Newsletter (2017-2018) January 2018 Newsletter | Page 4

EDITOR’S NOTE
Belinda Zhou
International Tutor
I hope that you all had a relaxing holiday season, and I wish you all a happy new year! Since coming
up with new year’s resolutions normally requires reflection, the writers of the January issue decided
to ponder what “culture” means to them and produced a diverse set of articles for you to enjoy.
Linda opens the issue with a piece that speculates about what the meaning of “culture” really is,
and what it can do to both divide people and bring them together. We then have a few words from
Candice about her experience volunteering in Romania. Following this, we have writers detail their
experiences abroad, including moments of both miscommunication and cross-cultural understand-
ing. Looking back on her experiences while on exchange, Blair compares the American and British
style of celebrating holidays with the Chinese way. In the next article, Qinxin shares with us how the
Swedish way of life has changed her own lifestyle, as well as the ways in which she shared Chinese
culture with her foreign friends. The last story about life abroad comes from Tyler, who discusses
various befuddling conversations he has had with Brits, as well as the differences he notices be-
tween his Hong Kong aunt and her British husband.
Shifting away from the topic of national cultures, this issue features another set of articles focused
on the way culture manifests itself in different forms of media. Ella writes about the social media
culture that has emerged in recent years. Although she acknowledges the benefits and convenienc-
es of technology, she also criticises the unrealistic way that life is portrayed through social media.
Venus also tackles media culture, but with a focus on the film industry and its representation of
women. Finally, Sing closes off the issue with an analysis of one of the most famous pop stars in
the world, Taylor Swift. In his article, he considers the ways in which the singer’s public image and
cultural impact has changed throughout her career.
I hope these articles help broaden your perspective on what “culture” is and perhaps prompt you
all to reflect more upon your own cultural experiences, whether they involve going abroad, surfing
the internet, or honing your talents in the arts. If any of the pieces look like something you would be
interested in writing, you are also welcome to submit articles for future editions of the newsletter.
We would love to get a diverse set of student perspectives to further enrich the content of our news-
letter. Please check out the last page of the issue for more information.
Thanks again to David Brown at the CLE for editing this issue.
Happy New Year!
JANUARY 2018
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