Culture

Arts, CCA Events, Culture

Do You Dream? Runway RPROJ Showcase 2026
Reading Time: 10 minutes

By Tang Ziya Rena (27A01B) and Tu Meiyi Mary (27S06O)

All photos courtesy of Skyler Chen Yuanzhe (27S03A), Esther Ho Yee Yeow (27S03B), Ayyaatharan Srinivasan (26S06D), Zhu Taiwu (26S06K),  Kylie Chong (26S03E), Kaylea Tan Kai Xuan (26A01E)

If you had been anywhere near the Multi-Purpose Hall (MPH) on the 25th of May, you may have spotted crowds of students (and even a few teachers) milling about the entrance of the hall with bouquets of fresh flowers in tow. 

While this sight is indeed not out of the ordinary, but rather, highly characteristic of most in-school performance events, you, the ever-observant onlooker, might have noticed something that sets this one apart from the others.

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Commentary, Compilations, Culture, Features, Go Where?, Prexcursion

Joo Chiat Road: Sign of the Times
Reading Time: 6 minutes

By Huang Han Cheng (26S05B) and Kunchur Bharat (26A01B)

Taking a walk in Joo Chiat, one might form a rather simplistic image of the area. Rows of mixed-use shophouses inhabited by chic cafes, a mishmash of restaurant options and inoffensive street art make for a pleasant weekend itinerary. Behind this quaint facade, however, is a neighbourhood which plays a larger role in Singapore’s history than many expect. 

Joo Chiat might be best described as an architectural palimpsest. Like a parchment scroll that has been consistently scraped and washed for reuse, the neighbourhood has assumed many identities throughout history.

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Compilations, Culture, Prexcursion

Peranakan Glamour: Singapore’s Kebayas
Reading Time: 4 minutes

By Nicole Lee (26S05A), Christian Adriel Tan (26S07B), Tomi Peh (26S06P) and Teng Yifan (26S06H)

A garment iconic enough to be nominated by multiple nations to the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list, to have been one of Southeast Asia’s oldest existing attire–it’s none other than the kebaya. 

Historically, the kebaya was a loose-fitting, tunic-like garment which was worn for everyday occasions. Being knee-length and mostly plain, it proved to be a comfortable and simplistic outfit fashioned from light and airy materials, making it just as common an attire as T-shirts and blouses today. 

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Compilations, Culture, Features, Go Where?, Prexcursion

Where Past Meets the Present — Gentrification in Joo Chiat 
Reading Time: 8 minutes

By Georgia Ong (26S03O), Lerraine Neo (26A01A), Looi Ee Xin (26S03M) 

What comes to mind when you hear “Joo Chiat”? Perhaps it’s the many cafes adorning the streets, or the Peranakan shophouses that are abuzz with tourists. Or maybe, you’re more familiar with Joo Chiat’s sisters, the neighbouring Katong and Marine Parade estates, with malls like i12 Katong or Parkway Parade. 

Regardless, there’s one common thing that all these things share—the vitality they bring to the neighbourhood. When one thinks of mature, culturally significant estates, characteristics like TCM shops, playgrounds, worn-down buildings, wet markets and places of worship may arise, but that’s not the case for Joo Chiat. 

Joo Chiat, Singapore’s residential Peranakan neighbourhood, has managed to pull off the unthinkable—effortlessly weaving culture with culture, past with present, allowing for a cohesive identity that remains culturally relevant even with the evolving times. 

This is gentrification in Joo Chiat. 

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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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