By Abigail Ang (18S06B)

Do you have something on your mind that you are bursting to share? A cause you are passionate about? A confidential tip? An observation about school life or a phenomenon you wish someone would investigate?

Well, you can stop holding your tongue, as Press Soapbox is back in its 3rd incarnation next week. Press Soapbox is a biannual initiative by Raffles Press which aims to tap the pulse of the school community and cover issues that Rafflesians care about. Some articles that have resulted from Soapbox over the years include an investigation into puppy mills in Singapore, a deeper look into diet culture and an examination of the arguments for vegetarianism.

In case you are still holding out, we have prepared a short FAQ for the hesitant:

Is my idea good enough/interesting enough to be submitted?

Any story with potential may be taken up and assigned a writer. We reserve the right for our writers to rework the approach the story may take.

In all seriousness, though, you never know if you never try.

I am invested in this topic and want to have a hand in this story. Can I still have input in this story if I submit my story idea?

Yes! Simply leave your contact information on the slip of paper with your submission in the canteen and indicate your interest in participating in the writing of this article. If your submission is accepted, you will be contacted and we can work things out from there – if you would like to be a co-author or share more of your experiences on the issue, for example.

Alternatively, if you already have an article and are looking for a platform to share it, Raffles Press currently accepts guest features – you may approach us about this at press.raffles@gmail.com.

Will controversial topics be accepted?

Ah, the eternal question. Is Raffles Press an independent news site, a thinly-veiled guise for school propaganda or a platform for poorly written GP essays/blog rants?

While we certainly hope to be none of the latter, we have to admit that Word of Mouth is in fact – gasp – financed by the (Raffles) Institution, and its writers are members of a school CCA.

At the same time, we believe that the honest and frank discussion of issues that the school community cares about – whether it be the comments made during January Induction Programme (JIP) talks that many students found disconcerting, or slurs used around RI – is healthy. It is also indicative of a mature student community and an open and transparent school administration that is willing to hear what its students have to say.

Raffles Press will be collecting article ideas in the canteen from 16 April (Monday) to 18 April (Wednesday) next week. Simply pop by and drop your idea into our box; pens and paper will be provided!