CONVERGENCE #2

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Contents INTRODUCTION From the Editor

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ENGAGEMENT

ENDEAVOUR Rites of Passage

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Thoughts on e-learning

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SU Activities Overview

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Interview with Teacher

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EVOLUTION Sharing from Alumna

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Address from the President 12 <過去>

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FROM THE EDITOR

JUSTIN YUEN 5I //

Obstacles are inevitable in life. With the pandemic engrossing almost the entire first half of 2020, we may all feel anxious, disheartened and lonely. Yet, we have the agency of determining our own experiences rather than letting obstacles define who we are.

During the course of the pandemic, we were no longer able to hold hands in real life but, thanks to online lessons arranged by the school, we could still be connected with one another and fill our empty hearts. We struggled with adjusting ourselves to the new norm but we displayed our resilience and perseverance as St. Paulians, and converged our strengths as a community. We proved once again that with solidarity and mutual support, we could overcome any adversity.

While many SU activities we were excited to deliver had to be called off due to the pandemic, our passion to serve did not falter. Refashioning events such as the F3 Expertips and the Opinion Program to online platforms were once beyond our imagination, and the eight of us are delighted to share the fruits of this breakthrough with you all.

As we flip through the final pages of this academic year, I would like to encapsulate our collective journey in the Student Post, which incorporates perspectives from students, alumni and teachers, sustaining our ambitions to form a nexus. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the editorial board members and writers of this Post, who have made remarkable contributions to the Student Union. I would also like to thank the Executive Committee members of Nexus for creating wonderful memories with me and being the most caring and supportive team I have had the pleasure to work with. It has been an unforgettable experience and one that I will forever cherish.

My heartfelt gratitude also extends to Ms. Cathy Tam, for giving us prized insights into her views; as well as our teachers-in-charge, Mr. Paul Chan, Ms. Ells Chan, Ms. Leung Ngai Man, Ms. Chik Suk Mei, and Mr. Derek Wong, for their unending support towards the works of the Student Union.

Last but not least, I could not be more thankful to all our loving teachers who have dedicated extra care and effort to each student during the pandemic and led us through this challenge with their steadfast determination and passion. At the same time, I would like to pay tribute to all the medical workers who fought for us on the frontlines and risked their lives to save others’.

Life is fragile. Let us be grateful for being alive and healthy; and remember not to hesitate to show our appreciation and care towards our loved ones.

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ENGAGEMENT

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SU ACTIVITIES OVERVIEW

ISABELLE HO 3E //

Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, we have unfortunately experienced months of school suspension. With that, many activities have been called off or postponed, including our Student Union activities. Although this year’s Green Fashion Show, Talent Quest “Halo” #2 and TS Carnival had been cancelled, we modified our plans to hold F3 Expertips and Opinion Programme - Ardor online.

To begin with, the F3 Expertips was held to assist F3 students with their curriculum and subject choices.

“Polling boxes” and a “Tellonym” link was posted on our Instagram page for students to submit queries regarding the DSE or IB module, subject selections, and any other questions. Then, students’ questions would be answered through direct messaging or replied publicly on our Instagram story. Personal tips from F5 seniors were also collected and published on Issuu. Check them out here: https://bit.ly/2Bl4q11

Moreover, since our F6 graduates were not able to enjoy their intended last day of school, photos or videos of teachers’ encouragement were posted on our instagram stories and highlights to motivate our F6 students in achieving excellent results in the public exams.

Furthermore, the Opinion Programme - Ardor was held to collect data and provide insight on SPCC students’ communication among different parties, including their peers, clubs and societies and the Student Union, hoping to understand students’ opinions towards current methods of promoting communication and fostering discussions, such as our ‘engagement session’ initiative earlier in the year. Thank you everyone for your enthusiastic support!

Finally, amid the pandemic, the SU is still clinging to our post to spread positivity and to give encouragement. A different quote is posted every week on our instagram story hoping to cheer up everyone.

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INTERVIEW WITH TEACHER

Chat with Ms Cathy Tam

AUDREY WONG 4G, JUSTIN TANG 4I //

Q: What inspired you to become a geography teacher?

A: Originally, I had planned on becoming a researcher after graduation and studied that for my master’s degree. However, I soon realised that what I wanted was to interact with other people instead of staring into microscopes in the lab. The most direct way to achieve this and share what I love would be becoming a teacher.

In university, I took a course on Earth systems. The take-home message of its final lecture was about environmental conservation. Yet, we students produced a ton of rubbish at a party afterwards. I couldn't help but question if we had truly learnt anything from the course. This is one of the reasons why I would like to share my geography knowledge with more people.

Besides, I believe youth is a very precious learning stage for all of us. I used to volunteer at Breakthrough and take teenagers on hiking trips, which I considered as a privilege since I had the opportunity to grow with the young people I met. Hence, this inspired me greatly.

Q: What do you enjoy the most while teaching in SPCC? A: I enjoy the discussions during lessons the most. Students are driven by an intrinsic and genuine motivation to learn more, and often they can teach me new things. I also feel satisfied when students can integrate geography knowledge into their daily experiences. For example, it was gratifying to see the F.3 girl guides pointing out spurs and ridges when I took them on a hike.

Q: Can you share with us some funny experiences you encountered during online teaching? And what do you think is the most significant difference between online and classroom teaching?

A: I would say that my experiences were more interesting rather than funny. One thing that I've noticed is that some normally quieter students have become more active, engaging in the lessons by replying in the meeting chat. This actually reminds me that verbal expression is not the only way of communication and discussion. I would definitely consider increasing the use of online platforms in my lessons to suit their needs!

The most significant difference must be that I'm not able to see my students and get responses as in an actual classroom. I can't really tell whether they are interested or confused. However, this challenges me to think of how I can engage my students more with the current constraints.

Q: Can you share with us some of your hobbies?

A: I enjoy hiking a lot, especially when I'm travelling with my friends. In fact, one of the items on my bucket list is to visit The Wave in Arizona. I also like to wander the streets of Hong Kong, observing city life and appreciating the design of buildings and the environment.

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RITES OF PASSAGE

OSCAR AU 4F //

Till now, I still dream of the lush rolling meadows, set ablaze by the fiery fireball. I still dream of the clouds being pigmented a soothing purple. I still dream of the stars, the entire Milky Way adorning the overhead canopy. And under that piece of Australian night sky, fourteen silhouettes sat by the campfire, tied by strong unbreakable bonds as one.

Historically, rites of passage are ceremonies that mark important transitional periods in a person's life, preparing them to take up greater responsibilities in their society. For me, RoP has changed me in a way that is fundamental.

Most importantly, I have learnt how to live in a community.

“If you want to go quickly, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” During the course of challenging four weeks, encouragement from my peers had been the biggest driving force to keep me going. During expeditions, we had to clamber up vertical paths for five consecutive days, burdened by massive backpacks. For so many times, I was on the verge of collapsing. Yet, every time when I was about to give up, my groupmates would support me either with reassuring words like ‘add oil’, or offer to take a collective break just so I could regain my breath.

Reminiscing now, I definitely would not have completed the 28 days without the encouragement from my peers.

Back at school, we often bury ourselves in schoolwork, and engage in fierce competitions when it comes to grades. Yet, why do we live in a community? Living in a community gives us the opportunity to assist and back up one another during times of doubt, turbulence and uncertainty, to offer companionship and stimulate others to keep going on, hand in hand to fight against battles, and to make sure we never walk in the dark alone.

In view of the COVID-19 pandemic, sadly, RoP has been cancelled for F3 students this year. No matter how bitter this is, another lesson I have gained from RoP during the cold expedition nights, you should always be optimistic, move on, and look into the future. RoP may be cancelled, but it’s not the end of the world! In fact, our school offers different programmes every year which, like RoP, aims at providing students a chance to polish their leadership skills, make new friends and challenge yourselves! These include overseas community service projects during SAW in F4 & 5, as well as exchange programmes with sister schools. Besides, you can definitely create your own unique RoP by going camping and connecting with nature with your friends and family after the coronavirus pandemic is over. You don't have to travel all the way to Australia for a life-changing journey. In fact, your rites of passage may just be around the corner!

Taken at Elanda Point, 23/7/19

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THOUGHTS ON E-LEARNING Frankly speaking, I’m not the biggest fan of e-learning. To me, e-learning is a double-edged sword. The prerequisite of elearning is self-discipline. You have to steer clear of the distractions lurking behind your computer. Besides, countless headaches stem from it, such as network connection difficulties. Classroom interactions are also deprived of, with group discussions often winding up in awkward silence.

Nevertheless, I believe that this platform is already the most effective, as compared to self-learning or audio listening.

“Please, no matter how we advance technologically, please don't abandon the book. There is nothing in our material world more beautiful than the book.” Despite the flourishing dominance of technology in education, nothing can ever beat hearing the sound of flipping pages in the traditional classroom setting once again.

To me, e-learning is definitely an unexpected ‘gain’ of this global pandemic. Let’s be honest: who would’ve thought that scenes found only in sci-fi movies, in which there are no more physical schools and students having classes in front of a device would suddenly become part of our everyday life? Indeed, not having the chance to chat with my friends and classmates face-to-face for such a long time is making me feel more ‘isolated’ than ever, but why take it so negatively? Us being able to continue learning, amidst this rage of the troublesome virus is probably one of the best ways to keep ourselves motivated and progress further. We should appreciate this one strong act of harvesting the essence of tech in our daily lives, while we keep our fingers crossed that we can soon leave this unusual fuss and see each other again!

I think that online learning is more productive in the sense that we have more time to organize our notes. Moreover, since we no longer need to spend time on transportation, it spares us more time to complete our work. However, group discussion is definitely ineffective because not much interaction is present. Also, many students face technical errors when using Teams. Online learning definitely cannot replace face-to-face lessons but it is definitely more productive and effective than listening to audios recordings.

This would be the best alternative that we have and I think we should try to make good use of it and reap the benefits we can gain!

Due to the outbreak of COVID-19, we have no other option but to stay home. Under this situation, we have been doing e-learning through Microsoft teams. I have to admit that e-learning is not the best way of learning, especially during the second term of our school year. Students are worried that the learning progress will be affected.

However, I believe that we are making the best out of the worst. We are lucky to h ave enough resources for elearning. Thanks to advanced technology, we are able to continue our education without risking our health. This is a hard time for all of us. I hope that we could all stay safe, stay positive, and get through this together.

To be honest, when the school announced that we would be having real-time lessons, I had my doubts. They turned out to be grounded too, as many struggled with malfunctioning mics during presentations. However, in the end, most of us have been able to overcome these difficulties and I am glad to say that e-learning has also produced many enjoyable experiences. One such case was when a classmate forgot to

After our school announced the implementation of online learning, we all had so many questions about technical problems, school schedules, and overall learning efficiency in our minds and we weren't sure if it would work.

However, one thing I've learnt over this challenging period of time is that problems can eventually be solved one after another if we have the heart, and I am happy to say that elearning wasn't as big a difficulty as I once thought.

mute herself and cackled suddenly and loudly in class── which turned out to be a welcome disturbance, as we all ended the lesson with smiles on our faces.

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EVOLUTION

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SHARING FROM ALUMNA

EMILY CHENG //

Class of 2018 (BBA Global Business, HKUST)

The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. More commonly known as the Hong Kong University of Stress and Tension. I’m here to share a bit more on my major, Global Business: what it’s like studying this subject and an overview on our program, as well as the changes I’ve experienced in uni.

It seems like the main reason global business is “global” is because we get to “go on exchange in our 3rd and 4th year” and “attend annual study trips”. I’m planning for my exchange right now, so I don’t have much to share, but the study trips were really a lot of fun. My cohort was lucky enough to get to go to Brazil, somewhere I don’t think I’ll ever visit again because it’s just so far away and slightly dangerous (one of my friends was beat up and had his phone stolen), so it was definitely a very memorable experience. Anyway, while I do agree that these things are a fundamental part of GBUS, there’s a bit more to the major than just this. Our first two years are dedicated to “business core” classes encompassing accounting, finance, information systems, operations management, marketing and management. This gives us a general overview of different business skills which are leveraged in the real world. Then we have our special GBUS classes like case analyses and doing business in China, which are some differentiating points between GBUS and being a regular business student. The huge sense of community is also a huge plus, as our alumni are in all sorts of different companies from the big 4 consulting groups, to banks and startups. Our seniors are also super helpful whenever we need any advice or help.

Life while studying GBUS is actually pretty stressful: I remember Mr. Chan always telling our history class that the IB was going to be the toughest thing we ever had to experience, and that feels like such a lie at this point—the university isn’t called stress and tension for nothing. I went into my first semester not knowing how hard I had to work for good grades which was a huge mistake on my part, so I hope if you decide to come to HKUST you know how hard you have to work to keep up a good GPA (> 3.0, which is a B+ average).

The biggest change from SPCC to HKUST is actually the lack of structure in your daily life. You really have to have your time management down pat and be self-disciplined: having loads more freedom and time means you need to know what your tasks are and make sure you’re not just fooling around. Managing your time and making sure you meet deadlines is very important because professors don’t care about you and they aren’t going to remind you to submit things or give you leniencies with graded work.

Hope this gives you a better idea of what to expect if you apply for / accept an offer from HKUST Global Business.

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ADDRESS FROM THE PRESIDENT

RYAN BAUM 5G// There are as many sounds as there are colors, and enough of each that we’ve dedicated an eternal struggle to picking and putting them prettily together. That struggle is Art, the title we are united by instinct to appoint to such accomplishments as Michelangelo’s “Creation of Adam”, 張擇端's 《清明上河圖》, Shostakovich’s Fifth Symphony, Queen’s “I’m in love with my car”, et cetera. However, while equally represented in this list, visual art is more powerful to us than sound. After all, “Beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder”, not the ears. We trust more the world’s colors than its sounds when it expresses itself. “You have to see it to believe it”.

Despite this, I reckon something can be gained from listening. Afterall, Plato did suggest that “music gives soul to the universe, wings to the mind”. So, what sounds of this universe matter to you? As a starting point to thinking about this, let’s draw on our common ground: What are the sounds of SPCC? To me, SPCC has always sounded of life. As strong as its red bricks and heritage lend to its image, I hear SPCC as chatter in and out of classrooms, little eruptions after each recess bell, lunchtime commotions in the courtyard… and music. Always the music: hymns, choirs, A Capella after school, the start and stop of symphonies. If you don’t have such a habit already, I hope that, returning to school after this wild suspension, you’ll take to listening for the music we have in such wealth.

A notable exception to the music I’ve mentioned is that we occasionally hear from our Mid-levels neighbors -not our green-tied friends -- but the yellow-crested cockatoos, whose screams were some of my strongest first impressions of SPCC. You might know that they, again the birds not boys, are a highly endangered species, implying a scarcity not reflected by their cacophony. To me, this made their loudness especially curious: why would something so vulnerable dare more

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than a whisper? I never pursued this question, until I was recently reminded of it when learning of Bernie Krause, the man behind the chilling quote, “A great silence is spreading over the natural world even as the sound of man is becoming deafening”, and was introduced to the reasons why nature sounds.

From his understanding, the sounds of nature are tied to necessity. Being heard, as it turns out, is demanded by insects and animals alike, who need to find mates, warn of predators, coordinate hunts, et cetera. In nature’s good time, her voices eventually realized that they could make themselves heard without obscuring others’ communication by synchronizing mating calls (note cicadas in spring), choosing unique frequencies (note whale song), and varying repetitive rhythms (note all birdsong, including the cockatoos!). In essence, nature orchestrated symphony. Symphony not because it was beautiful, but because it was balanced. Because it worked.

That is what struck me: that nature does with sound as it does with everything -- find the most effective balance. Every after-school rehearsal of our orchestras is not a perfection of classical beauty, but a rediscovery of what aeons of cockatoos and crickets have achieved.

Usually, there isn’t much useful about these elegant observations, but hear me out here: If ever your voice is lost in the noise, If ever discourse becomes conflict, If no one seems to listen And everybody shouts, Know that our challenges to be heard are not novel, Not different from the birds of old, Who had not found their song.

But nature has her way, as will we.

Keep listening.

Keep singing your truth.

We will meet each other at the symphony.

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<過去>

顧欣陶 五辛 //

那⼀段被埋葬的過去 那⼀滴已乾涸的眼淚 你將過去娓娓道來 你⼝中的快樂的回憶 我卻怎樣也想不起來 彷彿我只是⼀個旁觀者 我在拼命回想 那個時刻的我 到底是真的快樂嗎 但這只會是永無答案的問題 現在只留下 褪⾊的、 模糊的⽚段 和你的我的嘆息 只有當初的疼痛卻是如此鮮明 裂開的傷⼝從不肯完全的癒合 我的記憶卻是如此殘忍 連曾經的快樂也要抹去 如果閉上眼便能忘掉⼀切 這樣是否最好？

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