Op-Eds

Let’s Talk: Multi-hyphenates

Reading Time: 4 minutes

By Shermaine Lim (22S03N)

On the first day of the January Induction Programme, I sat in the middle of the lecture hall, amidst 200 restless students who were visibly reeling from the effects of the never ending series of perfunctory talks. 

However, there was one particular talk that piqued my attention, that being the one titled: How to Thrive in JC. Intrigued, I craned my neck and paid special attention to the Year Head, who introduced the concept of being a multi-hyphenate. 

For those unfamiliar with this term, a multi-hyphenate is described as a person with varied skills with a certain level of expertise. These are your Kylie Jenners, the actress-model-business owner-celebrity, of our society. They refer to a group of outstanding individuals who excel at a range of areas of expertise, with a multitude of titles under their belts. 

Continue reading “Let’s Talk: Multi-hyphenates”

Things Left Unsaid

Reading Time: 4 minutes

By Edna Lim (22S03F)

All quotes in this article are kept anonymous to protect the identity of our interviewees.

At some point of time in our lives, we’ve all had the experience of wanting to express certain things but not being able to say them: because we lack the courage, because we’re trying to protect someone we love (ourselves included), because of the fear of it being awkward, or because it’s just too late to do so. 

The implications of withholding our thoughts might not seem significant at present — not saying anything hardly seems to affect us or the relationship. But when we no longer have the chance to say these things, the lack of closure can lead to a buildup of regret and grievance when we remember the time we had taken for granted. That is why we should say the things we want to say, before our chances start to turn away. 

Continue reading “Things Left Unsaid”

How To Stop Feeling Like The World Is Coming To An End

Reading Time: 5 minutes

By Mei Feifei (22A13A) 

What happened on 14 April 2018? Airstrikes took place in Syria. An Oscar-winning director died. And a lawyer set himself on fire

Four years on, I am ashamed to admit that I had never heard of David Buckel until I started work on this article, even though other cases of self-immolation, such as those of Mohamed Bouazizi or Tibetan monks, stay at the forefront of public consciousness. 

Why, then, has David Buckel’s case faded into obscurity, even as the cause he was protesting against—climate change—looms closer? 

Continue reading How To Stop Feeling Like The World Is Coming To An End

It’s Okay to Not Know What You Want to Do!

Reading Time: 4 minutes

By Andrea Ng (22S06B)

To the lost Rafflesian:

Ever see your older cousins or aunts and uncles get pelted with questions about their jobs and relationships during family gatherings? Those questions never fail to give me a good laugh and I would think to myself that thankfully, that is a problem for another day, because I am still studying. 

As I grow older, I realise that age does not matter when it comes to being asked the BIG question: what do you want to do in the future?

I myself am guilty of using this as a conversation starter. However, this is a bad one that usually gets me nowhere in developing a stronger relationship with the other party because when the same question is thrown my way, I simply answer: I don’t know.

Continue reading “It’s Okay to Not Know What You Want to Do!”

National Examinations: How Standardisation Benefits Us

Reading Time: 4 minutes

By Clara Chai (22A01D)

104 twenty-cent and fifty-cent coins. 1.134 kg. Sound familiar? 

While browsing through countless memes of Helen and Ivan last year, I came across this interesting news article. It touched on the stress that the PSLE brings to young children, as well as how our approach towards the national exams may be causing more harm than good. Yet, it also encouraged readers to maintain a positive attitude towards these exams.

For most students, the grades that they attain from their examinations are very important. To them, their marks impact their academic confidence and future educational pathways. For this reason, the scores they obtain for their national examinations may carry more than double the weight in their hearts. Words like ‘bell curve’ and ‘national performance’ strike fear in many students’ hearts as their grades seemingly hang on sheer unpredictability.

Continue reading “National Examinations: How Standardisation Benefits Us”