Exotic. Fun. Unique. Unforgettable.

All these and more add up to form the one and only RI (Year 5-6) iDance.

RI iDance is a tightly-knit CCA that aims to inculcate love for dancing in its members and always ensure that every member play a vital role in the team. Having achieved distinction for the Singapore Youth Festival (SYF) this year, we continue to pursue excellence in all our performances, so that the CCA is able to reach greater heights.

No dance background? Not Indian? Fret not; these are all not issues you should worry about, if you are considering to join us. Today, we are here to explore some misconceptions you may have when considering to join Indian Dance, and what the realities actually are!

Many of you may have the misconception that RJ iDance is only targeted solely at Indians and only they are allowed to join the CCA. However, what the reality actually is that students from all races, languages, and backgrounds are welcome to join us. Our only prerequisite in joining iDance is to have, interest, passion, courage to try something new, and willingness to work hard and excel. If you are not Indian, don’t be worried that you can’t fit in. Not only do you have non-Indian seniors, the entire CCA is also always friendly, and in high spirits.

Not only that, some people have a false impression that iDance members are only taught classical Indian dance and dance around trees like what they see in television. However, we do explore various genres of Indian dance such as Bollywood dance and other forms of Indian dance as well. Moreover, we also incorporate other exciting styles of dance into our performances like ballet, belly dancing and African tribal dance, which is sure to get everyone excited, pumped up, and grooving along! As our member Arintha Adelina shares that “Learning the hand gestures was really interesting as it is unique to Indian dance. I also got to learn more about the different cultures. I have never regretted joining iDance as not only is it a learning experience but a fun one too”

There is also a mistaken belief that RJ iDance only comes together to perform during SYF and following that they do not do any performances. However, that is not true! We do have many opportunities to perform and showcase our talents in school like during National day and DanceFest as well as for external performances such as the performance we did during Tabla! Anniversary. With a very flexible training schedule, we practice on Wednesdays with more intensive practice sessions closer to our performances. Our members are provided with an opportunity to learn from our exceptional instructor, Mrs. Sreedevy Sivarajasingam, an acclaimed and accomplished choreographer and judge on a popular Vasantham Central dance reality show called Dhool. She is approachable and always willing to support and encourage us to do our best, and importantly, have fun.

We are here not because of our race, not because of our dance background. We are here because of our passion for dance. We are here as a family.

Join iDance and be a part of our family now!

by Gaius Ong (14A01B)

How does one encapsulate all the joy and frustration, the stress and celebration of a year in Council, all in a simple, informative article? Admittedly, it would be unrealistic of me if I expected to paint a complete picture of what exactly Council is, and all that we do. After all, owing to the varying natures of our job scopes, each councilor’s one-year journey often differs greatly from another’s. Yet, for myself, herein lies the beauty of the Students’ Council: the convergence of uniquely different individuals with differing experiences, each one working together towards the common goal of service to the student population.

“Engage and care for all students so as to foster a sense of belonging to Raffles.” Our council’s main and primary purpose is to serve the student population, and it’s extremely important to remember that when considering whether or not to join Council. Humility is the key: recognising that there are needs to be served in the school, and giving of oneself, by utilising the skills and gifts you possess to serve and address these needs. “Lead by serving, serve by leading” – as oft-repeated and clichéd as this might sound, this really is the essence of what it means to be a councillor.

“As a councillor, you must always be aware of your overarching goal and mandate in everything that you do for council. For me personally, this was to serve with humility and sacrifice.” – Jia Yao, CCAD

Let’s get down to the basics first. Councillors go through a period of elections, which include nominations, interviews, and campaigning, before they are voted in by the school population. They can either nominate themselves or be nominated by their peers. After elections, the council elects go through the hallowed Council Camp, before being recognised as full-fledged councillors at the Students’ Council Investiture. Throughout the period leading up to the Investiture, each council elect will have a “buddy” from the senior batch, who will act as a mentor and familiarise elects with the general running of Council.

The Executive Committee is chosen after a second round of internal elections, and comprises the President, 2 Vice-Presidents, 2 Secretaries (Resources and Finance), Welfare, CCAD, and Communications (Commz’ D) Department Heads, and the 5 House Captains. The PresSecs (Presidents and Secretaries) form the ninth department, and they oversee the Council as a whole. Each councillor belongs to a department, or a House Directorate, and through the organisation of several events and initiatives, provides and cares for a specific area of student life in RI. Additionally, each councillor also belongs to one of 6 functions: National Day, Teachers’ Day, Graduation Night (for the Year 6s), Open House, Orientation, and Council Camp. For the 33rd Council, the Pre-University Seminar (a seventh function) was added; however, the incoming 34^th batch will not be able to participate in this function. The functions will be led by 2 function ICs elected during the Internal Elections. Besides department work, councillors will also be expected to balance their function work and contribute equally to both. (More articles explaining each function and department will be coming up, so watch Raffles Press for more!)

“Support one another and nurture strong and lasting relationships so as to work together as one.” Council’s also a place where we build new relationships – not just professional working relationships, but long-lasting friendships where we care for and support each other. It’s crucial for each councillor to not only focus on completing the task at hand, but to always be mindful of the fact that you’re working with unique individuals, all possessing talents and skills that you might not necessarily have. Unique individuals who provide not only logistical and technical support, but more importantly emotional and moral sustenance. You’ll get to observe and understand the working styles and preferences of the people around you, and come to love and respect your fellow councillors. Each council’s culture differs from batch to batch, but what stays constant are the friendships built and the emotional bonds forged. As Alynna (CCAD) puts it, “As cheesy as it may sound, we are like one big family. We have each other’s backs all the time and we enjoy the success of events together and (even) get scolded for mistakes together!”

The learning experience that comes together with one whole year of assiduous planning and of decisive execution, of continuous negotiation and of cautious deliberation, is invaluable. Through the planning and organising of events and initiatives of vastly different scales, one acquires unique skills and knowledge that prove useful in other aspects of one’s life. Furthermore, by interacting with such a diverse group of people and working together, you also pick up people skills and certain values along the way. It’s intriguing (at least for myself) to observe others’ preferences in a working context: some might have a predilection for artistic creation; others might tackle the administrative work head-on. Be it painting colourful banners, contacting (and negotiating with) suppliers, or understanding when and how to compromise during discussions, you’ll learn a tremendous amount through your one-year term.

Of course, being a councillor comes with several challenges as well. Apart from monthly General Meetings, we don’t have regular sessions like other CCAs. However, that doesn’t mean that the commitment level is relatively low – quite the contrary, actually. Department and function meetings are called at their own discretion, not to mention sub-comm meetings within each particular department/function. For EXCO members and Function ICs, this also means more meetings and discussions with teachers and school authorities. Peak periods for councillors such as Inter-House Competitions (IHCs) might mean a greater workload, and a tighter schedule, among other concerns.

“Time management is crucial. Take up council only if you’re sure of being able to balance your commitments well, so that you’ll be able to fully commit to the council work you take up.” – Jacqueline, Moor-Tarbet House Department

The key to all this? Effective time management and sensible prioritisation, coupled with the mental strength to push on. It’s vital that a councillor knows how to manage his/her time effectively, all the while not compromising on both schoolwork and council work. Juggling the commitments of academic work, Council, 2nd CCAs, other external activities, and relationships with your friends may be an ostensibly insurmountable challenge, but prioritising these commitments well and being disciplined enough to give the best you can in everything you do will serve you well throughout your Council term. Most importantly, however, is recognition of the fact that your fellow councillors are always there for you, and they’ll be more than willing to help you. I’ve come to trust and love my fellow 33rds for tiding me through storms and hardship, even when I faltered and stumbled.

“There are various peak periods as everyone is holding different roles and responsibilities in their functions and departments. It is indeed quite stressful during these times and you may lose sleep and be unable to finish your tutorials but your fellow councillors will bring you through the hardship and in the end it will be all worth it!” – Zhi Peng, Bayley-Waddle House Department

In all, the culture of each Council (and consequently the experience of each councillor) largely depends on the individuals that make it up. It is true that the commitment level is pretty high, and sometimes the road can be stressful. Fundamentally, however, the Council is only as strong as its councillors are: if you’re willing to give of yourself for the betterment of student life, and if you’re looking for people who will stand by you and support you as you embark on your one-year journey with them, then the Students’ Council of Raffles Institution gladly and warmly welcomes you to our family to stay – it’ll be an experience to remember.

“I think the culture of council is what you want it to be. Definitely, there’s hard work involved, but honestly for me, it’s a lot of fun. I guess the culture you experience would be based on the choices you make. If you choose to not be so involved and what not then council work is just going to be a drag. But if you choose to give it your all and slog it out with the rest then you’re going to leave council feeling fulfilled and with many good friends by your side whom you’ve experienced thick and thin with.” – Ruthanne, Welfare

By Raffles Gymnastics

When you think of the word ‘gymnastics’, what comes to mind would probably be a beautifully executed routine that you’d seen being performed at the Olympics, a showcase of skill, flexibility and strength. That’s right, that’s what the best gymnasts are able to achieve, and that’s what we aim to execute at the end of the day. But in reality…things aren’t quite as glamorous.

Welcome to the gymnasium, where you’ll be more likely to hear screams rather than applause, more likely to see accidents occur rather than picture-perfect moments, but also most definitely where you’ll be able to see a bunch of gymnasts trying their best to perfect their routines amidst a warm and lighthearted atmosphere. Quite honestly, we’re nowhere near the standard of the Olympics gymnasts and we’re not going to give you an idealised picture of what you’ll get out of training with us because you could take one step into the gymnasium and know we’ve been lying.

But we can tell you this, the kind of training environment we’ve cultivated is one that is supportive and encouraging – we have none of that competitiveness and deep-harboured bitterness you may see in other more selective CCAs – instead, we have seniors coming back now and then to help us out, and rest assured your own teammates will always be there to back you up. We also have two amazing coaches who will not only watch over you during trainings, but will also be sure to take great interest in your lives outside the gym to ensure you don’t go too far astray ;-) (-cough- Facebook –cough- Instagram)

If you’re trying out this sport for the very first time and you’re worried about not having any prior background, don’t worry, we welcome you all the same! It may be slightly difficult in the beginning, but be it trampoline or rhythmic gymnastics, so long as you’re daring and open-minded to trying new things, once you’ve got the basics down pat, you’ll be flipping and twirling like the rest of us. All it takes is a bit of courage, and lots of practice, which you will surely get enough of, with 2 training sessions per week, each 3 hours long.

If you’re still unsure, feel free to come down to the gymnasium during our training times to get a feel of what it’ll be like, but really, let us assure you that it’ll be a whole lot of fun; after all, with the warmth that comes with training within a tight-knit team and the thrill that accompanies acquiring a new skill, what more could you ask for?