Commentary

Raffles Reads: A Terrible Kindness

Reading Time: 3 minutes

Raffles Reads is a collaboration between Raffles Press and Times Reads which aims to promote a reading culture among Singaporean students.

By Jolene Yee Xin Yi (23S03A) 

Rating: 4.5/5 

“When we go through impossible things, someone, or something, will help us, if we let them.”

A Terrible Kindness is a simultaneously heart-wrenching and heart-warming tale of a volunteer embalmer’s road to redemption and reconciliation. As a literary fiction novel, this book appeals to those interested in unique storylines, gripping narratives and fresh story settings.

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Aunt Agony and Uncle Upset: Coping Complications

Reading Time: 6 minutes

By Aiko Yeo (23A01B) and Venkatesan Ranjana (23A01D)

Cover image by Johnathan Lim (23S03M)

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.

“How do you cope with hectic JC life?”

– Overwhelmed Olive
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RI200 Preview: Festival of Ideas

Reading Time: 2 minutes

By Raphael Niu (23A01A) 

For a while in 2022, it felt like the world had no good news to offer.

Over 8 million refugees fled west as Russian shells pummelled Ukrainian cities. Devastating monsoon floods in Pakistan wiped out 900,000 homes. Back in Singapore, relentless inflation squeezed the incomes of families already hit by pandemic lay-offs and pay cuts. With headlines dominated by doom and gloom, it is easy to be desensitised and to tune out from current discourse.

At first glance, the Festival of Ideas, organised as part of RI’s bicentennial celebrations, might appear to be just another symposium about the world’s problems. However, I was struck by the Festival’s commitment to exploring intersections: between issues, between sectors, and between forms.

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RI Open House ‘23: WRIte Your Story

Reading Time: 5 minutes

By Venkatesan Ranjana (23A01D)

The morning of 13 January saw a steady stream of visitors flowing into RI from our Marymount gate, as prospective Year 5 students and their parents were greeted by our Befrienders stationed near the registration booth, while the rest of the campus thrummed with anticipation.

Indeed, the whole school seemed to be revitalised by the fresh faces and the excitement in the atmosphere—a welcome feeling for those of us who had only experienced school events in  the pandemic era. The 2023 RI Open House, with its theme of  “wRIte your story”, was certainly an all round success for both visitors and the student body alike, with its multitude of highlights that delighted and captivated attendees.

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CCA Previews ’23: Tenpin Bowling

Reading Time: 2 minutes

By Danielle Tam (Girls Captain), Jeremy Ling (Boys Captain), Lim Wan Ling (Vice-Captain)

When you think of bowling, you probably think of laughing with friends and family while chucking the ball down the lane, enjoying the cool air conditioning and hoping the ball doesn’t tumble into the gutter. However, this only scratches the tip of the iceberg of what we do in Tenpin Bowling. 

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