Aunt Agony and Uncle Upset, School Life

Aunt Agony and Uncle Upset: Reigniting The Flame
Reading Time: 4 minutes

By Faith Wan (23S02B) and Thia Jiayun (24S03P, Peer Helper)

Your resident Aunties and Uncles are back with our Ask Aunt Agony and Uncle Upset column, this time as a collaboration between Raffles Press and Peer Helpers’ Programme (PHP)! Ever wanted to rant about that someone you just can’t stand? Overwhelmed with too many feelings? Submit your confessions to https://tinyurl.com/RIAAUU and we’ll give them our best shot. This column will be published at the end of every month.

How can I recover from study burnout? I am really unmotivated to study now

Burnedout Brendon

Dear Burnedout Brendon,

Amidst the hectic life of a JC student, it’s all too easy to get swept up in the unhealthy cycle of working relentlessly. Think studying til the wee hours of the morning, guzzling down yet another cup of double shot espresso, and forcing yourself to make every moment of your day ‘productive’.

While everyone’s threshold for stress varies, it’s safe to say that such a work ethic is simply unsustainable in the long run. It is precisely this gnawing desire to do more, more, more (and often, the accompanying fear of failure) that triggers the avalanche of a burnout.

Continue reading “Aunt Agony and Uncle Upset: Reigniting The Flame” →
Book Reviews, Opinion, Raffles Reviews

Raffles Reads: The Macanese Pro-Wrestler’s Cookbook
Reading Time: 4 minutes

By Natalie Tan (23A01B) 

Raffles Reads is a collaboration between Raffles Press and Times Reads which aims to promote a reading culture among Singaporean students.

Rating: 4/5

After his parents’ death, former pro-wrestler Zeke Oliveira returns to Macau from America and spends his days running their restaurant by the beach, purposeless but for cooking good food. 

When someone rigs Zeke’s best friend’s car to explode, killing him right outside his restaurant, Zeke throws himself headlong into hunting down his murderers through the alleyways and hotel rooms of the city, eventually stumbling upon an organ harvesting conspiracy that threatens both his life and his understanding of his own cultural identity.  

Continue reading “Raffles Reads: The Macanese Pro-Wrestler’s Cookbook” →
Commentary, School Life

Mathemagician: Professor Arthur Benjamin
Reading Time: 4 minutes

By Fiona Ting (24S06A)

Why was Math class so long? The teacher kept going off on a tangent!

Luckily for the audience, “Mathemagician” Professor Arthur Benjamin went off tangent plenty during his sharing on 24 March 2023 in LT2 (the location had been changed to fit the sheer number of people who had signed up)—at least in relation to the JC Mathematics syllabus. In a world where many people see mathematics as dry and uninteresting, Professor Benjamin had done the seemingly impossible: found a way to make it exciting.

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Features, Humans of RI

7 Marathons, 7 Continents, 7 Days: Rafflesian Wheelchair Racer Makes History
Reading Time: 5 minutes

By Faith Wan (23S02B)

On February 6 this year, Dr William Tan, a neuroscientist and Paralympian, added another record to his lengthy list of achievements: being the first person to complete seven marathons across seven continents in seven days, in a wheelchair. 

After 50 years of wheelchair racing, this challenge was his swansong. In addition to raising funds for seven charities, the 66-year-old Rafflesian also graciously dedicated the last leg of his race to RI200, Raffles Institution’s bicentenary. 

Continue reading “7 Marathons, 7 Continents, 7 Days: Rafflesian Wheelchair Racer Makes History” →
Commentary, Features, Humans of RI, Life After Raffles

Women in STEM: How It’s Going
Reading Time: 6 minutes

By Noh Sangeun (23S06Q)

As far back as 1939, underemployment of women in scientific fields was being identified as a problem by women scientists in the United States. Though it took decades for the general public to start listening to them, the women in STEM movement has since found a considerable amount of success — the sheer number of times we use the term should be a testament to that.

So I was somewhat surprised to find that the numbers don’t paint the rosiest picture of the situation; only about 30% of the world’s researchers are women. Though that is a huge improvement from 8% of STEM workers in the United States in 1970, it is still a long way from complete parity.

Continue reading “Women in STEM: How It’s Going” →