Commentary, RI Events, School Life

Crepúsculo: Orientation 2021

By Afeef Ikhwan (21A13B) and Sara Chia (21S03G)

Once upon a time, the Mary Mountains were kept peaceful by the power of the Sun and the Moon, the kingdom’s Ruler, as well as the five Houses. However, with the weakening of house spirit in the kingdom, the five Houses must restore the balance between the Sun and the Moon to ensure that the sacred state of twilight is not lost forever.

Crepúsculo, literally translating to “twilight” in Spanish, is the theme of this year’s orientation programme! Crepúsculo interlinks a multitude of metaphors. The time spent in junior college is beautiful yet momentary, and as such, should be appreciated while it lasts, much like how twilight is a transitionary period between day and night. Additionally, activities planned for the orientation programme are both safe and adventurous, taking safe management measures (SMMs) into account. 

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Commentary, School Life

Breaking News: Press Sued

By Faith Ho (22A01A) and Shermaine Lim (22S03N)

It is with deepest sorrow that Raffles Press is announcing that we have been recently involved in a lawsuit with a company that we are unable to name as of now.

We have outlined the chronology of events in this article, as we want to be fully transparent and accountable to our readers. We hope that you can support us through this difficult time. 

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Commentary, Events, Human Interest, RI Events, School Life

Friendship is Family: FAM 2021

By Matthew Ethan Ramli (21S03F) and Noelle Leow (21A01B)

Kicking off Friendship Appreciation Week on Tuesday was a concert by Raffles Jazz. The Amphitheatre steps were filled with socially-distanced students drawn by the promise of live music. The crowd, which extended to the benches behind and the levels above, waited in eager anticipation for the concert—and were rewarded by Jazz’s rich and soulful melodies.

Drawing from their existing repertoire, Jazz played three famous standards: “Fly Me to the Moon” by Frank Sinatra and two Stevie Wonder hits, “For Once in My Life” and “Isn’t She Lovely”. According to Jazz member Benjamin Silver Matthew (21A13A), these songs were chosen for their popularity within the school population. 

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Commentary, Op-Eds, School Life, Student Issues

Of (CCA) Trials and Tribulations: Dealing with Rejection

By Neo Xin Yuan (21A01D)

Trial Outcome: Unsuccessful. 

A year ago, I was staring at these words printed innocuously on the webpage, thinking it must be a mistake.

Both CCAs that I’d tried for had rejected me. Both of which I would’ve loved to get into as they aligned with two of my biggest passions: art and writing. I tried to smile it off in front of my friends, but inadvertently, I fell in a bad mood for the next few days that slipped by. 

A friend asked me which CCA she should choose between two that had accepted her. She had more than two CCAs to choose from. It’s hard not to feel anything less than jealous when both the CCAs I’d applied for had accepted her—the same CCAs that rejected me. Later, I was notified that I was accepted because of a vacancy, but the damage had been done—for a long time, I felt like I didn’t truly belong in my club as I had been a ‘second choice’.  

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Commentary, Human Interest, Life After Raffles, Print Editions

International Women’s Day Edition: The ’00s – Ms. Lai Shan Ru

This is 1 of the 11 interview features as part of our International Women’s Day Special Edition.

By Sara Chia (21S03G)  

In 2018, 24 from Singapore made it into the Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia list. Out of the 24, one was Ms. Lai Shanru—co-founder of the widely successful cashback platform ShopBack. Having started as a relatively small platform with a limited number of merchants, ShopBack now boasts over 5 million users across the Asia-Pacific.

Despite her young age and the risks involved, Ms. Lai took the leap and is now a prominent figure in Singapore’s entrepreneurial scene. As one of ShopBack’s co-founders, she more than perfectly fits the bill of the International Women’s Day 2021 theme, which focuses on “women in leadership”.

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