Letter from Editor

Dear Readers,

Hello, and welcome to Polyphony!

I’m Chok, a soon-to-be 4^th-year student who constantly laments the complexity of our worlds yet find so much solace and thrill in them (credit to Anthropology and Sociology for always lulling me into liminal spaces that aren’t quite black or white or grey). For most of my life, until only a few months ago, I found myself quite rigid, always wanting to be in control of most things for fear of losing direction in that one version of Life I desire most, or at least I think I do. The education system I was put through and the values instilled in me sociologically demanded lots of sure steps and either-ors – everything-everywhere-all-at-once type of chaos was never part of the manuscript, but at Polyphony, I got to tinker with that.

Being here, in Okayama, GDP, Japan, (and virtually in Malaysia) all at once, has been a gift that beckoned me to the margins. Learning to thread these margins has cultivated in me, surprisingly, fun ways to engage with unexpected messiness, so much so I realized that it has become a way of life, all of which has developed in me an art of noticing. When everything seems to be fumbling your routine, what are some signs that still resonate resilience, hope, and tranquility? This practice of noticing for more naturally embedded me deeper into everything I come in touch with, and that’s how I eroded my rigidity – by welcoming things excitedly yet gently into my journey of becoming.

Polyphony prides herself in holding space to showcase the imagination that comes with reflecting on one’s entanglement and identity-making in the face of global changes. These changes ask for alternative ways of envisioning the future because there needs to be a rupture from the status quo to assemble a new norm. Introducing such imaginations can confound our sense of time because sometimes we must revisit the past to reinvent the present for the future, or something in between. Such entanglements should teach us a way of life in the 21^st century – an array of lessons shaped by the dialogues GDP students with diverse backgrounds bring to the table.

I sincerely hope the chaos of metamorphosizing extends to you, because it is within chaos that you learn the gift of creativity and appreciation for even what seems least insignificant.

Polyphony was formed as a means to showcase GDP students’ interests and talents in writing as well as their ability in critical thinking. The journal is aimed to be the channel that connects the students with the wider world through their works and passions. We provide content that can fit through different fields and interests in the effort to represent the diverse nature of the students in the Discovery Program for Global Learners.

The word “polyphony” means “music in which several different tunes are played or sung at the same time.” The word is the embodiment of the team who brought the student journal together as well as the students of our program. Although it may sound rather pretentious, there doesn’t seem to be any other word that can describe how Polyphony’s team, with each person’s unique point of views, has cooked this journal up together creating a harmonious collection of works.

Polyphony Student Journal is manned by students who collaborate in writing, editing, and illustrating. Polyphony is a joint effort to produce high-quality content for the readers.