CCA Previews 2013

CCA Previews 2013 16 January 201319 December 2014

CCA Preview ’13: Biosoc

Reading Time: 3 minutes

By Doriprismatica atromarginata Class: Gastropoda

Biosoc 2012 at the Biodiversity Pond – our backyard

Be it molecular biology, ecology or the ever-popular medicine, the Raffles Society for Biological Sciences (affectionately known as ‘Biosoc’) caters to all interests in the wide field of Biology.

Much to the dismay of some, the club does not spend 2 hours every Thursday ‘mugging’. Instead, members delve into any aspect of Biology that is of interest. As a completely student-planned and student-run CCA, the content of sessions is highly flexible. The topic for the day could be a member’s pet interest, a presentation of another’s scientific research or an in-depth analysis of the latest biology-related news.

Sessions cover not only the theoretical concepts, but also involve active hands-on practical aspects in the lab. The occasional field trip out of school is also something you can look forward to as a member, along with talks by alumni or professionals to help you decide your university course and find out more about a career in Biology.

What can you look forward to as a member of Biosoc? Well, at the start of the year, the club will have a CCA camp to welcome the new J1s, which conveniently includes a field trip that will add to the member’s Learning Journey component of the Raffles Diploma. Later in the year, the club collaborates with all the other Science clubs in RI (Y5-6) to organize ‘Eureka!’, a science competition for secondary school students.

In an effort to reach out to the rest of the school, the club also conducts a frog dissection during Biology Week – an initiative by the Biology Department. Participants get to cut open the fresh carcass of a chloroformed bullfrog under the careful guidance of club members! Working with the Singapore Heart Foundation, the club will spend one Saturday morning going from door to door in HDBs to collect data on the key health indicators of the resident’s such as taking their height, weight and blood pressure, along with educating them on the risk of cardiovascular diseases. The club also participates in the annual International Biomedical Symposium where members will undergo intensive training by alumni medical students as they absorb one medical textbook after another in an effort the do the school proud.

Informal outing to Gardens by the Bay. The above picture shows an incomplete CCA and is not representative of the gender ratio in the club.

As an academic CCA, attendance will count towards the Cognitive domain for the Raffles Diploma, but that is not the sole benefit of joining Biosoc. With a comfortable size of 20 odd members, you will find yourself among friends of similar interest and be exposed to different topics of Biology. Tightly-knit and bonded, Biosoc is the perfect place to explore and further your interest in Biology.

So who can join Biosoc? Anyone and everyone with a strong interest for life sciences and a knack for investigating the mysteries of life is welcome. Potential members do not have to be Biology students, much less in Biology Raffles Academy or Biology Olympiad to join. There are some Physics students in the CCA, who wanted to nurture their passion for Biology despite not being able to take it as a subject! Perhaps the only consideration is this: with dissections of various organs and caterpillars as CCA pets, it is certainly not for the squeamish!

CCA Previews 2013 13 January 201319 December 2014

CCA Preview ’13: Audio-Visual Unit

Reading Time: 3 minutes

By Melissa Tham 13SO5A

Although getting CIP hours and watching free concerts is very appealing, there is definitely more to Audio Visual Unit (AVU). AVU is the CCA that keeps your numerous school concerts and events going. We control what happens behind the scenes, from the most basic — making sure the stage is lit when it’s supposed to be, and enabling the performer to be heard over the crowd through the use of the microphones— to the more complex—controlling the sound quality of the instruments as it blasts from the speakers, and spinning the moving lights so it truly feels like a rock concert!

Other than the tangible benefits of many CIP hours (active members can easily attain 150 hours over the CCA year), AVU members have lots of opportunities to meet people from many other CCAs, especially performing arts, from the events that AVU does. Working with various performers does allow members to expand their social circle and make new friends, especially after numerous rehearsals! Moreover, audio-visual geeks will love playing with the cool equipment we have in school. The experience of being in the control room and literally controlling the situation (lights, sounds, action!) is a very enriching one. The job satisfaction comes from the feeling of working under pressure, striving to do your best during the actual event when there are no second chances, and finally seeing the audience leave with happy faces.

The CCA does not have regular sessions; attendance comes from serving at compulsory events like morning assembly and covering events. This ad-hoc system means that AVU members independently sign up for events that they are free to go for, which may be beneficial for those with unusual schedules.

Training camps are conducted after induction, where the technical knowledge will be taught to the new members. Most of the learning comes “on the job”, especially in the events right after training, as Year 6 members will teach and guide new members to manage an event well. General Meetings are also conducted occasionally for the CCA members to meet up, have fun, and bond with each other! In addition to continuous event coverage throughout the year, the CCA will meet for induction, orientation training camps, media training, as well as handover and farewell around May.

While some might have the misperception that AVU is a slack CCA due to the lack of regular sessions or how members get to go for free concerts, active members will testify that successfully coordinating the lights and sounds of an event is a rewarding challenge that does not come easy.

As the Technical Head Lucy Luo (13S06R) says, “AVU is a fun and worthwhile CCA to join, not just for the paper benefits of the CIP hours, but more importantly for the experience of working with different people and excelling under pressure. Also, the technical part is really fun!” Furthermore, as current member Joanne Tan (13S06R) says, “AVU has been a really great CCA to me. I really treasure the experiences I’ve had and the people I’ve gotten to know through AVU.”

Look out for our interviews come CCA feste, and join us if you are interested!

CCA Previews 2013 13 January 201319 December 2014

CCA Preview ’13: Track and Field

Reading Time: 3 minutes

by Ezra Toh

Citius, Altius Fortius. These are the Latin words which are the very essence of every athlete’s dreams. With its meaning and importance preached at every single Olympics, to the Track and Field athlete, ‘Faster, Higher and Stronger, resounds even more emphatically. Why? The answer is simple. Every athlete competing in any track and field event, be it the 100 meter sprint, the high jump or the discus throw can draw strength directly from the Olympic motto. The Raffles Track and Field team bears this same motto in mind, it pushes itself to the limit, runs with lightning-speed toward its goal, jumps to greater heights and throws itself into the history books.

CITIUS

The entire team at the end of the 2012 season.

First, ‘Citius’, which means ‘faster’ in Latin, represents the nature of our training programs. In track and field, especially sprinting events, world records are surpassed by minute timings, measured by tenths or even hundredths of a second. Olympic athletes train extremely hard, all for the sake of shaving those few milliseconds off their personal bests. Here at Raffles, we do exactly the same. We work our socks off for these tiny improvements. It is not rare for people to heap scorn onto our seemingly inefficient and time-consuming training regimes. Training can either be 3 or 4 times a week, each lasting about 2.5 hours. The programme varies from track work, gym sessions to endurance workouts. Improvements are not immediate; in fact they are, most of the time, painstakingly gradual. However, this is precisely where we learn the true meaning of hard work and patience in our endeavors.

Ng Chin Hui anchoring RI to victory in the 4x400m finals @ National Schools 2012

ALTIUS

This means ‘higher’ in Latin. The Raffles Track and Field team seeks to obtain the ultimate ‘double gold’ achievement at every national championship. However, that is not the only thing we seek. Many intangible benefits are reaped along the way – higher levels of self-discipline when training during season and higher standards of character as demonstrated when we fight for every point despite gloomy circumstances. A few years back, the team managed to clinch double gold at the National Championship but not before a nail-biting fight to the finish. Going into the final day, the team had their back to the wall as our rivals had a commanding lead. Needing to win maximum points for certain events on that day, our athletes held their nerve, and swept the podium in all the long distance events, squeaking past our rivals by a single point. Furthermore, just recently in 2012, the team saw themselves needing to make up a 20-meter gap in the 4x400m relay final. Despite being behind most of the race, the team fought back, showing great determination and resilience, eventually beating our rivals by 3 meters to clinch the gold medal. Instances such as these, are a testament to the character and mental strength of every team member.

FORTIUS

‘Fortius’ means stronger in Latin. Physical strength is needless to say important but the very thing that holds this team together is the strong bonds of friendship and camaraderie within Trackers. Track and Field is no doubt an individualistic sport but without a team to contribute to, each one of us would just be fending for ourselves without anyone to turn to for moral support or encouragement. Hence, the bond between Trackers is ironically strong as everyone plays a part in contributing points for the team to win the national schools title. This may sound unusual, but we speak from experience. With activities ranging from regular team lunches, movie outings and exciting beach trainings, Raffles Track and Field constantly seeks to beef up on our repertoire of off-track activities to foster stronger bonds and relationships within the team. With these strong bonds intrinsically weaved into our CCA, the journey proves to be even more enjoyable and fun-filled.

Lastly, Track and Field is also a lifestyle – where each session can be treated as a chance to keep fit and stay in shape. More than just a CCA, we are a group which constantly seeks to improve ourselves, reach new peaks of excellence and stay bonded all the way. No one gets left behind.

CCA Previews 2013 13 January 201319 December 2014

CCA Preview ’13: Chinese Dance

Reading Time: 3 minutes

Mention that you’re in Chinese Dance to people and, chances are, you will be stereotyped as a dramatically made-up acrobat robed in a fancy dress that looks more suited for wayang than dance. That, or a cutesy doll with hair twirled up in 2 buns complete with the essential flashy red ribbons. Either way, so little is known about this dance form amongst the general public that people start fishing out snippets from TV or worst, Disney, to piece together their own notion of Chinese Dance.

In this article, we will debunk some common myths about our CCA:

Myth 1: You only need to be super flexible in order to do Chinese Dance. Not just touch-your-toe-ala-sit-and-reach-flexible but reach-your-foot-to-your-ear-flexible.

Fact: While it is a pre-requisite to be reasonably flexible, many of us can probably attest to the fact that flexibility can be trained. A handful of us began not being able to pull off a split, but after half a year’s worth of practice, it isn’t that hard after all. And like all other dance forms, while flexibility may offer an upper hand, it all boils down to technique, technique and technique.

Myth 2: And if you’re not flexible, well, our lovely China coach is ever-present to assist you by sitting on you while you stretch.

Fact: Nope, joining Chinese dance does not constitute a sacrifice of your human rights and an entry ticket into two years of torture. We go by a system of positivity—where you are duly rewarded (in praise and awe from fellow batch-mates and peers) for your efforts and improvements. Of course, the process is made more enjoyable with your batch-mates motivating you and toiling alongside you.

Myth 3: Besides, you need to be proficient, if not supremely good in Chinese to interact with the China coach who barks out instructions in, no surprise there, Chinese (think China gymnast coaches)

With our beloved instructor, Mdm Chen LiLi after Raffles Rhapsody

Fact: First, our coach is one of the gentlest and nicest coaches you can find. Second, while it helps that you understand Chinese for you to appreciate the beautiful imageries she paints during practice sessions, you can always fall back on your fellow trustworthy batch mates for a quick translation. Anyway, dance is a universal language that everyone understands.

Here in Chinese Dance, every session is one filled with warmth, laughter and of course, lots of sweat. As long as you have the dedication and passion, Chinese Dance will take you through a journey like no other! Furthermore, we are one of the CCAs that will make you feel like the prettiest girl in the world.

CCA Previews 2013 10 January 201319 December 2014

CCA Preview ’13: Ultimate Frisbee

Reading Time: 2 minutes

by Joelle Cheong (13A03A) and Natalie Lim (13A01C)

Many have never heard of Ultimate Frisbee as a sport, for the word Frisbee conjures up an image of a master and his dog. But the loving relationship that this playful game encapsulates is the same love that Ultimate as a CCA brings. If you have ever watched an Ultimate Frisbee match, you will know that it’s a display of passion, intensity and determination. But in Raffles Ultimate, the real emotions aren’t just displayed on field They are ingrained into the hearts of the team- our love for our friends, love for the CCA and love for the game.

In a sport that “[combines] the running of soccer with the stamina of hockey and the cutting, jumping and passing of basketball…” (The National Post, Canada), there cannot be an indispensable star player on the team. Everyone matters and has to be part of the game., As our coach, Benjamin Ho, puts it “Your mistake means the rest of the team running harder than ever to gain back possession of the disc”. In many sports, coaches tell you to believe in yourself. In Ultimate we believe in those who believe in us. In a game that pushes you to your physical and mental limits, one begins to doubt oneself many-a-time. But it’s the knowledge that your coach, your captain and your teammates, are behind you which keeps us going through the hardest times.

But the love in Raffles Ultimate transcends our affection for our current teammates We are a family made out of generations of alumni who come back regularly to coach, to play or just to hang out. From bald smelly NS guys to well-dressed office workers, there are few trainings in which we don’t receive a surprise visit from an alumni. During the Inter-JC competition, seniors from years ago came back to support our teams, filling every available spot on the sidelines, making the Raffles sidelines the most filled .

How many team sports end every game with a team huddle with both opponent teams together? How many team sports have players giving high-fives to everyone once the game ends? How many team sports have no referee but leave the players to make their own honest calls in game? This is the love for the game that is so uniquely Ultimate. In Raffles Ultimate, the sound of discs dropping in the amphitheatre and shouts of players in scrimmages are testaments to our love for the game. We spend many breaks and lunches down at the amphitheatre– throwing, scrimmaging, doing what we love best, and rushing back to class dripping with sweat. Friends frequently mention our frequent disappearances and sweaty appearances, but that doesn’t stop us. It’s our way of life.

So if you ever walk down the halls of science block and hear shouts from the amphitheatre, we sincerely apologise in advance. The true love of Ultimate can never be silent.

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