Interview by Regina Marie Lee (13A01B)

If the name Miranda Yeo sounds familiar, you might have read some of her articles in the Straits Times earlier this year. Before graduating from RI in 2011, Miranda took History, English Language and Linguistics, Literature and Math in the Humanities Programme and was Vice-President of the Boon Lay Youth Club. After graduation, she interned at Singapore Press Holdings’ Straits Times Newsdesk from March to June 2012 and is currently studying at the Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information at NTU.

Miranda, pictured here with Boon Lay Youth Club President (2011) Wu Wai Choong Teacher-In-Charge Mr Chan Ter Yue

As some of our Year 5s head out to internships this holiday, Raffles Press talks to Miranda about her experiences. We find out whether her initial interest in journalism persisted after a challenging yet enriching internship, where she had a Hougang resident set his dogs on her while requesting for an interview! She recounts how the eight times a story she wrote didn’t eventually make the paper were “veritable stab(s) to the heart”, and how her initial ideas about “boring old Singapore” were disputed as she met interesting and diverse strangers on the job.

Why did you choose to intern at SPH?
Journalism has always held a certain appeal to me as a prospective career path. For me it was a logical progression, because I have always liked writing and I thought that to be able to write for a living would probably allow me to sustain passion for my day-to-day job longer than if I were to be desk-bound doing something I have less interest in.

The nature of the job also appeals to me on many levels. You wake up and report to work knowing you are going to experience something different every day and that adrenaline rush and excitement is not something you can find in many jobs.

I am somewhat inherently repellent to the idea of being a cubicle rat, so a job that requires me to be up and about, to think on my feet, to meet new people – all that really appealed to me. Of course, all these generalizations I heard about the job were merely second-hand recounts. I felt it was necessary for me to experience the job before deciding to enter Communications School in university, where Journalism would be one of my possible majors.

What did you do as an intern?
I worked at the Straits Times Newsdesk, and mainly wrote stories for the Home and occasionally Prime sections. Some days I would have my own stories to chase and to cover, other days I would be attached to senior journalists, helping to call interviewees for polling, to get different perspectives on issues, or to get expert opinions on a particular social trend.

We would also be on rotation each week with other interns, so we would be attached to Sunday Times every few weeks. Sunday Times operates as a separate section of the paper, and stories that go into the Sunday Times are usually of greater depth and breadth, so we work on those stories for the entire week.

Miranda with a fellow intern at SPH headquarters

What was the workplace culture like?
The entire paper is huge and different sections of the paper have distinctly different kinds of “culture”. I can generalize that the Newsdesk is consistently busy, to nobody’s surprise – we are responsible for the bulk of the paper’s fresh news after all. So late nights, pressing deadlines and multiple stories to chase are all in a day’s work. Yes, late nights are common, but I would put it down to a personal commitment to deliver good stories rather than an enforced workplace culture.

There are several levels of editors who oversee your work. Of the news editors we interact with on a daily basis, each of them oversees different beats (like education, healthcare, social issues, environment and science), though not exclusively. All the editors are very experienced and will guide interns along on what kind of quotes to gather when on the field, how to structure the story and what to lead off with. Most are affable and very approachable, though they do expect professionalism from us, interns or not. We are expected to be able to string a story together in grammatical, coherent and lucid English, and we should at least be able to pick out the strongest points of a story and suggest which areas to angle the story. That being said, mistakes are tolerated and when we do make them – trust me, we all will at some point – the editors will speak with you just to make sure you know what to do in future.

What were some challenges you faced while interning?
The job, though pretty exciting, is not all adrenaline and fun.

My first shock on the job was being assigned my first story and having no idea what procedures to follow through, be it requesting for a photographer, how to get to the venue, how to deliver what reporting I managed to get done. It was mostly my fault for not taking the time to read through the workflow procedure and for not familiarizing myself with the house style. Though we were not told, the onus was on us to make sure we knew what to do when. And if you don’t know what to do, you really should ask, or you’ll find yourself lost in your own panic. My colleagues, especially fellow journalists, were very willing to help, but they were often so busy with their own stories, I felt bad asking for their help on very basic things I eventually learnt on the job.

Many interns also enter the paper expecting to have exciting press conferences to attend, chasing criminals outside the Supreme Court, going undercover at Geylang to research and so on, but to be honest, being on the job really strips away the glamour of being a journalist.

On bad days, you may have to go door to door around estates searching for that one quote that will make your story that much more credible and sound. I once had a homeowner in Hougang set his dogs loose on me because I tried to distract him from his very engaging game of mahjong. I spent another day walking five blocks of one-room flats in search of the ideal interviewee – which I didn’t find despite my best efforts. Oh, and don’t forget the angry shouting public relations executives yelling at you over the phone and demanding to speak with your boss because our story angle puts their company in bad light. And the dreaded polling that all interns will have to take on at some point or another, calling entire lists of people or companies, or walking the ground getting people to fill in survey forms while they frantically avoid you like the plague.

Of all my quibbles about the job, the one that got me down the most was having my stories cut from the paper.

For a total of eight times (I remember the number so clearly because each time it happened was a veritable stab to the heart), I spent the entire day, sometimes a few weeks, working on a story which eventually didn’t make the paper for some reason or other. It happens every day – there is limited space in the paper and only the stories with enough weight get published. Still, that knowledge is little comfort when you see a story you’ve worked on all day go straight into cold storage. Still, I learnt to take these in my stride and as a fellow journalist shared with me, adopt a “live to fight another day” attitude. New stories come every day and, as a journalist, it is important to move on and cover fresh new ground. You can always keep the old stories in view or wait until something happens to bring it a fresh news point.

What were some experiences you enjoyed while interning?
Despite all my hairsplitting over the job’s unglamorous field work and the stress and late nights of being a journalist, it is these very things that gave me some of the best experiences I’ve had all my life. It is when you are out in the field meeting strangers that you get to interact with the most interesting and diverse kinds of people you will find in “boring old Singapore”. As many times as I have told myself “I am going to quit tomorrow” after a long and unproductive day, something would draw me back to the job. It could be a stranger’s warmth, an email thanking me for a story I wrote, or hearing a gem of a quote from someone I met on the street.

I met some of the most giving astronomy enthusiasts while covering a story on Venus crossing the sun. To anyone else it was simply a speck of black on the Sun’s face but for them, it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for anyone in Singapore to witness this phenomena. Yet the moment they caught sight of the phenomena on their telescope, they opened it for public viewing, letting the snaking queues of people around them admire the view before they even had a chance to take a closer look.

Another time, I met an elderly and deaf man, Mr Ang Hock Guan who lived alone in a one-room flat. He had so little to himself – nothing more than a bed, a cupboard, a table and a bookshelf. I befriended him and found out he was intelligent and believed in humanism, a theory that mankind does not need religious structures to form a sense of morality. He wrote essays upon essays, annotating his yellowed copies of philosophy books – but I was his only reader. He said his last wish was to join the Humanist Society of Singapore, so I managed to arrange a visit to his home with the society’s president. That day, he held my hands and told me I was an angel. But that very night, he passed on.

Visiting the late Mr Ang Hock Guan, 96

It is these experiences, unseen on the daily paper, which allowed me to live and breathe Singaporean life and see things from the laterals of our society. I rethought most things I knew about my own world and discovered I subscribed to too many over-generalizations. Labels like “mainstream media”, “state-controlled press”, “lower bracket of society”, “needy”, “public good”, I realized, were often unfairly used as blanket terms.

As for those experiences I got out of seeing my stories on the paper, they left an impression on me too.

One of the stories I helped to write about bathtub volunteerism, where people spend less time on community service after graduating from school, managed to inspire a dialogue session by the National Youth Council. The two of us writers were invited as speakers for the event. It then really struck me that everything that goes into the paper will be read by someone somewhere and can make a huge difference in shaping what is current and what is not.

Miranda with Ms Laura Lye from Voluntarius Singapore who organised the bathtub volunteerism dialogue session, and Feng Zengkun, her fellow journalist

I learnt to be very aware of my surroundings because I was always on the lookout for possible story ideas. It gave me a heightened sense of awareness and interest in my immediate community and I had never felt so “tuned in” to happenings around me.

What advice do you have for anyone looking to do an internship?
Make sure what you want to do is something you’re interested in as a prospective career. Don’t expect to be handed the learning experience on a silver platter. It really is up to you how much you learn from your experience. For those who want an SPH internship experience, go for it. Have an open mind and be prepared that it is not all fun and excitement.

This style guide to Prom for guys and girls is brought to you by Council, Runway, and Press.
By Dyon Ang (12A01E) and Sum Xin Yi (13A01B)

Grad Night 2012: Noir is the Batch of 2012′s final soirée! It is the time where everyone wants to be dressed to kill. After all, Grad Night is the biggest night of your entire JC life.

(Prom is going to be used interchangeably with Grad Night, despite the fact it is going to be more Chinese Wedding than an actual American-style Prom with cocktails and canapés.)

Well, on the bright side, you don’t have to ask someone to be your date…you get to ask nine! And you know what they say, two’s company, but ten is a heckload of fun.

—————————————— MALES ——————————————

So let’s face it, there’s not much a guy can do to look different from the guy next to you, is there? Wrong. Guys should be equally up to task as the girls, it all comes down to the little details…
THE BASICS

1. The Classic Suit

Gucci S/S 2012

The formal suit is always an option. The suit jacket will always come with a pair of matching trousers (if it’s a two-piece) and a vest (three-piece). Go for the three-piece suit if you want a more traditional formal feel and leave the bottom button unbuttoned if its a two-button suit jacket. A fashionable friend of mine swears by Gucci, and only Gucci, for suits, while I’m more of a D&G person.

Dolce & Gabbana F/W 2012

In both cases, wear a slim necktie (fat ones can be chunky and business-like) especially if you go for the three-piece option.

Note: There is are subtle differences between a business suit and an evening suit (use your… good judgment — it’s more to do with the color and material than anything).

2. Blazer Combination

A slightly easier attire option than the suit where the matching possibilities are endless dependent on whether you want to upgrade or downgrade your level of formality – just make sure you have a decent blazer!

3. Suspenders + Dress Shirt and Pants (no kidding)

An option you can consider if you have a preppy/hipster look, or if you think you have it going on. Avoid this if you do not, but if you do, you might actually look adorkable: it all depends on the person really.

Wearing a bow tie is preferred (NOT those humongous ones that exend beyond the tips of your shirt collar, they make you look like a joke). Unless that’s what you are going for (see adorkable).

4. A tuxedo

Tom Ford

The most dressy formal attire (read: difficult to pull off) option you can consider but if done well, it can be worn with aplomb and style. We recommend sticking to the above options, but if you do go with this, rent it. A well made and tailored tuxedo can be obscenely expensive.

Most rented generic tuxedos are rather boxily cut. Since you can’t alter them to suit your body, they are best left for the genuinely boxier people. Always wear a tuxedo shirt (this is different than a dress shirt) to add sophistication — you already are wearing a tuxedo, so why not go all out? Oh and come in a bow tie (no ties)!

5. Anything White

In general, this option is strongly discouraged — people might start asking you for drinks.  Very few can pull off this look (especially a white tuxedo).

IN GENERAL

• Don’t be afraid to wear colours to make yourself stand out. No garish colors please, stick to pastels (light blue, pale pink, etc) if unsure. Wear a darker necktie/bow tie than your shirt or if your shirt is in a dark hue, a lighter one.
• When in doubt, you can play it safe. Stick to evening colours (black, midnight blue, etc). Wear a classic black suit and you’re golden.
• Keep it classy.
• Always leave a button unbuttoned if you’re wearing a suit jacket/blazer. Unbutton it when you sit and rebutton it when you stand to not look sloppy (since the jacket will bunch up).
• Make sure your clothes are fitting (note to some people: this does not mean skin-tight)
• Little details like a tie bar will help accentuate your dressing!
• Break the rules
• Have fun!

—————————————— FEMALES ——————————————

Confession right here: prom is nothing without you looking good and a hell lot of photos. If you haven’t got your pictures, you didn’t attend the actual prom. You see, you’re all dolled up in those expensive clothes and so are your friends so get your money’s worth! Or your parents’ money’s worth. Either way, unleash that inner camera-loving self of yours and we promise that you will thank us post-prom when you will have so much to look back on.

“Fashion knows not of comfort. All that matters is the face you show the world.” — Gossip Girl, everyone’s favourite drama.

Taking into account how this graduating batch of Rafflesians is already so particularly well-dressed even when going to school (cardigans, socks and all), there is expected to be fierce competition amongst the ladies to stand out for prom this year. Yes we’ve done our research, so look forward to a gala of splendid tailor-made dresses and designer brands – and, gasp, maybe a couple of ladies wearing the same dress as well. They say imitation is the best form of flattery but it’s not necessarily so in this case. Don’t worry; you can still make your outfit uniquely you with makeup, accessories and just plain spunk. :)

THE BASICS

1. Cocktail Dress

Possibly one of the most adaptable dresses that a lady can invest in. Dressed up or dressed down, this can take you from dinner dates to formal events, and prom night is no exception.

In fact, most tend to prefer this over the traditional evening gowns as this allows you to…show off your legs! However, for decency’s sake, do make sure the furthest the hem rides up your legs is high-thigh. Check before purchasing: sit down, bend over, stretch, run, and see how high the hem will hike up. If already purchased and the dress is doomed to flash, you can attempt the trick K-Pop stars use with their impossibly short skirts during live performances — tape it down! A less popular, but a more modest, alternative is to wear tights.

2. Evening Gown

The traditional attire for prom nights. The evening gown is always floor-length and is also more formal, luxurious and expensive than its leg-baring counterpart.

It is typically prized as a more mature choice and picked by those who deem themselves already out of the teenage-party phase. That is because if you intend to party afterwards, you will need to ensure you have a second outfit as clubs these days aren’t too fond of their dance floors interacting with your floor-sweeping chiffon.

Footwear

Most, if not all, ladies will be in heels, so do not be afraid to slip on some zany designs!

Alexander McQueen S/S 2010

For those with shorter legs, avoid vertical lines as they visually cut off the line of the leg. That means ankle boots and ankle straps, for no matter how trendy they may be, make even long legs look shorter. Also, match your hosiery with your heels, as it creates a continuous line down your leg to give the illusion of longer legs.

Emilio Pucci S/S 2013

Please remember to wear heels that you can actually walk in. Longer legs will not be able to make up for that embarrassing fall that overturned the buffet table.

IN GENERAL

Things to take note of:

• Watch your cleavage (plunging necklines) and do wear the correct bra or expect slips and spills all over the place unless, you know, that’s your intention. A smaller bust will be beneficial if going strapless as the dress will fit better and stay up. However, still do checks constantly and Fashion Tape is everyone’s secret best friend.
• Visible Panty Line, which is when your underwear is visible through your clothing.
• “No human being should ever wear tight satin.” – Michael Kors
• Remember… it’s great to experiment with bold colours and patterns (they make you stand out!) but black is and will always be slimming.

Accessories

Jewellery and hair accessories are optional.

However, you do need an all-important purse. Not only does it complete your look, it is also vital for carrying your necessary items. Choose something small so that every time you move your hands you’re not shoving a boulder into someone’s face.

Things that should be in your chic clutch:

• Cell Phone + Money
• Makeup essentials: You shouldn’t be hauling your entire makeup stash with you to prom but do pack in your lipstick, eyeliner, concealer and maybe a compact mirror for touch-ups
• Oil-blotting sheets: That finishing powder or foundation that promises “superb oil control” probably isn’t going to last you the whole night, especially if you have oily skin, so do have some blotting sheets on hand to soak up all that sebum.
• Mints: We don’t know what dinner is going to consist of but, trust us, it’s always better to be on the safe side. (In case you are intending to abstain from eating in hopes of a flatter stomach: one meal isn’t going to make much difference and, please, you paid for the hotel food.)
• Camera (optional). Remember there’s still your camera phone and the official photographers for the event. This will add to the bulk of your purse, though there is nothing quite like personalised camwhoring with your favourite people.

Makeup

This is a particularly tricky area, especially for many damsels out there who have been living the past 18 years of their life sans makeup. Just remember that, unlike what popular media is attempting to sell you, less is more — you would want to avoid resembling a baby hooker.

• Pick your best features to focus on. In most cases, it will either be the lips or eyes. If you’re going all-out for the windows to your soul, keep your lips simple. If you’re going to focus all the focus on your lips, use bronzer instead of rouge for cheeks and keep the eyes clean.
• Take note that it’s called smoky eyes, not raccoon.
• Don’t be afraid to try bold colours like the classic red lip. There are online tutorials to help you perfect the look.
• Make sure that your foundation is in the right shade – apply it all the way to the neck and remember to blend well.
• Do not cake your makeup on. Even if you think you need that much make-up to begin with, you probably will still look better without a layer of junk.
• Use loose/finishing powder to prevent oiliness, or your face may transform into a shining beacon of light in photos. Take a photo with flash to test it out. This is crucial because — according to reviews of a recent prom held at Orchard Hotel — the lighting in the ballroom is so terrible you can’t take any decent photos with flash.
• Please use waterproof makeup if you’re prone to crying or bursting into hysterics. Actually, just use waterproof/water-resistant makeup regardless because you may perspire.
• Regularly touch up your makeup throughout the night to keep that perfect face looking perfect.

If you’re still unsure, you may approach the sweet makeup people at Sephora or any other makeup counters and ask for advice! Most times they will even give you a free personalised makeover (in hopes that you’ll buy the products of course).  Or you can book appointments at make up counters like the following:

Bobbi Brown – $80
Dior – $120
The Makeup Store – $50
Shu Uemura – $50

Otherwise, the internet is also filled with thousands of free makeup tutorials. Check out Xaviera’s prom Makeup video if you want something simple yet beautiful.
Other popular Youtube picks include @MichellePhan, @cl2425, and @jungsaemmool.
To end off, ladies and gentlemen, just remember to have fun and congratulations for surviving a very trying 2 years!

By Sum Xin Yi (13A01B)
You could already sense the competition in the air at Orchard Hotel’s porch, where there was an excitable flurry of stiletto heels,  fitted blazers, and exclamations of “oh my god!”. As the tourists and staff at the hotel (admittedly located in quite an isolated area) strained their necks to catch a glimpse of the red-carpet-worthy Rafflesians, the Year 6s made their way through an air of perfume and hairspray to the extravagant ballroom on the 3^rd floor.

The theme for this year’s prom was Film Noir, which means black film, a cinematic term for the period of time Hollywood, hit with the Great Depression and Cold War, abandoned its ditzy jolly past to adopt a thoroughly depressive quality. That means heightened cynicism, social estrangement, cops with stone eyes and hearts, femme fatales and a prevalent (sexual) tension between everyone and everything. Hence, I expected Grad Night attendees to turn up looking as though they were embroiled in a seductive murder conspiracy. And they did not disappoint!

The ladies were definitely very glamorous. It was thrilling to see many taking risks to exert their sensual charms with higher hemlines, lower necklines, open-backed dresses or bold makeup; all while retaining a feminine elegance. The gentlemen of the night did not lose out, with many sporting classic suits with ties or bowties, effectively channeling the sexy, dangerous vibe of detective heroes. There were definitely some who did not adhere strictly to the theme, or experimented wildly. “We didn’t enforce a dress code,” explained Year 5 Councillor Seet Yun Teng. Nevertheless, they still looked stunning!

However, the theme meant that most dressed rather similarly or generically. A very common look was the businessman look, due to the very sensible colours or rigid structures of many blazers that night. On the bright side, we now know that many Year 6s have inherent CEO potential, at least appearance-wise. There were quite a number of glittery dresses too, with some hits and misses depending on how they handled the rest of the outfit.

Beck Sung Hyun

Beck stole the limelight easily with his preppy-dashing outfit. His Topman grey suit stood outamongst a sea of black, and that leather footwear combo is adorable. He topped it off with sleekly swept-back hair that just declares it all: he is one stylish gentleman.
Blazer, trousers: Topman
Shirt (with suspenders!): Suit Select
Socks: Uniqlo
Shoes: Sperry
Watch: Sekonda
Pocket Square: Suit Select
Cufflinks: TM. LEWIN

Natasha Rodrigues

Natasha was insanely attractive on prom night in her all-vintage outfit with a most adorable story behind it: her mother wore it on her engagement day. Although vintage, it still looked modern and fit Natasha in all the right places. The dress’ daring bare-back and hemline, along with its burst of colour, made it a stunning show-stopper.
Dress: Vintage Club 21
Earrings: Vintage
Watch: Vintage Versace

Dyon Ang

Dyon stood out easily with a pop of colour and sparkle. Focusing the attention on his clothes, he kept his hair neat and slick and left accessories out. All that is for a good cause though: the burgundy velvet blazer clashes sweetly with his studded Versace tank top; finishing off with some trendy Doc Marts to produce an eclectic outfit.

Tank Top: Versace
Blazer: D&G (burgundy velvet)
Pants: H&M
Shoes: Dr Martens

Gi Won Baik

Gi Won dazzled in her cream goddess dress, which also accommodated a thigh-high slit, injecting just the right amount of sensuality. Her natural makeup and loose hairdo also complimented her look for the night. She proved that you can still look downright stunning on a budget.

Headband: Forever New
Earrings: Forever 21
Necklace: Overseas
Dress: USA
Shoes: Overseas

Isabelle Lim

Isabelle looked effortlessly mature with a sexy bright lips and, uncommonly, short hair (a result of Hair for Hope) – it was definitely a sexy kind of mature. She upped her attitude with a studded, boxy clutch and chose a printed halter-neck dress from Guess for the night – though perhaps a slight hemming up of the dress would have enhanced her look.

Dress: Guess
Clutch: New Look
Shoes: Zara

Xaviera Ho

The high-low skirt has indeed been a persistent trend this season. Xaviera exudes elegance in her dress featuring a high-fronted skirt that descends to reach her calves at the back – perhaps it would have been more dramatic if it was floor-length. Nevertheless, the glittery top also included strategic cut-outs that showed off her great figure.

Dress: Asos
Earrings: Vintage
Necklace: Talisman
Bracelet: Forever 21
Heels: Anna Nucci

Shawna Wu

Shawna completely stole the show with her stunning black Gucci number with a sizzling high-thigh slit and deep bare-back. However, it was the tinted cut-outs that glided smoothly across the dress and the subtle sparkle of the fabric that made the dress truly stand out. Her makeup of the night, with dark, sultry eyes, also complimented the whole look. Truly well-executed.

Earrings: Asos
Dress: Gucci
Shoes: Topshop

Marcus Yeo

As one of the Prom King nominees, Marcus was observed with a great deal of anticipation – and no doubt did he look charming in a classic black suit and a navy tie, which added a subtle touch of colour to the monochromatic outfit. He also shows that G2000, in fact, faces unnecessary hate. (Marcus chose the brand because, quoting him, he is “cheap”.)

Everything: G2000

Tang Li Yong

Li Yong sizzled in her little black number, which also had little peplum layers at the side to accentuate her curves. The dress also featured intricate embroidery and jewel designs. She paired the dress with some killer heels from Miss Selfridge and kept her hair neat by combing it into a slick, high ponytail.

Earrings: Iliana, Diva, Lovisa
Necklace: Lovisa
Dress: Robinsons
Shoes: Miss Selfridge

Emily Low

In a sea of bare backs and legs, Emily’s outfit was a modest one. She was all covered-up in her dress, which featured an elaborate damask design on both its front and back. Finishing it off with light makeup and elegant curls, she looked demure and beautiful.

Dress: River Island
Shoes: New Look
Bracelet: River Island

Fadhli Ikbal

As the victorious Ladies’ Man of the batch, Fadhli definitely dressed the part. His outfit was entirely tailor-made, meaning that it was well-fitted, and well-fitted suits always translate into dashing outfits. He would have been even more handsome if his pants were a little more fitting though. Still, he finished it off with the most gentlemanly black bow-tie one could find in the ballroom that night.

Everything: National Tailors (Balestier Plaza)
Shoes: old shoes, can’t remember

Chantel Bay

Chantel donned a dress that was truly one-of-a-kind – it was designed by fellow batchmate Dyon Ang specially for her. With a leather bustier, which had pearls and jewels hand-sewn on by Dyon himself, and a full-length skirt of sheer chiffon, it was a sexy show-stopper. She paired it with messy curls and classic smoky eyes.

Dress: Dyon Ang
Shoes: Zara
Earrings (pearl): Vintage

Sean Cham

Sean looked downright stylish in his navy blazer, brown leather shoes and two-toned bow-tie. The adorable blue of the blazer and cheeky red highlights of the bow-tie ensured that he stood out in a sombre sea of ashen colours. He completed his gentlemanly look with clean swept-back hair.

Everything: Bangkok

While the most important feature of Grad Night was undeniably one of the final opportunities for the Year 6s to spend time as a batch, the stunning and fun outfits on show certainly helped to make Grad Night a night to remember for all.

Photos courtesy of Zara Toh, Daru and an assortment of Year 6s.

by Chan Kai Yan (13A01A)

Dubai is where superlatives rule – here, one can find the world’s tallest building, the world’s largest shopping mall, and the world’s longest fully automatic driverless metro network. These were among the attractions visited by 23 students from the Raffles Middle East Programme (RMEP) during their educational tour of Dubai and Abu Dhabi. The school trip marked the end of two terms of talks by guest speakers, lessons in conversational Arabic, and even a course in belly dancing!

Our tour of Dubai began with a visit to the Dubai Museum, located in the historic Al Fahidi Fort – the oldest existing building in Dubai. The museum showcased the traditional way of life in Dubai before the discovery of oil. The dramatic changes brought about by the discovery of oil were evident. Traditional ‘wind towers’ used to cool houses during the scorching summers of Dubai have long since been replaced by air-conditioning, which is now essential to surviving the summer. Even overhead bridges and bus stops are air-conditioned!

The opulence of Dubai does not stop there. We made a photo stop at the Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building, instantly recognisable once one enters Dubai, as it towers over all other skyscrapers. These skyscrapers are the products of the property boom in the early 2000s.

One of the quirks of Dubai is that weekends fall on Friday and Saturday, as Friday is the day of religious worship in Islam. Religion is taken very seriously in Dubai and even the Dubai Metro shuts down on Friday morning. We were only able to venture out of our hotel in the afternoon to ride the Dubai Metro, the world’s longest fully automatic driverless metro network. Our destination was the Dubai Mall, the world’s largest shopping mall. We had another visual feast when we entered the Khalid bin Al Waleed metro station, which had multiple chandeliers and was bathed in blue light, as part of the station’s ‘water’ design theme.

The jellyfish-shaped chandeliers at Khalid bin Al Waleed station

That evening, we were also hosted to dinner by Mr Ahmad Fuad, who was one of the first Singaporeans to live in Dubai. He has lived in Dubai for over two decades and watched Dubai transform from a small desert town into a global metropolis. Over dinner, we also had the opportunity to interact with many other Singaporeans living and working in Dubai. By talking to these intrepid Singaporeans, we were able to gain a better idea of what it was like to live abroad for an extended period of time. It means having to adapt to a considerably different working style and way of life, especially in the Middle East, where personal relationships are hugely important to successfully do business and life is centred on religion.

Adorable toddler at Mr Ahmad Fuad’s house

Group photo at Mr Ahmad Fuad’s house

Our educational tour of Dubai also included visits to numerous Singaporean and Emirati organisations in Dubai, where we learnt more about the working culture and various industries which we may not have had much exposure to previously. These organisations included Atlantic Marine Group (a Singaporean offshore marine company), Nakheel (one of the world’s largest real estate developers), Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (the public utilities company of Dubai).

Whenever we visited a UAE organisation, we were warmly received and welcomed with many corporate gifts of all shapes and sizes. This was a testament to Emirati hospitality, something which we Singaporeans can learn from. We were given individual packs of corporate gifts when we visited these organisations. These gifts ranged from notebooks to car sunshades and from pails to safety helmets!

We also made a day tour to Abu Dhabi, the capital and largest constituent emirate of the UAE. Abu Dhabi was a little less modern than Dubai, having embarked upon its development later. However, it controls most of the UAE’s oil reserves, and is the seat of political power and national wealth. The sheer wealth of the UAE is best reflected in the Sheikh Zayed Mosque in Abu Dhabi, which is the largest mosque in the country and a testament to the religiosity of the Emiratis. It features the world’s largest carpet, third-largest chandelier, and largest example of marble mosaic.

Sheikh Zayed Mosque, Abu Dhabi

In Abu Dhabi, we were also hosted for lunch by the Singaporean Embassy. Personally, it was heart-warming for me to see the professionalism of members of our diplomatic corps, who are working hard to defend Singapore’s interests overseas.

During our trip, the UAE was in a festive mood as it was due to celebrate its 41^st National Day on 2 December. We were fortunate to join in the National Day celebrations at two tertiary institutions, namely the Dubai Men’s College and Zayed University. All public schools in the UAE are segregated by gender, and the two tertiary institutions we visited were no different. It was also the first time on our trip that we saw a large number of Emiratis – Emiratis only make up about 17% of the population in Dubai. Indians actually form the largest community in Dubai.

The celebrations were fairly serious occasions, but the atmosphere was joyous and it was a great experience – not least because the celebrations were graced by VIPs, who we got to meet. At the Dubai Men’s College, we took photos with Dr Mohammed bin Sulayem, a UAE champion rally driver. At Zayed University, some of us got up close with royalty for the first time, as the celebrations were graced by His Highness Sheikh Majid bin Mohammad bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the fifth son of the Ruler of Dubai and Vice-President of the UAE, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.

His Highness Sheikh Majid bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum listening to a presentation during the National Day Celebrations at Zayed University

The eight days we spent in the UAE whizzed by and we soon found ourselves on the way home. Nevertheless, I am certain that if I were to return to Dubai the future, the city will definitely look different, as Dubai continues its efforts to modernise and be ‘No. 1’ in all fields.

On behalf of the group, the writer would like to thank Ms Gan Lee Suan and Ms Toh Su Yi, who painstakingly planned the trip and looked after the group for eight days.

Photos courtesy of Chan Kai Yan (13A01A), Elizabeth Gunawan (13S03E) and Maryam Ahmad Fuad

By Ong Lishan

The writer is a Year 1 student at NUS, who graduated from RI in 2011. She is in the University Scholars Programme and the Double Degree Programme, and holds a bond-free NUS Scholarship. In this article, she writes about her decision to study at NUS instead of universities overseas.

The writer with her OG during USP orientation

Ever since I was old enough to contemplate my university choices, the thought of going to a local university never crossed my mind. Coming from the kind of schools and classes that I was in, I was always aiming for an overseas university. Eventually when it was time to apply for university, I only chose a few in the UK and US, because I told myself that I would only go overseas if the schools were ‘better’ than NUS. At that time, these notions of ‘better’ were based on rankings, which I later realised were really not that important.

Completing US university applications, especially the Common App, was difficult and painful. I knew the competition was very intense. Coming from one of the top JCs in Singapore meant nothing and does not seem to give me much extra advantage – because after reading essays of successful applicants, I felt that I was nowhere near their standard.

Despite thinking very hard about my life experiences, what was unique about me, what was interesting about my thought processes, what my worldview was, etcetera, I just couldn’t squeeze out anything meaningful. I know the counselors and seniors always said to be relaxed, to write spontaneously, and write sincerely, but I never managed to accomplish much with my writing. I had no tough decisions that I had to make that needed me to question my values and priorities, I didn’t have to fight very hard for anything. I didn’t have anything very dear taken away from me, I wasn’t passionate about any particular issue, and I hadn’t done anything exciting or different. Plus, I felt ashamed about my lack of knowledge, exposure and intellectual vitality. In short, I felt that my life thus far had been rather meaningless, I didn’t know who I was, or my place in society, and I felt I didn’t deserve place in those US universities I applied to.

Eventually, I was lucky enough to have gotten into a few UK schools and one US school. Because I’ve always wanted to go overseas, I expected myself to accept the US offer right away. But I had a lot of worries – the very cold weather, the fact that as the university had been my least favourite choice, my mental unpreparedness to leave my family so soon, and in my opinion, the unjustifiably high tuition fees. (An online search revealed that this US university’s fees were especially expensive, more so than most other very prestigious universities in the country).

I narrowed down my options to this US university and NUS, and choosing between the two universities was the biggest dilemma I have faced. I switched my mind countless of times and there were so many pros and cons for both that it was nearly impossible to weigh them.

I don’t know when it was that I sort of settled my mind on NUS, but even then, I felt extremely upset. I wanted to be able to experience the four seasons, especially autumn, start life afresh and make friends with foreigners. I also wanted to be surrounded by large and beautiful architecture, visit national history museums and see the countryside. I wanted a school where I could meet famous people invited to give talks, take part in some of the school’s annual traditions brimming with rich school culture, and so on. I didn’t want to be stuck in what I thought was a stressful, rigid and myopic Singapore environment to participate in the rat race. I cringed at the possibility of seeing the same people I knew after 6 years (eventually I found out that I was wrong about this).

Ultimately, the high tuition fees of the US university was the fundamental reason for choosing NUS. While some people think that an overseas experience is worth paying for, I had to decide if the cost of this particular university was worth that much, if I were willing to let my parents pay that much, and if my options at NUS were a better choice.  My answers to the first two questions were quite clearly negative, especially the second one. I believe that my parents’ hard-earned money should be kept for themselves. While my sibling did say that education was a worthy investment, I didn’t see myself worthy of that much investment. Besides, people have said that an overseas degree doesn’t make much of a difference in salaries, as long as I were to get at least a Second Upper Honours in NUS (I am not in the position to verify the validity of the statement, however). I also wasn’t keen on applying for any bonded scholarships to fund an overseas education. In contrast, I was offered an NUS scholarship which covered most of my fees, and was also accepted into a few special programmes at NUS.

I was torn between two not necessarily mutually exclusive interests – my parents’ and my own. In this battle between my head and my heart, the former won. My heart was left to ache severely, but I knew I had to make such a decision and find ways to make my heart less miserable.

Now that I am in NUS, I have learnt a few things about university life and decision-making in general. Making decisions is hard when you have imperfect knowledge – there is no point trying to imagine what the future will be like if you had gone to different schools, because the future is unpredictable. The degree or school is not the only key to success. Weighing the pros and cons of a decision can be very difficult, especially if the grounds of comparison are so different, so it is sometimes better to stop consulting others and decide for yourself. Ideally, one should follow his/her heart, but if one ever has to make an unhappy decision due to certain circumstances or priorities, then one has to make the best out of the decision. There are always new green pastures to explore even if they seem less green than others.

The writer was part of the marketing team for USP productions

While many Singaporeans tend to associate anything local with inferiority, I have come to realise that NUS is far from that. I like how there are many programmes to cater to everybody, with grants and financial schemes to support students. There are overseas internships, research attachments, summer programmes, CIP and educational trips, for instance. All these mean that I can still manage to gain overseas exposure – at numerous instances, in different countries as well – while still attend school in Singapore. With academic programmes like the University Scholars Programme, the UTown Residential Programme, and the Global Engineering Programme, as well as a large range of CCAs, the university experience is not at all dull or generic. Instead of labelling our local universities as inferior, it is perhaps better to look at the programmes offered, and soon one will discover that there are in fact, too many interesting programmes to join and too little time.

Personally, while I do envy my friends who study overseas, I am more in control of my life now. Because I want to maximise my university experience in Singapore, I am more conscious of how I spend my time during the school term and school breaks. Besides ensuring that the non-academic activities that I do are truly things that I enjoy, I also try to ensure that they put me sufficiently out of my comfort zone. For instance, if I were to choose a committee position to join, I will deliberately choose something that I have never done before or something that I am less capable in, so that I can be exposed to different job scopes and skills, to develop myself as a leader more holistically. During school lessons, I find myself being more vocal, more confident and more open in sharing. Through the open sharing of my other classmates, especially those of the seniors and the international students, I have begun to learn so much more by removing my cognitive biases. This is also accompanied by a greater acceptance of diversity, a realisation that the world around is complex, and a higher ability to deal with ambiguity, accept uncertainty and agree to disagree.

By choosing not to follow the rather common path taken by many Rafflesians of going overseas to study, I am less inclined to be caught up in the rat race that I was conditioned in. As a result, I find myself a happier person now – I no longer find myself shifting my measurement of ‘success’ upwards whenever I meet a new goal, and feeling unsatisfied with my current achievements all over again, for I can now take a step back to examine the big picture, and perhaps place this goal post on a different route altogether, learn to celebrate my own successes, and even work together with others to collectively achieve something. For me, staying in Singapore has forced me to make full use of my time here by having the right priorities.

Most importantly, studying in Singapore has allowed me time to slowly overcome the other two worries I previously had – leaving my family and having insufficient life experiences to understand myself. I figured that it would be better if I could spend 4 years in Singapore and occasional overseas trips to build up my life experiences, and push my boundaries further each time, before going for a Masters overseas. I know it is possible and certainly attractive to do all of these in an overseas undergraduate education – I could plunge myself into an area outside of my comfort zone immediately, be adventurous and see how I survive. But since I have already made up my mind to spend 4 years here, fundamentally due to monetary concerns, taking things slow now allows me more time to further learn more about myself and discover a motivation to maximize my opportunities. When I eventually do go overseas for a Masters degree, I believe that my time overseas will be more valuable and meaningful because I will hopefully have learnt more about myself and gained greater maturity after gaining sufficient experience through my undergraduate years.

By Phang Ying Cheng (13S03F), Deepa Selvaraj (13S03O) and Chang Cui Qin (13S03R)

31 December 2012 saw the successful culmination of Countdown @ Boon Lay 2013, a journey that will remain unforgettable for the organizers from Youth Club @ Boon Lay. On that day, Boon Lay residents welcomed the new year together with much fanfare.

This year, Countdown @ Boon Lay received immense media attention due to the emphasis on performances by local talents. The event was featured in the Straits Times, Lianhe Zao Bao, Capital 95.8FM and 早安您好. A publicity booth was also set up at Jurong Point, where club members and volunteers encouraged shoppers to write down their wishes on origami paper, which they later folded into paper cranes.

Online version of the front page Straits Time article featuring Countdown @Boon Lay 2013

Preparations for the event began early in the day, with volunteers arriving at the community centre to help transport goodie bags, game equipments and décor over to Jurong Central Park. Meanwhile, at Jurong Central Park, stage performers had already begun their sound and technical runs to ensure flawless performances later in the night. Throughout the afternoon, the Countdown committee together with volunteers worked tirelessly to set up the necessary logistics for the event.

However, the weather that day did not seem to share the jubilation many had towards the event. In the midst of preparations, a heavy downpour ensued, stalling many of the ongoing plans. At that juncture, the only thought in the minds of everyone was for the rain to stop as soon as possible.

Thankfully, our wishes were answered when the skies began to clear later in the evening, and Countdown @ Boon Lay 2013 proceeded in full force. Fortunately, the light drizzle did not dampen the festive spirit of Boon Lay residents as many of them gathered at Jurong Central Park to enthusiastically participate in the carnival booths and watch the show put up for them. Over at the games stall area, volunteers helped to distribute free popcorn to residents and also manned game stall booths, such as Life-Sized Jenga, Floorball Frenzy and Basketball Bash. At around 10pm, professional fire performers entertained the crowd gathered at the field near the games stalls. They ended off with a breath-taking performance to the song Gangnam Style.

Yuki and friends performing to Gangnam Style

An estimated crowd of 30 000 turned up at Jurong Central Park to celebrate the New Year

At the stage area, residents were treated to a visual spectacle of performances that featured many talented local performers. These included RI Chinese Dance, Chanel and Dancers, Raffles Jazz and SWAT – the winner of Boon Lay’s Got Talent 2012. The range of performances did not fail to entertain and many residents were impressed by the quality of local performances.

Chanel and Dancers dancing to Christina Aguilera’s ‘Candyman’

RI Chinese Dance wowing the audience with their graceful moves

The highlight of Countdown @ Boon Lay 2013 was bandWave – a band competition that saw three youth bands (Au Revoir SG, Emerald Street & Obviously We!) pit their musical talents against each other. The three youth bands had undergone a fully sponsored training camp earlier that month at the Academy of Rock – Singapore’s pioneer rock and pop music school. To kick-start the competition, Acting Minister for Culture, Community and Youth, Senior Minister of State (Ministry of Communications and Information) and MP for West Coast GRC (Boon Lay Division) Mr. Lawrence Wong, roused the crowd by performing the song Wake Me Up When September Ends on the electric guitar with youth band Fancy This Progression.

Audiences were wowed by the immense musicality displayed by each band and the judges had a difficult time deciding who was to be the eventual champion. After much deliberation, it was an ecstatic moment for Emerald Street when they emerged as the champions. It is truly heartening to see the emergence of platforms such as bandWave which allow youths to take their passion for music to greater heights.
Soon after, the countdown to 12:00 AM began. Everyone could not wait for the New Year to arrive and it was truly exhilarating as the moment inched closer. Finally, at the turn of midnight, the fireworks went off, and cheers filled Jurong Central Park as people wished each other a happy new year. Emerald Street then treated the crowd with one last performance, ending the night on a high note.

Countdown @ Boon Lay continues to be one of the biggest countdown parties in the heartland – and YOU can get to be a part of this incredible and memorable experience – just join the Youth Club @ Boon Lay, a popular Student Interest Group (SIG). The opportunity to organise an event of such a scale is truly amazing and the experience will definitely be an enriching one.
Find out more about our club at our website, and join us with this link.

by Jervan Khou

Aurora: What does it mean? Scientifically at least, it is a natural light display, caused by the collision of  charged particles in the atmosphere. It is also the theme for the orientation of the Class of 2014. Perhaps it was hoped that the collision of the supposedly brightest minds would spark off a brilliant, awe-inspiring display of beauty – one which would light up the sky.

But should it be about optics?

It’s not an orientation run for juniors, or for the fun of it, or to showcase triumph of student government. It’s about inspiring and shaping the lives and experiences of a new batch of Rafflesians —one more batch which will either strengthen, sustain or ruin years of tradition and history.

It’s not something to be taken lightly.

Considering how orientation has been treated, ‘light’ (no pun intended) would perhaps be an understatement. With (instagram-enhanced) pictures of fun, smiles, and perpetually high-spirits, one could be forgiven for mistaking orientation for an inauguration party at a new club. Perhaps that’s all orientation is –  an enjoyable, fun, memorable, exciting, awesome, ‘o’some event. Rather than a rite of passage to point Year 5-6 Rafflesians in the right direction, it could be argued that Orientation has become a staged opening party.

But this shouldn’t be just a part.

The issue with approaching orientation so lightheartedly is that it propagates a culture of complacency from the very start. That sense of brashness creates a sense of entitlement, which puts new Year 5s on the wrong foot. As much as Orientation bonds, it divides — because orientation is more about having fun than about being part of a family. If you’re not cool enough because you feel left out:  we’re not going to include you, we’re better off having fun without you — thank you very much for your time. In a period of transition and uncertainty, people need time for introspection and reflection as much as they need time for OG dinners. While “fun” and “meaningful” are not mutually exclusive, a line has to be drawn somewhere.

So what should be the priority?

People argue that 17 year old newbies don’t need the boring stuff, they just need the time, space and opportunities to feel at home in school. But are we really claiming that fun and games are the most integral part of school life? Those who say so claim benefits such as bonding and unity, but consider this: the core unit of the orientation concept is the Orientation Group (OG), yet how many OGs actually stay intact for long enough for that sense of bonding and belonging to be nurtured? In times of hardship, can one really count on OG mates to be by their side? Regrettably, the answer is often no: most of the time we all end up our separate ways — promising to meet but never really following through. Even if a minority of these groups succeed doesn’t the failure of the majority represent a waste of resources?

The truth is this: the OG exists in order to provide a buffer period before subject combinations are processed and class formation is completed. But with advances in technology and increased investment from the school in systems and data management, a practical constraint like this can definitely be overcome.

What then?

Perhaps in addition to OGs and houses (another structure which relevance can be called into contention), a part of orientation can be done in classes — people who you’ll be working with closely for the next two years. Many would agree that class unity counts for much in the competitive world of Junior College. Yet it seems that bringing twenty people together over four days of games and tearing them apart almost immediately afterwards, before putting these people in another new environment for the next 2 years has become accepted as the way things are done. While there is indeed a class camp to bolster class bonding, they sometimes come as late as May, exacerbating pre-existing divides. In other words, it’s too little, too late. And since we tend to favour preserving the status quo, true cohesiveness in a class is most likely to be achieved if done from the very outset.

Even if the OG/House system were retained, Orientation could be made much more meaningful than ‘blow the balloon’ or ‘passing rubber bands using straws’. Perhaps organizers should endeavor to impart certain values through the activities rather than aim to make things awkward and hide under the veneer of creating bonding opportunities Current models for leadership camps or company retreats offer some guidance in the way of organizing meaningful activities — focusing on organizational values, pushing limits, self-discovery and teamwork. This could be achieved through a combination of small-group discussions, experiential learning, and mentorship. In an environment made complex with the introduction of the opposite gender and a new group of JAE students, identification and commitment to core, timeless values is priceless.

Does increased maturity align with school direction and values?

Raffles is characterized by educational enterprise – pushing boundaries to offer new opportunities such as the gap semester and the Raffles Diploma. A departure from the local pit of having ‘just-for-fun’ orientations would not be an aberration and will likely simply set a trend towards having more meaningful orientations with focused aims and clear takeaways, without depriving its participants of the opportunity to make new friends and enjoy themselves.  4 days- especially the first 4 days of a student’s time in a school has a great impact on whether students actually buy into the philosophy, culture and values of the institution. A more serious tone in Orientation would surely make headway in placing emphasis on developing the Thinker, Leader and Pioneer rather than Gamer, Player and Member.

And what better time to make this change than now, with the increased emphasis on character, values and discipline?

But are we forgetting beauty?

True beauty lies in the awareness that happiness and pleasure isn’t everything, that there’s more to life than fun and games. Granted, a more serious orientation might be less fun to plan. In the plan for a more serious orientation, organizers will need to assume more responsibility and oversight, and orientation leaders more accountability in ensuring that the correct values are instilled — a departure from the rather simple requirement of making orientation enjoyable as it stands today.

It’s indeed a trade-off that isn;t easy, but no one said it was going to be easy. The question then lies in the drive behind orientation. Is the drive to have fun while planning? Are we planning orientation for the Class of 2014, or for the sake of the Class of 2013 O’Team? Ultimately, Orientation should not be a brief display of flashing lights; it should be one which inundates the sky in brightness for a long time to come.

Aurora: what does it mean?

by Teoh Ren Jie 

I glanced down at my gently curving waistline and promised myself I would work out over the holidays.

“Uh… crest.”

“Sure,” he said, then flicked his thumb and sent the coin spinning through the air. For a moment it hung, lazily, at the apex of its climb, a silver orb glinting in the noontime sun.

I would remember this moment in the years to come because that slowly spinning coin seemed a perfect allegory for our teenage years. The years where the changing faces of our childhood spun themselves into a frenzy and it felt like we would wake up with a different one every day. The years before the gravity of obligation took hold and we still believed we could make ourselves in our own image, where it felt like every choice we made would decide which side we landed on on our way down. The years where my friends and I hung, suspended, at the crest our lives, caught between who we were and what we would become.

Brian caught the coin expertly between the back of his right hand and the palm of his left. Lifting his left hand slightly, he peered at the coin through the cracks and smiled.

“Flower. Go take your shirts off.”

I groaned, but the rules were the rules so I reluctantly shrugged my way out of my shirt and prayed my belly wouldn’t wobble too much as I ran. My classmates stripped down too and soon we were all half-naked and ready to begin the game.

Zhiming walked up to me and gave my paunch a friendly nudge.

Zhiming and I shared one of those friendships which, in hindsight, seem impossible to explain. He was good-looking, captain of the hockey team and in danger of failing most of his classes. I was the class prefect, captain of the debate team and perennially the last person to finish the long runs we did for PE. We lived in totally different worlds and yet we were seat-mates and good, maybe best, friends. I would turn a blind eye to the food under his desk, cover for him when he skipped class and occasionally let him copy my answers in Math. In return, he would sometimes sit with me at recess or lunch and tell his friends that I was “chill”. From the outside it might have looked like Zhiming was using me but I knew him and I knew that he was simply incapable of thinking that way. He could be petty and childish at times but at heart he was a straightforward, simple person. The thought of exploiting our friendship would have been as foreign to him as the algebraic notation on the few tests he deigned to take.

“Michael’s covering for Yuan Hao in midfield so we’ll need you to take his spot in defense,” he said. “Make sure to mark Brian – that guy’s a piece of s*** but he’s a really good striker.”

I nodded, still unsure as to why he had asked me to play in the first place. Yuan Hao was down with the flu but there were still plenty of guys in our class who could take his place, most of whom could actually run ten meters with the ball without tripping over their own feet.

Zhiming, sensing my hesitation, gave me a reassuring wink.

“Don’t worry man, you’ll be fine. Just kick the ball out of bounds every time Brian comes near it – imagine you’re kicking Mr. Chan in the face.”

I snickered. Mr. Chan was our physics teacher and was universally reviled for having no sense of humor and a predilection for giving brutal pop quizzes in class.

“Yeah man, remember that quiz he gave last week? I swear 80% of the questions weren’t even on the sylla-“

But Zhiming had already moved on to the next player, offering words of advice and encouragement as he expertly marshaled our team.

Muthali, my partner in defense, shook his head skeptically. “Look, try not to f*** up too badly, alright?”

I gulped. “Yeah… I’ll try.”

Preparations complete, Zhiming gave the thumbs up to Michael, who passed the ball out of the center circle. The game was on.

As far plans go, Zhiming’s was a good one. But he had failed to account for youth’s belief in its own invincibility – deep down inside, we thought that we could win the game all by ourselves, if only we had the ball. So those players that found themselves in possession would overelaborate with mazy dribbles and ludicrous shots, while others assigned to stationary roles would watch discontentedly and scream, arms raised, for the ball. Soon, most players on both sides had abandoned their nominal roles and collectively attacked the ball with adolescent élan. Together they formed a seething, swearing mass of humanity, half bare-chested and half in white, thundering across the pitch in an affront to organized football.

I was not immune to the heady adventurism that infected my fellows, and early on I made several forays into midfield in an attempt to win the ball. However, each time I did so I left Brian unattended, and when the man in possession invariably found a way to beat me Brian would be open and clean through on goal. The selfishness of his teammates and the heroics of our keeper did much to reduce his danger, but even so he had put his side two-nil up by the time my repeated failures and the cursing of my teammates forced me to accept that there would be no miracles today.

Having come to my senses, I marked Brian till he grew frustrated and joined the pack chasing the ball. I wanted to join them but I now knew my limits, so I hung back and watched with no small amount of envy. The game dragged on and Zhiming eventually pegged one back with a stunning volley from some distance out. Our teammates mobbed him in celebration while I, far from the action, exchanged high-fives with Muthali by way of vicariously sharing in the glory.

As our opponents returned the ball to the center circle, Zhiming motioned Muthali forward with a wave of his hand and dropped back to take his place in defense.

“Good goal,” I said, flashing him a thumbs up.

“Thanks man. You did a good job yourself marking Brian.”

“Not really… I let him score two goals.”

“Yeah, well, s***happens. Listen, I’m pretty worn out from running. Mind if I play center-back with you for a while?”

“Sure. You’re not going to see much of the ball though.” I pointed up field where our teammates were attacking the opposing goal. “I get a feeling its going to stay up there for a bit.”

“That’s fine. You know, I actually I gotta tell you something.”

“Yeah?”

“Well, I don’t know how to put this but –“

“Watch out!” A clearance from our opponent’s backline came bouncing our way and uncharacteristically, I was the first to react. Remembering Zhiming’s advice and my disastrous play earlier in the game, I hoofed the ball straight back towards the opposing goal. To my disbelief, the ball took an awkward bounce that beat two defenders, then fell to Michael who bundled it past the keeper and into goal.

“Did you see that? Did you see that!” I exclaimed, clapping Zhiming on the shoulder as our team exploded into celebration. “I actually did something useful! Bet you don’t regret picking me now, eh?”

“Yeah.”

I was about to comment on my friend’s strange lack of enthusiasm when Michael came sprinting over and caught me in a sweaty embrace. Lifting me off the ground, he spun me in a circle and clapped me on the back.

“Great pass!”

“Thanks! It was a fluke really…”

“It doesn’t matter – we can win this thing now! C’mon Zhiming, we need you up front! Nick here can manage by himself for a while.”

Zhiming opened his mouth as if to say something, then sighed and seemed to change his mind. Our opponents kicked off and he ran up field to join the attack.

Michael’s equalizing goal had only changed the tide of the game further in our favor, and my teammates kept our opponents penned back in their half, launching attack after attack to try and break the deadlock. Reduced to merely spectating, I watched the game from my position in defense, slowing growing drowsy with heat and fatigue.

The school clock chimed twice, and with a start I remembered that I had to be at tuition in half an hour. For a moment, I considered skipping tuition to see out the game. But then I remembered that my tuition teacher had a nasty habit of calling up my mother when I didn’t show up and decided that I wasn’t helping the team much with my presence anyway.

Waving goodbye to my friends, I picked up my shirt and bag from where I had left them, using the former as a makeshift towel to wipe off my sweat. I put my uniform back on, then headed to the canteen to get a drink before going to tuition. To my surprise, Zhiming broke off from the game to join me.

“Whoa dude, shouldn’t you be playing?”

“Don’t worry. They can manage without me for a while and I need a drink,” he said. “This one’s on me. Lemon tea again?”

“Yeah,” I said. No one really knew how the “lemon tea” in our canteen was made, but the general consensus was that it involved some kind of industrial waste, copious amounts of sugar, and if we were lucky, a little bit of lemon. And yet us students still bought it by the gallon – exactly why we liked it was one of those mysteries no one could explain.

“I don’t know how you can drink that crap. It tastes like plastic.”

I shrugged my shoulders helplessly in reply and Zhiming laughed, but bought himself a cup too. Desperately thirsty, we carried our drinks to a nearby table and sat down, drinking them in silence.

We were about halfway done with our drinks when Zhiming put down his cup. Sensing he had something to say, I paused mid-drink to listen.

“You remember Janice?”

“My ex? Yeah, why?” Still thirsty, I gulped down another mouthful of the artificial orange liquid.

“We’re going out.”

I put down my drink. For a split second, I could see myself getting up and hitting Zhiming in the face, then the moment was over and I turned away.

“Whatever. I’m over her.”

For a long moment, nothing was said.

“It was a good pass, just now.”

“I know.”

We sipped our drinks in the midday sun and watched the others play, feeling within them and within ourselves the strength and the pain of being young.

The writer is an alumnus from the Class of 2011. He is currently pursuing a liberal arts education in the United States. This piece is reproduced with his permission from his personal blog, Unfinished Lines.

by Jervan Khou 

Many a time we hear of a cause, be it about children in Kenya or the elderly in Singapore, but how often do we do anything about it afterwards? How often do we feel passionate about something for three days then forget everything almost immediately after that? How often do we pledge or dedicate our hearts to something meaningful, only to dismiss that pledge as a passing statement?

In recent years the ease that which large-scale, highly publicised events can be organized has resulted in even more cause-specific yet even larger-scale events saturating the service-learning scene here. While I see the merit in standing up for something you believe in, is a concert or a party an appropriate means to show to the rest of society how much you believe in that cause? Quite evidently from the things we’ve seen, many of us seem to think so.

As a result, many of us who are inclined to feel liberal about things like animal rights are free to entertain ourselves at publicity events, collect the free goodie bag and return home feeling good about ourselves. Yes, the event planners would have called the event a success, the participants would have convinced themselves that they have done something useful while the abandoned rabbits remain in their sorry state. See the problem?

What do we need after the publicity and hype dies down? Simple: all causes need volunteers, and committed volunteers at that. In order to ensure that the marginalized and ignored get enough support we have to make sure that the volunteer community is engaged meaningfully in long-term direct service projects. It is us youth who have the capacity and ability to help the disadvantaged, and only by engaging directly with the beneficiaries can we really see the change in their lives and our lives as well.

This is why I got involved in Youth Got Heart 2013. Many of us are perennially plugged in to our music players and smartphones so much so we cannot see the problems around us. Conversely, we may have big dreams and brilliant ideas that just go to waste because we only keep to ourselves. This year’s event will see over 30 Voluntary Welfare Organizations putting up booths and seeking volunteers for direct service. The event will be held at *Scape this Saturday afternoon from 12 noon to 5 pm. Through this event, I hope to be able to spread the spirit of service which has driven me in my Interact journey so far.

For more details visit www.facebook.com/ygh13

The writer is a member of Raffles Interact and is Project Manager of Youth Got Heart 2013. His views are personal and do not represent the opinion of Raffles Interact.

Article and pictures contributed by Jasmine Liu

Making a comeback after an extended layoff, we bring you this week’s Diary of an RI Intern, where we invite ex-Rafflesians to share their interning experiences. In this edition, Jasmine Liu shares her experience working under local children’s writer Adeline Foo.

__________________________________________________________________

When people ask me the standard “what’s your job?” question (after “what JC are you from”, of course), I find myself unable to give a definite answer. Am I an intern? A mentee? Or a marketing and research assistant? I’ve used various job titles at various introduction opportunities and yet none really encapsulates what I’ve been doing for the past five months. My boss, Adeline Foo of The Diary of Amos Lee fame, likes to tell people that I’m a friend helping her out day to day. I suppose that’s a pretty safe way of putting it. Here’s a little bit about the stuff I got to do, the ways I got to grow, and the things I got to witness.

All in a Day’s Work

Many of us have this idea of writers as people who sit in front of the word processor 50 weeks a year, churning out manuscript after manuscript. This is a myth perpetuated by the story of how J.K. Rowling toiled tirelessly in cafes to write her first Harry Potter book. Sure, there is the hardcore writing stage, but the amount of time spent there is dwarfed by the amount of time spent marketing, maintaining a fan base, sussing out opportunities for partnerships adaptations, doing talks at schools, running workshops, and the list goes on. Adeline may be a writer, but she’s also a skilled marketer, and she has an extensive background in public relations to prove it.
So what do I do? Pretty much everything Adeline’s involved in, I’m involved in too.  A typical day involves waking up next to my laptop and responding to a few emails from Adeline, clients and Amos Lee fans. The rest of the morning and afternoon involves tackling a list of outstanding tasks. On a quiet day, this could be reading up online for people we could collaborate with, publicising Facebook contests, and writing pitches for the press. About once a week, Adeline and I meet to get updates from clients or attend cold calls with people who are interested in doing collaborations. Those meetings typically end with the two of us discussing what we’ve done over the past week over tea and cake, Adeline talking me through some ideas she’s having, and me trying to keep up with her train of thought.

On more exciting days, we could be holding workshops, attending launches, or meeting other authors! Peter Lerangis, an American author who has over 160 books under his belt (including some Hardy Boys and Babysitters Club titles), was in Singapore recently to launch his Seven Wonders series. After moderating a dialogue session where we learned of his exciting adventures in biochemistry at Harvard, singing on Broadway, and interviewing people in a toga at Comic Con, we brought our new New Yorker friend for some nice Ice Kachang and a fish spa session.

Through all my field trips and sitting in meetings, Adeline’s also brought me around to meet publishers, distributors, schools, bookstores, and the team behind the Asian Festival of Children’s Content. I am urged to think about how the promotion of Singaporean works is doing, and why we might not be doing some things that could propel Singaporean works into greater prominence.

Marketing: a Cross-Platform Feat

With marketing children’s books, our challenge is giving parents a reason to get their kids to meet the author. We had to publicise a month-long crossword puzzle contest cumulating in a game session and prize collection at one of our book launches to guarantee a good turn-out. It’s not enough to just trust the fans’ loyalty, when they aren’t the ones doing the driving!

Even then, book launches are only the first step. Marketing actually begins with a ‘B’ for Branding, and authors are the brand for their books. John Green and Maureen Johnson are among authors who display their prominent personalities on Youtube, and Russell Lee of True Singapore Ghost Stories keeps his mysterious appearance (literally!) under wraps. To keep the brand of Amos Lee/Adeline Foo alive, we stay on the lookout for fun things to engage fans in. In 2010, Amos Lee himself became an inSing blogger for fun things to do around Singapore.  In the spirit of the recent launch of Whoopie Lee: The Big Spell Off, this year’s March holidays saw us holding a spelling workshop at art-themed gelato parlour Scoop Of Art, where we collaborated with Monsters Under The Bed, a creative writing school. SOA created a whoopie pie gelato for us, and MUTB was simply brilliant at entertaining children.

Aside from the obvious benefits of having specialists contribute to your brand, collaborations are also a form of cross marketing where you get the benefit of reaching out to the fan bases of your partners. Furthermore, we’ve explored developing merchandise with the National Heritage Board, theatre adaptations with The Learning Connection and The Esplanade, and soon we’re launching an iPhone game app with local-gaming house Lambdamu Games!

Are You A Dodo? is scheduled for release late June or July. This little project combines game storytelling, social media, and IQ exercises. It is also a prime example of promoting one product from various marketing angles. I’ve helped plan a kid’s workshop for the art of game storytelling, written press briefs for magazines and alumni newsletters, and hosted a public sharing session at the Asian Festival of Children’s Content. Next up, Adeline is looking to talk to schools about cyber wellness (which is a major theme of Amos Lee Book 3 and Adeline’s other job of raising 3 kids, so she’s a bit of an expert on that), and bringing what we learned about educational games into polytechnics. Truly, there is no single way to approach one project. I guess if there is one creativity motto I’ve picked up from my job, it is this: there are always many people and processes that go behind the making of every product, and there are opportunities to share these fascinating stories with the world if you keep your ears perked up.

The slightly unexpected thing is many of these activities we spend our time on don’t even involve showing Adeline’s books off. It’s just part of branding, keeping active as an educator, and for some part, fun!

Bringing Local Works Overseas

Singapore’s had a few names reach international prominence, including Catherine Lim, Wena Poon and Shamini Flint, but bringing works overseas is not easy! We could make it easier, however, by reaching out to platforms to cross-publicise local writing that will bring readers in larger droves while keeping under logistical and financial constraints. These possibly include partnerships with embassies, libraries, and even festivals, both local and overseas, where perhaps large volumes of a publication could be disseminated for educational purposes. We could even bring offer local literature to delegates heading to international events. A book on Singaporean food might have a shot at an international audience at the World Street Food Congress, and Singaporean picture books could do well as dramatised story telling at the Georgetown Festival, a series of art and creative events held in Malaysia.

At my first visit to the office of Adeline’s picture book publisher Ethos Books, affable publishing manager Chan Wai Han handed me a book fresh off the press, and told me to help myself to any books I’d like to bring to the States to share with my university classmates. That, she quipped, was a way to spread local literature. There are other means, if we dare to search for them. Adeline has called to my attention ways I can keep in touch with the country as a soon-to-be overseas Singaporean. The Overseas Singapore website (singaporeday.sg), Singapore.sg, and even the public service division magazine (challenge.gov.sg) are all online portals frequented by people moving into Singapore, or living abroad. Why not orientate new citizens with local anthologies, folk tales, or (for the kids) even local picture books? Why not make local works (that are often not easily available on Amazon) available to overseas Singaporean students or international schools with large Singaporean populations? I had studied at Suzhou Singapore International School at one point, and I’d have liked to have an idea of what my country was like, having been away from it for most of my childhood.

Of course, this is just part of my fairly limited (position-wise! Since I’m not an actual industry expert, but a witness) perspective and I’m sure there are many other ways of looking at the local publishing scene; it’s just not quite the main point of my article. The point I’m trying to demonstrate is that if people take on internships to gain insight to the workings of an industry, I think I’ve gained quite a bit of exposure in my half a year here, enough so that I actually kind of feel a compulsion to be a part of bringing it forward when I return from university. I hear some people get jaded after entering the working world, but I think I’m okay so far; not much faith lost in humanity or local publishing, and I’m still as eager a beaver as I was before I dived into this world.

Personal Development

One huge perk of being in a non-organisation is a lot of undivided attention from your mentor and free career advice! Adeline’s favourite piece of career advice is undoubtedly to “learn to think like your boss”, the skill of viewing situations from a more experienced person’s point of view. Throughout these 5 months, I’ve struggled to mentally keep abreast of things in my job. Being a writer, or even a writer’s little apprentice, involves having an acute sixth sense for new opportunities. Some days I wake up at 7am and already see an excited email because at 6am, Adeline was already up and had spotted a new bakery or writing club in the newspaper we could rope in to collaborate with.

I suppose I’ve had the chance to learn from a number of other people as well! Attending a meeting with a client without Adeline would have been a lot worse if I didn’t have the merchandise and cover designer for our new book, my talented friend Sean Cham (RJ’12), to nudge me every time I made a faux pas and talk/scold me through the yes and no’s of sales pitching. Emceeing at the Asian Festival of Children’s Content allowed me to meet a seasoned emcee from Malaysia, Ashvina, who was a part in curing my phobia of microphones in just a few announcements. At the AFCC, I’ve also been privileged to attend dialogues with plenty of industry experts who generously shared experiences on multi platform content creation, social media marketing, e-books, and a myriad of other topics. One thing is for sure, being a writer or any content creator goes beyond the creation stage, and it’s all about making an effort to orchestrate your works across different platforms and media if you want to make waves.

Final Words

People sometimes tell me I miss out by not working for a formal establishment, but I think working for a non-organisation gives you a rare glimpse into the world you might otherwise not be exposed to within the confines of a specific department or position. How often can one say that in six short months of an internship, one has been able to work with an eclectic mix of publishers, government boards, game studios, parent bloggers, and writers? Writer’s assistant, researcher, marketer, or whatever position this is, I just know it’s a position I’ve been very lucky to end up in. Thank you for giving me this opportunity, Adeline!

For anyone who’s keen to work with Adeline, drop her an email at contact@amoslee.com.sg.  She’s on the look-out for a research and marketing intern for the period Dec 2013 to May/June 2014.

Article and pictures contributed by Chan Ze Ming

We bring you this week’s Diary of an RI Intern, where we invite ex-Rafflesians to share their interning experiences. In this edition, Chan Ze Ming shares his experiences working as an  intern for the Changi Airport Group.

The author is a second-year Economics undergraduate from the University of Warwick. He graduated from Raffles Institution (RI) in 2009 and received the Changi Airport Group Overseas Undergraduate Scholarship in 2011.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

How it all Began

From a young age, I have always been fascinated by our airport. I remember visiting Terminal 1 and marveling at the high ceilings, watching the planes take off and of course, gorging myself on the assortment of ice-cream at Swensen’s. I always feel excited at the prospect of visiting Changi Airport, regardless of whether I’m travelling. In my adolescence, I became a rather avid traveler, and naturally became better acquainted with Changi Airport. Like many people, the sense of elation at the start of a new travel adventure can often be a heady experience. Coming home after a trip aboard will also inevitably invoke a warm sense of belonging as I step off the plane. Even at a young age, I had already developed an intense emotional connection with Changi Airport.

Why I chose CAG

When the window for scholarship applications opened, the Changi Airport Group (CAG) scholarship was my immediate preference. CAG began its scholarship programme soon after it corporatised in 2009, taking over the management role that the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore used to play. CAG may be a young organisation, but it has a golden track record and strong credentials in managing the world’s most decorated (both literally and figuratively!) airport. During the interview process, scholarship applicants were brought on a tour of the airport and I was extremely impressed at the amount of planning, strategising and consideration involved in making every detail perfect at Changi. The highest standards are set for every individual and operation and it is no surprise that Changi Airport continues to remain at the top of airport rankings year after year. It was then that I realised that the CAG was the organisation I wanted to be a part of in the future.

CAG is also an organisation with diverse business units and this widens the choices that are open to me when I report for work after graduation. For instance, a person working in Air Hub Development, is responsible for widening Changi Airport’s connectivity and enhancing its attractiveness as a vibrant air hub. In Airport Management, you get to manage the operational needs of the airport, and introduce the Changi Experience to the millions of passengers that arrive and depart every year.  People in the Commercial cluster are at the forefront of the food and retail scene and they are responsible for the exciting selection of retail and dining possibilities at Changi. These are just some examples of what people in CAG do. It is no wonder that they provide scholarship opportunities for almost all fields of studies (except medicine and dentistry)!

Engaging in class discussions at Warwick

When I was offered the CAG Scholarship, I was naturally elated. Today, I am studying Economics at the University of Warwick under the CAG Overseas Undergraduate Scholarship. My friends will often question my rationale for taking up a scholarship which will eventually tie me to the company for five years. My explanation?  The financial incentives were not the main reason for my final decision, but rather the prospect of taking on unique post-graduation opportunities at CAG appealed to me in the end. In the course of my undergraduate studies, I have had the opportunity to consult with CAG on my various education choices, and I have also gained many extraordinary experiences through the course of my internships and assignments. It also makes a difference to have an organisation of colleagues, bosses and mentors who are concerned about my personal development and provide valuable advice when I need it. These will provide me with an invaluable head start in my career development when compared to my peers.

Truly Great Internships

Picture of me during my first CAG internship

 In my first internship with CAG, I had the good fortune to be attached to the Corporate Strategy and Business Development division, where I was involved in the set-up of Changi Recommends, a new travel-related service initiative by CAG. I had the opportunity to convince external clients, negotiate with service providers and help create a service framework for the new business opportunity. I was given the autonomy to handle my areas of responsibility. It was a totally different challenge as compared to the exams and assignments during my JC days as I had to showcase persuasive skills and creativity on the various tasks. At the end of my four-month internship, I began to see the many pieces come into place as Changi Recommends approached its launch date. Although this internship was a steep learning curve, I had a fascinating experience where I felt that I contributed significantly to the project. A year since my internship ended, Changi Recommends is now a highly-successful initiative, with an online shopping portal and shop booths at all three terminals.  I am honestly glad to have been a part of its journey.

Now, I am doing my second internship with Airport Operations Planning. Here, in the Customer Insights department, we monitor passenger satisfaction in terms of the levels of service quality and efficiency. As part of my internship, I am undertaking a project to review current measures of service quality as well as another initiative to introduce quality control systems for survey audits. The tasks here may be different but they are still as engaging as I get to visit every part of the airport and prepare a proposal to recommend changes to the CAG management. Through the course of both internships at CAG, I have come to realise that everyone’s contributions play a part in the development of the organisation and this is why I have thoroughly enjoyed both internship experiences as there is never a dull moment at all.

 Fulfilling Summer School and Exchange

At summer school in Beijing

Aside from meaningful and engaging internships, scholars at CAG can look forward to other learning opportunities such as sponsored summer exchanges, developmental courses and engagements with senior management. These opportunities, along with my experiences studying at Warwick, have changed my perspectives and shaped me to become a more worldly and confident individual. This year, I had the opportunity to attend a summer school programme at the Renmin University of China, sponsored by CAG. Living on campus in Beijing, I attended interesting classes taught by Chinese lecturers and I have also made many close friends who brought me to visit local haunts in Beijing including, visits to their homes. In a much-too-short one month programme, I immersed myself in the intriguing environment of China’s capital, improved my mastery of the Chinese language and increased my knowledge of the local culture and society.

An Exciting Future

Without taking up the CAG Scholarship, I would not have had so many memorable adventures and made so many acquaintances. I am grateful for the opportunities given to me by CAG and I am looking forward to an exciting future with the company. With monumental new developments such as Terminal 4 and 5 on the horizon as well as Project Jewel, my career prospects are exciting. I look forward to witnessing the future development of Changi Airport, knowing that I belong to such an exceptional company and that I have the opportunity to make a difference at CAG and to Singapore.

By the Gavel Club – Tracey Toh (14A01A), Park Han Min (14S07A) and G Santoshi (14S06C)
Cover Image by The Raffles Photographic Society

As the school term draws to a close, the atmosphere is all but celebratory as the entire batch frantically prepares for the dreaded Oral Presentation (OP). Seasoned speakers and unsure beginners alike immerse themselves in practice and painstakingly commit their scripts to memory. Beyond these necessary preparatory requirements, however, how can you ensure that the final segment of your Project Work (PW) journey is indeed you and your PW group’s crowning achievement? Here, we present to you some tips and insights on how you can ace the OP:

1. Have the right attitude towards nervousness

If your knees tremble and your stomach churns at the thought of speaking to a room full of people, take heart. Nervousness is something even the most accomplished presenters experience, yet they always manage to appear calm and self-assured. Indeed, the key lies in understanding that nervousness is not something you can or should eliminate, but is rather something you learn to ignore, or even channel positively.

Remember: The audience does not know you are nervous unless you reveal it. So don’t give the audience any clues that you have the jitters. To demonstrate and even induce self-confidence, stand your ground and take a moment before you delve into your segment of the presentation.

To completely avoid displaying the telltale signs of nervousness, however, what you need is intensive practice, done not in the protected confines of your room, but before various public audiences. While presenting to your friends and family could be a decent start, we encourage you to be bold in your choice of audience. Expose yourself to larger groups of people, perhaps even strangers. Make yourself vulnerable, so you can slowly but surely learn to be immune to the undivided attention of others. If you are in need of inspiration, look to the daring soul who went to a neighbourhood playground teeming children to deliver her part of the OP. While this does sound daunting, it helped her brace herself for the onslaught of nerves faced when speaking to an unfamiliar audience. Try this yourself by doing a full-out presentation (complete with gestures and stage movement) in the school corridors amidst curious glances from passers-by.

Finally, while it is only natural to associate nerves with poor speaking, many professionals have learnt to harness rather than suppress their nervous energy. Learn from them and turn your nervousness into an adrenaline rush that helps you get your message across enthusiastically, convincingly and passionately.

2. Focus on both verbal and non-verbal communication

Once you’ve gathered the courage to speak, focus on how you will be speaking. After all, the content of your speech (what you speak) only constitutes 7% of what the audience registers. Failing to realise this or perhaps deep in the clasps of stage fright, many speakers tend to neglect the finer aspects of speaking such as pausing deliberately for a dramatic effect and having purposeful tonal variation. The unfortunate result is an insipid delivery that is the sure-fire way to bore the audience. To prevent such an outcome, it is of paramount importance to be comfortable with your script. Ensure that the sentences you use are not too long or convoluted if that makes recall difficult or your delivery choppy.  In order to effectively vary your tone, you have to emphasize key words and inject emotions appropriate to the content. This does not come easy, and you will have to test various tonal patterns and emotive expressions before you find the combination that is right for you. The next step is to free yourself from the script and make your delivery spontaneous. Convey the same sincerity through your delivery that you would when conversing to a friend.

As important, if not more important than your vocal variety, is your body language. Liberate yourself from the misperception that a formal presentation means standing rooted to a spot and delivering a rigid, robotic monologue. Loosen up and use meaningful movement and hand gestures to complement your presentation as these can make a difference between a run-of-the-mill presentation and a stellar performance. To eventually become a natural at this, you will need to actively try out various gestures and movements before a mirror – even if you look outright ridiculous or painfully awkward initially.

3. Ensure a seamless flow in your presentation.

Having settled the individual component, it is worth looking into how you can work with your group to play up each other’s strengths. A key aspect to consider is the flow of energy throughout the presentation: how the first speaker sets the tone, how subsequent speakers maintain and develop the momentum, and finally, how the last speaker wraps up and leaves an impact on the audience. Try to avoid having a perky, animated speaker present directly before or after a more serious, reserved one. The contrast can be stark and unpleasant, serving to provide neither speaker with an advantage.

Since the audience’s understanding of your project depends on the performance of your group holistically, smooth transitions between speakers are vital. A mere “I will now pass the time over to Speaker B”- whatever that means – provides a tenuous link that adds little to your group performance. Instead, ensure that the transition clearly reflects how the presentation develops with each speaker, showing how each speaker’s portion builds on the previous one.

4. Have unique visual aids to complement your presentation

Once you’ve mastered aforementioned tips, focus on your visual aids, as these have the ability to make or break your presentation. Visual aids include slides, videos, demonstrations and, for those who wish to go the extra mile to show cohesiveness in their group, skits. Whichever you choose, always remember that it is the use of that visual aid, and not the visual aid per se, that matters.

You must first pick the right presentation medium, the one through which you feel you can further strengthen your message. There are tons of interesting software applications available such as Keynote ‘09 and ‘13 or PowToon which can vitalize your presentation. Even if you choose the more conventional formats in PowerPoint, you can stand out by paying meticulous attention to the details of the slides. The colour scheme, design, effects and transitions should be carefully thought out so as to help your audience understand the content and highlight the points you want to drive home. However, you should constantly question whether each element of the visual aids adds to or detracts from your presentation. This ensures that you don’t use visual aids that are unnecessary, or worse, distracting, as this would undermine their purpose.

5. Prepare for the worst

As a team, you can ensure that you are ready for any eventuality by deliberately putting yourselves in difficult situations (e.g. technical problems crop up or your props cannot be used on that day), and ensuring that you always have a backup plan. You could also test each other with particularly tough questions for the Question & Answer (Q & A) segment, to ensure that you are equipped not only with answers to potential questions, but also with the ability to think on your feet and express your ideas coherently.

This collection of useful OP tips is hardly exhaustive and it is up to you to discover your personal style and make it work for you.  Whatever your reservations are, you aren’t alone. According to Psychology Today, people fear public speaking more than death. It’s a completely natural fear to have, but if your group is open to making mistakes and willing to correct one another, the the process will be much easier (even fun) and the quality of your OP can and will improve by leaps and bounds.

Back when Mrs Lim was still the Principal and I was a lanky boy of dubious athleticism (still am actually) in Secondary Two, there was an assembly talk Mrs Lim gave that I dwell on every now and then. I didn’t expect it to stick with me, given that my attention was divided between her (in retrospect, very wise) words and a particularly riveting Math worksheet of a topic I cannot quite recall.

She told us a story about Prometheus. In mythology, Prometheus was a Titan – a race of powerful immortal beings that was at the time, subservient to the Olympian gods. Rather than share in the latter’s company, Prometheus bade his time among men. He saw that they lived like animals for they ate their meat raw. They shivered in the night, getting no sleep as the wind robbed them of any warmth they could muster. Their suffering made them piteous, and this was a great pity because Prometheus saw the immense potential Mankind held. They needed heat. They needed light. They needed fire. And Prometheus was determined to get hold of some.

He took a reed and went to the edge of the earth that he might touch the sun as it rose at the dawn of a new day. The dry pith caught fire and with this precious spark, he hurried back to the men in the caves and taught them the art of firemaking from wood and how they might use this flame to cook their food and to stay warm in the coldest nights. The men and women gathered round the fire and they were warm and happy. Before long, they mastered the art of firemaking and smithing. Life began anew for them. All this Prometheus did against the wishes of Zeus, and for his trickery, he was bound with the chains of Vulcan to a rock at the topmost peak of the Caucasus Mountains, where eagles ripped apart and feasted upon his liver daily. Being immortal, he did not die.

The iconic image of Promethus being attacked by Eagles

I recount this story to make two points. Firstly, that Prometheus of Promethean flame fame (duh) was a trickster – someone who disobeys normal rules and conventional behavior. And secondly, that his crucial act of giving knowledge to Mankind so raised them that the Olympian gods feared the heights they might reach. Zeus himself remarked, “No, indeed! Why, if men had fire they might become strong and wise like ourselves, and after a while they would drive us out of our kingdom. Let them shiver with cold, and let them live like the beasts. It is best for them to be poor and ignorant, that so we Mighty Ones may thrive and be happy.”

Now why is this important? Is the second point an allegory for fighting against the government? Is the first a call for us to grow our hair out, leave our tutorials undone, and paint the sky red? No…and yes. It’s not about going against the government per se, but that’s a topic for another article. But leave our tutorials undone? Wholeheartedly yes – but only if you have better things to do. Bear with me here, this will take a while.

Think about the entire enterprise of school. It really is marvelous in some ways, isn’t it? The bringing of like-minded individuals of the same age group together. The intensity of back-and-forth discourse between teacher and student, peer and peer as they brave the current and search the murky river for nuggets of truth. The sportsman in the arena, perhaps imbued with the peculiar force known as the Rafflesian Spirit – described by E. Wijeysingha to be ‘a powerful force that takes control of a person, inspires him and instils courage and determination’. Lovely.

…except that probably isn’t how you conceive of school, is it now? I confess this is an idealisation of the current state of affairs, albeit one grounded in reality because there are times when I truly do feel these things and am so grateful for such opportunities and for this mess called life and- right. As I was saying, it is not quite what we see on a daily basis. Students are bored. Apathetic. We go in a lecture and the same battle plays out as Morpheus, the God of Sleep, wars against the Sugar Rush Monster. The number of victims claimed by the former increase throughout the week. And when we are not valiantly nodding our heads to some unearthly rhythm or bowing reverently arms crossed, our attentions are divided between “if I wasn’t sitting here, I would be _______.” (the irony is that when we are somewhere else, we wish we could be back home mugging) and “I wonder if they’re selling Tom Yam today”. We receive news of upcoming tests and tutorial deadlines with indifference (“oh here we go again”) or shock (“did you hear that? Not only do they make us attend school and pick subjects we would like to study, but they actually want us to spend time doing homework on said subjects? The nerve of some people.”), but the result is the same: we grit our teeth and slog through it, slowly, methodically. Can’t get this fact to stick in my head, but I’ll bite my tongue because if I curse and swear, I’ll never stop. Get it done, you can sleep when you’re dead, surely it will pay off in the A-levels. Surely….

Depressing much. Don’t you wish it could be so much more? Isn’t it, you say. Look at the bright banners. Look at our sportsmen. Look at our artist(e)s. Look at our councillors. We aren’t muggers (not all of us anyway), we are Thinkers, Leaders, Pioneers.

I hear you. And you are right. I have immense respect for the artists and musicians because they make good art. It’s such a steal that we can watch for $10 what a group of talented individuals have spent tens of hours creating. They labour at their craft to add a little beauty and meaning to the rest of our lives, and they do it for the sake of the craft itself. Wonderful.

And yes I am also grateful for the councillors for the work and amount of saikang they have to do. They fill a need because no way would we be getting school event after event if we only had teachers to run the show. And even if some may be doing it for the curriculum vitae, my personal experience has shown me that they are often simply delightful individuals who have undertaken the role of slave with no pay, which is pretty selfless. That being said, they are custodians, they do not lead.

Towards sports, I have mixed feelings because the nature of such activities is that they are always competitive. (The wind rushes past, and I hear the disembodied words of Mrs Lim: ‘stop competing, start excelling.’) But I acknowledge there is beauty in teamwork, camaraderie, in the friendly rivalry between schools, though I don’t think very much about school pride, because it seems small and petty. (Go all out for Raffles. What does that even mean?) The question is not so much who won as it is “Was this a game to be remembered for the ages?” Better yet if sportsmen do it for the sheer beauty of the sport. I only hope that those who do the morning announcements will not have to think twice about praising the team for a spectacular showing if they come in 2nd, or god forbid, fail to break in to the top 3 placings. They gave themselves up for a sport. Is that not worthy of our admiration?

This passion we see is nothing short of breathtaking. But step into a classroom, and you may see these vibrant individuals with now-lifeless eyes and faces drained of colour. They stare back at you unblinking, with dull incomprehension written all over their faces. Where is the passion? Where is the joy? Where is the joie de vivre?

Face it, you’re bored. And the reason for that boredom is simple. You are not seeing any beauty in these subjects. No beauty, no purpose. You can tell yourself to muscle through and that you don’t have to love what you study, just do well in it, but that is the surest way to stifle the soul and to be unhappy. It is primarily this idea that distinguishes work that is hard, and play that is fun. Difficulty in itself is not a bad thing, it is only when that difficulty arises from a lack of gumption. Because it is hard to kill your soul little by little by doing what you do not care about. Along this same idea, Gandhi offered this nugget of wisdom: Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony.

If you are bored, take a hike, eat a crepe, sit on the toilet. Boredom means the activity has ceased to be meaningful. Boredom means that you are not seeing things with fresh eyes, you have lost that initial curiosity. You are not in the state to appreciate beauty, and if you keep at it, you will become cynical, frustrated, and you will want to simply abandon the entire enterprise – which you should (don’t do that tutorial! Do anything else as long as it’s interesting. See, I linked it back), to refill that gumption tank. Or you can force it on yourself to mechanically complete your work, and in doing so, cut away another piece of yourself.

If you are wondering what beauty there could possibly be in our subjects, it is the beauty of knowledge. Remember that when Prometheus imparted knowledge to mankind, he so lifted them that they lived their lives anew. The knowledge we gain in school has the capacity to do that for us. Knowledge gives us new ways of seeing the world such that the world we perceive is wholly different. They add a new dimension to our reality, giving our experiences more colour, flavour, and depth. Math is admirable for its rigorous certainty. Literature for enabling us to feel more expansively and to grasp the human condition. Physics for the stories it tells us about the world in motion. All fields of knowledge have theoretical beauty. The mathematician, scientist, and literary critic engage in an act of creation as much as any artist. Ultimately, all learning is about the appreciation of beauty. The act of which raises us out of ignorance, baseness, selfishness. Remember Prometheus who gave us knowledge that we might lead better lives.

Taken from zenpencils.com

Maybe I am naive in refusing to acknowledge that we are just here for the grades so that we can move on to the next part of our lives. Maybe it is a hypocrisy I would be happier not to expose. But I will stubbornly believe that school can and ought to be so much more. And I sincerely believe that we are only Auspicium Melioris Aevi when we are tricksters like Prometheus. The ones who will change the world are not those who willingly kill their souls, but those who have come alive.

Prometheus had to defy Zeus to give man fire. Mrs Lim asked, “Who is the enemy? Who are we overcoming?” There were some murmurs of hwa and chong. No, she said, the enemy is within. The one to overcome is ourselves. The side of us that thinks small, breathes small, lives small. The side of us that kills the soul when it cries no in the smirking face of pragmatism and success. For all the times that your head said no but your heart screamed yes. But to be bigger than that?

Now that is excellence.

Written by Caleb Chiam 14S06O

This article was written in response to an opinion-editorial by one of our members, which we published last week. You can read it here.

Cover photograph reproduced courtesy of the Huffington Post

By Michelle Lee 14A01B

I’ll preface this opinion piece by saying that yes, I am a fervent feminist. I am that girl who spends her free time writing rebuttals to sexist RJ Confessions, who can’t watch a movie without asking herself whether it passes the Bechdel Test, who has interned with AWARE in the past. In short, the kind of ardent advocate for women’s rights who might be caricatured as being a bra-burning, man-hating, humorless lesbian.

The thing is that it doesn’t matter whether I fit the stereotype of what a feminist is or not. This would be the point in the article where I might be expected to rebut all the tropes listed above, defensively listing all the gender-normative traits I possess in an attempt to show that girly-girls can be feminists too – I love shopping! I care about being pretty! I want to settle down and have kids! But disproving a stereotype by going to another extreme isn’t the point. Rather, as a feminist, I believe that feminism is about having the freedom to choose. It’s about having the freedom to choose whether you want to be a career woman or a housewife. Whether you want to wear makeup and high heels, or whether you don’t. As a feminist, I would never criticize anyone who chooses more traditionally feminine choices as being “not feminist enough” – I would certainly never tell the author of the original article that she can’t be a feminist just because she enjoys the things she listed. And I can’t help but wonder where these hordes of feminists she cites as frequently attacking her are coming from.

In the original article, the author makes the point that perhaps it is not feminism as a movement that is flawed, but that the views of a small subset of radical feminists compromise the integrity of the movement as a whole. She makes the point that radical feminists alienate her from the label “feminist”, thanks to their extreme viewpoints that tell her she can’t be both traditionally feminine and a feminist. It is true that radical feminism exists as a subset of the wider movement of feminism, and that these feminisms do believe that opposing standard gender norms and radically re-ordering society (as they believe that oppression stems from gender relations, as opposed to legal systems) is the only way to achieve equality for women. But as she rightly points out in the article, these viewpoints are extremist. They represent only a smaller section of feminism. As such, taking the viewpoints of radical feminism as representative of the majority of feminists, and using it to dismiss feminism as a whole, is an unfair and myopic view of the diversity of perspectives in the feminist movement and the  real and valuable aims the movement does possess.

I agree wholeheartedly with the author’s essential viewpoint that women should have the right to choose whether they are traditionally feminine or not in every aspect of life, from family to appearance to career. Rather, I am perplexed by her identifying as a non-feminist, because under some definitions of feminism, this is quite possibly the most feminist point I think she could make. If her reason for identifying as a non-feminist is that she feels there is no space within the feminist movement for her views, or that radical feminists have hijacked the label of “feminist”, I think this speaks to a lack of knowledge of the different movements within feminism. It also highlights an important issue, which is that many non-feminists base their impression of feminism off the most controversial and outspoken opinions.

In studying the history of feminism, it has traditionally been divided into waves. To briefly summarize these waves, first-wave feminism during the 19^th and early 20^th centuries focused on legal disabilities (e.g. property rights), and most primarily on gaining the right to vote. Second wave feminism, from the 1960s onwards, began to branch out into a wide range of societal and cultural issues concerning women, such as issues to do with sexuality, the family, and reproductive rights. This paved the way for today’s third wave feminism, which began in the 1990s, and which encompasses the radical feminism of today.

The two movements within feminism which are most relevant to the author’s discussion would be radical feminism and liberal feminism. As mentioned above, radical feminism focuses on the subversion and rejection of gender norms. This is due to the fundamental hypothesis of radical feminism, which is that gender inequality stems from social relationships. They believe that the patriarchy, or institutionalized male privilege, permeates every form of relationship, and it is only through the rejection of gender norms and the fundamental reordering of society that equality can be achieved. Like any radical group, they seek to restructure society on a fundamental level.

In contrast, liberal feminism, which is the more “mainstream” or conventional view today, believes that gender inequality stems from political and legal institutions. As such, their primary focus is on political and legal reform in order to break down barriers to women’s equality in society. This view of feminism is more individualistic, with emphasis being on women’s freedom to demonstrate equality in their own actions or choices – namely, believing that women should have the freedom to act how they want, which would appear to be the belief of the author. It should also be noted that neither of these movements are perfect – they have often been criticized for their focus on issues that primarily affect women of a certain class or race, while ignoring issues that women of different classes, races, or sexual orientations may face.

While it is true that the heterogeneity of feminism and the number of different feminist movements makes it difficult to pin down a single definition of what feminism is, I believe that this fluidity of interpretation does not hurt, but rather enriches feminism. In fact, it places the onus on those who wish to understand, or criticize, feminism, to do their research and to decide which interpretation they believe in.

After all, even the most extreme of views do have a grain of truth to them. In particular, radical feminism’s opposition of gender norms, while sometimes brought to extremes, is embedded in truth. While one may believe that women should have freedom of choice to act however they want, one must accept that no choice occurs in a vacuum. Society will inevitably prize certain, more conventional choices (such as, according to the Singapore government, women’s obligation to have children) over other choices like remaining single or being in a same-sex relationship. While it may be relatively easy for someone to make choices which correspond with convention – such as the author – in upholding freedom of choice, we also need to let women have freedom to make choices which go against traditional gender norms. And naturally, this would require the dismantling of some gendered expectations.

In defending her stand, the author first questions the impact of society’s influence on her choices, and then states that perhaps being feminine is merely an innate leaning for her. With reference to the first – perhaps it may be difficult to draw a quantitative link between children’s toys and cartoons and the enforcement of gender norms. Yet the “insidious cultural forces” she talks about can be seen quite concretely. There are clear cultural expectations for girls to behave in one way, and boys to behave in another. There is a clear cultural expectation for women to fulfil the role of homemaker, as seen by how 47% of unemployed women in Singapore play the role of caretakers for their children as compared to 1.8% of unemployed men. If you talk to anyone on the street, they can easily name some gender stereotypes for each gender. In my view, there is no way that these common expectations and societal pressures can fail to have no influence whatsoever on the way women behave. I’m not even discussing third world countries, where women may face brutal consequences, such as acid attacks, for not conforming to gender expectations. No matter whether or not you argue that some gendered behavior is innate (which there is no hard neuroscientific evidence for), such as that the majority of women choose to be homemakers because they are innately nurturing, you cannot deny that there are also some women who don’t wish to conform to these norms. It is their freedom of choice, in the face of society’s confusion or disapproval, which needs to be upheld.

The original, dictionary definition of feminism is about equality of the sexes. That’s a quote from the original article, minus the dubious quotation marks around “feminism” and “equality of the sexes”. I removed the quotation marks because I believe that that’s what both the original author, and I, think feminism is truly about. She claims that this simple definition of feminism may be attractive, yet incorrect, thanks to the multitude of ideas of what feminism is about. I assert that this definition is reductive, thanks to the vibrant diversity of ideas within feminism, with various waves stretching back to the original struggle for women’s suffrage. But at the same time, I truly believe that gender equality, no matter whether you believe in achieving it through political and legal reform or by rejecting gender norms, is the ultimate aim of all forms of feminism.  A disagreement with one form of feminism, such as radical feminism, does not exclude you from being a feminist.  And as long as you support gender equality in some form, there’s no such thing as “not feminist enough”.

If you would like to find out more about feminism and gender issues in general, Students for Gender Equality, RI’s (Year 5-6) unofficial gender issues club, will be holding an awareness week in Week 10. Do come down to the canteen if this article has piqued your interest!

by Raffles Gavel Club
Image from First Friday Book Synopsis

The one last hurdle before the Year 5 academic year concludes: Oral Presentation. Up in just under a week, but that’s more than enough time to perfect your presentation! Whether or not you feel confident about getting your hands on Some Forty Percent, practice and employing the right strategies will definitely help in putting up a good performance. Here are some tips and tricks that we have put together. Be sure to share your own tips and comments in the comments section below!

Fluency & Articulation

Stick with an accent you are comfortable in, rather than one that seems to sound good. This allows you to speak naturally while the latter usually results in awkward and stilted speech. Instead of trying to cram as much content as possible into your allotted 5 minutes of airtime, keep to a steady pace which leaves room for the proper articulation of your words. As advised by PW lecturers, make sure your script is four minutes, and remember, you tend to speak faster when reading off a script! The ideal 4 minutes happens at the speed you’ll be speaking at with or without cue cards, depending on your choice.

Posture & Gestures

It is crucial to be familiar with your script- it’s hard to focus on what your body is doing when you’re struggling with what you’re supposed to say.

Be aware of some common bad habits, such as swaying your body or crossing your feet, darting eyes or looking into a distant corner of the classroom, or the “Adam & Eve” Pose (clasping your hands in front of you) or the “Military” Pose (hands behind your back).

One way to overcome these tics is anchoring yourself – keep your feet shoulder width apart and planted on the ground, otherwise, take meaningful steps as you speak. If you’re comfortable with the idea of pacing meaningfully, consider taking a step forward when you’ve got a important point to make! Besides that, you could also consider glancing to the left, right then centre. Dividing your attention equally among all the audience members makes everyone feel included in your presentation- a great help with audience awareness. Another option is making sweeping, confident gestures toward the screen. Practice doing so beforehand such that you know when and where to point and gesture.

Natural gestures do not come easily to everybody, so be sure that your gestures are deliberate. They can be used to emphasize, show direction, or reinforce statistics. You can enumerate important points by using your fingers to count, a handy trick which prevents you from losing your audience as you rattle off a list of bullet points. To add gestures, think about your action verbs and then how you might demonstrate them. For example, if you say “lift,” then lift your hands to visually enhance your point. Also note that you need to keep in mind the size of the classroom as well as whether the projection screen will be on your left and right given that you might not always get to rehearse in the actual venue. In general, the bigger the room and the more obstructed the views, the bigger and higher the gestures need to be. It is more effective to extend your arms when gesturing. Lastly, remember to smile! :-)

Rehearsing Tips

Over-reliance on cue cards might make you appear unprepared and uninvolved with the audience, so it is vital to have your scripts memorised. Memorising a 5 minute speech may seem daunting but it  does not take as long as you might expect. Start off by familiarising yourself with phrases or parts of paragraphs. Then, move on to full sentences. It’s alright if you don’t follow your script word for word, but remember to always make use of your keywords. (ie. expanding the positive, diminishing the negatives)

To ensure the smooth flow of the presentation, be sure to collaborate with your groupmates who are clicking your slides or speaking after you, so that they can follow your flow. This can be done by having a printed copy of everyone’s speeches in order, and labelling it with a symbol at every slide change. Also remember to thank the previous speaker and introduce your next speaker. It is useful to mark the beginning of your script with the previous speaker’s last paragraph so you know when your turn is up.

Lastly, practice, practice, practice! Keep reading your parts out loud, everywhere! (in the bathroom, car, lift etc) Verbal practice gives your brain the chance to get used to phrasing and order of content.

Q&A

This is perhaps the most frightening part of Oral Presentation. But even if you are someone who can’t handle anything spontaneous, this can easily be prepared for. It is useful to come up with a document of possible Q&A questions and to discuss or type out the answers for each one as a group. It definitely will help to reread your Written Report and make sure that you have a full understanding of every aspect of your project, as opposed to the parts that you’re presenting.

During the Q&A segment itself, feel free to take up to 10 seconds to think before you begin. If you are stuck even before you’ve begun and need to buy time, don’t thank the teacher for their question or compliment them for raising ‘a good point’. Instead, start by defining terms in the question where possible. Preambles are acceptable as long as you keep them short, this ensures that you don’t go off topic even before you have begun to answer the question. Don’t be afraid to ask for the question to be repeated if you didn’t catch it in its entirety the first time round, it’s okay to do so and asking for clarification can even help to buy you some time!

Remember to structure your answer and repeat the keywords that the examiner used, in order to signal that you are responding to their question with a well-thought-out and relevant answer. It is better to take a longer time to think and come up with a clearer structure than start right away and have your answer going all over the place. Keep in mind that pauses are fine and natural! People prefer to listen to speakers who think before they speak. Finally, end off by saying thank you confidently.

Group cohesiveness

Your groupmates are the people with whom you’ve travelled this long PW journey with so stick by one another for the final lap! If a team member feels nervous, go over their scripts with them and give them feedback on their style, posture, etc. On the actual day, be sure to put on a dazzling smile and nod when your teammate is speaking even though you’ll be seated behind them. Don’t read your script or gaze into a visionary distance, that would pose as a distraction. Three or four nodding heads in the background not only screams teamspirit, but also gives the impression that everything being presented makes perfect sense.

Last but not least, believe in your project! Only then will people be interested in doing the same. We at Raffles Gavel Club wish you the best of luck!! :-)

by the Orientation Committee
Additional reporting by Ching Ann Hui (15S03A), Yeo Jia Qi (15S03H) and Tan Yi Chern (15S03N)

With 6 days remaining to Orientation 2015, Raffles Press is proud to bring you a behind-the-scenes overview of what to expect in the biggest event of the school calendar. After seven months of planning and preparation, including weekends and the year-end holidays, on behalf of the 34th Students’ Council’s Orientation Committee, here is a sneak peek of what Lumière 2015 will be all about. Today we feature Storyline, Song & Dance, War Games and Station Games.

Bringing you Lumière: Orientation Committee 2015

Lumière, French for light. Light is a natural agent that stimulates sight and illuminates our surroundings. This draws a parallel to Orientation, the very first light in this new chapter of your life, preceding the many brand new experiences that lie ahead!

Light also represents joy, once again hinting at the many fun times and great memories you will experience in your time here in RI. Orientation will give you exactly that opportunity to discover your own light!

Our personal wish for you is that you will leave all your worries and all your insecurities behind, come with an open heart and mind, and truly enjoy Orientation. We are sure that Orientation will be a memorable event that you’ll certainly look back upon in the future. Without further ado, here is a brief preview of the respective sub-committees for Lumière 2015!

Storyline

Just a tiny portion of the immense Storyline set!

Storyline is the most fantastical amazing wonderful thing you will see. (Just kidding.)

We won’t reveal much about Storyline as it will ruin the big surprises that you are in for, so this is all we’re going to tell you:

What is Storyline? Storyline is the story of Lumière. But beyond just being a story; it is also about a life we must all live. What will be the light that will keep you going for the next two years? Will it be your grades? Working towards a distant future? Will you even let light into your JC life? Finding this light is all up to you, and this is where we want to show you, that maybe the light that you always needed is just a touch away.

War Games

Are you ready for waaaarrrr!!! Get ready to break into a sweat, tussling and pushing to fight for your house during our 4 games on day 2 and 4, namely Capture the Flag, Jedi, Virus and Clash of the Centipedes. This is the only component of orientation that will contribute to your house standings, so go ALL OUT! The war won’t be easy, and you will see everyone going a bit crazy, but we assure you that everything will return to normal when lessons start.

Station Games

Good day Agent,

Let us all do away with the uninteresting chugga-chugga-choo-choo impression we have of Station Games. Instead, brace yourselves for The Chronicles of Noirnia: Quest of the Elements. You will discover the magical wonders of Raffles Institution while exploring regions of fire, earth, water, wind and lightning. From dodging hailstones to throwing lavaballs to avoiding landmines, you will embark on a sensational journey on foot while viewing the compelling sights the school has to offer. If your sense of direction is less than stellar, fret not, for you will be provided with a quest map. To unlock the secret of the map, you will visit hidden areas all over Raffles and meet the dwellers of this enchanting realm for a short chitchat session.

The Chronicles of Noirnia: Quest of the Elements promises to be an invigorating experience which will test the strength of your OG. It doesn’t come close to being the most war-mongering and dangerous activity your Orientation will have to offer, but it will definitely be by far the most unique “station games” you will go through. Stay courageous, take heart, and let your journey begin!

Song

We play the music for you.
We make the music with you.
We inspire the music in you.
And most importantly,
We ignite the music within you.
The best way to spread Orientation hype is by singing the batch song loud for all to hear.

This year, to celebrate the birth of a new batch of Year 5s, the Song Committee brings you a wonderful original composition! Staying true to the theme Lumière, the heartfelt lyrics of Shining Bright will sing you through your two years in RI. It is definitely something to look forward to! We have an exciting performance prepared for you. Get ready to sing and mosh your hearts out during O Nite because it will be a night you will never forget! We’re ready, are you?

Dance

“You kidnap my heart like some classic treasure and I want it that way”

Dance has much in store for OGLings this Orientation! From the ever anticipated batch dance to DanceOff during O Nite (where we crown our very own dance King and Queen), not forgetting the O Nite performance by our very own subcomm members (a feast for the eyes)! Feeling lost after reading the quote above? Fret not, simply watch our batch dance MV or learn the moves (so you can groove) from the dance tutorials on YouTube!

We’ve come a long way and we dare say, you’ll definitely enjoy your experiences at Orientation! How we wish we could relive our own! In particular, we are sure that you’ll enjoy the dances! Let your hair down, work those feet and let’s start dancing: it’s your turn to SHINE! After all, Dance has been working hard all for you: We are but 30 dancers, 4 dances, 1 dance for Lumière!

Excited for Orientation yet? Visit the Lumière 2015 Facebook page at facebook.com/lumiereRI2015 and look out for the dance video to be released shortly! Watch Raffles Press for Lumière Preview Part 2.

by the Orientation Committee
Additional reporting by Ching Ann Hui (15S03A), Yeo Jia Qi (15S03H) and Tan Yi Chern (15S03N)

With just one day to go till Orientation, Raffles Press is proud to bring you the second edition of our behind-the-scenes overview of what to expect in the biggest event of the school calendar. After seven months of planning and preparation, including weekends and the year-end holidays, on behalf of the 34th Students’ Council’s Orientation Committee, here is a sneak peek of what went into the making of Orientation, and what you as a J1 can expect! Today we feature Decor, OG Hours, and PLogs.

Decor:

We are the icing on your cupcake,
the ketchup to your french fries,
the cheese in your macaroni,
the sprinkles on your ice cream,
and the cherry on top!

We may not be the first thing you notice – but just take a closer look around and you will find us everywhere! From designing the Orientation logo to stringing the fairy lights, the Décor Subcomm works on all the little details to make your Orientation experience even more amazing than it is! Interested in knowing the sneak previews for the Orientation programme? Well, unzip your O’Pack and check out our programme booklet! Feeling lost around school? Embark on ouRJourney at the MPH walkway as we bring you on a virtual tour of the school campus and the various events in the school term! Can’t wait to unleash your inner celebrity? The lights, props, (but no cameras) have been set-up for you at the photo booth in the canteen! Missing Christmas already and can’t wait for Chinese New Year? Don’t worry – we’ve got both fairy lights and lanterns prepared for you! And a final word of advice – do dress up for a night of glitz and glamour at O’Nite as we ignite the light and let it shine bright like a diamond! Although we work behind the scenes, do not underestimate us, ‘cos we are the highLIGHT to Lumière!

PLogs:

The PLOGs (programme and logistics) subcomm has been established from the very first orientation to coordinate and support the efforts of all the subcommittees. Since the very beginning, PLOGs has been tasked with administrative matters, matters of the stomach as well as the O’Packs for incoming students! In planning for this, we held several meetings to iron out issues in our systems to ensure that orientation would run like a well-oiled machine. To test our systems we were given two dry run dates to simulate attendance taking, food distribution as well as our online attendance update systems! We faced many difficulties and challenges such as distributing food by house especially given the changes in the day’s attendance and also effectively communicating with the OGLs on our systems and protocols. But through it all, we’ve pulled through and reorganised our systems and tools to be more orderly and efficient and hopefully help to contribute to an overall smooth sailing and fantastic experience for all OGLings!

OG hours:

From Storyline to War Games to the PLogs that tie everything together, what a great deal of heart has gone into making Lumière a reality for the incoming batch of 2016. As you eagerly await the highly-anticipated call that will determine your OGLs and extended family in JC, check out the War Games and Station Games preview, as well as watch the batch dance video and familiarise yourself with the moves! Also, do visit the Lumière 2015 Facebook page. Raffles Press wishes you fun, excitement and close friends over the next few days, and hopes that you make the most of your Orientation experience.