It’s been 369 days since the 34ths were invested, and 69 days since they stepped down. It’s been a mad term for them, with a litany of deadlines for proposals, preparations for events, but at the end of it all (like their 33 batches of predecessors), they have survived. Quite ironically, despite their theme of ‘no unguarded backs’, the last thing they ever did during their term was look back. As they hand over the mantle of leadership to the newly invested 35th Students’ Council, it’s about as good a time as ever to take a step back and review the legacy of the 34th Student Councillors. Through an exclusive interview with the Presidents of the 34th Students’ Council, we bring you through the good, the bad, and the memorable moments of their term.
Ever wanted to rant about that someone you just can’t stand? Overwhelmed with too many feelings? Check out Raffles Press’ new column, Ask Aunt Agony and Uncle Upset, and our resident Aunties and Uncles will be glad to help you with your Rafflesian troubles! Submit your confessions to tinyurl.com/rafflesadvicecolumn and we’ll give them our best shot.
This speech was given by Isaac Leong, outgoing President of the Students’ Council, during the 2015 Founders’ Day Ceremony.
Isaac delivering his speech at the 192nd Founder’s Day Ceremony.
Photographs – they capture moments that are gone forever, impossible to reproduce. We each keep a collection of them – whether in traditional print or on Instagram. Likewise, I keep a small box of old photographs, notes, cards and other paraphernalia, opening and adding to it at every significant milestone in my life. I recently opened that box in preparation for this speech – after all, as my penultimate speech in this school, I hoped to be able to represent and do justice to the 6 years of joy and sorrow, anticipation and regret, and comedy and tragedy that we have experienced in RI.
Inside, I found images of our seniors imparting the Unite cheer during our Year 1 Orientation, of victory at the end of my Year 4 debate season, of my classmates and me horsing around in class back in the time when we didn’t share the same classroom with girls. Each of these photographs brought back a stream of memories and emotions that have crept into moments between my waking and sleep on many occasions this year. I’m sure that each of us has a set of mental photographs that will forever remain etched in our memory.
But as important as these photographs are to us, they aren’t only personal. If there’s anything, what is common amongst our individual photographs is the collective backdrop that is RI. Each photograph is like a story frozen in time and these stories have been inevitably linked with the broader RI narrative. In other words, we have went through what we have went through because things were lined a certain way for us – by our teachers, the school, traditions, circumstances or in some cases, just pure luck. Even though coming from RI may sometimes bestow on us certain self-importance, we are, fortunately or not, not as central and important as we think we may be. It is with this humble acknowledgement that I have come to more deeply appreciate how much RI has shaped us.
However, we cannot just reminisce about the past, especially on a day like Founder’s Day. It is indeed ironic how history ceases the moment we start living in the past. And it is with this paradox that we must look ahead and ask ourselves how do we keep the flag of Raffles flying high. After all, I hope that the photographs I keep and treasure never become a thing of the past, 10, 20, 50 years from now. I believe there are 3 things each of us can do.
First, we must work hard. RI has been the top school in Singapore for many years, but that does not guarantee us, individually or as a school, any success. The success we celebrate today is the culmination of hard work put in by those who have come before us. This means that for us today, we must not shy away from either excellence or hard work. There are debates raging on about “inclusive” and “equal” education, but that should not deter us from working hard and pushing the boundaries of achievement for this school.
The proudest moments I have had as a Rafflesian are of struggle and sacrifice, even when the stakes are stacked against us. The achievements on the field and on the stage that Mr Chan presented often did not come easily and was the result of long training, restrictive diets and sheer discipline in managing the different expectations of being a student and an athlete or performer at the same time. However, we know that it is not just the gold medals that we celebrate. I remember this once when a Year 1 boy rather innocently asked why we were cheering Raffles so enthusiastically even though we were losing the rugby game badly. It was some time ago, but I think my reply went something like “Ah that’s the spirit that never says die. It’s the spirit that is best when we are down and losing – and that is what makes it so unique”. That indomitable spirit is the essence of Rafflesian tradition and is articulated in our school motto – to improve, excel and always reach for the best.
Second, we must look beyond the A-levels. Let’s admit that there is immense pressure for Rafflesians to do well at the A-levels, and certainly, my batchmates and I hope that we can live up to these expectations as well. However, we must broaden our perspectives by continuing to explore and enrich ourselves. Initiatives like the Gap Semester have been effective in exposing and educating us beyond the confines of RI and Singapore. But we cannot just rely on big school programmes for enrichment; it should happen every day in the classroom as well. I remember my Year 1 geography teacher coming into class one day and started forcing us to play with biscuits, jam and milo in order to simulate tectonic movements. In hindsight, it all sounded so childish, but it was important because it piqued our interest in what we thought was a boring subject about things we could neither see nor feel. We were proven wrong. I’m also thankful to have teachers who care more than just the syllabus – exposing us to ideas & concepts that complement or even challenge what we learn in class. As my Humanities tutor Mr Reeves would put it, “life’s more complex than that”. Perhaps, this autonomy to explore outside the scope of exams is one advantage of the IP system and we must continue to leverage on that. In showing us that life is not black and white, RI has encouraged us to be curious.
Finally, we must contribute back to society what we have taken from them. I say this because RI cannot just be excellent, it must have a soul to ground itself. Community work has been a growing focus in RI, but we can still do more to benefit society as a school. Referring to history once more, Singapore has always been the core of RI. We were founded by Sir Stamford Raffles as a school for the children of native Singaporeans and never for the colonialists’ own children. Likewise, we may now be the beneficiaries of an excellent education, but we must never feel entitled to what we have and must continue to benefit society in the work that we do.
Ironically, the future seems to have an ancient heart. As we move forward with time, it is history that grounds us as an institution and memories that offer us some comfort as individuals.
The future will not be handed to us. But with the combined effort of the Rafflesian community at large, we can all ensure that RI will not simply be a school with a great past, but a school that has a great future.
Auspicium Melioris Aevi.
Raffles Press would like to thank Isaac Leong for generously offering to provide the transcript of his speech to Raffles Press.
By Qiu Kexin (16A13A), Md Khairillah (16A01B), Justin Lim (16A01B)
Photos by Raffles Photographic Society
Flooded with Whatsapp messages about TŪHURA? The past few days may have seen you being flooded with messages on your OG or class groups urging you to partake in an IHC sport– to represent your house in an unforgettable endeavour, and also to stand a chance to win some merch with the insanely good looking logo. Indeed, with the official inauguration of the Inter-House Competition (IHC) 2015 this week, the IHC has experienced its fair share of fanfare and excitement. As the first few segments were held in the past three days, the barrage of spectators flocking to the venues have certainly not been disappointed with the intense displays of sporting prowess displayed by the five houses.
On Raffles Press’ end, we seek to bring you some quick insights into the events for the first two days of IHC: Floorball, Table Tennis, and Cricket.
Day One Floorball
As the first of the IHC matches, the well-hyped Floorball match commenced to much enthusiasm, with driven players from the five houses raring to go as spectators witnessed their first IHC match.
Spectators getting up and close with the action as an MR player tries to obtain possession of the ball.
Spectators were also not disappointed as they witnessed many exceptional moments and skilful goal-scoring manoeuvres throughout the match that made the playing field an exhilarating one to observe. Together on the floor, opponents batted with each other’s sticks to wrangle control of one small and sly ball.
MR players ready on the defence.
Stronger players seemed to dominate the game in terms of leadership and strategic roles in the offence. Despite this, the less experienced players, some of whom were trying out the sport for the first time, were instrumental in the heated fight between the houses, having provided indispensable support mainly in the defensive components of the game, especially whenever the ball was too close to a goal for comfort.
In the last minutes of a match, MT players try to seize the ball to score a goal.
The Floorball IHC saw its fair share of intense play too, especially in the last match of the day between the phoenix-lings MT and wolf pack, MR. MT was about to equalise the score when the final whistle was blown. The match was concluded with thus MR securing the victory for the round.
The event concluded with placings determined by the number of matches won in a round-robin between the five Houses, and HH had the glory of walking away as overall winners.
Compared to the inaugural first day of matches, the Table Tennis IHC was a relatively mellow affair that saw us entering a world of easy-going matches over the tables more so than the arena of lightning-speed blasts of reflexive swings and powerful backhand strokes.
Relaxed though some matches may have been, the players still eagerly participated in teams during the Doubles rounds.
The play-offs were, however, definitely not laidback as players were still thoroughly engaged in each of their own matches. It was clear from the the unbreakable focus assumed by the ecompetitors that each of them were still in it to win it.
An MT player swings at a ball with his might, while a BB player is poised in a crouch, ready to react.
Additionally, the event also opened up several opportunities for players to interact with each other across houses, with heated face-offs that helped to kindle some kinship between opponents from different houses afterwards. An MT player, who had been a newbie to Table Tennis, quipped that it was a “casual, yet enjoyable” experience where “everyone got equal chances to play, regardless of skill levels.” Sentiments were apparent, that the Table Tennis IHC seemed to have successfully provided participants with the opportunity to forge friendships within the level, amidst the friendly competition.
A group photo of all competitors from the various houses as the event comes to a close.
Most participants participating in the Cricket IHC were unfamiliar with the sport. However, that didn’t stop everyone from putting up a good fight! Cricket is notorious for its convoluted rules that baffle most newbies. Yet, admirably, most participants had to learn cricket gameplay right off the bat.
Participants listening intently to an explanation of the game’s rules before the game commences.
Though the rules seemed complicated in hindsight, the training provided beforehand definitely helped players strategise towards their eventual wins for their house. MT managed to gain an upper hand over their opponents, cementing their title as champions.
It’s a bird it’s a plane it’s a cricket ball!
“It was a smashing good time for those present. Despite our lack of experience, it did not stop us from having a pleasant game,” a player present remarked. He also credited Raffles Table Tennis, stating that “the organisers had been effective and understanding in introducing newbies to the game” and that the game had additionally been an “ample opportunity to mingle with participants from other houses”, as well as “end the day in a fulfilling way.”
Just the Beginning
It’s been evident from the past two days that IHC 2015 has gotten off to a good start, with active participation by seasoned players and beginners alike and zealous effort displayed by all players. Stay tuned for next week’s coverage!
By Chew Cheng Yu (16S06L), Choo Shuen Ming (16A01E), Louisa Li (16A13A) and Qiu Kexin (16A13A)
In yet another instalment of Notes from the Underground, Raffles Press speaks to 2 of our school counsellors, Mei Hui and Zull, to work out students’ problems with their friendships, and how they can go about maintaining and fixing them. Click to read previous articles in our series here!
