S M I C

D I G E S T

Q4 S U M M E R 2013

Editor’sNote

A Note fromMr. Boldt

We’ve made it. It’s the fourth quarter, and everyone is very much alive and well (no missing limbs or intake of anti-depressants observed). That’s comfort enough for me already. Student Publica-tions has come to be, according to the sophomores in our class, a very stressful class. However, I’m happy to testify that it is a lot less stressful than last year. This class has finally taken up a form and structure that defines it, something we never could quite figure out last year. We have all learned something during the last four quarters—one of which is meeting deadlines—which is somewhat of a great achievement. The theme for this quarter is “Vintage,” and we chose this theme to bid farewell to the seniors, stressing the importance of seeing the beauty in the old (not that any of the seniors need to worry about aging). In this issue we have included two personal statements by seniors this year, which are both wonderful samples of work that hopefully will help inspire those that will be writing personal statements in the coming September. We have also included a special reflection from Theresa Wang, a junior and the innovator that started the “black board trend” in the lobby. This issue was put together in a matter of two weeks, and although the time spent on it seems to be a lot less than the last issue, no loss of quality is seen. We have become so adept at creating under time constraints that we have also become efficient. I am especially proud of this team, and I have no doubt that they will produce even better work next year.

“A thing of beauty is a joy forever.” –John Keats

The pairing of literature and visual arts is a practice that has been done for a long time, and their complementary natures and overlapping beauty makes something like a literary arts magazine almost intuitive. It has been something that we, as a team, have come to appreciate and, more to the point, have hoped to create with each issue.

Whether poring over poems, memoirs, or interviews, touching up photos and art, or crafting design to fit layout and theme, this team has gone from knowing just enough to creating true quality work worthy of professional publication. Along the way, they have honed their indi-vidual skills to be sure but, more importantly, they have learned the invaluable art of working as a team to achieve an end goal—something that will serve them no matter what their future endeavors. I am very proud of this team and grateful to have been a part of watching them create something beautiful, something lasting, and something literary.

Thank you guys for all your hard work! I will miss you.

Table of Contents

The Lunatic ----------------- Isabelle Liu

StaffPositions

Poems

2 Him ----------------------------- Hibiki Sato

4The Merry-go-Round -- Isabelle Liu

Overlooked --------------- Joy Shih

The War --------------------- Sharon Yu

The Happy Ending (She Never Got) --------- Terry Lou

6

111217

Two Different Planets - Serena Dong10

Interviews

1 The Real Sims -------------- Jon Guo

Not Your Average Jon - Simona Dossi9&14Shih is a Joy ------------------ WenTing Li13&14

Personal Statements

3 The Man Who Won't Be Moved ---------- Yunru Phua

Straightening Out the Mess --------------- Jennifer Lee

5

Art &Photography

7 Supernatural ------ Jamie Chua

Water Color Village --------------- Gail LeeThe Glass ------------ Geenie Choy

Teleporting --------- YueYue Sai

Unknown------------- Tabatha Marin

Play it again, Sam -------------------- Yueyue Sai

81516

UpcomingEvents

18 In my lifetime... ----- Theresa Wang

Andy Warhol: 15 Minutes Eternal

20 Entire Staff

Cover Photography by Krissie Tan

Interviews

Now this is a story all about howMy life got flipped, turned upside down.I’d like to take a minute, just stand right there,And tell you how I met Simona my senior year.

In Southern California, born and raised, In the city where I spent most of my daysChillin out, hangin, swimming in my pool,And owning noobs at billards who thought they were cool.When a couple of teachers, they were up to no good,I told them they couldn’t fail me, they told me they could.I got 1 D and my mom got scared,Said “Shanghai next week” like she didn’t care.

I pulled up, apartment about twenty-one, what’s up?I looked out the balcony, almost threw up.So I yelled to my dad, Thanks for the ride home!He’s like “jiu suan ni lai le ye mei shen me yong.”

So I waltzed into class my senior year, Noticed someone looking awfully queer,But next to him was someone I knewFrom the previous year, weird but true.

Her name was Simona – and classes we had —I interviewed her, to not make her sad.So here we are in the middle of class,Questioning how her life will pass.

What do you want to be when you grow up?“Not sure, maybe a scientific researcher.”

Where are you going to college?University of Edinburgh, Scotland.

Are you looking forward to college life? Why or why not?Yes. I’ll have classes in the afternoon, so I can sleep in the morning.

What are you looking forward to in life (not the same question)? Spending my time with Jon.

What food would you be if you were a food? Why?I’d be ice cream because I’m cool.

What advice would you give to under-classmen?Dress nicely for your senior picture because they’re going to hang it up for like a whole year. And it’s going to be horrible if it’s a bad picture, trust me.

How long have you been at SMIC? And how do you like it?I’ve been at SMIC for four years. And I like SMIC a lot because of the tight knit communi-ty and the people. I really felt like I’ve learned about Asian culture.

What is your favorite TV show and why?Right now my favorites would be Grey’s Anat-omy and Community. Community’s really funny and Grey’s Anatomy has hot doctors.

That I have faith in her, it seems to me.She will most definitely be a celebrity.

The Real Sims

1

By Jon Guo

The Real Sims

Stuck inside her head,Crying herself to bed.

Little do they know what she’s thinking.Stuck inside her head.

Waiting by the door,Sitting on the floor.

Little does he know what she’s feeling.Stuck inside her head.

Sadness fills the air,Her heart feels so bare.

Little does she know what she’s yearning.Stuck inside her head.

What she couldn’t do,Was being the one he knew.

Stuck inside her feelings,Stuck inside her head.

HimBy Hibiki Sato

with photography by Ianni Le

By Jon Guo

2

PersonalStatements

’ve seen your photos. I know you can do better than this.”

My friend’s disappointment became my disappointment. Despite desir-

ing to receive compliments from my friend, I was forced to face a truth—the truth that I had not lived up to my expectation to:

Fulfill the expectations of others.

My friend’s disapproval led to self-doubt. To prove that “I can do better than this,” I headed out for another photo-walk. Roam-ing around Shanghai, I took countless pictures of taxis, over-head cables, and traffic lights, in search of “impressive” shots—impressive through the eyes of others. However, this type of photography to impress sup-pressed my passion to:

Express myself.

As I was walking down the street, something caught my eye. I stopped and stared for a while, amazed and fascinated. What was I looking at? I was looking at a street performer. His eyes were closed. His body swayed to the beat. What was I listening to? I was listening to a peculiar tune. His original songs were of an undefined genre that defied the norms of pop or rock or country. As a result, he lacked an audi-ence, for a common audience generally sought for familiarity and conventionality.

Yet, despite the absence of an audience, he per-sisted in singing with confidence. He soaked his

songs with his emotions and added to his songs an extra layer of personal meaning. The micro-phone amplified his soul. He was at peace, if not bliss, for his expectation was not to fulfill the ex-pectations of the audience, but to:

Express himself.

At that moment of staring at the street perform-er, my passion for self-expression rekindled. From his music, I began to appreciate the impor-

tance of expressing myself. I wanted my camera to become a window to my heart; a tool to express, not to impress.

I express; therefore, I am.

The Man Who Won't Be Moved

By Yunru Phua

I wanted my camera to become a

window to my heart; a tool to

express, not to impress.

3

“I

The Man Who Won't Be Moved

By Yunru Phua

“My little prince, do you know me?I raised you from an infant boy.”

“Of course I know you, mother dear.You are the one who brought me joy

When blood was scraped from hand and kneeWhen I was but a little boy.”

“My little prince, do you know me?I held you as you fell asleep.”

“Of course I know you, mother dear.When other boys would make me weep,

You held me, and I fell asleep.”

“My little prince, do you know me?I taught you how to smile and sing.” “Of course I know you, mother dear.

You pushed me on the playground swing;I flew and thought to smile and sing.”

“My little prince, do you know me?I brought you to play by the sea.”

“Of course I know you, mother dear.You brought me to the moonlit sea,Where monsters did devour me.”

“My little prince, do you know me?I cradled you at night and wept.”

“Of course I know you, mother dear.When demons slew me as I slept,

You cradled me and sighed and wept.

“My little prince, do you know me?Are you yet mad? Do you know me?”

“Your face I’ve seen; your name I’ve notIt seems that I may have forgot.For what reason do you weep?

Do you not have a child to keep?”

The LunaticBy Isabelle Liu

with artwork by Kellen Lin

4

y hair is needy. Yet I indulge it, not only because I’m a girl but be-cause it has granted me a unique experience. For that, I am forever grateful to my hair.

From when my alarm goes off to when I walk out the door, my horrendous hair shows little improvement. To deal with this problem, I regu-larly visit hair salons to straighten out the mess – an arduous process which takes at least four hours. My friends often wonder how I can spend so much time on hair with my busy schedule – they picture me daydreaming and reading fash-ion magazines. But the four hours are far from a luxury – they are essential time to keep things in check.

When I made the jump to high school, – a time when every-thing theoretically revolved around me – my mom foiled my plan by having a baby. Like all babies, this bundle of joy brought tremendous delight as well as immense responsibil-ity. In a way, it was like finally getting the puppy I had always wanted; except I got not just one, but twenty of them. As soon as the baby started crawl-ing, she somehow gained the ability to be in ten places at once. To make things worse, my mom needed taking care of, too. She had had surgery after the birth and required more help than I was pre-pared to give.

I became a superwoman – I babysat while hasti-ly finishing AP homework, bathed the baby while going through SAT flashcards, put the baby to sleep on my way to MUN meetings. While oth-er parents urged their children to study, mine handed me a diaper while I sat readily in front of a desk. Then, junior year happened. Things changed once I started going through – to me – the most important time of my life. I threw my cape in the closet, handed the baby to my sister, and locked myself in my room to focus on home-work. Of course, as a freshman, with no APs and

pressure, she should take on the house chores. I was too busy to do them myself. She started calling me selfish and labeled me cold-hearted, but I brushed her off. Often, concerns for my evi-dent selfishness crept into my mind, but I pur-posely avoided such thoughts and instead filled my mind with other “more important” matters. I told myself that I couldn’t just give up every-thing, help mom, and forget college. Then the day of reckoning came. My Mom —who I thought would love me unconditionally-accused me of being selfish, egocentric, and in-considerate. It was a slap in the face. We yelled for hours: accusing, defending, and demanding change. It was not fair. All of my friends endured their high school years without any additional stress. Why did I have to do all the same things

while still pausing for bathtimes and lullabies? But later sitting in the hair salon, I realized how dis-gustingly self-centered I had be-come. Bathtimes weren’t so bad. I simply had not wanted to be tan-gled in the mess. I’ve come to love this mess simply because it’s my family. Over those four hours of “hair time,” I realized that my Mom’s desperate calls were much more important than any teacher’s disapproving look. I decidedly put my cape back on, but it has to endure my yawns. Now I wake up earlier on week-

ends to make sure there’s someone to babysit if my Mom can’t wake up. I take turns with my sis-ter washing dishes, and sometimes she even of-fers to wash them for me. Of course, realistically, it is impossible to accomplish everything I did before and simultaneously help out at home; so I choose to get less sleep. Even though each morn-ing, I want to kill the deafening alarm clock, it’s okay because there is comfort knowing that I am spending enough time with my sister whom I won’t see for the next four years. My mom and I have taken a step closer towards understanding, but we are far from per-fection. We still bicker when I have an upcoming test and refuse to babysit. But every few months, I know I’ll get four hours of solitude to re-set things in balance.

Straightening Out the Mess

By Jennifer Lee

PersonalStatements

M

I told myself that I couldn’t just give up

everything, help mom, and forget

college.

5

The Merry-Go-Round

The Merry-Go-Round

By Isabelle Liuwith photography by Ianni Le

The storybook ends:an old

merry-go-roundshrouded with peeling

red paintbleached gray by

duskslowly spinning

to astop.

6

Artwork

“ Supernatural” by Jamie Chua

“ Water Color Village“ by Gail Lee 7

Artwork

“ Supernatural” by Jamie Chua

“ Water Color Village“ by Gail Lee “The Glass” by Geenie Choy 8

Interviews

What are you most looking forward to in the last few months of high school?Graduation and the graduation trip because I’m sure they’ll both be awesome. I like the beach.

What advice can you give underclassmen?Whatever you do, don’t jump into the river to save your duck.

Have you ever done that?No, but I was thinking about it. Seriously, though, it’s a bad idea.

What is your race?I don’t like to discuss in terms of colors, but basi-cally, I’m white.

Tell us about the biggest argument you’ve had with your fellow SMIC classmates?There was a guy who I didn’t know very well so we fought because we had a wrong impression about each other, but we resolved all that.

So what did you learn from that experience?I learned that you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover. Literally. Because some books are full of information even if their covers are really ugly.

Out of your fellow seniors, who will you miss most when you leave for college?I like chicken. It tastes really good.

That doesn’t answer my questions. Actu-ally, it doesn’t answer them even a little bit.I also like steak, but I think pasta is the best, be-cause you can put cheese on it.

So’out of your fellow seniors, who will you miss most when you leave for college?I’m going to miss everyone; there’s not a most. I’m even going to miss myself.

... continued on page 14

Not Your Average Jon

By Simona Dossi

9

Jon Guo is a relatively new “shark” who ar-rived at SMIC just two years ago at the be-ginning of his junior year. After enjoying two years of SMIC’s tough curriculum and amaz-ing fellow classmates, he met up with me to share his hopes and dreams for the future as well as his valuable advice for younger sharks.

Not Your Average Jon

By Simona Dossi

She is the Earth, he is the Sun –The light in her dark worldThat was coming undone.

How can she rid herself of this feeling?

A single kiss during a romantic night, Leaves her floating in heaven and on the clouds.

But a single word from him breaks her heartLeaves her lonely and walking around.

As sharp as an arrow’s point,He pierces through her heart,

And leaves it bleeding,Slowly falling apart.

She lies on the cold winter ground,Curls up like a cat.

She waits for the icy breeze to put her to sleep,Then the love story ends like that.

Two Different Planets

By Serena Dongwith photography by Krissie Tan

10

They call him Beggar-A‘Cause no one knows his name.

“He’s the first on the street, and has never left since.”That Beggar-A there, a man with a small frame.

Wild grey beard,Entangled and thick.

With nest of fish bones and crumbs of molded scones, Midnight snack? He gives it a lick.

On a usual day,While rummaging through garbage,

He hears a muffled cry,And then a voice of rage.

“You continue with that scream, I’ll dump you by the stream.”A whimper escapes, a teardrop falls.

Cupping burnt porridge freshly found,Beggar-A barks, “Ye le go tat gurl, o I’ll ring tis boken bell.”

Eyes of anger,And breath of drunken danger,

The man pulls his knife,On this lonely stranger.

“Ye fil proud an’ mighty? Hurtin’ a gurl?I got not a dime, but I dun hurt nobody.”

“A scum of the earth, and dares lecture me so?”One stumbles away, the other a body.

Rats scurry forth,Ah, meat for our liquor!

A body thus covered,A mass of grey fur.

Morning dew collects,Sun still rises.

“Has Beggar-A left?” The once Beggar-A, a victim of vices.

OverlookedBallads

By Joy Shihwith photography by Yueyue Sai

11

Only between solemn breaths we wereInvincible, great, and learned.

Released from the souls we stirredTo keep alive while others burned.

Struggling to be resurfaced In the field of the mighty.

Death, now it seemed, Was perhaps too much of a folly.

We were falling off the road,Off the grid, without our souls.

Fighting to our last,Unable to stay whole.

The hero shouted,In vain in pain with blame

To retrieve back what had been lostYet his vision was lost in the flames.

In dirt he rode with the band—The loud tumultuous sound.

Covered up in the love he’d lostWhile he rode blindly on, unfound.

We were falling off the road,Off the grid, without our souls.

Fighting to our last,Unable to stay whole.

He would be alone in the end,Clinging to the remnants of the past.

Nestled in his own conceptions of reality,His dreams dying to a blast.

We were falling off the road,Off the grid, without our souls.

Fighting to our last,Unable to stay whole.

The WarBy Sharon Yu

with photography by Yueyue Sai

12

Interviews

Shih is a JoyBy WenTing Li

with photography by Krissie Tan

If you could ask any SMIC teacher a question, who would you pick and what would you ask?I would like to ask Ms. Murray, my home-room teacher in third grade, how she breathed through her slit thin nose. I’ve been troubled by this question since third grade! I was short back then, and whenever I looked up all I could see were her nostrils. I even tried to pinch my nos-trils [to that thinness] once, and it was impos-sible to breathe. I wondered how she did sports with such a nose and always wanted to ask her out of curiosity, even now.

What enabled you to survive the tough SMIC years?HAHA, well, I had a punching bag that helped me get through my junior year. Also, sports re-ally helped. During Cross Country and Track, I don’t think of anything while running, so that helps me forget my bad grades. Through team sports like basketball, there’s a special bonding with my teammates where we just talk, laugh, and joke around. That’s one main reason why sports are so important to me, I think.

What animal most resembles you?I don’t have one for myself, in particular, but the basketball team calls me the gazelle, you can ask them why. Heh.

What was your dream job when you were in middle school and first few years of high school?At the beginning of high school, I really want-ed to be a lawyer as I liked the respect I would get from the job. Since it’s very competitive, it would force me to be in my best condition. But I’m afraid a job like that would intertwine with my personal life too much, and I’d end up being a lawyer even when I wasn’t at work. I’m quar-

13

Joy Shih is one of the first students to gradu-ate from SMIC after spending her entire 12 years of primary and secondary education here. Having enrolled here since 2001, Joy has proved herself to be one of the most important sharks in the SMIC community, and is not only the President of two clubs, the Commu-nity Service Club and Cookies for Kenya, but also an outstanding student athlete.

Shih is a Joyrelsome enough in life.

What is the average number of hours you sleep per night?It used to be 7-8 hours in 9th and 10th grade, but when I got to junior and senior year it was only 5 hours.

How has your time at SMIC shaped your dreams and aspirations?Since I’ve been in one school for a long time (12 years), I want to be around people of different cul-tures. I can’t wait to go to university to see how people from different cultures interact, as I’m too used to this environment. SMIC is an academically driven school that shapes students to want to continue studying in a competitive environment. That’s why students here apply to such competitive schools.

What is your favorite SMIC event?Field trip, as it’s a day I get to spend with friends outside of school environment. The part I enjoy the most is packing up my own food and snacks, knowing that throughout the day I would have the freedom to eat whenever I want and won’t be caught eating and thrown into detention. hehehe

What classes would you like to add to the SMIC curriculum if you had the power?I would add AP World History as I want to know history of the world and how it connects instead of just limiting my knowledge to US History. For fun classes, archery should be added to elective. Elec-tives shouldn’t just be education but also practicing skills for fun, as the school already has enough intense courses.

From the little girl who was curious about her homeroom teacher’s nose to the successful leader of two clubs, it is amazing to see how SMIC has shaped such a cute, active girl like Joy into a strong, independent young lady. Joy’s experience here really made me realize what a powerful and influential school SMIC truly is.

14

***continued from page 9...

What are your hopes and dreams for the future?One day I want to be a secret assassin who murders dictators. Just kidding. I want to go into finance and banking.

What’s the juiciest SMIC gossip you’ve ever heard?I can’t tell you because that would be betraying the people who trust me.

I respect that. What is your best SMIC memory?This one time, I was being interviewed by this person and she was really annoying.

Who is your favorite teacher and why?I like Mr. Hurley because he was awesome, and he really inspired me to like economics.

What is the last comment you want to give SMIC and your fellow "sharks"?First of all, I’d like to thank my mother and my father for bringing me into this world. I’m just kid-ding. [laughs] I think I’m awesome, like the most awesome person ever. I’m dead serious.

Jon’s interview gave me, Jon, and many eavesdropping Student Publication Students, both laughs and surprises. Hopefully this interview provides insight into the spirited fun (and frustra-tion) Jon provides the senior class with every day.

“ Teleporting“ by Yueyue Sai

Photography

“ Teleporting“ by Yueyue Sai

Photography

“ Play it again, Sam” by Yueyue Sai

“ Unknown“ by Tabatha Marin

Ballads

The Happy Ending(She Never Got)

By Terry Lou

She’s twelve when she’s sitting on the front porch,Under the sweltering summer sun’s scorch,

She sees the new boy living next doorWith the prettiest eyes she’s seen before.

He smiles at her, and then she knowsTo muster the courage and say ‘hello.’

She’s seventeen when he asks her out,She says yes in an instant without a doubt.They go see a movie, he buys her a drink

And a bundle of roses in red and pink.He smiles at her, and then she knows

To give him a kiss before the doors close.

She’s twenty-two when he gets down on one kneeIn the middle of the sandy beach down by the sea

With a ring in one hand, a speech prepared,Promises of eternal love declared.

He smiles at her, and then she knowsHer heart is gone and with him it goes.

She’s twenty-seven when he’s drafted away,“To fight for our country,” the officers say.

They both want to stay since she is with baby,But they know the price of being an absentee.

He smiles at her, and then she knowsShe would wait for him until all of hell froze.

She’s thirty-two when the tragic news comes,“Fought till the end,” they say, as she grows numb.

She shuts the door, and tears long overdueFall from her eyes as her heart breaks in two.

The child laughs because he doesn’t rememberA father who left when he was premature.

At night, she lies on her bed and she weeps,‘Till finally she falls into a fitful sleep.

She dreams of him leaving but he can’t hear her criesTill he turns around and she sees his eyes.

He smiles at her, and then she knowsWherever he goes, she will follow.

17

Upcoming Events

The “In my lifetime” wall joined the SMIC com-munity for nearly a month, but the project came to an end on May 17th. While I have to admit that there was some trouble with maintaining and “proctoring” the wall in the beginning, the proj-ect turned out to be a successful reflection of the SMIC community.

For the first week, I patrolled the wall during the lunch break. What intended to be ten min-utes always extended to half an hour. Watch-ing students and faculty of both the English and Chinese track enthusiastic over the wall was a mystifying experience. Comments on the wall included humorous ones such as, “I want to find Waldo,” “I want to eat chicken in peace,” and “I want to evolve into a higher being.” People inter-acted on the wall: one person wrote, “I want to never be lied to,” and another responded, “You won’t.” The wall became an outlet where people

could channel their emotion, secrets, and aspira-tions, as well as a site for anonymous dialogue that strengthened the sense of community. The range of comments and illustrations reflected the SMIC community’s own diversity in approaches towards beliefs and values.

I hope that this project has allowed people to clarify their lives and maintain perspective even in times of doubt. And I hope that in your life-times, your goals and dreams will come true. Thank you for your participation!

For more information on the inspiration for the project, you can visit www.beforeidie.cc

If you have any photos or videos of the wall you would like to share, please submit them to www.inmylifetimesmic.tumblr.com

In My Lifetime...

by Theresa Wang

Andy Warhol: 15 Minutes Eternal

Time: April 29th - July 28th, 2013Venue: The Power Station of Art, Miaojiang Road by Huayuangang Road

The Andy Warhol Museum has brought 400 art-works of Andy Warhol, the legendary pop artist painter/printmarker, in to the Power Station of Art in Shanghai, and its amazing lineup include photographs, screen prints, drawings, and sculp-tures, featuring iconic works such as ‘Campbell’s Soup’ (1961), ‘Silver Liz’ (1963), ‘Jackie’ (1964), ‘Silver Clouds’ (1966), ‘Marilyn Monroe’ (1967) and ‘Self-Portrait’ (1986). Through the use of simple yet provocative lines and blatant use of color contrasts, Andy Warhol took the art indus-try by a whirlwind in the mid 20th-century, in-troducing a new medium and style of art unique-ly made for the consumer-oriented nature of his century. His artworks are produced in a great spectrum of medium in which he produces a style that is uniquely his, from commercial design to celebrity portraits to video clips, inspiring artists across the board with his unique perspective of the world.

Image courtesy of Power Station of Art

18

18 19

To This Year's Graduating Class...

Senior Dedication

Good-Byeand

Good Luck!

To This Year's Graduating Class...

StaffPositions

20

Editor in ChiefSharon Yu (left)Managing Editor

Joy Shih

Director of DesignSerena Dong (middle)

Design EditorsJeanie Shin (left)

Simona Dossi

Fiction EditorTerry Lou (right)

Nonfiction EditorsWenting Li (left)

Hibiki Sato

Magazine AdvisorMr. Boldt

Public RelationsJon Guo (bottom)

Wesley Yu

Art & PhotographyTabatha Marin

Andy Zhou

From top left to top right: Tabatha Marin, Andy Zhou, Wesley Yu, Jon Guo, Mr. BoldtFrom bottom left to bottom right: Serena Dong, Hibiki Sato, Jeanie Shin,

Sharon Yu, Joy Shih, Terry Lou, WenTing Li