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Scoring Big

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By Luke Langlois

Not to make a sweeping generalization or anything, but movies, although a somewhat new invention in the grand scheme of human history, have become one of the greatest sources of our everyday entertainment. Think of your favorite movie scene or a scene that has emotionally moved you in some way or another. Is it Yoda’s death in Return of the Jedi? Is it that moment in Avengers: Endgame where those lost from the snap triumphantly returned. Perhaps it’s the scene in Forrest Gump where Forrest just runs. No matter what movie scene is most near to your heart, there’s one element that you maybe haven’t considered: the movie score. 

I always wonder how come our everyday life isn’t nearly as epic as life in the movies. How come there wasn’t that pizazz when I took the FIRST BITE of my ENGLISH MUFFIN this morning? The answer is simple: there was no John Williams movie score attached to it. Again, if you think about your favorite scenes from your beloved movies, I bet you overlook the soundtrack (unless you’ve already had this epiphany). But, movies are NOTHING without their score. Today, in honor of our theme, I’d like to recognize some of the most underappreciated artists in the cinematic industry. They are the true breath of life in a movie. 

  • John Williams – As Ms. Zachik said to me when I told her about this post concept, “You have to mention John Williams; it seems like he’s composed everything!” He has. John Williams is the greatest movie composer of all time, and there is no question about it. In his over half-a-century long career, Williams has composed the scores for over one-hundred movies. Beyond movies, however, he has also composed the fanfare for NBC’s Sunday Night Football and the Olympics! Some of his compositions include the scores from the Indiana Jones franchise, the Star Wars franchise, the Jurassic Park franchise, the first three movies of the Harry Potter series, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, and Saving Private Ryan. When I learned that he’s done all of these movies, I was SHOCKED! How do you just casually score a smash hit movie and then move on to another one, and another one, and then one more? I don’t like to use the “literally” expression often, but Williams has literally done everything. 
  • Michael Giacchino – So many people gush over the scene in Disney Pixar’s Up where the newly married Carl and Ellie progress through life together, slowly growing old until eventually Ellie passes away. Not to devalue the writing and directing of that scene, but what would it be without the score, Married Life? Giacchino has become Disney’s go-to man for Pixar films (which makes him my personal favorite), and has recently jumped into the Marvel Cinematic Universe with his scores for Doctor Strange, Spiderman: Homecoming, and Spiderman: Far From Home. Giacchino’s resume includes, but obviously isn’t limited to: The Incredibles (the BEST), Sky High, Ratatouille, Jurassic World, Cars 2, Zootopia, and Coco. He also has also done the music for a couple of video games like Call of Duty. 
  • Alan Silvestri – The most underrated movie score of all time belongs to The Polar Express. Guess who did that one? Alan Silvestri doesn’t seem to have a “type” of movie he prefers to score. He’s done movies ranging from Forrest Gump to Lilo and Stitch. Though, the most recent score of his that you’ve probably heard is from the highest grossing film of all time: Avengers Endgame. Maybe it’s just me, but I find it crazy that the same guy who scored movies like Who Framed Roger Rabbit also scored a movie like Endgame. Regardless, Silvestri is just one of the many incredibly talented movie composers who has probably been a part of many of your favorite movies.

Appreciate the score in your next visit to the movies. What fun would dead silence be in an action montage? Maybe it would be fun if it was an action montage in the vacuum of space, but I haven’t seen that done before. Anyways, the next time you are ready to leave as soon as the credits roll, maybe stick around for a second and see who the music was done by. 

“Favorite Musicians” Editor: James Zheng

Once Upon a War: A Tribute to my Grandfather

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By Renée Vazquez Anderson

It started on November 1, 1955, and lasted all through the 60s. Most would agree that it was a miserable and massive failure. I am, of course, talking about the Vietnam War. 58,000 were killed, 2,000 were captured, and around 350,000 were wounded, according to the U.S. National Archives. The veterans who did survive weren’t welcomed back with much fanfare at all because of the war’s unpopularity. Vietnam following the war was a place of poverty.

The Vietnam War ended on April 30, 1975. My grandpa died in Vietnam on July 3, 1971, just shy of his retirement from the  Air Force. He was a very intelligent, funny, and handsome man, and, according to my grandmother, very suave. He also loved Broadway musicals; he loved them so much that he named my mother after “Maria” from West Side Story. He loved classical music, and he was part of the choir wherever he was stationed. My grandmother said that he had a wonderful voice.

My grandpa, Douglas Ray Anderson, joined the U.S. Air Force around 1953 as a Technical Sergeant and later served with the 12th United States Air Force Hospital, 12th Tactical Fighter Wing, 13th Air Force. My mother was just a few months old when he was deployed, and never saw him again. The impact he left on my mother’s life, and by extension mine, is staggering. 

My grandmother spent around a year or two in a deep depression with friends of hers taking care of my baby mother. My grandmother moved to Mexico to help make my grandfather’s pension stretch as far as possible, and to be closer to family. She couldn’t take most jobs because the U.S. government would stop giving her aid. My mom grew up without her father, something that fundamentally changed every aspect of her life. His family stopped talking to him after he married a Mexican woman and never made any effort even to see my mother. During the war, he wrote a letter to my grandmother in which he asked her if he ever died never to glorify war to my mother, or let her join the army in any way. This has led to my family having strong anti-war sentiments. The Vietnam War wasn’t a noble fight. It was a mess that caused suffering and unnecessary loss of life. My mom grew up with a mother who was always working but who still made time to tell her stories about how smart and handsome her father was. The war gave us perspective.  Even now, my grandmother, although being 87 and dealing with Dementia, remembers going to identify his body on a long beach full of bodies covered by sheets and crying people. My mom grew up in Mexico, which gave her a completely different cultural experience. And, I have a personal connection to associate with war, based on both their stories. 

Douglas Ray Anderson (at age 20), January 16, 1927 — July 03, 1971

1960s Editor: Quintus Ni

Sources:

*https://www.archives.gov/research/vietnam-war

*My mother and grandmother

James Dreams of the Green Building

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By James Zheng

The purpose of the Green Building is to save resources, protect the environment, reduce pollution, promote health, while also being an efficient space that maximizes harmonious “coexistence” between human and nature. These are high-quality buildings.

The idea of the Green Building initially emerged in people’s minds around the 1960s-70s due to the oil crisis which made all kinds of renewable energies such as solar, geothermal, and wind energy attractive. Energy-saving buildings became the forerunner of modern building development. Within this period, Ian Lennox McHarg, who is an American architect, released a book called Design with Nature in 1969, symbolizing the official birth for Eco-building. After decades, more and more countries joined in on the advocation for “sustainable development” and established their standards for a green building.

Through a long process, the three major requirements that connote a green building were established.

  • Thermal requirement

First of all, thermal comfort obviously affects work efficiency. The traditional air-conditioning system can maintain the indoor temperature, but in recent years, the research shows that if you want to ensure that the indoors are absolutely comfortable, it is at the cost of an insane consumption of energy and increase in the destruction of the ozone layer by Freon (the cooling agent used for air conditioning). It is necessary to analyze the impact of local climate on a building. A warm climate would increase the internal load and need for air conditioning for indoor environment comfort. It is better to change the load of the air conditioners every hour. For example, when the season or day cools, turn off the air conditioning.

  • Daylighting and noise requirements

Similarly, the indoor light condition directly affects the work efficiency and indoor atmosphere. The bright and plentiful sunlight is an essential part of a green building. However, the comfortable and healthy light condition should also include the precondition that it is easy for people inside to see and look around. A proper brightness distribution for the internal space, glare control, and uniform illumination control is also required. Therefore, strong light should be adjusted according to the different time zones and places so as not to affect the original high quality of sunlight. In addition, a healthy and comfortable acoustic environment is beneficial to the physical and mental health of people. This specific condition results in no damage to hearing and minimizes noise sources. In this way, any noise-generating equipment is usually arranged separately away from the frequently used rooms such as offices and meeting rooms. In the design, the outdoor noise level should also be controlled. 

  • Air quality requirement

The quality of air directly affects the satisfaction people feel with the surrounding environment. Generally, the factors that affect air quality include air movement, air cleanliness, and so on. If the airflow is not “open” enough, people will feel uncomfortable. If the airflow is too fast, it will negatively affect the internal temperature and air cleanliness. Therefore, it is necessary to adjust the amount of fresh air according to different environments in addition to controlling the cleanliness and airflow rates to reach maximum air quality. At the same time, the effective control of indoor air pollutants is also one of the main ways to improve the indoor environment.

By viewing the complex history and strict requirements for what makes a green building, I became impressed with the way people scrupulously analyzed the issue of energy and conceptualized the image of what we know as a green building. It is also crucial for humans to realize they need to value their partnership with nature. Build green buildings.

Green Editor: Luke Langlois     

Green Is My Hope

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“You are the April of this world”

——Lin Huiyin（Phyllis）

Lin Huiyin

By Quintus Ni

This winter is a bit long, and the depressed mood is always with me. I still hope that spring will come soon; green is my hope.

Spring is neither the flower or the plant nor the willow bank or butterfly. It is spring if you have a green heart.

In late autumn, when I see a new bud in the heap of dead leaves, I feel that it is also spring. In the early winter, the white snow cannot block a clump of the green; that is the heart of spring. Spring is not just the season. It grows in everyone’s heart.

Even if the grass is growing, the butterflies flying, or the flowers blooming, even if the rain drips on the rose, or if the pears cover the hills, a gloomy mood can always suppress the warm spring sunshine.

Open the curtain that you have covered for a long time, and see the flying bird. That is spring. Outside, the unkept child is sitting on the car with their eldest brother; his smile is also spring. In the street, you see the little girl in the arms of a boy dressed in soft clothes; her shyness is spring. When the white-haired couple helps each other across the road, it is spring.

Finding that mood is a window towards spring. Let the warm sunshine drive you away from the winter haze. Your smile is the scene of spring. You are the spring of the world. “You’re the blooming flowers over the trees; You’re a swallow twittering between the beams. Full of love, full of warm hope. You are the April of this world…”— Lin Huiying (Phyllis)

Green Editor: Luke Langlois

Part 3 of The Story

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By Doreen Yuan

A Review of the Urban-Legend storytelling rules:

1. The comment section is part of the story. All comments are ordered by the number.

2. Comments that include a >> and a number (ex: >>1) are replies to the comment with that number.

3. Anonymous users in the comment section are part of the story. There are multiple anonymous accounts.

4. The main characters named No Longer Human and Curry are part of the story in the comments.

5. Readers can leave messages in the comment section but should not intentionally destroy or try to confuse the coherence of the story.

6. Readers can respond to any anonymous character interaction in the comment section–that response may change and contribute to the story.

7. Do not use inappropriate language.

8. The roles and anonymity in the comment section are created by the primary story author himself.

9. The time of all messages is based on the time of writing.

10. Have fun, and enjoy.

*This is a continuing story. The last installment was posted November 14, 2019. The story is told through the “Comments” section. Read them carefully.

Art Editor: Chelsea

Part 2 of The Story

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By Doreen Yuan

A Review of the Urban-Legend storytelling rules:

1. The comment section is part of the story. All comments are ordered by the number.

2. Comments that include a >> and a number (ex: >>1) are replies to the comment with that number.

3. Anonymous users in the comment section are part of the story. There are multiple anonymous accounts.

4. The main characters named No Longer Human and Curry are part of the story in the comments.

5. Readers can leave messages in the comment section but should not intentionally destroy or try to confuse the coherence of the story.

6. Readers can respond to any anonymous character interaction in the comment section–that response may change and contribute to the story.

7. Do not use inappropriate language.

8. The roles and anonymity in the comment section are created by the primary story author himself.

9. The time of all messages is based on the time of writing.

10. Have fun, and enjoy it.

Continued from Part I, posted on October 3 . . . . Note: The story is in the comments. Read them all.

Editor: James Zheng

Qixi: In the Mood for Love

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By Quintus Ni

Quintus addresses Katelin’s theme of “Seasonal Holidays” with the mythological story of the Weaving Maiden and the Cowherd, celebrated in early fall in China during the Qixi Festival.

The weather turns colder and colder in the north. On such cool days, the Qixi Festival comes as expected, which arouses my deeper lovesickness for you, especially for your tranquil and calm temperament. At the moment, I wonder whether you in the distance are reading the love poem I wrote.

Time goes by, slips from our fingertips bit by bit and soon disappears in the long river of years. Our mixed feelings of happiness and sorrow are swept away by the stream of time.

Despite the change of seasons, yesterday is still fresh in my mind. The charming ardor in the air of August is full of the sweet-scented osmanthus fragrance you left. The lonely attic and the closed wooden window couldn’t lock the deep melancholy expressed in my teary eyes.

 In the cool season, a rush of grief and bitterness suddenly runs through me. The wild wind blows away all the warmth and tenderness that once existed.

As the withered branches decay, the fleeting time heals everything. Still, the special feeling for you in the depth of my heart remains. Inadvertently, many memories of the past are gone without a trace. On this particular day, the Qixi Festival, I miss you again. There is the softest part in my heart. I feel anew the unfading deep love for you.

Sometimes I’m beset by negative emotions when I cannot see you. I cry into the air with open arms and ask how I can forget you. The deeper love sickness is, the greater pain is. I miss you so much that I’m overwhelmed by grief.

The Qixi Festival walks towards us at a lotus-like pace, waving her colorful sleeves. Skimming over the clear and refreshing waves, she twists her slender waist and swings a flower fan with her slightly parted red lips as if to tell me an ancient love story.

Listen to me, Qixi is a story happening three thousand years ago. Turning from sadness to happiness and joy to sorrow, I get to know the love of never betraying and understand lovers’ mutual attachment. On this day, wounds caused by the hopeless waiting of couples are cured. On the seventh day of the seventh lunar month, I would also like to have you in my arms.

Our Qixi Festival comes in this way. As I stare at the crescent moon which sheds light on the windows, I become more lovesick for you. Today, let’s leave behind all the sadness and bitterness and quietly feel the love of our inner hearts. On this occasion, I recall that one of the greatest poets Bai Juyi once said, “Love and hatred for each other are poured out … for all on that night.”

As for the romantic entanglement in the world, I will simply interpret it as love, hatred, relationship and animosity. It’s known to all that love is untouchable. When in love, I only want to experience a strong sense of happiness so that wonderful memories can be recalled in our twilight years. The only thing I want to tell you is that the pleasant emotional experience you have brought me is a warm one that drives away my innermost loneliness along the long, hard journey. Therefore, my gratitude for you is the purest and the most genuine. Hatred is also untouchable, which only causes distress after the initial passion fades. The kisses you have given me are a double-edged sword which hurts when we are separate. Although situations vary from time to time, the pains caused by a love relationship are indelible, only known by people who have experienced it.

Relationships are painstakingly pursued by passionate men and women. Even with their hearts broken and bleeding, they are willing to seek after the invisible sweetness and the ineffable happiness. What you inspire me to imagine is the elegance and free spirit you show on the journey full of ups and downs. And animosity is just a sentiment vanishing in the air.

But between us, there is only mutual concern and understanding. At this moment, the appreciation of love enables us to cherish each other.

In this golden season full of chrysanthemums, I’d like to sing a melodious love song for you. My enthusiastic sound of singing will float away from my lonely roof and fly into the branch of August like a nightingale, and then fall into the Qixi pond where we can play and sing together in the water. Listen, the song arouses waves of spray, flying up high to the open sky. Surrounded by the beautiful song, we heartily release ourselves, free and unfettered.

In clouds and mists, you’re the Weaving Maid in legend, and I’m the Cowherd. Tonight, the star-studded Milky Way outshines a myriad of twinkling lights. Let us drink dew in the rosy clouds. Our union is so blessed that flowers bloom. 

Each year, when the chrysanthemums are in bloom, my garden will be filled with bursts of fragrance. In the rosy clouds, accompanied by the enchanting sound of flutes, we chase after each other and dance trippingly, jointly composing a new chapter of incomparable romance and innocence!

Want to know more about the story of the Weaving Maid and the Cowherd? 

https://gbtimes.com/qixi-festival-and-story-chinese-valentines-day

Seasonal Holidays Editor: Katelin Mei

The Christmas Truce

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By Chelsea

Almost 104 years ago, during WWI, a truce between the British and German army will forever go down in history as one of the most heartwarming things that humanity has done.

It all started on December 25th when the troops from both sides had ceased fire temporarily due to the nice weather that they rarely got. The tensions were still strong between both troops on the front lines at that point. But later that day, the watchmen of the Scots Guard on the British parapets spotted German troops putting up tannenbaum on their trench parapets. At first, they suspected an attack, but then they heard the Germans singing. Their voices wafted across the no-man’s land, “Stille Nacht, heilige Nacht.” The original Austrian version of “Silent Night.” The British, sensing they were being challenged, and under the order of Lieutenant Sir Edward Hulse, also started singing their own carol. Both sides started off as a competition but soon merged into a harmony. The men began to shout Christmas greetings across the line, and after a while, the Germans made the first move. They promised the English they would not shoot if the English did not return fire. This was shouted from the other side of the trench. Some were even brave enough to walk onto the no-man’s land while waving newspapers to the other side. These actions were extremely dangerous, and not all sections of the British trench gave those unarmed German soldiers a warm greeting. But most of the sectors remained at ceasefire. The next day, when the British troops looked across the no-man’s land, to their shock, they saw the Germans walking across their parapets. And by that gesture of trust, the Germans lured more and more British out of their lair. Soon enough, the two sides buried their dead in common graves, exchanged gifts, gave haircuts, and even played Kickabouts together! In one sector; a group of highlanders challenged a Saxon regiment who burst out laughing whenever a kilt flew up during play. 

This was the situation that the Field Marshal of the French had feared. Commanders dispatched senior officers to threaten disciplinary actions. The soldiers had no choice but to resume the war; some sectors had their officers from both sides salute and fire revolvers into the air, signaling the end of the ceasefire. A few sectors even carried out their ceasefire until the 30th, nearly to New Year’s Eve.

This kind of ceasefire was never to be seen again, even though many men in December of 1915 tried to do the same but ended up failing and getting court-martialed.

The spirit of that truce in 1914 was unique; it was one of the rare moments in a war where people believed that humanity was better than the hellfire of the fighting. To this day, “the truce” serves as a reminder that we can still find the brightest sparks during our darkest moments.

Seasons Editor: Katelin Mei

The Science of Cats

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By Katelin Mei

Katelin shares cat facts with us in honor of James’s Science Theme and NATIONAL CAT DAY, celebrated October 29.

Cats are animals that have been around for a very long time. There has been evidence that cats have been around as long as 9,500 years (7,500 BCE). Some people classify themselves as either cat lover or dog lover. I’m sure this information will make cats seem pretty amazing to you. Let’s start with the basic info.

Cats are animals that have pointy flexible ears, a long flexible tail, and a flexible body. They have sharp teeth, perfect for catching and killing small rodents and small birds. The scientific name for cats is felis catus. Contrary to the legend, cats can’t land on their feet every time. The reason some cats do land on their feet is because they use their tail to balance and twist their body in midair. No cats should be classified as evil, cuddly, or aggressive because of their color.

I know I said that no cat should be categorized based on their color, but there is one thing you need to know. Some all-white cats with blue eyes suffer deafness. The deafness is caused by degeneration in the inner ear and is associated with blue irises. With all-white cats that have mixed eyes, the deafness is found on the blue eye side. However, that is the only thing you should judge cats based on their color.

Cats can jump pretty high. Young, healthy, average-sized cats can jump about six times their length or over eight feet in a single leap, thanks to powerful muscles in their hind legs. Cats use their tail for balance, when they jump up and down, or fall. This is how cats land on their feet. It’s no wonder table and counter tops are a breeze for most cats to jump on.

Cats are extremely heavy sleepers. Their average sleep schedule is 12-16 hours of sleep a day, and some cats sleep up to 20 hours a day. That is a crazy amount of sleep. The reason for the large hours of sleep is that cats are nocturnal. This means they are most active between dusk and dawn. Cats will sleep during the day and become active around twilight. After breakfast, you’ll find that your cat wants to wind down, instead of playing with you. Don’t worry. After dinner, you’ll be able to play with your cat.

Science Editor: James Zheng

Cyan and Magenta? Why?

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By Katelin Mei

We are all familiar with these colours.

Image result for primary colour"

Red, blue, and yellow are the 3 primary colours, right? Well, it is not really wrong, but it isn’t 100% right either, and here is why.

The 3 primary colours that you will normally see on a paint wheel, or the ones you were first taught in elementary school, are probably red, blue, and yellow. However, the primary colours have been redefined.

A primary colour is defined as a colour from which all other colours can be obtained through mixing and cannot be created by mixing other colours. This means that red and blue are not primary colours, right?

Well, the primary colours of ink are considered to be magenta, yellow, and cyan which is why, if you buy ink for a printer, the colours provided will usually be magenta, yellow, and cyan. The colour red can be made by mixing yellow and magenta together, and the colour cyan is lighter and produces clearer colours than traditional blue, which is a very dark shade of blue.

But what happens when you mix blue and yellow together? Well, you might say, “green” because that is what happens when you mix blue and yellow paint together, but if we were talking about light, you would get a different answer.

The primary colours of light, however, are red, blue, and green. If we mixed them all together, we would get the primary colours of pigment. If we mixed them using light, red and blue would make magenta, red and green would make yellow, and blue and green would make cyan.

Image result for blue and yellow light

If you blended all the colours together using paint, you would probably get the colour black. However, if you blended all the colours together using light, you would probably get the colour white.

Image result for primary color of light

As you can see, the blue and yellow are on opposite sides of the colour wheel for light. If we mixed them we would get a light grey, and not green.

And this is exactly why yellow and blue do not always make green.

Here are the sources . . .

http://www.webexhibits.org/causesofcolor/1BA.html

Green Editor: Luke Langlois