Op-Eds

Commentary, Op-Eds, Opinion

The Weirdness of the Telegram Channel
Reading Time: 6 minutes

By Isaac Chan (25A01B)

Let’s face it — personal Telegram channels are like a game of chess.

What begins as an innocent way to vent and save you the hassle of repeating the same story to seven friends ends as some hopeless strategy puzzle Sun Tzu himself would be proud of — one that has you questioning how close you really are to your social circle, the degree to which you can (or should!) express yourself, and what repercussions removing or adding someone to your channel might have.

How did we get here?

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Commentary, Op-Eds, Opinion

Beyond the Classrooms: Tales of the Rafflesian Spirit
Reading Time: 9 minutes

By Meryl Lim (25S05A) and Peh Zhi Ning (25A01B)

It’s spooky season. The skeletons are out, pumpkins are in, and Fairprice is selling weird rubber faces (has anyone ever bought one?) once more. Halloween’s finally here! 

Now that our promotional examination results are out, it’s time to move on to brand-new, less realistic horror. Instead of having an existential crisis while staring at your DESU, why not have an existential crisis while pondering the existence of the supernatural? Doesn’t that sound like fun? 

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Commentary, Op-Eds, Opinion

Horror Through the Ages 
Reading Time: 8 minutes

By Ng Dawin (25A01D) and Jane Ng (25S03D)

For most of us, our very first horror experience would have manifested in the form of one of the Mr Midnight books, a Youtube play-through of Five Nights at Freddy’s, or if you were really unlucky, a copy of the “Ring” you found in your brother’s wardrobe.

Many of us will remember, albeit not with much fondness, the terror-induced paralysis that came with it—when we’d be too scared to get up for water in the middle of the night, or when we didn’t dare to sleep without the lights on.

However, as we grow older, things change. What was once a scarring film may now be a harmless watch, something you laugh at with your friends on a weekend night. And comparing yourself now to yourself getting all worked up about a Mr Midnight book, it seems that horror might have lost much of its lustre.

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Op-Eds, Opinion, Student Issues

The Paradox of Achievement: What is Happiness Really?
Reading Time: 4 minutes

By Kavya Thirunavukkarasan (25S03I)

It’s 30th September. Promotional examinations are finally over. The long-awaited freedom has arrived, and your time is all yours. Instead of diving right into your long list of movies to watch, shows to catch up on, places to visit, and activities to do, you realise that you feel… bored? The thrill of relaxation just doesn’t appeal to you anymore, and you are left wondering why you no longer crave the things you’ve worked so hard for.

After months of grinding and focusing entirely on studying, many students face a strange sense of emptiness as soon as the stress and pressure disappear. The feeling is almost counterintuitive—you’ve been looking forward to this freedom for weeks, yet now that it’s finally here, it feels underwhelming. But why? Shouldn’t this be the time to enjoy the freedom you’ve earned, to relax without guilt?

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