CCA Previews 2014

CCA Previews, CCA Previews 2014, Commentary, Please Mind the Platform Gap 18 January 201410 May 2019

CCA Preview’14: Quanta

Reading Time: 3 minutes

Automatica

Club Automatica is just the place you’d want to be if you enjoy either manipulating Physics theories or playing with technology. We are formed by 2 divisions – Quanta, which deals with Physics, and Robotica, dealing with robotics applications.

Club Vision
“To nurture a group of passionate, skilled students able to push boundaries in robotics and Physics through creativity and innovation”

Quanta

Seeking to acquire the fundamental grasp of our world and how it works and revolves (pun intended), Quanta aims to delve deeper into the vast and electrifying world of Physics. Quanta is a division of Club Automatica.

From the knowledge of something as fundamental as an apple dropping to the ground through gravity to the exploration of the abstract world of quantum mechanics, Quanta explores various concepts through interactive discussions and sharings. For those who share a passion of exploring Physics deeper and learning more about anything and everything related to Physics, Quanta is the place for you. Quanta sessions are usually held once a week, with sharings often occurring by any member who is keen to share his/her thoughts about something which he/she read and found interesting, some of our quirkier sessions include the investigation of the Physics behind the Spiderman scene where he stops a train using 2 thick strands of web, quantum mechanics and the physics of a ball in motion (and not just projectile motion or Stokes’ Law while we’re at it).

quanta1 — Figure 1 Currently, this our electrifying new setup, the tesla coil

Quanta is multidimensional (again pun intended), we also have demonstrations and setups of interesting phenomena, such as soon-to-be-held/recently held JIP workshop on non-Newtonian fluids and our very own Tesla Coil. Currently, we also intend to construct features such as simple ballistic mechanisms. Building these devices is no mean feat, coming up with such devices requires a fair amount of creativity and innovation, and we intend to increase appreciation of Physics’ phenomena through these interactive displays.

Figure 2 Preliminary prototype models for our pneumatic projectiles

We also aim to connect aspiring students with the Singapore Young Physicists’ Tournament (SYPT), a competition where students from across Singapore would duke out their knowledge on Physics problems in debates known as “Physics Fights”. Presentations of past participants and knowledge on the tournament would give prospective students some knowledge as to what to expect in the qualification later towards the end of the year.

So who can join us at Quanta? Anyone and everyone who has an interest in exploring the fundamentals of the world around us are welcome to join. You need not be a Physics students, just a desire to learn will be perfect.

Ultimately, Quanta want to show you that Physics is not an insurmountably daunting subject riddled with nefarious Greek letters, but rather a subject that explores the fundamental principles of the world around us. This exploration we cannot promise will be easy, but it definitely will be fun, enriching and intriguing. We learn fundamental principles governing our world, from the vast expanses of our universe to the smallest of subatomic particles. We learn Physics.

For more information, feel free to contact Kartik (Quanta Chairperson) at kartikbalodi@yahoo.com.sg or 97816553.

CCA Previews, CCA Previews 2014, Commentary, Please Mind the Platform Gap 18 January 201410 May 2019

CCA Preview’14: Chinese Dance

Reading Time: 3 minutes

Who are we? Well, we’re just a group of sixteen girls who love to dance, and found the answer to that passion here in Chinese Dance. With its elegance, energy, and mix of traditional, contemporary and folk elements, Chinese Dance is indeed one of a kind as an art form – and one very close to all of our hearts.

Under the guidance of Madam Chen Lili, our team meets twice a week in the multi-purpose studio to dance our hearts out. To us, dance is not a hobby but a passion, not a skill but an integral part of our lives. Our team mates are not just fellow dancers, but family members – and one of our greatest joys is to perform together.

What have we done this year? Our seniors, along with a few of the dancers in our batch trained long and hard and did the school proud by clinching Distinction at the Singapore Youth Festival (SYF) Arts Presentation earlier this year! They presented a beautiful remake of a much-loved old piece choreographed for the SYF Central Judging back in 2007. While the SYF team was preparing for the presentation, the rest of us were hard at work practicing for our first performance as a batch at the Global Alliance of Leading Edge Schools. Our team faced many challenges during this period of time as we come from a diversity of backgrounds – from gymnastics, to ballet, to ethnic dance, to contemporary dance – and this made it difficult to synchronise our styles into a single, cohesive piece. Furthermore, the personality of the dance we had chosen was new to many of us. However, our common love for dance, the tireless perseverance of every member and the patient guidance of our instructress enabled us to put up a performance we could be proud of in the end.

What’s up next? We definitely aren’t stopping here! Right now, our team is in preparation for a performance at Boon Lay countdown. The piece is a timeless classic choreographed by our instructress to a popular song by Jay Chou, and we certainly hope to live up to its reputation and her expectations! Also look out for us at Take 5 and Dance week later next year, where we will be showcasing a variety of dances ranging from contemporary to folk Chinese dance.

More than performance opportunities, we hope to continue to bond as a team, as a Chinese Dance family, and grow both as dancers and people through our journey together as a batch of dancers. We hope that you will enjoy our heartfelt performances, and continue to support us!

CCA Previews, CCA Previews 2014, Commentary, Please Mind the Platform Gap 18 January 201410 May 2019

CCA Preview ’14: Canoeing

Reading Time: 3 minutes

Written by: Nur Liyana (14A01E) and Edison Goh (14S03C)

“The cure for anything is salt water — sweat, tears, or the sea.” – Isak Dinesen

How about all three? Raffles Canoeing is undoubtedly a highly demanding CCA that requires a great deal of dedication and passion for the sport. Although the closest thing we have to the sea is Macritchie, the sweat and tears hit close to home. Canoeists are usually seen toughing it out at the pull up bars, pushing our limits at the track, or training in the gym. Truth be told, we only have official training twice a week – Wednesdays and Fridays at Macritchie Reservoir, a mere five to ten minutes walk from school. Nonetheless, our love for the sport and fitness has us adding additional land trainings and/or gym sessions on top of that.

canoeing1 — An inspirational poster that our former teacher mentor, Mr Ben Yong, had drawn and gifted to us.

Although largely an individual sport, canoeing has always placed great importance on creating a disciplined and united team. We take comfort in the knowledge that when the going gets tough, we can rely on each other for support. Furthermore, more often than not, we find ourselves rowing in team boats. An integral part of rowing as a team lies in trusting each other, knowing that we will not let each other down and that we will keep rowing till the very end before crossing the finish line together.

Screenshot 2014-01-17 at 9.35.54 PM — Boys’ K4 (4-seater kayak)

Being canoeists who join the scene in JC makes us all too familiar with hard work, seeing how our competitors would have had around four years of rowing under their belts. What you put into canoeing is what you reap out of it. For the past few years, significant achievements for Nationals have been rare to come by. But in 2013, the graduating batch of J2s made promising progress by getting half their competing boats into the finals. And we hope to do even better this year to prove to ourselves that Raffles Canoeing can, and will, rise to the challenge.

“If at first you don’t succeed, try, try, try again.” – Thomas H. Palmer

Anyone and everyone willing to dive headfirst into the sport are invited to go for trials where the only thing that we will seriously assess is your passion and willingness to learn. Not to fret, you do not need any prior experience! As long as you possess genuine interest and the right attitude, we welcome you into our team. Apart from improving in every aspect of your fitness, we promise a family that does not only work hard, but plays hard as well.

Screenshot 2014-01-17 at 9.34.52 PM — A team photo from one of our first few trainings

For more information, you can visit http://rafflescanoeing14.blogspot.sg. Interested juniors can contact captains Edison (97828179) or Liyana (96434848). Feel free to drop us a text to clarify anything, be it about training days or any other concerns you might have! We truly look forward to many new members joining us for a fulfilling experience in Raffles Canoeing.

“There is one thing I should warn you about before you decide to get serious about canoeing. You must consider the possibility of becoming totally and incurably hooked on it.”– Bill Mason, Path of the Paddle

Watch our Open House video at http://youtu.be/eWJ81kddeRA!

CCA Previews, CCA Previews 2014, Commentary, Please Mind the Platform Gap 18 January 201410 May 2019

CCA Preview ’14: Alchemy Club

Reading Time: 2 minutes

The ancient art of alchemy is in essence, the ‘art of transformation’, from one element to another. Ancient alchemists strived to transform base metals into noble metals, and develop the elixir of life, which would confer youth and longevity. The key objective of Club Alchemy is just as its namesake – to transform people into passionate alchemists, eager and curious in the study of chemistry, in a setting conducive for peer learning as well as self-discovery, while forging forever lasting friendships with like-minded members.

Why Alchemy? Firstly, chemistry is everywhere in the world around us! It’s in the food we eat, clothes we wear, water we drink, medicines, air, cleaners… you name it. Chemistry is rightfully called the “central science” because it connects other sciences to each other, such as biology, physics, geology and environmental science. Because of this, Alchemy sessions’ mainly focus on exploring the chemistry of everyday objects and phenomena. By linking chemical knowledge and theory to practical knowledge, we hope to ignite Alchemist’s thirst for knowledge and an attitude of inquisition.

Alchemy Club’s sessions are far from mundane, as we cover Chemistry topics which are usually out of syllabus, interesting and have real-life applications. Topics out of the H2 syllabus are usually covered to broaden exposure to Chemistry. Sessions include presentations on areas of interest such as food chemistry, complex coloured salts, electrochemistry, and many more. Members also present on whatever interests them. Practical lab sessions are also included, where a whole range of experiments from cheese and ice-cream making to interesting experiments to even synthesizing compounds.

Besides practical sessions, the Club has a range of activities catering to everyone. Games such as buzzer-round quizzes are sure to excite club members, while discussion sessions on quirky topics such as solvated electrons keep Alchemists’ mind as broad and diverse as possible. Alchemy Club satiates the curiosity of the inquisitive with many chances for interaction. A whole range of exciting events are lined up for Alchemists every year, including organizing the Inter-house science challenge, as well as co-hosting events such as the biannual Eureka! Quiz and the RI-Maurick Water Conference, which is to be held next year (2014). No moment will be dull in a Alchemist’s life – our explosive events are set to engage young minds and transform them!

CCA Previews, CCA Previews 2014, Commentary, Please Mind the Platform Gap 18 January 201410 May 2019

CCA Preview ’14: Raffles Rock

Reading Time: 2 minutes

And the music was good
And the music was loud
And the singer turned and he said to the crowd
Let there be rock!

— Let There Be Rock; AC/DC

Dreamt of melting the faces off hundreds of screaming fans with your playing? Or of holding an audience spellbound with the sound of your voice? Then Raffles Rock might just be for you! As Chairman Gordon Kang puts it,

“There’s no better feeling than performing music on stage with your friends and watching the crowd go nuts.”

Raffles Rock is all about making good music and having fun, and we work towards those things during our weekly practice sessions in the jamming studios along the Computer Lab corridor. Tuesday is our designated CCA day, when everyone will come down from 4pm – 7pm and practice in their respective band. Other practices may also be scheduled within bands as and when needed. When we’re not pressed for time to rehearse for a gig, we usually either try out new songs so that we’re more familiar with them should we want to play them for future gigs, or just have fun jamming and making music! This is when the varying musical tastes of our members really make things interesting, with styles such as those of Dream Theater (Progressive Rock/Metal), McFly (Pop), and even Disney music influencing the improvised product.

But of course, Raffles Rock is about so much more than our weekly practices or the music we make; it’s more than a CCA; it’s a family, the product of shared creativity, dedication to and passion for music.

Celebrating Vicky’s birthday at Dine in the Dark 2013

Batch outing to Sentosa!

As a CCA, we also hold an annual concert; this year’s being the second edition of ROCKOUT – Extremely Close and Incredibly Loud. Held at the SCAPE Warehouse, over 700 tickets were sold this year! Though the venue may vary from year to year, you can be sure that the same spirit and dedication to give the hundreds of audience members who turn up a reason to Rock Out will remain the same. We also perform for school events, such as Take 5 and National Day, and even events such as New Years’ Countdowns or charity gigs from external organizations. Joining Rock provides an opportunity to perform on a big stage several times a year, and also to gain performing experience in front of a variety of crowds.

Clara Tay on the xylophone during ROCKOUT’13

The Possum Parade busking along Orchard Road as part of a gig organised by The Humanities Initiative

To get into Rock, there will be a live audition, and an interview. The live audition will be for you to impress the panel of Rock members (as well as our teacher in-charge, Mr. Steffen Toh) with their technical and musical prowess on their respective instruments (including the vocal chords!). A musical background or having been from a musical CCA are not requirements, a good number of current Rock members don’t fulfil either of those requirements and are nonetheless spectacular at what they do! The interview is important for us as well to get to know you a little better, so we know who we’re accepting into the CCA!

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