Author: Pan Haotian (24A01B)

Commentary, Features, Life After Raffles

Interview Feature: Mei Feifei, 2023 President’s Scholar
Reading Time: 8 minutes

By Iman Talia Zahiri Han-En (24S03E), Pan Haotian (24A01B)

“The ones who answer the call to serve must lead by example,” said then-President Halimah Yacob during this year’s President’s Scholarship Award Ceremony. The President’s Scholarship is considered Singapore’s most prestigious undergraduate scholarship, awarded only to individuals who have “stood out among their cohort, demonstrating excellence in various pursuits”. Awardees are “dedicated to improving the lives of Singaporeans and exemplify the ethos of the Public Service”.

Raffles Press recently interviewed Mei Feifei (batch of 2022), one of this year’s President’s Scholars. Feifei is currently pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Economics at the University of Chicago.

Besides the long list of accomplishments to her name, Feifei radiates a palpable fervour and sense of self-sacrifice that drives her every step. Fueled by her determination to contribute to policy areas she is passionate about, Feifei has chosen to study Economics.“If you think about the public servant as someone who is responsible for Singapore’s economic and social growth, as well as preserving our environment, Economics stretches across all three domains,” she tells us. Read our full interview with Feifei below!

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Aunt Agony and Uncle Upset, Commentary

Aunt Agony and Uncle Upset: Reducing Excessive Stress
Reading Time: 5 minutes

By Pan Haotian (24A01B) and Darren Wong (24S03C, Peer Helper)

Your resident Aunties and Uncles are back with our Ask Aunt Agony and Uncle Upset column, this time as a collaboration between Raffles Press and Peer Helpers’ Programme (PHP)! Ever wanted to rant about that someone you just can’t stand? Overwhelmed with too many feelings? Submit your confessions to https://tinyurl.com/RIAAUU and we’ll give them our best shot. This column will be published at the end of every month.

What should I do if my stress is making it hard for me to eat and sleep? I don’t know how to reduce the stress because it is how I feel and it is hard to change.

Stressed-Out Sebastian

Dear Stressed-Out Sebastian,

“Stress” may be the 1740th most common word in the English language (thank you, Google), but it’s likely the most common word in any Rafflesian’s vocabulary. For many of us, stress is no longer an exception in an otherwise peaceful school term: it’s the new normal. Yet we need to remember that just because something is common doesn’t mean that it’s normal, and behind the commonplace complaint of stress hides entirely unordinary symptoms. 

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School Life

A Walk Through the Future: RI’s Career and Scholarship Fair 
Reading Time: 4 minutes

By Gabriel Ho (24S02A), Pan Haotian (24A01B) and Shannen Lim (24A01A)
Cover image courtesy of Raffles Photographic Society

The age-old question: What do you want to do when you grow up? On 14 July 2023, throngs of Rafflesians gathered after class for the first in-person Career and Scholarship Fair in three years to search for their own answers. Hundreds of ambitious students rushed to view the array of booths, some of which featured Raffles alumni who had once walked the same path.

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CCA Events, School Life

C4RPE DI3M: Council Investiture 2023
Reading Time: 5 minutes

By Pan Haotian (24A01B)

There was a palpable sense of anticipation in the air as a fresh batch of Councillors took their seats in the PAC on the morning of 24 May. In just a few hours, they would officially assume the positions of the outgoing 42nd Students’ Council, and carve out their own path in the year ahead. 

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