Opinion

Commentary, Internationally Speaking, Op-Eds

ALS: Kick The (Ice) Bucket
Reading Time: 8 minutes

By Kang Yi Xi (15S03N) and Myko Philip (15A01B)

Until the ban imposed just this morning, allegedly after a student fractured his/her collarbone, RI was in the grip of the Ice Bucket Challenge fever. The premise of the challenge, propagated by the ALS Association, is simple: if you are challenged, you are obligated to pour a bucket of ice water over your head, failing which you must make a $100 donation to a charity focused on helping those who afflicted by ALS. The campaign has been so effective that as of three days ago, the Association has received a staggering 1900% boost in funding from last year’s relatively paltry $2.1m. It is mildly comforting to know we have not forgotten the outside world in spite of the imminent major exams. In fact, one of us was challenged over the weekend by a friend – this, of course, amidst the general bangarang that is CCAs challenging entire other CCAs. But fun though this may seem, it might be prudent and worthwhile to take a step back and consider the broader implications of the challenge.

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Commentary, Food Reviews, Raffles Reviews

Food For Thought: Old School Delights
Reading Time: 3 minutes

By Joyce Er (15A01A)
Photos by the writer and Gabrielle Jeyaseelan (15S06A)

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Compared to its Thomson neighbour Habitat Coffee (reviewed here), Old School Delights is perhaps less raved about – undeservedly so. An instant throwback to the homely nostalgia of Singapore’s early days, OSD is charmingly quaint with its menu and tasteful decor. While some might balk at the relatively high prices for rather commonplace hawker dishes, the fare is hearty and the ambience, priceless.

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Commentary, Nationally Speaking, Op-Eds

What’s In A Nation?
Reading Time: 4 minutes

By Anonymous Y5
Photo from Wikipedia

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As the days creep ever closer to the 9th of August, we begin to go through the same pre-celebration routine that we always see. Red and white flags plaster HDB flats, large billboards of men and women in white smile from along the roads, and the hotels around the CBD fill up as people try to catch a free glimpse of fireworks. We stand on the eve of our 49th anniversary of Singapore’s independence, and while Singapore is still going strong nearly 50 years on, I play devil’s advocate and propose that Singapore has certain deficiencies in terms of being a nation and country.

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Commentary, Food Reviews, Raffles Reviews

Eating Bishan: Part 1
Reading Time: 5 minutes

By Kang Yi Xi (15S03N)

Arguably, one of the best things about our school’s location is the wealth of dining options available nearby. From the highly commercialised food franchises in popular student haunts like Nex and Junction 8 to the quaint cafes along Upper Thomson Road, one is spoiled for choice when deciding something so deceptively simple as one’s choice of cuisine. In this article, we focus primarily on introducing some of the more noteworthy stalls in the vicinity, with an emphasis on affordability. Many of these stalls deserve plaudits for their ability to dish up high-quality traditional local fare whilst remaining light on one’s finances, so do consider adding them to your list of after-school hangouts. Nonetheless, not all of the shops we reviewed turned out to be culinary jewels, so you may wish to patronise them with a hefty dose of pessimism in mind.

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