By Denisa Armeilia Tami (20A13A), Girls’ Captain, Nikita Ong (20S03Q), Girls’ Vice-Captain, Nathanael Ng (20S06Q), Boys’ Captain, and Haziq B Roslan (20S03P), Boys’ Vice-Captain

Have you ever hung around the large basin of water at Kallang? Witnessed a few boats streamlining through the water, powered by some girls and boys rowing in unison? Ever wonder how that must feel? Well then, let us introduce you to the wonderful sport of Dragonboating and our family!

As expected from any sport, large amounts of time and dedication are poured into ensuring our performance as a crew is top-notch. Improving the synchronisation and speed of the boat cannot be achieved by just one or a few key rowers, but must come from the collective effort of everyone on the boat. As such, trainings take place three times a week, with one land training in the school gym and two water trainings at the Kallang Water Sports Centre. While training time is always maximised, rowers are also expected to do their own training at the gym on non-official training days to further maintain and develop their strength and stamina, especially during off-season. 

This may sound daunting but it is exactly the frequency and intensity of the trainings that we go through together as a team that moulds us into a family. With the sun beating down relentlessly as we chant and row with all our might, no matter how much you may want to give up on the boat, the people around you—who are giving their best—become your motivation to push on just a little longer. It truly is not easy being a part of this family but it is the toughest of trainings that develop our discipline, tenacity and unity—key characteristics of our rowers.

One may start to think it would be near impossible to balance the different aspects of being a student as well as an athlete, but trust in our family, and we will surely never let you down. Despite our strict and disciplined exterior, which may come off as intimidating at first, everyone has fun together and we have each other’s backs. On the boat, we crack jokes to ensure we keep our spirits and morale high, while boisterous team dinners and rewarding moments post-training always put smiles on our faces, no matter how gruelling training might have been. While fitness is paramount to ensuring the boat glides, the team’s chemistry and dynamics are also key to ensuring a well-oiled boat.

Our trainings prepare us for the various Dragonboating competitions and events we attend. However, the highlight of every member’s journey in Raffles Dragonboating has to be the annual DBS Marina Regatta—where we face off against teams from other schools to showcase our year–long efforts. The competition takes place between the end of May and the start of June, and is the members’ final chance to perform before stepping down. Everyone gives everything they have for our race sets to ensure our hard work pays off.

Despite the rigorous training, as a developmental sport, we do not have overly ambitious prerequisites for joining the CCA. No matter the level of fitness you enter with, the team is with you every step of the way! We accept students of any background, as long as you are willing to put in the discipline, time, and effort to train hard for the betterment of yourself and the team. We seek rowers who will be highly committed to the CCA, with the drive to be their very best for the team. If you think you have what it takes, we welcome you to join our family! RAFFLES, ROW!

By Clara Shen (20A01A) and Kelly Leong (20S07C)

Wondering what to get for your loved ones for Christmas? To us, books certainly make great gifts. And you’re in the right place—Raffles Reads is a new column which aims to promote reading culture among Singaporean students. The books, reviewed by Raffles Press writers, have been provided courtesy of Times Reads.

No one wants to remember the Japanese Occupation, most certainly not Wang Di. In fact, even at the deathbed of her ailing husband, Soon Wei, she still tries to completely avoid the topic of her war experiences. 

This inability of Wang Di to confront about her past sets up the novel. From where her husband goes every year on the 12th of February, to what happened to the child she was not to speak of, How We Disappeared is full of secrets that need uncovering. Through the eyes of two very different characters, one is taken on a journey to understand the scars that the Japanese Occupation has left on many in Singapore. 

The book begins by introducing the first perspective, Wang Di. Unwanted by her parents due to the traditional preference for males in the family in the 1920s, Wang Di’s name is a manifestation of her parents’ hopes to have a son (望弟; “longing for a brother”). She doesn’t seem to exist as herself, but rather as just a symbol of good luck for her family—her mother bore two sons after her. As war descended upon Singapore, Wang Di was taken from her village at the tender age of 17, stripped of rights and thrown into sexual slavery for the Japanese troops. 

The next perspective we are thrown into is Kevin’s, a young schoolboy who faces bullies at school, and carries around his Ah Ma’s tape recorder for comfort, as well as to record the sounds around him and create an archive of memories. The meat of Kevin’s story starts out with the passing of Ah Ma, before Kevin decides to delve more into Ah Ma’s memories, and uncovers secrets hidden behind old Teochew opera tapes. Through letters and oral histories he journeys, understanding more about Ah Ma, his family and his identity. 

His quest into Ah Ma’s backstory after her cryptic words at her deathbed eventually reconciles his timeline and experiences with those of Wang Di’s, and the two perspectives are united in a heartwarming ending. It is a bittersweet closure for a woman who finally finds the answers to the questions she asked herself for a lifetime, and a boy whose curiosity eventually leads him to the answers that completes his family. 

It was certainly emotional to revisit this strikingly dark time in Singapore’s past through Wang Di’s narrative, and learn about the Japanese Occupation through someone’s first-hand experiences rather than a textbook. The largely descriptive nature of the novel made it hard to stomach due to the nature of the experiences, but also made the book vivid and reflective.

One particularly memorable scene occurs when the Japanese troops arrive at Wang Di’s village. Wang Di’s village bows out of fear, but her younger brother, Meng, speaks out as the troops approach.

The men stood in a cluster by their trucks, as if waiting for a command. Then, out of the tight silence, my brother opened his mouth.

‘Konnichiwa.’ [Hello.]

Everyone froze. Meng was smiling, proud that he remembered the words, that he got it right. The soldiers looked around and laughed with surprise. 

The tension is palpable in the scene, from the vivid imagery of people bowing in fear, to the silence broken by a naive young boy that wins the approval of the Japanese soldiers. It serves to flesh out the frightening prospect of children being so malleable and impressionable, in contrast to those who are cognisant of the atrocities that the Japanese are committing. The book is filled with equally attention-drawing scenes—heart-stopping, fear-inducing, and most certainly suspenseful. 

I nodded, wondering if I could speak again, trying to remember the things I used to say in my past life as a daughter, someone’s child, but I wasn’t sure there was enough of me left. 

Like Wang Di’s name, ‘welcoming a brother.’ The wait for someone who didn’t exist yet. Who might not ever exist, but was longed for. She had been waiting for so many years that it was almost no surprise when the boy called. 

Raw emotions pulse in many parts of the book, a recurring reminder of the sensitive nature of the topic, and was especially poignant in the scene below: it narrates how Wang Di clutches at her child—one that she did not want, under terrible circumstances. Yet, she protected her son as fiercely as she could— even when she could barely even keep her own life.

I ran with both arms wrapped around my child, felt only then the coolness of his skin, his limp body, the shards of dry, fallen fruit embedding themselves into my feet. 

Aside from the evocative writing, How We Disappeared has many other praiseworthy aspects to it. From the dialogues to the atmosphere, the author’s colourful descriptions and choice of words made it easy to immerse oneself in the time period reflected in the character’s experiences. Most relationships between characters were also well-developed and pronounced, with nuances that made them more realistic, such as the complexities of Wang Di’s marriage or the relationships that Wang Di had which soured after the war through no fault of her own. 

It took me several beats to recover myself, before I said the first helpless thing I could think of: ‘Who? What do they say?’ 

‘Everyone. My classmates. They told me what you are. They called me a traitor, just because you’re my sister.’ 

Before I found my tongue again, he was getting up. ‘You should have just stayed with the riben guizi [‘Japanese devils’: referring to the soldiers]. You should have just stayed dead.’

The book managed to capture a perspective that the textbooks often neglect—the internalised shame comfort women feel about their actions, the condemnation by society, and the arduous journey of recovery for these women. Though the war was long over, Wang Di’s life was far from returning to normalcy, as she had been shunned by her own family after the war. The judgement Wang Di receives over what she was forced into, and how it continues to affect her life after the war, is heart-wrenchingly written by the author. In fact, Wang Di had been told to speak nothing of her time as a comfort woman, for fear that it may disgust her future partner. Like comfort women in other countries, Wang Di lived her life bearing the aftermath of shame and trauma for her experiences. 

At times, the book was able to smoothly inject humour and bring out some light-hearted moments by weaving Wang Di’s experiences with Kevin’s, sometimes a welcome respite from the heaviness of the war experiences. The young boy’s observations of surroundings and actions of the adults was refreshing. At the beginning of the book, Kevin’s character was fleshed out to be immature and naive, as he was fixated on things typical twelve-year-old boys would concern themselves with. As the plot progresses, Kevin gradually sheds the childish innocence he started out with and unknowingly grows as he discovers the truth.

The scene below depicts the challenges and disappointment Kevin encounters as he desperately tries to find the answers to his identity; as compared to the start of the novel, Kevin’s character portrays a new level of emotional depth.

I had one thing left to do and now, now there was nothing. Nothing. I wanted to stay on the train and be driven back and forth across the country. West to East. East to West. I wanted to never get off and go back home to the empty flat. Grandmotherless. One less grandparent, and then two less. Can you lose something you never found?

However, the jolting contrast between the dual perspectives and multiple timelines made it tenuous to consistently follow the plot. While its intention could have been to keep the plot a mystery, it was difficult to see the connection between Kevin and Wang Di from the beginning. The reader might be left in confusion quite often as the perspective changes; as such, we believe that Wang Di’s experiences would have been better presented as a whole, rather than in fragments. 

To a certain extent, Kevin’s character played second fiddle to Wang Di’s story, and his persistent search for the answers to his family’s mystery felt like a mere plot device that efficiently drove Wang Di’s narrative. Nevertheless, the novel was made more meaningful because it was Kevin, an unsuspecting twelve-year-old, who enabled Wang Di to summon up the courage, the courage she was unable to find for decades to uncover the truth about her husband and to tell her own story. It was with Kevin’s help that Wang Di was finally able to find closure.

Overall, How We Disappeared is a way for us to remember and honour the lives of those forgotten in the face of history and to confront brutal realities of our island’s past. The title of the book itself expresses the central themes of the novel: the disappearance of men and women from their homes during the Japanese Occupation, the interpersonal connections that were lost or built during the war, and more deeply, the fading of memories associated with demolished buildings in Singapore—a city constantly in a state of renewal. It also pays tribute to people that society has unconsciously sidelined: the live-alone elderly, children whose parents are too busy making ends meet to care for them, and comfort women who have been too ashamed to speak out. It is a gripping tale of how one young girl’s resilience and strength shines brightly in daunting times. With how quickly Singapore has progressed as a nation from the trauma of war, How We Disappeared is a good read that provides a fresh reminder that the experiences of the time are not one to be taken lightly, and reframes how the ravages of time have either healed or left those affected to suffer in silence.

By Raffles Press

Raffles Reads is a collaboration between Raffles Press and Times Reads which aims to promote reading culture among Singaporean students. For the past two weeks, as part of our Holiday Book Bonanza, we’ve been posting reviews of a variety of books, from Young Adult dystopian fiction to thought-provoking commentaries on the world we live in today.

We loved reading them, and now we want you to have the chance to love them too. Or maybe a family member, a friend, a loved one who wants nothing more than a book as a gift.

And what better way to pass on the joy of reading these books than through a giveaway?

We are giving away one copy of each of the books which have been featured in our Holiday Book Bonanza! Simply complete these two steps for a chance to win the giveaway:

1. Subscribe to our mailing list any time before 31 December 2019, 2359, using your official RI email address;
2. Fill in this form.

The giveaway is open from 20 December 2019, 2100 to 31 December 2019, 2359, to all subscribers of Raffles Press (new and existing) who are currently RI Year 5–6 students.

All the best!

By Regin Ow (20S07B), Joanna Ng (20S03G), and Caitlin Fam (20S03N)

What is shooting about, you may ask? 

Well, the majority of our CCA involves us flexing our massive GUNS and our amazing wrist stamina, all while aiming to get that 10.9 before getting so nervous that the following shots are 6 or 7s. 

The anatomy of the average Rifler/ Pistoler may be puzzling, but here is a breakdown: 

• Glasses-wearing from squinting at the target cards
• Pale from lack of sun exposure
• Developed right biceps and underdeveloped left biceps
• Muscles built for not just strength, but stamina
• Looks coolest when shooting
• High risk of lead poisoning and infertility from pellets
• S c o l i o s i s 
• Prolonged knee and back pain 

Despite the dangers of shooting, shooting still has its perks! Our injury rate is extremely low, due to our repetitive reps and inactivity. Abrasions? Nope. Sprains? Never heard of her! If you want to be injury-free and experience minimal levels of physical exertion while still being able to pull off the swag of a sports CCA, shooting may be the sport for you! 

We train twice a week during off-peak season and thrice a week during peak season (February-April). We shoot at the shooting range, which, yes, does exist in RI. It’s hidden behind the canteen, where no one really bothers to venture to. Upon initiation into the CCA, you will be guided there and given your very own gun, cylinder, shoes—all the proper tools to begin your quest for global domination, or at least National School Games (NSG) domination. Nearing our competitions, we are further prepped for the Competition Adrenaline by having trainings at Yishun SAFRA. 

Thankfully, we are always under the guidance of our dedicated coaches—Coach Qian, Coach Li, and Coach Ding, who are experts at the sport, even having competed in the Olympics. Under their consistent guidance, our team often finds ourselves doing respectably in our competitions.  In the last NSG, we managed 3 team golds and 1 bronze. But as our coaches always reiterate, shooting is about the process, not the results. 

Besides the National School Games, we also regularly participate in the annual NUS and NTU invitational shoots, as well as Singapore Cups throughout the year, giving us plenty of opportunities to amass our competition experience.

In the process of training for these competitions, and travelling back and forth from Yishun SAFRA, we are able to forge strong bonds with our batchmates which we hold dear to our hearts. It’s always reassuring to know that after leaving the firing line, what we have is a team that will be there for us regardless, and who will cheer us on through thick and thin. 

So what are you waiting for? 

Shoot your shot now!

By Angel Lim (20S03L), Captain, Nicole Tan Yun Wen (20S03F), Vice-Captain, and Shannon Tan Zhenyi (20S03Q), Vice-Captain

If you are looking for a sports CCA that allows you to learn something new, make new friends, keep fit, but at the same time does not overwhelm you with a heavy training schedule, then Taekwondo is the CCA for you! Of course, we welcome those with prior experience, especially if you’re interested in taking your skills to the next level by representing the school in competitions!

What is Taekwondo?

Taekwondo is an art of self-defence that originates from Korea that emphasises kicking. There are self-defence trainings where you can learn how you can protect yourself in the event that you get attacked, even against an armed attacker! Taekwondo can also make you stronger, faster and more flexible. However, it’s more than just physical fighting skills. The sport places strong emphasis on enhancing our spirit and life through training our body and mind, preaching discipline and having a positive outlook towards life. 

What can I learn in Taekwondo? 

Beginners would start at white belt and progress to yellow, green, blue, red and finally black belt. Taekwondo consists of poomsae and sparring. Poomsae is a defined pattern of defence and attack motions, with a unique pattern learnt at each belt level. On the other hand, sparring is the equivalent of fighting someone except you would be protected by full body gear. 

But what if I have no experience? 

Prior experience is NOT a prerequisite. All we require is your strong commitment and interest towards Taekwondo. In fact, the majority of our team started off as white belts! You will only have to buy your dobok (uniform) when you join and eventually sparring gear when you reach green belt. 

Are there opportunities for me to compete? 

As long as you train hard, you have the chance to be selected to represent our school in the annual Inter-School competition in April regardless of your belt level! There are also opportunities for you to represent our club in National competitions, such as the National Poomsae Competition (held in May) and the Pesta Sukan Singapore Youth Olympics (held in August and September). While Inter-schools is a poomsae competition, you may join our club’s specialised sparring classes and sparring competitions (such as Pesta Sukan), should you be interested in sparring when you reach the higher belt levels.

How often is training? 

Trainings are held externally at HomeTeamNS Balestier St Teresa’s Taekwondo Centre (with a direct bus from school). Regular trainings are conducted weekly on Fridays, from 4pm to 5pm. However, training frequency may increase nearer to gradings or competitions.

Who are our coaches?

Our main coaches are:

Ms Michelle Monterey, who has a 2nd Dan STF Black Belt;
Mr Leonard Yeo, who has a 3rd Dan STF Black Belt;
Sir Rex Rabbi Jude Tayco, who has a 3rd Dan STF Black Belt.

What do we do at training?

We typically start with some warmups by running laps in the gym, followed by light dynamic and static stretches. After which, we have physical training, such as push-ups or stretching like splits. Next, we will do basic kicking drills or learn new ones according to our belt level. We will then end training by practising our respective poomsae patterns or non-contact sparring (that’s fighting your partner without touching them). 

If reading this has sparked your interest in joining Taekwondo, feel free to sign up for our trial sessions on 15th and 22nd February at https://tinyurl.com/rafflestkdtrial where you can experience how our regular training sessions are conducted!

For any further enquiries, feel free to email us rafflestaekwondo@gmail.com. We look forward to seeing you at training!

By Sia Xinyu (20A13A), Chairperson, Brendan Mark (20S03C), Vice-Chairperson, Mohamed Ishal Zikang (20S06U), Operations Head, and Travis Tan (20S06Q), Internal Events Head

Bang. The sound of the gavel against wood ricochets around the room.

Order in the… wait a second, we’re not a law club!

Welcome to Gavel, the place in RI where anyone can find their voice. Here in our club, we aim to nurture the spirit of public speaking in each of our members—kindling the sparks of eloquence in beginner speakers, or keeping the flame of fluency alight in those more experienced. We believe that public speaking can be a skill firmly grasped by everyone. For many, the feat of public speaking seems like one’s worst nightmare, and the idea of becoming a great speaker seems like a dream almost unreachable. But here at Gavel, we work on making this dream come true.

But why should we care about public speaking, one might ask? When would I ever need to concern myself with speaking up before an audience?

Many have had similar queries, and it is with conviction that we affirm you that public speaking, a talent possessed by so few, is a coveted and crucial skill in your life as a young adult. Is speech not the very medium of communication, after all? What else are interviews, conversations and presentations made up of? It isn’t hard to see that should you want to become a more confident, outgoing and persuasive person, public speaking is essential. And likewise, it is with conviction that we pledge to you that in our club, we are dedicated to helping everyone become a better speaker.

You will find that our speeches span a broad spectrum of topics (literally anything under the sun)—from the nebulous concepts of existentialism and mortality to the dubious quality of toilet paper in our school. Yet, with every speech comes a story, and with every story a message. In Gavel, we aspire to help you find that message within you, and to equip you with the skills to share it to the world. This is why we focus not just on nurturing the speaker, but also developing the person to become better versions of themselves.

A typical session in our club consists of a brief lesson on techniques of speaking, followed by speech games and impromptu speeches. We conclude our sessions with speech sharings from a few members on a topic of their choice, backed by encouraging feedback from the club members. Our club is modelled after the formal Toastmasters clubs, with a uniquely designed feedback role system to give practical, yet supportive suggestions for every speech. We aim for each session to be a safe space for members to share not only stories, but guidance and a mutual vision to become a more confident speaker.

Outside of the medium of formal speeches, we are encouraged to explore different styles of vocal usage such as voice acting and emceeing. Some of the events we partake in outside of school include various oratorical competitions and learning journeys to external Toastmasters clubs in Singapore. More recently, we are proud to have hosted our very own Ad Libitum oratorical competition in late 2019.

So here’s the bit where we try to convince you to join our Gavel family. Our mantra is to work hard, but also play hard. Biweekly sessions may seem tiring for a clubs and societies CCA, but the company of our members always spice up these four hours every week. We are always there for each other throughout this two-year long speaking journey, always encouraging and pushing ourselves to step out of our comfort zones. Above all, we grow together as one CCA, and as one family.

Like the sound of sharing stories, inspiring others and bringing your public speaking skills to the next level? Do come down for our trials next year! We look out for potential Gaveliers not based on ability, but on willingness to learn, receptiveness to criticism and if you’re always up for a challenge. If this sounds like you, we are very much looking forward to meeting you and welcoming you into our family soon!

By Isaac Tah (20S06L), Chairperson, Joel Hoe (20A01B), Vice-Chairperson, and Jacinda Soh (20A01D), Secretary 
Photographs courtesy of Cheng Wentuo (20S06L)

To the prospective Year 5 student:

Any good H1 General Paper student will tell you that using sophisticated words makes you sound sophisticated:

“Grandiloquent” instead of “disgustingly flowery language”.
“Juxtaposing” instead of “comparing side by side”.

“Chamber” instead of “small”. 
“Ensemble” instead of “bunch of people”.

Ugh. That’s really snooty.

However, the even better H1 General Paper students will tell you that we should never draw conclusions from titles alone. If you unpack the key phrase properly:

“Chamber Ensemble” = “group of earnest amateur string players who enjoy meeting up and making music together”.

This isn’t a particularly glamorous affair: there is no antique Stradivarius, no high-class music studios, and no lavish concert halls. Instead, we gather in the humble Chamber Room for rehearsal every Wednesday from 2.30pm–6.30pm. It isn’t spectacular, but it does grant everything a rather relaxed atmosphere. Given our rather small CCA size, most rehearsals more closely resemble discussions facilitated by our conductor, Ms Marietta Ku (who is happy to dispense lively and sometimes undecipherable jokes). However, casual doesn’t mean there is a lack of rigour: with no top-down, instructive approach, everyone is given space to think and air their own ideas—this could range from decisions about bowings, fingerings, sound, and even the repertoire that we play! Consequently, every member needs to be invested and active, rather than simply following along.

In fact, this high level of personal commitment extends beyond the combined setting. Within our weekly rehearsals, we also have breakout sessions where we split into smaller chamber groups of around 3–5 people, supervised by Ms Ku and our other tutor Ms Tay. In choosing our own repertoire, we get to hone ensemble skills by working closely with friends in the quintessentially “chamber” setting. 

Now all this rehearsal and practice isn’t entirely purposeless exploration, or “art for art’s sake”. Each year, we look forward to a highly-anticipated concert around May, consisting of a solid 1++ hour of repertoire. By including both combined and chamber pieces, this is the ultimate moment to present all the pieces we have painstakingly prepared over the past year. 

Beyond the practices and the concerts, we also have VIA-related performances in care centres and hospitals, increasing our outreach to people who may enjoy the (hopefully) soothing music we provide.

In order to join the ensemble, some competence in a string instrument is necessary, but this is not dependent on some paper certification—there will be a simple audition as well as a brief interview. At this point, we know this might not sound particularly enticing to most people, but if somehow you are at this last line and are still interested, we look forward to the absolute pleasure of meeting you at the audition.

By Lin Leyi (20S03H), Chairperson, and Alastair Soh (20S03D), Vice-Chairperson 

Presenting to you, RJCO! 

Lights on, baton up, deep breath and go. 

Honestly, we get it. Just by the look of it, you probably wouldn’t be able to tell if we were rebellious waiters and waitresses who escaped from a Chinese Restaurant (RJCR), or… musicians from a Chinese Orchestra (RJCO). Yes, you might still be holding the misconception of CO music being filled with loud cymbals and trumpet-like noises, but we promise you that what CO offers is much more than what you see—or rather hear—on the surface level. We are a big family of musicians who enjoy make 笛lightful* music together, but more so, also friends who 笛eeply* care for each other and have fun together.

Our orchestra, like any other CO, comprises of 5 sections (Tanbo, Huqin, Chuiguan, Daji, Cello Bass) where each section has their own unique timbre and requires different techniques. Though we often jokingly compete between sections to see which section is the best, we all know that every section plays an integral role in the orchestra. 

Akin to how the different sections with vastly different sounds come together to bring various pieces alive, it is the differences in strengths and talents of our members that make us better as a whole. Joining an orchestra fosters this sense of camaraderie: we learn to look out and listen to one another, and we learn to make adjustments so the entire entity can succeed as one. That in itself is indeed the beauty of an orchestra, and what deeply instills the importance of teamwork in all of us. 

While many may think that what Chinese Orchestra plays is limited to traditional Chinese music (i.e. those you hear during Chinese New Year), that cannot be further from the truth—we do explore other genres such as pop music! 

Events we usually take part in include the school’s Chinese New Year celebration (I mean come on, we’re CHINESE orchestra) and Open House. In 2019, we were even given the opportunity to perform as part of the National Day celebrations in school, and showcased pieces like 听见下雨的声音 by Jay Chou and Home by Kit Chan! 

Apart from those smaller-scale performances, we also alternate between our own concert and the local Singapore Youth Festival (SYF) Arts Showcase every two years. We are proud to say that we achieved a Distinction in the SYF in 2019, and that 2020 will be an even more exciting year for RJCO—we will be holding our biennial concert where more of the orchestra’s capabilities will be showcased. Hence, do stay tuned for more information and make sure to show your greatest support! (Or join us, so you can be part of the concert) 

While practice sessions may sometimes still get stale and tiring, especially during exam periods, our conductor often coaches us with some weird quotes that will never fail to make us burst into laughter. For instance, “Watermelon, apple, pear, Singapore” to make us follow the rhythm of the piece when we were practising for the National Day performance last year, and “Okay people, we’ll start from Section E. E for Ebola!” 

CCA sessions are held twice a week, from 5.30pm to 8.15pm on Mondays, and 5.30pm to 7.30pm on Tuesdays, though timings might change during peak season. While these timings entail reaching home at 10pm, that is a small price to pay for all the fun we have during practices. On Mondays, we hold our sectionals where instructors who specialise in various instruments come down and coach our members. During the 1 hour 15 minute self-practise session we have before instructors arrive, we help each other in practicing our parts, practise our basics, and finally sneak in some catching up after we are done with all that, allowing us to forge strong bonds with our sectionmates. 

On Tuesdays, we hold our combined practice sessions where our conductor, Mr Yang Ji Wei, a well-known musician and the co-founder of The TENG Ensemble, comes down and leads us in rehearsing the pieces as a full orchestra. Thanks to his humour and friendliness, combined sessions are almost always filled with laughter and joy. 

RJCO is certainly a tight-knitted family. Despite the late practices, we still enjoy batch dinners together on the rooftop of Junction 8; while some of us venture into external orchestras to broaden our horizons, the rest show them our support by watching the concerts they perform in. In addition, an adorable tradition that our batch has is to celebrate every member’s birthday with a board filled with messages and a cake. The care that we show each other is certainly one that makes us look forward to CCA even after a tiring day at school. 

It is also this warmth that changed the minds of many of our “helpers” for SYF 2019 to join us as actual members of the Orchestra. Although many of the current members would have had experience with their instruments, we welcome those without any musical background as well, for it is the love for music and the willingness to learn that we value more. In RJCO, we laugh when mistakes are mistakes are made, and then learn and grow from them together. 

Furthermore, the annual March chalet has been an unbroken tradition for RJCO and is bound to be one of the high points of every member’s time here. During the chalet, the orchestra gets to enjoy fun games and activities together in the daytime, followed by Fright Night (at night), where the chalet is turned into a haunted house! However, that does not mark the end of the day for most of us, as we like to pull all-nighters playing card games, talking, or even taking strolls at the park at 3am.

While it might be the love for music that brought us together, we believe that it is the bond created and memories forged that keeps us together. To us, what the 乐 in 华乐 stands for is not only music, but also joy. Hence, do join our big family, and get rea笛 to embark on this memorable musical journey with us :D 

*笛 = “di”

By Chen Yunxi, Wynsey (20A01A), Girls’ Team Captain, Benjamin Tan (20S03G), Boys’ team Vice Captain, and Ng Chee Lun (20S03G) 

We confess—we thought long and hard about this intro. We even considered using the following quotes from that one volleyball anime: 

And just for the lolz, this: 

However, all the quotes we were considering seemed to fall short of the introduction we were looking for. To us, the spirit of Raffles Volleyball encapsulates so much more. The mental fortitude of each player, the trust between teammates, and the thrill of the sport simply cannot be described in a series of anime quotes. Thus, we will leave the fixing up of a cool intro behind, to dive into what we believe is more important—what RIVB means to each and every one of us. After all, we are merely a bunch of Raffles Volleyball players who’ve fallen in love with the sport and the CCA, and hope that there will come a day where you will too. 

Dedication

Every member’s journey begins with a commitment—to the team, to the coaches, and most importantly, to themselves. Prior experience may not be a prerequisite for all players, but a display of unwavering commitment to growth and self-improvement is. Though the skills in volleyball are always the digs, sets, and spikes, mastery of those skills is definitely no easy task. A slight adjustment of stance or a delay in movement could send the ball flying in directions you never intended it to. So, the refining of technique would require utmost patience and dedication. Firstly, being part of the team means giving your all to train. Regular trainings take place every Tuesday (5pm–8pm) and Friday (4.30pm–7.30pm). During these three-hour training sessions, our coaches guide us through PT, drills and gameplay. Sometimes, especially when competitions approach, we train on Saturdays as well. Outside of regular training, we make sure to go the extra mile to practise as and when we can.

The growth may come gradually, but we promise you—the effort will be worthwhile. There is nothing more satisfying than the loud “bang” sound from a nice spike, or the perfect float serve as the ball just grazes across the net. With these goals in mind, your dedication and motivation to constantly improve and become a better version of yourself will see you through the odds, so be prepared to give your all. 

Resilience

There is a common belief that your mood and attitude during training is deterministic of how well you perform. Training is tough not only because of the intensity of drills, but also because of the setbacks and disappointment you may face as a result of making mistakes. Be it the ball that falls in your area of the court because you did not run fast enough to receive it, or the imperfect form of your jump spike that you never seem to be able to correct, there will be moments when you get frustrated with yourself and feel like giving up. 

True training begins when you overcome this. 

There are times when you feel like giving up because in attempting what is seemingly easily done by others, you mess up the form and the ball flies all over the place. Even then, the team is there to push you through. 

How? Volleyball is a game of three touches. When the ball is in your court, you have three touches to get it back to the other side. Not all first touches are great, and if your first touch accidentally sends the ball out of the court, the coaches remind us that even then, we shouldn’t give up. They scream “还有，还有!” (There’s still more!) as a reminder that despite mistakes having been made, it is not the end of the rally, and there are still 2 more touches to bring the ball across the net. At this juncture, a teammate dashes out of the court and does whatever it takes to steer the ball back to its intended path. Even when you make the mistake of a poorly-executed first touch, the team and the coaches never give up on you. When everyone is forgiving and supportive of you every step of the way, there is really no room for you to give up on yourself. 

Our coach likens this shared resilience and never-say-die attitude to the spirit of an undefeatable cockroach—“打不死的小强”. He tells us, “You guys are like a cockroach that never dies. Your opponents can try their best to get you down but every time they attack and try to kill you, you never die.” That is the spirit of resilience in Raffles Volleyball.

Family

The best thing about being in Raffles Volleyball is that the court becomes your home, the ball becomes your best friend, and the team becomes your family.

Every training concludes with a team huddle once the lights turn off at 8pm; every post-training dinner at the J8 Sky Garden is filled with Wokhey, McDonalds and bad jokes; and there is really nothing better than seeing your teammates after a long day of school. Though the girls and guys train on different courts, we are ultimately one big family. 

Here, what unites us is a drive to outdo ourselves. After all, winning isn’t everything, but wanting to win is.

By Vaishali (20S03I), Chairperson

To summarise ICS in short, it’s a CCA with a varied combination of, well… Indians. You name them, we have them! Tech/film geeks? Check. Singers? Of course. Dancers? Duh. Actors? Absolutely. From Indians who love to debate, to Indians who just like to sit back, eat some murukku and banter with everyone, we welcome all!

What is ICS? 

Indian Cultural Society provides a platform for fellow Indians to gather and bond with one another, and to grow and develop our Indian culture in our school. We aim to maintain a strong shared identity and to foster a sense of belonging amongst our members.

What exactly do we do? 

The ICS journey will begin with an orientation day camp where members may get well acquainted with one another through fun and exciting bonding activities and games. 

Sangamam 

The highlight of our ICS journey is when the whole CCA comes together to stage a whole 1.5h drama production complete with drama, dance, and singing. In 2019, we staged our very own production called Sangamam: Paramapadham. It is something that all of us are immensely proud of—we hold this production very close to our hearts because of the arduous but fulfilling and fun journey. From coming up with tentative scripts which went through changes every other day, to changing clothes and props for scenes, it was definitely quite a journey. We take care of our own costumes, props, and makeup, teaching us to be very resourceful and creative with our ideas. We tap into everyone’s diverse expertise, skills, and ideas to create as much of a successful production as we can. 

Every year, preparations start in February, and last till May. Practice sessions, though very flexible, definitely get more intense and frequent as the production date nears, with occasional ICS meetings on Thursdays to consolidate and account for everyone’s progress. Our teachers, Mrs Nair and Mdm Meera are very supportive—they help us with admin matters and stay back late to check up on us. Even our seniors, who have long graduated years ago and are busy with NS or their jobs, come back multiple times to check up on us! During this whole season, apart from practice sessions, we have many spontaneous bonding/chill get togethers where we go eat and banter as one whole bunch. 

Sorsilambam 2019

This year, six ICS members were selected to represent RI at the biennial Sorsilambam, a national Tamil debate competition, and we emerged as 2nd runners up. It was truly a journey worth looking back on. 

Sinda Youth Leaders Seminar

Furthermore, we encourage our members to go for activities arranged by the Indian communities or organisation in Singapore—this not only facilitates the interconnectedness of the Indian community, but also exposes us to many current social issues. 

This year, 12 of our members went for the Sinda Youth Leaders Seminar (SYLS), where we got the chance to engage in many fun activities that taught us to be more mindful and compassionate towards the society around us as well as challenge ourselves to be more outspoken. Check our their Instagram page for more details!

So what are you waiting for? Come join our family, and your experience will be nothing short of fun!

By Wang Ziqian (20A01B), Chairperson

“5…6…7…8… RSD NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA EHHHHHHH!!!” 

Hi! Welcome to Raffles Street Dance. We invite you to one of the most exciting one-and-a-half-year long journeys with a promise of a good time. Here, you’ll find a team of spirited dancers, passionate and always eager to learn; every batch of street dancers has something different to offer and their own special stories to share. Apart from our annual Street Showcase, we perform at multiple events (varying depending on the year), such as Founders’ Day, Batch Night, and Graduation Night.

Our CCA sessions are on Mondays and Tuesdays. Nearing performances, we step up our practice sessions and sometimes see one another’s faces almost daily in order to perfect our formation changes and clean up our steps at the mirrors. Most of our practices are held at the Multi-Purpose Studio, but if you asked any street dancer, their home would be at the mirrors. 

During our normal practices lasting 2.5 hours, we learn and strengthen our basics (such as body  isolation) and genres (such as hip hop) after warm ups and physical training (PT), led by our instructor Ms Stefanie Leong (Ms Steffi!). Basic dance sets aside, we also often get to play with choreography and layering with our batchmates. Sometimes, we even have exciting group challenges to choreograph to a certain song or theme. Always privileged with opportunities to explore different genres, every single one of us is invited to break out of our own comfort zones and try styles we’ve never tried before. Just recently, we had a short introduction session to breakdancing—despite its relative unfamiliarity to most of us, we were the most excited at the thought of being able to do power moves or simply a shoulder freeze. During Homebound—our showcase this year—items consisted of a variety of genres such as hip hop, urban, contemporary, and street jazz, with all the J2 dancers performing in multiple items and each J1 assigned to one item on top of the finale dance.

Apart from merely learning dance moves, many of us are also accorded the opportunity to create our own choreography, stringing together our own steps and designing our own formations. Others have the opportunity to choose or even design costumes and sets, giving performances like our showcase a creative and dimensional flair. 

Just as how being a dancer doesn’t just mean expanding our dance vocabulary, our passion and grit for the CCA is also found in more than just dance. The spirit of our performance, our collective breathing as we execute our steps, our determination to keep giving all of our energy for every single run, our team huddles before performances where we sing and jump and hype ourselves up, our hugs and high fives exchanged backstage right before our performance… Raffles Street Dance is more than just a CCA for all of us: it is a team and we are a family. 

Hard as it is to fully capture the warmth of being a street dancer, we hope this short preview offers an enticing glimpse of what our CCA does. With this new year, we enthusiastically invite you to join our team. Auditions consist of learning and performing a choreography, and an incorporation of some freestyling. Absolutely no background dancing experience is needed, so don’t worry and we hope to see you at Auditions 2020!

By Nicole Lim (20S03I), Girls’ Captain

Whenever someone mentions Track and Field, what comes to mind? Could it be the image of members participating in mind-numbing running on the track? People flinging themselves and random objects over bars and distances? Or perhaps even a bunch of ‘jocks’ at the gym. Maybe to you, Track and Field is a CCA of glory and Instagrammable podium pictures at the Sportshub—but there’s definitely more to this CCA than meets the eye. 

Meet Raffles Track and Field: A family with 30-odd members, comprising of 5 main disciplines: sprints, throws, jumps, walks, and pole vault. From the 100m sprint to pole vault, we offer a multitude of different events. With so much variety, it’s hard not to find your place here in Track and Field. 

However, do be warned. It’s far from the glitz and glamour out here on the track. Our members endure months of gruelling training, rain or shine. Our trainings are definitely no walk in the park—not even for our walkers. The fact of the matter is, Track and Field is not for the faint of heart. It is a sport that is inherently individualistic, and a sport that one will not see results in unless he or she is daring enough, or motivated enough by the objective of self-betterment and the betterment of the team. This sport takes guts, and an especially difficult training may just take the guts out of you. It is the person who dares to walk the extra mile, dares to complete the extra set, and dares to go all out that wins. Needless to say, this sport is demanding—it demands commitment, and your time and attention. 

But fear not! No member of this CCA is alone in their trials. Countless training sessions in the hot sun does have it perks—at the end of your Track and Field journey, you’re sure to walk away hardier, more tenacious, and with meaningful friendships that will last for a lifetime. Our team is a close-knit one, and you can often see members across the different disciplines out for dinner outings after our leg-numbing Friday trainings. Annual events such as our track camp and track chalet are also highly anticipated by all our members. 

So if you’re prepared to give your all, and to bring glory to Raffles, join us at the track every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Under the guidance of our experienced coaches, your journey is sure to be one of blood, sweat and tears, but also one filled with laughter and joy. 

Training Details

Sprinters/Hurdlers: 5pm – 7.30pm (Mon & Fri), 3pm – 5.30pm (Wed)
Jumpers: 4pm – 7pm (Mon), 5pm – 7.30pm (Wed & Fri) 
Throwers: 3.30pm – 6pm (Mon, Wed, Fri)
Pole Vaulters: 3.45pm – 6.30pm (Mon, Wed, Fri)
Walkers: Subject to timing changes 

Achievements 

2019 

60th National Inter-school Track & Field Championship: Overall A Division Boys: 2nd 
60th National Inter-School Track & Field Championship: Overall B Division Girls: 3rd

2018 

59th National Inter-school Track & Field Championship: Overall A Division Boys: 2nd 
59th National Inter-school Track & Field Championship: Overall A Division Girls: 4th

By Ng Ziqin (20S03H)

Warning: Spoilers in this review.

It’s not too often that two films which share so many similarities are released within weeks of each other.  

Even to a viewer unacquainted with the original films, it’s apparent that Terminator: Dark Fate and Charlie’s Angels have a lot more in common than one would expect from two properties owned by two different entertainment companies. Both are reboots of beloved franchises that our parents’ generation grew up with. Both feature a group of strong female protagonists, one of whom is a naive person-of-colour who is thrown suddenly into a tense situation by forces outside her control, but quickly shown the ropes by her more-worldly teammates. Both films take the characters on a chase around the world. And in both, the conflict is driven by an advanced piece of technology.

Despite the modern feminist and technology messages, Terminator and Charlie’s Angels are far from fresh franchises. 

The first Terminator film was released in 1984, presenting the intriguing premise of a relentless AI from the future, on a mission to kill a woman before she gives birth to a son who will save the world. Terminator: Dark Fate manages to avoid the pitfalls of previous Terminator films—whose box office performances failed to live up to those of the first two films—by serving as a direct sequel to Terminator 2: Judgement Day, retconning the last three Terminator films entirely. Hollywood veterans Linda Hamilton (who has not appeared in a Terminator film since T2) and Arnold Schwarzenneger reprise their roles as Sarah Connor and the T-800 respectively, throwing in some old-school star power. 

The Terminator (1984) vs Terminator Genisys (2015): What happened?

Meanwhile, Charlie’s Angels began as a television series which ran from 1976–1981, getting its silver screen debut only at the turn of the new century with Charlie’s Angels (2000) and its sequel, Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle (2003). The franchise revolves around three beautiful female detectives who work for a wealthy mystery man named Charlie. The detectives, the eponymous ‘Angels’, are masters of disguise, espionage, and the martial arts. 

Both Terminator: Dark Fate and Charlie’s Angels (2019) bank on capturing old viewers’ nostalgia to varying degrees. While it’s Dark Fate which is undeniably the more nostalgic of the two, returning to old stars and continuing the story from the last critically-acclaimed Terminator film, Charlie’s Angels also features subtle nods to past films, with dresses from the original Charlie’s Angels movies being shown in the Angels’ walk-in closet, the character John Bosley, and the Townsend agency.

At the same time, both films have a decidedly-modern, feminist slant, each featuring three strong women as the protagonists, with few male characters. This is especially unusual for the action film genre, which has long been dominated by men, as seen in the popular Mission: Impossible, Fast and Furious and Transformers franchises. 

Rectifying the sexist premise of the original films that “you’re not the threat; it’s your womb”—that the only reason worth sending a supersoldier back to the past to save a woman would be because of what her son would do in the future—Dark Fate boldly casts Dani Ramos (Natalia Reyes) as the Messiah instead of Mother Mary. 

“Dani, you are not the mother of some man who saves the future. You are the future. That’s why Legion wants you dead.”

Grace, the cyborg supersoldier sent back in time to protect Dani

Charlie’s Angels also dabbles with a similar sort of messaging, with Sabina Wilson (Kristen Stewart) pointing out in the film’s opening minutes that it takes seven minutes longer for a woman to register as a threat than a man. Through humorous moments, Charlie’s Angels also exposes the many hypocrisies of casual sexism: male supervisors who take credit for the work of their talented female subordinates, the insulting assumption that products marketed for women have to be in pastel colours, and the seemingly-innocuous ‘don’t forget to smile!’ that will have female audience members nodding their heads with knowing smirks. The cherry on top is a mid-credits scene which reveals that Charlie is actually… a woman.

However, where Terminator: Dark Fate and Charlie’s Angels diverge most significantly is precisely in their treatment of their strong female characters. 

In Dark Fate, leading ladies Sarah (Linda Hamilton) and Grace (Mackenzie Davis) carry the action of the film, wielding a dizzying assortment of assault rifles, handguns, and launchers while peripheral male characters like Dani’s brother, Diego (Diego Boneta), quickly succumb to fatal injuries. Rocking cropped hairstyles and clad in muscle shirts which show off their bulging biceps, these action women curse like sailors, throw hard punches, and slice fruit flies in half with their superhuman reflexes. 

Similarly, Charlie’s Angels’ female leads Sabina, Jane (Ella Balinska), Elena (Naomi Scott) and Boz (Elizabeth Banks) are involved in a great deal of action. They tie up crooks with curtains, shoot at assassins from the backs of cars, drive ambulances, ride horses… the list goes on. Unlike in Dark Fate, however, these fast-paced action scenes are balanced out with lighter female-bonding moments between the team, and the magnificent clothes in the Angels’ shared closets. While it’s made clear to us that these characters are consummate professionals, Charlie’s Angels takes the time to show us that they are also people with character traits beyond being badass spies. 

This, in my opinion, is the greatest difference between Dark Fate and Charlie’s Angels. Grace and Sarah are hailed as tough, macho, pseudo-men who conform to typical male-driven ideas of strength coming from having a high kill count and protecting the physically weaker members of the team; the Angels, while great fighters, are portrayed as also being strong in other senses of the word, solving problems with their creativity, quick thinking, and looking out for one another. In other words, while Dark Fate celebrates women who are strong because they act like men, Charlie’s Angels celebrates women who are strong because they are women. 

While there’s nothing inherently wrong with a strong female character who ‘punches stuff and shoots stuff’, what could be problematic is if these stereotypically masculine ideas of strength come to dominate the discussion on what a ‘strong woman’ should look like. This could cause female characters who display other kinds of strength (like socioemotional strength, strength of character, or strength in terms of being intelligent) to be discounted from being seen as ‘strong’ in their own right. ‘Strong’ shouldn’t be a character’s sole defining trait. And ultimately, a strong female character should be more than just be a gender-bent version of a strong male character. 

Take Dani and Elena, the newbie ‘non-fighters’ of their respective teams, for example. While both exemplify ‘naive everywoman’ in the beginning, Elena is a lot less passive of a character than Dani. Though Elena isn’t as physically fit as the other Angels, she’s able to show her strength in a different way as a systems engineer, hacking into various systems to assist the other Angels throughout the mission. She displays strength when she seeks help from the Townsend Agency upon realising a problem with the Calisto technology; when she steadfastly refuses to transfer root access to the villains; when she reprograms the Calisto device to ‘light up and make noises’ instead of actually going off. 

On the other hand, it was a lot harder for me to see what was special about Dani. There were several moments in the film where I just stared at the screen, incredulous that this was the girl who was going to save the world. She seems to lack agency, instead constantly being shepherded around and saved by her buff ‘bodyguards’. And when she is making the decisions, she’s usually putting herself in harm’s way without first thinking through the consequences. For instance, jumping off a helicopter to save Sarah and shoot at the Terminator (useless) despite Grace’s repeated warnings that “everybody dies if you don’t make it”. 

Admittedly, though, Dani does seem to become a much wiser character by the third act of the film, proclaiming: “I’m not going to live in fear the rest of my life. I want to stand and fight.” 

And out of fairness, it’s also possible to see how Dani is strong in other ways even at the very start of the film: taking care of her father and her brother, and talking to the manager in Diego’s stead when he is about to lose his job to a robot. So here’s a gentler reading of Dark Fate: that it attempts to deconstruct the ‘strong woman’ trope, showing instead how a strong woman is built and the journey she takes to get there.

Speaking of technology: while technology advances the conflict in both films (the Rev-9 in Dark Fate and Calisto in Charlie’s Angels), Dark Fate is the one with the considerably more anti-technology message. 

Dani’s brother is fired from his job at the factory when a robot (of the non-murderous variety) comes to take his place at the assembly line. Sarah Connor keeps her phone in an empty bag of potato chips to prevent government agencies from tracing her. “Can’t go through this world without leaving behind a digital trail,” she says. Grace, the cybernetically enhanced soldier, repeats emphatically throughout the film that she’s human, unlike the Rev-9. Even Carl, the repentant T-800, achieves redemption only because he chooses to settle down with a human woman in a little cottage in Texas, spending 20 years learning how to be human. And at the end of the day, it’s the two mechanical ‘good guys’ who perish while the human protagonists survive. The subtext is clear, and it has all the subtlety of a rifle butt to the head: Machine, bad; human, good. 

Meanwhile, the technology message in Charlie’s Angels is a lot more nuanced. The protagonist herself is a techie: Elena, one of the good guys, is a systems engineer who graduated top of her class from MIT. Calisto, the device at the centre of the conflict, becomes a threat to the world not because of deliberate malice, but due to the unintended exploitation of a design flaw. And from communicator bangles/tattoos to tablets, the Angels use various gadgets on their missions. Here, the message isn’t ‘tech is bad’ but ‘tech can be bad if controlled by bad people’, which seems like much fairer position to take. In this age of automation, where the fear of AI taking away jobs runs rampant, it feels important to ensure that audiences walk out of cinemas knowing that technology, like a knife, isn’t inherently good or evil. Blame the wielder of the weapon, not the weapon itself.

There are many times when the plot of Dark Fate feels protracted and draggy, since the many rounds of ammunition exhausted on the Rev-9 cannot ‘kill’ it, only slow it down. No matter how many bullets the protagonists empty into the Rev-9, no matter how badly injured they are in the process, and no matter how badly injured the Rev-9 itself seems to be, it’s only a matter of seconds before the liquid Terminator respawns. All the protagonists can do is run away. It feels like a fight that can only be postponed, not won. And while this endless chase might simply be part of the appeal to die-hard Terminator fans, I personally felt very frustrated watching the protagonists toil fruitlessly on screen. By the time the Rev-9 confronts the trio in the hydro-power plant, I’m ready for it to end, one way or another. 

On the other hand, Charlie’s Angels presents the protagonists (and the audience) with new challenges each time. The conflict proceeds in a systematic fashion, where it’s clear that with every obstacle they overcome, the Angels are slowly but surely getting closer to their goal of retrieving Calisto. It’s this dynamism that makes the fight scenes (although considerably less gory than Dark Fate’s due to the film’s PG13 rating) more engaging to the audience. And the fact that the Angels are fighting other human beings instead of an invincible AI also opens the opportunity for highly-entertaining trash talk during the fights, adding an element of fun to the danger. Charlie’s Angels’ central villain, John Bosley, who refuses to go quietly after 40 years and take up gardening, has clearer, more relatable motivations. This makes him a much more compelling villain than the inscrutable Rev-9. 

In the end, what made Charlie’s Angels a stronger, more enjoyable film for me was the humour. Unlike Dark Fate’s action scenes, which mostly features explosions and running away from the indestructible Rev-9 while shooting bullets which had little to no effect, the fight scenes in Charlie’s Angels are genuinely engaging, with lots of witty banter and displays of camaraderie between the girls. Kristen Stewart, in particular stood out in her portrayal of Sabina, the deadly spy with a silly side. 

That is not to say that Charlie’s Angels was perfect. The film’s twists bordered on predictable (it’s safe to assume that all female characters are good) and seemed to promote the inequitable and overly simplistic message that all men were either villainously unscrupulous or hopelessly incompetent. 

While my enjoyment levels of these two films certainly differed, it was nice to see female characters take centre stage in an action movie instead of just being there to serve as eye candy, or as a male character’s romantic interest. If nothing, Dark Fate and Charlie’s Angels have at least proven that it’s possible for a film with a predominantly female cast to be engaging, without having an unnecessary romantic subplot thrown in for drama. 

With Birds of Prey slated for a February 2020 release, it looks like female-centric action movies might just be on the rise as a new Hollywood trend. But will this be good or bad? We’ll just have to wait and see.

By Kenneth Poh (20S03O), Chairperson

On the surface, Raffles Economics and Current Affairs Society, or RECAS for short, sure sounds boring. And honestly, you have every right to think so. What is an “economics and current affairs society” going to do anyway?

Well, we’re here to change your mind and take you through the world of a RECAS member.

Our sessions are on Wednesdays from 2.30 up to 4.30pm, depending on the activities planned for the day. Usually, we’ll have discussions about recent events happening around the world (hint: going to be quite useful for GP and Econs!), and sharings by Exco members or even club members who get to talk about topics they are passionate about. Games like Kahoot, QuizUp, and charades are also played alongside sharings.

There is no need to worry if you are introverted or generally quiet. Many of our members are, too, but they’ll also tell you about how RECAS provides an environment for them to speak up confidently. 

Additionally, we regularly organise outings and talks for our club members to create new experiences for club members and allow us not to be insular as a CCA. We have had sharings from members of the disabled community as part of a collaboration with Community Advocates and Interact, and have also had talks from esteemed alumni like Ms Margaret Lim, who did a sharing on startups and the finance industry.

Our outings have brought us to places like the Urban Redevelopment Authority, and even to Singapore’s Parliament House to have mock debates. We are planning future outings to other places including the Economic Development Board and the Maritime Port Authorities for a tour of Singapore’s islands.

But make no mistake, RECAS isn’t limited to Raffles. RECAS has gone onto the national stage to compete in various competitions, including the Economics Society of Singapore Essay Competition (2nd prize), the NUS Chancellor’s Challenge Shield (Champion), the NTU Current Affairs Competition (3rd place), and the NUS National Economics and Finance Management Quiz.

And of course, no club is complete without club bonding! We look highly upon club spirit and have held parties during our mid-year club camp, together with a Post-Promos Party at the end of the year.

As a whole, we are a student-led CCA and are given a lot of autonomy over activities we plan. The Exco is centred on inclusivity and welfare, making sure we plan engaging activities and also allowing activities you can suggest to be put to a vote. 

Come join RECAS and leave your mark with us!

By Joelle Kang (20S07A), Drama Section Leader, Tay Wan Lin (20S03A), Secretary, and Jagat Mok (20S06L), Songwriting Section Leader

Have you ever heard of CLDCS? Chances are, your answer is no. For one, CLDCS is a rather unnecessarily long and complicated name for a CCA that no one really knows what it stands for. Officially, CLDCS stands for Chinese Language Drama and Culture Society and no, we are not RI’s resident Chinese book club. In fact, we are a performing arts CCA with 2 unique sections—Drama and Songwriting.

If you do end up joining us you will be given the option to join either section, or both! Each section has one session per week, making joining both sections a totally viable option. So why choose when you can have the best of both worlds? 

Drama

Once a week (or more) on Thursdays from 4.30pm to 6.30pm

Have you ever thought about winning the Oscars or becoming the next up-and-coming Hollywood star? You have come to the right place… or not. While we are taught ways to brush up on our acting skills, that is not the only aim we intend to achieve. From writing scripts to managing the stage, there are many aspects to drama (and life) that we can learn. Under the guidance of our highly experienced instructor, Mr David Wong (黄老师), everyone can unleash their inner acting potential and work together to put up quality productions. Our CCA even has the tradition of performing original plays written by our very own members! Everyone—and anyone—is given the chance to write their very own script and see it come to life under our instructor’s guidance. 

Songwriting

Once a week on Tuesdays from 4.30pm to 6.30pm

Have you ever dreamt of being a songwriter, lyricist, singer, or an accompanist but don’t know where to start? Our professional songwriting instructor, Mr Keith Kwok, who has collaborated with Singapore Mandopop star JJ Lin, will share with you valuable insights on how to compose a catchy and unforgettable masterpiece. Using his magic wand—his pen—he can transform all of your ideas into something more spectacular. Yearly, our members will be given the opportunity to record their own songs into an album at Mr Keith’s recording studio (S.O.M.A – School of Music and the Arts). If you are always inspired to come up with lyrics, melodies, or simply just love singing, songwriting is the section for you! You may ask: do we need to have any experience or any qualifications to be in songwriting? The answer is no! Everyone is welcome to join regardless of your music background! Of course, if you are musically inclined and want to showcase your talent to bigger audience, we warmly welcome you to join the family. 

CLDCS Annual Showcase: 翠谷回响

Every year, CLDCS organises a showcase that we all look forward to. Just like the harmonious mix of flavours in your Yuan Yang drink, both sections will come together to put up a breathtaking performance. The preparation of the concert provides both sections a platform to forge bonds through shared experiences. 

During the concert, members from the songwriting section will perform songs they have composed while those from the drama section put up their very own production. Although this takes up much time and effort, we always do our best to ensure that the showcase is of high quality, and that the process is both enjoyable and memorable—this makes the showcase preparation the main highlight in the journeys of most CLDCS members. 

Final Thoughts

CLDCS is a CCA that will make you feel like you’re at home. It is a place where you can be free to make mistakes, learn from them, and most importantly be yourself. We can assure you that you will not regret joining us! It may be the start of your Music/Drama journey, but it most certainly will never be the end. 

By Ng Yan Zhe Calvert (20S03K), Chairperson, Samantha Joelle Arcilla Villanueva (20S03P), Vice-Chairperson, Ashley Tan Ying En (20S03B), EXCO Member, and Jebakumar Blessie Malar (20S03Q), EXCO Member

Any S03 student will tell you that a primer is a strand of nucleic acid that serves as a starting point for DNA synthesis. But what is a BB Primer? The Primers Programme is a structured programme for 16-18 year old youths administered by the Boys’ Brigade Singapore (BB). It offers a diverse range of experiences, from adventure expeditions to leadership development and community service. More importantly, in the Raffles Institution Boys’ Brigade (RIBB), Primers are like the older brothers and sisters of the Y1-4 Boys in RIBB. 

Do you like adventure? Then our biannual camps are just for you! You will be able to take part in urban navigation hikes by using a humble map and compass to navigate yourself through corners of Singapore you may not even have previously known about! We also do fun activities such as barbecue and archery during our camps every year. You can even look forward to “Primers’ Challenge”, a 4D3N camp in Malaysia, where adrenaline-pumping activities such as waterfall abseiling, white water rafting, and caving await.

Like marching and want to look smart? We have regular parades and drill practices, upholding high discipline standards as a Uniformed Group. What’s more, our smart white and blue uniform will surely wow your friends and family!

The Boys’ Brigade might not be a Sports CCA, but who says we don’t do sports? Our Primers are responsible for preparing the Boys for the annual “BB Blaze” competition, an outdoor adventure race where they run, cycle, and kayak a combined 30km, as well as take part in various challenges! As Primers, we not only plan the training programme for the Boys, but also train alongside the Boys. NAPFA surely won’t be a problem after this! 

Now, have we mentioned that we have our own Band? The Boys’ Brigade isn’t all about sports, camps, and drills. Tracing its roots back to Glasgow, Scotland, the Boys’ Brigade also provides opportunities for you to learn the Scottish Great Highland bagpipe (which sounds fantastic) and the snare drums! The Band is also where many Primers and Boys find another family comprised of individuals who share their love and passion for music.

Apart from the programmes that we run for our Primers in Y5–6, Primers are an absolutely vital part of the Boys’ Brigade. Primers are responsible for teaching the Boys skills during badgework sessions such as knot-tying and foot drill. Working closely with the Teachers and Officers (many of whom are past alumni), the Primers also prepare the Y1–4 Boys for events like our Annual Parade and company VIA events—these events include going to elderly centres, or distributing food packages to needy households during the holiday season. 

However, as Primers, we do more than just teaching and planning. As part of a well-structured mentoring system, the Primers play the role of mentors to the younger Boys, guiding them, and helping them to grow into Boys of character and excellence through their BB journey. This love and care for our juniors makes BB more like a family than just a CCA.

Of course, the Primers are also a close-knit batch in RI. In the Primers Programme, we spend a lot of time with one another and become very close friends that go through everything together. For example, we meet every morning at the parade square steps and celebrate one another’s birthdays in amazing ways. You can definitely depend on your batchmates if you need any help—be it advice, ‘tuition’, or just someone to listen to your troubles.

FAQ1: How busy will I be, if I choose to join BB Primers?

CCA times are on Mondays and Wednesday, 4-6pm. Primers are only required to attend the Company Contact Time (where the Boys, Primers, Teachers and Officers come together) every Wednesday, as well as Company events like camps. All commitment apart from these is largely flexible, very much depending on what committees you join, and each of us gets to decide what and how much we want to do—from training Boys for competitions, to teaching badge work and mentoring Boys, and even running Company Events. Involvement in events and courses at the national level such as Primers’ Challenge are also not compulsory and sign-ups are based on personal interest.

FAQ2: Can girls and non-RIBB (Y1–4) boys join? What if I wasn’t part of the BB programme in Secondary School?

You are welcome to join us too! In fact, girls make up half of the batch in the Primers Programme! We welcome anyone from any background—you don’t have to be from BB/GB or a UG to contribute in the Primers Programme! With the BB programme being so diverse and multifaceted, anyone can contribute in their own unique way. The Primers programmes also caters to youths who did not have the opportunity to join the BB before, and your fellow batchmates will be there to guide and learn alongside you.

FAQ3: How does it count towards the Raffles Diploma and other awards?

The BB’s Primers’ Programme ensures that all of us are definitely able to meet the minimum criteria for the Raffles Diploma. In fact, most Primers will get the BB Anchor Award through our participation in the CCA, earning us minimally a Merit Award. The Primers’ Programme is also aligned with the NYAA Gold requirements, so Primers can work towards that if interested. 

FAQ4: How can I find out more about the RIBB Primers Programme?

You can come down to the BB Primers booth during Open House or visit us during the January Induction Programme’s CCA feste. If you want to find out more, approach any of us (we’re at Raja Foyer every day), or check out @our60th on Instagram!

We hope to see you in BB! 

By MLDCS Batch ‘20

The Malay Literary Drama Cultural Society is an affable and close-knit community that provides our members with a circle of friends that we can always rely on, even in the midst of the stresses of JC life.

As an events-based CCA, we do not hold weekly meetings, but instead organise several activities throughout the year. These activities aim to help the Malay community in RI appreciate culture, spark passion in current affairs affecting our community, and most importantly, forge strong friendships that can last beyond one’s JC life. 

To start off the year, we hold a 2-day-1-night camp which aims to bond the seniors and juniors on top of strengthening intra-batch relations. As part of this camp, several activities—ranging from station games to escape rooms and an amazing race—are held. By engaging in fun and fulfilling activities together, our members are able to socialise and make friends we can depend on, as well as exemplify the Kampung Spirit with, throughout our next 2 years in RI.

Every year, we organise the Seminar Belia (Youth Seminar), which aims to bring together secondary school and junior college students to discuss pertinent issues in the society. This year, to celebrate Singapore’s bicentennial, the topic of our seminar was “Dua Abad Singapura: Waktu Dini, Waktu Kini, Waktu Lini” (Singapore Bicentennial: Past, Present, Future). The seminar featured a three-member panel consisting of Dr Sae’da Buang, Dr Bibi Jan Mohd Ayyub, and Mr Mohd Raman Daud.

As an annual tradition, during Ramadan (the fasting month), we invite all the CCA members to break fast in school and enjoy a nice meal together; in 2020, Ramadan will begin in late April. The excitement and joy of breaking fast with your friends is definitely something you should not miss out on, but you know what else is in store for you? The delectable dishes being served! Truly, food is the ingredient that binds us together.

To celebrate a month’s worth of fasting, comes the commencement of Hari Raya Aidilfitri where we enjoy delicious festive foods and strengthen bonds between loved ones. As part of this year’s Raya celebration, we organised an unofficial house-visit outing to each others’ homes, also known as jalan raya. Even though it was challenging commuting as a big group to various areas in Singapore, we had fun as the outing was a great way to take a break from mugging for the CTs in July.

Sure, at first glance, it may seem that MLDCS is solely a platform that offers the activities you have read above. But it is so much more than that. MLDCS is more than just a CCA: it is a community that brings Malay students from our school together for us to forge close ties and build friendships that will last beyond our JC years. We hope that MLDCS is where you can feel rooted and connected by our common Malay heritage.

By Yu Jiawei (20S03J), Ashlyn Poon (20S06Q), and Gladys Chia (20S03G)

Raffles Netball: we are known for being noisy wherever we are. You can hear us singing or bantering in the cages or the benches (aka the netball table) before training begins, dancing very loudly in the cages for warm-up and having numerous chill runs after training sessions! Our screams can be heard miles away from the toilets during our ice bath after matches and even our day-to-day ‘hello’s around school are jarring.

But our noisiness is nothing but a reflection of the strong bond between each and every member of the team. Raffles Netball consists of a humble 14 people in both J1 and J2, making us one of the smallest sports CCAs in RI. However, our small number only contributes to the closeness of the team, and we strongly believe in “small but fierce”. These strong bonds extend past our 2 years in RI, where seniors that have graduated still come down to support the RI team whenever they are free.

Our teachers-in-charge are Ms Deborah Koh, Ms Shafa and Mr Chan Kuang Wen. Our coach is Mr Goh (aka Jiaolian) and our strength and conditioning (SNC) coach is Coach Nithiya (aka Coachie).

Every year, we take part in the A-Division National School Netball Games, and last year we placed 2nd! That season was a very memorable one as we started the season on a very shaky start, whereby in the first round we already found ourselves playing by goal difference (which only happens when three teams are tied). Despite facing many challenges, our team spirit never faltered throughout the season. We treated every match as if it was our last and fought really hard for every game. We slowly improved and eventually made it to finals, fighting for the Champion title. In the end, when we placed 2nd, we were disappointed with the results, but the journey was the most valuable takeaway. 

Our achievements never come easy and we always strive to do better. We have our opportunities to improve in training, which take place thrice a week during season and twice a week off-season. We work on our movements and our skills during court training, which eventually helps meld us into a team on court. Strength training conditions our bodies so that we are able to perform on court to the best of our abilities. Raffles Netballers usually have prior experience in the sport, so we aim high—for the gold.

We train hard, but we also have fun. Training comes with bits of bloopers and we always find joy in each other’s company, be it playing frisbee or dancing to songs. We often go out for dinners and study dates and have netball camps. This March, we will be going on our long-awaited, biennial trip to Sydney, where we will be training and playing friendly matches against the teams there. It is also a time for the team to forge and strengthen bonds, and to get closer to each other.

So, what kind of person will thrive in our CCA? Here is a checklist of attributes that will ensure you will be able to grow both in terms of skill and character if you are looking to join Raffles Netball:

• Willing to put in 101% in everything they do
• Having commitment to the team
• Willing to take in advice and be vocal with your views
• Knowing when to have fun and when to be serious
• Knowing how to give/take constructive criticism
• Accountability for each training session

Trust us, you will not regret your decision of joining the Raffles Netball family!

By Sophia He (20S03H) and Valerie Tan (20A01E)
Photos courtesy of Raffles Photographic Society

The Oxford dictionary defines being homesick as “experiencing a longing for one’s home during a period of absence from it”. Raffles Players, in their year-end production of 2019, defines homesick as “a dysfunctional family stuck under one roof for 10 days due to a SARS quarantine”. In this adaptation of Alfian Sa’at’s 2006 play Homesick, Raffles Players brought together the complex weave of family and ancestry, kinship and brotherhood, identity and belonging, to deliver their audience two nights of contagious fun in our very own Theatre Studies and Drama Room (TSD).

As the familiar melody of the 2001 National Day Parade (NDP) song “Where I Belong” faded away before the start of play, the audience was plunged abruptly into pitch darkness, and introduced to a scenario at once familiar and unfamiliar: the 2003 SARS outbreak. The family patriarch’s illness reunites the Koh siblings, Heather, Marianne, Arthur, Daphne and Alex, in their Peranakan home in Singapore, and with their mother Patricia (Eu Shae-anne, 20S03L). Filled with more biting witticisms than thematic advancements of character, the first few scenes are an exploration of the tensions apparent in the Koh family, with each character representing a different trope that often conflict with the others.

“Send my regards to the red guards.”
— Heather, on Arthur’s arrival

From the start, Heather (Beth Lim, 20S03I), the eldest and earliest to arrive home, is strangely reminiscent of the emerging class of “educated” Singaporeans: bitter about her circumstances, yet feeling as though she is powerless to enact any change. For all her witty comebacks and biting denunciations of her family members—perhaps a bit overblown at times, but at least entertaining—Heather feels helpless: helpless to extract herself from her unsavoury situation, and also powerless against Arthur’s knowledge of her life, that the rich Englishman she married and eventually divorced was in fact a janitor, and not the personification of all her Anglophilic dreams. This helplessness translates into a wider recurring theme later on in the play, when characters feel compelled by their circumstances to make choices that do not seem entirely their own. Beth conveyed all of this with a British accent that helped to further demonstrate her character’s attempts to take on a new life in England.

Marianne (Michele Pek, 20A01A), on the other hand, feels powerless for a different reason. Unlike Heather, she seems more inclined to diffuse familial tensions than to instigate them. Despite this, she is, like Heather, deeply unhappy, devoting so much time and effort to ensuring the happiness of those around her that she overlooks what she herself wants out of her relations and her life. Michele, with her mild floral dress and propensity for leaving rooms, portrayed Marianne with care and an understanding of her mild nature. Her quiet restraint and short, aborted actions spoke for this unobtrusive character where dialogue fails, trails off, or aborts itself in favour of a facade of harmony. 

Having been introduced to Heather and Marianne, Daphne (Zhang Ziru, 20A01E), the headstrong, feminist activist, feels like a breath of fresh air, especially in a family—or country—where some may appear too concerned with personal bread-and-butter issues to consider calling attention to other social issues. She is painted as the only one in the family who sees the injustices around her and empowers herself to create a better world. Yet as the play unfolds, her bold front seems increasingly fragile as the convictions that back up her actions fail to stand up to scrutiny. Perhaps Daphne’s role was to serve as a representation of Singapore’s activism field back in 2006, when the play was first written; while activism certainly existed in Singapore, there may have been doubts about how much concrete change it was able to effect, given Singapore’s conservative nature. This may not be a fair comment now, given the growing youth advocacy of today, but such critique could have been warranted a decade before. In the end, it was disappointing but not entirely surprising that out of all the weary souls that make up the Koh family, it was Daphne that escapes from the escalating chaos to seek her own peace, violating the quarantine and earning herself an electronic tracker issued by the state. All of this is brought to life expertly by Ziru, who infused every sentence with palpable annoyance, complete with eye rolls and sighs.

Arthur (Jerell Toh, 20S06R), or Wei Yang as he prefers to be addressed, immediately establishes his presence as the “fundamentalist born-again Chinese”, in the words of a dismissive Heather. Arguably the least likeable character, Arthur’s demand for traditional terms of address and astonishment that Marianne would not give her children Chinese names feel like actions that would earn him an “ok boomer” from the play’s young audience. Admittedly the one who ends up giving voice to many of the tensions that underlie the family’s interactions, as well as their individual struggles with identity. In the end, however, he is too uptight for sympathy. While his motivations for alienating himself from his own family are clear, the audience receives very little insight into what actually goes on in the mind of this man that has so desperately chosen to trace back to his ancestral roots in China, rather than any other place he could call home (such as the Western countries where his siblings now reside). This leaves a one-dimensional characterisation of arguably the only conservative in the play, a move that ironically provokes the audience into wondering about what motivations might lie beneath such bitter pragmatism. 

The youngest sibling, Alex (Joanne Sitorus, 20S03G) seems to be a representation of the globalised individual, torn between multiple identities and responsibilities towards different nations. Having studied in Australia for most of her schooling years, she is now in a dilemma over which country to declare herself a citizen of: Australia, or Singapore? There’s no doubt that Australia is where Alex truly feels like home, yet she is inextricably bound to Singapore by the fact that she is the only child left to look after her parents, with expectations of filial piety placed on her by the very siblings who decided to send her away to Perth, and have now left for their own greener pastures. It seems that the question being asked would be that of what Singapore is doing to develop a genuine sense of loyalty in the younger generation, rather than their staying out of a mere perceived requirement to love one’s homeland. Alex articulates her reasons for leaving in eloquent, convincing tones, but her compulsion to stay seems borne of empty filial obligations, devoid of passion or any true sense of belonging, a sentiment that echoes among Singapore’s youth.

Lastly, we come to the unnamed patriarch of the family, who serves as the catalyst for the family’s unfortunate reunion but yet never once shows up, or is even mentioned by name. It is strangely apt that his absence is, in some ways, corroborated by what the audience slowly grows to learn about him. Although he is never seen in the flesh, the audience is fed bits and pieces of information about him as the play goes on, such that by the end, he is known only through the lenses of seven different characters, each with their own take on his character and motivations. 

The play progresses with the reveal of the family patriarch’s mistress, Cindy, which wrecks havoc upon the already-dysfunctional Koh family. Dramatic irony comes into full play as the characters attempt to conceal Cindy’s true identity from Patricia, who initially welcomes her warmly into the family as Arthur’s girlfriend. These culminate in a tense confrontation between the two women, and the play ends where most families begin—with a traditional family portrait, Cindy included. And herein lies the most striking character development within the play, which comes from the warm, welcoming matriarch of the family, Patricia Koh. It is her growth, from a nurturing, ever-patient mother to someone served one of life’s biggest betrayals, that strikes one as at once deeply devastating but also quietly empowering. As the one character in the Koh family who has sacrificed the most for their family, her decision to move away from the Peranakan house that no longer feels like home seems like an apt end to this tale of a broken family, driven finally to ruin by an estranging force so strong that even the power of a mother’s selfless love can no longer hold it together.

In many ways, the Koh family serves as a microcosm of our Singaporean society. Here, we have the weary and the idealistic, the downtrodden and the hopeful, the traditionalist and the progressive. The ties of kinship that bring them together feel more obligatory than legitimate, and each member is searching for a sense of higher purpose and identity that they cannot quite find within the confines of their family unit. The struggles for identity and lack of a true sense of belonging reflect, perhaps, a larger social issue left unspoken around us, and our own struggles to connect with a fledgling nation still grappling with her own identity crisis.

In spite of all their differences, what the Koh siblings have in common is a distinct lack of a Singaporean identity, and even the deliberate rejection of it, which in turn leads to a sense of detachment from their own traditional Peranakan family. Besides everyone’s migration to other countries—almost all Western, with the exception of Arthur’s choice of China as his new home—perhaps this is most clearly seen in Heather’s attempt to escape her past by erasing her history, choosing instead to lie to her husband about being an orphan. Arthur puts this point across straightforwardly, almost comically, in his sharp, acidic rants as well, claiming that “there’s no such thing as a Singaporean; we’re all immigrants”. Indeed, also explored in the play is the idea that what makes, or does not make, a national identity, and the perceived lack thereof contributes to the characters’ sense of detachment and disillusion with the nation. Arthur, for instance, comments on Singapore’s use of national symbols such as the Vanda Miss Joaquim, an artificial hybrid, and the Merlion, a half-lion half-fish oddity, as well as how Christmas decorations have snow on them even in its equatorial climate.

Throughout the play, the audience is further presented with the study of those who choose to stay in the motherland and those who leave. Characters are sometimes shaped entirely by their relationships with their land of origin and the places they choose to settle down in, such as with Heather and her longing for the western idealisation of Englishmen and the English countryside, and Arthur’s attempt to reconnect with his Chinese ancestry in China. Yet even as these characters verbosely express their inner dilemmas, one thing is left unspoken—what exactly is it about Singapore that makes it so easy to leave for them? Whether it be to seek better opportunities, to stay with one’s family or to retrace one’s roots, the motivation to go is often clear-cut. But with the sincere and motherly Patricia in the house, the characters themselves often feel confused as to why it is that they feel so thin a compulsion to stay, in the household and motherland that nurtured them all. This actually seems to give the play more nuance: is home actually so bad, or is the dissatisfaction with it merely making a mountain out of a molehill?

In the end, the play feels rather like Heather: angry and desperate for social change, yet starkly aware of how little it can do—or even knows what to suggest doing, given the wide variety of themes brought up—to enact that change. At times, the voice of the original playwright himself seems to come through; the eloquent and frustrated voices given to some of these characters sound as though the writer himself longed to have that stage, to give light to the injustices and social abnormalities that he perceives in everyday Singaporean society. There were times when this seemed to weigh the play down in the form of clunky, occasionally out-of-character circumlocutions, which could have been explored more subtly in other ways—for instance, using the context of the SARS outbreak as a metaphor, which was otherwise left to nothing more than a plot device. The surveillance in the form of constant state-mandated check-ins was also taken completely in stride by the characters, who viewed it as nothing more than a mild inconvenience. However, in spite of these slightly disappointing areas, the points raised within the play were often still effective catalysts for extended conversation beyond the black box.

Of course, there were moments of humour scattered throughout this otherwise serious play. A scene that ended with a passionate kiss between Marianne and her husband Manoj (as the lights go out, naturally) earned cheers from the audience, while quips and witticisms from several of the characters were similarly met with hearty laughter and applause:

“Once, he was stopped by the police for having too much blood in his alcohol stream.”
— Heather, on her husband

And perhaps the most heart-warming scene of the play occurs when Heather has breakfast—bread and kaya—with Patricia. Offhandedly, Patricia mentions that she “keeps everything” about her children, from certificates to birthday cards and more, even though they have all left her. Stunned, and perhaps filled with guilt, Heather quietens for a while before suddenly getting up to leave, her bread lying half-eaten on the plate. “It’s too sweet,” she says. A pause later: “The jam.”

All of this would not have been as effective, however, without the hard work of the Year 5 Players batch. From the aesthetic of the sets to the accents of the characters and even down to the collateral created for publicity, not a single detail was overlooked, allowing the audience to fully immerse themselves in what would be the batch’s first and last production together. The nature of the black box, in which audience members are seated especially close to the stage, further heightened the importance of attention to detail; sets I/C Liyana Afiqah (20S03I) had to take extra care to preserve the Peranakan aesthetic of the set with tile stickers and specially-bought wood for the flats. A special mention must also be made about the ticket booth just outside the TSD, whose whiteboard featured the play’s title, but with the beginning H written to mimic the logo of the Health Promotion Board, harking back to the play’s context of the 2003 SARS outbreak.

“The play is really hard to do, because it’s not self-written,” Shae-anne admitted. “Previously, actors were typecast, but here we were put into [sic] things that we weren’t comfortable with. And it’s different because this is a black box, rather than a theatre; it’s more personal and closer to the audience.”

“It’s been a long and challenging journey,” director Fiona Xiao (20A01A) agreed. “But I am so, so, so proud of how far our actors have come, and I feel like we’ve really bonded as a batch over this journey.”

To have been able to watch Homesick was perhaps a great privilege in itself; merging a social critique, a comedy and a family drama into one is no easy feat, but this play managed to accomplish all that and more. Raffles Players’ Year 5s have impressed the audience with their batch’s numerous talents, and while their labour of love may have lasted a mere two hours, the memories of it will certainly stay with everyone for far, far longer.

Actors and Actresses
Eu Shae-anne as Patricia Koh
Beth Lim as Heather Koh
Michele Pek as Marianne Koh
Jerell Toh as Arthur Koh
Zhang Ziru as Daphne Koh
Joanne Sitorus as Alex Koh
Manish Warrier as Manoj Abraham
Crystal Lai as Cindy Leow

Management
Jannatun Tajrian (Director)
Fiona Xiao (Director)
Sonia Kaur (Stage Manager)
Naadiah Bte Mohamed Ibraham (Production Manager)
Dennis Suyanto (Production Manager)

Costumes and Makeup
Zhao Na (I/C)
Michele Pek

Props and Sets
Liyana Afiqah (I/C)
Joanne Sitorus
Manish Warrier
Zhang Ziru
Beth Lim
Jerell Toh

Publicity
Nursyarifah Bte Abdullah (I/C)
Liu Kai Zhong
Crystal Lai
Eu Shae-Anne

Lights and Sounds
Liu Kai Zhong (Sounds)
Sonia Kaur (Lights)

By Christine Sim (20S07A), Chairperson

As the merciless sun beats down on our frail human bodies, we point up to the sky and berate the heavens for subjecting us to such agony. Oh, the horror of being subjected to yet another unpredictable month of soaked sneakers and sweat-drenched blouses!

Hold that thought though, it’s just a reality check.

For global warming.

Or not. 

Jokes aside, we here at One Earth are determined to turn our climate woes into productive energy—mainly through self-initiated advocacy projects. Or you can just bask in the glow of having a closely-knitted family of nature-lovers.

To put it simply, we are a CCA that focuses on environment-related service. If you are reading this, we (hopefully correctly) assume that you have an interest in environmental issues and are looking to further your passion, of which we are proud to be your medium of choice.

While it may sound rather daunting to be working on all these activities, fear not, as all of our members start off clueless before being introduced to our wise teacher-in-charge, Ms Wong, and thoughtful seniors. 

A typical One Earth member attends CCA session once a week, during which the magic of brainstorming ideas for our Student Initiated Projects (SIPs) occur. These projects are carried out in groups of three to five, and are incredibly personal as you will be spreading awareness about an environmental issue that you feel strongly for.

Examples of such projects include the Water Conservation workshop, which we held at Zhonghua Primary School, to teach students the importance of water conservation and adopting new habits to prevent water wastage. Others include the Recycling and Plastic Waste workshop at Marymount Convent School, where students are taught DIY crafts using recyclable materials after an introduction to basic recycling through slides and a mini quiz.

Additionally, One Earth had the pleasure of organising our Escape Room: Dystopia, for Team Raffles Games 2019 for the second year running. While we delighted in seeing the faces of our stumped peers when they had to sort plastic items according to their recyclability, we hope they had gained takeaways from our event. (We are optimistic that our message about recycling and climate change has been conveyed.) 

So, if you are ready to put on your bamboo-weaved armour and charge with us in our battle against the climate woes of our world, we want you. Of course, there are prerequisites to joining us: a healthy dose of passion for the environment and service is necessary. 

Our selection process involves just a short interview, simple and sweet. Do join us if you are interested; we look forward to meeting you!