Commentary, School Life

Guiding Lights: A Look into the Raffles Guidance Centre
Reading Time: 4 minutes

By Claire Jow (23A01B), Raphael Niu (23A01A) and Tay Yu Ning (23S06E)

As much as we might prefer to coast through life brushing mental health struggles under the carpet, it has become increasingly apparent that mental health struggles are a pressing issue, particularly in a stressful environment such as RI. For some of us, even tasks deemed as “simple” such as going to class or finishing a homework assignment can be considered to be a huge victory. 

This is where the Raffles Guidance Centre (RGC) comes in, helping students who struggle  with problems from device issues to family relationships survive and thrive in life. 

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Commentary, School Life

Lit Week’22: Roaring Back To Life
Reading Time: 7 minutes

By Anamika Ragu (23A01A) and Claire Jow (23A01B)

The Roaring Twenties was heralded by a flourishing economy and a blossoming of arts and culture in the West. It was an age of celebration, a recognition of all the strength it had taken to live through the previous (and far more tumultuous) decade. The Great War had ended, the influenza pandemic of 1918 had died down, and people were left with the desire to do one thing— live. 

About a century later, we found ourselves living that same reality, finally recovering from a global pandemic that had forced us all into isolation. Literature Week 2022, while centred around 1920s literature, also inadvertently parallelled this— our very own Roaring Twenties.

At long last, however, the fog was beginning to lift. It was once again time to celebrate the beauty of life and Literature together. And so, Lit Week began.

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Op-Eds, Opinion, Student Issues

Let’s Talk About Envy
Reading Time: 3 minutes

By Lim Zhi Qi Victoria (23S06B)

I want friends like that, I want his popularity, I want a partner like that, I want eyes like hers, I want her bravery and his intelligence, I want their happiness. Nobody intends to actively compare themselves with others, but it has become inevitable in the society that we grow up in. It’s natural for us to collect information about our surroundings, and use it to evaluate how we are doing in life. 

Though not all forms of comparison lead to envy, envy always starts with self-comparison. I think the envy that we experience nowadays goes far beyond just wanting something, but also includes the element of not wanting the other person to have it. 

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Commentary

Mental Health Awareness Week 2022: From Me to Me
Reading Time: 6 minutes

By Cece Cao Chenxi (23A01E) and Shreya Singh (23S03C) 

In what is termed as the “beautiful mess effect”, there is an inherent dissonance in how we perceive our own vulnerabilities as compared with others’ perceptions of it. We may often feel like being vulnerable around others makes us seem inadequate or weak, but this is far from the truth — it is actually attractive to intentionally express our vulnerability.

Examining these vulnerabilities on a personal level and putting our guard down around others undoubtedly requires a great deal of courage. 

This year’s theme for Mental Health Awareness Week (MHAW), ‘From Me to Me’ took inspiration from the celebration of the very self-love that characterises this embrace of vulnerability and ourselves. As the year comes to a close  with some of us in low spirits after the promotional examinations, let’s take the time to remember all the tips and tricks PHP shared with us earlier this year. 

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CCA Events, Commentary, School Life

Impact: TEDxYouth@RI 2022
Reading Time: 6 minutes

By Jason Nathaniel Sutio (22S06U) 

On 6 August 2022, Raffles Institution held its very own TEDx event inviting 16 different speakers, including students, alumni and teachers, from various backgrounds to spark curiosity, scepticism, and discussions on a range of subjects that matter. 

The “x” on TEDx stands for “independently-organised”, in that the event is on a community-by-community basis. Here, TED-like talks are shared with the Rafflesian community following the theme “Impact”.

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