Commentary

Commentary

“Sing!” — Raffles Chorale Showcase 2026
Reading Time: 5 minutes

By Kunchur Bharat (26A01B) and Prajna Girish (27S06O)

All photographs provided by Skyler Chen Yuanzhe (27S03A) and Huang Zhi En (27S03B) from Raffles Arts and Photographic Society 

As the evening light reflected off the ivy that crept down the walls of the School Of The Arts (SOTA), friends, family, and even some members of the School Management rapidly filled both upper and lower floors of the concert hall. Some held bouquets of wildflowers, others carried handmade boards–but everyone had the same eager smile and peeled ears for this year’s joint performance by RI’s Voices (Secondary) and Chorale (JC), Sing!

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CCA Events, Commentary, Sports

Reclaiming the Throne: Table Tennis Girls’ NSG Finals 2026
Reading Time: 6 minutes

By Teo Kai Xu (27A01B)

All images courtesy of Raffles Art and Photographic Society unless otherwise stated.

The Girls’ Team marching into the arena. (Photo provided by Aleenta Quek from 27S06B)

All eyes were on them. Dressed in their iconic green, black, and white jackets, the Girls’ team marched into the arena, steeling themselves for the match ahead. 

You could feel the excitement among the spectators. Cheers rose above the chaotic din of clappers, as a palpable enthusiasm swept across the stands. Amidst the crowd, flags were waving high in support of the teams.

This year, the Girls’ Team was matched against their long-time rivals, Hwa Chong Institution (HCI), to whom they lost last year. Historically, the championship has swung between RI and HCI, and so, the day’s match was looking to be another toss-up. 

The question here was: Was the team ready to win back the title?

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Commentary, Opinion

Are You Truly Enjoying Life? (The Photo Dilemma) 
Reading Time: 6 minutes

By Sophie Sim (27S05A) 

All photos courtesy of Orlando Khoo (27S06F) unless otherwise stated.

Scrolling through my camera roll, I see all the events I’ve been a part of, all the outings I’ve been on. But if asked to pick my favourite event, I would hesitate. Because even the best pictures on my camera roll are rarely the best memories of my life. 

The most fun moments of my life would come out as the most blurry, low-res pictures ever: where someone’s eyes are closed, when the lighting’s terrible, and nobody is posing properly. 

It’s these moments when nobody cares about whether the photo turns out “glam” or not, or whether to post on “spam” or “main”, when the only thing on everyone’s mind is just laughing, crying and even bickering with one another, when we feel that we are living for ourselves, not to showcase to anyone else. It is at these moments that people have the time of their lives.

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Commentary, Culture, Opinion

Yes Justin, It’s Finally Clocking To Us 
Reading Time: 5 minutes

By Jaden Lum (26S05A)

Bieber Fever is back.

In recent years, it’s been suspiciously latent, lurking in the shadows, waiting to break out yet again, and now, out of a desert in California, it’s swept the world once more—this time, in full, unapologetic, RnB-and-pop-entwined force. 

For those unlucky (or lucky, if you’re a snob) enough to test negative, here’s the rundown: 

Coachella has been no stranger to hosting some of music’s most legendary performances. Whether it was the 2012 hologram that summoned Tupac back to life, the pomp and pageantry of 2018’s Beychella (a portmanteau of Beyoncé and Coachella), or Lady Gaga’s massive, vibrant, stupefying sets just last year, the festival has become synonymous with not just spectacle, but innovation too. 

This year, however, was different. Or at least, for one of the headlining acts, it was. 

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CCA Events, Commentary, School Life, Sports

Aiming For The Podium: Badminton NSG 2026
Reading Time: 10 minutes

By Dara Tan (27A01A) and Sean Loh (27S06I)

Photographs courtesy of Tay Kai-En, Othniel (27S03Q) from RAPS

This year, both the boys and the girls of the RI badminton team arrived at the OCBC Arena Badminton Courts to battle it out for 3rd place. 

For the girls, it was a strong comeback after they failed to reach the Top 4 last year. For the boys, it was not the ideal placement they had hoped for. Yet, both were aiming for the same outcome.

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