Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

(photo source: "5 Reasons Why Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri Should Win Best Picture This Year." Taste of Cinema. By Conor Lochrie. <http://www.tasteofcinema.com/2018/5-reasons-why-three-billboards-outside-ebbing-missouri-should-win-best-picture-this-year/>. This photo is taken intact from the aforementioned source and is therefore subject to immediate removal upon notice.)

Penny Lai

    This Oscar nominated film discuses a mother’s journey of seeking justice for her daughter who was raped and murdered. The power of a mother’s love is not a new subject for Hollywood movies. It is easy for directors to portrait a mother’s struggle on parenting, because family issues are a relatable subject for most people. However, to present a tough mother who will do anything to find the murderer of her daughter is a difficult task. 

     Mildred’s daughter was raped and tortured to death by a remote road of a small town, Ebbing. After one year of her daughter’s death, the police have no useful evidences to bring in the murderer. Unwilling to give in, Mildred decides to rent the three giant billboards located exactly where her daughter was killed. Mildred uses the three billboards to publicly shame Willoughby, the head police officer of the town. The mother thinks that the police fails their job of catching the murderer and of bringing justice to those who deserve it. Suddenly, Mildred becomes the target of the whole town for going extreme and shaming the police. However, she does not back down, and the tension between Mildred and the police keeps rising as the story goes. 

     The director, Martin McDonagh did a fantastic job on building the character Mildred. The basic setup of Mildred is an angry mother who will do anything to find the murderer, but at the same time, the audience can see Mildred’s weak spot when she’s committing crimes. She turns her anger into violence and defense when she goes against the authorities. It is easy to portrait this character as an extreme maniac who will hurt anyone getting in her way. However, a closer look will reveal that actually Mildred does not want to hurt anyone; she just wants the authorities and the public to treat her and her daughter’s death seriously. All she asks for is an answer, so she can exempt herself from the guilt of failing as a parent. 

     The story itself might seem dull for a Hollywood big production. However, the details in each character’s construction is more than admirable. We as viewers can definitely relate to the changing of each character throughout the film and grow with the characters as Mildred comes to a realization of being a parent in the end of the movie.

Buchenhain #1 (Beech Grove #1 1902) by Gustav Klimt (1862-1918)

Beech Grove No.1 (1902)                                             The Kiss (1907-1908)

   On the right, you see the Klimt you’ve always known; on the left, you see the Klimt that I really like. Der Kuss (The Kiss; 1907-1908) has been drowning too many eyes in its glittering glim of gold. While some critical eyes note that the kneeling lady by the cliff may forebode the insidious danger of love and some skeptical eyes highlight that the kissing couple seem to contour an erectile gesture of lust, I suggest we swipe it straight off the screen, so that we can concentrate on the Klimt that fewer know, the Klimt that heals.

   In Buchenhain #1 (Beech Grove No.1; 1902), each beech tree stands alone but not apart, reminding of our modern condition of “alone together.” Each is unique, as featured by the four in front–some charred on one side, some stout with gnarls, some humbly thin and ready to blend in, and still some showing a completely different shade of color from its kind.

   I’m not a big fan of  the Impressionist dotting and impasto (though I’m a sucker for Seurat’s pointillism), but a similar touch is applied here which stabilizes the grove by providing it with a leavy footing (as shown in front) and merges the two by reducing the farther part of  the grove to the background (as shown at the back). When the already-too-thin beech trees reach out to the sky, they’ve formed a beaded curtain that combs the view and calms the mind. The arbor multitude comes into one unified being, without trypophobic density, but with a soothing efficacy that promises every lonely existence a place to stand, in its most protective camouflage.

Alvin Dahn

Brick-and-Mortar Bookstores

(photo source: 〈百年洋樓 金石堂城中店6月熄燈〉.《蘋果日報》.劉耿豪攝. <https://tw.appledaily.com/headline/daily/20180425/37995838>. This photo is taken intact from the aforementioned source and is therefore subject to immediate removal upon notice.)
 

Cindy Hsieh

     When was the last time you walked into a bookstore? Where do you purchase books nowadays? In these years, several famous chain bookstores closed down in Taiwan. Kingstone Bookstore’s Chengzhong branch on the Book Street (a.k.a. Chung Qing S. Rd.) in Taipei is closing down next Sunday after more than 30 years of business. Furthermore, Taiwan's popular Eslite bookstore chain said that its 24-hour Dunnan store in Taipei will probably close in 2020. How does the deterioration of the bookstore business happen?

     In my opinion, the change of consumer behavior is the primary reason. Because of the advancement of technology, we can get information whenever and wherever we want, as long as we have our cellphones are at hand. At the same time, electronic commerce is rapidly rising. Online bookstores are only a category of it. Without having to pay the rent of storefront, online stores save a considerable amount of money and could offer more discounts to their customers. Needless to say, it is so convenient that customers can go on line 24 by 7 to order what they want and pick up their orders at home or any convenience stores they choose. Gradually, a growing number of people get used to shopping on line. On the other hand, more and more people get used to reading on line, so more and more e-books are published. As you can imagine, all these innovations have impacted the business of brick-and-mortar bookstores.

     Now, let’s talk about the advantages of brick-and-mortar bookstores. There are still a lot of people who enjoy book shopping in a physical store. In a physical brick-and-mortar bookstore, we get to read the book title in front, the introduction at the back, and check for the bookbinding and the paper quality. I believe that meeting with a book through all your five senses is a much warmer and more exquisite experience than that of a mere glide of your finger and a glance of your eyes on the screen.

     The category of traditional physical bookstores are now branching into different market aims: some aim at special customers like the elders; some specialize in particular books like those printed in simplified Chinese characters; still some, while facing the setback posed by on-line bookstores, start combining their services with coffee shops’, allowing people a place to stay for a comfy reading time. Many people put efforts in supporting brick-and-mortar bookstores because they never want to lose a wonderful time having a vis-à-vis rendezvous with books. Maybe all of us should give a second thought next time we go for book shopping on line.

The First SHU Mandarin Speech Contest

   This year, we are having our Mandarin speech contest for the very first time. Held and hosted by the Center for Teaching Chinese as a Second Language (henceforth referred to as the TCSL Center), one of the youngest departments and certainly the most exuberant on campus, the contest took place at R102 of the Sherwo Building (舍我樓) on May 30th. 17 contestants on five topics speak on a beautiful Wednesday afternoon. Each with a different learning experience and a different level of proficiency yet all deliver impressive talks on “A Taste of Taiwan,” “Fun to Learn Chinese,” “Traveling in Taiwan,” “My Favorite Book,” and “I Loooove Taiwan! Why?”

   Each speaker has to make the most of their five-minute time slot to share their opinions and experiences on the topics they choose for themselves. After one and a half hours of competition, three judges decide on five winners:

1st Place: 溫慧怡 (Malay)

2nd Place: 鄭依淳 (Malay)

3rd Place: 戴慈殷 (Malay)

4th Place: 安心蕊 (Polish)

5th Place: 武藤祐太 (Japanese)

Of course, there are never enough prizes to go around for devoted and competent (and some are very competitive too) competitors like them.

   Now, a word from the Director of the TCSL Center, Professor Shirley Chang (張雪媃主任) to wrap up the first-time-ever Mandarin Speech Contest. “I’ve been teaching for years, but it has always been so moving for me to see such a progress made from ground zero to fluency, to see the transition of students as beginners to advanced learners. I believe, for any teach, this is the most rewarding of all.”

   Indeed, there is a telling difference between speaking nothing and speaking something. And, for that matter, maybe it is a better idea that we have two separate categories next year: the non-native-speaker contest for students outside Sinophone communities and the native-speaking-level contest for students from Sinophone communities. Nationality alone doesn’t seem to do much justice to the fairness of the game. And yet, like all achievements, without the significant first step, all improvements that finally lead on to fruition would be impossible.

Alvin Dahn

The Problems of Course Selection

The Problems of

Course Selection

By Jill Tsai

     

   In the beginning of this semester, some senior students of English department might experience a huge problem. The problem was that all required courses are capped. And, even if you signed up for all, the computer system still kick you out of all waiting lists when all openings are taken. Unlike students of the first three years, seniors only need to choose one required course out of the following three: Consecutive Interpretation, English for MICE (Meeting, Incentive travel, Convention, and Exhibition), and Research Methodology: Linguistics and TESOL. Of course, all students should at least take eight credits each semester, including seniors. The thing is that, since the computer system for course registry runs a random-selection system, some seniors can have more than one and some end up having none.

        A new rule was set up for this semester: a senior student can only sign up for one required course. This, however, did not help, for this rule was set up without corresponding adjustment done to the computer system. You can still sign up for more and people did so. The old problem stay: some successfully signed up for more than needed and some got none. The class is capped when all its openings are taken, as always; the computer system runs its random-selection wheel of fortune likewise. In order to deal with this problem, the English Department Office noticed students who had successfully signed up for more than one required course to waive the extra.

        This is not only ineffective but also time-consuming. Furthermore, it might be hard for them to give up any courses they find interesting. To avoid the same problem in the ensuing semester, the Office asked every senior to submit a list of their preferred courses at the end of this semester. And then, by allotting the openings to secure one required course for every senior student, the Office managed to solve the problem. Yet, some senior students might have to take courses they do not favor. Perhaps the faculty should take the students’ feedbacks before it makes any decision that concerns the students so greatly; perhaps there should be a better computer system for course selection.

SHU Funding: Money Well Spent?

By Crystal Yao

    As this semester first started, students came back to the campus noticing a few changes. For example, a few new changes in the student restaurant, fancy Dyson hand dryers in the restrooms, and fewer adjunct teachers around. Some of the changes started a heated discussion among students. Any decisions of alternation about the school cost money, but are those adjustments really necessary? Or do they just feed the vanity of the school instead of furthering students’ interests?

  One of the things widely complained by students and teachers in the beginning of the semester was that the number of General-Education Courses (通識課程; hereafter as GE courses or GE) has dwindled and the teachers of GE courses, as a result, had to receive more students into their classes to cope. The reason for such dwindling is that a number of GE teachers, adjunct and uninsured, were laid off. The Ministry of Education stipulated a regulation on June 2017, deciding that all universities should include adjunct teachers for their insurance programs, labor and health. Such extended insurance programs certainly mean more expenses--for adjunct teachers, now like full-time teachers, are to be covered by the same insurance programs paid by the school--unless they have full-time jobs elsewhere and therefore covered by programs otherwise provided for. For that matter, Shih Hsin let go of 40-ish teachers who did not have full-time jobs elsewhere to pay for their insurances. This movement effected not only those adjunct teachers but also students and professors who teach general education courses. Students have harder time trying to get their spots in one general education class, and the professors have to expend their classes to take in more students. Students and faculties cannot help but wonder if the school really do not have enough funding to pay for the insurance for 40-ish teachers.

  Another surprise that the students notice when they came back to school is that the fancy hand dryers in R building’s restrooms. One thing we are sure of is that the school is definitely generous about the hygiene of students. However, is it really cost-effective? One Dyson hand dryer cost around 40,000 NTD, and they are installed from the ground floor to the top, both in male and female restrooms. Plus, most of the students do not even use hand dryers after they wash their hands. We sent our report out to the campus to ask some students about their opinion on the school funding. Here is the report from our reporter, Crystal:

  We interviewed some students and get their thoughts on what do they expect when choosing courses. First, of course we all need to earn enough credit to graduate. Second, some student said that some courses will give them number of transferable skills in the future. Third, they choose the subject because they know it'll lead to a career. Did our school really let their students choose the course they want or just ignore students’ needs? Let’s look at the chart below.

  

  School should provide different kinds of courses for not only teachers to teach but also let students to learn the subject they want to learn. In the chart we can see that 75% students are dissatisfied about our class selection. Is there any possibility for Shih Hsin university to change the system? We hope more students will be satisfied with the courses in the near future.

  We interview some students from our department:

Crystal: What do you think about our university spending money on Dyson brand hand dryers?

Coco: I think school should spend more money on our course selection, like more teachers and courses, not on the things that students seldom use. School should provide more courses for us to take.

Crystal: Hi guys! What do you think about our university spend our money on Dyson hand dryers? And our class selection, did you guys got the courses you wanted?

Vanessa: Hand dryer sucks!!!! I don’t understand that why we should use a hand dryer that cost over ten thousand dollars? I won’t even use it.

Grace: My course sucks also. I woke up early to select the courses I wanted. But I got nothing. I chose many different courses and the result came out to be zero. Some of my classmates even got more than they needed.

Vanessa: Yeah! I needed the courses, or I can’t graduate! School does not even care if I can graduate or not! I pay for almost fifty thousand dollars to come here and learn but I learned nothing that I needed to learn.

Crystal: I can tell that you guys are angry about this issue. Sorry to hear that.

  Perhaps the school board should listen to the voices from students and faculties more before they make important decisions that will affect everyone. It is good to upgrade facilities and hardware so that students and teachers can have a better environment. However, the basic needs of students and teachers should always be attended first, otherwise, schools will be nothing but an empty title without the supports from their foundation—the students.

A Reader’s Guide to the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy

  Penny Lai

  If you are a fan of fiction and British humor, then The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy would definitely be your kind of book. Douglas Adams composed five books for this wonderful novel series. He filled the series with massive creativity and sarcastic British humor.

  The protagonist, Arthur Dent, wakes up on a perfectly normal morning only to find out the council workmen is about to demolish his house to build a bypass. As if the morning were not rough enough, Arthur’s best friend, Ford, shows up, telling him that the world is going to end, and Ford is actually an alien. He thus went on a galactic  adventure in his robe along with Ford, Zaphod (Ford’s cousin, the president of the galaxy), and Trillian (a girl rescued by Zaphod). On this trip, they discover this one true answer to life, universe, and everything; they find out who is actually in control of the earth before it gets destroyed by the Vogons in order to build a bypass for an intergalactic highway; and, much more bizarre matters await them.

Although the story seems preposterous, but it makes fun of things people desire to know the most, i.e. the so-called “deep philosophy.” What is the answer to life, universe, and everything? What is the meaning behind it all? Human existence is just meant to be born, work, reproduce, and die? We try so hard to figure out the ultimate answer, but will we be satisfied after we find it? Maybe there is no answer at all, and that’s the way it is? Or, maybe it is too complicated for human beings to understand for we are not yet equipped with an intellectual capacity to comprehend the way the universe works? Douglas Adams creates his own version of the ultimate answer in the book, and it helps readers think about philosophical issues in a humorous perspective.

  In Part One of “the Trilogy of Five Parts” (According to the humorous author, it would take five books to complete the series, but he only wants to write three.), readers can have a taste of Douglas Adams’ crazy, limitless mind. Moreover, the book cleverly brings up the question everyone has in mind in a lighthearted mood and a tongue-in-cheek tone. If you are into fiction and philosophy and you’re curious to see the combination of the two wrought with a dash of sarcastic undertone, this is a book you don’t want to miss. And remember, always bring your towel with you when you travel, because it’s the most useful thing in the whole universe.