SPARK Magazine Issue 2: LIBERAL ARTS & HUMANITIES by Spark Magazine

INSPIRATION. INNOVATION. INGENUITY.

SPARK OCTOBER 2020

LIBERAL ARTS HUMANITIES

C O N T E N T S

PROLOGUE

FOUNDERS OF SPARK An insight into the establishment of this magazine.

PROLOGUE

MISSION & MOTTO The fundamental tenets and values igniting the development of this project

PROLOGUE

EPILOGUE FROM STEM: LAW OF LARGE NUMBERS The bridge linking the previous edition to this one: An statistical exploration of a counterintuitive concept.

C O N T E N T S

LIBERAL ARTS

CURRENT EVENTS

LIBERAL ARTS

POLITICS

LIBERAL ARTS

ECONOMICS

C O N T E N T S

LIBERAL ARTS

ENGLISH

LIBERAL ARTS

VISUAL ARTS

SPECIAL ARTICLE

PHILOSOPHY

C O N T E N T S

44 EPILOGUE

ABOUT THE AUTHORS Everyone who's contributed to the magazine.

SPECIAL ARTICLE

AN IN-DEPTH INTERVIEW WITH AN IB COORDINATOR A detailed conversation with an IB Coordinator for further insight regarding the benefits and challenges of the International Baccalaureate.

EPILOGUE

REFERENCES The choice between what's convenient and what's right.

FOUNDERS OF SPARK

Xuen Bei Chin Hi! I'm from Malaysia and I aspire to make a long term impact to society's health and wellbeing through pursuing Biomedical Engineering!Â

Alvin Ooi Hey! I'm Alvin and am currently studying my second year of the IB. My interest in Mathematics has ignited my desire to study Actuarial Science for university. Asides from career-related ambitions, I enjoy my time reading dystopia, exploring the different terrain of Google Maps, watching CNN and occasionally the odd bit of gaming.

Anjeli Estrada I'm Anjeli; I'm from Ecuador and Guatemala but I've lived in Malaysia for my whole life. I'm interested in physics and so I'll be pursuing mechanical engineering in the future.

FOUNDERS OF SPARK

Alithea Jade Pentadu Hi! I'm from South Africa and I currently live in Malaysia. Chemistry and Biology are the subjects Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m most interested in and I plan to pursue a career in medicine :)

Jing Yuan Chan Hi, I'm an IB student from Malaysia and hope to contribute to the healthcare industry! My interests in the sciences and practical work have influenced me to pursue a course in dental surgery. Outside of academia, I like dedicating time to appreciating classical music and old movies :D

Hui Qi (Tiffany) Chin Hi! I'm Tiffany and I'm currently in my second year of the IB. I plan to study chemical engineering at university as I'm interested in sustainable industrial practices. When I have free time, I enjoy thrifting and watching film score analysis videos on YouTube.

OUR MISSION SPARK Magazine is a multinational, student-led initiative striving to promulgate knowledge across all disciplines and ultimately spread a lifelong passion to learn. This project was founded by a group of students who came together in their pursuit to form an interdependent organisation to SPARK knowledge in others. Each writer has a shared vision of kindling in others an interest in academia, by thoroughly investigating the aspects of STEM before applying these to realworld concepts, and exploring potentials to revolutionise our future. We hope that this project demonstrates to readers that learning is a lifelong process that transcends adversity.

OUR MOTTO Inspiration. Innovation. Ingenuity.

EPILOGUE FROM STEM LAW OF LARGE NUMBERS (LLN)

MATHEMATICS

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MATHEMATICS

THE LAW OF LARGE NUMBERS IN GAMBLING BY ALVIN OOI EDITED BY ANJELI ESTRADA

The Law of Large Numbers is a theory that stipulates given the independent and identically distributed random variable Xn, the average of obtaining from

Therefore, should the house charge slightly over $18/38 per trial, the house will be victorious because the total bets from the gamblers to the casino will be inherently less than

repeating trials on will eventually converge with the expected value as an increasingly large number of trials (n) are conducted. This can be represented with the following two formulae:

the rewards the casino returns to the gambler As all casinos charge higher than the expected value, why do gamblers still indulge in betting on roulette spins despite knowing that statistically the odds will always be in the houseâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s favour? The answer lies that the Law of Large Numbers only holds true, as eponymously indicated, only when there is a nearinfinite number of trials. When there is a small number of

Where Xn is the average of repeating trials n times. This shows that when the number of trials tends

trials, there is no proof that the average will coincide with the expected value. It is important to remember that the law only applies when a large number of observations is

towards infinity, the average of samples will tend towards the expectation value. This can be illustrated by the chances of obtaining a red in an American

considered.

Roulette Wheel during a casino roulette spin:

Average probability of obtaining a red spin for 350 trials

The above is an American Roulette Wheel with 38 total slots and 18 red slots. Taking as equivalent to 1 with a red spin and 0 for a non-red spin, with an infinite number of spins, the average number of all the spins will tend towards E(X) which is intuitively 18/38. This means that in the long run with an infinite number of red bets, for each trial made by a gambler, he would have a 18/38 chance of the roulette ball landing on the red slots and obtaining 1 dollar in reward. On average, the house would have to pay $1.00 x 18/38 per trial to the gambler.

Simulating the average of obtaining a red spin over 350 spins, we obtain an average of 0.497 non-red spins per trial, which is extremely close to the expected value of 18/38. Assuming that one dollar is awarded to the gambler with a non-read spin, a casino charging a wager of $0.55 per trial (representative sum slightly higher than the expected) would earn approximately $0.053 per trial. A casino charging slightly over the expected value per trial returned for a non-red spin would reap profit and the gamblers in total would record a loss.

Simulating the LLN in a gambling context

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Taking the following formula for the money the casino gives to winning gamblers: Money from casino to gamblers = Total trials x Average value (for red) per trial The following formula for total wager the casino earns: Money from gamblers to casino = Total trials x Wager fee for entry The following formula for the casino's net revenue: Net revenue = Money from gamblers to casino â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Money from casino to gamblers We calculate the following for a trial with 350 spins, which represent bets large number of gamblers:

We have obtained an average of 0.550, which deviates significantly from the expected value and now breaks even with the wager. This entails that for the first 20 random trials in the sample, the gambler on average earns per trial equal to his wager for the trial. Therefore, as shown by the calculations below, the gamblers on average do not make any loss to the casino and the net revenue earned by the casino has been eliminated:

The above reaffirms that the casino garners a net revenue after large number of spins. Average probability of obtaining a red spin for 80 trials The average probability was calculated again using only the first 80 trials of the above simulation, which represent many gamblers:

From the three calculations above, we observe that with a fewer number of trials, the average value deviates significantly from the expected value and the Law of Large Numbers becomes less accurate with the decrease in trials. Average probability of obtaining a red spin for 10 trials Taking only the first 10 spins of the simulation, representing one gambler hoping to take advantage of the irrelevance of the Law of Large Numbers with a small number of trials:

We obtain an average of 0.500, which deviates slightly more from the expected value. Further calculations reveal that the net revenue earned by the casino has decreased:

Average probability of obtaining a red spin for 20 trials The experiment was then repeated with only the first 20 spins, representing the presence of several gamblers:

The average is now 0.700, which is now higher than the wager that the gambler is required to pay per trial. Therefore, this entails that the gambler makes a net profit for the small amount of trials:

Under the simulation, the gambler can plausibly beat the house in the short run and earn a profit, assuming that he invests his money into a few bets with high stakes.

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Conclusion Whilst mathematically plausible, gambling also includes the element of addiction. With profits after several successful trials, gamblers driven by greed and aggression are inclined to indulge in more trials. With an increasing number of trials for the same gambler, resulting in the average money earned by the gambler per trial will tend towards the expected value and fall below the money wagered by the gambler per trial, inevitably leading to a loss for the gambler in the long run. Although individual gamblers may profit with a small number of roulette spins, the law of large numbers stipulates that the average revenue amount per trial for a gambler will eventually tend towards the expected value which is lower than the casino's wager price for a trial, conclusively resulting in the casino retrieving the profit overall after many spins from gamblers.

MATHEMATICS

CURRENT WHAT IS HAPPENING IN KYRGYZSTAN? RUSSIA'S COVID-19 VACCINE: A BRIEF ANALYSIS FEMICIDES AROUND THE GLOBE: CONCURRING PANDEMICS

WHAT'S GOING ON IN LEBANON?

SHOULD JUDGES BE APPOINTED OR ELECTED?

EVENTS

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CURRENT EVENTS

WHAT IS HAPPENING IN KYRGYZSTAN? BY NIJI NAGASE EDITED BY ANJELI ESTRADA

The year 2020 is a year of transformation. There have been dramatic movements regarding human rights, such as LGBTQ+, BlackLivesMatter, and feminism. However, as Emma Watson claims in her HeForShe speech at the United Nations, “No country in the world can yet say they have achieved gender equality”. Gender inequality is still common

bride kidnapping but they offer us nothing that we can follow, except gay and lesbian marriages, HIV infections, divorce, orphans, brutality, violence, and drugs. All of these things are coming from the West, we never had that before”.

especially in conservative nations such as Kyrgyzstan, a Central Asian nation that once had a female president.

acceptable for people to violate human rights. More importantly, ala kachuu is not on the Epic of Manas, the poetry that represents Kyrgyz tradition and history, which

However, being a tradition does not mean that it is

means the majority of Kyrgyz people misunderstand that One of the sexist customs of Kyrgyzstan since the disintegration of the Soviet Union, is ala kachuu, or bride kidnapping. It is a custom that involves a young

ala kachuu is their tradition. Even if it was a tradition, people ought to try to contribute to eradicating this custom because it is a violation of human rights, law, and Islam.

man and his friends kidnapping a target girl that he wants to marry. The initial aim of ala kachuu was for an engaged couple to avoid their parents’

Many countries have changed or have been changing in order to not repeat the mistakes of their history. For example, slavery is now prohibited in the United States

disagreement with their consensual marriage.

and women in Saudi Arabia are now allowed to drive.

However, a lot of Kyrgyz men take advantage of this custom and forcefully kidnap a crying stranger

Many people in the world are still unaware of ala kachuu

without her consent. Ala kachuu is on the rise and at

and bride kidnapping in other regions. Young Kyrgyz

least one-third of Kyrgyz marriage is now nonconsensual.

women need international help because the poor economy and a lack of education hinder them from escaping the rural areas of Kyrgyzstan. Also, the majority of Kyrgyz

Why is this outdated way of violating human rights still happening in the rural areas of Kyrgyzstan even in the 21st century? The main reason is that many grooms’ families cannot afford weddings and the kalym (dowry). Many households in rural areas of Kyrgyzstan are poor. Those men avoid paying for weddings and the dowry by kidnapping women and not having formal wedding parties. However, the reason the custom is on the rise is not merely so simple and economic, but also political and cultural. The problem is that pro-ala kachuu Kyrgyz people insist that ala kachuu is one of their traditions and it is impossible to change it. According to a pro-ala kachuu film creator, “I think that the reason bride kidnapping is on the rise is as a way of reviving some of the aspects of our culture. The West condemns

men and old women, who often play a role on convincing kidnapped brides to accept the marriage and explain that they also experienced bride kidnapping when they were young and now they are happy with their husbands (criminals), claim that ala kachuu is their culture and tradition. We all must spread and share information regarding gender equality and human rights. Do not hesitate in contacting me should you have any further queries! I would like to express my appreciation to Mr. Russell Kleinbach, who gave me lots of valuable information about ala kachuu.

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CURRENT EVENTS

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RUSSIA’S COVID-19 VACCINE: A BRIEF ANALYSIS BY AMIYAH DENNEY EDITED BY OOI JUN FONG

On August 11th, Vladimir Putin announced the first vaccine approved for nationwide use (Cohen, 2020), and was met with massive concern and dismay from

Furthermore, Russia’s broadcasting of their vaccine has come under fire by critics both from the nation and out. Within the country, Svetlana Zavidova, a lawyer heading

scientists in and out of the country. One of the reasons for the wave of disdain facing the Russian government, despite President Putin claiming his own daughter and several members of his staff have used it is the risk that comes along with rushing a vaccine

the Association of Clinical Research Organizations in Russia is ashamed of the announcement and attempted to postpone the certification of the vaccine (Cohen, 2020). Even more concerning is Alexey Chumakov, a researcher working in an institute in Moscow who claims Russain law

(Torreele, 2020). More specifically, one major risk that can emerge

is “not necessary to follow”, demonstrating the unfortunate looseness of their regulations on vaccines (Cohen, 2020). In addition, the CEO of Merck & Co Inc. has classified

from hurrying vaccine development is potential

governments touting to develop a vaccine before the end

antibody dependent enhancement (ADE), an occurrence in which a vaccine isn’t strong enough to protect one's immune system but in place permits the

of the year as doing a “grave disservice to the public” (Jazeera, 2020). Lastly, John Moore, a virologist at Weill Cornell Medical College at New York City has called

virus to enter the body more easily and when this takes place in smaller, animal studies, the damage ensued can be undone, but if this happens with a

Putin's release of a vaccine merely a “political statement” (Zimmer, 2020).

vaccine released to the greater public, and in a country of Russia's size, quite dire consequences can

However, you may be wondering: how does this vaccine work anyway? The vaccine curated by the Gamaleya

result (Mahase, 2020). Another drawback to speeding up the vaccine process is the potential loss of trust of the scientific community by the public, which could

Institute and utilizes an adenovirus in the form of the common cold that acts as a vector, or vehicle, that carries the genetic material of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes

sour later vaccines and any other public health measures put in place (Torreele, 2020). In addition, Russia decided to reveal their vaccine before their phase III trials, undoubtedly one of the most crucial steps in vaccine curation as it underscores the differences in the actual vaccine and a placebo, as well as revealing any symptoms caused by the vaccine that would’ve otherwise gone undetected (Zimmer, 2020). Moreover, there are only a couple thousand participants in this trial, and although they all hail from several different countries: United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Brazil, and Russia, phase III human trials normally have tens of thousands of volunteers (Zimmer, 2020).

COVID-19 and thus causes the body to synthesize antibodies against the virus (Russian Direct Investment Fund, 2020). This form of vaccine is also being tested out by Johnson & Johnson, but this type of vaccine is also incredibly new, with the first successful one being used for the Ebola virus this year (Cohen, 2020) Overall, Russia’s declaration of coronavirus vaccine has opened up the possibility of risks when it comes to bum rushing vaccine protocol, led to numerous scientists pointing out the flaws in Putin’s statement, and highlighted the plausible issues of a new form of vaccine.

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CURRENT EVENTS

FEMICIDES AROUND THE GLOBE: CONCURRING PANDEMICS BY AMIYAH DENNEY EDITED BY JING YUAN CHAN

The World Health Organization defines femicides as the “intentional murder of women because they are women”. Unfortunately, several femicides have been going on concurrently around the globe, and while some of the countries discussed here have either established legislations or made responses in attempts

Secondly, in Turkey, the brutal murder of a 27 year old student by her ex-boyfriend has kindled protests across the nation, where 474 women were murdered by men in 2019 (2019 Report of We Will End Femicide Platform, 2019). Regrettably, there has been a “police crackdown” n response to these protests, which has resulted in numerous

to protect women, most of these actions have been hollow. More specifically, I will cover the various incidents of femicides and the acknowledgements of

police officers pinning and beating demonstrators on the ground, a clear violation of Turkey’s constitution (Deutsche Welle (www.dw.com, 2020). On the other hand,

their corresponding nations. Firstly, as seen in other countries as well, the COVID-

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan announced that he “despise[d] all crimes against women”; yet the only initiative allocated to protecting women was the Istanbul

19 pandemic has worsened occurrences of femicides

Convention. Despite ratifying legislations to prevent these

in Mexico, with April 2020 being the deadliest month for women: 267 murders and a total of 987 deaths in

acts of bloodshed, very little has been done to enforce these laws (Deutsche Welle (www.dw.com, 2020). By the

just the first four months of this year (Gallon, 2020).

same token, Ebru Asiltürk, the spokeswoman of women’s

In addition, roughly 10 women are killed every day in Mexico, and on top of this issue, Mexico's impunity rate (the percentage of crimes not reported or

affairs for Turkey's Islamic conservative Saadet Party, claims that the legislation put in place by the Istanbul Convention will destroy unity in Turkish families, as it

investigated) of 93% in 2018 casts doubt on even the

could potentially bring women up (Deutsche Welle

accuracy of those statistics (Sandin, 2020). The people’s response to this rise in violence against

(www.dw.com, 2020).

women has been in the form of protests, namely a

Thirdly, tensions in South Africa have been increasing

national walkout on March 8th, International Women's day (Sandin, 2020). On the other hand, Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, or AMLO, has claimed that most of the 26,171 emergency calls concerning violence against women made in March alone were “false”; however, this was only due to many of the calls being incomplete (Gallón, 2020). Moreover, the Mexican government responded to this rampant issue with an insensitive advertisement that recommended counting to ten to resolve the complications of domestic abuse (Gallón, 2020). Lastly, the governmentapproved a 75% budget cut for the federal women’s institute despite protests challenging this decision, hence demonstrating a complete lack of empathy for women's pain (Argen, 2020).

rapidly, as the nation has one of the highest rates of violence against women, with reports illustrating that a woman is killed every 3 hours (Egwu, 2020). Overall, the easing of coronavirus lockdown measures and the lifting of a nine week ban on alcohol have contributed to this escalation in brutality facing women (Egwu, 2020). South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has replied to these incidents by calling these novel killings a “another pandemic”, and while President Ramaphosa is correct in his statement, his words ring hollow (Coming out of Covid lockdown, South African women face another deadly problem: femicide, 2020). This is due to the poorly enforced Violence Against Persons Prohibition Act, a federal law signed in 2015 to help shelter women. However, in addition to being illy regulated, only 13 of 36 of Nigeria’s states have signed the law (Aderemi Ojekunle, 2020).

CURRENT EVENTS Another reason for the rampant femicides in South Africa is the portrayal of women in religion as subservient and ‘less than’ men. In response, South African bishops have called for the end of violence against women and children, in addition to describing these murders as “mindless and callous” (The South African Catholic Bishop’s Conference, 2020). In conclusion, occurrences of femicides are rising in nations across the world due to COVID-19 and a complete lack of law enforcement for proper legislation. Although government officials are making statements acknowledging acts of violence facing women, these words are vacant as the number of women being killed solely for being women has yet to decrease.

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CURRENT EVENTS

WHAT'S GOING ON IN LEBANON? BY BRUNO DE CLERCK EDITED BY OOI JUN FONG

On August 4th, 2020 at 6:08 PM, two destructive explosions rocked Beirut, Lebanon’s capital. With over 2750 tons of ammonium nitrate being detonated,

now be able to charge a higher price for their products. Because of this, the prices for goods and services in Lebanon soared. This process is known as inflation.

the blasts caused over 150 deaths, 5000 injuries, and displaced approximately 300,000 people. This disaster was the last straw. The Lebanese people, already fed up with their government, took to the streets and protested until every single minister

Compared to July 2019, the July 2020 inflation rate is at a record-high of 112%.

stepped down from their respective positions. However, the explosions were merely catalysts in

imagine, having to spend twice as much money on every bought product did not sit well with the Lebanese people.

inciting the revolution; Lebanon’s internal economic troubles had been plaguing the citizens for months on end. With the country’s unemployment rate suddenly

The fact that this staggering inflation rate had been caused by kleptocracy fueled their anger towards the government to an even greater extent.

rising and a surprising drop in GDP per capita over the past year, Lebanon is in a noticeable economic recession. Why is that?

Another reason for the Lebanese people’s frustration, which also ties into the dire economic situation, is the fact that the banks are limiting how much money can be

This means that over the span of a year, the price of goods and services in Lebanon has generally doubled. As you can

withdrawn from an account. Because of the lack of foreign Firstly, we should consider the effects of kleptocracy, a state in which corrupt politicians pocket the government’s money and keep it to themselves.

exchange reserves, Lebanese banks have set a limit of $1,000 as weekly withdrawals of cash and online transfers since December 2019. Since consumers are only able to

Evidence has revealed that some of Lebanon’s ministers have been engaging in this craft since October 2019. Although the amount of money cannot

spend $1,000 a week on imports, they are forced to buy domestically; as previously discussed, this also causes hyperinflation. Additionally, the withdrawal limit has

be determined, the stolen funds have clearly created a massive dent in the country’s foreign exchange

prevented many people from leaving the country; since potential emigrants have not been able to stock up on their

reserves. This means that Lebanon’s central bank is now in possession of less foreign currencies, making it more difficult for consumers and firms to import goods and services. The Observatory of Economic Complexity estimated that, in 2018, Lebanon imported $21B and exported $3.6B worth of goods. The tremendous difference in the value of imported vs. exported goods indicates that Lebanon is a country that relies on imports in order to function. Due to the fact that it now costs more to import, many stakeholders decided that it was more worthwhile to consume domestically-produced products. In turn, the demand for domestic goods spiked, meaning that firms based in Lebanon would

USD, they have been forced to stay in the country where everything seems to be going downhill. Although it may appear that the Lebanese people’s reason for overthrowing the government is the disastrous explosion, the explanation and arguments mentioned above indicate that the past year has been extremely difficult for the Lebanese people. The government’s apparent embezzlement has played a great role in triggering hyperinflation and disrupting the economy. Even though a new government is being put in place, the dreadful economic situation casts a dim light upon Lebanon’s future.

CURRENT EVENTS

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SHOULD JUDGES BE APPOINTED OR ELECTED? BY EUGENE ONG EDITED BY JING YUAN CHAN Following the death of the American Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg on 18th September, a political fight over the future of the court loomed Capitol Hill and the White House. Ginsburg was part of the nine-justice team in the highest court of American judiciary, of which she was one of the four

guaranteed with a Republican Senate majority. This infringes on the idea that the judiciary should be independent of the state. When politics are involved, or if judges have political affiliations with major parties in a nation, judicial decisions will not be made based on the arguments of each case, but rather what is considered

liberal justices. Her death cemented President Trump’s plan to expand the court’s conservative majority by replacing her vacancy with a conservative

morally correct in terms of their respective ideologies. On the contrary, the appointment of judges also may not be the most effective method; appointments by a higher

before the November election. According to National Public Radio (NPR), Ginsburg previously wrote to her granddaughter and said she hoped she would not be

authority such as the President may enhance elitism, in that only the wealthiest, the most reputable, or the closest in relation are appointed as judges. This will further widen

replaced until a new president was installed

the gap between the judiciary and the public, making it

(Totenberg, 2020). Recently, however, Senate majority leader McConnell had vowed to hold a

seem distant and less relevant to the working class, rendering it ironic since the judiciary is meant to uphold

confirmation vote of Trump’s nominees in the

justice for the people.

Senate. This raised a myriad of questions on how a judge of a nation should be designated, as their role in determining the legality of court cases of the highest

However, despite the disadvantages of both methods of designation, a combination of both, with cautious and

severity is paramount, and the legacy of their

transparent enforcement, will determine the most

judgements repercussive. Should judges be appointed or elected? In the case of America, it is both: Supreme

appropriate judge. Taking the Netherlands’ judiciary as an example, judges are chosen by the Council for the

Court judges are nominated by the President and

Judiciary composing of judges selected by the judicial

elected by the Senate. Hence, which one is better in upholding the judicial institution that is so vital in a democratic society such as the United States?

community. This example of an independent organisation that enquires and appoints judges is also present in Commonwealth nations such as Canada, South Africa, and Nigeria (Corder, 2016). The independence of the panel from the state will detach external influences in appointing a judge. For example, if the majority of the organisation are competent judges, the decision would be based on the candidates’ merit, legal qualifications, past experiences, and integrity, instead of political ideology. A multimember panel may also diminish chances of corruption, nepotism and cronyism -- factors which would otherwise undermine the sanctity of the court. It is also imperative that the independent panel publishes reports after judges’ appointments to enhance transparency and avoid unchecked power.

The election of judges is common in many European states: judges are elected by politicians in Germany and ceremonially appointed by the President, while the French appoint judges through the High Council of the Judiciary which consist of the President and three of his appointed members (Fabisiak, 2017). One issue in regards to the election of judges via politicians is the danger of political opportunism resulting in decisions being made based on political ideologies rather than meritocracy. Elections will also lead to partisan support -- a situation evident in the case of the US, where the election of a conservative is

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Some may argue that it is important to uphold diversity in the highest court, by including individuals of different races, ages, genders, or sexual orientations. However, this may enhance tokenism, where individuals are elected based on their differences in race or background and not their performance. Hence, diversity is crucial and should be upheld, although meritocracy should always be a priority. Nonetheless, no judicial system is perfect in ensuring the constant enforcing of fairness and justice, as these ideas are subjective to different individuals. Despite the aforementioned inadequacy of appointments and elections, a nation must emphasise on the principle that the state is independent of the judiciary, hence ensuring a candid process in the designation of judges. With these considerations, judgesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; designations would be more impartial and equitable.

CURRENT EVENTS

POLITICS PERSONAL POLITICS MATTER

ON THE PRESENCE OF RACISM IN SEXUAL ASSAULT IN AMERICAN CRIMINAL JUSTICE

WHATâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S GOING ON IN THE SOUTH CHINA SEA?

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POLITICS

PERSONAL POLITICS MATTER WHY

FORMING

YOUR

POLITICAL

IDENTITY

CRUCIAL

PART

NAVIGATING

THE

ADULT

WORLD

BY MICAH DENBRABER EDITED BY ANJELI ESTRADA Chances are that if you're reading this, you probably read the news quite often. Your news consumption might depend on how you want current events explained to you, as there's a definitive difference between how Jacobin, The New York Times, and Breitbart will interpret the same event. In this article,

Tip 1: Before you devote yourself to a certain magazine or newspaper, do your research. Reading about the background of the paper you're interested in, who donates to it, who it donates to, and what its mission statement is will give you an understanding of what kind of media you're getting yourself into.

I'm going to present why it doesn't really matter what you read, but rather how you read it, and why this skill is so important when entering into the adult

Tip 2: As you read, be continually vigilant for loaded language, or speech that is often used in an obvious

world. You're probably aware of this by now, but politics are

attempt to elicit a certain emotional response from an audience. Consuming media with loaded language in it is ok! But it's essential that you're able to identify it and

everywhere. As paraphrased from the Google

consider how it might alter your perception of a

definition, 'politics are the set of parameters by which we, the people, are governed'. "Politics" also denotes

demographic or issue. Some examples of loaded language might include derogatory words or phrases such as:

the idea that struggle of some sort is ever present in

"radical" "racist" or "power-hungry". Whenever you hear

our daily lives; be it between social classes, races, or nationalities, one group is going to be constantly vying for domination over another. The takeaway is

something like this, it's always good to go forward thinking about what the intended effect of these words are, and how you can form your own, personal opinion going forward.

that as a citizen— as an observer, I believe it's our duty to formulate opinions on these various "political struggles". Why? Because the way you observe and

Tip 3: Finally, it's important to never exist in a political bubble. A political bubble can form when you are only

react to events that occur reflects who you are, or

consuming media from one particular viewpoint or outlet,

rather, what you value as a person. That isn't to say that these reactions and observations can’t be changed however, and that's why I'm writing this article.

and are actively avoiding opinions that differ from your own. This is one of the most dangerous pitfalls to be trapped in, as while you might initially disagree with some things being said by another viewpoint, you simply won't grow if you aren't exposed to new things. Think about it like this: If I hadn't moved abroad and started consuming media which differed from my established outlook, I never would have found where my true values lie. Again, it doesn't matter what political inclination you have, but it's essential that you at least expose yourself to new material every once in a while.

Let me use myself as an example. I grew up in a very conservative, traditional community in Colorado where I attended a religious school, went to church, and consumed a lot of conservative media. When I first moved overseas to Ecuador, my political views shifted entirely, as I began to perceive how the media I previously consumed was misaligned with my inner values. Of course, this is not to say that holding one political stance or viewpoint is better than another, but rather to say that it’s not about what media you consume but rather how you consume it. Here are my personal tips on how to engage political media in a beneficial way.

POLITICS Having established how media influences you as a person, it's important to touch on why your views are so important, particularly considering the 'metamorphosis' into adult life. Like I mentioned earlier, your political beliefs from high school and onwards give others a "snapshot" of who you are as a person. As you go into adulthood, these beliefs will begin to affect the opportunities you have in life, for while some beliefs may facilitate opportunities for certain internships, jobs or social circles, those same beliefs may bar you from different ones entirely. The most important thing is to not lose sight of yourself, and if you can commit to being mindful of the influence which political media exerts, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll do a great job!

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POLITICS

ON THE PRESENCE OF RACISM IN SEXUAL ASSAULT IN AMERICAN CRIMINAL JUSTICE BY RHIYA FURRAH EDITED BY HUI QI CHIN It’s undoubtedly well-acknowledged that in The American Criminal Justice System, sexually-based offenses are considered especially heinous. Thank the

Take the widely sensationalized Central Park 5, for instance. Tricia Meili was brutally assaulted and raped in Central Park in 1989. An entire group of black/Latino

ever popular TV series ‘Law & Order’ for that eloquently phrased bit of wisdom. And the statistics don’t lie in that regard; Every 73 seconds, a person in America is sexually assaulted. Every 9 minutes, that person is a child. It is harrowing and jarring and

youths was apprehended and suspect to rape despite other individuals in the park. It’s still a common argument that because a group of black youths was ‘wilding’ in the park that night, that grants probable cause for the apprehension of an entire race. The fact that the rapist could have been

expected that in the Justice System, two-thirds of all rapes remain uncleared. Enter the conviction of Any Four Black Men to make it seem as though they are.

white, or any other race for that matter, was instantaneously ruled out. And in this instance, the law enforcement did have an opportunity to correct their mistake and further their investigation upon realizing the

Systemic racism is a phrase that has gained much rightful popularity in light of the recent Black Lives Matter protests rippling across America. In a flawed

confessions they received of the boys they narrowed it down for were factually inconsistent (and were, of course, coerced and done under duress, without the presence of a

Crime and Punishment System, it is only one of many issues that deal with injustice to victims and innocents alike. Facets of prosecuting sexual assault,

parent). They were so fixated that these five black boys, despite the forensic evidence being exonerative, could be prosecuted for a rape they didn’t commit. And they got

in particular, punctuate systemic racism shamelessly. In sex crimes alone, innocent black people are 3.5

exactly that: the 5 spent 7-13 years in prison until the actual rapist came forward to confess. There is more to this case

times more likely than white people to be wrongly convicted of a sex crime(and that’s only with the wrongful convictions we know about).

that details abhorrent systemic racism and deplorable injustice that demands more than an article to get into, honestly.

Let’s break down the central aspects of law enforcement and prosecution in The Criminal Justice System that perpetuate racial bias in sexual assault. A disclaimer that this article does not (nor seeks to) do justice to the unnerving depth and multitude of racerelated (and other) plights of The System. Though neither does the Justice System itself, anyway.

I think you get the picture. 88% of all DNA exonerees who are minors are black. The inherent bias of the law enforcement in flippantly and purposefully convicting often innocent, black individuals and get away with is a foundation amongst classism, victim-shaming, and other oppressive factors that allow so many rapists to walk free today. By and large, law enforcement brutality and bias like that with George Floyd and Breonna Taylor and Tamir Rice and so many others are just general examples that link policing, violence, and race, and are ones I don’t think need explaining.

Law Enforcement. You’ve heard it all before—the proverbial and literal ‘Knee on the Neck’ of the minority community. In the Justice System, for sex crimes in particular, and without much preamble, fingers are quickly pointed at black men. There’s a reason the term ‘legal lynching’ has come into popularity with legal literature in how the legal system treats black men.

POLITICS And granted, the example I referred to of a systematic bias dates back to 1989. But it still happened, and it’s a sigil of consistency and narrow-mindedness of how little admonishment racists face in the ‘Land of The Free.’. At the time, a wealthy businessman had put an ad in the paper, despite no actual valid evidence confirming the 5’s involvement, to ‘Bring Back The Death Penalty.’ It’s 2020, and this wealthy businessman is sitting in the Oval Office, clearing BLM Protesters out of his walkway. It only really further perpetuates further bias onto an entire community even outside the legal system, giving the message that, ‘Okay, racism really isn’t a problem’. And no doubt, of course, there has been monumental progress in Civil Rights from the 1960s. Less than 60 years ago, there were official laws preventing black people from sharing bathrooms with the white populace. But I don’t think you need me to tell you that that argument of having gone as far as we have is far enough, especially when it isn’t publicly criticized enough by certain leading figures. And it’s not just the innocents that are dealt injustice, of course. It goes the other way too. The relationship between black women and law enforcement is fraught with mistrust and neglect. Out of every 15 black women sexually assaulted, only 1 out of the 15 report the rape. For every 1000 rapes reported in the US, fewer than five rapists are actually incarcerated. Some of this is doubtlessly endorsed by the invisibility that American Criminal Justice seems to shroud over the rape of black women. This sentiment dates back to the Civil War era, where it was even legal to rape black women. This is further justified by the fact that studies show that judges impose harsher sentences when the victim is white, as opposed to when the victim is black. If anything, this should debunk the All-American argument that there are simply fewer black women being raped, and therefore it is underreported. I’m not making the sweeping statement that reported sexual assaults are consistently dealt with promptly and appropriately for any individual. But it’s clear there’s a disparity here that demands some ground of parity as much as possible. Here, race is a problem that further indulges the general neglect of sexual assault in law enforcement especially. Because, no, it seems they aren’t really like the detectives on Law & Order SVU.

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But maybe, the righteous pursuit of BLM protests and the emergence of the #MeToo movement that has encouraged the reporting of sexual assault offers some semblance of hope to the Justice System. This isn’t a problem that can be fixed overnight, though. I won’t ramble more and say I honestly have any idea where to start, other than being actively anti-racist, educated, and supportive of Sexual Assault and Minority Race Justice Foundations. In the grand scheme of things, if abhorrently systemic racism isn’t, for whatever backward reason, not enough of a plea to Authority for a desperate reform of America’s (in)justice system, then goodness, why isn’t the fact that rapists, murderers, and pedophiles walk away scot-free at least one?

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POLITICS

WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE SOUTH CHINA SEA? BY ANASTASIA IMAN EDITED BY ANJELI ESTRADA

The South China Sea (SCS) tension has been reignited in recent months, acting as a site for international commotion. As countries are occupied by the Covid19 pandemic, little light is shone upon the disagreement in the waters. The SCS is bordered by Taiwan, China, Brunei, Malaysia and other countries

Furthermore, China has exploited oil several times off the coast of Vietnam due to its lack of energy resources, sparking a standoff between the two countries. It was claimed on 2 April that a Vietnamese fishing vessel tank sank after being rammed by a Chinese coastguard in the disputed waters. The Vietnamese foreign ministry

in Southeast Asia and has been one of the most disputed seas in the world since 1951. It sits in close proximity with the Malacca Straits, making it a point

commented on this incident, calling it an “act that violated Vietnam’s sovereignty”. Despite that, the allegation was rejected by Beijing and the case received criticism from

of interest as an important source of water for different countries.

other countries including the United States. Vietnam is not the only country facing the great

In the South China Sea, there is a heavy international

superpower. China has also sparked tension with Malaysia

dispute over claims of territorial control, freedom of navigation, fisheries, shipping lines, and exploitation

after Beijing sent a survey ship called the Haiyang Dizhi 8 to an area within Malaysia’s economic exclusion zone. The

of natural resources of oil and gas in the region. China

same vessel was notoriously involved in a standoff in

has been relentlessly exercising its authority over the area by building numerous military bases and other structures on the islands.

Vietnamese waters in the previous year. Albeit, this year it was trailing after an exploration vessel governed by Petronas, Malaysia’s state oil company. Big countries such as the United States and Australia have posed their

The United States is well aware of China’s ambitions in the South China Sea – which includes the

disapproval to China’s behaviour in the South China Sea and have called for an end to their disruption.

expansion of the Chinese military force and the exploitation of resources in the waters. Beijing believes that the South China Sea is an asset to its maritime territory and views it as a tool for the success of China’s Greater Bay Area economic development plan. China has been cunning by pursuing its ambitions in the sea while international attention is pointed towards the pandemic. US Secretary State Mike Pompeo has warned ASEAN foreign ministers of the advancements, highlighting the conflict between the US and China as well due to the United States’ willingness to intervene on the conflict in the SCS. Moreover, the US firmly believes that the Chinese stance in the waters has jeopardised freedom of navigation and overflight and supports Southeast Asian member states.

Malaysia has been less vocal about the issues taking place in the SCS as compared to other countries in Southeast Asia like the Philippines and Vietnam. This resulted in criticism as ex-foreign minister Anifah Aman believed that the current Malaysian ministers were simply in denial of China’s activities and intrusion. Despite that, Shahriman Lockman who is a senior analyst at the Institute of Strategic and International Studies explained that Malaysia’s policies only include avoiding escalation of the situation into something more violent. China also plays a vital role in Malaysia’s economic future. Therefore, the country has adopted quiet diplomacy and continues to uphold the bond with China.

POLITICS In the month of August, China called to discuss the rising conflict in the South China Sea with ASEAN member states in hopes to come to a consensus on how to curb the disputes. Not much information was released on the result of the discussion. China and the ASEAN countries have spent over two decades trying to decide on a potential code of conduct to help alleviate the tension. Beijing proposed a three-year timeline to complete the code by 2021 during the ASEAN-China Summit in 2019. Despite the suggestion, little progress was made, and the coronavirus pandemic has only dragged it on further. ASEAN officials mentioned that the outbreak has hindered face-to-face meetings and other hurdles continue to delay agreements. Experts have stated that 10 member states with 10 individual ideologies will make it difficult to solve the problem with China, making the future of the South China Sea unclear.

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ECONOMICS THE PERSUASIVE POWER OF PRICE ON PERCEPTION

FORMALISING THE INFORMAL ECONOMY

HOW PRICES ARE SET BASED ON MARKET COMPETITION

ECONOMICS

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THE PERSUASIVE POWER OF PRICE ON PERCEPTION ー “OUR

FIRST

DECISIONS

RESONATE

OVER

LONG

SEQUENCE

DECISIONS.”

DAN

ARIELY

BY LILIAN LAI RUEY YEE EDITED BY OOI JUN FONG It’s no secret that the price of a product or service significantly influences our decision-making process on whether or not to consume it, and we are prone to assigning labels such as ‘too expensive’ or ‘not worth it’ on things within minutes, but the question is - how exactly does that happen? How are judgements on the pricing of an item made, and how do we decide whether something is worth its value? The Anchoring Bias Anchoring is a cognitive bias that presents itself during decision-making, in which someone uses their first experience as a frame of reference for any future interaction with the item in question. The anchoring bias in price is demonstrated in frequent, day-to-day settings. For example, during sales on online shopping sites, consumers typically compare the price pre-sale to the discounted price and are easily swayed by the guise of a ‘good deal’, without truly knowing the worth of a product. The initial price is an anchor - it acts as a

Given that tolerating uncomfortable noises is a non-existent market, the participants had no other point of reference than the anchor suggested to them. Evidently, we make decisions based on the information available to us and are susceptible to the suggestions of pricing around us. Influencing Perception So, how does the price of something change our perception of it? Do we expect more, and if so, how do our differing expectations affect our overall experience of a product? In a 2008 study conducted by Plassmann, twenty participants were told to sample 5 different Cabernet Sauvignon wines at different price points: $5, $10, $35, $45 and $90. However, in actuality, the $5 and $45 wines were identical to one another, and as were the $10 and $90 wines. Through an fMRI scan, it was found that certain areas of their brain (believed to encode for the pleasantness of the experience) were more active when the participants drank the wine at a higher price-point, despite being the same as the one sampled at a lower price

guideline for consumers to value the product, regardless of the accuracy of that value.

point. Despite this increase in neural activity, the sensory properties of taste in the participants didn’t change.

In an experiment conducted by Dan Ariely, university students were gathered and listened to three, 30-second unpleasant noises at various frequencies. The first group of participants were then asked if they would be willing to hear those sounds again for 10 cents, serving as the lower-priced anchor, whilst the second group were asked the same question, but with 90 cents as the higherpriced anchor.

From the findings in the study, we can conclude that even though the way we physiologically taste doesn’t differ, our minds can interpret the sensation differently, and can elevate how we experience a product. A higher-priced item (such as things from luxury brands) can make us feel like it is higher in quality, even though that may not necessarily be the case.

After, the participants were then asked to indicate the lowest price they’d accept to listen to the sound again. It was found that the anchors did indeed alter the direction of the results. The group with the lower, 10 cent anchor requested less money to listen to the sound, at an average of 33 cents, while the group with the higherpriced anchor wanted more than twice as much; 73 cents on average.

Applications to Real Life Price is relative, as most things are. If we are unaware of how such an easily manipulated variable can influence us, we fall victim to marketing tactics that shift our perception; persuading us to buy things more often than we need to. Although deciding the true value and worth of something is near impossible, through understanding some of the underlying mechanisms in our decision-making, we can work towards healthier and smarter consumer behaviour.

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ECONOMICS

FORMALISING THE INFORMAL ECONOMY BY JYN-YANN NG EDITED BY OOI JUN FONG

The informal economy, also known as the shadow, underground, parallel or grey economy, is often stigmatised as unscrupulous and disreputable. This is for the most part misleading, indicative of illicit activities like drugs and prostitution but overlooking the provision and distribution of legal goods and services. The informal economy has in recent years, been re-defined by the WIEGO and ILO as “the diversified set of economic activities, enterprises, jobs, and workers that are not regulated or protected by the state” (WIEGO, n.d.). A good illustration of the merits of the market system, it is a robust and self-developed economy that demonstrates how inefficiencies can be sorted out without Government inputs. Yet for reasons such as evaded taxes, lack of workers’ protection and unfair competition grievances, proposals to formalise the informal economy have garnered increasing attention. Due to the heterogeneity of enterprises and employment within the informal economy, measures to reduce informality call for a mixture of policies. The cause of informal firms and employment is a significant determinant informing policy. This varies hugely, within and between countries. In less developed regions such as sub-Saharan Africa, endemic corruption, lack of legal infrastructure and critically, lack of opportunities in the formal economy are established causes of informality. Thus, policies to promote formalisation comprise much of the same elements as policies to reduce poverty (ILO, 2007). Although informality is more entrenched in less developed countries, developed nations are not exempt from its presence; the informal economy accounts for nearly 15% of GDP in the OECD (Alexander, 2019). These tend to be for reasons overwhelmingly to do with high taxation and stringent regulations. Improving the ease of registering businesses (e.g by making it cheaper and less complicated) might increase firm registration (Kay, 2011) if that was the predominating issue. The same could be said about redesigning the tax system to disincentivise tax evasion, or with amnesties or creating more formal employment opportunities. Ultimately, there is no onesize-fits-all solution. Hence, effective policy frameworks should consist of different measures subject to the size of the informal enterprise, degree of informality, cause of the informal undertaking etc.

A general consensus is that policymakers should be vigilant not to suppress the entrepreneurship fostered in the informal economy. This is likely the case with punitive policies designed to eliminate informal firms, like sanctions and police raids (Schneider & Williams, 2013). Instead, there should be a focus on increasing the benefits and opportunities of formal employment - a pull rather than push method, with the latter’s propensity to simply stamp out the informal economy likely inhibiting economic growth (Schneider & Williams, 2013). Higher incentives to attract informal or potential informal workers to the formal economy might look like improving microfinance, campaigns to increase tax morality and free provision of start-up or business advice. Investments in improving the quality of and access to education, as well as providing increased worker training might also develop human capital, providing more opportunities for formal work. Such measures can be implemented in conjunction with other policies, complementing one another. The existing connection between the informal and formal economy (as per the structuralist school of thought) should also be considered. Formal firms depend on informal firms and vice versa, whether they are its source of materials, customer or trade partner; whether they are separated through long distribution chains or directly connected; whether just an isolated incident or a recurring business strategy. Increasingly, there have been more subcontracting and outsourcing of production to enable firms to compete in the global market, particularly in rising Asian economies (ILO, 2007). Extension of worker protection to the suppliers at the lower-ends of the supply chain may be the most appropriate solution in this scenario. The informal economy generates increased consumption, helps to alleviate poverty and fills gaps in the market, among its many attributes. As the formal economy has grown and evolved, the informal economy has grown with it. With a coherent framework in place, informality can be minimised.

ECONOMICS

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HOW PRICES ARE SET BASED ON MARKET COMPETITION BY NEIL SHARMA EDITED BY JING YUAN CHAN

Whenever one purchases a watch, a car (outright purchase or through financing), or fresh produce, there is little thought of how prices are determined. This article aims to use the mathematical analysis of economic theory to put this into context by drawing from the COVID-19 pandemic. To start, a discussion of what influences and determines prices is mandatory. Firstly, the types of market structures -

This list of the various market structures mainly serves to introduce the fact that market competitiveness will have a major role in the price mechanism, and therefore will play an important role in the discussion. Consider the equilibrium price function p as a function of the market competitiveness h to obtain p(h). An obvious question arises - how do we measure or quantify the degree of market competitiveness or concentration?

the different ways markets (where buyers and sellers come

We look at the Herfindahl-Hirschman Index (HHI), which measures

together) organize based on the firms in it - must be considered. Perfect competition assumes that there is a large number of firms (where each firmâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s market share is

the size of firms to determine the amount of concentration. It is simply the sum of the square of each individual market share, such that the HHI for a pure monopoly market

negligible), firms make identical products, there is free entry and exit from the industry, and symmetric information (whereby both buyers and sellers have complete information

(which controls 100% of the market) would be

over products, prices, resources and methods of production). These conditions are rarely ever met in the real world, but comparable examples include business done through the

that, under my reasoning explained below, best fits the relationship:

In order to compare h and p(h), consider an exponential function

internet and the agricultural markets. With perfect competition, the firms are price-takers, as each individual firmâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s production is insignificant and therefore cannot influence equilibrium/optimal prices. In monopolistic competition, there are a large number of firms, product differentiation (real or assumed differences between directly competing products), and non-price competition (whereby firms compete on marketing and branding, for example). Notable examples include Coca Cola and Pepsi, restaurants, and clothing companies. Next, there is the oligopoly where there are a small number of firms that must either compete or collude (collaborate in some form or another). There is the assumption that there are barriers of entry and exit in the market and product differentiation. A prominent case is British Airways and Virgin, who were colludingillegally in the form of price discrimination. Lastly, and arguably the most familiar, is the monopoly market structure which occurs when there is a sole firm in an industry/market. There are high barriers to entry and exit, allocative inefficiency (lower outputs), and price gouging (monopolists are price setters). This would include a utility company that operates the water and electricity in a certain municipality - although it may be regulated.

or 10,000.

(where h has scale factor 1000 on the graph)

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PAGE 32 This is a model that can replicate the KN95 masks in various market concentrations, from the local Toronto market to monopolies in the Chinese mask manufacturing market. This exponential function describes how from 0 < h < 1500, there exists low equilibrium prices with perfect competition and monopolistic competition. This would include handmade mask manufacturers and small production or industrial factories. With 1500 > h > 10000, thereis lower competition and market concentration - in multinational companies such as 3M and Allmed Medical Products, we see how oligopolies and monopolies are more of the price setters. This means that there is no mechanism that controls the extent to which prices can rise. One way of looking at the growth or slope of the price function is through derivatives. Using the chain rule for derivatives, we obtain:

Given the self-equating nature of the exponential function with base e, we have the same price function as a derivative. The broader point is that we can analyze the increase in price with relation to the HHI index, especially on the intervals where the degree of market competitiveness goes from monopolistic competition to oligopoly. In addition, we can also note that p’(10) . As a note, I am not implying asymptomatic behaviour; rather, I am describing how

→∞

the non-existence of price mechanisms (due to an HHI of 10,000) leads to the capability of firms to arbitrarily set the price as they choose. Throughout the article, one can see the theory of the firm, the macroscale impact on equilibrium prices, and the use of calculus and functions in analyzing market structures, competition and prices.

ECONOMICS

ENGLISH PRIVILEGE AS DISCUSSED IN CLAUDIA RANKINE’S “CITIZEN: AN AMERICAN LYRIC”

HOW 2020 IS THE NEW 1984

HOW TO ANALYZE THE POEMS OF CÉSAR VALLEJO

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ENGLISH LANGUAGE

PRIVILEGE AS DISCUSSED IN CLAUDIA RANKINE’S “CITIZEN: AN AMERICAN LYRIC” “BECAUSE

WHITE

MEN

CAN’T/POLICE

THEIR

IMAGINATION/BLACK

MEN

ARE

DYING”

BY SHREYA RAMESH EDITED BY OOI JUN FONG Doesn’t the above quote ring loud? Reflecting the bitter, frightening reality that is plaguing the United States. The grand irony is that this quote is taken from

“... a disappointment in the sense that no amount of visibility will alter the ways in which one is perceived.” (Rankine 24).

a book published in 2014; 6 years later, it still rings with the same frustration and anger. “Citizen: An American lyric” by Claudia Rankine is a collection of poems and commentaries, delving into

The lack of perspective is what enables the atrocities against the Black community to still ensue. In an age where awareness is constantly spread to decrease discrimination against minorities and other groups of people, there is no guarantee whether it will actually affect the beliefs of the

the everyday acts of racism endured by African Americans. The book is written in second person

public. This is shown in the quote where the irony can be seen in the harsh reality where no matter how much

perspective, making us the reader experience life as a Black woman living in America. Rankine uses a stream of consciousness style narrative in the book to

recognition the balck community gets, the immediate perception others have upon seeing a black person, erases the changes made by the awareness.

varying extents depending on the aspect or form of racism illustrated. Racism can be found through microaggressions, insensitive remarks, ignorant

“The past is a life sentence, a blunt instrument aimed at tomorrow.” (Rankine 72)

comments, glances, implied judgements, etc.

The past has not receded for a new future. (Dan Chiasson)

“She wanted her son to go there as well, but because of affirmative action or something - … weren’t they

Even from the book’s cover of a hoodie against a white background, we can infer the true dynamics present in society. The concept derived from the time of Rodney

supposed to get rid of it - her son wasn’t accepted.” ( Rankine 13). This interaction between a white woman and a black

King’s ‘execution’ at the hands of the police translates the immediate notion of the white eye to connect ‘wearing a hood’ to ‘being from the hood’. This senseless imagination

woman sums up the perception towards affirmative action. Even though this policy was implemented to

is the instigator of the neverending brutality which sparked the worldwide Black Lives Matter movement after the

give minorities a chance recognizing their talent, the perception surrounding this policy snatches away the credibility of minorities. This example can help us realize the hidden dynamics of privilege. Privilege is an advantage that a certain community has over the others. This privilege is largely viewed as the norm and everyone is working towards elevating the other communities to that level. However, when privilege can also be viewed as a certain community having excessive advantage over the others. A small change in the phrasing of the definition of privilege can offer a new lens, putting things into perspective. This change is important because for many white people privilege is an invisible entity that is hard to recognize.

unfortunate death of George Floyd. As responsible citizens, I would highly encourage everyone to read “Citizen: An American Lyric” by Claudia Rankine. It explores the different facets of racism a Black person faces from anywhere and everywhere from little things like teasing someone as a “nappy - headed ho” to outright derogatory statements. Because of the perspective it is written from, even individuals who have not understood the importance of the Black Lives Matter movement will get an intimate understanding of the atrocities a whole community has to put up with. Certainly, I have not covered the depth and layers of privilege and their different forms as explored by Rankine in ‘Citizen’; however, I hope to have provided some form of insight that has encouraged you to look at privilege and the racism it leads to from a different lens.

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ENGLISH LANGUAGE

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HOW 2020 IS THE NEW 1984 BY ANNDRYA CHUA EDITED BY JING YUAN CHAN

1984: The go-to story for anyone interested in topics surrounding authoritarianism and mass surveillance, or for those simply trying to pass their English

During the initial stages of Covid-19 we saw the rise of certain unsavoury hashtags and words being used to address the new virus such as ‘Wuhan virus’, and as 2020

Language and Literature paper.

was ushered in, the hashtags #KungFlu2 and #ChinaVirus trended on Twitter despite WHO urging otherwise.

Having read the book, I couldn’t help but feel that 2020 – arguably the most horrible year any Gen Z has gone through thus far – is the most Orwellian

But how and why does such ignorance occur? This is because social media in general encourages herd mentality.

year yet. With the Coronavirus making its debut tour around the world, governments are forced to take

This has been proven by studies : On our social media feed, the algorithm shows us mainly content that conforms

tighter control measures so as to curb the spread. New to our views and opinions. Sometimes it shows us trending measures seem to have been put in place overnight, posts which themselves conform to one point of view – such as mandatory mask wearing and “social those of the writer. This inevitably causes a rise in cancel distancing”. In Singapore, a stay-at-home order, also known as “circuit breaker” (CB), was implemented from 7 April to 1 June 2020; anyone found flouting it

culture and keyboard warriors who have, in some cases, physically acted out according to their beliefs as they have become emboldened by the show of support online. Social

would receive a $300 fine on their first offense and

media in 2020 has become both the Ministry of Truth and

for repeated offenders, be prosecuted in court .

Thought Police rolled into one single entity: news regarding the coronavirus often watered down or cherrypicked after countless reposts; don’t post a black square

1984 is a third person narrative following the story of a man named Winston Smith. Through his eyes, we witness the horrifying acts of the regime he lives in: from the Ministry of Truth distorting facts to the

with #blackouttuesday and you might be labelled as apathetic.“

Thought Police, a KGB-like organization who weed out and punish anyone who do not conform to the

On each landing, opposite the life-shaft, the poster with the enormous face gazed from the wall...BIG BROTHER

ideologies of “Big Brother”, the metaphorical figurehead.

IS WATCHING YOU, the caption beneath it ran.” Smartphones are part of our day-to-day lives. They have

almost become a necessity both in and out of the Some readers might be confused: this is 2020 after all, workplace, and countless people use them to film and post there are (ostensibly) no secret police, nor is there any videos and photos online. Abusing a stray cat? Someone government who wields as much authority and has filmed it. Helping an old lady cross the road? Someone influence over their citizens as Big Brother – the only has snapped a photo of it. exception perhaps being North Korea. So how is 2020 the new 1984? But the harsh reality is as such: for good or for ill, your smartphone device has now become somewhat of a “From where Winston stood it was just possible to surveillance camera – in fact, it is a main reason why read...the three slogans of theparty...IGNORANCE IS certain indecent or brutal acts have only now come to STRENGTH...” light. A news article I came across recently talked about 1984’s Ministry of Truth showed us how, through the smart-phone vigilantes and how they helped authorities right mediums, language can be used as a tool for identify CB rule-flouters in Singapore. I couldn’t help but public persuasion. In 2020, this medium is social wonder: have smartphones become the new “Big Brother” media. – always monitoring everyone’s comings and goings?

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“...the very existence of external reality, was tacitly denied by their philosophy. The heresy of heresies was common sense.”“It will simply disappear”. For months, this has been the mantra of President D. Trump despite numbers in the United States saying otherwise. One of 1984’s motifs is the Subversion of Reality. Big Brother does this by introducing false narratives to distract the populace from the real problems, so as to secure their position in power - they are at war with the “common enemies”, Eurasia and Eastasia, and at one time Winston was instructed to destroy any evidence that suggested the chocolate rations had once been larger when the party reduced the chocolate ration quota. Sounds all too familiar? That’s because the USA is doing exactly just that. To date, Trump has played the blame game with China and even started conspiracy theories, all in an attempt to distract the American population from the real issue at hand: the shortage of medical staff and equipment needed to battle Covid19. “...the past, though its nature alterable, never had been altered. Whatever was true now was true from everlasting...” So now you know. Truth to be told, we should have seen this coming. All it took was one pandemic to unravel to us the flip side to all the things we used to take for granted. But what matters now is what we do with this knowledge. Winston, at the end, chose to embrace the regime. He stopped thinking and conformed. But we young people can definitely do much better than that. We should, while acknowledging that such a system does exist, remind ourselves to always fact-check and not just believe the first piece of information we see or hear. Let’s leave the 20th century behind once and for all, shall we? 21st century problems should be solved with 21st century solutions after all.

ENGLISH LANGUAGE

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HOW TO ANALYZE THE POEMS OF CÉSAR VALLEJO BY LYA BALARIN EDITED BY JING YUAN CHAN

One of the most important aspects of studying literature is, obviously, the ability to analyzedifferent literary texts; so in case that you are completing

number of verses and stanzas, and attempt to find the rhythm of the poem. For the latter, your task is to divide the poem into sections, or chapters, that portray similar

assignments in Language and Literature or just Literature in the IB, you will need to know how to analyze a poem. Luckily for you, I have already gone through the struggle of learning how to do this and now I can give some useful information! This article

ideas, like subdivisions of topics in the poem. The Plane of Content makes it easier to recognize these sections. However, there is no specific advice for this part, since Vallejo did not use the same extensions for all his poems.

explains some important aspects in analyzing poems, particularly by focusing on the poems of César Vallejo, how to analyze them, and how this can be

Let us move on to a part of the analysis that, for me, is the trickiest one: the Plane of Expression. This is identifying tone, the use of adjectives, verbs and nouns, as well as the

applied to analyzing other authors’ works.

type of language and poetic devices used. Vallejo used a lot

The first step is to locate. In what year was the poem published? Was it part of a collection?What was

of metaphors and symbols, so it is important for you to be efficient at deciphering symbolic meanings to analyze his poems. There are thousands of poetic devices, which

happening during the poet’s life at that moment? Vallejo’s poems were compiled andpublished in a total of 4 collections, with 2 of them taken out while

makes it impossible to remember all of them - but I recommend choosing 10 of them to learn by heart. For Vallejo, the following devices are very important and likely

he was alive and theother ones after he passed away. Also, the different moments of his life strongly

found in most of his poems: personification, hyperbole, reluctance, simile, hyperbaton, and exclamation. Equally

influencedthe themes and feelings of his poems, as seen particularly in the collection of “Spain, take this cup from me”, where all the poems fall under the

importantly when talking about poetic devices is to explain why the author used them, and its effect on the receptor/public.

theme of the Spanish Civil War and the impact this had on society.

The final aspect to analyze is valorization. This requires

Once you have done this, you will need to shift your focus to the Plane of Content, which contains the following elements: theme, ideas, emotions, lyric speaker, and poetic destination. Vallejo can be likened to the emo kid in class, talking of tragedies, death, the absence of God, and nostalgia for the home and childhood. These are always achieved through a cruel tone, portraying emotions of sadness, disappointment, yearning, anger, fear, and a variety of other negative emotions.

you to explain the historical, social, or symbolic values of the poem. In the same way that you talk about the intentions of the author or his impact on society, this part could help you talk about the relationship and integration of the plane of content and expression, and how this makes the poem relevant or powerful. For Vallejo, you could frame your answer to highlight that the way in which he portrays society connects with the audience to make them reflect on the conflicts of life.

As explained, these are guidelines that may help you not only to comprehend and analyze the poems of Cesar Now you will have to focus on Composition. This Vallejo, but the poems of other artists as well. I sincerely part is very short, since there are only two types of hope these tips help you during your IB examinations. compositions in a poem: the external and the internal. Good luck! In the former, the most importantthing is to count the

VISUAL

VISUAL ARTS ADVICE

ARTS

VISUAL ARTS

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VISUAL ARTS ADVICE BY LYA BALARIN EDITED BY ANJELI ESTRADA

So, you entered the Visual Arts HL course without even knowing how to hold a brush? Yeah, I did that too. Okay, probably you do know more than that and are kind of prepared for what is coming in the IB program. But hold

information you’ll need to add into 4 main components: the process of elaboration, concepts and meanings, artistic referents, and results. You have to show evidence of these components throughout the whole work and make sure you

on, I’m here to give you some interesting advice that will help you with the VA course. To accomplish this, I ́m going to divide this into three parts according to the components that the IB evaluates: the Comparative

deeply understand them. They want to see your rights and wrongs, your learning process, and your understanding of how to transform an idea into a piece of art; it sounds tough but it’s really not. Your best friend for this would be the

study, the Process portfolio, and the Exhibition.

journal of art that you’ll have to use during the 2 years of the program; make sure every idea you have, every artist or composition you like, and every drawing you elaborate is there, especially when it’s related to the elaboration of one of your artworks. If in the majority of your pieces you put these four components, then you’ll have it easier the moment you have to make the portfolio. Don’t be afraid to experiment, since the IB asks for a minimum of 3 different techniques of at least 2 types of artistic creation (2D, 3D, Digital). My final recommendation is, please take a photo of all the pieces of art you’ll make, take a picture of every single change or update, even to the artworks that won’t go to the exhibition. It’s better if you have extra images than if you end up needing more.

So, what do we have to do in the Comparative Study? The task is to analyze three artworks by at least two different artists, and as a HL student, we have to attach some extra slides that contain an explanation on how they have influenced 1 of your artworks. I’d strongly recommend you choose artworks that are related to a topic you‘re interested in. That way you’ll like to make the analysis and investigate these artworks, and it‘ll also make it easier for you to produce your piece that connects with them. For example, I decided to analyze three paintings related to the topic of liberty, and since I love it I could invest hundreds of hours searching for information on the compositions and wouldn’́t even notice it! It doesn ́t necessarily have to be a topic, it could also be an artistic movement, or it could even be a specific technique like sculptures made with recycled materials or oil on canvas; make it interesting for yourself! Also, something that helped me a lot was reading the IB Visual Arts Course Book: Oxford IB Diploma Programme. It not only gives you important guidelines on how to analyze a composition, which will be very useful especially if you’re not used to the fundamentals of art, but it also offers you information about how to complete all the components and gives you some examples of them. Don’t worry, your work doesn’t have to exactly match the examples since they are all ridiculously perfect but they will give you an idea on how to elaborate your study. Let’s move on to the Process portfolio. So, how does it exactly work? Well, as the name says it’s a portfolio of your process... Okay, it's more than that. I‘ll divide the

Now to end this I’m going to talk about the Exhibition! You’ll have to elaborate a minimum of 8 materials and up to 11 that are connected between them, alongside with the curatorial text and an exposition text for each of your artworks. For the Comparative Study, I‘ll suggest you choose one specific topic or movement before starting the whole work, so in that way, you’ll make sure that all the future artworks you produce will be related and you won’t struggle in the moment of the selection of works; in this case, I won’t recommend you focusing on a specific technique because then it could get very hard and stressful to accomplish the minimum of 8 artworks and also to produce other compositions that have different techniques for the Process portfolio. Finally, these are recommendations of the things that helped me a lot throughout the whole course but aren’t an exact formula for how to get the 7. But what I can assure you is that as long as you put your full passion and effort, I’m sure you’ll do it great, so good luck!

ON DISTRIBUTIVE JUSTICE

PHILOSOPHY

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ON DISTRIBUTIVE JUSTICE BY AARON LEONG WENG FEI EDITED BY ALVIN OOI

In many countries in the Western world, democracies with free elections have often devolved into a de facto dichotomous two-party configuration. This configuration, regardless of the country, almost always involves two parties on opposite ends of the political spectrum: a party for the ‘liberals’ opposed by another for the ‘conservatives’. Democrats vs. Republicans in the US. Labour vs. Conservatives in the UK. The SPD vs. the CDU in Germany. While the rise in populism has somewhat shaken this political duopoly, it is evident that in fully developed Western democracies, this liberalconservative divide is the entrenched, traditional political configuration - the ‘State of Nature’ of politics. Why does this divide exist? Recent political developments, such as the Black Lives Matter movement for racial equality in the US, appear to provide us with an answer: the ‘liberals’ fight for who they perceive to be marginalised, whereas the ‘conservatives’ are intent on preserving the status quo, even if it means turning a blind eye to perceived injustices, such as the historical discrimination of African-Americans. This often leads to the conclusion that ‘liberals’ represent the perpetually change-seeking common folk, whereas ‘conservatives’ represent self-interested holders of power, necessarily creating conflicting interests and thus a political divide. While this is true to an extent, I feel that it is too simplistic an explanation. In my opinion, this divide stems from a deeper philosophical dilemma, best exemplified by a public debate between two of the most influential political philosophers of the late twentieth century, John Rawls and Robert Nozick. In my opinion, the liberal-conservative divide stems from differing views on the answer to a fundamental philosophical question: What is the meaning of ‘justice’ in our society? Think about the word ‘justice’. What thoughts come to your mind? The police? A court? Rawls and Nozick’s arguments here are centred on the concept of distributive justice, rather than the conventional concept of criminal justice, which you likely thought of. Essentially, distributive justice concerns what the socially just distribution of resources in a society is. First, let's take a look at Rawls' perspective, that of justice as fairness. In his seminal 1971 book A Theory of Justice, Rawls grounded his theory of justice in a hypothetical social contract made from an original position behind a veil of ignorance, where we would have no knowledge of

gender, race, wealth or natural talents. This was because Rawls opined that our view of distributive justice is biased by our own particular interests, leading us to fail to take an impartial stance as required by concern for justice. Therefore, from behind this veil of ignorance, we would be equally concerned for everyone in society, especially the least fortunate, as it would be possible (under the veil of ignorance) for us to be the worst off among them. From this original position, Rawls then derives two fundamental principles of justice: the Liberty Principle and the Difference Principle. He argues that as rational beings behind a veil of ignorance, we would naturally grant an equal right for everyone to the most extensive system of equal basic liberties compatible with a similar system of liberties for all. After all, it would be irrational to discriminate against a particular group of people, as we ourselves could be the victims of this discrimination, not knowing our future status from behind the veil of ignorance. This is the Liberty Principle, and it is generally accepted by the philosophical community. Rawls’ second principle, the Difference Principle, is more controversial. Rawls states that social and economic inequalities should be arranged such that they are to the greatest benefit to the least advantaged. This means that while inequality in society should be allowed as an incentive to drive growth (a profit incentive, in economic terms), some of this unequal wealth should be redistributed to the worse-off in order to benefit them. Rawls justifies this claim by returning to his veil of ignorance: as we do not know our future status, we would rationally decide upon the Difference Principle in order to ensure that the worst possible outcome we get is as good as possible. We would rationally not decide on other principles of distribution, should as utilitarianism, which maximizes the average outcome rather than the worst outcome, as there is always the possibility that we would be among the worse off.

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Using his concept of the original position, Rawls provides a convincing philosophical argument to support his theory of justice as fairness. The Rawlsian view of a just distribution of resources in society rests on a

PHILOSOPHY

Firstly, Nozick has revealed that any ‘patterned’ theory of justice, such as the Rawlsian theory, is liable to be disrupted by free will, as shown by the change from distribution D1 to D2

hypothetical contract which rational, unbiased beings would agree to when placed behind a veil of ignorance, and concludes that a universal protection of basic liberties and a redistribution of resources to the least

due to the spectators’ actions. A ‘patterned’ theory of justice is a view that distributive justice (distribution of resources) should follow a predefined pattern, whatever that may be.

advantaged is the logical outcome of this contract. Therefore, Rawls’ conception of a ‘just’ society necessitates government intervention in the lives of its citizens, to ensure that civil liberties are protected and resources are redistributed to the less well-off, thus laying the philosophical foundations for much of socialist and liberal political thought today. The Nordic countries are a prime example of a society that Rawls would view as ‘just’: a universalist welfare state with a high degree of individual freedom and social mobility.

However, Rawls’ work incited a critical response by Robert Nozick, who claimed that the persuasive Rawlsian theory of justice was actually self-contradictory. Nozick argued his claim with a brilliantly simple yet profound thought experiment of his own, known as the Wilt Chamberlain thought experiment.

Suppose resources are distributed in society according to Rawls’ theory of justice, where inequalities are only allowed to exist insofar as they help the least advantaged (the poor). Let’s call this distribution D1. One day, Wilt Chamberlain, a famous and extremely talented NBA basketball player, makes an arrangement with his team, such that he gets an additional 25 cents for every spectator who attends, which the spectators each have to pay at the turnstile. After one full basketball season, a million people have paid the additional 25 cents, making Chamberlain $250,000 richer, thus leading to a new distribution of resources, which we call D2. On the basis of this simple example, Nozick is able to draw some important conclusions that highlights problems with Rawls’ theory of justice.

Firstly, Nozick has revealed that any ‘patterned’ theory of justice, such as the Rawlsian theory, is liable to be disrupted by free will, as shown by the change from distribution D1 to D2 due to the spectators’ actions. A ‘patterned’ theory of justice is a view that distributive justice (distribution of resources) should follow a predefined pattern, whatever that may be. Therefore, if D1 is a just distribution, and people have voluntarily moved the distribution from D1 to D2 (by paying the 25 cents), then D2 should be just, as people have exercised their own liberty. Thus, there can be distributions which do not obey the original pattern and all pattern conceptions of justice, such as the Rawlsian theory, are therefore refuted. From the thought experiment, Nozick also makes a third, profound conclusion. Nozick argues that patterns, such as the redistribution called for by Rawls’ second Principle of Difference, can only be reinforced at the cost of liberty. Suppose we decided to maintain a pattern. Given that people, by using their free will, are likely to disrupt whatever pattern we may try to enforce, Nozick argues that we only have two alternatives: either we may maintain the pattern by banning transactions to disrupt it, or we could constantly intervene in people’s lives to redistribute resources. In Wilt Chamberlain’s case, we could either ban spectators from seeing Chamberlain play, or we could confiscate the $250,000 that Chamberlain earnt. But whichever alternative we choose, we are severely infringing on people’s liberty. In the first, we are infringing on the spectators’ liberty to watch basketball, while for the second we are infringing on Chamberlain’s right to earn money for his training and talent. Therefore, Nozick argues that Rawls’ two principles from his theory of justice are mutually contradictory. A redistribution of resources to the worse off greatly interferes with people's liberty to live their lives free from interference. A proper regard for liberty, Nozick argues, is incompatible with enforcing any patterned distribution of resources.

PHILOSOPHY

LIBHUM

Instead, Nozick proposes that distributive justice depends on entitlement, rather than fairness. This relies on the principles of justice in acquisition and justice in transfer. Basically, these two principles imply that as long as a resource is acquired and/or transferred justly, then there the resultant distribution of resources is just. For example, if I find and keep a diamond in my backyard that no one else has claimed, then I have acquired it justly, and thus my ownership of that diamond is just.

Similarly, if my friend gifted me a diamond with full consent, then it has been transferred justly and thus my ownership of it is also just. In both of these cases, Nozick would claim that the distribution of resources is just, as the methods through which I had obtained that resource is just. However, Rawls would likely claim that the distribution of resources is unjust, as the value of the diamond could be redistributed to the least-advantaged in society. Instead, Nozick proposes that distributive justice depends on entitlement, rather than fairness. This relies on the principles of justice in acquisition and justice in transfer. Basically, these two principles imply that as long as a resource is acquired and/or transferred justly, then there the resultant distribution of resources is just. For example, if I find and keep a diamond in my backyard that no one else has claimed, then I have acquired it justly, and thus my ownership of that diamond is just. Similarly, if my friend gifted me a diamond with full consent, then it has been transferred justly and thus my ownership of it is also just. In both of these cases, Nozick would claim that the distribution of resources is just, as the methods through which I had obtained that resource is just. However, Rawls would likely claim that the distribution of resources is unjust, as the value of the diamond could be redistributed to the least-advantaged in society.

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Nozick’s view of justice, in rejecting Rawls’ redistribution on the grounds of infringing liberty, has significantly influenced the modern-day conservative and libertarian political movements. Many right-wing parties are now staunchly against excessive government intervention in social and economic matters, for example the Republican Party’s disdain of ‘big government’ and social welfare programs, such as Medicare, that they view as government overreach. Another lasting legacy of Nozick’s thought is the conservative view on taxation. Nozick famously equated taxation to slavery, as he claimed that the amount of hours worked to pay tax is in effect forced labour for others. Therefore, conservatives often cut tax rates when in power, as they view high taxation as a violation of people’s liberty. The liberal-conservative divide is thus more complex than a simple conflict of ideologies or political interests. It is rooted in a fundamental disagreement on what the meaning of ‘justice’ in our society is. Liberals adopt the Rawlsian view that ‘justice’ involves a protection of basic liberties and also a redistribution of resources to help the least advantaged. Conservatives, on the other hand, also emphasise the protection of basic liberties, but view resource redistribution and any form of government influence beyond basic administrative functions as a deprivation of liberty. For conservatives, there should be no government interference as long as resources are acquired and transferred in a just manner. It is this disagreement, on the nature of ‘justice’ in society, that may explain why the two-party liberalconservative divide is so prominent and entrenched in many Western countries. And due to its abstract philosophical nature, it is a disagreement that is unlikely to be resolved anytime soon.

INTERVIEW

A DISCUSSION WITH AN IB COORDINATOR

INTERVIEW

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A DISCUSSION WITH AN IB COORDINATOR BY IBLIKECOLE EDITED BY OOI JUN FONG

The following is a summarised transcript detailing an interview about the IBDP between Youtuber IBLikeCole and an IB coordinator from an international school in Malaysia. The blue font narrates Cole's afterthoughts of

feel like their teachers are on their side and care about them. Students do not necessarily need the most experienced teachers. Although experience is a big factor, it’s not good enough itself. Teachers, regardless of experience, need to care

every question:

about their students. One way to do this is to constantly reflect and upgrade their practice based on students' feedback. Lastly, they should be constantly reevaluating what’s working and what isn’t, to make sure that his/her students are constantly engaged and energized in class.

Question 1: What do you like/dislike the most about being an IB Coordinator? It’s one of my favourite jobs. For me, it’s wonderful to help students get good grades, but moreover seeing them overcome their personal challenges to achieve those grades is a sight like no other. As a coordinator, I’m able to impact students at a different level than a typical teacher would. I am able to make decisions on deadlines, help students with subject choices, and have a say in important decisions, especially decisions that affect students even though they don’t realise it. However, I must say that one part I particularly dislike is the admin side of the job. However, even this part affects my students, and so I try my best to do it with a positive attitude. It’s refreshing to talk to a coordinator who cares about her students! It’s a factor often overlooked when schools hire teachers. Many times, they only look for experience, credentials, workshop hours etc. However, a teacher that is emotionally invested for her students to win, is far better than any number of certifications on paper. The teachers you have, the way your classes are set, the exam timetable, are all things we take for granted, but are decided by your coordinator. They make a lot of the behind the scenes decisions that affect students. We don’t see the endless hours behind the scenes to make these decisions. Question 2: What do you think makes an IB Student receptive to his/her teacher? Really for any good teacher, they need to be enthusiastic, interested in students, and interested in teaching. An aspect that is very important, and often overlooked, is the human connection. Students need to

I loved what Mrs. Maureen touched on, experience does not equal results! It’s easy for us to think that if we have the most experienced teacher, things will be easier for us. This is not true, experience is many times, just a number on paper. We need teachers who keep on trying to improve themselves over and over again. The teachers that stick with what they know, usually aren’t able to adapt to the evolving nature of IB. We have changing course content, we have additional guidelines, if teachers do not include this in their teaching, they won’t be able to help their students. I’m sure we all know of a teacher that is very experienced, but in class, we mentally check out because we just aren’t learning much. We need teachers who constantly try to improve. This for me, is one of the major factors for a good teacher. Experience is a number on a paper, but a teacher that constantly improves, is a dream come true. Question 3: How do you think teachers could make the IB Experience better for students? The IB has a huge workload throughout the program, students who struggle to manage their time, and more importantly themselves, will not do very well. Therefore, a teacher who can help students with self management can be a life-saver. A lot of IB Students come into the program with a false view that the IB is extremely hard. However, that’s far from the truth! Although it entails a lot of work, the IB is very doable. Nobody needs to sacrifice their entire social life or sleep schedule to get good grades. A student that can manage procrastination and their study habits throughout the program can succeed while balancing other aspects of their lives. A teacher that can help a student to manage oneself, manage deadlines, set a schedule for themselves

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and check in to make sure they are following through, will have a much greater impact than one who focuses purely on course content. This is strongly connected to the previous question, where Mrs. Maureen talked about the need to form a human connection with students. This plays a big part in that. It’s true, the IB is very doable, and it’s usually ourselves that make it harder than it needs to be. It’s our own procrastination habits, our own lack of discipline, leaving things till the last minute, that cause us to be overwhelmed, and sometimes break down. A teacher that can help a student develop productive habits can really make a big impact in a student’s time in IB, and their entire lives. You really don’t have to sacrifice your social life or sleep for the program, but you might need to if you lack self discipline to get things done early on. A teacher who helps you with this, checks in to make sure you’re following through, and cares, is gold. Question 4: Why do you think so many IB students find the IB challenging? Well, the IB is a program where students need to “confront themselves”. It’s a rigorous program, and no doubt students are pressured to work hard. In the IB, students will work at things they may not be good at. A student may be good at 3 or 4 components of the diploma, but it’s very rare to find a student who is strong at all aspects. You have your subjects, EE, TOK and different projects, and not all will be your strong suit. You may get grades lower than you expect, and this is not easy to deal with. However, it is when you confront these aspects of the program, and more importantly, these aspects of yourself, that you grow. Students have to be willing to be reflective, and adjust their priorities on the go. They need to learn how to say “It’s okay to give this assignment 80% because I’ve got something else that I need to focus on that’s more important to me”. Inevitably, students need to be comfortable with not being the best ateverything. These aspects challenge a student as much as the content itself. The IB is challenging, but it can help you grow to a much stronger and capable version of yourself. There were kids in my school who were always used to getting top grades. In IGCSE, they got A* in most of their subjects. They were used to high marks. In IB, they took really hard subjects. Physics HL, Math HL, Comp Sci HL,

INTERVIEW

and guess what happened, they didn’t get good grades. It wasn’t because they were dumb, but, it was just a really challenging combination. They thought something was wrong with them, got overwhelmed, and gave up. Some of them dropped these subjects to SL and took HL’s they didn’t need or like to get better grades. In IB, you are not always going to great grades. There are times you will feel your friends are smarter than you, you will feel overwhelmed, and that's okay. There were times I cried because I just couldn’t take it. That does not mean you are dumb, it means you are human. Use IB as an experience to grow, and learn to be comfortable not being the best at everything. Question 5: In your opinion, what makes an Ideal IB teacher? The IB program is designed to reward students who show a sense of independent thinking. Therefore, a teacher needs to focus on concepts & big ideas rather than just content. Students need to understand the overall picture behind course content to do well. I keep on emphasizing that it’s not just about grades, we need to make connections from the syllabus to overarching ideas and even TOK, to help our students maximize their time in the program. Also, not all school programs are designed the same. The IB has aspects that are not found in other high school programs. It’s important to know where a teacher's students are coming from because they can help their students adjust to aspects of IB that they may have not encountered before. Mrs. Maureen highlights something that all teachers need to do, explain the differences between IB and other programs students are used to. I think the main reason so many of us find the IB hard is that we aren’t used to a program that focuses so much on coursework. Many times, we ignore studying, a test comes, we crash study the night before, and do this over and over again. We may even get good grades like this. In many programs, if you’re smart, you can still do well even by leaving things to the last minute. That’s how many of us have been operating for the longest time. This will definitely not work in the IB! The program doesn’t have just one test at the end of the year. It has a huge level of coursework that can’t be left to the last minute. If you produce bad quality coursework, it really affects your grade. You need to work hard throughout the year, not just one night or even one month before exams. A teacher that can help students recognize this early on is setting their kids up for success.

INTERVIEW

LIBHUM

Question 6: In your years as an IB coordinator, what quality do you think has been the main factor behind successful IB students?

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Question 7: Could you share with us your experience of cultivating an IB program culture in your school?

It really depends how we define ‘Success’. I like to view success not only as high grades, but also developing yourself as a person. To get good grades in the IB, a student needs to adopt a “willingness to

In our school, we really try to develop the learner profile into every aspect of our culture. We try to make sure that every student ‘feels’ like they are an IB student, whether or not they are in IB. We help our younger students make connections to TOK, make sure they learn through

not get it right immediately”, they need to be okay getting things wrong the first time and learning from that experience. Some students only try to tick boxes and do the bare minimum to get high grades, and if they don’t, they think their effort was in vain. However, a successful student will find pleasure in asking themself “What did I gain from this experience?” It’s essentially a continuous process of

inquiry, we even have IB Students work with younger nonIB students to teach them about the learner profile.This way, when they get to IB, they have the right mindset to succeed in the program. More specifically, for our Y11 and Y12 students, we have sessions at the beginning of the year with IB Alumni, and we even have reflections towards the end of the year. I have developed a 2 year plan to develop this culture across the school. This way, students maximize

trying, learning, and developing themselves; which is

their time to develop themselves in the program, rather

a mindset that serves them better not only throughout the IB, but across many aspects in life.

than view it as just another pre-college program. It is so cool to see the IB program woven into so many

As students, 90% of us only care about getting the grades we want. That’s definitely our priority. In our mind, all this extra stuff, learning, growing,

aspects of the school.I find it super interesting to bring in IB Alumni to guide new students on the program. I think where advice comes from plays a big part in whether or

developing, that's all great, but the grades come first. It’s only after school that I’ve come to appreciate that

not we take it. Advice coming from ex-IB students will connect with you in a different way than the same advice

high grades are not everything. The 40 I got doesn’t really affect me, and If I didn’t have my channel on

from a teacher, because students understand students. Maybe that’s why my channel is so popular. It’s because

youtube, I probably wouldn’t remember what I got for each subject. My friends who got above 40, don’t really care about their grades anymore. However, the

my advice comes from a person who’s been there, as I went through the IB as well. This is a wonderful initiative from Mrs. Maureen.

skills you learn stick with you your whole life. Learning to deal with large workloads, impose deadlines on yourself, and learning to work smart (which I show on my channel), are things that help you forever. If you can develop the mindset Mrs. Maureen talks about, regardless of your grades, you’re setting yourself up for future success.

ABOUT THE

EVERYONE WHO'S CONTRIBUTED TO THE MAGAZINE

AUTHORS

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

LIBHUM

ABOUT THE AUTHORS Aaron Leong Weng Fei Hi! My name is Aaron, and I'm currently studying the IB in Malaysia. I'm interested in history, politics and philosophy. I hope to study in the liberal arts system in the US!

Amiyah Denney My name is Amiyah Denney and I'm from the United States. Some of my passions include history, biology, stationery, and Sumikko gurashi characters!! My dream in life is to open a clinic dedicated to women's cardiothoracic issues.

Anastasia Iman Sufian My name is Anastasia and Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m a 17-year-old from Malaysia. I attend school in Jakarta, in Indonesia. I am most passionate about current issues around the world and activism. On days where I am not drowning in the IB, I like to watch anime and listen to my favourite bands.

Anndrya Chua Anndrya Chua is a writer and voice actress born and raised in Singapore since 2002. She has thus far attended her 18 years of education all locally and therefore hopes to study abroad for university. In her spare time Anndrya enjoys video editing and reading manga. Do follow her on twitter @anndraco0523 for stupid commentary and rants

Bruno de Clerck Hi! My name is Bruno, and Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m currently in IB Year 2 at an international school in Geneva, Switzerland. Having lived in three different continents, I consider myself to be a world traveller. I enjoy following professional sports, specifically soccer and the NBA. In the future, I would like to be an investment banker, hopefully working on Wall Street!

Eugene Ong My name is Eugene Ong and I'm currently studying in Malaysia. I'm passionate about legal or political issues and I plan to pursue a career in law and international relations in the future.

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ABOUT THE AUTHORS

ABOUT THE AUTHORS IB like Cole (represented by Cole Sprouse) IB Youtuber ~ Sharing IB resources and tips!

Jyn-Yann Ng Jyn-Yann Ng is from Malaysia. She is currently studying A-levels in the UK. She enjoys reading, particularly books about Economics, and watching Gilmore Girls and Grey's Anatomy over and over again. During her free time, she loves playing the saxophone and piano, as well as listening to people play the saxophone and piano (and any musical instrument in general).

Lillian Lai Ruey Yee Lillian Lai is currently an A-levels student in Malaysia, studying in Sunway College. She loves writing, performing poetry and penning plans into her bullet journal. In her free time, she occasionally attempts to play the cello. Lillian aspires to be someone who inspires others, and aims to live a fulfilling life.

Lya Balarin Hi! IÂ´m Lya Balarin, IÂ´m from Peru and I hope that you liked the articles as much as I enjoyed writing them. My passion is to rule the world someday! Too much? Okay, I just hope you have a great day!

Micah DenBraber My name is Micah DenBraber, a 17 year-old senior from Colorado currently attending ISM in the Philippines. I'm passionate about foreign language and global politics, both of which I plan to study at a University in the Netherlands. After college, I'd like to work for a European NGO or pursue a career in the US Foreign Service.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

LIBHUM

ABOUT THE AUTHORS Neil Sharma I’m Neil Sharma and I’m a IB student in a suburb just north of Toronto. I am glad to have --- an opportunity to write for Spark Magazine and look forward to seeing everyone’s article. I am particularly interested in computing, economics, finance, and mathematics. This is reflected in my article topic, in my academic choices/interests, and my potential university major.

Niji Nagase Hello, everyone. I am Niji Nagase from Japan. I am honored to be given this opportunity to write an article about gender equality and ala kachuu (bride kidnapping in Kyrgyzstan). I do my best to share the information and my view about gender issues in Asia and ala kachuu because I am feminist. Besides that, I have interests in many fields, too, such as art, music, and languages.

Rhiya Furrah Not much to say, truthfully. I’m really just an A-Level Studentwhen I’m not skydiving, tap dancing or feeding the homeless, that is. Only kidding. I have so much to say! My name is Rhiya and I study Math, Chem and Biology to a very disappointing standard☺. My actual hobbies, or things that seem to occupy much of my free time and mental state, is trying to do enough Spin-the-Wheels on what on earth I’m going to do with my life at university. Hope you don’t hate my articles. Kudos to Spark for their awesome initiative that I never had.

Shreya Ramesh My name is Shreya Ramesh and I am from Chennai, India. I am currently studying at the American Overseas School of Rome in Italy. I am passionate about cooking and learning about different cultures. I aspire to become part of the Indian Civil Service after graduating from university.

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INSIDE THIS ISSUE FEMICIDES AROUND THE GLOBE: WHATâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S HAPPENING AND WHY/ WHY 2020 IS THE NEW 1984/ WHAT'S GOING ON IN LEBANON? / AN INTERVIEW WITH AN IB COORDINATOR / HOW TO BEST ANALYSE THE POEMS OF CESAR VALLEJO / HOW PRICES ARE SET BASED ON MARKET COMPETITION