School Life

Some Dreams From Now: RI200 Anthology Launch
Reading Time: 5 minutes

By Saara Katyal (23S05A) and Tang Lanyun (23S05A)

On the 14th of January, the Yusof Ishak Atrium was unusually abuzz with activity as a crowd of distinguished guests gathered to witness the launch of the RI200 literary anthology, Some Dreams From Now: 135 Years of Rafflesian Writing. In attendance were members of RI’s Board of Governors, principals past and present, as well as contributors to the anthology.

Some Dreams From Now was conceived by alumnus Theophilus Kwek (Class of 2012) and Mrs Cheryl Yap, Head of Alumni Relations & Archives. In 2021, fourteen literature students recruited from Y4-Y6 began the arduous process of trawling through the archives of student publications such as The Rafflesian, and reading the published works of noted Rafflesian alumni to identify pieces for the anthology. 

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Commentary, School Life

RI Open House ‘23: WRIte Your Story
Reading Time: 5 minutes

By Venkatesan Ranjana (23A01D)

The morning of 13 January saw a steady stream of visitors flowing into RI from our Marymount gate, as prospective Year 5 students and their parents were greeted by our Befrienders stationed near the registration booth, while the rest of the campus thrummed with anticipation.

Indeed, the whole school seemed to be revitalised by the fresh faces and the excitement in the atmosphere—a welcome feeling for those of us who had only experienced school events in  the pandemic era. The 2023 RI Open House, with its theme of  “wRIte your story”, was certainly an all round success for both visitors and the student body alike, with its multitude of highlights that delighted and captivated attendees.

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CCA Previews, CCA Previews 2023, Please Mind the Platform Gap

CCA Previews ‘23: Film Society
Reading Time: 2 minutes

By Karina Soetama (Chairperson)

We hope you enjoyed our video preview! If there’s anything to take away from it, it’s that film is remarkable. In fact, it’s remarkable that any films are ever made at all. Every moving part needs to work seamlessly together in order to tell a cohesive story. With this knowledge, it is no wonder that the art of filmmaking is often compared to magic. And with Film Society, you’ll get the opportunity to learn that magic, too.

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Aunt Agony and Uncle Upset, School Life

Aunt Agony and Uncle Upset: Self-Esteem Struggles
Reading Time: 6 minutes

By Raphael Niu (23A01A) and Sabrina Tong (23S03Q, Peer Helper)

Cover image by Johnathan Lim (23S03M)

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. 

I HATE MYSELF
— Stuck In My Own Skin

Dear Stuck In My Own Skin, 

All of us in RI have probably experienced some degree of self-loathing from time to time. It’s hard not to, especially when you’re rushing tutorials late into the night, berating yourself for not having started earlier, or when you’ve gotten a less-than-satisfactory result on your Economics paper after you’ve spent hours poring over lecture notes and essays on IVY. It doesn’t help that your classmates seem to be breezing through their schoolwork while simultaneously juggling multiple commitments, while you feel like you’re floundering under the sheer volume of expectations placed upon you.

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Book Reviews, Opinion, Raffles Reviews

Raffles Reads: The House Of Little Sisters
Reading Time: 3 minutes

By Faith Wan (23S02B)

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

Rating: 4/5

“Don’t let them get away with it.”

Set in 1930s British Malaya, award-winning children’s novelist Eva Wong Nava’s The House of Little Sisters is an immersive work of historical fiction. It centres on our protagonist, Ah Mei, a 16 year-old girl who has been sold to the wealthy Lee family as a mui tsai, or unpaid domestic servant, and is tasked with taking care of Precious Jade, the family’s youngest daughter.

From the first chapter, Wong Nava establishes palpable unease and tension. The Lee family seems to be hiding a secret so grievous even Ah Wan Jie, the head mui tsai of the family, skirts cagily around any mention of  it. In addition, Ah Mei starts to see visions of a certain spirit, who pleads with her to “take action”—though against what exactly is a revelation only uncovered later in the book.

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