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M I C R O S C O P E
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SCOPE Magazine’s Seasonal Publication Executive Editor: Jun Pang Editor: Jennifer Kwok E d i t o r : J o c e l y n Ta n g Editor: Sophia Ko Creative Editor: Jun Pang SCOPE Ed it o r - i n - Ch i e f : Ve ro n i c a L i SCOPE Creative Director: Ashley Ma & S C O P E Te a m
s h o w c a s e
‘Grey’ by Jun Pang at opposite sides of the spectrum there is (grey) love and love. there is (grey) truth and truth. there is hastily scrawled hate. in the middle, there sits grey there sits something of a nothingness. there sits a voidless void, a here neither there, nor there. greyneric malfunction. degreydation. the greyve crime of joint-alienation. from ashes, to ashes, to ashes. just the holy greyl of binary left to its own devices blindsided, a mind greyving respite from the cold warmth of neutrality.
The Golden Bird by Jennifer Kwok Its lilting voice cuts through the dusk. Stirring up dust, neighing, The horse races through a sea of gold. Emerging Onto an isle of dirt – A bold streak on a gold canvas. He reaches with all his might, Snatches thin air. It returns to its dark sanctuary. A feather of pure gold sails. From whence does it arise? Where is its final resting place? Thus a journey begins, To a land of gold.
‘Hayao Miyazaki’ Ashley Ma
‘Ambiguity’ Jocelyn Tang
The Old and The Young by Veronica Li Old men were once young, but it is uncertain if young men will reach old age, For there are those who wallow in despair, Who learn their limits, Who condemn themselves to a life of regret, Those are the men who fade and wither. But there are those who dare to dream, Those who exist in a haven of hope, Who know no boundaries, Who create for themselves a life of glory, Those are the men of eternal youth.
Blue by Ashley Ma Blue sky, Blue clouds. Blue Fog in its Blue obscurity. BlueBlueBlue. Blue hands throttling. Blue throats. Joined to Blue faces. Blue grass, Blue stains, Blue charred remains. Blue sees Blue destruction Blue! What Blue has Blue become Blue of Blue? Red flames dancing in a frenzy. As we watch the world go Blue.
Feminismo or Feminis-no?
of men and make them subordinate to women, and it’s not a historically-based propaganda Thoughts from the Microscope Executive Editor’s Desk to empower women to want to be better It disappoints me to no end when I hear of than men – it’s the striving for equality of the many misconceptions regarding femithe genders. In my experience, at least, the nism, particularly at this school. As a girl, as few people who have proudly stood up and someone who is soon to be an independent claimed their right to being a feminist have woman, the fact that so many people have such glorified past oppression as a way to defend a stigma in response to feminism is absolutely the need for women to rise up and take over; terrifying. According to many of my peers, with these ideas commonly being expressed feminism is a movement of a group of preppy, by the most vocal of people, there’s now a bad upstart young women seeking to dominate the rap for feminists everywhere – and therein world in a way that is parasitic, annoying, and lies the problem. I’ve always held that those needlessly defiant. Their thought processes who have the loudest voices are never those are probably just going; who really, truly who value deeper levels of understanding; it believes that women should be subordinate has never been clearer to me until today. to men in modern, developed, rich, industrialized, Western-influenced society? I mean, I The unavoidable truth is that feminists are get it if it’s like in Afghanistan or something, not crazy, bra-burning, conflicted women in but like, here? Is it really necessary? the middle of their own personal crises and The answer is yes. But, let me explain. I am a feminist, but feminists are misguided sometimes. There are some people in my year group who identify so strongly with being feminist, and yet completely overlook the fundamental ideals of the movement. They’re so rapt with passion that it’s almost too much to bear, because when they speak, they speak as if women have always been helpless and feeble, and thus require a revolution to kick the men to the curb so that they can finally voice out. I simply do not believe that misandry is a cure-all solution – in fact, I see it, too, as a large problem. I don’t doubt that we need a revolution to establish equality of the sexes. But at the same time, I don’t believe that feminism is about asserting the dominance of women over men. It’s not a mission to eradicate the importance
feminist, and when I talk about feminism, I don’t mean that I value women above everyone else. I don’t mean that I believe women are a separate species, a better species, than men. It means that I desire equality, and that I see gender inequality as an extremely prevalent issue today, something that needs to be addressed immediately. I wonder, then, how people would see feminism if they realized this simple fact.
The culture of misogyny and the patriarchy has seeped its way into the hearts and psyches of many, if not all, people, at some point. There are religious factors, of course, that result from various interpretations of sacred texts, and traditional ones too, that go as far back as thousands of years. In fact, the word ‘misogyny’ may be a bit inadequate here, as cultural pluralism does not allow for such sweeping therefore looking for a place to vent their generalizations. In lieu of arguing against any anger. Feminists are not paranoid, jilted lovreligion or culture in specific without any ers, they are not women who just can’t find firsthand knowledge, I will address the more men to be with, and so are acting out of lack of fulfillment; they are not cowards, or seekers subtle, nuanced aspects of this societal condition. Vulgar jokes, machismo tales of rape, the of conflict, or people with ‘daddy issues’, or use of the word ‘slut’, sexual abuse, domestic women who just don’t like men in general. violence, rape culture… along with millenniaFeminists, at least in my opinion, are people old oppressive religious and cultural beliefs, who have witnessed or have been privy to these are all the products of the zeitgeist of the extreme inequalities that exist today as a result of socially wired ideas of sexism result- a world that simply does not value women the way they should be valued; as ordinary ing from strict social constructs of binary identity and gender roles, and who want to do people. Again, I am making generalizations, but I believe that women were/are sidelined something about it. not necessarily because they are unimportant, but because the men were/are usually more I want everyone to have the same political, important, or at least, had/have more say in economic and social rights, regardless of gender, socioeconomic status or race. It’s radi- the matter. cal because so many people are so entrenched In response to this and as an example, femiin their prejudices and stereotypes that they nist media too often values and upholds the don’t see the very things that are holding portrayal of girls and women as strong, everyone else back. When I say that I am a
independent characters who don’t need the support of a man to get through their struggles, but I think that the true spirit of feminism is the idea that women don’t need to be defined by the simultaneous existence of men. They can be their own people and have their own sense of humanity without being compared to men, or anyone else. They can be, in short, independent and human.
real-life examples of this hard-wired tendency.
I am a feminist. I believe that women are people, people who can and can not be completely heroic, altruistic, sweet, kind, friendly, mean, evil or ‘bitchy’; people with flaws, problems, and hardships that need to be overcome – women are people just as men are people, and in the end, we’re all struggling for Many people blame feminists for making a big enlightenment, fulfillment and happiness, and deal out of nothing time and time again but the a way to ease the pain of existence. very idea that we are unable to see when gender inequality is happening is one that is terI am a feminist. I am an independent young rifying. We’re drowning in our own subconwoman. I do not hate men. I do not adore scious prejudices, and until we recognize that, women. I do not need the support of a man in we are left to oppress and suppress ourselves. my life, nor do I believe that men are the bane People forget oftentimes that objectification of my gender’s existence. I do not think that and sexism cuts all ways – just as women are women are better than men. I do not believe pressured to achieve perfect body shapes, be in jokes made at the expense of another person emotionally vulnerable and pursue certain or group’s expense, be it abuse, discriminainterests (such as knitting and shopping), men tion, rape, torture, kidnapping, thievery or feel pressured to be ‘men’ and sculpt their otherwise. I do not think that objectification bodies, close off their emotions and suppress is correct. I do not believe in society’s many their interests (such as knitting and shopping), oppressive gender norms and constructions. in order to satisfy what corporations have I do not believe in the theory of strict binary plastered onto the walls – and minds – of the identity. I despise sexism, discrimination, disworld. Those who are genderqueer, too, face parity and any other things that put one group issues and expectations of how they should of humans above another. I will not apologize act – one supposedly harmless example would for the things I believe. be the stereotypical ‘gay best friend’, and yet these are all deeply sexist constructions of our I see women the way I see men – as people. ancestors and of our society. Objectification, too, falls under this category – just as women And that’s what I talk about when I talk can be viewed as objects of sexual pleasure about feminism. in skimpy bikinis, short skirts and plunging blouses, men can equally be viewed as sexual objects, judged not based on their personality, but how ‘ripped’ their chests are and the extent of the definition of their 6-packs, just to name a few
What do YOU think? Send your thoughts to wearescope@gmail.com, and we might publish them next issue or on our tumblr page!
c i n é m a t h è q u e
Perfume: The Story of a Murderer Director: Tom Tykwer Genre: Fantasy, Thriller, Drama
Summary: A young swordsman by the name of Guts (pronounced Gatsu) joins the mercenary band, the Band of the Hawk, after a chance encounter with them. As if foreseeing his potential as a fighter, the leader of the band, Griffith, shows a strong desire to keep Guts within the band. Guts eventually develops strong relationships with fellow members of the Band of the Hawk through the battles they fight together. As Griffith leads the band through each battle, he rises in social status and comes close to achieving his mysterious, prophesied goals. However, it is unclear what Griffith is willing to give up to reach his goals. SCOPE’s Verdict (warning: +13 or above): Set in a medieval Europe-inspired fictional country of Midland, the story covers much of the first part of the manga. It would be best if you have previously read or know at least a little about the manga before watching this, because it doesn’t give much context. What makes this film special is the complexity of the characters and the very novel plot. In terms of animation, it is one of the better anime out there, with very well done CG. Also, both the English and Japanese versions sound fine. Recommended for those who: Are fine with violent scenes (battles, etc) Liked the manga
Summary: Set in 18th century France, the film tells the tale of JeanBaptiste Grenouille – an orphan with a superhuman sense of smell. Despite being able to rely almost solely on his nose in perceiving his surroundings, he is incapable of feeling emotions. Through an incident during which he accidentally kills a girl, he becomes haunted by the desire to recreate her scent and begins his quest to be the best perfumer in the world. SCOPE’s Verdict (warning: +13 or above): This story is absurdly transfiguring at times, yet poignant in certain moments. Grenouille’s complex characterization throughout the film compels the viewer to feel sorry for him in the end, despite the many negative aspects of him as a person. Recommended for those who: Enjoy antiheroes Would enjoy learning a little about perfume making Have enjoyed reading the novel
Berserk Golden Age Arc I Director: Toshiyuki Kubooka Genre: Action, Horror, Dark Fantasy, Anime
Gravity Director: Alfonso Cuaron Genre: Drama, Sci-fi, Thriller
Summary: The first story begins in 1846 and its setting spans from an island near New Zealand to the entire length of a journey from the island to San Francisco. In this story, an American lawyer protects a Moriori slave stowaway, who in turn saves him from being poisoned by a greedy doctor on board. The second story that is intertwined within the plot happens in 1936 in England. Within this story, the American lawyer’s journal is read by the protagonist of this story, a music amanuensis to an aging composer. The other four stories within this film cover different time periods and locations, including the years 1973, 2012, 2144 and 2321 as well as Seoul and a post-apocalyptic Earth. All six stories come to an end together at the end of the film. SCOPE’s Verdict (warning - 13 or above): The subtle connections that are established between each story reveal a sense of global connection which surpasses both time and space. The soundtrack of the film amazingly embellishes the wonderfully amalgamated stories. The film conveys a deep philosophical message and is definitely worth watching by all who can. After all, “all boundaries are conventions.” Recommended to those who: Enjoyed the novel - Love stories that make you think
Summary: A survival story in space where a medical engineer, Ryan Stone, and astronaut, Matt Kowalksy, are left adrift in space after a major accident during a routine space walk. SCOPE’s Verdict (warning: +13 or above): Excellent integration of the soundtrack, visual effects and editing and the movie to create effective dramatic tension. The weaving of sound and plotline on top of the stunning visual effects create a very thrilling theatre experience filled with tension. Recommended for those who: Enjoy films with great visual effects and sound quality Enjoy very intense films filled with tension Love space
Cloud Atlas Director: Lana Wachowski, Tom Tykwer, Andy Wachowski Genre: Action, Fantasy, Drama, Romance, Sci-fi
The Fall Director: Tarsem Singh Genre: Adventure, Fantasy, Drama
Summary: The story begins on a rainy day underneath an abandoned temple as a woodcutter and a priest sit underneath Rajōmon city gate to wait out the rain. A commoner joins them and the two tell him about a horrible event they have learnt about recently. All the events within the story are a recollection of different versions of the same event, which began with the woodcutter’s account of finding the corpse of a samurai. It was initially suspected that the bandit, Tajomaru was responsible for the murder and that the samurai and his wife were the victims of the event. However the accounts of the samurai’s wife, the bandit and the deceased samurai through a medium suggest differently. SCOPE’s Verdict: The film’s minimalist set and contradicting accounts of the same event is truly something new and exciting. This classic is definitely worth watching, even for those who aren’t mystery fans. Recommended for those who: Enjoy film noir Take IB Film
Summary: The film transverses between reality and a strikingly realistic world of fantasy in the imaginations of a little girl named Alexandria. Set in Los Angeles in the early 1900s, the story begins in a hospital room, where Alexandria, who is recovering from a broken arm, meets the stuntman Roy Walker. Being possibly paralyzed after a jump, he begins to tell an epic tale of adventure and vengeance in an attempt to persuade Alexandria to return the next day. Through his story, he attempts to exploit the girl’s naivety to acquire morphine pills for suicide. SCOPE’s Verdict: The ending of the film sends a hopeful message to its audience. Through an action-filled story filled with symbols and references to reality, this fantasy is truly something to remember. Recommended for those who: Love fantasy/cool costumes Like to watch movies that require lots of thinking
Rashomon Director: Akira Kurosawa Genre: Crime fiction, Mystery, Drama
F I L M S W E ’ R E E X C I T E D F O R
February 20th, 2014
March 21st, 2014
June 6th, 2014
b i b l i o t h e c a r y
Genre: Fantasy
The Mad Ship What we think: by Robin Hobb The way Robin Hobb weaves fantasy is both rich and complex. Her stories are extremely original with many Summary: layers and her characters provide amazing insight into The second book in the trilogy The Liveship Traders con- the human condition. Characters are so multi-dimentinues the story of the liveship Vivacia now taken captive sional that no character is truly good or bad. by the pirate Kennit.
The Sight by David Clement-Davies Summary: In the shadow of the Carpathian mountains, a pack of wolves seeks shelter from the winter. A legend involving the story of man and wolf, power and death surrounds them. As the Sight enters their world, the pack will never be the same again.
Genre: Manga, Comedy
Genre: Fantasy What we think: David Clement-Davies’ fantasy is layered, textured, and rich with multi-dimensional characters. His stories are original and unique in perspective, addressing heavy dark themes with a lot of well woven folklore and mythology.
on his crown of thorns whenever he feels happy, Saint Young Men (Saint Oniisan) whereas Buddha tries to resist his desire to purchase the by Hikaru Nakamura newest models of rice cookers.
Summary: The main characters of this story are Jesus and Buddha. One day, in heaven, they want to go on a trip and decide to visit Japan. They rent a small apartment in Tokyo and try to earn money to pay their rent while enjoying themselves there. Jesus, being a cosplay fan, has flowers blossom
What we think: This manga effectively removes the seriousness surrounding the topic of religion. Through the use of humour, it encourages readers to embrace different religions and stay open-minded about new ideas. Truly an enjoyable read!
Inside the Third Reich by Albert Speer
The Righteous Mind: Why Good People Are Divided by Politics and Religion by Jonathan Haidt Summary: Do you consider yourself a liberal? A conservative? Politically agnostic? What do these labels even mean? An investigation into the depths of human morality and the roots of all religion and politics, this book argues for the importance of understanding what contributes to tension between people through relevant and engaging analogies and information, further proving that as a species, we may agree more with each other more than we think.
Summary: Memoirs written by one of Adolf Hitler’s most prominent and favored architect and Minister of Armaments for the Third Reich. Speer provides amazing personal insight on events that occured in Germany under Nazi rule. As one of the members of the Führer’s inner circle, Speer reveals a whole new dimension to Hitler and attempts to provide an honest critique of himself and his actions. Genre: Sociology, Philosophy
What we think: This is an awesome read for people who love to think about thinking about things. Yes, it takes a while to process the challenging ideas introduced in this book, and yes, it’s difficult to have your ideas completely undermined, but it’s totally worth it. This book proves that ultimately, with all of our debate and discourse, and all of the conflict currently going on in the world, we all have the same problems. Empathy, the most important of human qualities, is therefore claimed to be the key to creating a better world for everyone - and we agree.
Genre: History
What we think: This memoir provides great historical insight for historiographers seeking to understand the Third Reich from a German perspective. Speer’s memoir also provides details into events that would not have been typically recorded and his witty humour makes his story all the more interesting to read. Although controversy surrounds the lack of reference to the atrocities committed by the Nazi forces and his personal involvement in them, these memoirs endure as one of the most important works about the Nazi Party and how it functioned. We recommend this, then, because it is a kind of humanization of an unimaginable tragedy, and reading this is not an act of forgiveness, but an attempt to understand and reflect on one of the most important lessons in all of history.
Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys What we think: As someone who loves Jane Eyre, this was a fascinatSummary: ing and imaginative rendering of Antoinette Cosway, An imagined prequel to Charlotte Brontë’s famous novel arguably one of the antagonists within the novel (email Jane Eyre, this novel traces the life of the white Creole us if you want to discuss this controversial point, we’d heiress Antoinette Cosway and her journey from being a love that). The narratology of the novel is particularly youth in the Caribbean to a declared madwoman relocated interesting, jumping from Antoinette, to Mr. Rochester, in England. It is the story of a soul that drifts along the to Grace Poole, and the intertwining of the plotlines of fringes of both white European society and black Jamaican the original novel and this imagined prequel is a great community, and focuses on the impact of colonization as way to continue living in Charlotte Brontë’s world. well as themes of displacement and assimilation.
Genre: Fiction
s o u n d
v a c u u m
Artist: Death Cab for Cutie Title: Stay Young, Go Dancing Album: Codes and Keys Genre: Alternative
Composer: John Williams Title: Auschwitz-Birkenau Album: Schindler’s List OST Genre: Soundtrack
Artist: Daughter Title: Youth Album: If You Leave Genre: Indie
Artist: David Hodges Title: Another Red Light Album: The Rising Genre: Rock
Artist: Woodkid Title: Baltimore’s Firef lies Album: The Golden Age Genre: Experimental, Norfolk, Baroque Pop
Artist: Broken Iris Title: Forevermore Album: Into the Fire Genre: Rock
Artist: Of Monsters and Men Title: Silhouettes Album: Catching Fire OST Genre: Soundtrack
Artist: Sting Title: The Last Ship Album: The Last Ship Genre: Rock
Composer: Maurice Ravel Title: Le Tombeau de Couperin Genre: Classical piano suite
Artist: Coldplay Title: Glass of Water Album: Prospekt’s March Genre: Alternative Rock
Artist: Kyary Pamyu Pamyu Title: Mottai Night Land Album: Nanda Collection Genre: Electropop
Artist: Bastille Title: Pompeii Album: Bad Blood Genre: Pop
Composer: Arnold Schoenberg Title: Transfigured Night (Verklärte Nacht), Op. 4 Genre: Classical string sextet
Artist: Thirteen Senses Title: Into the Fire Album: Into the Fire Genre: Rock
Artist: Justin Vernon Title: Bruised Orange (Chain of Sorrow) Cover Album: Songs of John Prine Genre: Folk
Artist: Jackson Waters Title: Center of Attention Album: Center of Attention Genre: Rock
s p o k e n
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click the pictures to go to the videos (warning: explicit language)!
“I know girls who are fleeing bombs from the mosques of their skin playing russian roulette with death; it’s never easy to accept that our bodies are fallible and flawed.”
“Grow up with me. Let’s run in fields and fear the dark together. Fall of swings, and burn special things, and both play outside in bad weather.”
“I Know Girls” by Mary Lambert
“Poem” by Keaton Henson
“When we moved in together, she said she felt safe, like no one would ever rob us because I definitely locked the door 18 times.”
“I try to shift his tiles back into place but people don’t have center squares... Shift. My sister’s wedding is white but he doesn’t know why. World War II is every colour, the south Pacific is blue, the islands are green. There’s so much red.”
“OCD” by Neil Hilborn
“Rubik’s Cube” by Benjamin Barker
If you’d like to see your creative work (poetry/prose/stories/photographs/ art pieces/music/anything)
published in SCOPE Magazine and/or microSCOPE, or have any comments, we’d love to hear from you! Send anything in to wearescope@gmail.com! stay tuned on our tumblr, too!
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