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The Diller Street Journal

Volume IV, Issue 2

December 2015

The TPP’s Impact on Intellectual Property

Split Enz’ “Mental Notes” (1975)

John Villanueva ’17

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Robbie Bay ’17

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he Trans-Pacific Partnership (or TPP for short) is a massive trade agreement including twelve countries on the Pacific Rim. The idea behind this deal is to promote trade among these countries and increase economic growth. From an economic standpoint, there have been many perspectives about the TPP which you can find on the Internet. In reality, I am not incredibly informed when it comes to economics, but while researching this deal, I came across something that concerned me greatly. This was the section pertaining to Intellectual Property. As someone who is fascinated by, and cares greatly about media in general, this bit caught my attention.

I believe that Intellectual property and copyright law are very important. If you create something, you should have complete ownership over that thing and be able to profit from it for a certain amount of time. However, this system is being badly abused.

Originally, the purpose of copyright law was to protect the artist and make sure he/she received the revenue he/she deserved for his/ her work. However, more recently copyright law has become more about protecting corporations such as movie studios, record labels, etc.

I must stress that the TPP is not an agreement that benefits consumers in any way. The agreement is entirely for the benefit of corporations and owners of intellectual property.

The first section I will discuss is Article QQ.G.6 which pertains to copyright term extensions. The deal mandates that the copyright term for all countries involved will be

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NSCDS Travels to Wonderland Emma Flannery ’17

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his January, the Upper School will be tackling its annual winter play, and this year it is “Alice in Wonderland”. You may have seen the Disney or Tim Burton variations of “Alice in Wonderland”, but this production is the most faithful to the original story by Lewis Carroll.

Similarly to just about any adaptation, North Shore’s production follows the tale of a curious girl who falls down a rabbit hole into a nonsensical world of talking caterpillars and absurd tea parties. This production, however, introduces less well-known character such as the Knight and the White Queen, and is sure to include plenty of surprises for the audience.

In pulling together their interpretation of “Alice in Wonderland”, the actors faced many challenges in building their characters that are often quite irrational. According to Robbie Bay ’17, who will be playing the Mad Hatter, “It is rather challenging to play a character that nobody understands. I’m not always sure how I should say certain lines because I don’t always know what it is I am actually trying to say.” For Emily George ’17, who will be playing Alice, this play is an opportunity to go back in time and use her past experience to create a relatable character. “I can relate back to being seven and what my worldview was. I try not to overcomplicate things because after all, she is essentially a curious, stubborn little girl.”

The crew has also faced challenges in preparing for the winter play.

For this particular adaptation, the set crew has created a “rake stage”.

This stage is raised at the back of stage and then slopes downward towards the edge of the stage. Cameron Speta ’16 who has taken part in thirteen NSCDS plays, comments that he has, “never worked with this type of stage before and it’s going to be an exciting challenge.”

So, why come see “Alice in Wonderland”? As Rachel Cantor ’16 says, “It demonstrates the power of imagination and exploration.” Though this may sound clique, as teenagers we can loose our ability of imagination and forget to appreciate all the ridiculous ideas that we are capable of generating. As Cantor says, it is important to remember, “the places you can go just by imagining.”

“Alice in Wonderland” will have a preview on January 14th from 4:00-5:30pm and performances on January 15th at 7:30p and January 16th at 4:30pm.

plit Enz was the most successful group of musicians to ever come from New Zealand and one of the most successful from the southern hemisphere. During the late 1970s and early 1980s, this outfit was topping charts and selling out stadiums across the U.K., Australia and their home country with their sleek-but-quirky New Wave Pop Rock sound. However, Split Enz’s-, and undoubtedly, New Zealand’s most defining album to ever grace a turntable was also, oddly enough, the band’s least commercially-successful release. Mental Notes was not a complete flop upon its release in July 1975, reaching #7 in New Zealand and even selling 12,000 copies and reaching #35 in Australia, but, in the ensuing years, the album has become known as one of the greatest and most imaginative pieces of popular music. It truly stands out as a unique album from a unique time, place and group of burgeoning musicians.

Trying to categorize Mental Notes is difficult, as there is nothing else quite like it. Many consider this album one of the last great progressive rock pieces from the last great year for the genre, however that doesn’t tell the whole story.

The gifted sense of melody of writers Phil Judd and Tim Finn give this album some great pop sensibilities that a progressive band, like say, Genesis, might have missed. Also, unlike many other prog rock albums of the time, Mental Notes has a sense of urgency in its arrangement that gives most of its songs a fast-paced, and compressed string

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Volume IV, Issue 2

DSJ Staff Editors-in-Chief Anand Shankar ’16 Cooper Ochsenhirt ’16 Executive Editors Connor Watrous ’17 Associate Editors Antonia Theodosakis ’16 Cara Savin ’18 Brad O’Connor ’18 Owen Hiland ’18 Staff Writers Michael Valenti ’16 Annika Weinberg ’17 Cynthia Mao ’17 Emma Flannery ’17 Ike Pratt ’17 John Villanueva ’17 Katie Karmin ’17 Robbie Bay ’17 Tommy McHugh ’17 Joy Pasin ’18 Betsey Freiburger ’19 Sponsors Ms. Dani Chung Ms. Lauren Marica

Opinion

December 2015

Independent Study: The Unconventional Way Annika Weinberg ’17

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ime. It is something that seems to escape our grasp the older we become. For high school students, time is most commonly allotted to academic classes, sports, productions and homewor.

In a world that is becoming more competitive by the second, how are students expected to find time in the day to work at something they love– something they might want to pursue as a career?

This is a question to which many students struggle to find an answer.

Knowing what you want to do for the rest of your life at any age is a gift. And knowing what you want to do for the rest of your life as a teenager is a miracle.

Yet, being unable to pursue a passion through studies due to lack of time is tragic. Our society whispers in our ears “dream big,” yet our lives as high school students are restricted to the same rigorous academic schedules until summer approaches.

Summer is a realistic opportunity for many students to delve into subjects that typically are not allocated the preponderance of time in an academic schedule. These subjects can be broad or specific and can include topics such as art, technology, music, drama, language, finance, entrepreneurism, pop culture, religion, politics, sports, to name a few.

But what if you want to explore a specific topic of interest over a sustained period of time during the school year, especially if you find it engaging and potentially a tool of self-discovery?

One of the best kept secrets at NSCDS is the Independent Study.

I discovered this course option early in my sophomore year. This year as a junior, I am participating in Theatre Advanced Studio, as an independent study focused specifically on film. While I was concerned about giving up the study time of a “free block,” especially as a rising junior, I realized that this class presented an opportunity for me to explore a passion that I might be interested in pursuing as a career – and doing so in a structured way with a customized curriculum, and with a supportive and knowledgeable teacher who could facilitate access to other resources and networks. The choice seemed clear.

In my eighth year at North Shore, I can proudly say that this class has been one of my greatest experiences – because I learned, created, and discovered in a way that I hadn’t before.

I learned more comprehensively about the film industry, on both a domestic and international level; I created my own films; and I discovered the voice that I aspire to have. This independent study helped me firmly establish a passion of mine as a constant in my life.

I sincerely hope that any student who has a specific passion, or even an inkling of an interest in a particular subject, will seriously consider the Independent Study as a legitimate option.

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Volume IV, Issue 2

Opinion

December 2015

“Mental Notes” Split Enz Continued from Page 1 John Villanueva ’17

of musical ideas that make relistening not only a rewarding experience, but also a necessary one. On the whole, this album is heavily influenced by the progressive movement in the U.K., and the enthralling and otherworldly theatrics of Split Enz live and televised performances at the time were undoubtedly inspired--at least partially--by Peter Gabriel.

This otherworldly feeling also exists in the band’s music, which is immediately demonstrated by Mental Notes’ first track: Walking Down A Road. This song is a 25 minute prog epic compressed into 5 minutes and 30 seconds and every moment is not only music to the ears but also fascinating, and sets up the mood of this album perfectly. Just the sheer amount of melodies, time changes and musical ideas in this one song alone is enough to fill up one side of an LP let alone a measly 5-and-a-half minutes. The best part has to be during Phil’s soaring vocal on the lyric “when I left you on your own” and the interchanging vocal interlude after, which is just fantastic. Under the Wheel has got to be one of the strangest, but also one of the most fascinating and chilling songs I’ve ever heard. Tim Finn’s vocal style sounds almost like something out of a scary fairy tale. The mood is creepy and at times desperate, but also still epic and full of life. It’s very hard to explain and not even entirely likeable, but also does add something of a mysticism to this record that should be welcomed. Also the “glorious death” segment is one of the most memorable parts of any song ever.

Up next is the first of three upbeat numbers on this LP, called Amy (Darling). This one’s always been one of my favorites. The performance from Phil is just infectious as all get out and the strange musical motifs are abound to make this fun pop rock piece truly the Split Enz’s own. Like Walking Down A Road, Amy (Darling) is really a bunch of songs rolled into one, which makes it all the harder to explain but also all the more rewarding to hear for yourself. So Long For Now is the second of our “pop” songs Mental Notes has to offer. I put pop in quotations because although So Long For Now is as catchy as any pop song, calling it a pop song is really undermining it’s genius to the nth degree. The track is a breathtaking bombardment of melody and musical ideas that’s unforgettable. There’s a great video from the Rock’n Roll Circus in late 1975 of the band performing this song that gives a good sense of what these guys were all about. The second side of this LP opens up with Stranger Than Fiction, which is a striking and otherworldly soundscape that’s epic and melodic but also dark and spooky. The best part is definitely the first minute-and-a-half which is filled with wonderful soaring guitar work. It’s another memorable song that will probably have nothing sound like it ever again. Time For A Change is Mental Notes’ only true ballad and it’s quite beautiful, with Phil’s best vocal performance of the entire album. His voice, which is one of the most unique I’ve heard in a long time, is one of the driving forces of this album’s majestic and theatrical feel. It’s also accompanied with a perfectly used mellotron and guitar solo that makes Time For A Change one of the album’s strongest tracks.

Maybe is our last upbeat song, and was Split Enz’s first single in Australia. It’s got a very british sounding horn section that’s fun and enjoyable. In fact, it’s probably the most English track on here, although Amy (Darling) is a close second. The eccentric performances of what might be just a normal pop song make Maybe another Split Enz classic that everyone should hear. Titus is a return of the creepy vocals of Tim Finn. It’s other notable feature is a mandolin which was often used on the band’s early singles when they were still known as Split Ends. The song is decent and works within the context of the album, but I never saw much importance of it being on the LP I guess. Spellbound, our last real song, is a strong if not perfect way to trail off the album. It starts off with a repeating acoustic guitar riff and sprinkling piano and then, signaled in by the thumping bass, there’s one last vocal performance from Tim which is also probably his best on the record. Spellbound is a perfect mixture of melody and darkness that’s irresistible and sums up this album better than words.

Then there’s the track that gave this album its namesake which is only about 30 seconds and serves no real purpose musically besides the line “make a mental note” was etched into the trail grooves on the original LP and so would repeat infinitely if the needle was not removed. It’s short and, overall, harmless. Mental Notes, Split Enz first and best record, is one of the greatest albums of a generation and has all of the aspects of a classic LP. It has some minor problems, such as a slightly waning second half and some strange and potentially-jarring musical motifs, but this record can only grow on you the more you listen to it. It’s smart, the musicianship is often stellar, it’s challenging, it’s strange, it’s replay value is very strong, it’s catchy, it’s fun, it’s memorable and most importantly, it’s unique.

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A Close Reading of Lewis Carroll’s “Alice in Wonderland”

Joy Pasin ’18

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ewis Carroll’s “Alice in Wonderland” is a satirical reflection of nineteenth century Victorian society. With further inspection, we can see how Carroll’s opinions still apply to humanity. Although we have moved toward a more fair, just, and understanding society since “Alice in Wonderland” was written, many of specifically American social pressures, constructs, and hierarchy remain.

In the Victorian era, tea time used to be a time for polite social interaction and the highest of manners. It was a way to show off sophistication, wealth, and grace. In the novel, Alice attends a Mad Tea Party where she meets the Mad Hatter and the March Hare. Both characters are unafraid of flaunting their idiosyncrasies, they yell and hit other characters while speaking in gibberish. While it may seem like nonsense, this tea party was Carroll’s way of criticizing the Victorian tradition. In this scene, Carroll portrayed ridicules the nineteenth century social norms.

The tea party illustrates how society is just a bunch of social norms we are expected to live by, even today. Although norms may have changed since Victorian times, individuals of modern society are still forced to cram their personalities into the mold of a specific social norm in order to be accepted. These norms may change depending on your race, location, socio economic status, etc. However, no matter what you have to change, there is a constant theme of attempting to fit into society.

In “Alice in Wonderland,” many of the characters are either cards or chess pieces; as in these kinds of games, we see the queen’s, courtiers, and pawns. The courtiers are constantly reprimanded by the queen and forced to kill the pawns, or rather “cut off their heads”, despite having not committed a crime. This is perhaps a direct analysis of the Victorian monarchy at the time: citizens were controlled by the queen, and they did not have a say in the laws or how their country was being lead. Also, like these pawns, many of us are lead by our “queens,” -- our parents, stars, teachers, etc. -- and no matter how far we get in life, there will always be some “higher power” attempting to “control” us. The only way we can live harmoniously with these ‘queens’ is if we make sure we are heard, that we understand their point of view, and everyone compromises. Often times we will just get angry or defensive, but instead we should try to collaborate with others. Perhaps this was the lesson Carroll was trying to teach by not-so-subtly scrutinizing his government.

While watching the upcoming production of “Alice in Wonderland” try to reflect on how Carroll’s insights into human nature and society continue to apply to our lives today.

Volume IV, Issue 2

Opinion

Owenslice: Kanye West

Owen Hiland ’18

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hen I sat down to write a piece about Kanye West, I was conflicted: Which of his many activities should I write about?

There’s his music, both his solo work and his collaborations with artists such as Jay-Z and Paul McCartney; there’s his fashion line (Yeezy Season One and Season Two), criticized for its high prices and shabby appearance; there’s his rare line of shoes, Yeezys, which are almost impossible to buy for less than a thousand dollars due to their limited release; there is Kanye the man, who married famous person Kim Kardashian and stormed on stage during Taylor Swift’s VMA acceptance speech (and recently almost did the same to popular Alt-Rock artist Beck); there’s even Kanye the presidential candidate, who announced his 2020 run after what was, quite frankly, a ridiculous speech about the aforementioned encounter with T-Swizzle. With so many outrageous and incredible events West’s life, how could I write about just one of these things?

In my eyes, this pluralism is the true brilliance of Kanye West; he exists as so much more than just one simple aspect of his being, and can’t be defined by a single label. Yes, he is an artist; this is the first thing many people think of when his name is uttered, and it is one of the more wellknown aspects of his career. Kanye has received both critical acclaim and widespread popularity for nearly all of his albums, and for good reason; his production is spot on, and it’s hard not to love his glamorous and narcissistic lyrics. Yes, he is a designer; Yeezy Season One sold out in stores and online, despite being widely criticized in the fashion world. Yes, he is a God, at least according to his appropriately titled song I Am a God, a song in which he raps about being rich and famous and, ultimately, godlike.

More than any of this, though, Kanye is a celebrity. He’s used to the fame, and it’s easy to see that he loves it-- and he’d certainly have to, considering the amount of publicity, both negative and positive, that he receives.

This celebrity, though, is definitely why Kanye is allowed to be himself. For anyone else, saying George Bush “doesn’t care about black people” and posing for “Rolling Stone” dressed as Jesus might be considered a step too far. But for Kanye, it’s just a part of existing.

He is who he is, and while we might not exactly be sure who that is, I personally enjoy every minute of watching him be himself. To quote the man himself, “You may be talented, but you’re not Kanye West.”

Look out for my article next issue covering the new Star Wars movie and why it’s probably really good.

December 2015

The TPP and Intellectual Property Robbie Bay ’17

Continued from Page 1

“the life of the creator, plus 70 years”. This is already in effect in the United States, and this agreement is allowing other countries to match this lofty term. That means it will most likely take more that 100 years for a piece of intellectual property to enter the public domain in order for other people to use it for creative purposes without a license. Therefore the owners of said property can continue to profit from it until it essentially becomes irrelevant.

Further on the topic of copyright, the TPP does almost nothing to strengthen fair use. There are a few clauses in article QQ.G.17 regarding fair use. They give examples (review, parody, etc.), and it says countries should endeavour to abide by fair use. However, these consumer protection clauses are not legally binding. As one might guess, the articles that are legally binding are those benefiting the corporations and owners of intellectual property.

On top of all of this, Internet Service Providers who are a part of this deal have legal incentives to remove content that is violating copyright law.

This sounds good in theory, as the goal is to prevent distribution of intellectual property and piracy. However, I see no reason to doubt that these ISPs will encourage the use of automated takedown programs like the ones seen in Youtube. We have seen such systems abused time and time again, there have been many documented incidents of corporations removing or claiming revenue from content that clearly falls under fair use, and the parties responsible have not had any consequences. When this kind of thing is spread to a larger scale, I can see it being detrimental to the developing new media.

The deal adds new laws which prevent the leaking of trade secrets, which essentially allows criminal prosecution of people like Edward Snowden, and prevents people from sharing items of public interest to the public. A journalist could be charged simply for doing his job as a public servant and revealing something of extreme importance that was supposed to be kept secret. The very people who leaked the TPP could be prosecuted.

They have also added laws blocking all DRM circumvention, which can prevent piracy, but also puts unnecessary and excessive restrictions on people, especially those who play video games, as they will often want to modify the game’s code to add to the experience and will need to circumvent the DRM to do so. The worst part of all of this is that breaking any of these laws could result in civil or even criminal charges. And there are no caps on the civil charges, meaning if you pirated something, the police could destroy the computer you used to do so and give you a fine to top it off.

This deal is very scary and is clearly something made to benefit corporations and to put restrictions on the consumer. There was nobody involved in the deal to speak for consumer protection. Although some may believe this is not a major issue, this is a clear compromise of our freedoms, and awareness needs to be raised.

A Not-So-Adoring Love Letter to the US

Katie Karmin ’17

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the good people of the American republic, It’s me! Your law-abiding and thoughtful, obedient, and quiet Jewish citizen Katie Karmin. I have been following the progression of our response to the earlier Paris terrorist attacks, and I must say, I am quite disappointed to call myself an American.

I have watched from the sidelines as Congress has slowly-but-surely worked to halt the influx of refugees President Obama earlier promised to admit, and I have also watched a somewhat anticlimactic response from the American people.

And excuse me for being blunt, but have we learned absolutely nothing from history?! Have we learned nothing from World War II and the way we ignorantly granted a lack of asylum to our struggling brothers and sisters across the ocean? Apparently not. Have we learned nothing from the failures of oppressing and quarantining the Japanese American population within our interior? Our actions, again, prove that we have

not. And believe me, there remain plenty of government officials who still refuse to let these recent acts of terrorism bombard civilization.

But for the 28 of you governors, and all others who oppose, who suddenly lack the ability to look at a bigger picture, it is quite embarrassing for you to represent the “ideals of America.” You have surrendered to the terrorists. The only barrier standing between us and the admittance of thousands of desperate and INNOCENT Syrian refugees is not our stubborn pride or our alert defense.

The only attribute we have allowed govern our decisions, apparently, is fear. And if we allow fear to dictate the parameters of our lives, then, we have ultimately lost the battle against terrorism. We have readjusted our morals to accommodate terrorist action or this we are not stronger,simply weaker.

To my fellow Americans, those who resist and those who simply stand by hopelessly watching, I am ashamed to call us trailblazers of a free world when we have enabled our greatest anxieties to overtake our strength.

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Volume IV, Issue 2

Features

December 2015

The Perspective of an Exchange Student Cynthia Mao ’17 and Doris Sun

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oris Sun is a really close friend of mine and she has been sharing her feelings with me since she came to United States. The inability to blend into the American society seamlessly is not only her struggle, but has also been shared by many ASSIST students from all over the world.

A German girl I interviewed about her experience said that she had acquaintances, but not friends.

The language barrier is a start.

And there are also other obstacles such as cultural differences.

Here I would like to specifically thank my friends and all the North Shore kids for helping me to integrate into the school. Look out for an about favourite American food for exchange students in the next issue. Don’t hesitate to email at smao17@nscds.org if there is a topic you would like to hear about!

Photo by Cynthia Mao ’17

Tech Club Develops Food App Tommy McHugh ’17

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ver the past few years, North Shore’s administration has brought about very exciting changes. From a new cafeteria to a new schedule, these changes have become a part of everyday life. However, a bridge that connects the instant access to the internet and positive ways to make use of the new benefits at North Shore has seemed to be missing. This bridge is now being built by Tech Club.

Founded this fall, Tech Club’s mission is to create new technologies that delight and inspire the student population at North Shore. Tech Club meets weekly to find problems in the school and fix them with technology. This September, Tech Club began development on a new app called “Waiter.”

Waiter connects with the cafeteria and uses artificial intelligence to understand how you eat at North Shore and enhance your experience in the North Shore cafeteria. By understanding how you eat, Waiter is able to provide you with recommendations at school and even other restaurants around Chicago. Tech Club also plans on working with HandCut Foods to develop a system we hope will integrate Waiter into the cafeteria purchasing system. This will provide students with the option to order food through Waiter and create prepaid grab-and-go lunch options to your liking.

Tech Club’s mission is to enhance everyone’s experiences at North Shore, and that also includes the administration. Waiter will provide analytical tools using the same artificial intelligence to create suggestions to HandCut Foods on what snacks and lunches should be served during the week, taking into consideration popularity, price and availability.

Waiter’s goal is to create a faster experience getting through the cafeteria so students can spend more time with their teachers and friends.

Waiter will be available spring of 2016, with announcements giving more details about Waiter being dispersed throughout the school in the coming months.

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“

So, how do you feel about Maret?”

This questions appeared to me on the hallway, in the cafeteria, and basically everywhere around the campus with the abnormally warm temperature in autumn this year. I am always silent when groups of students are chatting. This tacitness, however, is abnormal for new students to Maret who should be and so often are open, enthusiastic, and soon become friends with everyone. While other newcomers to the school this year quickly settled down, laughing with their new friends around the lockers, I find myself walking around the library, quiet and alone.

This doesn’t mean that everyone here is not nice to me. On the contrary, everyone is so nice, and people have invited me to hang out with them when they find out that I am alone. Although being with a group of friends makes me feel secure and not as isolated, a nagging sense of solitude still remains.

I am now able to understand what people are talking about at most of the time, after two months struggling with my listening and having to repeat the phrases: “what?” and “I am sorry but I didn’t get it.”

But still, it’s hard for me to give a quick and felicitous response. I sometimes don’t know what to say; I sometimes say things that sound funny and ridiculous and cause serious misunderstandings without realizing it--at least not at that moment. In these conversations, I often find it easiest to just smile and keep quiet even though I always feel sorry to all those nice people who’ve tried to talk to me for my silent response must at some extent disappointed them.

I have been learning English in school for more than ten years.

However, none of my English teachers were native English speakers, and none of them had ever studied abroad. I learned English reading for passing tests such as as the SAT but not for understanding and enjoying a nice book; I practiced oral English for an English Speech Contest but not for communicating with people and breaking the language barrier.

I know words people don’t use anymore, but it took me weeks to understand words that appear a lot in daily conversations like “sassy,” “funky,” and “fancy.” Often, I cannot find a word, especially an adjective, to state my exact feelings or thoughts. The feebleness of my language renders me a bystander in all kinds of conversations I would like to join.

So I fled, temporarily. I ran away from crowds discussing their fancy weekends, funky clothes and probably a sassy cousin, trying to find a place where I could hide from all my mistakes and confusions.

The library is the wonderland I found. I can sit there and learn English, looking up words in the dictionary, reading as many materials as I can find. But still, I admire all the people who are able to chat to each other and I always keep thinking about what will it be like if I can be able to truly talk to people and not just meaninglessly smile. I want to be able to tell all those people my feelings and be a close friend to someone and not merely a nodding acquaintance to those I pass in the stairwells.

Considering my current incapability to formulate quick responses to communicate and convey my feelings, I have decided to begin writing passages in the form of newspaper articles. This new approach gives me more time to think and find most efficient words and I hope by this way, I can eliminate the influence of misunderstandings and somehow strengthen the communication with my American friends. I have started writing articles for my school newspaper, and I have to admit that it has brought so many benefits to my life and also for people to understand my feelings better. I will always continue to write, until the day I can proudly announce that I am now officially an “American” student.

——by Doris Sun, an exchange student from China who now studies at Maret School in Washington D.C.

Volume IV, Issue 2

News

December 2015

Russian Geopolitics Ike Pratt ’17

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he purpose of this article is to get you up to speed on the overall Russian geopolitical strategy. I have opted to write it because in light of recent events, a firm understanding of geopolitics is required to understand the direction the world is headed in. In popular culture, Russians are a go-to villain, which further promotes misunderstanding. As you read this, I recommend looking at a map, because geography is an important factor.

The first thing you need to understand is that the Russian government views the world as a chessboard, with each region and nation being its own piece. They view almost everything from a military perspective. This might sound paranoid, but first of all, the government is comprised mostly of veterans of the Cold War. Second of all, Russia has been invaded countless times throughout their history, and survival has become a central part of the Russian psyche.

To survive, Russia depends on protecting its heartland, the expanse between St. Petersburg in the north to Volgograd in the south where most of the Russian population resides. This region is also the center of industry and the Russian economy. In military terms, it is also situated on the worst kind of ground on which to mount a defense against an invasion. There are no natural barriers between Russia’s western border and Moscow. For this reason, the Russian geopolitical strategy revolves around creating a buffer between Russia and what it views as its biggest threat: the West as represented by NATO. Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, Russian influence in Eastern Europe has decreased drastically. Most former members of the Warsaw Pact joined NATO in 2004. These included Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, which had been part of the Soviet Union directly. This put NATO right on Russia’s border. Meanwhile, Russia’s influence over Belarus remains strong, due in large part to the country’s financial dependence on Russia.

On the Russian border, this leaves only Ukraine. Ukraine has seen considerable turmoil over the past couple of years. It had traditionally been a close ally of Russia until the ousting of Victor Yanukovych from power.

When current president Petro Poroshenko began strengthening ties with the West, Russia responded by annexing Crimea. This bold maneuver was met with international condemnation, and led the United States and its allies to levy economic sanctions against Russia, which have had a crippling effect on the Russian economy. Shortly thereafter, a pro-Russian rebellion came to prominence in Ukraine’s eastern provinces of Donetsk and Luhansk, both of which have since declared themselves to be independent republics.

Though Russia has maintained that it does not offer any direct support to the rebels, the rebels have been seen using equipment unique to the Russian military, and there is even evidence that Russian combat troops have fought in Ukraine. Russian soldiers have even been caught crossing the border “by accident.” Currently, the conflict in Ukraine is calming down in the wake of talks held in Minsk, Belarus, during which both sides agreed to remove heavy weaponry away from the front line.

The leadership of the Donetsk People’s Republic, which is usually very anti-Ukrainian, has even said it can conceive of coming to a diplomatic solution to the conflict. This is an indication that their Russian supporters have pulled a few strings, and have their sights set elsewhere in the world.

This part of the world would be Syria, where a bloody civil war rages on. The Russians are the biggest supporters of Bashar al-Assad’s regime. In September, Russian naval presence in the Eastern Mediterranean sharply increased as transports carrying armored fighting vehicles and other military equipment intended for the regime made their way to Syria, where the Russian navy has an installation at the Port of Tartus. Soon after, Russian military aircraft, including fighter jets,

Graphic by The International Policy

bombers and attack helicopters, appeared at the regime-held airport at Latakia. These aircraft then began to bomb positions held by the Syrian rebels and provide close air support to regime ground forces.

So why does Putin care about Bashar al-Assad? The short answer is that he doesn’t. Russia gains little directly from their support of the Syrian regime. What Putin cares about is keeping the West, especially the US, off balance. Though the Kremlin claimed that the airstrikes would chiefly target ISIS, the facts state otherwise. The majority of Russian bombs dropped on Syria have hit rebels other than ISIS, including rebels backed by the US. This strategy was meant to keep the United State’s attention on Syria and away from Eastern Europe. Putin’s hope was that Russia and the West could come to a mutual understanding.

Russia will stop its intervention in Syria if the West stops its intervention in Ukraine. The Russians were trying to link the two conflicts together. However, this effort failed, and the US and the EU agreed that any resolution to the conflict in Ukraine would have to come from the talks in Minsk. Putin had gambled and lost. This loss was compounded by two other events in rapid succession: 1. The downing of a Russian passenger jet over Egypt, an act for which ISIS claims responsibility. 2. The Nov. 13 attack in Paris. In the wake of these events, the Russians diverted their efforts towards bombing ISIS full time. Putin and French President François Hollande met to discuss future cooperation in Syria. In addition, Putin gave several statements in which he condemned the terrorist group and stirred up nationalistic fervor. The Russian survivalist mindset has been brought to bear against ISIS, and they are now committed to the conflict.

However, there is a high risk of unintended consequences as Russian aircraft fly through the same airspace as the US and skirt the borders of neighboring countries. This was brought into full focus after a Russian bomber was shot down by Turkish jets near the Turkish border. The Russian plane had allegedly entered Turkish airspace for a total of 17 seconds after not responding to repeated requests to turn back. Russia, forced to respond after Putin called the incident a “stab in the back” from Turkey and suggested that the Turkish government sponsors ISIS, responded with economic restrictions against Turkey. The situation ended relatively peacefully.

Though this event got considerable media coverage, few people seem to realize how easily things could have spiraled out of control.

Had the Kremlin decided to respond by way of military attack against Turkey, which is a member of NATO, then the rest of NATO, including the USA, would have had to go to war with the Russian Federation due to the fact that an attack on one NATO member is an attack on all of NATO. We can only hope that the next time something like this happens, which is very likely, such a catastrophe will be averted.

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Volume IV, Issue 2

Features

December 2015

“For Grace:” An Interview with Director Kevin Pang

Michael Valenti ’16

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evin Pang has worked at the Chicago Tribune as a successful food critic for 12 years. He quit two weeks ago. Why? Before ending his career at the Tribune he made one last project affiliated with the Tribune: the creation of the award-winning feature length documentary, “For Grace.” This project started as a short video celebrating the opening of a three michelin star restaurant, Grace. As Kevin began interviewing Curtis Duffy, the owner and head chef, he realized that there was so much more to this story.

“For Grace” follows Curtis Duffy leaving his head chef role at Avenues, a two Michelin star restaurant, and opening his dream restaurant, Grace, with his best friend and partner, Michael Muser. Though the story may seem one-dimensional at the surface, Kevin Pang looks deep into the life of Curtis and unravels the tragic events in Curtis’s life that led him to this moment.

When I saw this movie, I felt that I had to like it. Kevin Pang actually is my cousin-in-law and my aunt (his mother-in-law) came to see the movie with me. Sadly, coming out of the theater I was disappointed.

Before I continue, I should preface this by saying that I do not like documentaries. All of them are inherently biased and they almost always only show one side of the story, which completely ruins any message that the director is trying to show me. I am drawn out of the film by constantly questioning whether this is a biased opinion or a fact. After watching “For Grace,” I was forced to tell my aunt that I enjoyed it a lot. On the inside, I was thinking of how the ordering of the film greatly annoyed me and how the film was at least somewhat biased.

A month after watching “For Grace,” I had set up an interview with Kevin Pang. Kevin is an incredibly kind and very talkative man, so when he asked me about the movie, I told him that “I didn’t really like it.”

My main problem with the film was that I did not know what it was about. One possibility is that it was a story about what a man needs to do to create one of the best restaurants in the world;Curtis needed to overcome a lot in his life and this movie shows it all. The other possibility is that the movie is a story of how a man overcame extreme tragedy in his life to achieve greatness. I did not think that the movie truly portrayed either of these possibilities due to the placement of the reveal of his tragedy. (I am not mentioning what his tragedy is in case you want to watch this movie.)

After telling Kevin directly that I did not like his movie all that he did was laugh. I told him the same explanation I just wrote, he listened quietly, and then shot down my ideas quickly. The movie was a simple three act play structure story. He explained that the first part of the movie is not a useless bit, this was the context for everything to come. The second was the tragedy and how Curtis dealt with it. The third is his success. The story is how a man built a successful restaurant by sacrificing his friends and family. The tragedy is a shocking moment that explains why Curtis is so laser-focused on his restaurant and on his success.

Kevin explained to me that the camera work and the editing was not important to him. He considered Curtis’s story the most important aspect of the movie. The majority of my interview with Kevin was him showing me different books he almost knew by heart that explained how to create story in art. Good movies are not cool lighting and interesting camera movement. The best movies ever are because of their story. This was Kevin’s goal with “For Grace.” It was not just him playing with a camera, it was him showing the incredibly story of Curtis Duffy. If anybody wishes to create any type of art, they should not look past the story. The story is what connects with the viewer and what separates good art from great art.

Instead of just creating a “slice of life” documentary, Kevin wanted to show the arc of Curtis’s life and everything that he did. “[Kevin] did not want to endorse the restaurant or Curtis,” he wanted to show Curtis exactly as he is. The chef gave up his family to create this restaurant, whether you think that is okay or not, that is an astonishing thing to do. “For Grace” is

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both a story of creating a restaurant but also a character study of someone who has lost all peripheral vision and can only focus on his one task.

Kevin thinks that the reason for his success was because of how he presented this story. And success in the film industry is hard to come by.

Constantly coming back to how important story is, he says that “your generation does not understand story. When you understand that, you be so far ahead of everyone else.” He also says, though, that he got a little bit lucky when the right people saw the finished product.

Kevin is an anomaly when it comes to the film industry. Most people that have jobs in the industry do not start out as a director winning awards at all the top film festivals. Most start out with short stories, commercials, and smaller projects; they work their way up to the top and might make a full-length film that receives awful reviews before they really hit it big.

A week after my interview with him he left his job at the Chicago Tribune. When I asked if Kevin had plans on continuing his film career he said, “I don’t know,” with a smile on his face. “I have no regrets [about my making this movie]… If you told me that this was the first and last movie I’ll ever make, I am perfectly happy with that.”

The movie will be available on Netflix in March 2016. If you would like to listen to the full interview you can find it on my website, http://mvalentimovies.weebly.com/ The password to access the site is “nscds”.

The Gift of Giving Back Betsey Freiburger ’19

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s you think about all that you may wish for this holiday season, make sure to also think about giving back. There is no better feeling than helping, especially at this time of year, and many people need your help.

Giving, like presents, comes in many shapes and sizes, and unraveling the question of where and how can be tricky. Fortunately, the DSJ is here to help, with our first annual list of ways and to give back, both locally and globally. Just jump in and give back.

The Volunteer Center on the North Shore of Chicago is a great resource for local charities. Currently, they are initiating drives for a couple local and city-wide charities. Their website is updated daily with new initiatives, so make sure to check volunteercenterhelps.org/ before setting out.

The Make it Better Foundation is coordinating a drive for newly purchased blankets, hats, gloves, coats and scarves.

They plan to distribute the items to over 1000 men, women and children in December. Donations can be dropped off at Make it Better.

Lawrence Hall, a 130-year-old home in Chicago for children and youth who need help, is collecting gifts for their kids’ wish lists. To coordinate a gift for one or more of the kids, contact [name] at jguettler@lawrencehall.org or call (773) 474-0312.

The Northfield Township Food Pantry is our local food pantry that helps to feed 1,600 people in the New Trier Township every month. These residents are unable to provide enough food for themselves and their families, and this time of year is especially hard.

The food pantry has a list of specific food items that you can drop off. The Food Pantry is located at 2550 Waukegan Road in Glenview.

On a more global level, you can go to //www.dosomething.org/us, an international organization connecting young people and social change. Their site guides you to join one of their established initiatives or challenges you to create your own. Recent initiatives include teaching senior citizens how to use iPhones, finding homes for shelter pets, and recycling aluminum cans.

Albert Einstein once said, “It is high time that the ideal of success should be replaced with the ideal of service.” Our school’s motto is “Live and Serve,” so I challenge all of you to give something back, as just one small act of kindness will truly make a difference. Happy Giving Holidays.

Sports

Volume IV, Issue 2

December 2015

Weekly Fantasy “Don’t Talk About––Playoffs?”

Connor Watrous ’17 and Will Madigan ’17

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antasy guru Will Madigan ’17 had a bit of a rough start in his first week predicting for the DSJ. With a lineup that seemed destined for success, including big names like Larry Fitzgerald, Rob Gronkowski, and Mike Evans, a flurry of injuries doomed his expertise into mediocrity.

However, Madigan is looking to rebound in a strong way this week. If you are a gambler, I would say to put your money on Madigan’s lineup. It appears poised for succes because it exploits juicy matchups, like Lamar Miller against San Diego, and rides hot streaks, like Julio Jones’ monster season.

When asked to comment on last week’s performance as well as his strategy for this week, Madigan said, “With so many players injured, it is almost necessary to pick safe players that you know will get a good amount of touches.

It’s not worth taking a punt play on a second or third string running back. For this weeks lineup I wanted to pick players whose prices I thought were generous, whether they have been underperforming or Daily Fantasy Sports websites just haven’t updated their prices. There really isn’t a sleeper in this lineup, giving it low riskhigh reward potential. Across the board, it’s a very balanced lineup that is hoping for a lot of points when Green Bay and Oakland square off.”

QB RB RB WR WR WR TE K DEF

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Derek Carr Eddie Lacy Lamar Miller Julio Jones Randall Cobb Amari Cooper Jordan Reed Chris Boswell Kansas City Chiefs

$7,200 $6,900 $6,700 $8,600 $7,200 $6,900 $6,300 $5,200 $5,200

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Brad O’Connor ’18

fter 13 weeks on the gridiron, the college football playoff is finally getting clearer.

We have seen teams skyrocket to success, while others plummet in defeat. Starting with the number 1 seed and sure contender for the national title, we look at Clemson and their undefeated season. Unlike Iowa, the only other undefeated team in the top 25, the Tigers had a reasonably difficult schedule dealt their way. Having to take down teams like NC State, South Carolina, Notre Dame, and Florida State, their undefeated season can not be attributed to a “soft schedule.”

Quietly sitting at number two we have Alabama. After a shocking defeat against SEC rival, Ole Miss, the Crimson Tide went on to win out their regular season in a packed SEC conference. They defeated many ranked teams and rightfully deserve the number two spot and a very high chance at the playoff, barring an upset in the SEC championship game to a Florida Gators team whom have lost to LSU and FSU. At the three spot, Oklahoma has defied the critics and solidified their place in the playoff.

Losing to arch-rival Texas at the Cotton Bowl in early October, the Sooners dropped to 18 in the rankings. They then went on to win out and rack up close wins against other Big 12 heavyweights Baylor, Oklahoma State, and Texas Christian to capture the number three seed and most likely a playoff spot. In the last of the 4 spots in the playoff, we see a big 10 clash of the titans between Iowa (4), Michigan State (5), and Ohio State (6).

Iowa leading the charge at 12-0 have been a controversial pick for the playoff, as their schedule has been called soft and weak. The Hawkeyes’ only real challenge throughout the regular season was Northwestern, who was only ranked 18th at the time. Close behind Iowa is Michigan State, a team who only has lost once to a decent Nebraska team. The Spartans have big wins against the defending national champion Ohio State Buckeyes and Michigan, barely scraping by in what was one of college football’s most exciting and heartbreaking endings. Lastly, the Ohio State Buckeyes, having lost to Michigan State and no one else, will have the hardest time getting into the playoff, as they won’t play in the big ten championship game (Iowa vs Michigan State), which will likely decide the 4th playoff spot. The real issue with the Ohio State program, is their off the field issues. Between

Ezekiel Elliott’s harsh words towards head coach Urban Meyer and the leadership of the team, or Cardale Jones’s immaturity in handling the quarterback switch with J.T. Barrett, the team’s magic from last year’s run has seem to finally run out.

In other sad cases of big time programs coming up short once again, we must look at the disappointing seasons of Notre Dame and Michigan. Starting with an early season ending injury to Malik Zaire, quarterback for Notre Dame, the Irish had to overcome what seemed to be too big an obstacle to handle. The Irish went on to finish their mediocre season with a 10-2 record after a somewhat funny and defining ending game against Stanford. The Irish were up 36-35 with 10 seconds left, when they surrendered a 27 yard pass to put the Stanford Cardinals in field goal range. After the Cardinals hit the game winner, the Notre Dame sideline showed what the faces of a team that tried, but didn’t succeed, would show. Just like the Irish, the Michigan Wolverines shared heartbreak in their season ending games. Michigan put up a pretty decent season (9-3), but their 3 losses were devastating. Losing to Michigan State on a last second blocked punt and then losing to historic nemesis Ohio State in an embarrassing 42-13 outing at the big house, the Wolverines saw their playoff hopes wash away. Unlike Notre Dame, the Wolverines can look at this season with at least the knowledge that their team is on the uprise. Who knows where these programs will go in the future, my guess is one will go up while the other drops to a historical low. You decide which one does which.

Finally, I will give you my picks for the playoff and national championship game. I say that when the final playoff rankings come out on December 6th, the committee will have in this order: Clemson, Alabama, Oklahoma, and Michigan State. In the Orange Bowl, Clemson and Michigan State will take part in an offensive shootout, but Clemson will win 42-36. In the Cotton Bowl.

Oklahoma will upset Alabama (just like Ohio State did last year) in a 28-21 win. In the National Championship game on new year’s day, Oklahoma will stun the world by ending the Clemson Tigers undefeated season in a 17-14 win with a Sooners game winning field goal as time expires.

Whether my predictions are right or wrong, we are in for a college football treat in the coming weeks and I hope you are as excited as I am.

Girls’ Varsity Basketball Season Preview

t is basketball season once again at school, and the girl’s team is starting their season off strong. The new head coach, Bruce Blair, is working with the girls on plays and new skills to benefit the team. With many approaching games and tournaments, Raiders are often seen practicing after school, and even on their school days off. Although the team would love to win as many games as possible, they are also very focused on creating a positive team environment for everyone. As Joy Pasin ‘18 says, “I really like the other girls on the team. It is very fun to

Cara Savin ’18

go to the games knowing that if we or lose the game, we still have friends to support us.” This quote sums up the attitude of the entire team. It is Pasin’s second year on the basketball team, and after a warm welcome onto the team last year, she is excited to keep working on her sport and continue to cultivate her friendships with her teammates. Haniya Ghazi ‘18 is another returning raider to the basketball program. She is excited about everyone on the team and the season ahead. She told me that, “Even though we didn’t have a lot of returning players from

the team last year, the season has taken off on a good start and I am excited to see how the rest of the season plays out.” The season has started off very well for the raiders; the JV team won two games in their Thanksgiving tournament, and lost only one. They came in third place in that tournament.. The varsity team came in second in their tournament, starting off their basketball season in a strong way. The Raiders are determined to continue to keep playing to the best of their abilities, and, with any luck, will have a successful season.

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