Renaissance!

Sepiemtia ips a libertas

Editors Words
We would like to thank you for your support of our school magazineRenaissance. This magazine is established as a school ELA where members can gain basic hands-on experience on aspects of investigative journalism. See that phrase on top of our magazine logo? That is our motto: Sepiemtia ipsa libertas, a Latin phrase meaning Knowledge itself is liberty. We believe knowledge is the key to freedom and success. As for the name of our magazine Renaissance, it is formally interpreted as a revolution in intellectual and artistic pursuit, which echoes the purpose of this magazine: We are here to, hopefully, rekindle students interest in the world, in self-directed learning, and in formulating critical opinions towards all subjects: school (yes complaints!), Hong Kong, China, World, Art, you name it. Martin Luther King Jr. once said, Nothing in the world is more dangerous than a sincere ignorance and conscientious stupidity. Our magazine, by examining popular topics such as social networking, culture and freedom, aims to enhance critical thinking and foster civic awareness. By publishing students works and letters, our magazine also serves as a platform for creativity and an outlet for reasoned opinions. We pay heavy emphasis on global visions and the freedom of speech, and hope to advocate these values through the power of words.

H K U G A C s . S C H O O L . M A G A Z I N E

Mr. Jeff Sze:

school AffAirs

In this issue (and in all the issues that are to come), we present to you articles that cover recent school news, controversial global affairs, as well as analysis of an arlittle ray of social issues, coupled with a background data that could hopefully broaden readers knowledge. Enjoy!

F
1

The FirstExperience Is Always Special

olks remember their first love, first kiss, first school picnic, first overnight adventure away from parents, first time crying in bed, and first fight with best friend. These are unforgettable moments of a lifetime. And then there is ones first job. I expected my first full-time job would hardly be a surprising experience to me, because I always thought I knew what a job as a teacher would be like. Well, not exactly. As a student, I used to think that being a teacher is easy. Teachers get to finish work and go home early. They have extended holidays from time to time. And once they are experienced enough to know the subject materials well, they do not have much preparation to make prior to teach-

ing their lessons. Some of my secondary school classmates were upset that certain teachers had little motivation to improve. They would have their parents complain against the school management and sponsoring body, but usually to no avail. I aspired to become a teacher as I believed I could do a better job than some of my former teachers. It is hard to assess whether I succeeded or not, since HKUGA College rightfully hones the culture of collectivism. It is not about the individual teachers. It is about the whole team. As a student, I was not impressed by the idea of doing team projects. I would much prefer finishing a group project on my own, which, in many instances, saved me time overall. Teachers said this was to train our cooperative skills and teambuilding abilities. I never bought into that. There were just too many free riders around in this world. From an educational perspective, it is good, perhaps, for students to face that reality earlier in their lives. In life, there are many other cruel realities, which often arise due to competition for scarce resources. Here comes the debate: to what extent should the school promote competition among its students? Should the schools education philosophy be to promote a harmonious no-loser environment in which students learn happily with everlasting friendships, knowing that they only grow up in a protected bubble? Or should the school mimic the keen competition in real world, despite potentially exposing students to psychological struggle and the dark side of human nature? Competition is ubiquitous and inevitable. Like it or not, it is part of life. Secondary school students compete for university places. School leavers rival for jobs. As a school in expansion, HKUGA College

school AffAirs!

vies to become a new household name in town. I am hopeful that HKUGA College will be the next renowned school in Hong Kong. That was why I sought to become a teacher here three years ago. My teaching experience here and thereafter did nothing but further affirmed that belief. So the million-dollar question is: how do we stand out? Will flying results in the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education bring home the trophy? How many inter-school tournament titles are needed before we pride ourselves as a toptier school? Or should the coveted prize be determined by the number of HKUGA College graduates who are admitted to world-class universities? The answer is likely to be all of above. But have we missed anything out? To reiterate a point made earlier, I believe a schools education philosophy is also what defines its identity in the eyes of the public. Many reputable schools in Hong Kong put an emphasis on developing students democratic values and nurturing them to become future leaders of the civil society. As Hong Kong continues to march towards becoming a full-fledged democracy, this educational goal is now as significant as ever. Students of HKUGAC understand this clearly too. For instance, they are always ready and eager to share their views to make the school a better place for everyone. I recalled the speak-out session organized by the Student Council last year, in which students flocked to the school hall during lunchtime to discuss how the tuck shop could improve on its quality of service. Then, in this academic year, the entire student body elected its Student Council cabinet for the first time ever. Leaping

forward, the Student Council now invites students to freely start their own clubs and organize their own activities. I would strongly encourage every student to take advantage of this opportunity during their time at HKUGAC. On Alphas mission statement, it states that the Student Council believes in the uniqueness of each student and that every life has its purpose. Indeed, every persons life has a meaning. Everyone is good at something. The key is to explore many things, and then keep the things you are good at. It is of paramount importance to students development that the school gives them room and freedom to explore and develop. Some other schools in Hong Kong prepare all activities for their students. I doubt this is good for the students, because it limits their innovation and creativity. I trust HKUGAC will chart a path of its own. It will graduate all-rounded students. They are not just good at one or two things. They are good at different things. They put their heart into everything that they do and do it well be it academics, sports, music, or leadership activities. I envision students to study hard and play hard. They would join sport teams, keep practising their musical instruments, and take up leadership roles in student clubs, because all these are very meaningful learning experience. My advice is this: aim high and strive hard. Do not let other people tell you that you cannot achieve something. Do not let them tell you that you are not good enough. Go prove them wrong. Set a high goal for yourself and then work hard to get it. Believe in yourself. Trust your own ability. If you work hard, nothing is impossible. To me, this student-initiated motivation is what makes a school special.

Mr. Jeff Sze uSed to teach huManitieS and econoMicS in our School. he graduated froM Stanford univerSity and attained a MaJor in MatheMaticS.

hiS book10a once occupied the top Selling chart no.1 and iS Still in Store. he iS currently the director of reSearch in SavantaS policy inStitute.

school AffAirs!

The School In
Mr. Wong, the head of humanities department, the current vice principal and one of the founders of this school had graciously agreed to be interviewed for the school magazine. He has been here since the very beginning, designed the humanities curriculum and has been a fascinating inspiration to us all. We wish to find out more about Mr. Wong. Priscilla Chan, Katrina Poon and Ben Kong conducted the following interview. Ben: What vision did you have for the school when it first started? Mr. Wong: At that time, we wanted to start a school that can make education interesting and a place where students will be deeply motivated to learn. Through assessments, and also educational necessities, we wish to further encourage them to develop their potential, which is one of the very aims of the school. Of course, it all had to do with whom I was working with. At that time, Ms. Dorothy Chan whom I was working with was a very enlightening and inspirational educator. It was under her leadership that I was able to further develop my educational philosophy on teaching. Katrina: How has Ms. Chan inspired you in your career in education?

The Vice Principals Eyes

Mr. Wong: Well, shes a person whom you would like to share all of your skills, your knowledge and your developments with. She encouraged sharing and the expression of new ideas. She was also very keen to adapt new ideas and use them for the betterment of the students at the school. Ben: Could you comment on the direction the school has taken in the past five years? Mr. Wong: One of the cornerstones of the Foundation is to integrate Eastern and Western culture so that our student can have an international perspective. We did a good job at the beginning but of course, its very difficult to maintain money wise. Its extremely expensive to hire good teachers; they are expensive and very difficult to find. These teachers are experienced, they are able to bring new energy, vision and culture to education, they know about student psychology, they have good teaching skills and know how to lead purposeful learning trips. Teacher who embody all these qualities are very difficult to come by. Priscilla: Do you think the school should put more resources in hiring quality teachers as you mentioned earlier? Mr. Wong: Weve got staff development mechanisms at the school to help the less experienced. The use of good remuneration packages to hire teachers work; however, it is only a shortcut because if you provide an environment in which teachers hard work and effort are praise and acknowledged through enormity returns, then they will be happy and money will be a secondary issue. On the contrary, if the staff are paid higher but do not find job satisfaction as their work is not recognized, they will be unhappy and wont enjoy working here. After all, what is the use of working for an organization that doesnt develop and appreciate its staff ? Even though I am skillful in making decisions, I still need to develop and improve myself without end. Times are changing; youve got to move with the changes. We really admire organizations both academic and non-academic which help to develop peoples potential so that they can continue to grow and be better and in return bring a lot of benefits back to society. As an organization: we really need to make progress in terms of leadership and management. In fact, improvement must be seen in every spectrum. Priscilla: What direction do you think the school should follow? Mr. Wong: I think the direction has been very clear since the schools establishment. We want to live out the spirit of the four cornerstones (integration of passion and professionalism; integration of Eastern and Western cultures; integration of the school and the family; integration of the school and the community). Also, we want to instill in pupils the ability to learn independently so that they can be lifelong learners and pursuit knowledge by their own initiative. Furthermore, we hope that pupils would build up a tough character on decision-making and yet be flexible in inter-personal relationships. To think good, act good, for the common good is the motto I hope the students here would adhere to as it is what we have tried to teach them here. Conventional wisdom tells us that using the old tutorial, spoonfeeding mindset to manage a curriculum is a dead end and leads to nowhere. While examinations are important, its not the only way of learning. I think this is something all schools in Hong Kong, not only ours, should note. Ben: What is your proudest achievement at the school? Mr. Wong: Im proud that I had a class of very lovely pupils like you and I respect every one of you. If you find any differences between me and the other teachers, its because I really feel the need to learn from you all: to be young and energetic, humble and yet curious about the outside world. I therefore respect every one of of you as I am not an expert of anything. But in terms of being able to excite peoples curiosity, I think I have done a good job. The other thing I am proud of is the establishment of a humanities curriculum that is unique to the world, not just Hong Kong.

 A villanelle is a fixed poetry form originated from french courtly poets of the middle ages. A villanelle consists of two rhymes; the first and third lines of the first stanza repeats themselves alternatively in the third line of the following 4 stanzas. the 2nd line of every stanza rhymes. Con-

culturE!

English litErAturE-VillAnEllE
sisting of five tercets and one quatrain in the end, a villanelle is nineteen lines long. *a tercet is a stanza consisting of 3 lines *a quatrian is a stanza consisting of 4 lines

A DeDicAtion to the RevolutionARies

by Ben Kong Theres no more time to dither, Succeed the martyrs place. Together well make the villains founder. Dont restrain yourself in whimpers, There are crises we need to face. Theres no more time to dither. Do not succumb to their horror, Our number is our ace. Together well make the villains founder. Resolutely disobey orders When the rulers a disgrace. Theres no more time to dither. Stand up and be a fighter; Your loud voice shall be your mace. Together well make the villains founder. Down with all those liars, Let the hypocrites taste our rage! Theres no more time to dither. Together well make the villains founder.

True Friend?
by Alistair Wong What is the meaning of a true friend? Ties that bind, ties that break, When will the pain, the lying, end? I cant comprehend Why my heart is starting to ache. What is the meaning of a true friend? Wounds that will never mend; Happy memories that turned out to be fake; When will the pain, the lying, end? What did I do to offend? An accidental word, a small mistake? What is the meaning of a true friend? Ive started to descend Into a nightmare from which I will never wake. When will the pain, the lying, end? Now my views are starting to warp and bend; Answer, for my sake! What is the meaning of a true friend? When will the pain, the lying, end?

Facebook
Curtis Wong Its been one year since Id joined this incredible social platform, and since then, it had played an essential role in my everyday life. Before I joined Facebook, I was widely recognized by schoolmates as a quiet and isolated person, specificly I matched all the requirements for a nerd. Therefore, in my early secondary school life, I was not accepted by other students and seriously lacked integration with society. During lunch or breaks, no one spoke
to me. In fact, at times, student even bullied me. There is just one word to describe those days tragic. However, due to the convenience of sharing photos on Facebook, I coincidently joined this social platform, and started an ever different life. Through this platform, I chatted with students who werent friends originally, and expanded my social network rapidly. Now, Im no longer isolated. Other students know more about me and started talking to me. Now school life is enjoyable.

The tale of the>Reaper>

Jonathan Cheung
Thud, thud. Heavy footsteps echoed in the dense woods of Eastern Algeria. It was already midnight. The full moon hung in the sky, glowing a pale, mystic light. Poisonous smog covered the land, dispersed in the air. The trees fluttered in the chilling wind, being leafless thanks to the smog. Their bark was a bony white and the trees were thin and skeletal. A wolf howled in the midst of the darkness, welcoming the visitor. The visitor was a short, thin person who covered his body with a black, hooded cloak, making him virtually invisible in the night. His eyes, gleaming with a crimson fury, were the only feature visible in his face, the rest being shrouded with his cape. He scanned the area with his cryptic vision. Suddenly, the howling and moaning in the forest halted with the beasts frozen in fear of the mysterious visitor. With the road ahead clear, he proceeded slowly into the village in front of him. The giant spires of the local cathedral cast a vast shadow that covered him as he entered. There truly was no sign of life in the village, known as Varyag. There were a few desolate houses in the side of the streets. They were built of grey marble accompanied with wooden roofs. The filthy, lackluster marble, decaying timber and shattered windows showed that they were long abandoned. Only a

English-gothic story

culturE!

-For You To Continue-

few cockroaches could be seen crawling on the tattered walls. In front of the houses were a series of colossal warehouses. Their rusted steel structures were exposed to the chilling wind while some of them had even partially collapsed. At the far end of the warehouse area were yet another collection of marble houses. However, a thin ray of bright light came out from the largely intact windows of them. There was someone or something in there. The visitor seemed to be delighted in the sight of these houses. Under the shadow of his hood, he allowed himself a slight, sly smirk. He walked silently towards the nearest house. Then, with a huge bang! He pushed the heavy doors open Inside the house there was two small, croaked figures huddled together, sitting next to a fireplace. They were an old couple with a combined age more than one and a half century. As the visitor entered, the flames abruptly flared, crackling loudly in the silent, dull environment. They turned their heads around, only to see that the intruder had a jet-black pistol holstered on his belt. He continued to approach them and for a moment it seemed as if he was going to pull the gun out. The old man covered his wife with his body, closing his eyes, waiting for the intruder to strike. However, the strike did not come to him. Instead, the unwanted visitor took off his cape, pausing for a moment until reluctantly saying, I need your help. ...

Vocabulary Mix and Match

(All vocabulary were taken from the Gothic Story Excerpt above)
1) Reluctantly 2) Desolate 3) Lackluster 4) To howl 5) Crimson 6) Varyag 7) Smog 8) Skeletal 9) Colossal 10) Holstered 11) Algeria

( ): (n.): smoke or other ( ): (adj.) deep purplish red atmospheric pollutants combined with fog in an unhealthy or irritating mix- ( ): an aircraft carrier beture. longs to China ( ): (n.): A republic in NW Africa: formerly comprised 13 departments of France; gained independence 1962 ( ): (adj.) :like a skeleton ( ): (v.) the cry of a dog, wolf etc ( ( ( ( (

Cliff-hanger! After readin g this excer do you think pt, will happen? Based on this what write a cont excerpt, inuation of t he story for to win BIG pr a chance izes!

Creative Writing Competition

To send entr ies: Submit your story a your name, long with class, class no. and ema email: hkugac il to our .renaissance @gmail.com Deadline: Se ptember, 20 ): (adj.) uninhabited 11 Word limit: 3 00-600 (S1 -2) 500-800 (S ): (adj.) lack of liveliness 3-5) Winners will be notified by e-mail. ): (adj.) gigantic (All works m ust be origin al. No explic graphic lang ): (n.) attached a belt it sex, uage or grap hic violence. will be judged Entries based on cre ativity, sens ry, character ): (adv.) unwillingly e of stoizat ing, including ion, and overall quality of wr grammar, pu nctuation an ittax. Writers d synmay submit m ore than one story.)

culturE!

Athletic Bilbao: Values over success

Jonathan Cheung hat are the most popular topics in contemporary football? Obviously, the contest between La Liga and EPL, Lionel Messi and C. Ronaldo comes into mind. These are comparisons to determine a winner and will always be the headlines. However, today we venture deep into the Basque region of Northeastern Spain to talk about one of the strangest clubs in European Football: Athletic Bilbao, the forth most successful club in Spanish football. Looking at the clubs history, one can easily figure out that Bilbao is not one of the greatest clubs in the world. It won its latest trophy more than 20 years ago in 1984. Its stadium, the San Mames has a capacity of less than forty thousand, suggesting that it is financially weak. In fact, who can name more than 5 players from the club? Probably you havent even heard about the club before reading this! However, there is one, single aspect of the club that makes it stand out in the world of football: Its Cantera policy, which basically means its youth programme. Sure, Barcelona has a more successful youth camp then Bilbao. However, Bilbaos official policy states that it only trains local Basque players. Basically, could you imagine a team that only has players coming from a region whose population is lower than Hong Kong? If Barcelona only trains Catalonian players, then they would not have Messi, Iniesta, Pedro, Jeffren and many more players. At the same time, many clubs including Barcelona spend hundreds of thousands of euros to sign players from all around the globe. The most extreme example of these is obviously Arsenal, which has a squad of mainly foreigners and just a handful of Englishmen (Walcott, Wilshere and some subs). Contrastingly, Bilbao has a rule that the club can only purchase players with Basque blood. When one looks up their squad list, he could shockingly find out that every single one of Bilbaos players are Spanish players. In fact, they all come from the Basque region. But have these policies worked? The answer is that it does not bring too much trophies to a club, but manages to produce talents. The Spanish national team is one of the largest benefactors of the policy. Famous products include Telmo Zarra (The all time top scorer

in La liga), Ismael Urzaiz (The all time top scorer in La Liga in terms of headers) as well as Fernando Llorente, who currently is top scorer in the league excluding players from Real Madrid and Barcelona. It was reported that Tottenham Hotspur wanted to sign Llorente in the recent winter transfer window for a sum of 38.5 million, only to be rejected coldly by the club. Also, it should be noted that Llorente is currently stepping up in the Spanish national team. With Fernando Torres in a terrible form, Llorente could solidify his place in the starting lineup, which is not an easy task considering the sheer amount of talent in the Spanish national team. Iker Muniain is yet another youth player who has come through the youth ranks of the club. He became the youngest player to score in La Liga at the tender age of 16. Then what is the driving force behind these bizarre polices? It is the value that arguably started the two world wars, one that has caused people to unite together and empires to fall apart. Yes, the answer is nationalism. Basque nationalism that is. Owning a unique language and culture, Basque has longed for independence since being annexed by the Castile kingdom (The part that consists of central Spain and most notably Madrid) in the 12th century. And this extreme nationalism is undoubtedly the root all of such erratic policies In a survey conducted in the 1990s, over half of the Bilbao fans claimed that they would rather have their club regulated than buying foreign players. Now what would Wenger do if Arsenal fans were like this? The nationalistic approach of Bilbao would never allow rich foreigners to buy the club. After all, whats the use of money if you cant sign foreign players? Indeed, the policy employed by Athletic Bilbao does not guarantee success. But the club is a living example of how people put their values ahead of success, a feature so rare in modern football.

Club badge of Athletic Bilbao

Fernando Llorente, Striker of Athletic Bilbao

SKINS

The British TV drama industry has always been oh so conservativeor has it?

Homefront

culturE!

Francis Wong British TV drama series have never been that outrageous. Re-watching the controversial TV drama series, the first two seasons of Skins (aired on Channel E4), it seems that the British television industry has made a breakthrough. The fact is that Skins was showing too much skin in every episode. You cannot escape from loads of swearing, sexual, smoking and scenes of drug abusing.

Adrian Lee The time is set in the year 2027. A group of North Korean army equipped with nuclear-weapons invade the USA. In the game, American experienced a huge economics downturn and had become an extremely poor isolationist State. The US army is powerless to resist the ever expanding occupation of North Korea. In-game, you are one of Despite some viewers critisised the vulgar scence, the BAFTAthe guys who winning television have joined the drama successfully rebellion milirevealed the genutia. The game ine side of certain has become British adolescents. hugely popuExposing improper lar, given the behaviours allow us to recent agacknowledge teenage gressiveness problems and issues not from North through drowsy psychoKorea. The logical theories but the game is now camera shots, the actors on sale for countenances, how they USD$39.99 panic, how they fear and on major the difficulties that they online shops encountered. The series like Amaalso show how teenagers zon and are bond together closely, Steam. yet they all seek to be differing completely in their group.
Skins does not offer you thrilling visual comprise of computer effects and stunts, but it will glue your eyes to the screen with its realistic style.

A game which is based on the idea of an expedition of Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea

Black Swan

A psychological thriller film that sends the audiences minds into turmoil

Oliver Yuen The protagonist, Nina Sayers, is a ballet dancer in an esteemed ballet company in New York. Since the lead dancer has to dance as both the White and Black swan, Nina is in constant fear of being replaced, for the reason that she lacks the darkly sensual, seductive side thats essential for the portraying of the Black Swan. As the competition progresses, Nina begins to hallucinate and have delusions that disturb her daily life. Although at the end of the film Nina is able to play the Black Swan passionately and vividly, Nina finds her dark persona slipping out of control. Interestingly the story is all-too-similar to what students are facing at school, especially us, the students in Hong Kong. As were living in a society that puts so much emphasis on academics, most of the students put schoolwork before their family, friends, and everything else. This film exemplifies how overbearing pressure can destroy ones life and how being obsessive about achieving perfection can have a harmful consequence on ones mentality.

Shei pa Ai Wei Wei?

Priscilla Chan

globAl AWArEnEss!

i Weiwei is probably the worlds most famous artist on earth right now, his dissidence and brave criticism of the Chinese authorities through provocative art has earned him a reputation. Ai was born in Beijing in 1957 as the son of Ai Qing, one of modern Chinas most renowned poets. One problem though, he was born during Maos anti-rightist campaign, and intellectuals like his father were persecuted for their alleged opposition to radical economic reforms. Ai spent his childhood with his family in exile. Since then he has remained loyal to his own form of patriotism. He paints, takes photographs, designs buildings, and produce rebellious artworks. On top of that, he has also investigated government corruption and cover-ups: tracking the number of children killed in the 2008 Sichuan

earthquake, examining the murder of Qian Yunhui (look him up!), and public denouncing the Beijing Olympics as a PR Sham. We all know Ai is an avant-garde artist and an activist, but lets be honest, how much do you know of his artwork? Well, lets start off with his most famous work to date. Although he Ai himself had accused the Beijing Olympics as a propaganda display that aims to hide Chinas disgusting political reality, his Birds nest stadium was a big hit. Yes, Ai Weiwei was appointed as the artistic consultant for de-

sign for the Beijing National Stadium, otherwise known as the Birds Nest! He said he did it merely because he loves design. Ai had distanced himself from his work later, saying it was a pretend smile of bad taste. Ai had also created a photo series in 1995 titled, quite simply: Ai Weiwei: Dropping the Urn, where he photographed himself

globAl AWArEnEss!
formed them by covering their surfaces with bright, modern and phony-looking paint. The original patterns that used to adorn the earthenwares exterior, which presumably had symbolic meanings, are obliterated, reflecting their loss of purpose and aesthetic meaning with the passage of time in China. Ai had also made giant chandeliers (2006) and built giant sculptures from bicycles (2009) to mock the flamboyance and pretension of the Chinese Communist regime. Ai Weiweis Sunflower Seeds(October 2010) is another of his most famous, stunning and thought-provoking artwork: a beach of 100 million porcelain sunflower seeds, scattered over the floor of the Level 1 exhibition hall in Tate Modern Turbine Hall, London. Each of the seeds are individually crafted and hand-painted by 1,600 Chinese artisans. Sunflower seeds is a metaphor for stunted growth, mass consumption, famine and collective work, and the transformation of individual Chinese into a downtrodden, identical mass. Everybody has worries, but being scared will not help the situation, Ai Weiwei told Time magazine in 2010, More and more people need to speak out and participate so social change can be possible. The 53-yearold Ai Weiwei has been accused of suspected economic crimes and was arrested by the Chinese police on 3 April in Beijing, as he was about to board a flight for Hong Kong. He has not been seen or heard since then. Ironically, now that hes silenced, Ais name rings louder across borders as the symbol of rebellion and social change.

breaking a Han dynasty urn to represent the prevalent destruction of history in China. A similar idea was adopted in his earlier work Coca-Cola Vase (1994), symbolizing the devastation of the history and culture of China through rapid modernization and

globalization. Ais other famous work include the Painted vases (2006), where he collected dozens of Chinas Neolithic earthenware, like bowls, storage jars and tripod vessels that are some six to seven thousand years old, and trans-

Take A Gap Year!

Priscilla Chan Heres a random thought: Do you ever feel like you dont have enough freedom in your life? Do you think you are independent and capable enough to face college life? Think about it: Hong Kong kids like us are mostly indolent, reliant beings who are willingly or unconsciously caged inside familiar territory. Teachers give us homework during holidays because (they think) we are inept at planning our own studies. Parents/ helpers (usually) cook our food and do our laundry. Sure we go on service trips and can take care of ourselves for a short while, but do we get to enjoy a wholly free life? Do we get to discover things on our own, minus all the guidelines and restrictions? Do we get to make mistakes and take second chances? Do we get to know what were really good at, what we want to strive for in life, before being confined to making college/career choices, before succumbing to the mundane routine of adult life, before we are given a chance to try anything out? We are teenagers; we have all the time, youth and energy in the world: we should go out and see the world for what it is, and hopefully discover ourselves in the process, before settling ourselves to a life that we know suits us the most. Do you not agree? We need freedom,

Image Source: Google Image

and we can make sure we can make good use of it by TRAVELLING AROUND THE WORLD. We are Hong Kongers, thats why we are lucky: many students in developed countries have taken something called a Gap year. Gap year is a year during which students travel, work, undertake a working holiday abroad, engage in volunteer work overseas, or simply take the time off. The gap year is most commonly taken after secondary school and before starting university. This idea might make parents cringe, but it has been practiced in Australia and the UK for decades. In fact, many prestigious universities encouraged it, like Princeton, Harvard, Tufts, MIT just to name a few. Why? A gap year actually gives students like us an edge: we can explore a few interests before deciding what to study in college, and we would be more prepared for college and our transition into adulthood and independence. Sure theres the budget problem, but you know what? Travelling to most countries do not costs much at all, plus we can work as we travel! With a year of free time, we can do so much (see table). culture. Examples include McDonaldisation and Americanisation. Is this good or bad? How can we preserve our cultures, or even our individuality?

Top Ten Gap Year Destinations:

South Africa Costa Rica Kenya Sri Lanka Tanzania

Honduras India Australia Argentina China

What to do during a Gap Year?

Volunteer Work: Teach English* Charity Fund-raising Building Facilities (e.g. houses) Jobs: Fruitpicking Farming Watersports Ski/Holiday Resort Activities: TRAVEL Write a Book/song/whatever! Get an internship For more information, visit: http://www.igapyear.com/ http://www.gapyear.com/ http://www.i-to-i.com/

1. burmA: first Burmas parliamentrEsidEnt Prime MinciViliAn P has named former

globAl AWArEnEss!

ister Thein Sein as the first civilian president after 50 years of junta rule. This is the final step of the so-called roadmap to democracy, transforming the country from military to civilian rule, albeit it is criticised as a faade of dictatorship. Meanwhile, Nobel prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi did not directly comment on the issue but has urged for a peaceful revolution in Burma and said she hoped for a non-violent end to military rule.

Prime Minister Thein Sein

Image Source: Agence France-presse

2.Prime Minister of India warns the fAcEs sErious thrEAt indiA: Economic groWth The
nation that the rapid-growing inflation rate is a serious threat to the economic growth. The general inflation rate is 8.7% whilst the food inflation rate is up to 17%. The nation worries that the inflation rate will scare off foreign investors. Also, workers in India demand an increase in wages in order to keep up the cost of living.

6.P AkistAn :t housAnds

At least 20,000 people have fled fighting near the Afghan borders between the army Image Source: Topnews.in and the Pakistani tribal region of Mohmand. Troops have been using heavy weapons to bomb any suspects for over a week. The radioactivity level has been increas- Mohmand has served as a sanctuary for the ing since the deadly earthquake and al-Qaeda and Taiban. tsunami hit Japan. Thousands of the affected residents around the Daiichi Nuclear Plant are now living in temporary shelters. Meanwhile, the Japanese Government said that this situation may continue as the residents may not be able to return to their hometowns due to the deadly radioactivity.
Image Source: Agence France-presse

flEE from fighting

3.JAPAn: long tErm EVAcuAtion

Image Source: mister-x.it

4.chinA: A that aidEr rolE for thE yuAn W wider G20 leaders agreed
role for the Chinese Yuan is necessary. The leaders are discussing whether the Chinese currency should be included into the SDRs basket of currency. Some stressed that it is important to have a more integrated global economy, and China should stop controlling its currency by keeping the Yuan low.

Image Source: Getty Images

5.indiA: bbiography onthE shAmEful book undiscovered An on The newly released Gandhis life Great Soul reveals the

side of the Father of India. The book is banned in the western state of India Gujarat, as the author of the book suggests that Gandhi was bisexual. However, the author said the Indians should read through its pages before they take such extreme steps.

Image Source: fresnobee.com

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globAl AWArEnEss!
What are earthquakes?
Curtis Wong The devastation in Japan has shown us the overwhelming power of earthquakes. But how exactly does this life-costing monster operates? And will there be a possibility for it to affect Hong Kong? In order to answer these questions, lets briefly go through the mechanism behind earthquakes. To start with, earthquakes are mainly generated along plate boundaries. Plates move due to the driving force from the ever-moving magma underneath, and they move towards or away from each other along their boundaries. Pressure is built over time. When the pressure produced by the plates exceeds the strength of the rocks, the rocks would then break and displace themselves along the boundaries and the cracks. Seismic waves are produced, the ground shakes and an earthquake occurs. Japan is located on the boundary between three plates (Pacific Plate, Eurasian Plate and Philippines Plate). Hence she is frequently threatened by earthquakes. On the other hand, Hong Kong is located in the inner part of the Eurasian Plate, therefore she has a very minimal chance of experiencing massive earthquakes.

Image Source: China Central Television

7.korEA: korEAs
for VolcAnic risk

mEEt

The two Koreas held talks at the South Korea border town Munsan for a joint research project on the vulcanicity of the Mount Paektu. Due to the Japan earthquake, the Sacred Mountain has been recorded with more active vulcanicity. The last eruption of the volcano is in 1903, though eruptions have been few and far between, the volcano only remains in dormant state.

Image Source: comtourist.com

Francis Wong When Prince William kissed his bride Kate Middleton on the balcony of the Buckingham Palace, it seemed that the Britons are wishing for a new start for the British Monarchy. Though some 35% of the Britain population decided not to watch the live broadcast of the wedding ceremony. Thousands gathered along the boulevard and sent their blessings to the newlyweds. Similar to the late-Lady Diana Spencer, Kate Middleton (now HRH Duchess of Cambridge) is also a commoner from an uppermiddle-class family educated at the University of St. Andrews, a prestigious university where she met her husband. Image Source: comtourist.com

Today was a Fairytale

Bin Ladens dead!

Image Source: AFP

Jonathan Cheung Osama Bin Laden, the spiritual leader of al-Qaeda, was confirmed dead on the 1st of May following an American raid at his residence in Pakistan. Bin Laden is alleged to have planned the 911 terrorist attack, which led to thousands of casualties and the collapse of the twin world trade centers in New York. Ironically, he on exactly the same day where Hitler committed suicide 66 years ago.

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Commentary on Nuclear Power

Francis Wong irplanes can crash, gas stoves can explode, nuclear power plants can leak radioactive materials. Indeed, accidents are not uncommon, but we still cook on stoves and fly on airplanes. However, nuclear power is serious. Should we continue to generate electricity through the nuclear power plants? Back in the early 1950s, nuclear energy was crucial in dealing with the fuel shortage problem. The Soviets built the first nuclear power plant on earth in the city of Obninsk , just 100 kilometres away from the Union s capital. The power plant provided safe and clean power to the USSR throughout her 50 years of service. No accidents were recorded; the power plant remained a pioneer of nuclear power for half a century. But accidents do happen, and this time, its to the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant. Every day we hear loads of statistics about how many times the local waters have exceeded the accepted level of toxicity. Some 250 thousand people protested on the street in Germany , calling for an immediate stop to the construction of nuclear plants. The German auhorities have addressed this demand by shutting down all of the countries nuclear power plants later on. It is not surprising to see people suddenly becoming aware about the type of power plants that generate their daily

globAl AWArEnEss!

THE BITTER PILL: Why we need nuclear energy?

electricity. We were all taken aback by the news, as we are all aware that the consequences of fatal accidents, especially for nuclear plants. But again, we dont throw away the apple solely because of its blemishes. If we demolish all the nuclear plants just because theres a possibility of an accident, I wonder how we can live a normal modern life. This logic may seem a bit exaggerated, yet it is undeniably true. By looking back in time, after the Chernobyl Disaster (the deadliest nuclear accident in history), governments around the world continue to build nuclear power plants, in fact three of the unaffected power plants

Jasmine

It is not surprising to see people are suddenly so aware about power plants
Anti-Gaddafi protesters fighting for their better future

of Chernobyl continued its operation. Recently the Chinese government has plans to build more nuclear plants in Guangdong province. The reason that governments are refusing to demolish nuclear plants is not because they disregarded the Chernobyl disaster, the Three Mile Island or the recent Fukushima incident, but because theres a necessity for us to build these plants. The reason: our ever growing population and our endless demand for power. Amongst all the power generating technologies, nuclear power is considered as one of the cleanest and most stable sources of energy. It makes up 12% of the total amount of energy generated per year, and the figure is growing annually. Therefore, we can conclude that nuclear power is indispensable, and replacing it with other power generating methods will not be as efficient. An American investor Jim Rogers suggested that, the price of oil will keep on rising drastically in the next decade if theres no nuclear power to cater for our demand for electricity. Most importantly, technology advances with each passing day, despite the fact that accidents do happen, we will be able to reduce the chance of accidents through various technological advancements. We may even discover new ways to generate energy that guarantees our safety in the future. But for now, nuclear energy is the bitter pill we ought to swallow.

Like the fragrance of jasmine, its scent reaches far and wide when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government... - US Declaration of independence
Ben Kong Jasmine has long been a symbol for divinity, hope, attachment, sensuality, grace and elegance. Yet, in 2010, a new meaning has been added: Revolution. It all started with Mohamed Bouazizi, a florist who suicide by setting himself and his jasmine flowers alight in protest to his countrys oppressive regime. The wave of revolutions started in Tunisia, then Egypt, now all over the north of Africa and Middle East. At first Jasmine was used to symbolize the peacefulness of their protest, but as the conflict get worse and the government starts firing bullets at unarmed citizens, the principle of peacefulness evolves to no violence un-

Image Source: The Associated Press

less first used by Government. One of the best examples demonstrating this principle would be Libya. Inspired by the successful rebellions in Tunisia and Egypt, protests erupted in Benghazi (The 2nd largest city in Libya, a strategic port city) on 15th February 2011. Despite a history of the government publicly executing and assassinating opposition, Libyans decide to express their rage against the government anyways; they protested against issues that range from corruption to poor living standards.

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The protests snowballed; a Day of Rage was later organized via online social platforms like Facebook and Twitter to take a stand against Gaddafis regime. Day-by-day the protests got bigger and stronger. Not able to withstand the public pressure, police forces and army started to use real ammunition ranging from shotgun shells to point 50 Caliber sniper ammunition against the protesters. African mercenaries were hired to do the dirty deed. Later, when the crackdowns proved to be ineffective, heavier armaments were used, like helicopters gunships, artilleries and antiaircraft missile launchers. The Libyan governments demonstration of brutality raised voices of objections from all over the world, British Foreign Secretary, William Hague said he was deeply concerned by the unacceptable violence used against protesters. Gaddafi defended his action by quoting Chinas 1989 Tiananmen Square Massacre, arguing that in order to maintain stability, violent methods to vanquish uncontrollable rebels are necessary. In response, the revolutionaries gave up their sitting duck policy and started forming militias in order to secure their chances to overthrow the government.

Image Source: U.S. Department of Defense (Public Affairs)

Bryan Lee

Can you smell the fragrance of jasmine?

under ceaseless social dilemmas and the Central Governments scandals. On 27 February in Wangfujing, Beijing, a group of people and journalists were strolling around in front of a McDonalds, and were arrested for it. Pedestrians in the area were shooed away by who appeared to be security guards and sanitation workers, who erect barriers around the fast food establishment and washed the streets, with hoses held high and spraying water in all unnecessary directions. Aside from that, the police planned huge security operations and crackdowns on unharmonious behavior, especially on 20 and 27 February. Activitsts, lawyers and ordinary citizens have disappeared without a trace, reported as missing and are filed away. At least four foreign journalists, including Stephen Engle of Bloomberg and a BBC cameraman, had been assaulted by casual-wear security officers in Beijing. The authoritarian Central government of China fought back in a characteristically swift and violent manner. Figuratively speaking, they nipped out (or at least wanted to) the seeds in the buds of jasmines before their fragrance could awaken the dormant souls of 1.3 billion Chinese and unearth the truth behind all

Aerial photo capturing the damage done to Ghardabiya Airfield following an airstrike

The United Nations had decided that Gaddafis excuse was not good enough and had planned to establish a No-Fly Zone (basically banning airplanes to fly in Libyan airspace, so that Libyan air Force cant send bombers to bomb citizens) in Libya, but the slaughtering of civilian lives did not end. Therefore, the UN decides to take their action further through strategic hit by air, aiming at Anti-Air defense, Artillery etc, with the objective to disarm the Libyan government so that the opposing rebels would suffer less damage and more civilian lives might be spared. Despite the interference of NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) forces and other countries military support, progress to a successful revolution is still slow as the battle drags on in cities with strategic importance like Misrata (Third largest city in Libya, a key passage to Tripoli, the capital). Even though the rebels cause is right and just, many still remain unoptimistic that the battle will turn to the rebels favor and that the revolution would be successful. In history, almost all successful coup dtats (a sudden removal of a government to replace the deposed government with another body) are performed with lightning speed, able to stun the oppressor into inaction and panic, and by doing so, overthrow them. That is not the case in Libya. Despite the rebels efforts to change their fighting tactics by sending experienced and trained men into battle instead of hot headed hooligans, it is still not enough. I personally believe that NATO should consider a full assault against Libya.

globAl AWArEnEss!

Flower of jasmine, so fair! Flower of jasmine, so fair! Budding and blooming here and there. Pure and fragrant all declare. Let me take you with tender care,. Your sweetness for all to share. Jasmine fair, oh jasmine fair. Mo Li Hua- Chinese folk song

Along with the fragrance of Middle Easts Jasmines that had spread like wildfire to China, thousands of Chinese citizens have finally raised their ever-dormant and scared voices and made their discontent known. Like the renowned Chinese folk song Mo Li Hua, jasmines (of liberty, free-thinking and speech, of rebellion) are Budding and blooming here and there. Since the 2nd of March, the US-based Chinese pro-democracy website Boxun.com had circulated an open letter about a three-stage demonstration. The organizer, Wang Juntao, was an exiled leader of Chinas 1989 democracy movement that led to bloodshed in Tiananmen Square. Protesters await an end to their suffering

the CPCs lies. However, they have actually succeeded, and these small acts of rebellion fell back into silence. Why did the jasmine revolutions fail in China? Answers to these questions might include: the governmets huge spending ($76 billion a year) on internal security, to maintain social stability through control of the Internet (no Wikipedia, no YouTube or facebook or twitter for certain periods, no Xanga, no Yahoo! Hong Kong, the list goes on), censorship, brainwashing propaganda and national education. Plus, China has a rapidly growing economy, compared to the stagnant markets in the Middle East, and our people have grown complacent and content because of it. Yes, there is still plentiful anger in the Chinese populace over corruption, repression, the wealth gap and all sorts of environmental disasters. But the CPC managed to mix ruthless authoritarian rule and economic progress to keep the Chinese populace docile, but we all know thats not sustainable. What would happen then? So, as global citizens who are well aware of this issue, it is our responsibility to call for a political reform and to remind our people of their rights. Spread Your sweetness for all to share!

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chinEsE!

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HKUGAC Sport Awards

Secondary School 7s Tournament Division II Girls Beginner Cup Champion S4CW S4CT S4CT S4CT S4CH S4CH S3CW S3CW S2SW S2SW Lee Yan Lam Leung Yat See Leona Lam Lok Yee Ho Check Ying Wong Jin Ting Henrietta Fung Sun Yiu Lau Wai Wah Amy Chan Ghi Ying Jaimie Chu Cheuk Yan Chan Lok Yan

HKSSF Inter-School Tabletennis Competition Boys Grade C First place S2GL Leung Edmund Lok Hin S2CC Tse Kin Ling Kenneth S1CL Fok Sze Chung S1CL Tse Hung Chit Boys Overall Championship Second place S2GL Leung Edmund Lok Hin S2CC Tse Kin Ling Kenneth S1CL Fok Sze Chung S1CL Tse Hung Chit S4CH Cheung Hou Long Caleb S4CT Lee Ho Hin S4CW Leung Pak Fai S4CT Suen Lok Ho S3CN Tsang Cheuk Him S3CW Chan Yau Ching Eugene

HKSSF Inter-School Basketball Competition 2010-201 1 Girls Grade B First place S4NS Cheng Ka Yan S4NS Lee Yan Wa S4NS Leung Chin Ching S3NW Au- Young Wing Tao Theresa S3NW Yu Lok Yee Samantha S3CW Chan Tsui Hei S3CN Chan Ching Lam S3CN Fung Hoi Ching Cherry S3CN So Hau Ming S3NW Yau Lok Yi S4HL Li Eunice S3CN Chung Hin Ying 2010- 201 A.S. Watson Group 1 Hong Kong Student Sport Awards Outstanding Award S4NS Chan Hin Fan Wesley HK Youth Novice Championship 201 1 The Most Valuable Player S5LN Cheng Kwing Hei Hector Congratulation to all the winners that have won competitions in the past few months, we are honor to present you winners. To those students that havent won, your efforts are very much appreciated. Thank you to all the athletes for representing the school, bring the glory to HKUGAC.
Image Source: Facebook

Girls Rugby 7s team triumphant moment

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othEr!

HAVE YOUR SAY!

JOIN US

We highly recommend all students of HKUGA College to contribute their work to our publishing club. Anything will do: articles, poems, short-stories, letters to XXX, even paintings, comic strips and PHOTOS! You can pick your own topic (well, as long as it doesnt involve too much gore, smut or vulgarity) and write in either English or Chinese under the limit of 500 words. Feel free to voice out your opinions, express your feelings, and let your creativity flow! Please submit your work through our drop-box outside of room 305 or to our email: [email protected] (Renaissance maintains the right to revise the manuscripts submitted)

If you like to write in your free time, have a passion for reporting, have a blog, or just want to share your enthusiasm/views/likes/dislikes with the entire school, the Renaissance School Magazine community is for you! Come and sign up to our School Magazine ELA during the upcoming ELA enrollment session, and youll be on your way to getting your story published! Should you like to know more about us, contact us or dig for some surprising or even exclusive content, please visit: http://www.wix.com/hkugacrenaissance/renaissancehkugac

stAff list!
school AffAirs dEPArtmEnt
Journalists: Ben Kong S4HL (7) Katrina Poon S5LL (15) Priscilla Chan S5LL (2) Alistair Wong S4HL (22) Department Head: Francis Wong S4HL (21) Journalists: Ben Kong S4HL (7) Bryan Chow S4NS (5) Brian Lee S4HL (10)

globAl issuEs dEPArtmEnt

Priscilla Chan S5LL (2) Jonathan Cheung S4CH (8) Katrina Poon S5LL (15) Oliver Yuen S4HL (26) Ben Kong S4HL(7) Alistair Wong S4HL(22)

Arts And culturAl dEPArtmEnt

Editor in Chief: Priscilla Chan S5LL (2) Editors: Alistair Wong S4HL (22) Jonathan Cheung S4CH (8)

Editors

Jonathan Cheung S4CH (8) Curtis Wong S4NS (23) Bobo Wong S5LL (20)

Department Head: Lok Poon S4HL (16) Member: Peter Ng S5LW (22) Adrian Lee S4HL (9) Johnny Chan S4CH (4)

AEsthEtic And dEsign dEPArtmEnt tEchniciAn

foundErs Ben Kong S4HL (7) Katrina Poon S5LL (15) Priscilla Chan S5LL (2) Francis Wong S4HL (21) tEAchEr in chArgE
Ms. Wanda Huang

chinEsE dEPArtmEnt

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