲；五音令人耳；
“Mindfulness is simply being
五味令人口爽；畋，令人心
aware of what is happening right
狂；得之，令人行妨。是以圣
now without wishing it were
人腹不目，故去彼取此。”－老子
different; enjoying the pleasant
“In today’s rush, we all think too much — seek too much — want too much — and forget about the joy of just being.” - Eckhart Tolle
“已所不欲，勿施于人” －孔子
without holding on when it changes (which it will); being with the unpleasant without fearing it will always be this way (which it won’t).” - James Baraz “人的生活就像海洋一樣深，
“Each morning we are born
在未經測量的深度中，保存
again. What we do today is what
著無數的奇蹟。” - 別林斯基
matters most.” - Buddha “最幸福的人，不是擁有最多 的，而是給予最多的。” - 傑克 遜·布朗
“If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion.” - Dalai Lama
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BOOK REVIEW : CATHEDRAL BY RAYMOND CARVER By Frances Amos The antithesis of my belovedly insulated Braemar existence, and yours, is that of an American blue-collar worker in the suburban expanse of the Pacific Northwest. Yet Raymond Carver silently, economically, lends us access to his world, through characters wrought with complexities and through dialogue, tender and pithy. Carver’s first two short story publications, “Will You Be Quiet, Please?” and “What We Talk About When We Talk About Love” garnered critical praise and established Carver as one of the most influential writers of the late 20th century. The two collections were notoriously cut down and often rewritten by editor Gordon Lish, an editorial relationship that soured and ceased after three books, marking Carver’s conscious move to further individuation and his recovery from alcoholism. In September 1983, Carver’s third collection of short stories, Cathedral, was published. In Cathedral, Carver and Lish’s third and final collaboration, Carver’s style remains incisive and lean, highly unique with its terseness, repetitions and colloquial rhythms, but is undoubtedly more generous in form, humour and nuance. The fifth story in the collection is one of Carver’s longest stories and greatest accomplishments, the award-winning, “A Small, Good Thing.” With his usual detachment but with the nuance of careful compassion, Carver recounts the agonising story of the aftermath of a young son’s death, hit by a car on his birthday, his birthday cake lying uneaten and unpaid for in a baker’s kitchen. Upon reading an earlier version of this story, titled ‘The Bath’, it becomes clear that Lish had cut the original manuscript so that it closed with the baker phoning and phoning the couple for the payment as their son was dying, a fruitlessly sinister conclusion. In the complete, unadulterated version, the writer purposefully deviates from that bleak result, instead choosing to punctuate the story with a sense of communal solace, of vulnerability and of hope, to an entirely different effect. By the time he was compiling Cathedral, Carver had split from his first wife and all but recovered from his severe alcoholism, and with his gradual separation from editor Gordon Lish, was moving forward both mentally and creatively.
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Despite the fact that not much actually happens beyond the characters’ thoughts, the opening story, “Feathers”, counts as one of Cathedral’s more humorous endeavours, centred around four adults, a loud peacock and an ugly baby. One can look to dialogue or a lack thereof in order to discern the resolution of many of Carver’s works, and it is in “Feathers” that the motif of silence is especially significant. He refers to the silent gestures that replace direct conversations, their language of nods, shrugs, stares and blushes, as well as the blank silences and the characters’ clear unwillingness to communicate throughout the story. Into the narrative creeps a note of dry impatience directed toward the characters Carver creates and their silence, as he seems to grow more and more frustrated with their blatant indifference and resignation. Within the claustrophobia of Carver’s stories, there often lies an overwhelming sense of emotional menace and implied violence. This is inextricably linked to the writer’s own stresses and faults, himself having perpetrated domestic violence and suffered from alcoholism. However, in the title story “Cathedral”, alcohol is presented as a social lubricant, a constructive rather than destructive force and tool to be used in order to develop emotional connections and to liberate the mind. The narrator is to meet a friend of his wife’s, a blind man with whom she was very close. Initially closed-minded and jealous, the narrator is able to expand his consciousness when inebriated, bonding with the man whom he initially distrusted and envied. Whilst domestic violence and alcohol are still key themes in Cathedral, Carver’s tone and voice has markedly changed. Beginning to wake from suburbia’s grips of inertia, we see a writer relaxing his lexis, refining his tone and his approach, in an attempt to find truth and optimism in his own work. After the collection was met with critical success, Carver removed himself from his relationship with Lish in a bid for greater autonomy. Carver regarded Cathedral as a pivotal moment in his career, in his move to a more hopeful and purposefully poetic, nuanced style.
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blond REVIEW By Gabriel Lee | Photography by Gabriel Lee Once Christopher Francis Ocean released his 2012 masterpiece Channel Orange, an album that not only explored the notions of falling in love, with tracks such as ‘Thinkin Bout You’, or satirical jabs at the borghese and overindulgent Los Angeles lifestyle with ‘Super Rich Kids’, the public embraced Ocean as the new standard for R&B. His daring songwriting style created characters that were both accessible and personal, who carried ideas that reflected Ocean’s mindstate. Soon after the release of Channel Orange, he disappeared. There was no release date scheduled for the next album, but after numerous delays, Ocean released a visual album called Endless, filled with B sides and ambient tracks, coupled with him building a staircase. Two days later, Blond was released, with Ocean posting on his Tumblr, almost nonchalantly, “SORRY.. I TOOK A NAP, BUT IT’S PLAYING ON APPLE RADIO RN”. On Blond, we as an audience don’t get the approachable sound that was so welcomed on Channel Orange. This album feels much more intimate and personal to Ocean himself, dealing with subject matter such as identity, dealing with loss and the motions of fame and celebrity. The album opener ‘Nikes’ sees Ocean crooning over an 808s based beat, touching on themes of artifice and material indulgence: “Said she need a ring like Carmelo/Must be on that white like Othello”. The druggy, hazy opener to Blond doesn’t present Ocean as cool, calm and ready to present a radio-friendly album, but rather an update for his fans on his current mindset: “He don’t care for me, but he cares for me, and that’s good enough”. It’s clear that this album carries much more emotional weight than Channel Orange. Followed by ‘Nikes’ is the guitar driven ‘Ivy’, with Ocean recounting a tale of lost love: “I broke your heart last week, you’ll probably feel better by the weekend”. There’s a sense of solemness in those lines, like Ocean is apologizing to someone who has already long forgotten this relationship, but Ocean is still clinging on to the fragmented memories
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in his mind. One thing we understand as listeners straight away, is that Ocean has been experimenting with various narcotics to numb the pain from this breakup. The skit ‘Be Yourself’, narrated by his mother, ironically points out the effects of marijuana: “When people become weed-heads they become sluggish, stupid, lazy and unconcerned”. The song that follows right after, ‘Solo’, Ocean sings about having used “tabs of that acid” and inhaling marijuana smoke. As he progresses through life, Ocean numbs himself from emotions through abusing narcotics, and although his mother has warned him against the effects of these drugs, Blond finds comfort and grace in the hallucinatory feelings that they provide, demonstrated beautifully on ‘Seigfried’: “Eat some shrooms, maybe have a good cry about you”. One of Ocean’s greatest strengths as an artist remains to be his songwriting. The meticulous lines that are presented on Blond, not only paints vivid images of Ocean’s life: “1998 my family had the Acura”, but also lets us delve into the heartbreak that is the centerpiece of this album. On perhaps what might be the album’s best track, utilizing ‘Self Control’, he pleads to a certain lover who only “sees him like a UFO”, to let him “sleep between y’all”. The emotional distance is clearly something that Ocean yearns to fix, but it seems to be unsalvageable. On Nights, he half-raps about his nocturnal activities, in between a jack knife of a beat switch, he reminisces about his past life in New Orleans, “Back when Boswell and Percy had it active”, a clear reference to No Limit Records, where he first began honing his talent for music. The most personal moments album however, occur on two separate songs, ‘White Ferrari’ and ‘Godspeed’. These two songs carry minimal production, not unlike most of the album, but have the ability to shatter hearts in an instance. ‘White Ferrari’ holds audiences over with the line: “One too many years, some tattooed eyelids on a facelift”, speaking to the ephemeral nature of certain memories, and
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how although memories are etched in, some people will strive to forget them as quickly as possible. On ‘Godspeed’, Ocean pens a touching letter to his younger self: “There will be mountains you can’t move, still I will be there for you”. Although religion is never a central theme in Ocean’s music, we can see that love for him is a spiritual matter, and that he accepts that fully. With Blond, Frank Ocean returns with his best work yet, piercing through concepts such as love and heartbreak with stellar, minimalist production and his exquisite songwrit-
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ing. He finishes the album with a note,“Boys do cry, but I don’t think I shed a tear for a good chunk of my teenage years. It’s surprisingly my favorite part of life so far. Surprising, to me, because the current phase is what I was asking the cosmos for when I was a kid. Maybe that part had its rough stretches too, but in my rearview mirror it’s getting small enough to convince myself it was all good. And really though... It’s still all good”. With blond, heartbreak isn’t the end. It’s simply part of the process.
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Are You Unlocking the True Potential of Your
Calculator?
By Erik Wihlborn | Photography by Natalie Lin Have you ever finished a maths test early, glanced around, and watched your peers furiously tapping away at their calculators– only to find out that they too were also done with the test, and were simply enjoying a game of Tetris? When it comes to graphing and comparing functions, TI-Nspire calculators are the unparalleled choice of weapon. However, these tools used for advanced mathematics are more special than what meets the eye. The modern graphing calcula-
1. Draw a heart Who would have thought a calculator could be the key to unlocking your artistic potential and ambitions. The TINspire calculator can illustrate anything from Mario to the Mona Lisa, however let’s start simple. Follow these instructions to draw a heart: Go to the graphing function and input the following two equations x2/3+1-x2 and x2/3-1-x2 Go to window settings and change the dimensions to XMin = -2 XMax = 2 YMin = -2 YMax= 2
2. Games on Your Calculator Your sequences and series test was too easy for you and you finished the test 20 minutes before the end of the class? No problem, instead of constantly reading over the test, open up your calculator and enjoy a game of Tetris. Endless amounts of games ranging from Mario to Pokemon, this will surely help you quench your boredom. Connect your calculator to the computer via USB, then go to www.ticalc.org/pub/nspire/lua/games Choose the game you want and download the file. Open the TI Student Software. In the Connected Handhelds window,
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tor has functions ranging from playing games, uploading pictures to a functioning etch-a-sketch. Before you attempt any of these, ensure that you have the TI-Nspire student software downloaded on your laptop, if you do not have it, you can download it on their website (https://education. ti.com/en/us/downloads-and-activities?active=software). Here are 3 secret tricks for your graphing calculator:
double click on your calculator. Finally, drag the .tns file you downloaded into the window.
3. Upload photos Have you ever wanted to know the parabolic equation for a lego bridge which you made? Well take a picture of it and import it onto your calculator. Through graphing atop of it, you will be able to do just that! As well as this, you can insert a picture of your notes from your computer, meaning you won’t have to retype
all of the notes! Connect your calculator to the computer via USB. Open a new document and add notes to the document. Click on Insert Image in the toolbar, and select image from the options. Find the image you want to import and select it. Click save and save the file to your computer. In the connected handhelds window, drag the .tns file you made into the window.
4. N solve - Solve for n! Want to quickly solve equations for x? Well, utilise the nsolve function on your calculator to do just that. While this function will easily solve for x, it can only return one value of x, so ensure that your equation is linear before you input it! - Click menu > Algebra > Numerical Solve - Enter your equation followed by a comma and the name of the variable - Ensure that your equation is linear - Hit enter and the value for x will show
5. Prevent people from looking at your notes with press to test mode Do you use your calculator as your diary? Do you have secret notes which you don’t want other people to see? Well with press
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to test mode, all your notes will be unaccessible. Not only will this help you hide your notes from other people but it also will allow you to easily deny access to your notes for a test situation. - Turn the TI-Nspire device off - Press and hold the ESC and HOME keys - While ESC and HOME are pressed and held, turn ON - Make selections and confirm Degree, Radian or Gradian (can be changed afterwards) - You will see that the “Limit geometry functions� box is selected by default. Deselect the box if you decide to allow all geometry functions. - Your documents and notes will no longer be accessible As for how to disable press to test mode - Connect the device to another handheld or computer - Navigate to My Documents On a TI-Nspire with Touchpad or CX handheld - Press and release DOC - Select 9 to exit Press-to-Test
easier than ever. Use this function to easily determine the values for x and y. However, the equations must be linear as this is the limit of the cx calculator. - Click Menu > Algebra > Solve a systems of linear equations - Input the number of equations you would like to solve for, as well as the variable names - Type in your equations in each of the boxes - Ensure that your equations are linear - Hit enter and your values will appear
These tips will not only improve your math skills, but they will also transform your Ti-Nspire into more than just a calculator. This is just the beginning and the possibilities are endless.
6. Solving systems of equations Ever found solving simultaneous equations troublesome? Well this function on your Ti-Nspire device makes it
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By Ben Chan | Photography by Ben Chan
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From Moongate to Google Calendar:
Adam Guo’s Web App By Evelyn Choi Photography by Gabriel Lee
Without further ado, here are the easy steps to importing your timetable from Moongate to Google Calendar. The instructions are found on the site, however I will explain them in further detail here: 1. Go to cis-timetable-csv.herokuapp.com. 2. Go to your Moongate timetable and copy it as shown on the website: that is, starting from the words “Day A1”. 3. Paste it into the text box on the site. 4. If you also want to add specific recurring activities, you can do so by hitting “Add Meeting/Activity”. 5. Pick whether you are a MYP student, IB student, or teacher. (This affects times of periods: for example, P4 HL classes for Years 12 and 13 start at a different time than the regular P4). 6. Click submit. A .csv file will be downloaded. 7. Go to calendar.google.com. 8. On the left sidebar, under the mini-calendar, click the arrow to the right of “My Calendar”. Click “Create New Calendar”. 9. Name this calendar something like “Schedule”, “Timetable”, or whatever you want, and hit “Create Calendar”. (a) Do NOT hit “Back to calendar”, or you will have to make another one. (b) Those who enjoy having color-coordinated agendas can
change the color of the calendar’s events by hovering over the calendar in the sidebar, clicking the arrow to the right that appears, and then picking a color. 10. You should be back at the main calendar page. This time, click the arrow next to “Other Calendars”, then click “Import Calendar”. (a) (You can also click “Browse Interesting Calendars” to use calendars like the holidays of other countries, game dates of various sport teams, and the day number/week number/moon phases. But try importing your timetable before you mess with that.) 11. Attach the .csv file, and pick the calendar you just made. 12. Click import. If you do not follow the instructions exactly, you might end up with multiple calendars, or with your timetable on the wrong calendar. To remove an event, click it on the calendar and then click “Delete” in the bottom left of the resulting popup. To delete a calendar, hover over it in the sidebar, then click the arrow on the right. Click “Calendar Settings”, scroll to the bottom, and click “Permanently delete this calendar.” Also keep in mind that if your timetable changes (whether it’s a shift in classrooms or an entirely new semester), you should reimport your calendar. Otherwise, enjoy your Google Calendar timetable!
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BRAIN BOOSTING FOODS By Sheren Mao | Photography by Philippa Yuen In the recent years, there has been an evident shift in our society as people are starting to become more conscious about their personal health and lifestyles. Apart from receiving sufficient exercise, eating well is just as important for our mental health. The brain requires nutrients for us to think and function properly, just like our heart and muscles do. However as teenagers, our body requires more of some particular foods than others that will provide us with the right nutrients and may even improve our learning abilities in the short term.
Fish The consumption of fish supplies us with essential fatty acids (EFAs) that cannot be produced by the body. These nutrients are recognized to help us manage stress and produce the good mood brain chemical, serotonin. Studies have also shown that a diet that contained at least once source of fish per week improved people’s memory and thinking abilities. Some sources would include salmon, sardine and mackerel.
Seeds / Nuts In particular, pumpkin seeds are rich in zinc that is crucial for enhancing memory and thinking skills. These seeds also contain the stress relaxant: stress-busting magnesium. Hence, seeds and nuts are ideal snacks throughout a work day which can aid our learning and alleviate minimal stress.
Wholegrains As part of our growing body, the brain cannot function without energy, which is in the form of glucose transported in our blood. The brain is our central core that controls and helps us to perform our everyday needs and a great extent of energy is needed for it to operate. Wholegrains allow glucose to be slowly released into our bloodstream, supplying us with constant energy. Examples include brown wholegrain cereals, granary bread, rice and pasta.
Berries According to a study at Tufts University in the United States, the consumption of berries may be effective in improving or delaying short term memory loss. They contain memory-boosting nutrients like vitamins C and E, beta-carotene and the chemical ellagitannin, which is stored in the memory control site of the brain. This will keep our brains active as we learn and study throughout the day.
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y h
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t en n m a or g n m ic a o r h a n i Z a U e ch s Y i & ra D icy g n ier r l n s a o o y e e P j b l o n c h a io u t u N is gy tra By
y s n n llu e k i
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The idea of complete nuclear disarmament is interesting to say the least. But sadly, it is one overblown with misconceptions and fraught with inconceivable expectations. Of course, it is very laudable to pursue this worthy goal, and commendable that it is given as much attention as it is. But many are as misguided on this topic as they are on world peace, or on the end of terrorism. In this article, we’ll examine why the idea of complete nuclear disarmament is so beneficial, but why it will never come to pass.
Before we move onto examining why complete nuclear disarmament is a “unicorn” (something that we can hope to find one day, but ultimately never will), let’s first determine why nuclear disarmament is a worthwhile pursuit in the first place. There are two different schools of thought for nuclear disarmament – one for and one against.
Those who believe nuclear weapons to be crucial to foreign policy and defence usually push the “deterrence” argument. To explain what this is, let’s introduce the hypothetical nations of Appletown and Orangeville, and examine how they would behave in the face of two realistic scenarios.
Scenario 1
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Let’s assume that Appletown and Orangeville both possess nuclear warheads and are fully capable of removing each other off the face of the planet with the click of a button. In this scenario, there is an incentive for both nations to not launch nuclear weapons at each other, because the launch of Appletown’s arsenal would guarantee the launch of Orangeville’s arsenal, and vice versa. This is the mutually assured destruction (MAD) theory that many have heard of.
Scenario 2 Let’s assume that Appletown has military and industrial capabilities double that of Orangeville’s. At first glance, one might think that Appletown holds the advantage, allowing it to potentially bully or invade its inferior. However, if we introduce nuclear weapons into the equation, the power landscape begins to resemble that of scenario 1. As the be-all and end-all of modern age military technology, nuclear weapons completely disregard the notion that whoever has the bigger stick will ultimately win. Regardless of their other military capabilities, as long as both nations are able capable of destroying each other, they will be forced to resolve conflicts through other means, such as bilateral diplomatic negotiations.
...while this concept of “you shoot me, I shoot you” may seem a bit childish, it’s a sobering thought... In a nutshell, the “deterrence” argument suggests that nuclear weapons have an equalizing effect, which can be seen as beneficial in order to maintain stability between nations. While this concept of “you shoot me, I shoot you” may seem a bit childish, it’s a sobering thought when billions of lives are at play, and one that many pessimists do not feel is a strong enough idea to stake their lives upon.
scapes, destruction of civilian construction, and spread of radiation). Because of this, using nuclear weapons will always be a violation of both war and humanitarian principles.
The argument for nuclear disarmament is just as, if not more, compelling. Let us now consider the four main points which support this stance.
Nuclear weapons do not neutralize conflicts nearly as well as they should. If Appletown and Orangeville both have nuclear weapons, then based on the MAD theory they would not be willing to engage in direct conflict with each other. However, the number of minor conflicts between the two nations would inevitably increase. As long as neither side allows a contained minor conflict to escalate into war, they can wage as many small conflicts as they want to further their political/economic interests. This is exactly what happened during the cold war period, when the Soviet Union and United States fought a series of proxy wars in Korea, Vietnam, Angola and Afghanistan...
Point 1 Nuclear weapons are morally indefensible. It’s not hard to realize that nuclear weapons are the most indiscriminate and devastating weapons to have ever been invented – look no further than Hiroshima. There’s no way to control, let alone limit, the number of non-combatant deaths, or the magnitude of its side effects (such as destruction of land-
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Point 2
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60 | Xiao Hua Issue 15 | Features Both nations were able to do so because they knew that a direct engagement would heighten nuclear tensions. As a result, minor conflicts were propagated at the cost not of national status, but of human lives and livelihoods. This is the so called stability/instability paradox, which is considered the Achilles’ heel for the “deterrence” argument.
Point 3 Nuclear weapons are not at all significant in “keeping the peace”. Most political scientists now believe nuclear deterrence to be absolutely garbage. If the stability/instability paradox didn’t prove so already, here are a few other examples to showcase the fallacious causation and correlation trap that many opponents of nuclear disarmament have fallen into.
Diplomacy and political relations: The reason why there has been little to no military intervention against North Korean aggression to this day is not because of North Korea’s possession of nuclear weapons. Rather, it can be attributed to the nation’s withstanding diplomatic ties and geopolitical significance to Russia and China, and its potential threat to South Korea in the form of conventional artillery and bombardment. Simply put, North Korea is more at a political standstill with the rest of the world than a nuclear one.
Japan’s knowledge of the US’s nuclear capabilities did not push them to unconditionally surrender and sue for peace. While the effects of nuclear weapons in Hiroshima and Nagasaki were devastating, by August 1945 the declaration of war from the Soviet Union on Japan (amongst other factors)
meant that Japan was already cornered. Thus, claiming that Little Boy and Fat Man deterred Japan from a prolonged conflict would be an irresponsible historical interpretation. A nuclear weapon does not deter terrorism. Governments and terrorists are beginning to realize that nuclear proliferation lends itself more to the strength of insurgent groups than it does democratic governments, as nuclear weapons are strategically and not tactically viable in the war on terror. Terrorists don’t hold a set territory for extended periods of time and even if they did, as Gareth Evans, the co-chair of the International Commission on Nuclear Nonproliferation and Disarmament puts it: “conduct[ing] nuclear strikes on another state, even one demonstrably complicit in a terrorist attack, would raise huge legal, moral, political and strategic issues.”
Point 4
Governments and terrorists are beginning to realize that nuclear proliferation lends itself more to the strength of insurgent groups than it does democratic governments, as nuclear weapons are strategically and not tactically viable in the war on terror.
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As long as nuclear weapons exist, they will be used. Contrary to what politicians believe, the greatest risk to a nuclear launch is not a rogue state, nor a radical expansionist regime – instead, it’s human or system error. With almost 19,000 nuclear warheads in existence (with arsenals continuing to steadily increase over time), the idea that one could accidentally be launched, either due to poor decisions or technological errors or tactical blunders, is not that far fetched. The risk of all this is multiplied when we admit that the person on the other side of the switch might not always be the most rational or logical. And as the MAD theory suggests, the launch of just one warhead could potentially lead to the exhaustion of all nuclear arsenals, yielding devastating outcomes for all nations.
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After assessing the two sides, it is clear that complete nuclear disarmament is a worthwhile pursuit. Unfortunately, there are several infallible obstacles which stand in the way of complete disarmament, which is why unfortunately, this goal will never come to pass. In terms of psychological influence, with the possession and ownership of nuclear weapons comes a sense of national pride and status that most nations would be unwilling to forfeit. Of course, the status that comes associated with a nuclear arsenal is now beginning to wane as more countries, such as India, are becoming modernized – however, this does not dissuade the current membership (especially the Permanent 5 nations in the Security Council) from being adamant about retaining what they have. There are also ugly technicalities. This is a simple matter of practicality, but nevertheless an all too complex problem with no real answers. Firstly, the cost of disarming a nuclear arsenal with over 8,000 warheads (the United States has around 8,000, while Russia has around 9,000) would incur significant costs to
any country. It’s the economics of war: in a time when countries are concerned about their national debt to GDP ratio, a movement towards increased spending in defence in exchange for lower military capabilities simply won’t be approved. Just like Professor Oak, all politicians have to say is: “there is a time and place for everything, just not now.” This is an excuse almost sure to be used again in the future.
Ironically, the Obama administration has recently called for a modernization of the US nuclear arsenal, despite the fact that Obama cited disarmament as a long term goal during his first year in office.
The verdict is simple – if nations such as the US and Russia are serious about non-proliferation, they simply cannot continue to cite their own nuclear arsenals as a means of protection from nation states, nuclear states, and terrorists. (Ironically, the Obama administration has recently called for a modernization of the US nuclear arsenal, despite the fact that Obama cited disarmament as a long term goal during his first year in office.) The activities that current nuclear states are engaging in not only breed a general air of mistrust amongst allies and enemies, but also make for an extremely convincing argument. After all, it is important to practice what you preach – demanding others to do as you do will always be more convincing than demanding others to do as you say.
In the end, in spite of all our efforts to stave off the power-crazed politicians from pressing the big red button, or pleading with other nations to reduce their military expenditure, our toil will never bear fruit. It is altogether far too reassuring to know that WW3 could start at any time, and that human extinction may occur before the turn of the century. Of course, de-proliferation in the near future is a possibility – but only time will tell.
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VS
By Sophia Chan Photography by Gabriel Lee
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Is Film Dead?
By Nicole Yip Photography by Nicole Yip
There is a spirit of banality to describing the Hong Kong urban lifestyle as a fast-paced one, but perhaps the truth that rings behind the platitude elevates it to a point where it doesn’t matter. Compare our fast-paced, angry-at-theMTR-for-being-seconds-late attitudes to that of a photographer. First, I must acknowledge that this is a generalization of some photographers, but regardless, it lends to the point being made. The photographer clacks away, their fourteen-frames-a-second (or is it sixteen?) burst virtually capturing every moment. “The decisive moment? I’ll capture the entire moment and then find the decisive one of the lot later” seems to be the prevailing attitude nowadays. Not only that, G.A.S. (gear acquisition syndrome) has become a rampant epidemic. The race to own the best and newest gear begins again with each product launch, existing gear can go obsolete and ‘expire’ quicker than some grocery items. We have become a society of hurried people pleased only through instant
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gratification, unable to hold off from what we want for just a little bit longer. Enter, film photography. A roll typically only has thirty six exposures, greatly limiting the amount of pictures you can take.
...film photography does in fact ultimately provide a greater sense of satisfaction to both the photographer and the viewer.
One may be hesitant at first at how this could even be considered a selling point of the medium, as it is something that seems like a downgrade on paper. However, film photography does
in fact ultimately provide a greater sense of satisfaction to both the photographer and the viewer. The uncertainty of how the picture looks could probably eat away at the majority of us, who are used to ‘chimping’, or checking our screens to see the image right after it’s taken. Our fast-paced lives are fuelled by the perpetual and constant need for things to be delivered right here, right now, and film can help put an end to this cyclical nightmare. Hipster. This is a word that is frequently used, in a derogatory fashion, to describe many hobbyist film shooters. However, film is many things; “hipster” could arguably be one, but aside from that, shooting film is also a great way to learn the ins and outs of photography, an art form in of itself, and a means to learn to appreciate pacing life.
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Speaking of emotions within emulsions, Nobuyoshi Araki, a prominent contemporary artist, is quoted as saying that digital photography is soulless, as the essence of a photo is nurtured through its development and printing process. The different emulsion, or makeup of each film stock is what gives each photo their unique characteristics, a distinct look unparallelled by post processing effects added through digital editing. Digital photography is often critiqued or dismissed by artists for its ‘overly clinical’ look. The obsession with perfectly rendering the scene before the lens perhaps destroys any would-be character in a photo via an imprint of the photographer and the film.
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...When you open up a package of developed photos and find the one picture where you nailed the focus on a subject while using an extremely shallow depth of field, you’ll feel like you’ve accomplished something major.
But for the average person who isn’t a major fashion or fine arts photographer, how can film be beneficial? Firstly, you have to learn to accept your own mistakes. With a digital camera, it is easy to go on a rage and blame the camera for misfocusing or messing up the exposure of the image. When you use a manual film camera you have to learn that you were the one who made the mistake— the best you can do is to move on, and try not to do it again. You’ll find that the smallest things can make your day— and lest we forget, finding small victories to celebrate can be hard in our deadline-packed, high-standard lives. When you open up a package of developed photos and find the one picture where you nailed the focus on a subject while using an extremely shallow depth of field, you’ll feel like you’ve accomplished something major. But occasionally some of those pictures will be too dark, or too bright, be poorly composed, or shockingly out of focus. You’ll get frustrated that you made a mistake or missed the moment. It is through harsh realities like these that further your earning.
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Another important trait of film: you have to be patient. Sometimes when you finish a roll, it might find itself sitting in a drawer for a while. You might not find the time to take it to the developers (or develop it yourself). And even when you finally do, the hours of wait you must endure to see the finished product become daunting. When you receive your photos, however, those feeling of agitation and impatience all melt away. Maybe you will see a certain photo and fondly reminisce about a memory from that day, or maybe you won’t— but you’ll still feel the same proud sense of ownership over your finished work. Appreciating what little images you get on a roll of film and the wait before seeing your photos can roll (pun intended) into your daily life as well. You may learn to think more about frivolous purchases or feel a newfound “zen” about you. Who needs that juice cleanse anyway?
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Another reason why film is great as a hobby is that there is a lessened desire to own the latest and greatest.
In the film world, it is not rare to own and use a camera from the early twentieth century, whereas modern cameras go out of fashion in a span of approximately three years
You aren’t bogged down by the chase for the newest gear, which in turn will encumber your experience with
photography. When one begins in photography, the need to chase better cameras and features will hinder their learning and experience. With film, there are rarely a plethora of new features ever being boasted simply because there really can’t be any, and with the exception of a few select companies, there aren’t many new models of film cameras being produced either. In the film world, it is not rare to own and use a camera from the early twentieth century, whereas modern cameras go out of fashion in a span of approximately three years, megapixel counts or continuous burst rates never being enough and perpetually being bettered. Funnily enough, luxury camera brand Leica continually release new film cameras, and many joke that this is because their old film cameras are so sturdy, that their main competition is actually themselves.
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As the silent life coach that keeps on giving, we can all learn a lesson or two from the slower paced style of film shooting. Slow down. Cherish shadow and highlight detail while appreciating and accepting flaws. In the same way as how Wallace Stevens proclaimed “death is the mother of beauty”, the ‘imperfections’ and rawness given by film is what entices the artist: it has a certain mortality to it that renders it as the perfect poetic visual medium.
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Minimalism: A Lifestyle for Less By Erica Qiu Photography by Gioia Cheung In a society that feeds on consumerism and prides itself on the accumulation of material wealth, domestic asphyxiation is a widespread occurrence. In this age of abundance, many attempt to “reduce” certain aspects of their lives, whether that be by eating healthier foods, spending less, or being more environmentally responsible, all things that are distinctly minimalist. Minimalism could very well be a solution for capitalist overindulgence through the purgation of possessions.
The image of a stark white room with barely any personal belongings save for two, or possibly even three pieces of furniture is what most would imagine when presented with the idea of having a minimalistic lifestyle. However, contrary to popular belief, minimalism is not just about owning only as much as is needed, but rather, is about conducting a reassessment of your priorities in order to strip away invaluable excess, so that you can pursue a more purpose-driven life. At its core, minimalism questions and redefines exactly what creates happiness. It’s about finding a sense of self, as it creates a streamlined and driven lifestyle, focusing and repositioning people so that they truly know and understand their passions. In essence, minimalism is a tool that allows people to free themselves from various issues in their lives.
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Oftentimes, people will inadvertently invest their identity in their possessions, until said objects are saturated in sentiment, status and represent human identity. Investing identity in exterior factors is unhealthy, as it often leads to lowered self-esteem and an obsession with finding objects to represent one’s self with, instead of focusing on building relationships and experiences. Our rampant nostalgia for physical objects is a fatal flaw, as we are unable to part ways with excess and unnecessary possessions, even though we know that we have no need for them. Human nature practically demands us to be sentimental and status driven. We actually derive more happiness from experiences than we do from possessions, and investing more in human relationships is more valuable and healthy than investing energy into belongings. Which isn’t to say that feeling an attachment to physical possessions is solely detrimental— there is an important relationship between possessions and our happiness, as we should have an “attitude of gratitude” towards not just our human relationships, but also towards our possessions, whether that be for embodying someone’s emotions towards us, embodying our emotions at the time of purchase, or even fulfilling its role. Gratitude has been proven to be extremely beneficial to people’s happiness, as gratitude is perceived as optimism in the brain, and optimistic thoughts not only lowers the production of the stress hormone cortisol but also releases
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69 | Xiao Hua Issue 15 | Features pleasure-inducing neurotransmitters. Although an aspect of minimalism is to separate the human from the object, it is still crucial to remember and be grateful for the role that our possessions play within our lives— the reduction of possessions is merely a product of minimalism rather than a core principle of minimalism itself.
There are numerous benefits to minimalism that can improve our quality of life, regardless of what particular method or principle is implemented. As managing finances is often a prevalent issue, especially amonst those fresh out of college, the accumulation of fewer objects results in less money spent on buying, storing, maintaining, repairing and cleaning said objects. Subsequently, that money might be used in other, possibly more important financial causes. Time is saved due to a newfound focus on experiencing new things with those who are important to you, instead of spending copious amounts of time shopping, or constantly decluttering and organizing your possessions. In private spaces, having fewer possessions means having more room, making the space easier to clean, and even possibly resulting in a smaller living space and preservation of finances.
There are ways to achieve a minimalist lifestyle without abiding by a strict code or an arbitrary set of rules. Extreme minimalists may choose to own exactly 20 items, and others would prefer getting rid of the excess until left with essentials — and each individual’s definition of essential might evolve. Therefore, minimalism can essentially be “customized” to suit people’s priorities, and most take the practices that work for them, but leave others for those who find value in them. For those who need inflexible rules, internet challenges such as Project 333, which is a minimalist fashion challenge that invites people
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to dress with 33 or fewer items for 3 months, or the 100 Thing Challenge, where people cut down their personal possessions down to the tidy sum of 100 items, and a plethora of others all strive to start or help kickstart minimalist lifestyles. Like many concepts about minimalism, these challenges all can be customized to fit the individual, as people might choose to set a limit of only 15 items, and others 50 or 100. Being mindful and aware of new purchases is also an efficient and relatively easy way of preventing further clutter within homes, but a more thorough purge would be first assessing what is valuable and what isn’t, then slowly testing limitations and capabilities before starting to get rid of possessions. There are many ways to easily start small and less drastic, such as having a small box for unnecessary items, which can be reassessed and thrown away at the end of the month. Having a place for everything can help streamline and bring order to everyday life, for example having a box for keys, keeping files for different subjects, or having organizers for cosmetics, cables, stationary, etc. It’s an easy habit to form, and knowing where everything is can save time and reduce the stress that comes with constantly having to hunt down items when in a hurry. Of course, minimalism isn’t just about possessions, but having a simple and organized way of thinking and living. Setting aside time for yourself to be in solitude and silence, meditation, and other mental practises are all effective for stress management, and allow people to focus better. Organizational tools such as to-do lists allow people to conquer the chaos that arises from having to complete multiple tasks at once, and organizing the mind provides feelings of peace and freedom which simplifies our lives.
An unlikely ally in the minimalist movement, technology has been instrumental in the recent rise of minimalism. Numerous blogs and websites
such as The Minimalists and Zen Habits document case studies and insights from other budding minimalists who are in the process of transitioning or are experts in minimalism, and provide inspirations for others to do the same. Bloggers have provided accessible tips for beginners, as well as role models for how individuals create their own minimalist lifestyle. Technological devices, apps and websites have made transitioning and maintaining a minimalistic lifestyle so much easier, since many of them take up no physical space. iTunes negates the use of radios and CDs, while streaming services such as Hulu and Netflix completely remove the DVD and possibly even TV from the home, maps and atlases have been abandoned in favour of Google Maps and Google Earth, and Evernote replaces stack upon stack of hastily scribbled notes. For every problem that one might encounter, there is almost always an online service that provides a viable solution to it. Nothing of worth is lost in the advancement of technology either, as hardware is constantly redesigned to be smaller and more portable, while still maintaining and enhancing their functions. Smaller devices with greater functions mean a less cluttered home and workstation, as well as a better state of mind. People should have a healthy relationship with their possessions, and although living a minimalist lifestyle may seem intimidating, the entry barrier really isn’t that high. It truly is possible to lead an efficient, organized, and calm life, thanks to this philosophy. Yes, minimalism taken to an extreme is extraordinarily difficult to achieve, but even taking just small aspects of minimalism and implementing that in your daily life is far easier, and will still result in a happier, better you. At the end of it all, minimalism is a tool helping you find what it is that makes you happy.
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EXAMINING THE DEBATE SURROUNDING TRIGGER WARNINGS By Jessica Cheng | Illustration by Ashley Tuen Just a few months ago, the University of Chicago’s class of 2020 received a letter from the students’ Dean. “Our commitment to academic freedom means that we do not support so-called trigger warnings, we do not cancel invited speakers because their topics might prove controversial, and we do not condone the creation of intellectual ‘safe spaces’ where individuals can retreat from ideas and perspectives at odds with their own,” the letter read. The discourse created by this letter heightened the debate surrounding trigger warnings, bringing the issue to the forefront of academic discussion.
students’ opinions of visiting speakers have prevented them from speaking at an institution.
A trigger (or ‘trauma trigger’) is defined as “an experience that causes someone to recall a previous traumatic memory… related to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)”. A trigger warning is a short note attached to something that may be potentially triggering to people who are traumatized by a certain event— in a classroom context, a trigger warning might be a sentence in a class description, or a verbal warning before the discussion of a sensitive topic.
These representations, however, oversimplify the discourse surrounding the matter; the issue of trigger warnings is delicate because it pits the emotional welfare of students against the freedom of speech that colleges are supposed to uphold. As such, we must examine both sides of the debate.
The University of Chicago’s letter is a very direct statement rejecting the need for trigger warnings at a higher level of education. Though the letter is striking due to its strong tone, it is certainly not the first—or last—instance belonging to a recent but packed timeline of a discourse on campus politics. A former U.S. secretary of state withdrew from speaking at Rutgers University, citing protests against her involvement in foreign policy; likewise, the chief of the International Monetary Fund opted out of speaking at Smith College under the pressure of student protests. These episodes form only a fraction of many instances where
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Given this backdrop, the idea of ‘trigger warnings’ emerged into prominence on the internet and in mainstream media. Some people have an emphatically negative response. The Atlantic ran an article titled “The Coddling of the American Mind”, along with an image of a child wearing a sweater emblazoned with a single word, COLLEGE, in big block letters. Likewise, the internet has adopted the phrase to denote people who are overly sensitive to a certain topic.
Condoning trigger warnings on college campuses bring obvious benefits. To suddenly encounter something that brings up the memory of past trauma is extremely uncomfortable and may even be mentally detrimental. It goes without saying that it is important for universities to factor in the mental well-being of their students, especially because the college environment is generally stressful. Potentially unwarned exposure to triggers is a source of stress which may exacerbate feelings of loneliness, isolation, and helplessness. A New York Times opinion article calls a small note of warning a “lifeline in the tumultuous environment of college” that can enhance the overall mental health of students already burdened by the shadow of a past trauma. A trigger warning prepares a student for an upsetting topic
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and, as proponents argue, is a display of much-needed humanity to those who have suffered from severe trauma. While there is a general consensus across the board that a student’s mental wellbeing is an extremely important matter, the University of Chicago, and many other professors, have voiced their objections against incorporating trigger warnings. The underlying issue, they argue, is that trigger warnings seem to in-
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terfere with the freedom of speech. The usage of trigger warnings is often paired with the implication that something cannot be said because it is potentially offensive, exacerbated by an educator’s fear of being publicly harassed and humiliated for condoning the intellectual discussion of controversial topics, a Harvard law professor described. With the rise of the internet, students were given a platform on which to be vocal about their opposition, which, although
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74 | Xiao Hua Issue 15 | Features overwhelmingly beneficial in many ways, also means that educators face an implied threat of public outrage and a ruined career if they speak about potentially upsetting material. This fear of loss of freedom of speech is evinced by the plethora of articles written by professors against trigger warnings. The main argument from the opposition is that education is disrupted when people fear being offended or hurt in the process of examining ideas that may be contrary to their own, such that trigger warnings, which have come to embody the shunning of academic freedom, are detrimental to education and growth in an academic environment. The first concern is with the quality of education when trigger warnings are used to excuse students from discussing a certain topic. A Harvard law professor wrote that “[a]bout a dozen new teachers of criminal law at multiple institutions have told me that they are not including rape law in their courses, arguing that it’s not worth the risk of complaints of discomfort by students”. The immediate implications are apparent: students who do not learn about these laws are less equipped to handle rape cases when and if they decide to become practicing lawyers. This episode is indicative of a growing fear that trigger warnings impede the breadth and quality of education by stoppering important issues that must be faced for fear of causing hurt.
Others claim that trigger warnings are the antithesis of freedom of speech. The concept of freedom of speech is succinctly explained by President Obama, who said that “[a]nybody who comes to speak to you and you disagree with, you should have an argument with them, but you shouldn’t silence them by saying, ‘you can’t come because I’m too sensitive to hear what you have to say’”. It is important to form a clear distinction between hate speech and controversial opinions— hate speech, such as racial slurs, should not be tolerated; the kind of speech that the freedom of speech is supposed to protect is speech that is not in agreement with the listeners’ values. To have the freedom of speech is to allow the voice of opposition, even if what is being said is offensive. Critics suggest that trigger warnings censor free speech: students, by demanding a certain topic to not be discussed, are effectively censoring themselves from the opportunity to learn and argue about said topic. Trigger warnings, as the University of Chicago’s letter puts it, allows students to “retreat from ideas and perspectives at odds with their own”. Such a narrative does not fit in with the vision of college. College, as this vision goes, is meant to be a place that challenges ideas and a place that facilitates the transition into adult life. Even if trigger warnings are given in college, there will be none after graduation. For example, little can be done about an employer who holds offensive views when one’s job and salary are on the line. The aforementioned The Atlantic article argues that instead of using trigger warnings, “colleges should do all they can to equip students to thrive in a world full of words and ideas that they cannot control”; as such, the censorship that trigger warnings seem to bring make students less equipped to handle adult society.
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Lastly, there is no definitive meter to measure whether something requires a trigger warning, revealing a possibility that everything could be potentially triggering. As more things are labeled problematic and in need of trigger warnings— such as classic Greek texts for classism, The Great Gatsby for suicide—the debate becomes more heated. The fear that trigger warnings may completely proliferate and dominate classrooms feeds into heightened disdain for trigger warnings.
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The debate is very much ongoing. There are many unanswered questions: where exactly is the line between hostility and offensiveness? Is protection from being hurt a form of censorship? In the end, there are compelling arguments for both the use and the ban of trigger warnings in universities: college is undoubtedly a place that fosters intellectual development; however, the classroom is not the best place to let students face their traumas. Aside from outright banning or requiring trigger warnings, several suggestions have been made, such as allowing instructors to assign trigger warnings at their discretion (the status quo of many colleges); others ask for increased collaboration with university health departments to provide a stronger support network for those who have a genuine need for trigger warnings. But sadly, there is no band-aid, no fix-all solution to the problem, since every college has a distinctly different culture. Within individual colleges, sustained dialogue between those who advocate either for and against trigger warnings must be encouraged in order for all parties to navigate to an acceptable middle ground, where both the freedom of speech and the need to make students feel welcomed at university are balanced. Outside the context of higher education institutions in America, trigger warnings should serve as a reminder that speech is powerful and can be used to harm others. Regardless of whether colleges approve or condemn trigger warnings, it should be common courtesy for us, as people, to be aware of and accommodate others’ sensitivities in our day-to-day lives. Communication, as always, is key.
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The Medium is the Message By Katherine Yang
Comic Sans,
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The two major categories of fonts: serifs and sans serifs
po
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psychology
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the future of food delivery By Angelina Wang | Illustration by Kristen Wong As technology improves leaps and bounds every day, an increasing number of services can be redeemed within a click of a button. The need for speed in fulfilling our needs— namely, the need to eat— is becoming increasingly prominent; people want to eat, and they want to eat now. This attitude is exemplified in the recent rise of online food delivery in Hong Kong. Wherever you are— whether that be stuck in traffic, riding the bus, or on a break, anybody can place an order quickly and easily, a welcome change from waiting until they get home, and only then beginning to make an order over the phone. Despite initial skepticism over the viability of online food delivery services (kozmo.com, a website that offered similar services, famously fell victim to the dot-com bubble), they clearly work— you’ve more than likely ordered from the likes of Foodpanda or Deliveroo at least once in the past month. The online and economic world simultaneously wonder: just how does online food delivery work? And is it just a passing fad, or is it here to stay? Digital food couriers have become big business in recent years. Foodpanda, for example, German company Rocket Internet’s global restaurant aggregator, recently attracted US$60 million in growth funding from new and existing investors. The service, which expanded in the past year to include Hong Kong, enables diners to order take-out meals through a mobile app. Currently in the Hong Kong marketplace (worth HK$2 billion), the three major players are Foodpanda, Deliveroo, and the relatively new UberEATS. The first to enter the market was Foodpanda during 2014, now offering menus from more than 1,000 restaurant partners, with about 400 delivery staff on hand, boasting an impressive reported 500% growth rate of orders in 2015, and 450% so far this year. Then, there is Deliveroo, launched on the heels of Foodpanda in late 2015. Named after a portmanteau of the word delivery and the kangaroo, this name was formed because “kangaroos are known to be incredibly protective of their young. At Deliveroo we are equally protective of your dining experience”. In terms of differences, Deliveroo targets the premium market while Foodpanda has a wider demographic, which Co-founder and Chief Marketing Officer of Foodpanda Benjamin Bauer claims “allows it to cater to the
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varied tastes of Hong Kong residents”. However, a dark horse in the online food delivery industry comes in the form of newcomer UberEATS. Newly launched in October 2016, the latest venture of the popular transportation app Uber markets itself on having “no delivery fee and no minimum order imposed on customers”, and claims a competitive edge from piggybacking on Uber’s one-million strong customer base in the city. While online delivery continues to flourish and capitalize on its popularity, many still doubt the advantages it brings over regular food delivery, or even a normal meal outside. Primarily, for the layperson, online food delivery offers an unparalleled convenience when ordering food online, the widest gastronomic assortments of foods being available with just a few taps of a button or screen. Through online food delivery, cuisines from anywhere in the world can be delivered straight to a home or office, and with speed. Not only a one stop shop, these mediums also connect well-loved restaurants that don’t offer their own delivery services to customers who wouldn’t be able to find them otherwise, giving them access to a much, much wider market. Additionally, online food delivery services also widen the accessibility of the increasing array of healthy food options in Hong Kong in recent years. One hardly needs to lift a finger to have healthy food on one’s plate, thanks to the city’s growing healthy food delivery scene. There are at least 15 such companies operating in the city, ranging from those offering nothing but a simple, delicious meal, to others crafting customised meal plans that can cost more upwards of HK $1000 for a week’s supply, aimed at the wealthy businessman or woman making their way in Hong Kong’s concrete jungle. However, it’d be wrong to assume that these services are devoid of any flaws. Some deliveries go awry while ordering through these online food delivery services, proof that these services aren’t entirely immaculate. From the kitchen to our doorsteps, there are a lot that can go wrong. While there are the horror stories of hour-long waits, horrible food quality, and
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exorbitant delivery fees, most food delivery services only cover the main area of Hong Kong Island, at most stretching only very slightly into Kowloon and the Southern District as well. This means that the majority of Hong Kong that is located beyond these limited delivery routes go without these services and represent further possible prospects for online food delivery. In terms of prospects, the future of services such as Foodpanda and Deliveroo are up in the air— literally. Foodpanda hopes to become one of the first takeaway services to start using drones to deliver orders. Flying above the jam-packed traffic, the startup hopes to be fully automated after becoming operationally profitable in all its markets in February 2017. As speed is the most important aspect of food delivery, Foodpanda CEO Ralf Wenzel hopes that the implement drones cuts down delivery time to a paltry 20 minutes, a response to increasingly fierce competition. In Hong Kong, Foodpanda has already cut average delivery times down from 60-70 minutes to a mere 30, a response to main rival Deliveroo entering the city in November with the bold claim of an average 32 minute delivery time. The addition of drone delivery will undoubtedly become a game-changer in the speed and effectiveness of food delivery in our increasingly tech-driven lives. Online food delivery services have undeniably had an impact on the business and livelihood of independent restaurants, although most food delivery companies are very tight-lipped on their interest rates and profit from the kitchen to
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doorstep— previously, restaurants have reported a 10-15% commission taken by delivery titans like Foodpanda or Deliveroo. On top of this, an additional 2% delivery charge goes entirely towards the company. However, these mediums undoubtedly bring welcome business to independent restaurants that wouldn’t have it otherwise. While insecurity and doubt might root itself in the future of businesses that don’t hop on the proverbial ‘panda’ or ‘kangaroo’ train, due to the geographical and financial limitations of delivery, and offline food services might suffer a drop in popularity, one thing is for certain— business for physical restaurants will never truly expire. In the words of the CEO of Foodpanda Ralf Wenzel, “the delivery of the future is not only being taken out by walkers in the street, or people driving motorbikes.” From drones to our doorstep, the lucrative online food delivery industry only continues to grow, from premium speed-driven Deliveroo, to gastronomically diverse yet comparatively affordable Foodpanda, to complete newcomer UberEATS. Online food delivery services enable the HongKonger at home, school, or the office to get whatever food they want, whenever they want—
the future of food delivery is looking promisingly delectable. ...
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上海迪士尼會怎麼 影響香港呢？ By Peter Yung | Illustration by Evelyn Choi
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只是碰瓷 兒而已
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By Chris Huang Illustration by Toni Suen
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Olympic Taboos By Katherine Wu and Lauren Ho | Photography by Colin Huang
Beijing 2008 In April 1896, the first modern summer Olympic games took place in Athens, Greece, with 241 athletes from 14 different nations competing in 43 events of 9 different sports. 120 years later, in the summer of 2016, the 31st summer Olympic games took place in its host city: Rio De Janeiro, Brazil, the first South American city to host the games. With 11,303 athletes representing 207 nations in 306 events of 28 different sports, the eyes of the world were focused on the competition, just like they were at every summer games since 1896. The 306 sporting events were held at 33 venues in Rio and at 5 in Sao Paulo, Belo Horizonte, Salvador, Brasilia, and Manaus. Rio beat out Chicago, Tokyo and Madrid to host the games, and hosted both the Summer Games and the Summer paralympics. There were a number of notable controversies and concerns associated with Rio both during the lead-up to the games and the during actual games.
...number of notable controversies and concerns associated with Rio both during the lead-up to the games and the during actual games...
These included the instability of the country’s federal government, the strains on Rio’s architecture and infrastructure, tourist stigmas, crime incidents of both low and high profiles, and with the recent outbreak of Zika virus in South America, there were prominent concerns about health and safety within Rio, especially within the Olympic area and its sports facilities.
One of the first things that may come to mind when thinking of the Olympics are the sky high financial costs that the host city must bear. Every 4 years, a new hosting city faces immense international pressure, undertaking an obliga-
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London 2012 tion to make this Olympics outdo all of its predecessors, a promise to honour the lengthy and glorious history of the Olympics. With the employment of staff, the construction of the iconic Olympic stadium, and prevalent advertising of the momentous event, the hosting of Olympics is certainly no cheap event for the city. In Rio’s case, the hosting of Olympics was particularly hard-hitting to the city’s financial condition, more so than it was for previous host cities. With poverty and financial struggle already being prevalent social issues in the country, the costs of the Olympics served only to drastically worsen the lives of many, creating a major imbalance in government funding for citizens. Hundreds upon thousands of people continued to live below the poverty line, as resources and government aid became even harder to obtain thanks to the Olympics eating up a major portion of resources. In a city already infamous for its slums and concrete poverty divide, it was no secret that the city of Rio was sliding into a severe state of financial emergency. The poor state of the economy also took its toll on police resources, resulting in massive protests held by the police, demanding basic resources such as pens, toilet paper, and cleaning supplies. With even the city’s police force being so bitterly cash-deprived, effective police service also became increasingly difficult to ensure on the crowded, tourist-packed streets of Rio. Rio de Janeiro’s governor declared a state of financial emergency less than two months ahead of the hosting of the Olympics, a nasty but not unprecedented shock for the public. The bleakness of the situation was confirmed as Rio’s government itself released a statement, stating that they were looking to avoid a “total collapse in public security, health, education, transportation and environmental management”. The way they did this? By borrowing money, without approval, from legislators. The government’s predicament, paired with the city’s inevitable descent into a real financial crisis, point wholeheartedly to the fact that Olympics has duly taken its toll on the state’s economy, with the irresponsibility of government only adding to the overwhelming blame that surrounding this entire event.
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Rio De Janeiro 2016 Tokyo 2020
With that being said, the grandiose reputation and image of the Olympics events has also had an equally immense impact on citizens and people worldwide. Every Olympic year, thousands upon tens of thousands of tourists have flocked to hosting cities to witness the games in action. The 2016 Olympics were no different, with a whopping 7 million foreign tourists visiting Rio de Janeiro (this not including the thousands of Olympic athletes), setting a new international record for tourist visits. The number is a 9% increase from Rio de Janeiro’s previous major tourism boost, spiked at the time by the FIFA World Cup in 2014. With Rio de Janeiro retaining its high spot in the list of tourist “must visits”, the dumping of millions of tourists could be seen as a blessing for the
city, as tourists have been known to have spent over 1.4 million euros during their time in an Olympic city. Sadly, in Rio’s case, the dramatic spike in tourist numbers only served to wreak significant havoc on the city, failing to bring any significant beneficial impact. According to news reports, thousands of armed robberies have occurred on the streets of Rio, with the steady inflow of indiscreet foreign tourists only intensifying this problem.
In May, a Spanish Olympic gold medalist and two members of Spain’s sailing team were robbed at gunpoint while walking to eat breakfast. Shortly after, two members of the Australian Paralympic sailing team were
...Sadly, in Rio’s case, the dramatic spike in tourist numbers only served to wreak significant havoc on the city, failing to bring any significant beneficial impact...
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robbed as well, with again, a gun pointed at their faces. Remaining traces of safety and goodwill in the city were rudely cut short, as on the same weekend, a hospital was stormed and invaded by a group of armed men. And in a case more widely reported and globally speculated over by mainstream media, Olympic swimmer Ryan Lochte and a few other teammates filed for an alleged robbery at gunpoint, finally “shedding light” globally about the appalling prevalence of crime in Rio. Their claims were later angrily debunked by Rio’s government through the release of security footage that showed otherwise. The prevalence of crime in Rio perfectly supported Lochte’s narrative, and amid an increasing trend in mainstream media to document the city’s crime situation, it was no surprise that the entire world was almost completely fooled — it just seemed too plausible.
The outbreak of the Zika virus so close to the Olympic games raised fears regarding the potential impact on athletes and visitors. Many worried and wondered if the Olympics, an event attracting people from all corners of the globe, would fuel a potential global spread of Zika virus. The virus is transmitted through mosquitoes, insects that bode well with Rio’s warm climate and
high population density, making Rio an optimal environment for the Zika-bearing mosquitoes, leaving people in the city highly vulnerable to transmission of the disease.
...The outbreak of the Zika virus so close to the Olympic games raised fears regarding the potential impact on athletes and visitors...
Rio was hit hard by the virus at the start of the year with tens of thousands of suspected cases emerging, but it came as a relief to see that the latest data in May showed new cases of Zika declining steeply in the months leading up to Winter. There were numerous calls for the Olympic Games to be postponed, warning that the the anticipated attendance of over 500,000 international visitors could cause the virus to spread rapidly outside the country.
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some male coaches and athletes, including Spanish basketball star Pau Gasol and American volleyball coach John Speraw, took it to extremes when they said they were going to freeze their sperm ahead of the Games
A Harvard Public Health Review featured writing from Dr Amir Attaran of the University of Ottawa, noted that Rio had the highest concentration of Zika infections out of all Brazilian states, and the Olympics could result in a “global catastrophe” of Zika outbreaks, asserting that it would be “socially irresponsible” and “ethically questionable” for them to go through with the Olympics. According to an analysis done by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the risk of the huge event amplifying global transmission of the virus was relatively low, however the Games could have potentially prompted the spread to a few countries where the virus was not yet circulating.
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As beautiful as the Olympics are as a celebration of humanity, a display of the spirit of sportsmanship, it is so important to remember and be critical of what such an event leaves in it’s wake. Putting on such an awe-inspiring event has come at the expense of public safety, well-being, and morale. In a global society that grows ever more socially conscious, perhaps we should do our part to ensure that the next Olympic games is a socially responsible one.
Seoul 1988 Los Angeles 1984
The WHO, CDC, and International Olympic Committee made a statement saying that in a city of over 6 million people, in addition to the expected 500,000 tourists or 11,000 plus athletes, there was a possibility that the virus could be acquired and carried home by someone, but the chances of that happening were still quite slim. Despite the low probability of people being infected by Zika, quite a lot was done to make the possibility of transmission even smaller. Organisers planned to perform daily inspections of the Olympic venues to prevent
puddles of stagnant water, perfecting breeding grounds for mosquitoes. The threat of Zika virus transmission was also partially attributed to the inefficient sewage treatment in that area, so sewage treatment was improved in preparation for the Games. Individual teams also enforced their own measures to take their own extra precautions. For example, the South Korean Olympic Committee equipped all its athletes with specially made uniforms infused with pyrethrin, a repellent extracted from the Eucalyptus leaf that boasts an impressive 70% repellent rate. The athletes were required by their country to wear the tracksuits during ceremonies, training, and in the Athletes’ village. However, they were not allowed to make changes to the uniforms worn during competition because of strict rules and performance enhancing concerns. Apart from also being sent to Rio and being provided with boxes upon boxes of mosquito spray, some male coaches and athletes, including Spanish basketball star Pau Gasol and American volleyball coach John Speraw, took it to extremes when they said they were going to freeze their sperm ahead of the Games as a precaution against the Zika virus. Fortunately, in the end there were no confirmed Zika cases linked to the olympics, and the WHO released a report saying that the worries may have been overstated, which comes as a huge relief to many.
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IS OCEAN PARK HUMANE? By Evelyn Howe & Lynn Q-won Lee | Photography by Chih Ning Kuo
When we think of Ocean Park, what comes to mind are images of beautiful marine animals swimming contently inside of their glass homes, children marvelling at their beauty and size, noses pressed firmly upon the glass. We think of dolphins gracefully leaping in and out of the water as families ‘ooh’ and ‘aah’ in awe. We think of children smiling ear to ear as they watch the chubby pandas lazily eat their lunches. But rarely are people ever critical of what they see. There is a dark underbelly to Ocean Park, one that never sees discussion amongst the general public. Perhaps this oceanic wonderland isn’t quite so sweet as it makes itself out to be. When you step into the Grand Aquarium of Ocean Park and see marvellous bottlenose sharks and stingrays effortlessly gliding through the water, have you ever wondered how these animals ended up in that glass dome? The process might be grislier than you think. A study by the China Cetacean Alliance revealed that most Chinese marine parks capture whales and dolphins in Russian and Japanese waters, using large, tight nets to transport them over long distances. The animals are at risk of entangling and drowning, greatly affecting the safety of the marine animals. This practise of relocating marine life also threatens the population of dolphins and whales in those regions. The study also showed that over 250 whales, dolphins and porpoises have been transported to Chinese marine parks since 2015 alone, a shocking indicator of just how many dolphins are being held in captivity. Since these marine animals are deprived of social communication and activity, it raises the chances of developing unhealthy mental and physical conditions, even possibly resulting in death. Furthermore, to stabilize the population of marine animals in these parks, when a dolphin dies another one is plucked from the wild to take it’s place, continuing the practice of the cruel dolphin hunt. China is far from perfecting their breeding techniques, unlike the United States, who banned catching wild sea animals 30 years ago.
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Ocean Park houses 21 Indigo-pacific bottlenose dolphins that live in 5.5 meter deep tanks. Confining dolphins with other dolphins, especially in such a small space can result in heightened stress and aggression, meaning that they cannot naturally function in such a restrictive environment. The space the dolphins occupy in Ocean Park cannot even be compared to their lavish natural space of 300 kilometers in the deep waters. Putting dolphins into these tanks is the equivalent of cramming multiple humans into a single bathtub— permanently. These tanks are just not big enough for these animals. In the wild, dolphins usually swim 40 miles a day. However, in these marine parks, they are limited to only 5.5 meters of room. It is cruel for dolphins to live in these environments because they will lose important, natural skills such as swimming and migrating through deep open waters. Sasha Abdolmajid, a German environmentalist who runs a dolphin tracking website, explains, “Cetaceans are literally bored to death in their tanks, which are always tiny in relation to their size and extremely monotonous for them.” Additionally, because of the unnatural environment, the dolphins cannot healthily thrive as they would in the wild. Studies show that in the wild, dolphins can live up to 40 years. However, the lifespan of a dolphin in Ocean Park is on average a paltry 15 years, just half of their natural lifespan! These marine parks claim that they are trying to simulate the dolphins’ natural habitat, and giving these dolphins the best environment in which to breed and grow. However, it is impossible to simulate a natural environment for these animals. They deserve to thrive in their natural habitats where they can live freely and happily, absent from water shows, and the human gaze.
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One of the main attractions of Ocean Park is its marine animal show, Ocean Wonders, where dolphins glide through the water and perform tricks, and sea lions wave their tails and blow kisses to the audience. However, no tricks that these animals perform fall under normal behaviour, and forcing these animals to perform in these shows is simply unjustified. It is even worse when they have to perform 4 times a day, every single day, every single week. Contrary to popular belief, marine animals such as penguins, stingrays and dolphins do in fact feel pain. Therefore, when these animals are forced to perform in water shows day after day, it can be detrimental for them physically and mentally, and the stress that is put upon these animals can cause aggressiveness and depression. Suzette Ackermann, a dolphin activist, said “It’s cruel to force a dolphin to perform tricks for food, and that’s the only reason they do it.” When animals are bred in captivity, they are being led to believe that performing tricks for food is natural, and if they are ever released back into the wild they will not be able to behave normally. If released back into the wild, the dolphins will not be able to survive because they will not know how to hunt, how to navigate through large areas and how to communicate with other wild dolphins. Not only that, we see a string of incidents that allow us to believe that many animals in Ocean Park are not properly taken care of. On July 3rd, 2014, 59 fish died in Ocean Park because of lack of oxygen in the tanks. If Ocean Park did regular check ups on their animals and were aware of the state of their fish tanks, such a thing would not have occurred. On April 21st, two Chinese sturgeons were observed to be swimming unnaturally. As the species are classified as endangered, the problem should have been checked up on immediately. However, they were only checked up on on May 11th, and by then, it was already too late to save one of them. Ocean Park claims that they are helping the animals by providing them with food and a home, but are they really causing more harm than good?
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animals. Additionally, children who visit these marine parks are deprived of knowing the true nature of these marine animals, something that is detrimental to their sense of morality. Marine shows inaccurately represent these marine animals, do not raise awareness of endangered species, or encourage respect for wildlife. Although the smiling mouths of a dolphins make us believe that they are always enjoying themselves, children are not aware of the cruel treatment that these animals receive. These water shows risk teaching children wrong values, such as using animals for profit, and taking them out of their natural habitat for personal gain. These dolphins and seals are nothing more than clowns at a circus. Furthermore, do people go to marine parks to have a closer connection with the animals, or is it just for entertainment? A survey done in Australia’s Sea World shows that 64% of visitors listed fun and entertainment as a reason why they go to the marine parks and only 37% listed interest in learning more about animals as their reason. This statistic further provides evidence of how marine shows have little educational value , and how marine parks should not be forcing their animals to perform. Ocean Park is a point in the ongoing debate about
Not only that, people fear that Ocean Park and marine parks across China are teaching our younger generation the wrong ideas. Ocean Park was ranked as the 11th most popular marine park in the world in a 2011 survey by the TEA Global Attractions Attendance Report, and out of the 7 million people that visit the park every year, a vast majority are children. These marine parks give a false impression to the audience that it is OK to keep these animals in captivity, since keeping them on display will teach children more about nature, raising awareness about endangered species. However, a government project study from the United Kingdom showed that children watching these marine shows ultimately gained no particular knowledge about the
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whether or not marine parks should stop keeping wild marine animals in captivity and forcing them to perform in shows. But what is Ocean Park doing in response to these protests? Due to the pressure from animal activist groups, Ocean Park has stopped buying beluga whales and white dolphins from the mainland. However, Ocean Park continues to borrow animals from other places and breed them in captivity, which does not solve the problem. “Ocean Park works with dolphinaria in China. They actually have a formal memorandum of agreement signed with some of the aquariums so that they can do better business and also promote their parks to Chinese tourists and I think that’s wrong,” says Dr Samuel Hung, chairman of the
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Hong Kong Dolphin Conservation Society, who wants to see dolphinaria phased out for good. Part of this issue is caused by the fact that it is completely legal for Ocean Park to keep animals for display purposes. In the UK, Croatia, Cyprus and Hungary, it is illegal to keep cetaceans in captivity. China does not have any laws in place to protect captive animals. It is time for China to follow the example set by the other nations, and start providing protection for the animals. China is the biggest importer of wild marine animals in the world. If we can cut this demand, it can change the everyone’s view on keeping animals in captivity and makes sure that more wild animals do not become prisoners. How can we, as consumers, help to resolve
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this issue? In response to these cases, crowds have formed 91 | Xiao Hua Issue 15 | Editorial outside the theme park protesting to let these animals go. Empty the Tanks day is a non-violent demonstration that is held in over 20 countries, where conservation groups protest to try and stop marine parks from capturing and selling marine animals. Every year, on Empty the Tanks Day, a crowd of people hold a peaceful protest outside of Ocean Park. “The Empty the Tank movement will succeed eventually,” Dr. Samuel Hung (chairman of the Hong Kong Dolphin Conservation Society) promises. “So one day Ocean Park will [have its dolphin facilities] shut down, but whether they want to do it by taking the initiative or we force them to do it, it doesn’t matter. But we need to keep applying the pressure to end this.” We all have the ability to help these poor imprisoned animals become free and prevent others from having the same fate. Cathy Williamson of the UK-based Whale and Dolphin Society states that, “There’s little public awareness of the problems these animals face in captivity.” We all can help by signing petitions and joining peaceful protest such as Empty the Tanks to help raise awareness of this pressing issue and to urge government officials and marine parks to change for the better. We can also educate our children on the truth behind these imprisoned animals and we can start awareness programs at school to help reach out to more children. We should do our part to help these animals return back to animals is very important. However, there are more humane their families in their natural habitat. and justified ways of teaching children about these beautiful creatures than separating the animals from their families, After considering the offences of Ocean Park against putting them in living alien environments and forcing animals, can we still assert that Ocean Park is humane? them to perform in water shows. It’s important that we show Ocean Park does not provide a healthy environment for respect for animals, and do our part to ensure that they are the animals, infringes the rights of animals, doesn’t have treated in a humane manner. the animals as their first priority, and teaches children incorrect morals. We agree that educating children about
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Apple & The Search for Innovation By Ethan Lam | Photography by Ethan Lam and Gabriel Lee The biggest “feature” of the iPhone 7 that got people talking was not, in fact, the new dual cameras, “force-touch” home button, or newfound water resistance that caught the public’s attention— the standard 3.5mm headphone jack was nowhere to be seen. Internet netizens quickly took up arms to express their discontentment; instead of taking a step forward, it seemed as if Apple were moving backwards. It’s hard to put a finger on exactly what made the loss of the headphone jack so infuriating. There’s the obvious— removing the headphone jack made a standard set of earphones incompatible with the iPhone, a headache for a user who just wants to listen to music. The included adapter isn’t much of a solution either, as it forces the user to choose between either simultaneously charging the device or listening to music, unless you decide to fork out for a $300 adapter designed to allow you to do both at once. It felt as if Apple were trying to monetize even one of the most basic functions of a phone, something taken for granted ever since the smartphone came into existence. Then, there’s the slightly more abstract. Perhaps it felt as if Apple was being needlessly progressive, cramming upgraded technology into their devices not to enrich a user’s experience, but just because they could. It felt like they weren’t listening. But maybe some of the discontent surrounding the device’s release stems from the stagnancy of the mobile space. The “revolutionary” and “ground-breaking” changes that come with each new iteration of a flagship device bring with them nothing more than minor technical upgrades and gimmicks. And be real with yourself— just how
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many more gigahertz faster does a processor have to be in order to scroll down your Facebook feed? And does anybody really use Siri as anything else other than a cheap party trick? Which begs the question: Is this really innovation? It’s well known that in order to set themselves apart from their competitors, companies must try to bring new things to the table and innovate. But maybe we’ve reached the point where companies have genuinely run out of ideas, instead shifting their focus to a specification arms races in order to distinguish themselves—the bigger the numbers, the better the device, yes? But really, there is a point at which making a processor faster, cramming more pixels into a screen, or upping the megapixel count results in nothing more than unmeaningful performance gains. A common trap that consumers fall for are these inflated numbers plastered all over the product pages of these phones; When Apple claims that the new A10 chip is twice as fast as it’s predecessor in the iPhone 6, that only reflects the truth when the phone is being pushed to the very breaking point, something that will never happen during regular usage— a new iPhone 7 will run at the exact same speed as an iPhone 4S if you’re just doing something simple like browsing Instagram, watching a video, or making a phone call. When Apple says the Lightning port has “lossless 48kHz digital output”, they neglect to tell you that the average human ear can only hear up to 20 kHz, and that all but the most finely-tuned ears can’t actually hear the difference between a lossless file and a downgraded 192 kbps file. It’s all marketing jargon designed to make you believe that these new devices put the ones that came before them in the dirt.
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Perhaps we’re to blame for the lack of innovation. We haven’t taken eagerly to fresh ideas when they were presented to us, which encourages companies such as Apple to be more conservative with their new releases. Siri was one of the main attractions of the iPhone 4S, but a study by Intelligent Voice, a corporate speechto-text service, indicated that only 15% of users had ever used Siri. The Pebble smartwatch began shipping in January 2013 with other wearable devices from manufacturers such as Apple and Samsung shortly following suit, but even today smartwatches are so rare that the presence of one immediately sparks conversation surrounding it (“Oh, you have one of those things! So cool! Can I touch it?”). Apple’s “Ping” music sharing network (remember that?) crashed and burned spectacularly. Our reception to genuinely revolutionary ideas has been lukewarm at best, but we constantly rave on about how our new phones are so fast, or how the bigger screen is so much easier on our eyes, sending the message that manufacturers should be focusing on their device specifications. Maybe the innovation pool has been so dry for so long that a radical, yet regressive decision like Apple’s looks like progress. “It really comes down to one word: courage. The courage to move on and do something better for all of us.”, Phil Schiller, head of marketing at Apple, says of the decision to remove the headphone jack, a statement that sounds like faux-spiritual dialogue ripped straight from the mouth of some aspiring philanthropist who makes their work out to be so much more than it really is. But maybe Apple is right. Sometimes, long-standing features do have to be removed simply to clear the path. Apple has done this before. Remember the CD drive? Once seen as the future of external storage, storing infinitely more data than their floppy disk counterparts in a package nearly as small, Apple
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began slowly removing CD drives from their computers in 2008, and although there was initially backlash, we’ve never looked back since. Optical media is rarely, if ever, used just a short 8 years later, and our devices are smaller, quieter, and happier for it. Apple is certainly unafraid of trying new things, oftentimes giving unproven technology a whirl. And in doing so, they set the bar for the rest of the industry. They are arguably the “trendsetter” within tech— after the iPad was released, Samsung and other companies shortly released their own tablet variants. When Apple began using IPS type screens in their devices, the once rare technology suddenly became mainstream, with almost every single new smart-device utilizing the technology. And in more recent times, several laptops sporting USB type-C connections have begun to pop up. Whatever Apple does, the industry will take notice of.
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“
Perhaps we’re to blame for the lack of innovation.
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Maybe we don’t even need “innovation” in a traditional sense anymore. Our hardware and engineering might finally have advanced to a point where a paradigm shift just isn’t possible. Maybe it’s impossible to redefine what a phone, tablet, or computer can do off the back of a single huge idea. And really, that might not be such a bad thing. At the end of it all, technology is meant to augment our lives, not be the core focus of it. It’s not about what your device can do, but more rather, how it can enrich the human experience. “Innovation is making things better,” Tim Cook says. “If you step back and look at the things that are most important to iPhone users, it’s the photos they take and the other stuff they use to build the diaries of their lives. So the camera updates, the software optimization that we’ve done, the increases in battery life, and then all the features in iOS 10? These things collectively are a huge advance forward.” Maybe— just maybe, Apple are on the right track.
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比爾克瑙的鐵路 觀奧斯維辛−比爾克瑙集中營後所記 By Andy Ji Photography by Andy Ji
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How to START R By Sabrina Ma | Photography by Philippa Yuen
As students, reading can be a bit of a chore. Analysing the literary features and language of books can prove to be quite tedious and sometimes unenjoyable. Our teachers and parents are constantly telling us to read more, because reading will help build up your vocabulary or improve your grammar or something along the lines of that. If reading becomes an activity solely for the sake of improving your skills, where’s the joy in that? At some point in our lives, we all had a habit of reading. Whether it was Harry Potter or A Series of Unfortunate Events, for once you could relate to New York Times calling it a “true page turner”. Now that, is recreational reading. So the question is, how do you reignite that passion for reading?
1) Know What to Read
2) Read Everyday
Understandably, knowing what to read is not the easiest thing to do. With an overwhelmingly copious selection of books available to us, choosing a book can be a little intimidating. There are tools like Goodreads that you can browse books by genre or theme, that allows you to log the books you’ve read to generate a list of recommended books based on your interests. There are also the New York Times’ Best Sellers or The Guardian’s Top 1000. If you’re not a fan of automated lists, you could also utilise the school library. The librarians are always willing to talk to you and recommend books based on your interests. Not only will you get a non-algorithmic response, you can also borrow the book instead of buying it. There’s a book out there for everyone, knowing where to look might just land you the next Hunger Games.
There’s the saying “It takes 21 days to make it a habit, 91 days to make it a lifestyle”. Whether you believe it or not, after incorporating certain activities into your lifestyle for a prolonged period of time, your brain begins to adapt to the change and you begin to feel uneasy when you don’t partake in it. By reading a little bit every day, even if it’s just 10 pages before you go to bed, you will start working it into your daily routine and soon become a habit.
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3) Try Something New Maybe you were never quite the visual learner, or preferred to listen to stories instead of reading them. Ever heard of reading through your ears? Audiobooks and podcasts are great alternatives to reading. Some people relate to stories more when they are being told verbally rather than reading words. Or maybe you are more visually perceptive (taking visuals literally) you could try comic books, a story through conversation and images. If you’re old school you can always stick with physical books, but if you’re feeling the technological advancements of our time, consider investing in an e-reader like the Kindle or Kobo (Kindles are up for borrowing at the library). If not, you could use your smartphone to its full potential. There are apps such as iBooks and Kindle app that keeps your library light and on-the-go. Changing the way you read might just be the thing you need to re-kindle your passion for reading again.
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READING
Again
4) Join a Book Club Is reading alone not your thing? Book clubs and reading groups are great for people who want to take a break from the echoes of your own narration. Not only are groups great for reading aloud, they’re also a great place to discover new books. Being assigned will draw you out of your comfort zone and you may even discover that the genre you’ve quarantined all these years is actually enjoyable. Book clubs also encourage the community talk about the book, whether it’s about the plot or the thematics, you can exchange your thoughts with people who are willing to reciprocate the effort.
5) Set a Goal Be willing to make a commitment to reading and set yourself a goal. Motivate yourself by giving yourself a goal to work towards. It doesn’t have to be much, even if its just 20 minutes a day or 2 books a month. If you’re looking for some external motivation, there are annual online reading challenges such as Book Riot Read Harder Challenge or Goodreads Annual Reading Challenge. (Think Battle of the Books from primary but without the trivia.) Recreational reading is obviously optional. I mean what is the point of indulging in fictional stories or learning about different subjects, right? Reading is not an essential, but it is good for you. It enriches and adds substance to your life that if, without reading, wouldn’t be there. If you’re feeling stressed, reading enables you to escape from your world temporarily and lets you dive into different fictional worlds. It can also sometimes help you see the world in a different light, and maybe even see the world in the eyes of another. If you’ve made it this far into this article, you’ve already been reading. Do yourself a favour and start reading that book you never got around to reading or the one on your nightstand that you started but never got passed the first 10 pages. Don’t let reading be a burden, rather let it be something that brings pleasure and relaxation.
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Campus Rape Culture By Cindy Kim | Illustration by Florence Wu
“The fact that Brock was a star athlete at a prestigious university should not be seen as an entitlement to leniency, but as an opportunity to send a strong cultural message that sexual assault is against the law regardless of social class.” Most of us spend around 1000 hours in school, where we all strive to succeed, to be educated, make friends, and generally feel safe within its walls. Unfortunately, this feeling doesn’t apply for 1 in 5 of the women and 1 in 16 men who are sexually abused within these “safe” borders every year. Last year on January 28th, Brock Turner sexually assaulted a 22 year old woman and was released on the 2nd of September 2016. Due to the ‘constant stress’ that Turner faced through the publicity of the case, Judge Aaron Persky curtailed his sentence from 6 months to 3. Not only did he take advantage of her vulnerability, but he also exploited the law: it isn’t considered to be rape in California if the penetration isn’t penial, which allowed him to circumvent the title of a ‘rapist’. Turner’s lenient sentence was received with public outcry, ranging from campus protest to a campaign advocating for Persky’s removal from the bench. On Change.org, a petition that included more than 190,000 signatures was created to denounce the sentence as a “travesty to justice”, stating that the sentence “failed to send the message that sexual assault is against the law regardless of social class, race, gender or other factors.” The cause was bolstered by an official, dedicated website created by Stanford law professor and sexual assault reform advocate Michele Dauber, which asked for donations and signatures of the public. Priding itself in being the “national leader” in its prevention programs and support of students who have been sexually assaulted, Stanford University has released a statement, claiming it has done “everything within its power to assure that justice was served in this case,” from “reaching out to the woman confidentially to offer her support to banning Turner from entering the campus in regardless of his status as a former student,” and these steps have been the “harshest sanction that a university can impose on a student”.
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The United States isn’t the only country where rape in schools is common; conservative societies like South Korea have serious cases too. In 2004, at least 41 male students from Miryang High School gang raped 11 high school girls over the course of 11 months. The girls and their families were later verbally abused by the boys’ parents: “Why should we feel sorry? Why don’t you consider our suffering? Who can resist temptation when girls are trying to seduce boys?” Instead of accusing the perpetrators of their disgusting actions and intentions, the victims were blamed for their vulnerability. The severity of the abuse led to one girl having to transfer schools. Not only did the victims experience trauma from the incident, they were also verbally abused by the police officers: “Did you try to entice the guys? You ruined the reputation of Miryang. The boys who would lead the city were all arrested. What are you going to do? [...] I am afraid that my daughter will be like you.” The shame and constant abuse that victims face is one of the prime reasons for rape being the most underreported crime. 63% percent of incidents are never reported to the police, and therefore go unnoticed. Contrary to popular belief, rape is not one incident that is just done and over with: the action results in various mental traumas such as PTSD, depression, anorexia and anxiety. Many victims (including the victim involved in the Brock Turner case) could not socialize in fear of being touched, and their previous life of joy and pride was inaccessible: “I became closed off, angry, self - deprecating, tired, irritable and empty,” the victim writes in her 7000 word letter to her perpetrator, “You bought me a ticket to a planet where I lived all by myself.”
The banning of ‘suggestive’ clothing in schools further increases the vilification of students, in that they were the ones that caused the action thrusted upon them. This prohibition conveys a forceful message that girls and their bodies are dangerous, and boys are biologically programmed to harass them. Laura Bates, the founder of The Everyday Sexism Project. writes in an article in TIME Magazine, “The problem is often compounded by a lack of any attempt to discipline boys for harassing behavior, which drives home the message that it is the victim’s responsibility to prevent. We have received thousands of testimonies from girls who have complained about being verbally harassed, touched, groped, chased, followed, licked, and assaulted at school, only to be told “he just likes you” or “boys will be boys”. The constant reminders and messages from school continue through college life, where women who are assaulted are blamed and questioned, while the perpetrators are easily let off. Just because we weren’t abused doesn’t mean we can just ignore rape; it can happen to anyone, anytime, including school. Perpetuating messages that objectify and sexualize girls should be banned to contribute to lowering the numbers of rape victims on campus. Instead of slandering those who have been assaulted, we should provide them with support.
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If you haven’t seen Lucas Sin outside the auditorium on the “alumni wall of fame”, here’s your chance to get to know him! CIS class of 2011 and Yale class of 2015, Lucas Sin shares with Xiao Hua his journey in cooking and fondest memories from CIS.
ALUMNI: LUCAS SIN
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By Natalie Lin Photography by Lucas Sin
How did you get into cooking?
I cook because my family loves food, and everyone was cooking all the time. And from there I just started experimenting. The summer after year 12 I opened a restaurant in Wanchai. It was a , a private restaurant, that served a 13 course Hong Kong style food. I taught a group of friends from CIS how to cook, how to hold three plates at once, how to read types of wine - I could say it was one of my fondest memories. That and eating .
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How do you come up with your menu? Because the majority of my experience is in pop-ups I cook in a pretty reckless way. After opening probably 12 pop-ups before Junzi, I found the nature of pop-ups makes the menu very malleable and very brazen. You experiment over time and you realize “this green herb is more interesting than that green herb. We’ll use this one”. One time we were cooking chives and we were like “oh these really smell like buttercorn. Let’s do a buttercorn and chive dish.” Essentially the menu changes all the time.
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“ What is Junzi?
Well Junzi itself is not a pop-up restaurant. It’s built to be a brand representative of contemporary Chinese cuisine, genuine and authentic in the American market. We have pop-ups within Junzi and even now I run at least two in my store every week. We have a tasting menu, which is 5 courses from a different guest chefs each week. And on Saturdays we do a late night event as well. Fast forward 10 years - do you still see yourself in Junzi 10 years from now? We’re opening a new restaurant in New York right now and I’m designing it. And as that continues to happen opening more stores, I imagine my role is going to change. I have no idea where it’s going to go, but in 10 years I know I’ll still be cooking.
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Now rewind 10 years - do you have any regrets CIS? I regret not realising that the teachers at CIS, at least while I was there (just kidding) were amazing. I wish I realised they all had deep, personal stories and brilliant, intellectual ideas, that I could have taken advantage of. I wish i just sat down in their office and talked to them about... stuff. For instance I remember freshman year I came back I was obsessed with philosophy and logic and I just had the best conversation with Dr. Varro. I asked him about his sons, how his teaching was going - and I find that type of conversation super fulfilling. It humanises teachers. Now the best case scenario is I come back to Hong Kong every couple of years and I just ask teachers out to drinks we can talk.
“I found the nature of pop-ups makes the menu very malleable and very brazen.”
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MEET YOUR
HOUSE CAPTAINS By Toby Chan | Photography by Gioia Cheung
Purple House Captains: Ryan Wong & Jasmine Savage
House Chant P-U-R-P-L-E we’re gonna win just wait and see, we’ve got strength and we’ve got spirit, c’mon purple house let’s hear it Why did you want to be a house captain? Ryan: Because I have good ideas for house competitions and I think that I can make them enjoyable for all other years. Jasmine: I wanted to be a house captain because I knew I would be the most motivated and therefore do the best I could do. I’ve done this job since I was in year 9 (credit or no credit, house rep or not), so I thought I would do myself a favour and finally get the credit for what I had done the last three years. (It also will probably look great on my CV, but don’t put that in) What do you think it means to be a house captain? Ryan: Lead by example, motivate others to be the best they can be. Also to plan events that students can participate in and enjoy.
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Jasmine: It means to have a commitment of some sense toward house activities, which essentially means to have spirit. However, you do need to be responsible and willing to do extracurricular work that you have to do. In a more general sense, it means that some people, younger years, in particular, might look up to you as a role model to some extent. That means that maybe one should be kinder and act like nicer person as to honor their (in my opinion) somewhat misguided idealisation. I do try to be a fair person, which may not generally be conceived as a nice one. What do you think is the most important when being a house captain? Ryan: To be able to connect with students from other years - making sure that I am approachable. Put the needs of others before my own. Jasmine: Being responsible and committed, being willing to work with others, and speak in front of larger crowds. (And also everything I said previously about good role models and house spirit which I don’t care to repeat)
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Blue House Captains: Jerry Yang & Kerry Hsu
House Chant We are Blue House we couldn’t be prouder If you can’t hear us we’ll shout a little louder. We are Blue House we couldn’t be prouder If you can’t hear us we’ll shout a little louder Why did you want to be a house captain? Jerry: I love my house and sports so I want to do what I can do to make my house the best. Kerry: I wanted to be a house captain mainly because I’ve always enjoyed participating in inter-house competitions, and I wanted to be able to organise other fun activities for everybody at CIS too! What do you think it means to be a house captain?
Jerry: More responsibility and some extra work, but most importantly is to be the one that brings positivity into my house and encourage everyone else in the house to contribute to this lovely group. Kerry: I think that being a house captain means that we need to have house spirit! What do you think is the most important when being a house captain? Jerry: Not only having great performance during house activities to earn my house glory, encourage others, taking responsibility and making my house better should be the key. Kerry: I think the most important thing about being a house captain is being kind and patient since we organise inter-house competitions for everyone. It’s really easy to lash out at people and start yelling, so it’s important to stay calm.
Yellow House Captains: Georgina Savage and Sophie Kelly
House Chant Take it to the limit, take it to the top, we’re the mighty yellows and we can’t be stopped. Come on people in the stands, let me hear you clap your hands (claps). Now that you have got the beat, let me hear you stamp your feet (stomping and clapping). Oo! Ah! Yellow! Why did you want to be a house captain? Georgina: I am responsible, and good at public speaking, and was willing to put in the effort, so that’s why I did it. I wanted also to be house captain because I knew I was the right person for the job, and I thought it would be a good chance to demonstrate my leadership abilities. What do you think it means to be a house captain?
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Georgina: It means that you represent the house, essentially. You are the spokesperson, the leaders, and sometimes the organisers. It means you also have to be dedicated to your role, and hold up your responsibilities. What do you think is the most important when being a house captain? Georgina: That you create an environment where people are actively participating in the house competitions because they want to, and are happy to be part of their house. I think there’s a misconception that you have to be sporty to be a house captain. Certainly, there are sporty house captains, and it’s great that they are. But that’s not important when you are organising and leading a group of people. You need to be responsible, comfortable with public speaking and passionate. That’s all there is to it. Also, you should be able to work well with others.
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Green House Captains: Emily Duncan & Fenton Garvie
House Chant Boom boom boom, everybody say green house green house. Boom boom boom everybody say green house green house. Everybody looks so fine, if you’re wearing green like I’m. Come on guys, let’s say it again! Which house do we represent? Green house! Why did you want to be a house captain? Emily: I think it’s a position where one has the ability to impact the CIS community in a non-academic way, which is a unique position to hold at a school. It’s always looked like such a fun job, a thought I’d had when applying which has rang true in the few short months that I’ve been a house captain. Fenton: I think that I would make a good house captain because I love spreading the house spirit and having fun. I also really enjoy organising house competitions and taking part in events such as sports day. What do you think it means to be a house captain? Emily: House captains should try to plan fun activities that engage all the houses and
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keep track of house points. It’s imperative for the job that house captains are enthusiastic and energetic - qualities needed to cheer the house on and get students fired up at house events, especially during Sports Day! Creative ideas for house games are also a must - we always aim to keep things original for maximum student interest and turnout. There are so many things that we have in mind and can’t wait to show you guys! Fenton: I think that it means a lot as you’re now the face of your respective house and to many people a role model. What do you think is the most important when being a house captain? Emily: The most important part of being house captain is making sure to attend all of the meetings. They’re vital for the organisation of house games, and are a time when we brainstorm and plan new ways to get the student body engaged and promote house spirit! Fenton: Spirit. Whether it be house spirt, spirt in terms of sportsmanship, or spirit to inspire and motivate people. However these are not just attributes that the house captains should exhibit, but ones that everyone should demonstrate.
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Red House Captains: Tippy Pei & Samantha Chong
House Chant I say go, you say fight, go! Fight! GO! Fight! I say win, you say tonight, win! Tonight! Win! Tonight I say Red, you say House, Red! House! Red! House! I say all, you say right, all! Right! All! Right! Go fight, win tonight, Red House all right all right! Go fight, win tonight, Red House all right all right! Why did you want to be a house captain? Samantha: In my old school, we didn’t have houses or teams, and I’ve always liked the idea of being part of a group with the end goal of winning or achieving something (you can blame Harry Potter for that). I’ve also always been competitive, and being house captain would mean that I could support and cheer my house on during house competitions, hopefully with my house winning at the end. Tippy: I want to be a house captain because I take pride in my House. Red House has always been the most spirited, talented, and simply the BEST house. I want to bring back to the community and make this school year fun for everyone.
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What do you think it means to be a house captain? Samantha: I think it means that you’re loud, you have a lot of spirit and you’re very passionate about a) winning or/and b) your house! Tippy: A House captain has to be a role model who leads and motivates young members of our community. He/she has to bring laughter and excitement into our community through organising house competition and activity. What do you think is the most important when being a house captain? Samantha: I think one of the most important aspects that people don’t often think about is that you have to keep everyone in mind. When you’re planning a house competition, you have to think of how to showcase the different strengths of all the students participating. For example, this year we’re planning to have a few more competitions that aren’t as athletics based so that students aren’t as intimidated to participate. Tippy: Sportsmanship, because it is impossible to win in every house competition. What is more important is that the house always stays engaged and enjoys the activities.
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HOW TO USE EQUIPMENT
IN THE GYM By Justin Ngai | Photography by Gabriel Lee
As you read the title of this essay you would probably laugh. Hah, workout in school? What a joke! As if we’re not busy enough with all the work we are overloaded with. Even if I had free time, why bother with this whole “exercise” trend? Not only is it extra work for me, it is also time-consuming and has an after-effect of making our bodies ache! Yet there are people going the gym, in fact for good reasons. There are people who love the gym, who can not seem to operate without their gym time. In fact, working out makes you generally much happier. You feel awesome after you exercise! Immediately, intensely, unequivocally. Many studies have proven the direct relationship between exercise and increase of positive hormones recent such as serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine, assisting the management of stress and depression. Furthermore, working out boosts brain activity, meaning a short workout period before your next assessment could get you a few extra points boosting you from a 7 to that well deserved 8!
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So where do I work out if I wanted too? In fact this “room of requirements” was hiding right underneath your noses ready for your discovery. Ever been to the secondary upper gym? Directly behind it would be the fitness room where you can exercise to your hearts content. In the fitness room, there are various equipments for exercises of all muscle groups. There are treadmills, spin bikes, ellipticals, bench presses, barbells, dumbbells and more! This article will give you an introduction and usage of equipment you may not be familiar with. We also provide safety precautions to keep in mind while working out, and common exercise suggestions for all the equipment.
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Weight plates
Barbells
Hex-style Dumbbells
Main Muscle Group Focus biceps, triceps, shoulder, pecs
Main Muscle Group Focus biceps, triceps, shoulder, pecs
Main Muscle Group Focus biceps, triceps, shoulder, pecs
Brief Description Ranges from 1 kg (~2.2 lbs) up to 150 kg (~330 lbs) per weight plates Comes in different styles that include: circular, block, disc and hex styles
Brief Description Standard weight without added weight plates 20 kg (~44 lbs) Add equal amount of weight to both sides of barbell
Brief Description Ranges from 1 kg (~2.2 lbs) up to 150 kg (~330 lbs) per dumbbell Comes in different styles that include: circular, block, disc and hex styles
Usage Holds the middle area of the grip within the user’s palm Some dumbbells have the option of 9^adding weight plates Safety Precautions Have a spotter or person nearby in case of emergency Know your limits, and do not exceed it by too much when adding weights Make sure dumbbell is gripped within the palm, and wrap all fingers around the grip area Do not grip too hard, as it could limit blood flow
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Usage Place both hands on the barbell around shoulder width apart Grip barbell within the user’s palm Users may hold barbell with palms facing the floor, or facing the ceiling Safety Precautions Have a spotter or person nearby in case of emergency Know your limits, and do not exceed it by too much Make sure barbell is gripped within the palm, and wrap all fingers around the bar Do not grip too hard, as it could limit blood flow Common Exercises: Barbell row, deadlift, bench press, back squat
Usage Holds the middle area of the grip within the user’s palm Some dumbbells have the option of adding weight plates Safety Precautions Have a spotter or person nearby in case of emergency Know your limits, and do not exceed it by too much when adding weights Make sure dumbbell is gripped within the palm, and wrap all fingers around the grip area Do not grip too hard, as it could limit blood flow
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香港水上活動 划船 龍舟
風帆 滑浪風帆 水上活動中心
1 2 3 4 5
HK Aqua-bound Centre Address: Stanley Main Beach Stanley Main Beach Watersports Centre Address: Stanley Link Rd, Stanley
Chong Hing Watersports Centre Address: West Sea Cofferdam,High Island Reservoir, Sai Kung, New Territories Tai Mei Tuk Watersports Centre Address: Main Dam, Plover Cove Reservoir, Tai Po, New Territories
St. Stephen’s Beach Water Sports Centre Address: Wong Ma Kok Path, Stanley, Hong Kong
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THEa PHOENIX make
Workout Challenge! Do you want to lose weight? Do you want to gain more muscles? Do
you want to be that person people check out on the beach?
Try the Phoenix Workout Challenge! Don’t have any fitness equipment?
Not old enough to go to the gym? Worry not! This challenge does not require anything, other than an open space, and determination! By Kevin Ky and Justin Ngai Bicep Tricep Burnout - 6 minute EXTRA Killer Cardio Workout SO, what is the Phoenix Workout Do you want to lose weight? Do you want upper body workout 1 minute jump rope Challenge? to gain more muscles? Do you want to be 1 minute high knees that person people check out on the beach? 1 minute plank 1 minute butt kicks 30 seconds push ups Try This the Phoenix Workout challenge is to Challenge! test the limits of your 20 burpees Don’t have any fitness equipment? Not old 1 minute side plank (left) body, specifically your upper body, lower Run 10 minutes enough to go to the gym? Worry not! This 30 seconds tricep dips 1 minute jump rope body, and core muscles. For this challenge, challenge does not require anything other 1 minute side plank (right) 1 minute high knees 6 minute upper body workout 30 seconds push ups arespace, 3 workouts: thanthere an open and determination! 1 minute butt kicks 1 minute plank 1 minute rotational plank 1 minute jumping jacks 30 seconds elevated push ups 30 seconds push ups So what is the Phoenix Workout(upper Chal- body) 1. Bicep Tricep Burnout 10 pushups lenge? challenge to test body), the limits 1 minute 10 side plank 2. This Cardio Killer is(lower and tricep dips (left) (10 of your body, specifically your upper body, Cardio Killer - Core Workout30 seconds tricep dips Run 10 minutes 3. Beach Abs (full body). exercises) lower body, and core muscles. For this 1 minute side plank (right) 1 minute jump rope challenge, there are 3 workouts: Bicep 1 minute high knees 30 seconds push ups Situpsis Beating the(upper Phoenix Challenge Tricep Burnout body),Workout Cardio Killminute butt kicks Flutter kick 1 minute 1rotational plank easy!body), For three weeks, one workout er (lower and Beach Abschoose (full body). 1 minute jumping jacks Plank 30 seconds elevated push ups every week, and perform it three times a 1 minute mountain climbers Side plank (left) Beating theFor Phoenix Workout week! example, youChallenge can do the Side Bicep 20 burpees plank (right) is easy! For three weeks, choose one workRun 10 minutes Tricep Burnout on Monday, Thursday and out every week, and perform it three times Mountain climbers Saturday for theyou first a week! For example, canweek, do thethen Bicepthe Cardio Inquiries: KevinK@student.cis.edu.hk Killer on Tuesday, Wednesday Friday,Body Workout (10 exerTricep Burnout on Monday, Thursday and Lower cises) andthen Saturday the first then the the for Beach Absweek, on Monday, One leg squats Cardio Killer on Tuesday, andweek. Wednesday, Sunday,Wednesday for the last Hot feet Friday, then the Beach Abs on Monday, Jumping jacks Wednesday, Sunday, for the last week.
1.Biceps Tricep Burnout
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SPOT THE DIFFERENCE Find the 10 differences! (ANSWERS ON PAGE 11) ILLUSTRATIONS BY CHRISTINA SHEN
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CIS TRIVIA (ANSWERS ON PAGE 11) BY JOSEPH WAN
1. Who was CIS’ second Headmaster? A) Barry Drake B) Alex Horsley C) Sean Lynch D) Peter Gibbon
6. Where was CIS’ first campus? A) Kennedy Town B) North Point C) Eastern Hospital Road D) Tin Hau
2. Who was CIS’ only female Headmaster? A) Kin Yan Sin B) Betty Wei C) Catherine Han D) Sow Fun Dawson
7. How many social media outlets does CIS? A) 6 B) 7 C) 8 D) 9
3. Which architecture firm designed the new school building? A) Ronald Lu & Partners B) Rocco C) Foster & Partners D) HOK
8. How many full-time faculty and professional staff members are there in CIS (Across Primary & Secondary)? A) 122 B) 160 C) 171 D) 180
4. Who is not a founding lady of CIS? A) Dede Huang B) Kin Yue Fu C) Nelly Fung D) Joyce Tai 5. When was CIS founded? A) 1981 B) 1991 C) 1987 D) 1983
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9. When did CIS introduce the IB Middle Years Programme? A) 1998 B) 2001 C) 2004 D) 2006 10. When did the first class graduate from CIS? A) 1993 B) 1994 C) 1995 D) 1997
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TURN YOUR CREATIVITY INTO A CAREER. SCAD Hong Kong courses enhance your creative expression and emphasize the in-demand production skills and techniques necessary for a successful career. Learn more about the university for creative careers. SCHEDULE YOUR VISIT TO SCAD HONG KONG TODAY.
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