s pygl as s
f al li s s ue t we nt yt we nt yone
note from the editors: It is with great honour that I have been able to oversee the production for the fall issue of the 2021-2022 Spyglass run as co-editor-in-chief. The copywriters, photographers, and layout designers have worked diligently on this issue, all in hopes to supply the student body with a newspaper that not only appeals to them, but applies to them. It has been and will continue to be the hope of those working at the Spyglass to not only amplify the student experience, but to elevate it as well. This issue presents works spanning not only several walks of life, but also several creative mediums. From poems and short stories to opinion and non-fiction pieces, this issue of Spyglass, and many more to come, feature an array of voices that work in tandem to present content that is both relatable and refined. Thank you for taking the time to read this issue and continuing your support for the Spyglass.
— Leah Bel Ben-Tzur
The Spyglass has been a part of my life for the past four years, and I am honoured to be one of your editor-in-chiefs for the 2021-22 school year! Our copywriters, photographers, and layout designers have all worked extremely hard to bring you all their best work, and it is my pleasure to be a part of the team that brings you such a diverse showcase of student creativity. I am beyond excited to show you all what the Spyglass has in store for the new school year, and I hope you are to see the work of your fellow students.
— Rachael Peng
A time of the day: A. Dusk B. Dawn C. Midnight D. Midday
A season: A. Winter B. Summer C. Spring D. Fall
A song: A. The sweet notes of a nightingale in an ivy-walled garden as evening draws to a close. B. The laughter of children armed with ice cream and boisterous spirits under the late afternoon sun. C. The twinkling tunes of a million stars as they make their nightly rounds through the dark-swept heavens. D. The deafening hum of the modern city in the dead of the day, itching for action and fire and life.
A character: A. A postman who earns his living wandering the gutters of the city each night, delivering letters to the wretched. His silence is eternal and a necessary price for the secrets gained from his nightly travels, which are tucked away safely within every nook and cranny of his failing body. B. A queen who sits upon her golden throne and rules over her subjects compassionately. Someday, they will turn on her as they have to the ruler of every era before, but she will still love them as brightly as she does now. C. A performer of a traveling troupe who roves over the deserts every day in search of patrons and coins. Lying in her bare-threaded blankets and tent every night, she desperately wishes for some great escape to the world of oceans and forests outside. D. A battle veteran who picks his way through the war-ruined landscape. Though weary, his fighting spirit is there, alive and steady. He is looking for something he’ll never find here, in the aftermath of all this carnage and bloodshed.
A Motif: A. Key B. Star C. Seas D. Sword
If you got...
Mostly As, you are - Mercury! Named after the Roman god of thieves and trickery, Mercury is the smallest planet in the Solar System and also the closest one to the Sun. Despite your diminutive stature, you have a larger-than-life personality — one that’s intense, full of contradictions, and yet completely whimsical in nature. You are quick on your feet, witty with your words, and playful in conversation. When people speak, you listen. Though your shoulders are scarred from carrying the burdens of millions, you always manage to find time to enjoy the little things in life and share them with the people around you.
Mostly Bs, you are - Venus! The hottest planet in the Solar System, Venus has been known as both the “morning star” and the “evening star” to human civilization for millenia now. As Venus, you are a bright force of nature, inspiring many of those who meet you with your radiance. Others love you for your warmth, and the endless kindnesses you give every day. You have a golden heart and an even more golden soul; always shining light on those around you. It can be hard to see through the fog at times, but if one does, they’ll find you there, a beacon of safety burning gently in the dark.
Mostly Cs, you are - Earth! Ah, our beloved home planet! Dreamy, capricious, and often more blue than green, you spend your nights staring at the starry skies through the lens of your very own personal telescope, always wondering if there’s something more out there, millions of light years away. You are never here in the moment, preferring to exist somewhere in between the far-flung past and the distant shores of a thousand possible futures. Though reality torments you at times, be strong! — and don’t give up! — for it is your wings that will soon see us to a new horizon in these trying times.
Mostly Ds, you are - Mars! Known as the Red Planet, Mars is the last of the four terrestrial planets in the Solar System. If you are Mars, you are loved as much as you are feared. Your anger runs like blood — red, hot, and with a front of calm that belies the storm brewing underneath. Even so, people adore you for what you are; a warrior always contending against their own, limiting circumstances, as well as those of the world’s, determined to make meaning out of this chaos we were all born into. A fighter who fights in the name of what they love and what is right — you are brave with your own fears and braver still with those of others.
//JESSIE YUN
I’ve come to notice, over the past 17 years of my existence, that people don’t seem to care about reading.
Back when we were children, reading was encouraged to urge development and expand our ever-growing vocabulary. Yet, as we grow older, younger folks are pressured, and often required, to read books that fit a certain quota. According to a quick Google search, literary fiction is novels deemed as having “literary merit”. But who decides what constitutes merit? Many academics seem to believe that books must focus on some deeper meaning rather than entertainment; that fiction must address serious topics and contain tragic realism within the pages. Further, we should read to enlighten ourselves and expand our minds, rather than waste our time with escapist entertainment. Excuse me while I take a moment to scream into my pillow. In our society where most of the population is too addicted to scrolling through social media to pick up a book, the insistence that we should only surround ourselves with a certain type of literature will not encourage people to take up reading.
The persistence that certain genres are lesser than others succeeds only in shaming people for their likes, interests and daily activities. Take Romance novels, for example. The genre of Romance has been constantly ridiculed and satirized by the reading community. There’s a large misconception that these books are nothing more than trashy writing, a cookie-cutter plot and smut. While yes, the oversaturated market deems that there will be books matching this description, this is not indicative of the entire genre. Literary snobs are so quick to attack contemporary genres of fiction, but they end up only succeeding in driving people away from reading. We need to stop pitting books against each other on the grounds of “literary merit”. Instead, people should be encouraged to read what they wish. No one should feel less because they prefer to escape into a romantic tale or any other contemporary fiction. So, don’t let the literary snobs in the world try to shame you into quitting. After all, above everything, books are meant to be enjoyed.
ISSUE NO. 19 FEATURING:
As
THE HUSTLE TEENAGE FINANCES
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ARTICLE & DESIGN // TIA HARISH
PHOTOGRAPH // JOLLY YAN
There is no ethical consumption under capitalism.
Unfortunately, we live in a society powered by money.
teenagers are wont to do, those of us who can afford it often enjoy spending money on instant releases of happy hormones - like bubble tea or chicken nuggets. I won’t sit here with my brand-new laptop and iced coffee and tell you, dear readers, that these material pleasures are frivolous and meaningless. You have your parents to tell you that. This sort of hypocritical irony is best suited for season two of Netflix’s You, and I’m no Joe Goldberg. I can agree that going out and spending money on simple things is fun. When you’re with friends, it almost becomes a social ritual. This is what being a teenager is like. Freedom and finances. But where do these finances really come from? Are we sacrificing too much for our money? The answer depends on who you are, dear reader. Some of us are privileged enough to rely on Daddy’s money for our weekend expenses. Whether you spend $100 or $1000 on a shopping spree with the lads, the source of this money is not your problem. It’s freeing. It’s comforting knowing that you don’t have to spend hours at a part-time job to experience luxuries. Some of us have to be typical middle-class teens and get a part-time job for extra cash. This “prepares us for the real world” and all its hardships. It means that although we have less downtime and more Karens to deal with, we are in full control over our finances. We learn fiscal responsibility and the value of hard work, albeit at a fairly young age. Some of us use our networking talents to set up a little business on the side. A side hustle, if you will. Perhaps a cultivated art style gave rise to a sticker business. Or an affinity for math has led to investing in the stock market. Maybe a younger sibling’s friend needed a French tutor, and their mother was willing to pay good money for hour-long private classes. Entrepreneurial endeavours are widely considered to be good for teaching valuable project management and social skills. There are so many different ways for high-schoolers to get a little extra pocket money. In this capitalist haven of ours, we always have to lose something to gain something. When your piggy bank is filled by your parents’ coins, you may lose a little control over finances, as well as the opportunity to create wealth independence. When your income is based on how many hours you can fold clothes or make coffee, you lose out on time for the little things, like social events or even that precious extra hour spent over homework. When the only thing standing between you and those dollar bills is your ability to socialize with adults and convince people to give you their business, you can tire yourself out easily with the stress of running your own business. Being young and involved in the world of money is scary. It’s not easy, regardless of where this money comes from. It might not get any easier, but at least we’re all in vaguely similar boats, right?
Fall Issue Spyglass
HUMANITY'S WORST MISTAKE
Behold the innovative, technologically advanced, paper straw. We've all drank from one, and their quality seems to vary wilder than the crowd at Tim Hortons during lunch break. Sometimes they'll stay strong while you're drinking that sweet, sweet Iced Capp, but typically they'll disintegrate right into your drink, leaving you with no way to enjoy your now paper-infused beverage. Obviously, paper straws are a (relatively) good thing for the environment, but is it right to levy the responsibility of drinking out of these horridly inconsistent straws on common consumers like us? Or are there bigger issues with companies and media redirecting the blame? While society's consumption and emissions are noticeable, issues arise when blame is shifted or shirked by massive corporations who are unabashedly self-serving. Can you really blame setting a part of the ocean on fire on a common consumer throwing out a plastic straw? Deforestation is a growing and ever present issue, but it seems like the focus today has shifted onto a larger, more encompassing view. Now that paper straws are being widely adopted, where do we go from there? If you looked at satellite photos of large jungles a few decades ago, you would see sprawling green splotches on the globe. Nowadays, they're still there but massively reduced. People often forget to account for size when looking at maps, especially in comparison. It's difficult to quantify how large some areas can be and how many forests we've mercilessly sacrificed in the name of greed. It's not a very well-kept secret that only ~100 companies produce 71% of global emissions throughout the world. It's also not a very well-kept secret that operations relating to global emissions can have disastrous consequences for the environment (e.g. the Exxon Valdez and Deepwater Horizon spills). Did you know that the origin of the term "carbon footprint" lies in an advertising campaign by fossil fuel company BP? Talk about a conflict of interest. Companies also produce mass amounts of plastic garbage, primarily fishing equipment and the like. A large part of the Pacific garbage patch is actually industrial equipment. Deforestation has slowed down, relatively speaking. It's still a cause for concern, and although forests are healing at rapid rates, they're not out of the woods just yet. Forests have leaped out of a frying pan and into the flames of global warming. Global warming does not help forests regenerate, and they can't regrow what's been lost. A great portion of animal species have gone extinct in the wild (or even completely extinct) due to their lack of habitat. Maybe that paper straw really is helping the environment. Withoutshould you be subjected to their unpredictability? Or should corporations be held responsible for ruining the environment and your drink? That's up to you to decide.
//Max Skidelsky Photography// Sam Abdi Design// Lynn He
The rich aroma of my favourite foods seep into my bedroom, and I smile brightly. It’s dinner time. I tread downstairs, grabbing three plates and carefully placing them on the dinner table. I sit down in my usual spot. Dishes of steaming hot food surround my vision, and I hover over it, enjoying the momentary warmth caressing my cheeks. My parents sit down beside me. My dad puts a few pieces of meat on his plate and wolfs it down quickly. The room is painfully silent with the occasional chopstick bumping against a plate and crunching of vegetables between our teeth
I close my eyes. I see my parents talking naturally, looking at each other as if they had just fallen in love all over again. The conversation is comfortable. My dad asks me how my day was, and I give a detailed response about what I talked about with my friends at lunch, my new assignments, and how I did on my unit test last week. He listens and nods, telling me that he’s proud of how well I’m doing in school and that he can tell I’m doing my best. I pull out my phone. I proudly show something I made for an art project. They both lean in enthusiastically to see it in more detail and ask if my teacher liked it. As for everything my dad doesn’t say, his gaze is interested and engaged, and a subtle smile reaches across his face. He doesn’t always say it aloud, but I can tell he’s proud of me. I share some of my other artwork and even some short stories I’ve written in my free time. I’m not embarrassed. I’m comfortable at the dinner table as the idle conversation fills the silence. I smile, thinking, “This is all I could ever ask for.”
I open my eyes.
“Hey, do you want to see what I did for my art–” “I gotta go for coffee,” Before I can even finish my thought, my dad rises from his chair, putting his wallet and phone in his back pocket. He barely touched his food. I look at the clock on the microwave. Coffee at 9 pm? Has he given up on giving good excuses? I look at my mom. She wears an identical empty expression to mine and looks down because she knows who he’s going out to meet. We both know. After all, it’s not the first time.
I sigh. I guess a fantasy should stay a fantasy. I reach for my mom’s hand, holding it firmly. She looks up and smiles at me, as we continue to eat our dinner. Without him there I feel comfortable showing her my art project. She gives me that subtle but proud smile I’ve always wanted. I think to myself,
“This isn’t perfect, but I’m still happier than ever.”
// SAMANTHA LEE PHOTOGRAPHY // SARAH JAGANI DESIGN // ELLIE LLIANG
PHOTOGRAPHER'S SPOTLIGHT
CAPTURING HISTORY Jolly Yan Photography has connected me to the world in the way that other hobbies simply haven’t. It gives me the opportunity to see everything around me from different perspectives and angles, as well as the chance to stop and appreciate many scenes that I would otherwise miss in my hectic life. This is a stark contrast to, for example, escaping into an unrealistic world from a book. How I came across photography in the first place was somewhat of an accident. During a big volleyball tournament, I saw a woman taking pictures of me. I didn’t think much of it, and continued to focus on the game. However, this same woman showed me the pictures she took of the team and myself afterwards. There was a true beauty in the way the photographs captured every precise, intense emotion that each player was feeling while also effortlessly showing the context behind each moment. It opened my eyes to how much I wanted to catch someone doing something they liked on camera. Even though I haven’t been taking photos for a long time, I still feel a rush of joy everytime I do. To me, photography is a way to capture history.
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A MOMENT IN TIME Sarah Jagani A photo is a moment, captured in time. You never know it’s true value until it evokes a memory. Pictures remind us to savour every little moment in life, as well as the people we have the opportunity to share it with. Photography is, in essence, recognizing the beauty of the blacks and the whites, the smiles and the tears, the raw emotions and tiny moments that make up life itself. To me, photography is an outlet I can use to express my creativity and translate my imagination into something I can capture. It challenges me to see things from different angles - literally. I love the adrenaline that comes with trying to secure the perfect photo as well as exploring the different viewpoints through which a single moment can be seen. A photo can speak a thousand words in a universal language with no letters. It can provoke volumes of feeling and yet, it is merely just a moment in time, one that someone saw value in, and thought worthy of being appreciated.
“A photograph is the pause button on life.” -Ty Holland
CREATION AND IMPROVEMENT Sam Abdi I have always had problems expressing my thoughts with words, photography changed all that; Being able to show so much in a single photo that not even a thousand words can't explain, is just amazing to me. Being able to create something that can last forever is a thing that not all activities or hobbies can offer. No matter how long ago a photo was taken, if it’s taken nicely, it can be amusing to look at forever, that's one of the things that keeps me doing this all the time, the thought that this photo that I have taken now, can be looked at by future generations and it can bring them the same joy that it did to me. My advice for people who want to start photographing is that you don't need a high-end professional camera at the beginning(if your family does have one and you can use it that's great), you can use what most people have these days, which is your cell phone camera. Start by thinking of something you're passionate about(for me it was wildlife and pets). Then, go out and photograph! For a long time your photos won't look great (nobody starts photography taking great shots), you probably find yourself photographing random things. After a while, you will see the improvement in your photos(remember, it will take some time for you to take a photo that you're happy with, and that's totally normal, the important thing is that you don't give up!)
RHHS
//SAM ABDI//SARAH JAGANI//JOLLY YAN PHOTOGRAPHY//SAM ABDI//SARAH JAGANI//JOLLY YAN DESIGN// LYNN HE
5, And 15 Too The sun splays itself out on the rooftops of our houses and through the windows of our rooms. The trees are half golden, leaves illuminated like lights at a party. It’s as if the perfect afternoon has come to visit us in place of the usual, pale evening.
Focus, I say to myself. I am doing homework at my table, white sheaves of paper scattered around me. I rip the one in my hands into tiny shreds, watching absent-mindedly as it drifts down to the wooden floor, and think of fallen snow on chestnuts. I note gray pockmarks on the table surface. I wonder about living on Mercury. I think, Mercury is too small to be so close to the sun. The windows are a peculiar shade of periwinkle blue, now. Ma comes in the door. I watch her toe off her shoes, sleek and silent, like a black cat. A black cat that has brought ice cream home with her. I choose the strawberry flavor. She takes chocolate.
I sit here now, breath sweet, gnawing intently on a popsicle stick. It is strawberry-flavored, just as the ice cream was. I pretend not to care as a droplet, also strawberry-flavored, splashes down and dyes my neat rows of sentences pink.
Nothing is ruined. Everything can be fixed. Outside, a bird trills its magical song. I open my mouth, and the popsicle drops.
A bird! Perhaps it is Mozart coming to visit me again with his dead berries? Or it is a new bird, and I’ll finally be able to put the name Schubert to rest. A mad dash to the window gives no returns, as the bird has, before my two feet even touched the ground, long taken flight.
I return to the solitude of my schoolwork. // JESSIE YUN PHOTOGRAPHY// RACHAEL PENG DESIGN // ISAAC SO
- Making Our Days: “Ew, TikTok” Does this sound like you? Or perhaps,
“Have you seen that new trend with the funny audio?” Maybe you’re a combination of both. TikTok has been around for a while now, capturing the hearts and attention spans of its user base, composed mostly of young, impressionable (sorry) teenagers. You may already have a strong opinion on this app: that it is strictly good or bad; trendy or a complete waste of time. Presumably, the truth exists somewhere in between - like much in life, it exists in a grey area between two false dichotomies. The rise of TikTok has come with a new job title: TikTok influencer. These people, who do seemingly nothing but dance on the internet and make money from it, are the targets of much love and disdain. Notably, these influencers parallel the already established Instagram influencer. Generally, being an “Instagram influencer” really just means that many people like you - or more often the way you look – in Instagram photos. Comparatively, It is easier for people to get a glimpse into the personalities of TikTok influencers, as the nature of videos makes it more difficult to hide your flaws compared to images. Thus, TikTok creators could be considered more “real” than those on photo sharing sites.
While attention-grabbing time-consuming media is a staple of most social media platforms, TikTok has another harm. It is particularly easy for teens to find videos that focus on the appearances of others. This cycle is easy to enter, as such videos are many among the first shown to users when they open the app. TikTok contributes to and perpetuates the already damaging beauty standards that plague teens today. This fact will remain despite increased messages of “body positivity”, due to the abundance of creators who make money off, mainly, their appearances. “Make Your Day” is TikTok’s slogan. TikTok may be making days, but it is likely making many others worse.
Okay. So, TikTok isn’t all terrible. But does this mean you should join it?
TikTok allows teenagers to build a page that caters directly to their interests. With the same data collected from users, the app keeps users captivated just enough so that they stay on the app for as long as possible. There are many reasons why people join TikTok: to find personalized content, watch funny videos, and follow current trends. However, it is also fair to believe that these benefits are not worth the harm. // KAREN ZHOU PHOTOGRAPHY// VAISH SHANOJ DESIGN // ISAAC SO
The True Potential of Music In today's age of technology, the sounds of music have wandered around along with us for our entire lives. Ranging from the national anthem to the song from tiktok that is stuck in your head. We have music for the times of despair where artists like Frank Ocean help with their romantic excellence to cope through the storm. Then we have hype artists such as Denzel Curry, who help us celebrate As a highschool student myself, wanting to escape from the real world is a common event. As the stress of future endeavours are major in our lives, music has been the gateway to a handful of stress free minutes. While music can be a major stress reliever of our lives, music can influence procrastination as getting lost in melody and rhythm can be amusing. From personal experience and what we feel on a daily basis, we can see music as a blessing and a curse. The question that “does music make you upset or content” has pondered the lives of many philosophers and musicians over the years. We see music celebrating life and making the listeners feel healthy and energized but we may see the same song help depression seep into another person. This is what I mean when I say music can be a blessing and a curse. The true capabilities of music are like the yin and yang. The feeling of obnoxious power and happiness of one song can flip a light on someone giving them confidence and perseverance. While another song may demolish a person in total. We can now conclude that the true potential of music can be regarded as a subjective curse and blessing. While one person may have the power of life while listening to music, the other may have another perspective. Since the true potential of music is only related to the person listening to a certain song or a piece of music, how does music change your perspective on the world?
// RONAN HASAN DESIGN // ISAAC SO
Those who had lived here can no longer, So my homeland is melting, and soon yours is underwater: But where did all the people go?
An empty stomach plagues all in this land, Great famines and hunger by man or the divine's hand: But how can we go on?
This damage can not be healed in court, To do the impossible is to in the fire construct a snow fort: But why don’t I see the snow?
Everyone faces discrimination for the new crime of living, Existing in our world that is less and less forgiving: But is there any port in the storm?
The sky is now black, clashing against the sun’s light, Smokestacks keep spewing in everything’s despite: But why can’t we breathe? Lorem ipsum Many are laughing while exploiting our nation, Following a moral code that is built for self-preservation: But where did everything go wrong?
Graduate Class of 2021, 2nd place in Human Rights Poetry Competition
To become orphans of the planet with no home which to return, wTo be wandering through nothing with no torches to burn, To stare at a future that looks so stern,
Lorem ipsum
Everyone is affected, no land is untouched, Boundaries will be rejected, belongings tightly clutched, That which should have been protected has fallen to malice and grudge.
//MATTHEW PECHEN-BERG DESIGN // ELLIE LIANG
COVERPHOTOGRAPHY/ /I VYLUO ANDRACHAELPENG