By Varun Karthik (19S06A) and Loh Lin (19A01D)
Photos courtesy of Phang Yeu Yeou (19A01B) and Raffles Photographic Society

When one thinks of a student journalist, several images jump to mind: a figure hunched over their laptop poring over google documents, perhaps. Or a frazzled individual darting from person to person thrusting a figurative microphone under their noses, putting them on the spot each time. These encounters aside, the student journalist remains largely out of sight, with nothing — save for their carefully curated publications — to account for their existence. So on the silent pursuit goes: probing, discovering, writing. In the process, a necessary question arises: how do we adapt to what the community cares about?

The Pressing Ahead symposium held on 14 April brought various school presses together precisely to address this question as a collective. This unique conference saw Raffles Press play host to student journalists from Anglo-Chinese Junior College (ACJC), Catholic Junior College (CJC), Eunoia Junior College (EJC), Hwa Chong Institution (HCI), Nanyang Junior College (NYJC), River Valley High (RV), Victoria Junior College (VJC).

The event commenced with an opening address from Press Chairperson Lynn Hong (18A13A), who introduced the crux of the conference as “Engaging the Community”. The congregation then split into the various groups that they stayed with for the rest of the day. Rather than opening with classic ice-breakers like Whacko, the organising committee attempted to switch things up with more unconventional choices of Spyfall and Sticker Ninja. The games appeared to have served their purpose of breaking the ice between so many unfamiliar faces, and had a very warm reception from the participants, as indicated by the animated interactions that were observed.

The theme of the symposium was explored in greater depth by Ms Karen Gwee, executive editor of Mynah Magazine, who shared about her experience with journalism as a student and as a current editor of a local magazine. From being involved in RGS’ Tribune publications to diving into music journalism and uncovering untold Singaporean stories, Ms Gwee’s venture into journalism was not without challenges or uncertainties — as she had wryly summed up: “you have to run ragged working for stories”.

On the underbelly of newsgathering and headlines lies not just the fundamental need to inform people, but also the need to continually navigate and engage with narratives, both immediate and removed. Journalism is driven by what people care about and avoid — both of which are usually telling of larger parochial concerns — and having to adapt to and keep up with the spontaneous nature of communities does take its toll on the journalists.

Despite this, a common understanding was passed amongst everyone sitting in the LT that listening and responding to the community is indispensable to journalism, even and especially so in the considerably smaller school community. As Ms Gwee put it, “you’re always writing for an audience […] we try to make people care, and we inform the people who already do”. This was later reinforced by Pressing Ahead Organising Team Member Zacchaeus Chok (18S03O), who expressed his hopes that the event would be able to capture “the idea of probing further into relevant aspects of the community that we often sideline from various lenses and perspectives.” After all, the voices in a community inform the spirit of the publication, which in turn has an impact on the extent of readership.

It therefore comes as no surprise that we as student journalists tend to be plagued with the concern of ensuring we not only deliver content that is pertinent and accessible to the readers, but attempt to reach the demographic that is generally disinterested.

When asked about how best to address divergent interests in readers, Ms Gwee responded that “[this] is something writers should decode in their own writing economy, and [they] shouldn’t be afraid to change the answer whenever necessary”. What this means is that the student journalists will have to decide for themselves the group they ultimately wish to write for. While there is no dictum on the most effective way to negotiate with such factors, and certainly no definitive answers to be found, Ms Gwee’s words foregrounded the need for consistent inquiry and sensitivity to change. Much like the fluid nature of any community, presses should strive to be receptive to the shifting dynamics and concerns of the people; only then will they be able to stay relevant and fulfill their role.

The breakout session that followed demanded the joint efforts of group members to produce an article outline under a tight timeline. Participants were first tasked to generate interview questions based on the preconceived notions and stereotypes surrounding many of the other schools. They then had to decrypt obscure riddles that included pigpen ciphers and puns in order to determine the location of the group they were meant to interview. This resulted in much amused confusion as they worked together valiantly to make sense of the puzzle. According to the Organising Team, the perplexion that arose from solving the riddles was very much part of the lesson, to emphasise that finding interview targets is not always that easy.

Eventually, they located their interview subjects and through much probing, got to learn about the culture in the other JCs, which challenged many of the stereotypes they each held about one another prior to this. After the interview, the students were tasked to work on and present their outlines to the other participants. Despite the time constraint that they had to operate under, the students forwarded interesting pieces, paragraphs and angles.

This activity presented the participants with the long-awaited opportunity to collaborate with one another and to get a glimpse into the spectrum of writing styles and structures that each of them subscribed to. It was also interesting to note the respective approaches that groups chose to adopt in response to the specific scopes they had been tasked with. For example, VJC examined whether the prominent match support culture in HCI contributes to building a school identity the students can relate and feel a sense of belonging to. HCI in turn chose to explore how VJC’s orientation experience is shaped by its school culture, and brought up an intriguing element of the traditional orientation dance, where the custom of choosing partners resulted in the tacky “political dynamic of being asked first and last”.

On a deeper level, the activity aimed to challenge participants to consider their audience when planning their article outline. Bearing in mind the fact that they were writing for a school-based platform, they had to question and grapple with all the possible approaches they could take. This process has been coined “angling”, where the writer essentially aims to add value to their article by providing fresh and balanced insight into a phenomenon the readers might already be familiar with.

Throughout the course of the symposium, there were pockets of free time for the students from various schools to interact and talk about the culture and dynamics in each other’s Press clubs. This was vital in fostering collaborations and friendships between student journalists from various schools. Unlike Sports and Performing Arts CCAs where interschool interaction is more easily facilitated through competitions and events, the student journalism scene is slightly more sparse in this aspect. However, given the eager exchange of contact details at the end, it can be said that this conference was a good place to start building a community of passionate student journalists.

Mr Patrick Wong, our Press teacher in-charge, acknowledged that “one thing [student journalists] struggle with is how to manage the dynamics of writing for themselves and having the school breathe on top of them […] so it’s nice to hear from [other schools] the challenges they face”. This sentiment was echoed by Pressing Ahead Organising Team Member Calista Chong (18A01A), who expressed that “this opportunity to […] exchange ideas and share expertise is a very valuable thing” because “on a day-to-day basis we operate as a press that just concerns ourselves with reporting events that happen within our own community”.

Perhaps the necessity for such a conference can be encapsulated by Lynn’s opening address, where she remarked that “at the heart of what the school press is, it’s really about the community and trying to make an impact on the community through whatever medium we have”. Pressing Ahead therefore exists to serve as “a sort of platform where we all gather and learn together and exchange ideas about how to make student journalism, our own work, more meaningful and more fun”.

“At the heart of what the school press is, it’s really about the community and trying to make an impact on the community through whatever medium we have.”
– Raffles Press Chairperson Lynn Hong (18A13A)

From these insights, it is evident that more than anything, student journalists do not exist in a vacuum. They are always engaged in conversation — be it with the larger community that they write for, or the more immediate one that they reside in. While every school press undoubtedly faces their own set of challenges with regards to student journalism, there is solace in the knowledge that we are united by the same affinity for social scrutiny, and our dedication to committing our observations to the written word. Pressing Ahead 2018 has raised more questions than answers, but perhaps this ambiguity is something that we ought to embrace as we strive to be a more meaningful voice for our communities.

By Angus Yip (18A01A)

Many recent movements in feminism have been spearheaded, unsurprisingly, by women. Last year’s Women’s March in the US was sparked by four women as a large-scale demonstration to “send a bold message to [the new US administration]… that women’s rights are human rights”. The #MeToo social media movement encouraged women to speak up about moments where they felt sexually assaulted or harassed in everyday life, especially in the workplace. Locally, organisations like AWARE which aim to promote women’s rights are still very much led by women.

It is only natural that women should lead the charge to speak up for their rights. Many of us believe that men have some form of role to play in these movements. In considering the role men should play, we must also consider the extent to which their involvement may create problems that hinder this very movement, and what can be done about this.

I write this article knowing that feminism today is impossible to homogenise. Certain acts can be interpreted differently, as championing feminism or undermining it – when Miley Cyrus released her “Wrecking Ball” music video, she argued that she was acting against traditional conceptions of femininity, but others denounced her for sexualising herself. Entire branches of feminism are in disagreement over the goals of the movement too. For instance, liberal feminists aim to create equality of opportunity in the legal and educational spheres, while radical feminists posit that the whole patriarchal system must be overturned.

While definitions of feminism are complex and ever-changing, for the sake of this article, it is necessary to simplify things (at the risk of being reductive). It is perhaps best to consider the “goal” of feminism as the common ground that most branches of feminism have: a society where women can live without any particular discrimination from others by virtue of their sex.

Many of the experiences women have discussed are things that I (or most men) have never experienced or scarcely thought about. For instance, in Singapore, many women still feel afraid walking alone on the street when it is dark. One of my friends mentioned that she has a strict curfew and her parents believe that if she is not home by a certain time, she will be sexually assaulted. Many of my friends have also mentioned how their parents want them to dress modestly to avoid attracting undue attention. Beyond these fears, larger systemic problems like sexual harassment in the workplace are also things that many men will not be able to empathise with.

Singapore and many other first world countries are fortunate not to have any discrimination against women that manifests itself through practices like arranged marriages or abortions of female foetuses, which other societies accept as normal. These countries have also been largely spared from criticism regarding the institutionalisation of sexism in legal codes.

Instead, these experiences manifest themselves in the cultural practices, values and teachings shared by members of society. However, this also means that much of what women experience are things that the media does not report. After all, it does not make much sense for newspapers to report simply that a cultural perception still exists without any recent newsworthy events that emphasise this. This makes it even more difficult for men to realise that these issues even exist and understand what women are speaking up against.

To be very clear, men should aim to be more aware of the injustice women describe and realise that such injustice cannot go on for equality to be achieved. Men should focus on questioning their assumptions about gender roles and becoming more conscious of the privileges they enjoy. However, while men can be allies, men must not claim leadership over a movement that is ultimately about improving the rights of women. This not only diminishes the authenticity of the feminist movement but is also a manifestation of what women are speaking up against – suppression by men.

Beyond this, there are other issues that stem from the fact that many men have not experienced what women go through – it also makes it difficult for feminism as a movement to gain traction in Singapore. It is easy for many men to feel that sufficient progress has been made since physical acts of violence against women have by and large been made illegal, and these acts are no longer seen as morally justifiable by the majority. This goes against the view of many feminists who posit that discrimination still exists in less overt forms, which is the message they aim to spread.

Of course, the difficulty of getting men on board is a problem that some feminist groups have perpetuated through their rather militant rhetoric, or by other groups which believe that women-only spaces are necessary for women to share their experiences, leading to the men feeling excluded from the conversation. The formation of men’s rights activist groups, which many view as misogynistic, has been mostly spurred by the belief that feminism has gone too far. (A Voice For Men, an influential website in the men’s rights movement, claims that it aims to “reject the unhealthy demands of gynocentrism in all its forms”.)

While there are some feminist groups that are aggressive in their approach, as stated earlier, feminism as a movement is extremely heterogeneous and so the generalisation of all feminists in a particular way is very problematic. When people think of “feminism”, they may simply think of a group of women forcefully imposing their own views on others without listening to others’ opinions, even though this does not reflect the nature of most feminists. Compounded with the belief that sufficient progress for women’s rights has been made, many may simply choose not to care about this issue. This makes it difficult for feminists in general to be heard.

Beyond the inability of men to recognise the problems women face, what is even more concerning is that men could be perpetuating certain mindsets and attitudes without even knowing it. In a patriarchal system, it is extremely difficult for men to remove themselves from their positions of power and privilege in relation to women. The traditional view that men are more responsible for earning money while women should take a greater role in taking care of children still largely prevails. This is an image that many women have criticised as an example of oppressive standards of femininity.

To address these issues, I believe that an honest, open conversation between men and women is necessary at some stage for genuine social change to be achieved one day. Some feminists argue that feminism is a woman’s battle – women-only spaces are needed for women to feel safe. However, I think that this makes it easy for feminism to be seen as something that does not take the views of others into account.

Men must care if feminism is to create change. Even if we do not consider feminist groups that many perceive to be overly radical, there are still many moderate feminists who campaign fervently for equality of opportunity. If men do not support these groups, it naturally diminishes the impact that they have and their potential to create the change they desire.

Even if I acknowledge that I cannot fully empathise with what women experience, there is nothing preventing me from listening to their words. Yes, I may not fully understand everything feminists speak for, but I can talk to other women and listen to their opinions on what men can do.

Ultimately, that is the most important contribution that men can play. Even if men ultimately decide that they disagree with the tenets of feminism, making an informed decision to do so is better than dismissing the entire movement as a whole. Men must do their best to understand the discourse surrounding feminism as a movement and make a more educated decision on where they stand.

And if men decide to support the feminist movement (or certain branches of it), they must be more aware about the ways in which they may be unintentionally perpetuating the very problems feminists wish to tackle. Simply claiming to be a feminist is insufficient; one’s actions are far more important in forwarding the movement. It is only through a genuine engagement with the feminist movement that real, genuine change can be created.

By Grace Lau (18S03I), Loh Su Jean (19A01A), and Kuang Shane Qi (19A13A)
Photos courtesy of Raffles Photographic Society

Continuing the tradition of performing as one united Raffles family, the 3 choirs, namely Raffles Voices (Y1-4), Chorale (Y5-6) and Singers (Alumni), came together on April 14 to put up an enthralling performance themed “Love, Peace & Respect”. While the theme may sound didactic and dull, the actual performance was far from that. Through a wide range of pieces handpicked from different eras and societies, the choristers conveyed significant messages, such as the importance of peace, with a deliberate emphasis on social action.

The concert kicked off with Wade in the Water (arr. Norman Luboff) and Who Shall Have My Lady Fair (Robert Pearsall). These pieces, which are composed in two very different styles, showcased the choir’s impressive range of repertoire.

Sonnet 43 (by Kelly Tang) and Mamayog Akun (arr. Fabian Obispo) were, according to choir members themselves, “challenging but fun”. Especially for the Y1 boys who had never performed acapella before, these two pieces presented a steep learning curve for them to conquer. Despite the initial challenges, their hard work evidently paid off. The beautiful solo by Joel Chik at the end of Sonnet 43, as well as the coordination displayed when performing the interlocking rhythms and complex harmonies of Mamayog Akun, left the audience amazed.

While Raffles Voices enchanted us with their youthful charm, Chorale spoke straight to the writers’ hearts with their intimate music. Calm, collected, and poised, they delivered a haunting performance that was shocking in its tenderness and maturity.

One of the pieces that stood out in its poignancy was Entreat Me Not to Leave You (by Dan Forrest). It opened delicately, with voices shifting slightly at the end of each line to tilt the harmony just off-balance. The song grew more insistent and yet more vulnerable in its push and pull between the low and high registers. For a brief moment, there was dissonance. And then, a long, low, harmony – overwhelming in its simplicity – drew it to a close.

Injecting local flair into their performance of 身骑白马 (by 高竹), Chorale performed the song in Hokkien instead of Mandarin. While the choir’s intermittent rustling of pink ribbons drew chuckles from the audience, the sound effect worked to capture pastoral scenes and images.

Chorale rounded things off with an electrifying call for peace in We Can Mend the Sky (by Jake Runestad). The powerful lyrics were taken from a poem composed by 14 year-old Warda Mohammed, which depicts his journey as an immigrant. Complementing its anti-war message, the song featured sudden drum beats and sliding voices that mimicked the sound of falling bombs in air raids, leaving us disoriented and unsettled. In a stunning moment of revelation, the choir fell silent. The only voice left was that of soloist Michelle Tan, as she pleaded directly, and alone, for action.

Starting their performance with a lively piece, Warm Up (from Mass), Raffles Singers lightened the solemn atmosphere in the hall with some lighthearted shoulder patting before transiting to a gentle and placid tune.

Performing the piece We Beheld Once Again The Stars adapted from Dante’s Divine Comedy, the seasoned choristers smoothly progressed from a divine, tender melody to a grand magnificence. They captivated the audience as they emotively expressed Dante’s thirst for freedom as he journeyed from Inferno (Hell) to Paradiso (Heaven).

Finally, Singers ended their segment with an African-American spiritual piece, My Soul’s Been Anchored, which celebrates deep faith in the Lord. The sudden changes in volume and unmistakable traces of jazz layered the piece, which ended with a startlingly high note that was met with loud applause.

The members of Chorale filed back onto stage, though this time curiously holding wine glasses filled with water. Their purpose soon became apparent: as the choristers ran their fingers around the rims of the glasses, the unearthly sound of chiming bells filled the concert hall. The choir then launched into Stars (by Eriks Esenvalds), delivering a performance as sublime as its celestial backdrop.

The following piece tugged the audience down to Earth and provided a refreshing touch of pop culture. “In My Life” (arr. Roger Emerson) was delivered well by soloist Joshua Seah, who demonstrated admirable technique. The concert wound down with Prelude to Peace (by Randall Stroope), a soothing piece that infused the audience with a more mellow sentiment.

The audience knew something big was on the horizon once the members of Raffles Voices joined their Chorale counterparts for the finale, Kasar Mie La Gaji (by Alberto Grau). Meaning “the Earth is tired”, Kasar Mie La Gaji was a call to environmental action that plunged ahead with an unrelenting rhythm. The unceasing repetition as well as the series of stomps and claps created a sense of desperation, culminating in a final, resounding stomp that shook the hall.

Sadly, all good things must come to an end. When the emcees returned to deliver their closing speech, the audience groaned and shouted calls of “encore!”. The choirs presented their conductor and teachers in charge with heartwarming tokens of appreciation, but this did not deter the audience. Amidst increasingly enthusiastic calls for an encore, the hapless emcees eventually gave up, shrugged, and rejoined the choir for the actual conclusion to the concert.

For the encore, Voices, Chorale, and Singers came together to sing The Gift of Music by John Rutter. Accompanied by flautist, Clement Chan (18S03B), the piece was not as technically dazzling as previous pieces, but was meaningful and sincere.

The choirs ended off with a rousing rendition of our very own Institution Anthem (arr. Mr Toh Ban Sheng). While the unexpected anthem elicited some chuckles from the audience, everyone eventually fell silent as the high notes soared, with members of the audience standing up as a sign of respect.

From a larger perspective, certain themes such as the call for humanity were clearly reverberated throughout the performance. The inclusivity of pieces from different cultures and languages also highlights the fact that music is universal and that despite our diverse backgrounds, we are united by our common identity as humans.

On a more personal level, the concert revealed the tight support network that many of us are blessed with. During the concert, one of our writers witnessed a heartwarming sight of a mother using a pair of binoculars to catch a glimpse of her son. This was but one example of how family and friends are supportive of the endeavours of their loved ones. Beyond the showcase of vocal mastery, the concert was a true representation of the uniting power of music.

Quoting Chorale EXCO member, Esther Choo (18S03I), “I think I can speak for the whole choir that we are all proud of how far we’ve come and how much effort we’ve put in. We are glad that we were able to create so many magical moments both on stage and for the audience.”

Set list:

Raffles Voices
Wade In The Water (Arr. Norman Luboff)
Who Shall Have My Lady Fair (Robert Pearsall)
Mamayog Akun (arr. Fabian Obispo)
Sonnet 43 (Kelly Tang)

Raffles Chorale
O My Luve’s Like A Red, Red Rose (Renee Clausen)
Entreat Me Not To Leave you (Dan Forrest)
身骑白马 (高竹）
We Can Mend The Sky (Jake Runested)

Raffles Singers
Warm Up (from Mass) (Leonard Bernstein)
We Beheld Once Again The Stars (Randall Stroope)
My Soul’s Been Anchored (Moses Hogan)

Raffles Chorale
Stars (Eriks Essenvalds)
In My Life (Arr. Roger Emerson)
Prelude To Peace (Randall Stroope)

Finale (Raffles Chorale and Singers)
Kasar Mie La Gaji (Alberto Grau)

Encore (Raffles Voices, Chorale and Singers)
The Gift Of Music (John Rutter)
Institution Anthem (arr. Toh Ban Sheng)

By Calista Chong (18A01A), Lim Jing Rong (18A03A), and Nicki Chan (18S03C)

The bell chimes, signifying the end of another dull lecture. However, any happiness is short-lived as the much-dreaded announcement sounds:

“The next set of lecture notes is available for collection from the photocopy shop now.”

The whole LT heaves a collective sigh at the realisation that a new portion of the syllabus will be starting. However, while most head to their next class or to the canteen for a bite to eat after the lecture ends, the subject representatives have another job to do – collecting said lecture notes from the photocopy shop.

The photocopy shop is located on the left of the Student Affairs Centre. Most bypass it without a second glance, only visiting it when photocopying services are required. Yet, the shop, being instrumental to our lives as students, more often than not bustles with activity.

On a typical school day, one would enter the shop to find two women behind the counter, busy at the photocopiers or stapling stacks of papers. A simple “Hi, auntie” is usually uttered, drawing the attention of one of the women. One can then request for the desired papers, and watch in awe as the auntie somehow retrieves them from among the ubiquitous shelves of papers. After making payment, goodbyes are exchanged and one leaves with the notes, satisfied.

However, what happens when the door swings shut? Do the aunties in the shop carry out the dreary task of pressing buttons on the photocopiers all day, churning out endless stacks of papers for us?

Armed with curiosity, we sought to glean another perspective on the industrious ladies behind the sheaves of lecture notes and tutorials. We spoke to Mr Gavin Swee to find out more.

“The ladies at the photocopy shop are brutally efficient and very good at what they do,” he quipped, when asked to describe the ladies whom he has grown acquainted with. “When you are [lecturing] the syllabus for the first time in a small department… your lecture notes arrive always just in time every week.”

When probed further about how the photocopy shop ladies would react, he smiled wryly and said, “The struggle is real. I always see how last-minute my lecture notes can be sent for printing without getting into trouble with them. They’ll scold me, but they’re very kind about it and still deliver without fail. And for that, I’m very grateful.”

What Mr Swee uttered next made us rethink the true significance of the otherwise laborious and mundane task of printing and fastening. “They’re the conduit of knowledge, aren’t they? The things teachers prepare will never get to students efficiently and effective without their effort.”

With that in mind, we paid the photocopy shop ladies a visit after school to seize an opportunity to chat with them. We visited the photocopy shop and expressed our wish. At first, the photocopy shop aunties seemed a little bewildered by the bid (probably at the fact that we did not start clamouring to collect notes thereafter), but one of the ladies kindly agreed to our request.

We triumphantly made our way past the counter towards the sprightly lady, who was busying herself with stapling sheets of freshly printed paper. Moving around in the shop proved to be a perilous venture, as we had to navigate our way about wires and neat stacks of worksheets – we could not help but think of the narrow space that the ladies have to work in, and with, all year round.

Armed with questions loosely translated into Chinese, we began the interview with her.

What is your name?

Most [students] call me Aunty, but my name is Annie.

How long have you been working in RI for?

11 years, very long hor.

Could you describe your daily routine?

I do around the same things every day. [gestures at the piles of worksheets stacked around the room] Teachers personally submit their printing orders to me, then students collect them.

How does your workload differ from day to day?

When we are nearing school holidays, I’m relatively free. But when the school term starts, I’m usually very busy, around February-March. I also get very busy during the exam period.

Do you enjoy working here?

Of course I like my job! If not, why would I have been working in this profession for so long? I like it because the working hours are good, it’s an 8-5 job. Plus, during the school holidays I get a break, just like the students [laughs].

“Are we done? Not yet? There’s still more? Aiyo okay.”

Why did you choose to go into this profession?

I chose to do this job because the working hours are good, and also because of the general convenience. My friend recommended me to this job as she had been previously working this job. We used to work together, she’s no longer working here – she got married and had kids.

What are some things that have brought you joy working here?

I am the happiest when students take their papers. I derive satisfaction from doing this job, because I get to feel like my work has paid off when students come in to get their papers. So long as you come and collect your papers, I’m happy.

Are there any interesting encounters with students/colleagues you would like to share?

Interesting things? No, but I quarrel with some [laughs]. When I bring the stack of papers down and they don’t have enough cash, it’s very difficult to put them back on the shelves because they’re heavy.

What is one thing you want students to know about your job or yourself?

If students want to get their books bound or worksheets printed, they need to tell me in advance. Most students don’t understand the workload we have, and demand everything instantly. They tell me “I want it now, I want it now” because they have classes to attend. I understand that, but there are usually still many papers that have yet to be printed that take precedence.

Quite often, we go through life without fully appreciating those around us. We forget to extend our gratitude beyond our immediate family and friends. Just as our Aunty Annies help us by sending out our worksheets on time, we should help them too by being understanding. Rather than waiting till the last minute to print our worksheets and assignments (cough cough PW WR), we should inform them of our requests prior to the deadline. Sometimes, all it takes is a smile and a bright, “thank you!” to show your appreciation to the people whose hard work help keep the school up and running.

By Zhu Xiuhua (18S06A), Wong Zi Yang (19A01D), and Yoon Shwe Yee (19S03B)
Photos courtesy of Raffles Photographic Society

This year, the theme for the Raffles Institution Piano Ensemble (RIPE) concert was “The Missing Piece” – containing elements of time and travel, which were the themes for the 2016 and 2017 RIPE concerts respectively. During the concert, the audience was taken on a journey through the baroque era, the classical era, the romantic era, and the modern era to appreciate the soulful ensemble of piano music across different time periods.

The venue of the concert was tastefully decorated. Cut-outs of objects relating to the theme of time travelling, such as the Tardis from Doctor Who – the blue telephone that is actually a time machine – hung on the walls amongst other pop culture references. The fairy lights strung across the front of the stage also created an intimate and almost mystical setting which perfectly fit the theme of the performances that were to come.

The concert officially began with Pan Liyu (19S06D) showing Dian Risya (19A01D) a prized family heirloom – a piano reportedly dug up from the tomb of the great Franz Lizst himself. Liyu then played a short rendition of the Institution Anthem upon the request of Dian, earning hearty laughs from the audience.

Dian then found a strange cube in the piano, which was revealed to be a time machine belonging to a genie. The genie challenged Liyu and Dian to find four fragments of a piece of music scattered across different time periods. With the promise of being rewarded with an unforgettable piece of music should they succeed in obtaining all four fragments, the duo activated the time machine and embarked on their temporal journey.

The journey began somewhere in between the Classical and Romantic Era with the Three March Militaires by Franz Schubert – a rousing piece that riled up the audience, aptly setting the upbeat mood for the rest of the adventure. It was here that the first fragment was found.

Although the list of performances was largely dominated by classical Western pieces, a modern closer-to-home flair was added to the concert as the pair travelled to the 21st century in search of the fragments. Much to the audience’s delight, well-known pieces such as Tokyo Ghoul’s opening theme, Unravel, and Merry-Go-Round of Life from Howl’s Moving Castle were played.

Throughout the journey, Liyu and Dian amused the audience with their playful bantering. The concert was punctuated with humour, with puns evoking groans and laughter from the audience.

“Have you tried eating a clock? It’s very time consuming.”

-Pan Liyu (19S06D)

After the four fragments – found after the performances of Three Marche Militaires, Farandole, Hwarang Medley and Grand Galop Chromatique – had been assembled, the disgruntled genie honoured his end of the deal, combining the four fragments into one piece. This culminated in the grand finale – a Disney medley performed by the J2 batch of RIPE. The medley was both enthralling and hilarious, with highlights including members singing at the centre of the stage and dancing across stage with a fedora. One particularly memorable moment was when Yizhen brandished a lightsaber and struck at Yuchen as The Imperial March from Star Wars was being played.

The finale was so well-received, in fact, that the awestruck audience called for an encore as the pianists prepared to take their final bow to end off the concert. Not wishing to disappoint, the J2s indulged their adoring fans and performed the Disney medley again as the encore.

In conclusion, RIPE did a fantastic job in bringing the different pieces to life, telling an interesting story that managed to successfully weave together the various eras with their distinctive styles of composing. The boisterous calls for an encore at the end of the concert were a testament to the audience’s enjoyment and their reluctant for the wonderful night to end. It was indeed hard to believe that one would have to leave this mystical, enchanting world and return to the real world.

Concert Repertoire

The search for the 1st fragment
Between the Classical and Romantic Era
Marche militaire in D major from Three March Militaires, Op. 51, D. 733 by Franz Schubert
Performed by Ma Yuchen & Eugene Ho

The search for the 2nd fragment
European Dances
Ritmo from Danses Andalouses by Manuel Infante
Performed by Isaac Lee & Huang Sixian

Pavane, Op.50 by Gabriel Faure (arranged by A. Benfeld)
Performed by Zhou Yirui & Tan Yu Xuan

Petite Suite, L. 65 by Claude Debussy
Performed by Eugene Ho & Leo Tan

Farandole from L’Arlesienne Suite No.2 by Georges Bizet
Performed by Wan Yuanjun, Soh Wen Wei & Pan Liyu

The search for the 3rd fragment
Modern Japanese/Korean pop songs
Merry-Go-Round of Life (from Howl’s Moving Castle) by Joe Hisaishi
Performed by Anders Loh & Tan Jun Xiang

Unravel (from Tokyo Ghoul) by Toru Kitajima
Arranged and performed by Leo Tan & Isaac Lee

Hwarang Medley by Oh Joon Sung
Arranged by Ashlyn Ng and performed by Dione Lim, Liu Yizhen & guest Violinist Liu Zhilong

The search for the 4th fragment
Romantic Era
Suite No.1, Fantaisie-tableaux, Op.5 by Sergei Rachmaninoff
Performed by Huang Sixian & Chen Xin Yuan

From the Bohemian Forest, Op. 68 by Antonin Dvorak
Performed by Samantha Wong & Ashlyn Ng

Baroque Era
Siciliano by Johann Sebastian Bach (arranged by Sharon Aaronson)
Performed by Zhu Jieshuai & Qian Hong Xiang

Classical Era
Sonata for Two Pianos in D Major, K.448 by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Performed by Liu Yizhen & Ma Yuchen

Return to the Romantic Era
The Nutcracker Suite Medley by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Arranged by Ashlyn Ng and performed by Ashlyn Ng & Dione Lim

Passacaille by Charles Gounod
Performed by Shirley Chee, Jin Minyue, Tan Rui Zhe & Low Chen Yi

The Carnival of the Animals – The Swan by Camille Saint-Saens (arranged by Anderson and Roe)
Performed by Chen Xinyuan & Chrystal Quek

Grand Galop Chromatique by Franz Lizst (arranged by Henry Maylath)
Performed by Bryan Ge, Samuel Foo, Liu Haixuan & Justin Liu

Grand Finale & Encore
20th and 21st century
Disney Medley by J2 batch ’18

By Yeo Kee Hwan (18S03Q)

The word “spam” may bring to mind the popular sandwich meat, but this is going to be about something less tasty, though perhaps just as salty and juicy. This is about the ubiquitous private Instagram accounts owned by denizens of our school, more affectionately known as spams (for the unceasing flow of content).

It’s nothing new, of course. They have been used even in secondary school, but it is undeniable that they’ve become even more popular in JC. These accounts act as a mix between diaries and private messages to our close friends, as we recount the daily happenings of our lives, perhaps vent a little about our disappointments or share about the little things that have made us happy in the dreary humdrum of life. From the other side of the screen, scrolling through these updates can be entertaining as we laugh at the quips of friends or commiserate with them. On the surface, it seems like a great way to destress, stay connected with friends whom we have drifted from in our business, and generally have a good time.

There are various types of spams, so to speak, and here’s a quick rundown on some of the more commonly seen ones. (Disclaimer: this isn’t meant to put down anything. Or anyone.)

As it appears, a spam is a very versatile medium, and clearly something is going for it considering how prevalent these accounts are. But as with anything in life, it can’t all be sunshine and rainbows. In fact, the common complaints levied against spams seem to be about how ‘unhealthy’ or ‘toxic’ they can be when certain content is posted, or that they can often affect friendships in real life. Much of this gives us food for thought for what a spam is and how it should be curated – if there even is a rule of thumb which should be abided by.

For one, how much do you feel the need to censor yourself? It boils down to how you view your account and your followers. Or, from the other side of the screen, how you view the person you follow. If one were to treat a spam as some sort of sacred, personal space, then arguably you should be able to post whatever you want, whenever you want, completely guilt-free.

But we know that isn’t always true. People are still afraid to look bad, figuratively and literally, some more than others.

To begin with, even a 20-followers-strong spam is anything but private. In many ways, it is more of a form of communication: you expect some form of response, be it in the form of likes, comments, or even direct messages, asking after you if you sound particularly depressed. Understandably, many of the social barriers that govern our public selves remain even on a spam, and it seems that people still believe they owe their followers at least some kind of restraint or filter.

At the same time, this begs the question for those on the opposite side of the screen: why do you follow someone’s spam? Because it’s a demonstration of your friendship? Because it’s entertaining to scroll through your friend’s life? Because you want in on however much of a mess your friend is? It could be any combination of the above. But it might be worth considering that a spam being ‘toxic’ to you isn’t always just about the content that is posted. Maybe you just aren’t as invested in someone else’s life, or you just have too much on your plate at the moment to be dealing with a friend’s troubles too. In any case, taking a step back to reevaluate following such an account might do you both good, if you’re starting to find it tiresome to see those posts on your dash again and again.

Types of interactions on spams

The content of the posts isn’t the only thing to a spam, of course. In fact, the very process of ‘letting’ people ‘into’ your spam and conversely, requesting to follow someone’s spam is very much an artificially simplified model of how we negotiate our interpersonal relationships in real life.

It starts even with the handle. If you wanted to be deep about it, you could argue that choosing a spam handle is like choosing something for your private self to be known by. Unlike in real life, you aren’t constrained by the practical need to have a socially acceptable name. Maybe it’s something you love (or someone, especially if you have an idol…), or maybe it’s a witty play on your real name.

But frankly speaking, sometimes it’s just something completely inane, more often than not because you’ve been found by a friend or family member who cannot be privy to the depths of your darkest secrets. In itself, this is also a unique advantage that a spam offers you; escaping awkward conversations and avoiding people isn’t quite as easy in real life.

Finding someone’s spam is really just the first step. As with friendships in real life, it takes some kind of negotiation to determine how close you are to someone. Thankfully, this is usually an organic process, where there is an unspoken agreement between you and a fellow human being about how close you are, and what your boundaries are. More importantly, there is usually no need to make this explicit; your entire friendship could be comfortably subsisted on casual discussions of whether canned Ovaltine actually tastes good, and on good days you could have the odd conversation or two about something Deep and Soul-searching. There isn’t a need for a set label on your relationship, and how much you choose to tell each other can be up to your fancy on any given day.

But when you’re trying to decide on whether you want to request someone’s spam and risk rejection, there suddenly seems to be a need to artificially categorise your friendships into Close and Not-close, ignoring all the subtleties in between. Similarly, as the owner of a spam, sometimes the notification of a request from someone you have never instinctively thought of as a close friend can be incredibly stressful.

It’s not easy to make a clear decision on whether a new friend should be privy to some things you dare not even articulate in broad daylight. At the same time, ignoring the request or worse, outright rejecting it, feels somewhat like an unfair dismissal of whatever you have managed to build in your budding friendships. Unnaturally pigeonholing friendships in this manner and worse, allowing this to affect your interactions in real life, is potentially unhealthy.

And lastly, spams wouldn’t be spams without our much loved activity (second only to hiding from people): blocking! Personal as spams are, it is natural that we are wary of who we ‘let into’ our spams, perhaps even with the same caution that we use in choosing close friends. But what’s not the same is that in real life, past the age of 5, people generally stop saying things like ‘I don’t friend you!!’, at least not to the hapless victim’s face. Drifting apart from your friends, especially under all sorts of pressures in JC, happens because life does. It’s not like you wake up one morning and decide to take a pair of scissors to cut someone out of your life.

The thing is, that’s exactly how it appears when you block someone off your spam. There are no explanations to be offered, and no preamble, so one day you could simply decide to check-in on a friend, only to receive an unpleasant surprise: you have been blocked.

Regardless of the inevitable truth that not everyone stays best-of-friends from cradle to grave, being bluntly confronted with such a truth is undoubtedly harsher than the organic process of simply seeing a friend less or telling them less personal things as time goes by. In some ways, it unnecessarily hurts feelings, and creates divisions too as the fine line between a close friend and one less so suddenly becomes as insurmountable as the Great Wall of China.

In the same vein, it’s not uncommon for people to block each other when they feel like they’ve just had the fight of their lives. When you’re so sick of someone in real life, or you’ve been expending so much energy just being angry at them, it’s only natural to kick them out of your private space even online, be it out of the desire to preserve your own sanity or just out of spite.

The unfortunate side-effect is that if you ever intend to reconcile sometimes in this digital age, being found out might possibly just escalate matters further. And even after you’ve swallowed your anger, and most likely your pride, to apologise to them in person, it’s a bit trickier trying to negotiate the same turnaround online. Think about it. To let them back into your spam, you would first have to receive a fresh request from them first. And to get them to request you, you would have to unfollow them, follow them back, pray that they request you in turn, in the process exposing your original fit of pique which led to you blocking them.

A reflection of our current social environment? What changed?

In this author’s (rather insignificant) opinion, the phenomenon of increased prevalence of spam accounts is very much a product and a reflection of the environment we are now in. The confluence of growing up, an increasingly complex social hierarchy, and the sheer size of the school cohort complicates friendships more than ever. Inevitably, old ones are tested by time and distance, while new ones formed at this point in our lives are full of nuances that were never quite as prominent in the past. All these considerations, on top of the burgeoning self-awareness for our behaviour and appearances, only serve to drive people to seek that safe haven of a spam.

As to whether it’s a safe haven for you and your followers, it depends on the relationships that you share with your followers and yourself. In many cases, spams can bring out the worst in you, making the account ‘toxic’ to everyone involved. At the same time, it can also be a comfort, if it offers you the chance to reconnect with old friends while giving you the chance to talk about things which trouble or cheer you up, whichever route you’re heading on.

Ultimately, one should bear in mind that a spam is all well and good if it offers you some comfort, be it as an owner or as a follower. If these accounts make you feel terrible, or if they reek of toxicity, you should reconsider why you even follow the account and perhaps let go of those that are doing you dirty. Alternatively, if being toxic is your thing, you do you. Life is too short for regrets.

By Claire Zhai (19S03B), Mabel Yet (19S03Q) and Mahima Sowrirajan (19S07A)
Photos courtesy of Dylan Siew (19S06E) and Zheng Huijun (19A13B) of Raffles Photographic Society

It’s hard to fathom that behind every street dancer is a typical Rafflesian who, like you and me, toils endlessly over their tutorials and occasionally falls asleep in lectures. The images of a student in immaculate uniform and someone breakdancing in the middle of the street just don’t seem to click. But for 30 minutes on the 26th and 27th of April, these students transformed into a group of passionate, stunning dancers we barely recognised.

Through an Instagram account counting down the days to the showcase and screening publicity videos in the canteen, Raffles Street Dance had many of us anticipating Breakthrough for weeks, where we were privy to a glimpse of our street dancers showing off their moves.

For those unfamiliar with street dance, Breakthrough lends an insight into what it is all about. What makes this form of dance special, RSD member Hu Xuanyuan (18S02A) shared, is that it “isn’t really a genre”, but rather a combination of incredibly “diverse dance backgrounds and styles”. It is this unique attribute of street that Breakthrough aimed to present, with deafening success.

Compared to previous years where the showcase dived straight into their first item, this year’s show kicked off a little differently. Opening with a set-up of a dressing room, the audience buzzed excitedly as each item took their spots on stage. Our street dancers proved to be fine actors as well, putting up an entertaining skit that demonstrated their interpretation of the theme Breakthrough.

Pretending to be at loggerheads, different groups of dancers shouted at and fought each other comically, drawing crows of laughter from the crowd. In a bid to prove their mettle, dancers from the three items: Circus, Freakum Dress and Finesse, were pitted against one another in an epic dance battle. Each item took centre stage in turn to reveal their inner prowess, to electrifying cheers. As for the other two items, it was quite amusing to see them tut-tutting and mocking the performing item from the sidelines!

If the intensity of cheers was any indication of which group emerged champion, there seemed to be no clear winner, as the dancers themselves soon realised. After the chaos onstage, the sudden quiet as the dancers reflected upon their previous immaturity caused an emotional stir among the audience. As Xuanyan explained, this prequel showed how conflicts would “significantly affect our unity and form a ‘glass ceiling’, preventing us from reaching our fullest potential as a group.”

In the end, the dancers reconciled their differences, showcasing their strong camaraderie and team spirit through their choreography in “This Is Me”. The powerful ballad is a journey of self-discovery and being unafraid to show ourselves to the world, a heartwarming, felicitous song as the dancers finally came together to share the spotlight.

As the chords began to build up, the music was abruptly cut off, just before the chorus. For a few moments, the hall was completely silent, the audience holding their breath in anticipation. The pause was interrupted by a yell from backstage: “dancers, standby!”, and the street dancers broke out of their stance, in preparation for the actual showcase to begin. As they raced backstage to get ready, the audience’s eagerness became almost palpable, with the energy in the hall running high.

Circus

The first item to hit the stage was ‘Circus’, a fast-moving, electric piece choreographed by Nicole Quek Jingyi (18S05A) and Tan Su Yin (18S03Q). Clad in chic black overalls, fishnet stockings and black boots, the dancers dressed up as circus ringleaders, capturing the audience’s attention from the get-go. With their perfect formations and sharp moves, they seemed effortlessly synchronized, but we can only imagine the sheer amount of effort put into the short two-minute performance.

Choreographing a solo performance is no easy task, but piecing together choreography for a group is something else altogether. As audiences, we are satisfied with being completely mesmerized and wowed by the performances, yet the convoluted process of putting various layers together is unbeknownst to most. As the choreographers highlighted, “While [they] had many ideas for various layers and formations, [they] found that [they] couldn’t fit all of it in” due to their distinct “dance styles and abilities”.

Besides the impressive routine, something that really stood out was the dancers’ confidence. One inevitably feels nervous and insecure when performing, but it was certainly commendable that the team managed to overcome their fears to put up a stellar performance. Their passion kept the audience entranced and the energy level up, noticeable in the cheers that reverberated around the hall.

Freakum Dress

If the audience was hyped by the first item, they had no idea what more was in store. As the first item came to an end, the set was wheeled apart, revealing dancers dressed in glittery silver tops, black tights and something completely unexpected: heels! This was met with a chorus of cheers from the excited audience. The popular track “Freakum Dress” by Beyoncé started playing as the dancers strutted forwards in their heeled boots, channeling their inner divas.

Choreographers Amirah bte Shaik Ahmed Allyn (18S03G) and Janelle Dai (18S03D) definitely challenged the dancers with this piece, but they were nevertheless able to execute each move with precision. Even though they made dancing in heels look like a piece of cake, it undoubtedly required substantial effort and hard work, testing their balance and strength. The dance featured several standard moves like chest pumps and body rolls. But far from being uninspired, it was packed with allusions to female power, a dance about a group of girls who were not afraid to show the audience who they were.

Freakum Dress required the dancers to step out of their comfort zone, without being shy about expressing themselves in front of an audience. The dancers mentioned that one of the challenges during the choreography and rehearsal process was adding their own personal flavour to the piece. At the end of the day, they were only able to bring across their personalities well because they had become truly confident in their own skin.

Finesse

As the dancers from the third item, “Finesse”, took the stage, the atmosphere of the performance transitioned to something more refreshing and lively. Choreographers Nicole, Amirah, Janelle and Su Yin collaborated on the piece, which adopted a more hip-hop, retro vibe. While the previous two items donned similar, exquisite costumes, this group of dancers experimented with their outfits to bring out an old-school feel. From vibrant hoodies and sweatpants to flashy headbands and caps, our dancers went all out to put up a sensational performance.

Set to the catchy Bruno Mars tune, the dance brimmed with energy and fun. It was evident how much they enjoyed grooving with one another on stage, and it was impossible for the audience not to feel the same level of exhilaration. The dancers’ enthusiasm was clearly contagious, keeping the audience enthralled and kindling their urge to move to the music too.

Seeing as Finesse differed vastly in style from the other items, the choreographers undoubtedly faced many challenges in keeping it in tune with the rest of the showcase. However, they managed to pull it off successfully, with one Year 5 in the audience commenting that the “transitions in between items was very smooth”. As the hit song kept a continuous beat, the choreographers “had to come up with fresh twists and ideas so that the performance would be an exciting one” throughout, something we can ascertain to given how all eyes were riveted on them throughout.

Beauty and a Beat

In this next item, the Year 6 dancers entered the stage energetically, smiles radiating from their faces. They opted not for an elaborate costume, but for simple black tights and their bright orange “Breakthrough” T-shirt. As they grooved to Justin Bieber’s EDM track, “Beauty and a Beat”, the Year 5s finally joined them together on stage. It was a heartwarming sight to see the entire CCA dancing and doing what they loved together, as one.

All too soon, the showcase had come to an end as the dancers had their ending curtain call, crediting the talented choreographers, and giving thanks to all that had helped them along their journey. But just as everyone thought that the showcase had ended, the emcees announced, “And for the final time, presenting Raffles Street Dance!”.

While the audience yelled themselves hoarse, the dancers came together for a surprise finale, jiving to the empowering anthem, “This Is Me” once again, finally coming back full circle. This time, the song choice could not be more apt for the dancers owned the stage, their energy and their power radiating throughout the hall, leaving everyone with their hearts full of warmth. It being the Y6 dancers’ last time sharing the stage together, the atmosphere was especially bittersweet.

Despite it being only thirty minutes long, Breakthrough definitely surpassed our expectations. It was only through months of hard work that it was met with such electrifying success, and as audiences it was impossible not to leave the hall in admiration for the passion these dancers had. For those out there who might lament your own lack of dancing ability, don’t lose hope just yet, as “dance is not about the choreography or the skills, but expressing yourself”. Raffles Press would like to congratulate Street Dance on their awe-inspiring performance, and wishes them all the best for their dance journey ahead!

By Benjamin Lim (19S03I), Chung Sohyun (18A13A), Joyce Lee (19S06O) and Mahima Sowrirajan (19S07A)
Photos courtesy of Chloe Tan, Ting Hou Yee, Melvin Liam, Amy Lin, David Lim and Dionne Pok of Raffles Photographic Society

An outstretched arm, an extended leg, a tilted head — is this what comes to your mind when you think of modern dance? For many, modern dance is an esoteric and abstract art form that seems distant from our everyday lives. However, on the 3rd and 4th of May, in their showcase “Luminescence”, Modern Dance revealed to us how dance, just like any other art form, can be used to tell magical and captivating stories that contain deep meaning.

The doors to the MPH opened and audience members started streaming in 15 minutes before the showcase began, with some even bringing placards and fancy bouquets to show their support for the dancers. As more students filed into the hall, the anticipation for the showcase started to crescendo.

Behind the stage curtains, the atmosphere was one of nervous excitement as the dancers waited to present to the audience the result of two months of choreographing, teaching and practising. Though the whole showcase lasted only 30 minutes, an immense amount of time and effort was put into it by the dancers, who were anxious to see their hard work finally pay off. As dancer Soon Weilin (18S03L) put it, “for the Y6s, one of the greatest struggles was the lack of time… (the dancers often had to) meet at the mirrors during our breaks to learn the choreography or stay back past our CCA time to practice.”

She added that “some of my favourite moments of the performance were not spent on stage, but rather offstage, behind the wings – right before we went on stage, when everyone was huddled in a circle, breathing together; and when we were waiting for our turn to go on stage and we see someone in the opposite wings and we smile and shoot hearts at each other.” This sense of camaraderie and the unspoken acknowledgement that they were all facing this challenge together as a team helped to ease some of the stress they felt.

Soon enough, the lights in the MPH dimmed and the radiant beams of the stage lights drew all eyes to the stage. The loud chattering in the audience ceased, replaced by the echoes of the emcee’s footsteps as she walked to the centre of the stage. Welcoming the audience warmly, she explained the rationale behind the choice of their showcase title, “Luminescence”. Meaning “the emission of light”, through their showcase, Modern Dance hoped to illuminate the story of their batch and their tumultuous journey throughout the past one and a half years.

The Y6s kicked off the performance with a piece that demonstrated their initial struggles in adjusting to a new school environment and a new genre of dance upon joining the CCA during the SYF year. The choreography was highly synchronised and rhythmic, without giving the impression of being robotic or repetitive. The dancers seamlessly changed their formations several times, breaking into smaller groups and sometimes forming straight lines, with each performing a different set of moves. This added variety to the already impressive choreography, comprising of leaps, turns and arresting moves that highlighted the dancers’ flexibility and talent. During the dance, the dancers backstage took turns narrating parts of the Y6s’ story, and this helped the audience link the moves on stage with the story they hoped to convey.

The Y6’s stellar dance number was followed by the Y5’s performance, which aimed to reveal the tension that arose within the CCA upon the arrival of the new members at the start of this year. Eager to impress, the new members strode onto the stage confidently before quickly taking their positions with grace and poise. Compared to the previous piece, this performance had more fast-paced music, as well as an ominous and foreboding mood. The choreography was dominated by choppy and dramatic movements like kicking, pulling and pushing, which symbolised the disagreements and conflict between CCA members.

During one memorable portion of the performance, the dancers clustered in the centre of the stage. As the music slowed down, they crouched down together, before the music was replaced by the ticking sound of a clock. This sudden change represented the dancers’ race against time to prepare for a performance and the mounting stress that was crushing them. Watching the dancers perform their piece with such genuine emotion, the audience almost felt the same anxiety and pressure that the dancers no doubt had to contend with throughout their time in the CCA.

The next part was performed to a spoken word piece called “Instructions for a Bad Day” by Shane Koyczan. According to Oh Shu Xin (18S03G), one of the choreographers, through this piece, the dancers wanted to send the message that “life gets tough [and] sometimes it feels like we’re the only ones, but [we should] remember that there are [other] people going through the same struggles, [and] that everyone is dealing with it together”. The dance started off slow with the dancers standing in their fixed positions, performing knife-like hand movements to illustrate the opening line of the poem, “There will be bad days. Be calm. Loosen your grip, opening each palm slowly now.

As the poem progressed, the dancers shook off their initial rigidity and their motion became more fluid and uninhibited. This matched perfectly with the following lines of the poem which encouraged the audience to “Let go. Be confident.”

The piece ended on a triumphant note with the line “the sun and moon are still there and always there is light”, and to symbolise their release from worries and fears, the dancers removed the dark blue cardigans covering their white costumes and placed them at the front of the stage. However, contrary to what one might expect, they did not fling off the cardigans representing their personal struggles in one sudden, cathartic move. Instead, they took their time to take them off and left them on the stage with a great sense of reluctance — it was as if to emphasise  how overcoming one’s inner doubts is a gradual and painful process rather than a swift, easy action. This subtle detail added nuance to the story and portrayed their piece more realistically.

The last part of the showcase departed from the sombre mood of the previous pieces, with a more joyful and celebratory vibe. The dancers mesmerised the audience with their flawless teamwork as they danced to a “Love in the Dark” cover by Leroy Sanchez. Although the audience had already seen parts of the dance in the showcase promotional video, witnessing it real life was still a fresh experience. As the final dance concluded, some of the dancers stepped off the stage to get closer to the audience and they struck a pose together as a group to end off their thrilling showcase.

It was an emotional moment for the dancers, especially the Y6s who were performing for the last time. As one Y6 dancer, Michelle Yap (18S03J), shared, “it felt bittersweet and extremely meaningful performing for the very last time. Dance has played a large role in all of our lives, and it was very heartening to see how this experience bonded 26 diverse individuals, with a common passion for dance. I am very thankful for this fulfilling experience – for the friendships forged, the opportunity to share what we love and the memories which will last a lifetime!”

Modern Dance dazzled and delighted with their moves, and the full meaning of their showcase shines through upon further reflection on their choreography. Truly, the dancers have succeeded in encapsulating and communicating the story of their CCA, leaving their viewers enlightened and impressed.

The Dancers

Andrea Cher 18S07B
Chan Wei Qi 18S03N
Chua Ying Xuan 18S03Q
Ethel Widjaja 18S03R
Foo Jing Yi 18S02A
Fu Xintian  18S03J
Michelle Yap 18S03J
Oh Shu Xin 18S03G
Shania Wong 18S03D
Soon Weilin 18S03L
Stephanie Low 18S06G
Hazel Teh 18S03G
Zenn Tan 18S03G

Alyssa Savier 19S06N
Cherilyn Chia 19S06S
Claire Zhai 19S03B
Clarissa Bella Jew 19S03L
Joy Sim 19S05A
Ariel Lee 19S03A
Leong Kit Yee 19A01C
Lyn Tan 19S06M
Megan Aw 19S03B
Pu Fangxin 19S05A
Patricia Seow 19S07A
Hannah Wong 19S03Q
Yip Wan Ting 19S03N

By Wong Zi Yang (19A01D)
Photos taken by Aiken Lee (18S06G) of Raffles Photographic Society

The comma: a simple punctuation mark, used by everyone in their daily lives (especially those who write essays upon essays. When will it end?). We almost never appreciate its existence, beyond its ability to differentiate between ‘let’s eat, grandpa’ and ‘let’s eat grandpa’. But no longer is it overshadowed by the long lines of text that flank it; Writer’s Guild shone a spotlight on the comma, featuring this often-overlooked punctuation mark as its theme in their Writer’s Guild Anthology Launch on 30th April.

This is an ode to the comma. Neither the start nor the end, the comma invites readers to enjoy an oasis on a trade route. This simple pause, in the right context, weaves a world of layers within the space of a sentence.

– Writer’s Guild, foreword

You may wonder, how would anyone think of utilising such an inconspicuous punctuation as a theme for an entire book? To delve deeper into the conception and execution of this anthology, Press interviewed the 2018 Writer’s Guild batch on their insight on the process of creating this anthology.

When asked about the origins of the conception of the comma as a theme, Writer’s Guild acknowledged that the comma is indeed an unconventional theme, yet was chosen precisely because it could demonstrate their quirky nature as a batch.

Through the characterless comma, they reinforced their vision as a batch to be a ground-up initiative that creates spaces within the school where anyone can share and enjoy creativity, to conjure up something weird and unexpected to emphasise that meaning is not restricted to the “heavy” and “pretentious”.

We started off with the idea of the comma’s basic function within an utterance: to provide breathing space. This was important to us because the audible pauses in a line of dialogue, for example, are so instrumental in creating a moment of tension or changing the meaning of a phrase. From there, we branched off into various interpretations of breathing space. These can be found in the categories of stories in our anthology.

– Writer’s Guild 2018

The insights to be found within the book also worked on readers on a more subliminal level. The book was broken down into several sections; break, pause, separation, between, moving on and ‘and on’.

Guild member Nicole Goh (18S02A) shared her insights on the fleshing out of the theme, such as how the six sections of the book were crafted to be reminiscent of human relationships, and to create a sense of progression in the book according to the overarching themes. The nuance of the technique employed reveals the level of intricate thought put into this book, with each section meshing into one another to form a coherent progression while still encompassing the theme of the comma.

Even in the illustrations, a great deal of thought was put into it; the cover illustration of a puppet hanging by strings from its limbs and a comma separating its torso, for example, was meant to be a pun on how a comma separates a BODY of text.

It reads a little like how human relationships begin and end – hesitation before you begin, a time to breathe when you’re together, a pause when you realise that something is going wrong. A break. And then a sense of limbo as you’re in-between, followed by a transition, where you move forward a bit and compare your life to the way it was before – and finally, moving on and on, your whole life stretching endlessly before your feet.

-Nicole Goh, 18S02A

To reinforce the profound meaning behind the ubiquitous comma, Writer’s Guild put in even more effort into ensuring that it would not be lost on their readers, presenting a spectacular show at the anthology to engage and allow the audience to better appreciate the stories.

The event began with a brief aside introducing the theme of the book- commas. Introducing it as ‘The Holy Grail of passive-aggression’, Harshini Rayasam (18S06B) foregrounded the upcoming performances that ‘encapsulate the meaning of a comma- be it in the form of a pause, or a transition, or a sense of moving on’.

The first work featured was a poem titled ‘This City, My Home’ by Jovan Lim (18S03O), who laments excessively fast-paced and unfeeling nature of his country, yet decidedly taking pride in the fact that this is his home – a commentary on the stagnation of society, it is a rousing piece that left the audience silent and thought-provoked. Certainly, it was a great way to kick off the anthology.

Following this was a recital of ‘A Roof to Live’ by Harshini; a moving piece following the speaker’s daily routine of housework, ultimately ending as she falls off the roof in a ‘temporary escape’. The pace of this poem was set by the speaker’s voice, slowing down at appropriate moments and enhancing our appreciation of the poem at the right pauses (just as commas do), as the audience moved in tandem with the speaker in the poem.

To inject some levity into the already lively recitals, the event featured dramatic performances of some of their stories, beginning with a fusion of Three Short Pieces, by Morris Yang and Limbo by Marcus Low, performed by Samuel Yang (18S03B) and Loke Jee Kuen (18A01E). The story follows the protagonist, a recently deceased man, being tested on his worth to enter heaven or hell. The performance was spiced up with flannel and prop guns, keeping the audience on the edge of their seats.

Riding on the wave of hype, the event followed up with ‘Conversations with Myself’ by Joie Liew (18A13A), presenting the subject, a comatose man in the form of a monologue, thus earning its namesake. ‘A Letter Sits Unopened on a Bedside Table’ by Wayne Lim (18S07A), recited by Shin Jiyeon (18A03A) follows the speaker talking to his comatose grandfather, being trapped by the vague hope of his grandfather’s unlikely recovery; just as the comma represents an interlude, the stasis of the grandfather represents stagnation.

‘Cooking for the Family’ by Edison Siow (18S03E), performed by Nicole Goh hid a rather morbid message behind a seemingly innocuous poem of reading a recipe, keeping the audience in silent dread and suspense before finally being broken by rambunctious applause.

If there was a common thread between all of the stories recited, it would be their dynamic nature; the speaker pausing periodically that highlighted the theme of the comma as a pause in a sentence, through periodic silence in their recitals, indicating a different direction to be taken by the sentence.

Following this, Harshini and Joie introduced the guest-of-honour, Mr Aaron Lee, a prominent figure in the SingLit scene who has authored three books of poetry, including “Five Right Angles”, and was a co-editor of the best-selling anthologies “No Other City: the Ethos Anthology of Urban Poetry” and “Love Gathers All: The Singapore-Philippines Anthology of Love Poetry”.

Inviting him to give a speech to the audience, Mr Lee reminisced about his time as a Rafflesian old boy in what used to be the ‘Raffles Creative Writing Club’. The audience was enlightened on how the current Writer’s Guild is a result of a long period of perseverance and excellence,as well as a sustained passion for creative writing down several batches.

The closing act of the event was the longest, and also incitied the greatest responses from the audience. The climax of the event – ‘Noir Detective Story’ by Shin Jiyeon, performed by Edison Siow, Dylan Yeo (18S03A), Shin Jiyeon, and Eugene Lee (18S03A). The story follows main character Dick Tecktiv, a private eye for hire, accepting a case from a mysterious lady, Femme Fatale, to investigate the murder of her fiance. Featuring mysterious women with guns, washed-up detectives and the existential crisis of being controlled by the narrator, this performance had the audience in awe, with uproarious laughter and awestruck gasps as plot twists brought the audience through a rollercoaster of emotions.

The anthology ended off successfully, with the audience leaving with satisfied hearts and a new book in their possession. Despite the casual and intimate setting of the anthology in which there was no separation between stage and audience, or maybe even because of it, the audience no doubt felt included and invested in this event. With each writer possessing creative control over their works, it is hard to imagine how they could conceivably mesh individual pieces into the cohesive collection they released. A culmination of all their talents in art, video, design and theatre, the effort put into planning and executing this anthology is clear for all to see. It enabled Writer’s Guild to better convey its message of assimilating the creative arts into our daily lives, rather than simply looking at the exotic and exceptional without really allowing the arts to be part of our lives, or allowing ourselves to be part of the process.

Repertoire

• this city, my home
  • Written & performed by Jovan Lim (18S03O)
• A Roof to Live
  • Written & performed by Harshini Rayasam (18S06B)
• Dramatic Reading 1:
  • A fusion of Three Stories by Morris Yang and Limbo by Marcus Low performed by Samuel Yang (18S03B) and Loke Jee Kuen (18A01E)
• Conversations With Myself
  • Written & performed by Joie Liew (18A13A)
• A Letter Sits Unopened on a Bedside Table
  • Written by Wayne Lim (18S07A) and performed by Shin Jiyeon (18A03A)
• Cooking for the Family
  • Written by Edison Siow (18S03E) and performed by Nicole Goh (18S02A)
• Dramatic Reading 2: A Noir Detective Story
  • Written by Shin Jiyeon (18A03A) and Performed by Edison Siow (18S03E), Dylan Yeo (18S03A), Shin Jiyeon (18S03A), and Eugene Lee (18S03A)

By Wong Zi Yang (19A01D) and Nicole Chan (19S05A)
Photos courtesy of Raffles Photographic Society

If you were to mention ‘Chinese’ to anyone, the likely response would be one of disgust, such as ‘ew, no need take Chinese already lah!’

So what would one expect for the turnout at a Chinese Orchestra concert? Surprisingly, quite a large one. Raffles Institution Chinese Orchestra’s ‘Cascade’, performed on 4th May at the Singapore Chinese Orchestra Hall, enriched the night with soulful music.

After a quick introduction, the conductor, Mr Yang Jiwei, hopped on stage enthusiastically to begin the performance. If members of the audience were tired after a long day of work, the first song would have woken them right up. The Dragon Boat Race was an extremely explosive opening which perfectly captured the spirit of dragon boating. The percussions were especially heavy in this song, perfectly the regular beat from the lead drummer and synchrony required of a dragon-boating team. The lively beat of the song was met with uproarious applause, adequately hyping up the audience for the following songs.

Standing in stark contrast to The Dragon Boat Race, the next piece, Ballad of the Waves began calmly, evoking the sense of peace and relaxation felt during a stroll at the beach. The smooth transition from the vigour of the first piece to the tranquility of the second highlighted the ease with which the orchestra handled different genres. This piece was particularly mesmerising, with the rhythmic movements of the orchestra evoking the image of a well-oiled machine, a testament to their long hours of practice.

The third piece, Aksara (अक्षर, pronounced “akshara”), or “syllable”/”letter” (of an alphabet), was the first of a series of pieces that shifted the spotlight onto specific sections of the orchestra, allowing each section to shine.

Even before it was performed, conductor Mr Yang Jiwei highlighted the uniqueness of a Chinese orchestra playing a piece inspired by Sanskrit poetry, one of many examples of the flexibility of the orchestra. This piece in particular focused on the percussion, suona, sheng, and dizi sections, and added a fresh twist to the music one would expect from a Chinese orchestra. One aspect of the performance that particularly stood out was the chanting of excerpts from Sanskrit poems, which matched the pounding rhythm of the percussion-driven piece. The members who participated in this performance had put in effort to get the pronunciation right, enlisting the help of ex-Rafflesian Mr Advay Sudarshan.

With the audience excited and riled up from the fast-paced Aksara, the next two pieces served as a breather from the intensity of the previous one. Tuesday Gathering, focusing on the zhongruan, pipa, guzheng, and bangdi sections, contrasted the previous piece in tempo. Staying true to its theme of a leisurely gathering of friends, the song was mellow and relaxing- by now, the audience had picked up on the pattern of the pieces alternating between a fast tempo and slow pace.

Por Una Cabeza, or Spanish for ‘by a head’, was performed by Koh Yin Jie (18S03Q) and Seah Qi Yan (18S06J) playing the erhu, Elijah Chew (18S06B) playing the gaohu and Yeoh Lik Hern (18S06K) on the piano. This performance was another example of how the orchestra masterfully infused traditional Chinese music with music from other cultures; the piece had originally been written by Carlos Gardel as a tango. This wonderful piece, too, was met with enthusiastic applause from the audience.

Following the intermission, the concert shifted the spotlight onto soloists, allowing them to showcase their virtuosity. There were two solos: a yangqin solo, Song of the Great Gorge, performed by Gao Tianrun (19S02A) and accompanied by pianist Chua Zhe Xuan (an alumnus), as well as a dizi solo, Oasis, by James Ding (18S06S) and accompanied by pianist Leo Tan (18S06S).

The expertly played solo songs brought the audience’s attention back from the short intermission- Song of the Great Gorge transitioned from a fast, light beat into a gradually slowing melody, with the piano creating graceful undertones that enhanced the awe-inspiring composition. Oasis, a solo by a woodwind instrument, had sharp refreshing sounds followed by a rousing piano-flute tune reminiscent of the serenity of a oasis, a cut above the mere calmness of a mellow tune. Both their skill and passion were apparent from their stunning performances; both performers gave everything they had in a breathtaking rendition of their pieces.

The next piece, The Sisters’ Islands by Singaporean composer and Raffles alumnus Wang Chenwei, also served to highlight the skills of two zhongruan soloists, Chua Rui Yi (18S03I) and Wong Yu Xian (an alumnus), but this time against the backdrop of the rest of the orchestra. The performance was a rollercoaster of emotions, a vivid retelling of a Malay folktale through music. The insertion of sound effects throughout the piece was also a pleasant surprise, with clever usage of special percussion instruments to mimic the sound of waves and footsteps through sand. This made for a more immersive experience for the audience, allowing them to truly lose themselves in the music and imagine the story as told through the music come to life before their eyes. This performance was understandably received well, hyping the audience up for the final piece.

Unlike some of the other pieces performed that night, The Legend of Shandi-Er did not start off with a bang, instead slowly building up from a quietly grand opening. Following the story of a popular composer and folk-song singer who was killed by the Qing government in China, the piece achieved a balance between the fast-paced and the mellow, combining a deep and broad tone with delicate melodies. While not loud enough to rattle one’s bones, the song had an understated power which kept the audience enthralled. Furthermore, this piece was a challenging one; at the end, the conductor revealed that the orchestra was the first JC orchestra in Singapore to attempt this concendo, speaking volumes of the expertise required of the orchestra to pull it off.

Just when the audience was ready to pack their things up and leave with the experience of a night of beautiful music, there was one more surprise in store. The orchestra had prepared an encore, a medley of instantly recognizable pop songs, including Too Good at Goodbyes (Sam Smith), Havana (Camila Cabello), Rewrite the Stars (from The Greatest Showman), and Perfect (Ed Sheeran). One would not expect traditional Chinese instruments to be able to perform modern pop songs successfully, yet the orchestra delivered once again, proving that traditional Chinese music can mesh well with a variety of genres.

If there was one word that could be used to characterize Cascade, it would be “versatility”. Rather than sticking to the usual fare one might hear at other concerts or Lunar New Year performances, the orchestra experimented with a diversity of styles and genres, as well as put creative spins on the pieces to truly make the pieces their own.

The pieces also allowed the orchestra to shine both as an ensemble and as individuals during the sectional and solo performances. Overall, it was a well-planned and well-executed production that could only have been borne out of hours of hard work and dedication, and hopefully left the audience intrigued to find out more.

List of performers

Gaohu
Chew Shaun Young, Elijah
Grace Chew
Ng Rui Jun

Zhonghu
Ng Tze Ho
Li Ze Hua

Erhu I
Koh Yin Jie
Chong Wei Ming
Tan Rae Chyl Kaley
Lee Han Wei
Yeo Ning Xin, Camine
Yang Hui Ting

Erhu II
Seah Qi Yan
Yeoh Lik Hern
Keane Ong Junxian
Hu Junjie
Ma Fanghe

Gaoyin Sheng
Li Peiyao
Jordan Lee Jiexin

Diyin Sheng
Tan Wei Qi Emily
Law Wing Sum

Cizhongyin Sheng/ Hailuo
Ng Yu Fei

Gaoyin Suona
Chen Yuanqi
Yao Ze Yu
Wu Si Da

Zhongyin Suona
Ang Kai Jun
Ang Wee Kiat

Dizi
James Ding Sinuo
Gao Heng
Eugene Lee Zong Ze
Sunaga Shion
Ng Xin Zhe, Sean
Ton Xin Ying
Wan Qianxi
Tan Yan Quan
James Kartadinata

Percussion
Ong Tjun Jet
Franklin Yoong Tuck Yan
Ong Hui Juan
Ian Lim Jing Yan
Chia Wen Jun, Marcus
Gu Jiawen
Qian Xiaohan
Crystal Cheong

Cello
Chen Ximin
Loo Yu Hao
Soon Wei Ze
Ow Zhong Hao
Xu Zixin
Zhao Wenrui
Yu Chuan
Tang Wai Yong

Double Bass
Cai Yi Zhan
Lee Zi Xuan
Jovan Leong Jin Hoong
Cheng Wentuo
Zhao Yufan

Liuqin
Chua Rui Yi
Wong Yu Xian

Zhongruan/Liuqin
Wilson Tan Yi Xuan

Zhongruan
Darryll Chong Quan Wei
Li Ming Yang
Lu Shaoqin
Deng Huaiyu

Daruan
Zhao Jiahong

Pipa
Wayne Zhang Si Yuan
Sim Xin Ni Clodia
Chen Xinyu

Yangqin
Gracia Goh
Gao Tianrun
Tng Fang Ying
Ong Wan Qi

Guzheng
Zhai Chen Lu
Feng Min

By Caryn Chiah (19A01A) and Shervon Lee (19S06A)
Photographs courtesy of Zheng Huijun (19A13B) of Raffles Photographic Society

On 4 May, the excited chatter of supporters slowly filled the Kallang Squash and Tennis Centre as the competitors were warmed up for their upcoming matches. The Squash Girls’ team of Raffles’ Institution was up against previous champions, Anglo-Chinese Junior College. Having lost the championship the year before, the thirst to win was evident in the players. The crowd soon grew silent as Sneha Sivakumar (19S03J) stepped into the court to serve her first shot. With an effortless stroke, the ball entered a graceful trajectory to the wall. The finals were underway.

Poised and in control, Sneha easily defeated her opponent, winning 3-0. Following that, Bernyce Tay (18S03N) also quickly bested her opponent with a similarly wide margin of 3-0. Excitement slowly began to mount in the supporters’ stand when it came time for the third match. Having already won two matches, all that was needed for Raffles Institution to claim the championship title was for Nicole Tong (19S06E) to win hers. However, Nicole was up against ACJC’s strongest player, Rachel Lee, promising an exciting match.

The match was peppered with exclamations of shock as Nicole leapt across the court to retrieve every shot. In a flashy move that wowed every spectator, she lunged into a split to save a shot, before quickly getting back up to win the point. Audible gasps of amazement resounded throughout the spectators, and soon enough, two exciting games were over, both in our favour. Were we on the cusp of winning the championship? We need not have worried, for Nicole confidently maintained her winning streak, besting her opponent with skill. The championship was ours.

Simply winning the championship was not enough for our players, who continued to give their all. Despite losing the first set, Christabelle Lim (18S03A) continued to give her all in the next matches. Remaining steady and clear-headed, she pushed through the next three matches to secure another victory. In her last game, despite suffering a significant point margin of 2-9 in her opponent’s favour, Christabelle turned the tide to a 12-10 victory, an impressive display of mental fortitude in the face of overwhelming odds.

Yet it was the final match that proved the most intense, with both players neck to neck for most of it. Alyssa Megan (18A01E) went against past year competitor, Hazel. She started off strong, winning her first game. However, the subsequent two went to ACJC, and the pressure was on. The tension in the air was palpable; the crowd settled into an anticipatory silence, waiting to see how the matches would play out.

Nevertheless, Alyssa persevered, and won the final two games. Her tenacity and experience shone as she played through the cumulative tiredness of five games, seizing the victory with a tearful smile. The last two games had the crowd cheering loudly with all their hearts, and the jubilant atmosphere carried into the prize presentation, where the team received the 1st place trophy, as well as the challenge trophy, with pride.

Especially in the last two games (where players remained clear-headed in the face of defeat), the players’ experience in gameplay and skills shone in their matches. Squash, being a small and rather niche community, does have its advantages in that players are in it for the long run. In the interview with the graduating batch, all of them shared that they have spent 7-9 years – nearly half their lives – playing squash. Their success and gold medals they owe to their many years of training and dedication to the sport.

The interview was full of laughter as the players recounted the things they did during their season. The Squash Girls’ team is certainly unique: unlike many other sports CCAs which tend to impose food bans (the restriction of unhealthy eating during season), the players laughed about their regular intake of fast food, ranging from McDonalds, KFC, and even Popeyes. Their justification for this was a little-known “fact” they revealed to us – “Fast food makes you fast”, as first coined by the Squash Boys’ captain, Anders Ong. Evidently, the pain of arduous trainings and the delight of fried food have forged close bonds in the team.

In fact, when asked whether they thought squash is a team sport or an individual sport (as most would think it is), we were met with an immediate chorus of “Team!”. “Winning isn’t everything, team spirit is more important,” remarked Alyssa, who, despite playing one of the toughest matches of the day, was still smiling. Bernyce also added that while Squash may be played individually, you could not do well without a team. Clearly, having a team gave them something to work towards and fight for.

“[Squash is a] home away from home” – Alyssa

Above all, Squash is more than a sport to the girls. As Bernyce fondly noted, “We grow together as people, and without squash, we wouldn’t be who we are today.” Thanks to the small community, the girls have been through thick and thin together. The four Y6s have three wins and three losses across six years of squash interschools, despite coming from two different secondary schools. This number elicited chuckles from them, as they reminisced about being on opposite sides of the court.

While Squash may be a rather niche sport, it is certainly a universal feeling for all sports CCA members to experience withdrawal symptoms after season. Although the girls did mention that the match being the last for their batch was rather bittersweet, they jokingly declared that the things that they would miss most included “not being able to miss lessons for interschools”, “not having homework extensions”, and many more that we are sure every student athlete is able to relate to.

Press would like to applaud the Squash Girls for an excellent finale to the National Squash Championships 2018, and congratulate them for a well deserved victory.

Results

By Aaron Tan (19A01B) and Kwee Qiao Ying (19S03K)
Photographs courtesy of David Lin (18S06O) of Raffles Photographic Society

2.47pm. We are late (just a little). In anxious anticipation I call Sushin (19S03M) to ask when I was to meet the team. A minute later, I get a call back.

“Meet you at the bus. Let’s go.”

And so I clambered on, a bumbling anomaly amongst the wine-shirted sea of one of the best A-division hockey teams on the island of Singapore. Calm, ear-plugged, exuding quiet confidence, our defending champions cruised onward, onward towards Sengkang Hockey Stadium. Towards our formidable foes of Victoria Junior College, who awaited to challenge our crown.

The game will start in a little under two hours. When we arrive, the Victorian hockey girls are playing against Eunoia. Chants of “VJ, ole” erupt from the stands. Aditya leans on the railing beside me, catching a few seconds of the game before he heads down to practise. I ask him how he was feeling.

“Excited, mostly.”

Confident?

“Well, in the end, the team that plays better will win,” he quips, flashing a knowing smile as he heads down the stairs to rejoin his team.

    ***

4.29pm. I watch as the team huddles together in a circle for one final strategy briefing, some last words of mutual encouragement before they roar, scatter and take their positions. The match is about to begin. With a blow of the whistle, the players spring into action.

The advantage is clear from the very first quarter. Team Raffles makes consistent, concerted, aggressive pushes which force Team Victoria into the defensive. Our Boys in Black weave skillfully around their opponents, skirting round interceptors, a triple tango of player, ball and stick. The ball is sent darting between legs, soaring through the air in a graceful parabola to be received with the precise lift of a stick. When it seems like the ball has finally been cornered, it is simply passed to another member of the team, who continues the routine. At 4.41pm, Akash (19S03R) strikes the ball, and the first goal of the game is scored. The supporters burst into a triumphant roar. In the second quarter, the next goal, courtesy of Raziq (19S06I) follows. Soon, the whistle blows for half-time. Team Raffles’ effortless technique and ruthless advance earns them a 2-0 lead. It seems as if the match has already been made.

Meanwhile, tensions run high in the Victorian camp. A player yells in frustration. The goalkeeper collapses, emotionally exhausted. The crowd screams louder than it ever has. And it is these screams, of anguish, of hope – which draw them together. Electrified with a new energy, the Victorians band stronger than ever to mount a desperate comeback. They are not going down without a fight.

As the whistle blows and the game resumes for its third quarter, Team Victoria pounces. No longer does Team Raffles’ skillful technique guarantee smooth sailing. Passes are swiftly intercepted and the tide of the game turns with the swipe of a stick. This time, it is the Victorians who are on the offense. Persistent, relentless, the Victorians persevere and soon score a goal. The crowd goes wild. 2-1.

Both camps re-energised, emotions flare in the fourth quarter of the game. The fiery crowd cheers louder and harder as Team Raffles fights back, stronger than ever before, with frequent attempts at scoring. Team Victoria, an equalizer so close yet so far, closes in for one more attempt… and disaster! Opposing players collide, collapsing and tripping a player from Team Raffles over. A hush falls upon the crowd. The tangled clash has injured the Victorian, who is helped up and is escorted away to cheers.

Raffles was awarded a penalty corner. Spectators awaited the shot with bated breath. If we managed to score, our lead would be secure. Ethan Tan (19A01C) readies himself, staring straight, steely-eyed. He makes the shot…

And goal! To a resounding roar, Team Raffles surged forward 3-1. Maintaining our lead for the remaining 10 minutes of the game, Team Raffles emerged victorious.

During the prize-giving ceremony, the Team stood at attention as spectators joined in to sing the institution anthem and perform the Unite cheer. Gold medals in hand, they returned to the field to mingle with family and friends, basking in the afterglow of a well-earned win.

***

The captain of this ragtag crew, Caleb Ang (18S06F), is a friendly, affable individual with a warm smile and leadership style as personable as he looks. To him, nothing is more important in a team than unity. “We are very bonded,” he said when asked to describe his team. “We’ve really grown individually and as a team, we’ve become more inclusive, which is very important in a team sport.”

It was this unity, according to Caleb, which gave them the winning edge. “A lot of my team have been playing for quite long together,” he remarked. “It really helped us in terms of chemistry.”

Teacher-in-charge Mr Larry Lee agrees. “I like the way they put themselves together  for the past 6 months,” he comments with pride. “Generally they grew to really like each other as a team all due to the captain and the vice captain – who were able to ensure everyone was involved in the team, gelling the team together.”

“Boys will be boys,” he comments bemusedly. “They’re rowdy, but overall, the captain and vice captain have been able to mature.” Mr Lee goes on to elaborate that they have established a set of practices and rituals. “Everyone comes together to make sure they’re stretched out. Especially before a game starts and ends, Caleb and company are able to ensure that everyone is focused mentally.”

***

I watch the team members mingle as the sun sets over the Sengkang Hockey stadium, casting a wistful orange glow over the field where the team played what may be their final match together. Hugs are exchanged. Pictures with family and friends are snapped. Caleb interrupts our interview to rush over for one big group photo with teachers and coach.

It is a beautiful picture. One that tells the story of friendship, of brotherhood, of unity. Of the insurmountable spirit of oneness which beats in the heart of every sportsman. It is a tale of how 20-odd Rafflesians banded together as brothers, through gruelling training and giddy triumph, to make something beautiful together. That’s the story of the Hockey Team that was told on Sengkang Hockey Stadium on the 11th of May, 2018.

Caleb returns, awash in that orange radiance, that bittersweet joy. We ask him for one piece of advice he has given his teammates in recent days. To that he chuckles, and replies with warm assurance, “I tell them to relax.”

“Relax, because I know they can do it.”

By Ling Young Loon (18S07A)
Photograph courtesy of Raffles Photographic Society

Dear J1s,

How are your lessons going? Have you made new friends in class? Has the orientation fervour flopped out? Are you worried you’ll Fjäll your CTs?

The year begins to drag its feet; the enchanting time of CCA camps and Monday Enrichment fun is waning. Common tests are lurking in the corner. Project Work starts to sink its teeth, and lectures will begin to sting. Academics is now a looming shadow, and the joy starts to subside. You’re boxed into tutorials and pumped into lectures, attacking homework and performing practicals. That’s when you realise: most of your time here will be spent in class.

Class is a tricky term in RJ. Countless lexicographers have tried to coin its meaning, and the debate rages on. The purists have maintained that class is strictly for learning; everything is plotted on your timetable. End of class indeed signals end of class. Revisionists, however, disagree. Revisionists postulate that class is a phenomenal social construct that depends on its members’ psychoanalytic state. Then come the Marxists. I don’t think they want class at all. Is that why blue slips are in short supply?

Despite being an honoured member of the 37th Welfare Department, I have no answer. Our think-tank has tried, however, to unravel this mysterious puzzle. We agreed that class isn’t something trivial. Students spend the most time with their classes, perhaps more than CCA. (One Raffles Press session equals two PE lessons.) Yet to many, class is only a passing whiff, a study tavern and nothing else. Many tend to revolve around the same flowers, never reaching out to the rest. See that guy sitting at the corner of the back row? When was the last time you talked to him?

The connotation of class has transformed tremendously in JC. In our dizzying array of CCA line-ups, orientation groups, and Y1–4 communities, our Y5–6 classes blend into the shadows. Most wouldn’t see class as a source of community, only a bedizenment in this short journey. Maybe it’s weird that we have a school orientation instead of a class orientation, maybe it’s wonky how your class never had an outing. During our meetings, Mr Chris – my ex-welfare teacher – said this could be due to the lack of common space and experiences. In Y1–4 you’d have the keys to your classroom. You’d do decorations and celebrate Racial Harmony Day. Y5–6 isn’t exactly that festive playground anymore.

“That’s probably why HP classes are more ‘united’ in that sense,” a Press member chipped in. “We get a classroom all to hang out and study in, all to ourselves.”

A majority of J2s would agree that class is overshadowed in JC. But is it necessarily a problem? After all, there’s no point squaring a circle. Having a few close friends in class is, perhaps, memorable enough. Take a look at some pie charts, fresh out the oven:

While over half agreed that class spirit has greatly diminished, a slight majority agreed that class spirit needs brushing up. A quarter didn’t really answer the question, and one person disagreed. Probing further, we asked them to explain why:

“Cliquey”

“Everyone’s friendly and amiable, pretty positive vibes and most of the class hangs out together most of the time which is nice.”

“Although there are cliques, we mix around voluntarily and most everyone is on good terms/good friends with everyone else even outside the cliques.”

Ah, cliques, the inadvertent phenomena of school life. It’s great to have a group of go-to buddies to hang out with, but a clique can’t replace a class in more ways than one. First off, a clique is no longer attuned to other personalities. You’ll be surprised how many new friends you gain from mingling with people with differing characteristics. A clique may also fail to provide the sense of identity that a class provides. It is now reasonable to conclude that class spirit is lacking in JC: the question turns to whether it matters in the first place.

Does class matter?

Is class bonding even worth its salt? Why be bothered? Our J2s pitch in their thoughts:

“It’s a shame you can’t walk up to anyone from your class and chat them up like in y1–4.”

“Your relationship with your class can strongly influence your experience in JC, and it can make JC life a little less tough, or a living hell.”

“Some of my friends say they hate their class or they are not that friendly with their classmates and i think if it were me my experience of school life would probably be very negatively affected.”

“Class is important that they are going to be your home and your family for 2 years and if they aren’t bonded enough to support one another during tough times, it might be even harder to cope and deal with the A Levels as well.”

However, a few J2s highlighted the Herculean nature of class bonding. JC life is, after all, a span of only two years. Some things just won’t work out, and no one is to blame.

“You can’t really choose the group of people you are placed with and if they don’t make you feel comfortable you can’t really force them. So I feel that it shouldn’t matter and let people choose who they want to be surrounded by.”

“I think its already pretty good given we only get to know our class for 2 years and its really hectic.”

“It is important to have class spirit as you are with them throughout the 2 years but yet it cannot exactly be forced.”

“From what I’ve heard, the number of classes that are really bonded seem to be quite little, but as long as the students are satisfied, I don’t feel like there needs to be a change.”

So class is a nice-to-have: You will realise the benefits of a bonded class when you have one, but people do fine without giving class bonding a try. You’ll probably have some friends who do everything with their classes, and some friends whose classes never hang out. And indeed – everyone would enjoy a class like the former. It’s one huge elephant in the room that no one says outright.

So you think you have class spirit?

Our J2 classes are not the most united. That is the foregone conclusion. We decided to probe further. Could it be just our batch? Is this a recurrent JC circumstance? Raffles Press dished out the same surveys to nineteen J1s to dig deeper. The results are in:

Likewise, class bonding appears to be a sticking point for all Rafflesians. But it’s still early in the year, so don’t worry too much if your class appears detached. There remains an open window to sit down, study, or have fun – as a class.

Recipe for Identity

Because class camps and celebrations are no longer organised by the school, the direction your class dynamic takes lies snugly in your own hands. Your class is on your own, and bringing everyone together, in an organic manner, is easier said than done. Call a KTV outing. Have lunch together. Go support your classmate’s match. It’s the little things that sculpt the identity so many classes lack. A class shirt or sweater might also be handy in cementing class identity. Final words of advice from your J2s:

“If your class is really close and bonded good for you! But JC is a quite short, less than 2 years actually, so it’s ok if you don’t know everyone in your class well, as long as you have a solid group of friends in class.”

“Take time to know your classes and try to engage everyone (even the quiet ones) early on as it would cultivate the class spirit very early on.”

“Spend your first month eating together as a class, and if you can manage that, then the rest of the year should be more smooth sailing (maybe).”

“Please try your best to make friends and don’t alienate your classmates (i did that at first and it was kind of awkward).”

“Open up more n dont be superficial.”

“Close the halal gaps.”

“Y’all messy lmao.”

Finally, I end off with a quote from the spokesman of 18S06M, one of the “tighter” classes in our batch. I deeply admire his carefree and effusive attitude, and he deserves nothing less than a class that gels:

“Oh it isn’t just the people you share a homeroom with, it’s the everyday “eh you no game sia” banter, the constant nudging when you fall asleep in lecture, the daily walk to the Y1–4 side to eat claypot and the warm fuzzy feeling you get when you realise that whenever you slip up, they’ll always be there, not to help you of course, but to take pictures.”

– Sin Zi Jian

That concludes our brief discourse on a fragile topic. So dear J1s, give your class a chance. Hopefully it works out. If it does not, you have nothing to lose.

By Lynn Hong (18A13A)
Photos courtesy of the various CCAs and CE01s featured

Raffles Press brings you an interview with the student leaders in community service to find out more about the heads of the our four service CCAs: Community Advocates, Interact, One Earth and Red Cross, and members of two CE01 projects: The Golden Page (TGP) and Silver Communities.

The representatives of the CCAs and CE01s are as follows:
Community Advocates: Chelsia Low (18S06C)
Interact: Claire Goh (18S03K)
One Earth: Sharmayne Lim (18S03F)
Red Cross: Sarah Lee (18S03D)
The Golden Page: Jared Ong (18A13A)
Silver Communities: Alicia Tan (18S03F)

A lot of people say that service is “meaningful” when you ask them why they serve. What do you think “meaningful” service really means?

Claire: In Interact, our focus is on direct service, which is interacting with the person on site. And I think it’s meaningful because throughout the year of volunteering, you form a connection with them.

You find that it’s not just about you helping them, but they also teach you a lot of things. Like sometimes you go for tutoring with the mindset that you are going to teach this kid, but then you come out and realise that “oh! The kid taught me!” It’s meaningful because in JC it’s very easy to lose focus of what’s important. Service is about remembering that there are people, who not say need help, but who we should care about. It’s not so much about me helping you, but more like “let’s move forward and progress together”.

Chelsia: It’s also the sense that you are able to make an impact. Because sometimes the idea of being a student within the education system makes us lose sight of the fact that we can do something tangible, even as a “child”. It helped me see that I can be useful in my own way, and that I don’t need to be very affluent or have a specialised skill set to do my own part.

Jared: Personally I think this works on two levels. I think a lot of people have this very weird mindset that I’m doing service because I’m a very good person, and I want to spread goodness across the world. But let’s face it. Part of the reason why we do service is to allay our own conscience, to say that we are doing our part. A lot of us in RI come from privileged backgrounds so service allows us to grapple with the privilege you’re born with.

Secondly, there are many useful things you can learn out there. You learn about about situations people face out there, and their life stories. And in the future when we are in positions where we have more power to change their situations and lives, I think it will help us help them more.

Alicia: Also, everyone gets their own unique experience doing service, so that’s meaningful because everyone can create their own memories. It’s also really eye-opening to these see parts of Singapore you don’t usually see. Interacting with elderly and children made me realise that I am super privileged. And it’s just a daily reminder to be grateful for you have.

Sarah: I think it’s about helping people who are less privileged. We remember that we have so much and we have so much to give. So that’s why we give.

Sharmayne: For one earth’s projects, service is meaningful in the sense that although our efforts may seem insignificant in making a difference to the environment, at least we are striving to play our part and to influence others. One person can’t really make a difference, but when one influences a few others, there’s a ripple effect and over time, that can have a greater impact.

What do you consider an effective service? How would you know that your project has been effective in helping your beneficiary?

Sarah: I’ll give a specific example based off what I’m doing now. Before we started tutoring the kids, they were very noisy and wouldn’t want to do work. But because you keep going, they start to take things seriously. And that’s when you know that you’ve made a difference. You can’t go there for two hours and never see them again, and think you’ve made a change. It’s about committing to that relationship that you have with that person, and after a while you start to see the differences you make to their life.

Chelsia: It’s hard to say how service has been successful, because there’s no “key performance indicator” for service, especially in the work we do with IMH. We work with long term patients who have stayed there for more than 5 years. It’s not easy to detect a behavioural change when they have been in that situation for a longer time. But I think service is meaningful if you learn from the service, and if the beneficiary has something to take away. We would say that our service at IMH at least has makes a contribution to the community, because the people there look forward to seeing us. So small things like their enjoyment would be a marker that our service is successful.

Claire: I agree with Chelsia. In a personal capacity I volunteer at a children’s home.  Some of them come from really troubled backgrounds. To give you an example of the kinds of things we encounter, sometimes there will be chairs threatened to be thrown or random markers or scissors sometimes being flung. But when you tell them to stop, they kind of do listen to you. I think it’s because we form a bond with them and then they value and respect you as a person, and look forward to seeing us. For example, there was once I was sick so I couldn’t go for service. My tutee illegally messaged me on Instagram and she was like “oh no!”. They really care about you so I think there’s something there.

Jared: Personally, I think that one of the problems with engagement service events, is that we always say as long as they had fun, then it’s a success. Or as long as no one slipped and fell, or something like that. But I think the issue that TGP or other CE01s grapple with is, can we actually tell if they are having fun? Because sometimes they might just be going through the motions but not enjoying it. We don’t know what attitudes some volunteers are bring so they may be treating the elderly like little children because that’s a common tendency.

Maybe we can reorient our definition of success from whether we think they enjoyed it, to whether there was meaningful engagement between the elderly and the volunteers, like learning something more about the senior they have been interacting with.

What do you think is the hardest part of your service projects?

Sarah: To link it to the previous question, I think the hardest thing is when we serve and we don’t succeed. We serve because we want to make a difference in someone’s life. And the hardest part, though it sounds very selfish, is when at the end of the two hours you feel so drained, but the person didn’t seem to gain anything. For example for the NKF group, there are days when they just don’t want to talk. It’s not your fault, but we second-guess ourselves. I think that’s the hardest part because it’s very hard to remember that the reason I am doing service.

But we need to remember that service is not a one day or one month thing, but actually a lifelong thing. A year may sound really long, but it’s not! Because the people you are serving are human beings who will be around for 80 plus years. I think the hardest part is to keep holding onto the hope that something good will come out of your service, even if it is small.

Claire: I had a senior who volunteered at MINDS. She went down for service every week for one and a half years. The people in the class have very severe intellectual disabilities, so she sees them every week, but they don’t even recognise her after one and a half years. For her that’s the hardest part, because you give so much of your heart but every week it just resets, and they don’t even know that you’re there. But if you are making a difference and she found the will to continue serving, so I think that’s very admirable.

Jared: I’ll talk about some practical concerns that CE01s face. I think the largest problem we face is the general lack of enthusiasm for service opportunities within RI. We are quite lucky because we have some social media presence and a pretty stable pool of volunteers. But there are CE01s out there who face trouble getting volunteers. Because people are either so apathetic or stressed, or they don’t even think about doing service.

This question is specifically for the CE01 projects. Do you have a long term vision for your project?

Jared: I think something we can strive to do better is succession, in getting juniors to join the core team the next year. I think this is quite a common problem. To my knowledge the current system is that you get in by knowing the seniors. But this excludes people who have the passion but don’t have the connections, so we are trying to think of a better system to get the best juniors possible.

Alicia: This also a problem for us. Now we are trying to source for main committee members from the pool of volunteers that join us for our events, not based off who we know.

With respect to RI’s current community service culture, what would your ideal community service look like?

Sarah: I think it would really just be being able to have a conversation about service without mentioning the RD. (loud screaming and yells of agreement) I think it’s the wrong emphasis in service to do something just to get an RD merit, and you get really jaded as well. Just now we had the discussion about how we know whether its successful. You don’t. So how do you keep yourself motivated? People end up thinking of the tangible rewards, like an RD merit.

Jared: I completely agree. I think the most ideal situation would be that when we introduce volunteers or service opportunities, we shouldn’t have to say “VIA hours will be awarded”.

Sarah: But its very hard as well! You know that we are pragmatic people. It’s very hard to find that balance between wanting to help others and you wanting to get something out of it.

Chelsia: Most people are not like that, but there is a proportion of the population who sees service as something they need to check off before they graduate. (loud agreement again) It’s not something they take part in out of intrinsic motivation.

Claire: But there are also people in RI who are really genuine about service. Like no matter how busy they are they will always try to carve out time to volunteer for that one to two hours a week, because they know it’s important to them. So I think that’s also something that we should acknowledge.

How can we get to that ideal culture?

Jared: It’s tough.

Claire: I think it’s very difficult to tell someone to do service if they are already unwilling in the first place. And it might not be because they don’t want to serve, but because they don’t feel confident in their ability to serve. So they might say “oh I’m bad at talking to people” or “I’m horrible at human interaction”. I think there should be something done to tell people that it’s not about whether you’re good or not at it, but it’s the thought behind it that matters. If you are there with an open heart to reach out to people, they will feel it. Ok, feeling like someone is there genuinely caring about you, it’s not all that matters, but it’s a very big part of what matters.

Alicia: It’s the same with other things, the more you practise the better you get at it. So maybe the class can organise more VIAs for the students to try it out, because you won’t know until you try. There will be people who are naturally more inclined towards service. But for a majority of people, you go and experience it for yourself and then if you find it meaningful, you’ll want to go for it again.

Jared: I think we must face the fact that there are definitely people who don’t really care or don’t have the time for service. But one suggestion I think could work would be if we could start making use of our assembly slot to expose us to the many different kinds of service and causes. I thought the assembly when Community Advocates got Mr Cai Yinzhou to come down and share was pretty insightful. Or maybe if they did screenings of documentaries about social causes in Singapore, like Don’t Call Us Poor. I think having this visceral element would go a long way in genuinely sparking some interest.

By Rachel Lee (19A01D) and Zi Yang (19A01D)
Photograph courtesy of Raffles Tennis

The morning of 9th May started off with a dull thud: the sound of balls striking the sturdy frames of tennis rackets as the 2018 National A Division Boys’ and Girls’ Tennis Championships approached their concluding matches.

The finals saw the girls playing against Anglo-Chinese Junior College and the boys playing against Anglo-Chinese School (Independent), ending in a spectacular 4-1 victory for the girls, and a 3-2 defeat for the boys. Along with Hwa Chong Institution, these schools have been long-time rivals in the A Division tennis arena.

The distinctive playing style of each school was apparent from their matches. While Raffles preferred an aggressive playing style with sharp and hard shots at their opponents across the court, AC opted for a more defensive stance that was characterised by lob balls, particularly outstanding in the girls’ team. This strategy of favouring aggressive plays ended up working largely to their advantage, allowing the RI girls to dominate their matches, commanding a strong presence on the courts with their intimidating stature.

On the boys’ side, a strong, almost belligerent and fast playing style was favoured. Numerous triumphant shouts would cut through the air with every point scored by a player. The strength and passion with which the boys on both sides played was a testament to their dedication to the sport. Similarly to the girls’ matches, the excitement in the air was palpable as the boys served and returned impossibly fast shots as if they were swiping at air. Indeed, the matches were riveting both for the players and the spectators.

The most evenly-matched and exciting game of the day turned out to be the girls’ 1st doubles, with Shirina Mulani, 18A03A, and Laura Chan, 18A13A, six-year partners on the court up against ACJC duo: Natasha Loh and Chelsea Wee. The game was the only one that day which advanced into the third set, and was an arduous fight that saw a hard-earned victory for the Raffles pair. The excitement of the audience was well evident from the way the majority of the huge Raffles-AC crowd comprised of parents and schoolmates flocked to their court, peering through the bars to watch and spur their peers on with loud school cheers. As the day wound to an end, the split victory between Raffles and AC witnessed smiles on both sides of the courts, regardless of the final result.

Typically, tennis is a sport that does not see many newcomers, especially as late as the A Division. Many players were introduced to the sport from young, some even at merely three years old, and the players at the Kallang Tennis Stadium were no exception. The fierce fight put up by the Raffles Tennis players was testament to their phenomenal skill and prowess, built up over years of experience and burning passion for the sport.

Of course, as any competitor would tell you, victory does not come with pure talent; tennis is no exception. Tactics can only get you so far, and even more rides on the performance of the athlete in the day itself, rather than planning for the game. So, for those unacquainted with jock culture, Mr Weber Oh, coach of the tennis team, made some brief comments on the training regimen of our tennis players.

‘Tennis is only 5% tactics, so you work on the physical and the mental.’

— Mr Weber Oh, Raffles Tennis girls’ coach

The team coach, Mr Weber Oh, shared that their training largely focuses on physical as well as mental training. Tennis matches can last anywhere from between two to three hours, so training the stamina of the players is especially important, and can be especially challenging at times. For example, athletes were expected to complete five one-round sprints in under a minute.

The mental training of the athletes is important as well; as expressed by the coach, it can be extremely nerve-wrecking for an athlete to perform at inter-school tournaments with expectations of their schoolmates riding on their backs. To ensure that they are able to perform to the best of their ability, the coach recommends methods for calming them down, such as encouragement audios to allay the athletes’ fears. Of course, for the players who have been competing since young, years of experience and experimentation have allowed them to find their own way of calming down

With all that being said, apart from the players’ doubtlessly exceptional skill, the sheer amount of effort was clearly evident from how each player gave their all even after the championship was officially in the bag. It is unmistakable that tennis is a sport of endeavour; without the drive and intense and laborious training, you will get nowhere, best expressed by the iconic quote ‘Genius is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration’ (or in this case, 1% talent and 99% hard training!). On this note, Raffles Press would like to congratulate the respective teams for their achievements, and wish them luck in upcoming competitions!

Results

Boys: 1st Runner-Up
Score by Match: ACS(I) 3 – RI 2

1st Singles
Robin Cheng [ACS(I)] d. Sean Yun (RI)
6–0, 6–0

2nd Singles
Paul Michel (RI) d. Tiah Jeng Ern [ACS(I)]
6–1, 6–1

1st Doubles
Clarence Lee/Aveek Goswami (RI) d. Ito Tetsushi/Euan Koh [ACS(I)]
6–1, 6–2

2nd Doubles
Shawn Ng/Oliver Loo [ACS(I)] d. Park Jung Woo/Amos Koh (RI)
6–4, 6–3

3rd Singles
Justin Oeni [ACS(I)] d. Jonathan Teo
6–0, 6–0

Girls: Champion
Score by Match: ACJC 1 – RI 4

1st Singles
Elizabeth Lee (ACJC) d. Tamara Tan (RI)
6–0, 6–0

2nd Singles
Jeovanne P. (RI) d. Natalie Tan
6–0, 6–0

1st Doubles
Shirina Mulani/Laura Chan (RI) d. Natasha Loh/Chelsea Wee (ACJC)
6–3, 6–7 (3), 7–5

2nd Doubles
Meg Ang/Sin Suwen (RI) d. Sarah Teoh/Violet Lee (ACJC)
6–4, 6–1

3rd Singles
Tammy Tan (RI) d. Nadine Loh
6–2, 6–1

By: Nicki Chan (18S03C), Asfar Alim (18S03J), Lynn Hong (18A13A)
Photographs courtesy of S Rahul (19S06A) and Kathryn Oei (19A01A) of the Raffles Photographic Society

After months of diligent preparation, Raffles Jazz returned with their annual concert, Birdland 2018, on the 5th of May. The intriguing theme drew much curiosity – the Performing Arts Centre was buzzing with excitement even before the concert began.

Jazz comprises unique elements such as the regular beats of swing music and scat singing (or improvisation with nonsense words). The word “jazz” may bring to mind funky dance moves and lullabic crooning all at once – a testament to how flexible jazz music is as a form of expression. As such, jazz music has a wide appeal that touches people from all walks of life. Yet, this genre is relatively elusive in a world dominated by modern pop music–many may not have known what jazz music was really like before coming for the concert.

Despite this, the performers’ boundless, infectious energy as they grooved to their music helped bridge the gap between layperson and musician. From the moment the lights went out, it was clear that the concert would be anything but snooze-inducing. The emcee’s witty humour in their introduction set the tone for a lighthearted and engaging evening filled with good music.

One memorable aspect of the concert was that no one was overshadowed – every member was given a chance to shine with solos woven seamlessly into the pieces. The vocalists introduced each player to the audience after their solos, and the audience responded with resounding applause each time.

The set itself was composed of a vibrant mixture of songs from slow, crooning ballads to upbeat, swingy tunes, showcasing the different sides of Raffles Jazz. The concert kicked off with a laid-back performance of “Feeling Good”, easing the audience into the concert. Junius Pun (18S02A) had a distinctive smoky tone to his voice which was a good match for this performance. This was contrasted by the next piece, “So Tired”, which was a more lively and exciting piece with multiple key changes in the song.

Following which, the audience was greeted with “Fascinating Rhythm”, described as a “showtune-turned-jazz standard”. The performance was certainly upbeat and had a feet-tapping melody, thanks to Alice Ho (19S03T) on the piano and Scott Tay (18S06E) on the saxophone. Vocalist Tara Teo (18A01E) also added an extra playful tone to the song by singing certain lines in staccato, but what stood out most was the interjecting drum solos by Victoria Lim (18S02A) which integrated surprisingly well with the song, jolting those who may have been bored initially.

Raffles Jazz then switched up the mood with “Dindi”, a Bossa Nova song that remained somewhat mellow while giving a country feel. This melodious performance was followed by “Moondance”, which featured Junius Pun (18S02A) and Tara, together with Rayna Mak (19S03O) and Alicia Bee (19S03I).

The performance highlighted the strength in their harmony, as the members took turn adding ad-libs to enhance their fellow vocalists’ performance. Of course, the members on the instruments were not left out of the fun either, with Kwek Min Yih (18S06G) on the saxophone and Jeremy Xiao (18A01B) on the guitar kicking their legs to the beat.

Another lively piece, “Crazy He Calls Me”, started off slow before guitarist Qin Ai Xin (19S02A) transitioned into a groovy beat, inducing the other instruments to follow suit. Rayna’s melodious vocals were a perfect complement to the song, as her mellow voice brought out the lighthearted nature of the tune.

Perhaps what made the concert so enjoyable despite the relative obscurity of the genre, was the performers’ explicit attempts to make the genre accessible to the audience through their quirky humour. To introduce “Caravan”, which some may remember from the Sundance Award-winning film Whiplash, they produced a short parody featuring drummer Victoria as the brilliant but dysfunctional jazz drummer protagonist, Andrew. Victoria certainly rose to the occasion, executing the technical complexity of the drum parts with aplomb, winning rapturous applause.

Their lighthearted and playful approach to the performance shone through in every aspect of their concert, like their jokes about Further Math student Junius Pun’s mathematical proficiency at the intermission of the concert. In their rendition of “Everybody Wants To Be a Cat”, vocalist Alicia appeared onstage in a cat onesie while the rest of the band donned cat ear headbands, to the audience’s laughter. This performance was made even more whimsical with the remaining performers coming onstage to groove to the beat, once again with synchronised leg kicking. (They are after all, not Raffles Street Dance).

Throughout their performance, the performers’ sheer enjoyment was evident, from the smiles on their faces during their improvised solos, to the lighthearted antics during their performances. It was clear that the Jazz members’ teamwork and passion for their music enabled them to put together an impressive performance that showcased them and their unique music.

On top of providing everyone with an avenue to unwind with good music, the concert was an eye-opening experience to those who know little to nothing about jazz. To put it simply, Raffles Jazz killed two birds with one stone – ending Birdland 2018 on a fantastic note.

By Mabel Yet (19S03Q), Vanessa Lur (19S06Q) and Isabelle Tan (19S03S)

“It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye.”

How would you feel if you were told, right now, that you were about to lose your vision for the rest of your life?

For most sighted people, being blind is perhaps the most terrifying fate. We perceive it as a life plagued with misery and helplessness, and of being wholly reliant on others. While we are aware that these are harmful stereotypes, the mere notion of blindness is haunting nevertheless. As we threaded our way through the unyielding darkness that night, an inexplicable fear struck some of us: what if this darkness stretched on indefinitely for the rest of our lives, becoming something we had to accept?

Yet, on the 11th and 12th of May, students willingly stepped into complete darkness for four entire hours, led by friendly Interactors. Although the event is an annual collaboration with SAVH (Singapore Association of the Visually Handicapped), this year, Live In the Dark, originally titled Dine In the Dark, took on a different slant. Moving beyond dining, LITD took us on a realistic journey of the day-to-day life of the visually impaired through an innovative series of simulations. By throwing us out of our comfort zones, LITD aimed to give students the opportunity to put ourselves into the shoes of the visually impaired to better understand the struggles they face.

Dining In the Dark

Many of us are guilty of spending ages photographing Instagram-worthy dishes, but the expression “eating with our eyes first” was clearly out of the question that night. Led by Interactors, students took their first tentative steps into the mini-LT, which had been transformed overnight into what seemed like an endless black portal. Several students chirped, rather nervously, that it felt like being transported to another dimension, fumbling about for anything familiar for comfort.

After diners were settled into their seats, emcees Yashika Relan (19S03E) and Yeo Ning Xin, Camine (19S06J) spoke about the purpose of the event. As we tried our luck spooning rice instead of air into our mouths and repeatedly prodded our forks at the tables, the emcees offered us guidance by comparing the bento box to a clock face to help us gauge the position of the food. Our futile attempts at eating properly were quite amusing at first, with laughter erupting from every table as diners dropped food on themselves or claimed they had “lost their spoon again”. This, however, soon became frustrating, as even poking straws into our packet drinks was a struggle. Tasks to which we barely pay heed in our daily lives suddenly became a challenge, leaving some of us feeling rather helpless. It was like being thrown into the deep end, where the routine act of eating was suddenly forgotten and had to be relearned.

While we were eating (or trying to, at least), we were entertained by the melodious voices of some of our schoolmates who showcased their singing talents, with popular tunes such as Halsey’s Colours and Ed Sheeran’s Photograph. These heartfelt performances were accompanied by loud roars of excitement as participants recognised the familiar voices and started cheering for their friends.

Following which, a hush fell as a short audio-narrative version of the well-known film, The Lion King, was demonstrated. Though listening to these movies was quite different from watching scenes unfold on screen, they nonetheless allowed us to paint mental pictures of how they would play out.

Accompanying each table was a beneficiary from SAVH, whom we struck up conversations with during the dinner. Our group had the privilege of speaking to Ms Christina, who, despite her disability, engages in a wide spectrum of hobbies: from playing competitive goalball (a sport designed for the blind) to travelling to singing, which she showcased later that night. Even without being able to see her, the ardour and excitement in her voice as she shared her stories left us thoroughly inspired.

While we were definitely in awe of them, the point of these conversations was not for participants to be blown away by the endless optimism the visually impaired exemplified, or to exclaim “that’s so brave!”; rather, they served to show that they are just like us.

They don’t want to be called courageous for simply getting out of the house and getting on with their lives; they want to be seen as a person.

Living In the Dark

Bidding a reluctant farewell to the beneficiaries from SAVH, participants awkwardly reformed their human chains and progressed to the second part of the evening: the simulation activities. Though it was an ambitious feat Interact had to pull off for the first time, participants remarked that they were “extremely impressed by the creative yet realistic portrayal of the lives of the visually impaired” as well as “how smoothly the event went”.

“[There is] really far more than just dining in one’s life”, Chang Ting Yu (18S03A), overall IC of LITD, explained. “[We want participants to] experience all these integral daily life activities from the perspective of the visually handicapped.”

Participants were first led into a ‘supermarket’ and tasked to find different items, simulating how the visually impaired do their grocery shopping. Suddenly left to our own devices as the human chain broke apart and everyone scrambled off to scour for their respective items, fear gripped us unexpectedly. Even as shouts for “lemon-flavoured 100-plus” and “where’s the cashier?!” echoed around us, not having anyone to follow as we fumbled around in an endless black void was a somewhat terrifying experience.

As we were unfamiliar with the layout of the “supermarket”, we inevitably bumped into strangers (or friends, we wouldn’t know!) countless times along the way. A good-natured laugh and ‘sorry!’ would follow, although in the real world the public might not be as understanding, especially towards those who “don’t look blind” or the 95% of the visually handicapped who don’t use a white cane. Later on, the station IC revealed that the visually impaired usually employ the help of a store assistant. Though the chaos might not entirely reflect the perspective of the visually impaired, the experience, while frightening, gave participants a deeper insight into the real struggles the blind face finding their way around.

When we were told to fold and categorize piles of laundry as a group, many of us were floored. How were we supposed to identify clothing without our sight? The first challenge we wrestled with came even before we started folding the clothes. Given instructions to collect the laundry in a basket under the table, all of us immediately crouched down and flailed our arms blindly, most of the time hitting a table leg instead. Using our sense of touch, we then had to figure out what sort of clothing we were holding before attempting to fold them. It is in these mundane, everyday tasks that we disregard our sense of sight. Who would have thought that doing the laundry could be such a struggle?

The most exciting stimulation would arguably be The Showdown, where participants were given a taste of how the blind play sports. In pairs, we engaged in an exhilarating game of air hockey, using ping pong paddles and a cardboard air hockey table which Interactors constructed from scratch. As the balls were attached with bells, we could react quickly when we heard the ball come close and swiftly whack it to our opponents’ side. Despite not being able to see, the value of the game was not diminished in the slightest.

Stepping Into New Light

As the evening drew to a close, participants, armed with a new vision after being in the dark for four hours, gathered for the finale. The heartfelt sharings by members from SAVH were both thought-provoking and humbling, as we began to recognise the difficulties the blind face and how we take many things in our life for granted. It is ironic how many of us were blind towards the struggles people with visual impairment encountered, which proves that even those with the gift of sight can overlook many things.

What was most insightful about Mr Chong’s, a member of SAVH, sharing was how blindness does not define the character of an individual. Instead of simply treating the visually impaired as a “blind person” and pitying or admiring them, we should try to get to know them and their personalities, just like how we would with any other human being.

To quote Russell Shaffer, who is visually impaired himself:

“Being blind doesn’t mean you can’t do things anymore, it simply means you need to learn how to do some things differently.”

Ms Christina, another member of the SAVH, performed Taylor Swift’s Look What You Made Me Do and Dua Lipa’s New Rules, to rapturous cheers. She has been taking singing lessons for quite some time now and had practised the songs diligently before showcasing them to us. Her performance was well-received, and helped us understand that being visually impaired does not make one’s life any less fulfilling.

Closing Thoughts

Some might be skeptical about how dining and playing games in pitch blackness would help us better empathise with the blind, but participants can attest to how stepping into the dark, albeit for only four hours, has allowed us to look beyond the light. By focusing solely on what is starkly in front of us, we tend to neglect the things that truly matter.

Raffles Press would like to congratulate Interact for surpassing all of our expectations, and here’s to spreading light wherever we go!

Performers:

1. Sneha Bobba (19S06K) and Nur Amira Bte Idris (19A13B)

Ultralife by Oh Wonder

Sunday Morning by Maroon 5

2. Qin Ai Xin (19S02A) and Mak Rui En Rayna (19S03O)

Put Your Records On by Corrine Bailey Rae

Ex’s and Oh’s by Elle King

3. Pun Cheuk Kei, Junius (18S02A) and Ng Yan Khai, Ryan (19S06N)

Location by Khalid

Photograph by Ed Sheeran

4. Jing Rong Lim (18A03A)

Colors by Halsey

Somebody Else by The 1975

Emcees:

Yashika Relan (19S03E)

Yeo Ning Xin, Camine (19S06J)

LITD Main Committee:

Alicia Tan Shu En (18S03M) – Dinner Comm I/C

Lim Qian Ru (18S06O) – Dinner Comm I/C

Lee Cheryl (18S03H) – Simulation Comm I/C

Tan Yan Ren (18S03A) – Simulation Comm I/C

Rachel Phua Pei Wen (18S03R) – Publicity Comm I/C

Benjamin Paik (18S03L) – Admin I/C

Chang Ting Yu (18S03A) – Overall I/C

By Benjamin Lim (19S03I) and Yoon Shwe Yee (19S03B)
Photos courtesy of Raffles Floorball (Girls) and Toh Wyning

For the first time in six years, the Raffles Floorball Girls’ Team has managed to make it into the top 4 in the A Division inter-schools tournament, and the importance of this moment was palpable at the Delta Sports Hall last Tuesday. The site of many past matches, the hall was packed with supporters from Raffles Institution and Victoria Junior College, all excited and eager to shout cheers to spur their schoolmates on.

Before the match started, the girls were filled with vigour and eagerness. Though they did have bouts of anxiety, the team cheers, words of the coaches and the esprit de corps certainly rose up above all. “YOLO every breath,” said Coach Jill, just before the team chanted their cheer, “Raffles – Unite, Courage, Fight!”

During the match, the floorball girls fought hard on the court against their opponents, displaying extraordinary perseverance in pursuing the goal. The Rafflesian spirit was in full force as loud cheers of “let’s go, Raffles, let’s go!” rang through the hall; supporters cheering with their hearts out for the school team.

The many supporters standing in the bleachers cheered the team on, with the councillors leading the school. Such cheers rumbled throughout the game, encouraging players from both schools to smile and return to the game, revitalised.

At one point, the team captain, Ella Tan, 19A01B, was awarded a penalty. As she strode up and readied herself, the hall fell silent. The atmosphere of the entire hall was tense. Would she be able to score? Or would she miss?

Ella primed herself for the shot. She swung her stick against the ball. And she made it! Cheers erupted from the stands with applause echoing through the hall. Ng Jing Ni, 19S03M, commented, “It was really heartening to see all the supporters band together to cheer for their fellow Rafflesian.”

Though the game eventually came to a close, with the score 6-2, in Victorian team’s favour, it was certainly one where the Raffles team did their best in. It was especially heartwarming to see all of the floorballers fighting for every single ball, due to the overbearing fact that this was going to be their very last game.

With a multitude of chants and cheers from the opposition, the Raffles side certainly did not lose out. At the end of the match, everyone stood to sing the school song, followed closely by the Unite cheer. The entire school applauded for the girls when they lined up in front to show their appreciation for the supporters’ unwavering support.

Indeed, it was really touching to see everyone singing and cheering their loudest for the team. Whether the team won or lost would never surpass the simple fact that as family, we would all be proud of the team for putting on their best fight.

This loss certainly did not pull the team spirits down. The match had been highly symbolic for them, it represented years of hard work and months of relentless training for the team to make it this far and achieve this much. The spirit of the match was aptly summed up by Lee Jia Qi, 19S03I, who said that, “Though we didn’t win, we promised ourselves the day before that we will not be focused on the outcome alone, but the journey we took in getting there. We told ourselves that after the last training, that even after the last whistle (symbolic of the end of season), we will celebrate no matter what the final results were.” And true to that, the first thing the team did when season officially ended was share a bag of Sour Cream Ruffles crisps, followed by a team dinner of fried chicken and ice cream to commemorate their success.

The Floorball girls displayed admirable perseverance, determination and sportsmanship both in the run-up to the match and during the match. Nadya Chua, 19S03I, reminisced that  “Sometimes, we would be really tired because trainings would occur once every two days, and we didn’t have enough time to recover from our aches. However, our coach still expects 100 percent, but not everyone can be in tip top condition all the time. Hence there was one training where we had to do suicides (intense short distance runs that progressively increase in distance) continuously. She told us that it was because we lacked the ‘heart’ and ‘mind’ in our attitude and hence, training.”

These wise words from Coach Jill certainly did not fall on deaf ears. As the girls trained tirelessly for the following weeks, effects of the intense training regimen started to show. The girls had pushed their bodies to their physical, as well as emotional and mental limits. External commitments were now prioritised after trainings, held 3 to 4 times a week. These words had certainly reignited the passion for the sport, which dulled after the rigorous training sessions. Soon, these girls were working not as individuals, but as one. The team spirit had returned, and it was burning brighter than ever.

The culmination at the end of this journey may not have equated to a Champion’s Trophy, but it was the spark that fueled a desire to train harder.

Team Captain, Ella, was asked if she had any words to say to her team, and what we got was something filled with nothing but happiness and praise. “Hi girls!! Thank you so much for being the greatest team I could ask for. Through all the 2.4s, sprints, pt every training, staying till 9pm, and through all the falling asleep in classes, shin splints, and sprained ankles, the amount of blood, sweat and tears (literally) that we’ve put into this sport and team has amounted to this amazing season – walking the #roadtodelta* with y’all was unforgettable, but beyond the outcome, this CCA has given me a family that I know I can always depend on, and I’m so so proud of each and every one of you for putting your heart and soul into the team. Thank you for putting the team before yourself, and for walking by faith and not by sight; for believing when no one else did, and for fighting to the end.”

Are there any words that encapsulates the entirety of the floorball girls team? Resilience. Passion. Dedication. They’ll be back for the gold next year.

* The hashtag, #roadtodelta, was used as a means to remind the team that all their effort would eventually pay off, as they achieved their goal of playing at Delta Sports Hall (only the semi-finalists and finalists would be able to play there).

By Grace Lau (18S03I), Nadine Staes-Polet (18A01B) and Soh Gek Shuen (18S03B)
Photos courtesy of Ho Kai En (19S03C) and parents of the rugby players

After defeating ACJC in the semi-finals, long-time rivals Raffles Institution and Anglo-Chinese School (Independent) met once again in the highly anticipated National A-Division Rugby Finals on 15 May. The overcast skies did little to dampen the palpable excitement of the crowd, as Queenstown Stadium boasted a massive turnout despite the heavy rain. Spectators waited for the rain to let up with bated breath and immediately erupted into loud cheers when it was announced that the lightning alert had been lifted and the game would go on.

As the players from RI and ACS(I) formed two silent lines on the damp field under the close scrutiny of hundreds of spectators, the resolution to break their rivals’ winning streak was evident from the determined expressions on their faces.

From the outset, the game was test of grit and skills, as ACSI fought to prove their mettle as defending champions. The ACS(I) team got off to a ferocious start, scoring all 26 points in a dominating first half performance, while holding RI to zero. ACS(I) scored four tries through Shane Duggan [ACS(I) #15], Benjamin Lim [ACS(I) #2], Josh Quan [ACS(I) #11] and Matthew Robinson (#9). A try is scored successfully when the ball comes into contact with the ground behind the opponent’s goal line. Rugger Matthew Robinson also adeptly added three conversions, which are kicks taken from a point in line where the ball was grounded to the space between the opposition’s goalposts and above the crossbar.

Halftime saw the spectators abuzz with excitement. Despite ACSI’s strong start, all hope was not lost. On the contrary, tension soared ever higher as the spectators were determined to cheer their loudest and spur our ruggers to the top of their game when the second half began.

Not to be thrown off without a challenge, RI approached the second half with an astounding display of teamwork, intercepting possession multiple times to halt ACSI’s swift assault up the field. Getting into stride, the RI team fought hard to turn the game back in their favour, with Gideon Kee (RI #7) scoring the school’s first try.

Bervyn Wong (RI #18) swiftly rose to the occasion with a conversion, bringing the score to 26-7. With tension at an all-time high, spectators cheered with renewed vigour as our ruggers began to get into their groove.

Russel Quek (RI #19) made it across the try line for another score, and two more from Bervyn cut their deficit to 12. Even as time threatened to run out, neither our ruggers nor the spectators lost hope, giving their best on-field and cheering their hearts out from the stands. Yet, despite RI’s valiant effort, the team succumbed to a loss with the final score at 26-14.

As our ruggers walked towards the spectators, their disappointment was evident on their faces. The mere hour on the field was barely an accurate representation of the vast amount of effort and time they had devoted to their sport.

In spite of it all, as the dejected ruggers huddled together, one thing was clear: the Rafflesian spirit displayed that day was exceptional. Quoting Chloe Han (18SO3I), a spectator who was disappointed with the results of the match: “I felt that all our ruggers pushed through despite the odds, and I think they should take this experience in their stride and focus on improving. They can only go up from here!”

Our team had played with remarkable determination and sportsmanship even as they were falling behind, values which no title could adequately encapsulate. The blow of their defeat was overshadowed by a sense of pride in the effort and courage shown on the field.

We are proud of our A Div rugby players, who fought with commendable spirit and fortitude even as the odds were stacked against them. Fighting to the finish, they can rightly hold their heads high for a season well executed.

Final Score:

1st half: ACSI – 26, RI – 0

2nd half: ACSI – 0, RI – 14

By Sarah Chen (19S03C) and Keziah Lam (19A01B)
Photographs courtesy of Raffles Photographic Society
Special thanks to Bridget Lum (19S03C) and Aisling Lum (19S03N) for their invaluable guidance and advice

Our journalistic abilities were called into question the moment we arrived at Jurong East Sports Hall on the 18th of May. Perhaps it was the fact that we had just spent the bus ride googling “how points are awarded in basketball” and voicing our queries loudly or the fact that we were the only two Raffles students present not kitted out in basketball attire, but we were quickly approached by a well-meaning basketballer who asked us, “do you guys even know how basketball works?” The answer to that, of course, was no. This changed quickly over the course of the next hour as we played witness to the resilience and spirit of our girls’ basketball team in their finals match against opponents Dunman High.

Even before the match, spirits in the hall were high. Supporters from the two schools cheered loudly during the introduction of the teams, where the players ran onto the court, hi-fiving their teammates. With the blow of the whistle, the match began, Raffles gaining possession of the ball.

1st quarter

From the very beginning, the match was fast-paced, and we struggled to keep up, our eyes frantically following as the ball was dribbled and passed from player to player expertly. It was not long before the first score from Dunman High. Dunman moved quickly, managing to pull forward in the first half of the match with a lead of 12-0. Matching up with their opponent’s pace, our players fought hard, with many of their shots missing by merely the slightest margin.

We were on the edge of their seats, holding our breaths in anticipation whenever one of our players attempted a shot. Each narrow miss only strengthened our spirit, and when Patricia Orenza (#27) snagged the first score for Raffles seven minutes into the first quarter, we erupted in raucous cheers and applause. The team, spurred on by their success and the encouragement of the reserves and spectators, went on to score several more points before the end of the quarter.

2nd and 3rd quarter

The second and third quarters were not without excitement either, with spectators tensing up each time we attempted to score. As players tore across the court, demonstrating their skills, both schools’ supporters were riding the adrenaline wave of the game with their teams. Deafening school cheers and the incessant sounds of plastic clappers (not to mention good old screams!) filled the hall. Raffles was making progress, but Dunman still remained ahead of the game. With the accuracy of Dunman’s shots, defense was more crucial than ever for Raffles. Each time Dunman neared the hoop, rhythmic shouts of “defend, defend” reverberated through the hall. The immense satisfaction felt watching our players block their opponents’ passes and gain possession of the ball was comparable only to the sound of the ball cleanly falling into the basket. Notably, Shannon Tiong’s (#15) tall stature and quick reflexes managed to block several close shots from Dunman.

4th quarter

Raffles made a strong comeback towards the end of the match in the 4th quarter despite lagging behind, with Rachel Yeo (#10) scoring 9 points and Shannon scoring 6, more than doubling their score of 15 to one of 32, with 10 points scored in the mere span of five minutes. It was a heartening sight to see the team pressing on, despite the odds being stacked against them, in a brilliant show of tenacity and grit. The team did not let down their guard in the least and made the most of each possession, never losing focus and always trying their best to score, upping their defense in spite of the circumstances.

It being the last quarter of the game, pressure on both sides was high. Within the last five minutes, Dunman’s #6 injured her knee after a tussle with one of our players and much to the despair of her team, had to be escorted out on a stretcher. She left the court accompanied by respectful cheers and applause from both sides. Nevertheless, the game had to go on. The match was drawing to a close, yet even till the last few seconds, Team Raffles had not lost their spirit, fighting hard and attempting multiple shots. Despite the determination and perseverance of our team, the game ended with a score of 32:53.

When the match ended, the players huddled on the court and lined up to shake hands with their opponents, smiles all around as they concluded the last match of the season – for the seniors, their last match ever. Our team remained gracious, linking arms and bowing to the spectators on both sides to deafening cheers and shouts of encouragement in a delightful display of sportsmanship.

To quote team captain Shannon, “This season wasn’t an easy one, and we didn’t expect to make it to semis, let alone finals. I’m really proud of how far we have come since we started training together – a podium finish is better than no finish at all. I hope our juniors can come back stronger next year to reclaim the title.”

Seeing our players file off the court, we were truly awed at their indomitable spirit and passion for the sport. Do we now know how basketball works? Fuzzy details of three-pointers, fouls and rebounds remain – so the answer to that question would be: maybe. What does ring clear, however, is the zeal, passion and strength of the players. Cliché as it may sound, it was the pride and humility, aggression and grace, individuality and teamwork all simultaneously running through our players’ veins, and not just the finer technicalities of the game we had googled, that showed us what it meant to be a fantastic basketball player. Then again, you might want to take all this with a pinch of salt. After all, what do we know about basketball?

***

Results

1st quarter: 7-17
2nd quarter: 12-30
3rd quarter: 15-47
4th quarter: 32-53

Players

#3 Aw Han Xi (19S03L)
#4 Bridget Lum (19S03C)
#6 Katrina Lee (19S06J)
#7 Rhianne Vaz (18S03Q)
#10 Rachel Yeo (18A03A)
#12 Tan Kang Yi (19S03F)
#13 Sofia Tan (18S06J)
#15 Shannon Tiong (18S07B)
#17 Angela Wang (19S03Q)
#23 Vicky Qu (18S06K)
#27 Patricia Orenza (19S06T)
#77 Zhu Yezi (19S03R)