Dear Reader,

We are excited to bring you the third volume of The Hundred River Review, NYU Shanghai’s journal of excellent student writing. Each year, we look for exemplary student essays that display the critical and interdisciplinary approach that characterizes NYU Shanghai’s academic mission.

Each of the four essays in this volume engages with questions of identity, education, and communication. The writers do so by drawing on their own multicultural, multilingual, and global perspectives in order to craft compelling arguments. Kelly Marshall explores the world of Chinese hip hop, and the underlying motivations and performative techniques that allow it to pay homage to and distinguish itself from its American counterpart. Yao Zhirui analyzes communicative strategies evidenced in WeChat conversations, and what they suggest about how we engage with each other. Wang Huanci deftly moves between her sources to argue against patriotism as a key criterion with which citizens view the world, and Shi Jiannan uses the distinction between linguistic and cultural development to make a case for increased support to international students in U.S. universities. 

Every year, we aim to showcase pieces from core courses Writing as Inquiry (I & II) and Perspectives on the Humanities that can serve as a model for future student work. We hope that these essays encourage you to maintain an inquisitive attitude when writing, and serve as an inspiration to enrich your own academic work. 

Sincerely,

Jennifer Tomscha and Isa Ho

The Hundred River Review Editorial Board