Opinion

Commentary, Op-Eds, Opinion

Shame Must Change Sides
Reading Time: 4 minutes

By Gladys Koh Wei Le (26A01B)

Each era has found a novel way to humiliate women while insisting it is merely following the rules of its time. Such violence does not always announce itself. More often, it cloaks itself under procedure, in laughter — plausibly deniable systems. Today, it arrives, wearing the face of technology. The tools evolve, but the underlying logic remains brutally consistent: that women are rendered available for judgement and dehumanisation.

Recently, the comment sections of women and minors on X have been awash with requests such as “@Grok, undress this woman” and “@Grok, put her in a bikini”. In scenes that have since drawn international outrage, the AI heeded those requests. Within seconds, it fabricated sexualised images, posted publicly on X for the world to see. 

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Commentary, Movie Reviews, Opinion, Raffles Reviews

Diamonds, Drama, and Disappearing Acts
Reading Time: 5 minutes

A short (spoiler-free) review of Now You See Me, Now You Don’t

By Cherie Khoo (26S03B)

Now You See Me, Now You Don’t opens very much like its predecessors, to the Four Horsemen’s magic show. We come to understand that a decade has passed since the Horsemen last performed together, yet the details are fuzzy at best with no proper recount. First-time moviegoers will have a hard time understanding the plot. Directed by Jon M. Chu (of Crazy Rich Asians and Wicked fame), the film, 13 years after the second installation, is a far cry from the cinematic brilliance he previously orchestrated.

Through the lens of a film critic, this film is at best a snazzy, low-stakes rendition of a classic storyline. It is packaged in shiny fresh shrink-wrap like those on a deck of playing cards, not only flimsy but also a hassle to unwrap and a greater irritation to dispose of. But for the moviegoer, it’s exactly what is promised; a fun, magic-filled experience that only falls slightly shorter than expected. 

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Movie Reviews, Op-Eds, Opinion, Raffles Reviews

What Does It Mean to Remember Nanjing?
Reading Time: 7 minutes

By Jaden Lum (26S05A)

December 13, 1937 
Nanjing, China
Morning

Just five months into the Second Sino-Japanese War, and China’s capital has already fallen.

Alas, as Japanese forces march in, roughly a quarter of Nanjing’s one million residents remain. Many are terrified civilians who simply could not flee in time. Women. Children. The elderly. Non-combatants who prayed that the worst of the fighting was now perhaps over. After all, soldiers were supposed to kill soldiers, not civilians—not them. 

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Arts, Op-Eds, Opinion

Identity in the Undistinguished: Singapore Writers Festival 2025
Reading Time: 5 minutes

By Koh Shin Robbie (26A01A)

Identity is not a monolith. In our own self-identity lies many markers at play that, when met with the social conditions of today, create unique lived experiences for each of us. 

Whether we recognise it, these experiences are presented to us in all facets of our lives, across space and time—from the railways of Seoul to HDB void decks, even to the streets of 1960s Singapore. It is then often through such unseen little snippets of life that one’s expression of identity takes shape. Across the various panels in this year’s Singapore Writers Festival, this theme became apparent.

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Features, Op-Eds, Opinion, Raffles Reviews

A Shot at Capturing Singapore’s Best Photobooths
Reading Time: 6 minutes

By Ariann Khoo (26S06B), Christian Adriel Tan (26S07B) and Tara Teo (26A01D)

Special thanks to Teng Yifan (26S06H) and Nicole Lee (26S05A)

There’s something charmingly spontaneous about the photobooth experience. 

Whether it’s a flagship outlet at a shopping mall or tucked away in a discreet part of an alleyway, the sight of a photobooth always sparks a flicker of excitement. One moment you may just be walking by, and moments later you’re crammed into a tiny booth, fumbling with props as the flash goes off. In seconds, your strip prints out, displaying that moment of chaos or authenticity.

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