By Teo Jun Hua (19A01A)

No kidding, JC is a stressful place. While teachers and friends will be supportive where they can, sometimes even that isn’t enough; other times the inherent familiarity makes it even harder for us to open up to them about our personal struggles. It was to fill this need that the Peer Helpers Programme (PHP) was established in 2016, in response to the growing awareness that “most students would prefer to seek out their fellow students or peers for help, rather than their parents, teachers, or… counsellors.”

As our name implies, PHP is about helping your peers, and providing them with a support network they can fall back on in times of emotional duress. The programme itself lasts only a semester, and while that isn’t a lot of time, there are still plenty of opportunities for you to gain knowledge of and equip yourself with skills on the subject of peer helping over these 20 weeks.  

In your first few sessions, you’ll begin by learning more about how to help yourself. No, we’re not talking about helping yourself get better grades — we’re talking about self-care! In PHP, it’s made clear from the outset that while helping our peers is our ultimate goal, we mustn’t forget that we as peer helpers are human too; we all need a break sometimes, after all (which you can get by dropping by My Rest Space!).

Having learnt about the importance of self-care and how to take care of ourselves, we then move on to the crux of the programme — learning techniques which enable us to become better peer helpers!

What is your conception of peer helping? Maybe you feel that helping a peer get back on their feet after they fall is peer helping. Maybe you feel that informing a sick friend of what happened in class during their absence is peer helping. Maybe, just maybe, you feel that giving relationship advice to your friend is peer helping. And, in all honesty, you wouldn’t be wrong. As a peer helper, however, you’ll come to learn that our form of peer helping manifests instead as listening, and listening attentively to whatever problem(s) your peer is opening up about. Throughout the programme, you’ll be exposed to a variety of listening techniques, amongst other more technical skills like how to facilitate a peer helping session. You will also get to learn more about a few common mental conditions, and what to do if you think that a friend is showing symptoms of a mental condition or simply not taking care of their mental health well enough. Of course, theory is merely theory, and so our teachers have aptly given us scenarios to hone our skills (after which we all chant: this is just pretend, this is just pretend, this is just pretend…).

Finally, the programme culminates in Career Day, a session where professionals in the mental health field are invited to talk more about their experiences and what they do. If you intend to or are interested in pursuing a career in mental health, this session will prove fairly helpful, and even if you aren’t, we promise that it’ll be an extremely enjoyable and enriching learning experience regardless!

As a peer helper, you’ll also get to go on two separate learning journeys! Where to? Well, it depends, but on our first learning journey, our batch went to the Teck Ghee Youth Centre, the Woodbridge Museum, and the Anglican Care Centre (Hougang).

For our second learning journey, we went to Samaritans of Singapore (SOS), CHAT Hub and Touch Community Services.

Ultimately, these learning journeys serve to supplement a holistic approach towards our learning experience in PHP. Through these learning journeys, we are exposed to the multitude of mental health related facilities and institutions, allowing us to better understand both what is currently being done locally to either support those with mental conditions or promote good mental health, and the possible pathways we can take should we decide to work in a mental health related job.

So what do peer helpers do with all the skills they’ve learnt? Once the teachers trust that we’ve learned enough to be self-sufficient, we get to hold peer help sessions should any of our peers require one. Apart from this, another responsibility all peer helpers have is manning My Rest Space (MRS) for a minimum of 10 hours by the second term in Year 6. If you’re still curious where MRS is and what function it serves, it’s located at the Underground beside the biodiversity pond, and is essentially a place where students can unwind and escape from the bustle of school life.

There’s also Mental Health Awareness Week — in short, it’s a week-long event where peer helpers, after forming groups and coming up with a topic related to mental health, present their topic to the school in the canteen walkway!

At this juncture, you may be asking yourself still: should I join PHP? I would provide a checklist of necessary traits a prospective peer helper should have, but it simply doesn’t exist. As long as you feel strongly about helping your peers, and are willing to learn, I’d say: give it a shot!

At the end of the day, I’d like to believe that PHP is more than just a Monday elective. To me, the programme is akin to electricity, and we as peer helpers are light bulbs. While each one of us is only able to brighten up a small section of the room – attesting to the fact that we aren’t counselors, and that we can’t help everyone – there is ultimately more light than before. And that in itself is beautiful, don’t you feel*?

*For more information on MHAW 2018, visit this link!

By Isaac Yeo (19S06A)

Attention all future inventors and current procrastinators! Do you think you’re sitting on the next million-dollar idea? Are you the next William Tan, or would you like to meet them? Well if so, or you just have a passion for tinkering with technology, then Raffles INVENT is the Monday Enrichment Program for you!

As the name suggests, Raffles INVENT is a Monday Enrichment Program that is geared towards having students create a tech product or program. Students spend the year practicing and preparing for presentations at external competitions and the INVENT techfest, where they can showcase their ingenuity to industry members.

That being said, one need not be discouraged by the daunting task of having to create a presentation-worthy product all by themselves. The weekly INVENT sessions are meant to equip students with the know-how and the resources they need. A typical session starts with an exposure to some sort of hardware or software development kit, followed by some time to brainstorm and develop their project ideas. Finally, students are given an opportunity to consult the teacher mentors and their peers in order to gather constructive feedback and presenting experience.

Notwithstanding, not all INVENT sessions are simply glorified PW sessions. In place of the fieldwork or international trips you might expect from other MEPs, INVENT students have the unique opportunity to attend exclusive industry visits to companies like Google, Microsoft and A*Star. Furthermore, INVENT students can also expect opportunities to get up close and personal with prominent members of the Singaporean tech community through organised fireside chats where you can expect to engage in lively discussions about careers in tech and the direction of the tech economy.

So, if you’re a budding inventor, tech enthusiast or at all interested by what you see above, go ahead and give INVENT shot, it’ll MAKE for a great time.

For the academically inclined who wish to challenge themselves with competitions on their favourite subjects, the Olympiads provide a conducive platform for students to hone their skills and practice adequately for the Olympiads. There are four different olympiads in total: three for each of the sciences, as well as math. Looking forward to stimulating your brain every Monday morning? Look no further, for the Olympiads promise an intellectual challenge.

Biology Olympiad

By Izavel Lee (19S03D) and Cameron Goh (19S03D)

Do you want to show off to your friends by identifying random plants growing by the pavement? Or maybe through calling Teddy a Felis Catus instead of a cat? Or perhaps by reciting all 10 steps of the Krebs Cycle? Then look no further than the Biology Olympiad! For the student who wants to go beyond the H2 syllabus and be challenged in preparation for the Singapore Biology Olympiad (SBO), this MEP is the way to go.

The SBO training programme aims to prepare participants for the titular Singapore Biology Olympiad, held in November or December each year. This Olympiad consists of 2 rounds: a theory round and a practical round. The former involves 2 multiple choice papers, and participants who score well enough can qualify for the practical round. The practical round comprises four practicals, each testing on one of four themes: Animal Biology, Plant Biology, Molecular Biology or Biochemistry.

While there is a selection test to qualify for this programme, no prior experience in science competitions is required, so don’t be afraid to sign up. Once you are in the programme, an SBO alumnus will give a series of lectures to walk you through a diversity of biology topics, ranging from developmental biology to population ecology. The lecturer is a former SBO medallist, so you’ll certainly be in good hands. In addition, you’ll get to do cool practicals like prawn dissection, leaf sectioning and DNA extraction!

Can you spot the difference?

However, the training sessions alone are insufficient to prepare you for the SBO. For their own self-study, participants are usually advised to read the textbook Campbell Biology, which spans a whopping 1500 pages. A common adage by professors and seniors alike is that you should ‘read Campbell cover to cover’, so if you want to do well for the SBO, prepare to spend your post-promos period studying even more biology while your friends celebrate. Apart from having strong theory knowledge, having good data analysis skills and hands-on technical skills will also be beneficial in overcoming the battery of tests you’ll have to face.

The bible of SBO – 1500 cozy pages

Preparing for the SBO is definitely no easy feat. In the previous batch of 21 SBO participants, only 7 made it to the practical round. But if you are passionate about biology and want to learn more about it than you’ll ever need to know, then the Biology Olympiad might just be MEP for you.

Physics Olympiad

By Hai Xuan (19S06D)

As the name suggests, this elective program is all about preparing students for the Singapore Physics Olympiad (SPhO), a physics competition which many schools across Singapore participate in annually. Unfortunately, the program will only be open to students who have passed a selection test, but if you have a strong interest/passion for physics, and would like a challenge for yourself, you are strongly encouraged to sign up for the selection test!

The competition itself will first involve a theoretical round, whereby students are given 4 hours to solve 10 questions in total. Those who perform well in the theoretical round will be selected to participate in the practical round about a month later. The practical round requires students to conduct experiments and gather data.

Since this is a training program, you can look forward to intensive training sessions every Monday afternoon conducted by our very own school teachers. There will also be additional training sessions conducted by seniors or external trainers nearer to the competition date. The content taught departs significantly from what is taught in the H2 syllabus. While some of the concepts are similar, most of them are explored in much greater depth, and a larger emphasis is placed on the application of concepts to solve complex problems (perfect for anyone who hates memorising definitions :D ).

Each training session is roughly 2.5 hours, and usually focuses on one topic: mechanics, electricity and magnetism and optics, to name a few. Prior to the session, students will usually receive a set of notes and problems which they can and should look through in their own time. During the session, the teacher will first explain the relevant concepts before walking through the solutions to some of the problems.

To do well and benefit from this program, you need to be highly motivated and self-initiated. While there are weekly training sessions for you to attend, these sessions alone are simply insufficient by themselves. For example, going to a session without first attempting the problems provided will only ruin your precious opportunities to improve your problem-solving skills. Many of the concepts taught also require time to digest and fully understand, and lots of practice before you can comfortably apply them to problems you are trying to solve. It is also very helpful if you enjoy engaging in discussions, since they will more often than not expose loopholes in your understanding of the concepts.

With all that said, there is nothing to be afraid of. While it may certainly seem overwhelmingly daunting at first, you can be rest assured that improvement will eventually come with enough time and practise. If you are interested, do look out for the selection test which will take place soon!

Chemistry Olympiad

By Lee Han Wei (19S06C) and Grace Chia Yong Yong (19S06H)

Have you ever wanted to learn Chemistry beyond the school syllabus? Do you feel bored during lectures because you find it too easy? And, most importantly, do you have a burning passion for Chemistry? If so, Chemistry Olympiad wants you!

Chemistry Olympiad is one of the many Monday Enrichment Programmes offered by RI. Strictly speaking, it is the school’s training team for SChO (Singapore Chemistry Olympiad). For those who may be wondering, you have to sign up for the enrichment programme in order to have a chance to take part in the Singapore Chemistry Olympiad. So, what is SChO all about?

The SChO is jointly organised by the Singapore National Institute of Chemistry (SNIC), Chemistry Department of National University of Singapore and the Ministry of Education. The inaugural Singapore Chemistry Olympiad was launched in 1989 and has been an annual event since then. The competition is open to JC 1 students. It consists of a theory test and a practical test, each of approximately 4-5 hours, taken over two days in November.

Chemistry Olympiad training sessions are typically held on Monday mornings from 7.55am to 9.15am. From term 2 onwards, some lessons are also held on Wednesday afternoons from 2.30-4.30pm in addition to Monday morning trainings. Intensive training for the olympiad commences immediately after the Year 5 promotional exams. Students are required to come to school for trainings almost every day for theory sessions from 7.50am to 11am, and there will be practical training sessions in the afternoon as well. Based on previous batches’ experience, this will be the most hectic period, as Olympians have to prepare for the H1 Project Work ‘A’ levels examination at the same time.

When you sign up for Chemistry Olympiad, you are required to sit through a selection test. After the selection test for the olympiad programme, about 35 students are offered places in Chemistry Olympiad. Throughout the year, 2-3 internal selection tests are held, typically one in April and one in August to choose approximately the top 20 students to represent RI to take part in the SChO. In 2018,  21 students were selected to represent RI in SChO.

While Chemistry Olympiad is indeed rigorous and requires a lot of hard work, there are many perks of being a Chemistry Olympian:

1) You get to do fun experiments!

Practical training sessions are especially interesting as students are given the opportunity to synthesise various compounds and perform experiments that H2 students are not given the chance to carry out. Chemistry Olympians get to carry out experiments involving reflux, recrystallization, TLC (Thin Layer Chromatography), and hone their titration skills to perfection.

2) You can learn H2 + some H3 Chemistry topics in advance :D

H2 Chemistry becomes a breeze for many Chemistry Olympians due to extra hard work they have put in for the competition. The Y5-Y6 H2 syllabus is considered foundational knowledge in SChO. It is highly encouraged for students to read up on some of the advanced topics from textbooks such as Klein (for beginners) before moving to advanced content in Clayden (Organic chemistry) or Atkins (Physical chemistry) to have a better understanding of the SChO topics tested.

3) Road to IChO (International Chemistry Olympiad)

 The road to participating in the IChO starts from participating in the SChO. If you perform well in the SChO, i.e. obtaining a high silver or gold medal, you will be invited to take part in the Phase I training of IChO, where you will have the chance to learn even more Chemistry during weekly IChO trainings conducted at NUS.

Most importantly, being part of the Chemistry Olympiad training team will give you the opportunity to pursue our passion. It is indeed amazing to see Chemistry under a new light— to think creatively, to understand unknown reactions, and to explore the complexities of molecules. This newfound understanding that has made previous batches of Chemistry Olympians zealous for more – to dive deeper, to go beyond the syllabus, and to improve their grasp of concepts.  

Truly, Chemistry Olympiad is an unforgettable experience in Y5-6. There will be so much to explore, so much to learn, and so much to discover. If what you have read above appeals to you, your inner calling and thirst for knowledge, don’t forget to choose Chem O for your Monday Enrichment Programme! May the odds be ever in your favour!

Math Olympiad

By Joshua Ong (19S02A) 

The Math Olympiad MEP is quite self-explanatory: the MEP is all about preparing for math Olympiads. So if you love math, you’ll probably enjoy this: it’s just more math! On Monday mornings, we do Olympiad-level problems and learn useful theorems/methods that are commonly used in olympiads. Usually, we are given a set of problems to try for an hour, before an external mentor goes through the solutions in the remaining time.

Unfortunately, there isn’t much more that we do, because the MEP is primarily trying to gear us up for the Singapore Mathematical Olympiad (SMO) Open, which is usually held in early June (this year, it’ll be held on the 6th of June). As such, the MEP ends in Term 2, and you’ll no longer be able to attend sessions once Term 3 starts. So, if you’re looking for a family, or a place to make friends, Math Olympiad is probably not going to be as helpful in that aspect as compared to other MEPs like GCEP and ISLE, which actually have trips.

However, if you are passionate about math, and enjoy participating in Olympiads, this is definitely the MEP for you! Nothing like a little warm-up for your brain in the morning, eh?

Do be warned that there will be a selection test for this MEP though, so you’ll probably need some Olympiad experience to get into this MEP. (Fret not – you don’t need to be at an SMO gold or silver level to pass the selection.)

By Loh Su Jean (19A01A), Moh Jin Yin (19A01A), Phang Yeu Yeou (19A01A), Eugene Chua (19A01B), Li Ze Hua (19S05B)

“A man can do all things if he has but wills them.” — Leon Battista Alberti (Italian author)

600 years ago, this quote from one of the most accomplished Renaissance figures inspired one of the core aims of the Global Studies Programme (GSP) today: to develop students into modern “Renaissance men and women” capable of accomplishing anything they apply themselves to.

Now, you might be thinking that a Renaissance man is simply one that learns several languages, plays a musical instrument or two, writes poetry, and discusses politics, amongst other polymathic pursuits. Rather, the Renaissance figure is one that pursues excellence in more fields than one. The programme seeks to broaden our understanding of the world through a keen focus on breadth over depth, and to sensitise us to connections between disciplines. It may sound daunting, but as newly-minted 21st century-renaissance people, we promise you it’s also a whole lot of fun.

Monday Mornings

Mondays with the programme are dedicated to expert sharings and classroom discussions. Sessions start at 8 (but it’s best to come in at 7.55) and end around 9.30, giving  us a full hour and a half to learn about a wide variety of disciplines. Topics of the week are manifold, and can range from environmental conservation to cinematic theory, and from urban design to migration. These topics are scoped with a focus on how we ought to think, rather than what to think. Sessions typically involve a presentation by the speaker on the focus topic for the day, with a follow-up Q&A segment where we get the chance to launch into thought-provoking discussions and challenge our preconceived world views in an informal setting.

An example would be a presentation by Mr James Koh on “how to talk about literature”; Mr Koh teaches Raffles Academy Literature to Year 3 and 4 RI boys. While our backgrounds in the subject were varied – some students had only taken 2 years of it, others 5 – the talk was structured such that everyone was involved. Essential tensions within the subject were neatly packaged into five clear oppositions (think “author’s intention vs. reader’s interpretation” or “meaning vs. style”) to frame our understanding of what literature is.

Year-End Trip

Ask any former member of GSP what the highlight of the programme is, and doubtless they’ll answer that it’s the year-end trip to Japan at the tail-end of the year. Over the course of our 7D6N stay in Tokyo last November, we explored different parts of the metropolis, soaking in its rich history and discovering its technological wonder in our short sojourn. We had a taste of Japanese culture during a serene tea ceremony, then got lost in the urban whirlwind of Akihabara. We attended academic dialogues with organisations affiliated with the United Nations, and even took touristy photos in front of Tokyo Tower. True to the spirit of the programme, we did a little bit of everything!

Though the main focus of the trip was to better appreciate local culture and observe interdisciplinary and transnational connections there, we were given ample time to enjoy the best of what the city had to offer: its food, shopping, and culture. If you’re interested in sneaking a peek at what we were up to in Tokyo, check out our trip video here.

Have we piqued your interest yet? Before you take the plunge and decide to apply, however, do consider if you would be a good fit for the programme; after all, you’ll be dedicating nearly 20 Monday mornings and a week of your life to it. From past experience, we can say that it’s vital you come in prepared to learn and ready to change. The teachers are rather particular about punctuality and for good reason: so that we can all gain as much as possible from the limited time we have during sessions. So, are you curious, energetic, and able to contribute well to a discussion? If your answer is a resounding ‘yes’, you’ll have a great time in GSP!

By Phang Yeu Yeou (19A01A) and Shervon Lee (19S06A)
Photographs courtesy of Alyssa Marie Loo (19A13A)

As the clock ticked down to 14:30, the restless horde of J3s in the Multi-Purpose Hall finally settled down to await the culmination of two years’ worth of effort. 14:30 arrived, and so did Mr Frederick Yeo, along with the A Level results of the 2018 batch.

Raffles Press is pleased to report that the batch of 2018 has achieved exceptional results. Of the batch, 98% of students achieved three H2 passes, with either a pass in General Paper or Knowledge and Inquiry. Additionally, 750 (63%) students offering four H2 subjects scored distinctions in at least three H2 subjects, while 619 (52%) students scored at least four H2 distinctions. Impressively, 200 (16.8%) students achieved distinctions in all subjects offered, including H3 subjects.

Overall, the batch of 2018 had 536 (45%) students attaining at least 6 Distinctions, 286 (24%) students attaining at least 7 Distinctions, 78 (7%) students attaining at least 8 Distinctions, and 6 (0.5%) students attaining 9 Distinctions.

As for the individual H2 subjects, Literature in particular showed commendable improvement, jumping from last year’s 7 in 10 distinction rate to this year’s distinction rate of 9 in 10. General Paper also saw a much improved 57% distinction rate, which raised an especially raucous round of applause from the Y7s in attendance. The batch outdid themselves in Mathematics, Chemistry, Biology, Physics, History, Geography, and Knowledge and Inquiry as well, with 7 in 10 achieving distinction. Economics saw a marginal decrease from last year, with a distinction rate of 6 in 10.

The cohort’s exceptional showings also manifested in the UAS tally: 368 students (30.9%) achieved a perfect University Admission Score (UAS), while the mean UAS remained high at 84.5 out of 90.

As the J3s trickle out of the hall in chatter and laughter with their hard-earned certificates in hand, there is no doubt in our minds that they have done Raffles and themselves proud. Wherever they go, Raffles Press wishes them all the best in all their future endeavours!

Year-on Year Comparison

By Nicole Chan (19S05A), Kwee Qiao Ying (19S03K), Kuang Shane Qi (19A13A), Emily Ni (20S03C), Valerie Tan (20S07B), Benjamin Liew (20A03A)
Photographs courtesy of Melvin Liam (19S05B) of Raffles Photographic Society and Alyssa Marie Loo (19A13A)

The atmosphere in the Multi-Purpose Hall was noticeably tense as the Batch of 2018 streamed in, anticipating the release of their A Level results. Conversations between friends were punctuated with nervous laughter, and parents anxiously crowded at the edge of the gallery. Eventually, the buzzing died down, as Mr Jeremy Ng prompted everyone to rise for the Institution Anthem. This was swiftly followed by Mr Frederick Yeo’s welcome speech to the Year 7s and their parents.

“The A Levels is a millstone, but also a milestone. Continue to be open to learning, continue to be open to setbacks, and keep a growth mindset with you.” This was the crux of Mr Yeo’s message to the Year 7s, as they sat in the MPH anxiously awaiting their results. As the screen flashed with statistics detailing how the batch performed, cheers resounded through the hall as students reacted to their (sometimes unexpectedly) good grades. Most notable was the batch’s response to their outstanding Literature distinction rate:

The release of results commenced immediately after the speech concluded. Many students were seen sobbing in joy, and in the midst of the chaos, there were pockets of quiet where some students offered their disappointed friends a shoulder to cry on. Some more passionate ones took to more extreme expressions of their sentiments. One student took off his cap and knelt before his results slip in elation, while another went up on stage to dab furiously.

There were plenty of inspiring stories of leaps in grades that might seem unbelievable, most of all to the candidates themselves. One such candidate was Franklin Yoong (18S03P), who, upon receiving his results, promptly fell to his knees before his results slip. He expressed considerable surprise and happiness, revealing that he’d scored S’s and U’s for his Y5 CTs.

“Look at the [positive] gradient for my ELL grades,” another student exclaimed to her friend, both of whom chose to remain anonymous. “S to E to D to C to B.” The relief, especially from those who had felt their papers were difficult, was palpable. “It was very unexpected. My friends and I take KI and we thought the paper was very difficult and that we were gonna get a C. But we all got A,” Xu Jing (18S03C) said.

But the results are definitely not the only focus of Rafflesian life. When asked what she would miss most about JC, Sun Jia Ying (18A01D) said, “I would definitely miss friends and familiar faces. Even if you don’t know them well, just seeing them around [school] is great. The student-initiated activities in RI are great too.” Fabien Tan (18S03L) added that “meeting people from different backgrounds and circles was also very enjoyable.” Soh Ying Qi (18A01C) reflected that the most surprising thing about the event was how anticlimactic it was — it was “not a grand shrieking affair, but really about [the] personal journey that you took to get here”.

When talking about A Level results, one often focuses on the students’ reactions. But what of those who toil behind the scenes, making sure that every student reaches their full potential? GP teacher Mr Winston Cheong remarked, “I was privileged to watch [my class of 18A13A] grow from awkward 16-year-olds to the ladies and gentlemen that you see today.” (With regard to his hopes for their futures, he only said that “the most important thing is for them to visit and buy [him] gifts”.)

Another GP teacher, Mr Larry Lee, also stated, “The students have done well and shouldn’t be disappointed.” He went on to share that students should have the courage to “explore other areas” and not stick to the “usual well-trodden path for RI”. He cautioned students against “chasing after someone else’s dream”, and to stay true to themselves. 

The event was especially significant for history teacher Mr Gavin Swee, who celebrated his first batch of A Level candidates. He had contacted his class before the results release, reminding them that “what’s truly important about a student’s education is who they become”. He feels that the grades often obscure what this event is about: “a celebration of the student in every aspect of them”.

And how could we forget the people who have been there from the very beginning? Parents were seen taking proud wefies with their children and embracing them after they had gotten their certificates. Whatever results their children had received, it seemed that they were proud nonetheless. One parent had advice for future batches of students: “Enjoy the moment; enjoy the whole school process. [A-Levels] are just a necessary, but not sufficient, step.” 

With their exceptional performance, the Batch of 2018 has truly made the school proud. But one must not forget that life is so much more than grades. As Literature teacher Mrs Nicola Perry aptly put, “enjoy the journey; there’s always going to be a path for you”.

By Phang Yeu Yeou (19A01A), Shervon Lee (19S06A), Kuang Shane Qi (19A13A), Huang Bei Hua (20A03A), Claire Tan (20S07A), and Valerie Tan (20S07B)
Photographs courtesy of Alyssa Marie Loo (19A13A) and Phang Yeu Yeou (19A01A)

This year, Raffles Press invited four Year 7s who have invested their time and energy into their respective sports, instruments and art to share about their JC experience, and any advice they may have for juniors. Read on to learn more about the holistic side to these Rafflesians, and what they get up to when they’re not busy studying!

This is Part 1 of our A Level 2019 Student Feature. 

Esther Lai Shi Ning (18S03F) 

It would not be unreasonable to introduce Esther Lai as an accomplished fencer. So decorated is the student athlete and national fencer, in fact, that she clinched Singapore’s first ever gold in the Asian Junior and Cadet Fencing Championships in 2016 at the age of 14, emerging victorious over Japan’s then defending champion to incredulous fanfare back home.

When asked just what lay behind her passion for the sport that she’d devoted so much of her life to, Esther pointed us to its intellectually stimulating nature. “[Fencing is] like chess but with an added physical dimension to it,” she enthused. “There’s a lot of strategy involved in predicting and reacting to the opponent’s attacks…no bout will ever be the same as another.”

Yet, the road from initial zeal to her eventual success was far from smooth-sailing. As she recalled, 2015 was a year when victories evaded her despite months of grueling training. Discouraged, she wondered if “[fencing] was still worth pursuing”.

Eventually, it was a heart-to-heart talk with her coach that convinced Esther to continue her journey. “Trust in your training,” her coach reassured her, “when opportunity [knocks], you’ll be prepared.” (Her opportunity, as it turned out, came just shortly after, in the historic match introduced earlier.) Esther also credited the mental grit and positive mentality she’d picked up from the sport and from her coach for helping her in her studies as well.

Her coach, however, was not Esther’s only source of support. Balancing the hefty expectations of JC and a hectic training schedule was no easy feat, and her peers eagerly stepped in to help where they could; she recounted with fondness how, in the midst of competition season, a classmate would go out of her way to provide updates on classwork daily without fail. This sense of community went both ways: though she was the youngest national fencer with other teammates to look up to, Esther’s expertise empowered her to act as a mentor to her batchmates just picking up the sport.

Esther also resolved to pass on the kindness she had received to the wider community. she volunteered regularly at the National University Hospital, taking care to lend patients a listening ear for their emotional struggles. While giving back to society, she found volunteering to be a precious learning opportunity. “When you’re in a sport,” she told us, “you learn more about yourself; but when you volunteer, you learn more about society and other people.”

Her time at NUH, together with her experience assisting at a migrant clinic, were important contributors to her decision to study medicine. Referring particularly to mission trips, Esther cited the profession as a means to “help the world in a larger way… [and is] important in helping disadvantaged communities worldwide.”

Drawing from her experiences, Esther would like her juniors to remember never to give up pursuing their passion even when forging ahead might seem nigh impossible. “It’s inevitable that you will face hardship,” as she put it, “but always remember why you started the sport; maybe then you’ll be motivated to persevere.”

Lu Junrui (18S03F) 

Having been in the Sailing National team for the past 8 years, Lu Junrui (18S03F) is a seasoned sportsperson who has been sailing for a long time. From a young age, his dad signed him up to try playing a few sports at once, before Junrui found his passion for sailing and continued to excel in the sport. In 2017, he attained a Gold in National Sailing Club Cup, and proceeded to place 24th in the 2018 Youth World Sailing Championships. He also led RI to victory in the National Inter-Schools Sailing Championships in 2017 and 2018.

And yet, his sailing career wasn’t always smooth-sailing. When prompted about his most memorable loss, Junrui’s almost immediate response was the time RI lost the 2015 interschools. Junrui capsized twice in his first race, finishing last out of all the RI sailors in that race. However, he redeemed himself the following year, emerging victorious against all his seniors in the next interschools despite only being a Secondary 3 student and despite losing so badly the previous year. His face lit up when he talked about how the prize presentation had been even more memorable—standing shoulder to shoulder with his team, consisting mostly of his seniors, in front of the whole school as they soaked up the applause.

Sailing was definitely not just about the competitions to Junrui, who talked fondly of the things he had learnt: discipline, hard work, pride, and patience. “My coach who trained me into who I am,” Junrui responded when asked about who he was most grateful for. “More than sailing, he taught us how to have fun, how to be disciplined—not as in making your bed, but putting your head down when you’re training.” Patience, he explains, was in working hard despite not knowing when you would compete. He would know—he trained for four years in the national team before participating in his first competition (which he won, of course).

“It’s unique,” Junrui replied, when asked about what he liked most about sailing. “Every time you go out [on] the sea, it’s different. You may be doing the same drills, but the environment will always be different.” He explained that the thrill (and the challenge) in sailing lay in how unpredictable it was: from the wind’s speed and direction to the actions of other sailors’, sailors have to think spontaneously and make decisions at the right time. “It’s like chess, but on water,” Junrui summed up.

More than anything, Junrui’s passion for sailing and hard work through the years remains the most inspiring aspect of his sailing journey. Despite the setbacks and losses, Junrui attributed his motivation to persevere on to sheer grit. “When you’re in pain, just take it and move on,” Junrui said. “Just keep grinding and trust the process. If you like something that much, no matter how (tired) you are, you’ll just keep doing it.”

Xu Yuan Li Elizabeth (18A13A)

Meet Elizabeth Xu: ex-chairperson of Raffles Film Society, the recipient of the Kriplani Award for the Arts, and whose artwork was exhibited at the National Art Centre, Tokyo. She also actively volunteered at the Geylang Home for the Aged.

Juggling all this meant some serious compartmentalisation—she recalled splitting her work across various months, when she focused on different commitments during different periods. “I don’t know how politically correct this is, but sometimes, you just have to sacrifice some things—like how I dropped from H2 Math to H1 Math, ” she sheepishly admitted.

In fact, Elizabeth described herself as one who does whatever catches her fancy. Of course, this way of life has its repercussions. Wholeheartedly throwing yourself into your passion is often unsustainable, and in Elizabeth’s case, this resulted in the inevitable artist’s block. “For a period of time, I was angry and frustrated at everything I was creating.” She laughed. “Gosh, it was horrible.”

Such huge setbacks would send many spiralling into despair, but Elizabeth persisted. The breakthrough came when she started to care less about what others thought of her artwork and more about what she wanted to do. RI, she attested, is very “head-y” and not very “gutfeel-y”, influencing her to look at art through a rational rather than emotional lens. After gruelling months of self-reflection and work, her final coursework submission was on family, a topic close to her heart.

She would not have been able to make it through JC without the people around her. What she appreciates the most about her JC years are the support systems of her Film Soc and H2 Art batchmates. “The fact that everyone can relate to each other in the school setting is quite unique,” she quipped. From the late nights spent filming and editing footage with her CCA to camping out in the Art Room with her classmates, the sense of solidarity helped get Elizabeth through the toughest days.

Indeed, her greatest moment of pride was not when she won the prestigious Kriplani Award, but from the culmination of her CCA’s hard work at the film showcase. “Everyone’s worked up to it for months, and the feeling [of achievement] is really amplified when we’re all rooting for each other.”

Beyond JC, Elizabeth intends to head straight to art school—it’s only a matter of which one. Regarding her decision, she had this to say: “Better to give 150% of yourself to something you like than 70% to something you don’t.”

Chew Shaun Young, Elijah (18S06B) 

Elijah Chew is not just a student of studies, but of music as well. Like many other children, he was encouraged to pursue music by his parents at a young age and started playing the piano at 7 years old. However, unlike most who choose to quit music after a while, he continued his journey for the next 11 years.

Not only did he pass the Fellowship of Trinity College London piano examination and A Level H2 Music practical examination with flying colours, he also obtained distinction for all his other H2 Music school assessments. In addition, Elijah followed in his parents’ footsteps and joined the school’s Chinese Orchestra, serving as the Section Leader for erhu and helping the CCA achieve a Certificate of Distinction during the Singapore Youth Festival Arts Presentation in 2017.

However, achieving all of this was no easy feat. When asked about the challenges he faced in music and juggling it with other commitments, Elijah admitted that it was difficult trying to balance his time between practising for his own exam and managing his schoolwork for Year 6.

In addition, practising music was physically tiring—Elijah suffered persistent aches and tremors in his hands due to over-practising. Another incident involved him spraining both his pinkies two weeks before his piano exam while playing sports in school, which resulted in him having to reschedule his exam and take time off to recover. “I took quite a huge hit from it,” he confessed, comparing it to a sportsperson losing a leg. “As a pianist, losing control of your hands can be pretty depressing.”

But he did not give up. Despite the mental and physical pain that came with pursuing music, Elijah pushed through with his passion, refusing to let himself and his parents down. At the end of the day, music was still an avenue for him to relax and take a break from hectic school life. “I’m quite a boring person,” he quipped, “and when I’m not studying, I’ll be singing or playing music.” Music also allows Elijah to serve the community, as he plays the piano at church. While he’s not intending to pursue music as a career, it is definitely a hobby and skill that he will continue to hone in the years to come.

Does he have any advice for juniors interested in H2 Music, or music in general? “Practise 40 hours a day,” he joked. On a more serious note, he recommended students immediately clarify any doubts they have with their teachers, as the musical terminology tend to be quite broadly defined, and could be hard to grasp. Linking the terminology back to musical examples and doing one’s own research outside of class could also aid in understanding a concept. “Just keep asking, keep being curious, and keep clarifying,” he advised. “And don’t be discouraged!”

By Nicole Chan (19S05A), Kwee Qiao Ying (19S03K), Alyssa Marie Loo (19A13A), Benjamin Liew (20A03A), Sarah Lok (20A03A), and Emily Ni (20S03C)
Photographs courtesy of Alyssa Marie Loo (19A13A)

This year, Raffles Press also invited four Year 7s who have demonstrated exemplary commitment to service to share about their motivations for helping others, as well as the struggles they encountered along the way. Read our interviews with them here to be inspired.

This is Part 2 of our A Level 2019 Student Feature. 

Bryan Wong Wei Zhi (18S03E) & Gini Wong Wei Wen (18S03G)

Same subject combination. Same CCA. Same ambitions. It is not unexpected that twins Gini Wong Wei Wen (18S03G) and Bryan Wong Wei Zhi (18S03E), born a minute apart, would share an especially close, complementary relationship. Bryan was quick to admit, “I need her much more than she needs me. I’m quite dependent on her, for both academic and emotional support. She always has the answer.” He eventually summarised, “I’m emotional, she’s rational.”

Throughout their time in JC, Bryan and Gini were blessed with an ever-present web of support. The two would often encourage each other to keep going through their late-night study sessions. The twins also acknowledged their parents’ contributions, for “never comparing [their] grades or putting undue pressure on [them]”, and for directing them to seek self-improvement instead. “Our parents never had unrealistic expectations for us,” Bryan asserted, “They just wanted us to do our best.”

Apart from each other, the twins emphasised throughout the interview that their friends and the people they have interacted with are some of their biggest sources of inspiration. “You become like the people who have a clear direction; it’s very inspiring. You get really motivated. You see people who are really passionate and the passion flows to you,” Bryan said.

Some of Gini’s own fondest memories were forged with her class. While she admitted that it might not have been the most bonded class, everyone was very cooperative and supportive. This might come as a surprise to some, given the inherently competitive nature of the A Levels. “When anyone found A Level resources online, they would just upload it in the class group chat. if they had insider info from other schools, they would share it with everyone despite the bell curve,” she shared. “[Even] when we were applying for universities, we had a personal statement bank online where we would proofread and critique each other’s personal statements.”

For Gini, coming to Raffles also ignited a passion to give back. “Before coming here, I was very focused on academics…but after I came here, I realised that academics are not the only important factor in JC life,” Gini admitted. “Giving back to the community is important [too]. Rather than rushing home after school to study, I’ll make an effort to stay back in school to help my friends.”

This desire to serve extended to her efforts to engage the community. Both she and Bryan were involved in a community project to foster intergenerational bonding between the elderly and youth, while she was additionally involved in a partnership with SPCA to heighten awareness about animal abuse and welfare.

For Bryan, the idea to initiate the intergenerational bonding project was inspired by his experience working with Xin Yuan Community Care for his Project Work on the topic of loneliness among seniors. Even though continuing to work with the elderly was not required by the project, Bryan’s passion for meaningful work led him to volunteering long-term with Xin Yuan. As Bryan explained, “we know so much [about interacting with the elderly], we can afford to help them, so why not?”

Despite having to juggle between their numerous commitments both in and out of school, the twins never lost their motivation to give back to the community. As Bryan summed up, “If you love what you do, you can do anything.”

Sakthivel S/O Kuppusamy (18S03D)

Many students go on to study medicine because of parental expectations or peer pressure. However, Sakthivel S/O Kuppusamy’s (18S03D) motivation is different: he has a personal attachment to his dream of becoming a cardiologist, for he suffered from lung and gastric problems during his childhood. “The doctors gave me a chance to live”, he remarked, “and I want to make that difference in another person’s life”.

The notion of making a difference is one that Sakthivel holds close to his heart. Despite being deemed to be “uncool” for his involvement in the Indian Cultural Society (ICS) during his secondary school days, he used this criticism to further fuel his passion for Tamil, and chose to continue with ICS in RI. Armed with the ardent belief that the younger generation should remember their Mother Tongue to stay true to their roots, he hopes to continue helping the RI ICS members for many years down the road.

Sakthivel’s unyielding passion for Tamil ignited a passion for the language amongst his fellow CCA members. This, coupled with his charisma that exudes warmth and positivity to everyone around him, made him an inspirational leader during his tenure as Chairperson of ICS. Even when CTs were drawing near, Sakthivel not only led the entire CCA in staging their very own 1.5 hour production (complete with dance, drama, and singing), but also took the opportunity to integrate the juniors into the CCA through bonding activities.

Another of Sakthivel’s fondest memories from his CCA was when he represented RI in Sorchillambam, a national Tamil Debate Competition. With his passion and leadership, he not only clinched the Best Speaker Award in the Semi Finals, but also led the team through rigorous rounds of competition to the Finals—which was telecast live on the Vasantham Channel—and attained the silver medal.

When asked what advice he would give his juniors, Sakthivel highlighted the importance of striking a good balance between studies and play. “One mistake I made in Year 5 was that I only studied—I didn’t fully enjoy my time in school,” he recounted.

Sakthivel would like to thank his friends for ceaselessly motivating him throughout his time in RI. “My best memories in RI are all about the times I spent with my friends,” sharing that he had a front row ‘gang’, as he called it. “We did everything together.”

M Farhana (18S03B)

A community project in Year 2 helped Farhana (18S03B) realise just how much she loved interacting with others, and sparked a burgeoning passion for community service. Since then, she has been unstinting in her service to the community—awarded the Outstanding Interactor Award in 2018, Farhana, in her short 2 JC years, was an active participant in Interact, the Peer Helpers’ Programme, and also a Service Centre I/C under the Raffles Mentorship Programme.

Amongst the myriad projects Farhana was involved in, advocacy for mental health awareness was a cause that was “very personally important” to her. “In today’s cruel environment, we face a lot of stress, and mental health is something that’s very stigmatised (and) not embraced…that’s why I took part in the Peer Helpers’ Programme. My PW was also about reducing stigma around mental health, specifically Generalised Anxiety Disorder.” Through working tirelessly on projects like Mental Health Awareness Week, Farhana also gained a greater sense of self-awareness: “the whole programme taught me more about myself and how I deal with people, and [also] how I could change myself”.

Her service also helped her to see the world in a more empathetic light. Being in Interact let her realise that “not all people are apathetic towards the way they see their society”, and she was able to forge bonds with people “who are just as passionate about serving the community as [she is]”. Laughing a little shyly, Farhana said with grateful tenderness about her time with Interact: “Now I know there’s still some good in humanity.”

Yet, her commitment to community service was at times tested by the ever-present threat that plagues all students: exams. Farhana recalled that there were times that service events would conflict with school, particularly the period around her Y6 CT1 exams, when she was simultaneously involved in planning a camp for the children at her service centre. She recalls that it was a difficult period to get through, yet in hindsight she appreciates that she did: “I’m glad that it happened. I have something to look back on, and not just studies or grades.” She encourages her juniors that regardless of the tribulations they may face, “putting your heart into whatever you do will definitely reap the benefits”.

Even now, Farhana is still continuing her service to the community by tutoring her neighbours,  most of whom are from Hougang Primary School. She is also considering pursuing something healthcare-related in university, such as occupational therapy or medicine. Regardless, she is convicted on one thing: “I know my career will be (about) helping people.”

By Raffles Press

5:05pm. The sun hangs low in the air; for a split second (or hours, it feels like), the world stops spinning on its axis. Time treads lighter, slower, even, around these parts. A block ends and another begins, though most (the sane ones) are no longer in school to care. You might think you know what’s going on in school around this hour, but do you really? Raffles Press presents: the darker side of the campus, for your reading pleasure.

The Pick-Up Point

Cars rolling past; the wind blowing; people listlessly waiting; fans weakly whirring. It is a place that is in school yet out of it, at the border of Raffles and home: Pick-Up Point 4.

A vaguely hazy scent hovers in the air and distant voices echo from afar. Professor Brawn’s is about to close. The tables are dotted—here a pair is deep in study. (She looks up, pink earphones dangling, aimless for just a moment as a loudmouth saunters past. Curious. He passes. Back to work.) All around, figures flutter upon the border of Here and There—a black-jacket dashes past (there’s something on his mind). A gust of wind blows by, bringing with it a rustle of foliage, and a feathered visitor. Before us, a bird perches itself on the back of a chair, and chirps. It puffs itself up before taking off, back into the world beyond, where in the distance barriers, like skeletal wings, unfurl, to let cars in and out.

We first see her when she scurries past, tote bag slung on one shoulder and a laptop cradled in her other arm. A teacher, we think. She retraces her steps moments after, crossing paths with one of her students. She attempts to smile, raising a hand in greeting. She lets it drop when her student offers only a cursory nod in return. The fourth time we see her, she is taking a languid stroll across the cafe. One of us stare at her a beat too long: a grimace of confusion pulls across her face before she breaks into a small smile, quickening her pace to escape our scrutiny. It seems not everyone is into staring contests—except you, wire-rimmed-glasses boy: you only won because we had to leave.

Windy Benches

Whoosh!! A huge gust of wind sweeps in. Where in the world is this??? It’s Windy Benches! At the Popular side, worksheets are flapping incessantly, to the utmost annoyance of students trying to mug. “Argh!” Someone groans and gets up to chase after a stray sheet of paper in hot pursuit.

Studying most definitely warrants an endless supply of food—a guy devours a box of Hello Pandas and opens yet another packet. Two girls study over a food stash right in the middle of the table, and we see a rotting banana, melted chocolate, and Oreos. Yum! Breaking the silence, one of the girls excitedly squawks, “that’s what I do! That’s what I do!” agreeing enthusiastically with her study buddy. We love sister friends.

A girl enters the scene with an unusual and baffling request to borrow a pair of shoes. Our students are extremely kind! Someone offers her shoes to the damsel in distress and strides off proudly in slippers after the kind deed. Oh, but we got our eyes on a shining white pair of shoes with red, yellow and blue accents, found on a guy studying at another table. Cool dude.

On the opposite side, the wind is a lot less powerful. The whoosh is quieter and all you can hear is pens clicking and pages turning. A guy fans himself with his worksheet… Seems like the windy benches are not working their magic today.

A guy shakes his leg to pass time. Three girls enter the scene with food in their hands, joining their other friends who are already seated. They speak in hushed whispers, presumably catching up with each other.

Woosh—the wind blows by a final time, windy benches lookin’ fine!

The Amphitheatre

Supportive cheers ring throughout the amphitheatre as a white frisbee soars through the air, inscribing an elegant arc. A player does a high jump, reaching out both hands in the air to catch it—right before it slams into a pillar. Laughter erupts all around as the boy who failed to catch the disc gives a sheepish grin.

With the graceful leaps and effortless tosses, the scene looks straight out of a sports anime. Except that for a fully immersive experience, you also get to smell the stink of sweat and risk getting decapitated by a hard disk potentially slicing your face.

Entering the amphitheatre, one can immediately hear the sound of shuffling feet and frequent yells, a far cry from the peaceful sounds of rustling leaves at the nearby windy benches. Bags are thrown carelessly on the floor and on top of nearby tables, probably due to the eagerness of the players to start their game. Spare frisbees are strewn on the steps of the amphitheatre.

The amphitheatre is commonly known as the hangout place for members of Ultimate Frisbee and true to its reputation, the frisbee players are often seen having friendly matches there. On other occasions, orientation groups or cliques also gather there and exhibits are also showcased at the amphitheatre during special events. It can thus be said that rarely is the amphitheatre indeed amphi (empty).

CHILL@RI

A ragtag bunch of students files in, a little chime from the doorbell rippling through the peaceful ecosystem inside Chill and announcing their presence to those inside. Some are sweat-drenched and in workout shorts; others have evidently come fresh (or haggard) from studying sessions and leave with dogged purpose, armed with their choice of beverage: coffee.

For a moment, Chill swells with the sound of the age-old question, “what should I get?”, and the intertwining paths of people walking around and into each other only intensifies the narrow confines of the space—one wonders how the aunties stand it being cooped up behind the even smaller counter all day. A blink of an eye; coins change hands at the counter, and wallets leave slightly lighter.

It’s quiet again. The only signs of life that remain are the swish of the mop and the sputter of the air-conditioner, and of course, our squeaking shoes to punctuate the stillness. The next batch of starving scavengers comes in, and the cycle repeats—no different from the morning in that respect, except no one knows when the last batch will be.

Mysteriously, the shelves are as well-stocked as ever (come to think of it, we don’t think we’ve ever seen them otherwise, either). Even the Meiji straws are full to bursting—some poke out mournfully, having recently been considered and rejected. (The only indication of the evening’s drawing to a close is the display counter, absent of its usual pastries—though even that has been cold, dark, and empty since the afternoon.) The brilliance of the lights overhead further clouds our perception of time; one would be forgiven for thinking the day had only just begun.

Taking our snacks with us as we go (what can we say, Chill is rife with temptations), we wave goodbye to the auntie as the counter as she chatters in dialect to her sister. The door swings shut behind us as we leave, and the two figures return to being the sole lifeforms in the shop, and the sole guardians of a liminal space whose secrets only they know all too well.

The Shaw Foundation Library

You enter the library and come face to face with the Monolith—its eyes turn to watch you. You blink, looking away. You look back. Is it closer than it was before?

You are browsing fairytales in the fiction section. In the middle of Cinderella and Snow White is A Comparative History of Fascism.

No eating is allowed in the library. A conduct slip will be issued for non-compliance. You think about Tan’s Chinese Cooked Food and a conduct slip materialises in your hands.

You see your classmate studying at a table near the window. “Have you done the econs tutorial?” he asks. You shake your head and walk away. When you reach the other side of the library, you see him again. He’s doing maths now. “Did you move seats?” you ask, surprised. He stares at you blankly. He doesn’t recognize you.

Walking past the quiet study section, you stare at the mirrors. Your reflection turns away from you.

You have been writing your term assignment for the past 3 hours. You check the word count. It is still 400.

“FIRE ACCESS PANEL. DO NOT OBSTRUCT.” The small sign plastered against the window is illuminated by a single ray of sunlight. The sunlight is coming from the wrong side of the window.

It’s 5.28pm. It is golden hour now. The sun is filtering through the windows. You fall asleep. On your watch, it is 7.29pm. The light has not ceased.

The library is closing, please leave in five minutes, the librarian announces over the PA. Please leave in five minutes. Please leave in five minutes. Please leave in five minutes.

Raja Block

8 weeks into the school term, and still the atmosphere at Raja Block on this lazy Tuesday afternoon is one of relentless fun and relaxation.

In the shelter of the building, more indolent souls recline over and around the round tables to chatter about their day. The tranquility of the scene is otherwise punctured by the spectacle of a Year 1-4 boy giving chase to his friend, weaving in and out of the round tables in playful pursuit, all the while letting out raucous laughter. The overall image is a far cry from when the Year 6s last saw it during the PW OP examination season, when tables were packed with groups engaged in tense and serious discussions, hardly any joy or merriment in the air.

Over at the fields, a crew of friends tosses a frisbee to and fro from one another in deft execution, perhaps inspired by their counterparts playing at that very moment in the amphitheatre.

Meanwhile, a gaggle of Y5s sprawl on the field as they discuss their options for where to spend the rest of the afternoon at.

“Guys, want to go J8 later? Can go rooftop,” one of the boys pipes up.

“No! Wasn’t orientation enough?” One of the girls replies in horror, to which he retaliates by throwing a fistful of grass in her face. It’s a scene right out of a coming-of-age movie, and we can’t help but be amused by their antics.

“You want to go to Chill? Let’s get waffles.”

Final words from us: Life in Raffles really do be like that sometimes.

By Aaron Tan (19A01B)

Photographs courtesy of the Raffles Photographic Society

It’s a beautiful Sunday morning at the Gardens by the Bay. The sun is shining. A cool breeze rustles through the air, birds chirp, and thirteen kilometres away (or so), buses boarded by Rafflesians, workers, and anticipation are hurrying towards the Supertrees. Homeground 2019: Gardens by the Bay, is underway.

Homeground, a yearly tradition of the Community Advocates’ Doveswarm (an interest group within the CCA that advocates for migrant workers), is an event that helps express appreciation towards the cleaners, the cooks, the gardeners, and all the other non-teaching staff in school who are often overlooked. As Phebe Koh (19S03B), the overall event IC put it, “To me, Homeground is the embodiment of ‘charity starts at home’. When people think of advocacy and volunteering, most hope to make an impact outside [through] external organizations. But sometimes, the smallest thing you do for the people right beside you in your immediate community speaks the loudest.”

“Sometimes, the smallest thing you do for the people right beside you in your immediate community speaks the loudest.” — Phebe Koh (19S03B), overall IC

The previous few iterations of Homeground have typically been held in school. This year, however, Doveswarm has opted for something a bit more adventurous—a trip to the Gardens by the Bay. “This year’s homeground is a step up [from previous years],” Phebe tells me. “[We’ll be] bringing the school term contract workers out of school to visit one of Singapore’s landmarks… and it would be, perhaps little known, the first time for many of them.”

True to their name, the entourage, comprised of Doveswarm members and volunteers from various levels, swarm into the Visitors’ Centre at 9am. The workers are split into groups, each shepherded by two to three volunteers. First up is a visit to the Flower Dome. To spice things up, the groups are given an objective—to take six pictures with six flowers of six different colours.

It isn’t long before I learn that I am to be assigned to Group K, and am promised a scenic morning in the Flower Dome with Auntie Paw and Uncle Tan. A cool blast of air and a dazzling array of colour greet us as we enter. The enthusiasm is palpable. Cameras unveil themselves and selfies are taken as the workers marvel at the sight. “Want to come together?” asks Auntie Paw in English. “Come join, come join!” She beckons, beaming, for all of us in Group K to join her in a group photo.

Each time, no matter which sight she stops before, whether to take a picture against the blossoming orchids, or before the glass that overlooks the cityscape, Auntie (as she soon becomes affectionately known to us) insists on taking a picture with the rest. “In two years,” she tells us in Mandarin as she scrolls through the photographs we have just taken, “I’ll look upon these as beautiful memories.”

Auntie likes beautiful flowers. “These are pretty,” she says as she whips out her phone to snap pictures of the Musella Lasiocarpa. “These are not,” she replies as we ask her about another species nearby. “Fresh flowers are really expensive,” she emphasises as the conversation takes a floral shift. “What about you, Uncle?” asks a group member, directing the question at the relatively-subdued Uncle Tan. He chuckles as he replies, “I don’t know much about them.”

As we talk, Auntie and Uncle open up about their lives to us. Though she walks with a hobble, Auntie is bursting to the seams with energy as she tells us about her son, about her experiences living in Singapore and China, of her times visiting Malaysia and Taiwan. Uncle, on the other hand, is more forthcoming on the topic of music. “I like old music,” he responds in Mandarin, when we ask him about his favourites. “Have you heard of ‘你怎么说’ (ni zen me shuo — ‘how do you say it’)?”

Next up is the Cloud Forest. Workers and students alike gasp in awe at the streaks of sunlight that filter through the mist. (“Like a wedding photo”, someone is overheard saying). The task we are assigned for the Cloud Forest takes the form of a “Word Cloud”— a crossword puzzle that involves careful observation of the surroundings to complete.

The task, despite its good intentions, is soon forgotten as we find ourselves lost in the sights and the conversation. All around the dome, students and workers bustle and mingle and talk of their lives. Group M turns heads as they pump their fists in the air, letting out an exuberant “yeah!” as they snap a photo. Quietly, in a corner, Rebecca (19S03E) chats with Mdm. Tan. “The auntie didn’t want to go because she had actually been up there before, so I just accompanied her while the rest went up!” she told me later. “We talked about the last time she came—which was with her grandson—because her daughter’s family lives in the UK. So when they came back, they all went to the Gardens by the Bay together.”

Meanwhile, the rest take a lift to the seventh floor Cloud Walk, where one can look through the glass upon the sprawling city, or down to the misty bio-paradise below.

The two hours we spend in the domes pass in a flash. All too soon, Homeground 2019 draws to a close. As we gather underneath the Supertrees, Doveswarm members hand the students and workers packs of Old Chang Kee—just the nourishment we need after our two-hour amble (though Auntie Paw, she insists, is not tired at all). As I eat my spring roll (delicious), I think about the memories we had made, the conversations we had had.

Most of all, I felt, Homeground 2019 drew us closer to the non-teaching staff as people. “It’s an all new experience to me,” Li Qinan (20S06P), a fellow member of Group K, shared with me after the event. “I think in school, when we see them, most of us may greet them or take the initiative to thank them, but we won’t really communicate with them or try to get to know them.” To her, talking to the contract workers, hearing their stories, was what made the event meaningful. “Even though I was watching [from] the side, I felt a lot of joy seeing the school term contract workers happy,” Phebe added. “I truly understood at that moment how doing something meaningful is the most rewarding experience you can gain.”

“I saw quite a few faces of uncles and aunties that I often see around in school, and in school they are always wearing their blue uniform, but today they were dressed in their own clothes. I suddenly realized that it is really is easy to forget that they’re also normal people, just like anyone else. The older workers too, they’re like any other elderly [person]. Every worker, they’re someone’s daughter, someone’s parent, someone’s best friend.”

“Every worker, they’re someone’s daughter, someone’s parent, someone’s best friend.” — Phebe

“Homeground did exactly just that. [It allowed] us to feel like a family. Homeground, to me, is the opportunity for us to feel together, to feel like one, and to feel like a family.” — Shao Chi

And indeed, it was a sense of community we found in the Flower Dome in Homeground 2019. Perhaps it is safe to say that our understanding of Raffles grew a little larger that day, that beautiful memories were made under the glass and sunlight, among the mist and flowers, between the smiles and the chatter. “Being in the same school, we should be a family,” Shao Chi (19S06K), also a member of Doveswarm, emphasised to me, “and Homeground did exactly that. [It allowed] us to feel like a family. Homeground, to me, is an opportunity for us to feel together, to feel like one, and to feel like a family.”

“When I got off the bus reaching back to school,” Phebe told me later, “I thanked a school term contract worker for coming to join us today, and she held my arm and thanked me instead, saying she really enjoyed herself today. The fact that we could be part of her smile made me feel that we achieved our aims.”

That we could be part of their smiles. Isn’t that, after all (if even to a small extent), what all charity, what all love, is about?

As I bid farewell to the workers, the volunteers, the members of Doveswarm at the bus bay, as I watch them board and take off, back to school where they will be dismissed, where they will go their separate ways and return to Raffles on Monday with pieces of each other in their memories, in their hearts—the Sun is still shining upon the Gardens by the Bay. The birds are still chirping. As I settle myself and my laptop in a quiet corner to write this article, one of them lands before me, and sings a song.

By Varun Karthik (19S06A) and Aaron Tan (19A01B)

Photos courtesy of the Raffles Aviation Club

Somewhere along Airport Road, where the buildings are low and the sky stretches endlessly above, stands a quaint little establishment known as the Singapore Air Force Museum. If you ventured within, past the retired aircraft, up the elevator to the officers’ mess on the third floor – and if you were visiting on the 13th of December 2018 – you would find four figures sitting close before a stage in the cozy hall, the site of the Aviation Safety Competition 2018.

As we enter, Cheng Yong, Shang Yi, Aswin, and Tzao Kai, representing the Raffles Aviation Club, sit silent, intent, about to give a presentation on a hypothetical scenario – where a fuel leak is discovered right before a commercial passenger plane is supposed to take off. “About”, in this case, being used rather liberally, for when we enter the room at 1.04pm, they, among five other teams, are set to present last. Even with two hours to go, there are signs of anxiety. Heels tap, cue cards are consulted, water is sipped from plastic bottles in tiny gulps. “We’re nervous, but we’re ready,” Cheng Yong whispers to us, trying not to disrupt the team currently on stage presenting.

We sit through presentation after presentation, furrowing our brows at esoteric formulae, hearing abbreviations like GPU and ATC (Ground Power Unit and Air Traffic Control, for the more intellectually curious among us), as we desperately try to understand what was going on before eventually giving up – not unlike a typical lecture in school.

3pm. It is their turn now. Together they stand. One by one, they shuffle to the aisle. Cue cards in hand, anticipation weighing heavy in their hearts, they head down towards the stage.

***

The existence of the Raffles Aviation Club, to some, might come as a surprise. Apart from an Instagram page, the group leaves few traces of their activity. As they are not officially recognised as a CCA by the school, the Raffles Aviation Club operates entirely upon the imperative of its own members.

Not to be confused with the Singapore Youth Flying Club (though some members, like Tzao Kai, are involved in that, too), the Raffles Aviation Club is comprised of 83 individuals who live and breathe aviation. The interests of its members include everything from aviation photography to planespotting, from model making to model collection, from flight simulation to aircraft and airport design. Their Whatsapp group – their primary platform of communication – teems with activity as they share articles, talk about developments in the industry and constantly learn from each other through their discussions.

As Tzao Kai puts it, “It’s the perfect space for [our members] to bounce information off one another, learn new things, correct misconceptions and further deepen [their] interest in aviation.”

The club’s activities are in no way, however, limited to the Whatsapp group. Its members speak fondly of their staycation at Crowne Plaza held in December 2017. Eagerly, they recount to us how, from their room which offered a direct view of the Changi airstrip, they watched planes take off and land every 90 seconds, barely 100 meters away. When they finally had enough of planespotting, they watched Maverick’s dreams take off in the movie Top Gun. Nonetheless, they are also quick to point out that A) their trip to Crowne Plaza is just one of many plane spotting trips to various airports and various flight exhibitions and B) there is no Iceman vs Maverick type rivalry within the club, only fun banter.

83 members is a lot of people, to say the least – larger than most CCAs in the school. But the Aviation Club wasn’t always this big. As with many big things, it started in the twinkle of an eye of a guy with big ideas. In the Aviation Club’s case, this individual came in the form of Cheng Yong, who, as most Boarders do, was getting to know his roommate, Fei Yang, in RI Boarding. Fei Yang turned out, to his excitement and joy, to be a fellow aviation enthusiast. They spent their days living together speaking of fighter jets, grateful that their stars aligned. But fate still had more in store for Cheng Yong.

Towards the end of his term at the Moor block, he also learned of Shang Yi, a batchmate in the same block who was into flight simulators, or so he was told by a mutual friend. Cheng Yong headed upstairs to Shang Yi’s room one night and introduced himself, only to discover that they were both flying the same Boeing 777 on the same software at that time. They then hunkered down in either of their rooms and flew the simulator together in the short period between the end of prep time and light outs (or so they tell us). The Air France 447 also found its way into their conversations – rather morbid events are a recurring theme in Shang Yi’s story.

From there, Cheng Yong got to know more people who shared this interest, and on the 8th of March, 2016, the Aviation Club officially took flight in rather dramatic fashion. A Whatsapp group was formed. No visionary foresight or five-year plan was involved. It was created “simply to bring schoolmates who are aviation enthusiasts together to engage in fun discussions,” Cheng Yong tells us.

But make no mistake. Though the group was formed in 2016, Cheng Yong’s aviation journey had taken off long before.

***

For Cheng Yong, it all began when he was six, with a lumbering, double-deckered jumbo jet known to the world as the Airbus A380. Singapore Airlines was the launch customer for the A380, the world’s largest passenger airliner, the epitome of engineering excellence by any measure. Cheng Yong’s fascination with the A380, watching with wonder as its massive frame swooped down onto the Changi Airport Runway, sparked a certain fire within him.

He attended the first Singapore Airshow in 2008, and while we were using the internet to play Y8 games or watch cartoons, Cheng Yong was watching Youtube videos about Airbus – and the A380 in particular.

He was then introduced to more aircraft models, variants and types when he started playing flight simulators. Now, he is knowledgeable not just about commercial airlines but also bombers, military transport aircraft, fighters and helicopters.

Cheng Yong also notes that he always been into aviation photography, which is not a surprise given that he manages the Raffles Aviation Instagram page and is in the Photographic Society as well. While not all the shots on the Instagram page are his, he edits nearly every photo. The accompanying captions for the photos include not just the airline and the airplane model but almost always, little tidbits of trivia about things like the airplane model, the current usage of that particular model in comparison with other competing models as well as current fate of the airline.

Cheng Yong is also undeniably the chairman of Raffles Aviation (though officially, they don’t have one). The de-facto leader of the club, he continues to play a huge role in organising the club’s excursions, activities and competition entries.

Chatting with the other members of the club makes it clear that the consultative approach that Cheng Yong takes towards managing the club seems to be working, giving members room to dabble in areas of aviation that excite them personally –  arguably the very purpose of the club.

At the time of writing, Cheng Yong is planning another Crowne plaza staycation for the club following the success of the previous one.

***

The next time you write a GP essay about the powers of the internet, you might want to consider including Shang Yi as a case-study.

Shang Yi, at the age of 11, first got (somewhat morbidly) into aviation watching Air Crash Investigation on National Geographic. His interest in aviation moved from one screen to another as he read up more about aviation on the internet and watched Youtube videos that piqued his interest in commercial aviation.

When asked more about the reason for his interest in aviation, he tells us that it’s “just cool in general”, before adding that it gives him peace of mind when he flies (which probably explains the recurrence of deadly plane crashes in his story). He also tells us that his friends have now become very knowledgeable about aviation, thanks to what he calls his “bragging”.

Shang Yi had his introduction to flight simulators in an online video at some point in secondary two, a year before it would draw him and Cheng Yong together. The idea of flying a plane and controlling the various aircraft systems interested him, prompting him to get his hands on Flightgear, an open-source software he downloaded off the internet for free. He mostly flies the Boeing 777, the -300ER variant has the most powerful jet engines (GE90-115B) at the moment, so he enjoys the thrill you get during the power up at takeoff. The fact that he frequently flies on the 777 in real life might have also been a contributing factor.

But that wasn’t it it for Shang Yi’s aviation journey either. A few years ago, he stumbled upon a Youtube channel that pieced together live Air Traffic Control (ATC) recordings from emergencies and special events with a simulation. The way the ATC managed the situation had an impression on Shang Yi, who started listening to ATC recordings on the internet.

Ever the geek, Shang Yi married his love for aviation with his interest in computer programming – he is a member of the school’s Computer Science society – he programmed his own ATC simulator which he released (“on Google Play as Terminal Control: Lite,” he hints) in December 2018. He plans to complete and release the full version by the end of the year.

***

Take, from your wallet, a two-dollar bill, and hold it under your lips by the short end. Now, blow. The bill, which originally flops down towards the ground, rises up. Stop blowing, and it returns to its original position.

The wings of a plane, too, work in a similar way. Due to its unique shape (known as an airfoil), a wing travelling through air will find that air travels faster above it than it does below it. Thanks to a rule known as Bernoulli’s principle, we know that this means the air pressure below the wing is higher than it is above. Air, as a result, flows and turns across the wing in a way that generates an upward force, known as lift. Lift, well, then lifts it into the sky.

At least, that’s what science tells us. But even with this knowledge in mind, it’s hard to picture how this principle can safely propel a hunk of metal – weighing several tonnes, at the very least – through the air at speeds sometimes exceeding thousands of kilometres per hour.

It might be easier to believe in magic.

As Aswin (who cites the Wright Brothers as his role models) puts it, “The idea of flying really interests me. Perhaps it’s because I can fully appreciate the engineering phenomenon, which we know as flight.”

One of the original five members of the Aviation Club, Aswin played a key role in its growth. The drive to learn easily by sharing, he told us, without having to scour for reliable information at libraries or the internet, pushed them on; the desire to meet like minded individuals, to gain inspiration and insight spurred him to start the club with Cheng Yong in lead. “This would help all enthusiasts to learn and improve,” he concludes.

He tells us that, he hopes to one day join the RSAF as a fighter pilot. “I know there will be no greater satisfaction than doing what I love most to defend the nation that has nurtured me.”

We ask him about the earliest memory in his aviation journey.

“Probably when I was 3 or 4 years old. I was finally able to understand the concept of an aircraft. While waiting to board, for the very first time, I saw a SQ Boeing 747-400. Everything from its sheer size, airframe, elegance and engines appealed to me.

“So it’s something like love at first sight.”

Perhaps, it’s not too hard to believe that there’s a little magic in this world, after all.

***

“Personally, I think the feeling is a myriad of emotions all jumbled together,” Tzao Kai tells us. “When [flying a plane solo], it’s just you, the plane and the sky. You’re free from the boundaries that you have on the ground. You’re free to go wherever you want, whenever you want.”

Tzao Kai’s exploits span the elements. Having conquered the waters as part of the school’s water polo team, he now sets his sights towards the skies as a member of not only the 83-strong Aviation Club, but also the Singapore Youth Flying Club, where he holds a CAAS (Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore) Private Pilot’s License.

“And to think that there is nobody in the next 1000 feet vertically and horizontally,” he continues, “That is truly very liberating. As you cruise through the clouds, it seems that life’s worries just fade away. You’ll get the feeling of awe and gratefulness, marvelling at how it is possible to actually be up in the sky.”

“All in all, flying a plane is one of the best feelings in the world, and is really difficult to put it in words.” – Tzao Kai

Like many in the Aviation Club, Tzao Kai’s passion for aviation bloomed at an early age. He speaks of how, since he was young, he had been fascinated by aeroplanes – these, giant, hulking, masses of metal – and how miraculous it is that they are able to soar through the sky, elegantly, like birds. He speaks of how he marvelled at the ingenuity of humanity to create these flying beasts. How, as a child, he had dreamed of flying the Concorde (“It was the fastest commercial aircraft…”).

Today, just as he did in his childhood dreams, Tzao Kai takes to the skies. Among the 83 members of the Aviation Club, he is one of few who have experienced flight from the pilot’s chair. He speaks eagerly of his experiences, taking us through everything from joyrides on RSAF aircraft, to The Singapore Airshow, where he got to go into new aircraft and interact with fighter pilots from various air forces, to a navigation flight to Malacca. During the latter, which he embarked on with two of his instructors and three of his friends from his Private Pilot’s License course, he flew a private aircraft from Seletar Airport to Malacca for lunch and shopping, then back home – all in the span of a day.

For Tzao Kai, flight was also a journey of self-discovery and self-improvement. He emphasises how his experiences in the Singapore Youth Flying Club (an undoubtedly rewarding but arduous process – Tzao Kai took us through a comprehensive checklist involving medical checks, over 50 sorties across three phases, and written examinations on seven ground school subjects) built his character. In the face of hardships with very little room for error, he learnt the value of persistence, resilience and perseverance.

Fine traits, in fact, to take with him to the Air Force – which he plans to sign on to in a few years.

But for all the time he’s spent behind the control panel, Tzao Kai still hasn’t let go of his sense of wonder. “Up till today,” he tells us, “whenever I see an aircraft in the sky, I am still amazed.”

***

To most of us, flying on a plane is simply the boring precursor to a much-awaited trip to a new destination. It’s time to kill (usually by sleeping).

Perhaps that’s because we take it as a fact of life, a given. To many, travelling and flying is part and parcel of life. Do it enough times and any curiosity we had in our childhood is eventually replaced with nonchalance and maybe a slight annoyance at the blocked ears.

And so, the fact that we are flying is lost on us. We shrug at the fact that we are up in the sky, tens of thousands of feet away from the ground, gliding among the clouds at unimaginable altitudes only Peter Pan and fairies traverse.

The sheer magnitude of an airplane is also lost upon us. As we ride a vehicle carrying tens of thousands of kilograms of both fuel as well as both passengers and cargo, taking off into the sky at speeds 10 times that of a car, the thing that gets us excited the most is the personal TV on the chair in front of you.

And to put that into perspective, consider the fact that we went from the Wright Brothers’ flight, which lasted 59 seconds and covered 852 feet at a maximum altitude of 3 meters, to the modern commercial airliners that are mini villages with private showers on board – within the span of the century. In a 24 hour period, approximately 8 million people will have completed an airplane journey. 8 million everyday.

When these facts hit you, you can see why Cheng Yong wanted to introduce himself to Shang Yi the moment he heard that he was into aviation, why he heads a club 83-strong, even when it doesn’t show up in his CCA record. You can see why the members of the Raffles Aviation Club travel to the furthest corners of the country just to see which planes take off and land. Why they spend time imparting their knowledge to their juniors when they could be chilling like the rest of us. Why they dream of the skies.

Because they’ve been touched by the insanity that is the aviation industry, they’ve looked up into the skies and they’ve touched the clouds; they’ve seen the miracle of human flight. And once you’ve seen it, you’ll always see it.

***

Rapturous applause rises from the audience as the team of four heads onstage to receive the first-place prize from the guest-of-honour. Aswin, then Cheng Yong, then Shang Yi, then Tzao Kai, walk up to shake the hand of Professor Lui Pao Chuen, Singapore’s ex-Chief Defense Scientist, before they pose together for a photograph.

And as they descend, one can’t help but wonder, what’s next for the Aviation Club?

“My vision is for this club to continue growing with new members each year, especially the younger members and those who just joined the school, like Y1s and Y5s,” Cheng Yong tells us. “I hope that the club continues to exist many years down the road, so that Rafflesians who are into aviation will always have a place to bond with like-minded schoolmates.”

He hopes to continue mentoring juniors for competitions that they took part in and won before, like ASC and National Air Race. The group would also like to continue having occasional aviation trips, and start a weekly meet up session in school if possible.

In addition, Cheng Yong hopes to lead the club through our CCA proposal and eventually start a CCA. “Ultimately, I would like to see this club become a CCA by itself,” he adds, “so that we can gain the support of the school (time, money, resources) to take part in competitions and engage in activities like drone flying, aeromodelling and flight simulation. Also, with our added prominence, we can ensure that any student in RI who is into aviation will be aware of our club and thus have the choice of joining our club.”

“These being said, next year will be tough for my batch because of A-levels, so time will be our biggest enemy here,” he admits.

It’s a long road ahead for the Raffles Aviation Club. Cheng Yong, Shang Yi, Tzao Kai and Aswin will soon leave the mess hall, the Air Force Museum, Raffles. But their journey, and that of the rest of the Aviation Club, will have merely just begun.

For now, we will watch as they revel in the glory of their prize. Watch their smiles and join in their laughter as they chat with the officers in attendance who will share of their stories, as they snap selfies and dream of what’s to come.

Before they go their ways, and take flight.

By Benjamin Lim (19S03I), Mabel Yet (19S03Q), Shervon Lee (19S06A), Rachel Lee (19A01D), Caryn Chiah (19A01A)

Photos courtesy of Raffles Photographic Society

This is Part 1 of our Y5 Orientation 2019 coverage, covering Batch Dance, Station Games, War Games and O’Nite!

6:55am: From our view inside the MPH, we could already see groups of Y5s milling outside the hall, buzzing with excited chatter that stood in contrast to the “it’s too early” lethargy of their OGLs. But hyped these OGLs must be! And so a few moments before the doors opened, pop music filled the hall and the OGLs scrambled to their feet, all ready to welcome the new batch of OGlings with warmth.

This year, Y5 Orientation kicked off on 7 Feb and lasted 4 days, with a weekend in between for Orientation Groups (OGs) to go out if they so desired. Despite the lively atmosphere in the MPH, the jitters in the air were palpable as the OGlings took their first hesitant steps into the hall and sat within groups of unfamiliar faces. Unsurprisingly, awkwardness and shyness were common as the OGlings attempted to make timid conversation with their new-found OG mates, people whom they would find themselves growing quite attached to in the days to come.

Batch Dance 

Here’s a quick question-

When did the OGLs finish choreographing Batch Dance?

1. 4 weeks before Orientation
2. 6 weeks before Orientation
3. 8 weeks before Orientation

Well, it’s none of the above. It was actually around 3 months before Orientation even started! Shortly after the Project Work Oral Presentations, 25 young people met to decide how cringe the Batch Dance would be (Two Is Better Than One definitely topped the charts).

After much recommendations and voting: 2002 by Anne-Marie, Rewrite The Stars by Zendaya and Zac Efron, When Can I See You Again? by Owl City and Lucky Strike by Maroon 5 were selected as the final songs for Batch Dance. (YAY!)

Though the OGLs in Dance Comm are generally experienced in dance, it must be said that dancing to pre-choreographed songs (such as some of the songs performed during O’Nite) is really, quite different from choreographing a song from scratch.

Each song took around 1 hour and 30 minutes to choreograph, and it was a long and tiring process to ensure that the Batch Dance would be reasonably easy to learn and master, while still retaining its visual appeal.

Once the choreography was finalised, the Dance Comm OGLs had to teach the Sun Dance to the rest of the OGLs, which would be performed on every morning of Orientation. Many OGLs were excited to learn the Sun Dance; as Crystal Cheong (19S03K) put it,  “Learning the Sun Dance was great fun, because it made me excited knowing that I could finally learn the moves, as well as make all the OGLings feel excited for each day of Orientation.”

With the teaching of Sun Dance completed, the Dance Comm OGLs were faced with the next challenge of teaching the Batch Dance. Teaching roughly 1300 new Rafflesians proved to be no mean feat, but the OGLs in Dance Comm are definitely proud of everyone who tried their best and had fun!

Val Yeo (20S03O) mentioned how “Batch Dance was not easy to learn but it was great fun” and that “[she and her] dance partner really enjoyed dancing it for O’Nite with [her] OG.”

Michelle Chia (20S06A) also had a great time, for, as she put it, “(The OGLings) bonded over the shared awkwardness”, while Jolene Yeo (20S06S) added, “it was an enjoyable learning experience to dance” and that “[she] got to know [her] OG mates so much better through Batch Dance.”

The many positive comments from the OGLings and OGLs definitely made all the efforts by Dance Comm worthwhile! 

Keep dancing everybody!

Station Games 

On the afternoons of days 1 and 2, the 80-odd station games OGLs sneaked away from their OGs and scattered themselves all over the school, wreaking havoc scrambling to arrange tables and chairs before the OGlings came swarming in. This year saw the introduction of four never-before-seen games: Trivia, Dynamic Room, Silent Imposters and Handball, allowing OGlings to not only use their legs but their brain power too!

Moments after the OGLs got their stations functioning, OGs soon began to flood the different locations around the campus, filling the school with shrieks of laughter. From strategizing how best to kill off another OG’s battleships with balls, to acting out nonsensical scenarios (and coming up with the most questionable guesses), to trying to get out of a tangle of interlaced strings while holding hands, Station Games was arguably one of the main highlights of the Orientation experience.

Despite it being one of the first few activities of Orientation, the OGlings were already bantering back and forth with each other as if they’d known each other for years. And while some OGlings seemed more reserved and subdued at the start, it was heartwarming to see them leave in hopeless fits of laughter, high fiving their fellow OG mates as they trooped out together.

The games were also designed in a way to foster teamwork between the OGlings. “During the Hula Hoop game, people who weren’t playing helped by cheering and directing the [blindfolded] players where to aim the hoop,” Charisse Lee (20S03B) quipped.

Christine Sim (20S07A) added, “[The players] were […] so blindly motivated by our shouts of “in front! No! Not there!” [which] made it really fun.”

Of course, the OGLs were, at the same time, having as much or even more fun than the Y5s. “On the 2nd day, it was drizzling slightly, so the dodgeball OGLs decided to perform the Sun Dance in front of the OGlings,” OGL Dylan Kaw (19S03Q) shared. “Amazingly, the rain came to a stop!”

Of course, not all was smooth-sailing behind the fun and laughter of these two days. Since there were a whopping 36 stations all around school, one can only begin to imagine the sheer amount of effort put into ensuring all these stations ran like clockwork during Orientation. “Managing logistics was really hard,” Amy Lin (19A01B), Station Games IC, related, “It was tough keeping track of all the equipment, especially since a lot of them had to be loaned from other parties like the PE Department. As War Games and Station Games combined logistics, we also had to pass equipment like balls and tags back and forth very frequently.”

As Station Games was the biggest subcomm with over 80 OGLs, getting the whole pack down for a full dry run during the holidays was close to impossible as well. Admittedly, some of the stations weren’t 100% flawless and did require spontaneous maintenance and quick-wittedness from their ICs! Nonetheless, the enthusiasm displayed by the OGlings from all 36 stations around school proved that the hard work was more than worth it.  

War Games 

The weekend served as a buffer for OGLings to rest up and recuperate before coming back for an intense two days of War Games. Decked out in their house shirts on Monday, OGLings were introduced to the games at individual House Hours, before being thrown straight into the game areas for the next few hours.

Clash of the Centipedes had OGLings putting tags into their shorts and heading out to the field. As there are no limits to the number of centipedes, OGLings were all involved in the game, and in fact, OGLs observed some rather bizarre happenings: OGLings were observed hugging and even lifting a fellow OGLing to steal their tag!

In the ISH, right beside the sweaty and tiring game on the field was an aggressive game of Infinity War. Each house had pairs of ‘Black Orders’ who held balloons in the playing field, trying to steal other balloons or musical shards (while popping many balloons in the process). Thanos’ appearance invited even more balloon popping, putting the ISH in mayhem. OGLings were constantly avoiding other pairs of ‘Black Orders’, blowing up balloons at their base, and jumping around while screaming. Safe to say, from the noise alone, it was clear that everyone was enjoying themselves.

The last day of Orientation got off to a banging start as OGLings were given cloth bands to tie around their arms/heads to differentiate the houses. The ISH was converted into a big battlefield for Balls of Fury. If the name itself wasn’t aggressive enough, one of the OGLings even brutally hit a war games OGL referee in her face with a volleyball! (Fortunately, she recovered soon afterwards.) Safety, however, still came first – if even one OGLing from a house was wearing a watch, the house was sent off instantly. In this house, we support safety.

For those who were waiting for the magical touch, Quidditch is here to stay. Much like in Harry Potter, snitches provided many points when it was caught, and OGLings were seen sprinting after every snitch. The OGLs acting as snitches surely have never been chased by that many people before! Some of them were even tackled to the ground by the OGLings’ sheer determination to catch them. (Don’t worry though, no one was gravely injured in the process.)

As games that involved large groups of people, War Games took a long time to coordinate and finalise. In fact, War Games ICs – Zihan (19A01A), Yanlin (19S03L), Yuqi (19S06O) and Jiaqi (19S03I) started preparation in October last year! After a few dry runs in December and January, the final four war games were chosen. Balls of Fury and Infinity War, being new games, were trialed by your OGLs, who came down in the December holidays or on Saturdays, to ensure that the rules were reasonable and easy to follow. (We had quite a bit of fun, too!)

“During dry runs, it was physically taxing to ensure that everyone knew what the rules were, and what roles they had to play,” Yanlin commented. Besides trying out the games, introductory videos were also filmed at these dry runs. The ICs speak for the OGLs when they say that it was most enjoyable watching OGLings enjoy themselves, going hard into the games and fighting to get as many points for their house as possible.

IC Zihan sums it up quite nicely, “In many ways, your entire JC journey will be like an extended war game, incredibly fun, but also possibly frenzied and chaotic. We genuinely hope that you enjoyed the games as much as you will enjoy the two exciting years ahead!”

O’Nite

O’Nite! Somewhat counterintuitively, O’Nite, the largest event of Orientation, took place on the final evening of Capriccio ‘19. The culmination of months of preparation and practice (particularly by dedicated Dance Comm members) saw OGLings and OGLs dazzle their batchmates with meticulously choreographed dance pieces (or skillfully-crafted cardboard costumes).

As OGs squeezed into the hall for a final time, their circles a little messier with the addition of creative and bulky costumes, the excitement which OGLings had carried with them from the first day of Orientation was tempered with the awareness that this was the last official event of Capriccio’19. Nevertheless, it was with enthusiasm that OGLings cheered on the first act of the night – the dance-off.

Over the past few days, OGLings had learnt four batch dances (with many OGLings struggling through the complicated steps). Now however, twenty talented young students impressed everyone with their mastery of the dances. Notably, the roars and whoops from the crowd reached a fever-pitch when a new piece of music was unexpectedly played and contestants jumped straight into an improvised piece.

The next act was the costume competition. Based on their OG emblems, their costumes, if not quite an OG identity (themes were after all, chosen by OGLs), saw the unique personalities of each OG really shine through. From the masterful to the truly wacky, the audience was left amazed and amused by the short skits and costumes put up by the OGs. This year, transport-themed costumes were all the rage, with OGs dressing up as a train, an MRT, ships and a plane. Other noteworthy pieces included cockatoo costumes fashioned from paper plates, complete with a tropical jungle setting, and a mildly violent chilli-sauce assembly line. It was clear that OGLings had had immense fun crafting these costumes, with one particular OG adding that they had had an OG outing over the weekend to obtain materials for their costumes.

After that was the cheer-off. One by one, the five houses leapt to their feet to demonstrate their house spirit to the rest of the school, stamping their feet or clapping their hands in time to the cheers. Most of the cheers also involved unusual hand-gestures of some sort. (We can all recall MT’s exuberant bandana waving.) The cheers ranged from short and sweet, to long and dramatic (MT again). Whatever the case, these four days had imbued OGLings with a strong sense of pride in their house.

It goes without saying that the next act slated to perform hyped the crowd up for the emotional climax of the day. Rock, known for their highly energetic performances, did not disappoint at any point of time during their set, which included the quintessential rave track Shut Up and Dance by Walk the Moon, a staple of any school rock rave.

Finally, to some of the largest cheers of the night, Dance Comm took to the stage. For the next twenty minutes, OGLings sat in rapt silence, broken only by wild roars at particularly skillful dance moves. Coming onto stage in groups, or pairs, or individually, Dance Commers showed off their polished (sometimes seemingly impossible) moves, and their equally adept wardrobe changes. Such a stunning performance had not come without sacrifice—Dance Commers spent many days of the December holiday planning and practicing for the event. Late night practices also meant that many of them had had to skip OG dinners, missing out on OG bonding time. Yet for the final product, most would agree that it was worth it.

As the Dance Comm performance drew to a close, the hall erupted into thunderous applause. OGLings drifted out of the hall in tight groups, heading for OG dinners, organizing OG outings and promising to come to school early for the quintessential OG table experience. Orientation 2019 might be over, but for these OGLings, their time with their OGs was far from it, and most were glad to embark on their two year journey here with their new group of friends.

Stay tuned for Part 2 of our Y5 Orientation 2019 coverage!

By Alyssa Marie Loo (19A13A), Ina Song (19S07C), Rachel Lee (19A01D), Shervon Lee (19S06A) and Mabel Yet (19S03Q) 

Photos courtesy of Raffles Photographic Society and Alyssa Marie Loo (19A13A)

This is Part 2 of our Y5 Orientation 2019 coverage, covering Narrative, Team Raffles Hour, House Hour, Highlights, PLogs and Intra OG time!

Check out Part 1 here!

These segments of Orientation may not seem as significant as activities like Batch Dance and War Games, but they shape the Orientation experience nonetheless, arguably more so than the more prominent, more hyped events. While Orientation was packed with many activities, the lunch breaks left much free time for OGs to play intra-OG games to get to know each other better (and let’s be honest – burning bridges never fails to take friendships to another level). Let’s also not forget those who worked tirelessly behind the scenes to make orientation a smooth ride for us all!

Narrative

He stepped onto stage wearing a grand foam crown and a satin gold cape: King Capriccio himself graced the stage, much to the awe of his five House Guardians, all of whom equally looked the part with house capes tied vibrantly around their necks. Across the four days of Orientation, these six characters graced the stage at the start and end of each day, leading the Y5 batch through their escapades in the kingdom — especially their plots against the masked, cloaked and mysterious antagonist Sonata himself.

“There was a king called Capriccio and he was in charge of a musical kingdom creatively termed ‘the land of Raffles’. His five protectors, which are the five different houses, would be participating in a competition to create the best song to please the king,” Chew Jay Hong (19A13A), King Capriccio and Student Council President, summed up for us.

While it may sound straightforward, the narrative incorporated purposeful details. For example, the antagonist was named ‘Sonata’ as the sonata is a highly structured music form that has had centuries in practice to codify its rules, directly opposed to ‘Capriccio’ which means lively and free-spirited music. Further expanding the meaning of ‘Capriccio’, the Colosseum stage backdrop is a reference to Italian painter Panini’s ‘architectural capriccios’, where he depicted the Roman Colosseum in a series of imagined landscapes.

Still, most elements of the narrative were indeed light-hearted, especially in how the five House Guardians were scripted into five distinct and humourous caricatures. “There was a very concerted effort to introduce the house captains, so they were representatives people could identify with rather than having to employ actors,” commented Jay Hong; previous years tended to use volunteer OGLs from the respective houses to portray characters.  

And indeed, the script did very well to introduce the captains: “All of the characters were greatly exaggerated manifestations of certain key character traits of house captains,” said Li Chu Wei (19S06J), HH house captain who was involved in writing the script. Jing Kai (MT House Captain) was the “sleepy/playful archetype that acts as the comic relief”; Amy (BB House Captain) was the “caring ‘auntie’ […] whose advice sometimes fell on deaf years”; Izaac (MR House Captain) was the one to “always rush to action […] with the observational skills which allowed him to pick out details to figure out the antagonist’s identity”, while both Alexandra (BW House Captain) and Chu Wei “had [their] trait of competitiveness fleshed out the most obviously as [they vied] for the crown without much real consideration about feelings and cooperation.”

Yet, despite the bickering that the characters may have displayed on stage, Chu Wei stresses that “we are a really close group of friends off the stage”, and cooperation has been vital for their journeys has house captains.

The narrative ended in the big finale before O’Nite, where the five houses were called upon to showcase their final music pieces to the King. Strangely enough, the five houses played the same tune, just in rising octaves — to which they defended that ”he (Sonata) stole all the notes!” In response, Sonata put up his own piece for judgment: a performance of baby shark! In the end, the five house guardians won by singing ‘2002’ by Anne-Marie acapella to King Capriccio. It was heartening that the batch of 2020 seemed to enjoy the performance, as they sang along with their house captains lyric-for-lyric (thanks to batch dance tutorials!)

Team Raffles Hour 

Welcoming the Y5s in with a dose of school spirit was Team Raffles Hour. The Rafflesian Principle of Honour, which was once said by the boys back in the Y1-4 campus, and the Institution Anthem were taught to the incoming cohort, featuring some beautiful vocals by our very own President and Vice Presidents of the Student Council. What particularly interested the OGLings was the line in the Institution Anthem that has sparked debate. As the line “The Sons of Singapore” was sung, loud murmurs were heard among the OGLings. 

Following which, the main star of the hour, CCAD, took the stage, prepared to bring out the Rafflesian Spirit in every student with the iconic cheers. The chitchattering in the hall died down when CCAD began cheer demonstrations. Above the sound of the loud drumming, the OGLings were found clapping along during the demonstrations and cheering enthusiastically. This year, a combination of new cheers (Gryphon’s Call and Strive On) and ‘old’ cheers were taught, with the favourites for most students being Rafblood and Unite. In just a few months, the OGLings can prepare to use these cheers at a match support they would go for, and experience the Rafflesian Spirit for themselves. (A match support is where classes head down for a match, for eg. A Divisions semifinals/finals, and cheer for their fellow Rafflesians and support them!) Ending off each Team Raffles Hour was a cheer-off between the houses, an exciting time for the OGLings to put their shyness away and cheer their hearts out with their peers! Though a short programme, Team Raffles Hour has definitely got the OGLings pumped for their first upcoming match support!

House Hour

Moor-Tarbet

Most agree that the hallmark of Moor Tarbet would be its iconic MT MT MT cheer, in which one can see a sea of MTitans jumping up and down and swinging their bandanas wildly. Despite the slightly lukewarm response on day 1 where the Y5s were still trying to figure out the lyrics, the house spirit definitely strengthened in the upcoming days, evident from how the Y5s cheered their hearts out during War Games and enthusiastically checked off the MTitan Bucketlist to earn House points.

“I wanted to make the cheers as close […] to people’s hearts as possible”, House Captain Lee Jingkai (19S07A) explained, “so they’re cheering from the bottom of their hearts and not just for the sake of doing so.”

Besides learning the cheers and the zany actions that came with, MTitans also cozied up in LT5 with games like Human Bingo and Don’t Forget The Lyrics, which turned into an intense karaoke session. Though these games weren’t directly linked to House, the sense of rootedness and warmth from being part of this huge family definitely came through, and we can safely say that the newly-inducted MTitans would remember this feeling for a long time to come. To keep up with your fellow Titans, follow @mtpredator on Instagram!

Morrison-Richardson

The lights in the LT went off, the somewhat scary music in the background intensified and all four doors of the LT opened. House dee members donning the house flags as capes entered the dark room. The house captain greeted the new wolf pups, welcoming them to what would be their home of two years—Morrison-Richardson. A sacrifice is needed and a pre-planned house dee member sitting amongst the audience is carefully selected by the captain. With his wolf claws, a precious supply of blue blood is drawn from the sacrifice and offered to the new pups of the pack. Though the blue blood may have tasted slightly sour, this swear in ceremony was without a doubt possibly the coolest one out there.  

During the next House Hour, rounds of superlatives were played, giving the OGLings a chance to come on stage to win prizes for themselves or their OGs. That very day, MR found and crowned the fastest dabber, lowest splitter and sexiest body wave-r of the blue house! If you are a part of the wolf pack, or wished you were a part of the blue house, you can follow @coolbluewolves on Instagram for updates. And as the wolves and wolf pups always say, wolf pack—one call!

Buckle-Buckley

BB House Hour saw their green OGs entering a pitch-black LT2 on Day 1 House Hour, phone flashlights frantically finding the edges of staircase steps, footsteps hurried by the echoing drum music booming from the speakers. “We will now be passing the blood of your ancestors…” a deep voice rumbled throughout the LT, and soon most BB OGLings were marked with the bright green blood of their forefathers, neatly striped across their cheeks. BBians were made to recite an oath–though certainly with varying levels of seriousness. One of the lines that earned a ripple of laughter was that of “I swear never to proliferate outside my house” (because of course, where else could the grass be greener than within BB itself?)

Of course, the cult appearance quickly dissolved into wackiness. The second house hour set the stage with Minute to Win It Intra-OG games, where BB OG representatives performed a strange variety of tasks: keeping 3 balloons simultaneously in the air, building cup towers and calculating trajectories of falling broomsticks and flying erasers. Spirits were high as OGs cheered for the OG representatives against the clock, and the energy only increased as batch dance pairs walked onto stage to contest for the crown of Dance-Off House Representatives (who eventually did our BBeasts proud by crowning champions of the dance off!) If you yourself are a BBeast Dragon, follow @bbeasts to follow BB House D’s ridiculously adorable initiatives (pick-up limes, for example) and continue our long-held bragging right of having the most Instagram followers of all house accounts!

Bayley-Waddle

Down at the PAC, much less like a cult, was the Bayley-Waddle tribe! Instead of the solemn and intense vibes that some other houses chose to immerse themselves in, BW took a backseat and opted for a much more light-hearted and informal tone. As OGs filed into the PAC and took their places in the comfortable seats, the house dee members stood on stage, the house flag flying on their shoulders. An introductory video was quickly screened, and OGLings were then introduced to house dee members one at a time, all along with weird quirks of each house dee member! (One of them even had a compilation of photos where she was not wearing the BW shirt!)

Of course, no house hour is complete without some fun and games. Don’t Forget the Lyrics had OGs singing to songs together to compete for some points for their OG, although realistically, we all know only half of the OG was really singing. Superlatives also allowed BWians to discover the OGling who could yeet the longest, quack the loudest, and floss the fastest, amongst other things. Needless to say, it was a funny hour. For more updates from the yellow tribe, @bwornwinners is your way to go. BW, saa!

Hadley-Hullett

It definitely seemed like the trend for House Hours to be modelled after some sort of cult rite or initiation, and the HH House Hour was no different. OGLings walked into a darkened LT1 with trepidation, a slow, steady drum beat resounding throughout the auditorium. After they had been seated in their respective OGs, the lights flickered on to their OGLs, lined up and down the auditorium stairs, doing the HH cheer. The ‘initation’ ended off with HH house captain Chu Wei leading the HH oath, and the OGLs ‘marking’ their OGLings with black and purple ‘H’s on the back of their hands. The OGLings spent a few moments marvelling at their newly-claimed marks, but their journey as a HHian had yet to begin.

That being said, the HH cheer, being probably one of the most (if not, the most) reputable amongst the five Houses—you know it’s one of the best cheers when students from other houses know the lyrics and steps to it!—was definitely the highlight of the event.

House Hour was definitely a good opportunity for OGs to get their hype on and bond with their fellow OGmates by being the most kiasu and going all out to become the best HH OG. Throughout the next few House Hours, OGLings competed against other OGs in games and contests requiring them to produce the most black and purple items, the ever-classic Superlatives which saw OGLings scrambling to compete over who had the biggest biceps, and lastly, the internal selection for dance-off pairs! For more highlights of House Hour and orientation in general, @hhusdaboss has many more posts capturing our HH OGLings in action!

OG Time

Often, the pockets of time in between the ‘hoo-ha’ turn out to be the most precious and memorable. “I actually enjoyed OG time the most, like sitting together, talking and playing games because I could really feel the love from everyone,” Christine Sim (20S07A) enthused.

Though OG dinners aren’t technically in the Orientation programme, they still retain the top spot in the Things OGlings Remember From Orientation. While all the OGs are pretty much doing the same thing in the day, the nightly OG dinners are unique and significant to each individual OG, and are arguably where most of the best Orientation memories are made. As the OGlings slowly unwind after the long day, friendships were forged and strengthened from the shared laughter over preposterous (yet strangely endearing) mind games and embarrassing dares, or from heart-to-hearts and stories told under a blanket of stars. Although both OGLs and OGlings were probably drained by the end each day, energy levels would somehow manage to skyrocket at OG dinners.

As Ang Yu Xuan (20A01E) reminisced: “One of my favourite Orientation memories would be lying on the grass with my OG on the last night!” Indeed, while the details of some of these moments might fog with time, the coziness and warmth would be what sticks with you for a long time.

PLogs + Highlights

Not everyone may know this, but behind every star-studded cast is a dedicated team of stagehands, understudies, technical crew and stage management—these people never see the limelight of the stage but are instrumental to the performance, yet often go unnoticed by the audience. In Capriccio ‘19, this came in the form of none other than the PLogs and Highlights teams. These were some of the most underrated members of Orientation: cogs in the wheels making up the machinery of the successful event that was Capriccio, but without whom it would not have run as smoothly, or even been made possible in the first place.

The functions they perform are vastly different. PLogs work has been referred to as the thankless effort making up the backbone of the entire event. These were the OGLs who spent countless months reformatting proposals for dreary tasks such as temperature-taking, attendance and GIRO forms which any other student would (understandably!) be reluctant to do, who spent shifts in the Hodge Lodge away from their OGs ensuring that OGLings and OGLs who were injured or absent were well-accounted for, whose work did not focus on a specific portion of the whole experience but supported the entire event.

Meanwhile, Highlights’ leading role was cued before Orientation even begun: specifically, in managing and producing hype content for the @ricapriccio2019 Instagram and Youtube page. Armed with a team of cameras during Dry Run, the Highlighters were a common sight roaming the cRIb during banner painting hunting for video participants, as well as assaulting individual committees for committee photos and descriptions for features. If you watched any of the count down videos or read the posts on the Instagram, then you’ve seen the results of the Highlighters’ hard work! During Orientation, you might even have seen Highlighters filming the games with their gimbals and DSLRs, braving the potential of deathly collision during War Games to get up close, immersive and action-packed footage. “I was so sad that I couldn’t dance sun dance for the first two days because I had to film it,” said Alyssa Marie Loo (19A13A), though she did happily add that the footage gained from Sun Dance was well worth the missed two days. Visit their Instagram page @ricapriccio2019 again to relive some Orientation memories!

Conclusion

Four days of sweat, laughter and physical activity had most OGLs and OGLings exhausted. As OGLings start getting into the rigour of JC, they might find themselves missing Orientation more and more, as the OGLs once did. (That’s why most of us are OGLs, after all.) More than anything, Orientation was a chance for one to have fun, explore the school in a fun way, and get to know more people beyond their usual social circles.

Judging by the OG tables that crowd up the canteen every morning, Raffles Press is impressed with how strong some OGs are staying, and hope that they continue to remain so throughout the next two years. (Even if your OG doesn’t have a table, we hope you continue to say hi to your OG mates and OGLs in the corridors! It’s always nice to see familiar faces in the hustle of JC.) With that, Raffles Press hopes you will carry the memories and friendships from Orientation into the next two years of JC, and all the best for the journey ahead!

By Wong Zi Yang (19A01D)

Cover illustration by Alvin Lim Jun Han (19S06B)

I don’t think it comes as a surprise to anyone that we have quite a few students suffering from depression in Raffles. In fact, it’s one of the more common mental illnesses seen in Raffles. What comes as a bit of a surprise to me is how little people actually care about the situation; and by “‘care” I mean take tangible action against it. We may hear the odd rumour here and there: “he’s been missing school a lot lately”, or “someone has been hospitalised”. If an incident does happen, people keep quiet out of confidentiality and respect for those involved. But at the same time, doing so means that there is little to no impetus for uninvolved students, already busy enough as is with the academic rigour of school, to care much about it. The problem is not addressed at its root, and we just don’t talk about it – and so I set out to look deeper into students’ responses to depression in Raffles: Do people care enough about it? What then can we do about it?

Depression is a serious mental ailment characterised by persistent negative thoughts which have immense psychological and occupational ramifications. According to Ms Woo Mei Hui and Ms Chua Kah Hwee, counsellors at the Raffles Guidance Centre (RGC), there is a lot of knowledge, but translating that knowledge into action is an entirely different matter. While the Peer Helpers Programme’s annual Mental Health Awareness Week and other initiatives such as talks during the Raffles Science Symposium Mental Health Strand strive to change this situation by moving “beyond raising awareness to creating actual changes in behaviours and mindsets”, there are some limitations, such as the short opening hours of MyRestSpace (2.30pm-5.30pm) and lack of awareness about support initiatives like the Peer Helpers Programme.

Most of us have at least some knowledge on depression as an illness. Ms Woo and Ms Chua can attest to as much: they share that most students are quite well-informed in being able to identify symptoms of depression in themselves. However, many students do not actually seek out the counsellors for help. At the same time, however, Ms Woo notes that there have been “more students with depression” as well as cases of “more severe depression”: some cases are so severe that it begins to significantly affect students’ lives. Their daily functions are impaired, some cannot attend school or are even put on medication (which may be because they waited too long before seeking help). So bearing this in mind, we move on to the next questions: Why are there more cases of depression – and more severe cases at that?

Why is depression so prevalent?

One key reason is that depression is hard to pin down. Since the causes and symptoms differ from person to person, it is hard to detect depression in someone else and offer help. In the case of sufferers themselves, they fear being treated differently (well-intentioned or otherwise) because of their having depression. On both sides, Ms Woo and Ms Chua attribute this issue to the lack of discourse.

This is exacerbated by the fact that people tend to avoid talking about depression. This lack of discourse is an issue serious enough for the World Health Organisation to not only have dedicated their World Health Day 2017 to depression, but also to theme it “Let’s talk”.

Most of the time, people don’t talk about depression because they don’t see themselves making any significant impact on the situation, or are afraid of touching upon such a sensitive topic. For people with depression, they don’t talk to you about depression because you don’t. Since guilt and shame are now somehow tied to the condition, discussion is halted and progress stopped. But what’s so taboo about depression that not many of us are willing to talk about it, and how does that worsen the situation?

One explanation is that we simply don’t know enough about depression to be able to engage others in conversation about it, especially our peers who may be suffering from depression. Since the symptoms of depression can vary so greatly between individuals, there is a great difference between concept and reality: reading about depression is just not the same as experiencing it. Thus, for fear of making things worse due to lack of professional training, we tend to avoid talking about the topic entirely.

Another reason is the lack of normalisation of discourse regarding depression. The lack of a social script (behaviors that are expected in a particular situation – for example, waiting in line, ordering and paying for food in the canteen) hinders conversation. We aren’t sure how to discuss a condition as nuanced as depression, and there really is no set formula to interacting with sufferers. In short, our hesitation to tread unknown ground and possibly hurt a friend’s feelings often leads to the lack of conversation about depression. But as long as we believe that talking about depression makes things worse, it will make it harder for people with depression to speak up.

Finally, our increasing use of social media diminishes the time we spend with friends which, according to Ms Woo, is worrying since human interaction is so important to our emotional well-being – Whatsapps and DMs just won’t cut it. I’m not saying that conversations don’t happen at all, though — you’ve probably had a few heart-to-hearts with your friends. However, since having a strong support network means that people will be less likely to develop depression, we should try to have as many conversations as we can.

Stigma

Of course, all this may be easier said than done due to the stigma that is still attached to depression: because there is a lack of conversation about depression, people lack information. The idea that ‘depression sufferers are just weak’ is not born from depression sufferers actually being weak. Rather, it’s due to the lack of actual interaction with depression sufferers; without real-life interactions with depression sufferers, we don’t realise that in truth, depression sufferers lie on a spectrum. “Some can continue to work, study and contribute to society in spite of their mental condition, which this is a testament to their strength and resilience”, Ms Woo notes.

“I think it’s this idea that people don’t really have a lot of information, very few people actually step forward to say ‘I have depression but I can still function, I can still do the job’. People don’t realise that there are these possibilities… if we don’t have people coming forward, [everyone] will continue to have this negative impression of mental illness.” (Ms Woo)

The impact of this stigma also goes beyond simple gossip: the pervasive negative impressions of depression make it harder for depression sufferers to work up the courage to seek help for their condition. They fear being judged or even treated differently just because they have a mental illness, and thus decide to keep quiet about it. This means that most of the time, their condition worsens before they seek help. Furthermore, the experience of social rejection and isolation that comes from stigma has the potential to harm depression sufferers, and it is also associated with poor mental and physical health outcomes, even early mortality. In short, the stigma surrounding depression is a pertinent issue that we need to address.

So now what?

You may think that you need to be a professional in order to engage a person with depression. That’s true, but only to a certain extent. What a professional can do is offer therapy and psychoeducation (the process of providing information to those suffering from mental illness to help them better understand, and become accustomed to living with, mental health conditions), which is where the specialist training comes in. A friend, on the other hand, provides a personal touch; a listening ear who can better relate to one’s problems. You don’t need to provide solutions to your friends’ problems, but just providing a sounding board for them to voice out their problems will help greatly. Of course, some tact is needed to talk to depression sufferers; but, as put by Ms Woo, “just because they have depression doesn’t mean they are completely defined by depression”: so don’t hesitate to reach out to your friend.

For example, you could just ask a friend how his day is going and talk to him as you normally would. He is, after all, first and foremost a friend before “someone with depression”. The support that a friend can offer is thus quite different from that of a professional, which is why Ms Woo considers friends the “first line of defence” in maintaining one’s mental health. Invite your friend out for a meal or just go out somewhere. Don’t be put off by a deadpan rejection; a common trait of depression is that sufferers tend to isolate themselves since they lose interest in pleasurable activities. Keep that hand extended: this effort at connection can help them see that someone does care about them, and that they are not as worthless as they believe themselves to be.

Talking about depression itself isn’t as daunting a task as you may think either. In fact, simply avoiding touchy topics by sweeping them under the rug and hoping they don’t start to stink does not and will not help anyone. I’m not suggesting that you to go up to random people and say “Would you like to have a conversation about depression?” Rather, don’t dodge the issue if the topic of depression — or any mental illness, in fact — comes up, and keep an open mind. Responsible discussion of depression can and will help the situation by dispelling common myths and making it easier for sufferers to seek help when they need it — that’s why we need to discuss depression (in, I have to emphasise again, an informed and responsible manner).

People suffering from depression don’t need to sit on the sidelines and just wait for ‘something’ to happen, either. Your words can have a profound impact in emphasising the human nature of the condition. Helping others to understand what you’re going through better raises awareness about it and contributes to discourse. It was precisely with this rationale that TOUCH Community Services launched a series of themed MRT trains in collaboration with Nanyang Polytechnic featuring snippets from people with mental conditions on how they are affected. Conversations need at least two sides, and you can be one of those sides. It’s easier said than done, but you can consider approaching a close, trusted friend as a first step to opening up about what you’re facing.

“People don’t really want to talk about it or share about it, they prefer to not let people know that they have suffered from such mental illnesses so I think the stigma can only be defeated if people who have suffered from depression come forward and share their experiences” (Ms Woo)

If reading this is going to encourage you to take action, that’s good. While attempting to help your friends, though, Ms Woo and Ms Chua have some advice for you.

Firstly, be aware of their boundaries and limitations while reaching out to your peers. Be tactful and advise them to seek professional help if the issue is beyond your abilities. You could also offer to accompany them to seek that help.

Secondly, while helping your friend, ensure that you yourself have adequate emotional support to be able to support someone else. Keep an eye on your own mental health and ensure that you’re not burdening yourself with too much emotional stress; emotional support is just as important for you as it is for your friends.

Finally, while confidentiality should be protected, counsellors urge students to break confidentiality should their friend be considering self-harm or suicide, and seek the help of professionals.

Final comments

There can be any number of reasons people develop depression and/or avoid the topic. You might not think that your voice will make any difference. You might think that you’ll make things worse. You might think that you’ll just be a burden to others. But you won’t. In a school where studies are king, we have to remember not to forsake our mental health for grades (and vice versa). Keeping that in mind, keep that hand outreached and take the hands that reach out to you.

By Kuang Shane Qi (19A13A)
Photographs courtesy of Alyssa Marie Loo (19A13A)

Students of Literature in English Paper 2 (The English Renaissance) might be familiar with this quote by John Donne:

“Twice or thrice had I lov’d thee,
Before I knew thy face or name;
So in a voice, so in a shapeless flame
Angels affect us oft…”

(In this case, “twice or thrice” refers to the number of morning announcements the Lit Week Team made to sleepy students… )

Of course, this is just a really roundabout way of saying that most people would have had at least a vague inkling of a “Literature Week” even before it began. Thanks to the organisers’ aggressive advertising campaign, a healthy amount of speculation was generated in the month leading up to the week itself. Many might have found themselves asking questions like “are they actually going to publish the anthology they made us all write for?” or even “does anyone care enough about Literature to do this?”

Well, the answers to these questions were soon to be revealed.

Cool Canteen + Corridor Content

The theme for this year’s Lit Week was Crossover, which encouraged students to explore unexpected combinations of genres, stories, time periods, and characters—and these ideas were sure to have struck you when the exhibitions crossed over into the canteen. Monopolising the front of the canteen were several large notice boards which urged passers-by to get their creative juices flowing. One of these was a blackout poetry exhibit, where students could create new works out of extracts from existing texts. On the other side of the walkway, a whiteboard scattered with word-magnets enticed students to create new meanings out of a random jumble of words.

The displays were not limited to the canteen.  Literary quotes, big and attention-grabbing, were scrawled across various walls in chalk. One thing was for certain: Literature had arrived, and it was here to take over the school.

Launch Party @ TSD!

To kick the week off with a bang, a Gatsby-esque speakeasy-party was held in the TSD. After the attendees streamed in with jazz music blasting in the background, the first segment of the party, the Great Game Show, was well underway.

As its name suggests, the game show segment quizzed audience members on various bits of literary trivia. The more wacky questions included: guessing the title of a pop song that has been re-written into a sonnet, pitching an idea for a crossover of literary works, and creating an interpretative dance of an Andrew Marvell poem. (It was one group’s moment of pride when Ms Lye Su Lin of the Literature Department recognised their dance as being based off The Unfortunate Lover.)

Good old fashioned creative jam!

The launch party also featured a host of spoken word performances, which ranged from the hard-hitting to the humorous to the heartwarming. Khor Eng Yeow (19S06E) opened the acts with two emotionally charged pieces with a strong rhythmic beat, while Yu Ke Dong (19A13A) and Lim Yi Tian (HCI) performed a whimsical poem titled Choose Your Own Adventure. A further diversity of styles was exhibited by Loh Lin (19A01D), Liya Chang (HCI), and Austin Ong (HCI), who took the audience through the highs and lows of love, youth, and experience.

The next segment was where the buskers took the stage with jazzy vocals and glitzy costumes. Adlina Anis (19A01D), Audrey Wan (19A13A), and Charmaine Teo (19A01B) performed renditions of jazz and musical theatre songs, drawing murmurs of awe from the audience at their vocal prowess.

True to the spirit of a speakeasy, the party concluded with the serving of mocktails inspired by iconic works of fiction. The selection included Tequila Mockingbird (To Kill A Mockingbird), Polyjuice Potion (Harry Potter), and Nightlock Berries (The Hunger Games). And the student-bartenders’ efforts were not in vain—one attendee, while sipping on a drink, remarked, “These drinks are surprisingly good!”

Workshops

The Lit Week programme also boasted creative writing workshops hosted by none other than Singlit heavyweights Alfian Sa’at and Jollin Tan themselves. Both loosely based on the theme Crossover, the workshops challenged participants to draw upon knowledge of other disciplines and to integrate them into their writing.

A Translingual Toolkit by Alfian Sa’at introduced the idea of a translingual writer, that is, a writer who writes in two languages at the same time. In this workshop, participants experimented with creating translingual texts, paying attention to how their mother tongue languages could inflect their own English-language writings.

The Ekphrastic, or Art, in Poetry by Jollin Tan explored the intersection between art and poetry, allowing participants to gain a deeper understanding of what informs art movements, and how literary texts might correspond to or comment on the tenets that underlie these movements.

Dramafeste

Lit Week 2019 culminated in Dramafeste, where the five houses battled it out on stage with their own original plays. However, with this margin being too narrow for my purpose, I have not room to write it down. Do await our Dramafeste article, which will be published later this week!

Conclusion

After a whirlwind of activities, Lit Week 2019 drew to a close. While the chalked quotes and canteen exhibits must, as per school regulations, be taken down, Lit Week for sure has left a mark on Arts and Science students alike.

(And a PSA to those who missed their chance to get the limited edition Lit Week merchandise, or just want more stuff: stickers will continue to be sold in the canteen this week, as well as copies of the anthology written by the Y6 Literature batch.)

Lit Week Team

Carina Lee (19A01A)
Loh Su Jean (19A01A)
Naia Nathan (19A01A)
Bryan Ge (19A01B)
Ellisha Khairi (19A01B)
Loh Lin (19A01D)
Alyssa Marie Loo (19A13A)
Audrey Wan (19A13A)
Kuang Shane Qi (19A13A)
Tay Xi Teng (19A13A)
Yu Ke Dong (19A13A)
Ethan Aw (19S06A)

By Chloe Wong (19S07C), Isabelle Tan (19S03S) and Vanessa Lur (19S06Q)

Photograph courtesy of Eatbook.sg

It is a regular hot afternoon in Singapore and I find myself doing something not-so-regular—visiting the bazaar. The crowd is overwhelming and I find myself being shoved around by people all around me. As I wipe away the sweat trickling down my neck, I can’t help but wonder how bizarre it is that more and more teenagers are willing to endure a good few hours pushing through crowds just for a bazaar. This brings me to the question at hand – what exactly is so enticing about these bazaars?

So, to find out the answers to this particular question, I surveyed 34 Rafflesians to investigate the reason behind this bizarre phenomenon. With an overwhelming majority of 82.4% of respondents indicating that they would visit a bazaar, my observations about the growing popularity of bazaars among youths were confirmed. Probing further, we asked our respondents to explain why.

Many respondents (38.2%!) stated that the reason why they visit bazaars is due to the unique and novel food offered. From rainbow grilled cheese to the iconic Ramly burgers to fried oreos, bazaars offer a wide selection of gimmicky food and drinks. These snacks are often overpriced, yet one can still find countless posts featuring these foods on Instagram. While some people may post such shots just for the sake of keeping up appearances on social media and following trends (after all, who doesn’t like seeing colourful, pretty food in their feed?), some people genuinely enjoy eating these hipster foods. They add flair to the snacks one would usually consume. For example, a staple at bazaars is rolled ice cream, which is made using milk, cream, and sugars, then rolled into vertical rolls of sweetness. Another would be fried oreos, which are oreo biscuits covered with batter and sugar.

17.6% of our respondents also indicated that they visit bazaars for their vibrant atmosphere, which makes for a pleasant experience overall. After spending an entire afternoon there, I have to say that after getting over the initial annoyance of having to rub shoulders with people wherever I went, the lively atmosphere of the bazaar grew on me. In contrast to the restaurants or malls where one may feel sheepish for even laughing too loudly, bazaars are definitely a nice change. It was certainly understandable why many choose to go to bazaars even with a shopping mall nearby. The high energy in the bazaar eased everyone there into animated conversation with their friends, filled with banter and laughter.

Bazaars, as stated by 26.5% of respondents are also worth a visit due to them being fresh experiences. With teenagers often lamenting that there is nothing fun to do in Singapore and remarking about how boring it is, it is not surprising that these bazaars, being short-lived and rather rare, are able to draw in hordes of bored teenagers looking for new places to visit and explore. Bazaars usually provide more than just food and have stalls selling clothes, festive goods and sometimes even offer carnival games. Having both aspects of food and entertainment covered, they serve as fun one-stop venues for teenagers to pass their time. Moreover, even annual bazaars differ greatly from their predecessors. This ensures that with every trip to a bazaar, one will always find new additions or renditions of their favourite foods which is undoubtedly refreshing and makes the experience much more interesting.

From the above, it seems bazaars have a lot to offer. However, some people do avoid bazaars. One reason is due to the increasingly overpriced food which tend to focus more on aesthetics than taste. Moreover, the insufferable heat and the crowd is hard to bear. Some may also think that spending time at bazaars could be pointless, for it is inconvenient and may not seem to provide a very rewarding experience.Those who indicated that they would visit bazaars also mentioned that they dislike the sweltering heat, crowds and the noise at bazaars. Despite all these, the fact that they still choose to visit them hints that bazaars definitely have a certain charm to them and are not quite as unrewarding as some may think. Perhaps for some, bazaars might not be your thing, but are definitely still worth a try!

Final thoughts

The growing popularity of bazaars among youths is with good reason. Bazaars have much to offer, including good food and a lively, refreshingly new experience. However, it might be intolerable for some due to the heat and insane crowds. Personally I love bazaars and would definitely recommend them. So, next time you hear about a bazaar, remember to drop by together with your friends for an afternoon of laughter and fun!

Some bazaars to look out for include the ever popular annual Geylang Serai Ramadan Bazaar and the unique Singapore Really Really Free Market which occurs frequently every year. Check out their Facebook to find out when! 

By Megan Soh Minyi (20A01B), Mah Xiao Yu (20A01B), and Leong Jia En Rachel (20A01E)
Photographs courtesy of Rachel Tan (19S03T) and Tian Ruiying (19S05B) of Raffles Photographic Society

Dramafeste is back with this year’s theme of (non)Sense! In this production, each house was allocated one of the five senses: touch, hearing, taste, smell and sight. Before the start of the event, ebullient and lively chatter could be heard all throughout the PAC, a testament to the high levels of anticipation among the audience members to see how each house’s assigned theme would come to play in theatre.

The event was kicked off by our two lively and entertaining emcees, Kiara and Zara, former Exco members of Raffles Players from 2017-2018. Through witty banter and undeniable chemistry, they introduced this year’s three esteemed judges — Alfian Sa’at, a local writer and alumnus of Raffles, Nick Perry, the artistic director of The Stage Club and Erika Poh, the music director of The Runaway Company — and each of the plays in turn.

Buckle-Buckley: Two Men’s Trash (sense of touch)

BB’s ‘touch’-themed play featured ‘mind-control slapping’, a plot device wherein victims of the slap would fall into a trance of obedience, submitting to the will of the perpetrator. Though it may sound alarming, every slap had the audience breaking out into fits of laughter. Another interesting feature of the play was that several actors were disguised as audience members and were summoned from their respective positions among the audience in the PAC, which sparked a great deal of surprise and was very refreshing indeed.

The plot follows director duo Chris (Haris Irfan, 20S06U) and Nolan (Regan Ng, 20S03O) who find themselves resorting to the aforementioned will-bending slaps to resolve their disagreement over what sort of performance to put up, with Chris wanting to put up a comedy and Nolan insisting on performing a tragedy. As the story progresses we are introduced to more interesting characters (and fantastic actors!) and we learn what drives each director to pursue their respective styles. Eventually, the conflict is resolved with the help of Little Green Riding Hood’s actress (Fiona Xiao, 20A01A), who rightfully declares that “you can’t experience true joys without experiencing true sadness” and successfully manages to get Chris and Nolan to put aside their differences (though not without slapping some sense into them both first).

The play was a brilliant start to the event, with iconic scenes involving Ethan Lim (19A01C), dressed in a tight black dress, bending over seductively to retrieve a tray of cookies and Joshua Neoh (20A01E), also cross-dressing in a drab sleeping gown, weeping passionately all over the floor, a spirited performance that that had the audience laughing uncontrollably. The play was not short of meaningful quotes either, especially in Chris and Nolan’s reconciliation.

Two Men’s Trash’s message is simple yet profound. Just as the play was a delightful mix of touching monologues and side-splitting humour, life is a beautiful combination of tragedy and joy and would be incomplete without either.

Moor-Tarbet: Legacy (sense of sound)

MT’s Legacy, which was based on the theme of ‘sound’, stood in stark contrast to BB’s lighthearted production. Addressing heavy themes such as death, anxiety, trauma, and guilt —  among many others — the play was down-to-earth and a truly emotional experience. Audience members found themselves sympathising with Sam (Charmayne Ang, 20S03I), a young girl racked with social anxiety who faces the daunting task of delivering a speech on the topic of “legacy”, and collectively sighing in pity when Mr Goh (Mirza Bin Abdul Latiff, 20S0GD) shrugs off the lethal effect of smoking with a flippant “live so long for what?”

The two characters met out of pure coincidence, but when a loud car horn triggers a panic attack for Mr Goh, bringing up terrible memories of the accident that took his beloved daughter’s life, and Sam takes up the responsibility of taking care of him during his stay in the hospital, they begin to help each other overcome their own limitations. In the end, Sam finds the courage to listen to and use her own voice while Mr Goh finds the conviction to continue living.

But just as we are about to witness a happy ending, Mr Goh passes away due to a heart attack and Sam is left heartbroken. In spite of this, she finally stands up for herself against her classmates and delivers a touching speech with the confidence gained with help from Mr Goh, demonstrating how much of an impact he made on her life, despite the short time they had known each other for.

While the extended use of strobe lights during the play was slightly overwhelming (as was foreshadowed by the epilepsy warning given before the start of the performance), MT’s use of lights and sounds was very effective and complemented the actors’ performances perfectly. Red and blue lights would indicate the arrival of the ambulances, the strobe lights would mimic the effects of having a panic attack and singular spotlights emphasised strong emotions and flashbacks.

The play’s bittersweet ending left the audience with teary eyes and a heavy heart, but it really drove MT’s message home: legacies are about touching someone else’s life and leaving an impact, no matter how big or small.

Bayley-Waddle: 49 Days (sense of taste)

Yet another touching play, 49 Days was inspired by the fengshui belief that a person’s soul lingers for 49 days following their death. For the Tan-Prakash family, that means visions of Ah Ma, beloved grandmother of the family who has just passed away. Through these visions, she visits each of them for the last time, helping them to overcome their individual grief and finally reconnect as a family.

Following their allocated theme of ‘taste’, BW made references to various local favourites like bubur chacha and nasi lemak, using these dishes to represent Ah Ma’s love for her family. After Ah Ma’s death, the family seems to have fallen further apart. Lynette (Michele Pek, 20A01A), the grandchild, loses her appetite and refuses to eat anything bought by her mother, stating that no matter what, the food will never taste the same. Alan (A Ganeshaa, 19S03G), Ah Ma’s son, is buried in work but misses his mother deeply nonetheless. Claire (Charmaine Teo, 19A01B), Lynette’s mother, is desperate to bring the family back together but is at a loss as to how. As they each fight their battle against the pain of loss, Ah Ma (Siti Nurellisha, 19A01B) appears to each of them in visions, healing their wounds and helping them gain closure. Eventually, they learn to come to terms with the loss and face it together bravely as a family – obviously starting by learning how to cook together.

Compared to other plays with multiple sets and a large crew of actors, 49 Days was very simple but effective in driving home their theme. The whole play took place in the family’s dining room and kitchen, a homely and familial setting, and involved only four main characters: Lynette, Claire, Alan, and Ah Ma. And while maybe the kitchen was lacking in utensils and appliances, the actors certainly weren’t lacking in skill. Lynette’s heartbreak and nostalgia were painfully moving; Claire and Alan’s grief and frustration were less obvious but no less poignant; Ah Ma’s well-intended chides were convincing and added bits of humour to the otherwise solemn atmosphere of the play. Later on, Charmaine and Siti went on to win the Best Supporting Actress and Best Actress awards respectively.

From its heartrending conflict to the heartwarming resolution, BW’s tear-jerking play took the audience on an emotional rollercoaster, leaving a bittersweet aftertaste lingering amid the audience.

Morrison-Richardson: This Is What Inequality Smells Like (sense of smell)

Taking place within a dystopian society where the ability to smell damns a minority of people to lives of poverty and discrimination, This Is What Inequality Smells Like focuses on the lives of a single father and his two daughters, all trying to find a place for themselves in the cruel world around them. They are frequently reminded of and mocked for their ability through their interactions with other characters who walk around with pegs clipped onto their noses, signifying their lack of the sense of smell. From the father (Eric Shen Feiyue, 20S06F) struggling to buy a new flat, to the younger daughter (Tasha Nadya Mackenzie, 20S03K) trying to keep up with classmates who can afford tuition, to the older daughter (Adlina M Anis, 19A01D) fighting for a forbidden love, the family bears plenty of burdens, but in the end, they rise up in spite of it all.

Despite the grave premise, the play managed to incorporate a healthy dose of humour in the form of puns, gigantic frogs in school lab dissections (that were of “high kermitment”) and deadpan jokes. The play’s only fault was that it subscribed to a number of cliches — after all, the story of the underdog has been told countless times before. Nonetheless, the cast’s expert delivery of emotional lines touched the audience, and their jokes were very well received.

Besides the great performance put up by the actors, MR produced beautiful and intricate sets for their play — allowing them to clinch the Best Set Design award — including the family’s little flat, the restaurant and the housing board’s office. They also brought in incredibly realistic props, such as a public bench and a toilet bowl (we can only wonder where on Earth they were found). Furthermore, their costumes were well-designed, effectively indicating the socio-economic status and/or occupation of the various characters — it is no wonder they won Best Costumes later on.

Hadley-Hullett: Draft 4 (DON’T EDIT) (sense of sight)

Before the play started, HH’s performance was a complete mystery to most audience members. 3 synopses? For a single play? Which were they going to choose? Eventually, though, all became clear. The main characters, three director-playwrights with astoundingly different styles, were competing to prove their script was the best.

Like BB’s play, HH’s performance took the form of metatheatre. From a dystopian setup to an angsty romance to a childhood story, the HH cast displayed great versatility and an ability to switch fluidly between different genres. Additionally, the main actors’ distinct stage personalities added colour and vibrancy to their performance. The first director (C Dayanita Rani, 20S07C) adopted a rather cynical and pessimistic perspective and performed a highly intellectual and passionate monologue explaining her world view. The second director (Wei Chong), on the other hand, strutted around on the stage, employing dramatic, exaggerated gestures and body language to emphasise the importance of ‘realistic dialogue’ in a good script in a hilarious bid to sell his idea. The final director (Wynsey Chen, 20A01A) had a more simplistic view of life, proposing that not all stories had to be deep and emotional to be good.

Even though the final moments of the play left some of the audience members confused, HH’s play was very well-received indeed, no doubt thanks to the colourful, hilarious performance put on by the cast.

Players Exco Performance

The final performance put up by the Players’ Exco’19 was a highlights reel of the houses’ plays, tied together nicely in a short skit. Recreating iconic scenes (cross-dressing and rolling on the floor to mimic the dramatic weeping from Two Men’s Trash, strutting around and acting blind as a tribute to Draft 4 (DON’T EDIT), pulling out the food props from 49 Days) and quoting iconic lines (“M-m-m-my name is Sam” from Legacy), their antics left the audience and cast members alike in stitches. This was followed by a series of corny Chemistry and pau jokes by the lively cast of Dramafeste in a bid to ‘stall time’, as worded by Kiara and Zara themselves – before the judges returned to deliver their verdict.

Crew 

It goes without saying that Dramafeste would not have achieved this level of success without the backstage and lights-and-sounds crew. They toiled laboriously behind and in between the scenes, playing a less obvious but equally essential role. Many hours were spent creating the set pieces, practicing moving sets between plays efficiently and speedily, coordinating the lights and sounds, and much more in order to help put up the best production they could. Tammie Tang (20A01E), who was involved as part of the lights-and-sounds crew, said, “our director [told] us that there had been over 1 minute of audience laughter – because the most important part about putting on a comedy is whether the audience thinks it’s funny, and I was really proud of what [our crew] had done together.” We thank the whole crew for their hard work and contribution in making Dramafeste such a success!

Conclusion

Dramafeste 2019 was the stunning result of the five houses’ weeks-long toil and labour —  made even more intense thanks to the ‘short runway’ to the event filled with ‘many last minute changes and late nights’, as Amy Lin (19A01B), house captain of BB, put it. “I was really overwhelmed and so immensely proud of the whole team … everyone’s put in so much effort,” she said. Indeed, the effort of everyone involved in Dramafeste, as well as warm support from the audience, was what made the event a huge success.

To conclude with a quote by Cassandra Clare, “There’s plenty of sense in nonsense sometimes, if you wish to look for it.” Indeed, Dramafeste 2019: (non)Sense was been a hearty mix of sensibility and nonsense, making it a truly sensational (ha!) two nights. We look forward to seeing Dramafeste 2021!

Awards

Best Actor: Haris Irfan, 20S06U (BB) as Chris, Two Men’s Trash

Best Actress: Siti Nurellisha Bte Khairi S, 19A01B (BW) as Ah Ma, 49 Days

Best Supporting Actor: Mirza Bin Abdul Latiff, 20S06D (MT), as Mr Goh, Legacy

Best Supporting Actress: Charmaine Teo, 19A01B (BW), as Claire, 49 Days

Best Script: 49 Days, BW

Best Direction: Two Men’s Trash, BB

Best Ensemble: Draft 4 (DON’T EDIT), HH

Best Set Design: This is What Inequality Smells Like, MR

Best Costumes: This is What Inequality Smells Like, MR

Best Lights and Sounds: Two Men’s Trash, BB

Best Play: Two Men’s Trash, BB

Congratulations to all winners!

House rankings:

1. BB
2. BW
3. HH
4. MR
5. MT

By Gabrielle Ng (20A01E), Jermaine Wong (20S03R) and Ng Jing Ting (20A13A)

Photos courtesy of Raffles Photographic Society

It was a sluggish Thursday afternoon on the 7th of March, but a restless queue had already formed outside the TSD ten minutes before the start of Raffles Jazz’s annual showcase, Jazz Playhouse: The Swing District. As the clock ticked past 4pm and the doors opened for admission, audience members were greeted by cosy decorations and an overwhelmingly chic atmosphere. While stragglers streamed in to fill up the increasingly packed theatre, the performers walked onstage and into the spotlight to resounding applause, before picking up their instruments for a last-minute tuning.

The performance opened with Cheek to Cheek by Ella Fitzgerald, whose lilting melody got audience members grooving to it immediately. The mellow song began with a steady drum beat accompanied by the soft plucking of a double bass, before Rayna Mak (19S03O) stepped up as one of the main vocalists and filled the theatre with her dulcet voice. During an instrumental lull, Rayna took the opportunity to introduce her co-performers to the audience. “Eyes on the keys!” she said, flashing an encouraging look towards keyboardist Alice Ho (19S03T). Eventually, the first piece came to an end, to rousing applause from the audience.

Next, the audience was treated to a lively performance of Astrud Gilberto’s Agua de Beber, with Alicia Bee (19S03I) helming the role as vocalist this time. The upbeat tune of the song proved a welcome distraction for several members of the audience who had fallen victim to the mid-afternoon drowsiness. Persevering in their attempt to get their audience to stick with them, Jazz introduced their next song, which proved itself to outdo the previous one both in intensity and volume. The metallic sound of an electric guitar soon filled the air, inciting confused murmurs from the audience as the spotlight continued to beam down upon a vocalist who never appeared. It soon became apparent that there was, in fact, no singer for the largely keyboard-dominated piece. The increasingly visible excitement of drummer Yoon Sang Won (19S02A) embellished Jazz’s sultry rendition of Run for Cover by The Killers with well-received chutzpah, and the audience soon relaxed into the upbeat tune of this song. The showcase continued with On the Sunny Side of the Street, a popular piece that had been widely covered by various artistes at the height of the jazz movement. A curious buzz picked up in the room as Andre Chua (19S03B) carried onstage an unfamiliar wind instrument, later found to be the melodica. Vocalist Alicia let out a nervous giggle as her voice cracked slightly midway into the song, but professionally regained her composure, her steady vocals launching the audience into a thundering ovation as Sunny Side concluded with its eponymous refrain. One Note Samba proved no less virtuosic in nature, as each instrument melded perfectly with one another to complement the ebb and flow of the piece, mirroring the dexterous dance steps that were traditionally set to such music.

Nineties buffs among the audience would have been delighted by the next song. Introduced as the last song before a brief intermission, Jazz’s lively rendition of Still a Friend of Mine by Incognito roused many audience members from their previous stupor. At the climax of the piece, vocalists Alicia and Rayna combined their vocal prowesses in a Barbie movie-reminiscent duet, accompanied by a smooth violin. The chorus then gradually built up to a sonorous crescendo at the end that left the audience completely – for lack of a better word – shookt!

Following the intermission, Jazz returned with Carta Ao Tom 74. It was a less intense piece, but the performers nonetheless captivated the audience with the masterful control of their instruments, which they welded to form a riveting melody that had the audience clapping along enthusiastically.

It was during Jazz’s performance of Put Me Through where the atmosphere started to heat up. As the J3s stepped up on stage to the jubilant screams of their juniors, vocalist Junius Pun declared cheekily, “It’s a song about Jeremy’s ex!”, prompting an awkward laugh from the guitarist himself. However, the highly-anticipated start of the song was delayed by several technical difficulties, which saw keyboardist Kaitlyn Ng tinkle out the all-too-familiar tune of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star over and over again in an attempt to entertain the audience. When the song truly began, however, the audience were stunned into appreciative silence by the batch’s seamless performance, and the improvised guitar riff at the end of the piece served only to wow us even more.

The next piece pandered more to lovers of pop music, as Rayna’s voice, once again, filled the room with a masterful acoustic delivery of Maroon 5’s Sunday Morning. A rousing performance of Corcovado then followed – from its first hauntingly wistful refrain on the violin, this bossa nova classic had the audience enthralled. Were it not for the snazzy drum beats interspersed throughout the violin melody, it is not difficult to imagine that many would have been moved to tears by the end of this stunning performance. Later picked by audience member Jordan Aw (20S06D) as his favourite piece of the night, Corcovado’s piercing melody proved not only delightful, but also memorable. “I’ve heard the song before and it’s interesting to hear their take on it,” he commented. Raffles Jazz then followed with a performance of the evergreen Waltz for Debby, as well as Sunday Afternoon, which saw the spirited performance of Ashley on the violin.

The melodica made a comeback in the last song of the afternoon, Don’t You Worry ‘bout a Thing by Stevie Wonder. Bongo drums complemented Rayna’s soulful vocals as she belted out the lyrics, which continually reminded us to remain positive in the face of setbacks. In a post-concert interview, Rayna also shared that this upbeat composition was her personal favorite, perhaps because as the focal piece of the showcase, it added “more fun and hype” to the show’s overall atmosphere. With the conclusion of the last song in the concert’s programme, the chairperson of Raffles Jazz, Rayna, returned to the stage to deliver the CCA’s thanks to the various groups of individuals that had played a significant role in the making of their concert.

Just as the audience got ready to file out of the TSD, Rayna announced that there would be an encore. Cheekily dedicated to their “more extroverted alter ego”, Raffles Rock, the song was Crazy Little Thing Called Love. The well-known rockabilly hit by British rock band, Queen, instantly had the crowd singing along. In this arrangement, Brian May’s famous guitar solo was played by Ashley on the violin, who impressed the crowd once again with her soulful playing. Jordan, however, disagreed with the notion that Rock fulfilled the role of Jazz’s “more extroverted alter ego”, citing his own introversion.

With that, Jazz’s annual showcase, The Swing District, ended on a high note. Quoting Rayna, Jazz’s main goal for the afternoon was for the audience to just “[have] fun and [enjoy] the performance”. And judging from the cheerful banter and radiant expressions of the audience as they filed out of the TSD, Jazz has definitely managed to do just that.

Performers:

Alicia Bee Jing Xuan (19S03I)

Chua Tze Ming Andre (19S03B)

Ho Hong Wei (19S02A)

Ho Si Hua Alice (19S03T)

Hsu Shien Ashley (19S06F)

Jonathan Aristya Setyadji (19S06D)

Mak Rui En Rayna (19S03O)

Qin Ai Xin (19S02A)

Tian Ke Xin (19S06B)

Yoon Sang Won (19S02A)

Kaitlyn Ng Ke Yi (J3)

Lim Tian Jiao (J3)

Pun Cheuk Kei, Junius (J3)

Teo Hui Rong Tara (J3)

Victoria Lim Yuk Ki (J3)

Xiao Zhenyang Jeremy (J3)

By Claire Tan (20S07A), Clara Shen (20A01A) and Coco Liu (20S06L)

As students streamed into the movie room in excited chatter on the 14th March, there was anticipation in the air of what the evening could possibly offer and what enlightenment the four films, which were carefully selected through a democratic voting process by the FilmSoc members, sought to provide.

Raffles Film Society chose the theme of Singapore Boleh this year due to concerns of Rafflesians in the discourse of Singapore’s political and social issues and the timely need for appreciation of local film productions.

At the beginning, students seemed a little hesitant to share their thoughts and opinions but the discussion soon gained traction and was nothing short of being thought provoking and stimulating. The tone of the discussion seemed to change with the nature of the film which has been screened- from the likes of being “emotionally exploitative” to fitting under the category of exposition, it was an artistic curation of short films which catered to a wide spectrum of emotions and pertinent issues faced by Singaporeans from different walks of life.

Happy Birthday (2014)

“You came from the rubbish bin,” Cecelia is told by her grandmother after she innocently asks when her birthday is. At that, the little girl looks down and continues toying with the packet of sweets given to her by her classmate Xiao Lee during the latter’s birthday celebration at their kindergarten. After she goes home, Cecelia puts some of her own sweets into a plastic bag and gives it to another classmate the next day, explaining to the teacher that it’s her birthday. She repeats this process the day after, and when the confused teacher confronts her grandmother on why Cecelia claims to have two birthdays, she is told that they do not know when Cecelia’s birthday is because they have never celebrated it. At the end of the short film, Cecelia and her grandmother walk down a pavement into the evening, holding hands for the first time in the film, as the voiceover asks, “Grandma, what are birthdays?”

Director Ang Geck Geck draws inspiration from her own life to create this short film. It’s economical with dialogue, relying heavily on visuals instead, and tells the story from the perspective of a young girl. This shows in all the artistic choices made – especially in the camera angles that focus specifically on Cecelia. The audience sees the grandmother’s arm or the teacher’s hands, but never their faces. It’s a choice that puts the audience firmly in Cecelia’s shoes, dehumanising the adults and all but removing them from the equation.

Rightly so, too – Cecelia doesn’t seem close to either of her grandparents, and her parents are absent entirely. Her grandfather smokes while ignoring her questions. While her classmate Xiao Lee’s mother cooks Xiao Lee curry chicken and asks her about her day, Cecelia’s grandmother says not a word when she picks her up from kindergarten. This absence of affection is also reflected in the contrast between the dark lighting at home and the bright lights at the kindergarten, painting a grim picture of Cecelia’s home life.

Yet despite the sadness invoked, the film ends on a positive note. Cecelia and her grandmother finally hold hands, for the first time in the film, as they walk together. This final scene promises a little hope.

To Milton Lee (20S06A), this film, at its core, was “the director trying to portray what her childhood was like.” It’s about a child’s journey as she tries to understand the world around her.

Happy Birthday can be found here in its entirety.

Grandma Positioning System (GPS) (2015)

“家是我们一起走过的路 (Home is the road we’ve travelled together),” Director Kelvin Tong writes in Mandarin at the end of this film. Part of the collection 7 Letters, a selection of seven short films by various Singaporean directors that served as their love letters to Singapore for SG50, Grandma Positioning System (GPS) touches on themes of tradition and loss in our changing world.

In the first half of the film, a three-generation Singaporean family makes their annual trip to Johor to visit the grandfather’s grave. The titular Grandma Positioning System proves to be more accurate than a normal GPS when the grandmother manages to direct the family to the cemetery when the GPS fails. There, almost all the members in the family are in a rush, hurrying things along and showing little respect for the traditions. All but the son – who is trying to avoid his swimming lesson – needs to rush back to Singapore for something or another. This also shows later, when the parents and their daughter gather in the car while the grandmother gives the deceased grandfather directions and details how Singapore has changed and the son alone tends to the fire.

Fast forward to a year later, and the grandmother has passed away too. Her absence is startling in everything from the family’s inability to find the cemetery to the rushed process of paying respects. Yet when the rest of the family hurry to the car to return to Singapore, the son scampers back to the cemetery, and, in Hokkien, mimics the grandmother’s words from a year ago. He gives directions to his deceased grandparents and details how Singapore has changed. And when the family finally catch up to him, they tearfully begin to do the same.

The tears on their faces were reflected in most of the audience of the screening. Part of this is due to how the film deals with the themes of tradition and loss – the way the daughter would rather meet her friends than pay her respects was both mournfully tragic and regrettably relatable. It’s a timely reminder that we should never forget our family and our heritage in the midst of our busy modern lives and the changing landscapes of our country.

The end of the film hammers this point home as a montage of photographs of some of the places mentioned – places that are now gone with the vestiges of time – plays and the deceased grandparents are seen walking together along the Old Bukit Timah Railway Tracks.

To make things even more heartwarming, this is a special film for the graduating batch of the Film Society. They shared that the entire batch broke out in tears when they were shown the film last year and it served as a significant bonding moment for them.

Ali Baba (2018)

Part of the compilation of short films 15 Shorts, Ali Baba is rooted in reality as it tells the true story of an illegal migrant worker in Singapore. The film opens with its titular character, Mohd Bashar, lying unconscious on the forest floor, after having been seriously injured by a descending lift at a construction site. His arduous fight for survival crawling through the jungle floor is paralleled by journalists who fight to get his story published in the newspapers and bring him attention. These two storylines are intermittently woven together throughout the film and yet expertly set apart using contrasting colours; penumbral tones lining Mohd’s scenes juxtaposed with the journalists’ brightly lit office space.

This biographical short film sheds light on a class of people in Singapore rarely at the center of attention in conventional media. Scenes depicting firm opposition to the publication of Mohd’s story serves to discreetly criticize the presence of censorship in Singapore and remind us that there could be countless similar stories that go unpublished. A poignant moment in the film is when Mohd, after being rescued, is being interviewed by the journalist. When he is asked if he knew that he entered Singapore illegally, he tearfully recounts that he was duped into it, and that now, he has lost everything–the money he paid to come here, the use of his legs. Referring to the men who tricked him as ‘Ali Baba’,  he shakes his head and sobs, “Many Ali Baba. Many, many Ali Baba.”

However, this film perhaps entrenches itself too much on the message and too little on the storyline. When opinions were gathered from the floor, some found the film too focused on evoking emotions rather than properly telling a story, or that the characters were too one-dimensional. The question is, for a film with such a meaningful socio-political message, can these flaws be forgiven?

Nevertheless, it has a noble message, an important one, especially in today’s political focus on migrant workers not only domestically, but internationally, too.

Ali Baba can be found here in its entirety. 

Parting (2015)

Have you ever wondered what separation feels like? Parting is the profoundly emotive response to the agonising choice of self-interests and survival over love in the historical context of the Singapore-Malaysia separation in 1963. The film begins with a scene of an elderly Malay man staring blankly at the window of a train, accompanied by a voiceover of a young woman apologising for not being able to write in a long while and telling Ismail, our protagonist how things have changed drastically in Singapore.

The train comes to a halt and the rest of the passengers hastily alight, leaving Ismail in a clueless state of mind. Ismail asks the stationmaster if the train stops at Tanjong Pagar, but he is told that the last stop is Woodlands. The main character is shown to have dementia when he is interrogated by the immigration authorities about his length of stay in Singapore. His state of disorientation is apparent, as he shrugs his shoulders nonchalantly. There is collective curiosity as to what motivated Ismail to travel across Causeway borders at his age and condition.

 Notably, Ismail, who is noticeably quiet throughout the entire film, converses the most with the Malay stall vendor who helps him along the way. Evidently, there is a language barrier which has amplified Ismail’s sense of unfamiliarity in a country he no longer recognises as his own. Unfortunately, Ismail receives the news that his past love interest has left Singapore years ago. Even though we are unable to encapsulate the magnitude of disappointment Ismail must have felt, but to have come so far for nothing was definitely not the ending we were rooting for Ismail. The camera pans to local scenes of families crossing the road and a young couple on a train. It is likely to be a deliberate play on the perspective of Ismail who ponders the what-ifs if he had decided not to leave Singapore back then. There is a sense of regret and resignation that what has been done cannot be undone, which casts a despondent shadow on the overall tone of the film. However, the film succeeds in addressing the inexplicable circumstances of people during the early years of Singapore’s independence in a poignant light without delving into the nitty-gritty of details.

It is remarkable how Ismail’s narrative has come full circle, with Tanjong Pagar railway station as the anchor of the beginning and end of his story. What appears to be a flashback scene of a young Ismail breaking the news to his old flame that he has decided to leave Singapore and a heartbreaking moment of separation between the couple is actually a scene from a filming set. When Ismail walks past the set, it appears as if he is watching a film reel of his own memories physically materialise in front of him. Although the protagonist is said to have dementia, the recollection of his distant past in captivating detail and clarity seems to be a uncharacteristic stream of consciousness on his part.

The last scene, as many in the audience would surely agree, was a befitting end for this bittersweet production which balanced disappointment and hope at an equilibrium. The actress who plays the young version of Ismail’s love interest is seen to smile knowingly at Ismail when he looks over at her. Perhaps Ismail will never reunite with his old flame or be able to turn back time to make a different choice, but this moment is self-sufficient in capturing the calm acceptance Ismail has of the situation and how he has finally came to terms with the reality that he has been struggling to grapple with. At the end of the journey that Ismail has taken in pursuit of what was lost in the past, the last station he alights at is not Tanjong Pagar from the past or Woodlands in the present, but it is letting go of his regrets.

Conclusion

Hitting a little close to home—some closer than others—the films all touch upon pivotal aspects of Singaporean history and society that we all cannot afford to look past. They are facets which we can pry open and learn from; mediums through which we can engage in discourse and share ideas.

Charlotte Yeong (19A13B), a facilitator of this event, had this to say: “We hope that through these unique perspectives on issues that are prevalent in Singapore [students] will have a better understanding of these issues and be able to better empathise with [the people involved].”

Indeed, as students, the nascency of change starts with us, and empathy is but a fundamental quality to effect positive change. Singapore is a place to all of us, and a home to most of us. At times, as the films all show, Singapore can lag behind, or even leave us with a face full of dust, but whatever it is, it’s up to us to show that Singapore boleh!

By Tay Jing Xuan (20S03C) and Jerome Tay (20S06Q)

Readers have good reason to be excited about this coming National Day, with it having begun to unravel itself in ways unlike its predecessors. If you are pondering over prospective gifts to present the nation with, fret no longer. The Executive Committee of the canteen has come up with an ingenious idea to help all ye faithful patriots.

This proposal – what could it possibly be?

For those who have impressively skipped reading the title, the authors refuse to reiterate themselves (but shall do so at the insistence of their editor). You read right – the Executive Committee has collectively decided to increase food prices in the canteen by a reasonable 5.42%. In lieu with the age of our country (54, shame on those who did not know this) along with the current year, the original amount was at an underwhelming amount of 5.419%.

After much debate, the committee has made the hard decision of rounding up the value to 5.42% due to the technicalities of economic complications. For further details regarding these complications, refer to this link after your perusal of the article.

According to the chairperson of the committee, Yi-Ken Billies (19S06E), “the increase in food prices may seem small, but if we consider thousands of students buying food every day up till August, the money raised would reach way above our target of $1007.28.”

This change will be implemented around roughly one week after the day of publishing this article, on the 9th of April. Billies states that this “should be enough time for students and staff alike to adjust to the increase in canteen food prices”.

Which stalls are affected by the change?

To read about such an interesting development, the authors know that readers are anxious about whether their daily meals will turn costlier. They are here to enlighten you.

The stalls affected are as follows:

• Lum and Chan Chicken Rice
• Prata stall
• Raffles Yong Tau Foo
• Tan’s Chinese Cooked Food
• Fruitful Fruits stall
• Noodles and Porridge
• Don Paradise
• The Western stall, however, will be spared from this effect as part of RJC’s efforts to promote Western integration into the school’s culture.

What do fellow Rafflesians and teachers think about this?

The authors, with permission from the committee, broke the news to a few students and staff in advance in an effort to get an idea of how the Rafflesian population would react to this change.

A disgruntled student, Lauv Mai Loh (20S06J), said in response to the authors’ incessant rambling: “The Milo is going to be less worth it now! I think I’ve hit Milo-est point!” The authors are inclined to agree (and are in no way responsible for the dissemination of the terrible pun made).

When the authors interviewed another student, Veh Rie Xian (19A01B), who was absorbed in the devouring of a plate of prata, they were replied with a shrug and a placid: “I don’t mind paying extra for good food, honestly. This won’t affect me too much.” The authors recall their empty wallets at the time of typing, sighing heavily in envy.

Former-food-columnist-turned-teacher, Mr Patrick Wong, was initially reluctant to provide a statement regarding this matter. After further probing, he eventually gave in. “I guess this is a good way to get students more involved in giving back to the community,” he declared amidst a mouthful of wanton mee.

To wrap up,

All the authors know as of now is that the Executive Committee of the canteen intends to use the money to purchase a gift for the country in early August. When questioned about the identity of the present, the charismatic authors were only promised “a good surprise”, while certain members of the committee uttered an expression with suspectedly Greek origins. The authors believe it to be along the lines of the lexical item known as “Yeeticus”.

To view the official final pricings of the canteen items, head on over to this link. To find out more about the members of the Executive Committee of the canteen, click here instead.