SHSID|Times 2016 Sep-Oct

Persistent, Aspiring, Noble, Diligent, Achieving

SHSID|TIMES September October 2016 Edition

OCLUBS PAGE 1-6

S20 SUMMIT PAGE 13-14

LIFE AS AN AP STUDENT PAGE 30-32

UNTANGLING MISCONCEPTIONS PAGE 33-34

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 Novelty emerged as a clear theme when the editors and I sat down on our first day of school, shuffling around article ideas that range from the semester’s upgraded scholarship system, SHSID’s very first Model United Nations Conference, and the 2016 Associated Student Body election…

Times has also welcomed a delightful change of our own, and it gives us distinct pleasure to announce the establishment of the Opinions editorial section. The inspiration came to me last semester, when “Pride and Privilege: The Myth of Reverse Discrimination” published in the 2015 Nov-Dec issue and immediately received an unprecedented surge of attention from you—our dear readers. Your praise and debate centering our text and our views are both humbling and invigorating.

We hope that Opinions will galvanize a bolder and more active social discourse on campus, and spark a progressively more student-centric editorial focus in the pages of SHSID|Times. This issue, writers share riveting insights to their personal academic experiences in SHSID and their views on the controversies of self-driving vehicles.

And, as always, we feel immensely proud of the 36 new additions to the SHSID|Times crew! It is only with their hard work and enthusiasm that Times comes into being each year, refueled and refreshed. I sincerely hope that the satisfaction of watching their own work conserved between the lines of serif fonts and pages of vibrant pigments will form an enticing journey in the year to come!

Sincerely,

Tiffany Mei, Editor in Chief

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TABLE OF Cover Story 1

OClubs: Revolutionizing the Ordinary TIMES delves into the nuances behind the development of oClubs—the revolutionary club management platform of the new school year, and a truly remarkable spearhead for change.

News 7 9 11

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S20 Summit: A Gathering of InternationalRelations Enthusiasts SHSID’s IAA holds its first conference: the S20 Summit.

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Club Correspondent The Chess club and Just Dance club are both one of the amazing clubs in our school!

2016 Associated Student Body Election Being the first event of the year, the ASB election is a crucial turning point in the year.

College Express SHSID|Times summarizes college visits in the last two months for you.

Changes for the Better: SHSID’s New Scholarship System Students and teachers express their opinions regarding SHSID’s new scholarship system.

Lifestyle 16

Autumn Reading List Come experience the fall with six amazing reads

September October 2016

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CONTENTS Literature 19

短歌三首 如果不是便利店，我都不敢单身这么多年

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便利店 在周而复始的日子中寻找随想的新奇

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Truth “Sometimes people don’t want to hear the truth because they don’t want their illusions destroyed.”

- Friedrich Nietzsche

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Writer’s Block

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Eternal Eclipse

Contains extreme fragmentation, vague and barely recognisable allusions, and simple feelings. Read at own risk.

Unknown reasons breed unconscious choices. Unconscious choices breed unexpected outcomes.

Student Journal 30 33

OPINION: Life as an AP Student Celine Sung shares her experience and lessons learned as an AP student.

Untangling Misconceptions Conrad presents his interest in Middle Eastern Studies and expresses hopes in untangling the common misconceptions of the area

Science and Technology 35

Quantum Satellite

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OPINION: Autonomous Vehicle: Dangers and Regulations

The quantum satellite opens a new chapter in the computer age by enabling truly secure communications.

Looking at the development of self-driving vehicles through Tesla and Uber.

COVER STORY

O CLUBS Revolutionizing the Future

Written by: Eric Fan, Michael Fan, and Winston Wang Photos by: Mark Wu

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COVER STORY Whether it is a radical change like a revolution or a simple invention, we need not to deny that our community is shifted by such events. Yet when we think of change, we often ignore the meticulous planning and execution and only focus on its exterior manifestations. For this issue of SHSID|Times, we delve into the nuances behind the development of oClubs — the revolutionary club management platform of the new school year, an embodiment of innovation, and a truly remarkable spearhead for change.

Meet The Team

the number of players to two. The two players can use the WASD keys or the arrow keys to move their characters. As time progresses, the speed of the game increases significantly. If the players find the game to be too difficult, they can adjust the speed of the game through an in-game option. The way players gain points is also different, as it is now based upon the amount of time they manage to survive from the ghosts. Derril’s version of PAC-MAN is already quite popular among the students of his class. Many have tried and failed to break Derril’s score record.

In school, many of Derril’s friends would describe him as a person who cares deeply about service and communication. As an active member of the Computer Club, he helped set up a Q&A platform that helps teachers and students solve problems regarding computers and other digital devices on the Computer Club’s WeChat subscription account. His hard work in the Computer Club and oClubs has greatly benefitted students and teachers alike.

Derril Tai: At first glance, Derril from 12(1)B appears to be more of a jock than a computer geek. He used to be on the SHSID track team and excels at the 100 meter sprint and long jump. In addition, he is good at basketball and is often admired for his dexterity and his sassy moves.

However, once you get to know Derril better, you will be amazed to discover that he also performs well academically, especially in Computer Science. Unlike other students, Derril does not play computer games for entertainment— he plays them in seek of inspiration for creating his own games. He is currently making a two-player version of PACMAN for his Computer Science project.

In the original PAC-MAN game, the player controls PAC-MAN through a maze to eat little yellow dots called PAC-dots, while dodging the attack of four ghosts. When all of the PAC-dots are eaten, the player progresses to the next level. If PACMAN touches the ghosts more than four times, the player loses. The goal is to pass as many levels as possible.

Derril’s version of PAC-MAN removed the level system and increased

Visual Basic, a programming language that he learned in school. His game featured a multiplayer mode as a well a single player mode in which the player was matched against a computer Artificial Intelligence (AI). The algorithms that Frank used to create the AI were way beyond the school curriculum and exceeded the grading criteria for the project. During his presentation of the project, students were amazed to see the teacher lose not once, but multiple times to the computer AI. Last year, Frank joined a special Gomoku Tournament called Gomocup.

Unlike traditional Gomoku Tournaments, participants in this tournament were required to create their own computer AI to play the game for them. After spending hundreds of hours to perfect the Gomoku game that he made previously, Frank successfully made it into the second round of Gomocup, an impressive achievement for a teenager.

Outside of computer science, Frank is also known for being an excellent StarCraft player and has proved himself to be a formidable opponent. If you meet him in the hallways, feel free to challenge him in soccer, computer science, or StarCraft.

You will definitely be surprised!

Frank Lee: Like Derril, Frank from 12(1)B is also exceptionally talented in sports.

Frank is a member of the soccer team, a long-distance runner, and has won two gold medals in the 1500m event during SHSID Sports Meets.

Academically, Frank excels in STEM subjects such as physics, mathematics, and computer science. Frank is also an active member of the Computer Club and plays a major role in computer club discussions. In one club discussion about circular queues, an abstract structure for organizing data, he was able to present a clever method of implementation that no one had thought of before.

Two years ago, Frank created a digital game version of Gomoku using

Yifei Zhu: Many people have seen computer prodigies in movies and television—unless you have met Yifei. At first glance, Yifei from 12(4) may seem a bit quirky with his “Google Coding Camp Tshirt” and his enigmatic smile, but once you get to know him, you will appreciate him for the genius that he is. During lunch times, while other students are occupied with gossip and unfinished homework, Yifei sits in a corner of the classroom furiously tapping away at his iPad. A casual observer may assume

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COVER STORY that he is playing a game, but his closest friends know that he is probably writing computer code for an open-source project. He is deeply admired in SHSID’s realm of Computer Science academia and has helped students as well as teachers solve countless conundrums.

For Yifei, interacting with computers is almost like a sixth sense. His favorite programming language is Python, a relatively new programming language developed in the late 1980’s.

Python is well-known for the readability and conciseness of its computer code. Yifei is willing to spend hours to persuade other Computer Science students that Python is better than Java and C++. Yifei is involved in several projects with the Wikimedia Foundation, the organization that hosts Wikipedia, and is proud to be a Wikipedia administrator. When asked about the topic of his projects, he jokingly says that it’s classified. In his free time, he also participates in many coding camps and Computer Science competitions.

Yifei enjoys using his talent in Computer Science to help out members of the school community. He can quickly detect virus threats and fix system errors. Next time your computer breaks down, you know who to look for!

“Three laptops and a team of IT students, that’s all you need to make a change.”

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Technology: The Fundamentals of oClubs For them, the future is technology.

People’s lives have changed in an unimaginable way ever since the introduction of the Internet. SHSID already has our own website, but it is also about time to renovate our student activities system. The school needed someone with the skills and capabilities to work with the technology offered, but really, three laptops and a team of IT students is all one needs to make a change.

However, big change only comes with many small changes. Technology operates in a similar manner: they are formed with countless basic elements that ultimately build together to form something complex yet simplifies our lives. oClubs, too, is made of thousands of lines of simple text known as: The Code.

I Below is their Sublime Text interface – there is, un-exaggeratingly, a myriad of codes. It would take an expert to decipher all their functions. It is hard to believe that Derril and Frank would not have been able to read any of these algorithms prior to their involvement with oClubs. Sure, they knew about Java and simple coding from their CS classes, but this project was the real deal, not just the ten-line code segments on exam papers. Fortunately, they hired an expert, Yifei, and the first few weeks for Derril and Frank was school all over again.

Many computer geeks know about HyperText Markup Language (HTML).

Some may mistaken it to be the only language one needs to create a website, but that was certainly not the case for oClubs. The creation of oClubs was more than merely a few combinations of programming languages. While the sleek blue interface relies on Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) to design and position elements on the laptop webpage, advanced functions such as selecting leaders and editing basic information involve usage of complex javascript. Each and every page relies on the conjunction of all three languages and all three members. Each night they discuss their

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gains of the day through Wechat calls as they submit their work onto Github, an online code management community.

II And that’s not all. The website still needed security protocols, database, and all the complex behind-thescenes components of a masterpiece.

The team once again looked to Yifei, and his knowledge of webpage development did not disappoint them.

The team worked with Python Flask Framework that helped create memory slots on the webpage, and these slots are precisely what stores a student member in a club. Derril and Frank note that they had to learn the programming language Python from scratch. “It’s challenging to learn. But when you get past that, everything is easier,” Derril comments while recalling the arduous journey. “If we had any questions or doubts, we would always use reference books to look it up ourselves or ask Yifei,” Frank reminisces. They had relied on nearly no substantial help from adult professionals.

The trio all note the importance of their passion for the field of computer science, a necessity for the perseverance required to complete their work of the website. They also used Nginx, a professional server utility, to provide a correct and secure http web server to store the website. Finally, they used MySQL, a preexisting spreadsheet and data software to create a relational database that effectively allows transitions between different clubs’ homepages.

III By that point, the trio had only completed their first draft. As they learned in their CS classes, the implementation of code is only a fifth of a completed product – the majority is on continuous testing and updating. To do so, they used Vagrant to simulate users and to locate any flaws in their design. As the website reached its completion stage, Derril contacted Principal Ma, Director Liu, and other school administrators for final feedback and suggestions.

Every writer, whether they write code or stories, know that revision is perhaps the most tedious yet crucial part of constructing a masterpiece. It

COVER STORY is at this stage that many start to lose their initial motivations as they witness several parts of their hard work altered or even completely trashed.

To keep themselves together, communication was central. During difficult times, the three usually met at school to discuss and revise their codes together and Wechat called daily at home. Yifei chuckles when asked about the external pressures they faced throughout the process, “the director kept telling us ‘you guys need deadlines!’ and we always responded to these deadlines by forcing each other to work even harder. This method ensured our pace and allowed us to launch the platform in time for the new school year.”

Surprisingly, the long hours of communication and project development have not affected the three’s academic performances much. “80% percent of the work was finished during the summer vacation,” explains Frank about their time management.

IV When the website finally launched, the team found themselves on the seats of the Auditorium during the Opening Ceremony.

Rest? There will be none. They all knew that the busiest time is not during development but at the moment right after launch. Indeed, student users did not hesitate to bombard the team with bugs such as photo uploading errors and suggestions such as co-leader options When asked how they’ve dealt with frustration with fixing such issues, they had a unique answer in store. Simply put, it is to fix the problem the moment it is introduced, in technical terms it is known as hotfixes. Yifei notes that he still had to work, to solve the problem immediately when detected, to deal with frustration even when on the verge of giving up: there was no time for delays.

Maybe we should give them a break? No, that would be a disrespect.

As first-time software developers, they love all the feedback regardless of whether it is a compliment or criticism because feedback means their product is at least valued by the community.

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COVER STORY The Future is Now After oClubs’s development, it is clear that others will rise in its wake. oClubs’s rise to creation required hours of dedication to the project, a certain level of technological expertise, and a burning passion for programming. The easily accessible system affects all high school students. The elements of their success may illuminate others to also change the landscape of SHSID. In fact, not only will oClubs be making an impact on SHSID, it might even potentially become an application beneficial for all students around the world. The development of oClubs follows the very same footsteps of many current social network blockbusters.

Mark Zuckerberg created Facebook to bring social communication to the next level by using technology. He thought it was necessary to somehow keep in contact with friends even without physically meeting each other.

Likewise, he created his first prototype with a group of friends, launched it within Harvard’s network, and received immense praise and attention. Eventually the page’s influence met the eyes of investors, finally leading to the world-wide success of Facebook and one of the world’s earliest form of social networking.

Although oClubs’s functions are currently limited to club creation and management, it is already beginning to act as a large gathering place for individuals that seek common interests. Before, recorded clubs are placed in an excel sheet and printed out with limited information. Now, club information can be viewed anytime and anywhere as long as one has a device on campus. Students can encounter and freely browse through clubs previously unknown to them, just like how we may unexpectedly meet an old friend through Facebook. “There’s everything imaginable and not [sic] imaginable,” comments Stephanie Gu, a junior in charge of club managements last year, “and you know what clubs exist and what doesn’t. It’s much easier to go through.” With oClubs, every interested individual is connected through a network with other individuals of similar interests.

The legend of oClubs is similar to the creation of Reddit, Pinterest, and other forums that tie people together. Perhaps one day it will become a recognized collaboration alternative. By that time the concept should have already spread to other schools. A student union could be formed. Interschool competitions, discussions, and events could be made much easier with oClubs. Education itself can be revolutionized. That, of course, would require more than three people, but the point here is crystal clear: the crew has just sparked the fuse of an explosive technological future.

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Glossary

Sublime Text: sophisticated text editor for code and markup language. Features many tabs for efficient management and sorting.

Below is screenshot of oClubs code.

Java: computer programming language that focuses on using classes and objects for efficient implementation HTML: specific set of symbols or codes (markup) inserted in a file

COVER STORY

“oClub’s rise to creation required hours of dedication to the project, a certain level of technological expertise, and a burning passion for programming.”

intended for display on a World Wide Web browser page.

CSS: Used alongside markup language like HTML to describe presentation styles for better design Python: high-level, dynamic programming language, emphasizes code readability and expresses concepts with fewer lines Python Flask Framework: web framework using Python language designed to support web applications. Pinterest and LinkedIn use this.

Web Server: program that uses HTTP (internet transfer rules) to serve files from web pages to users.

Vagrant: program that provides maintainable and portable virtual development environments used for testing(basically run another windows on a windows os, like VMware) SEPTEMBER OCTOBER 2016

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NEWS

2016 Associated Student Body Election Written by: Sophie Li Photos By: James Zhang

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NEWS “They say that the passionate man is the man who does his job best because he will give his everything to do what he truly loves. I may not be much, but I can promise you that I will be just that.”

–Sophie Li 10(1)

Vote for Me!

The ASB campaigns had begun.

Successful candidates who had advanced from the homeroom stage unflaggingly appealed for votes via their posters in the lobby and on Wechat Moments. September 14th, 2016 was the day when the fruits of their campaigns were decided. From the 9th and 10th grades, twenty-five ambitious candidates took the stage, where only thirteen of them would walk away proudly with the title of ASB member.

As for the 11th and 12th grades, twenty-one candidates strived for the fourteen available ASB member positions.

The order in which speeches were given was determined by drawing lots.

One by one, each candidate fully utilized two short minutes to deliver a brief but impactful speech to the audience.

Results

After a well-deserved Mid-Autumn Festival Break, the results were hung out in the lobby of the ZXB and the XMT with a frantic mob of students trying to get a glimpse of who got in.

For the 9th and 10th grades, Nicole, Laurie, Diana, Venice, Tiffany, Andrew, Jovilyn, Sophie, Daniel, Zacc, WenHsin, Marco, and Tania were elected. Jovilyn Dalena from 10(5) is the president, and Andrew Mi from 9(1) the vice president.

For the 11th and 12th grades, Chloe, Catherine, Angel, Angelina, Stephanie, Vivian, Annie, Wendy, Michael, Matthew, Celine, Joshua, Jasmine, and Claire were elected to enter the ASB with last year’s honor members Ricky, Amber, Sarah, Raymond, and Jack. Ricky Pan from 12(1) is the president, and Chloe Tan from 11(1) is the vice president.

Congratulations to these members!

In addition to familiar faces from last year, promising new members are on the list. “I have one year of experience as an ASB Helper,” Michael Fan from 11(3) explains. “Frankly, I’m surprised that I even got into the ASB. There were so many great speeches that I didn’t even imagine that I would be chosen,” he admits. “This year is going to be fun, but really tough. It’s going to be the most interesting yet challenging task I have taken up.”

For freshmen, all of them are new to the high school ASB. Laurie Yang from 9(9) shares her thoughts: “For three years, I have longed to be an ASB member. I have tried but failed three times in succession. My spirits were down, and my self esteem was low,” she says, “And yet I could not allow myself to lose the opportunity. Perhaps so many failures gave me the determination and courage to take the risk once more.” Now that her dreams are reality, she plans “to give the entire student body a chance to voice their opinions through online surveys or handouts.”

However, not every candidate made it in. Kevin Bao from 10(6) was a candidate who demonstrated a strong interest in joining and now intends to join ASB Helpers. “The results are reasonable. I didn’t get elected in, but I would love to have another opportunity in which I can contribute to my school.”

Looking Forward

A new ASB family means a new year with new events and new ideas. We take a look at what’s in store for us for the next year.

Of course, the events we hold dear

will still be coming around this year.

Underclassmen president Jovilyn, who has been in the ASB for two years in middle school and for one year in high school, elaborates, “As usual, we will still be organizing our traditional events: the Halloween Party, Winter Ball, White Valentine’s, and Summer Bash. I believe with the addition of the freshmen, we can create remarkable events.” Ricky Pan from 12(1)A, president of the upperclassmen ASB, adds, “Our targets this year are to hold memorable events, experiment with creative ideas, and increase communication between the ASB and the student body as a whole.

Most importantly perhaps we want to have a killer Prom to wrap up the seniors’ high school life with a bang.”

In addition to our traditional events, this year some new additions are to be seen for the first time. “We are working with the upperclassmen ASB to organize the Sports Week. To further this event, we are incorporating a charity fair and a carnival into the Sports Week,” says Jovilyn. Ricky explains, “What we’ve already worked towards is an internal restructuring of the ASB and increased collaboration between the ASBs of the two buildings. We also intend to expand the Halloween Party, smooth out Winter Ball, and diversify student’s choices during White Valentine’s.”

Onward!

The ASB election may be in the past now, but the ASB are already beginning to compile the blueprints for the year to come. With twenty-seven capable and determined members, we can expect to have another year full of excitement and unforgettable memories.

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NEWS

COLLEGE In the past two months, many colleges have visited SHSID and hosted information sessions open to the public. Many attendees also poised inquiries for Admissions Officers after the sessions concluded. In case you missed some of these events, here is a run down of the universities’ information session contents based on student notes. For more complete information, please visit university official websites.

Duke University:

The spirit and pride of the Duke Devils lie not only with their Basketball glories but moreover in their academic prowess. Duke prides itself in its commitment to fostering collaboration and connection amongst its faculty and students, creating collision spaces for ideas and exchanges—the 7600 square feet Duke Foundry project area is only one of the on-campus facilities for Duke undergraduate and graduate students to build engineering, energy, entrepreneurship, and sustainability ideas from the ground up. Duke University offers many unparalleled research opportunities including its Lemur Center and Marine Lab, as well as global service projects through DukeEngage.

Georgetown University:

Georgetown University takes tremendous pride in its Jesuit identity and commitment to social justice, as shown through the ethics and philosophy requirements as a part of

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its common core. Situated in the cradle of Washington D.C.—the home to numerous superlatives including America’s largest library and medical library—Georgetown enjoys many perks of being the only university located in the capital and encourages its students to actively pursue opportunities in D.C. The university is consisted of Georgetown College, the College of Nursing and Health Studies, McDonough School of Business, and renowned Walsh School of Foreign Studies.

Princeton University:

With New York to its North and Philadelphia to its South, Princeton University is currently home to ten Nobel Prize holding professors. Aside from its world-renowned academic capacities, the university prides itself in its unique Eating Clubs, a system of student organizations which contains 60% of the undergraduate population. Without a doubt, Princeton University’s Institute for Chocolate Studies is a hit amongst its many googley-eyed freshmen scholars each fall

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Columbia University:

Situated in the hub of the Big Apple, Columbia provides its undergraduate students with unparalleled housing, guaranteed for all four years of their academic experiences. The university dormitories will very likely be the best residencies that its students will find in New York City for a long time after graduation, confesses the AO. A unique long-standing tradition at the university is its swim test—each year, the class of Columbia graduates are required to pass a swimming examination in order to qualify for graduation. However, if you are seeking scholarship within the School of Engineering, you’re at luck, because Engineers at Columbia are not mandated to pass this test.

Northwestern University:

Northwestern University started its presentation by encouraging the audience to think about the word “and”.

To start with, Northwestern’s unique

NEWS

EXPRESS

Written by: Minji Suh and Tiffany Mei Photo by: Mark Wu

geographical location combines the vibrant metropolis of Chicago, the small town of Evanston, and the serendipitous bank of the Michigan Lake.

Northwestern University operates on the Quarter system, and offers many Chicago Field Studies programs to broaden student engagement within the three quarters they spend on campus each year. The university prides itself in its $3.5 million yearly fund for undergraduate research and development and an impressive alumni body which homes the writers of Divergent and Game of Thrones.

Brown University:

Located in Providence, Rhode Island, Brown University’s campus is one of the oldest in the United States.

The AO introduced Brown’s unique open curriculum, where students can choose the courses they want to take, completely unrestrained by any distribution requirements. Brown University also encourages “independent concentrations,” where students can create their own academic majors after approval from the university. From

this session, we can see how Brown University truly values freedom and individualization of education.

Bard College:

The AO of Bard College surprised the audience with his fluent Chinese at the beginning of the presentation.

A liberal arts college located in New York, Bard College prioritizes a multidisciplinary, well-rounded educational experience for its students. Bard’s focus of learning in the undergraduate level is not on acquiring skills for a career but on cultivating a sense of love for learning. Bard College also has a strong emphasis on music. The college has four divisions: Arts; Language and Literature; Science, Mathematics, and Computing; and Social Studies.

New York University:

Held in a small classroom in XMT, the NYU information session was particularly interactive. The students at the session listed ten different schools at NYU, each concentrating in different areas of studies. The AO also introduced NYU’s three campuses

across New York, Abu Dhabi, and Shanghai. At NYU, every student can study away at NYU’s global centers for three semesters. As NYU campus at New York does not have clear-set boundaries, students can fully experience the city of New York and its numerous offers of internship and career opportunities.

University of California, Berkeley:

The AO took pride in UC Berkeley’s strong Chemistry program, highlighting the fact that many of the elements on the periodic table was discovered at UC Berkeley. Students have the freedom to research through creative means—some students recently replicated a rocket from the Ming Dynasty as a part of their Chemistry project.

Besides Chemistry, UC Berkeley also offers strong undergraduate programs across various disciplines, and students can experience a campus environment with a diverse student body.

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On August 31st, the juniors and seniors of Xianmian Building returned to school. Awaiting them during the Opening Ceremony was a major change in the school’s award system: besides adding a vast array of new awards, students who wish to receive scholarships are also required to submit an application by themselves. GPA will no longer be the sole factor reviewed in the application. The following excerpts from five different interviews provide more information regarding the changes and give differing perspectives regarding students’ and teachers’ reactions.

Major Reasons Behind the Change: Interview with Principal Ma

Principal Ma was gracious enough to give us some of his spare time—which in all honesty is almost nonexistent—for an interview on the “official story” behind the scholarship system’s change in the Director’s Office.

“When we examined the old scholarship system,” Principal Ma recalled, “we realized that some students would be excluded from the chance of getting scholarships because the scholarship system was only based on GPA ranking. However, courses students take now are highly diversified; giving scholarships to students in order of GPA ranking is not the best method of awarding scholarships. The new scholarship system thus creates a balance between students’ scores and their other

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SEPTEMBER OCTOBER 2016

Written by: Rachel Wang Photos By: Joshua Lu

SHSID’s New Scholarship System

Changes for the Better

NEWS

achievements.”

The opportunity of receiving a scholarship will be extended to students with all kinds of skills in the new system. “For example,” Principal Ma suggested, “there may be students who excel in certain skills, such as photography, in our school who would not have received any scholarships in the old system. These students may not have achieved the most in competitions or extracurricular activities, but they have done a lot for our school in general, helping various clubs create posters and promotional videos. They deserve an award for that.”

These special awards also extend to other students who excel in one particular area of study.

Students are highly encouraged to take the initiative with the new system: in fact, students must apply for all awards themselves starting this year. As Principle Ma mentioned, however, there are still requirements for some scholarships. “For the highest awards,” he stated, “we still have a set requirement for GPA, but if students reach this requirement, we will put GPA aside and consider their contributions and motives for applying. Students are required to show their achievements to a panel of judges in a holistic review.”

NEWS Teacher and Student Reactions Ms. Zhang Li: Practice for Future Life

Next, we interviewed Ms. Zhang Li due to the striking similarities we found between the college application process and the “holistic review” Principal Ma mentioned. As a member of the College Counseling Office, Ms. Zhang took a broader approach in describing the benefits of the new scholarship system.

When we mentioned that we had noticed correspondences between college applications and the scholarship system, she smiled and affirmed, “The new system allows students to get used to university life and other situations later on.” She added, “In most cases in your future life, awards will not come to you automatically. Rather, you will have to apply for them yourselves. The process of applying for scholarships serves as a method for students to better understand themselves; after all, you can only display your brightest side after you first understand yourself. This is also a reason why the school has created awards targeted towards other abilities in addition to traditional, academically-geared scholarships in order to fulfill students’ needs.”

Opinions: Reasonable Doubts and Justifications To get a more complete idea of what changes in the scholarship system en-

tails for high school students, we interviewed members of the student community to get an idea of their views on the changes.

In particular, Grace Jing of 11(1) A, a recipient of the “Good Studies” award for the 2015-2016 school year, stated that she thinks the change in the scholarship system was made based on “a good incentive” but is “not sure how effective it will be because many students are not very willing to go the extra mile in extracurricular activities and achievements even though they know that the scholarship is based on those achievements.” “Moreover,” she mentioned, “it’s possible that most students…eligible of the scholarship will forget to apply before the deadline.” Her doubts are pretty reasonable, given that many juniors and seniors may be too preoccupied with schoolwork before the application’s deadline.

Other students, however, expressed different opinions. For example, Michael Fan of 11(3) stated that he “loved how the new scholarship system encourages the students to be more well-rounded.”

The new requirements for scholarships, he felt, would be able to incorporate “a wider scope of skills” that students have.

“This new motivation students gain will definitely help students discover more of their interests and have greater participation in our community.”

Ms. Gu Ying, homeroom teacher of 11(1) A, espoused a similar opinion. As a

homeroom teacher with years of teaching experience, her opinion regarding the scholarship system largely relates to the benefits students will receive. Believing that the new scholarship system is a “good thing,” she recalls that teacher recommendations and GPA rankings were the major determinants behind previous decisions regarding scholarships.

“Lots of students were neglected,” she states, “and there was only a select group of students who received awards every year. Now, everyone will have the opportunity to register for awards, and the entire process will be more open and equal to all students. If you want to prove that you have the ability required to receive a scholarship, you’ll be judged based on a very fair method: members of the student body, teachers, and even parents will collaborate in order to judge your presentation. Even if you only have one specific subject you excel in, you’ll be encouraged to apply for these awards.”

While there definitely may be some drawbacks of the new scholarship system, attitudes regarding it have been overwhelmingly positive. We have yet to experience the actual process of applying for scholarships, but the information regarding the new system as of now definitely assures us that our contributions in all areas will be held in a more important light.

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NEWS When someone first mentions S20, maybe the first thing that pops into your head is the name of the highway that runs through Shanghai. However, it has a more significant meaning to SHSID; it is the first conference held by juniors and seniors in the International Affairs Association. The S20 Summit seeks to bring global discussions to our immediate communitys of Shanghai. Through the process, delegates can become more informed about the local issues that concern the city and work to bring about tangible change to the issues in their daily lives. In essence, S20 provides a platform for the future leaders of Shanghai to come together and discuss the issues they face today and will be facing tomorrow.

S20: SHSID’s First SelfHeld Conference

S20 Summit A Gathering of International-Relations Enthusiasts

Written by: Jerry Chen Photos by: Sophia She

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SEPTEMBER OCTOBER 2016

The S20 Summit first came into being during one of the IAA club sessions last year. The “S20” name was originally inspired by the major international conference held by the finest of our world leaders, G20. The name is short for Shanghai20, and symbolizes 20 schools from Shanghai who come to seek solutions to many of the city’s local issues. As many of the known conferences are hosted by major American universities, such as Yale University and Harvard University, S20 differs in that it is one of the conferences that are entirely hosted by high school students.

However, what truly sets S20 apart from other domestic or international conferences is its form of debate and focus. The chair of the World Health Organization committee, Emily Teng, summarized the mission of the S20 Summit, “Our main aim was to choose topics that are closely related with our daily lives in Shanghai.”

While the topics given were certainly of global importance, the S20 Summit stresses local, practical solutions pertaining to the city of Shanghai.

The IAA has decided to send the final resolutions of each committee to the Shanghai City Hall so that the solutions will have a chance to be turned into actions.

Another unique aspect of the S20 Summit is the representation of delegates. Instead of representing different countries,

NEWS delegates represented either their schools or themselves to further facilitate the theme of localization.

So It Begins

The two-day conference welcomed more than 100 participants from 14 different schools across Shanghai. While the weather was grim, their enthusiasm to participate was not diminished in any way.

From the start, delegates approached one another, communicated their opinions, and extended their debates through caucuses in committees. The small committee sizes further induced collaboration among delegates. Sophia She, chair of the UNESCO committee, observed, “Collaboration was one of the highlights of this conference. Not only did all of them work cooperatively in committee, but they were also able to become close friends outside of the conference room.”

Another unique segment to the S20 Summit was the forum presentations. Best Draft Resolutions from each committee are presented by representatives from these committees in front of the entire Summit. This final segment summarized what has been discussed in the past two days, sharpened delegates’ public speaking skills, and educated delegates of the topics that did not fall into the scope of their own research.

In particular, the resolution of the UNESCO committee to make an uniform international school curriculum was very detailed and superbly written; therefore, UNESCO received the award of Best Solution Committee.

Thoughts From Participants

S20 welcomed many previously unexperienced delegates and staff. Claire Lo from UNODC exclaimed, “Before I joined S20, I didn’t really know how MUN works or what it really is about.” It is true that only a handful of delegates in the conference was experienced; however, they quickly stepped out of their comfort zones and collaborated with other delegates in their committees.

“As more ideas were proposed for discussion, I became more passionate and active in the discussions,” said Jason Yu, a first-time delegate from WHO.

This was also a first-time experience for many S20 staff. The secretariat was made up entirely of juniors and seniors from SHSID, and S20 was a new experience for all of them. They encountered challenges usually faced by a much larger team of college students, and tackled them like professionals to bring the best conference they could to the delegates.

Chairs also stepped up from being delegates to leading the whole committee. Sophia She described her first-time behind the Dias table as “a brand new perspective.” Some chairs reminisced being a delegate and interacting through active debates, “I definitely miss holding a country’s placard and making speeches in front of an entire committee,” confesses Emily Teng.

Until Next Time

During the closing ceremony, 5 Best Delegate awards were given to those who show exceptional diplomatic and communication abilities during conference For those international relations enthusiasts who haven’t attended a conference, S20 is the place to begin your MUN career. Students always, “What if I can’t do it?”, “How do you communicate with others?”, “What should I do during the committee?”. To these concerns, Emily advices, “Speak. As long as you make your first speech, there is the initial velocity for you to speak more and more, and then you’ll understand the FUN of MUN.” The S20 Summit of 2016 has come to an end; yet, it is only a beginning of what can be done by our future MUN-ers.

The future is promising, and there is no telling what the next S20 can bring to MUN enthusiasts across Shanghai, like Angel affirmed, “I’m sure next year’s S20 will be bigger and better.”

Just like how the current secretariat carried the wish of the previous IAA presidents, it is up to these delegates to carry on the tradition of the annual S20 Summit.

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NEWS

Club Correspondent Written by: Jinyoung Yoon Photos from: kurld.com

CHESS CLUB

Jackson Chen 12(1) and Eric Fan 12(1), who are currently co-leaders of Chess club, have been hosting this club for years.

Chess club was created

by Jackson Chen when he was in 9th grade.

His main purpose in making this club was to build a platform for members to engage and interact.

Then why did he choose chess?

“It seemed like it could make a ‘perfect extracurricular’. It is casual enough to be a club, yet competitive enough to be fun,”

Held every Thursday and Friday lunchtime,

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the chess club consists of around 30 members.

Even though members do not have the same levels and skills, they all come together with the same interest and passion towards chess.

In addition to small games held during lunchtimes, the chess club hosts several tournaments of both International Chess and Chinese Chess.

The tournaments are in elimination style, with no repechage stages.

The chess club aims for both intellectual rigor and fun, brining students to socialize and bond.

SEPTEMBER OCTOBER 2016

Amy Zhong 12(8) created Just Dance Club in her junior year.

With a strong passion for dancing, she wanted to make a dance club that was open for both juniors and seniors.

“I decided to create this club so my friends and I can continue to dance in school and simply have fun dancing,” she said.

Every Monday afternoon, they practice and learn various routines such as Pop songs and K-pop songs. Amy, as the leader of the club, learns the routines

first by watching videos and teaches them to the members. With such talent and passion, they performed in many shows and competitions, including the Art Festival and the Talent Show. Last year, they performed La la latch

by Pentatonic and Love Me Right by Exo in the Art Festival.

With their hard work, they won fifth place.

“I guess what’s special about this club may be the passion for dancing, the bonds we form, and the laughs we share,” said Amy.

JUST DANCE

r u o n Y m u t g u n A i d a e R t s i L

LIFESTYLE

ang ie F Kim n n A ave by: ten n by: D t i r W ratio t Illus

We often neglect the gradual changes from one season

to another. Look out the window— the once luxuriant foliage is gone. What we have now are raining leaves carried by brisk breezes, arriving at our feet in different shades of red, yellow, orange, and gold. A couple of months ago, we thrived under the blessings of the summer sunshine, but for now, we are still spared the cruel realties of the winter chill. It is, once again, the fall season.

Although we are approaching the end of another year, the school year has only just begun. As we plunge into our hefty assignments, it is important to leave space for just a little bit of laze. It is always pleasant to pick up a short novel to accompany autumn’s elegance and to set ours minds free of troubles and focus on fall’s serenity.

Although we may not always have the time for it, reading is essential to enriching ourselves. To help our readers unwind in the autumn season, we have put together a reading list with six carefully selected books, some recommended by active readers amongst the students and others by English teachers. We hope they will grant you a marvelous journey through this golden time of the year.

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LIFESTYLE

1.

The Great Gatsby

By F. Scott Fitzgerald Even with its beauty, autumn is the season when the length of daylight is shrunken and the fall rain begins its power to turn people slightly moody. To go with this slight sense of melancholia, it is a good time to revisit a classic – The Great Gatsby. Taking us back to the Roaring Twenties, the novel invites us to a tragic love story between the mysterious millionaire Jay Gatsby and the love of his life, Daisy Buchanan. A tale of flawed characters, it explores the follies and fragility of human nature shaped in the time period. The language of the story, beautifully woven, possesses the elegance to match that of the fall’s.

2.

The Setting Sun

By Dazai Osamu

An avid reader, Junior Grace Jing recommends a captivating historical fiction, The Setting Sun, for the fall season. Taking place right after the World War II in Japan, the novel “details the struggles of a former aristocratic family in post-war Japan through the lens of a psychologically troubled narrator. One of Dazai’s masterpieces, although perhaps less well known than No Longer Human, it is rather fitting for a time where living things wither against a background of orange and red,” explains Grace. The book is also available in Japanese in the school library and can be easily purchased online!

6.

A Separate Peace

By John Knowles

Recommended by Mr. Adam Nikolich, IB English A teacher, A Separate Peace tells the story of Gene, a sixteen-year-old boy at a boarding school during World War II. Evolving around the themes of friendship and jealousy, “A Separate Peace is a great fall read. The novel abounds with New England nature scenery and explores social drama among elite students at a high pressure school in a meaningful and nuanced way. It is a coming-of-age story that verges on sappy, but manages to stop short of schmaltzy.”

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LIFESTYLE

“— that season of peculiar and inexhaustible influence on the mind of taste and tenderness — that season which has drawn from every poet worthy of being read some attempt at description, or some lines of feeling.”

- Jane Austen 3.

The Cursed Child

4.

By JK Rowling

If spring is the season of hope for the future, then fall is perhaps the season of nostalgia. It is, thus, a good choice to pick up a recent but classic release. As a sequel to the Harry Potter Series, a childhood favorite of many, The Cursed Child, narrates the Wizardry World years after Voldemort was defeated. In the face of new troubles and darkness, Harry’s son, Albus, is forced onto a journey to the past and future, while grappling his own relationship with his father. We are given the chance to go on an adventure with our favorite characters in a setting that we are most familiar with, experiencing the magic of the Harry Potter series once again.

The Twelve Chairs

By Ilya Ilf and Evgeny Petrov

Recommended by English teacher, Mr. Justin Way, The Twelve Chairs tells the tales of an unemployed con artist and a former nobleman in the post-revolutionary setting. The two characters’ quest for bejeweled chairs leads them to a variety of encounters. “A historical comedy with an unforgettable lead character, The Twelve Chairs presents a winding adventure across early Soviet Russia that pairs well with cool autumn weather. It is a quick read, also! ‘Gentlemen of the jury, things are moving!’ ”

5. The

Shining

By Stephen King

If you’re not interested in the autumn romance or have visited the classics a bit too often in English class, perhaps you will find a story by the master of horror fiction, The Shining by Stephen King, fitting for the season. Hired as a caretaker at the Overlook Hotel, our protagonist, Jack, is driven to insanity by the supernatural forces within the hotel, while his son, Danny, with his psychic powers known as “the shining”, is able to see the horrific history of the hotel. It is the perfect book to spice up your normal autumn day with its thrilling plotline.

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LITERATURE

（一）市禅

（二）破晓

如峰的厦 流云

怒雷聚 煞雨急 魂俱惊

似舟的车 止水 家鸽穿云过 时之细沙忘川没 孑孓闹雨塘 街路盘根错 光之流离日月梭 炊烟化清风 闲茶 小家

月笼纱 雾凝霜 蝉复鸣 启明替长庚 路灯将息日渐蓬 暗影肆处匿 青蓝覆紫灰 帘帷已掀梳妆随 晨起一日计 开窗 启航

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LITERATURE

（三）登高 起 天堑水 奔腾向东流 起 赤子心 壮志争上游 旭日东升 彩旗招展 正是风景最胜处 博古通今 包罗万象 恰逢四通八达时 伫楼细听风吟 俯瞰繁花似锦 从心 从志

短 歌 三 首 Written by:Jessica Qu Photos provided by: Jessica Qu

by Jessica Qu

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LITERATURE

“如果不是便利店，我都不敢单身那么多年。”

有一天电台DJ这样说到。

便利店 Written by: Helen Tianxin Li Photo from: www.kuodo.com

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LITERATURE

时间是凌晨2:19，作业做完了，重新打 开电脑码字。 夜已经深了，家里只有自己一个人醒

把玩着手里的润喉糖，浅浅地笑。他长着一 副平凡人的脸，丢在人群里绝对认不出来， 鸭舌帽盖住了额头。

着。也许整个世界都睡了，黑夜到来得如此 迅速。 但其实，窗外便利店招牌上的蓝灯依

后来我便匆匆拎着好几包零食离开了 便利店，沿着原路走回了家。我依靠着沿路 星星点点的灯光，打量起路边的商铺。这些

然亮着，营业员依旧在迎接可能存在的客人

庞然大物有违平日的喧闹嘈杂，在一旁沉睡

们，但实际上，又会有多少客人来呢。他们

着。其实，我并没有指望着路上任何一家店

站着扫条形码，与寒冷相比让你更加清楚地

会重新开张，因为他们和我不同。我，和

意识到，这个世界上不只有你一个人无助地

那个便利店里的小哥，亦或者说是那家便利

清醒着。

店，像是这个世界上唯二清醒着的，在黑夜

还记得几年前我住在更为繁华的街道 时，离着最近的便利店也隔了整整一条街。

里成为了两个发着光的小点，连成了没有人 能够看穿的线。

那时也是一样睡不着觉的凌晨三点，我突然 找不到了充电宝被迫出门，当走出家门看到

这样的故事其实还有很多，发生在每一 个人的身上，发生在任何一个时间。

寂静漆黑的街道和遥远渺小的路灯后，我之

细细想着，那一家家便利店渐渐地成

前存有的对上海凌晨灯火通明的宏伟幻想转

为了身边不可或缺的一部分——早上踏上班

瞬化为虚无。五金店，自行车修车铺，打印

车前冲去买一袋热好的豆浆；晚上顺路拎几

店，餐馆，都紧锁着金属门帘，企图逃避黑

包零食回家看肥皂剧。那是踏实的一部分，

暗，只有路边时好时坏的路灯发出渺茫的光

在光鲜亮丽的白昼后补足在黑暗下露出的一

亮。我走过三条街，才看见转角处仍然开着

个个生活窟窿。然而，当我们要去回想自己

的便利店，从黑暗的枷锁里挣脱，向着我伸

与它发生过什么激动人心、难以忘怀的事件

出了温暖的枝桠。

时，却似乎什么都想不起来。就是那种淡如

我从未设想过最后，剩下的于凌晨三点 与我相伴的，会是一家平平凡凡、敞亮敞亮

流水的存在，才让它们更好的适应了我们的 生活。

的便利店。货架上的零食还是那么齐全，营

自从知道了那家永不休息的便利店的

业员已经无力去遮挡自己打哈欠的姿势，从

存在，我便不再担心孤身的自己在黑夜里会

家里出发的我也凌乱着头发。

多渺小。因为总会有同样的一个人，是男是

其实到最后，我也没买到充电宝，倒是 认真地研究了一番营业员小哥的衣着。从现 在回想，那便利店小哥也是学生的模样—— 在假期找到了一份不错的兼职，习惯了熬夜

女，站在便利店的柜台前，清醒着，和我一 样。 时间是凌晨2:58，窗前的24小时便利店 还开着，一个穿着运动服的人走了进去。

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LITERATURE

TRUTH Written by: Lily Dai

Why do you want the truth?

Is it not painful?

Does it not hurt?

Is it not offensive?

Is it not dirt?

Why do you seek the truth?

Does it not burden you?

Can’t you feel its weight?

Won’t it lead to destruction?

Won’t it lead to hate?

Why do you want my honesty?

Is it not boring?

Is it not bland?

Does it not taste bad?

Just like sand?

Why do you wish for honesty?

Will you not exaggerate?

Will you state?

Will you add comments About my fate?

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LITERATURE

Come now, tell me How do you feel?

Is it ludicrous?

Does it seem real?

Does it haunt your dreams?

Does it stalk your days?

Do you disapprove In a hundred different ways?

Why do you want enlightenment?

Will you not reject it?

Will you stay?

Will you accept it Or wave it away?

What good can come from this?

I’ll answer you: None at all.

Once you take a bite You will fall Into a world That is never more Yours.

Well, I can’t stop you If you want to go.

Tell me all about it.

I want to know.

Bring back some stories, Something to show.

Do you regret?

Do you despair?

Do you look back?

Do you even care?

When it’s revealed Is it better than a lie?

Does it make you happy?

Does it make you cry?

Is it better?

Is it worse?

Is it a blessing?

Is it a curse?

Tell me the truth.

Give me it all.

How is your life After the fall?

What do you mean: I live in a lie?

I told you all that, didn’t I?

Goodbye, my friend And when we next meet I hope you’ll have for me A real good treat.

Have you seen it yet?

You have, have you?

I won’t tell another soul Just give me a clue!

Photos and Illustrations from: Pinterest.com SEPTEMBER OCTOBER 2016 SHSID|TIMES

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w r i t e r ’s b l o c k

LITERATURE

Written by: Rachel Wang Photo from: Pinterest.com

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SEPTEMBER OCTOBER 2016

LITERATURE

It hurts to get my thoughts onto paper.

Like a giant ouroboros, I cannot help my tendencies to destroy and to self-destroy, trailing bite-sized pieces of tender flesh and paper tidbits in my wake, a Trail of Tears no Native Character of mine would dare walk if not forced down the

never ending

steps into

the abyss I call my ego.

For it is—what is?—my ego (and superfluous superego) preventing me from unleashing ideas onto paper, from releasing Jormungandr’s mouth from the tip of his tale and spinning parapets of rhyme and feet

of meter into edible yarns for my thought, jumping ever-too-quickly into the conclusion that eventually readers will like what I write, that they’d understand the God from the Machine and Ghost in the Shell my fragments of verse speak

of and know my mind.

We’re all soul sisters, after all.

In the end, SOS is the signal I send, CQD what I demand, but apathy what comes in hand.

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LITERATURE

Eternal Eclipse Written by: Sophie Li

Photos by: Maggie Chen

The blazing sphere of flame was beginning to set, descending into its celestial cradle of stars, leaving in its wake a trail of dazzling pinks and purples, deliberate yet haphazard streaks painted onto the sky. [oblivious to the things i’ve created--] “Strange how the death of the day could be so beautiful, isn’t it?”

Rapt, I watched the waning light.

Through all the drudgery I had climbed to the summit of the mountain that overlooked the bucolic hills, the peak that dared audaciously to maybe—just maybe—touch the clouds. When I arrived a worn traveller was waiting for my presence, and together we watched the sun disappear languidly beyond the horizon.

A thick darkness fell. There were no stars that night. [quietly i lay unsuspectingly ignorant blinded--] “Why are you here?” I asked.

“I’m sojourning here,” he replied placidly.

“Here, the mountain?” I asked.

“No.” “Here in life.”

From my peripheral vision I watched as he approached the cliff.

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LITERATURE

“I’m sorry?” I asked.

[wondering, “how could i have missed it?”]

He chuckled, his eyes falling on my face, which to the ordinary would seem fair; but he, he could see through the mask.

He could see the scars.

[it’s evanescent. it’s a transient moment--]

“Why do you suppose that, on the tallest mountain, you are at the nadir of your life?” he asked.

There was a silence.

“Let me ask you, child, why did you come? To enjoy the view, I suppose?”

I looked towards the edge of the cliff. The dizzying height reminded me of why I had come.

“You understand what I mean when I say I am just residing here, temporarily,” he said.

“Because this is just a rendezvous point. It never was our final destination.”

I swallowed.

“Where would that be,” I managed.

He smiled. “You know where that would be,” he said.

“The kingdom where no one dies.” [even if i had the chance] The darkness was smothering—the light had forsaken me here with a traveller who I did not know, a traveller who breathed strange words, a traveller who was only a manifestation of my mind. “Don’t you find it ironic, how no one dies in death?” [i was blind—] “Where there’s no suffering or pain or terror—all of that is suspended in perpetual silence. Where no one has to worry or cry-“--where everyone lives in ceaseless bliss.”

I shuddered. “It’s what you came here for, after all,” he said.

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LITERATURE

“You chose it. You created it.”

“That—that is our permanent destination.”

His silhouette disappeared: he was an incorporeal being, just a mere figment of a moribund child’s wretched imagination, a child neglected and despised and forgotten. The tranquility of the sunset had shattered, leaving me to frantically scramble to pick up the broken pieces before it was too late.

But it was too late.

[i was too late--] It was always too late.

The hills had long disintegrated, and the edge of the cliff had given way underneath my feet. I was lost somewhere, left alone to feel my way out of the inescapable labyrinth of anguish. Left alone to despair in the perpetual silent darkness.

The darkness I had created.

[and it only just occurred to me-that maybe we construct our own downfalls build our own cages forge our own chains]

The darkness I had unwittingly designed from the start, the darkness I chose, the darkness that strangled me, [create eclipses to conceal the spheres of light perhaps I created--] the darkness that caged me,

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[--the darkness that silenced me.]

SEPTEMBER OCTOBER 2016

OPINION

LIFE AS AN AP STUDENT Written by: Celine Sung Photos by: Joshua Lu

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OPINION At the start of junior year, I was stressed out and denied the fact that I was about to enter the most hectic year of my life. However, little did I know that the changes in the school curriculum were going to help make my life a lot more manageable.

For many juniors, the start of the 2015 school year meant getting the chance to try out a newly implemented curriculum. We were allowed the choice of choosing one or two out of the three science courses (Biology, Physics, and Chemistry), offered a larger variety of new courses (Global Perspectives, Western Civilizations, American Government and Politics, etc.), and given free periods two days a week. During these free periods, we could also choose additional academies for some extra learning as well if we wished to do so.

Towards the end of sophomore year, I was extremely worried about the stressful year to come. Junior year was the time to really strap up and focus— test grades counted for a larger portion of the weighted GPA, SATs and ACTs knocked at the door, and the addition of AP courses scared me. My sophomore year was terrible and there was not one moment where I didn’t feel tired. The science courses were driving me nuts—my mind completely gives up when I look at anything related to Physics and Chemistry. I’m pretty sure I slept through a good 40% of my Physics classes last year. I was emotionally drained and had no motivation to do anything. I thought it was unreasonable that I had to sleep for only a mere 3 to 4 hours a day as a 15-year-old. I hated life because I was always so busy with work that I had no time to do the things I loved—read outside of class, go to art exhibitions, take my time to look for new music, explore Shanghai with my friends, and so on. And on top of everything, many of my close friends were selecting IB, which meant I wouldn’t share any classes with them ever again. A million things were piled on me and

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that ended up making me terrified of the year to come.

Looking to make my junior year easier for myself, I only chose two AP’s: one-year AP Lang and AP Psychology.

The other four subjects were school courses: Honors Biology, Honors Chinese, Honors Advanced Math, and Global Perspectives (a class for critical thinking and public speaking skills). I took Pre-AP Music Theory as my optional and also engaged in many extracurricular activities such as Stallion Varsity Volleyball, WSC, ASB, and HoSHSID. Honestly, I still doubted whether or not I could handle everything without dying at the age of 16.

Even though I was skeptical about the new changes, looking back on my junior year, they’ve proven to be very beneficial to my school life. As a humanities-oriented student, no longer having to deal with the tough science courses that were once mandatory lifted a huge weight off my shoulders, allowing me to not only spend more time on the subjects I’d like to pursue but also have a higher chance of getting a high GPA, which is essential for college. Staying up late no longer means trying to decode crazy Chemistry gibberish, but perfecting a practice AP Language essay or doing additional Math questions to help me conquer my worst subject. I’ve been able to maintain a 4.0+ GPA, which seemed completely impossible last year.

Although extracurriculars may not be a priority for many, mine are extremely important to me and I’ve always enjoyed working on them. By taking advantage of the system’s benefits, I was able to dedicate more time and effort into developing those extracurriculars, not only because I’m truly passionate them but also to ensure the continuation of those organizations after I graduate. I put a huge deal of effort into building the volleyball team piece by piece, and now my dedication to it isn’t just for developing the skills I want as a player but more importantly to make sure the SHSID

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Stallions Volleyball program will continue to grow and thrive after I leave.

Embracing the system and making the best out of it has allowed me to put more thought into how to do so, which I wholeheartedly appreciate.

Aside from in-school commitments, I love having my personal time to read a good book or de-stress. I started completing more homework in school during my free periods, leaving time to read some Raymond Carver novels and jam to “Reptilia” by The Strokes, a luxury that I didn’t seem to have for so long.

The curriculum’s change allows for a huge opportunity for better time management and personal time, but it only does if you really take advantage of it. The system worked so well for me because I realized that I had to finish my homework more efficiently in order to work on the things I loved.

For me, the change wasn’t a sign for me to procrastinate even more, but instead a chance to develop better time management and good work habits.

Not only did this help me get better grades, it also allowed me to balance my work and personal life in a way that I find enjoyable. Of course, life was still stressful, but at least I was able to take a break when I needed to recharge. The stress is motivation to work harder, and not discouragement Now, as a senior, I’m glad I developed a better work ethic during my junior year. So far, I’ve been able to deal with the daunting college apps and challenging courses such as AP US History and AP Literature at a pace that is, although stressful, manageable to me. Don’t get me wrong, being an AP student is not a breeze like some may expect it to be, but I took the opportunity that I was presented and used it to make my life what I wanted it to be, and I’m ready to take what I’ve learned with me wherever I go.

OPINION

By taking advantage of the system’s benefits, I’m now able to dedicate more time and effort to develop those extracurriculars, not only for myself but also to ensure the continuation of those organizations after I graduate.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Celine Sung loves dogs (the fatter the better), volleyball, music, design, makeup, and Sullivan from Monsters Inc.

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STUDENT JOURNAL

Untangling Misconceptions Written by: Sophia She Photos from: Pintrest.com

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STUDENT JOURNAL With current political upheavals in the Middle East, it is not uncommon for people to know a few bits and pieces about the chaotic region. However, few are as involved and devoted as Conrad from 11(1), an enthusiast and expert in Middle Eastern studies. Conrad aims to untangle the many misconceptions of the region by attempting to comprehend the cultural, religious, and political ties of the region and then spreading this knowledge to his peers, family, and all those who have succumbed to the widespread false illusions of the Middle East.

Beginnings

Conrad began exploring the field around six years ago in an attempt to comprehend the reasons behind the abundance of military conflicts in the area. Although he was unable to immerse himself in the geographic environment of the Middle East due to its military instability, his interests in the area did not diminish. He found a variety of other methods for research, written texts embodying the most common medium. To be able to read local texts and gain a more authentic perspective, Conrad learned Arabic and is now able to read and write in that language. In addition, he would occasionally be in contact with people of Arabic-origins and would be able to harvest unique perspectives of the Middle Eastern culture that are often not found in books.

The Process

Now, Conrad’s extreme devotion and interest have made him the well-known expert in his grade. Yuki Lam, a close friend of Conrad’s, comments, “[He] knows just about every single detail about the Middle East and Islam. We always see him passionately reading history books during break times. Even on his Wechat moments, we find him commenting on the current terrorist attacks and conflicts happening in the Middle East and advocating peace.”

In addition to his reputation as the Middle East enthusiast, Conrad has aced several history exams pertaining to the Middle East and has also grown to be a core member of the SHSID history club. He brought home the Quaterfinalist trophy from the Interna-

tional History Bowl 2016 Asian Championships held in Khao Lak, Thailand, a few months ago. He has even gone beyond his personal achievements and helped the school community as a whole, creating a group chat with more than 50 people before a major Middle Eastern history exam and was able to spread his wisdom to all those cramming for the examination.

These achievements, however, were accompanied by various hardships, the most significant one being the misunderstanding others have for him. With the uprising of ISIS in 2014, many of the headlines reported of the region were painting pictures of bombing, refugees, and an overall pessimistic perspective, making it prevalent for people to draw the direct link between the Middle East and violence. This has been difficult for Conrad, who confesses, “My family has always been supportive of this hobby because they know how much it means to me. Other people… I guess when I tell them about my interest, it immediately gives some of them the impression that I am not being serious and other the feeling that I am a person who is pro-violence.”

Despite the judgments, Conrad is not discouraged, but instead even more motivated to pursue his interest. Aside from the weak connection made between the Middle East and violence, Conrad also finds lots of inconsistencies in a lot of people’s understandings of cultural and social phenomenons in the region. For example, many know that Muslims do not eat pork, but few acknowledge that the reason behind this is not the pork’s sacredness but its filthiness. Also, people often tie the Middle Eastern culture directly with wearing thrawbs (gawns) and Keffiyeh (hairdress), but in fact, only citizens of Saudi Arabia and some gulf countries have that as a dress code.

In addition to believing incorrect information about the Middle East, people also tend to be unaware of a lot of the enthralling elements of the Middle Eastern culture. Out of those elements, Conrad finds the Arabic calligraphy most spectacular. Unlike Chinese or Latin alphabets, Arabic writing is streamlined, creating more of an artistic sense. Using different fonts and

styles, Arabic calligraphers can produce drastically different effects. This beautiful part of Middle Eastern culture, along with so many others, have been buried beneath thick piles of misconceptions.

After seeing so many people believe negative and often exaggerated information about the Middle East, Conrad decided that his main purpose should be to clarify the many misconceptions the public has of that area. “The Middle East is unfamiliar to and often misunderstood by the public. From many people’s perspectives, there is the East world and the West world. It’s as if all the other places do not exist!” he exclaims, “They, based on their limited knowledge upon the subject, are not able to perceive the Middle East from a holistic perspective and thus often misunderstand the reason behind the current problems in the Middle East. I want to shovel away the surface and reveal the valuable culture of the Middle East to the people around him.”

The Future

Bearing these ambitions in mind, Conrad wishes to continue this pursuit for as long as possible. Although he is not yet certain of what career he will pursue in the future, he wishes to major in Middle Eastern Studies or History and spend his four years in college mainly focusing on doing research on the topics he’s interested in, such as the aforementioned Arabic calligraphy.

He also plans to introduce some of his ideas in the History Club and throughout the campus. He expresses that although this may be a difficult task, given the existing perceptions people have on the Middle East, he will work his way through slowly and steadily.

Conrad’s time spent on studying the Middle East might not be able to impact the current conflicts in the region, but it sure is sufficient for him to untangle some of the complexities and misunderstandings of the area and to spread the accurate impression people should have of the Middle East.

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SCI-TECH

QUANTUM SATELLITE A Monumental Progress into the Information Era Written by: Jeffrey He Photos from: qz.com

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SCI-TECH

“Are you ready to embrace an exciting future with faster and more secured network?”

Ever dreamt about being a hacker?

Well, that’s going to be a tough job in the future. On August 16th, the world’s first quantum satellite “Mozi” was launched from the Gobi desert.

The technology contained in the satellite helps to lay the foundation of a truly hack-proof network: quantum communication system. As soon as it was launched, news media across the whole world blew up. Indeed, with the launch of the satellite, the scientists also launched a huge step forwards in both quantum physics and encrypted communication.

To understand the purpose of the quantum satellite, one must understand the basic principle of quantum.

The quantum is the smallest unit for mass and energy; it cannot be divided into anything smaller. A quantum usually has two pure states: up spin or down spin. However, after the quantum’s state is measured, its original state instantly collapses.

But how does the quantum satellite utilize this principle? Well, the satellite aims to create an encrypted network, mainly through distributing cryptographic keys. A cryptographic key rearranges information in a programmed order, and the receiver needs key to decrypt the encrypted information. But what’s special about the cryptographic keys distributed by the satellite is that they are truly hackproof due to the nature of quantum.

The satellite contains an apparatus that can generate one light particle at a time. This particle is made to have either an up spin (meaning 1 in binary)

or a down spin (meaning 0). The receiver will receive the quantum and measure its state, thus receiving the information. If a third party tries to gain access to the key by measuring it, the quantum, as mentioned before, will instantly change state, causing the receiver to receive a quantum with a different state then what the satellite intends to send. These third party activities can thus be instantly detected, and the failed transmission of this quantum will be abandoned by both parties, erasing this part of the data.

Then, the satellite continues to send another quantum until the security key distribution is completed.

In fact, this type of quantum-secured communication has already been established in small-scale in which the light particles are transmitted through optical fibers. But the quantum satellite is a prerequisite for massively-scaled quantum-secured communication, for that a quantum takes much smaller damage while traveling through space and the atmosphere than through optical fiber. This damage might cause inaccuracy and inefficiency in security key transmissions. Another reason for using quantum satellites is that not all locations provide a desirable landscape for optical fiber. The launch of this quantum satellite signifies intercontinental, quantum-secured communications for the first time, successfully connecting to two observing stations, one in Beijing and one in Vienna.

The importance of the quantum satellite should be discussed under the context of future networks. As net-

work communications become more and more prevalent, future networks should operate with higher speed, more varying services, and most importantly, better information security.

From stolen bank account information to national confidential document leak, the vulnerability of our current cybersecurity systems has cost us unimaginable time, energy and money.

Thus, the development of a more secured or even “hack-proof ” network is now more imperative than ever. With the arrival of the quantum satellite, scientists have demonstrated their determination to increase the scale of quantum communications from experimental to practical. Not far in the future, we will be less concerned about our social media accounts being stolen, or have a slight quiver every time we pay online.

The launch of the quantum satellite is a truly remarkable event due to its contribution to the development of hack-proof networks. Furthermore, the satellite will even advance the study of quantum physics by testing out phenomena such as quantum entanglement, in which the state (up spin or down spin) of a particle can be transferred to another particle no matter the distance between them, enabling teleportation of information. Are you ready to embrace an exciting future with faster and more secured network?

I know I am.

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OPINION

OPINION:

Autonomous Vehicle: Dangers and Regulations Written by: Allen Xie

This opinion has taken over weeks of composition. I became interested in the ethicality of self-driving vehicles in the wake of Tesla’s fatal accident that happened during the summer and the news of Uber’s plan to launch its self-driving fleet in Pittsburgh. This was September 4, and at that time I thought that Uber and Tesla, two technology giants, are unethically testing their autonomous technologies on unaware users. At that time, I felt that this was a mostly correct manifestation of the overarching state of the US self-driving industry and wanted to call for more public transparency and government regulation. Over these two weeks, however, many new reports began to surface, and the fact that both the consumers and the government are investing increasing attention to auto vehicle regulations convinced me that the future is bright for the self-driving industry.

Tesla has recently been the subject of scrutiny when, on May 7th, a Tesla Model S, with its Autopilot mode engaged, crashed into the trailer of a truck. The Tesla went underneath the trailer, its entire top ripped off, resulting in the death of the Tesla driver. The Autopilot system is essentially a glorified cruise control system that keeps in lane and maintains speed, and is also capable of changing lanes at the driver’s request. It is worth noting that Autopilot does not live up to its name since while it can only per-

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form basic cruise control functions, it cannot change lanes on its own and works only on highways. The official explanation behind this accident is the Sun’s brightness at noon blinded the car’s detection camera, thus the Tesla did not recognize the trailer of the truck and drove straight into it with full speed. While the accident happened in late April, the official apology letter acknowledging this incident and all other related news reports were released two months later in late June. This caused Tesla stocks to plummet by more than 10% in the following two days. Tesla mainly tried to shift the blame to the driver, and its apology letter went to great lengths to explain that Tesla has taken extremely comprehensive measures to tell drivers that Autopilot cannot replace the human driver. However, the name Autopilot itself is misleading, giving drivers a sense that the car can drive on its own. Sure enough, after the accident, the Tesla China website changed the name Autopilot into “Automatic Assistive Driving”. The source of all these problems really is that the public isn’t well informed of the capabilities of Autopilot and are misled by its suggestive name. These drivers, really, are only people who were promised too much but unknowingly given too little.

Besides Tesla and its beefed-up cruise pilot, Uber’s self-driving fleet is the closest thing we have to actual autonomous cars. Back in 2015,

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Uber announced its partnership with Carnegie Melon University and started developing its own self-driving technology. 18 months into development, the self-driving fleet was launched on September 14 exclusively in Pittsburgh. Instead of being driverless, these rides have a safety driver and a person recording the ride, while the passengers would sit in the back, looking at a tablet that is explaining the situation. All of these rides are offered for free to the public.

It turns out that the Uber self-driving technology can really be compared to an absolutely terrible student driver.

The car does not dare to turn right at red lights. It also breaks suddenly whenever it senses that it might crash into something. And in the end, the safety driver has to drop in and take over multiple times. To many, the setup of these self-driving cars seems to imply something more. David Zuby, the vice president of the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety, says, “It seems the testing could all be done in an urban environment without having human passengers, so this may be more marketing than real-world testing.” The setup of the car, which includes a safety driver and a drive recorder, is extremely similar to the setup of tests that Google is conducting on their self-driving cars. This is simply a publicity stunt by Uber that serves both the purpose of conducting tests and spreading the news. I believe, however, that it isn’t right for

OPINION

Uber to use the free back seat in the cars to carry passengers. As the technical tests are not safe in nature, it is logical for one to put as little people in the car as possible. However, Uber is doing the exact opposite simply to raise awareness, and when accidents do happen, it will cause completely irreparable damage and probably hurt its reputation even more. This act committed upon unaware passengers again demonstrates the need to open up information flow regarding autonomous vehicle technologies and improve public understanding.

My original conclusion of this opinion piece is that there should be more regulations set upon driverless cars in order to prevent exploitative companies from using the system to their maximum benefit. However, it seems that the US government has taken the lead in enforcing regula-

tions upon these technologies. In an article written by President Obama himself in the Pittsburgh Post Gazette on September 19, President Obama talked about the current policy plan for self-driving vehicles.

Car manufacturers will be required to sign and publicly disclose a safety checklist. Simultaneously, the government will leave some freedom to the manufacturers in order to not restrict the growth of this technology. And finally, the President promises to discuss these plans with industry leaders in the first White House Frontiers Meeting in October.

This document may not be the most concrete step in regulating selfdriving vehicles, but is definitely a much-needed start. The legislature is normally slow in adopting new changes posed by new technologies, but now this document shows that

the government and public recognize the positive aspects of self-driving vehicles and are willing to move forwards to acknowledge and minimize the dangers contained within. While this may not change how current developers approach their testing measures, these are all problems that can be solved with increased control and supervision. The future of self-driving vehicles is bright, and the changes they bring monumental.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Allen Xie is the science and technology editor at SHSID|Times, and takes a huge interest in both tech and sci-fi realms.

The Uber Autonomous Car, with radars on the roof and sides IMAGE FROM YOUTUBE.COM

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September October 2016 Shanghai High School International Division 400 Shang Zhong Road Shanghai, China 200231 Website: www.shsid.org