Persistent, Aspiring, Noble, Diligent, Achieving
SHSID|TIMES March April 2017 Edition
SHSID TEACHERS WHO ONCE SENIOR STUDIED IN SHS CHILDHOOD PAGE 38-44 PHOTOS PAGE 41-42 HISTORY OF SHS MARVEL VS. DC PAGE 6-10 PAGE 19-21 FASHION, FEMINISM, AND FREEDOM PAGE 15-17
ARTIST SHOWCASE PAGE 24-26
The TIMES Team Editor in Chief Tiffany Mei Managing Editor Jasmine Jiang Director of Digital Media Celine Sung Features Editor Angela Shiu Creative Director Angelina Ding Director of Photography Mark Wu
News Minji Suh Andrew Mi Bevin Pan Jerry Chen Jinyoung Yoon Junho Suh Rachel Wang Rachel Wu Sophie Li Tania Kim Yuki Lam Lifestyle Jasmine Jiang Angelina Ding Annie Fang Celine Sung Evelyn Wan Irene Chan Michael Fan Tania Kim Ting Shing Koh English Literature Chloe Tan Lilly Dai Rachel Wang Rachel Wu Sophie Li Winston Wang Chinese Literature Karen Mao Carrie Zhuang Happy Wang Helen Tianxin Li Jessica Qu Kathy Wang Tina Chen
Student Journal Celine Sung Emily Teng Laurie Yang Sophia She Yuki Lam Sci-Tech Allen Xie Andrew Mi Eric Fan James Hu Jeff He Raymond Cheng Xiuwen Shen Design and Illustration Angelina Ding Anerlise Kim Angel Wang Ann Tang Anna Heath Dave Kim Irene Chan Judith Luo Kevin Jiang Maggie Huang Mingyi Suo Photography Mark Wu Anna Jin Audney Guo Cindy Bu Isabella Yin Ivy Sung Jacqueline He James Zhang Joshua Lu Maggie Chen Nicole Zhou Sophia She Simone Yang
English Literature Advisor::Mr. Justin Way Publicity Coordinator: Ms. Zhang, Nan Supervisor: Mr. Ma, Feng
Letter From the Editors To think that the MAR-APR magazine is the last issue of Times that the Class of ’17 will receive before we graduate! Time indeed flies. No doubt, it deeply saddens us that we will no longer be working for this valuable manifestation of creative power on campus. Throughout these fleeting but immensely rewarding years, Times has grown to become an integral part of our lives. From seeing our syllables upon the pages of each issue to helping foster the next generation of capable editors, our journey with this publication has never had one dull moment. In this issue, under the theme of QUINTESSENCE, we hope to honor the extraordinary exhibits of athleticism by the SHSID Stallions. Their passion tenacity has, in years, become an quintessential part of our SHSID pride. Beyond the playing fields, this issue is also about the boardgames that were formative of our childhood experiences, the two comic titans (Marvel and D.C.) that perfectly embody the superhero franchise, and the 2017 TEDx speakers who represent the zeitgeist of ours and the last generation. Finally, we celebrate the perseverance and remarkable unity that characterize the graduating Class of 2017. Hopefully, looks are not the only things that’s changed since the moments recorded on our special feature (Page 41)! Last but not least, we hope that although the graduating class will be scattered all over the world, you will continue to join us as avid readers and subscribers to the Times WeChat platform and digital magazines on issuu.com, which will continue to publish genuine representations of SHSID’s creative prowess to light up your post-high-school days! Sincerely,
Tiffany Mei, Editor in Chief
Angela Shiu, Features Editor
Jasmine Jiang, Managing Editor
Celine Sung, Director of Digital Media
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TABLE OF Cover Story 1
The Champion Spirit: A Closer Look At the SHSID Sports Teams Times takes you around campus to check out SHSID’s sports teams.
Special Feature 41
Senior Childhood Photos
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What the graduating class of 2017 looked like ten years ago.
The Behind the Scenes of “Behind the Scenes: TEDxYouth@SHSID
Science Fair Where science is not something to stress about before tests, but rather something enjoyable.
Setting the Stage for the 9th and 10th White Valentines Day Your flowers in full bloom: a sneak-peak behind White Valentines.
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Marvel v.s. DC: Battle of the Universes
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Stories Behind the Games
From in front of the stage to behind the scenes: everything you need to know about TEDxYouth@SHSID 2017.
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Your scoop on the annual fun-filled celebration of business and economics.
Lifestyle
News 11
Monopoly Day
A closer look at the development of two well-known comic book companies and how their characters come to life. Revealing the history behind widely known board and card games.
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CONTENTS Student Journal
Literature 25 27
Number Me Buried behind the mask of numbers is an unseen personality.
Chasing the Basketball Dream: From Shanghai to New Orleans
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A Walk Down Memory Lane
Her Day after day, he became more blurry around the edges, and there was less of him now --- He said he would never leave.
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发车前后七分钟 不短，不长，刚好七分钟。五味杂陈，戏剧性的 七分钟。
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昔年 有些岁年，也许只能被回望，有些往昔，注定只 能珍惜
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目送 你渐渐，渐渐地发现，所谓父女母子一场，只不 过意味着，你和他的缘分就是今生今世不断地在 目送他的背影渐行渐远。
Two boys chase their basketball dreams to New Orleans in the Junior NBA program. The Class of 2017’s nostalgic look at their teachers, friends, and community at SHSID.
Science and Technology 43
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Mobile Security : Methods of Exploitations and Countermeasures Global issue: how secure are our smartphones and how do we resolve common exploits?
Synthetic Metallic Hydrogen: From Discovery to Destruction The world’s first sample of metallic hydrogen, produced under extreme pressure, was accidentally destroyed by lasers.
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THE CHAMPION SPIRIT Written by: Andrew Mi, Irene Chan, and Michael Fan
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The SHSID Footbal Team Photo taken by: Tiffany Mei SHSID|TIMES
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The SHSID Swim Team Photo provided by: the swim team
A Closer Look at SHSID’s Sports Teams
T
he life of a high school athlete is definitely not easy. While struggling to hand in that last English paper on time or finishing that final math problem right before class, it just seems impossible to find time for the sports we love. But among us, there are those who succeed in doing so. Behind every competition, there is a story of dedication and hard work. Our school teams unite these talented individuals and give them a platform to demonstrate their skills. Join us on a tour around campus to see some of our committed athletes in action.
Our school teams unite these talented individuals and give them a platform to demonstrate their skills.
If you ever happen to pass through the indoor swimming pool afterschool, you will see the swim team members battling against the waves. The swim team is the largest competitive sports team on campus — with over 80 members ranging from middle school to 12th grade. Lots of people can swim, but “swimming is not as easy as it seems,” comments Coach Jiang Yu Hui. “Ultimately, it’s you against the waves.” One must continuously learn to resist the water’s pressure in order to improve as little as a few milliseconds. Because of these tough requirements, the swim team is one of the most rigorously trained teams. Training for swimming is hardly recreational. Often times the team would practice until every muscle in their bodies cramped; other times, they swim until they feel nauseous. The worst thing is, if one slacks off for a couple of days, he/she wouldn’t be able to keep up with the increasing amount of training and the pace of the rest of the team. Manson Mak, a senior, voices his nineyear experience on the team, “I’ve been
in the team since 4th grade when I first transferred to SHSID. Over the years, I’ve witnessed too many people give up swimming for academics, but after giving it a lot of thoughts, I decided to continue my swimming career. There have been multiple times amidst this journey that I’ve thought about quitting. But this only helped me realize how enjoyable it is to endure hardships with my teammates and participate in competitions with them.” Contrary to what most would imagine, it is a common sight to see the swim team practice on land. The team sets aside a Tuesday every week for an intense workout. As Benjamin Yang, a junior member of the team, asserts, the team “runs eight laps around the 400 meter track for warm up, sprints a couple of 100 meters, trains on the upper body strength with pull ups, and stretches at every end.” Despite the fact that we never get MARCH APRIL 2017
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COVER STORY to see this group of passionate swimmers in action, they bring home medals from all over Asia. In the past year, the swim team has traveled to Thailand and Hong Kong to participate in international tournaments. “One time while I was competing in Hong Kong, I realized I had signed up for too many events,” Hiro Miki from 11th grade shares. “I decided to give up the ones I thought I definitely couldn’t win. But before the competition I went to talk to my teammate Manson, and he asked me, ‘do you mean if Michael Phelps is competing, the other competitors shouldn’t even bother to work hard?’” Manson was right. It shouldn’t matter how the other competitors do or how much faster they are than you are, as long as you see your teammates and coaches cheering for you on the sidelines and feel the exhilaration from trying your hardest, that’s all that matters.
Manson Mak of the swim team
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After exiting the indoor swimming pool area, you may find yourself walking toward the gym. Look right and through the windows, you will see the karate martial spirit in action. As a martial art, karate’s requirement for each individual is quite high, yet this team on campus has managed to forge elements of teamwork—from lunch practices to competitions—into the sport. The martial arts basis of the karate team makes it relatively hard to arrange the same level of training for its members. As an individual sport, karate at SHSID has recruited members whose skill levels differ by quite a margin. Cheryl Wang, the senior who leads the team, admits, “Since our team isn’t that big, we need to welcome new members who are not as professional.” However, the team has found quite a unique solution to this situation. During lunch, members can go through their personalized training menus to tailor their sessions. Ranging from strength building to technique perfection, these plans are specialized to patch up individual weaknesses. “I came to these [lunch] practices two to three times a week in eighth grade to improve my strength,” says Diana Park, a freshman member of the team. Designed by the members themselves, these plans—once approved by Cheryl and Coach Li Pei Cong—allow for
more flexibility in their training. Before competitions, the bruised, battered, yet experienced karate team walking out of the matted training room is a common sight. Karate practice becomes more intense as the members spar to gain experience and prepare for upcoming matches. Cheryl laughs as she says that she “could not remember a time when [she] wasn’t injured… [but she] never wanted to quit.” On the competition mat, every match is an individual battle. The karate team, on the other hand, refuses to let this divide them. By “encouraging our own teammates, even though there is no team score,” Diana posits, “[we have a] sense of being in a team.” During times when there are regional matches, the karate team travels out of the city, taking advantage of these situations to make memories. Frequent competitions is one way that the team ensures the martial proficiency of each participating member. The guidance from team leaders proves to be an irreplaceable part of the team, and the constant improvement of individual strength indicates that these matches are the perfect testing ground for potential leadership skills.
The SHSID Martial Arts Team
COVER STORY Walk up to the second floor area of the gym and you will hear the crisp wooden sound of ping pong paddles.
At SHSID, we prescribe to the philosophy that table tennis is an intensive and competitive sport. Our school team has seen success in interschool and intraschool competitions, often winning district tournaments and toppling other international schools in competitions hosted by the French School of Shanghai and the Shanghai School Sports Association (SSSA). As captain, senior Yi Shing Koh often finds herself involved in designing the each team training alongside Coach Chen Zheng: “Even though table tennis is an individual sport, I feel that training can have more group-based activities to cultivate greater team spirit. I introduce fun games for younger members and team-building exercises to unite the team.” One of the team-building exercises she mentions is a game in which players split into two teams and have to consecutively hit the ball, rotating players for each hit. A messy scene ensues, with players leaping forwards to keep up with the fast tempo. Eventually, a team member on one side fails to make it to the table on time and loses the point. Training also consists of more serious drills in which players practice their basics that include backhand, forehand, slicing, and topspin shots. Adam Cheng, a sophomore on the team, shares that “the team feels like a big family in which teammates talk about techniques and constructively critique play styles, which gradually helps build a sense of pride and bond among team members.” Other than these drills that team members engage in at school, team members play and train with retired-professional coaches and even at semi-professional academies. These additions have allowed the players to gain a competitive edge over students from other schools. Peter Duan, a senior, won the Xuhui district tournament as the first competition he ever participated in and has continued to succeed in the school team. Adam won a U19 tournament hosted by the SSSA. Yi Shing Koh played as the only girl in the U18’s boys’ tournament and placed second. No doubt, the table tennis team will continue to be successful and grow as more young players come in.
The Volleyball Team Photo by: Irene Chan
When you look inside the gym and see the group of girls practicing with a blue and yellow volleyball, you are bound to hear their enthusiastic shouts. “Watch the over!” “Mine!” “Down ball!” The girl’s varsity volleyball team has been practicing over 5 hours a week since the beginning of school to prep for its ongoing season. Since its relatively recent formation in 2014, the volleyball team has maintained its position as one of the strongest teams in the SSSA U19 tournament against schools such as Fudan International School and Shanghai United International School. Under the leadership of Coach Yu Yuan and Captain Celine Sung, the volleyball team has improved greatly. Though many previous starting lineup members left, the team welcomed over a dozen new members who have been working hard to earn their place on the court. “We did face some difficulties when most of our first lineup left but everyone that used to be on bench worked extra hard to retain our skill level,” points out Katie He, the current setter from grade 11, “You must have a team who is willing to work hard together to win the game, point by point,” Every player is essential: every section of the court needs to be covered and each hit passed to the setter. The spiker needs to be able to know where the setter will pass the ball, so that they may successfully register a point. Unique from many other sports, volleyball is a multi-person effort at all times.During practices alone, the wall is your best friend. Often times, play-
ers find themselves practicing the easiest bumps against the wall so that they may perfect their passes to the setter in the upcoming game. “I remember when I first began to play, my arms were bruised and swollen after every practice. The countless sets of squats and time spent on wall sits were painful, but they helped me become the player I am today,” recalls Irene Chan, a junior on the team. On March 16 2017, the team took a trip to the Shanghai Luwan Gymnasium to watch the China Men’s Volleyball League Finals. “You could tell from everybody’s excitement that we were all equally thrilled about the game,” says Celine. “When we sat together to discuss the plays, it was all in an effort to bring the team together.” It was really inspirational to see volleyball in action and this experience has motivated the team to work extra hard for that league championship title. “Our performance on court is a matter of mentality,” says Katie. One way the team keeps each other in check is with team huddles. After each round in a game, the players on court gather around and give each other a pat on the back to encourage each other and remind themselves to never give up. Being a few points behind doesn’t mean losing a set, so every little bit of cheering helps. As volleyball season comes to an end, the team stands united, through thick and thin.
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The Basketball Team at the Junior NBA Competition Photo by: Joshua Lu
Then you might notice the echoing shouts coming from the basketball team inside the gym. Everyone in SHSID knows that our basketball teams dominate the gym. Killer crossovers. Monster blocks. Acrobatic And-ones. Basketball jargon itself seems to be etched into the air of the building. This basketball frenzy is there for a reason. As one of the toughest and more selective teams on campus, the basketball team is also one that requires much dedication from its members. The girls’ varsity basketball team, for example, requires their players to use their own time to polish specific skills such as shooting. During this year’s championship game, the girl’s team played against Western International School Shanghai. According to senior Toto Tan, it was quite an intense game: when the game went into overtime, the Stallions were extremely surprised. “We did not expect this game to be so hard because WISS had not been a tough team during the season,” explains Toto. When the game began, the Stallions were ahead by many points but near the fourth quarter, WISS began to catch up. Although captain Angelina Yu had been fouled out near the end of the game and was unable to join her team during overtime, the Stallions ultimately triumphed and won the championship that season. Their boys’ varsity counterpart practices an astounding six and a half
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hours each week. Co-captain Alex Chang, a junior at SHSID, says, “I love being in the team for the opportunities we get to play, the process of
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“I love being in the team for the opportunities we get to play, the process of getting better, the time I get to mess around with my teammates, and the excitement of winning the games— it’s all worth it in the end.”
getting better, the time I get to mess around with my teammates, and the excitement of winning the games— it’s all worth it in the end.” During each practice, players are pushed to their full pontential through strenuous conditioning, skill drills, and scrimmages. Of course, all this hard work and team building yield amazing achievements. The basketball team has some impressive statistics. Jovilyn Co Dalena, a sophomore member of the team, comments with rightful pride, “I would say that our team is special due to the fact that we’ve never lost a game in the league.” Coach Jayme Lawman credits the basketball teams’ successful seasons to their dedication to the sport and not just their skills but also amazing sportsmanship. The boys’ varsity basketball team, on the other hand, has definitely grown since their trip to Singapore together to compete internationally after winning the Shanghai Schools Sports Basketball League Finals. “Our team is also looking forward to our first international game in Singapore this October, and we’ll work hard for it,” Jovilyn adds. With the Jr. NBA regular season for the boy’s varsity just past, the basketball teams welcome an exciting new season in the coming semester.
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The Baseball Team
Make sure you don't get hit by the baseballs when you walk by the field! Unlike other baseball teams, the SHSID baseball team retains a unique mood of freedom and openness during practice that hardly suggests the competitiveness of the team. Without strict regulations or club hierarchy, the baseball team’s practice lacks barks and commands from coaches; instead, the relaxed practice of pitching and throwing seems to be the backbone of the team. However, during competitions, the baseball team reveals its streak of competitiveness. Take the game last June when the baseball team faced off another team with the graduating seniors at the Shanghai Stadium as an example. The score went from 3-3 to 5-5. The field was dominated with the shouts and cheers of the baseball team. Leo Lin, the 12th grade captain of the team, explains that during games, players are mostly stationary unless the ball is hit by the batter. “Shouting out constantly helps the team stay focused on the game” as players are expected to react as soon as the ball hits the batter. Adam He, a senior that joined four years ago, admits, “we [just] go crazy [sometimes]" with the shouting. Outside the intense games, however, the team reverts back to its lighthearted ways. The team has made it a tradition to barbecue after
each game, no matter the result of the match. This lighthearted mode of interaction, "chillness" as Adam phrases it, seems to represent the philosophy of the baseball team: one has to be relaxed to maximize the cohesion between team members and reduce nervous blunders. Leo notes that during games and practices, “it’s essential for everyone to cooperate together, but there is no pressure — we don’t blame you if you make a mistake.” Still, don’t overlook the baseball team's ambition. The team has already drafted blueprint to expand. Leo envisions an upcoming rigorous recruiting season in the middle school section while Adam shares plans of setting up a batting cage at school to introduce more aspects of the sport. With Coach Shen Jian Jun's leadership, the baseball's team's future will only be brighter.
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COVER STORY Right next to the track you’ll see the soccer team scattered across the field. In the beginning of the year, 47 eager players tried out for the varsity soccer team, yet only 18 of them made it. Since this is the first official year of Stallions soccer, the team has naturally become more selective to guarantee its high athletic caliber. On average, members practice two times a week in preparation for competitions. During this time, the team does various drills to device tactics for the upcoming game. Occasionally, they also have fitness training to improve their stamina, which may include anything from suicide drills to mile runs. Even in the rain, these enthusiastic athletes are at work. “Soccer is one of the few sports where it can only be played outdoors. Sometimes weather conditions and even the state of the pitch play an important factor in the games. Because we cannot always be guaranteed to play in the best circumstances, we challenge and push ourselves to become better, even under pressure,” explains Brian Yoon, a senior midfielder.
The Soccer Team Photo by: Irene Chan
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On the field, the Stallions varsity soccer team takes competitions by storm. The team tries to arrange friendlies with other strong teams such as Wellington College to fully prepare for tournaments and larger-scale SSSA league games. “Losing is as big a part of sports as winning,” says Coach Sam France, who started leading the team just this season, “You just don't learn that much from winning easy all the time.” Under Coach Sam’s guidance, the soccer team tactically prepares for each game, making sure to always be one step ahead of its opponents. “The coach encourages us to actively control the ball. This way, while it is less tiring for us to pass the ball around, the opponent team gets worn out from trying to steal the ball,” points out Moto Zhu, a first lineup senior. A common drill the team practices involves passing the ball to each other while avoiding the intervention of increasing opponent players who set out to steal their ball. “Spread-
ing wide is our team philosophy, but we also need to always be able to talk it out so that we can cooperate and understand the opponents’ tactics,” says senior striker Tom Jeong. Spreading wide refers to the players maintaining a certain distance between each other on court. This secures safe passes between teammates and also makes sure the opponent doesn't gain control over the ball. For the seniors, this is their last year as a Stallions athlete. “This is our first year of serious soccer. I hope the underclassmen will continue to practice hard and carry on our legacy,” says first lineup midfielder Ryan Li. Like any other team, seniors come and go, but their impacts remain. If they win their game on April 27th, they will finish top of the SSSA league. With soccer season coming to an end, the team trains extra hard to obtain the league championship title that they deserve.
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The Football Team Photo by: Tiffany Mei
On the other side of the field, you can see footballs flying in the air. Before the semester started, the Stallions flag football team already began stirring. Questionnaires were sent out in their WeChat group chat, and the coaches collected and compiled the responses. Leagues for the semester were scheduled. For the new-seven-on-seven football games, the procedural work needs to be precise. The Stallions football team started back in 2012 as the Spartans. Chipping in their own resources for equipment, the founders built their team from scratch. There were no football leagues, equipment, coaches, or players before the Spartans. “The founders started playing football at lunch, and people who were interested came to watch and then later began playing this new sport,” recalls Michael Fan, a junior cocaptain of the team. The team expects its members to start and end every warm-up drill with a clap, keep in line when jogging, and shout out the seconds remaining in stretches. This five-year-old legacy of the original team fosters “a habit for players to react to the ball. This way, team members move together, which prevents false starts (the foul of fidgeting before the ball moves),” explains senior co-captain Daley Hsieh. Not
only does this team cohesion prevent mistakes, it also reminds each member that they are not alone in playing this sport. The team also has an unspoken rule of dedication. Recently, to practice for the seven-on-seven matches, everyone is expected to show up to every practice. “We have football practice no matter what on Fridays,” says Mr. Tim Gomez, the flag football team coach. Dedication also manifests in other ways. Sprints are finished not at the line, but after the line: members always slow down only after sprinting the whole distance. As Michael comments, “It’s a responsibility to improve yourself. Your football team requires the best of you.” The team’s heavy recruitment from the junior high school exemplifies this: it only needs ones with passion to join its ranks. The key for successful play is trust. During competitions, the team shares every failure and success together. Football rarely credits individuals for success. Every single point is attributed to the team–it is simply impossible to score without your teammates. To work as a cohesive unit, members must trust and rely on each others’ abilities. Daley notes that during scrimmages
and training, “you need to stay in your zone and do your job before you worry about others. If the offense runs deep [into the field], don't follow him. Trust your safety behind you.” With the team’s league games coming up, members can finally see their hard work pay off. On April 21st, the American Football Association sponsored a friendly match on SHSID grounds. Despite a few failed catches, the Stallions won against its opponent team from Qibao Dwight 32 to 0. But the team refuses to let this win erase their drive to improve, “we just have to keep making our best, better,” says Coach Gomez. Even though many came to the game, the Stallion flag football team still hopes to continue to spread the football culture to its community. Starting from its own team members, each training includes a 30 minute session to learn techniques and running routes from professional players. Watching the wildly popular public perception of football in American high schools only strengthened the team’s resolve. As Michael admits, “we’re hoping to make football one of the major sports around SHSID.”
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COVER STORY Take a stroll behind the gym and you’ll find the passionate tennis team.
When you go to watch the tennis team train, you’ll find that their routine mainly consists of members playing against each other, without many specialized drills. Coach Li Hong believes this helps every member improve by competing with more experienced players. Seniors Sean Chin and Richard Jin found that not only does this training strategy motivate teammates, it also fosters the bond amongst members from different grades. Freshman Joyce Xu explains that when she joined the school team in 7th grade, she had to play against similarly aged boys, “it was a huge challenge for me, but as I practiced more, I found that I could gradually keep up and follow along.” Team members have racked up personal experiences from the various competitions over the years. Some competitions pit individual players against each other, and others call for school teams to compete as a whole and individual wins will tally up to determine the winning school. Richard represented the school team in a teambased tournament and realized that it helped bond members of the school team through their mutual support. “I was leading by 5-1 and then both my legs started cramping. I was in so much pain at that time I could not walk at all. After resting for 10 minutes, I started playing again but ended up losing. Not necessarily the happiest moment of representing [the] school team, but it was, without a doubt, memorable. I learned a valuable lesson in stretching before matches.” Sean recalls playing in an interschool competition in March 2015 and thoroughly enjoying the experience of playing while being cheered on by his teammates. Reflecting upon his experience in the team and outlook for the sport, Richard admits that tennis isn’t a very prominent sport in China as there are not many competitions, but he hopes that the SHSID tennis team will become more popular in the future as more talented young players join its ranks. Tennis may mostly be an individual sport, but the team aspect of the sport has brought together members of the school team to motivate and support one another.
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The Tennis Team
Look inside the newly renovated badminton stadium and you will hear the sounds of shuttlecocks flying off freshly strung racquets. Shoes squeal on the rubber floor as players motion about, diving to save the shuttlecock from the ground. Badminton is a fast paced, intensive sport that requires nifty footwork and controlled touches. Zacc Loo, a sophomore, shares that badminton also requires a lot of tactical prowess and thinking to outsmart your opponent. SHSID’s badminton team sports some of our own badminton maestros who have worked hard under Coach Yu Jie's guidance to reach the interscholastic level. Some of the members who are currently in the team joined not long ago. These varying skill levels within the team also create a unique environment in which younger players can learn from those more experienced. Lee Yihong, a junior who has been on the team since 8th grade, initially found that training meant a lot of time playing against more seasoned players, but understands that these challenges helped him realize his weaknesses so he could improve. Tian Zhang, a freshman, comments, “I met a lot of cool people who play badminton, and I think socializing is a huge part of the sport.” Considering how strategically complex and physically demanding it is to play badminton, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that team members train a great deal outside of the school team. Players train more systematically with coaches outside the school to hone in their basics. Tian testifies, "Compared to school team training, practice out-
side of school involves technical details to ensure that you master these skills” through a set of specific footwork routines, hone drop shots, serves, and other specific techniques. Members of the badminton team compete in a variety of tournaments— some representing the school and some representing themselves. The team has seen tournament wins in competitions hosted by Yonex (a badminton equipment brand) and the SSSA. When facing other schools, the SHSID badminton team dominates and almost always takes home the top finishes in the tournament. However, the team also competes against semi-professional and professional sports academies, which prove to be much trickier opponents. Tian says that playing against students from sports academies “really illustrates the gap between playing badminton as a hobby and playing it as a profession.” Though the school team may struggle against these players who practice over 5 hours per day, members share that these matches are great opportunities to further sharpen their skills, pick up new techniques, and motivate members to train even harder. Dedication to team sports not only demonstrates one's responsibility, but also signifies something more: it shows that one can overcome setbacks to achieve something greater. The passion with which athletes pursue excellence in their sports will not be confined to sports alone, and this is precisely the greatest essence of sportsmanship.
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The Ping Pong Team
The Badminton Team MARCH APRIL 2017
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NEWS
BEHIND THE SCENES OF “BEHIND THE SCENES”:
Written by: Jerry Chen | Photos by: Sophia She, Angel Wang, and Joshua Lu
Lights, check. PowerPoint, check. Sound, check. Microphone, check. The TEDxYouth@SHSID 2017 event on April 2nd featured 12 speakers and 1 performer, spreading “ideas worth sharing” on the theme of “Behind the Scenes.”
The Theme: “Behind the Scenes”
The first step was deciding the central pillar to the entire event: the theme. At their first sit-down meeting back in September 2016, the six organizers, Angelina Ding, Annie Fang, Bevin Pan, Irene Chan, Jerry Chen, and Sophia She brainstormed potential ideas including “Over the Edge”, “Control-AltDelete”, “Crossing Paths” and more, each aiming to present a different facet of life. What ultimately prompted the team to choose “Behind the Scenes” was their hope to raise awareness for the underappreciated stories that happen backstage. This year’s speakers each addressed the theme in their own ways. For instance, Xin She, the Global Vice President of a food R&D company, spoke about how daily products came a long way to be in the consumers’ hands.
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Planning “Behind the Scenes”
After deciding the theme, each department immediately got to work. The Design/Marketing Director soon began designing the logo, publicity posters, and gift bag, which included water bottles, notepads, and folders. On the other hand, the Finance Director was keen on keeping track of the team’s spending. Simultaneously came the production of the promotional video, which aims to provide visual support for the event’s theme. Angelina Ding, Director in Chief, sums up the flow of the video, “it is structured in a ‘split screen’ style so that one side shows the action and the other side shows the ‘behind the scenes’ of how the action comes to be.” Thanks to tech volunteers Joshua Lu and James Zhang, planning, filming, and editing all went according to plan. Members of the staff soon formed a pool of speakers with diverse backgrounds and unique ideas to share. From the 17-year-old entrepreneur Owen Xu to the high-school physicist Victor Yu; from the Executive Producer and Programming Supervisor at Shanghai Culture Square Jackie Yu to the award-winning executive coach
Stefanie Vallee—the speakers spread across generations and fields. The Director of Public Relations met with each speaker in person and contacted them for speech outlines while answering questions they had about the event. As the event date drew close, workload increased exponentially. Speech drafts had to be reviewed; 100 tickets had to be sold; WeChat articles had to be posted; more than 20 volunteers had to be coordinated—and this was only the tip of the iceberg.
Lights, Camera, Action!
There was even more to do on the day of the event. Early in the morning, the staff stepped into the black box theatre for the first round of setups: lighting, cameras, and microphones. The lanyards prepared for event attendees were spread out over the reception counter while volunteers placed printed programs in gift bags that were already filled with water bottles, sticky notes, and folders from the previous night’s work. As the seats were filled one-by-one, the team’s six-month-long hard work was finally about to materialize. After being introduced by the host, the staff went on stage to express their grati-
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Volunteers at the reception
Jackie Yu, TEDx Speaker
Xin She, TEDx Speaker
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tude towards all audience members and speakers. As soon as they stepped off, however, they ran to retrieve missing speaker power-points, monitor tech transitions, and coordinate volunteers. Only once in a while did the organizers sit down to enjoy the talks. This year, the widely acclaimed performance, “1+1>2”, by Curt Mabry and the Zmack comedy team was a huge comedic success. Daniel Xue, an attendee, described the performance as “an improv comedy that really stood out against all others, serving to both entertain the audience and create a variation of style.” The team of entertainers performed improvisational comedy through a series of interactive games with the audience, winning rounds of laughter and applause. Volunteer Teresa Xiao felt that the performance had a personal appeal—“I love theater and music, and watching these two forms of art fusing and creating an even more stunning performance
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was just an eye-opening experience.” Zmack’s show was beyond pure entertainment. As Curt explained, not only was its purpose to show the “behind the scenes” of comedy, but it was also to
“Speakers cool. Food amazing. 10/10.” - Bevin Pan, Director of Productions
demonstrate how a team has to cooperate through active agreement with one another to present a successful improv performance. Another distinct feature of this year’s TEDxYouth@SHSID was the snack break. Having courted Element Fresh as the food sponsor, the TEDx team prepared a variety of delicacies,
such as Vietnamese spring rolls, carrot cakes, hummus and more for attendees to enjoy. In addition to the snacks, the intermission was also about initiating thought-provoking conversations. Attendees had the opportunities to chat with speakers, organizers, and with each other over a variety of topics, sharing personal experiences and inspiring advices. Amy Liu, an attendee and former volunteer took the break as “a really great place to talk to other attendees about how interesting the speakers were. It was a really good interactive part.”
Closing the Curtains
Behind the glory of the TEDx event lies the dedication of almost 30 volunteers and 6 organizers. While arduous work was was what made everything possible, it was worth it. Perhaps Bevin Pan, the Director of Productions, sums up the event most succinctly: “Speakers cool. Food amazing. 10/10.”
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Science Fair Written by: Junho Suh Photos by: Nicole Zhou
n March 29th and April 7th, Xian Mian Building and Zhong Xing Building each held its own science fair. While juniors and seniors enjoyed their fair on a sunny afternoon during double CAS, freshmen and sophomores dived into their activities during an hourlong Chemistry class a few weeks later. The fairs provided activities including lectures, competitions, and simple experiments, through which they incorporated knowledge across STEM subjects through activities that rewarded students with stamps exchangeable for prizes. In both buildings, an activity called “Chem Quest” began early in the morning on the day of the event. Small pieces of paper printed with numbers and symbols of chemical elements were hidden over in the buildings. Students scored points by finding these signs and pairing each element with its corresponding atomic number. During the fair, students participated in small activities and competitions hosted by both the teachers and the ASBs. One of the most popular competitions was domino-building, where students teamed up to construct the best and longest domino chains. There were also other activities such as Mystery Balloons, where participants guessed the ingredients inside a balloon, and Periodic Table Chant, where students listed out elements in the periodic table in order and clapped when the following element is a noble gas. Indoors, some students DIY-ed their own lipsticks under the instructions of Chemistry teachers while others participated in Helium Voice, where participants observed firsthand the effects of Helium on their voices. Mr. Yang Bi, comments, “Having witnessed the ‘Science Fair’ come and go in all shapes for quite a few years, I’m grateful to see a mixture of diversified activities, competitions and lectures organized by our dedicated science/homeroom teachers and ASB members. This year’s event has witnessed a higher level of participation from the students than all its predecessors.” Chemistry lectures “Chemistry in Daily Life” and “Croda-Skin and Sun Protection” were delivered to students by teachers and professors invited from outside of SHSID. “Chemistry in daily life” discussed topics ranging from popular Shanghainese delicacies to frequent gas explosion accidents that have happened lately in the city The teacher who delivered the lecture also performed simple experiments and even sang a song related to the lecture’s content to help students better understand the talk. Lelan Hu from 9(3), who listened to the chemistry lecture, says, “The professor was incredibly talented. He captivated the students with his humor and speaking style, but also managed to convey a great deal of concepts and knowledge.” Reflections form students show that they enjoyed the Science Fair for its interesting events. Diana Park, a freshman from class 9(10), says, “I really love how games, lectures, and experiments incorporated science into our daily life! Experiments were very relatable and they triggered my curiosity of how things work.” Most certainly, the 2017 high school Science Fair showed that science is not merely a source of stress before tests, but rather something enjoyable and worthy of exploration. As Angel Wang from 11(1) comments, “Science doesn’t have to always be like rocket science. The tools, methods, and ideas that we come across in daily lives are all parts of science.” We look forward to the fair to return with more fun next year. MARCH APRIL 2017
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MONOPOLY DAY Written by: Andrew Mi | Photos by: Nicole Zhou
“...while other unique stalls, such as the VR Experience stand, also attracted an immense crowd.”
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F
rom governmental policies to individual spin basketballs on their fingertips. Laughter resonated consumer decisions, economics permeates all through room as the balls slipped off. spheres of our lives. On Monopoly Day held on On the other end of the hallway, there were two March 29th, freshmen and sophomores gathered to rooms for quiz challenges, where teachers kept a stash celebrate this fascinating subject through completing of questions from different subjects. As the five-minute games to earn credits. The teachers were in charge of timer ticked down, you could hear the sound of pens a “central bank” which counted the credits collected violently scribbling answers. After the time ran out, the by the students and exchanged them for a “Monopoly teachers snatched the papers and exclaimed the results, currency” that could use to buy goods from other “A, B, D, B… You got 16 questions correct!”. As the two student suppliers. hours went on, these rooms were filled with “moneyAfter a grueling morning of Pre-ACT exams and hungry” students and tireless academic endeavors. classes, students rushed off from As Monopoly Day drew to a close, their fourth period classes to the As the two hours went students began rushing outside to Zhong Xing Building annex, where exchange their earned currency. Some the fair was held. Students and on, these rooms were stands offered delicious homemade faculty scrambled to get the stands filled with “money- snacks, while other unique stalls such up and running. Within ten minutes, hungry” students and as the VR Experience stand also the classrooms were bustling with attracted a large crowd. Participants tireless academic activities. Students gathered up waved controllers around in thin in the lobby to collect their credit air, while bystanders giggled at this endeavors. sheets and ran off into the activities hilarious sight. Moreover, there was an classrooms. Some classes had casual and spirited area inside the annex lobby where students exchanged activities where students tried their hands at picking up their “money” for notebooks, USBs, and other useful slippery marbles with chopsticks, racing the clock to get items. them into another plate. In another room, a long queue Monopoly day was an outright success. Although the formed behind the dartboard, where students steadied celebration of economics may not have been purely their aims. Students even showed-off their sports academic, there was no doubt that students enjoyed skills in a classroom filled with people attempting to themselves in this fun celebration.
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Setting the Stage for the 9th-10th White Valentine’s Written by Sophie Li | Photos by: James Zhang and Sophie Li
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ou take a pile of flower forms from the reception in the morning and list the names of your friends, teachers, and that secret someone. Then, when lunch comes around, you stop by the lobby, pay for your order, and leave your stash of flower orders with the ASB. And it’s as simple as that. After a week, on the morning of White Valentine’s Day, your flowers magically arrive in the hands of your loved ones, filling the ZhongXing Building with fragrant roses and lovely bouquets. To most students, this is the entire process. The ASB sees a different side of the story.
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The First Step: Which Roses?
Although most people only started hearing about White Valentine’s in early March, the ASB started planning this exciting event the moment school started. Jovilyn Co Dalena from 10(6), the president of the 9th-10th ASB, walks us through the process. Since “White Valentine’s involves cooperation with the flower shop outside of school,” as Jovilyn informs us, “the ASB started to plan for White Valentine’s since the first weekend after school started.” Most of the members visited Mei Yan flower shop, a long-time partner with the ASB, on February 18th. Daniel Zou from 10(7) elaborates, “We decided the number of flowers
in a bouquet first before deciding on the color of flowers and wrapping paper.” With a myriad of different opinions on what type of flowers to offer, the ASB finally reached a consensus after an hour of discussion: pink and red single roses, single sunflowers, pink and red 11-rose bouquets, 29rose bouquets, exquisite rose boxes, 52-rose bouquets, and of course, the coveted 99-rose bouquets. Moreover, the ASBs decided to change things up a bit by offering non-flower options, adding a teddy bear to go with the flowers.
At the Drawing Board: Flower Forms
With the flower options set, the next important step was designing the
NEWS flower forms, the forms students and teachers would fill out if they wanted to purchase flowers. Since the flower forms would come in direct contact with the buyers and would be used to place orders, it was absolutely crucial to perfect the design—they had to be aesthetically pleasing, practical, and straightforward all at the same time. Whereas last year’s forms had a black background with intricate designs that did not look good when printed in black and white, the forms this year aimed for simplicity. On an elegant white background, a rose was drawn using only shades of grey as a final aesthetic touch. Last year, senders who wished to stay anonymous were discouraged from buying flower because the ASB would be aware of the senders’ identity when they paid. Hence, the flower form this year featured a dashed line where anonymous senders were encouraged to fold along to hide the names of the recipients.
Spreading the Word: Publicity
One of the most crucial steps in planning White Valentine’s was publicity. Tiffany Hung from 9(8), who was in charge of creating promotional videos, proposed the idea of shooting a Valentine-themed Mannequin Challenge. “Even though the challenge does not relate to White Valentine’s directly, we figured out a way to fit it into the [theme] by showing students giving out flowers to teachers after the challenge.” Although the video took around three minutes to watch, filming it—and getting everyone to stand still—took much longer. “We took around ten shots. Sometimes all of us just burst out laughing,” Tiffany says, “there were numerous challenges we faced, such as not being able to get everyone in position on time, having too many repetitive actions, and tech problem with the camera.” However, the ASB and the helpers involved managed to make the video possible, hitting over 600 views. To get non-ASB or helpers involved, the ASB decided to directly “storm” into homerooms during P&B, handing out flowers to stunned homeroom teachers and smirking
students. By this point, everyone knew about White Valentine’s, and the festive atmosphere was in the air.
The Scramble for Flowers: Selling and Compiling
The ASB sold flowers from Feb 27th to March 7th. With a stack of forms waiting to be inputted into 28 Excel sheets, each sheet representing a homeroom or a teacher/crossgrade list, four ASB members from each grade manually typed up every order onto a computer. “Accuracy is key,” states Jovilyn, explaining why compiling was a burdensome task taken on with much care.
Putting in the Final Pieces: Flower Arranging
Venice from 9(5) shares the experience: “Every ASB and helper was assigned to a specific class to check the orders, write the names [on name tags], and sort out the flowers.” Coordinating over forty people for more than two hours inevitably led to some blunders. For example, Venice states that “some flowers and bouquets were missing and there were recipients with the same names in the same class.” In response, the ASB had to check every flower in the room to see if it already had a name attached to it. Of course, they also prepared backup flowers. As for recipients in the same homeroom with the same name, the ASB had to logically work out which person the sender intended to send to based on the sender’s social circles. Despite these crises, in the end, each flower was ready for delivery.
The Day We Were Waiting For: Flower Delivery
Delivery was an exciting event for receivers, senders, and the organizers alike. While students and teachers received pleasant surprises when flowers, bouquets, and teddy bears were delivered, bustling ASBs carried baskets replete with flowers to each homeroom, and sounds of cheering resonated throughout the hallways. Although there were some missing flowers, the problems were
fixed when generous helpers and members sacrificed their own flowers to replace the missing ones.
Conclusion
Even though White Valentine’s is not an afterschool full-scale party, it is arguably one of the most difficult events to plan. Communication, accuracy, efficiency, coordination, and aesthetics all are vital for the event to work smoothly. Just like a beautifully crafted rose, White Valentine’s requires dedication, effort, time, and love for it to bloom, and behind every rose was a person who worked diligently to get that rose to you. MARCH APRIL 2017
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Marvel Vs. Dc : A Battle of the
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rs to ac rs: s s ee ge an hr en Ev ris hri e t Av is Ch C l b in hr , nd il ris . C ca) , a n e w h ar ri r) er d C W me ho ). he Th me ity in A (T ord on C na fin ta rth rl cks In Cap wo Sta Ja ( ms t ( by He rat ided P rov
universes Written by: Irene Chan
Photos Courtesy of: Wallpapercave.com
A dive into the universes In case you’re not a super geek like me, who can spend an entire afternoon in the comic book store or a whole night on a Star Wars marathon, you might be unfamiliar with Marvel or DC Comics. We’re living in the golden age of film and, with the help of impressive postproduction editing, more superheroes are making their debuts on the big screen than ever before. Marvel in particular is quickly diving into this trend: it released more than 30 movies this past decade and is expected to release 10 more before 2020. Marvel’s biggest rival, DC Comics, is too building its cinematic empire albeit with a much less cohesive strategy: one where its TV and movie worlds never intersect. For this reason, the interconnectivity of film and comic is a big aspect of many differences between these two comic titans. Both Marvel and DC have different approaches to their cinematic adaptations, and both have its pros and cons. It’s up to you who wins this off-screen battle.
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Com The com ics” sta “DC” in mak ic seri nds for “DC e i tect ng DC C s “Detec the ori gi ive C ti o omi mics’ f ve Com nal ull cs C na ics” o by R icha mics.” P me “Derd J rovi in ded
From Zero to Hero 83 years ago, DC Comic’s Inc. was created. Today, it stands as one of the oldest and largest comic book companies in America, producing materials featuring well known superheroes like Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman. 78 years ago, Timely Comics was formed. It was not until the 1960s when this corporation became formally known was Marvel Comics. During this time, editor Stan Lee revolutionalized the superhero comics by introducing the concept of “superheroes in the real world” that launched the company into success. Well known Marvel characters include Captain America, Daredevil as well as Iron Man.
Cinematic Approach The Marvel Cinematic Universe is largely populated by the Avengers, its stories crossing from the big screen to the small. This makes the Marvel Universe a lot of fun to get involved with. Often times, the movies reference small details in their comic books or past events that only some true fans may understand. This wasn’t always the case. Before Walt Disney purchased Marvel in 2009, Marvel sold and licensed various film rights to a number of studios, prohibiting certain characters from appearing in each other’s films. For example, you wouldn’t see Spider-Man and the Hulk teaming up onscreen, because the character rights belonged to different companies. It was an irritating arrangement for comic book fans—they could read crossover stories with multiple Marvel characters, but couldn’t watch them cross paths on screen. This is why fans were relieved to hear that Disney’s purchase of Marvel and its associated film rights will set the stage for an interconnected movie and TV universe. Since Marvel’s acquisition by Disney, we’ve seen multiple studios get in on the action with eight X-Men films (and more coming in the next few years), five Spider-Man films with two different lead actors, and many more such as the Blade trilogy—films that you might not have even realized were Marvel productions. Unlike Marvel, DC Comics has not been quick to jump on the film train. It has released only 13 films in the past decade, the most successful being the Dark Knight trilogy directed by Christopher Nolan. “The Dark Knight Trilogy was an amazing adaptation to DC comics because they took comics to a whole new level,” says Kyle Jiang, comics enthusiast from grade 12. “Nolan’s Batman films are deeper and more thoughtful. Each movie was entertaining, but also spoke to something deeper about the human spirit. They struggle with profound themes such as heroism, honor, and integrity.”
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LIFESTYLE DC has also been prompted to create its own interconnected films, beginning with 2013’s “Man of Steel”, under the influence of Marvel’s successful approach to its Avengers universe. Before 2013, DC’s superman films by Christopher Reeve, the Batman films of 1989, and the Dark Knight trilogy had no connection to one another. After the release of “Man of Steel”, the second installment in DC’s Extended Universe came in the form of “Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice” in 2016. Instead of gradual character buildups, we caught a glimpse at Batman then were immediately introduced to Wonder Woman, Cyborg, Aquaman and the Flash—all in one quick scene. It was an incredibly risky approach for DC to introduce viewers to these characters so hastily; after all, you’ve got a sea king (Aquaman), a half-man-half-cybernetics (Cyborg), and a god (Wonder Woman) all existing in a world with a new Batman and an alien Boy Scout (Superman). It’s expected that the group’s origins will be explained in more detail in 2017’s “Justice League” film, but doing so coherently within the confines of one movie will not be an easy task. Unlike Marvel, DC’s TV programs do not intersect with its cinematic universe, period. DC refers to this shared universe as the DC Expanded Universe. DC’s TV programs like Arrow and Gotham portray well-known characters but have no connection with any movie. Furthermore, because the characters are portrayed by different actors, it can get quite confusing to keep up with the changes. For example, in the TV show The Flash, Barry Allen is portrayed by actor Grant Gustin; however, in the Jusice League movie, the Flash will be portrayed by Ezra Miller. So what made the MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe) more successful than the DC Expanded Universe in the past decade? “The biggest reason is that Marvel’s got a head start,” explains senior Jackson Chen, “DC didn’t really start on the Justice League movie franchise until recent years.” “DC also has a far less developed universe with only three major films released, all of which have received negative reviews due to lack of character development and poorly written scripts (In Batman v. Superman, Batman stops fighting Superman simply because their moms have the same name),” senior Richard Jin in adds.
A Matter of Personal Preference So, my Sorcerer Supremes, who won this one? I grew up reading comic books and wishing that, out of one in a trillion bird-like figures in the sky, one just might be Superman. DC’s characters are the true archetypes of heroes and villains. Batman resonates with me because he is self-made and gets down to business despite not having any super power (except for the power of being super rich) like Superman or, really, most Marvel characters. Richard explained, “Batman, like anyone else, has to deal with old age and limitations in his physical strength,” “the comic reminds the reader that even when these superheroes have powers, they are still human on the inside. Whether alien or not, they still have basic human instincts and emotions like all of us.” Kyle added. For most comic book fans, it’s hard to pick sides. “The diversity of writers in the comic industry doesn’t guarantee good sales. Writers are always interchanging between DC and Marvel. A good writer is what makes a good story,” commented Lee Yi Hong If you’re a continuity junkie, Marvel’s Avengers universe is your pick. The Marvel universe is filled with stories crossing through all of their properties, which makes it a lot of fun to dive into. But sometimes it can get a little overwhelming; without watching every single show and movie, you might just miss some inside jokes or references to past events. If you’re afraid a vast, sprawling film universe will mess with your favorite TV show, stick with DC. DC’s universes are more localized, and you can enjoy smaller TV properties without worrying about how it affects the big films. Since the main movies are just getting started, it’s hard to predict what we can expect in terms of interconnectivity. It’s possible that by introducing a multitude of characters at once it will be easier to follow each storyline as DC narrows each film down to specific characters. Maybe one day comic book fans will finally get an inter-company crossover, say “Avengers vs. Justice League?” But don’t hold your breath.
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STORIES BEHIND THE GAMES Written by: Michael Fan | Illustrations by: Dave Kim and Kevin Jiang
“Checkmate.” The clink of the ivory piece against the wooden board seals the game. Even without explicitly stating its name, many of us are familiar with this form of entertainment: chess. Likewise with the few “classic” games of Monopoly, Uno, and Chinese chess, most of us in our community would instantly recognize these games. After all, it’s not an uncommon sight to see students relaxing with a game of Uno. Although these games are widely known in our parts of the world, the history behind each game is often unknown.
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1 2 UNO Meaning “one” in Spanish and Italian, the game UNO was invented by Merle Robbins. The rights of the cards eventually switched hands, but the card game gradually gained popularity and became a global card game under the wings of the company Mattel. However, most of us aren't winning in the way Robbins designed: initially, it was not the first person to discard all his/her cards that won. The original design was based on a point system that required players to gain 500 points to win. The points, based on the quantity of the opponents' cards, were allocated to the first person to discard all his/her cards. If no one gained enough points to win that round, another round was started.
The original design was based on a point system that required players to gain 500 points to win.
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MONOPOLY Monopoly was one of the first games that had a continuous path, as previous board games mostly had a definite ending and start. The game featured famous places inside of Chicago, and allowed players to purchase these places. The earliest version of this board game, however, had a different name: the Landlord’s Game. Patented by Elizabeth Magie in 1903, it was sold commercially as a game but also as an educational tool for universities. Surprisingly, the University of Columbia, the University of Toledo, and the University of Pennsylvania all introduced this board game to their economic classes. By then, university student began making their own handmade copies of the game. Spreading by word of mouth, the game was gradually had many different versions. Only later was the modern version of the game “reinvented” by Charles Darrow. His version featured the classic symbols of the “Go” arrow, electric and water companies, and train stations. Although there are still disputes about the originality about Monopoly, this board game still retains undeniable similarities with the Landlord’s Game. Eventually after several lawsuits and legal tensions settled over court, the Parker Brothers bought out Magie’s 1924 patent, and the rights from Darrow. Now sold commercially worldwide, Monopoly has localized for each mark and replaced the original properties with local areas. But if you still want to attain the illusion of attending such prestigious economic courses, playing Monopoly may be a viable option.
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3 4 CHINESE CHESS Historians dispute about the origins of chess: some argue that chess actually came from China due to vague passing mentions in 3rd Century texts, while others question the clarity of these texts. Regardless of its origins, Chinese chess differs from modern chess in a couple ways. The layout of the board for Chinese chess, the movement of the pieces, and the different in naming systems set the two apart. Most importantly, Chinese chess’s centerpieces of the “generals” ( 将 and 帅) differ from their King counterparts. This difference may have resulted from the incident where Sui Wen Emperor allegedly persecuted chess players in an inn after discovering that the chess pieces had royal titles. He had the players executed. The emperor disliked the idea of having an image of himself captured in a mere game of commons, but he sure didn’t mind if his generals took this blow. Thus by changing the names of the pieces, Chinese chess players could avoid persecution. Although some historians may dispute that this event’s historical accuracy, the tale still reverberates with the integral position of Chinese Chess in Chinese society. Really like this story. I would suggest taking out how they differ from their Indian counterparts and solely focus on why Chinese chess centerpieces have the names that they have. You don’t mention Indian chess anywhere else in this article.
MAD QUEEN’S CHESS This sinister name was infamously associated with the modern version of chess when it evolved into its present state in Europe in the late 15th century. The Queen was simply too powerful. Yet contrary to common belief, the game’s roots stretch 800 years earlier back into the Indian Gupta Empire. The game was then passed onto the Persians and later to the Islamic world. Europeans, one of the latest in the game (pun intended), encountered chess at the Iberian Peninsula and introduced it to the rest of Europe. Despite its growing popularity, the Church despised the game initially because gambling and violence were long associated with the chessboard. Many used chess as a form of gambling, and violence was common due to disputes over games. However, the Church’s stance was reversed when advocates of chess later highlighted the intellectual thought associated with the game. This prompted chess’s place as one of the mandatory seven virtues of a knight. This energy for chess allowed some changes to occur. When the range of the bishop’s and Queen’s moves expanded, the infamous name of “Mad Queen Chess” was coined. When one observes the Queen decimating pieces across the chessboard, it is no wonder such a name came into place.
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Number Me Written by: Sophie Li Photo from: pontofrio.com
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LITERATURE
“Allow me to introduce myself— My initials are 01010011. 01001100. And I am merely One hundred and sixty-six point three centimeters tall— Five hundred and two point four Newtons of weight— Been living for five thousand eight hundred seventy-one days Accurate to four significant digits For your convenience.” She says this with a somewhat saturnine voice Despite the superficial smile she has struggled to plaster Onto her cherry lips, To which she’d reply: “You mean my lipstick? It’s #bd1635.” She walks with her head up Yet she’s wrapped In a shroud of Palpable Melancolia Their scrutinizing eyes Measure— Judge— And I see it in her hazelnut eyes, (Hazelnut; yes, not what she’d insist is #8a580a), Yearning. When no one’s around I hear her say, “If only people saw me not for what I am but for who I am— Not just a number— But as a person— A human— If only.”
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Her
Written by: Koh Ting Shing Photo by: James Zhang, Judith Luo
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alling apart into parts. It had become slightly hard to hide. Her scars, her tears, her face could no longer bear the weight of caring, the weight of a smile. Her heart had broken piece by piece as life passed by in a fragmented blur. Her walls had never been so wretched; her mind never so keen to just let go. She let her walls down for him, gave him another chance, but in the end, he left a hole in a cracked wall that had fallen before it rose. He was here for a reason, she thought. He came back for a reason. ———————— She was invisible her entire life, walking with her head down, eyes focused on the ground. She was not antisocial, because nobody bothered to even socialise with her. It had become more of an instinct than a choice to isolate herself from others, and she become transparent to look through — not fragile, just not there. Since he left, she enjoyed being invisible in her little world, where nothing could affect her. She made herself numb, indifferent, seemingly apathetic, but inside, her emotions were unconsciously eating her up. Little was known about her, about where she came from, about who she was. It seemed as if her personal life did not exist, or that she chose not to have one. I never met her family, but I thought they were just like that; I thought she was merely incapable of being happy. She proved me wrong. The first time I saw her face light up was when he re-entered her life, and her eyes regained their weight and sheen. He made everything around her more colourful, vibrant. She began talking louder, smiling more frequently, and laughing a little now or then. He brought wonders that she never knew even existed into her life. I was genuinely happy for her, for she finally saw the light in the world, albeit a fading one.
He began distancing himself from her. Day after day, he became more blurry around the edges, appearing less. There was less of him now, and one day, he entirely disappeared. Gone. Vanished. As if he never existed before. She was calm and quiet but you could see her broken eyes, broken down. She lost her confidence; the spark in her eyes and the beauty that made her glow when he was by her side were extinguished. She tried to brush it off, comforting herself that he was just another person who came and went. Pretending that everything was alright was an act that she knew would eventually break someday. Day after day, she began losing herself. She faded back into the background, back to exactly where she used to be. She tried going back to her old ways, pretending not to care about anyone or anything. But she was broken— too broken to stand up again. The pain and sadness in her overwhelmed her body. Being numb was good for a while, until it wasn’t. The agony left her in a sea of desolation. She had lost all hope, once again. ———————— She flashbacked to the first time she saw him—his back turned against her, walking out the door. She was just a kid back then, not knowing what it meant. The older she became, the more she began to feel. She was abandoned, unwanted, thrown away into strangers’ homes. The anger, the hatred, the desperation. She thought they disappeared. She thought they were resolved. She thought it was her second chance at a normal life, a happy life. Seeing him just reignited the hope in her heart that had been extinguished years ago. The hope that ultimately lost its significance. Her body was there, but she was no longer. Her mind stopped at the last time she saw him. “Dad?” “I’m sorry, darling. I’m sorry.”
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发车前后
Written by: Jessica Qu Photo From: pexels.com
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我
手拎16枚入的太阳饼，腕挂18岁生日时同学 送的黑色手拿包，指提刚刚在逢甲夜市买 的珍珠奶茶，肩背黑底黄布的耐克双肩包狂 奔。估计另一只手拿的轰炸左鸡腿淋蜂蜜芥末酱早 就洒得一塌糊涂了吧。 两分钟前，的士司机为了我在无人按过喇叭 的街道上催赶摩托车，甚至见缝插针逆行了一段空 路超车，时不时还来一个生猛的拐弯进入小路以绕 过主干道上的车流。他一个急刹车停在一个偏僻的 大棚旁，以不大流利的普通话叫我抄近路去站台， 我便抄起东西，车未停稳就跳下车肚撒丫子狂奔。 手被行李压得酸胀刺痛，走了一天的脚像化作两个 木桩般沉重，但我跑着，咬碎牙都往肚里吞般跑 着——即使绝望地知道31秒前便已是火车发车时间， 我像是被一线希望牵着般跑着。 我失措地看向电子屏的时刻表，车票上的车次 早已不在。我的喉咙是由内向外有刀花刮开一样地 疼。我发不出声音，眩晕着紧盯红色的19:42，就 像手术室外的病患家属要盯穿那鲜红的手术灯。感 觉身体零件像一个个错位的积木，即将全数崩塌散 架，但我的脑门突突地叫嚣着不允许，好像一根长 长的芦苇芯牢牢捆住这些零件，将它们一并拖向售 票窗口。 尽管不予划座，尽管会晚一个多小时，至少 还有解决办法，至少还能回得去下榻的旅店。明明 街上人来人往，车灯流转，却没有人会关注我此刻 懊丧而无奈，不能算怨怼却也释怀不了的感受。偌 大的车站里甚至没有一个愿意留给我消遣接下来这 一小时的座位，我走过售票大厅，看见有母亲喂儿 子吃面包，有青年在移动书摊看书，有匆匆行人瞥 了我两眼，瞥到我提满行李的颤抖双手和走路磕绊 的僵硬双腿，脸上一如刚才售票员在我车票上盖章 时那般冷漠。我只能在寒夜中坐在车站外花坛的边 沿，发泄般地捧起我那已经凉透的轰炸左鸡腿，拿 着塑料叉子狼吞虎咽吃了起来。
刚跑完就这样进食自然是没有好结果的，我吃 得有点想哭，有点像吐，但我继续吃着，不顾形象 地吃着。 左侧坐着一个盯着手机的青年，右侧坐的那 个抖着腿。我只顾平视前方木然咀嚼着原本味道应 是极好的小鸡腿。一分钟后，右侧那个青年倏地起 身，对着手机屏幕微笑着走了。在他飞舞打字的手 指间，屏幕闪烁的幽蓝光亮中，我好像看到了他黝 黑的胡渣。 又一分钟后，我放下了吃完了的空纸盒，调整 完心情发消息感谢帮我付掉了的士钱的M君，随后起 身收拾我的东西准备走向车站站台。 为我的围巾打结时，我瞥了左侧的青年一眼， 意外地发现他也看着我。由于他身后就是车站，车 站灯从后方打在他脸上，在他的脸颊边缘衍射出柔 和的白光。 我朝他左侧走向车站，忍不住又看了他一眼。 他也望着我，这次他脸面对车站。我看清他摘下戴 在头顶的藏青色针织帽拿在手中，露出染成金黄色 及靠近头皮浅棕色的头发，刘海下一双浑圆的杏 眼，嘴角若有若无的笑意。 我不知道这个青年的来历身份，不知道那笑意 是否我的错觉，我猜想过这是个结束一天卖艺的街 头艺人，猜想过这是个饭后独自出来散步的父亲， 甚至猜想过这是个游手好闲的无业青年。但我没由 来地在他的眼睛中找到了这七分钟我想要的关注和 安慰，在他的笑意中找到了我想要的支持和鼓励。 也许他只是在笑我自暴自弃的吃相太难看，也 许他只是在看一个看上去不像本地人却像他一个本 地人一样在车站周围游荡的女孩，但在这一刻我不 再想哭了，不再想吐了。19:47，错过火车已七分 钟，我怀揣着可能全部都只是我假想的惺惺相惜， 还有因这莫名惺惺相惜带来的一瞬生活的怦然心 动，重新拾起脚步迈向了车站。
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昔年 Written by: Kathy Wang Photo from: 143.com
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近
日整理旧抽屉时，在底部找到了一 本小本子，里面夹着浅黄色明信 片，落款是三年前的冬。明信片上 是大我七天的发小写的生日贺卡。 相识十年，幼时的我们和所有同龄人并 无差别，不外乎就是女孩间你来我往的友 谊，像缀着塑料小花的彩色发绳，幼稚也 单纯。我们穿着同样宽大老土的校服，像 一只只色彩鲜艳的麻袋，扎着千篇一律高 度的马尾，吃着同样单调且半冷不热的盒 饭。那是一个还不曾懂得攀比的年代。 我们分享所读的青春小说，以及现在看 来十分幼稚的电视剧，最高兴的也不过就 是放了学的夏日去买一根五角钱的冰棍， 两人在回家的路上分着吃。几年后，我再 很难找到这种样式的冰棍了，它和我们的 童年一起，融化，滴落在柏油路上，蒸 发，干涸。 四年级的暑假，有一日父母皆要出差， 我在她家中过夜。我们穿着白色的睡裙， 我的印着小小的碎花，她的则是一只蝴蝶 结。两人兴奋的久久不能入睡，你一言我 一语的聊着天，夏日的夜晚偶尔会有蝉 鸣，空气炎热而潮湿，长长的头发将后背 捂出了汗。她搬来了一台老式的风扇，我 们笨手笨脚的把那台已经生了锈的老古董 安置在床边的书桌上。那一晚的梦里，便 充斥着风扇转动的声响，异样的安详。 后来我们都剪去了长发，空调房的夏日 也不再有风扇和蝉鸣，它们好似真的只存 在于旧时的梦境。 当时的我们没有智能手机，也没有随 声听，只能漫无边际的聊天，又或只是安 静的依偎着。一起的岁月中只有过三张合 照：全年级一起拍摄的幼儿园毕业照；正
经呆板的班级集体照；和一张“茄子”只喊到 一半，张大了嘴的小学毕业照。当时还不 流行自拍，我们的笑容和美好都留给了彼 此，也不算无凭无据。 小学毕业后，我转了学，好似切断了我 们之间唯一的枢纽。第一年的每周五我都 会步行去旧学校，在门外的石阶上一次又 一次的等待。刚开始的时候，她每一次都 迫不及待的寻找我，后来也慢慢接受，慢 慢习惯了彼此的不存在。回去的频率一年 一年减少，我们都有自己新的生活，每每 在教室门口等待她，都显得同周围格格不 入，旁人好奇的目光也让她显得不自在。 终于，我不再出现在学校门口。 三年前她去了美国后，我们联络的次数 一只手便能数的过来。朋友圈上时而有她 在美国的生活，弗洛里达州的艳阳和她描 了眼线的脸庞同样灿烂而陌生，而我能做 的也不过是机械系的在下面点上一个赞， 甚至不知该以怎样的心态或立场去评论。 其实不是不愿意联系，也许只是不敢联 系，害怕两人相顾无言的尴尬关系，又或 只是生活的脚步太快，忘记了被我们珍藏 的往昔。 那张最后的贺卡上，她说，人生难得一 知己，有你相伴已让我心怀感激。 小本子上满是我们当时抄录的短句，末 页上写着这样的一句话。 “某一天，你我暮年，静坐庭前,观花 开，赏花落,笑谈浮生流年。百年一眼,相对 一笑,姹紫嫣红早已看遍。” 我曾坚信，我们必将像句子里写道的那 样相偕到老，可若缘分弄人，那也请铭记 那夜的蝉鸣。
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目送 Written by: Helen Li Photo From: Pinterest
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你
渐渐，渐渐地发现，所谓父女 母子一场，只不过意味着，你 和他的缘分就是今生今世不断 地在目送他的背影渐行渐远。——题记 我和外婆说笑着走下楼梯，她眉眼 里闪烁着别样的喜悦。一路上我们愉快 地交流着，这段曾经让我觉得好长好长 的路突然变得很短很短，而我却希望它 长一些，再长一些…… 我是由外婆抚养长大的，她为了 我辞去了自己教师的工作，而我与她的 感情也格外深厚。还记得上幼儿园的第 一天，她牵着小小的我站在幼儿园门 口，轻轻地把我的手放在幼儿园老师的 手上，眼睛紧紧地跟随，目送到我走进 幼儿园的尽头。当时的我沉溺于外婆宠 溺的眼神中，好像自己就是世界上最幸 福的人。从那以后，日复一日，年复一 年，当年天真纯洁不知世事与感情的我 就在外婆这样的目送中慢慢长大了…… 我渐渐地长大了。外婆依旧用宠溺 的目光望着我，而我却把目光投向远方 光鲜亮丽的景物和人；外婆依旧笑眯眯 地和我聊天，而我却有一句没一句的应 答。直到有一天，我竟然说出了让现在 的我难以置信的那么伤她心的话，我对 着外婆毅然决然地说：我长大了，我以 后不用你送我上学了，你很唠叨诶。“随 即，我就转头走进了校门，不带一丝犹 豫。要是那时的我回头了，说不定就会 看见也许是风雨，也许是岁月，在她的 脸上留下了一道道或深或浅的痕迹。她 眼角下垂，流露出暗淡的无奈与悲伤， 仿佛是失去了这世上最珍爱的东西。 那天以后，少了外婆的陪伴，我开 始一个人走出小区，走去学校，走在那 很长很长的路上。。有一天，我走出家 门回头一瞥，却发现外婆伫立在窗边， 像以前那样紧紧地目送着我，看那背影 越长越大，看那背影越走越远。。 上中学了，学习越发忙碌起来，我 与外婆相处的时间也越来越少。我长高 了，她变矮了，我胖了，她瘦了，我长 大了，她也苍老了。有一天下午，我无 意间翻到了龙应台的《目送》，书里写 了一场又一场渐行渐远的目送。“你站立 在小路的这一端，看着他逐渐消失在小
路转弯的地方，而且，他用背影默默告 诉你：不必追。“想起我告诉外婆“不必 追”的那一天，我身后的外婆是不是也像 龙应台一样目送，一样等待着我在拐角 处的回头。可是我没有，一次也没有。 我突然意识到，外婆是这个世界上最爱 我的人，而当时的我，却丝毫没有察觉 到。我走进外婆的房间，悄悄地，她静 静地躺在床上，温暖的阳光从房间外照 射进来，在她身旁围出一道光晕。她就 是最爱我的，我最该珍惜的人，我心里 默默地想着。 第二天早上，我对来叫我起床的 外婆认真的说：“外婆，送我上学吧。” 她听到我的话，愣了一愣，然后点了点 头，重重地回答道：“好。”她眼里泛着 泪光，有着似孩童般喜悦的神情。我又 想幼儿园和小学的时候那样和外婆一起 走下楼梯，走出小区。而我却发现因为 中学离家里的距离太远，外婆只能把我 送到马路对面的公交车站。我和外婆说 着笑着，这条在我一个人走过时好长好 长的路突然变得好短好短，而我却恨不 得它变得长一些，再长一些。走出小 区，我站在马路的这一边，她站在马路 的那一边，深深地凝望着。这条马路， 这条被长大拉出来的鸿沟，突然变得好 窄好窄。过了几分钟车来了，我走上 车，回头望去，仍是那个熟悉的面孔， 逐渐苍老的外婆远远地目送着我。但这 次，她的脸上多了一份欣慰，多了一份 喜悦。她看见我回头，激动地挥手。我 发现，这似乎是她最幸福的一天。 在那一次次深深地凝望，远远的目 送中，我长大了，而我似乎也发现了许 多我从未深切感知到的事物。譬如，外 婆对我的，浓浓的爱。还有，在成长的 年龄的那份痛苦——我对于最亲的人带 来的上海。他们说，“成熟应该是变得温 柔，对全世界都温柔”。我想，在外婆的 目送下长大的我，也许更能发现身边人 对我的爱，以及生活中藏匿的美好。这 应该也是这成长路上的发现，带给我的 最美的礼物。 两个若即若离的人，一场渐行渐远 的目送，一次无声无息的长大，一次次 刻骨铭心的发现。
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Chasing the Basketball Dream: From Shanghai to New Orleans Written by: Sophia She | Photo by: Nicole Zhou
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W
hen we were younger, shows like Slam Dunk and Like Mike invoked dreams of becoming famous basketball players for many. As the years went by, the fantasy might have been robbed bit by bit by the realization of physically demanding training, nearly-impossible time management and other reality checks. Jeffrey Wu from 9(7) and JT Zhang from 8(3), however, are persistent with their basketball dreams, and their basketball experience culminated when they got a taste of playing the sport professionally through the Junior National Basketball Association (Jr. NBA). Selected because of their outstanding performance in an annual tournament hosted by Jr. NBA in Shanghai, Jeffrey and JT flew to New Orleans on February 15th for this 6-day program that became the turning point of their basketball careers.
STUDENT JOURNAL trip,” commented Jeffrey, “was getting to meet a lot of famous basketball players.” Professional players such as Jason Williams and Wu Yifan were coaches of the program; they lectured, attended workshops, and interacted personally with these young basketball enthusiasts. JT, laughing, remarked that the celebrities looked tall on TV but were even taller in real life, saying that “[the] entire interaction was surreal.” Despite their celebrity identities, the players treated the participants with care and patience. Jason Williams, who is famous for his ball passing techniques, patiently practiced passing around the ball with the participants. When someone missed a pass, he would al-
Workshops and Activities
The Jr. NBA program included many activities that lifted the enthusiasm of the young players, filling the gym with cheers and laughter. The three-point challenge, dunk contest, and all-stars game, for instance, formed the climax of the fourth night of the event. In particular, the dunk contest grabbed everyone’s fullest attention — each jump, throw, and score was breathtaking. In the end, two participants who were not the most eye-catching at first surprisingly had the best dunks, illustrating the limitless possibility of any ordinary person becoming an outstanding basketball player. When asked about the differences between these activities and Junior Varsity training at school, JT immediately replied that the Jr. NBA program was definitely more exciting. Based on his experience with the rigorous and physically-demanding training of basketball practice at school, JT commented that the activities in Jr. NBA were much more pleasurable. He expressed that the element of fun should be integrated into training more often to provide a stronger drive for basketball players.
Meeting Professional Players
“One of the highlights during my
Despite their celebrity identities, the players treated the participants with care and patience. ways retrieve the ball for them without hesitation. Their unexpected tolerance created an encouraging atmosphere for JT and Jeffrey, who were previously worried that they would not be able to perform well under pressure.
Back to Shanghai
Although it was only a short six-day journey, the Jr. NBA program gave Jeffrey and JT countless memories to share. For Jeffrey, the tricks and strategies he learned were the greatest rewards from the trip. One of the most memorable instances was when a coach taught him a shooting technique that required using power from the leg to push the upper body. To master it, the coach explained that he had to try to maintain the same shooting form every time, and he has been practicing the technique ever since. JT, on the
other hand, reflected upon the motivation participating in the program gave him. Because he is relatively short for a basketball player, JT confessed that he has doubted his skills from time to time, so being chosen for this highly selective program significantly boosted his confidence and elevated his interest and effort. In addition, he revealed that “interacting with famous ball players definitely inspired [him] to be just like them.” Both the skills and inspiration acquired from the trip had tremendous effects on the two JV players and may have cultivated two future NBA players!
Why Basketball?
Out of the numerous sports offered, basketball still prevails as one of the most popular sports in both American and Asian cultures. As the interview came to an end, I decided to find out why the two speak so passionately about this specific sport. As Jeffrey puts it, basketball is a holistic evaluation of teamwork, self discipline, and other aspects that are vital life skills that can be used outside of the sport. His coach drew a striking analogy between a basketball team and the five fingers on a hand — separately, five fingers cannot exert much force, but when clenched together, a fist can accumulate significant strength. In addition to teamwork, Jeffrey brought up a connection between basketball and his school life. “Because I want to be the best on the court,” he expressed, “I also want to be the best off the court.” Basketball, thus, acts as a valuable incentive for him to work hard academically. Initially favoring tennis over basketball, JT soon discovered the remarkable difference between tennis and basketball: collaboration. The need of collaboration in basketball, he remarks, makes the sport exciting, intriguing, and rewarding. Everyone who plays basketball knows it’s more than just a sport, more than just a hobby, and more than just a passion. The philosophy and emotions associated with the game make it an integral part of every basketball player’s life, not merely on the court. Basketball is really far more than a game; to Jeffrey and JT, it will be their forever pursuing dream.
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A Walk Down
Memory Lane Written by: Emily Teng Photos by: James Zhang
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easons fade in and out. Like a Ferris wheel, the system will shortly repeat its cycle, as another year flies by, leaving a myriad of fading memories behind. 2017, just like prior years, will be quickly stored in the shelves and accumulate dust. However, for the Class of 2017, the significance of this year cannot be compared with any other because by the beginning of this summer, high school will officially become past tense. While many are excited about the immense possibilities of their futures, there is still such sadness in leaving a place of strong familiarity where memories blossomed: the romantic crushes, the chronic embarrassments and silliness, the circle of friends, the struggles with academics and workload… This issue of Student Journal offers a nostalgic look back to savor the many iridescent moments that several seniors spent at this school. Before the goodbyes, let’s first embark on a trip down memory lane and take a look at these seniors’ reflections on their friendships, teachers and community.
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Teachers
Christine Hwang from class 12(1) is among the handful of students who have studied at SHSID since the 4th grade. Upon leaving to one of the most prestigious universities in the States, she is grateful for the teachers at SHSID who have guided and influenced her character to this day. In particular, she gave an example of how her tenth grade physics teacher, Ms. Dai, made her love the class. “She would always incorporate songs to the class and we would memorize all the formulas by singing these different songs, and it just made class so much more fun,” she recounts. Christine remembers always finding Ms. Dai in her office with a line of students asking her questions before exams, patiently answering them as hours whisked by. “It’s really touching to see how much time she devotes to students,” Christine recalls nostalgically, “and she is just one out of all the dedicated teachers that I’ll miss.”
Friendship
The hints of friendship in day-to-
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day things have also painted their school life. For instance, Claire Yo from 12(10) identifies the most unforgettable moments with her friends in the subtleties that occur daily. “Curl-
Dear Class of 2017, please protect that weirdness and innocence, bitter or sweet, as you explore more foreign territories and venture farther away. ing my eyelashes in P&B and scaring Allan with my torture device, putting makeup on Allan and Jack, playing tag with my best friends for all four years of high school, playing ultimate Frisbee on the grass field beside ZXB…” Claire recalls from her long
list of stories. Some friendships were rooted since primary school and have strengthened as the years progressed. For Celine Sung and Jasmine Jiang from 12(7) and 12(1) respectively, however, their friendship traces back to 2nd grade before they transferred to SHSID together. Since then, they have watched each other grow from children to adolescents and are now witnessing each other’s entries into adulthood. Among the countless moments they have spent together, participating in the World Scholar’s Cup as a team at Singapore Global rounds was one of the most prominent experiences for Celine and Jasmine. Celine remembers that during the writing contest, their team always encouraged each other and helped each other to find interesting topics in order to write the best essay possible. This support continued into the debate sessions, where three of them communicated with each other fluidly upon facing seniors and juniors much older than them. Not expecting to win anything,
STUDENT JOURNAL
Jasmine confessed that they were ecstatic when the tenth place for writing was announced. Although shocked by the results, they both thought they deserved it and felt the award rewarding. Both being fervent enthusiasts in design, Celine and Jasmine confesses that they will miss the synchrony of their aesthetic opinions after they leave for different colleges. The two frequently have a tacit understanding of each other that is almost supernatural. For example, Jasmine stated that when it comes to design, most 90 percent they agree on the same time. “Right now as seniors, we critique the juniors’ prom designs, and sometimes I would say that I don’t really like this, and she would [simultaneously] comment that she doesn’t like that either! I think I’m going to miss that,” said Celine. “When I’m walking down the street and [recognize fonts used in shop names or billboards], it’ll remind me of Jasmine because we are the biggest font geeks ever.” “She’s going to miss beating me in games,” said Jasmine jokingly,
“she’s super good at games.” Afterwards, the laughter and chatter in the room lapsed into a brief silence. The thought of the absence of each other in the near future provoked a bittersweet moment for the two friends.
Community
The bustling corridors, noisy chatters, friends, teachers, campus…all of these should be viewed together when reflecting on what SHSID means to them. When asking him what he will miss most about SHSID, Hercules Li from 12(8) replied succinctly, “I guess the people, because the people make the school.” He confesses that back in fifth grade, he was actually a very naughty kid. “One of the activities with my friends back then was throwing whiteboard erasers from the back of the room,” he recalls. He ascribes his change from a reckless child to a more mature and knowledgeable young adult over the 8 years to the influence of the social environment at school. He also recounts how the school’s
International Affairs Association furthered his interest in politics and government. Through Model UN, he is able to speak freely about ongoing political trends and critically analyze them without the assistance of newspaper commentators. “In the club, every two months or so, Times would ask us to provide commentaries on a collaborated column and I would end up writing the whole thing,” he said. Because of this opportunity at SHSID, Hercules has further developed his interest in government, which has also influenced his pursuing path into college. Seasons fade in and out and time drives forwards relentlessly. Soon this period that once seemed endless will melt down to a tiny spot on our timelines. Nevertheless, for better or worse, many of us will never forget high school. Dear Class of 2017, please protect that weirdness, innocence, bitter or sweet, as you explore more foreign territories and venture farther away. MARCH APRIL 2017
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Dochia Ting
Adam He Ryan Li
Tiffany Mei
Moto Zhu
Angela Shiu
Amber Cai
Brian Yoon
Jennifer Zhu
Karen Mao
Bevin Pan
Sophia Lin
Kevin Shen
Sean Chin
Giovanni Carruba
Tom Jeong
Michelle Li
Vivian Chen
Dave Kim
Yishing Koh
Bower Chu
Christine Hwang
William Blake
Mark Wu
Bonnie Lai
Nelly Shieh
Stephanie Zhang
Michael Qian
Michael Shi
Ricky Pan
Celine Sung
Joshua Lu
Senior Childhood Photos What the graduating class of 2017 looked like 10 years ago.
Jasmine Jiang
Ann Tang
SCI-TECH
MOBILE SECURITY Methods of Exploitation and Countermeasures Written by: Raymond Cheng Image from: cdn.ttgtmedia.com
W
e all have smartphones. We are all familiar with the versatility and convenience they bring to us and, for this reason, we store more and more personal data into our phones. Yet, as they hold more and more data that may be profitable to breachers, smartphones attracts more cyber-attacks. According to Kensington’s infographic, 70 million smartphones are breached each year, with only 7 percent of the data within the smartphones recovered. Needless to say, users around the world should take more notice of the importance of mobile security: common methods of exploitations need to be clarified and countermeasures explained to minimize possibilities of undesired consequences. The most common method of exploiting smartphones is through mobile applications. Smartphone users are prone to downloading applications from the Internet or app stores. However, there are possibilities that the apps downloaded are malwares, which may contain programs that detect and exploit vulnerabilities within the system, infect your entire smartphone and then steal your data. A common
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phenomenon for smartphone users is that they might be enticed to find and download free, “cracked” versions of apps that originally cost money. Another way through which mobile apps can compromise the security of your smartphone is unnecessary app permissions, which may include permissions to access contacts, texts, the camera, and the microphone. Permis-
70 million smartphones are breached each year, with only 7 percent of the data within the smartphones recovered. sions to use unnecessary functions may allow the apps to take advantage of certain functionalities of the system. For instance, an offline game requesting access to your location is very suspicious, as such games usually do not need this to work properly. Besides app permissions, hack-
ers can also penetrate vulnerabilities within smartphones by embedding malicious files in normal applications. This is accomplished through modifying the Integrated Development Environments (IDEs) used to develop mobile applications. One example of this is XcodeGhost, which is a modified version of Apple’s Xcode development environment. Two years ago, many popular Chinese apps, such as WeChat and CamScanner, were affected by XcodeGhost. XcodeGhost adds malicious files to iOS applications developed in the environment without the developers noticing. These harmful files diminish the security of the core service layer of the applications, which contains important features and frameworks. The infected devices might face remote control security risks, confidential information leakage, and user information compromise. More specifically, these malicious files can even prompt a box asking the user to input his or her Apple ID and password. As the box looks exactly the same as the real one, users may be tricked into giving the hackers access to their accounts. Another common method of attack
SCI-TECH
on smartphones involves unsecure WiFi networks. Think of a recent time when you used a free public Wi-Fi. It can be going to Starbucks to work on one of your personal projects, or while waiting for your flight to board. Feel blessed that you found a connection for free? Think again. In what is known as spoofing, hackers can create their own Wi-Fi networks that look exactly the same as the public Wi-Fi people intend to connect to. Since it is almost impossible for normal users to distinguish the differences between the two, severe security issues may happen as all Internet traffic is now directed to the access points established by the hackers. This means that all activities within your browser can be easily accessed and observed by the hackers. When you are connected to their networks, confidential information, such as your username and password of the website, may be revealed to the hackers. Connecting to an unsecured network may thus be dangerous. Hackers can also take advantage of vulnerabilities of your mobile operating systems (OS). The OS is the lowlevel software that supports all the main functions of a smartphone, from
running background processes to managing network to making the applications compatible with the hardware. If the weaknesses of an operating system are exposed and attacked, the hacker basically has full access to the smartphone and can do anything to the system. Stealing then deleting your entire photo album? Definitely doable. “Your phone number is all a hacker needs to read texts, listen to calls, and track you,” claims an article by The Guardian. But is there a way we can prevent these attacks from happening? The answer is yes and no. There are obviously some countermeasures to heighten the security systems of our smartphones; however, as of now, it is impossible to defend a system from all external attacks as some attacks are unavoidable. For a relatively easy approach, install antivirus software. Anti-virus software can scan for potential malwares periodically. The more advanced prevention technique is before installing applications, to check the user permissions of the app in case of any surprises. Mobile applications developed by compromised IDEs also deserve similar inquiries, though this is extremely hard to achieve. As for the
case of using free public Wi-Fi, double and triple check that you are really using the official network of your location. Although most of the times it is extremely hard to verify the legitimacy of the Wi-Fi network the device is connected to, be sure to double check in case two similar Wi-Fi pop up on your screen. For the vulnerabilities in mobile OS, the best solution is to install regular updates of the OS issued by the developer as soon as possible to ensure that we use newer builds of OS in which vulnerabilities are minimized. We appreciate the values of our smartphones so much, but we cannot ignore the potential loopholes present in the security systems. Mobile security is vitally important in today’s world since any one of roughly 2 billion smartphones worldwide can be targets of hacks. Although talented hackers can penetrate well-defended systems and some cyber-attacks are unavoidable, we still need to use the existing countermeasures and try the best to prevent these attacks. Your personal information should never end up in the wrong hands.
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SCI-TECH
Synthetic Metallic Hydrogen From Discovery to Destruction
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Written by: Jeff He
H
SCI-TECH
ydrogen, the first element on the periodic table, is an element that we can’t be more familiar with. Our textbook lists it as a nonmetal, but many scientists have hypothesized the existence of metallic hydrogen, a new phase of hydrogen that has the potential to revolutionize the way we consume energy. Two scientists recently created the world’s first metallic hydrogen, only to destroy it with lasers a few months later. In January 2017, Science journal published a paper by two Harvard scientists, who were able to create the first sample of metallic hydrogen, which was thought to only exist in the core of other planets. So what exactly is metallic hydrogen? In a simple sentence, metallic hydrogen is created by exerting pressure towards liquid or solid hydrogen. But this pressure is not just any regular pressure, but a pressure five million times larger than the atmospheric pressure. However, how can hydrogen acquire metallic properties, such as energy conductivity and heat conductivity, when pressure is applied to it? Metals are metals because they have free moving electrons. Normal hydrogen is not a metal because its electrons are shared tightly between the two atoms, and thus not free moving. In more scientific terms, hydrogen atoms share covalent bonds with other particles, and it is due to these electrons that the hydrogen atoms are bonded together. But when high pressure is applied to
hydrogen atoms, the pressure pushes many hydrogen atoms closely together, and the bonding of hydrogen atoms no longer relies on the electrons, but the high pressure. As each hydrogen atom is now neighbored by about ten two twelve other hydrogen atoms, each individual atom loses control of its own electrons, and electrons can now slide from atom
“Metallic hydrogen also contains enormous amounts of energy, acting as a much more powerful future energy source.” to atom, completing the transformation from nonmetal to metal. Metallic hydrogen has many precious uses. For example, electric generator produced using metallic hydrogen are predicted to be 99% more efficient. Theoretically, it can also act as fuel for rockets and electric cars, transferring electricity at an extremely fast rate. Metallic hydrogen also contains enormous amounts of energy, acting as a much more powerful future energy source. But in fact, it is extremely difficult to
synthetically produce metallic hydrogen, for immense pressure is required, and also no interference from other elements is allowed. Thus, most scientists believe that metallic hydrogen can only be found in planets’ cores, in which the conditions are the most ideal. But the two scientists from Harvard University decided to give it a shot. After cooling down the hydrogen sample to a temperature that’s slightly above absolute zero, they used two diamonds to exert pressure upon the hydrogen, eventually resulting in a small piece of metallic hydrogen. Afterwards, they kept the metallic hydrogen squeezed by the two diamonds to protect it. Yet just a month after publishing their findings, a disaster occurred. When trying to measure the internal pressure of the metallic hydrogen using a low power laser, the scientists accidentally broke one of the two diamonds, turning it into dust using the laser. As the protective diamond was destroyed, so was the metallic hydrogen, for it quickly turned to gas in an environment of regular temperature and pressure. Still, the scientists were optimistic and believed that they can soon replicate the process and produce another sample of metallic hydrogen. At the same time, we should look at man-made metallic hydrogen with hope, for it might completely transform the way energy is supplied in the future.
“Metallic hydrogen is created by exerting pressure towards liquid or solid hydrogen.”
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Shanghai High School International Division 400 Shang Zhong Road Shanghai, China 200231 Website: www.shsid.org