Commentary

The Unique Experiences of the Uniquely Named
Reading Time: 5 minutes

By Dara Tan (27A01A)

My name is Dara Tan. 

Did you do a double-take? Did you think to yourself, “what an interesting name?” Or google the meaning of my name? 

I have lived with the debilitating experience of first-time introductions for the entirety of my life. People have mispronounced, misspelled, misspelled and forgotten my name, while others have remembered me solely because of it. I have endured plenty of teasing as a child (“Dora, Dora, Dora the Explorer!”) and suffered through spelling my name out to confused teachers and friends. 

But having a unique name can be fun and amusing, and it has its perks at times. 

These are only some of the experiences of having a unique name. 

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Commentary, Culture, Opinion

Why Hollywood Keeps Releasing Sequels No One Wants 
Reading Time: 5 minutes

By Prajna Girish (27S06O) and Saadhana Kalimuthu (27A01C)

It’s as if studios have fired every creative individual on their premises during all those AI expansions. Movies—the defining cultural touchstone of numerous generations, including our own—have been reduced into diluted money grabs with little character development.

Once a gold standard for children’s cinema, Disney seems to be showcasing their creativity drought. Just this week at D23, original movies made up only about 6 of their 23 upcoming releases. 

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Culture, Movie Reviews, Raffles Reviews

Okay, but was it really how Nolan intended it?
Reading Time: 5 minutes

By Prajna Girish (27S06O)

Cinema seats have rarely been snatched as quickly as they did for Christopher Nolan’s highly anticipated 2026 project–The Odyssey. I remember sitting at my desk, debating the merits of watching the smash-hit that had grossed $124 million in its opening weekend and 94% on Rotten Tomatoes, on IMAX, apparently “the way it was filmed to be seen”– though prices were upwards of twice a typical ticket. Ultimately, protecting my wallet won out, but after reading the original Epic by Homer, I had to see for myself if the adaptation lived up to the hype. For anyone facing the dilemma, here’s a spoiler-light look at whether it’s worth the watch–and which way it’s best experienced.

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Book Reviews, Commentary, Raffles Reviews, Singapore

This Is Where I Won’t Be Alone: On Home and Belonging
Reading Time: 7 minutes

By Janelle See Jia Xin (27A01D)

I always found National Day to be an enigmatic event. Every August, the whole of Singapore is decked out in red and white. In schools, we’d revisit the same old stories of Singapore’s long journey to independence and how we should take pride in being Singaporeans. However, all this time, I never really stopped to ask myself what it meant to ‘belong’.

THIS IS HOME, TRULY

It was just another school weekday, only made less mundane by our mandatory EL Week ‘reading session’ in the library. While browsing, I chanced upon a book tucked in the corner: This Is Where I Won’t Be Alone, a SingLit collection of short stories whose title explicitly references a lyric from the famous 1998 National Day song Home by Kit Chan. I didn’t expect to get hooked on it for the next hour or so, and found myself reluctantly parting ways with it at the end of the session.

Fate must have tied me to this book. A year later, the author herself, Ms Inez Tan, came down to RI to give an inspiring talk about intention versus objective to the Humanities Programme students. My curiosity renewed, I dug up and finished her book in one sitting. Upon which, I realised how local stories like hers truly seek to explore the boundaries of home and belonging. Here is why Tan’s collection is the perfect place to start reading SingLit. 

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Commentary, Opinion

A love letter to Yo-Chi and A Hot Hideout
Reading Time: 7 minutes

By Tran My Linh (27A01B)

I have a relatively expensive taste for someone who’s still living off my parents’ allowance. 

For one, I love Mala–but not just any Mala chain–specifically Hot Hideout, the most expensive one of them all. And I’m no better than your average teenager because I, too, love Yo-Chi. Run the numbers (spoiler alert: there might be a lot in this article), and I would likely be spending $25 if I were to make a visit to Somerset and find myself in both chains. That’s equivalent to 10 plates of chicken rice from the Y1-4 canteen or 6 plates of chicken briyani from the Prata store being gone in a day. Albeit a personal one, I’m certain this anecdote resonates with many of us. Blame it on inflation, but Mala and Yo-chi’s pay-by-weight business model ultimately entices us to pay more than if we opted for a standard food court meal at 313@Somerset or Yolé right across the street. 

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