Persistent, Aspiring, Noble, Diligent, Achieving
SHSID|TIMES November December 2016 Edition
2016 WINTERBALL: BEHIND THE SCENES PAGE 1-6
ART FESTIVAL 2016 PAGE 17-18
HALLOWEEN PARTY PAGE 15-16
HACK YOUR BODY PAGE 39-40
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 Dochia Ting 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 Hoyoun Kim 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 Isabella Yin Ivy Sung Jacqueline He James Zhang Joshua Lu Jessica Hwang 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 Editor Happy New Year, dear readers! This issue’s theme is WINTER FESTIVITIES. It’s not just about causes for celebration: Halloween, Christmas, the end of 2016 and beginning of 2017, dates set to Square One, the debut of many fresh voices on the Times staff, (and a US presidential victory for the most loyal of Republicans). This issue of Times is about the people around us who make these arbitrary markings on our otherwise routine timelines worthwhile of celebration. In another sense, this issue is about what one may call the philosophy of Christmas: that in the heart of winter, it is not nature that determines our happiness but our own actions. Santa, of course, is Spanish for “Saint”. And while I have stopped waiting for the bearded old man in red pajamas, his red-nose reindeers, and their yearly mission of charity, I still choose to believe in the existence of Santa; that at the stroke of midnight on Christmas, we all become Santas in one sense or another as we bestow gifts of happiness to one another. Every Christmas since my freshman year has been made better by the efforts of the Associated Student Body as they labor tirelessly for each year’s Winter Ball. Somehow, SHSID’s Christmas never seems complete without this annual dressup party. So in name of WINTER FESTIVITIES and more importantly those who enable our celebrations, Times will take you behind the scenes to the ASB’s planning process of upperclass Winter Ball 2016. We hope that this manifestation of the spirit of Christmas reminds you of many other causes for celebration in your life! Sincerely,
Tiffany Mei, Editor in Chief
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TABLE OF Cover Story Winterball 2016: Behind the Scenes
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The Power of Junior Assemblies
News
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Halloween Party 2016
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Renaissance Fair
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SHSID Art Festival 2016
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China Youth Business League
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Bringing you all that there is behind the scenes of Winter Ball 2016–the hardships and excitement behind the glamour.
SHSID finds its inner Renaissance.
A sneak peek into two vibrant young clubs founded by ninth graders.
OPINION: The Greater of Two Evils? A Closer Look at the 2016 US Election ‌and what it means for you, dear student looking to study in the States.
Real stories behind the annual Halloween party Amazing talent and dazzling lights
Lifestyle
Been hearing about CYBL? Catch up on its latest news.
Club Correspondent
A good utilization of Thursday morning P&B classes.
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OPINION: Two Other Reasons Why We Learn Literature Introducing you to the powers of reading literature
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Drinks to Keep You Cozy This Holiday Season Easy, delicious, warm.
November December 2016
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CONTENTS Student Journal
Literature 23 24 25
Game of Chess
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Allen Chen
Never let life cripple your heart for the wind is still blowing on that winding path
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Victor Yu’s Project
Lo Squalificato: A Review of No Longer Human
Science and Technology
It’s something of an elaborate game…
On The Winding Path
Insights to the second-bestselling novel in Japan, Ningen Shikkaku, or No Longer Human by Osamu Dazai.
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我・雪 游记・杂忆 三场雪，三处事，三个人
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冬至将至 冬至过后等待着我的到底是冬寒飞雪还是春暖花 开，又有谁能知道？
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Allen Chen from 11(6) chases his fashion dream by working a part-time job as a model in a worldwide agency. If at first you don’t succeed... be a Victor
Hack Your Body 10 ways to simplify your life with just yourself
Artificial Intelligence: Onto the Medical Adventure How would AI be applied to medicine?
The Influence of New Regulations on the Car Hailing Industry Bringing you into the world of new regulations imposed on the car-hailing industry in China.
COVER STORY
Winterball 2016:
Behind the Scenes Written by: Annie Fang, Emily Teng, Yuki Lam
F
alling temperature, jingling bells, and frosty streets of the city illuminated by Christmas lights—all of which has begun to mark the advent of winter in Shanghai. This seasonal euphoria marked SHSID’s annual upperclass Winter Ball, which took place on December 26th during Christmas break. In celebration of the spirits of Winter festivities, we will be bringing you all that there is behind the scenes of Winter Ball 2016–the hardships and excitements behind the glamour. As the first off-campus event of the year during which Junior ASB members were put in charge, this year’s Winter Ball was packed with challenges, including the heavy workload coupled with preparation for the Renaissance Fair, an extremely belated Halloween party, and many other unstable elements. Chloe Tan, the vice president of the ASB sums up the preparation quite accurately, “It’s going to be hard and possibly even painful in the process, but it’s going to be fun.”
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Photo taken by: Mark Wu
COVER STORY
COVER STORY Venue Hunting The choice of venue is one of the most important decisions that the ASB makes together through the combined efforts of the team before all the other aspects of planning begin. The venue not only decides the overall aesthetic of the event, but also the budget that the ASB can then work with. Finding a perfect fit was not easy. With a packed schedule ahead, members of the ASB began scrolling through endless lists of Shanghai’s classy restaurants online while nagging their parents for possible connections. By the end of the midterms, they had a list of twenty gorgeous restaurants ready for the hunt. Since last year’s venue at Sasha’s offered an antique scenery of Midnight Shanghai, the ASB went for a different style this year. On the list, there was the Calypso decorated by its Mediterranean elegance, POP on the Bund embellished by its industrial and modern overtone, Paulaner illuminated by its German artistry, and many, many more. Venue hunting began with contacting the managers of each restaurant to arrange formal meetings. While some of the phone calls ended in brutal rejections for the impossible prices that they offered, most successfully scheduled visiting dates. Immediately after the midterm exams, the ASB divided themselves into groups of three and began venue hunting. While some groups went across the river to LuJiaZui, others were scattered around Jing’An, the Bund, Huai’hai road, and all the most metropolitan areas in the city. It is natural that some restaurant managers wouldn’t take teenagers’ requests seriously, so with this in mind, the ASB members arrived at each venue dressed semi-formally and ready to pull out their most professional event-planning mindset. At the venues, ASB members toured each restaurant with a careful eye, looking out for details such as possible arrangements of buffet tables, dance floor, and coat room.
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This year, many of the managers that they encountered were enthusiastic about providing their venues for the event, yet money remained the most testing difficulty. While ASB members marveled at the beauty of interior decorations and river-front views, they also silently walked away upon hearing the sky-high prices that did not come anywhere close to their available budget. “All the brutal rejections made us more determined to find a balance between venue, food, and price”, Treasury Department member Catherine Ma says, “and I think we achieved that with our chosen venue.” On November 15th, all ASB members got together after school and each group presented the venues that they visited. All the pictures that each group took were displayed on the projector for the whole ASB to see while they compared the prices and food that each had to offer. After a few rounds of elimination and enthusiastic discussion, they settled on Sun Chateau 尚九, a graceful wedding venue on the North Bund. “The other two venues that we visited were either too small or simply too plain, but 尚九 was mind-blowing”, says Wendy Kim, a new addition to the Design and Decorations Department Of course, this was not achieved easily. At first, the price that Sun Chateau offered was just as high as other venues that were crossed off from the list. However, the manager there was more than enthusiastic about our Winter Ball and assisted the ASB in negotiations, finally reaching a reasonable price and providing a beautiful venue with a stunning view of the Bund. According to Ricky Pan, the president of ASB, Sun Chateau will hopefully provide “a modern, clean, and al-
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most minimalistic aesthetic.”
The Theme Choosing a perfect and innovative theme is essential to create a lively and romantic atmosphere during the ball. Deciding the theme is one of the most significant preparation works to start with. To begin with, every member of the ASB sent their individual aesthetic proposal to the Design and Decoration (D&D) Department. Their ideas were accompanied by detailed and descriptive illustrations in order to show what type of atmosphere each member had in mind. The D&D department, after receiving all those unique suggestions,
“It’s going to be hard and possibly even painful in the process, but it’s going to be fun” sparked a heated discussion and reviewed all the ideas one-by-one carefully. Eventually, they narrowed it down to two options: a festive holiday theme with burgundy gold and white, and a rosy, gold, floral, royal, blue color theme. The second option prevailed and became the color theme for our upcoming seasonal bash. After the color theme was decided, the Activities Department started to brainstorm the main theme for the Winter Ball. During the discussions, they wavered between a few choices: Under the City Lights, Enchanted, Shanghai, Shanghai, and Cloud 9. In the following days, after hesitations, the ASB members
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finally made their decision. Since the venue was decided as Sun 9 (also know as Sun Chateau), all ASB members, after holding a vote and consultation about the matter, consented that Cloud 9 is the most suitable theme. Activities Department member Annie Fang exclaimed, “It is a very different feeling from the themes we set in the past. The theme we had in the past few years were more conventional, but this year, we attempt to make a break through by setting up this luxuriant theme with vivid and conspicuous colors.”
Junior Dance A long standing tradition in the Senior High ASB, all junior members are required to open the dance floor at Winter Ball with the song “Falling Slowly”, dancing to the intricate steps of a classic ballroom dance. Having heard of this tradition back in Sophomore year, all the Junior members were quite frustrated in the beginning about who they would ask to do the dance with them and all the awkward moments that the experience might entail. This feared awkwardness was, however, no where to be found in the jolly dance practice afternoons shared by them and their instructors, Seniors Jack Lee and Amber Cai. The group laughed together at the clumsy mistakes that first-time dancers made and rejoiced over the moments where everyone completed each step on the right beat. Completely out the the usual “event planning” league, the Junior Dance is something that any ASB member will probably have a hard time forgetting.
View taken from the venue
Photo taken by: Jasmine Jiang
COVER STORY
The Junior Dance
Photo taken by: James Zhang
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Filming the promo video Photo taken by: Mark Wu
Departments Activities Department With the dress, the tux, the hair, the friends and the date, we would also need the photos, the games, the dance and the party, which were all organized by the Activity crew of ASB. With the variety of games and booths to entertain the attendees, it was almost impossible to imagine that only 4 junior members constructed the entire plan. ‘The aim of the activities was to create a lively and enjoyable atmosphere for the attendees in those three hours’ said the leader of the activities team, Annie Fang. The King Queen Election is one of the most traditional activities in dances and this was certainly no exception for Winter Ball. Entering the venue, couples took photos and were put into the ballots for the election. Throughout the evening, couple’s photos were rolling on a screen and ASB members collected attendee’s votes for who they thought the King and Queen of the night should be. This sense of excitement and anticipation was eventually culminated and released after the junior dance, where the elected King and Queen walked down the hall with their tiara and crown, initiating the first dance of the night. This classical event very well matched with the social life of a high school student, as even if we did not want the title, it is in our curious nature to find out who would be elected! As for singles, the matching game has been a long-held custom of Winter Ball. Who was the Peeta’ to your Katiniss? Upon entering, individual attendees were assigned with fictional characters that were part of a romantic duo. The mission for these attendees was then to search for their ‘star cross lover’. Many participants in the past confessed that this process of hunting was quite a highlight of the evening, to walk up towards strangers and giggle every time they asked ‘Are you my other half ?’ For friends, the small activities such as charades, beer pong (replacing the beer of course) and the photo booth were appealing for them to make memories and have fun on the last few days of 2016. In addition, the
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hugging version of musical chairs also gave the perfect chance to form news bonds, ending an old year yet starting new friendships.
Public Relations Department With the dedicated activities team already committing their complete attention and energy into creating a magical evening, all that was left was for people to come! It was then the PR crew’s task to publicize about this spectacular night. In fact, this sector of ASB worked almost simultaneously with the organization of the event to achieve a maximum number of participants. From the promo videos to the wechat advertisements and then to PNB promotions, the PR team constantly worked until the last minute before Winter Ball to get more people out of their usual mundane weekend routines, and go party with friends on a wintery night. To publicize this year’s Winter Ball, PR started their work with a promotional video. The video followed a storyline of an interviewer interviewing pairs that are attending the Winter Ball. While the couples talk about their expectation and anticipation of the event, a boy wants to ask the interviewer to be his date. He eventually has the courage to buy the tickets and ask her at the very last minute. The story ended with them attending the Ball, overlooking the spectacular view of Shanghai’s most monumental skyscrapers. In fact, the view, in ASB members’ opinion, was the key attraction for this year’s ball. ‘The view is absolutely captivating; it is PERFECT’ says PR group member Catherine Ma. Indeed, during venue hunting, ASB members have always been praising continuously about the breathtaking view of Shanghai’s Lujiazui district seen from the extensive French windows of 尚九. When the night falls, the whole city lights up. The illuminating Oriental Pearl Tower seemed to be floating above the busy traffic and highways; Shanghai World Financial Center and Shanghai Center extended directly into the foggy night sky, as if were touching the clouds. We could only been wonderstruck by this scen-
ery when we were personally in that enchanted atmosphere. In addition, this year’s Promo Video also consisted of different groups attending the event in order to appeal towards a wider demographic. Winter Ball was not only an event for those that went in pairs. Whether you have come with a date, a friend or alone, there was something exciting and worth looking forward to for everyone was the statement that this year’s promo video wanted to convey.
Treasury Department When we are talking about Treasury, we often think of the tedious (or maybe for some enjoyable) process of counting money. However, the members of treasury for Winter Ball also have another substantial task – SHOPPING. These ‘shopaholics’ are responsible for purchasing all the materials that are needed for the D&D and activities department, ensuring that the budget corresponds with the set ticket prices. ‘Because of Winter Ball, I made an Alipay account and I never carried cash ever since’, says the junior leader in Treasury, Catherine Ma.
Design and Decorations The Design and Decoration department of ASB definitely consists of the most artistically talented individuals. From the fonts on posters to ribbons used on the back of chairs, these ‘perfectionists’ had their hands on every intricate and delicate detail to ensure a stunning evening for all attendees. After drafting more than ten different color schemes, the final aesthetic theme for this year’s Winter Ball was a harmonious combination of cobalt and champagne gold with floral touches, overall producing a luxurious and extravagant environment. In comparison with the minimalistic concept for last year’s prom, the design for Winter Ball has taken a complete opposite direction. “We also used translucent hues such as champagne gold, pink and white, as they correspond with the ambience of our venue,” said Angelina Ding, junior ASB member and
COVER STORY
leader for Winter Ball’s D&D department. The posters that were pinned against every bulletin board, the tickets that were handed to every participant, the voting boxes that were passed around during the King Queen election, the photo booth that was used to capture the breath taking view of the Bond and almost everything else associated with this event was designed and produced by the dedicated D&D members, continuously brainstorming ideas and working diligently in front of their computers and sketchpads. ‘To correspond with the theme, we used more cursive fonts for the posters and added gold and floral touches to express an ornamental yet classic sensation’, said Angelina. She also confided that although the entire working process was exhausting and sometimes frustrating, when the final event products were created, the only emotions remaining were happiness and satisfaction. “There is no better feeling than seeing posters and tickets printed, the venue decorated, and everything from my vision turning to reality”, said Angelina, expressing inevitable contentment when talking about it. Behind the dazzling venue and the creative activities, there are the dedicated ASB members pushing day and night to make this evening happen. While we only see and enjoy the final outcome, every intricate detail and decision was discussed for weeks and even months among these diligent students. None of this would have ever been possible without the dedication of every ASB member and the support from teachers. Through this behind the scenes of Winter Ball, aside from enjoying the inside story of this originally secretive process, we also felt the tireless work ethic that was put into this event. Between the interviews with members, we could sense the arduous challenges and difficulties met throughout the planning. Nonetheless, Winter Ball 2016 stood undefeated against all such obstacles and was presented to all in its best form. We are certain that everyone who attended the event was surrounded by love from all of our best high school memories and blessed by the stunning city lights of the Bund.
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NEWS
Renaissance Fair Written by Jerry Chen | Photos by Maggie Chan, James Zhang and Cindy Bu
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NEWS
W
hat do Shakespeare, long and puffy dresses, and knights all have in common? They are all part of the Renaissance culture. Throughout decades of history, historical reenactments of the English Renaissance attracted history enthusiasts with realistic cosplays of period attire, Renaissance games and shows, and historic food or snacks. While renaissance fairs have had their fair share of history in North America and Europe, it is a completely novel event to the students of SHSID. To extend what was learned about the Renaissance period during English and history class, enthusiastic teachers and the ASB decided to hold the Renaissance Fair to allow students to explore what they learned in class, outside of class.
The Costumes
A vibrant splash of colors roamed through the halls during the Renaissance Fair. Because of the students’ avid participation in reenacting life during the historical period, the whole event was completed by the variety of costumes that students put on. While members of the clergy, i.e. priests, monks, and nuns, were certainly a popular choice, others preferred either a more lavish dress or a detailed peasant costume. All along the hallways of XianMian building, students strolled from one room to another as knights, priests, nuns, nobility, or queens and kings in puffy dresses and shirts. A number of dedicated students and teachers spent great energy trying to create realistic costumes, similar to the everyday attire worn by different social classes during the time period. To demonstrate the dedication she put into the Renaissance Faire as an English teacher, Ms. Courtney Berry had her costume of a peasant girl especially tailored and made. Wen Ku, a sophomore, hand-sewed her peasant costume to make the garment more realistic. The significant amount of time and effort that both students and teachers spent was certainly reflected in the scrupulousness of the costumes.
The Events
The Renaissance Fair would not have been the same if it wasn’t for the Renaissance related activities hosted in the XianMian building. The highlight during the afternoon was definitely the sonnet recitation competition. Students, dressed up in costumes, memorized their favorite Elizabeth sonnets to recite in front of a panel of judges. Not only did they have to accurately deliver the lines, they had to act out the emotions illustrated by characters in the sonnets in a dramatic manner. “As a participant, it was a fresh and extraordinary experience to perform a Shakespearean sonnet,” expressed Tania Kim, a sophomore winner of the competition, “students were ‘performing’ the sonnet in a group rather than reciting them. Hence, the event gained more attention and more students came to see the performances.” In addition, students and teachers sold desserts and drinks in food booths, and a variety of clubs held games and activities related to the Shakespear-
All along the hallways of XianMian building, students strolled from one room to another as knights, priests, nuns, nobility, or queens and kings in puffy dresses ean era. A few teachers got together and made desserts such as chocolate cake and muffins that attracted a large number of hungry spectators. English & Aspiration’s Elizabethan English trivia was particularly interesting; students had to translate Shakespearean vocabulary into modern terms, and fill in words to complete famous Shakespearean lines. Ting Shing Koh, leader of the E&A club, mentioned, “Overall, our trivia booth was an interactive experience for students to show off their Renaissance knowledge outside the traditional classroom setting. Not only did the students and teachers learn more about Shakespeare and the Renaissance period, the best contestants
brought home stuffed animals!” These activity booths kept students immersed in the Renaissance culture.
The Show
Although it was located in the drama classroom, away from the main venue of the Renaissance Fair, many attended the play A Midsummer Night’s Dream, performed by members of the musical club. Not only does it relate to the Renaissance theme in its nature of being a Shakespearean play, it was the perfect form of entertainment for students during the event. Sonia Chang, a sophomore actress in the musical version of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, commented on her experience on stage, “I am glad to work with such a wonderful and talented team. The main goal of our performance was to entertain everyone and commemorate Shakespeare’s work through theater and music.” The play was an opportunity for both the performers and the audience to get acquainted with Shakespearean literature in non-academic way, and to admire Shakespearean literature for the purpose of enjoyment itself. Performing only well-known portions of the entire play, the actors and actresses brought the play to life as the audience watched attentively.
The Future While the Renaissance Fair can be described as successful, the event is not without its imperfections. There are still several aspects and features of this historical reenactment of the Renaissance period yet to be established and improved in the Renaissance Fair at SHSID, such as elaborate decorations in the halls, or involving students from other grades in participating as well. One could say with confidence that the event could be expanded even more with games distinct to the Elizabethan period, and food that people ate at that time. With the help of the student population, the promise of the Renaissance Faire becoming an annual celebration at SHSID is very much possible.
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NEWS What is CYBL?
China Youth Business League Written by : Sophia Li Photos provided by: CYBL
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n November 12th-13th, 2016, six SHSID teams of four congregated at Shanghai GuangHua School to participate in China Youth Business League, or CYBL.
Meet the Crew To gain insight to the competitor’s experience, we interviewed Hiko Komatsu from 10(7), Britney Zhang from 9(9), Audney Guo from 10(11), and Annie Fang from 11(1). Many students from SHSID competed in CYBL, and many for different reasons. Hiko claims, “I’ve heard that a team from our school has won the China National Finals before. I was planning to go if it was cool.” Indeed, past victories do entice new members to join. Others felt strongly interested in the idea of business. Annie Fang from 11(1) states that she “joined
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because I’ve always wanted to go to more business competitions.” Audney Guo, a first-timer at CYBL from 10(11), also explains, “I’m really into economics and just wanted some experience.” However, joining a highly competitive competition is never easy. Many challenges loomed over the participants, who learned how to overcome them one by one. Hiko states, “The broad questions had to be narrowed down, which was actually kind of painful and difficult.” However, Hiko and his team skillfully utilized their time to finesse through the questions. Annie and Audney’s team faced another challenge. “Because the competition was immediately after midterms, my team and I were still extremely exhausted from the exams and didn’t really feel motivated.” Audney also adds, “Team cooperation and communication can be really hard sometimes too,
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China Youth Business League is an educational platform for students to learn about business. This year, the competition consisted of four sections. The hour-long first section was a presentation on a given topic: “Do you think the delivery market would expand more on human intellect or technology in the future?” Teams were given fifteen minutes to prepare and eight minutes to present their findings. The second section consisted of a three-hour long test of short answers and essays. As of 2016, the questions were primarily focused on drone technology and the food industry. After an exhausting three hours, groups proceeded on to section three and were split into two subgroups. One subgroup would receive a map with lines and points— they would have to describe it to the other subgroup, who would attempt to draw it on a blank map as accurately as possible. Lastly, section four was a case presentation largely based on similar topics seen in section two. Clearly, participants faced obstacles while competing in such a challenging competition. Let’s take a look behind the scenes.
NEWS
Most teams faced the issue of cramming. Due to the midterms, teams had to race with the clock in order to cram up for CYBL. “I read the case background right after it came out and met up with my team for a few inefficient meetings at school,” says Annie, “but most of our prep work was done the night before, which was pretty painful.” In addition to the tight schedule, the competition’s tasks were formidable obstacles. Britney admits, “we didn’t prepare enough for the speeches, and the case analysis we wrote wasn’t good enough, so we had to skip lunch and prepare the second speech so we wouldn’t come in last.” In retrospect, she comments that if she could have changed anything, she would have “rephrase[d] everything I said in my first speech” and “go deeper” in her case analysis.
Results After two days of arduous work, the teams are rewarded. “SHSID” is commonly used as a popular verb among students nowadays; to say “we SHSIDed them” means to utterly beat the other teams at competitions. This again proves true for CYBL. The top six places were taken completely by the six teams SHSID sent. In fact, not a single trophy was doled out to the other schools—SHSID took them all back in glory. Britney, whose team won 1st place, also won second place in both business simulation and in speech. “It was a miracle!” exclaims an excited Britney. Annie and Audney’s team, on the other hand, won the 2nd for Case
Analysis, 3rd for Presentation, and 4th overall. All in all, the competition ended well, as expected, for the SHSID teams. Besides winning awards and trophies, each participant could walk away with experience and newfound knowledge. Whether it was learning how to interact with the audience, deliver speeches without reading off of a piece of paper, cooperate with team members, or draw drone paths, CYBL is an event that can teach participants valuable knowledge that exceeds beyond the boundaries of trophies and awards. We hope to see more of SHSID’s teams head off to CYBL in the future and obtain stellar results.
“ We SHSIDed Them ” NOVEMBER DECEMBER 2016
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WE CLUB “The club focuses on the impoverished children living in China’s thriving cities, students in the countryside... and teenage depression patients.”
WE Club is a community service club Nicole Zhou from 9(4) created in 2015 to help out those in need. The club focuses on the impoverished children living in China’s thriving cities, students in the countryside who lack education, and teenage depression patients. WE Club @SHSID is recognized to be the extension of the Me To We Charity Organization that is based in Canada. “WE Club SHSID is a gathering of human beings to change the world.” says Nicole. The club is on its way to achieve its goals by charity sales to
raise funds and WeChat publications to raise awareness on sensitive topics such as the wide spread phenomenon of depression in Chinese teens. For example, it has not only posted introductions about depression but has also interviewed people who either have experienced symptoms of depression before or have been near people with depression. According to Nicole, the club will continue to try and make the world that we live in a more positive community.
CLUB CORRESPONDENCE Written by : Rachel Wu | Photos by : Sophia She & Isabella Yin
CRIMINAL PSYCHOLOGY CLUB “trying to add its own positive force into the world.” Although the Criminal Psychology Club has only come into existence in this new semester, it has hosted various interesting activities, some only benefiting its club members while others impacting the whole Zhong Xing Building.
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The club provides a fun way of obtaining knowledge and ideas related to criminal psychology that can be applied into daily life. According to Teresa Ma from 9(5), a member of the club, students got a chance to observe others’ normally undetectable expressions in games of Mafia where they tried to figure out the liar among a group of innocent people after the study of micro expression. Not only is the club benefiting its own members, it is also trying to reach out into the public. On World Mental Health Day, the club organized an event that encouraged the participation of everyone from the Zhong Xing Building. Participants wrote positive statements and/or shared their stories to serve as encouragements to people with depression.
OPINION ABOUT THE AUTHOR A frequent victim of acute senioritis, Bevin spends an unhealthy amount of time on late-night Talkshows and all things political when he is not thinking about life or eating his favorite junk foods.
The Greater of Two Evils? A Closer Look at the 2016
ELECTION *This article represents the view of the writer but not SHSID
Written by: Bevin Pan | Photo from: newsin3d.com
“He’s a joke. Donald Trump will never win the race.” Such was the frequent comment from many, including comedian Steven Colbert, during the entire presidential election. Yet The Simpsons predicted it all. On November 8th, 2016, Republican Nominee for president of the United States Donald Trump defeated Democrat Nominee for president Hillary Clinton with 290 electoral votes against 228. In the days that followed, hundreds of thousands of Americans took to the streets, organizing protests in more than 25 major cities. Spiking numbers of racial harassment have been reported across the country, while many protestors resorted to arson and vandalism on the other side. International stock markets took a massive plunge immediately after his victory and the Canadian Immigration services website even reported crashes due to drastic increases in Traffic. The general election season that followed the primaries for both parties is also a controversy filled time on the American political scene. Despite being the nominees of their respective
parties, Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton both experienced periods of tension with their party’s leadership. Following Clinton’s announcement as her party’s presidential nominee, WikiLeaks released a series of emails between Democratic Party leadership that show obvious bias from the party towards Hilary Clinton and discussed in these emails are plans to undermine Bernie Sanders. Meanwhile, repeated reports of strife between Donald Trump and central party figures such as Paul Ryan and Reince Priebus has led many to speculate that perhaps such an unconventional candidate will be nothing more than an ephemeral exhibition. The interactions between the two candidates were not much better, as the entire election season simply degenerates into nothing more than a battle of name calling and personal insults. Donald Trump’s angry midnight tweets and Clinton’s wistful accusations serve no more than to aggravate voters. So, when the poll numbers showed that Hillary was set to become the first female president of the United States, most were unsurprised. Even
Donald Trump’s own campaign staff made preparations for a Clinton victory on November 8th. However, as the results came out, the polls proved to be grossly inaccurate as Donald Trump became the president-elect of the United States. So, with such an “unstable, impulsive, and rash” person in the seat of perhaps the most powerful political office in the world, it is only logical for some to feel concerned for the future of America. The most radical of Trump opponents, as an editor of the Atlantic magazine, go as far as proclaiming that “Donald Trump […] has no record of public service and no qualifications for public office. His affect is that of an infomercial huckster; he traffics in conspiracy theories and racist invective; he is appallingly sexist; he is erratic, secretive, and xenophobic; he expresses admiration for authoritarian rulers, and evinces authoritarian tendencies himself. He is easily goaded, a poor quality for someone seeking control of America’s nuclear arsenal. He is an enemy of fact-based discourse; he is ignorant of, and indifferent to, the Constitution; he
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OPINION
appears not to read.” While he is definitely literate (Donald Trump attended both Fordham University and the University of Pennsylvania) many of these accusations from the editorial board of The Atlantic are somewhat grounded in fact. And now that Donald Trump is confirmed for office at the White House, let us take a deeper look at what will realistically happen to the United States and how this change will affect individuals. The short answer for the average American: A LOT. The short answer for you, dear reader: Not much. Let’s explain why. During the Obama administration, many of his progressive plans seeded a deep resentment for his policies, and therefore resulting in the increased election of conservative politicians to positions within the legislative branch of the United States. After Donald Trump’s inauguration, the republican controlled government would reverse many of Obama’s policies, including his affordable-care act, commonly known as Obamacare. While we cannot expect the Trump administration to successfully deport the 11 million illegal immigrants in the United States, one would be wise to prepare for harsher laws against illegal immigrants and tighter border controls. Speaking of which, while Donald Trump may be able to negotiate plans for more border control agents, Mexico will certainly not pay for a border wall. Even Donald Trump himself has recognized the impossibility of such a prospect, later revising his statements, saying that the US will first finance the wall and have Mexico pay for it later. His wall-construction prospects aside, Donald Trump’s proposal of a total
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ban on Southwest Asian Immigrants, however, radical it may seem, does have a high chance of implementation in the United States as it does fit the agendas of the many conservative politicians that currently control both houses of the Congress. However, as an international student, one does not have to worry about such a prospect as Trump has guaranteed to keep legal immigration at nominal levels. Trump also has many plans for the US economy. His tax plan would actually increase the number of tax-exempt families currently residing in the United States, and his education plan, while
“If you are like most students and intend to pursue a more ‘mainstream’ major such as business or engineering, your departments will likely go untouched.” decreasing funding for public school systems, would actually decrease the costs that an individual has to pay for a college education. His plans will incentivize institutions of higher education to cut down on costs by reducing direct funding from government and instead encouraging austerity measures at these universities. So that means, for all of you ancient-Greek philosophy majors, you might lose professors and it is very likely that colleges will cut funding for you. However, if you are like most students and intend to pursue a more
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“mainstream” major such as business or engineering, your departments will likely go un-touched. Furthermore, while it is very likely for the Trump Administration to reverse many of the bio-centric environmental policies of the Obama administration, his plans to increase U.S. domestic energy production will give a much-needed short-term boost to the American economy. In the long term, however, many of Trump’s policies may not be as beneficial. His plans to lower federal interest rates would only serve to encourage resource consumption, furthering the sharp decline in natural resources in the United States should it be implemented for an extended period of time. In addition, many other of his economic policies are drastically similar to those of the Bush administration, which many economists claim to be the culprit behind the 2008 financial crisis. Still, many of the concerns that many still have for a Trump administration remain unwarranted as these people generally underestimate the power of American Governmental institutions. Unlike a dictator for an authoritarian and autocratic government, the American head of state wields much less power over their nation due to the mechanisms of checks and balances. In this case, there is a congress full of well-informed politicians and a governor with a proven track record to keep Donald Trump in check. Therefore, even if many would fancy the prospect of “Dictator Trump”, such a concern is not necessarily warranted.
NEWS
The Power of Junior Assemblies Written by: Rachel Wang | Photo by: James Zhang
I
n short, Junior Assembly is a weekly event hosted by SHSID juniors for SHSID juniors during Thursday P&B classes. It is a gathering where everyone—not just the lucky few who speak in the Opening Ceremony— have a chance in sharingto share their opinions through public speaking. what they love. As of the time of writing this article, three assemblies have been hosted so far; topics covered during these assemblies have ranged from summer camp experiences to entertainment-related topics. The assemblies also give students a chance to practice their public speaking skills.
The Speakers: Student Speaker Perspectives
For students who chose to share their interests through the assemblies, their experiences have been overwhelmingly positive. Speakers were mainly motivated to participate in the event because they “had something to say.” For example, Amy Wu of 11(5), the first Junior Assembly speaker this semester, talked about her summer internship in New York, while Elaine
Zheng of 11(5) talked about her summer program at the Berklee College of Music. While the first two speakers for Junior Assembly focused on more academic activities, Jeff He of 11(1) B chose to share his love for WWE, an entertainment show based on professional wrestling matches. Jeff chose this topic because it would “actually interest” his audience and “bring joy to [his] fellow students.” “Wrestling can spur people’s passion,” he noted. “Coincidentally, I’m also an expert in the field.” Though speakers were initially a little nervous in their presentations, they soon regained their confidence and proceeded to give their presentations in engaging and interesting manners. Amy recalled that her experience was “indeed very nerve-racking,” stating that she “was shaking before [she] went up and [during] the first five minutes on stage.” Similarly, Elaine stated that she was “super nervous” during her presentation. “It felt [better] after I played the music clips [I prepared for an interactive activity during my speech],” she stated, “since I found... that people were paying attention to
my speech. I’d like to thank all the people in the audience who called out the movie titles.”.” All speakers enjoyed their experiences immensely.
Peer Reflections and Conclusion Apart from students who need to use Thursday morning P&B periods to do homework, most eleventh graders found the new Junior Assemblies a new and innovative experience. Michael Fan from 11(3), for example, believes that Junior Assemblies are some of “the best opportunities [for students] to share their experiences and communicate with [their] peers.,” stressing the importance of the meetings in establishing connections between students. InOn a broader sense, Junior Assemblies serve the purpose of linking students with similar interests closer together. Through the exploration of different interests during assemblies, students will be able to explore different areas of knowledge and forge stronger interpersonal relationships with their peers.
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NEWS
Halloween Party 2016 Written by : Tania Kim | Photos by: Cindy Bu and Joshua Lu
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NEWS Annual Halloween Party!
T
he Halloween parties for both junior and senior high school were held by the ASB members on the 11th and the 18th of November, 2016. Even though they were hosted weeks after Halloween, students were all excited to blow off their stress deadly accumulated during the mid-terms. The Halloween party of the junior high was called “Blackout.” The party had two different themes for the different locations. The Haunted House was a hospital, while the brand new event had the theme of a dead carnival. Juniors and seniors had “Dismayland,” on the other hand. It got its name from Banksy's Dismaland Park, and its theme was the distortion of childhood stories full of dreams and memories.
to the belated Halloween party. For Dismayland, there was the new event called "The Purge," motivated by a Korean comedy show, "Running Man." The participants were on all three floors of the Xian Mian Building, hiding from the chasers. Three chasers were placed on each floor, ready to tear off the name tags attached to all participants. In the last thirty minutes, the students were able to rip off each others' name tags, and the final three survivors won their trophies back home. The new type of horror the game provided excited many of the students. According to a survey done by SHSID News Letter club, students voted this game as their favorite event of the party. These two unusual events showed how changes and innovation brought success.
New Attempts:
Beside the events that always existed in the past Halloween parties, Both of the parties this year included new, unique events that grabbed many of the students' attention. In Blackout, the ASB members held a carnival in the annex building. The whole annex building was themed as a lively festival, decorated with shining neon signs, light bulbs, and fairy lights. Various Halloween-related games were held at different booths in both Carnival and Pumpkin Rooms. In Movie room, a horror movie was playing, and the Cards room set up several desks for the students to freely step in and play any games they wish to play. In the hallway, there was "Five or None," which was the most popular game in the carnival. The idea was originally from the junior and senior ASB members. There were many strings with colored lights intertwined between the two walls of the hallway, and students were to get through it without touching any of the strings. Wen, the main coordinator of this event, said that she is so proud of herself that she managed to solve all the problems since they added the game at the last moment of the preparation. For all the games, students were able to get the stamps on the stamp sheets to win the prizes at the end of the hallway. In the Snack room, Simply Bakery club sold Halloween themed delicacies that added Halloween mood
Party goes on: After “the Purge,” in Dismayland, the Carnival activities started immediately. There were many games set up at different booths, such as The Mission Impossible, Tarp Toss, Can Toss, and Ping-pong. Also, many clubs who sold food and beverages not only to donate to the charities but also to add the lively atmosphere to the Halloween Party. The favorite event for Blackout was still the haunted house. According to the survey created by the 9th and 10th grade ASB members, about 70% of the participants voted for the haunted hospital as their favorite. Haunted house, as it was themed as a hospital, included a hospitalization room and an operation room. Many of the
helpers scared the students as the doctor, nurses, and patients. Maggie, the make-up artist of the Haunted House, said that she thinks the haunted house was satisfied because “the props were better than before, more people participated to be the ghosts, and also everyone tried their best.”
Opinions and Improvements: Because it was the first event that the new ASB members held, the members faced various issues to solve. Jovilyn, the president of junior high ASB, said, “Communication was a big problem while preparing for the event. The event was right after the midterms, and everyone slept early to pay off their ‘sleep debt’.” All of the ASB members and helpers faced the same difficulties before the event: time! It was a big challenge to hold such event right after the midterm. Moreover, the ASB members had to spare their review time to prepare for the event. “Since all the members were anxious about the exams, they were all more sensitive while developing the event,” Tania, one of the 10th grade ASB members explained. Haunted house, the best event of Blackout, would not have existed without the efforts all helpers put into. However, some participants were not aware of their efforts and caused their anger. Katelyn who helped in the operation room of the Haunted House said, "I was in charge of pulling the students' legs under the desks when students are passing through the small tunnel. The cloth somehow fell and uncovered me. However, since we were in a hurry, we could not fix it. Right at that time, one student saw me and asked why this cloth fell. She complained that this is our job to deal with." She continued that despite the fact that it is her responsibility to fix problems in the haunted house, the attitudes like this made all the helpers mad. The event would be more satisfied for everyone if the participants could understand the helpers’ contribution and efforts. Jovilyn, at last, wants to remind all of the students!: “ Just a reminder of our upcoming event, the winter ball is getting close! Thank you all for the support!”
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SHSID Art Festival 2016 Photos by: James Zhang and Joshua Lu
OPINION
Two Other Reasons Why We Learn Literature
Written by: Michael Fan Photos by: Mark Wu Illustrations by: Ann Tang
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR Although Michael tries to be a wonderful human being most of the time he derives his guilty pleasure from beig sarcastically cynical; of course, no one knows about it.
“I
don’t need to read literature. Heck, I’m a science person, not a humanities person.” We’ve all heard the complaints in English class when your teacher brings up a classic for that unit. You might have been the one to bring it up. While it is a great excuse to complain, there are other reasons why literature is taught in school. Apart from the “understanding cultural aspects” and “appreciating literary significance” parts of reading literature, reading these classics actually help you develop nonacademic skills. Schools realize that literature improves your ability to read other people. If you train your reading skills on literature, and then you will be able to read people like literature. In other words, you will be able to empathize with others more. A psychology professor Emanule Castano and a Ph.D. candidate David Kidd came to this conclusion by giving study participants three genres of texts: nonfiction, popular fiction, and literary fiction. As a result, the participants that read literary fiction were more accurate on understanding others’ emotions compared to those that read the other genres. Study participants were then required to take different tests that evaluated their Theory of Mind, the ability to understand others’ emotions, results. They concluded from the studies that only literary fiction, not popular fiction or nonfiction, can create this phenomenon. Popular fictions, equipped with emotional roller-coasters, tend to have a set of predictable characters that strengthen the reader’s expectation of others. On the other hand,
OPINION literary fiction leans towards exploring the interpersonal relationships and psychology of characters. Nonfiction They commented, “"Through the use of […] stylistic devices, literary fiction defamiliarizes its readers. Just as in real life, the worlds of literary fiction are replete with complicated individuals whose inner lives are rarely easily discerned but warrant exploration." This shows us that merely reading literature gradually improves our abilities to empathize and connect with others. Schools add literature to the course to polish these skills, preparing students an ability to integrate into society. Next time your English teacher introduces a classic in class, remember that he or she is improving your emotion reading skills. Taking a step further, analyzing literature trains and enhances pattern recognition skills. By examining the text for reoccurring themes, readers are continuously comparing tone, events, and character behavior for patterns. This same process holds true for plot arcs and even finding connections between context and
THE THOUGHT OF LITERATURE ISOLATES MANY OF US.
novels. The brain sifts through literature and draws connections between one another. Not only this, even the act of reading requires the constant pattern recognition to flesh out words and syntax and convert them into information. This constant process in reading literature leads to the development of adept methods of collecting and digesting information. Furthermore, virtually all curriculum subjects need utilize this more efficient information selection process. In college preparatory schools, these skills help students to cope with college level courses. We learn and study literature mandatorily for its benefits, yet the thought of literature isolates many of us. Its complexity and depth are the key elements of this barrier, but also a facet of its beauty. In the end, we readers don’t read for the sake of “training recognition skills” or “learning empathy;” we read for the interesting uniqueness of the tomes, but it never hurts to be smarter and nicer by putting that one literary fiction into your reading list.
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LIFESTYLE
Drinks to Keep You Cozy This
Holiday Season Written by Irene Chan | Photos taken by Mark Wu |Illustration by Dave Kim & Mingyi
The season for sweaters, scarves and snowflakes (fingers crossed) is finally upon us. Now that the beautiful autumn leaves are gone, it’s time to leave your pumpkin spice lattes aside. Here are 5 simple drinks for the next time you’re cozied up in bed with Home Alone and Jingle Bell Rock.
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LIFESTYLE
Winter Lemonade
This drink is a gentle twist on the classic lemonade. Infusing the scent of a cinnamon stick with the zesty flavors of a lemon really brings out the heartwarming feelings of the perfect winter drink. For me personally, the tablespoon of honey is optional, but if you are not a huge fan of cinnamon flavors, it could add some extra sweetening to the drink. The best thing about this however, is that the flavors of the lemon and cinnamon will continue to be extracted all day as you refill it with hot water. Enjoy a bottomless glass of Winter Lemonade to help you feel better. Ingredients: 1 cinnamon stick 1 lemon 1 tablespoon of honey per glass Some water Process: 1. Heat a cup of water to the boiling point. 2. Cut the lemon into thin slices. Using the cinnamon stick as a skewer, slide on each lemon slice. Then place it into the glass, crush the lemon slices a bit with a spoon, and allow to steep for 5 minutes. Then stir in a tablespoon of honey. 3. Once you finish drinking the first glass, and are ready for another, just fill it up with very hot water, let it steep again, and stir in another tablespoon of honey. Recipe adapted from seasonwithspice.com
Pomegranate Sparkling Mocktail
What’s better than a fun, holiday mockIngredients: tail? Not a whole lot. If you’re still hav1L pomegranate juice ing trouble saying goodbye to summer, 2 cups sugar this is the perfect celebratory drink for Sparkling water or tonic water you. Grab a cute champagne glass and Candy canes get our your posh attire. Cheers! Ice Process: Homemade grenadine 1. In a saucepan, bring pomegranate juice to boil. Reduce heat and simmer until the liquid is reduced by half. This will take about 15–20 minutes. 2. Add sugar/natural sweetener and stir until completely dissolved. 3. Pour into sealable container and refrigerate until completely chilled (will last several weeks in the fridge). Sparkling mocktail 1. Combine ½ cup sparkling water with 1 ½–2 tablespoons grenadine, to taste. 2. Fill rest of the glass with ice and stir gently.Then add the candy cane and serve! Recipe adapted from everydaydishes.com
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Nutella Hot Chocolate
Hot Chocolate is undoubtedly the comfort food of warm drinks. If you’re lazy, like me, all you have to do is prepare a pack of Swiss Miss and stir in a tablespoon of Nutella and ta-da! It honestly tastes just as good as hot chocolate from scratch. Ingredients: 4 cups milk 2 tablespoons Nutella 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder 2 tablespoons natural sweetener of choice/ raw sugar Optional Toppings: Marshmallows Chocolate chips Extra Nutella Process: 1. Heat milk in a medium sized saucepan on medium– high heat until the milk begins to warm and steam. 2. Add the spread, cocoa powder and sugar, and whisk until dissolved and combined. While stirring, bring to a gentle simmer and then take off heat. 3. Serve with your desired toppings. Recipe adapted from cafedelites.com
Peppermint Oreo Shake
Who doesn’t like ice cream during the winter? This tastes exactly like a McFlurry but with a dash of peppermint, and it’s a great way to get into the holiday spirit. In addition to being super simple to make, it looks Instagram worthy (just in case you need to make your friends jealous once in a while). Ingredients: 2 cups vanilla ice cream, softened ½ cup milk 4 Oreos, broken into pieces 1 candy cane, crushed (more for toppings if needed) Whipped cream for topping, optional Process: 1. Place ice cream, milk, Oreos, and crushed candy cane into blender and blend until smooth. Pour into a tall glass and top with whipped cream, if desired. Enjoy! Recipe adapted from belleofthekitchen.com
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Hot Apple Cider
LIFESTYLE
Forget added sugars. Let the powerful, antioxidantrich spices like clove do the work in this recipe. You’ll also get a healthy dose of blood sugar-regulation, thanks to the health benefits of cinnamon. The rich taste of spices mixed with the fruitiness of apples, lemons, and oranges make the perfect drink that is sure to warm your soul. Ingredients 2L of 100% apple juice 2 cinnamon sticks 1 tablespoon clove ½ teaspoon allspice 1 lemon, sliced 1 orange, sliced Process: 1.Combine apple juice and spices in a large pot 2. Bring it to a boil, then simmer for 10 minutes 3. Strain out the cinnamon sticks then return the liquid back into the pot 4. Add in lemon and orange slices 5. Cook over low heart until thoroughly heated 6. Serve warm. Recipe adapted from draxe.com
“Now that the beautiful autumn leaves are gone, it’s time to leave your pumpkin spice lattes aside”
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LITERATURE
Game of Chess
Written by: Lilly Dai
It’s something of an elaborate game. Or perhaps some others would think so, but not you. You stand in the courtyard, in front of grey stone walls that tower above. The clouds are grey, the trees are grey, and the ground is grey, grey concrete on a cloudy day. The wind skitters around the statues of mourning saints and despairing angels: still grey. The clock tower is grey, too, made up of the same neat brick as the walls of the courtyard, new as the shiny rifles in your friend’s hands, distant as the plastic swords of your childhood. The lights in the windows on the walls shutter and click shut one by one. The clock is approaching midnight. You know you shouldn’t be here when it does. So you walk away. Between the pillars and beyond the courtyard, you see shiny armour and metal. There’s a swing and clanging. One of these strange beings approaches you, creaking like a rusted door. His faceplate is a mirror and his voice is garbled and echo-y. He sounds happy. Your face is where his face is. Perhaps, somewhere and sometime else, he might have been you. “This is great, isn’t it?” No, no, no. It’s not. But what you want to say gets caught in your throat, halfway up and it lodges itself there. So you smile and nod. You want to tear off your face, give up your identity so he can see what’s underneath, what can’t get out. You wonder what he will think. He turns and walks away and you cast your eyes past the white horses up towards the towers. There’s a white king there, muttering as he paces around his ostentatious room, moving barely an inch from the castle. Down here, his toy soldiers wage war. Or I think there are. The grey cobblestones hurt your feet as you continue walking. Down the steps from the castle, you see an enemy. He built of shiny armour and metal and, though your heart clenches in fear, he passes you in silence. He only cuts down people identical to him as he makes his way into the courtyard, but the trees crumble and the statues wither. When he disappears, a scream rings out and the midnight clock bursts into flames.
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On that Winding Path
LITERATURE
Never let life cripple your heart for the wind is still blowing on that winding path
On that Winding Path
Never let sorrow cripple your soul for the a are still singing that gentle, healing tune Never let pain cripple your hope for your eyes are still dreaming of laughter and golden days
On that Winding Path
Written by: Rachel Wu | Photos taken from: Pinterest
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LITERATURE
Written by: Rachel Wang Illustration from: SixLee SS14 x Ernesto Artillo
“I am convinced that human life is filled with many pure, happy, serene examples of insincerity, truly splendid of their kind—of people deceiving one another without (strangely enough) any wounds being inflicted, of people who seem unaware even that they are deceiving one another.” - Osamu Dazai, Ningen Shikkaku, translated by Donald Keene
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A
s the second-bestselling novel in Japan, Ningen Shikkaku, or No Longer Human, is considered one of the most influential novels of modern Japanese writer Osamu Dazai. Set in postwar Japan, the book follows the life of Oba Yozo, a man who feels alienated from humanity but learns to put on a jocular front to hide his alienation and loathing. Powerful and tragic, the narrative captivates and entrenches readers inside Yozo’s world. Though its words may not move one to tears, the hollowness and ultimately beautiful stylistic choices of the novel will resonate in many long after they close its pages. The book is divided into five chapters, three of which are told in the form of “memoranda” or notebooks left by the protagonist Oba Yozo. The opening chapter is narrated by an anonymous narrator, describing and commenting on three pictures he has seen of Yozo. These three pictures, though seemingly normal at first glance, are uncomfortable if one looks closer; Yozo’s expressions are inscrutable, and bear no familiarity as a fellow member of the human race. The narrative begins with the “First Memorandum,” correlating to the first picture of Yozo in his childhood. As a child, Yozo found that he felt alienated from the rest of society, adequately summed up by his observation that he had “no understanding of what makes human beings tick.” He did not understand human emotions or even the reasons driving his own family members to do things. To overcome this hurdle, Yozo resorted to clowning, using his acting to humor others in an attempt to establish interpersonal relationships. However, this does not prevent Yozo from feeling lonely in his existence as a “nonhuman;” he is increasingly afraid of the possibility of others seeing through his act of buffoonery as he matures. Realizing that he can use art as a medium to express his own thoughts about the truth behind human cruelty, he takes on painting in university, neglecting his studies out of fear of collective life and descending into a life of debauchery. This eventually culminates in an attempted double suicide with a married woman, Tsuneko, who is unhappy with her life; she dies, but Yozo is saved.
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LITERATURE
LO SQUALIFICATO:
A REVIEW OF NO LONGER HUMAN The final chapter of Yozo’s story is divided into two sections. After Yozo recovers from his guilt and trauma, he is expelled from his university, continuing to live a chaotic life marked by alcoholism and numerous relationships with different women. However, this kind of life ends after he marries a girl, Yoshiko, a pure and innocent girl who asks him to stop drinking. After his marriage, Yozo settles down and becomes a cartoonist, but he soon turns back to self-destructive behavior, ultimately ending up confined in a mental asylum. His narrative ends with the realization that he has become “disqualified as a human being” and final numbness. The novel’s final chapter ends with the unnamed narrator tracking down one of Yozo’s acquaintances and discussing his life with him. Though the novel may initially remind some readers of Albert Camus’s L’Etranger, or The Stranger, in that both are about men who are separated from society, the two works are fundamentally different. Dazai places a much larger focus on the protagonist’s self-loathing and fear of losing his basic linkage to the rest of the world, while Camus’s Meursault is much more philosophical and, in a sense, more detached from reality than Yozo. While Yozo’s story of isolation may not be as readily accessible or as relatable as Meursault’s narration, his depictions of social isolation and alienation will strike at the hearts of any person who has struggled with depression and societal interaction.
In the years since its publication, Ningen Shikkaku has widely been seen as an autobiographical depiction of Dazai’s life; some even believe it to be his will, as he died shortly after completing this work in a similar fashion to a death depicted in this novel. While there are certainly some elements that are reminiscent of Dazai’s personal life, No Longer Human is, in the end, a novel; it is perhaps the intersection of personal and impersonal, along with Dazai’s writing and stylistic choices, that make Ningen Shikkaku what it is in the Japanese literary canon. A beautifully written cry of hopelessness and despair, Ningen Shikkaku is, without a doubt, a work worthy of the emphasis critics and readers have placed on it. I, for one, cannot recommend it highly enough.
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LITERATURE
我·雪 游记·杂忆
Written by: Jessica Qu, Helen Li, Happy Wang Photo from: Pintrest.com
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LITERATURE
我
偶然抬头，窗外大片的纯白就猝不 及防映入了眼帘。四下飞舞的雪夹 着寒风的威力，像刀子一样划在大 地露出来的每一寸肌肤上。转瞬间一切都被 雪以横扫千军之势覆盖住了，树梢、屋顶、 车棚，都在即将被这场雪吞噬的恐惧中颤 抖着。 压抑，烦躁。如此单调沉闷的景色还要 持续到什么时候呢？这样的雪让万物噤声， 也仿佛一下子给我内心的活力关了禁闭。看 着洁白的雪，原本就糟糕的心情不禁又多了 一丝惆怅。犹豫再三，我还是决定将自己裹 得严实些出门散散心。 在室外抬头，我看到的却是与室内完全 不同的景致。雪花像一颗颗钻石在大理石般 青灰的天空下泛着白光，看似毫无规律的雪 却在我抬头观望之时有规律地绕着我开始旋 转。随着风，那雪犹如欢乐的仙子一般，上 下翻飞。我抬着头，静静地看着这场雪舞， 自然而又让人惊艳，白的通透，冰的剔透， 不禁痴了。 伸出手，冰凉的雪花落在手心，悄悄 地、轻轻地被融化了，就像我心里的烦闷一 样。小区一成不变的景致似乎也在这飘扬的 雪中展现了不同的风采。 远处隐约传来了轻快的笑声，随后“ 咻——咚！”一颗绣球一样的雪球猝不及防 拍到了我的头上。我转头就看见一个匆匆跑 来的粉色小身影。 “大姐姐，你还好吗？”一个小女孩用 她糯糯的声音问道。 我低头，看到一张可爱的小脸上泛着热 热的红晕，一双清澈灵动的眼睛略带不安地 盯着我。 “我没事。”我微笑着回答她。一时 间，她如释重负般拍了拍自己的胸脯，随后 又像想起什么大事，郑重地对我说：“姐姐 你痛的话妈妈说吹吹就不痛了哦！” 我笑了，她热热的小手牵过我微凉的 手，又兴奋地问到：“姐姐！你可以和我一 起堆雪人吗？”看着那双眼睛，我怎么忍心 拒绝？在那个小女孩的欢笑中，我也不觉得 冷，不觉得孤独了。 我想不管多少年，08年我在上海见到的那 双干净的眼睛和里面闪烁的光芒，总会在我 失意的时候出现，像夜空中一颗闪亮的星默 默守护我吧。
后来2010年的时候，我终于有幸可以 去看一场真正的雪，一场在上海居住十 年不曾见过，一直憧憬着的中国北方漫 天遍野的雪。 内蒙古是一个年年都下暴雪的地方， 从北京出发时还感受不到的冬天气息在 前往内蒙古的路上变得明显、深刻。有 时，车队穿过农田中间，不停滚动的车 轮胎划开周围的雪，车子留下的乌黑的 柏油公路划开被白雪覆盖的土地，车窗 前升起了一层雾气，将严寒与温暖的车 内隔离。 渐渐地，车走不动了，燃烧的引擎也 无法支撑我们穿过凹凸不平的小路，。 路上堵住的车一辆接着一辆；刹车灯管 里的红色亮光折射在漫天的雪里；那些 被铲子铲走，被盐熔化的雪只会堆积得 越来越多。我坐在车里，目睹了越来越 多的交通事故，路边小屋被雪压塌，动 物无奈地在积雪里寻找植物的小芽。我 坐在车里，暖和的车里，有点迷惘。 我只能一遍遍告诉自己这是我在上 海喜欢的雪，地点不同不会造成什么差 别，但为什么，我感到如此不适呢？ 两年前相似的孤独和寂寞重新席卷 而来。大雪覆盖住了所有所能看见的东 西，掩饰了生命的痕迹，只剩下人们， 以及他们的车、他们的手机、他们的暖 气、独自伫立在雪中。我们竟如此舒服 的生活在，这样一个，令别的生物， 别的人们感到悲伤绝望的季节里。车队 到达了旅店，我最终还是下了车，玩了 雪。 我们一行人围在火边开始了晚上的活 动。我的思绪随着火光透过冷空气产生 的热浪开始模糊，回想起两年前，甚至 是前天还跃跃对于白雪皑皑的期待，又 一次犹豫了，雪又到底带来了什么呢。 一晃便到了今年冬天，傍晚五点多 天就彻底暗了下来。路灯一盏盏点亮， 我走在空旷的大街上。北风迎面刮来， 围巾若隐若现地递送温暖，而我的思绪 再次开始翻腾。时间一年年就像书籍一 页页被无心地翻过，不论是八年前与雪 的初识还是六年前对雪的反思都恍若隔 世，而我对雪最后的印象也停留在前年 出国加拿大的那场雪上。
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LITERATURE
我依稀记得那是青灰色的天空携着压迫 落下的雪，不像上海的那么轻盈，内蒙古的 那么张扬，是顽皮而有力的。我一个人仰躺 在雪地里，雪花便毫不客气地向我扑来，越 是往空中看越觉得自己要被吸到这片广袤中 去。同时，只有真的躺在雪里的时候我才发 现雪并不是悄无声息的，竖耳仔细听就能听 到类似微风拂过土壤的声音，又像一个小孩 好奇而小心翼翼地将套着雨靴的脚压到结冰 湖面上时发出的声音。 是了，没有人的时候，雪只是纯粹的雪 而已。 见到的雪更多，我才逐渐意识到各地的 雪是不同的。上海的雪往往湿冷、细腻、粘 稠，但正是因为它接近冰水，它更澄澈、干 净、轻盈；内蒙古的雪我总觉得是张扬、狂 妄、粗糙的，所以我才在漫天大雪和人遭遇 的困境中感受到一种攻击性，一丝恐惧和不 安；而加拿大卡尔加里的雪灵动、活泼、友 好，可能正是来源于它无意间流露出的一股 有方向的冲劲和力量。 这样想想，我似乎对几年来跟雪打的几 次交道略微释怀了。也许是我的心情影响了 我对雪的认知，也可能不同风格的雪决定 了我不同的心情，这使我愈发想看看各地的 雪。北海道的雪，是浪漫、文艺的吗？挪威 的雪，是冷淡、寂寞的吗？阿拉斯加的雪， 是敦实、坚硬的吗？ 我将围巾拉下露出下巴，呼出一团湿 气，看它颤颤悠悠向上飘散，化在路灯十字 星的橙光中。
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今年 上海会 下雪吗？
LITERATURE
冬 至 将 至
Written by: Carrie Zhuang Photos by: Mark Wu
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LITERATURE
回
首前尘，我的人生好像净 是些苦恼烦闷的事，能 想起来的都是些得过且 过和放任自流，到头来没混迹出 什么名堂不说，现在无功无过， 无名无利，手头上有的也就只有 前半辈子的碌碌和后半辈子的无 闻了。虽说如此吧，我也没什么 要抱怨的，毕竟到了这把岁数， 最近几年又刚刚退休，生活清净 了不少，平淡的日子倒也乐得快 活。 只是几年前发生了件怪事，我 谁都没告诉——我成了隐形人。 刚开始的时候自然不太适应，不 过几天后我就习惯了，硬说起来 生活也没什么太大的改变。特别 是到了最近一两年我愈加大胆， 穿着睡衣出门去某家超市拿盒牛 奶偷罐饼干都是家常便饭，偶尔 还能钻进某个影厅吃着别人的爆 米花看场电影。 但唯独在冬至这天，我最好 老老实实待在家里，因为到了这 天我会在人间显形。按理来说我 是不会发现这档子事的，因为我 平时在路上走，就算不是隐形人 也不会有人注意到我，只是恰巧 前年在冬至赶着坐地铁，当我毫 无顾忌地从地铁闸机口下钻过去 时，我侧眼瞥见了旁人鄙夷中略 带些怜悯的目光。那是可怕的 目光，那是杀人的目光，半秒的 手足无措后我便落荒而逃，之后 连着好几天都不敢踏出家门。自 此，我最讨厌的日子就是冬至。 可惜，晃眼之间又是一年冬 至。 今年的冬天分外冷。我捧着年 岁已久的暖炉，蜷缩在窗边的沙 发上，半闭双目侧耳倾听狂风呼 啸，享受着冬日里难得的几缕温 暖和悠闲。 “我家老爷子应该早以为我死 了吧。”这么想着，我脸上竟勾 起一丝不易察觉的笑，似无奈， 也似解脱，而心里也暗自庆幸着
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不用去各路亲戚家拜访作客，在 那些平时全然没有任何交集的人 面前摆出或是关心的面孔或是殷 勤的姿态，自以为隐藏在满面笑 容背后恶心的虚伪，其实谁都察 觉得到。 看着窗外，有零零星星的几 片细屑从阴郁的天空飘落下来， 分不清到底是雨点还是雪花。路 上偶尔有三三两两的行人结伴行 走，他们的欢声笑语总有些会漏 进这年久失修的窗户里，漏进我 的耳朵里。我看到了，那是多么 灿烂的笑容，可那又是多么孤独 的灵魂。 心里突然涌起一股冲动，我 换上了好几年都没再穿过的浅灰 色羊毛衫，裹上了件极其普通的 灰色风衣，脖子紧缩，把半张脸 都埋进了灰色的粗毛线围巾里， 头上戴了顶深灰色的鸭舌帽以遮 盖住略显银白稀疏的头发，便出 门了。我努力地将自己淹没在周 围灰暗的环境中，唯独只是露出 一双浑浊的眼睛，窥探着这个对 我来说已经有些陌生和遥远的世 界。 快到傍晚，街边的路灯还没有 亮起，也没有节日的彩灯挂在道 路两旁的商店。冷色调充斥着我 眼中的画面，我果然是失望的。 正踏着原来的脚印往回走，我突 然瞥见不远处的长椅上坐着一个 小男孩直冲我笑，挥舞着手臂好 像是在向我打招呼。我几乎是出 于本能地竖起衣领佯装没有看到 的样子，头也不回地快步向前赶 着。 “叔叔叔叔，你病了么？”我 感到身后有一股小小的力量拽着 我的衣摆，却大到足以让我停住 步伐。我回头，看到刚刚的小男 孩现在就立在我的面前，使劲踮 着脚尖伸直手臂，往更高的地方 够着什么。看着他费力的样子， 我有些不耐烦却还是无奈地地蹲 下身子，衣服蹭到了地上的灰
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土。刚想开口，猝不及防地，我 感到一双小手凑到我的眼前，然 后贴上了我的额头。寒风中意外 的一片温暖席卷，自额头的皮肤 传遍全身上下的每一个细胞。 小男孩看起来有些为难，“叔 叔好像没有发烧呀，但为什么叔 叔看起来没什么精神呢。”他垂 头，又抬头，眼瞳依旧澄澈，闪 烁着光。他几乎没有犹豫，便从 口袋里掏出了一颗橙色的糖果， 稚嫩的小手拉起我冻到发僵的大 手，小心地放在了我无法完全摊 开的手心上，脸庞依旧荡漾着最 纯真的笑。他最终还是没等我说 声谢谢便腼腆地跑走了。我看着 他跑到街对面一个妇人身边，又 用力向我挥手。妇人紧抓着那男 孩的胳膊，好像在责怪着他什 么，我心里正迟疑着要不要过去 解释一下，就看到他趴在蹲着的 她耳边说话。我刚抬脚，便见她 转嗔为笑，摸了摸男孩的头发， 朝我点头示意。我也点头回敬， 但最终还是没有迈出那只抬起的 脚。我看着两张被风雪模糊的再 普通不过的微笑，竟觉得如此熟 悉，又是如此陌生。我看着她牵 着他离开的背影，眼中的画面不 觉变得温柔起来，灰色中带着些 明亮的橘，冰冷中透出些温暖的 颜色。 口中的糖渐渐融化，甜得有些 过分的橙子味在味蕾间蔓延开。 许久没吃甜食的我真真切切地感 受到了那股甜味在舌尖跃动，刺 激着我的感官，却让人讨厌不起 来。 我回到家，回到正常的生活。 第二天起床，镜子里依旧只能看 到我背后的那堵墙。我依旧茕茕 孑立，踽踽独行。这个世界依旧 是冰冷的，但是温暖确确实实地 存在，它们衍生于黑暗，它们创 造光明。它们一定就躲在某一个 不起眼的角落，等待着被发现， 抑或是等待着被创造，我相信。
LITERATURE “ 阴 极 之 至 ， 阳 气 始 生 ， 日 南 至 ， 日 短 之 至 ， 日 影 长 之 至 ， 故 曰 冬 至 。 ” NOVEMBER DECEMBER 2016
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SCI-TECH
HACK YOUR BODY Written by: Eric Fan | Illustrations by: Kevin Jiang
Feeling weak? Drowsy? Incompetent? Then it’s about time we all start utilizing 100% of our body’s capacity. Not only will it benefit your health, it may even improve your studies in the rigorous SHSID environment! Here are some weird but proven techniques to HACK your life with just your body.
1
The Brain Freeze Tongue Cure.
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Reset Your Internal Clock.
3
Extend remote controller signal range by placing the remote up your chin!
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Clench your fists in times of pressure!
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Headache from ice cream? Press your tongue against the roof of your mouth. The heat and pressure may stop the pain, since “brain” freezes are actually responses from the nerves above your mouth.
It surprisingly works. The oral cavity and fluids in your skull form a resonance chamber that can amplify waves from remote signals. TV remote out of range and too lazy to get out of your sofa? Stick it up your chin. NOVEMBER DECEMBER 2016
Your body’s internal clock can be adjusted so you wake up at the moment you want to! Of course, this requires practice. Stick to a routine. Listen to some music before you sleep. Keep mornings bright and nights dark. Eventually, you won’t need an annoying alarm anymore!
Psychologists believe that clenching a right fist activates the left hemisphere of your brain, which improves happiness and memory. A left fist activates your right brain, which relieves anxiety under pressure. No wonder athletes always hold their fists tight.
SCI-TECH
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9
6
Turn water to cold at the end of your shower to prevent acne.
Warm water opens up the pores in your skin so you can clean yourself, but they often stay open for a while after you get out of your shower. Make sure to seal them up with cold water so bacteria doesn’t get in and cause acne!
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Scratch the back of your ear to get that annoying tickle out of your throat.
If you’re ever sick and coughing like crazy, do nothing but rub that index finger behind your ear. Stimulation of your ears causes a muscle spasm in your throat that relieves the itch.
Prevent a half-sneeze (AKA snee) by pressing your tongue as hard as you can against your teeth and roof of your mouth.
Feeling sleepy? Inhale and hold your breath for as long as you can, then breathe out slowly. It increases your heart rate and makes you feel more active. Do it with a push-up or two to enhance the effect!
Rub an ice cube between your thumb and index finger to relieve a toothache!
Nerves in your finger will send cold signals to your brain and sometimes override the pain signals coming from your tooth.
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You’re on the edge of sneezing but then you don’t. That can be the most irritating feeling in the world. Use this technique to stop an impending snee. The pressure from your tongue soothes the itch in your nose.
When you actually want to sleep but can’t, try blinking as fast as the Flash. Your eyelids will get tired and your mind will become less active as it fails to interpret the things you see (like the ceiling in your room) fast enough.
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SCI-TECH
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE: Onto the Medical Adventure! Written by: Jeff He | Images from: writeoptions.com
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NOVEMBER DECEMBER 2016
SCI-TECH
E
ver dreamt of having something like Baymax, the white chubby robot in “Big Hero 6”? Not only is Baymax a great companion and a powerful fighter, he is also a great physician. Well, as scientists are working on turning these fictional abilities into reality, they have recently succeeded in fulfilling one of Baymax’s functions: diagnosing patients with near-100% accuracy. In August, 2016, Japanese doctors became the first to employ artificial intelligence in diagnosing a rare type of leukemia. According to Arinobu Tojo, a professor of molecular therapy, a female patient was initially diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia. However, after undergoing chemotherapy, her recovery was unusually slow, leading doctors to suspect a different type of leukemia. Yet still, the doctors failed to find any evidence for it. The institute eventually turned to IBM Watson, which is a cloud base that contains an enormous amount of data on leukemia, injected by international research centers. The doctors entered information about the patient’s genes, and Watson compared the genetic information to millions of data sets, and finished its diagnosis in merely ten minutes, identifying an extremely rare type of leukemia. At the same time, it gave suggestions for the corresponding treatments as well. Watson finished what would take human doctors years in simply 10 minutes! The idea of using artificial intelligence in medicine originated from the Human Genome Project, which aimed to collect DNA samples from all around the world and map them(a process of placing a collection of molecular markers onto their respective positions on the genome). At the same time, the exponential increase of computer processing power, combined with the increase in DNA sample data, lead to the birth of data-driven medical treatment. Scientists and doctors began to develop complex algorithms to identify genetic information and even diagnose diseases based on the genetics, medical images, molecular databases and
research results. These algorithms not only allow accurate diagnosis, but also allow artificial intelligence to actually “learn” through the process of working with huge databases, further increasing the efficiency. It only takes a computer minutes to cycle through billions of sets of data. For example, Google’s artificial intelligence, DeepMind, received 100 million eyeball scans from Moorfield hospital, thus allowing DeepMind to improve the algorithm to detect eye diseases at an early stage. Dr. Tojo also suggests that in the future, the general trend would be personalized medical treatment. Artificial intelligence can access people’s basic information such as heart rate, daily traveling distance, daily calories burnt and diet. It can then use such information, combined with the person’s genetic information, to evaluate the person’s health, and warn him or her even before any diseases occur. Is it possible that artificial intelligence will completely replace human doctors? At least for now, no. First of all, anything that is based on a computer always has the risk of being hacked. Thus, if the system is hacked and gives fallacious diagnosis, human doctors can act as a layer of protection. Second of all, AI does not have emotions yet. For example, we cannot leave an AI to decide whether to unplug a patient’s life support system or not. In the future, we are more likely
to see human doctors collaborating with artificial intelligence instead of using machine diagnosis solely. After reading about this successful case, you might think that future of applying artificial intelligence in medicine is very bright, but three main problems need to be overcome. Developing an algorithm needs huge amounts of sample data from a variety of sources. But because of differences in medical systems, independent operations of hospitals in relation to each other, and sensitivity of certain data, it can be extremely difficult to acquire “raw data”. Secondly, as a completed algorithm can bring huge conveniences, the development of such algorithm requires huge amounts of time, energy and money, which places a heavy emphasis on investors. This brings us to the third difficulty: most investors are yet skeptical of this newly formed industry, thus unwilling to invest, fearing that he technology behind this is not yet mature. The case of IBM Watson demonstrates the extraordinary powers of artificial intelligence and its pervasiveness in the field of medicine. When human doctors wield this powerful tool wisely, the efficiency of their diagnosis and the effectiveness of their treatment can be vastly improved. Perhaps not far in the future, artificial intelligence can be seen in every hospital.
The IBM Watson NOVEMBER DECEMBER 2016
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OPINION
THE INFLUENCE OF NEW REGULATIONS ON THE CAR-HAILING INDUSTRY Written By: Raymond Chen Image from: Uber
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR Raymond Chen is an ardent technology enthusiast who is fascinated mainly by the presence of robots and upcoming artifical intelligence
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ar-hailing apps have always been our life-saviors for the convenience they bring us when we need a ride. Nearly everyone can imagine the situation when one is trying to call taxi in places where taxis are scarce. For many, the solution is to get out the phone and order a car with a car-hailing app, and minutes later a ride will show up. It is notable that Didi Chuxing is very popular among us. Recently, there have been new changes brought about the industry of car-hailing. Starting from November 1, the Chinese government established regulations for car-hailing systems in some major cities that set strict requirements for the drivers and vehicles. I firmly believe that the regulations benefit most users through increased security, but demote the industry to a large extent because of a shortage of available cars. The industry of car-hailing has become very prominent in recent years all over the world. Car-hailing refers to the process of ordering a car, taxi, limousine via the Internet. A few transportation network companies dominate the car-hailing industry, such as Uber and Didi. These companies offer services that allow people to order cars conveniently without worrying about problems that are associated with hailing traditional taxis. These problems include the lack of cars and long waiting times. The largest ride-sharing company in China Didi Chuxing provides users carhailing service through the network using its smartphone application. All one has to do is download its app, enter places of departure and destina-
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tion, and minutes later a car will be brought over. Although the car-hailing industry has gained popularity in recent years in China, it is unsafe due to previous loose requirements for the industry. Many past accounts are associated with drivers without proper registrations. In May, 2016, a car-hailing driver without proper registrations robbed and killed a 24-year-old woman passenger in the southern city of Shenzhen. More severely, other cases have been caused by the lack of background checks on the drivers. A report published by the Shenzhen Transportation Commission estimated that 1,425 drivers working for online carhailing platforms in Shenzhen had a history of drug abuse, and 1,662 had serious criminal records before taking up their current jobs. This demonstrates the poor management of establishing a safe environment for the passengers and the need for a stricter system to ensure security. Cars hailed through mobile apps are becoming more and more popular, yet they are not very safe alternatives of traditional taxis. Due to numerous unsafe accounts of ride-hailing, the car-hailing regulations aim to ensure its overall safety. The government makes the rides safer by establishing qualifications for both the chauffeurs and cars for some cities. For the chauffeurs, they must be residents of the city they are working in and hold no records of criminal activities or driving violations. Also, for many cities in China, the chauffeurs need to have at least three years of driving experience. In addition, there are also many
OPINION regulations on the cars used to transport passengers. In several cities, it is mandatory that the cars must be relatively new, and their wheelbase, which is the distance between the centers of the front and rear wheels, must be greater than 2700mm. However, a large portion of current cars will not qualify for the restriction set on the wheelbase. For example, in Xi’an, seventy to eighty percent of the cars do not have wheelbases greater than 2700mm, and thus are not allowed to carry passengers. For other cities, the car engine displacement needs to be larger than 1.8 L or 1.4 L, depending on the city. This spurs a heated debate among critics as many argue that the high power output associated with higher car engine displacements waste too much energy and are not necessary for normal rides. The cars also need GPS and SOS devices, and the owners of the cars are compelled to purchase the insurance of the cars. Some cities also prevent the cars to
I firmly believe that the regulations benefit most users through increased security, but demote the industry to a large extent because of a shortage of available cars. carry passengers in specific areas where the traffic is heavily congested. For example, hailed cars in Shanghai cannot pick up passengers from airports and train stations. The impacts on the drivers can be described as harmful, which hurts the industry. It is only legal for the chauffeurs with a local hukou, or residency, to carry passengers in their own residential cities. According to Didi Chuxing, out of a total of 410,000 chauffeurs in Shanghai, more than 97 percent do not qualify the new rules set by the policy and will possibly lose their jobs. Furthermore, it is harder for passengers to hail rides. Many will detest the idea that they have to wait
longer than they previously did due to the lack of available drivers. People might think it is unnecessary and even unruly for the government to establish policies that set high qualifications for the system, as sacrificing short waiting times and plentiful rides in an attempt to improve the quality of the service is worthless and unrewarding. The passengers’ discontent of longer waiting times will influence the industry negatively. However, the new regulations assure the increased safety of car-hailing by removing drivers who are not qualified. The severity of the new plans accounts for the massive number of cases related to insecurity and quality of the taxi, and reflects on the notion that the passengers want safety as the first priority. Furthermore, one of the new regulations’ objectives is to diminish the possibilities of accidents due to problems related to the cars, such as overflowing engine capacity. Thus, through the new rules imposed on the cars, the issues are solved. In general, the car-hailing industry is harmed to a large extent despite the benefits the new regulations bring to the passengers. Since many drivers will lose their jobs during the enforcement of the policies, passengers will have to wait longer and may need to fight for rides. The government originally intended to establish regulations to further enhance the car-hailing experience for the passengers in an attempt to potentially generate higher quality ratings and more positive responses from the users. However, the risks produced from a serious shortage of available cars and the dissatisfaction this causes the passengers will prove to be a serious consequence, which represent the most essential impact on the car-hailing industry. As they become more and more necessary for countless people, carhailing apps need to both assure the safety of the passengers and fulfill the demand of passengers. I believe that the new regulations resolve the issue of security tremendously to provide a safer environment for the passengers. However, it neglects the harmful consequences it causes to the industry that still need to be addressed in the future.
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ALLEN CHEN Written by: Sophia She Photos provided by: Allen Chen
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odeling may have been a childhood dream for many, but much too often, the dream becomes pulled back by stereotypes, hardships, and reality in general. Even though the dream of modeling never came true, one might still frequently wonder about the life behind fashion show stages. How do models get chosen? What is the work routine? How does it feel to work with top designers and make-up artists from around the world? Allen Chen from 11(2) shares his personal experience as a model in Elite Model Management and will fulfill the long-hidden curiosity of many.
The Beginning Allen started out like many others—by following fashion accounts on Instagram. He did have some thoughts about pursuing a career in the fashion industry, but as a freshman, Allen’s idea came more as a joke to his friends. Deep down, however, he knew fashion was an interest he was going to possess for the rest of his life. Following this passion, Allen began to enact small changes - from taking off his glasses to paying more attention to his hair. Regardless of these transformations, his passion in fashion never altered one bit.
Entering Elite Model Management Allen entered the top modeling agency worldwide three months ago. Ever since, he has been gaining new insights about modeling that changed his perspective. In terms of working with top designers, Allen expresses, “I feel like they’re not as different as many would imagine. There are a lot of the most famous designers worldwide sitting in the shows I performed in and they are just as keen and courteous, expressing no sign of arrogance.” Having always assumed modeling was a relatively straightforward and simple job, Allen changes his description of the modeling work routine as “complicated” and “tiresome” after working in Elite for three months, . First, when new modeling opportunities turn up, announcements are made in a group chat that all the models are in. Models interested will attend an in-
terview and if the interviewer likes them, the interviewer will take pictures of them and the model will pass the first round. To pass the second round, the model must be found fit by the designer who views them picture. Usually, passing both rounds indicates that models will be performing for the show, but few models don’t pass the third round, also known as the fitting round in which models try the clothes assigned by the designer. This intricate process is fairly different from what Allen has originally imagined. Having failed many rounds as a newbie in the company, Allen was frustrated at first but recognizes that this is just part of the very selective process that produces quality shows.
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FUTURE Many would have thought modeling was based on looks, body, and all those physical characteristics. However, Allen finds this as a common misconception. “I have learned through my experience at Elite that personality plays an equally important role.” This experience was obtained through a mistake Allen made at his job once. He passed all the stages of selections and was already rehearsing for a big event. Having never experienced the long and difficult work hours before, Allen released his negative feelings and this upset a lot of the staff there. Although he was immediately kicked out of the team, he has learned his lesson and regulated his temper well from that incident on. When thinking about the future, Allen
“I have learned through my experience at Elite that personality plays an equally important role.” stresses that he will stop modeling after reaching the age of 25 because the trend for models change way too rapidly. Regardless, his career will most likely have to do with fashion—either as a fashion designer or as a professional buyer. He explains that this is a usual path for many retired models because they have accumulated a lot of connections and it is relatively easier to continue to work in the fashion industry. Allen also plans to choose fashion as his minor in college and ideally go live in New York, the center of fashion, where he will open his own fashion store.
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STUDENT JOURNAL Written by Xiuwen Shen & Laurie Yang Photos taken by Mark Wu
V I C T O R Y U
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ictor Yu is someone I will always be proud to remember as a mentor who inspired me to follow my dreams, go into science, and be an engineer. One day, I asked him about his project on long distance wireless energy transmission. It all started with an upperclassman he calls Frank: Frank was my mentor and good friend. One day, I asked him about his extended essay, which is about a project being undergone at MIT on wireless charging and that’s how I got interested in the subject. I went home and did my research. After much research, Victor designed his own model of a potential method to achieve the goal of the
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project and believed himself to have come to a solution. “And then I learned physics.” And 10th grade physics changed a lot. By understanding new rules and concepts, he realized that his model wouldn’t work. For over a year, he kept working on his model again and again through trial and error. But each time, he hit a complication. Finally, one day, in a fit of frustration, I yelled at Ricky “How the [censored] am I supposed to do this?” It was something said in the moment out of complete frustration. Taking a marker, Victor went over his most recent model up until the point he got stuck. I remember him trying to explain it to me and other people
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again and again at various times, so I figured this was just another one of those moments where I’d get lost and the room would go quiet as nobody could think of a solution. What about radio waves? Indeed, the frequency worked and pretty quickly, I couldn’t get either Victor or Ricky to respond to anything as they became lost in their own world, discussing how this would work. Victor then went home, reconstructed his model, and did the math. Last semester, we both made it to the preliminaries in Chengdu for ISEF (Intel Science and Engineering Fair) with our own individual projects. One of his judges was a professor in the field and was incredibly im-
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pressed by his work. As for the other two judges, well, as was the consensus among most of us participants: It is not our place to teach these English teachers calculus. We didn’t make it to ISEF in America and even though it was a bit discouraging, the professor came up to him afterwards to encourage him to continue on with his project. Your work is amazing. And it’s okay, this is only one competition. My son faced something similar and he went on to win a different big competition. And so Victor continued. Now his model is patented and he has written and submitted a scientific paper on his work to Annalen der Physik, a
German physics journal. In English, it is Annals of Physics and this journal stands as one of the oldest scientific journals on physics. It is said that Albert Einstein himself had contributed 49 articles to it, including his paper on special relativity. One of the main things that have brought him this far despite all failures or discouraging results, from my perspective, is determination. Victor Yu is someone with a good sense of humor and has a thing for dangerous experiments. His project cannot be tested for safety reasons
that would involve government regulations. Yet, that hasn’t stopped him from gathering data on his model by breaking it down to components and testing them with lab equipment under the guidance of a professor at Jiaotong University. Like everyone else, he struggles with math and like everyone else, he’s just another student with the same high school struggles. One of the main things that have brought him this far despite all failures or discouraging results, from my perspective, is determination. Where others would have given up or moved on, Victor continued and still continues to pursue his interests in science.
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November December 2016 Shanghai High School International Division 400 Shang Zhong Road Shanghai, China 200231 Website: www.shsid.org