An occasion for confusion, celebration, and reflection for Shanghai American School Puxi’s seniors.
The end of the school year is fast approaching, and while the promise of warmer weather is an exciting prospect to students, this is a turbulent time for SAS seniors. Some have been accepted to their dream schools, others are still awaiting decisions, and many are still in the process of choosing where they will study next year. This is all amid looming IB and AP exams that for some could make or break that decision. It is a lot to take on for any teenager.
What tends to get sidelined throughout this process is the magnitude of all the other changes in their lives. This is the last time they will be living under their parents’ roof as a child they care for. They will be moving to a new city, country, culture—all by themselves. They will face the sudden pressure to become adults by having to manage finances, take on novel errands, and perhaps get a job.
On top of all this is the slipping away of Shanghai. Whether this city has been their home for one year or eighteen, its perks are bound to only be truly realized when looking back after they are gone. How can one slow down and properly enjoy the last few months with so many things at stake?
Thankfully, the SAS seniors are set to do just that. From APAC and Prom to Senior Lock-in and Senior Trip, you won’t find the seniors missing out on the best of what the SAS community has to offer. This is rightfully so, for the Class of 2017 has many accomplishments to celebrate. They’re the first senior class with over thirty candidates for valedictorian, the first senior class to hold their skip day at Shanghai Disneyland, and the first senior class with the opportunity to prank the CID... but we’ll see about that.
To conclude their time at SAS, The Echo asked a few seniors to look back on their experiences, as well as toward what lies ahead. Below are their considerably varied responses.
What’s it like being an SAS senior right now?
Nike: [Laughs]. Right now, I’m just trying to enjoy my last few weeks while balancing the pressure—the incoming storm of IB exams. I’m trying to enjoy my last few months with friends that I’ve spent time with for the past five years, as well as just enjoying the city while I still can! So it’s pretty chill.
Sean: Well. I don’t I have senioritis yet—or at least, not in a very heavy dose, but I’m still keeping up with my work. Otherwise, there’s little pressure.
Jessica: It’s great! I’m just waiting for the last month.
William: It’s pretty fun, actually! I feel like there’s a lot less pressure now that we’ve all gotten into colleges. Especially coming back after skip day, it feels a lot more lenient and a lot more chill now.
What will you miss most about SAS high school?
Nike: I think I’ll miss all the opportunities that we have here. I feel like there’s a very broad range of things to do at this school, and if you wanna start a club or do anything it’s very easy to do so. You can always find people that are enthusiastic to help you, and I think that’s very cool.
Sean: I’ll definitely miss the people. Quiz team, all the dank memes that we have….
Jessica: My friends.
William: I’m gonna miss Scoreboard and all the clubs. At school, I think I’ll miss the space we have. We have a lot of fields.
What’s a change you will welcome? What won’t you miss?
Nike: I won’t miss how locked in we are here and how there’s all these things that we have to do.
Sean: I feel like it will be too stereotypical of me to just say [I won’t miss] the air quality… but Stanford has a particle accelerator, so that’s pretty cool.
Jessica: New environment. I won’t miss this competitive environment.
William: Basically everything at SAS. The pressure, the stress… a lot less Asians. I’m not being racist! It’s just that I grew up on the West Coast, and I’m looking forward to being back in that culture.
What’s a change you fear?
Nike: I guess right now, I’m very happy and confident with my group of friends and all the things I have going on and it’s pretty scary seeing all those things leaving me and [the thought of] having to reestablish all the aspects of my life in a brand-new city.
Sean: I don’t know how my bag situation is gonna work because, you know, I have a rolly bag, and Stanford has a lot of tiles on the floor, and I’m afraid it might be too much noise and I might have to change that.
Jessica: Leaving my friends.
William: Not being able to go home every day and not having people constantly reminding me what to do.
Do you have a memorable or funny memory from your time at SAS that you’ll remember down the road?
Nike: I guess I’ll just miss all of the good moments with my friends in the lounge.
Jessica: Senior Skip Day… then we all had detention. That was pretty cool. We were all in the lecture hall. We got to bond as a class.
William: I don’t know. I feel like right now I wouldn’t remember it but once we get down the road, there’ll definitely be stuff I remember—probably dumb stuff I do with my friends. Nothing Echo-approved!
What was the toughest moment of your high school career?
Nike: I would have to say the college application process. Those two months before winter break were probably my toughest moments just because there was, well, less support than expected from the, you know, “upper ranking individuals” and I just thought that we would have more support. But with the help of my peers, I got through it!
Sean: Honestly, AP US History seemed tougher than it should’ve been. I think it was probably psychological, but it seemed really tough back then and it’s not such a big deal now.
Jessica: The past three years because I was just waiting for this moment.
William: Definitely the transition to SAS because I came from a progressive school with no grades or testing, so I came here with no value of school as we know it: homework didn’t matter, testing didn’t matter… so I come in here and I get slapped with a C on my first test. I was like, oh, it doesn’t matter, right? Then I get slapped with more Cs and by the time I got my report card for my midterms, I was failing all my classes and I didn’t think it actually mattered or anything at that point. So, learning I had to actually give a shit about school.
Do you have any regrets, anything you would have done differently if you had the chance?
Nike: I kind of regret not doing more community service in our local community because I feel like I did a lot elsewhere, like Habitat for Humanity and Jacaranda, which were good of course but I never went to any of the community service trips in our community. It’s something that I wish I would have done.
Sean: No regrets!
Jessica: Yeah. That I’d focused more on school for the past three years.
William: Oh, put more effort into this school.
Any favorite Shanghai perks you know you won’t you find anywhere else?
Nike: The cheap drinks at bars.
Sean: It’s a relatively safe city; I like that. It’s safe and the public transport is good.
Jessica: It’s kind of safe here in Shanghai. When you go out at midnight, there’s always people on the streets. That might not happen in America—it might be more sketchy and scary, but I don’t know yet.
William: Probably the street food.
What’s the Shanghai dish or restaurant you’ll miss most?
Nike: The mango margarita at Fat Cow!
Jessica: Honestly, all the restaurants in Shanghai are pretty good. Oh, I like the dumplings next to school! Oh, sho zhua bing! Or dou jiang! Dou jiang is good.
William: I don’t really eat Shanghainese food, but I eat the street food like bao zi and that kind of stuff. That’s pretty lit.
Do you see yourself ever coming back to Shanghai? Why or why not?
Nike: Maybe not in the immediate future, but I think maybe after college I’d come back to visit and see how things have changed.
Sean: I probably will—my grandparents still live here.
Jessica: Oh, yeah. Not this school, though! But Shanghai as a city, yes. I think it’s a good city.
William: I kind of have to cause my sister still goes to the school so I have to come back.
Do you have any advice for the lower grades on how to survive senior year?
Nike: Work hard and make sure you don’t slack off too much, but also always keep in mind that it’s your very last year in Shanghai and you should really try to enjoy it.
Sean: For the underclassmen, I’d tell them to take AP. For the juniors who are in IB… good luck.
Jessica: Don’t be pessimistic.
William: Take the second semester seriously. Just do it.
The Echo will also be losing its co-editors in chief to university. Seniors Ana Ghiban and Emma Li have been involved in The Echo since it was just an idea rising from the ashes of The ShangHigh Echo, the journalism class’ paper publication, starting as members and assuming leadership and initiative when the opportunity presented itself. “I’m very proud of how far we’ve come,” said Ghiban. “Our readership has only increased, and I only hope that this momentum will continue long after Emma and I are gone.”
The two will be succeeded by juniors Angela Ma, Amy Liu, and Allison Ma. “The Echo is a very reputable newspaper and has been stirring thoughtful discussions within the SAS community as the source of student voice,” reflects Angela Ma. “I’m very excited to take on this role and work with my fellow co-editors to continue its influence.”
The Class of 2017 will be graduating at 3:00 pm on 28 May, at Shanghai Culture Square. The ceremony will be followed by a reception, family dinners, after-parties, and the rest of their lives.
The end of the school year is fast approaching, and while the promise of warmer weather is an exciting prospect to students, this is a turbulent time for SAS seniors. Some have been accepted to their dream schools, others are still awaiting decisions, and many are still in the process of choosing where they will study next year. This is all amid looming IB and AP exams that for some could make or break that decision. It is a lot to take on for any teenager.
What tends to get sidelined throughout this process is the magnitude of all the other changes in their lives. This is the last time they will be living under their parents’ roof as a child they care for. They will be moving to a new city, country, culture—all by themselves. They will face the sudden pressure to become adults by having to manage finances, take on novel errands, and perhaps get a job.
On top of all this is the slipping away of Shanghai. Whether this city has been their home for one year or eighteen, its perks are bound to only be truly realized when looking back after they are gone. How can one slow down and properly enjoy the last few months with so many things at stake?
 |
| The Class of 2017 on a trip to Shanghai Disneyland, courtesy of Winston Chan |
Thankfully, the SAS seniors are set to do just that. From APAC and Prom to Senior Lock-in and Senior Trip, you won’t find the seniors missing out on the best of what the SAS community has to offer. This is rightfully so, for the Class of 2017 has many accomplishments to celebrate. They’re the first senior class with over thirty candidates for valedictorian, the first senior class to hold their skip day at Shanghai Disneyland, and the first senior class with the opportunity to prank the CID... but we’ll see about that.
To conclude their time at SAS, The Echo asked a few seniors to look back on their experiences, as well as toward what lies ahead. Below are their considerably varied responses.
Nike Hartmann
Time at SAS: 5 years
Moving to: IESEG School of Management in Paris, France
Sean Chen
Time at SAS: 7 years
Moving to: Stanford University in Stanford, California
Jessica Hsiao
Time at SAS: 4 years
Moving to: Undecided
William Mallen
Time at SAS: 4 years
Moving to: Undecided, “probably back home to California”
What’s it like being an SAS senior right now?
Nike: [Laughs]. Right now, I’m just trying to enjoy my last few weeks while balancing the pressure—the incoming storm of IB exams. I’m trying to enjoy my last few months with friends that I’ve spent time with for the past five years, as well as just enjoying the city while I still can! So it’s pretty chill.
Sean: Well. I don’t I have senioritis yet—or at least, not in a very heavy dose, but I’m still keeping up with my work. Otherwise, there’s little pressure.
Jessica: It’s great! I’m just waiting for the last month.
William: It’s pretty fun, actually! I feel like there’s a lot less pressure now that we’ve all gotten into colleges. Especially coming back after skip day, it feels a lot more lenient and a lot more chill now.
What will you miss most about SAS high school?
Nike: I think I’ll miss all the opportunities that we have here. I feel like there’s a very broad range of things to do at this school, and if you wanna start a club or do anything it’s very easy to do so. You can always find people that are enthusiastic to help you, and I think that’s very cool.
Sean: I’ll definitely miss the people. Quiz team, all the dank memes that we have….
Jessica: My friends.
William: I’m gonna miss Scoreboard and all the clubs. At school, I think I’ll miss the space we have. We have a lot of fields.
What’s a change you will welcome? What won’t you miss?
Nike: I won’t miss how locked in we are here and how there’s all these things that we have to do.
Sean: I feel like it will be too stereotypical of me to just say [I won’t miss] the air quality… but Stanford has a particle accelerator, so that’s pretty cool.
Jessica: New environment. I won’t miss this competitive environment.
William: Basically everything at SAS. The pressure, the stress… a lot less Asians. I’m not being racist! It’s just that I grew up on the West Coast, and I’m looking forward to being back in that culture.
What’s a change you fear?
Nike: I guess right now, I’m very happy and confident with my group of friends and all the things I have going on and it’s pretty scary seeing all those things leaving me and [the thought of] having to reestablish all the aspects of my life in a brand-new city.
Sean: I don’t know how my bag situation is gonna work because, you know, I have a rolly bag, and Stanford has a lot of tiles on the floor, and I’m afraid it might be too much noise and I might have to change that.
Jessica: Leaving my friends.
William: Not being able to go home every day and not having people constantly reminding me what to do.
Do you have a memorable or funny memory from your time at SAS that you’ll remember down the road?
Nike: I guess I’ll just miss all of the good moments with my friends in the lounge.
Jessica: Senior Skip Day… then we all had detention. That was pretty cool. We were all in the lecture hall. We got to bond as a class.
William: I don’t know. I feel like right now I wouldn’t remember it but once we get down the road, there’ll definitely be stuff I remember—probably dumb stuff I do with my friends. Nothing Echo-approved!
What was the toughest moment of your high school career?
Nike: I would have to say the college application process. Those two months before winter break were probably my toughest moments just because there was, well, less support than expected from the, you know, “upper ranking individuals” and I just thought that we would have more support. But with the help of my peers, I got through it!
Sean: Honestly, AP US History seemed tougher than it should’ve been. I think it was probably psychological, but it seemed really tough back then and it’s not such a big deal now.
Jessica: The past three years because I was just waiting for this moment.
William: Definitely the transition to SAS because I came from a progressive school with no grades or testing, so I came here with no value of school as we know it: homework didn’t matter, testing didn’t matter… so I come in here and I get slapped with a C on my first test. I was like, oh, it doesn’t matter, right? Then I get slapped with more Cs and by the time I got my report card for my midterms, I was failing all my classes and I didn’t think it actually mattered or anything at that point. So, learning I had to actually give a shit about school.
Do you have any regrets, anything you would have done differently if you had the chance?
Nike: I kind of regret not doing more community service in our local community because I feel like I did a lot elsewhere, like Habitat for Humanity and Jacaranda, which were good of course but I never went to any of the community service trips in our community. It’s something that I wish I would have done.
Sean: No regrets!
Jessica: Yeah. That I’d focused more on school for the past three years.
William: Oh, put more effort into this school.
Any favorite Shanghai perks you know you won’t you find anywhere else?
Nike: The cheap drinks at bars.
Sean: It’s a relatively safe city; I like that. It’s safe and the public transport is good.
Jessica: It’s kind of safe here in Shanghai. When you go out at midnight, there’s always people on the streets. That might not happen in America—it might be more sketchy and scary, but I don’t know yet.
William: Probably the street food.
What’s the Shanghai dish or restaurant you’ll miss most?
Nike: The mango margarita at Fat Cow!
Jessica: Honestly, all the restaurants in Shanghai are pretty good. Oh, I like the dumplings next to school! Oh, sho zhua bing! Or dou jiang! Dou jiang is good.
William: I don’t really eat Shanghainese food, but I eat the street food like bao zi and that kind of stuff. That’s pretty lit.
Do you see yourself ever coming back to Shanghai? Why or why not?
Nike: Maybe not in the immediate future, but I think maybe after college I’d come back to visit and see how things have changed.
Sean: I probably will—my grandparents still live here.
Jessica: Oh, yeah. Not this school, though! But Shanghai as a city, yes. I think it’s a good city.
William: I kind of have to cause my sister still goes to the school so I have to come back.
Do you have any advice for the lower grades on how to survive senior year?
Nike: Work hard and make sure you don’t slack off too much, but also always keep in mind that it’s your very last year in Shanghai and you should really try to enjoy it.
Sean: For the underclassmen, I’d tell them to take AP. For the juniors who are in IB… good luck.
Jessica: Don’t be pessimistic.
William: Take the second semester seriously. Just do it.
 |
| The senior class pictured on the field in the traditional "SAS" photograph, taken by Mr. Jerry Koontz |
The Echo will also be losing its co-editors in chief to university. Seniors Ana Ghiban and Emma Li have been involved in The Echo since it was just an idea rising from the ashes of The ShangHigh Echo, the journalism class’ paper publication, starting as members and assuming leadership and initiative when the opportunity presented itself. “I’m very proud of how far we’ve come,” said Ghiban. “Our readership has only increased, and I only hope that this momentum will continue long after Emma and I are gone.”
The two will be succeeded by juniors Angela Ma, Amy Liu, and Allison Ma. “The Echo is a very reputable newspaper and has been stirring thoughtful discussions within the SAS community as the source of student voice,” reflects Angela Ma. “I’m very excited to take on this role and work with my fellow co-editors to continue its influence.”
The Class of 2017 will be graduating at 3:00 pm on 28 May, at Shanghai Culture Square. The ceremony will be followed by a reception, family dinners, after-parties, and the rest of their lives.
Ana Ghiban
